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♯ ❝GOOD LUCK FINDING YOUR FRIEND.❞
CHAPTER TEN ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*
˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ ACT ONE ── water 🌊 ⁺⑅

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        THE GROUP LANDED AT A NEARBY RIVER JUST BEFORE THEY WOULD REACH THE NEXT DESTINATION, AND MADE A QUCIK STOP SO THEY COULD REST, AND GATHER MORE SUPPLIES NEEDED. While Sokka went out into the forest with Momo following him, the other three stayed behind with Appa as Katara was practicing her waterbending again, which wasn't going so well for her.

         Her dark eyes read off the scroll placed onto a rock beside her, boots just touching the flowing river in front on the sore, "The water whip. Arms." She lifted her arms into position, following the visuals drawn on the scroll, "Weight shift. Wrist snap. Okay."

         She turned to the river once she had the moves inside her mind, and exhaled heavily to center herself. She moved her hands up in a fluid movement, causing the water to sprout out a bit into a funnel. She made the water whip move up into the air, challenging it and went to snap her wrist forward, but the water exploded before she could land a hit.

        (Y/N), who stood off to the side with Aang watching the girl train frowned sadly, seeing how frustrated Katara was getting with the bending. She took a step forward towards the girl, Aang following in step beside her.

       "Basic bending forms are mostly just physical movement." She talks in a reassuring tone, eyes flickering to the scroll then back to Katara smiling lopsided, "but when you get into the harder moves, like the water whip, you really need to reach inside and feel the energy flow."

         Katara looked even more confused if anything from her words, causing Aang to jump up beside his best friend and take on over the conversation, "The monks always told us to find a place where emotion meets spirit." He told the girl, motioning to the area around them,  "A place deeper than thought. Tap into your feeling and gather energy from them."

         "Tap into your feelings." The waterbending repeated to herself, and span back around to the river nodding her head. She inhaled sharply, flashbacks of when the Fire Nation attacked her village appearing as she moved her hands upwards again, brows furrowed in concentration and began to create a water whip that was spiralling in the air under her control. 

        (Y/N) could tell whatever Katara was remembering was making her bending stronger, but also unbalanced, as the waterbending tried to use the whip again, but it exploded once more before it could work. Her face scrunched up, an awkward smile across her mouth, "Uh, well that was good." She chuckled out patting Katara's shoulder, "Don't worry about it. Practice makes perfect."

        Katara wore an expression of disappoint, and glanced down at her opened palms not listening to the girl. The best friends share a unsure look with another, as (Y/N) goes to gently grab the other girls hand in hers, "All the more reasons for us to get to the Northern Water Tribe, right?" She coaxed hoping to lift the girls spirits up.

        "That's right. They've got the best waterbending masters in the world." Katara agrees through a wide smile, and squeezed the girls hand tightly, gaze briefly moving to the scroll that was getting folded up by Aang, "You may even get taught also, that's if you want that."

        Her nose scrunched up a bit with distaste, (E/C) eyes dropping a bit as she released Katara's hand, and looked towards the river not answering. The idea of getting taught by someone else was something that made her nervous, not because she didn't like the idea, it was because Gyatso was only her mentor, not anyone else.

       "Okay, it's time to go. We shouldn't stay in the same place for too long." The normal calm voice of Sokka caught the trio's attention, hearing how it was strained a bit as he was carrying a bunch of fruit in his arms, standing on the other side of the river compared to them.

        He also didn't expect them to start laughing at him, which caused his cheeks to flush a bit listening to the sound of (Y/N)'s soft chuckles, and the soft grin on her face. He glanced next to him hearing Momo squeaking, and saw him also carrying some fruits, but dropped a few behind him causing Sokka to deadpan unamused.

       "Come on, water boy." Her voice now flowed through his ears, making his head snap up straight away to her, the grumpy expression disappearing watching her walk through the ankle deep water, "Let me help you with that. We've gotta go, don't we?"

       He just gaped at her with his mouth opening and closing like a fish, not knowing what to say as he stuttered and nodded his head rapidly. She laughed amused taking some of the fruits from him in her arms, using her spare hand to brush off the dirt on his shoulder before she turned around to walk back through the water.

         Momo flew up to land on her shoulder with a gentle coo in greeting, also carrying some fruits as they traveled together, leaving a flustered and speechless Sokka behind, who was getting laughed at by Katara and Aang who watched the entire interaction between the two.

        "Woman.." Sokka muttered to himself in a grumble, blowing the lose locks off his hair out of his eyes as he adjusted the fruit he held, and stomped on after the girl through the water still hearing them laughing at him.

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          AFTER THE BEST FRIENDS THOUGHT THEY HAD SPOTTED AN AIRBENDING UP IN THE SKIES, THE GROUP DECIDED TO MAKE A QUICK STOP AT THE EARTH KINDGOM IN HOPES TO FIND THAT AIRBENDER, VERY AWARE OF WHO WAS GETTING CLOSE AND CLOSER TO FINDING THE AVATAR. The four of them had left Appa and Momo in a safe place, before they gathered their supplies and began to walk the path that lead them straight to the entrance of the kingdom.

        "Omashu was carved out of a living mountain." Aang was telling the waterbending siblings everything he knew, walking along side the quiet (Y/N) who had her orange hood on to cover her face next to Sokka also, "It's one of he wonders of the Earth Kingdom. Of the world, actually. And they have an incredible delivery system that winds through the whole city. And the people there, they're artists, scientists, builders. Plus, the food is amazing there."

         (Y/N) hummed in agreement to the last bit, her mouth watering just picturing the food as she hasn't been to the kingdom for so long to have it. Another reason why she was quiet also, was because every time she moved her fingers would brush against Sokka's ones, and it would leave them both flustered each time.

        However all their attention was taking away, when the magnificent view of the Earth Kingdom was now seeable for them, and it made wide grins appear on the best friends faces seeing it again after so long. It looked big as ever, and just a lively, she just hopped it was the same since she's last visited which was over 100 years ago.

        They were moving slowly in the line to be granted access inside the kingdom, and it was much more chaotic then she remembered. Her hand grips onto her gilder more hearing the guards yell at innocent people, and shuffled closer to Sokka's side who didn't question it, but let her do so taking notice how tense she was.

        Her eyes narrow down on the guard who had roughly shoved the same male onto the floor, her stomach twisting when the guard earthbending his cart off the path, and watched helplessly as it smashed into pieces. She was about to move forward wanting to do something, but stopped feeling Aang grab onto her wrist, and heard a voice talking.

       "I wouldn't do that, sweetheart."

        She turned around along with her friends, seeing a male similar to her age beside them sat in a cart holding onto the reins smirking at her broadly, "They don't take kindly to outsiders in Omashu." He finished his warning, his hair placed up in a half bun as some of the locks blow in the wind.

      Sokka's jaw clenched a bit not liking the nickname the unfamiliar male called (Y/N), his tall figure shielding her a bit as she looked past his arm, and raised her eyebrows up at the male, "What makes you think we're outsiders?" She asked curiously, before giving him a scolding look, "Don't call me that either."

        This caused the siblings to grimace a bit, and looked down to their clothing realizing how much they did look like outsiders, before glancing to Aang who sheepishly chuckled realising it also, but the girl didn't since she knew Aang and her were welcomed once in the kingdom.

        Jet, the male talking to them scans (Y/N)'s figure with his dark eyes from head to toe slowly, almost like he was capturing every part of her, "No reason." He chuckled breathily, a wide, toothy smile being present, before he make the cart he was on move forward by the reins.

        Katara shared a look with (Y/N) who shrugged her shoulders not knowing what to do, her arm being held by Sokka to keep her back, and Katara goes to step forward quickly without thinking, "Wait!" She called making Jet stop in his tracks, gaze moving to the girl behind the waterbender, "We're new here, but we have a friend we need to see. We just could use a little help getting inside."

        Jet pondered for a few seconds looking at the four of them in front, before his mind was made up to help them through the gates. Next thing (Y/N) knew she was being dressed in a earth nation jumpsuit, and sat out in the front beside Jet, Katara on her other side while Aang was hiding in the back with Sokka.

       She grimaced not liking the feeling of the material around her body, skin already tingling from how itchy it was, as she's only ever worn her airbending outfit, one that actually was made for her specifically. Katara gently smacked the girls hand in a scold, stopping her from tugging at her collar anymore, and fixed it up for her more.

       "Sorry." Jet's throaty voice was back talking again, her (E/C) eyes moving to him confused as Katara continued to fix up her collar, "It's either that or the turnip sack. I'm sure you can make that look good too, but I think you look best in this one." He adds with a flirtatious smile, causing her mouth to drop a bit not expecting that, and grow flustered.

       Sokka, who heard everything from in the back of the cart scoffed unamused, resting his head on the side of the wood as he rolled his eyes. He crossed his arms over his chest, face in a scowl as he tried not to listen to the obvious flirting Jet was doing with the girl. He didn't blame him though, she was a heartthrob, but Sokka wanted to be the only one who teases and flirts with her.

       "Omashu's one of the last Earth Kingdom strongholds." Jet continued to speak after a few minutes of silence, the wind gently blowing his lose strains off hair as he glanced at the girls and back to the front, "Try as they might, firebenders have't been able to take it yet. That's why they're so careful here."

       (Y/N)'s shoulders slumped a bit in relief hearing that, some weight being lifted off them knowing that the Fire Nation hasn't attacked this kingdom yet, which meant it was safe for now. However she was a bit curious, and raised an eyebrow at Jet, "You say that, but how do you know we're not a threat?"

       His eyelids drooped a bit and licked his bottom lip, as his gaze suddenly became very intense on her face making the girl's stomach churn again leaning into Katara's side, "Just a feeling." He muttered a bit too softly, gripping onto the reins more in his palms, "And most of the time, I'm right about them."

      "Oh, wow. A feeling." Sokka scoffed once more, his dislike very much visible on his face and body language, as he mimics Jet's words to himself in a higher pitched voice, making Katara snicker a her brother showing obvious jealously at what was happening.

        Jet just ignored that commotion behind him in the cart, as he flicks the reins which made the animal pulling them start to walk forward now, until a guard on patrol stepped forward from the side, being one that was in control of who entered.

       "Hold there." He demands with his hand raised up, making Jet pull the cart to a slow holt once more, so the guard could check his cart, and see if the group was to be allowed inside, "State your business."

        The girls shared a small nervous glance with each other hearing this, as Jet goes to smile friendly at the guard like he's done it many times, "Headed to the market, as usual." He tells the guard, who's eyes moved to the back making him hum a bit, "Oh, wasn't a great crop this month."

       His thumb points to the quiet (Y/N) sat beside him, "My wife told me I wasn't watering the turnips enough." He then casually swings an arm around her shoulder, pulling her flushed against his side making her bit back her surprised squeak, and place a hand on his chest, "Knew there was a reason I married her."

       She made a funny sound at the sudden declare from him, that she covered with a chuckle, and gently patted her 'husbands' chest, "Mmh, like you always say. I'm never wrong." She agreed with Jet giving him her best fake fond eyes she could do, before looking to the guard who looked uncomfortable at their public display, "Irrigation, am I right?"

       Sokka was ready to blow a fuse at what was happening right in front of him, and clenched his hands around the headrest of the cart as he pulled himself up, a heavy scowl trained on Jet and where he was touching the girl. Katara, who was silent through the entire thing snickered to herself, enjoying the sight as she knew Aang would too if he was allowed to be seen.

        Before Sokka could even grumble his dislike, Jet was already beating him to it, "Uh, my brother-in-law would agree if he could speak." He states giving Sokka a smug head nod as his face dropped into a deadpanning one, while Jet rubbed his hand up and down (Y/N)'s arm like a husband would talking to the guard, "Struck mute at birth. You'd be amazed at how much he can say without words. Just the other day, he made us laugh so hard--"

        "Alright, that's enough. Move along." The guard hissed out having enough of Jet's rambling, waving his hand in the air to motion they could go, and pointed to the closed doors in front of them, grumbling under his breath.

        Jet gave a tight lip smile at the guard followed by a head nod, as he whipped the reins making the cart move forward again, and he moved his arm from around (Y/N)'s shoulder, "Sorry for doing that so suddenly." His voice was a low whisper by her ear, causing the girl to tense a bit and giggle nervously.

       "It got us through the guards, that's what matters." She stuttered out back feeling his soft locks brush along her temple also, as her side was still leant on his side and gave him a sheepish look, to which he grinned softly at. This was all so new to her, she's never had so many males show so much interest in her before. It was starting to get to her head, if she was being honest.

        The two guards on either side of the cart go to bend the massive stone doors open now, as Jet make the cart move forward seeing that happening, and the inside of the kingdom was now reveled, which was much larger and busier inside. People were everywhere inside, buying things from the markets, walking through the streets or just doing what they did daily living inside the walls.

        The bird like creature pulling the cart that held the group cawed a bit, as he continued to walk through the busy crowd hearing bells jangling in the distance and chatter all around them. The four also removed their clothes from before, and were now wearing their original ones, as they gazed around in wonder.

        When the cart came to a slow stop far away from the guards and the entrance, the group started to hop out of it and onto their next mission. (Y/N) waited in the middle of the seat beside Jet, as Katara was the getting down first, and went to follow on after her once she was safely on the floor.

        "Good luck finding your friend." His sudden words made her pause on the edge of the seat, turning her head around to see him smiling gently, tongue poking out to lick his bottom lip, "And be careful. Omashu can be a dangerous place."

        She furrowed her brows in confusion having a feeling there was a double meaning behind his word, but before she could stare at him any longer, a rough, but arm hand gripped onto her waist. She tensed at this, quickly turning to spot a scowling Sokka behind her, the one whom was holding her like that.

        "We'll be fine, thank you very much." He grumbled sourly at Jet who smirked a bit amused, watching as Sokka carefully helped (Y/N) down from the cart and passed her bag plus staff that he carried, before he looked back to Jet with warning eyes, the girl completely aware of this happening.

       Jet just gazed at her figure for a few more seconds, and hummed low in the back of his throat, before flicking his wrists which made the bird start to move forward, feeling the tug on the reins.

       Sokka's narrowed gaze stayed on him till the male was out of sight, his tensed figure relaxing a bit before he turns back to the girl. His eyes met her wide ones, feeling his cheeks becoming a bit flushed at her own similar expression, her not understanding why he acted the way he did with Jet.

        They continued to gaze into each other eyes ignoring everything around them, until Aang was running towards (Y/N) to tug on her sleeve, which knocked the two out of their little moment. Even when she turned her head to her best friend, she could feel Sokka's gaze still trained on her.

         "There he is. Look!" Aang pointed eagerly at something, well a figure flying in the sky near some of the buildings up ahead, hand slipping into (Y/N)'s tightly, before he was taking off and pulled her along with him causing the girl to yelp now as she ran.

        Sokka's eyes almost dropped out of his sockets watching that happen, "Aang, wait up! Don't drag her along that roughly-!" He exclaimed in a scolding manner, scrambling on after the running away duo, as Katara followed in her brothers footsteps.

        A male was in their way when they turned around a corner, causing Aang to pull his best friend aside and they twisted around the male, who grunted annoyed and yelled out complaints, but they didn't hear as they continued running through the crowd.

        Another woman gasped when the best friends were racing past her, causing her to almost drop the objects in her hands. They dodged a few more civials around them, as (Y/N) let go of Aang's hand for a second to leap over a table, and landed onto the floor right beside him, before picking up the running again.

         None of them saw the cart of cabbages coming up on their sprint also, and Aang ended up running into the side of it causing her to panic and try to catch a few with her airbending. When she caught a few she placed them gently onto the cart, rambling out apologies to the exclaiming male before continuing on her running with Aang.

       "Hey, watch out for my--" The owner of the cart went to scold the duo, holding a cabbage in his hand as the siblings now come charging through. Sokka had hit the man's hand, which sent the vegetable flying out of his grasp, and Katara to fumble on over the few cabbages on the floor leaving an upset cabbage man.

        A wide grin was plastered over Aang's face the closer they got to where they though the airbender was, but as soon as he saw who is actually was, his smile faded away. Seeing her best friend coming to a stop, (Y/N) slowed her running down to stop beside Aang, heavy breaths leaving her lips trying to calm down from the excursive.

       Her heart squeezed inside her chest spotting the sadden look on Aang's face, and followed where he was staring. She sighed heavily seeing that it wasn't a airbender, which she already had a small suspicion about. The truth did hurt, but she knew she'd have to expect it to move on.

       "You're not an airbender." The words left Aang's mouth more aggressive then he intended, catching the attention of the young boy who was sat inside a wheelchair of sorts, placing his wind gliders down beside him on the transport, which made him look like a bender to the duo.

        He looks up to the best friends through his goggles over his eyes, just as Katara and Sokka arrived where they were standing, "An airbender?" The boy repeats in confusion chuckling, slipping his goggles off his eyes, "Of course I'm not."

         Just as he said that of a sudden a massive explosion goes off behind the group, causing them all to exclaim surprise and protect their heads. That explosion was in one of the many house temples, that was now in fire and in pieces, that were all falling onto the ground or on people below it.

         (Y/N) had manage to protect her friends from getting hurt in the mess, her figure sending behind them with an air shield around them, as she hears the sound of innocent people crying out for help. It was hard to see through the smoke, but she knew Sokka and Aang had ran off to try and save some of those caught in the cross fire.

        She coughed into her sleeved arm a bit, squinting to see through the smoke as she moved around a bit, and heard Katara's voice travel through to her, "(Y/N), we can't see!" The girl called out through a cough, and waved her hand around to get rid of the smoke.

        Hearing that call she span around her wing glider in her hands skillfully, before splitting the smoke with her bending, using her arms to move it with the help from the glider. Her scowl was visible when the smoke disappeared around her, and she spotted Aang putting some out of the fires, along with Sokka helping an injured male.

       Teo, the one whom the best friends thought was an airbender looks around at the chaos through his googles, his mouth agape now, as he watched (Y/N) spin around her staff again to send a massive gust of air towards a fire burning some crops on a stall.

       "She's an airbender." He exclaimed in awe not believing what he was actually witnessing, and turned his attention to Katara who was bending some water towards some fire by the fountain in the middle of the town square, "And you're a waterbender."

       He then starts to hack up some coughs into hir arm, causing his father to sprint on over to him, whom was saved by Sokka a few second ago, "Teo! Teo!" He yelled in concern, coming up to his son with wide, frantic eyes, "Are you alright? Are you hurt?"

       "Dad, I'm-" His setence was stopped by him coughing some more, causing Katara to frown worried as she was standing with them while the other three finished off saving the other people, or put out the fires, "I'm fine." He reassured before coughing some more.

        When his father moved to go behind his wheelchair to grab the handles, Katara stepped forward also to voice her opinion, "We should get him out of the smoke." She advised gaining a rapid head nod from the older male, who started to push his son.

        "Here. Our house is right here." He tells the girl pointed to a house a few meters away from them, their movement's being fast to get his son to safety, "Thank you..." He trails off realising he didn't know the girls name, and looked to her for the answer.

       "Katara." She replied through a small smile hurrying along them, head turning back to wave her hand around to signal the rest of the her group to join them now, as her sibling and the best friends were busy with the fires, and she didn't want to leave without them.

        "My name is Sai." The father introduced himself sparing her another glance, and pushed his son's wheelchair a bit more faster hearing him coughing, as the other three slowly joined in step behind them until they arrived at Sai's house.

❪ ✏️ ❫ 𝚆𝙾𝚁𝙳𝚂 : 4314
─►☆ AUTHOR'S NOTE :
oh my gawddd im so so SO sorry for the lack of updates guys ughhhh my motivation has been lacking recently and life has been kicking my ass so i was stuck not being able to write buttt i managed to write this chap for you all even though its not as long as i wanted it to be but that's okay cause those jet scenes should def make up for it BAHAH 🙏🏻🙏🏻

next chap should have some more zuko interaction btw also which im super excited to write and get more into this story cause i ain't gonna give up writing this even if it does take me a lil while to do so anywaysss don't be a silent/ghost reader lovelies, i enjoy seeing your comments and it helps me stay motivated  <33