𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗖𝗜𝗧𝗬 𝗚𝗜𝗥𝗟 | zuko

6: THE AVATAR

"There is one thing though," I said. 

"What's that?" asked Katara.

"We have to be back around dusk.  The Fire Nation is far.  It would be a couple of day's journey, wouldn't it?"

Katara thought for a second.  "You couldn't be allowed to come with us for any longer?  Maybe even if we take you tomorrow?"

I looked at Kyra, who shrugged. 

"We could try."

"Okay, well, why don't we go get something to eat?"

"Good," said Sokka.  "I'm starved."

Kyra and I followed the three out of the hotel and onto the streets, where they eyed a few market stalls and decided they would take food back to the hotel.  We stopped at a few stands so people could choose what they wanted. 

"Suki!" said Sokka excitedly, as he ran up to a girl with a short bob, wearing green Earth Kingdom clothing.  He kissed her on the cheek, and she smiled.

"Hi, everyone -- hold on, we have two extra."

"Hi," I said.  "I'm Jin, and this is Kyra."

"Nice to meet you," said Suki, bowing.  Kyra and I did the same. "So," Suki began again, "what are we getting to eat?"

"Anything," said Katara.  "We're going to take it back to the hotel."

"Perfect.  Because I saw a roast duck at a stall a little way away that was absolutely mouth-watering."  She started walking, followed by the rest of us.  We spent the rest of that afternoon with them and sat in the hotel afterward.

"You know," said Sokka, an hour after we had set off to get food, "It's kinda boring when you're not on a mission."

Katara nodded.  "It is, isn't it?  Well, I'm sure we'll have more stuff to do soon enough.  I mean, we have to get Jin to the Fire Nation, don't we?"

"Get who to the Fire Nation?" said a young voice from the door.  It was a boy, bald, who had blue arrow tattoos on his arms and forehead, and was wearing simple robes.

Kyra gasped, but only audibly to me, who was sitting next to her. "That's the Avatar," she whispered. 

"Get Jin and Kyra to the Fire Nation," said Toph.  

"Who?" asked Aang, then finally spotting us on the cushions against the opposite wall. "Oh, hi, I'm Aang."

Kyra stood up.  "It's really an honor to meet you," she said, bowing.  I followed.  "I'm Kyra, and she's Jin." 

Aang bowed back.

"You're the Avatar?" I asked.

Aang nodded.  "Why do you need to go to the Fire Nation?" he asked.

"Jin dated Zuko," said Toph.  "She wants to see him again."

Aang smiled.  "Oh."

"We were thinking we could take her," said Katara. "To the Fire Nation," she completed.

"Sure!" said Aang. "We can go, Appa won't mind."

"Oh, not today," I said.  "We have to be back by dusk.  I'm going to ask my parents."

Aang shrugged. "Okay," he smiled.

"Well, I'm going whether my parents like it or not," said Kyra carelessly.  "You guys are amazing, and Toph's a legend!"

"You didn't know me before today," argued Toph.

"You're still a legend, aren't you?  Either way, you guys are the coolest."

"I am a legend, aren't I?" said Toph.  Katara rolled her eyes.

"Well, anytime you want to go is fine with me," said Aang, taking a seat.  "I don't have anything else to do.  Meeting with people is boring," he said, flopping backward and laying down.  

"Well, you've pretty much finished with the meetings, Aang," said Katara, crossing off something on a piece of paper.  "Earth King Kuei was your last meeting for the whole month."

"Good," said Aang, perking up again.  "Then we can have some fun."  He thought for a second. "Hey, Jin, you have to be home by dusk, right?"

"Yes," I replied.

"Well, we may not be able to go anywhere on Appa, but we can take a ride over the city."

"Really?" said Kyra.  "You'll take us on a flying bison?  I've never even seen a flying bison!"

"Well, you're about to," said Aang. "Cmon!"

He ran out of the hotel room, and everyone followed.  We were going to take a ride on an actual flying bison!  I've never even seen a picture of a flying bison, let alone ridden one.  And I'm sure Ba Sing Se looks so amazing from above, especially since it's just as amazing from the inside.  

Flying Bison are really big.

"Whoa," muttered Kyra, as we came out into the courtyard of the Elephant Koi Escape, where Appa was standing, chewing on hay that the Hotel had provided.  I was wordless at his size, yet even with that, he was very sweet with Aang, who patted his nose.

"Appa, this is Jin and Kyra.  Jin and Kyra, Appa."

I smiled wide. "He's beautiful," I said.  "Can I pet him?" 

Aang nodded.  I reached my hand out, and Kyra did the same.  Appa bent his head down and allowed us to stroke his soft, white fur. 

"Are you ready?"

"Of course!"  I said.

"Yes!" agreed Kyra excitedly.  

We got on to the saddle, accompanied by Katara and Aang, who took the reins.

"Ready, Appa?" he asked.

Appa grunted.

"Yip, yip!" he said, and the bison took off into the air.  Kyra and my smiles only got bigger as the bison soared above the hotel.  People in the courtyard looked up as we went into the sky.  As we went higher, we could see the entirety of the Inner Wall.  The Middle and Upper Rings were within this wall.  The yellow and green tones of the buildings were beautiful against the light of the sun.  The streets would through every empty path in an organized fashion, and the roofs of the buildings glinted against the sunlight.  

The wind blew my hair in every direction as I turned and moved to take in every sight.  Now we could see the Lower Ring, just outside the inner wall.  Smoke came from some chimneys as people cooked, and the colorful fruits of the market stalls dotted the whole ring.  I could see people who looked like tiny ants walking the streets.   It was amazingly beautiful, watching the city from above.  And when I looked hard enough, I saw the Firelight Fountain, just like when I had last gone there.  

"Kyra, it's amazing!" I turned to her and said, taking some hair out of my face.  

Kyra continued to peer over the edge of the saddle.  "I know!"

The ride lasted ten minutes more, soaring over the city to see every sight from above.  We landed, and everyone else was there to meet us.

"You did that every day?" I asked Katara as she hopped off the saddle, with the help of Aang.

"Every day," she said.  

"It was amazing!"