I only own Bethany.
Author's note: To Avatar:TLA fans, I'm really sorry. I just realized that I spelled Suki's name wrong. It's spelled with a S not a Z. But I know now and will NOT make the same mistake again. I promise.
Aang gazed happily at his girlfriend. Besides the fact that she still had broken chains attached to her, Katara was alright. Aang took a quick glance at the others. Sokka and Suki were sharing a romantic kiss and Zuko and Mai were doing the same. Mai, who was missing this whole time showed up at the last second and helped Aang save them.
"Aang! You did it! You saved us!" exclaimed Katara proudly and happily.
"Of course I did. I would do anything to save my sugar baby," replied Aang as coolly as he could, with a smile that said I'm-cool-now-kiss-me. Katara blushed and giggled before running to Aang's open arms. When Katara was close enough, Aang closed his eyes and leaned forward to receive Katara's hug and not least, to kiss her. Just a few inches more…
"Aang, why are you going to kiss that leaf?" Huh? Aang opened his eyes and instead of Katara, he saw a leaf. And his lips were too close to it.
"Waah!" cried Aang as he threw the leaf away. He heard laughter and saw that instead of being in the dungeons with his loved ones, he was still in the forest with his teammates. Aang definitely didn't fail to notice that all of them were laughing. Even Batman was chuckling a bit.
"So Aang, why were you going to kiss that leaf?" asked Wakko again.
"Were you practicing for your reunion with Katara?" teased Leo.
"Now guys, let's not tease Aang," interceded Bethany. Aang sighed. Thanks Bethie…
"He can't help it that he was so into his daydream that he thought the leaf was Katara," continued Bethie. This resulted in even more laughter. Aang's head got so hot that he felt like it was going to blow up in anger. After glaring daggers at Bethany for a brief second, Aang took in deep cooling breath and felt calming thoughts. When he felt that his head wasn't going to blow up any longer, he answered.
"Actually, all of you are wrong. I was, uh, was trying to see if there was anything in my teeth." This answer was met with a lot of skeptical looks.
"On a leaf?" asked Dot skeptically.
"Uh…yeah! Leaves can be great mirrors if the sun is right and if the green is just the right shade," Aang fibbed.
"You are amazing Aang," complimented Batman.
"Really?" asked Aang in surprise. Did he really just receive a compliment from Batman? Wait, did he just fooled Batman?
"Yes. Not even I can know if there is anything in my teeth by looking at a leaf with my eyes closed," replied Batman with a smirk. Aang blush a deep magenta as the others laughed even harder. Aang sighed in defeat. He knew he probably won't live this down.
Aang's mind drifted off again as he looked at the bright blue sky with a few pure white puffy clouds. Two days had gone by since Timon's confession. Surprisingly, they haven't been attacked since the ambush and while Aang was glad about that, he couldn't help but feel unease. What if not being attacked was not a sign of luck being on their side, but a sign that they were heading right into a trap? A trap that could be a big delay to him finding Katara and the others?
Aang shook his head to clear his mind of his troubling thoughts. He knew that there was no point in thinking them. The only clue they had was this castle in the middle of the All World forest, and they had to look into this clue, even though it might be false. And even if it was false, it might lead them to another clue, which might lead them to their loved ones. Aang knew all of this when he agreed to go to the castle, and he wasn't going to let doubt cloud his judgment now.
"Wait," stated Gandalf loud enough to drag Aang out of his thoughts. Aang immediately stopped, as well as the others.
"What is it?" asked Mickey.
"Look in front of us. Don't you see anything different?" Aang looked closely at the trees in front of them and gasped. He looked all around him and before looking back at the trees in front of him. He wasn't seeing things.
"They're getting thinner," spoke Aang softly. Gandalf nodded.
"Which means we're close," said Gandalf.
"But now close?" asked Bethany.
"This is what I am going to find out. The rest of you stay here," said Batman. With that, Batman disappeared into the shadows of the trees in front of them. The next few minutes were passed in tense silence. Aang scratched the back of his neck nervously. Will his daydream come true today? He really hoped that every bit of it came true. Aang also hoped that after the others were rescued and they were leaving the castle, that Iroh, Bumi, Ty Lee, and all the others from his land that were missing will appear and help them take out the remaining bad guys. Speaking of the missing people, where were Korra, his future children, and the others from Korra's life? They should be out by now…
"What's taking Bats so long?" asked Dot impatiently.
"I was…" answered Batman, appearing out of nowhere.
"Ah!" exclaimed a startled Bethany while jumping into Leo's arms. Leo luckily was able to catch without falling backwards, though he did stumble a bit.
"Shush! They might hear you!" criticized Batman.
"We're that close?" asked Gandalf hopefully.
"Yes. We're only a minute away."
"Everyone got the plan?" asked Gandalf. Everyone nodded.
"Then tell your part to me," ordered Batman. Aang somehow managed not to roll his eyes. Who did he think they were? Children? Oh wait a minute…except for Mickey and Gandalf, all of them were children. Oh.
"Wakko, Timon, and I will make a distraction at the front gate," recounted Dot. Timon pouted.
"Why do I have to be a part of the distraction?" mumbled Timon.
"Because you can do a pretty good hula," complimented Bethany with a knowing smile. Aang chuckled while Timon blush a deep red. He remembered when Simba told him and his friends about his tale…and that part made all of them laugh hard. Of course, living in a world where there wasn't a hula, he had to research why Timon was dressed up in a grass skirt and playing the ukulele.
"And I will protect them," said Mickey, continuing with their recitation of the plan.
"When the villains are going after you four, Batman and I will enter the castle from the highest tower, and search up there for the kidnapped. Meanwhile…" recounted Gandalf.
"Bethie, Aang, and I will sneak in through the back door and find our way to the dungeons and search there as well," continued Leo.
"And once we find them, we will contact you and meet you guys outside," added Aang. Oh please let Katara and the others be there…
"And we will do the same if they are in the towers," said Batman. Aang gulped. Please, please don't let this be a trap…
"And once everyone is out and together again, we will move on till we're in the Black Cauldron land," added Bethie.
"That way, all of us can prevent the Black Cauldron from falling into the hands of the villains," contributed Wakko.
"Then this nightmare will finally be over," said Timon. Aang agreed full heartedly with Timon, because there undoubtedly will be a huge fight over the Black Cauldron, but the good guys will win. How could they not, with every good animated person in Cartoonland protecting it? And once they win the fight, everything will go back to the way it was. The dead bad guys will go back to the Otherworld, no one will be kidnapped, there will be no more fear of anyone getting dipped, let alone a massacre caused by a combination of the Dip and the Cauldron.
"Good. We will act on this plan once night sets in," approved Batman.
"What is the matter Aang?" asked Gandalf. Aang sigh, knowing he must not have hidden his worry well.
"I just hope they can wait till nightfall," Aang admitted.
"Yeah, I wish Timon's mirror would let us see how or where they are. Hang on! Gandalf, don't you have a spell that can let you see into the castle?" asked Bethie. Gandalf sighed.
"I tried countless times but something is blocking me," Gandalf admitted sadly.
"What about the missing?" asked Wakko.
"I tried that too, but for some reason I can't find them either," Gandalf admitted, looking even more solemn. Everyone was silent for a moment.
"It's okay Gandalf. Once we save our loved ones, and they will be in there, alright and waiting for us, it will only be a matter of time till the missing reunites with us," said Mickey.
"I hope so Mickey. I really hope so," said Gandalf. Aang hoped so too. And he had a feeling everyone else did as well.
The rescue has now reached its climax...now, since I am now writing another story, I will only update this if I get a lot of reviews. So, if you want the next chapter quick, REVIEW. Till the next update, see ya!