Change to Avatar: The Last Airbender

Chapter 10

Within the weeks following the the incident with General Fong, the bond between the group grew stronger. And as her relationships with everyone grew, so did the child within Miko. As each day passed, she felt the bond grow. When she was alone, she's talk to her belly. She's tell it about Zuko, about her family, where they were, where she'd traveled. She wondered whether it would be able to air bend like herself. With Aang's help, she was learning more than she ever dreamed of, yet the more she learned, the more she struggled with it. She couldn't let go of her old self, the one that always was afraid to rock the boat and make a mess, that bit her tongue and told herself that it wasn't her choice, that she didn't have one. 

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"Hey, you guys picked a great campsite. The grass is so soft." Toph said, stretching, wiggling her toes.

"That's not grass. Appa's shedding." Sokka retorted

"Oh, gross!" Katara said.

"That's not gross, it's just a part of spring." said Miko.

" You know, rebirth, flowers blooming, and Appa gets a new coat!" said Aang.

"Ah, the beauty of spring." Katara sighed, as Appa started to shake, sending fur flying. "Stop, Appa, stop!"

"It's not that bad, Katara. It makes a great wig!" Sokka exclaimed, with a big pile of fur on top of his head.

"And a great beard!" Aang joined.

"I'm just glad we have another girl in the group because you two are disgusting. Don't you think Miko?"

"Excuse me, does anyone have a razor..." Toph asked, walking between the two of them. "...because I've got some hairy pits!"

"I think we've lucked out with this one, Katara" Miko laughed. 

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As Miko collected fire wood, she talked to herself, to the baby. 

"Hey, Miko! Wait up!" Toph called out. Miko stopped and turned. 

"Hi, Toph. What do you need?"

"Nothing, I just wanted to talk to you, away from Sugar Queen." 

"Oh...ok." 

"So you're another twinkle toes?" 

"Hmm?"

"You're an Airbender, like Aang. I thought the Avatar was supposed to be the last of them."

"It's a long story, really."

"Man, you're so timid, like a little mouse. No wonder you haven't told them."

"Told them what? What are you talking about?"

"The little thing growing inside you."

"I don't know what you're talking about." She turned abruptly and started picking up fire wood again. She hadn't told anybody about it, and she wasn't even showing. So how did Toph know. She can't even see.

"I know you're lying, and I can feel its heart beat." That stopped Miko dead in her tracks.

"How?"

"I can feel it. When people lie, theres a physical reaction. I can sense it through my earth bending."

"So now you know...."

"How long have you known?" 

"Since the North Pole."

"Why haven't you told the rest of them?"

"Because.... I don't have anywhere else to go, if they found out they wouldn't let me travel with them, I'd just be in the way."