torch, flambeau@strangeplaces.net
November 21, December 17 2006
Disclaimer: Momo and Appa are much cuter in the actual series. Written for elynross as a bonus story for yuletide 2006. Do not archive without permission.
Day of rest and gladness
Momo grabbed a big, juicy blue fruit between his paws and tugged it off the branch.
*myfavoritethingmyfavoritething*
Blue fruit was delicious and the best of all, and so was red fruit and yellow berries and orangefruitgreenfruitpinkberrieseverythingelse. Momo chirped and bit into the fruit. Sweet tart tangy perfect. He picked another fruit, and another, and another. And another, and if he hung from his tail, he could grab more fruit with his hind paws, yes!
Appa made a bronking sound, and the leaves and branches around Momo trembled. Some fruit fell off. Momo twisted around. Appa was too big to get in here among the branches and pick fruit. One of Momo's ears drooped in sympathy, and then he took aim and tossed a fruit right into Appa's mouth. Appa rumbled, pleased, and Momo tossed another one, and ate one, and tossed a few more, and ate a few more, all of him filling up with sweet tart tangy perfect until he was swaying happily where he hung, a little dizzy, and hit Appa's nose with the next fruit he tossed.
When Appa sneezed, Momo and his blue fruit and most of the surrounding leaves landed an Appa-length away from the bush. Momo landed on top, and the fruit squished all over his fur. He sat up and chirped reproach at Appa, who ambled over and licked him, eating the last of the fruit in the process, as well as a couple of leaves. Momo sneezed, too, but Appa didn't blow away.
Momo looked around for more blue fruit. Or any kind of fruit. He jumped up on Appa's head to get a better view of the bushes, and then he got a better view of the lake on the other side of Appa instead. It was blue like the fruit, only with glittery silvery waves that looked inviting in a different way. Momo unfurled his membranes and dived forward, floating down towards the water. Landing in the shallows, he splashed himself to get the fruit goo out of his fur. The water was warm, and the sun was even warmer. He turned his nose up towards it and closed his eyes. *myfavoritething*
Appa walked into the water and fell over on his side, sending a big wave over Momo. Momo shook the water out of his ears and kicked a little wave at Appa's nose. Appa beat his tail in the water, and Momo jumped up fastfast so the next big wave only got the tip of his tail. He flew a triumphant loop around Appa's horns and then caught one of them, hanging there by three paws and his tail, shading his eyes against the sun with the fourth paw so he could look around. Appa's head was a good place to look around from. Flying high in the air was also a good place to look around from, but it wasn't the same.
Aang and Katara were on the beach, down on the other side of the clump of big trees, doing something with the water that splashed a lot, and laughing. Sokka had gone into the woods. When Momo turned his ears that way he could hear him, but just barely; he wasn't all that close. Momo chirped to himself and launched into the air. He landed on the beach and crept up to the pile of bags and things lying next to Appa's saddle on the grass.
The first bag smelled like fur and sleep. The second one smelled like Sokka's feet, and Momo sneezed again. The third one smelled really good. Momo untied the strings and poked his head into the bag. It was dark inside. He pulled his head out and turned the bag upside down. Dried fruit fell out, and a piece of salty cheese *myfavoritething*, and rice cakes.
Momo picked up the cheese, and a piece of dried fruit, and another piece of dried fruit, and anotheranotheranotheranother. He clutched the fruit to his chest and looked at the rice cakes. He looked at Appa, who lay floating in the lake, eyes half-closed, nose barely above the water. Momo chirped very quietly, put some of the fruit down on top of the bag, and picked up some of the rice cakes.
It took him three tries to get into the air, and he wobbled a bit, because the dried fruit wanted to fall in the water. So did the cheese, once, but he saved it *myfavoritething* and did a bellyflop on Appa's forehead.
Appa rumbled in that happy way when Momo gave him the rice cakes. Momo gave Appa half the fruit, too, dropping it down on Appa's tongue, and then he sat between Appa's horns and ate the cheese, salty fat rich yum, while Appa drifted slowly into deeper water. When Momo finished the cheese and flopped over on his back and stared up at the sky, he saw fluffy white clouds floating in the blue, just like Appa floated in the lake. He licked the last crumbs of cheese off his paws.
Something moved on the beach. Momo sat up and cocked his ears forward. Sokka came out of the woods and walked over to the bags and looked down. He picked up a bag and shook it upside down. Not very much fell out. Sokka started making loud noises and waving his arms in the air.
Momo lay down flat on his belly on Appa's head and started to creep slowly backwards. Sokka turned towards the water, shading his eyes against the sun, but Appa lifted his head a bit, so Momo was completely hidden. Sokka made some more loud noises, and then Momo could hear him walk away.
Momo snuggled down into the thick fur on Appa's neck, curling his fingers and toes into it. His belly was very, very full. He could hear Appa's heartbeat and the low susurration of his breathing, and he was surrounded by Appa's comforting scent.
*myfavoritethingmyfavoritething*
Appa was warm, and the sun was warm.
Momo snored.