The Lunar Warrior [ATLA FF]

Book One: Water | 4 | The Foreigner

Art drawn by me!

After it is revealed that Aang is indeed an airbender, Sokka promptly wants to return home. It is at that moment the trio realize that they have no way to get home. Seeing this, Aang speaks up. "If you guys are stuck, Appa and I could give you a lift."

"We'd love a ride! Thanks!" Katara agrees for them immediately.

"Oh no. I'm not getting on that fluffy snot monster!" Sokka voiced his apprehension immediately, not trusting any of this. Although not as vocal, Ayaan also wasn't sure about going near Appa. He didn't see any other way out of their situation, but... A strange beast piloted by a strange kid who put on a light show with his tattoos not ten minutes ago? All of Ayaan's common sense just didn't trust it. But Katara was already making her way up the side of the beast with the help of Aang, so he reluctantly made his way closer.

"Not you too, Ayaan!" Sokka was in disbelief that Ayaan was heading over towards them.

Ayaan gave his brother a glance before returning his gaze to Appa. He had big, brown, intelligent eyes. Ayaan reached out slowly to touch him, Appa seemed to not mind in the slightest, even leaning in to his touch. His fur...

"It's soft..." It was very soft. And it was warm. Appa seemed to really like Ayaan, because as soon as he started petting him, he licked him. Appa being as big as he was, ended up licking all of Ayaan from head to toe. Despite being disgusted by the saliva he was now covered in, he was glad that the bison seemed to like him. He used a bit of his waterbending to get the saliva off of him, Aang being shocked by it.

"You're a waterbender!" Aang was amazed by Ayaan. The teen gave a glance to the child, getting on the saddle with his own physical skill instead of Aang's offered help. He sat at the opposite of the saddle, his hand always resting on his spear as he answered the boy with a simple nod. The boy seemed visibly saddened by Ayaan's avoidance of any contact, be it physical or vocal, with him. But Katara covered for him.

"Ayaan just isn't a very talkative person, but he isn't mean, I promise." She said, giving him a smile. Aang seemed to accept the answer, but still gave Ayaan a glance before he got to the front to grabbed the reins. "Sokka, get up here already!" She called to her other brother, who was still standing where he was staring at Appa with apprehensive eyes. Giving her brother a look, she added, "Are you hoping some other kind of 'monster' will come along and give you a ride home? You know, before you freeze to death?"

Sokka opens his mouth to retort, but got nothing.

"We're late, let's go." Ayaan said curtly. With his input, Sokka finally gave up his protests and reluctantly got on Appa.

"Okay, first time flyers, hold on tight! Appa, yip-yip!" Aang whips the reigns and Appa responds with a grunt, he jumps high into the air, seeming as if he was really going to fly, only to belly flop in the water and trudge through it. He tries again, only to get nothing. Ayaan simply raises an eyebrow while Sokka gives a sarcastic remark.

"Wow, that was truly amazing..." Katara shot a glare at Sokka who scoffs at her, and looks toward Ayaan who hadn't let his guard down at all. Katara didn't know what to say about her two brothers, especially Ayaan; it wasn't like him to be this closed off. It was as if he didn't like Aang, even though he'd been nothing but nice since they met him.

She didn't understand that as the eldest son of the chief and their eldest brother, Ayaan was actually making a very big decision to let Aang, a stranger, come into their village during a time of war. On top of this, he was an airbender, something thought extinct until they met him. As much as he was thankful for him giving them a ride home, he had to think about the danger his presence could bring to them. Katara wouldn't understand the amount of pressure he was under right now.