The DragonBorn

Chapter 39

Zeraphina and the group rode on Appa's back, flying through the sky towards the location of Zeraphina's home. Well, a nomadic version of her village. After ten long years, she would finally have the chance to see her family. Her parents, and to finally meet her little brother for the first time. It shook her to the core, from both nerves and excitement.

"Zera?" Katara called out, seeing her friend stare off in the distance away from the group, "Are you okay?"

"Hmm..?" Zeraphina snapped out of her trance, "Oh, yeah, I'm fine. Just a little nervous I guess."

"Nervous?" Toph asked, "Since when do you get nervous?"

"Since I realized that I'm actually going to meet my little brother and my parents for the first time in ten years." Zeraphina looked over at Ronin, her friend from her village. He was a kind man and from what Zeraphina remembered of him, he was skilled with his hands, both in arts and in combat.

"Ronin, please tell me what my family is like now. Are they well? How has my brother grown up?"

Ronin chuckled and turned around in the saddle, "I shouldn't be too surprised that you know you have a younger brother. That power of yours truly is a gift from the spirits themselves." He scooted closer to the group and smiled at his chief's daughter.

"Rian, your brother, has grown up to be a fine young man. Only ten years old and already on par with some of the best earthbenders in the village."

Toph scoffed, "I doubt he'll be able to take me on."

"Why do you say that?"

Sokka laughed, "Toph's a lot tougher than she looks. She may be small, but her skill is crazy."

"Well, I suppose I can't say anything against an earthbender small in size. A lot of our earthbenders' power grows with their height. I can tell just from the look in your eyes that you will grow to be someone more incredible than you already are."

"Oh, please, go on." Toph smiled, "No seriously go on, I wanna hear more."

Zeraphina laughed at Toph's attitude then turned back to Ronin, "Please, tell me everything about my family. Leave out no details."

Ronin nodded, "After you were taken by the Fire Nation, the entire village was crushed. The loss of you made them not want to make fuss with the Fire Nation at all. However, your father reminded us that you, a six-year-old, did something that not even an adult would consider. We had to follow your lead in protecting everyone from the Fire Nation. So, we started dividing our people in equal groups of their nations into larger groups, then separated and wandered to the four corners of the world. Your mother and father went with my group along with your unborn baby brother. After he was born, it was a new start to instill a sense of hope and strength. We trained our men and women to be strong and not hold back when it comes to fighting off the enemy."

"That sounds amazing." Aang said from his place on Appa's head, "A whole village mixed of different nations working together."

"Yes, it's what our people wish for the future, and now seeing that the Avatar is here alive and well, we have a chance. I'm sure that the Chief and his wife will be more than happy to meet with you, Avatar Aang."

"Please, just Aang is fine." Aang chuckled.

"So my mother and father..." Zeraphina wondered aloud.

"Yes, your parents have never given up on you. When they heard rumors that you were sailing the world with the Fire Nation Prince, we packed up our settlement and started wandering even farther throughout the Earth Kingdom and along the waters of the Fire Nation in hopes of finding you. Just two years ago, your mother and brother were in the city of Ba Sing Se to find clues about you while investigating the corruption of the Earth Kingdom city."