"You muzzled Appa?"
Even as the words left his lips his tattoos and eyes started to glow with an unearthly light, his face thrown into terrifying relief.
The Airbender struck, destroying the last sandglider.
"I'm sorry; I didn't know it belonged to the Avatar."
"Tell me where Appa is!" Aang's voice echoed through the air, the voices of all his past lives speaking with him, striking fear into the hearts of the Sandbenders at the frightening display of power.
"I traded him to some merchants; he's probably in Ba Sing Se by now, they were gonna sell him there."
Aang tightened his hold on his glider and the wind picked up, the elements rage matching that of its master.
"Please, we'll escort you out of the desert; we'll help however we can!"
If Aang heard the offer he didn't show it, a sand storm started up and Sokka jumped into action.
Grabbing Toph by the shoulders he pushed her forward at a run.
"Just get out of here. Run!" The desert dwellers did as they were told and fled, running for their lives.
Katara stood her ground, the sand whirled around her but she didn't move as she watched the scene unfold with sad eyes.
The Avatar started to form an air sphere around his body. It was only after Aang had started to lift off the ground did the Waterbender snap out of her daze, rushing forward to grab his wrist before he got too high.
As soon as Katara's hand made contact with his skin he turned his glowing white gaze on her, the rage in his soulless white eyes making her fight back a shudder.
She gazed back at Aang sadly, her eyes pleading with him to stop this. After what felt like a lifetime she reached out and grabbed his other wrist, pulling him down and holding him tightly as he fought to let go of the power that was coursing through his body.
Sokka looked behind him and saw his little sister holding the most powerful being in their world in her arms.
It only took a minute after that for the air sphere to dissipate, the nomad's face to losing its hard edge as his tattoos dimmed. Tears leaked out from under his closed lids and Aang tucked himself deeper into the older girls embrace, his face buried into the bend of her neck as he finally allowed his tears to fall.
Aang hadn't really cried since that fateful day at the Southern Air Temple, he had cried in her arms after coming out of the Avatar State then too.
His body heaved and Katara tightened her hold on him, sinking to the ground with him as he cried.
"I'm sorry." His voice was painfully small and broken, his words meant only for her.
The Water Tribe girl hugged the Air nomad tightly and whispered comforting words to him. After a few minutes he pulled away from her and wiped his tears away, steeling himself for the task ahead.
They had a Sky Bison to find, and they would have to move fast if they wanted to get to Appa before he was sold in Ba Sing Se.