ATLA chapter fourteen
Gohan sat on the sand sailer, trying to gather his scattered thoughts. His mind was on many subjects - subjects he now knew the answers to.
Wind rushed past his face, violently whipping his hair back as the sound of shifting sands filled his ears.
'Bound together by our souls,' he thought, thinking of Azula. This entire situation, now that he had all the pieces together, made him feel like his entire existence was to be with Azula. That made him feel a few different emotions.
He was angry that such Gods would take him away from his previous life and bring him to a world where he not only knew nothing about, but away from his family and loved ones. No to mention the fact that all his power had been taken away from him.
He was sad that one of his so called Godly ancestors would ship him off without a warning or any clue of this happening.
He was relieved because he now didn't need to over work his brain for answers to the many questions he had.
And then he was also confused for why, if Agni wanted powerful family, had his powers been taken? Wouldn't the children be far more powerful if he was at full power during the conception?
He blushed at the thought. Luckily, no one saw it.
Crossing his arms across his chest, he began searching for Appa with his mind.
With the latest turn of events, the five of them had been following a map out of the desert and towards Ba Sing Se on the sand sailer they acquired earlier in the day.
Gohan could tell by the slight decrease in the speed they were currently traveling at that Aang was less angry with all that has transpired and now more determined to get Appa back.
The others were also saddened by the loss of Appa, but they had more important things to contend with. They had to deliver the information about the eclipse and the Fire Nation to the Earth King in Ba Sing Se.
Gohan ignored the bond between himself and Azula as he looked towards the horizon.
Hopefully, they'd be able to go all the way to Ba Sing Se without incident.
Four days passed quick. Now the group of five were nearly at Ba Sing Se. There were two paths to take and Gohan was with Sokka trying to figure out which one to take.
They sat on a large rock protrusion with the map laid flat between them as their eyes scanned across it.
There was water that kept them from going across. They needed a bridge or a boat to make it across to the north.
"Look here." Sokka pointed at a small slither of land between the north and south. "The only way to get across is by going through… the Serpent's Pass." He squinted his eyes to read the small words.
"I guess you're right. I mean, without Appa, there's no way across," Gohan said, standing and flipping off the rock.
Just then, Gohan looked up as Katara decided to do a canon-ball into the water, making water shoot out and in every direction, wetting him, Sokka, Toph, and the map. Aang was actually in the water and was blasted out by the force of the water.
"Thanks for getting the five-thousand year old map wet, Katara," Sokka said sarcastically.
"Oh, lighten up," Katara said, coming from the water and pulling the liquid from the map, drying it.
"So, which route are we taking?" Aang asked, walking over to Sokka.
"We're going through this slim pathway called the Serpent's Pass," Gohan answered, standing next to Toph.
"Are you sure that's the best way to go?" Toph asked, crossing her arms.
"It's the only way," Sokka answered. "Because we don't have Appa, that is," he said as an afterthought.
"Shush up about Appa," Katara warned him in a whisper. "Can't you at least try to be sensitive?" She looked to Aang who had his knees to his chest.
"It's ok, Katara. I know I was upset before, but now I just want to get to Ba Sing Se to tell the Earth King about the solar eclipse," Aang said.
"Oh, ok. It's good that your doing better," Katara told him.
"Then it's on to Ba Sing Se." Sokka stood up, rolling up the map. "No more distractions," he said.
"Hello, fellow refugees," a man's voice greeted them from behind.
Gohan had felt these people earlier, but since they harbored no ill feelings, he wasn't alarmed.
Gohan smiled at the group of three as they made their way over to them. There was a man, a pregnant woman, and a girl no older than him. All three of them were dressed in Earth Kingdom clothes.
"Are you guys on your way to Ba Sing Se, too?" Aang asked them.
"Yes we are," Tahn answered happily. "We want to get there before my wife, Ying, had her baby." He placed his hands on her shoulder.
"Great, we can travel through the Serpent's Pass together." Katara smiled.
"The Serpent's Pass?" Ying and her two traveling companions looked frightened. "That deadly route is only taken by the truly desperate," she said.
"Deadly route… great pick, guys," she pushed Sokka into Gohan and onto the floor.
"We are desperate," Sokka said, being pushed away by Gohan.
"You should come with us to Full-Moon Bay. Ferries take refugees across the lake. It's the fastest way to Ba Sing Se," Tahn said.
"And it's hidden, do the Fire Nation can't catch us," Ying said.
"Well, I think the choice is easy," Gohan said, clapping his hands, looking expectantly to his friends.
The now group of eight traveled together to the secret cove that was Full Moon Bay.
Once inside, they all got a good look at the amount of people inside. Hundreds of people - babies, seniors, woman, and man - all clumped together, wanting to be safe from the Fire Nation.
"Look at all the lives that have been uprooted by the Fire Nation," Katara said, looking from person to person.
"We are all looking for a better life, safe behind the walls of Ba Sing Se," Tahn said.
The group then separated and the Gaang got in line to get tickets across the lake.
In front of them was a man trying to get a ticket to Ba Sing Se with cabbages. Sadly, he was reprimanded for having the vegetables and taken away.
Now it was there turn. Aang walked forward a bit timidly.
"Five tickets to Ba Sing Se, please," the Avatar requested.
"Do you have a passport?" the woman asked.
"We didn't know we needed passports," Aang said, looking back for help.
"Don't you know who he is?" Sokka asked, pointing at Aang. "He's the Avatar," he said.
"Bah, I see fifty Avatar's a day," the woman sneered. "And by the way, it's not a very impressive costume." She pointed to the side where there were people dressed in costumes, trying to look like Aang. "Besides, no animals allowed. Do I need to call security?" She leaned forward.
"That won't be necessary," Aang said, turning away.
"Next!"
Toph walked forward and passed Aang. "I'll take care of this," she said under her breath. "My name's Toph Bei Fong and I'll need five tickets," she said, placing a card on the desk.
Gohan saw the woman's eyes enlarge as she looked at it. "The golden seal of the flying boar," she said, astonished. "It is an honor to help anyone of the Bei Fong family." The woman bowed.
"It is," Toph said curtly, an air of authority forming in the way she presented herself. "As you can see, I'm blind and these four imbeciles are my valet." She pointed to the four behind her.
"But the animal…"
"Is my seeing eye lemur," Toph said.
"Well, it's normally one ticket per passport. But since this document is so official, I suppose it could be worth five tickets," she said, giving five tickets a stamp of approval.
"Thank you very much," Toph said, grabbing the tickets before walking away.
Once the were a good few feet away, Sokka, in a cocky tone, said, "yeah, we scammed that lady good."
No sooner than the words left his mouth had he been been snatched by the back of his collar by someone.
"Tickets and passports, please," a young woman demanded fiercely, looking Sokka in the eyes.
"Is there a problem?" Gohan asked, turning around to look at the girl. 'She feels familiar,' he thought as dawning realization started creeping in.
The girl looked to him, scrutinizing his face before her eyes widened. "You!" she seethed, looking at him heatedly.
"Me?" Gohan asked before it clicked. "You're one of those girls from that island." He pointed at her.
"Suki!" Sokka cheered, now knowing who she was as he hugged her.
"Watch out, he's a Fire Nation spy," Suki said, moving in front of Gohan.
"No, he's my best friend," Sokka defended Gohan. "There was a misunderstanding." He smiled at the Kyoshi Warrior.
Suki seemed to soften up at this news. "Oh, sorry." She looked sheepishly at Gohan.
Sokka began leading her towards the others, informing Suki of the events since their last meeting.
Princess Azula sat in her chambers, in the Fire Nation's big drill, dressed in a red, silk robe, with her hair down. The drill was designed to penetrate the the impenetrable city.
Ba Sing Se was a good distance away, and the fact that the drill was slow didn't help one bit. But she wasn't complaining.
In fact, she wasn't going to be joining the crew on this journey to Ba Sing Se, but since she figured that the Avatar needed an Earthbending teacher, and the fact that she could feel Gohan moving closer to the city, she decided to go with the drill.
Gohan. She had been able to keep the boy out of her mind for the entirety of the trip, but sometimes, she couldn't help but almost allow herself the slightest curl of the lips; nearly impossible to spot.
And that angered her. She didn't know why, but she felt like she wanted Gohan to be near her. As a companion. But more so than Mai and Ty Lee. She didn't know why and it was infuriating at times.
She found her mind wandering to places she did not want to be so she decided to go to sleep. A good night's rest would surely keep him off her mind in the morning.
Gohan stood between Aang and Toph, arms crossed as Sokka and Katara caught up with Suki.
"You look so different without your make-up," Katara commented on Suki's attire. "And the new outfit… unrecognizable."
"That crabby lady makes all the security guards where them," Suki said, looking at herself. "But look at you, sleeveless guy," she said directed at Sokka. "Have you been working out?" she asked.
"Eh, I do some hardcore exercises with Gohan in the evenings, nothing major for me, but no one else would be able to do it," Sokka said, trying to look impressive while flexing,
"Are the other Kyoshi Warriors around?" Aang asked, changing the subject.
"Yeah," Suki answered. "After you left Kyoshi, we wanted to help people. We've been helping escorting refugees and have been here ever since," she said. "But why are you getting tickets for the ferry when you can fly across on Appa?" she asked, petting Momo on the head.
Silence.
"Appa was stolen," Gohan answered, looking amongst his friends.
"We hope we can find him in Ba Sing Se," Katara added, looking to Aang.
The Avatar looked away, not wanting to go into that conversation.
"I'm sorry to hear that," Suki said. "Are you feeling ok?" she asked Aang.
The Avatar looked to the four teens that were now staring at him. His eyes narrowed. "I'm fine. Would you all stop worrying about me?!"
"Avatar Aang," Ying's voice, sounding panicked, reached their ears from below.
They looked over the edge and at the refugees that brought them here.
"You must help us. Someone has stolen all of our belongings. Our passports, everything is gone." Ying started crying.
"I'll talk to the lady for you," Aang told them, starting towards the ticket lady.
The Avatar attempted to ask but was harshly put down by the woman. She even stamped his forehead.
"Don't worry," Aang said once he walked back to Ying and Tahn. "You'll make it to Ba Sing Se safely. I'll lead you through the Serpent's Pass," he told them as his friends stood behind him, nodding in agreement.
And with that promise, Gohan and his friends discarded their tickets so they could lead the refugees to Ba Sing Se.
"This is Serpent's Pass," Sokka asked when they saw the path. "I expected the path to be more like a… serpent," he said. "Guess they misnamed it."
"Snakes aren't always twisted and curvy," Gohan said, knowing from the ones he's seen.
"Look at this horrible writing," Ying gasped, looking at a post.
"What's it say?" Toph asked, as Katara walked over to see.
"It says, 'abandon hope,'" Katara answered.
"How could we do such a thing when it's all we have?" Ying hugged her husband.
"I don't know." Aang brought all eyes to him. "The monks used to say that hope is just an illusion." He turned away. "So maybe we do need to abandon it," he said.
"What are you talking about?" Katara questioned.
"Hope isn't going to get us to Ba a Sing Se, and it's not gonna find Appa, actions will. We need to focus on what's happening right now. And that's getting across this path," Aang said.
"If you don't have hope to find Appa," Gohan started, walking to the front of the group. "Then you better have faith," he said. He didn't know it, but his words brought smiles to all but Aang.
Aang started forward and everyone stepped into line behind him with Gohan and Sokka in the back. It was dangerous to walk with the steep cliff and narrow space, but they managed to stay safe for a while.
"The Fire Nation controls the western side of the lake. Rumor has it that they are working on something big on the other side and they don't want anyone to know what it is," Suki said, being the first to talk after they started, looking out at two Fire Nation ships that patrolled the water.
Not ten feet after that, Tahn slipped, he was sure to plummet to his death if Gohan hadn't caught him, seconds before Toph could move to.
"I'm ok!" Tahn assured everyone.
"Let's keep going," Gohan said.
The group eight walked for hours on end after that. Nothing eventful happened and they ended up setting camp up for the night.
The sun was setting and everyone was doing there own thing. Sokka freaked out a couple of times over Suki's safety. He was just too worried he'd lose her like he lost Yue.
Eventually, Gohan fell asleep and instantly started dreaming.
In the dream, he woke up by the sound of soft breathing near him. Usually, this wouldn't wake him up, but because he felt he was on a bed, he sat up to take in his surroundings.
He was in a darkened room with dark red drapes hanging from the walls in a regal design. The walls themselves seemed to be framed in gold with family portraits here and there.
The bed he was on was soft, the softest bed he ever touched. He looked over to a sleeping form that, by the looks of it, seemed to be a girl.
She had her back to him so he could only see her hair. Sheets covered most of her still form.
Curiously, he peered over to see who she was. He gasped when he saw that it was Azula.
Scrambling from the bed, he accidentally took the sheets off with him, waking up the sleeping Princess in the process.
"Gohan… what are you doing?" She sat up, looking at him with narrowed eyes.
"W-what? Why am I here? What am I doing in a bed with you?" he asked, pointing at her,
He looked down at himself and noticed that only his private area was covered by a loincloth with underwear.
"Don't you remember?" Azula asked, raising a thin eyebrow at him.
"No!" he answered loudly, covering his already covered part with his hands.
"We're married as of last night," she said, smiling. "And the Fire Lord has resigned and left the crown to you, his son-in-law."
Gohan gaped at her. Married? Fire Lord? Impossible!
Gohan stood stiff as Azula started towards him. She was barely covered by the thin, nearly see through garment she had on.
"Come back to bed," she demanded in a sultry tone as she stood from the bed and started towards him.
She got one foot away from him before she grabbed his arm and started pulling him to the bed.
In that moment, Gohan woke up sweating. He looked around to make sure he wasn't dreaming anymore. He saw that everyone seemed to be asleep.
"Gohan?" Toph's voice reached his ears. "What's wrong?" she asked, awoken by his speeding heart beat through the vibrations.
"N-nothing. Just a really weird dream," he said sitting up. "Thanks for asking," he said.
But she didn't hear, she had already gone back to sleep after his first answer.
'Man, that dream was crazy. I… think I need some fresh air,' he thought, standing up to walk away.
Little did he know, many miles away, Azula had experienced a very similar dream.
In her dream, she had woken up to the feeling of the disproportionate weight on her bed. An intruder!? An assassin!? Whoever it was, they were definitely not supposed to be in her room - much less - her bed.
She sprang from the bed and immediately ignited it with her fire. She'd just kill whoever it was and be done with it. But much to her surprise, the person rolled from the bed and pulled the flames from the bed.
'A Firebender,' she thought, ready to strike at any moment. She watched as the flames died down enough for her to see the person's face. It was Gohan. He was in her bed! Why was he in her bed? Did they…? No! That was just absurd!
"Azula, what are you doing?" Gohan asked her.
"'What am I doing?' What are you doing in my bedroom?" she asked, pointing an accusing finger at him. "What are you doing here?" she asked, more commanding this time.
"I was sleeping until you pulled that stunt just now," he answered dully. "Don't tell me you're upset I killed Ozai," he sighed. "We've been over this already; I'm Fire Lord, you're Fire Lady. You almost have as much authority as me so you have nothing to worry about," he said.
"What are you talking about?" she demanded, confused by his words. "Aren't you apart of the Avatar's little gang?" she sneered.
"Why are you bringing up the Avatar? We killed him last night to celebrate our marriage," he said, shocking her further as he started towards her. "Love changes a man," he said.
She glared at him as he got a foot away from her. "I don't love you," she seethed.
Smirking, he leaned forward as if he were about to kiss her lined lips, but he kept his mouth only an inch away as he turned his head a little. He kept his eyes on her's as he said, "I never said you love me… but that's not what you were saying last night."
In that moment, Azula woke up flushed.
'Just a dream,' she told herself, trying to calm her quickly beating heart. Damn him! Had he effected her so much that she was dreaming about him! It was infuriating! She didn't even like him! Especially not in the way he implied!
She felt like burning something. Or better yet, like burning him. She wanted to burn his stupid face off. She decided that the next time she saw his face, she would burn it off.
In the morning, Gohan stood with all the members of his group as they prepared to continue their journey through the Serpent's Pass. They were a little over halfway there. One more day and they should be to Ba Sing Se.
He stretched, thinking if the previous night as he did so. He hadn't been able to sleep after that… 'dream' he had, so he meditated throughout the entire night. It turned out to be a good thing because he managed to push that memory all the way to the back of his mind.
He trekked along with his friends, hearing Sokka shout out warnings to Suki every now and then as he kept his mind occupied with math and science problems so he wouldn't think of Azula.
He was so lost in his mind that he didn't notice everyone stop. He continued walking until he bumped into Suki.
"Hey!" she complained.
"S-sorry," the Saiyan apologized, looking forward, seeing what made everyone stop; a huge gap of water that separated the path.
"Everyone, single file," Katara ordered, having come up with a solution.
The other seven stood straight behind her as she started forward, bending the water around them to clear the path.
"A little hep, Aang?" Katara requested, unable to do it herself.
The Avatar handed his staff to Toph before joining Katara in moving the water.
With the water now being bent around them, the travelers were able to look around the bottom of the lake no problem. There were tons of fish and other marine life that swam near them.
Gohan was enjoying the scenery until he sensed something. Sharply turning to the side, he could see a long snake-like creature moving through the water around them.
"We need to hurry across!" he told them. But it was too late, the creature had already charged at them.
He jumped back out of the way and watched as the creature destroyed the bubble Katara and Aang made, causing water to rush into it.
Acting quick, Toph created a pillar that brought all of them to the surface, saving their lives.
"Are you guys all okay?" Gohan asked, looking around at the water, following the large sea creature's movements with his sensing ability.
It was quiet for a few moments before the sea serpent emerged from the water and loomed over them. It immediately lunged at them, prompting Gohan to take action.
The Saiyan jumped into the air and kicked it's jaw, sending it back a few feet. He then brought both feet down on it head, damaging it before using it like a springboard to get back to the small island made by Toph
The Saiyan then shot a stream of fire at the creature while Aang sent it back a few meters with a powerful gust of wind. The Avatar took to the air with his glider he took from, planning to lure it away.
Katara, taking the opportunity, created a bridge of water all the way across for the others before joining Aang on the sea.
Gohan, knowing that Katara and Aang could handle it, started across the bridge. He looked back when he felt that Toph was not following them.
"C'mon, Toph, what are you waiting for?" he called over to her.
"I can't see on ice!" she answered.
"Alright, don't move, I'm coming," he said, starting to run back towards her. Once he reached her, he scooped her up into his arms before starting back. But halfway there, the sea serpent's tail came down near them.
Reacting before he could think, Gohan jumped the rest of the way. Soaring through the air, he braced Toph's neck before landing, skidding to a halt next to Sokka.
"Talk about a close call," he said, looking back at the distance he had just covered, not noticing the stares of shock by those that weren't in the Gaang.
"Good job, buddy." Sokka patted him on the back.
"Thanks, Gohan." Toph hugged him around the neck. "You're my hero." She smooched him on the neck.
"It was no problem," he said, setting her straight before evening out his disheveled clothes. "I couldn't let you die out there."
"You just jumped, like, over fifty feet!" Suki exclaimed, looking at him, unable to figure out how a non-Airbender had managed to do that.
"Yeah, I guess we have some explaining to do, huh?" Gohan asked as Aang and Katara returned.
The rest of the path through the Serpent's Pass was spent bu Gohan telling Suki and, by association, Tahn and his group a shortened version of the story he told his friends.
"… and that's basically everything that has happened," Gohan finished. Looking ahead, he could see the outer wall of Ba Sing Se. "And there's the wall," he said, pointing to the wall.
"Yeah, that's the wall!" Sokka exclaimed. "Now it's nothing but smooth sailing all the way to Ba Sing Se," he said.
"Oh no!" Ying gasped, clutching her stomach. Tahn and the girl hurriedly at her side.
"What's wrong?" Sokka asked.
"The baby's coming," Ying said, shocking them.
"What! No! Can't you hold it in?" Sokka pleaded. "We're almost there!" He pointed to the wall.
"Sokka calm down." Katara turned to her brother. "It's just a baby. I've helped Gran Gran deliver many of them," she said.
"Delivering an arctic seal isn't the same as delivering a real life human thing!" Sokka exclaimed.
"It's called a baby, Sokka. And I've helped deliver plenty of those," Katara said. "Aang, get some rags; Sokka, go get some water; Toph, create a huge earth tent; Suki, you're with me," she ordered.
Gohan sat back and watched as everyone went to work. It didn't take long for Aang and Toph to complete their jobs, now they were waiting for Sokka to get back.
As soon as the oldest teen returned and stepped into the tent, he fainted at the sight of what was between Ying's legs.
Gohan pulled him out before going in to see the freshly delivered new born. It was a healthy, baby girl!
Minutes of admiring the baby went by before Toph and Sokka entered.
"It sounds healthy," Toph noted, hearing the baby wail as Katara went to get Aang.
"It looks squishy," Sokka commented.
"Congrats," Gohan said as Aang and Katara entered.
"What should we name her?" Tahn asked hovering over his wife's shoulder, looking down at their daughter.
"I want our daughter's name to be unique; something meaningful," Ying replied.
Aang, who had shed a few tears, walked forward. "I've been going through a hard time lately," he said. "But you've made me… hopeful again."
Gohan smiled as Ying turned to Tahn. "I know what I want to name her," Ying said. "Hope."
"That's a perfect name," Tahn said. "Hope," he repeated the name.
Toph left after that. She was unable to see the baby so she left, followed by everyone else a little later. Gohan stood next to her while everyone prepared to start their walking again.
"I remember when my brother Goten was born," Gohan told her. "He brought the reality of peace to my world. There were no threats or anything to be afraid during that time. And that peace lasted all this time," he said.
"Babies have that sort of odd effect on people," Suki said, walking over with Sokka.
Gohan looked over to the happy couple and their baby. Peace. Hopefully this world didn't have long to wait for such a thing. He didn't want the baby to grow up in a war-stricken world. Alas, it seemed that it was inevitable as long as he was weakened and Aang was still mastering the elements.
Speaking of Aang, he was over near Katara, apologizing for the way he behaved in the past few days.
The four walked over to Aang and Katara shortly after. Toph had Aang's glider.
"I promise I'll find Appa as fast as I can," Aang told them as he took his glider from Toph. He planned on going into the city alone. "I really need to do this," he said.
"And we'll see you in the big city," Sokka said.
"Say hello to that big fur ball for me." Toph punched Aang in the arm.
"You'll find him," Katara told Aang.
"I know," Aang replied.
"Good luck," Gohan said.
"Thanks, guys," Aang said as he prepared to go off with his glider. Seconds later, Aang and Momo both took to the air towards Ba Sing Se with the goal of finding Appa.
Gohan made sure all of his belongings were still tied to him. He had everything besides the senzu beans and power pole in the capsule in tucked under his belt. Well, except the capsule car. That was still at the Souther Water Tribe.
After he was sure, he looked behind him and saw Sokka and Suki kissing. He turned away from that scene at first glance to make sure everyone else was ready to continue forward.
Tahn and his group was ready, Katara was ready, he was ready, and… Sokka and Suki were still kissing.
A few minutes later, Suki took off, back to Full-Moon Bay. The group made their way to the wall after goodbyes were said.
They walked for over thirty minutes before they entered within a mile of Ba Sing Se. They saw Aang gliding back back to them. They were puzzled by this because Aang was supposed to be searching for Appa in the city.
"Aang, what are you doing here?" Katara asked. "Aren't you supposed to be looking for Appa?" she asked when he landed.
"I was," Aang answered. "But something stopped me. Something big."
He didn't tell them what it was and as they started towards the outer wall of Ba Sing Se, Gohan reached out with his mind to see what the problem was. As soon as he felt Azula, he felt her through their bond. The rush in the feeling made him feel weird on the inside.
"Azula…" he whispered, looking in her direction.
"Don't tell me it's her," Katara said.
When they reached the wall, Toph and Aang used Earthbending to bring them up the wall.
"Now what's big enough to make Appa wait?" Sokka asked.
"That." Aang pointed at a huge drill that was easily visible from the height they were at.
"We've made it all the way to Ba Sing Se only to find out that it wasn't safe," Ying said, being hugged by her husband.
"What are you people doing on the wall?!" A guard shouted at them from behind. "Civilians aren't allowed up here!" They turned to see two soldiers staring at them expectantly.
"I'm the Avatar." Aang stepped forward. "Take me to whoever's in charge," he ordered.
The two men looked to each other before leading the group to the General in charge of the defense against the Fire Nation's drill.
"It is a privilege to have you here at the wall, young Avatar, but you're assistance is not needed," the General told them after a brief explanation about who they were.
"What do you mean, 'not needed,'?" Aang asked.
"Not needed is what I mean," the old man said, walking away, gesturing for them to follow. "The situation is under control. I assure you, the Fire Nation cannot penetrate this wall." He stood at an edge to look down. "Many have tried, but they all failed."
"What about the Dragon of the West?" Toph asked knowingly. "He got in," she said.
"But he was quickly expunged!" The General turned to her quickly. "That's why the city is named Ba Sing Se; it means 'Impenetrable City.' And not Na Sing Se. That's the 'Penetrable City,'" the General chuckled.
"Yeah, but what about the drill?" Toph asked, ignoring his attempt at humor.
"It won't be here for long because I've sent an elite task force called the Terror Team to stop it," he answered proudly.
"Hmm… that's a great name for a group," Sokka commented. "Very catchy." He looked thoughtful.
The General looked into a telescope to check on the platoon of Earthbenders, and paled at what he saw. They were taken down by two girls in less than a minute!
"We're doomed!" he exclaimed.
"Get a hold of yourself." Sokka slapped the man.
"Would you like our help now?" Toph asked.
"Yes, please," the General answered meekly, lowering his head in shame.
"How do we take down something so big?" Aang asked, looking over the edge at the drill.
Katara, Toph, and Aang all looked to Sokka for the answer. Though, it was Gohan who answered.
"Air and Rock will be useless against that thing because of its size and density. There's not enough water around here to try to wash it away or erode the metal away. I could probably melt it some, but I think it's too big for that." Gohan looked thoughtful. "The structural weak points must be inside of it," he said.
"That's it!" Sokka exclaimed. "We'll take it down from the inside!" he said.
"Great," Gohan said. "Now that we have a plan of laid out, it's all a matter of how we execute it," he said.
"Let's get down there," Aang said, Earthbending the wall is they could get down it. Toph helped him as the other three stood nearby.
Together, the two got them down and into a trench, out of view of the drill.
"As soon as I whip up some cover, we're gonna have to run for it," Toph said.
In the observation deck inside the drill, Azula smirked when she felt that Gohan was close. She would finally have the chance to rid herself of him.
"Ah, look at that cloud!" Ty Lee said enthusiastically. "It's so… puffy." She gestured with her hand to emphasize her point.
"I'm sure it's nothing, Princess,"
Azula looked from the war minister to the cloud. She could feel Gohan approaching closer with each passing second.
"I find it odd to believe that such an abnormal thing could be 'nothing'," Azula said sharply. "Mai, Ty Lee." She suddenly stood. "Come with me," she ordered.
Gohan, Sokka, Katara and Aang had entered the drill through a maintenance hole and made their way through it before running into an engineer that worked in it. They beat him up and took the schematics of the ship before going to structural weak points in the drill.
Now they were no in the outer shell, planning to destroy the braces holding the outer and inner workings of the drill.
"Wow, it's a lot thicker in person than it is in the plans," Sokka said. "We're gonna have to work pretty hard to cut through that," he said.
"Why include yourself when it's Gohan, Aang, and I that are gonna do all the work?" Katara asked.
"Look, I'm the plan guy, and you guys are the destroy things with bending guys," Sokka replied. "Together, we're Team Avatar!" he declared.
A loud metallic sound cut through the area. The looked and saw that Gohan bent one brace with a single kick. He then proceeded to melt the metal at the bend so the bottom and top would be separate.
"That's a cool name, Sokka," Gohan complimented. 'I wonder if we'll do poses and stuff,' he thought as he turned to his friends.
"Thanks." Sokka felt pride in the name he chose for them.
"Aang, Katara, you two cut through as many as you can. Don't cut all the way through. You'll tire yourself out. I'll come back and finish them," Gohan told the two benders.
"Or we could just cut through halfway and I can go to the top of this thing and deliver a final blow!" Aang said.
"That's a great idea," Gohan said. "It's a plan, we should follow it," he said, turning away. He jumped from the platform they were on to another one and started a process of destroying the braces.
He took down twenty before he stopped at the familiar feeling that was Azula got near. He turned in time to dodged a stream of blue fire by rolling out of the way.
He looked up to see Azula looking down to him. She was frowning but her eyes betrayed the true emotion she was feeling. He saw that her friends Mai and Ty Lee were at her side. Both having their usual looks of on their faces.
Azula saw that his path of destruction started from behind her. So it was safe to say that his friends would be in that direction.
"You two go after the Avatar," Azula ordered Mai and Ty Lee, pointing behind her while keeping her gaze fixed on Gohan.
Before Gohan could respond, she leapt at him as her friends took off in the opposite direction. The half-Saiyan moved out of the way and let her land nimbly where he once stood.
He could've easily made the first move by trying to sweep her feet from under her, but he hesitated for a moment.
"Why are you trying to capture me?" he asked, not even going into his stance.
"What gave you that impression?" She inquired tersely.
"Well, why else would you send two non-benders after the Avatar and send you, the most powerful of your group, after me?" he asked. "I mean, unless you think I'm the strongest amongst my team, and that you have faith in their success," he said.
"You have more of a brain than I thought," Azula answered, letting him know that he was on the right track.
"You have no idea," he smiled.
A few seconds of her staring at him passed by before she shot fire at him. This time with far more precision and viscous intent.
Gohan dodged or dispersed her attacks, not dealing out his own as he jumped from platform to platform back towards his friends.
He miscalculated in his step when she jumped at him quickly, making him slip and fall backwards. He instinctively tried to fly before Azula grabbed the front of his shirt in an attempt to catch him.
Heavier than she thought, she was pulled forward by his weight and they were both falling.
She somehow wound up underneath him, facing downward as they plummeted down from fifty feet up. She felt his arms wrap around her, keeping her from saving herself. She was surprised by the definition in his arms. Then again, she never felt a guy's arms before.
But all that wouldn't matter anymore because he was surely about to use her as a cushion. She tried wriggling her way out of his iron grip but he was too strong. Fear gripped her before she realized she was facing up, no longer going to be crushed.
Gohan spun around with Azula in his arms to protect her, not knowing that she was fully capable of saving herself. He crashed into the metal below them.
He released Azula from her his hold and she immediately sprang to her feet before shooting fire at his face. He barely rolled out of the way before flipping to his feet.
He continued to dodge her attacks, leading her away so she wouldn't be in the drill when it burst open. When they reached the hole he and his friends entered, he made it seem like he fell again. She jumped down after him.
Gohan could sense Katara and Sokka behind him, and Toph in front of him as Azula jumped down after him. He ducked under the kick she aimed for his head before kicking her out from under the drill, knocking the air out of her.
She landed on her back and tried getting the air back into her body when Gohan stopped next to her. She shot fire at him before he could even open his mouth. He wasn't surprised, but he didn't react quick enough to avoid the blue flame from engulfing him.
Azula, at first, smiled, finally believing that she rid herself of him. But then she frowned, and for the first time, regretted her action. She looked away, not wanting to see his charred body.
"Wow, that was a close one," Gohan said, having redirected the flames around him.
She looked up at him, relieved to see that he was perfectly fine.
"You burnt my clothes," he said, looking down at himself. He grabbed his shirt and tore what remained off with a simple tug, revealing his sculpted torso and arms.
Azula tried not to stare at him, she wanted to send fire at him instead. But her eyes were drawn to the scars that littered his chest and arms.
"So, are we gonna continue or what?" Gohan asked, dropping into a stance. Frowning, she started at him, continuing where they left off.
Above, Aang had just finished cutting a deep 'X' into the top of the drill. Now all he needed was one of the dozens of rocks being hurled from the top of the wall to the drill.
'Just what I need,' Aang thought, using Earthbending to grab a rock that landed next to him and putting it on the cut he made. He cut off pieces of it so it would fit the shape perfectly. He was sure to keep the top of the rock rounded for the next part of his plan.
With that done, he turned and ran up the wall with the use of his Airbending. He got about halfway up the wall before turning on heel, like a jet, he ran all the way down the wall, building up air pressure until he slammed down on the rock. The resulting impact crippled the drill, making it buckle and all the support beams inside snap, breaking it down.
With the slurry being backed up behind the drill by Toph and Katara, the drill busted at its sides, spewing slurry everywhere.
Gohan turned, spitting slurry out of his mouth. It covered him head to toe in, drenching him completely. He looked up and saw that Azula was covered in it, too. He laughed, making her scowl even though he couldn't see it.
"I don't see what is humorous about this, you're covered in it as well," Azula said bitterly.
"I don't mind," Gohan replied. "It's not like it's the end of the world," he said. "But your plan has been ruined." He pointed to the drill. "I could take you to be arrested, but I'd rather not," he said, turning around. "Leave while you still can." He started walking away.
"You would just turn your back on your enemy?" Azula spat, starting a flame in her hand.
"Call me crazy," Gohan started, stopping to look back at her. "But I don't really consider you my enemy even though you could strike me down right now," he said. "I know you won't, because you don't want to. That, or you can't because the Fire Nation wants me alive," he laughed sheepishly, noticing that her flame had dissipated.
"Come with me," she requested, not pleadingly. "You're just prolonging the inevitable."
"Maybe, but I'd rather take my chances in evading you," he said. "It's actually kinda fun," he said, walking away. "See ya later, Princess?" he called over his shoulder as he began running away from her.
The five members of Team Avatar - so Sokka dubbed the as - stood on the wall, watching the sun set in the distance.
Gohan had sensed Azula and the other two girls traveling away and was glad to know that she took his advice and left. It would be a real shame to see the Earth Kingdom try to execute her for war crimes or something.
"You know, I just want say: good job out there, Team Avatar," Sokka said, gesturing to everyone.
The hybrid looked to the older boy. He found the prospect of a team name cool. It reminded him of the Ginyu Force at times.
"Enough with the 'Team Avatar' stuff," Katara told Sokka. "No matter how many times you say it, it's never gonna catch on," she said.
"Oh, don't be a downer, Katara." Gohan smiled, crossing his arms behind his head. "I think a team name would be pretty cool," he said.
"Yeah… the 'BoomerAang Squad'," Sokka said, pulling out his favorite weapon. "See, it's great because it has 'Aang' in it," he said.
"I kind like that one," Aang told Katara.
"Let's talk about this when we enter the city," Katara suggested.
"The Avatar Group?" Sokka suggested, ignoring Katara.
"How about the 'Elemental Force'?" Gohan asked Sokka. "Oh, I know, how about the 'Avatar's Warrior Squadron?" he chuckled.
"The 'Ferocious Five'?" Sokka suggested, laughing with his friend. "The Aang Gang?"
"How about… the 'Gaang'?" Gohan suggested, looking to see Sokka's reaction.
"Hey, that's not half bad," Sokka said. "Simple, catchy, manly, and it's got a nice ring to it."
And so the five heroes decided to discuss the issue further once they were settled in the city. With the drill crisis diverted, they could now give important information to the King, and spend time looking for Appa.
AN: Okay, I'm gonna end it here simply because… I don't know. Now, there are some things you should all know before continuing to read:
One: I am not the Masenko56 you all know. Previously, that was my sister. Now it is I, her younger brother. She is going through some problems and now I'm taking control of both her stories. But fear not, I know the direction this story is going in very well so you don't have to worry about something major being changed.
Two: some of you might ask why Gohan can't easily find Appa. The answer to that is simple; it's because Appa doesn't have a huge energy or one that is easy to detect in largely populated areas. You might argue and say that "How is Appa's energy level not large if he's able to fly and support the weight of several people?" Well, that's because Appa doesn't use energy to fly. He controls the air currents surrounding him and uses it to carry him.
And that's pretty much it. Note: a little less than half of this chapter was completed before I finished it. Just to let you know in case you see something a little different in writing style or something.