Onee-Chan Is Gone (Sokka x OC)

Chapter 7: Spontaneous Growth

"Who's the cutie? Is it you? It's you!" I cooed at Iwa. I sat outside my house against a tree petting Iwa who laid curled up comfortably on the ground next to me. It's been about four years since anything very eventful has happened, but I haven't stopped wondering about what is happening to me.

Lately Bao has been focusing more on their painting and they asked me if I could come look at one of their new ones sometime today.

I just sat waiting for Bao to call me over while running my fingers through my hair. It was getting longer every month and was now almost to my waist.

A big rush of air flew by like usual and chilled my exposed arms. I only had a small sleeveless shirt, shorts, and sandals on me.

As I sat I contemplated my own life, why I was here, all the things that needed to happen for me to be born and be alive right here. All of the if I hadn'ts and the of all thing things that could haves.When I think about it it really is just one huge coincidence and culmination of unlikely events.

But what I would give to understand any of it....

I jumped, feeling a unexpected hand on my shoulder. I must have dozed off because Bao was standing in front of me and I didn't hear a thing.

"Hey Oma, wanna come see?" Bao asked, taking their hand from my shoulder.

I nodded. "Sure, I can't wait."

They smiled and offered their hand to help me up. I took it as we headed off towards our usual spot out in the field.

The sky was sunny today but the winds were harsher than usual, causing the grass to blow flat and run across our ankles. I loved watching Bao's dresses poof out in the wind, almost like a flower blooming.

As the two of us got closer to our hang out rock, I noticed that it didn't look quite like how I remember. The color of the rock was darker. So this was where they were painting. No wonder Bao only wanted to hang out around the west side of the town for the past few days.

When we finally reached the rock, I couldn't take my eyes off of it. What Bao created was stunning and thrilling and so many other things. But the thing that made it so special was the personality and the familiarity of this moment that Bao had so powerfully displayed on the one place that meant something so significant to only us two.

It was the two of us, sitting watching the night sky together.

Not only that but the illusory and fantastical art style made the sky seem so much more than what was real it showed what we saw when we looked up to the sky for answers to our lives. It was the answer.

"Love."

:::

Bao was ecstatic. The moment they could tell that I liked it I knew that their heart was just bursting with joy.

"It's fabulous." I said while they continued to leap with joy, getting more excited every time I complimented their art. I wanted to see how many compliments it would take to make them shoot right up into the sky. "I hardly have the words for it!" I screamed, trying to get my words across over their screeching.

"Oh my gosh! Wow! Hoo!" Bao said, slowing down and finally coming to a stop to catch their breath. "I was so scared that you wouldn't like it!" They said, coming in for a hug.

"Watch out... for...," I said looking at my shoulders for a small little squirrel-mouse. "Iwa?" As Bao's arms wrapped around over my shoulders I noticed Iwa's absence.

Bao noticed my mood change and took their hands off of me. "Is Iwa not with you?" They asked, sharing my worry.

"No...," I answered in confusion. I can hardly remember a time in which Iwa was not right next to me. They always stayed by my side. "I-I don't know where they are."

I turned around and looked around on the ground trying to find them. They weren't in my pockets or on my head, and they weren't on Bao anywhere either.

"Iwa where are you?" I said desperately, almost expecting them to reveal themself to me as I called out their name.

Searching my mind, I tried to think of the last time I was sure that they were with me. I remember waking up with them because they were one that woke me. Then we both went and sat by the tree and I pet them. And then I came here... did Iwa not come with me?

I could have sworn that Iwa was on my shoulder this whole time but maybe I was too distracted by Bao's painting to notice that they weren't here.

"Oma calm... down," Bao's voice dragged me out of my thoughts and my eyes adjusted to my surroundings. Bao's eyes seemed filled with curiosity as they looked around at the grass around us, that was now three times as tall as it used to be and twice our height.

I hardly let myself consume that information and my head could only focus on the growing anxiety I felt for not having Iwa with me.

Rushing past Bao, I made my way back towards the tree I rested at this morning.

I pushed past the curtains of grass that continued to block my path and rushed towards town.

The moment I broke through the shroud of the grassy field I ran at the fastest I felt I could on the hard dusty earth. I could hear Bao calling out for me to slow down but I couldn't. I couldn't until Iwa was with me again.

I saw the one tree I was looking for in all it's magnificence but all I could look at was the small sleeping squirrel-mouse against it's trunk.

Rushing over to Iwa, I scooped them up and hugged them, taking a deep breath.

After calming down I could hear Bao's footsteps and their shaky breath. "Oma." Bao gasped out. "Look behind you."

In curiosity, I turned my head to what Bao was trying to make me see. The sight surprised me and it added many more questions to my list. Behind there was a trail of footprints in the dirt, my footprints, made out of grass. I connected that to the taller grass next to Bao's art, and to the times in the past that flowers grew around me.

This is so frustrating. I let out a deep relaxing sigh while closing my eyes to try and calm my nerves. When I opened my eyes, the grass was gone, as if it had never been there in the first place.

"Bao-Bao... what if whatever this is is connected to my feelings?"

Bao's eyebrows raised as he contemplated the idea, but they fell as he realized something. "I don't know how you'll ever get answers, but the more it happens, the more likely it is that you'll find out."

I sighed. "What if I don't like the answer?"

"You won't know until you find it."