When The World Needed Him Most

2

Tommy woke to someone poking his face. On instinct, he threw out a blast of air, scattering his meager snow shelter. He quickly faced the person who woke him, only to find two mounds of snow.

The larger of the two mounds lifted the snow off himself, bending it to the side. He then uncovered the smaller mound, revealing a small girl.

"Um, hello?" Tommy asked, picking up his staff.

"Hello." The boy said, brushing snow off his water tribe style coat, "What are you doing in the Southern Water Tribe alone?"

"I was trying to get to Republic City." Tommy said, "My dad and I got separated, I'm supposed to meet him there."

The boy laughed, "well you're way off! Republic City is far north!"

"North?" Tommy felt a pit in his stomach, "are saying I went the wrong way!?"

"Yep!" The boy smiled, picking up the girl on his shoulders.

"Oh no... Oh no!" Tommy cried, "this is horrible!"

"Can't you just fly all the way back?" The boy asked, "you're an Airbender after all."

"Not without a bison or dragon. They're the only creatures who can fly that long." Tommy sighed.

"So it sounds like you're stuck here until you get a bison or dragon." The boy said, "or a boat."

"You're right." Tommy lifted his head, "you're right! If I can get a boat, I can sail to the mainland and fly the rest of the way! You're a genius-! Uh..."

"Tubbo." The boy stuck out a gloved hand, "and this is my little sister, Sunny."

"Tommy." The Avatar took the boys hand, "so Tubbo, you're a Waterbender?"

"Yep!" Tubbo puffed out his chest, "I'm actually a descendant of Avatar Korra."

Sunny stuck out their tongue, "The Avatar is just a story, Korra wasn't real."

"Yes she was!" Tubbo said, "the Avatar is real! If they weren't, then why does Republic City have a statue of Avatar Aang?"

"Because he stopped a world war and created Republic City?" Sunny said in a 'duh' voice.

"Exactly!" Tubbo closed his eyes and smiled, "Avatar Aang defeated Fire Lord Sozin after Sozin killed all the airbenders! Then he made Republic City for all benders so we wouldn't be divided again!"

Tommy tilted his head, "actually, I think it was Fire Lord Ozai that Aang defeated? But Sozin started the war and wiped out the airbenders."

"Okay." Sunny rolled her eyes, "but if this evil Fire Lord killed all the airbenders, why are there airbenders now?"

"Uh..." Tubbo frowned, "shut up!"

The boy dumped his sibling into the snow.

"Hey!" Sunny shrieked.

Tubbo pushed a pile of snow over her, "anyway, why don't you come to the village? You can rest up and have some food before you leave."

"That sounds great, thank you." Tommy smiled.

So the three walked back to the village. It was small, but not too small. Markets selling fish and polar bear dog harnesses. Waterbenders preformed tricks and shows on the street corners. Tubbo stopped to buy some sea prunes on the way in.

"This is incredible!" Tommy whispered, looking around with wide eyes.

"You should see the main city." Tubbo smiled back at him, "this is just a small village."

"Do you think the main city will have boats?" Tommy asked, "or bison?"

"I'm not sure about bison." Tubbo laughed, buying woke seal jerky, "but definitely boats."

"Good." Tommy nodded, "I need to get to Republic City as soon as possible. I've already wasted a day..."

"You'll get there soon enough." Tubbo told him, "anyway, we're home."

Tubbo lead him into a large, igloo like-hut. Inside the hut contained a number of animal pelts that were placed on bamboo floors. At one end of the hut, a sealskin tent was set up with piles of blankets. Ceremonial animal headdresses, spears, and animal skins were displayed on the walls.

In the center of the hut was be a square fire pit, surrounded by a single line of bricks. The fire warmed the hut, and a stew pot hung above it. There were mats for sitting on all four sides of the pit. Two of the spots were taken by a man and a woman.

The man was water tribe, with dark hair and skin. He greeted them with bright blue eyes and a kind smile as they walked in. He was dressed in simple blue robes.

The woman was fire nation. She had glossy black hair that hung loose around her golden eyes. She also wore blue robes that complimented her lighter complexion.

"Mum, Dad, this is Tommy." Tubbo introduced him, "he's an Airbender who got lost on his way to Republic City."

"My my, you were blown quite a ways off." The man chuckled, "I'm Tokae, it's nice to meet you Tommy."

"Likewise." Tommy nodded politely.

"I'm Ronaoya." The woman introduced herself, "but you can call me Rona.”

"It's nice to meet you Rona." Tommy said.

"Where do you come from, if you don't mind me asking." Tokae stirred in the sea prunes Tubbo bought.

"The Southern Air Temple." Tommy said, sitting down next to Tubbo on the bamboo mats.

"How interesting. I wasn't aware anyone was living there." Tokae said.

"My dad and I moved there years ago, as a restoration project." Tommy explained, "I was born in Republic City."

"It takes a long time to restore temples." Rona hummed, "what made your project so quick?"

Tommy's hands trembled on his staff, "I... Earthbenders attacked... They started destroying the temples. My dad and I got sperated in the escape, we're supposed to meet back at Republic City."

"I'm not surprised." Tokae sighed, now dishing out the sea prune stew, "even in our small village, we've heard stories of the earth kingdoms expansion."

"What's their deal?" Tubbo huffed, "they already control the most land out of all the nations, what's more to get?"

"I do not know." Tokae said sadly, "we can only hope the Avatar may return to save us all."

Rona sighed sharply, "stop filling the childrens heads with nonsense. The Avatar doesn't exist, and even if they did, they don't anymore."

"Rona-"

"Don't you Rona me!" The woman huffed, "I'm stepping outside."

Tokae let out a long breath, "I'm sorry about her."

"It's alright." Tommy said, "the Avatar has been gone a long time."

"But there's still hope." Tubbo said quietly, rubbing the edge of his bowl, "Avatar Aang disappeared for a hundred years, who's to say the next Avatar isn't hiding too? Maybe they're just... Waiting for the right time."

Tommy fell silent, unwilling to look at either of them. Guilty weighted heavy in his stomach and the look of the sea prunes did not help.

"It's almost night." Tokae noted, "rest here for tonight. Tomorrow you can go to the city and find a charter to Republic City."

"Oh, thank you." Tommy nodded quickly.

"Of course." Tokae stood, "goodnight, and safe travels."