A/N: So this chapter came about as the result of the recurring question in some reviews: what about Momo and Appa? It's short, but I think it covers Appa's perspective pretty well and there are some mentions of Momo but...well...I figure of the two Appa is better equipped to handle his own chapter.

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar!

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Interlude

There was a sharp pang deep within his heart and soul when he felt his spirit companion pass out of the realm of the living. It hadn't happened immediately of course, there had been a short amount of time after the fire and water benders had placed the lifeless boy on his back. He had felt the last gasp from the airbender and nearly stopped flying altogether.

Being cooped up on a Fire Nation ship for weeks hadn't been the best remedy either and, along with the lemur, he'd taken to fitful bouts of sleep punctuated by horrible visions and nightmares of his longtime friend in an eternal purgatory of pain and suffering.

He'd seen the depression that had settled over the humans and, if he hadn't been so absorbed in his own melancholy, would have tried to console them. They were close to the monk too. But none of them had ever understood him quite the way his boy did and they could never hope to.

When the lemur came to him one day bubbling with excitement, he was intrigued. Apparently, the firebender had managed to bring the waterbender out of her self-inflicted state of guilt and brought happiness to the little earthbender. He had felt genuine joy flow through him for the first time since The Passing and decided that, whether he liked it or not, the firebender deserved a great big lick.

Both of the girls had meant a lot to his companion and it was good to see them beginning to heal. There was only so much sorrow the human soul could handle before it began to break.

The water tribe boy was another story.

His pain seemed to venture so much deeper than the others; when they had fled Ba Sing Se he had been in a state of shock and not really acknowledging what had happened. But when the boy's sister and friends had finally begun to heal, he had only fallen deeper and deeper into depression.

So the lemur had been tasked with keeping tabs on him. For the next few weeks several cries of annoyance could be heard throughout the camp that were directed at the flying animal. Subtlety didn't seem to be being utilized in that endeavor.

When the long tailed nuisance had finally gathered any and all important information he returned and explained that the boy seemed to be focused on a girl that he'd lost, the one with the fans. A conversation overheard between the boy and his father had revealed that she had been taken captive by the fire princess and they had no idea where the Kyoshi warrior could be.

Though the missing girl was the most distressing matter weighing on the young boy's mind, it wasn't the only thing. The lemur had sensed and seen a growing animosity for the fire prince and it was steadily growing into outright hatred. Hopefully things wouldn't get out of hand and any sort of confrontation would only be through conversation.

But the most interesting thing that had occurred was the discovery that the waterbender was with child. The firebender's child no less! It seemed harmony and life managed to continue blossoming despite the dark times the world found itself in. Maybe this would be the spark the world needed to see that one's nationality shouldn't be grounds to automatically label them evil.

At the very least, the child would give those it grew up around something to fight for, something worth dying for: hope. Hope that after everything was said and done and the dust had settled, there would still be a chance for a future.

And then the two boys had left.

If what the lemur said was true, they had come to an understanding, albeit an uneasy one, and the fire child was aiding the water warrior in finding and rescuing the Kyoshi warrior. They had considered taking him to cut their journey in half, but deemed him too obvious and their mission was one of stealth.

It had been two days since their departure and they should have arrived at their destination right now. With any luck, they hadn't gotten captured but nothing could be certain. The waterbender was worrying herself into sickness and the earthbender, along with her father, had been desperately trying to keep calm and get her rest.

Some things were easier said than done.

That night he went out for a long fly over the ocean, the lemur and the girls coming along for the ride. As the moon reached its peak in the sky and the stars shone bright, they all stared captivated by the beautiful scene before them.

It was just like old times.

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A/N: Well, there you have it guys and gals! I want to thank each and every one of you for reading and reviewing because, if it wasn't for you guys, I'd be writing this thing for no one but myself. And personally I like getting info from all different kinds of perspectives. Until next time!

-HakushoRurouni