Breathless >> Avatar The Last Airbender

Chapter 2 - As Real as it Gets

"Woohoo!" I yelled, gripping onto my penguin tightly.

Aang chuckled.

"See ya later slow coach!" Aang hollered, speeding ahead of me on his penguin.

"Hey!" I giggled. I leaned forward, forcing my penguin to catch up with Aang's.

"Be careful you guys!" Katara called from the top of the snowy hill.

Aang glanced back at Katara, causing him to fall off his penguin and crash into mine.

We rolled around in the snow struggling to remember to breathe between laughs.

I looked up to see Katara holding her hands out to help us up.

Aang stood up and looked around.

"What's that?" He asked, pointing his staff to a wreckage of an old Fire Nation ship.

"Aang I don't think you sho-" 

I started speaking but he had already began to walk towards the remainder of the ship.

Katara gave me a disapproving glance before following the airbender.

I sighed before trailing behind the duo.

We walked up to the very edge of the ship.

Aang turned to me.

"I don't get it" Aang said. "Why were the fire nation here?"

I looked down.

He didn't know.

I knew Katara was thinking the same thing, as her eyes flicked for a moment before returning back to their original state.

"The Fire Nation" I began. "They started a war..."

Aang looked from me to Katara, and then back to me, before turning on his heels and using a gust of wind to hoist himself up onto the debris of the ship.

"Aang! Get down! It is forbidden to go near the ship!" Katara whispered.

"Oh come on" Aang said. "Haven't you ever wondered what's inside?" He asked, making puppy dog eyes before he turned to look around.

I pulled Katara aside.

"He doesn't know about the war!" I murmur.

"I know...How is that possible! It's been going on for 100 years!" Katara mumbled.

Then it dawned on me.

"Come on" I said to Katara, grabbing her wrist and creating an ice slide to allow us to board the ship.

Aang smiled as he saw us approach him

"Thought you ladies might come to your senses." He beamed

We began to explore the ship. Looking in every door, through every opening, and under every piece of furniture.

I watched Aang admire the old, dusty books that sat in the corner of a large metal bookcase.

His eyes were filled with interest and astonishment, and he held the books as if they were freshly made custard tarts.

His blue arrow tattoos ran to the top of his hands and all the way down his legs.  The arrow that was situated in the middle of his forehead was more prominant then the other ones.

I smiled as I observed him.

I didn't think before speaking.

"Aang?" I questioned.