As Hina pushed me through the training grounds, which were filled with both Air Nomads and Water Tribe members, I silently observed my fellow brothers and sisters, yet it only caused my heart to ache at what I witnessed. Many of my brothers and sisters had sustained various degrees of injury, with the luckier ones having only received a few burn marks on their bodies, yet even then, it didn't take a doctor to know their bodies would never heal the same… Forever scarred by the gruesome battle that had taken place.
As for the unluckier ones, well, it wasn't a pretty sight to behold; although I'm pretty injured myself, I got off fortunate compared to others, especially considering I was the person Sozin wished dead. Some had been pelted by arrows, their bodies riddled with holes, while some had forever lost the sensation of certain limbs, with a few ending up permanently paraplegic.
The others had been exposed to the flames of our enemies for so long, and with such intensity, they were entirely unrecognizable; even with the Water-Tribesmen healers, they could only do so much.
I could continue to list the various injuries my people have suffered because of the battle, but it simply wouldn't do justice to what I, and I'm sure my people, were feeling.
'This is just depressing on various levels.' Thought Aang lightly as he closed his eyes and sighed deeply.
"Do you want to do another pass-through, or…" Asked Hina softly as she leaned forward and looked at Aang, who shook his head, causing her to sigh in relief.
"Haa, thank goodness. I don't mean to be rude after your people had just undergone such a tragedy, but walking through that was… Depressing." Said Hina softly as she quickly walked away from the training grounds and turned to the hospital while Aang remained quiet.
I didn't say anything since I was still coming to terms with the state of my people, but I also agreed with her; the casualties we sustained were already terrible enough, but that experience merely poured salt into the wound.
"My Mom is a healer, so I would usually help her out with patients and whatnot; because of that, I've seen a lot of injuries and wounds, but… I've never seen anything quite like that. So many people with such extreme injuries… it's deplorable. I can't comprehend why anyone would do such a thing to someone." Added Hina softly as she slowly pushed Aang through the Temple while squeezing the handles of his wheelchair in anger.
"There are many reasons why, but the real question is, would you be able to understand their reason?" Asked Aang lightly as he tapped the wall of his wheelchair while gazing at the sky, his words causing Hina to raise an eyebrow before shaking her head.
"Haa, no, probably not. Definitely not in this case; you Air-Nomads are the most peace-loving group of people that exist. I couldn't even fathom a reason why anyone would attack you… Well, I suppose other than that—" Replied Hina lightly as she sighed while lowering her head in confusion, only for her to glance at Aang, who cut her off.
"— I'm the Avatar?" "Yeah…" Said Aang and Hina, respectively, as the latter faintly nodded with a wry expression before going silent.
We spent the next few minutes in silence while we traveled through the damaged Temple; only the sound of my wooden wheels pushing against the ground could be heard.
"So, about you being the Avatar… Is that why Sozin attacked? To kill you?" Asked Hina softly as she glanced at Aang before returning to observing their surroundings while he nodded.
"Yes. At least, that was half of his goal. His true goal was world domination, though. To achieve that, he first sought to rid himself of his biggest obstacle, which just so happened to be this time, and unfortunately, the Air Temples were dragged into the mess along with me." Replied Aang softly as he blew into the wind, only to shiver from the cold, prompting him to cover himself with the blanket.
"He wanted to conquer the world? I'm no nobility, but isn't that an impossible feat? Even if he succeeded in killing you, how could the Fire Nation conquer the world by themselves? It's just not possible unless I'm stupid." Asked Hina in confusion as she looked at Aang while rubbing her head, causing her to nearly knock the wheelchair over.
"No, you're not stupid, Hina; the Fire nation would've eventually succeeded in their plan, but it would've taken a few hundred years to do so. However, a lot of changes can happen within such a long time span, so who really knows what would've happened." Remarked Aang calmly as he closed his eyes, enjoying the pleasant moment.
"Ahh, that would make a lot of sense; with the help of the Great Comet, they would eventually conquer the Earth Kingdom and Water Tribes." Said Hina as she snapped her fingers while nodding in understanding, only for Aang to slightly raise his eyebrows.
"I'm curious, but how do you know of so much privy information?" "I've been here for a few days, Aang. Do you think I wouldn't ask some questions? Or, at the very least, overhear some conversations?" Asked Aang and Hina, respectively, as the latter rolled her eyes before gently hitting the former on his head.
Nodding my head in agreement 'cause she made a valid point, I rubbed my head a little before shifting my gaze to the right, where I saw a few Sky Bison flying through the sky, causing my mind to immediately drift to Appa.
"Hina, can you take me to where Appa is?" Asked Aang as he gazed at the group of Sky Bison with a longing expression, causing Hina to nod with a faint smirk.
"Heh, but of course." Replied Hina lightly as she turned to the right, heading directly for the Bison in the distance, though she was forced to walk over numerous rubble.
It was quite hard to think or even enjoy oneself when the ride was incredibly bumpy, though eventually, after several minutes of my butt being repeatedly hit against my wheelchair, leaving it partly numb, we finally arrived at where the many Flying Bison were being tended to.
Waving at the many Flying Bison, we strode deeper into the stables until we eventually found the loveable and slightly overweight Appa, who was currently munching on lettuce, tomatoes, apples, and watermelons.
"I see someone is enjoying their royal treatment." Said Aang lightly with a faint smile as he eyed Appa, who swiftly raised his head, only for his eyes to widen in joy.
With growls of joy, Appa quickly swallowed whatever food was in his mouth while charging toward me, which made me slightly sweat since, unlike usual, I had no way of avoiding him.
'How can something so big move so fast? It's both awe-inspiring and terrifying.' Thought Aang with a wry smile as he gazed at Appa, who came to an immediate halt just a foot before colliding with him.
Heaving a sigh of relief, I decided to leave my questions about his insane agility for another time as I opened my arms, hoping to hug him, yet it seemed we weren't on the same page as he started to lick me enthusiastically.
"I-I've missed you as well, Appa, but please, calm down; you'll drown me in your saliva at this rate." Said Aang with a small smile as he looked at Appa, who promptly ignored his words, which slowly turned into pleas.
"A-Appa, I-I'm not joking; t-this wheelchair has walls; I-I might really drown!" Added Aang as he tried to lift himself up, only for Appa's tongue to push him back down and while all this happened, Hina watched with a smile.
"Hmph, revenge for making Appa chase me. Hehe." Muttered Hina with a smile as he pumped her fist into the air.
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After successfully not drowning to death from Appa's saliva, once he finally started to calm down, with Hina's assistance, I removed myself from the wheelchair and lay beside Appa while he continued to munch on food.
"How does Appa eat so much? That had to have been at least fifty pounds worth of fruits and vegetables." Asked Hina in awe and disbelief as she lay against Appa's fluffy fur while glancing at him happily chewing a watermelon like a snack.
"Flying Bison have five stomachs. However, for the record, Appa is known to gorge himself on food when given the chance; if I don't limit his meals, he'll end up fat and unable to fly." Replied Aang lightly as he scratched behind Appa's horn, causing him to growl softly in pleasure.
"Oh, five stomachs, that makes a lot of sense." Muttered Hina with a nod as she gazed at Appa, only to shrug her shoulders while snuggling deeper into his warmth.
"Enjoy this while you can, Appa, because once I'm healed, I'll be placing you on a strict diet." Stated Aang firmly as he narrowed his eyes at Appa, who gulped before practically inhaling his remaining food.
While inwardly chuckling, I kept a firm expression since I wouldn't budge on that. With how much Appa eats, it would be easy for him to get fat, and I couldn't allow that to happen. However, for the remainder of the day, Hina and I stayed with Appa; his presence helped soothe me as I was mentally drained after witnessing the state of my people.
Though before I knew it, I had fallen fast asleep in Appa's embrace.