The Little Dragon

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Monday, October 26

Kaida

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When I woke up the sun was already peering into my eyes. I grunted and put my hand over my face to block out the brutal rays of light. "Good morning, Kaida." Aang laid down next to me. "Are you feeling any better?"

Did I feel bad in the first place? Then it hit me what happened last night. I overused my already depleted fire. I sat up and rubbed my face. "Yeah, I'm better now. Sorry for passing out."

"No worries!" Aang smiled at me, and I gave him a small smile back.

"That's what we thought happened." Katara sat next to me on the other side. "You were lucky Hyo is a steady flyer. He took good care of you." Katara turned her head, and I followed her line of sight, to see Hyo laying down across the fireplace that was now burned out. He was looking at me with a calm look.

"Looks like he needs fish to compensate for being such a good flyer." Hyo's head perked up with the word fish. "So, what ended up happening? Where are we?"

"Just outside the village from last night. These people have no idea how close they were to getting toasted last night." Aang said his staff across his lap.

Toph started to speak while eating a dumpling, "Yeah, the worst thing about being in disguise is we don't get the hero-worship anymore. I miss the love." I cracked a smile.

"Boo-hoo, poor heroes." Sokka mocked, I snapped my head to Sokka who was looking at his plate of... whatever, with the pity me look.

"What's your problem? You haven't even touched your smoked sea slug." Katara snapped. I put a hand to my mouth. That's what it is? Smoked sea slug? I'm glad I didn't get an offering.

"It's just...all you guys can do this awesome bending stuff like putting out forest fires, and flying around, and making other stuff fly around. I can't fly around, ok, I can't do anything." I was about to jump into the conversation with that line. Even though my pride will never let me tell him, Sokka has saved a lot of people, regardless of being a non-bender.

"That's not true. No one can read a map like you." Katara started.

"I can't read it at all." Toph started and I laughed at that. She had grown so much, no longer thinking about herself, but comforting a friend. It warmed my heart.

"Think about what would have happened to the village that one time if you didn't stop jet!" I spat out, sucking down my pride, it wasn't the time for some foolish emotion. Of course, I was there to help him, but there was no way I could have done it myself.

"Look, I appreciate the effort, but the fact is each of you is so amazing and so special, and I'm not. I'm just the guy in the group who's regular." Huh? Sokka? Being regular? I don't think I heard that right. Out of all of us, Sokka had the most personality, definitely not "regular".

Katara stands up from where she was sitting next to me and sits down next to Sokka, "I'm sorry you're feeling so down, but I hope you know none of us see you that way." Then there was a pause and Katara drew him to his feet. "I know something that's gonna make you feel better."

Sokka looked down at her depressed, "You do?" Did she?

She started down the mountain and I followed behind her, "let's go shopping!" My mouth made an 'O' shape. Wait? Was I safe to go shopping? Zuko knew I was in the Fire Nation. Then I looked at Sokka, and saw the look of excitement.

I can survive Zuko.

    Sokka needed help. That thought alone pushed me into a wall and I started following the gang down the mountain.

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Sokka started clapping his hands excitedly, "Shopping!" He runs forward and started studying the various weapons displayed on the tall racks "Maybe a little something to reinvigorate my battling. Hey, how about these", he begins twirling the nunchaku, "Ho-ya! Smack-a-dacka-doo!"

Sokka accidentally hits himself in the head and falls over, knocking over a few of the pole weapons on the rack and making Toph flinch. I help him up, "Are you okay?"

"Better than okay!" He got up and ran to a pole weapon with a blade, in the end, a guandao. He swings it to one side, swings it over his head, and twirls it in a circle. The weapon flies up towards the ceiling. He looks at me sheepishly.

I shrugged, "nobody's hurt, I don't see the problem." That seemed to have breathed another life into him because he starts dragging an enormous, metal club across the floor. He groans as he tries to lift it, but loses his grip and falls.

"You okay?" I started to help him up again. It's not my job right now to stop him. If he is having fun, who am I to tell him no. I gave him a few pats on the back to tell him that I am here if he needs anything. He turned and gave me an expression I don't think I have ever seen before.

It was the mix between appreciation and sadness. It made my heart hurt. "Sokka-" He turned and makes a start for two swords. I put my hands over my heart.

Was Sokka going to be okay? What can I do to help him? I clenched and unclenched my fists. I don't know. I had to find a way.

I look up and saw something catch Sokka's eye. He made a beeline for the blade on the wall. A dragon is depicted on the scabbard. I walked up behind him and watched him take it off the wall. It was a beautiful red dragon. It looked a lot like Baba.

Oh Baba! Who knew! You're famous!

"Ooo. That's what Sokka's talking about." Sokka spoke in the third person, looking at the beautiful scabbard.

"You have a good eye." I jumped as someone spoke behind me. Sokka turned and looked at the sword keeper standing next to me. "That's an original from Piandao, the greatest sword master and sword maker in Fire Nation history. He lives in the big castle up the road from here."

Then an idea came to my head, "That's it!" I grabbed Sokka's hand pulling him to the door.

"What? Kaida? Where are you leading me?" Sokka said flabbergasted at my sudden movement.

"I figure out what you needed!" I started to track up the road. The gang realizing we have left and started to flow out of the store.

"What do I need?" He said confused, I turned back with a smile.

"A master!" His eyes widened in shock. Then a smile appeared on his lips. That smile gave me butterflies. I had helped him

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Sorry, I was fighting the battle of writer's block, but your author has won! Daily updates are back! I missed you guys.