THE VILLAGE | An Avatar the last Airbender fanfiction

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Adeline sat on the ground beside Toph who'd propped herself up onto an earth mound. The two had made a non-spoken agreement that they were now friends of sorts. After a while, Toph had just let go of the newcomer defence, unlike Katara who was still on the downside when it came to Adeline. Aang liked her too but could tell she was hiding something and privately vowed he wouldn't trust her completely until he found out what it was. So that was 2/4 people in the group who would talk to her willingly. At least she was getting somewhere.

She carefully positioned some rocks in front of Toph and let her whisk them into the air. The girl goggled at the bending. A tinge of jealousy hit her like a provoking flick in the back.

"I wish I could bend like you" Adeline sighed.

Not like you, with you. With Aang and Katara, in the battles. She wished she could just scream it right then and there. There was nothing stopping her. It wasn't a bad thing. But every time the thought even entered her head, a lump swelled in her throat and her breathing hitched.

Toph threw a rock further. "I'm sure Sokka can give you a boomerang accuracy lesson" she teased

"Yeah... can't wait" Adeline replied. She really wasn't one for comfort. They heard fighting and arguing from outside as the other three returned from that day's adventure. Aang had gotten himself in trouble and Katara and Sokka had accompanied him as his "parents". Katara had been made up to look like she was pregnant with a whole heap of fabrics bundled under her clothes. Sokka had modelled himself a pointed beard and moustache which he caressed consistently.

"That settles it! No more school for you young man!" He yelled, going right up into Aang's face, retracting and stroking his beard.

Aang recoiled. "I'm not ready to leave. I'm having fun for once. Just being a normal kid. You don't know what it's like Sokka. You get to be normal all the time!"

"Ha, Ha!" Toph laughed.

"Ouch" Adeline added as he shot the two girls sideward glances.

"Listen, guys, those kids at the school are the future of the fire nation. If we wanna change this place for the better, we need to show them a little taste of freedom" Aang explained after gently rubbing Appa on the nose.

"What could you possibly do for a country of depraved little fire monsters?" Sokka asked Aang, earnestly.

Aang's eyes lit up and his smile grew into a wide grin. "I'm going to throw them a secret dance party!"

As he finished his sentence he did a little jig on the spot and finished with jazz hands. Sokka pointed to a wall of the cave and with a deep voice said; "Go to your room!"

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

A few hours later and everyone from Aang's class had gradually begun to make their way inside. The cave emitted an orange glow which was caused by hundreds upon hundreds of lit candles placed sloppily all around the cavern and into the earth. Adeline didn't know where they'd managed to retrieve all the wax but she supposed it wasn't really that important. Toph has set up some earth podiums for the band and Aang stood proudly in front of about five or six children all with traditional instruments. They began playing a fast tempo track which induced some anxiety in Adeline. It was as if each beat was pulling her hair or poking her brain. She stayed put at the rock table with Katara and Toph as Aang addressed the large crowd of children gathered parallel to the stage.

They had hidden Appa out the back and through a tunnel so there was a lot more space everywhere. Aang jumped up. "Ladies and gentlemen, The Flamey-Os!" He shouted, introducing the carefully positioned band.

Adeline was worried people would become suspicious of how they had a random stage in a cave and was also, for some reason, worried that the 'Depraved fire monsters', as Sokka put it, would fall off.

Aang crossed his arms and admired the music. "Yeah, this is ought to get everybody moving" He looked around only to find the entire ensemble frozen and unmoving. Nobody knew what to do. They all held furrowed saddened looks of apprehension and in all honesty, fear.

"Now what do we do?" A voice called out from amidst the right group.

Aang spread out his hands. "This is when you start dancing"

The kids cringed. "I don't think my parent want me dancing in a cave." A chubbier boy from the front said, shrinking into his collar as his head and shoulders became one.

A taller, paler boy with some wild bangs ran in front of the boy. "Yeah, what if someone finds out?". He jogged, looking around frantically and then, out of sight.

Adeline turned to Toph. "When he said fire nation kids, this is not what I imagined"

Toph nodded with a shrug."I guess not all of them are born with the intention to claim world domination"

Some more laughs escaped them as they turn back to Aang. "Oh boy, listen guys... Dancing isn't something you think about" Aang tried to explain. "It's a form of self-expression that no one can ever take away from you."

The boy who had first spoke stepped forward and out of the crowd. "Maybe it was different in the colonies, Kuzon, but we don't do that here."

"Sure you do!" He assured them cheerfully. "You have for generations. It just so happens I know several classic fire nation dances!"

"I don't know where this is going but it doesn't seem too good" Toph whispered as Katara sipped some water.

Aang began doing some weird dance moves and the class awed at his... unusual dances.

Katara leaned over the rock table. "What are you two whispering about," she asked, feeling slightly left out of the conversation. It was really the first time she'd looked at Adeline properly when addressing her, ever since the confrontation outside of Ba Sing Se.

"Nothing important". Toph looked back over and also took a sip of her murky looking drink. "Who knew twinkle toes could dance?"

It hadn't really answered Katara's question but instead sent her attention to the cheers and applause. She smiled and put her glass on the table.

After a short while, Aang had managed to teach everyone some of the dance moves. The monk ran over to their table and held out a hand for Katara to take. "I don't know Aang, these shoes aren't really right for dancing and I'm not sure that I know how to..."

Adeline threw a knowing looked to Toph and both girls tried to conceal their wide smirks. "Take my hand," Aang said.

"Ok"

The boy dragged her away into the dance circle and Adeline and Toph continued talking about random things that had little to no association to present events. She didn't know where Sokka had gone but he couldn't have been too far.

Aang and Katara were now surrounded by everyone in a neat little oval which gave them enough space to move. They danced like swaying flowers in the wind, bouncing off one another's and turning when the other felt the need to jump. Applause echoed through the area as they finished with a two-person bow, drenched in sweat.

Suddenly, Adeline heard an 'uh-oh, come from Aang as some older looking fire nation guards ran into the crowd.

"He's the one we want, the boy with the headband!" An elderly man shouted from the opening of the cave.

Adeline bounced up with a flourish and was shortly followed by Toph. They ran through the tunnel Appa had taken to escape and Toph closed it up behind them with earth bending. Adeline looked around her hastily checking for everyone. Aang, Katara, Toph and Sokka- all check. They hopped on Appa and flew away as quickly as they could. Adeline adjusted herself on the saddle as she looked out over the sides at the changing tides.

"We're Safe, Sokka, you can take off the moustache, now," Katara muttered.

Sokka leaned forward still looking like a middle-aged father of three. "Oh, no, I can't. It's permanently glued to my skin" he stroked it proudly.

Toph clung on to the edge. Flying wasn't really a safe space for her. "Way to go, Dancy pants. I think you really did help those kids" she said, turning. "You taught them to be free"

Aang rubbed his messy hair. "I dunno, it was just a dance party, that's all"

"Well that was some dance party, Aang" Katara leaned forward and placed a kiss on his cheek. He blushed bright red, like a flaming tomato as Sokka put two hands together and slowly clapped.

"Flamey-O, sir... Flamey-O"

AUTHORS NOTE

Hey! Thank you so much for 2k! That's literally amazing! Also, another new cover because I'm indecisive 😌🤚. Sorry for any mistakes and have a nice day/night!

WORD COUNT: 1529