Thank you all for being so patient with me! Here comes Book 1 Episode 14. Enjoy!
The next early morning, the four of us packed Appa's saddle and headed out. I grinned as I hugged my bag.
"I missed this little sucker," I spoke.
Sokka rubbed the back of his head.
"I've been meaning to ask you, what is in there?"
I sat up. "What do you mean?"
"I tried using it as a pillow and it was really hard and lumpy."
I immediately started laughing. The two Water Tribe siblings gave me a confused look.
"You guys never opened my bag?"
Katara raised an eyebrow. "It's yours, we didn't wanna invade your things."
I brought my bag into my lap and began to unlatch the top.
"You guys are gonna wish you did."
I pulled back the cover to reveal a wooden box. I unlatched it.
"I brought some money. I didn't say anything because we never needed it."
The tan boy stared at the gold, silver, and copper pieces with wide eyes. His mouth nearly watered.
"But-but how?" Katara questioned.
"Mister Lee and Miss Ruka paid me for doing the odd jobs while I was on Kyoshi Island."
"But it's so much!"
"I was their only employee." I returned the box to my bag. "The lumps come from my other set of clothing."
The two continued to stare at me strangely. I smiled as I laid my head on my sleeping bag. My gaze watched the sky whiz by. I could see a faint tint of orange from the sunrise. We continued to fly until nightfall. We quickly set up camp, and went to sleep. We woke up the next day, and relaxed a little bit. I practiced my gymnastics. Everyone else was busy with something.
"Look," Katara exclaimed excitedly.
She was pointing to the lake just as a large fish jumped and landed in the water with a splash. Sokka sat up and watched as the fish leapt into the air. The creature faced the group in mid-air before landing back in the water with a splash.
"Oh, he is taunting us," Sokka grumbled.
I giggled as he jumped up and pointed at the fish as it jumped out of the water again.
"You are so gonna be dinner!"
Sokka sprinted over to the lone fishing pole. He grabbed it and headed back over to the lake. He cast the line only to realize that there was no string. He looked at it closely to confirm his original thought.
"Hey, where's the fishing line?"
"Oh…I didn't think you would need it, Sokka," Aang muttered sheepishly.
The tattooed boy held up a woven fishing line. Around the center, a light red flower was incorporated in the design. Sokka walked over and examined the necklace. He slapped his forehead and began to whine.
"Aw, it's all tangled!"
"Not tangled. Woven!" Using his air bending, Aang stood and turned to Katara. "I made you a necklace. I thought since you lost your other one."
He held the necklace in the air. He gave her a beaming grin. Katara returned the smile while walking over to him. She took the necklace in her hands.
"Thanks, Aang. I love it."
"Great, Aang. Maybe instead of saving the world, you can go into the jewelry-making business," Sokka said sarcastically.
"I don't see why I can't do both."
I smirked, walking over to grab my water pouch and back to my seat. Sokka scowled slightly and turned back to the lake. The fish jumped out of the water for the third time. The tan boy growled an threw his fishing pole into the water. He attempted to spear the creature, missing every jab.
"Stop taunting me," Sokka shouted angrily.
Sokka waded into the lake with his dagger. He furiously stabbed the water. I started laughing at my friend's antics.
"So, how do I look?" I heard Katara ask.
Aang and I turned around to face Katara. The bald boy's bored expression instantly morphed into one of awe and amazement as he stared at her. A blush appeared on the young air bender's face as he looked at Katara. She was smiling sweetly at him, blushing slightly with one hand behind her back while the other was touching the necklace Aang had made her. Aang tugged nervously at his collar and smiled nervously. Noticing the blushing, my grin grew.
"You mean, all of you or just your neck?" he asked nervously, "I mean, because both look great!"
Sokka emerged from the water with the fish in his arms. He glanced over at his sister and friend with a slight smirk.
"Smoochie, smoochie, someone's in love," he sang.
I crossed my arms over my chest as I watched him make kissing noises to the fish. The fish suddenly broke free from the hold and slapped Sokka's face with its tail. I let out a gleeful guffaw as the fish fell back in.
"You deserved that," I said while clutching my stomach.
My laughter soon died down.
"I…well, uh…"
A blush appeared on Aang's face and he stuttered in embarrassment. Momo jumped onto his shoulder.
"Stop teasing him, Sokka. Aang's just a good friend." She walked over to stand beside Aang with a smile and patted his head. "A sweet, little guy! Just like Momo."
"Thanks…" Aang muttered in dismay as he looked at the ground.
Sokka walked out of the lake soaking wet and irritated. The Water Tribe girl walked away as I stood next to Aang. I rubbed his head with a smile of encouragement. Momo suddenly flew off Aang's shoulder when a loud growling roar erupted from a short distance away. The lemur landed on a rock with Aang landing beside him a moment later, his gray eyes going wide.
"Someone's being attacked by a platypus bear," he said urgently.
The rest of us rushed over to him. The platypus bear roared and rose onto its hind legs, swinging its claw-tipped paws at a man in blue. The man dodged to the side, smiling merrily as if nothing was wrong. He dodged another swipe of the platypus bear's claws.
"Well, hello there! Nice day, isn't it?" he asked the four of us.
"Make noise," Aang shouted in reply, cupping his hand around his mouth, "He'll run off!"
"No," Sokka refuted, "Play dead! He'll lose interest!"
The platypus bear swung again and the man ducked.
"Whoa, close one," the man said with a laugh as he continued to sidestep the animal's attacks.
Katara shouted, "Run downhill then climb a tree!"
"No, punch him in the bill," Sokka suggested, punching his fist upward for emphasis.
"And then run in zigzags," Aang added helpfully.
"For Spirit's sake just fight back," I yelled.
"No need. It's going to be fine," he replied.
The platypus bear roared and swung both his paws one right after the other. The man simply twisted around until he was sitting cross-legged on the ground and the claws passed harmless over his head. Instead, they cut deeply into the tree behind him. Aang jumped into the air and flipped over the enraged creature, sending up a wave of air as he landed in front of it with his hands raised defensively. He tried to calm it down.
"Whoa there!"
The platypus bear reared up further onto its hind legs and roared loudly at Aang. Appa suddenly appeared behind the smaller creature and groaned. This caused the platypus bear's fur to bristle with fear and lay a large spotted egg before escaping into the water and swimming down river
"Mmm, lunch," Sokka exclaimed joyfully. He picked up the egg and sniffed it. I rolled my eyes. He spoke to the man, "Lucky for you, we came along."
"Thanks, but everything was already under control. Not to worry. Aunt Wu predicted I'd have a safe journey."
"Aunt who?" Aang asked in confusion, quirking an eyebrow at the strange man.
"No, Aunt Wu. She's the fortuneteller from my village. Awful nice knowing your future."
"Wow, it must be," Katara mused.
"Or scary," I muttered more to myself.
The brunette continued,"That explains why you were so calm!"
"But the fortuneteller was wrong," Sokka protested loudly in exasperation, "You didn't have a safe journey, you were almost killed!"
"But I wasn't! Alright, have a good one!"
"You too," I called. The other three glanced at me. "Force of habit."
The man walked a few steps before turning back around.
"Oh, and Aunt Wu said if I met any travelers to give them this."
He handed a long parcel to Aang then continued on his journey. Sokka eyed the man suspiciously, still clutching the platypus bear egg in his arms.
"Maybe we should go see Aunt Wu and learn our fortunes," Katara suggested excitedly, "It could be fun."
My eyes widened slightly.
"Oh, come on. Fortune telling is nonsense," Sokka exasperated.
Aang blinked in surprise when an umbrella was revealed from the parcel. He opened the umbrella.
"What do you know? An umbrella," he said with a small smile as he lifted it above his head.
Out of nowhere, the sky darkened, a low rumble of thunder filled the air as it began pouring rain. Katara quickly Waterbended an arched shield over her head to keep herself from getting wet as she hurried over to huddle under the umbrella with Aang. I followed suit.
"That proves it," she exclaimed.
"No, it doesn't! You can't really tell the future!"
"I guess you're not really getting wet then," his sister retorted smugly.
The Water Tribe boy suddenly lost his grip on the egg. Sokka tried to catch it as it flew a few inches into the air. He missed it and it landed on his head with splat. A scowl formed on his face as he glared at the space in front of him. I held in my snickers.
"So much for lunch."
ELSEWHERE...
Zuko stood at the end of his top deck. His golden eyes flared with anger. His hands clutched the railing. He was still angry that his prisoner had escaped. When he first found out, he screamed and hollered at his uncle. He couldn't understand how it happened, especially when he went to open her door. It had been locked! He growled to himself the more he thought about it.
"Stupid peasant," he muttered.
Katara, Aang, and I walked under the umbrella. Sokka walked a few paces behind us. He was frowning as he was getting soaked.
"Of course she predicted it was going to rain. The sky's been gray all day," Sokka grumbled.
Chuckling, I stepped out from under the umbrella. Using my bending, I diverted the rain from falling on me. I walked alongside Sokka.
"Won't you come out of the rain?" I asked while looking at him.
"Just admit you might be wrong and you can come under the umbrella," Katara added with a slight smile as she kept in step with Aang.
"It isn't that bad," I continued.
"Look, I'm going to predict the future now." Sokka stated. He hopped from one foot to the other and waved his hands in an exaggerated way. "It's going to keep drizzling."
The rain continued to fall steadily and Sokka gave Katara and Aang a smug look.
"See?" he boasted.
Suddenly the rain stopped and the sky became lighter. A bird chirped happily from the woods. Aang tilted the umbrella back slightly so he and Katara could look at the surprisingly clear sky. I let my arm fall to my side as I followed their gaze.
"Not everyone has the gift, Sokka," Aang spoke in amusement
Sokka scowled at the bald boy as the other two continued walking under the umbrella at a leisurely pace ahead of him. I stood next to the eldest boy. Appa plodded after Aang and Katara. The beast paused beside the two of us. He began to shake his wet fur. I jumped back in the process. However, Sokka was soaked. I couldn't help but to laugh at the situation.
"Agh," Sokka groaned in disgust.
Still giggling, I said, "Let me help."
Taking a stance, I streamed the water out of his hair and clothing. I proceeded to let the water plop to the ground. We continued to head in the direction of the strange man's village. The brunette and bald boy led the way. The four of us walked through the village. Some turtle-ducks were quacking loudly as we passed by. I jumped slightly when a voice spoke.
"Aunt Wu is expecting you."
I turned to see a strange man dressed in black robes. I cocked my head to the side in curiosity.
"Really?" Katara asked excitedly.
Her brother let out a scoff as the man opened the door for us. We walked inside and took off our shoes. My gaze swept across the room as I studied it. I noticed a younger girl, who seemed about Aang's age. She was wearing a pink robe. I held in a giggle as I noticed her braids stuck out from the side of her head. I immediately composed myself as she made her way over to us.
"My name is Meng and I'm Aunt Wu's assistant," the girl introduced as she looked up at us.
Her eyes went wide as she stared at Aang. Her greeting face turned into that of a dreamy one. She stared at him with such hope. Aang, however, couldn't have looked any more bored. His shoulders were slumped forward slightly.
"Well, hello there," Meng greeted with a more flirtatious tone.
Aang rubbed his nose. "Hello."
"Can I get you some tea or some of Aunt Wu's special bean curd puffs?" Meng asked sweetly as she gestured to the four pillows on one side of the room.
Katara, Aang, and I sat ourselves closest to the hallway.
"I'll try a curd puff," Sokka said brightly before he sat down.
Meng held up her index finger at him, her eyes never leaving Aang.
"Just a second. So what's your name?" asked Meng after crouching into Aang's line of sight.
"Aang."
"That rhymes with Meng! And you've got some pretty big ears, don't you?"
"Er, I guess," Aang replied awkwardly as he shifted on the pillow.
"Don't be modest! They're huge," exclaimed the Water Tribe boy.
Aang glared at Sokka and covered his ears. His expression was an embarrassed one. I shot the non bender a look. He just gave me a quick smirk, causing my expression to melt into a smile of amusement. Meng backed away from Aang.
"Well, Aang, it's very nice to meet you...Very nice."
"Likewise," the air bender called out.
Meng hurried to the back.
"I can't believe we're here in the house of nonsense," Sokka muttered as he wiggled the toes of his outstretched foot.
"Try to keep an open mind, Sokka. There are things in this world that just can't be explained. Wouldn't it be nice to have some insight to your future?"
"It would be nice to have some bean curd puffs."
"What about you, Nahla?"
I shrugged. "I think it'd be strange to know things about the future."
Meng walked back towards the front room with a tray in her hands. A woman in green robes stepped out of a door in the hallway and hurried over to the younger girl.
"Oh Meng! Aunt Wu says I'm going to meet my true love. He's going to give me a rare panda lily!"
"That's so romantic!" Meng sent a flirtatious look over her shoulder to the Avatar. "I wonder if my true love will give me a rare flower."
"Good luck with that," the bald boy replied obliviously.
The woman giggled and looked at Aang briefly. She turned back to Meng.
"Is that the big-eared guy who Aunt Wu predicted you'd marry?"
Meng blushed and pushed the woman aside before continuing on her way into the front room with the tray of bean curd puffs and tea. She kept her eyes on Aang. He only stared blankly, unaware that she had returned. Suddenly, the young girl began to trip forward. Aang, reflexively, reached out and caught her hands underneath the tray in an attempt to steady her. The two looked at each other for a moment then Meng blushed crimson.
"Enjoy your snack!
She hurried out of the room, clearly embarrassed. I began to chuckle to myself. I leaned over to Katara.
"Looks like Aang's got an admirer."
She smirked to herself. As soon as Meng had left the room, Sokka snatched the tray of bean curd puffs from Aang and was about to shove one in his mouth when an middle-aged woman in yellow robes entered the room.
"Welcome, young travelers," Aunt Wu greeted us with a small smile. "Now, who's next? Don't be shy."
Sokka glanced away, seemingly apathetic toward the situation. Aang glanced over to the Water Tribe girl. She turned to me. I gave her a nod of encouragement.
"I guess that's me," the dark haired girl said with anticipation.
She got to her feet and followed Aunt Wu into the back room, leaving the three of us alone in the front room. Sokka grabbed one of the bean curd puffs and shoved it in his mouth, his expression becoming delighted.
"Mm, not bad, not bad!" He held the bowl in front of Aang and asked, "Mhm?
"I'm good on puffs."
He held the bowl in front of me. I shook my head and chuckled.
"No thanks, dozer."
Sokka shrugged before throwing more puffs down his throat. I noticed the air bender tense a little.
"So… What do you think they're talking about back there?" he asked slowly.
"Boring stuff I'm sure. Love, who's she gonna marry, how many babies she's gonna have."
"Yeah…Dumb stuff like that…" Aang agreed tensely.
I chuckled.
"You're gonna have no problem finding a wife," I snarked teasingly.
Aang jumped to his feet.
"Well, I've got to find a bathroom!"
He rushed out of the front room while I stared after him suspiciously. Sokka stretched out across the three empty pillows, keeping himself propped up on his elbow with his head on his hand. He grabbed another curd puff and threw it in his mouth. I held in a giggle as I saw Momo sneak over and steal the bowl. The little lemur ran away with his prize. The Water Tribe boy reached for another puff, only to find them gone. He let out a whimpy groan, and fell to his back. I began to snicker.
"Nahla?"
"Yeah?" I questioned after halting my laughter.
"How are you doing?" he asked hesitantly.
I quirked a brow as I ran my fingers through his ponytail.
"What do you mean?"
"Being captured, I can't imagine how scary that was."
I giggled lightly. "You're starting to sound like Katara."
He smirked.
"I just wanna make sure you're okay."
I patted his head. "I was okay before, and I'm okay now. No grumpy prince is gonna get in my head."
He looked up at me and smiled. I grinned back at him. I began to push him in to a sitting position.
"Don't be a cushion hog," I teased.
He smirked as he continued to sit up. He began to pick his teeth.
"Looks like someone had a pretty good bathroom break," he spoke a little loudly.
I turned slightly to see Aang with a goofy expression on his face.
*That little sneak,* I thought.
"Yeah…" Aang said quickly in an attempt to explain as he gestured over his shoulder with his thumb, "When I was in there-"
My face scrunched in horror. Sokka looked away in disgust and held his hand up to stop Aang from finishing.
"I don't even want to know!"
"Who's next?" Aunt Wu asked as she reentered the room with Katara.
Sokka got to his feet with an exasperated sigh.
"Okay, let's get this over with."
"Your future is full of struggle and anguish," Aunt Wu stated drily, "Most of it self-inflicted."
"But you didn't even read my palms or anything!"
"I don't need to. It's written all over your face."
The fortuneteller wore a deadpanned face. I began to laugh at the boy. He resumed picking his teeth in slight annoyance. Aunt Wu gestured to Aang.
"You there, come with me."
I continued to laugh as the two left the room. My laughter slowly died down after a few moments. It was then that I noticed Sokka was pouting.
"Relax Sokka. If you don't-" I began to giggle again. "You'll be self-inflicting anguish!"
I slapped my forehead as I fell on to my back. I heard Katara laughing as well. After a few minutes, my breathing tried returning to normal. I sat up with a joyful grin. The three of us idly sat until Aang returned. He seemed to have a bounce in his step. Aunt Wu gave me a glance. Using her pointer finger, she motioned for me to follow. I looked back at Aang and Katara who gave me encouraging smiles. I stood up and followed the elderly woman. She led me down the hallway and into a dark room. A small bowl of water sat atop a stone podium. One candle sat on each of the four corners. My slight fright had returned. Aunt Wu led me to one side of the basin: she stood on the other side.
"Tap your finger in the center of the water."
After a moment of hesitation, I did so. As soon as my finger lifted from the surface, ripples spread to the edges. The fortune teller watched the reflection carefully. Curious, I glanced down as well.
"Oh my," she began softly, "A search for oneself is never easy. You have lived comfortably, but with one source of happiness."
"Toph," I muttered with a smile.
"Another soon followed, but was ripped away," she paused to gasp slightly, "The pain will not end there. Someone new, someone close will leave to fulfill their destiny."
My eyes widened in fear. "What?"
"In the matters of the heart," she continued, "You mustn't always rule with your heart. The mind must be a part of the process. The one you'll marry, he'll be-"
"Aunt Wu," I interrupted while grabbing my necklace, "I already know who I'm going to marry."
After giving me a questioning look, she watched the water. After a moment, she sighed.
"That is all I see, for now."
I bowed. "That's okay. I think I'm set. Thank you."
I rushed out of the room and over to my friends. Without warning, I pulled them in to a group hug. Sokka let out a squeal.
"Nahla, what are you doing?" asked Aang.
I let them go and grinned. "Giving you all a hug. What else?"
"Why?"
"Was it something Aunt Wu said?" Katara asked excitedly.
I smirked. "Since when do I need a reason to hug you guys?"
We laughed it off as the four of us pulled on our shoes. We went outside and started walking away from the place. Appa followed us. I chuckled as I rubbed his chin.
"Well, now you got to see for yourselves how fortune telling is just a big, stupid hoax," I heard Sokka say.
I turned to look at the others.
"You're just saying that because you're going to make yourself unhappy your whole life," Katara retorted smugly.
"That woman is crazy," the brother spoke angrily as his voice rose, "My life will be calm and happy and joyful!"
He kicked a nearby stone with his angst. The rock soared through the sky. It ricocheted off a sign and shot back our way. It knocked the Water Tribe boy's head and caused him to fall down. I began to chuckle at the situation.
"That doesn't prove anything," he shouted, lifting his arm to emphasis his point.
"Well, I liked my predictions," Katara said happily, "Certain things are going to turn out very well."
Aang grinned slyly and crossed his arms, leaning towards the brunette slightly.
"They sure are…" he trailed off.
"Why?" Katara asked, turning to look at him curiously, "What did she tell you?"
"Some stuff. You'll find out."
Katara smiled and turned to continue walking down the street with Aang following after her. His hands held his head while he grinned. I nudged him and winked. His blank look caused me to lean closer.
"I know that wasn't a bathroom break."
His cheeks blushed slightly as he gave me a sheepish grin. I smirked. I proceeded to "lock my lips" to show him I wouldn't say anything. We continued to head toward the center of the small village. Looking around, I noticed people staring at the sky.
"What's with the sky?" Katara asked as the three stopped beside the man that had given them the umbrella earlier in day.
"We're waiting for Aunt Wu to come and read the clouds to predict the fate of the whole village," he explained calmly.
"That cloud kinda looks like a fluffy bunny," Aang stated.
His hand was pointing to one of the clouds. The normally calm man gave the air bender a glare.
"You better hope that's not a bunny! The fluffy bunny cloud forecasts doom and destruction."
"Hey! Don't yell at him," I growled as I laid my hands on his shoulders.
Sokka gave the man a disgusted look, "Do you even hear yourself?"
"The cloud reading will tell us if Mount Makapu will remain dormant for another year or if it will erupt," a village woman said as she pointed to the mountain in the distance.
"We used to have a tradition once a year of going up to the mountain to check on the volcano ourselves. But ever since Aunt Wu moved to the village twenty years ago, we have a tradition of not doing that," pointed out the calm man.
"I can't believe you would trust your lives to that crazy, old woman's superstition," Sokka exclaimed in disbelief.
Katara glanced behind her and put a hand on Sokka's shoulder.
"Shh! She's coming!"
Sokka groaned and palmed his face at his sister's words, watching through his fingers as Aunt Wu to the center of the village with her guard. The villagers formed an aisle for the two pass as they clapped and cheered.
"Hey, Aang," Meng said suddenly as she appeared beside the Avatar and pointed to the sky, "Don't you think that cloud looks like a flower?"
"Huh? Sure, I guess," Aang agreed awkwardly. He nudged the girl away and turned to Katara, pointing to the same cloud. "Hey, Katara, don't you think that cloud looks like a flower?"
"Shh," Katara shushed him in annoyance.
Her excited gaze was on Aunt Wu. Her hands were clasped in front of her chest with hope. I glanced to see the tattooed boy disappointed. I nudged him slightly with encouragement. I returned my attention to the happenings. The crowd watched as Aunt Wu stepped onto the pagoda and spread her arms out dramatically. She pulled a small book from her sleeve and looked up at the sky.
"Bending arrow cloud," she began "Good crops this year. Nice big harvest."
"Darn good news," a farmer exclaimed.
"Wavy, moon-shaped cloud…Let's see." Aunt Wu flipped a few pages of her book then smiled and nodded her head, "Gonna be a great year for twins!"
The two twin boys in the village high-fived and cheered, "Yes!"
Aunt Wu looked up at the sky thoughtfully then down at her book.
"And a cumulus cloud with a twisted nob coming off the end of it…"
Her lips pursed then she spread her arms out grandly with a smile.
"The village will not be destroyed by the volcano this year!"
The crowd of villagers cheered gleefully with Aang and Katara standing amongst the villagers. I hurriedly made my way to the two. I was behind Aang just as he started speaking.
"Since I got you here, uh, there's something I want to tell you...I like you, but more than normal."
Katara didn't seem to hear him as she ran off to follow the fortuneteller. Her focus was entirely on the woman. The Avatar watched her run off with a saddened expression.
"Never mind…" he muttered sadly as he scuffed his foot against the ground.
I sighed as I laid my hand on his shoulder. He didn't move. Sokka soon joined us.
Katara gently knocked on the thin wooden door that lead into Aunt Wu's chamber. She stepped back in anticipation, with her hands behind back. The door slid open.
"Hi, Aunt Wu! Sorry to bother you."
"Any time," Aunt Wu replied with a slight smile.
"About this man I'm supposed to marry…Is he going to be handsome? Oh, I hope he's tall!"
"Ah…" Aunt Wu said when she realized why the young Water Tribe girl was here, "You want another reading?"
"Yes, please!"
Aunt Wu stepped aside and gestured for Katara to come inside. The brunette hurried into the room and sat down, looking eagerly at the fortune teller.
"I can't believe all these saps," Sokka ranted as he stomped through the village angrily with Aang following close behind. I followed them around while practicing my gymnastics. "Someone really needs to scream some sense into them."
"They seem happy, Sokka," Aang stated matter-of-factly.
"Ignorance is bliss here," I added.
"Not for long. I'm going to prove Aunt Wu's predictions are nonsense." He grabbed a man wearing bright red shoes. "Hey you, I bet Aunt Wu told you to wear those red shoes, didn't she?"
"Yeah. She said I'd be wearing red shoes when I met my true love," the man spoke excitedly.
"Uh huh… And how many times have you worn those shoes since you got that fortune?"
"Everyday," the man answered.
"Then of course it's gonna come true," Sokka shouted.
"Really? You think so?" The man asked in delight as he began to walk away. "I'm so excited!"
"Good luck," I called with a grin. "What a happy fellow."
I turned to see Sokka's eye twitching. In a fit of anger he kicked a nearby stone which flew through the air and hit a turtle-duck. Sokka yelped and waved his arms around his face when the turtle-duck flew at him and began to peck his head. It flew after him as he tried to run away. Aang watched scene with a quirked brow and shook his head. I laughed loudly.
"And then you will have your third great-grandchild before quietly passing away in your sleep," Aunt Wu predicted, "Is that enough information for you?"
"Wow, thanks, Aunt Wu," Katara spoke in wonderment. She stood up to leave, but stopped. "Oh wait, one more thing. How warmly should I dress tomorrow?'
"You want me to do a reading for that?" Aunt Wu asked in exasperation, her shoulders slumped.
Katara nodded enthusiastically.
"I don't care what Aunt Wu told you! You have to bathe sometime," hollered Sokka at a dirty old man.
The dirt covered man shrugged, grunted, and walked away with a happy smile on his littered face.
"So, Sokka, you know some stuff about ladies, right?" Aang asked, trying to be casual as he looked at the older boy in slight nervousness.
"Some stuff?" Sokka asked with a pleased look. He placed his arm around Aang's shoulders. "You've come to the right place. What can I do for you?"
"Well, there's this girl…"
"I think I know who you mean," Sokka interrupted with a smirk as he caught sight of Meng hiding behind a barrel a few feet away.
"You do?" Aang asked, surprised, "And you're okay with it?"
"Of course I am," Sokka said, still thinking the younger boy was talking about Meng, "And to tell you the truth, I've been picking up a subtle vibe that she likes you, too."
"She does?" Aang asked, growing slightly anxious and excited.
Meng was desperately trying to get the air bender's attention.
"Oh yeah, she's crazy about you. All you have to do now is not mess it up."
"Well, how do I do that?" he inquired.
"The number one mistake nice guys like you make is being too nice."
"You can be too nice?" Aang questioned in childish confusion.
"Yep. If you want to keep her interested, you have to act aloof, like you don't really care one way or the other."
"Well…okay," Aang said unsurely.
Just then, Meng approached the two.
"Hey, Aang, I was wondering…"
"See you later…" Aang called out as he breezed past Meng with a casual wave over his shoulder at Sokka.
Meng sighed and her shoulders dropped in disappointment as she watched the air bender walk away.
"Wow, that kid is good," Sokka muttered, crossing his arms with an impressed expression. He glanced around. "I wonder where Nahla went."
Just then, the black haired water bender jumped onto the boy's back. Surprising him completely, Sokka began to whirl his arms around to catch his balance. The blue eyed girl leaned forward to help him. Once they were steady, she noticed the younger girl.
"Hey Meng," she spoke brightly.
"Hey," she said in a deflated tone before walking away.
Nahla glanced down at Sokka.
"What's going on?"
"Just giving Aang some relationship advice," he paused, "He and Meng have a thing."
"Is that so?" inquired the female teen in a wary manner.
"And you'll be fine as long as you've got a scarf," Aunt Wu snapped impatiently as she pushed the Water Tribe girl out of her building, "Bye-bye now!"
"Okay, okay," Katara said, catching on to the fortuneteller's impatience then she held up a finger, "But one more thing."
Aunt Wu gave Katara a horrified look, then sighed and leaned forward in surrender.
"Alright, what is it?"
Katara tapped her chin thoughtfully then her expression brightened.
"Should I eat a mango or a papaya for breakfast tomorrow?"
"Papaya!" Aunt Wu shut the door.
"Aww, I hate papaya," Katara muttered with a pout as she kicked at the ground.
"Oh, hey, Katara," Aang said suddenly as he leaned casually against the wall of Aunt Wu's building, "I didn't see you there."
"Hey, Aang."
She headed toward the village market.
"That's okay. I'm busy with my own stuff," Aang called.
A turtle-duck landed beside him and he looked at it for moment. It quacked loudly at him.
I strolled around the town. I whistled whilst trying to entertain myself. My mind wandered about its normal musings. Slowly, a pair of angry golden eyes flashed in front of me. It was quickly followed by a pair of pleading greens. Then, flashbacks of the churning water invaded my psyche. I hastily shook my head to rid my mind of the thoughts. I gripped the sides of my stomach. I slowly opened my eyes to see the calm town, continuing with its routine.
"Maybe I'm not okay," I muttered.
I continued to walk until I came to Aunt Wu's door. Sighing, I sat on the ground.
"I can't believe you're dragging me all the way up here for a stupid flower," Sokka complained.
He followed his younger friend up Mount Makapu. He let out an agitated huff as Aang used his air bending to jump.
"Not just any flower, a panda lily. I've seen it in action and boy, does it work," the young boy spoke while looking at Sokka. "Besides, Nahla went somewhere."
"Flowers are fine once your married, but at this early stage, it's critical that you maintain maximum aloofness," Sokka retorted as he scaled the mountain.
"But my heart is telling me to get this flower," Aang explained, "And Aunt Wu said if I trusted in my heart, I will be with the one I love."
Sokka shook his head and asked in an irritated voice, "What? Don't tell me you believe in that stuff, too."
Aang stopped on a boulder near the rim. He patiently waited for his older friend.
"Well, Aunt Wu hasn't been wrong yet. Why should she be wrong about love?"
Aang jumped upward and pointed happily at the rim of the mountain where a bunch of panda lilies were growing.
"There! On the rim!"
The bald boy flew from rock to rock until he was at the rim. He picked one of the panda lillies and sniffed it, causing him to smile. His eyes opened to widen with shock. The volcano was full of bubbling lava, ready to erupt.
"Oh no," Aang whispered in shock as Sokka joined him on the rim and stared at the lava, "Aunt Wu was wrong."
The panda lily fell from Aang's hand and dropped into the lava, bursting into flames before it even made contact.
"Those people all think they're safe! We've got to warn them," Sokka shouted.
"There's no time to walk," Aang stated and whipped out his glider, snapping it open. "Grab on!"
Aang yanked Sokka forward, causing him to shout in surprise as the air bender took off into the air, heading toward the village.
"Hey, Katara," Aang greeted shyly. "Hey Nahla," Aang greeted me a little more confidently.
The two landed next to us. Katara was trying to get in to Aunt Wu's building.
"Can you believe she won't let me in?" Katara demanded in irritation, "And after all the business I've given her?"
"But she doesn't even charge," Aang stated in confusion.
"I know, but still," Katara huffed.
Sokka quickly broke in, his tone urgent, "Well, we have other things to worry about. Aunt Wu was wrong about the volcano."
"What?" I gasped.
Katara pointed an accusing finger at her brother, "Sokka, you tried to convince me she was wrong before. It's going to take an awful lot to change my mind-"
Katara was cut off, mid-rant, as she staggered forward when the volcano rumbled violently from behind her. She turned to look at the volcano with wide eyes. We all stared where smoke was beginning to plume above the mountain's peak.
"Oh no…" Katara whispered worriedly, one hand covering her mouth in surprise.
Without hesitation, the four of us rushed to the village courtyard. The citizens were still mingling with one another.
"Everyone, that volcano is gonna blow any second," Sokka bellowed as he tried to warn the villagers, "Aunt Wu was wrong!"
A village woman rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, yeah, we know you don't believe in Aunt Wu, Mr. Science and Reason Lover."
Katara stepped forward and looked at the villagers pleadingly.
"If you won't listen to him, maybe you'll listen to me. I want to believe Aunt Wu and her predictions as much as you do, but my brother and Aang saw the lava with their own eyes."
"Well, I heard Aunt Wu's prediction with my own ears," the calm man from before stated firmly.
"You're gonna pick hearing over sight?" I questioned with shock.
"Please listen to us! You are all in danger! And we have to get out of here! You can't rely on Aunt Wu's prediction, you have to take fate into your own hands!"
The volcano rumbled violently again and more smoke began to appear. The villagers looked at it with mild alarm.
"Look," Sokka exclaimed, "Can your fortune telling explain that?"
The man in the red shoes gave Sokka an amused look.
"Can your science explain why it rains?"
"Yes! Yes, it can!"
The villagers just shook their head and began to walk away. They seemed genuinely unbothered by the danger they didn't think they were in. I looked around anxiously. I grabbed a mother's arm.
"Please," I begged, "Listen to us."
She pulled her arm away as she continued to walk.
"They won't listen to reason," Katara said in dismay.
Aang's expression suddenly brightened when an idea came to him.
"But they will listen to Aunt Wu!"
"I know! That's the problem," Sokka stated drily.
"Well, it's about to become the solution," Aang stated with a grin. "We're taking fate into our own hands. First, I need to borrow Aunt Wu's cloud reading book."
I grinned in approval. "I swear, you're becoming more devious by the second."
The four of us headed toward the familiar building.
Katara and Sokka stood in front of Aunt Wu's building, trying to appear casual as they kept a look out. I paced in front of the two while Aang snuck into the building using the window above the balcony on the highest story of the building.
Aang slipped into the building with Momo and quickly began to rummage around various drawers. The lemur chirped suddenly and Aang gave him chiding look.
"Shh! We don't want anyone to hear us."
Aang went back to snooping through the drawers above a vanity mirror when Meng's reflection suddenly appeared in the mirror. Aang jumped and spun around, completely startled by the girl's sudden appearance. The bald boy quickly straightened and cleared his throat nervously while Momo hid behind his back.
"Oh, I didn't see you there," Aang said awkwardly.
"You don't like me do you?" Meng asked sadly, her ears dropping slightly marginally.
"Of course I like you."
"But not the way I like you."
"Oh…I guess not."
"It's okay," Meng said with a small, sad smile, "It's just really hard when you like someone, but they don't think of you that way."
Aang glanced sadly to the side.
"I know what you mean."
"She's beautiful, by the way."
The bald boy looked at Meng in surprise with a blush staining his cheeks.
"Huh?"
"The Water Tribe girl. I can see why you like her so much," Meng explained, "She's sweet, she's a bender, and her hair seems so manageable."
Meng attempted to smooth her braids down at the last part. They simply stuck right back up again, much to her chagrin.
"Don't worry. You're going to meet a great guy who's going to completely fall for you. I know it."
"Thanks," Meng murmured gratefully. She held her hands up in alarm when Aang was about to leave. "Wait! Don't you want this?"
Aang turned back to look at her in surprise and Meng handed him the cloud reading book, with a sheepish expression on her face.
"How did you know?" Aang inquired.
"I've kind of been stalking you…Heh…" she spoke nervously.
"Oh, thanks," Aang said with an awkward blush as he rubbed the back of his head, "I guess…"
Meng grinned as Aang hustled out of the building. When he reached his friends, they headed for Appa.
I looked toward Aang and Katara.
"Do you think you two can bend the clouds alone?"
"Why?" asked the water bender.
I smirked. "I don't think Aunt Wu will entirely believe the fortune-telling skeptic Sokka."
They nodded and ran up onto Appa.
"Yip-yip!"
The bison soared in to the sky. The Water Tribe boy gave me a curious look.
"Let's go mess with fate," I said before running off.
"Clouds are made of water and air," Aang explained as he sat on Appa's head while Katara sat at the front of the saddle, "So between the two of us, we ought to be able to bend them into any shape we want."
"I found it! The symbol for volcanic doom."
The air bender let go of Appa's reins and climbed into the saddle. After studying the picture, the both stood in the center of the saddle. In their bending stances, they began to shift the clouds.
"Come on, Sokka," I insisted.
"Aunt Wu, look," Sokka said urgently as he led the fortuneteller to the pagoda in the village courtyard and pointed at the sky. "Something's happening in the clouds!"
"That's very strange. It shouldn't-" Aunt Wu said as she looked at the clouds. She gasped in horror when the sky darkened. "Oh my!"
She and the villagers stared in horror at the skull-shaped cloud. The volcano spewed more ash and smoke into the air. I turned around to notice Aang land Appa at the base of the courtyard. He and Katara raced up the steps towards the pagoda.
"We can still save the village if we act fast," Aang addressed the worried villagers with a serious expression. He gestured to Sokka who was standing on the pagoda. "Sokka has a plan."
"Lava is gonna flow downhill to this spot," Sokka explained, "If we can dig a deep enough trench we can channel all the lava away from the village to the river."
"If any of you are earth benders, come with me," Aang instructed.
"I'm an earth bender," a twin called out from the front of the crowd, raising his hand with a grin.
The other twin raised his hand. "I'm not!"
Sokka shook his head and held up the shovel he had leaning against one of the pagoda's pillars.
"Everybody else grab a shovel," he ordered. A volcanic explosion caused him to flinch. "Come on! We gotta hurry!"
The crowd dispersed quickly. The earth benders followed Aang while the non-benders grabbed shovels. Several cries of urgency filled the air as the villagers moved as fast as possible to put Sokka's plan into action. Soon a deep trench was formed as the Earthbenders, non-benders, Sokka, Katara, Aang, and I all labored together to get the trench deep enough and to open it out to the nearby river before the volcano erupted. Appa flew overhead as he transported loose boulders with a net strapped to his body. Another loud explosion filled the air, this time sending up lava instead of smoke and ash.
"Dig faster! Dig faster!"
The earth bending twin kept back and swept his arms forward. This created a trench that led to the river.
"Everyone needs to evacuate," Aang hollered as he leapt to the edge of the trench, "We'll come for you when it's safe!"
The citizens ran away from the trench and headed out of the town. Just then, lava started flowing down the mountainside. The lava ate away the gate and the village cemetery. When it reached the trench, it momentarily stopped. My eyes widened in fright.
"It's not gonna hold," I yelled.
"It's too much," Katara shouted, "It's gonna overflow!"
Another explosion shook the village. Burning rocks and ash began to rain from the sky. Katara, Sokka, and I began to run to safety, but stopped when we realized Aang hadn't moved from the side of the trench. We watched as a huge flaming boulder fell from the sky and landed in the lava-filled trench, exploding a moment later and sending a huge wave of lava into the air.
"Aang," I screamed as I ran forward.
Sokka caught my wrist, effectively stopping me. I looked back at him with tears filling my eyes. He pulled me to his side, refusing to let go of my hand.
Aang pursed his lips in determination and rushed towards the lava. Using air bending, he propelled himself faster as he leapt up. Air began to swirl around his fists as he bent the air from the clouds around him. He gathered the massive amount of air into a whirlwhind and swung it at the overflowing lava. He blew the molten rock straight up, in turn, preventing it from advancing to the village. Next, Aang sucked in a mighty breath and expelled forcefully, bending it as he exhaled. It chilled all of the lava into stone that curved above the trench like a protective wall. The Avatar inhaled through his nose as he straightened, bringing his arms up then down in front of his body as he relaxed with his next exhale.
"Man…" Sokka muttered with awe, "Sometimes I forget what a powerful bender that kid is."
Katara's awed expression changed to one of shock as she remembered Aunt Wu's prediction about her future marriage. She glanced at her brother.
"Wait, what did you just say?" she questioned.
"Nothing, just that Aang is one powerful bender," he replied nonchalantly.
Katara looked back at Aang. Her eyes slowly widened as she began to understand.
"I…suppose he is," she murmured to herself.
"By the way, we kind of borrowed your book," Aang told Aunt Wu sheepishly as he handed her the cloud reading book.
"So you messed with the clouds, did you?" Aunt Wu questioned rhetorically as she snatched the book.
The four teens gave apologetic looks awaiting a scolding.
"Very clever," the fortuneteller said with an amused laugh as she tucked the book into her sleeve.
"No offense, but I hope this taught everyone a lesson about not relying too much on fortune telling," Sokka stated to the villagers.
"But Aunt Wu predicted the village wouldn't be destroyed and it wasn't," the calm man chittered, "She was right, after all."
Nahla began to chuckle as Sokka's eye twitched. He moved closer to the man so they were nose to nose.
"I hate you."
"It's okay, Sokka," Katara soothed as she took her brother by the shoulders and led him away, "Everything's going to be alright."
"Maybe you should ask Aunt Wu," joked Nahla as she walked away with them.
Aang watched his friends for a moment before looking up at Aunt Wu uncertainly.
"Can I ask you something?"
"Of course, honey," Aunt Wu replied with a gentle smile.
"You didn't really see love in my fortune, did you?" he asked disappointedly as he shuffled his feet slightly, "You just told me what I wanted to hear."
"I'll tell you a little secret, young air bender. Just as you reshaped those clouds, you have the power to shape your own destiny."
Aang smiled widely at her and bowed slightly in gratitude before hurrying over to where his friends were waiting. Katara held Appa's reins while Sokka and Nahla sat on the saddle. Aang hopped into the air and landed between the two in the saddle.
"Goodbye everyone! It was so nice to meet you," Katara called out brightly, "Take care, Meng."
"Take care," Meng said as she waved with a bright smile on her face, which disappeared as soon as Appa flew away and was replaced with an annoyed frown. "Floozy…"
Thank you all so much for supporting me and reading my fan fiction! I truly hope you enjoy it. Please R&R: feedback is always helpful. Thank you to those of you who have R&R! It is very appreciated. I apologize for the lateness, I had trouble fitting Nahla in there. You're all amazing people!
Next batch or reviews:
Guest regarding chapter 11: I agree with you, Leilani is so much prettier. There is a reason I had her switch names, but I don't want to spoil anything. Don't feel bad about your feeling toward Orian. Pay attention to Nahla's fortune!
KaratTop: Uh, sorry, but I don't think I'm gonna have any Zutara stuff in here. If it pops up, then yay for you, but please don't count on it.
Guest regarding chapter 9: I don't see why the two didn't play for more than one day. I do understand your confusion though. Let's just say she's a fast learner.
GaangxKrew: I made Minga up. If there really is a Kyoshi Warrior with that name, I didn't know. I just wanted her to seem like she knew more people than Suki and Orian.
Awesome! I genuinely hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Frankly, I'm glad I'm done with it. Again, if you have any questions for me, please ask. I enjoy all types of feedback. Bonus points if you stump me! Jk, there's no point system. :) You're all lovely for being so supportive and KIND. Seriously, awesome should be your name. Anywhoosal, thank you all for everything! Hopefully the next chapter comes quicker than the last.
manyreasons
