To The Eastern Air Temple

Team Avatar walked away from Ba Sing Se with Mara riding on her pet eel hound. Then Ty Lee brought up something that no one else had thought of.

"Hey Mara, what are you going to name her?" Ty Lee asked.

"I don't know" Mara said. She then looked over and around all of her friends walking alone beside her.

"I am going to name her Nini, in honor of the Water Tribes" Mara finally said. That got a smile from every one, even Sokka who was unusually glum that day.

"So what is our plan?" Sokka asked.

"We need to get to the Eastern Air Temple so Mara can learn Airbending, Energybending and to control the Avatar State" Katara said.

"What are we going to do when Sozin finds us?" Ty Lee asked.

"Why do you say when?" Haru asked, skeptical of Sozin being able to track them. Zuko saw Haru's look of annoyance in Ty Lee thinking Sozin would be able to find them.

"Ty Lee is right. I have known Sozin for many, many years. He can do anything once he puts his mind to it. It isn't a question of if Sozin will find us. It is more a question of when" Zuko said.

"Ok. So what will we do when Sozin does find us? Is he going to bring a giant army and burn the Eastern Air Temple to the ground again or is he going to lead a small force and attack us with agility?" Mara asked.

"From the years that I have known Sozin, I know to expect the unexpected. Sozin will do whatever Sozin feels it is time to do" Zuko said.

"So basically we are going to wait at the Eastern Air Temple until it rains fire?" Toph asked.

"When you put it like that it sounds suicidal, but basically yes" Suki said.

"That doesn't sound like a good plan, but you're right. Hopefully Mara will complete her training before Sozin arrives" Haru said.

"I will complete my Airbending training as fast as I can" Mara said.

"We don't want you to be in such a rush you don't train correctly and don't become a true Airbending master" Katara threw out.

"Katara is right. You need to train fast but train right. Let's pick up the pace on the road. We don't want to risk some one picking up our trail" Haru ordered. Haru and Toph stood next to Nini as the Earthbenders created earth waves in a hope to keep up with Nini. Mara directed Nini away from Ba Sing Se at full speed while Haru and Toph tried desperately to keep up with the eel hound. Once the sun set they were well out of range of Sozin and Ba Sing Se. They set up camp before continuing the next morning bright and early.

Team Avatar got food when somebody was hungry and stopped when somebody was tired. Other than that they moved right on to the Eastern Air Temple.

"So who is going to be able to teach you to control the Avatar State?" Ty Lee asked.

"I don't know, Aang and Roku didn't really tell me who would help me" Mara said.

"Maybe it will be the same guru that tried to teach Aang to control the Avatar State" Katara suggested.

"What do you mean tried?" Sokka asked.

"It was a hard process and Aang told me he just couldn't do it" Katara said.

"That makes me feel a lot better guys. Thanks for all of your help" Mara said sarcastically. That display of sarcasm got a laugh out of every one.

"Shouldn't we take a break for a day or two?" Mara asked.

"No. We should work and work until we get to the Eastern Air Temple. Then we can take a short break" Haru said.

"Maybe we should take a break for just 1 day. Every one is exhausted" Ty Lee said.

"So you want us to take a break and risk Sozin catching us?" Sokka asked.

"That doesn't matter. We can escape from the Fire Nation" Katara said.

"Sozin controls the world. How do you expect to get away from the world?" Zuko asked.

"That is a good point. We should reach the water tomorrow morning, or today if we hurry" Toph said.

"Let's try to get to the water tonight, so we will be nice and rested for our time at sea" Haru ordered.

"Well we will need to go very fast. Let's move" Suki said confidently. Every one got in position and got ready for travel. Mara got nini to go fast as Toph and Haru attempted to keep up. the Earthbenders did keep up with the eel hound, but just barely, since when Team Avatar finally reached the water Haru and Toph nearly fell to the ground in exhaust. Haru was the only thing that was keeping Toph from falling on her face after they finished.

"Good night every one" Haru said as he allowed Toph to fall on the ground before falling to the ground himself. Haru created an earth tent big enough to cover up the siblings before going to sleep.

"Aren't you going to help us unload?" Katara asked before realizing the siblings fell asleep.

"Never mind, I guess Haru and Toph wont help us unload" Katara said before turning around, realizing every one went to sleep.

"Katara, go to sleep. We need to get up early tomorrow" Zuko said. Katara immediately obliged.

Early the next morning Haru woke every one up before dawn with a Fire Nation Navy cruiser ship docked next to them.

"Come on, let's get moving lazy bones" Haru said.

"How did you pay for that?" Katara asked.

"You get back here with my ship!" an angry man shouted.

"Does that answer your question?" Haru said before rushing every one onto the ship. Every one got on the ship before Katara and Mara used their combined Waterbending power to get the ship moving.

After they left every member of Team Avatar had their own specific job. Haru and Toph worked down in the boiler room Earthbending coal into the fire to use as fuel. Zuko made sure the fire stayed hot. Mara and Katara helped keep the ship moving by using Waterbending to propel and steer the ship. Sokka, Suki, and Ty Lee kept the ship on track while thinking of a plan to take Sozin and Azula out of the picture, thus ending the war. Every one kept up with their respective jobs and only stopped to eat and sleep. Running the giant ship was a punishing process for every member of Team Avatar, especially for the benders who were forced to bend over 8 hours each day at sea.

Though the distance to the Eastern Air Temple wasn't great it was extremely difficult to guide such a large ship with only 8 people working in the ship.