Four Weeks Ago…
Appa struggled against the ropes of the sandbenders, roaring loudly in protest. Behind him, Toph struggled to keep the sinking library above the sand. Though the sand at her feet made it nearly impossible to see, the roaring of the bison made it clear he was in trouble.
"No!" she cried out. "Stop sinking!"
One of the ropes caught onto Appa's horn and the bison yanked the sandbender off his feet. Two more were forced to release their ropes in order to avoid Appa's tail. Still, more kept coming with even more ropes.
"Don't make me put this down!" Toph shouted.
She released the library, sending out a blade of sand that went completely wide. She was then forced to grab the library again as the leader of the band gave a shout.
"Put a muzzle on him!" Ghashiun ordered.
One of the sandbenders threw a rope around Appa's mouth, but Appa was able to break it, causing the sandbender to fall to the ground. Another sandbender threw a rope around Appa's horn and the bison sent them flying through the air. Appa then tried to take off, but a sandbender threw a rope around Appa's leg and used sand bending to secure his own feet. The other sandbenders followed his lead and they all forced Appa to the ground.
A sand-sailer slid next to Appa, giving the sandbenders an anchor to strap Appa to. The sandbenders used their sand bending to drag Appa with three different sailers away from Toph, who was still holding onto the library.
"I'm sorry Appa." Toph lamented, closing her eyes as Appa was dragged away.
…
After putting enough distance between them and the library, Ghashiun called for his clan to halt.
"Ransack the saddle." Ghashiun ordered, lowering his mask. "Who knows what treasures are stashed in there!"
Two sandbenders went to comply, but a roar from Appa stopped them in their tracks.
"He's tied up good." Ghashiun insisted. "He can't hurt you."
The two then leapt onto Appa's saddle, stirring some sand. It got into Appa's nose and he let out a sneeze. The force of wind he created sent the center sailer into a sand dune. One of the sandbenders looked over at Ghashiun with a worried expression.
"What's your father gonna do when he finds out we lost a sand-sailer?" he asked.
"Nothing." Ghashiun informed him. "It's the one we stole from the Hami tribe."
Inside the saddle, the two sandbenders tore through the saddles contents looking for anything of value, but just found various junk. Among them was the umbrella from Aunt Wu, the water bending scrolls, a red spirit mask, and Sokka's club.
"That's it?!" Ghashiun snapped. "Nothing but garbage!"
He gave the mask a kick as the sandbenders descended from the saddle.
"Doesn't matter." he decided, having vented enough to think clearly. "We'll still make a profit from selling him to those beetle-headed merchants."
One of the benders picked up the umbrella, opening it before holding it over his head. Ghashiun just rolled his eyes and walked away from the sandbender.
...
Later on, the sandbenders pulled up to a small camp of merchants, still dragging Appa. The merchants, who were all wearing helmets resembling beetles, examined Appa curiously and with an appraising eye.
"How's his temper?" the merchant asked.
"Uh, pretty good." Ghashiun replied as Appa let out a roar, startling the other two merchants. "Most of the time."
One of the merchants glanced over at the first one.
"I bet someone will pay a fortune for him in Ba Sing Se." he said.
"Alright, you've got a deal." the first one declared.
The sandbenders were given a large box of gold pieces as a giant beetle pulled Appa onto a caged sled. Arms very similar to those of a beetle closed around the bison, locking him onto the sled.
...
Across the desert, Aang flew through the skies, searching for his missing friends.
"Appa! Appa!" He cried out.
He then gave his bison whistle a blow.
...
The sound reached Appa's ears, rejuvenating the bison. He began rocking back and forth, trying to free himself from the sled. The sandbenders looked back as they mounted their sailers, leaving Appa with the merchants.
"He's your problem now!" Ghashiun shouted as they made their escape.
"What?!" the second merchant exclaimed.
Appa then slammed his tail into the ground, pulling it free of the ropes holding it down. He then tried flying off, dragging the giant beetle as he went. Realizing their quarry was getting away, the merchants immediately panicked.
"We need the shirshu darts!" the first merchant declared.
The second merchant pulled out a blowgun, sliding the desired dart into it.
"Okay big fella, you're gonna take a nice little snoozle." he declared.
He blew three darts into Appa's foot, the effects taking root almost instantaneously. Appa's eyes rolled back in his head as he crashed back down onto the ground.
...
Aang looked out at the empty desert, seeing no sign of his missing friend. Anguish and despair washed over him as tears welled up in his eyes.
"No." he let out, shaking his head in anger before jumping in the air. "NO!"
He slammed his glider down, creating a giant mushroom cloud of sand.
...
Far off in the distance, Appa could see Aang's mushroom cloud as his consciousness began to leave him. The two merchants stood over him, neither of them happy with their recent acquisition.
"We've got to get rid of this one." the first merchant insisted. "He's too much trouble."
"We could sell it for parts." the second offer.
Appa didn't hear the rest of the conversation, his world going black as he slipped into dreamless oblivion.
...
When Appa returned to his senses, he found that he was no longer in the desert. Instead, he found himself locked in a cage just big enough to hold his massive frame. Thick chains were wrapped around all six of his legs, restricting his movements. What made it worse was that from the dark reds that seemed to surround him, it was clear that wherever he was, he was in the Fire Nation. From the large number of animals around him, the decorations around his cage, and the tent that seemed to surround them, it was easy to deduce he'd been sold to a circus.
Just as he was fully regaining himself, a man in extravagant robes that were almost theatrically gaudy approached his cage, reaching in and patting his head. Appa accepted the pat, hoping this meant things would not be too difficult.
"I understand you've had a rather hard time lately." He said, a dark undertone to his words. "That's too bad. You probably had no choice but to behave outrageously, like a wild animal."
He retracted his hand, his grin becoming malicious.
"But don't worry." He assured the bison. "You won't anymore. Because I am going to break you."
Appa felt a shiver run through him, realizing that things had gone from bad to worse.
...
Much later, the man, who was apparently the circus' animal trainer, rolled into the animal tent with a large cart of cabbages. He passed them off to the various animals, passing by Appa's cage. The bison lifted his front paws as best he could, scratching at the bars to get the trainer's attention.
"Hungry?" The trainer asked, holding up a cabbage towards Appa, who began drooling. "Don't worry, I'm going to feed you."
Appa went to slurp up the cabbage, but the trainer pulled it away at the last second.
"But not yet." he explained. "First, I'm going to show you how you earn it."
He approached a cage holding a lion vulture, tossing the creature the cabbage before releasing it from its cage. The lion vulture flew around the room for a bit before the trainer used his firebending to create a whip that spurred it into motion. It began flying through a series of hoops, doing various aerial flips and spins as it switched from hoop to hoop.
Appa paid the creature no mind, instead focusing on the cabbage cart that had been left unattended by the trainer. He sucked in a breath, pulling the cart closer before using the same technique to pull cabbages from it. The trainer didn't notice, more focused on the lion vulture than the bison.
"Of course, when you perform, the hoops will be flaming." The trainer told him. "And if you're careful, you won't get burned."
Appa then belched, alerting the trainer to his antics. To say the trainer was mad would've been an understatement.
"You're about to be sorry." The trainer threatened, cracking his fire whip. "It's obvious whoever your previous owner was, he had no idea how to handle you properly."
Appa roared in fear at the fire, something that made the trainer cackle cruelly.
...
A few nights later, the circus was in full swing. Carnival music was playing throughout the grounds as lanterns lit the path to the main tent. A young boy followed his father, pausing at the entrance to the animal tent. He noticed Appa trying to suck up a bale of hay, feeling sympathy for the animal. He made to step into the tent, but a massive hand stopped him. He froze as his father turned him around.
"I'm gonna to go get a bag of sizzle crisps." he announced. "Stay here and stay away from that monster."
The boy gulped, nodding.
"Y-yes sir." he mumbled.
"You better be right here when I get back, or you'll regret it." his father declared before walking off.
The boy watched his father go, then glanced back at Appa. The bison licked the bars of his cage, pleading for him to help. The boy made sure his dad wasn't looking, then ran inside the tent and pushed the hay bale right up against Appa's cage. Appa gave him a tiny lick of appreciation, then ate his meal. The boy returned to where he'd been standing to avoid trouble with his dad. As he left, the trainer and the circus master walked into the tent, discussing Appa.
"He's a difficult creature," The trainer conceded. "Stubborn and willful. I need more time with him. It's too risky now."
"Too risky? What are you talking about?" The circus master declared, gesturing dramatically. "This is the circus, home of fear and danger. I want the wind buffalo to perform tonight."
He then walked off as the trainer turned to Appa with an almost murderous look.
"If you don't behave yourself, you'll regret it." he swore, summoning a large flame in his hand to scare Appa.
The flames did the trick, causing the bison to rear back as far as he could, roaring in fear. The trainer let the flames get closer before closing his hand and killing them. He stalked off to prepare for the show, unaware of the boy watching from the tent entrance. The boy gave the bison a sympathetic smile as his father returned to collect him.
"Let's go!" his father snapped, taking him by his shoulder and dragging him off.
"See ya later buddy." the boy waved as he was dragged off.
Appa watched him go, then laid down in his cage, his mind drifting off as he waited for the trainer to return.
...
A few nights later, the circus was in full swing. Platypus bears were balancing balls on their bills, women were spinning plates on long rods, and acrobats were stacked on top of each other in a human pyramid. From the audience, the boy from before and his father were watching on, the latter stuffing his face with sizzle crisps and denying them to the former.
"Ladies and gentlemen," The circus master announced. "Now for something truly special. A noble beast so magnificent, it hasn't been seen by human eyes in generations. I give you… the wind buffalo!"
A curtain dropped, revealing Appa in perhaps the most ridiculous costume there was. Pounds of makeup were slathered on his face, and he had more tassels hanging off of him than a curtain shop. The audience all laughed at Appa's ridiculous appearance as he slogged out into the center of the ring where the trainer was waiting.
"Up." He instructed.
Appa just shook his head and turned around, much to the audience's amusement. The trainer growled before summoning a fire whip.
"Up, you insolent cow!" He demanded, snapping his whip at him.
Appa roared at the trainer angrily, causing the boy from earlier to jump to his feet.
"Run away!" He called out. "Get away from him!"
"Be quiet!" His father told him, forcing him to sit down.
Reluctantly, Appa flew into the air and began to perform his act. The crowd gasped as he flew, but the boy just seemed sad and dismayed.
"Fabulous!" His father let out, clapping along with the crowd.
Appa then flew a flaming ring before landing on a small platform on one leg. He then flew through the second hoop, but the top of his costume caught fire. Appa felt the heat, turning to put it out before knocking the third hoop down with his tail. It landed right on top of the trainer, knocking him out.
This got everyone in the crowd busting out into laughter, including the boy. Appa turned to him, and for a moment, he saw Aang laughing in the boy's stead. The image of his best friend spurred the bison into motion, shaking his head vigorously until his costume came off. The boy noticed this, realizing what the bison was planning.
"Go, you can do it." the boy reassured.
Appa then tried to make his escape, but a sudden fire blast stopped him. The trainer had regained consciousness, and looked beyond livid.
"Get back here, you stupid beast!" He shouted.
Appa then flew in close and knocked the trainer into the air with his tail. The trainer soared through the tent and landed with a thud as Appa flew out of the tent, his costume getting left behind. The boy watched him go, smiling widely.
...
Though the chains still locked on is legs made travel difficult, Appa flew as fast as he could, desperate to get back to Aang in the desert. He eventually reached the crater where the library had been, his eyes widening when he realized it was gone. He roared in despair, landing in the crater and trying to dig. After only a few tries, he gave up, curling up in the sand to sleep.
The next day, he flew out once more as he felt his stomach grumble. He spied a purple egg in the sand, swooping down to eat it. Unfortunately, a gilacorn snatched it and ran away before he could. Appa then flew over to a cactus, scaring away a jackalope as he tried to eat it. He barely had a chance to bite down before he roared in pain and spat it out due to the needles.
By this point, hunger and exhaustion were beginning to weigh heavy on the bison. He then sniffed the air, catching the scent of what he hoped was food coming from the large rock in the center of the desert. Hunger fueling his resolve, he flew straight into the buzzard wasp nest, hoping that some form of sustenance would be waiting for him inside.
Seconds later, he came flying out with an entire swarm of the creatures flying after him. He flew high into the air to try and get rid of them, then finally used his tail to send a massive airbending attack their way. The buzzards were sent in the opposite direction before fleeing back to their hive. Appa took the chance to rest once more, licking the slime from the walls of the hive off of his fur.
...
As night time fell, Appa finally made his way out of the desert. He was dirty, exhausted, and he had no idea how long he'd been flying. Soon, a small farm came into view, which included a barn big enough for him to fly in. He did just that, drinking from a small trough and gorging himself on hay. Once he finished his meal, he flopped onto his stomach, drifting off to sleep.
...
The skies of the Eastern Air Temple were filled with sky bison flying around and circling around their mother. As they played in the air and flew around, young airbender children gathered around Sister Lio, the caretaker of the bison. Each child took an apple from her, including a young Aang before he earned his tattoos.
"Choose well." Sister Lio told the children. "A sky bison is a companion for life."
The small bison all landed with their mother in front of the children. Lio threw the mother an apple who gobbled it up. With the other bison, Aang walked up to Appa and held out an apple for him. Appa sniffed the apple as Aang handed it to him. The young airbender then gave Appa a hug, one the tiny bison returned with a tackle and a lick to the face.
"I guess this means we'll always be together." Aang said joyfully.
…
A ways away, Aang was sleeping soundly in the camp at Serpent's Pass, dreaming of better times with his lost Bison.
"Always." He let slip out.
...
The sound of the barn door opening pulled Appa from his slumber. He turned to the door to see a farmer and his wife entering. The farmer was armed with a pitchfork, and his wife held a torch.
"Ahh!" The farmer let out. "It's some kind of monster!"
Appa roared at the sight of the flames, standing on his hind legs as he did. The sight of the towering bison had both the farmer and his wife scurrying out of the barn. Appa took the opportunity to bust through the roof of the barn, trying to get away from the perceived danger of the flames. The farmer and his wife watched the sky bison flew into the night.
...
Appa flew deeper into Earth Kingdom territory, passing over the Serpent's Pass and over the Ferry Boat carrying Zuko, Xia, and Iroh. Iroh happened to catch sight of the bison, his eyes immediately darting down to his sleeping niece and nephew. Both were asleep, leaning on one another with a blanket draped over them. He sighed in relief, then glanced back up in the sky where Appa had been headed.
…
After some more flying, exhaustion overtook the bison once more. He weaved through the air, eventually spotting the remains of some ruins covered in trees. To hungry and tired for a proper landing, the bison skidded across the ground, coming to rest just outside the small ruin. Feeling hungry, he bit into some grass in front of him as an angry squeal ripped through the night.
From inside the small ruin, a boar-q-pine came barreling out, charging at Appa. It rammed into him, knocking him off the small cliff the ruin rested on. They rolled for a few moments until they reached the bottom, boar-q-pine quills dotting Appa's arms. The two animals roared at one another, then began circling each other, as if daring the other to move.
The boar-q-pine charged first, knocking Appa into a tree hard enough to topple it. Appa grabbed the fallen tree in his mouth, throwing it at ath boar-q-pine. It merely jumped over the trunk, charging once more. Appa stood on his rear legs and managed to pick the boar-q-pine up before tossing it to the side. The creature went skidding across the ground hard enough to kick up dust for a good mile. By the time he came to a stop, all fight had left the boar-q-pine. It picked itself up, taking off into the night.
Appa watched it run, still on his hind legs as he panted. He then tried to pull out one of the quills with his teeth, only to roar in pair from its removal. Too injured, too hungry, and too exhausted to do anything more, the bison flew up into the now vacant ruins, collapsing almost immediately.
...
Appa remained in that ruin for many days, too weak to even think about moving. The world outside of his ruin was a blur of days and nights. He dreamed often of Aang, wondering how the young airbender was doing. He wished that he would come and save him from his pain, but as the days wore on, he began to lose hope.
...
One morning, the Kyoshi Warriors were out gathering berries in the field where Appa's battle had taken place. Because of how violent the fray had been, boar-q-pine quills and clumps of Appa's fur were everywhere. One of the warriors picked up one of the clumps, examining it closely.
"Must have been some fight." she remarked. "I wonder who won. The boar-q-pine, or whatever this fur belonged to."
Suki heard her talking and glanced over, gasping at the sight of the distinctive white fur.
"Wait, let me see that." Suki told her.
The warrior handed over the fur, allowing Suki to run in through her fingers.
"It can't be..." she swore.
Dropping the clump, she looked around for more fur, following the trail of destruction from the fight. It eventually led her to the top of the cliff, where she was startled by the sight of Appa. Her surprise turned to horror and sadness when she saw the state the bison was in.
"Appa." she whispered.
Appa heard her voice, waking up instantly. He growled and snarled, backing deeper into the ruins. Suki approached, but Appa just remained where he was, fear too deeply rooted in his heart. Suki stopped about halfway up to the ruin, dropping the berries she'd collected, as well as an apple.
"It's okay, Appa." she assured him. "I'll be right back with help."
She descended the cliff once again as Appa looked down at the fruit, wondering if it was safe to eat.
...
Later, Suki led a group of five Kyoshi warriors towards the cliff, addressing them before they climbed up all the way.
"No sudden movements." she warned. "He's been lost for a while and he looks like he's hurt, so stay low, and stay quiet."
"Is it really the Avatar's bison?" One of the warriors asked.
"It's him." Suki nodded.
"But, you just saw the Avatar a few days ago." A second warrior recalled.
"Which is why we need to help his bison get better." Suki insisted. "Then, he can catch up to Aang in Ba Sing Se. Just be careful. We don't know what Appa's been through, or how he may react. This could very well be our most dangerous, and most important mission yet."
The Kyoshi Warriors peered over the top of the hill at Appa, who growled at the sight of them. He roared and snarled, stomping as best he could.
"Give him some space!" Suki insisted.
The other warriors stepped back as Suki slowly moved forward, trying to calm the beast.
"Appa, it's me, Suki." She said calmly. "I'm a friend."
Appa's growls subsided, though he still remained wary. Suki continued her approach, holding out a hand in a calming gesture.
"My friends and I want to help you." she told him. "We'll make you feel better, then we'll get you back to Aang. But you have to let us help you, okay?"
Appa growled softly as Suki placed a hand on his nose. With her gentle urging, he laid down on his stomach, closing his eyes once more.
...
Sometime later, Appa's shackles had finally been removed. All of the boar-q-pine quills were gone, and his fur was clean once more. He'd devoured just about every berry bush in the clearing, but his hunger was sated as well. Happy for the first time in a long, time, Appa thanked his saviors with grateful licks all around.
The happiness of the moment was ruined when out of nowhere, lightning struck a nearby tree. The tree fell as the Kyoshi Warriors surrounded the now angry bison. From over a nearby ridge, Mai, Ty Lee, and Azula emerged, riding on the backs of their Mongoose lizards. They came to a stop in front of the group, Azula holding up a clump of Appa's fur.
"My, my." Azula let out, tossing the clump aside. "You're easy to find. It's really astounding my brother hasn't captured you yet."
The warriors all drew their fans, opening retractable shields on their arms.
"Who are you?" Suki demanded. "What are you doing here?"
"I should be asking you that." Azula retorted. "Though from the looks of you, I'd say you're some sort of Avatar fan club."
"... Oh, I get it." Ty Lee realized. "Good one, Azula."
Azula glanced around, ignoring Ty Lee's attempt at flattery.
"So where is the Avatar?" she questioned. "It's not like him to leave his pet unattended."
"He's not here." Suki snarled. "Sorry."
"I knew this was a waste of time." Mai remarked.
"No Avatar, huh." Azula realized. "Well, that's ok. Any friend of the Avatar is an enemy of mine!"
Azula leapt off her mongoose lizard and shot a fire blast at the Kyoshi Warriors, causing them to bring up their shields to block the blast. Ty Lee and Mai jumped off of theirs, the latter facing off against two warriors. Before they even had a chance to attach, she threw three shruiken at one of the warriors, pinning her to a tree. She then turned to the other one.
"You're so colorful, it's making me nauseous." Mai commented before throwing darts at her.
The warrior blocked the darts with her sword, charging at Ty Lee. The acrobat slid out of the way, delivering a quick succession of punches to her chi points to send her crumbling to the ground. She then stood over the girl, giving a small snort.
"You're not prettier than we are." she informed the downed warrior.
Suki meanwhile was fending off Azula's fire blasts with her fan shield. One blasted deflected onto a fallen tree, setting it ablaze. Appa felt the heat and recoiled, roaring at the flames in fear. Azula noticed this and smirked.
"Afraid of fire, I see." she noted. "That's good. You should be."
"Go Appa!" Suki called out, pulling out her sword. "Fly away from here!"
As Appa started to fly away, Suki charged at Azula, sword first. Azula jumped into the air and avoided the sword, knocking it into a tree. She then blasted at Azula, who blocked the flames with her shield before trying for a jab. Azula easily blocked it, knocking Suki to the ground.
Seeing Suki brought down, Appa ceased his escape, turning back towards the fight. Azula prepared a killing blow, but a warrior threw her fan at the princess to distract her. Azula kicked a fire blast at the warrior before giving chase, allowing Suki the time she needed to recover. Upon realizing Appa was on his way back, she ran forward, swinging a burning branch in the air to scare him off.
"Get out of here!" she shouted. "You have to find Aang! We'll be okay!"
Appa slowly backed away from Suki and her torch before flying away fast. She watched him escape, sighing in relief as another fire blast hit Suki's shield. She stumbled back, dropping the branch before pulling out her fan.
"Don't you know fans just make flames stronger?" Azula remarked before charging forward.
Suki quickly deflected another blast from Azula before charging towards her as well.
...
Meanwhile, Appa continued flying just above the treetops, not sure where he was going. In instinct, he just started flying east, his dream of the Eastern Air Temple still fresh in his mind. He flew for several days, even through a terrible rain storm. He passed over a fleet of Water Tribe ships, the leader of the fleet just staring at the animal in shock.
Not that long after, Appa reached the mountains, getting closer and closer to his desired destination: The Eastern Air Temple. He entered the abandoned ruins that has once been the bison stables. Memories flitted through his head, reminding him of the days he used to chase his siblings through the passages. His eyes then drifted over to an old teething rod, which he gnawed on for a moment, only to gag on the 100 years' worth of dust and dirt that had collected.
Abandoning the stables as the sun began to rise, Appa made his way out onto one of the many open balconies. He stopped short when he saw someone meditating before the rising sun. Believing it to be an Airbender, or maybe even Aang himself, Appa perked up immediately and charged at the figure. He tackled them to the ground, licking them a few times before finally getting a good look at them.
It was a skinny, dark skinned man with a thick, bushy white beard wearing a yellow robe. The man looked shocked at the sudden tongue assault, but quickly recovered and offered Appa a sagely smile.
"Hello." he greeted. "I am Guru Pathik."
Appa blinked, then flew off of the man, retreating to the other end of the balcony. He growled at him as Pathik sat up slightly, recognizing the beast's hostile stance. Still, he remained calm and kind.
"I know I'm not the person you expected." he said softly "And I didn't expect to be licked by a giant tongue just now. The world is full of surprises."
Appa just growled at the guru again. Realizing Appa was not in a friendly mood, Pathik laid back down and closed his eyes.
...
A few hours later, Appa was now laying down, his eyes still on the guru. Pathik raised his head, eliciting more growls from the bison. He laid back down, closing his eyes again.
...
Around midafternoon, Pathik cracked an eye open, getting a snort from Appa. He closed it again.
...
Night fell and Appa had finally fallen asleep, rolling onto his side and snoring loudly. Hearing the sound, Pathik sat up. When Appa did not growl in protest, he did a backwards somersault onto his feet, clapping his hand free of dirt. Rubbing his hands together, he approached Appa, then placed his right hand on Appa's chest.
"Oh, dear." He let out. "You've been through so much recently. Hurt and betrayed. So twisted up inside."
He traced two fingers farther down Appa's stomach, eventually resting his hand once more.
"You're still full of love." he said before sighing mournfully. "But fear has moved in where trust should be."
He kept his hand there for a moment, his eyes drifting up to the stars.
"I've been expecting you and the young Avatar for quite a long time." he said aloud. "I had a vision many years ago of helping him. That's why I came to the Eastern Air Temple."
He walked over to Appa's head, sighing at how restless the bison seemed.
"Oh, your emotions are so turbulent." he lamented. "Like swirling storm clouds."
He placed his hand on Appa's forehead, and the bison calmed down. His expression became more peaceful as he began almost purring.
"Let the clouds in your mind be gentle, peaceful ones." Pathik said before leaving Appa to rest.
…
An unknown time later, Appa woke up with a start, He looked around for the guru, then stopped when he saw a small pile of fruit in front of him. He drooled in hunger, then inhaled the fruit. He then found another piece, then another. In fact, several pieces of fruit had been set up in a long path, one Appa eagerly followed. As he followed the trail of food, it led him to a platform where Guru Pathik was feeding some birds. When he saw the bison, he broke out into a grin.
"Someone looks very well rested, judging by your bed head." Pathik noted.
Appa roared in agreement, then shook his head to smoothen out his fur.
...
That night, Appa paced back and forth as Pathik meditated. He eventually settled down near the guru, laying on his side. Pathik smiled, recognizing the gesture of trust and accepting it. He stood up, picking up a scroll that had been sitting next to him.
"I have prepared a message for Aang." Pathik told him. "May I attach it to your horn?"
Appa gave a soft roar of agreement, tilting his head so the guru could reach it easier. Pathik swiftly and gently tied the scroll, then walked in front of the bison.
"You and the Avatar's energies are mixed." Pathik shared, running two fingers across Appa's arrow. "You have an unbreakable bond. By reading your energy, I can sense where Aang is."
Aang licked him in response, excited at the prospect of seeing Aang again. Pathik laughed, wiping slobber from his beard.
"Funny, what invisible strings connect us all." he mused.
He then closed his eyes, placing his hand back on Appa's head. Focusing on his spiritual energy, he followed its trail out of the Eastern Air Temple, and deep into the heart of the Earth Kingdom.
"I'll see you again, great beast." he concluded.
...
Appa flew as fast as he could, desperate to see Aang again. It didn't take him that long for him to reach Ba Sing Se. He flew over the great wall and into the lower ring, roaring in hopes that Aang would hear him. As he flew off, a pair of Dai Li agents watched from the rooftops, descending at the bison passed over them.
Appa kept searching the city below him, searching for any sign of his friend. That's when a familiar, high pitch whistle reached his ears. Appa followed the sound down into the streets, three pygmy pumas watching as he landed in an open clearing in the streets, chasing after the noise.
When he finally found the source of the noise, he was horrified to see that it wasn't Aang with his bison whistle. Instead, it was Long Feng with a dog whistle, smirking as the bison approached. He then earthbended a slab of rock beneath Appa, causing him to spin before dropping down into an area below the city. All that was left of proof he'd been there was a single footprint in the mud.