Disclaimer: Avatar: The Last Airbender and its characters are not mine. Those cookies there however, are.

Loss

The girl – yes, still really just a girl– came to me, sobbing. Why me, I cannot assume to understand. Perhaps because I was big enough to shelter and hide her. Perhaps because of the human affinity for soft fur as comfort. Or perhaps because I was the first thing she ran into.

The night was preparing for a storm. Clouds roiled across the sky, obscuring the moon. I lay on the ground, trying to recover from the day's travels. We would reach the rendezvous with the Water Tribes tomorrow, if I had anything to say about it. As I settled into my makeshift bed, ready to dream about succulent clovers and papaya pancakes, I heard the soft pattering of slippered feet coming directly towards me. It could not have been my ward; he would have started hollering before he had even come into earshot and then had at least two loud accidents before he reached my side. Sometimes I worry about that child.

Before I could get up however, something small and weepy collided into my face and latched on. Ah. The girl. Why was she awake? Why was she even out running around for that matter? She had barely been able to move the last I saw her; her belly was so swollen, she could only lie in the saddle as those silly boys crawled around and around, asking her if she needed this or wanted that. She should not have the strength to move normally, as far along as she was, let alone go bolting around and colliding into airbisons.

She continued crying and holding on to me, her tears sliding off of her delicate cheekbones and into my fur. Finally, the moon came out long enough for me to see her properly.

Oh, Great Horns, what happened?

Her figure, so rounded and full of life, was now as flat as the plains we had been soaring over for days. It was as if the last six months had never happened. I sniffed her gently and caught the scent of blood; blood and water and grief.

She looked up at me, huge eyes swimming in their sufferings. "Appa," she whispered.

My hearts broke, hearing her voice.

"Appa, I've…I lost the baby. I-I don't know what happened. One minute I was fine, lying in bed, and the next…oh, it hurt, it hurt so bad."

Her hands worked my fur. It hurt a little, but I did not move. I am sure she hurt more.

"And Sokka…Sokka yelled for a doctor, but by the time anyone could come help, it was too late. Oh Appa, it hurts. It hurts so much."

We lay there together on the grass, the girl cuddled against my jowl. Soon, another pair of feet came pounding towards me and I managed to catch the scent of the boy, her mate, before he too ran into me. I did not swat him, for once.

"Z-Zuko?"

"I'm here. I'm here, babe."

He sank to the ground where she lay, still curled up in her misery. I could barely make out the glint of tears trailing down his face. He gathered her into his arms, cradling her. I remained guard as the two mourned the loss of their child.

It was a dark night.