𝑾𝑨𝑽𝑬𝑺 || 𝑨𝒂𝒏𝒈 (𝑩𝒐𝒐𝒌 1)

The Waterbending Scroll*

They were still flying by the time the sun had risen. Petting a peacefully purring Momo in her lap, Jade looked up at Aang. He stood pacing back and forth on Appa's saddle, clearly panicking by the sounds of his heavy breathing. Katara and Jade shared a glance as they watched him.

"Would you sit down?" Sokka glanced over his shoulder from Appa's head. "If we hit a bump, you'll go flying off. What's bugging you, anyway?"

"It's what Avatar Roku said." Aang replied. "I'm supposed to master all four elements before that comet arrives."

"Well let's see... You pretty much mastered airbending, and that only took you a hundred and twelve years." He smirked. "I'm pretty sure you can master three more elements by next summer."

Aang gripped his head and began to pace again. "I haven't even started waterbending, and we're still weeks away from the North Pole! What am I gonna do?!"

Reaching for his hand, Jade pulled him to sit down. She smiled reassuringly. "It's going to be fine, Aang. Don't worry."

Katara nodded in agreement. "If you want, I can try to teach you some of the stuff I know."

Aang smiled. "You'd do that?"

"And, if Jade knows some things, maybe she can help out, too."

The younger girl rubbed the back of her head. "W-well, I don't actually know too much. I tried to limit my practice after the sixth time that I soaked the rug back home. But, uh, I can still be your learning buddy."

Katara and Aang crawled up to the side of the saddle. They peered down at the earth below them. "We'll need to find a good source of water first."

Sokka smirked again. "Maybe we can find a puddle for you to splash in."

~㊌~

The waterfall and river before them were even larger than they had seemed from the air. While Katara, Aang, and Jade stared in amazement, Sokka wore a frown on his face.

"Nice puddle." He muttered.

Appa flew in from above and dropped right down into the river water. Momo, who had been sitting on a rock, became an unfortunate victim to the large splash he created.

"Yeah!" Jade blinked upon realizing that Aang had already taken off his shirt and pants. "Don't start without me, boy!"

Katara stopped him. "Remember the reason we're here."

He turned to face her, pulling his pants back on. "Oh right. Time to practice waterbending."

"Great. So, what am I suppose to do?" Sokka questioned.

"You could..." Aang picked up a branch and held it out to his friend. "Clean the gunk out of Appa's toes."

The Water Tribe teen crossed his arms. "So, while you guys are playing in the water, I'm supposed to be hard at work picking mud out of a giant bison's feet?"

Aang smiled. "Mud and bugs!"

"...Okay."

~㊌~

With their legs crossed on the ground, Aang and Jade sat side-by-side as they listened intently to Katara's lesson.

"This is a pretty basic move, but it still took me months to perfect." She began to move her arms back and forth. "So, don't be frustrated if you don't get it right away." Her friends nodded. Katara turned to the water and swayed her arms back and forth, bending the water in waves over the shore. "Just push and pull the water like this. The key is getting the wrist movement right."