Cargo

Cargo

Appa knew that he was more than just transportation. 

He knew that he was a member of their family, the same as any human would be. 

Appa and Aang had an unbreakable bond, something he knew even before he was lost, but was solidified by the deep ache inside of the bison that had nothing to do with hunger. Appa missed Aang so much that it manifested into a physical form, and only abated on the shores of Lake Laogai, when Aang hugged him deep and Appa felt the boys tears as he whispered “I missed you, buddy.” 

Appa could not speak words that Aang could understand, nor could the bison cry to show how much he missed Aang, but Appa felt that Aang already knew.

Katara had always believed in Appa, even when sometimes the bison was unsure of himself. She encouraged him when he flew through Fire Nation blockades, desserts that stretch out endlessly, and when the Day of Black Sun came, she fought by his side, not as a master but as a comrade. 

Katara is the one who always kept a hand on him in caves, her touch comforting like winter’s first snowfall. 

Sokka, Appa had to earn his belief, and in a way, that's its own merit— Sokka believed when it was proven, and that meant that it was solid— Appa’s strength and abilities where solid, and Sokka saw that. Sokka had painstakingly designed sky bison armor, something that had never been done before, simply because he felt Appa deserved to be protected. 

It meant more to Appa than Sokka will ever know. 

Toph was different than the others, her measure of strength not coming from what she could see, but rather, what she could feel. In the desert, Appa understood the sheer amount of strength it took to hold up Wan Shi Tong’s library, while at the same time trying desperately to protect him in the sand. two monumental tasks that any earthbender but Toph would have almost no hope of achieving. In the end, despite everything he went through, Appa supported Toph’s choice, because it kept his family from being buried forever. 

Toph apologized in hushed whispers outside the Earth King’s palace, trying to hold tears back, but Appa felt he didn’t need forgive her for the choice she made, so he nuzzled against her and slept outside her window that night. 

Zuko was complicated in many ways, and Appa has seen him in many different complicated ways. An enemy, a reluctant ally, a friend, his family and as a savior. Appa wasn’t sure what it was that came over Zuko as his uncle pleaded with him under Lake Laogai, but when Zuko struck the chains off of him, Appa felt something deep inside the Fire Prince that would not be forgotten. Months later, when he came to train Aang, Appa knew he was destined to be his fire bending teacher, and to be apart of their family. 

When Zuko used his bending late at night to warm the chilly caverns of the Western Air Temple, breathing gentle flames into the air over the sleeping group, Appa didn’t rear back in fear, he huddled closer to Zuko’s warmth. 

They didn’t think of him as an animal, and he didn’t think of them as anything other than family. 

The five lives he carried on his back, the one who he was frozen for 100 years with, the one who comforts him with a touch, the one who was skeptical but truly thought he was magical, the one who fought for him despite being overwhelmingly outnumbered, and the one who trusted him even as he was falling to his death, were the precious cargo that Appa carried.

He would protect them, no mater what. 

Something I noticed that I thought was kind of cool is that Appa liking Zuko is the reason Aang even listened to him at first.

The reason the Earth King heard Team Avatar out when they were trying to convince him Long Feng was corrupt and they were at war was because Bosco liked Aang.

The animals, man. They know.

The amount of sheer joy Iroh must have felt when Izumi was born

Exhausted

Hakoda knows that Sokka is exhausted. 

They all were, all the time, his son even saying that tired was now apart of his personality. 

“That’s me,” he would joke, “the meat, sarcasm and perpetually tired guy.” 

Hakoda was tired, too. The war had been over for a few years now, and the Northern and Southern Water Tribes were working on rebuilding their relations as well as their cities. Hakoda, Bato and Sokka were the only ones as representatives for their small tribe of only 40, while the Northern had thousands, and had sent over 50 representatives.

They had decided to convene in Omashu, where King Bumi had been gracious enough to let them host, after the Northern Water Tribe realized that traveling from pole to pole was not an easy feat for the southerners (them, too, but they would never admit that). 

Getting a chance to speak was difficult, the formal language used was difficult, getting the representatives to understand just how different their tribes were was difficult, even finding a seat had been difficult. 

The door to the apartment they were staying in opened abruptly and then slammed a moment later, and Hakoda’s heart started to race. Sokka was home, and that meant that he…had to tell Sokka. Hakoda took a deep breath as his son entered the room. 

“S-“

“Not now,” Sokka practically growled, and if he had been a fire bender, he certainly would have let out a huff of fire, “I’m really not in the mood for anything right now. I’m hungry, exhausted and this place is horrible. The people here are all jerks.” 

“Sokka, I think you should—“

“Why do they care that we’re using one of the fifteen conference rooms? Bumi said it was fine!”

“Sokka, you should—“

“They weren’t even politicians! They were damn delivery drivers!” Sokka pinched the bridge of his nose. “I don’t want to talk about this anymore.”

“should—“

“Dad, I literally just said I didn’t want to talk!”

“read—“

“Ugh!” Sokka threw his hands in the air, frustration pouring out of him. “Goodnight, dad. Don’t wake me in the morning, unless something catastrophic happens. Actually, scratch that, even if the world ends, don’t wake me up. La knows it would be an improvement.” 

The door slammed, and Hakoda stood. He couldn’t remember how long he stood, how long he stared at the door, before the reality of the situation hit him all at once. 

He covered his mouth with his left palm, an attempt to keep from sobbing, silent tears beginning to slide down his face, hands shaking, the crinkling parchment of the Fire Nation missive heavy in his hand. 

To whomever it may concern: 

Fire Lord Zuko, First of his Name, Protector of the Dragon Throne, and Master of Dragon Fire, has been assassinated by poisoned arrow on the date of the 17th, Late Sun. Lord Zuko was struck in the left shoulder by a lone arrow while presenting a speech to the Council of Education, and died a few hours later from his wounds, as the weapon was laced with belladonna. 

He leaves behind a grieving mother, sister, uncle, and nation. 

No successor has been named as of yet, however Prince Iroh is currently acting as reagent. 

Princess Azula is no longer in line for the Dragon Throne. 

Funeral rites were preformed shortly after death, and the body cremated, as it tradition. Only the Fire Lord’s mother, step father, half sister and Fire Sages had been present, as Prince Iroh was in Ba Sing Se at the time of Fire Lord Zuko’s death. 

May his flame burn bright forever. 

Councilmen of the Court of Flames 

I love how Iroh is 100% able to admit he has made mistakes in his life, but he has yet to acknowledge the greatest one:

At the end of a 100 YEAR WAR, he decided to leave the MOST POWERFUL COUNTRY IN THE WORLD in the hands of a TRAUMATIZED 16 YEAR OLD, and then move like 100,000 miles away.

Adding to my Modern!ATLA AU regarding transportation:

Azula:

-Corvette. No exceptions.

-soundtrack is just Evanescence’s Fallen album on repeat

-the worst driver of them all but won’t admit it

-regards the speed limit as an unasked for suggestion

Mai:

- I don’t wanna say BMW but I’m gonna say BMW

-doesn’t listen to music or, on the rare occasion, instrumental music

-refuses bumper stickers of any kind

-buys the most expensive gas

Ty Lee:

-white Jeep Wrangler. You know the one.

-mainstream music: particularly fond of Icona Pop

-cares not for seatbelts

-cried when she ran over a plastic bag that she thought was an animal (Mai had to calm her down)