Thus begins the super long epic events of…
Appa's Lost Days Part 1
Tara woke to a snap in the face. She instantly sat up, remembering her current situation and then realizing how it had worsened. Her head throbbed from the hit that had knocked her out in the first place. Plus, her arms were bound to her sides and her hands were also tied together. The firebender's gloves were still on but felt strangely different.
She looked up to see a sandbender, his mask was now gone. Two strands of brunette hair fell against the sides of his face and she realized that he was about her age. But his light brown eyes were stern with the rough times that he had lived through.
"As I was saying earlier," he smiled, "what is a Fire Nation girl like you doing in a desert in the Earth Kingdom?"
She narrowed her eyes and looked away. Tara began to observe her surroundings and saw that she was in a white tent. It was a reasonable size with a few wooden chairs, two tables, and three cages with exotic animals.
"Not going to speak easily, huh?" the sandbender continued, "Then let's start with slightly simpler stuff. My name is Gashiun, and yours is?"
Tara looked him in the eye and smiled.
"I'm not going to tell you anything." She whispered.
"Well, you don't really have a choice, do you? You see it's either answer my questions or get thrown into the desert rope-bound."
"You are just so confident, aren't you?"
"You shouldn't be talking, little missy. What's your plan, huh? You going to firebend your way out? Because I replaced those pretty gloves of yours with new ones; ones laced with metal that you most definitely can't firebend through."
Oh. Well, yes actually, that was basically the whole plan.
"No."
Gashiun smiled.
"Yeah, sure it wasn't. Now tell me again, what's your name?"
She bit her lip.
"Tara." She said softly.
"Tara. What a lovely name. And how'd you get in the desert?"
"I walked there."
"You walked there? We found you almost in the center of the desert with no food or water."
"I had just finished my supply."
"Right. So why didn't you just fly? You had the sky bison."
"He belongs to a friend of mine."
"Must be a selfish friend to make you walk."
"Why do you care? Why does it matter to you?"
"It doesn't."
Tara looked at him in confusion.
"It matters to me." A man said as he emerged from the outside.
And somehow, she was still confused. The man was between twenty and twenty-five. His hair was black, which immediately sent a jolt through her. Dark brown eyes stared down as if he was inspecting her.
"Oh! Excuse my manners, miss." He laughed as he walked forward a few steps, "My name is Toreda. I work for a man called Moyasu. He owns a rather famous circus in the Fire Nation, perhaps you have heard of it?"
"No. I haven't lived there since I was seven."
"Oh, too bad. Well, it is renowned for its many rare attractions from all over the world. After all, it is called The Ekizochikku Circus. I am the official trader. It's a nice job. I travel around the world collecting pretty things that can do amazing feats."
"Uh huh." She nodded.
"You, Tara, are both."
The firebender turned to look at Gashiun.
"You kidnapped me so you could force me to take a job?"
The two guys laughed.
"You wouldn't be getting paid." Toreda responded.
Tara stopped for a moment and had to contemplate the last sentence.
"Wait. Is this… slavery?"
"Bingo."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa; that must be illegal."
"You'd be surprised what people can get away with."
"So it is illegal."
"In the Earth Kingdom."
"Slavery is legal in the Fire Nation?"
"A lot of things are legal in the Fire Nation colonies."
"So that's what it is then, Gashiun, you're going to sell your kidnapped victim into slavery. There must be more to you than that. I mean, how old are you, anyway?"
"I don't think that really matters." The sandbender replied.
"And you remember, Gashiun, that our deal is not even a deal yet." Toreda reminded, "I'm not sure I could handle Miss Tara's fiery personality."
"What? Isn't that what you want? Fiery; isn't that what the Fire Nation is all about? Come on, she's beautiful, right?"
"You know I appreciate that compliment," Tara said, "but if you're going to argue about my future could you do it a bit quieter? Gashiun did whack me on the head earlier today."
"Actually, that was yesterday."
"Well, that's really not helping."
Toreda burst out laughing. His cheeks tinged red in his fit of cackling noise, reminding her of a hyena-bear. It was nothing less than creepy.
"You know, sandbender, I think you're right." He said still with a hint of laughter, "The circus could use her outgoing character."
Gashiun nodded as he smiled victoriously. She had sealed her own fate. Tara's mind started racing. They didn't do anything with her feet. It would be hard to do with her hands tied, but maybe she could just manage to firebend her way out. Except…
"Where is the sky bison going?" she asked.
"Sky bison?" Toreda repeated, "Why didn't I hear about this?"
"The beast is being sold to the Beetle-head Merchants. You know they would offer us more money than you."
No! Appa has to go where I am!
"I have been your loyal customer for some time. I would expect you to give me the first pick."
"The Beetle-head merchants have been coming to me for a much longer time than you."
"What are they paying? I can offer more."
"The deal's done, Toreda! Unlike you, they don't waste time on meaningless inspections."
The trader seemed to fume in anger for a moment but soon settled down.
"How much is the girl?" he asked, halfheartedly.
"A thousand gold pieces."
"That's it?" Tara whispered.
"That's a lot, little missy." Toreda hissed as he slapped a pouch of coins into Gashiun's hands.
Yeah, well, for some reason she just figured slaves were worth a bit more. The sandbender smiled greedily.
"I guess this is goodbye, Tara. It was nice kidnapping you."
She gave him a smug smile before he walked out of the tent. Toreda sighed and went over to look at his other finds. Tara bit her lip, fighting back tight tears. This wasn't happening. A moment later, the sound of swirling sand echoed from outside, signaling the departure of the sandbenders. The firebender flopped back onto her back and instantly regretted it as the throbbing in her heads grew louder.
Yet it wasn't long before a man clad in beige clothing with a green robe and a bushy beard rushed inside. On top of his brown hair was a beetle-shaped hat and it wasn't hard to guess that this guy was one of the Beetle-Headed Merchants. He seemed to be freaking out.
"Toreda, you like wild animals, right?" he exclaimed.
"Yes." The trader responded cautiously as he looked up from his wares.
"How would you like to get a real live sky bison?"
"Depends on why you want to get rid of him."
"Well, uh, he is quite large, you know. Uh, much too big for us to take anywhere."
"Don't you have that desert raft?"
"Ours is broken at the moment." The man replied way too fast.
Toreda raised one of his eyebrows and calmly walked over to the tent's entrance. After he finished peeking outside he turned back.
"No. It looks to be in well condition."
"But, that bison! He's a prize, right?"
"He did look well kept."
"Yes."
"Oh, I don't know."
"I'll pay you to take it! How much do you want?"
"What other things do you have?"
The man stopped for a moment.
"I'll be right back."
He rushed outside and, only thirty seconds later it seemed, was back carrying a large green knapsack. Toreda took it and browsed through its contents absentmindedly. Tara peeked inside and nearly gasped. It was her bow, arrows, and medical bag and the gang's various items including Sokka's club. It broke her heart to the warrior's weapon there, at least his beloved boomerang was still secured to his back.
"It doesn't seem like much." Toreda sighed.
The man dug through his pockets and pulled out a handful of gold coins.
"Here, eighteen gold pieces. I-I won't give you anymore. Normally, you'd be the one paying me."
The trader smiled triumphantly.
"It's a deal."
Toreda took the coins and threw them into the bag. After that, he and the man walked out, no doubt to transport Appa to one of his containers.
Yet, Tara couldn't help but feel relieved. Now everything would be where she could watch them. She could watch over Appa and even their stuff because she refused to accept that she would be in captivity forever.
When Toreda returned, he led her outside. The firebender noticed how dirty her hair was, all filled with grains of sand. You probably couldn't take out her flower if you tried, it was stuck in there with so much sand. Appa seemed to be asleep inside a cage and was already loaded onto the caravan. The trader sat her on a chair next to his cage and retied her hands around it. Then, the other people working on the caravan placed the other cargo around her.
Tara's heart broke further seeing all the scared animals locked up. At least Toreda had the decency to just bind her hands together. Before long, the wagon had begun moving and the day seemed to crawl by. After a while, her stomach was growling and her mouth was parched. She closed her eyes and managed to drift off to sleep.
She warily awoke to sounds of commotion. Tara opened her eyes to see busy circus grounds all lit up. Many tents surrounded them as they passed through. Performers danced around practicing their routines and other weird animals stood here and there. The caravan stopped first at the second biggest tent. Circus workers grabbed the animal cages and brought them inside. They took Appa, who was still sleeping, last. A large group had to hoist him indoors.
Finally, Tara was alone sitting on her chair. They went to a smaller tent and then Toreda came and untied her completely.
"Don't even try to escape now, missy." He warned, "I'm afraid you're surrounded."
The firebender stood up and was directed to go into the tent. When she came in, she was confronted by a group of girls either a bit older or younger than herself. They all looked Earth Kingdom and watched her cross the room to the only empty bed silently. Tara cleared her throat and was about to speak when someone else did before her.
"I am Burijji." She said airily. "I see that you're Fire Nation."
The girl sat on the bed next to hers. She had dark brunette hair that was pulled back into an intricate braid that was new to Tara. Her silvery green eyes bore into the firebender as they stared.
"Uh, yeah." She spoke warily, "I'm Tara."
Burijji nodded.
"Suitoru wants me to show you around." She continued, "And to clean you up."
The firebender's hands flew to her hair, felt the grainy texture, and let them fall again.
"Who's Suitoru?"
"He's the animal trainer."
"Oh, okay. So where do I get cleaned up?"
"Follow me."
With that, Burijji stood up and walked to a smaller flap in the tent that Tara hadn't even noticed. She got up quickly and fast-walked after the strange girl. She came in to see Burijji filling up a large wooden tub from a water spout. Then she The tented area was about the size of a small room. There wasn't much in it except a stack of beige towels and a tin full of bars of soap.
Burijji turned around and handed the bucket to Tara.
"Uh…"
"You dump it over yourself." She instructed before eyeing her over and shrugged, "I'd say numerous times. The soap is in the tin."
"Okay. And my hair?"
"The soap is in the tin."
"Right."
"I suggest tying the flap closed. It is a tent."
"Okay. Thanks."
The girl nodded and left. Tara sighed and double-tied the opening. She undressed down to her underwear and undershirt and climbed into the tub. The cold water chilled her to the bone but numbed her decreasing headache. She sighed again, though this time it was in utter bliss.
But it didn't last long. Tara combed her fingers through her hair in an attempt to get as much sand out as possible. Suddenly, she found a tiny braid near her face. She bit her lip, remembering.
"I figured I should start working on my sandbending. I don't want to be blind here ever again."
The firebender pulled out the small rock band and twiddled it between her fingers. She reached over the edge of the tub and slipped the band into a pocket. Then she grabbed the bucket and, as she was told, dumped it over her head. The new rush of cold water made her gasp and then exhale deeply.
Tara sunk into the tub. The new feeling of clean brought a bout of hope to her mind. And to think she hadn't even used any soap yet. She grabbed the already small bar of soap from its tin and began rubbing against her dry skin. After that was done she held the slightly tinier bar with both hands and stared.
Was she supposed to use that on her hair? Really? But there was a ton a sand stuck in her straight locks and it needed out. With a guilty heart she placed the car of soap in her hand and grabbed a clump of her hair. She repeated this a few times until her head was a mess of bubbling strands. Afterwards, Tara scrubbed it a bit before dunking her head completely.
A couple minutes of rinsing later, she stepped out of the tub and wrapped herself with the towel. Then the firebender lazily dried herself off and put her clothes back on. As the bubbles cleared away in the tub, she looked at her reflection in the water. Using her fingers, she combed the knots out of her newly cleansed hair.
Finally, she emerged from the bath area into the place where the rest of the girls were. Burijji was waiting for her on her bed, laying flat on her back and staring straight at the ceiling. In truth, it was probably one of the creepiest things Tara had ever seen.
"Where's everybody else?" she asked, noticing the other girls were gone.
"They're practicing the new routine." She answered without looking away.
Apparently the roof of the tent was fascinating.
"Come on." Burijji continued as she stood up and began walking for the exit.
Tara followed nervously. They walked along the circus grounds to a descent-sized tent across the property. Once they came in, she thought of a few things all at one. One: Hey! There are the other girls! Two: What are they wearing? Three: Will I have to wear that?
The girls wore dark red tank tops and short-shorts. On their wrists and ankles were frilly accessories colored orange, red, and yellow to look like fire. Didn't they ever get tired of that fire cliché? What if Tara felt like wearing purple one day? Is that, like, against the law or something? But anyway, the girls had long flowing ribbons of all different kinds of fiery colors and were dancing around with them.
And they looked pretty good, she had to admit. Their moves were all coordinated. Two girls held the lead with more advanced tricks and were definitely showing them off just a little bit. Tara was so focused on their rehearsal that she didn't notice when a man walked up to her until it was too late.
"Hello, there."
"Ah!" she shrieked in surprise.
The man's face was covered in stern wrinkles and thin gray mustache accompanied by a tiny beard. He wore an impressive purple hat with a gold template and red trim. His clothing was, naturally, mostly red with gold on the inside of the pant legs, collar, wrists, and forearms. He also had a purple ribbon belt that went well with the hat. Plus, just to make him look even more 'awesome', a short red cape trailed behind him.
Capes; the must accessory of the season for all circus people.
He gave her a disappointed look, though, and seemed to wait for her to say something.
"Oh." she said, "Uh, sorry. I'm Tara."
"Yes. I know." He responded, his expression not changing.
"Okay-"
"What can you do?"
"Uh, I'm good with a bow and arrow?"
"Is that a question or a statement?"
"A statement? I mean, a statement."
"We might be able to work with that. But you are actually Fire Nation, aren't you?"
"Yeah."
"Perhaps you can firebend. Am I right?"
"Mmm… yes."
He smiled deviously.
"We can definitely work with that. Are you good?"
She thought about that for a second. It's not like she had any real training. Tara had taught herself on her father's ship but mostly later on by watching Katara's waterbending. Maybe that was why her technique was so strange to Azula. Then again, she did lose to the princess. But she had blue fire and was crazy good.
"I guess so, yeah."
The man began to work slowly around her. At first Tara started turning too, but then the vibe that he was really assessing her. It was creepy, no lie.
"Um, can I know your name?"
"I am Moyasu." He replied as he faced her again.
So this is the owner of the circus that Toreda mentioned. Wonderful. Moyasu stepped back a bit and kept staring at her.
"I got it. You, Tara, are our new head of the dancers: the beautiful Fire Lily!"
She could hear some of the girls gasping and grumbling something like 'But she just got here!', 'It's because she's Fire Nation.' and 'I've been here longer than her.' Well this was great. Now her new companions all hated her. Maybe Burijji will still talk to her. Of course, the other girls never spoke a word to her anyway and Burijji sort of creeped her out. But Tara didn't plan to stay here long anyway.
"When Moyasu walks away without yelling or saying otherwise you're supposed to follow him." Burijji airy voice broke into her unfocused state.
"Huh?" she asked.
"Go." Her blank eyes motioned towards the doorway where a red cape had just disappeared.
Tara dashed after Moyasu who appeared to be heading for a tiny tent nearby. Inside were a bunch of racks full of costumes, both strange and strangely pretty. Tara stood at the entrance in awe while he browsed through the selection. She snapped out of it a moment later as Moyasu walked towards her with a hanger holding a set of the red outfits the other dancers were wearing and also one with a long light green linen shawl. The firebender cracked a smile then because the shawl was one of the strangely pretty things.
"Put these on," He instructed, "No wait… and this."
He handed her a long pinkish ribbon embroidered with red flowers and green leaves.
"Okay."
"I'll be right back." Moyasu fast-walked outside.
Huh. Tara quickly switched her clothing to the costume. She found a standing mirror and admired herself in it. She truly looked beautiful. That guy knew how to pick the best clothing. The shawl ran down to her ankles and the top or it went a little away from her elbow. You could see a tiny bit of the red tank top underneath. The ribbon tied nicely high on her waist. Then, her red short-shorts appeared a little along with the inside of her skinny, toned legs. The get-up even went great with her brown strappy sandals.
The firebender brushed her hair behind her shoulders and smiled. As a test, she began to do some simple but more elaborate firebending. The streams of wispy fire trailed all around her as she spun this way and that, under a leg, a circular motion and then, gone. Suddenly, the crisp sound of clapping interrupted the silence inside the tent. Tara turned to see Moyasu smiling smugly, his arms crossed, but next to him was a young woman with a broad grin plastered on her face.
The woman was very pretty with curly black hair that fell just below her shoulders. She had a heart-shaped face and brilliant amber eyes, not un-like her own. But it was her thick eyelashes that made her look so beautiful. Well, that and her radiating personality. The woman's outfit consisted of layer upon layer of different shades of red and orange tops. It went from ruby red long-sleeves to orangey orange quarter-sleeves to a sunset orange camisole. Her bottom was a mini-skirt and leggings that was ruby red to match her long-sleeved tee. Her feet were bare except for a tiny golden toe-ring on her left foot that went along with the studs in her ears and band around her neck.
"Oh, that was wonderful!" the woman cried as she ran towards her before embracing her in a giant hug.
"Yes." Moyasu murmured, "Yes, it was."
The woman let go of a very surprised Tara.
"And you are?" she asked with a nervous laugh.
"Oh, right, sorry!" she giggled back, "I'm Alainn."
"She is our hair stylist." Moyasu commented, "I leave you in her care until tonight."
"Uh, okay." Tara replied even though she didn't really think it mattered.
Once he left, Alainn squealed in delight.
"We're going to have so much fun, Tara. Just you wait! Oh, but you don't have to!" she ran a hand through the firebender's hair, "We should get started right away! You know you could've caught your pretty hair on fire with those cool tricks. And you've got such pretty hair."
"Actually, I always have it down and it's never-," Tara started objecting but cut it off as Alainn was dragging her to an area of the tent devoted to hairstyling.
"Sit." She instructed happily before picking up a wooden brush.
The firebender obliged and Alainn began to gently brush her long hair. She hummed a peppy tune while she worked and it started to tick Tara off just a bit.
"So I appreciate you going to all this trouble for a rehearsal." She began but she just laughed.
"But you are performing tonight."
"What? I just got here today. Plus, I don't even know what I'm supposed to do."
"Nobody new does. Moyasu doesn't care. He knows that he's got to have the best and most unique every night. We have new animals and performers coming in every other day."
"Oh. So, will I be told what to do after you're finished with my hair?"
"Probably. But this will take a while. Your long hair will make the process longer."
"Oh, sorry."
"Don't be sorry! No, I love it! It gives me so much freedom. I hate having my creativity restricted by short hair."
"Your hair's not too long."
"But it's not too short though. It's perfect!"
"Right."
"Not to say that I'm perfect. People assume that I think that because I'm a pretty hairstylist and I don't wear shoes and they say that I act too happy."
"Oh, no. I don't think that at all."
"Well, I appreciate that, Tara. You know I think I like you. You don't seem so judgmental. Of course, none of the girls are when they're brand new. They're just shy then but then soon they turn all snotty. But you're not acting shy so I like you already."
"Yeah, they do seem pretty snotty… except for Burijji."
"Burijji? Oh yeah, but she's just different. That's just the way she is."
"Hmm. Is she a performer? I didn't see her rehearsing."
"Burijji performing? Ha! They tried that at first but her talents obviously don't lie in that area."
"Then what does she do?"
"Well, she is our resident fortuneteller."
"Really?"
"Yeah, and she's pretty good at it too."
"So she's an actress."
"No. No, she's the real deal."
"Seriously."
"I'm serious, Tara. One time I lost my lucky toe ring and I was, like, frantic searching for it. After two whole days I went to Burijji and asked where I would find it. She said 'In the hands of a traveler'. The next day, Toreda gave it to me. He told me he found it by the entrance to the circus. Can you imagine that?"
"That is pretty cool. But it could be coincidental."
"No way. There is no such thing as coincidences. Everything is meant to happen and is a part of the master plan of the spirits."
"You believe in the spirits?"
"Yeah. I know many Fire Nation homeland people don't believe anymore, but when you're surrounded by the hopeful Earth Kingdom-ers you can't help but believe. And, I mean, it makes sense, you know?"
"Well, yeah, I know they are real. Someone's got to be watching over us. And, of course, the Avatar will save us."
"I guess so."
"You don't think he will?"
"Well, I don't really care who even wins this war. It doesn't really matter to me."
"Really?"
"If Firelord Ozai wins I'll stay where I am and live a happy life. Maybe I'll find a nice guy to marry and everything will be great. And if we lose the Earth Kingdom will take these colonies back. I can't imagine them punishing us or anything. They're much too civil for that. I'll live the same life just on different owner's land."
"I guess you could think of it that way. But don't you think that all the suffering our country is causing is terrible."
Alainn only shrugged.
"I mean-"
"Finished!" she yelled happily before dragging the chair in 180 degrees, "Ta da!"
"Oh." Tara sighed in happy surprise.
Her black hair was pulled back in one long braid. But the braid also extended on the back of her head.
"What's this style called?" she asked softly.
"It's a French Braid."
"French? What does that mean?"
"I don't know. It's just the name. But it looks just gorgeous with this outfit and the shape of your face."
"I love it. Thanks, Alainn."
"No problem. Just doing my job. But it needs something else. What's your stage name again? Oh, the Fire Lily!"
Alainn rushed away and disappeared into the small maze of costume racks. A moment later she emerged with a trio of brilliant red flowers.
"They're real fire lilies!" She exclaimed happily.
She took one and placed it behind Tara's ear. Tara almost laughed at the style which she used herself so often. Next, Alainn plucked petal after petal from another flower and stuck them in the twists of the long braid.
"Oh, it looks even better!" She said and clapped her hands together.
"Yeah, it does." Tara commented softly.
"Great!" Alainn sighed dramatically, "Now we've still got lots to do. Our choreographer probably has your routine figured out by now. I've got to get you back to the rehearsal tent."
The rest of the day was spent perfecting Tara's performance with the other girls. After a while, she got the group show down pat. Then, while Alainn did the other dancers' hair, the choreographer worked with Tara's solo performance. His name was Dansu and, compared to the other circus dudes she had met, he wasn't half-bad.
He was tall and skinny with shaggy black hair that brushed against the top of his ears. He seemed about the same age as Alainn and had a tiny goatee going on. Dansu's coffee brown eyes twinkled when they did something right and darkened each time they missed a step. A dusty red vest adorned his super toned abs, which were kind of ridiculously awesome. His bottoms were simple maroon pants and he also wore no shoes. Psh, Circus people.
He got a bit upset every time she messed up but it was probably just his way of thinking. You know, choreographers. Yet again, Dansu was the first choreographer she had met. But in any case, Tara could deal with his attitude. Plus he made sure they got fed, which was good. The firebender was starving by that time.
Soon enough, the sky was darkening and people began to arrive for the big performance of the night. Even though Tara was forced to perform, she couldn't help feeling a bit jittery. When Dansu had dismissed them, Alainn had brought Tara straight to the huge center tent. It actually had a slightly smaller tent on the inside, which made a narrow hallway along the perimeter for the performers to wait and prepare in.
Alainn was talking to the other girls when Burijji walked inside their area of the hallway. Her outfit was, sadly, one of the strange ones. It was a classic creepy-gypsy-fortune-telling costume, purple around the torso and long flowing skirt, white band along the waist and puffy sleeves. Tara couldn't help but feel bad. Burijji's light brown hair was pulled into two ponytails that were in front of her shoulders.
"Poor girl." Alainn said quietly to Tara, "I keep saying that that outfit just doesn't work for her but Moyasu insists on it. I just don't understand why she stays."
For a moment Tara nodded but then abruptly stopped when the last sentence the hairdresser had said soaked in.
"Burijji's not forced to stay here?"
"Well, for now she is. But when people tried to give her tips she secretly took them for a while, even though she's actually not allowed to. She's got a whole stash of money somewhere that could get her out easily."
"But-"
"Well, I asked her once why she stays and she just said 'I need to wait. I cannot leave yet.'"
"That's weird."
"I know, right? I told her to, like, elaborate and she said 'I'm waiting for someone. They told me I must wait.' Then she just walked away."
"Who's 'they'?"
"That's what I'd like to know but every time I try to ask she walks away again. Sometimes I just don't know about her."
"No kidding."
"Of course, I have a theory."
Tara laughed.
"Do you, now?"
"Yes. The spirits are telling her to wait, just like they give her visions. Burijji is their prophetess, don't you see? I mean it makes sense."
The firebender was dumbfounded. It did make sense.
"But who is she waiting for?"
"Beats me. My guess is as good as yours."
Tara nodded slowly as a parade of animals entered the tent. She gasped when she spotted Appa among the crowd. He had on a more ridiculous costume than Burijji. It was a two-layered red with gold trim coat extending over his forehead and a strange headdress of tan and purple. The poor sky bison even had weird makeup around his eyes, mouth and cheeks.
Without thinking, Tara ran towards him but Burijji pulled her back.
"Not yet." She whispered while staring her in the eye.
"Wha-"
"Girls, girls, over here!" Moyasu's demanding voice called.
Burijji pushed her towards him with the other dancers. In sort of a nervous shocked trance, Tara followed the crowd heading for the ringmaster.
"Alright, you are our opening act, got that?" Moyasu instructed, "The audience is absolutely thrilled for the Fire Lily."
Ha ha. Not exactly helping. After a rather riveting pep talk, Moyasu walked out to the center of the tent to begin the performance. The dancers, along with Tara, shifted from one foot to the other nervously awaiting their cue.
"Ladies and gentlemen of all ages," he yelled out to the audience, "we welcome you tonight to our humble circus! The show tonight will be nothing short of amazing… astounding… and grand! With great pleasure I present to you…" – the waiting caused the audience to hold their breath while Tara rolled her eyes impatiently- "the beautiful Fire Lily and her graceful companions!"
The other dancers grumbled at their short mention but all of them rushed out on cue, already beginning their routine to dramatic music played by a small band off to the side. Tara sighed awaiting her moment of entrance. As the moment came closer she began to weave a skinny thread of fire between her hands that steadily grew longer.
Then she leaped onto the stage, twirling and dancing in all her might. The thread of fire wove around her like a regular dancer with a ribbon. Soon, Tara forgot the audience and was simply focusing on remembering her next move.
The second part of the routine came then. She dissolved the fire thread in one dramatic wave of her hands. They stood there for a moment to, yet again, let anticipation well up inside the audience. But then, Tara shot one powerful, but short ranged, blast over the crowd. They oohed and awed before the firebender went back into focus. The dancing was different this time; a series of creatively placed blasts controlled the routine.
And it went on like that for while before ending with one swift whoosh that sent all the candles and lanterns lighting the tent out. The crowd cheered enthusiastically. Tara breathed heavily as she left the main ring, glad that she got to get her part of the show over with so quickly.
The firebender searched for Burijji among the throng of people crowding up the narrow hallway. She had to find out what she meant right before the show began. But eventually she saw that it was Burijji who was performing at the moment. Tara sat and watched from a distance.
Burijji really might be a physic. Every volunteer who came up seemed to be amazed at what she had foreseen. It was nothing interesting; you will marry this guy, you will have this many kids. Her proclamations were nothing special but some audience members got so emotional that they started crying. Go figure.
When Burijji's show was over and she began walking back, Tara prepared to confront her but it was then that she heard some intriguing words.
"Ladies and gentlemen, now for something truly special." Moyasu's voice rang out, "A noble beast so magnificent and rare, it hasn't been seen by human eyes in generations. I give you the Wind Buffalo!"
Wind buffalo? It was enough to put poor Appa in that ridiculous costume but now they call him a different species? How hard is it to say sky bison? At that moment, Appa reluctantly shuffles into the center ring. Tara watched in dismay as another man, probably the animal trainer, approached him.
"Up!" the trainer commanded.
But Appa simply shook his head in defiance and turned away.
"Up, you insolent cow!" the man yelled in anger as he cracked his fire whip.
"Uh, uh." Tara mumbled, narrowing her eyes.
She took a single step forward but someone's hand grasped the firebender's arm. Tara didn't look at the person holding her back because she knew it was Burijji. The girl's cold skin and silent way was already recognizable.
Tara didn't need to step in, though, Appa roared in determination. A young boy in the audience stood up suddenly.
"Run away!" he screamed hopefully and Tara wondered if this boy had met the sky bison before, "Get away from him!"
But a large man, most likely his father, pulls him back down to his seat. And even then, after a few more threatening lashes with a fire whip, Appa ascends into the air sending the crowd into another round of cheering. It seemed only Tara and the boy felt dread at this sight.
The sky bison flew around doing a few acrobatic flips. But when he went through the second flaming hoop, the back of his costume caught on fire. This seemed to be the last straw to Appa, who whacked the third hoop off its hook and sent it soaring into the trainer's head.
Tara smiled immediately while the audience laughed. Her eyes locked on the boy who had stood up earlier. His laughing pose was eerily close to the way Aang always laughed. Suddenly, something clicked. Tara eyed Appa flying in the same spot, staring straight at the boy.
The sky bison must see some essence of Aang in the boy! Of course, that was obvious now. Duh. Appa must miss his best friend terribly.
"Go." The boy urged, "You can do it."
Appa nervously rose higher in the air before a large blast of fire diverted his path.
"Get back here, you stupid beast!" the circus trainer screamed furiously as he cracked his fiery whip.
But, yet again, Appa slapped his tail at the man, which sent him flying through the air, through the tent ceiling, and landing who-knows-where. Tara could only watch him go. When she turned back, the sky bison was gone, leaving a large hole in the ceiling which most of his costume hung off of.
"After the buffalo!" Moyasu cried.
Tara felt Burijji's grasp loosen and then disappear, and she took it as a sign.
The firebender ran into the open and launched a series of fire blasts. The crowd stopped carrying on for a second to watch the strange scene.
"What are you doing?" Moyasu yelled while fighting back, "No one has ever escaped and neither will you!"
"Have you ever tried caging up a firebender?" Tara replied with a confident smirk.
Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the boy smiling triumphantly at her while his father looked on disapprovingly. The duel continued for a few moments more, but Tara knew her time was limited. Especially in the dark, it would be hard to spot Appa from too far away.
A kick there, a jab here, three fire blasts, and two slashes of a fiery thread; Moyasu became increasingly tired and angry as the fight went on. Eventually he paused for a moment too long and Tara kicked him square in the gut. The ringmaster's back made contact with the ground and he skidded against its surface.
Tara stood there breathing heavily before turning to face the crowd who were watching in shock. I guess the whole circus people fighting back thing isn't so funny anymore. She swallowed nervously but soon sucked it up.
"Anybody have any rope?" Tara addressed them hopefully, "Or something?"
The various audience members looked at each other confusedly.
"I do." The boy yelled out as he stood up cautiously.
"No you don't." his father grumbled, pulling him back down.
"Yes, he is." Tara said pointedly, "I am very tired. I am very stressed out. I am very hungry. I am very… not in the mood for any of this. I've got a get a move on and I'm sorry if I offend you."
The man looked at her with a blank stare.
"You're not going to answer me. Okay, whatever." She mumbled as she grabbed the boy's hand and yanked him up.
He walked beside her over to Moyasu. The ringmaster looked alive, which was obviously good. The boy handed her a small spool of twine. Tara looked at it, wondering if it was even strong enough to hold him.
"Why do you have this anyway?" she asked as she took it.
"Sometimes I just play with it when I'm bored." He replied, carefully watching Tara tie the ringmaster to the nearest pole.
"Well, it's a good thing." The firebender told him when she was done, "Thanks a bunch. Uh, you can go back to your dad now."
"Okay." He said but didn't move, "You're going after the wind buffalo, right?"
"One: Appa is a sky bison, not a buffalo. Two: Yes, I am. I have to make sure he gets back to the Avatar safely."
"Appa; so he has a name."
"Yeah, listen I've got to get moving."
"Alright, but why do you have to get him to the Avatar?"
"He's the Avatar's bison."
"So?"
"I know the Avatar."
"Really? That's so cool."
"What, do you like the Avatar?"
"Well, my dad doesn't but I don't really see why we have to take over all four nations. It doesn't make sense to me."
"Finally, another Fire Nation person with a heart."
"So you're Fire Nation. I knew it."
"Yep, what a surprise."
"So-"
"Hey kid, I'd love to stay and chat but my time is ticking away. You seem real nice, though. Don't lose your way of thinking. It'll come in handy one day. What's your name?"
"Kazoku."
"Thanks for everything, Kazoku. Bye."
The boy's gray eyes looked at her in a mixture of confusion and fascination. Once again, Tara found him looking strangely like Aang. She sprinted away from the center ring to find the hallway in chaos. It seemed the other dancers had decided to rebel as well.
The hallway was a mix of people hitting and punching one another. This made it easy to get away. But, of course, Tara needed a way of transportation. First thing's first, though: supplies.
The firebender dashed outside of the tent and headed towards the one that she had seen Moyasu go into earlier. Her hopes were right, the tiny tent seemed to be the ringmaster's quarters.
Tara searched frantically through Moyasu's office, hoping to find something useful. Soon, she had obtained a medium-sized bag and was throwing anything helpful inside. Among the contents were a small pack of Sizzle Crisps, a sewn container of water, and a few loose coins. Finally, she came across the jackpot.
Her medical bag still full of everything, her quiver stocked with all the arrows, and trusty bow were all hidden away in a drawer of his desk. Tara clutched the items to her chest in happiness. She had thought that these items were long gone, sold to some other buyer, but it seemed that luck continued to be in her favor. Then a moment later, another miraculous find was made. It was Sokka's club, newly shined for resale. The firebender stuffed it in and threw her now-full bag over her shoulder.
Tara ran across the circus grounds to her second destination. The animal tent was already a bit roused up from the commotion outside. Quickly, she ran from cage to cage, opening each one. Some animals went straight for the exit while others bee-lined for the cabbage cart. After a short debate in her head, Tara grabbed a few of the vegetables herself and managed to fit them inside her bag.
When she turned away from the cabbage cart, Tara nearly shrieked. A vulture-griffin was staring straight at her from a couple feet away.
"It's okay, big guy." Tara said calmly, "I'll just be going now. You can stay here if you want but personally I'd like to leave so-"
"It's a girl, actually." The airy voice of Burijji cut through the silence, "Her name is Kokoro."
Tara looked at Burijji, still decked out in her fortune-telling outfit, then back at the vulture-griffin.
"Heart." She stated simply.
It was one of the few translations she happened to know.
"Yes." Burijji said softly, "She's got a gentle one, a free one. Kokoro wants leave this place."
"Well, great. Now she can."
"But she knows that she must go with you."
An icy chill went down her spine.
"Why? And-and how does she know that?"
"Vulture-griffins are very intelligent, no matter their heritage. Kokoro is no different."
At a loss for words, Tara took a step forward, her hand outstretched. Gently, she laid her palm on the top of Kokoro's bald head and rubbed the wrinkly skin. It was strange; Tara expected her skin to be cold but it was oddly warm. Kokoro pushed her head upwards, thoroughly enjoying it.
"Well, I do need some kind of transportation." Tara said softly, "Plus, I could use the company."
"Good." Burijji said matter-of-factly, "And you must take this."
She held out a decent-sized wooden box. Tara took it cautiously and opened the lid. Instantly, she gasped and slammed it shut.
"I can't take this." The firebender stated.
"You must."
"It's your way out."
"Now is not my time to leave. My job is not yet finished. You need it more than I."
Tara opened it again gingerly. The box was filled to the brim with both gold and copper coins; her tips from over the years.
"I-I guess I could take it."
"It's not an option. Now go."
Tara nodded and stuffed the box into her expanding bag. After a couple seconds she made it fit, though a corner was sticking out of the opening. Nervously, she stroked the black feathers covering Kokoro's side closest to her neck and, with one mighty leap, mounted her.
The vulture-griffin's back was definitely smaller than Appa's but Tara took comfort in the fact that now she could sleep during their ride. The firebender ran her hand over the expanse of black feathers and then short tan fur.
"Alright." She said happily, "Let's go. We've got to catch up with Appa."
"Oh, one more thing, Tara." Burijji said airily, "A message."
"From who?" the firebender asked, her eyebrows furrowed.
But Burijji ignored the question and continued a bit more creepily than usual.
"The lily's journey does not end with the war.
It will end with a battle that will occur now and then.
This battle seems strange in this day in age,
But when it ends, along with the journey,
Each element will have been reborn."
"What the-"
"Now go!"
Burijji lightly tapped the back of Kokoro's leg and she was running. Once they exited the tent, she began flapping her wings gracefully and soon they were soaring away. Ahead of them, Tara could make out the white dot that was Appa. Surprisingly, His light fur color stood out against the darkness of night.
Tara clutched onto Kokoro's neck for dear life. She looked back for a moment. The circus lights were slowly disappearing, along with the answer to whatever Burijji had meant. What could the 'message' mean, anyway? And who the heck was it from?
But Tara had an eerie feeling about who the original giver of the message was. Either she was dreaming or her old friend, Saol, had made a very special visit to Burijji.
Whoa! Longest chapter ever! I hope I didn't bore you people! Now tell me, was it good? Gosh, I have to know! Anybody have an idea was the message means? I would adore hearing feedback especially on this very special chapter.
In case you haven't noticed, I'm splitting this episode into two chapters. Part one: mainly the circus stuff. Part two: everything else. I mean just look how long this chapter was! It's ridiculous! But not as much happens (to Tara anyway) in the rest of the episode, so part two will probably be about the same amount, if not shorter.
Then again, how many times have I said that? Anyway, didn't I say that this whole part of the story was going to be epic? So please please please review. I will be so very very happy if you do. Thanks for reading and come again!