Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or AtLA. Need it be said?
Chapter Three: The Island and the Flying Pig
Now that it was morning, everyone could have a better look at the strange forest into which they had somehow been transported. The trees did indeed look like gigantic mushrooms, with different types of mushrooms growing off of the stems (or trunks, in this case) and from what they could see underneath, the tops of the mushrooms were a variety of colors and patterns. The tops were so thick that they had meshed together, allowing for other things to grow underneath them. By using some earthbending, Aang built a staircase for them to walk up and look at the top of the mushroom forest.
The top was sort of like a large field due to all the plants that grew there, plus it gave the team somewhat of an idea of how big this place was. They saw a variety of strange animals as they walked across the top, Sokka eyed the creatures hungrily. But Katara took one look at them and said, a flat-out "NO."
The animals looked like they had mushrooms growing on them as well, making them look like moving plants. The fungus growths on the creatures were so thick the majority of the time that the only sign that a "plant" was a type of animal were the glowing eyes that peered out at them. No two creatures looked alike, so it made it difficult to distinguish one species from the other.
Katara recalled the time that Sokka had drank cactus juice, and definitely did not want that to happen again. She knew that some mushrooms could be poisonous, and she wasn't sure if that poison could transfer from the mushrooms to the animal. Since they weren't anywhere near a hospital, eating any of the animals here was a chance she wasn't willing to take.
Inside the forest, there were more mushroom creatures, but they somehow seemed different; such as the fungal growths and the sounds that they made sounded fiercer. As they walked through the forest, the creatures crawled along the vines and roots, following them from a distance, growling and clicking. The creatures seemed to have an aversion to light, so they kept their distance. But it seemed that they kept creeping closer, testing their boundaries.
Sokka eyed them nervously, and said to Aang and Katara, "Let's just hurry up and get the boat and get out of here!" And no one disagreed with him.
They set the gondola on the beach, and eyed the ocean. Katara, Aang, and Sokka all looked expectantly at Zuko, who responded with, "What?!"
"Do you think you can sail us to another island where there are people?" Aang asked, hoping that Zuko could.
"That boat is not meant for seafaring." Zuko said bluntly. "You don't have to be an expert to know that the ocean currents are going to tear that thing apart."
"I thought we could at least use it…" Sokka admitted, downcast. "Let's just take a walk around the island. It's not like we have anything better to do."
The group walked on, and found a small cove that had some decent –sized fish in it, and they were able to catch those for their breakfast. After eating, they continued walking, slapping at buzzing insects and scratching at insect bites. It was late afternoon when they decided to stop for a rest.
Aang looked out at the ocean solemnly, and sighed, "I think I'm going to contact the Spirit World. That's the only other thing I can think of doing."
Aang went into his meditative state, and the others just sat around waiting for something to happen. They kept a careful eye out for any passing ships that may come by. The humidity combined with the heat resulted in them having to tear and redesign their clothes so that they were more suitable for the environment.
Katara was thankful that she still had her hairpin that Aang had given her. She eyed it carefully, noting that it had not been damaged, and was thankful for that too. She looked at Zuko, who was holding a ball about the size of a small egg.
"What is that?" she asked, breaking Zuko's trance.
"I don't know... or I can't really remember," Zuko said. "I feel like I should know, but it's like trying to remember a dream. Sort of like, the details of the dream are right there, but you just can't recall it."
"What're you guys talking about?" Toph asked, mostly out of boredom.
"Just this glass ball I had in my pocket," Zuko answered. He thought about throwing it into the ocean, but changed his mind. The glass ball was faded and ugly, and its surface was scratched up. "You will need these… they will guide you."
Zuko vaguely recalled someone saying something like that.
"I have a glass ball too." Toph said, she reached into her pocket and pulled out the ball and showed it to the others.
When Sokka saw it, he said, "Oh, hey. I had one of those too, but I think I dropped it when we were in the forest last time."
"I think I had one too," Katara said, "But it must've gotten lost, because I haven't seen it since I've been here…"
They weren't sure exactly what this information meant, but as they waited they tried to take guesses as to what the glass balls could have to do with them being on this island.
***In the Spirit World***
Aang looked up, and found himself in the surroundings of the Spirit World, and it was a somewhat comforting sight because of how familiar it was. But something felt off, he wasn't sure how to explain it. There was just a sort of heaviness in the air.
"Hello~!" Aang called out, and when he took a step forward, he almost tripped, but he caught his balance. "What was that?" Aang wondered aloud. It had felt like he was walking through thick mud. He moved again, and the same feeling as before came over him. It felt like such hard work simply walking through the place.
Aang went to look for someone or something familiar so that he could discuss the problem at hand, and find a solution on how to resolve it.
He came across a field of flowers that sounded as if they were singing. He saw a pair of small child-like Spirits, a Red one and a Blue one, and he called out to them, "Hello!"
At the sight of him, the Spirits gasped and ran away.
"Wait! Don't leave! Please!" Aang called out desperately, but moving was becoming more and more difficult, and right now it felt as if he was dragging huge boulders with his feet.
A deep chuckle came from behind Aang, and he turned to see a Pig with large, white feathered wings protruding from his back.
"That was Van and Ish, two childish Spirits who are quite shy of strangers," said the Flying Pig Spirit. He sucked a pipe and released a plume of smoke, and continued, "They generally don't mean any harm."
Aang could tell simply by the Spirit's presence that he had much wisdom. Aang bowed, and said, "I'm Avatar Aang,"
"I am the Flying Pig Spirit, Dēji. It is very nice to formally meet the current Avatar. I've met a few of your incarnations before. Right now, it seems you are lost, young Avatar."
"Well that's the thing; I kind of am," Aang said. "Currently four of my friends and I are stuck on an island, and we don't know where we are. We aren't in our world anymore."
"Well, that explains your presence," Dēji said, "You look as if you are fading, and I am unable to fully sense your Spirit."
"What?! Why?" Aang cried, feeling panic take over.
"Are you at least still able to bend the elements?"
"Yes… and so can my friends."
"I see… it seems that while this new world you are in has no effect on your bending capabilities, but it has severely affected your own ability to traverse the Spirit World. As you are not in the World of your origin, wherever you are currently located, the link between you and the Spirit World is very weak and unstable. I should warn you, that if you continue contacting the Spirit World, it will likely result in your death due to exhaustion. I'm not sure if you can contact your past selves without risk, but seeing as how they are a part of you, it should not be a problem if it ever comes down to it. But only do so if the time is desperate."
"I understand, Master Dēji," Aang replied. "And what about us being trapped on an island in an alternate World…?"
"If you are in an alternate World, I imagine the Kelpie Spirit Cyprus, is behind it. He is the Guardian of the Wood between the Worlds. It is a sacred place, and not one you can gain access to easily. You must either happen upon it or have a formal invitation from Cyprus himself."
"I'm sorry," said Aang curiously, "but what does the Kelpie Spirit look like?"
Dēji plucked a feather from one of his wings, and let it float down to Aang, and when the tip touched his forehead, he saw flashes of a giant blue-green sea horse, with a coral and seaweed mane.
"Thank you," Aang said, and Dēji then smiled at the Avatar.
"And concerning your question about what you are to do about being trapped on the island… Wait, and be patient, for I see that a Lion of 1,000 Suns is coming to your rescue."
Before Aang could say anything else, his contact to the Spirit World suddenly broke off, bringing him back to the physical realm.
Aang woke up, and feeling dizzy. His eyelids drooped, and he felt as if he could fall asleep right then and there. A far away voice called, "Aang! Aang?"
He was so tired he felt sure that the voice was just his imagination. Everything was foggy. He just wanted to rest, not think of anything else, or do anything. Aang gratefully welcomed the sleep that overtook him.
It was late evening when Aang woke up, but he didn't feel rested. He stared up at the sky, which was a mix of hues that at any other time he would have found beautiful.
The conversation he had with Dēji was still fresh in his mind.
"Aang, you're awake!" a thankful and relieved Katara said. "How are you feeling?"
"…Like I don't even want to move." Aang sighed. Without even getting up or looking at the others, Aang relayed a condensed version of what he had learned from Dēji concerning the Spirit World, and that he was cut off from it.
"Do you think that this Kelpie Spirit is behind this whole thing?" Katara asked, after a few minutes of silence had passed.
"Possibly, but I'm not sure…" Aang's voice trailed off, because he honestly didn't know what to do. Dēji had said to wait.
"He also said to 'Wait and be patient, for a Lion of 1,000 Suns is coming to your rescue.'"
"Well, I wish that Lion would hurry up." Toph replied bluntly.
They set up another campsite because it was so late, and Aang wasn't in the mood to even move. As the noises of the forest started up again, it was another restless night. In the morning, they continued their way around the island again, and reached their first campsite by late morning.
They simply settled down again, and Momo nibbled on some of the fruit from the surrounding mushroom trees. The group had developed something of a routine; slapping at biting insects, trying to ignore the howls and screeches of the fungus creatures in the forest, and trying not to lose the hope that their rescue was indeed coming.
***Back in the Fire Nation, after the disappearance of Team Avatar ***
The storm disappeared as quickly as it had come. Everyone looked at where the Avatar and Fire Lord's boat had been… and it was gone, just gone… The people scrambled and dove into the water to search for any signs of wreckage or life, or anything that gave any indication that everyone was okay.
"Avatar Aang! Fire Lord Zuko! Where are you?!"
"Toph Beifong!"
"Katara, Sokka, where are you?"
People called out, hoping that this was just some elaborate prank or something, and were trying to avoid thinking about the worst.
Uncle Iroh was shaken awake by someone grabbing his shoulder and shouting his name. Iroh stared confused at the young man, who looked just as confused as Iroh felt. "Are you alright?" the young man asked, his confused look turning to that of one being concerned.
"Huh?" Iroh said dumbly, and he looked down, realizing that his robes were dirty from sitting in mud, and that he held a stone a little bigger than his fist in his hand. "What's going on?" he asked, even more confused than before. Hadn't he been sitting here drinking tea? He felt like he had just woken up from a dream, and was now trying to recall it, but to no avail.
"I was just about to ask you…" the young man said awkwardly, "you were sitting here sucking on that rock…"
Iroh quickly stood up, suddenly remembering that he was going to the pier. "I have to get to the pier, so uh, thank you, for your help, young man."
"You don't know?" the man asked, his face suddenly showing that he was even more confused by Iroh's words and actions then before. Once again seeing that Iroh genuinely did not have any idea as to what was going on, the man continued, "Uh… the thing is sir, Fire Lord Zuko, and the others—"
He was cut off by someone shouting, "Fire Lord Zuko? Where are you?"
"They disappeared!" the man told Iroh quickly. "They were on the water, watching the fireworks display, when the water suddenly came alive and swallowed them up. Everyone is searching for them right now."
Upon hearing the news, Iroh ran towards the pier in a panic. "Zuko! Zuko!" Iroh called, a feeling of desperation and emptiness started to overtake him.
"General Iroh!" said an older man, and he ran up to him. Seeing that Iroh's robes were mud-covered, he asked, "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine!" Iroh said, "What happened? I heard from someone else that the water swallowed up Zuko and the others!"
"Y-yes, Fire Lord Zuko, Avatar Aang, Toph Beifong, and Sokka and Katara of the Southern Watertribe went missing just barely five minutes ago… from what we have heard from witnesses, they started saying something about something hitting their boat, and then the water turned into a whirlpool, calmed down briefly, and then simply swallowed them."
Iroh needed to find a seat, and sat on a crate that had been a few feet away from him. Where was Zuko? Was he okay?
Suki felt someone grab her arm, and when she looked down, a group of young boys were looking at her confused. "Lady, what're you doin'?" the one who had hold of her arm asked.
"Why, I'm…" what was she doing again? She tried hard to remember, but she couldn't even think of what she had been doing. "What was I doing?" she asked, feeling nervous about the answer.
"Talkin' to that statue there," another of the boys motioned to a worn statue that decorated one of the storefronts. Suki blushed, wondering why she would ever do such a thing. Remembering that she had to get to the pier, she quickly thanked the boys and went on her way. When she noticed that there were no longer fireworks, and that it seemed that nearly all the boats had pulled back into the harbor, she thought that she had missed the show. Where's Sokka? Why didn't he come get me after the show? Suki thought, feeling a mix of emotions that ranged from confusion, hurt, and anger. Her hurt and anger dissipated when a woman asked her, "Have you seen the Fire Lord and his other guests anywhere?"
"What?" Suki asked, confusion suddenly taking over. The woman told her what had happened at the pier. Suki felt faint for a moment, and the woman helped steady her, asking "Are you alright?"
Suki only nodded, and quickly mumbled her thanks and ran down to the pier. She saw Uncle Iroh sitting on a crate, and ran up to him. "Mr. Iroh…" she said, tears streaming down her face. Iroh looked up at her, slowly stood and pulled Suki into a hug. "We'll find them." He said, although he was mostly telling himself, he felt Suki needed to hear it just as much as he needed to believe it. "Don't worry, we'll find them, and everything will be alright."
Suki only nodded and sniffled as she buried her face into Iroh's shoulder.
Thanks for reading! Please leave a Review 3
Next Chapter, the Straw Hats (and Law) finally show up!
I spend a lot of time on the One Piece and Avatar Wikis. But I have a bad habit of going on there to research a term or a character, and getting distracted by all the links to other articles that show up… *cut to two hours later* What was I researching again?
