Healing the bison
An Avatar: the last airbender fan fic by Wega the blue sun. No copyright infringement is intended, Atla and its characters doesn't belong to me, only its copyright holders and no profit is being made from this fic.
After being reunited with the kids, Appa needs a break. His physical wounds have healed but can he forget his ordeal? Contains mature subject matter.
A/N: This story is dedicated to the Buffalo Field Campaign. Check out their website for a chance to help the very real and very threatened bison of Yellowstone park.
It was a startlingly beautiful day, warm with a gentle breeze, and perfectly suited to find a safe, secluded spot to rest and relax before they went on, Aang decided. His friends quickly agreed, and soon they located a place for their mini-vacation where a small river wound its way through a sheltered valley. No settlements or travelers were in sight, which surprised Aang. Water was a valuable resource in this dry land, and even a small river would attract a number of villages. But it was just as well, he wanted no company for himself and his friends. And Appa most certainly didn't need anybody else around, the flying bison was still on edge after the terrible experiences he'd recently suffered.
Aang's eyes filled with tears as he recalled how Appa was stolen and later sold by the hostile tribe in the desert. Raised by the airbender monks to respect all life, he couldn't understand how anyone could treat an animal in such a cruel way. He'd come so close to losing his oldest friend then, it still seemed like a miracle that Appa was back again. Aang ran his fingers through the bisons shaggy fur and was rewarded with a rumbling growl.
"Yeah, I know, you need to be brushed. Don't worry buddy, today you'll get a bath and a grooming!" he said and glanced at Sokka who pretended not to notice. Aang then turned to look at Toph, but before he could begin to speak, the blind girl fixed her milky gaze on him.
"Don't even think about giving me that job! I'm already covered with this stuff!", she said sharply and held up a tuft of white fur she'd picked off her garments. Aang grinned, not at all concerned about the two rejections. He knew eventually both Sokka and Toph would pitch in to take care of the bison.
"Oh, don't be so lazy, guys! Sokka, you'll clean his toes, you know Appa likes that. And later Toph and I will brush him. It not like we're not afraid of a little shed hair!", Katara said with a glance at the earthbender. Aang smiled. Katara couldn't help but make sure every member of the group had an assigned task, nor could she resist a sly dig at her friend.
Appa shook his large head und watched as white fur floated in the air until it became tangled in the dense vegetation lining the riverbank. Chittering exitedly, Momo jumped off his back and flew into a thorny tree laden with juicy berries, which he quickly stuffed into his mouth. Appa drew in the air, carefully tasting for any hint of danger, but he detected no humans other than the four children, nor did he sense any dangerous animals close by. The bison snorted and sneezed. The scent of unfamiliar flowers tickled his nose and he pawed at his muzzle with his front feet.
"You alright?", Aang asked, busy setting up camp. Appa snorted again as he investigated the large red flowers which were the source of the strange perfume. A moment later he flicked out his tongue to gather a bundle of the plants.
"Is that good for him? We don't know if those flowers are edible, they sure smell funny!", Katara worried, but Aang was unconcerned.
"Appa knows best what to eat and what to avoid. He'll be fine!", he said and patted the bison's shaggy side. Losing interest in the flowers, Appa trotted off towards the river. Blooming stuff was nice enough for a treat, but sky bison ran on grass, and lots of it. He pushed through the dry undergrowth until he reached the rivers edge.
Here the grass was lush and thick, nourished by the mineral rich water. Appa ate his fill, pausing only now and then to spit out a dazed insect. He could feel his strength returning as the good food filled his stomach. His hunger sated, he waded out into the cold river and dipped his head low to drink deeply. The sun warmed his back as he watched little fish dart between his legs, nipping at his toes. Appa walked further into the river until his belly scraped the slick rocks. With a heave and a roar he flopped on his back, and the water sprayed high into the air, sparkling like diamonds. The river was too shallow for the bison to float, and so Appa stayed put while the cold water rinsed out his matted fur. Delighted to be clean again, the bison bellowed repeatedly.
"Alright already, I'm coming", Sokka said as he approached with brush in hand. "Let's get this over with", he grumbled and Appa lifted all six feet out of the water and spread his toes, eager for the cleaning. Sokka sighed and grabbed one huge foot to insert the brush between the toe pads. As much as he cared for Appa, he still hated this job.
A long while later, a brushed and groomed bison made his way back onto the river shore. Now that he was full and clean he needed a nap in the sun to digest his meal, and soon he found the perfect spot. Sheltered by trees, a soft patch of fragrant grass beckoned him to pass a few hours in restful sleep. Appa nipped at some tall stalks before settling in. A short distance away the kids were having the first hot meal in days, and judging from their exited voices, enjoying themselves greatly. Stuffed with berries, Momo was already snoring in the tree above. Appa's keen eyes and ears again scanned the area for danger, and only after he was certain the place was safe did he bed down in the soft grass. Birds sang and insects buzzed in the warm air, and soon Appa was asleep.
The flaming whip of the ringmaster came close to striking Appa's face, and the bison flinched from the heat. Growling in fear and anger, Appa backed away until the bars of the cage stopped his retreat. The cruel human yelled a command, and when the bison didn't obey, struck him with the whip.
"Perform beast, or die!" Unaware that Appa would only obey a select few trusted people and the silent call of the bison whistle, the firebender whipped him until the sickening stench of burning fur filled the air. Unable to bear the pain, Appa reared up, desperate to escape his tormentor. Suddenly the ringmaster's features changed. His hunched form darkened and grew until a gigantic boarcupine stood there, roaring at the terrified sky bison. Rattling its dangerous quills the beast charged at Appa. The sharp spines bit deeply into his flesh as the bison met the boarcupine's impact. Badly injured, he managed to push off his attacker, but the angry boar came at him again. And now sandbenders were approaching, carrying a flaming net. Too weak to fly or fight, Appa struggled to remain upright. But his enemies were too strong and soon they pulled him down. Bellowing weakly, the bison succumbed to the fury of his attackers.
Drowsy from their meal, the kids were startled awake by an ear splitting screech, followed by the sound of something big flailing in the woods. Sokka grabbed his weapon as Aang, Katara and Toph took fighting stances. Momo raced into the clearing, shrieking at the top of his voice.
"Wait! What's wrong?", Aang shouted but the small lemur shied away from him and ran back into the direction he'd come from. Without hesitation the kids followed, ready for anything. The noise was now very close and suddenly they came upon Appa tangled in the long grass and gouging the ground with his horns as if the earth itself was his mortal enemy.
"Are you hurt? What happened?", Aang and Katara shouted at the same time, but the frantic bison resumed to battle an unseen adversary. Now he stopped to stare at them, wild eyed and his muzzle flecked with foam. When Sokka moved towards him, Appa dropped his head low until his horns reflected the sun like polished metal. He pawed at the ground and issued a warning growl until the boy retreated again.
"Take it easy, buddy, it's just us. There's nobody here but us", Sokka said and took another step backwards.
"Better give him more space", Toph whispered and pulled Sokka by his sleeve until they'd reached Aang and Katara, off to the side.
"Everything's fine, Appa, there's no danger here! You're safe with us!", the avatar said loudly, and the bison raised his head while his ears twitched at the sound of the familiar voice.
"Are you sure this is safe? I've never seen Appa like this before!", Katara whispered, but Aang was already slowly advancing towards the nervous bison. He laid his hands against the animal's heaving side and felt the tremors run through his body. Still agitated, Appa pounded the ground with his heavy tail, stirring up dust clouds. Aang spoke softly into the bison's ears, hoping to calm him. Never before had Appa threatened him or his friends, and he felt the animal's distress as if it were his own pain.
"You're alright! Nobody will ever hurt you again, I promise you that! Soon I'll defeat the firelord and then we'll return to the airtemple and find you some sky bison to hang out with. Does that sound good?" After a while Appa was relaxed enough to let the others come closer. Aang was still petting him, and encouraged by this, Katara reached out to touch the bison.
"Poor Appa, he must have had a bad dream", she said and Aang nodded. "He's been through so much, it'll be a long time before he forgets", he said and rested his head against Appa's shoulder.
"If he ever does", he added and Katara frowned.
"Of course he'll forget! He's made it this far and we'll do whatever is necessary to help him!", she said, but Aang could tell that she too was shaken.
Appa was such an important part of their plan to save the world. Without him, where would they be? Aang buried his face in the bison's fur and inhaled the scent of grass and sun. Appa was far more than just a means of transportation, he was his oldest friend and constant companion. A connection to his past, the bison was his sole link to the life he'd left one hundred years behind. And while Appa willingly followed him on his adventures, Aang hated to expose the last sky bison to danger. What a bitter irony, Aang thought, in order to save the world he had to risk the lives of those he loved.
"Come on, don't keep him all to yourself", someone said and tapped him on the shoulder. It was Toph, and for once her face bore an expression of concern. "I'll hate myself for this later on, but let me give Appa the once over", she said and held up a large comb. Aang saw that the bison's whlte fur was tangled and dirty from his battle with the nightmare.
"Good idea, he loves to be groomed", he said and smiled as he watched the young earthbender's sensitive fingers pull bits of grass and twigs from Appa's fur.
"You like that, huh?", Toph said as Appa rumbled his approval whle she methodically groomed his hide until it was as smooth as silk. Growing tired of the tugging, Appa pulled away and walked back into the shade, leaving the kids behind. Everything was peaceful again, and the birds and insects had resumed their songs. Appa yawned copiously and rested his head on his paws. Soon he was asleep, and this time he dreamed of the airbenders temple, where he'd been a calf, carefree and safe under the watchful eyes of his mother. Together with her and the other calves he'd soared through the blue skies, unaware of the turmoil beyond the borders. Hours later, Appa woke briefly to find Aang resting against him. Reassured, the bison closed his eyes and returned to the time of his youth when he'd first flown with the snoring boy now nestled in his fur.