The Little Dragon

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March 15th, 2021

Kaida

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    "I missed you so much, Hyo." I was so mad when I had to leave him behind. That feeling of loss still lingered within me. We have been traveling for a long time now, Hyo's story went on for a long time. He told me every detail of his story, and I was lost in the emotion of it.

    "I know. I could feel it." He nodded in agreement. He could feel my emotions? Maybe that was because he was created from a stem of my own emotions?

    "We will never be separated again." Only bad things happen when we are apart. "I didn't know you got hurt," I stroked his scales. "So who was your favorite when I was gone?"

    There was a long pause, "probably Sokka."

    "Oh?" That shocked me, "why Sokka?"

    "He -" There was another pause. "He spoke to me a lot about you." I tilted my head to the side.

    "You liked him just because he talked about me?"

    "No." He shook his head, "he was the only one who wanted to acknowledge you being gone. I think everyone else wanted to avoid the subject." So in a sense, Sokka understood why I didn't come with and wasn't upset about it. My heart bloomed with the thought.

    "Were they mad?" Hyo shook his head again.

    "They just missed you." He sighed, "a lot." I hear they went through a lot of misfortunes while I was gone. Especially when Aang lost Appa. That would be like me losing Hyo. I squeezed him tighter to me. I would tear this world apart to find Hyo again.

    I would not be kind. Not as kind as Aang was. People would be in pain. I clenched my fists. I think it was the Fire Nation in me speaking but there was a rage that filled me with the thought of Hyo ever being taken. "I regret leaving you behind. I regret it so much. I'm so sorry." I placed my forehead onto his back.

    "Don't apologize, I understand, no, everyone understands why you did it." He tried to soothe me. 

    "But it doesn't make it right. I'm sorry again. From now on we will never be separated, never again." I was a fool before, but now I realize who is my real team. 

    "Okay." I looked to see him smiling happily with a soft expression. "I'm glad."

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    We landed in a village, "hey I'm going to go get souvenirs, want anything?" I pointed to the village that was under a hill. Hyo shook his head. 'Okay, I'll be right back."

    I slid down the side of the incline and ran out the fall running into the cobblestone streets of the town. It was a ghost town. "Why is it so quiet?" I looked everywhere trying to find out where everyone had gone. 

    I wanted to eat something other than popsicle squid. One bowl of soup and a few hairpins for Toph and Katara. Maybe a sword sheathe for Sokka. What would I get Aang?

    I passed a house and they slammed their shutters closed on me. I paused in my step. "Okay, what is going on?" Looking down at my attire, my arm was covered by my Water Tribe clothes. I did a twirl, no, they certainly can't tell that I am a Fire Bender.

    After walking a bit, my feet made it to the town square where there was a beautiful large white fountain. I looked into the water to see words at the bottom. "The water will run red..." I started walking around "when the spirit world and ours become one."