I Am Not the Last Airbender {ON HOLD}

Chapter Two

10 years later

_ _ _

            The father-son duo laughed as they spun in circles, knees curled under them and floating on spheres of arctic air that whirled and twirled, whipping up the powdery snow from the ground.  People filled in around them, gazing wistfully and laughing with glee at the peculiar act.  It was not at all peculiar to me; I lived with those people.  But as more people turned into the crowd, I turned away.

            My father was always so revered by the people of his time.  I had heard the stories millions of times: of how he, Mum, Uncle Sokka, his wife Aunt Suki, and a few others saved the Nations from being destroyed by war and the Fire Nation taking over.  Father was a hero.  But he’s not my hero.  Not by a long shot.

            I walked away, bottom lip stuck out in a pout, the snow crunching beneath my feet.  More falling from the sky, stuck in my wild brown hair as I walked towards my favorite igloo: Macco’s.  Macco was my best friend, always had been.  And I daresay he better always be.  Without bothering to so much as call out or knock on the ice, I entered his snow-covered home.  He sat in the back corner, curled in hides and furs, reading yet another scroll.  He had at least a dozen of them laid out around him along with maps ranging from the four nations to specific Earth Kingdom territories and Northern Water Tribe waterways.  As I walked over to him, he only acknowledged my presence with a simple nod, not even looking up.  He was too into his studies to be bothered.  So naturally, I had to bother him.

            Kneeling down next to him I said, “Are you close yet?”

            He looked up at me, annoyed.  “Jalia, I can’t do what you’ve asked in the time span of two hours.”

            I frowned apprehensively.  “Well,” I whined.  Then I thought twice about it.  The job could be done much faster with two people working on it.  So, I voiced my opinion.

            “I don’t think you really want to, Jay,” Macco said, frowning.  He called me Jay sometimes, and I think I kind of liked it.  But he was right, I really didn’t want to help, but I also really wanted the work to be finished.  Soon.

            “Please?” I begged.  He actually stopped his reading and looked at me with those huge brown eyes.  He frowned deeper, but not in a disappointed way, a contemplative way.

            “I guess-” he said reluctantly before I lunged at the nearest scroll.  “Whoa!  Slow down!” he exclaimed.  Prying the scroll out of my glove encased hands he gave me a different one.  “I already looked in that one, so why don’t you try this one.  Now, Jay, BE CAREFUL WITH THESE!”  He didn’t quite scream the last sentence, but he made sure I had it very clear in my mind.  You could say I wasn’t the most gentle of people and having water as my element could quite possibly mean splotches on the parchment.  So I completely understood his concern for those ancient texts, but I stuck out my tongue at him nonetheless.

            We spent the next few hours searching.  For what, you may ask?  I think I’ll make you wait.  I’m a mean little waterbender, aren’t I?

            Meanwhile, the sun had set and the fire in the center of Macco’s home had died down so much we could barely read by its light.  Plus I was pretty sure my toes had all frozen together.  We packed all of the scrolls and maps away into a cramped travel bag just before Macco’s mother walked in.

            “Hello, Jalia!” she said politely.  “I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask you to leave because we are getting ready to begin our evening meal.”

            “No problem.  I should be going anyways,” I said, standing up.  Then I turned to Macco, “I’ll see you…tomorrow,” I left with a wink.  He smiled back and I was back in the cold.

            Before I reached home I already knew I was late.  So, instead of rushing, I took my time.  Why bother if I already hadn’t made it in time?  Stepping inside, I was greeted by the stares of my family, mouths already full.

            “Didn’t bother to wait for me?” I said just to get on their nerves.  I knew what the answer was going to be.  I’d heard it a thousand times.

            Mum sighed.  “We tried to wait for you, but your father and brother, Wong were too hungry from all of their exercise today.”

            I huffed, my breath showing in the air, exsasperated.  “Katara, I’ll handle this,” Father said, stepping in.  “Jalia, all we would like is for you to be home on time, for once.  Could you please do that?  Just once?”  I half growled and almost stomped back out the door.  So now I was the one who was always late?  Father and Wong were late all the time, busy entertaining the townsfolk and loosing track of time.

            “Jalia!”  Mum exclaimed, stopping me at the door.  “Aang,” she said more softly in a warning tone.  Father went back to him meal.  “Please sit, hon,” Mum tried again.  Reluctantly, I took my place on the bearskin rug next to her and picked up my bowl of stew.  As Mum, Father, and Wong chatted, I sat silently.  Several times I casually slipped a roll into my coat pocket, trying to draw no attention to myself.

            The had meal ended.

            The day was done.

            But not over yet.