𝑾𝑨𝑽𝑬𝑺 || 𝑨𝒂𝒏𝒈 (𝑩𝒐𝒐𝒌 1)

Avatar Roku*

"Let's go, Appa! Come on, boy!"

Watching from the side, Jade couldn't help but to frown as Aang pulled on Appa's reins with all his might. Aang's optimism was one of the things she admired most about him, but if he believed that he could use physical force to move a fully grown bison, he was being a little too optimistic. No matter how hard he tried, Appa didn't move so much as an inch.

When Appa finally growled, as if acknowledging Aang's attempts while also calling them useless, the Avatar looked up at him.

"Look, I'm sorry but Jade, Katara, and Sokka can't come to the Fire Nation with us." He lowered his head. "If they got hurt, I'd never forgive myself." He stood straight. "So get your big butt off the ground and let's go!"

He pulled once more, only to fall to the ground when Appa still didn't move.

"I think his big butt is trying to tell you something." Sokka spoke up. Having not been aware of their presence, Aang whirled his head around to see them standing there. Behind his friends were the rest of the villagers, also watching his fruitless efforts.

"Please don't go, Aang." Katara pleaded. "The world can't afford to lose you to the Fire Nation."

Jade frowned again. "And neither can we."

Aang glanced away for a moment before he stood up. "But I have to talk to Avatar Roku to find out what my vision means. I need to get to the Fire Temple before the sun sets on the Solstice. That's today!"

With a gust of air, he leaped up onto Appa's head and grabbed the reins. After casting one more hesitant glance toward his friends, he tugged on the reins and steered Appa toward the gates.

Neither Katara, Sokka, nor Jade wasted any time in running up to block the bison's path.

"We're not letting you go into the Fire Nation, Aang." Katara declared.

"At least, not without your friends." Sokka smiled. He crossed his arms. "We got your back."

When Momo perched on his arm, Aang also smiled. That smile only widened when Sokka was coated in Appa's saliva after being licked affectionately. Jade, on the other hand, had to cover her mouth to keep from laughing while also discreetly stepping away from him.

"Eww!"

Once he had wiped off a decent amount of the saliva, the three of them climbed up into Appa's saddle. The village chief approached them with a wrapped bundle of supplies in his hands.

"It's a long journey to the Crescent Island. You'll have to fly fast to have any chance of making it before sundown." He handed the supplies to Aang. "Good luck."

Aang smiled at him. "Thank you for your --"

"Go!"

~㊌~

They had left the village before the sun had risen to the sky. By the time Jade woke up from her short and uninterrupted nap, the sky was already bright blue.

Waking up early had never been something she was fond of.

As she sat up and rubbed her still-sleepy eyes, she noticed that they were darting past the clouds much quicker than she was used to. Sokka and Katara were peering down over the sides of the saddle and staring at the ocean below while Aang was continuously encouraging Appa to pick up the pace.

"Come on boy, we've got a long way to go!" He flicked the reins. "Faster!"

When Appa picked up speed, Jade couldn't deny that she was surprised. She hadn't known that Appa could fly so fast. It was too bad that it only made her think about how much it would stink to fall off from a speed like this.