Open Your Mind

Chapter Ten

Xiaodan watched as Aang paced around Appa's saddle, panting heavily, from her spot on Appa's neck, her lips quirked in amusement as Appa flew through the mountains.

"Would you sit down!?" Sokka demanded from his spot on Appa's head, the reins in his hands as he turned to glare slightly over his shoulder at the fretting Airbender, "If we hit a bump, you'll go flying off. What's bugging you anyway?"

"It's what Avatar Roku said." Aang replied, standing at the front of the saddle and looking down at Sokka and Xiaodan, "I'm supposed to master all four elements before that comet arrives."

"Well, let's see. You pretty much mastered Airbending and that only tool you a hundred and twelve years." Sokka stated sarcastically as he looked at Aang over his shoulder with a slight smirk, "I'm sure you can master three more elements by next summer."

"I haven't even started Waterbending and we're still weeks away from the North Pole!" Aang panicked as he began pacing again, clutching his head, "What am I gonna do?"

Sokka gave a quiet yelp when he felt the familiar stinging sensation of Xiaodan's hand connecting with the back of his head, the smirk on his face being wiped off as he pouted.

"You're not funny, Sokka." Xiaodan grunted as she Airbended herself up onto the saddle and walked over to where Aang was standing next to Katara.

"Calm down, it's going to be okay." The white-haired girl soothed as she pulled him down to sit beside her and in front of Katara.

"Yeah," Katara agreed, taking Aang's hands in hers, "If you want, I can try to teach you some of the stuff I know."

"You'd do that?" Aang asked the dark-haired girl, a smile appearing on his face.

Katara nodded with a sincere smile, then looked over the side of the saddle, "We'll need to find a good source of water first."

"Maybe we can find a puddle for you to splash in." Sokka quipped with a grin, chuckling when Xiaodan raised her fist at him mock threateningly.

"Nice puddle." Sokka grumbled, looking at the large waterfall and river they had landed by while Aang and Katara looked at it with ecstatic expressions and Xiaodan just looked amused.

Appa suddenly flew down and belly flopped into the river, creating a huge splash that drenched Momo and nearly knocked him off the rock he was perched on. The lemur chittered in annoyance and shook himself rapidly to dry off, Appa rolling over onto his back and floating happily.

"Yeah!" Aang cheered with a grin, having already stripped down to his underwear and ran towards the water, "Don't start without me, boy!"

"Remember the reason we're here." Katara stated drily from behind the boy.

"Oh right." Aang grinned sheepishly at the dark-haired girl and pulled his pants back up, "Time to practice Waterbending."

"Great..." Sokka drawled sarcastically, "So what am I supposed to do?"

"You could...clean the gunk out of Appa's toes!" Aang suggested with a slight smile as he held a branch with a bushel of leaves on the end.

Sokka crossed his arms with a frown, "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."

"Mud and bugs." Aang said with a smile, still holding out the branch.

"Okay." Sokka said with a shrug, grabbing the branch and walking over to Appa, who's still floating on his back in the water.

"What are you going to do, Xia?" Katara asked as she turned to Xiaodan, who had watched the whole scene with an amused smile on her lips.

"I'd like to watch you and Aang Waterbend if you don't mind."