When The World Needed Him Most

5

"You know," Tommy sighed, "I thought there would be a lot less walking on our way to Republic City."

"Well how did you get to the Southern Air Temple?" Tubbo asked as they trudged through the brush.

"My dad had an air bison." Tommy told him, "His name was Chat."

"Chat?" Tubbo snorted.

"Shut up!" Tommy shoved him, "anyway, Chat was sent back to the Eastern Air Temple. That's where most of the bison live."

"Oh." Tubbo said, "it sounds like your dad wasn't planning on going back."

"We weren't." Tommy said, pausing in a clearing, "anyway, this seems like a good place to set up camp."

Tubbo looked around at the forest they were in, "this is the middle of nowhere."

"Yep!" Tommy smiled.

"No." Tubbo pulled Tommy up from where he was trying to sit, "we are going to find some sort of shelter before we camp out again. I'm not going to be woken by a freak rainstorm again."

"Fine!" Tommy whined, "do you have any ideas?"

"A cave?" Tubbo shrugged, "I think a saw one in the distance."

"How far in the distance?" Tommy crossed his arms.

"Just a little further, I promise." Tubbo said, forging ahead.

"Okay, okay." Tommy trudged after him, "but if something is living it it and eats us, I blame you."

"Well if it eats us, at least the next Avatar will be a Waterbender." Tubbo shrugged.

"HEY-!"

A loud growl sounded behind them. The boys froze. Slowly, they turned to see a giant, fluffy beast. It's white and brown fur was matted with twigs and mud. It pawed at the ground with six legs, and beat the air with it's massive tail.

"Is that..?" Tubbo whimpered.

"An air bison." Tommy gaped at the animal, "but how did it get here?"

The bison roared as Tommy stepped closer, but the boy just paused and raised his hands.

"It's okay, we're not going to hurt you." Tommy reassured him, letting the beast come closer, "you poor thing... What happened to you?"

The bison grunted, nuzzling Tommy's pockets. Tommy brought out some fruit and placed it in the bisons mouth. The bison ate them quickly, letting Tommy pet his nose.

"Is he safe?" Tubbo asked.

"I think so." Tommy said, "he seems to have calmed down."

Tubbo slowly moved forward, holding his hand out as if he was approaching a dog, "hello there..."

The bison sniffed him for a moment, then licked the side of his entire body.

"Eugh!" Tubbo yelled.

Tommy burst out laughing, "he likes you!"

"Great." Tubbo said deadpan, "now I've got to clean up before we sleep for the night."

"There was a river a little ways back." Tommy shrugged, "we could camp on the shore tonight."

"Whatever," Tubbo tried wiping the drool off to no avail, "but if it rains on us, I'm blaming it on you."

"Fine with me." Tommy said, "come on Duffle!"

"Duffle?" Tubbo asked as they walked back, the bison following them.

"Duffle." Tommy nodded.

After the three washed up and ate, they settled down for the night. They had no tent, but luckily it didn't rain. Instead they crawled on Duffle's legs and slept on his soft fur.

The night went peacefully, the dawn sun peeking over the trees of the river bank. The boys woke to the quiet snoring of the air bison. For a moment, they just played there in peace.

Then the earth rumbled.

"Oh no." Tommy shot up, "Tubbo! Get on Duffle!"

"What!? Why!?" Tubbo yelled, clambering onto Duffle's back.

"Earthbenders." Tommy said, lighting down on the air bisons head.

Tubbo's eyes went wide. He gripped the thick fir of the bison tightly.

"Duffle! Yip yip!" Tommy shouted.

The bison didn't move.

"Uh, hup hup?" Tommy tried, "yee haw? Up up?”

The bison flicked his ear.

"Tommy!" Tubbo pointed in the distance, where a plume of dust was coming steadily closer.

"Shit!" Tommy gasped, "Fucking fly!"

Duffle roared, slamming his tail down. The bison shot skyward, taking the two boys with him. Rocks shot out of the forest, but fell short. Soon, they were nothing but a dot in the distance.

"That was too close." Tubbo said.

"Yeah." Tommy sighed, "but now, we should reach Republic City in a few days. Then I'll meet with my dad and..."

"And what?" Tubbo asked.

Tommy took a deep breath, "and I'll tell him that the world needs that Avatar again. And I'm going to master the four elements and restore balance to the world."