You're my friend

There was even the lake in the model and Joseph's favourite tree beside it.

Everything was exactly like the real thing.

"How. . . . . . .? How did you. . . . . . .?" Joseph began, but his voice cracked up and he stopped, not wanting to cry in front of Aria.

Aria shrugged and smiled, "You know that's an insult right? You're asking the best bendor in the kingdom how?"

Joseph groaned in frustration and spoke, "Could you stop being such a narcissistic brat for just one minute."

"Nope." Aria replied with a laugh.

Joseph rolled his eyes and tore them away from the globe. He looked deep into Aria's black eyes and spoke, "Let me rephrase that. Why?"

Aria looked down and exhaled loudly. "Because you're my friend Joseph. One among the very few I have."

Joseph was very surprised upon getting an answer from Aria. She was usually very bad expressing her emotions and would avoid questions like these. It was like she had locked up all her emotions in some faraway place many years ago and had thrown away the key.

Joseph stared at Aria and decided not to pursue this topic any further. He instead asked, "So you used earth bending to make the meadow. Water bending to make the lake, which has ripples by the way, wow!! And wind bending to blow this stuff. What is it? Snow?"

Aria looked up and spoke with a chuckle, "No. Not real snow. It's white powder. Looks like snow. Pretty good right?"

Joseph nodded, an impressed look on his face. "How are the things like this? I mean I can get making things with earth bending, but won't they be dissolved due to the water?"

Aria rolled her eyes and a narcissistic smile played on her lips. "Ooo dear! Am I being underestimated?" she continued as Joseph rolled his eyes, "You're right by the way, I used earth bending to make the meadow. I'm constantly using it to make sure the earth doesn't dissolve and the lake turns into a puddle of muddy water. The ripples are me water bending, and the flakes..."

"I know. I know! Wind bending. Wow! You really did put a lot of effort into this." Joseph said, looking at the globe by bringing it close to his eyes.

"By the way, you said you're constantly using it. Does that mean you're bending right now?" Joseph asked, looking up.

Aria nodded and said in a small voice, "It's a delicate system. It'll fall apart without constant watch over it."

Joseph's throat almost choked up as he realised what Aria had really done for him. She was constantly going to use her bending to make sure the globe always stayed perfect. It was like carrying around a piece of her with him.

"And it will continue to be like this. . . . .?" Joseph's voice trailed off.

Aria nodded and completed his sentence, "As long as I live."

Tears actually welled up in Joseph's eyes and his voice cracked as he said, "But that means you'll always have to focus a part of your mind on the globe. It'll hinder your fighting capabilities."

Aria raised her hand and placed it on top of Joseph's, which was holding the globe.

She smiled and said, "I've told you numerous times, fighting isn't everything in this world."