Avatar: The Legend of Aaden {Book One: Discovery (發現)}

CHAPTER TWO: Travelling Buddies

It was an early morning after the news and Aaden had already eaten breakfast before all the Acolytes did. In fact, he was already on his way to meet a good friend of his in Republic City. "Auggie, yip yip!" He yelled, ushering his Flying Bison to fly faster as a few spirits flew past. The early morning sun shone down upon Aaden, casting a gentle, warm glow over the scene. The sunlight felt soothing and rejuvenating, helping to ease the thoughts that weighed heavily on his mind. As he came to a halt in front of the two guards perched on their metallic hoverboards, Aaden couldn't help but glance past them at the large, purple-colored laser gate that loomed in the distance. Two massive vines snaked and twisted in an odd contraption, generating the power to activate it. "State your business." Guard one said. "What is this?" Aaden asked. "We are Republic City's new Airway Patrol System aka 'APS'. Now, state your business." Guard two stated. "I-I'm here to see a friend of mine." Aaden replied, nervously. The guards paused, eyeing each other skeptically for a moment before giving a slow nod of agreement.

"We'll need to search your bison." Guard one declared. 

A 'whoosh'  sound swept over Aaden as they flew past and started searching through his straddle. "Is there anyway we could kinda... y'know... speed this up?" He asked with an awkward smile. "We just need to make sure you don't have anything that goes against our rules." The second guard replied, calmly. Aaden soared majestically overhead as he entered the Skyway Aerial Network, the laser defense system temporarily disabled to accommodate his passage. The RC had ingeniously constructed airways for aircraft and Air Bison, christened the Skyway Aerial Network or S.A.N for brevity, named after the son of President Akito himself who first envisioned it. As Aaden traversed the S.A.N, the sun ascended to the north-eastern quadrant of the sky, casting a warm magenta-golden glow over the landscape. He eventually landed at the entrance of a slightly neglected neighborhood, where spirit vines intertwined with the houses. 

"Geez, someone needs to clean the place." Aaden whispered, watching four men clear the end of the road. 

Aaden took a determined step onto the porch of a specified house numbered 42 and raised his hand to knock on it three times, each knock echoing in the stillness. For a few seconds, quietness enveloped the area, only to be broken by the sudden creaking of the door as it slowly opened before him. "My pack- oh. Hi Aaden." A little boy pouted, disappointedly. He was up to Aaden's chest in height and had an overgrown, shaggy Bowl-Cut. His red shirt was stained with old toothpaste and his pants were slightly teared at the ankles. "It's nice to see you too, Lee" Aaden teased with a cheeky smile. "HUANG! YOUR FRIEND IS HERE!" He shouted from the top of his lungs. Lee's amber eyes twinkled in annoyance as he left Aaden alone at the door. A girl ran swiftly down the staircase in the house. "Shut up and stop yelling! You don't wanna wake up dad." She whispered while he walked past. "Aaden! It's so good to see you again." Her eyes widened with joyful astonishment as she exclaimed her delight, her face gleaming brightly with contagious enthusiasm. Without missing a beat, she enveloped Aaden in a tight, affectionate embrace, holding him close to express her happiness. "Hey, can I come in? Or is your dad-" 
     "No it's fine. Come on in" Huang interrupted. With a welcoming gesture, he slowly walked inside. "What brings you in to the RC. Ever since you moved, things haven't been the same." She joked, making tea in the kitchen as Aaden sat on their couch. "I need someone to talk and you're the only person that I can in full confidentiality." He stated, seriously.

"Oh. Serious, serious then. What's the issues?" Concern was unmistakable in her tone. As quickly as she came down the stairs, Huang sat next to Aaden and placed his tea on the vintage coffee table from the middle of the room. "Oh, you didn't have to make me tea." 
      "Sorry, sorry, sorry. You don't have to drink it. I'll save it for my mother when she gets home from work." She profusely apologized. "It's fine. Anyway, the reason why I'm here is because I'm leaving Air Temple Island. My parents told me last night that they're sending me to the Southern Air Temple to 'test' if I may or may not be the Avatar..." There was a brief pause in the conversation as Huang momentarily halted her words to fully grasp the meaning behind Aaden's statement. A look of concentration crossed her features as she carefully considered his words, ensuring that she had accurately comprehended what he had just articulated. "Wait, wait, WAIT! You're telling me, you 'might' be the Avatar?" She questioned. "Yes... maybe." His crocked smile showcased awkwardness whilst waiting for a response. The air became thin and all he could do was look at distant objects just to not make the situation more uncomfortable then it already was.