Onee-Chan Is Gone (Sokka x OC)

Chapter 2: Kang Bao

My earthbending is a gift. That's what Isao has been telling me. He told me that he wants to start training me once the store gets back on it's feet so he has more time to spend with me.

In the mean time, I've been practicing small things like tiny sculptures in the ground, and rotating a few rocks in my hand at once.

Iwa likes to try and chase the crude sculptures of my parents I make run around. I think it's much more fun than just digging around it the dirt trying to find things like I used to do.

Today I decided I want to go explore the outskirts of the village for more room to practice earthbending.

I found a huge boulder a few yards away from someone's hut, but I don't think they would mind if I played around with a boulder behind their house.

I ran my hands across the side of the humungous rock, feeling just how big it was.

"I've tried to move that boulder before too."

My eyes trailed to the person speaking. There stood a small kid in a yellow shirt that was too short for them and blonde hair tied up in a yellow ribbon holding a rock in their hand.

"Have you?" I asked rhetorically. "Only earthbenders can move big rocks like this, don't you know?"

"Sure I do." They threw the rock they had up into the air and when it reached the peak of it's height, it stopped moving. "That's why I tried it."

I grinned. Another earthbender like me! "Well I'm gonna be the one to move it!" I proclaimed.

"It's on." They said, standing back to watch me attempt at the boulder.

I stood back a few steps, widened my stance, and aimed my palms up toward the sky. I cleared my head and listened to my surroundings. The weight of the boulder was gradually being applied to my hands as I strained to lift my arms.

My neck tensed and I scrunched my face, watching the bottom of the boulder with intensity. I poured my strength into my arms, lifting up higher and higher. I closed my eyes shut and tensed my leg muscles, commanding them to stay put.

I felt my voice screaming to be let out, to give me some kind of boost of adrenaline. The moment I let my voice go, my throat rumbled and my arms shot up and I could hear the other kid gasp.

A tremble in the ground opened my eyes, and what I saw amazed me.

The boulder sat, lying on its side now, at least a few feet from where it sat before.

"Woah!" The kid exclaimed and walked over to the boulder to examine it. They then walked over to me hand held out their hand for me to take.

I hadn't even realized that I was sitting on the ground until they offered me help up. I took their hand and they pulled me to my feet.

It was still amazing to me that I was able to move that boulder at all, but I was honestly exhausted and could barely stand up.

"That was incredible! How did you do that?" They asked.

"I'm not actually sure. I only started bending about a week ago."

"A week?!" They exclaimed.

I nodded. "I have been practicing a lot, but never on big stuff."

"Wow." They said quietly. I could practically see the sparkles in their eyes as they looked at me. "Hey what's your name?"

"I'm Oma Lei."

They smiled and shook my hand. "Nice to meet you Oma. I'm Kang Bao. I hope we can be good friends from now on."

I smiled back. "Me too."

:::

"Bao-Bao," I called out.

"Hm?" Bao answered lazily as they intensely focused on the rock they were painting on.

"What'll happen when we grow up? Will we still be friends?"

Bao paused their painting to look up at me. We sat atop the only flat rock in the field of tall grass we found not too far from the village, watching the sun fall and playing around. We'd only been friends for a month now and I already feel like I don't know what I'd even be doing without having met them.

We listened to the grass sway, a considerable contrast to the constant noise of sand washing over the dry earth in town. The pure green and the wetness of the grass was the sense of variety that the two of us longed for.

"I think we will." Bao answered. "At least I want to be. I would follow you anywhere, Oma."

I thought about what happened a year ago. When I was taken. Forced to leave the home I don't even remember anymore. I still remember Oma though.

"What if we were separated for reasons that we couldn't control?"

Bao's expression was soft. They reached out and put their hand on mine. "I would find you, Oma. As long as you need me I will find you."

A goofy grin reached my face. "Do you like me Bao-Bao?" I teased.

They blushed. "No way! We're just friends."

"I hope you mean best friends."

"Yeah." They whispered. "Best friends."