Sokka grumbled from inside the tent. You watched as it rocked back and forth, before it seemed to spit Sokka out. Katara walked forward, her arms holding sticks.
"Um, aren't you forgetting the tarp?"
"Right. Got it." He replied, throwing the rolled up tarp into the net. You raised an eyebrow.
"Sokka, you're supposed to put the tarp on top of the tent. Ya know, so we don't get rained on."
"Ordinarily you'd be right. But seeing how it's the dry season, you're not. Besides, that tarp makes a pretty warm blanket." He retorted.
"But what if it does rain?" She questioned.
"What if it doesn't? I don't want to put the tarp up for nothing."
Katara stomped, like a three-year-old. "Urgh! You're infuriating!"
"Katara, why don't you worry about gathering the firewood, because that kindling is looking pretty sorry."
"Well, if you don't like my firewood-" She cut herself off, throwing the sticks at her brother, who stood.
"Fine by me! If you're not going to do your job-" Sokka cut himself off as well, pulling a rope on the tent, making it collapse. Your jaw dropped in shock and anger. Aang walked over.
"Okay, I got the grub if you guys got the-" Aang cut himself off, seeing the disaster. "Hey, where's the campfire? And what happened to the tent?"
"Why don't you ask miss-know-it-all? Queen of the twigs?" Sokka said, arms crossed, back facing his sister.
"Oh, yeah? Well you're mister-lazy-bum. King of the….tents?" Katara retorted lamely. You and Aang shared a look.
"Listen guys, harsh words won't solve problems. Action will. Why don't you just switch jobs?" Aang advised. Your eyes brightened at his idea.
"Sounds good." Katara agreed.
"Whatever." Sokka replied, dismissively.
"You see that? Settling feuds and making peace. All in a day's work for the Avatar." Aang declared.
"Aang, I hate to break it to you, but a small sibling argument is hardly and practice for the real world. Siblings fight all the time." You informed. "It's not like it's a nation war, or even a tribe war."
Suddenly, a noise was heard. You and the young Avatar turned, seeing Appa and Momo fighting over a fruit. Well, more accurately, Appa was holding the fruit in place with one finger(?) while Momo was trying desperately to get it. Momo seemed to give up and leave, but when Appa went to eat it, Momo grabbed the fruit and gave it to Aang, who cut it into two pieces, one significantly larger than the other.
Appa gladly ate his piece, while Momo seemed less-than-thrilled.
"Come on, Momo. That's fair. Appa's got five stomachs." Aang informed.
"There it is, guys." Aang said. "The Great Divide."
You were looking at a rather large canyon.
"Wow. I could just stare at it forever." Katara mused.
"Okay. I've seen enough." Sokka said.
"How can you not be fascinated, Sokka? This is the largest canyon in the entire world." Katara voiced.
"Then I'm sure we'll be able to see it very clearly from the air while we fly away." Sokka said, tugging on Appa's reigns. Suddenly a man rushed forward.
"Hey, if you're looking for the canyon guide, I was here first!" He declared.
"Actually you weren't, we were. And no, we weren't looking for the canyon guide." You said, crossing your arms and raising an eyebrow.
"Ooh! Canyon guide! Sound informative." Katara gushed. You rolled your eyes.
"And boring. Don't forget boring." You added.
"Believe me, he's more than a tour guide. He's an earthbender. And the only way in and out of the canyon is with his help." The man said. Sokka appeared behind him and opened and closed his hand, mocking how much the man talks.
"And he's taking my tribe across, next!" The man finished, casting a look at Sokka, who ceased his actions.
"Calm down, we know you're next."
"You wouldn't be calm if the firenation destroyed your home and forced you to flee!" The man retorted. "My whole tribe has to walk thousands of miles to the capital city of Ba Sing Se."
"You're a refugee." Katara mused. The man let out a humorless laugh.
"Tell me something I don't know."
It was silent for a few moments until drums were heard. Everyone turned and saw several people wearing reds and browns, making their way over.
"Is that your tribe?" Katara asked. You doubted it.
"It most certainly is not. That's the Zhang tribe. A bunch of low-life thieves. They've been the enemies of my tribe for a hundred years." He whistled. "Hey, Zhang's! I'm saving a spot for my tribe, so don't even think about stealing it!"
A large woman walked forward.
"Where are the rest of the Gan Jin? Still tiding up their campsite?" She mocked.
"Yes. But they sent me ahead of them to hold a spot!"
"I didn't know the canyon guide took reservations." She said, crossing her arms.
"Of course you didn't. That's the ignorance I'd expect from a messy Zhang. So unorganized and so ill prepared for a journey."
The rest of the Zhang tried booed. You pinched the bridge of your nose in frustration. Suddenly the ground shook and everyone turned, seeing boulders shake. They were moved, revealing an elderly man, wearing green clothes. He had a white mustache, and wore a straw hat atop his head. He dusted himself off before speaking.
"Sorry about the wait, youngsters."
You cocked an eyebrow.
"Who's ready to cross this here, canyon?" He asked, gesturing behind him.
"Uh. One of them, I think." Katara spoke, pointing to the previously bickering people. The man you'd met rushed forward.
"I was here first! My party's on their way!"
"I can't guide people who aren't here." The earthbender spoke. The Zhang tribe marched forward.
"Guess you guys will have to make the trip tomorrow." The leader said.
"Wait! Here they come!" The man said, pointing to his tribe.
"You're not seriously going to cave into these spoiled Gan Jin's?! I mean, we're refugees, too! And we've got sick people that need shelter." The leader of the Zhang's told the guide.
"I, uh. Well." He stuttered.
"We've got old people who are weary from traveling!" The scout said.
"Sick people get priority over old people!" The leader of the Zhang's argued.
"Maybe you Zhang's wouldn't have so many sick people if you weren't such slobs." The leader of the Gan Jin's retorted.
"If you Gan Jin's weren't so clean, maybe you wouldn't live to be so old!" She retorted. They continued arguing as you leaned down to Aang's height.
"Looks like you've got your work cut out for you, Aang. Just another day for the Avatar, right?" You whispered.
"A fight over chores is one thing, these people have been feuding for a hundred years." He replied. Katara stepped forward.
"Everyone listen up! This is the Avatar-"
You face palmed. Why does she have to say that to everyone?
"-I'm sure that if you give him a chance he'll come up with a compromise to make everyone happy."
Silence followed, awaiting Aang's decision.
"Uh. You could share the earthbender and travel together?" Aang offered, though it was more of a question. The leader of the Gan Jin's spoke first.
"Absolutely not. We'd rather be taken by the firenation than travel with those stinking thieves."
"We wouldn't travel with you pompous fools, anyway!"
More arguing broke out until Aang lost it.
"All right, here's the deal! You're all going down together and Appa will fly your sick and elderly across! Does that seem fair!?" He shouted. The leaders nodded and Aang smiled.
You, Aang, Katara and Sokka all helped load the people on Appa's saddle. Aang patted his head.
"Sorry, Appa. You're going to have to do this on your own."
"Aang, this feuding tribe stuff is serious business." Sokka said. "Are you sure it's a good idea getting involved in this?"
"To tell the truth, I'm not sure." Aang replied. "But when have I ever been?"
Katara stepped forward and placed her hand on Aang's shoulder.
"He's the Avatar, Sokka. Making peace between people is his job."
"He's also twelve." You voiced, crossing your arms.
"His job's going to make us cross this whole thing on foot, isn't it?" Sokka asked, dismissing your comment.
"Okay. Now comes the bad news." The guide said, walking forward. "No food allowed in the canyon. It attracts dangerous predators." He said, making a crawling motion with his fingers for emphasis. The tribes yelled in uproar. The guide wasn't sorry, though.
"Aww. You babies can go a day without food. Would you rather be hungry, or dead?" He asked, before bending a pillar so he stood atop it. He cupped his hands around his mouth. "Now we're heading down in ten minutes! All food better be in your gut, or in the garbage!"
Everyone pulled out their food and started eating. The Zhang tribe tore into their meat, ribbing the cooked flesh from the bone, while the Gan Jin tribe used chopsticks and napkins. Aang floated up to Appa's saddle.
"Appa's going to take good care of you until you get there." He informed the passengers before floating down. "See you on the other side, buddy."
"Hey, Aang?"
Aang turned. "Yes, Y/n?"
"Do you want me to go with them? I can look out for them and keep them out of trouble." You offered. Aang stood in silence for a few moments, holding his chin, thinking it over.
"It might be a good idea. I'm sure we can manage without you." Aang assured.
"Oh, I have no doubt of that." You remarked, climbing up Appa and sitting at his head. You took ahold of the reigns. "Appa, yip yip." You instructed. Appa rose into the air and flew off. Aang, Katara and Sokka watched you leave before something dawned on Aang.
"Wait-"
You flew over the canyon, enjoying the view. Your passengers remained silent, which you were grateful for. You gave them all food and water when they needed it, and everything was as it should be. Well, almost. Your friends weren't there, but you were sure they were fine. You landed Appa on the other side of the canyon at about sunset. You told the people to get some sleep, as you would keep watch, remembering what the guide said about dangerous animals.
You stayed up all through the night, but nothing came. You did, however, see two little lights, flickering in the distance. You sighed, wishing you were a firebender. You could teach Aang, and actually do something useful for the gaang, the world, even. You placed your chin on your forearms, resting on your bent knees and let out a sigh.
You bended some water out of your canteen and watched as it floated around you. Delicate and graceful, but if provoked, can be deadly. Just like Katara. Another reminder that she's helping Aang, and not you. You knew you shouldn't feel this way. You thought back to your adventures.
You didn't really help when you met them, when everyone was fighting over the waterbending scroll. Sokka saved the town when you met the Freedom Fighters.
Maybe you were being too hard on yourself. You've only been here for really, one disaster. You were only half there for the scroll. Come to think of it, you were only half there for the town, too. You pulled out a trinket that the couple that helped you slipped into your pack. It was a little badgermole, no doubt made with their son's own earthbending. You felt terrible that they'd given it to you. They didn't know you, and they gave you something from their only son. You didn't understand it. You became so confused and frustrated that you almost threw the darn thing in anguish. You would have never gotten it back, and the couple would have given it to you for nothing. You gripped onto the small statue more firmly, before putting it back where it belonged. Well, in your pack. It belonged to those lovely people.
You stood as you paced back and forth, muttering to yourself. You hadn't even noticed the puddles forming at your feet at first. But when you did you stopped and looked down. Confused, you looked to the sky. It wasn't raining. You touched your cheek. You hadn't been crying. Your eyebrows pinched together as you bent down and touched the water. It was just water. You could have sworn they weren't there before. You finally just guessed that there was a hole in the ground, or something, and the water was rising.
You turned and watched the sunrise, wanting your friends to get here, and get this nightmare over with. You waited a few hours, and the people you were escorting awoke. You fed them, and provided a little water, and waited to see a large group of people.
It was several hours later when you saw figures. They were like specs, but they were moving funny. Definitely not human. You pulled the water from the puddles that you unknowingly caused, and readied it as a weapon. More tiny figures jumped from the creatures, before the creatures scurried back down the canyon.
The figures where growing closer, and you recognized it as the party. You relaxed your stance as the water fell, and splashed your ankles and feet. You climbed on Appa's tail and began helping the people out.
When you got everyone down, Aang was finished telling a story about two kids, and a ball, and a game, or some nonsense like that. However, the tribes weren't arguing, so you considered it a win.
Aang walked over to Appa and hugged his head. "Good to see ya, boy. Did ya miss me?"
"I cannot thank you enough, Avatar." The leader of the Gan Jin spoke honestly. Aang turned around, covered in slobber.
"Well, you know. I try."
The man cringed and walked back over to the tribes. Something was said that you didn't catch, but everyone cheered and walked away as one. The guide limped after them.
"Wait! I'm coming, too! I'm sick of this place!"
You pointed. "What happened to him?"
"Long story." Sokka replied with a shrug before turning to Aang. "That's some luck you knew Jin Wei and Wei Jin."
"You could call it luck….or you could call it lying." Aang replied, a tiny hint of mischief and evil in his voice.
"What?" Sokka asked, confused.
"Did I miss something?" You asked.
"We'll tell you later." Katara whispered.
"I made the whole thing up." Aang confessed.
"You. Did. Not. That is so wrong." Katara voiced, though she clearly wasn't very upset.
"Now where's that custard tart? I'm starving." Aang informed. You raised an eyebrow, before shaking your head. You climbed atop Appa's saddle and watched as Aang dug through the food.
"I may or may not have given that to the people I was escorting." You admitted. Aang groaned, floating up and landing on Appa as well.
"We'll starve!"
"Don't be so dramatic. We still have bread and what not." You said, handing each of them a loaf. You hadn't eaten, but you weren't hungry. You took Appa's reigns and gave them a light flick.
"Yip yip."