Avatar the Last Air Bender:Alterations: Aang/Lee
The Hope before the end
Aang scratched his head, man what an awkward night…first there was…well Katara…telling him she loved him! And then of course he had to…do exactly what she had done to him spontaneously and RAN.
Well technically he flew, and after flying around for a few minutes…wondering if and where he would land…he landed finally on a rock….leaning on which, were Sokka and Suki…making out, to which he then fell off of the rock on shock. Which then lead to him tumbling down the rock till he landed on the sleeping Daiken, who then put him in a choke hold as he woke up, that Toph had to break him out of and explain that he was having a dream…then Katara came around the corner wondering what all the commotion was…to see Toph defending Aang from Daiken…leading to a very near death match between him and Katara…
It was NOT a pleasant night…
"Are you alright…?"
Aang turned around to see Katara walking towards him, Aang rubbed his eyes, this was not his day.
"Hey Katara…" he said smiling. "Yeah I'm um…I'm good…are Ying and her husband alright?"
Katara nodded folding her arms, "Daiken um…says he's sorry for choking you…"
Aang put his hand up, "Katara…I know it was an accident…where is he?" she walked over to him.
"With Toph…she thinks the whole thing is funny." She said smirking a bit. Aang smiled back…then they both looked away at the same time.
"Uh look…" he said. "Katara…I…" Katara put her hand up, "Aang…" she said, "I'm sorry…that was…rash and…and I should have thought of what I was going to say…or said it better…"
Aang shook his head,
"No you did…exactly what I did…"
Katara still looked at the ground, "Not everything…" she said thinking of the kiss.
Aang bit his lip, "And I…"
Once again, Katara interrupted him, "Did exactly what I did…that made you leave the first time. Aang I think all of this, has been my fault."
Aang's jaw set digesting this, she knew he heard her unintentional double meaning. If she hadn't have reacted like she had, he wouldn't' have left and met…Ty.
Katara rubbed her eyes and forehead as the wind blew her hair and dress a little.
"Meaning it's not okay…and I…I've been causing you grief…ever since-"
Aang frowned "Katara, you haven't been causing me grief…" he said putting a hand on her arm, "Never…"
Katara looked up at him and saw his adorable genuine smile, it made her grin too…it made her want to hold him in a big hug.
"We're moving out!" Came Sokka's loud voice, "Ying says she's feeling up to it, and we want to use every second we can to get our plans and her behind that big wall!"
Aang and Katara started coughing and clearing their throats at the same time saying "Coming!" at once.
Brago climbed up the ladder of the great Drill and came closer to the hatch. He wiped some sweat out of his eye as he approached the big metal door wheel.
He put his hand on the knob and turned the wheel to the right and pushed. Suddenly sunlight poured in from outside.
The light was in Brago's eyes as he opened the hatch to the roof of his families house.
-FLASH BACK-
"Brago! Keep moving! I want to see!" came the high squealing voice of his new step sister Clera.
The young Brago laughed and climbed all the way up and out, using one hand to shield the light from his eyes.
The wind began to pick up once his face hit the open air and blew some of it in his eyes.
He turned around knelt down, extending his hand to Clera, and he saw her small white hand take it.
He helped her up gingerly and the rest of her came out and up onto the roof. Like with his, the wind immediately picked her long blonde hair, it was as golden as her eyes. She was Cretian (Cray-tee-an), a race of people living on one of the Islands colonized by the Fire Nation early on, their people had blonde straight hair typically, along with sharing the golden eyes the Fire Nation always had. Mostly because of integration, many had more sandy blonde then pure blonde like hers but she was a rarity.
On her first day of school at the Fire Nation Academy she was teased for having such a unique color of hair. Brago at first didn't regard this with anything aside from telling her to pay them no heed, until he saw some boys sitting behind her about to dip her long hair in ink.
The boys were sent to the Academy Nurse and Brago and Clera were sent home, but as best of friends. Since then Clera stuck to his side like a Kangaroo pup to its mother…which..he was seeing the downsides of…a lot more. Still she was the one person who could make him genuinely smile, that was also a kid.
The both of them walked now to the edge of the roof, and looked at the sun setting,
"See? I told you...is it as beautiful as the sunsets in Thaises?" (Thay-see's)
She leaned on the railing letting the wind play with her hair, "No…" she said politely. Brago looked at her without turning his head, "Oh really?"
"It's in its own league, homes sunsets will always be unparalleled, but so will this one." Clera said.
Brago looked back at the last of the sun setting over the valley bellow them, "Good to know we meet your criteria."
Clera looked at him now, "It will be unparelled because I never had a brother to watch them with." She said smiling.
He glanced at her now and couldn't help but smile back at that bright little face…and that was the bait…
Needing no further confirmation then his returned grin, she immediately grasped onto him in a humongous hug.
He shut his eyes as she did and shook his head, hugging her back, and chuckling to himself…in his head.
"Children?" came the voice of Tiya, their servant from the opening on the roof. "Your father wishes to see you…"
Brago's smile turned to a straight line again and his eyes opened as he breathed out slowly.
"We'll be right down Tiya…" Brago said taking his arms from around his step sister.
"Come on…" he said looking down at her, then saw something in her face, it was how he had looked when he saw himself in the mirror when his father had been the way he was to him…when he was her age. The look he vowed never to let him see again, so afraid, afraid and alone. But seeing that look on her innocent face was somehow even more unacceptable.
"It's alright…" he found himself saying, "If anything's the matter I'll say it was me…" she looked up at him nodded slowly, thanking him with a small smile.
He began walking back to the hatch and ladder leading back down to the rooms, then felt her hand squeezing his as she took it suddenly. He held it back, he wouldn't let her brave their father the way he had had to…
Brago blinked his eyes as the desert sun hit them, shaking his head from the flash back.
As his eyes adjusted to the light, he could see it, a thin line in the distance, the great wall of Ba Sing Se…
Back at the Serpents Pass
"Aang…" came a voice from behind Aang, he recognized it as Daiken's.
"Hi Daiken…" he said turning to see the young sand nomad run up alongside him.
He was about to say there was no need to apologize again, but he was beaten to it.
"I would like to apologize for the event last night…" Daiken said.
Aang looked at his usually grim face but saw genuineness in it of one who was truly sorry,
"Like I said…" Aang replied laughing, "It's alright, and I thank you for looking out for our group like this."
Daiken glanced at him as they walked, Aang continued.
"Toph told me about how you came up, and why you want to journey with us…"
Daiken looked at him, "What you fight for is dear to me, it would be my honor to see it through with you…I wish to also thank you for your trust."
Aang kept walking, "Well…I trust Toph's instincts…" he said.
"And what do your own tell you, Avatar?" Daiken asked.
Aang shook his head, "Please, just Aang. And they say that there's no reason not to trust you now…"
Daiken continued looking at him, "But your still having doubts…" he said.
Aang looked at him, "Daiken when I said I trusted you, I meant it." He said seriously.
Daiken's piecing look didn't falter, "Maybe not about me, but something…I can hear it in your voice like I can sense it on you…"
Aang raised his brows, "Sense?..."
Daiken looked over the horizon again, "We Desert Nomads are taught early on to feel with our sixth sense, it's what you as Avatar transcend to go into your vision walks…"
Aang's eyes were open with curiosity, "Spirit walks…" he said excitedly,
Daiken nodded, "We obviously cannot go that far, only you can reach that realm…but we do concentrate to be more in touch with ourselves. To know our own hearts…think with our instincts."
Aang nodded, "Meditation, that's what we learn at the ancient temples!" he said amused.
Daiken's face changed a tad.
"Where I live…" he said, "It's more for survival than anything else…when we get that gut feeling….to know if something is not right…it can often mean life or death…"
Aang nodded looking at the road again, recalling his run ins with Ty..and how his gut feelings with her had meant life or death…for the both of them, and if he hadn't listened to them, he wouldn't have been able to reach out like he had, and realized he…cared for her...so so much…"
"I do not know what clouds your heart now…" Daiken said, "But…as you have the friends…" he said glancing back, "Who are willing to listen, I'd take advantage of that."
Aang bit his lip, not wanting to turn around so he wouldn't risk Katara seeing him do so.
"Oh come on!" came Sokka's annoyed voice.
Aang looked ahead and saw that the road didn't stop…it just continued on right into the ocean, and in the distance, in the the cliffs across from them, they could see a little white line of the road continuing up out of the sea to the rest of the Pass.
Suki rubbed her head,
"I didn't count on the tide coming in so high…"
Aang gripped his staff, "Or just the valley of the road being this low…"
Toph nodded, "Yeah…the ground goes all the way nearly to the ocean floor…." She said shuddering as she shifted her toes feeling the ground.
Sokka began undoing the pack on his back.
"What are you doing?..." Aang asked.
"Well we'd better swim for it!" Sokka said determined, "Days a waste'n."
Katara rolled her eyes and rolled up her sleeves pushing passed Sokka to the front of the group.
"Stay close…" she said seriously, and began moving her arms in a series of Kata like wave motions.
Immediately the water on either side of the road split into two great walls, and Katara began taking large steps down the path as she made the walls higher and higher and further and further forward.
Aang's eyes grew by her fluid mastery and followed after her smiling, "Come people we cant afford to get separated down here!"
He handed his glider staff to Toph who took it without question as she cautiously followed the group down the path that Katara and now Aang were creating.
As they went further down into the water, they could see that Katara and Aang were in fact making an air bubble around everyone and were rolling this ball of air along the sea floor, following the path of course.
Sokka looked in amazement at all the fish swimming by them, a few even stuck their heads momentarily in their air bubble then darted back in the water quicker than a blink.
Momo leapt from Aang's shoulder and flew straight into the water wall to their right. Soon he was joining the fishes in their schools and chasing them in all directions around their air bubble, poking his head in as the fish had done and playing hide and seek with the group.
The pregnant wife and husband laughed a little as they walked steadily, Suki and the husband were holding her hand helping her walk.
Toph on the other hand was walking VERY stiffly, but keeping up with the others.
"Your breath is short, are you alright?" Daiken asked out of the blue.
Toph suddenly darted her head in his direction as if she'd been snapped out of something, or stung by a bee…
"Um! Yeah, I'm fine…I just wish we could move a little FASTER…." She said emphasizing the last part loud enough for Aang and Katara to hear.
*SQUEEK!*
Came Momo's startled chirp as he splashed back into their air bubble and curled himself tightly around Aang's neck, quivering with fear.
"What was that?" Sokka asked.
"What was what?" Suki said.
"I saw it too…" Aang said, "..a huge shadow just passed by."
"A bigger fish?" the Husband asked hopefully.
His and everyone's question was answered as the wife suddenly screamed looking to her right.
They all did the same and saw a huge, yellow eye the size of ostrich horse moving in quick motions scanning everyone inside the bubble, were one of them to reach out their hand, they could touch it it was so close...
Suddenly the water began to move around them, and a roar that was muffled by the water…like the sound of a whale call went out. Then without warning, a huge…something, burst through their bubble, followed by a long…long, scaly neck, as thick as 3 trees.
Water poured in rising in their air bubble quicker than anyone could think, anyone but Toph and Daiken who both slammed their feet, or fist on the ground, and the piece of ocean floor everyone was standing on suddenly jetted upwards with them all on it, till they were out in open air on the surface.
They were on a very small island now…looking out wide eyed and shell-shocked at the disturbed water.
"Are you alright Ying?" the husband asked his wife who was gasping and holding her stomach.
"LOOK! THERE!" Sokka said suddenly pointing at what everyone now saw to be a spiny, green, large, dorsal fin of some kind….followed by another….and another….whatever this thing was it had a long body.
Aang and Katara didn't need any cue to keep their hands and fists pointed directly at the moving fins as they circled their island.
It seemed like forever waiting for this…thing to show itself…and when it finally did…they all just stared in terror momentarily
Above them, rearing its head a good 4 or 6 stories above them, was a huge….green, spiny, Sea Serpent, from whose jaws was let out a mighty roar which was no longer muffled by the water so it shook them and their little island to their roots.
On the Drill
Brago was leaning over the railing as the great wall got closer and closer, his grip tightened on the iron bars.
Suddenly he heard a similar hatch open, and a voice no one could mistake.
"I wanted to see it myself as well…" Azula said coming along side him and leaning over the rail on her elbow.
"In less than a day…the city will be at our mercy…." She said through her teeth as she smiled excitedly.
Brago nodded, not being able to help smile a bit either. "How many hours until we reach drilling distance?" he asked.
"War Minster Qin knows those details soldier…" Azula said as if it was obvious, and slightly playfully.
"But if I could wager a guess, I'd say 4 to5 hours…." She said leaning off the railing, Brago nodded.
"My ground forces will be ready…" he said.
Then his eyes grew as he suddenly felt….what he told himself wasn't...but defiantly was….a firm smack on his backside as Azula said "They had better be. At ease soldier."
He turned around after blinking once or twice to see the hatch close after Azula, and clank shut.
"I think I now know why they call it a Serpents pass!" Sokka said pointing with his mouth hanging open.
The benders in the group put themselves in front of the Ying and her husband as the large creature swayed like a cobra, staring down at them with lidless eyes.
"Suki! You know a lot about Sea Snakes, make it go away!" Sokka said.
Suki hit him upside the head, "Just because I live near the Unagi after doesn't mean I'm an expert!"
Sokka hurriedly grabbed Momo off of Katara's shoulder at held him up towards the beast, Momo simply stared up at it with eyes now bigger than they were usually.
"Oh mighty Sea Serpent, we offer you this delicious and tasty sacrifice…thank you."
Katara, Aang and Suki hit him across the head this time,
"SOKKA!" they all scolded.
Momo took the opportunity to leap from Sokka's arms and into Aang's tunic once again through his sleeve.
"I do not know if it is customary to banter whilst facing an easily 90 foot monster, but I think we our time would best be used getting to the opposite shore!" Daiken said hurriedly as he took out his comma's in one swift motion.
The Serpent let out another roar as he did so and learched at them, Daiken jerked his arms up, and some sediment from the rock island they were on leapt up and jolted into its eyes.
The beast shook its head, realling its body and creating a wave, one which Katara kept from crashing down on them to wash them off the island.
Aang slammed his staff against the water and ice stemmed from it going at least a yard or so in the direction of the opposite shore.
"Katara!" Aang said, "Get them the rest of the way across! I'll hold the monster off! Stay close Momo…"
Katara began skating across the ice bridge as she made it larger and larger till it finally reached the place where the pass road came up out of the water to dry land again.
She turned and secured it more than yelled, "HURRY! Make sure you stay on the middle of the path!"
Aang was already in the air, Momo tightly tucked in his shirt, chortling in fear. He buzzed around the head of the large beast making it go in circles trying to bite him, but he was quick like a house fly, ducking and weaving just in time.
A huge wave resulted in their battle and one of them swept the ice bridge, knocking the husband off his footing and he slid down the bridge until he fell off the slide. He furiously flailed his arms but the ropes from the pack on his back hindered him.
"NO!" Ying screamed! Suki had already leapt in the icy cold water and was swimming against the current with unseen strength towards the man, she grabbed him by his collar the moment she reached him and towed him back towards the bridge.
"My arms are caught!" he said coughing.
Suki didn't stagger, "Can't you swim? Kick! That's right…good, just keep kicking I got you!" Sokka looked wide eyed at Suki as she helped him get back to the side of the bridge and Daiken and Sokka helped them back on.
"Oh no!" Katara said, the beast was now it seemed getting used to the patterns in Aangs' flights and was getting closer and closer to biting him with its snapping Jaws.
"Sokka!" she called, "Get the rest of them to the other side, I have to help Aang!" She leapt off of the shore and wizzed by everyone through the water as if she was being propelled.
Sokka snapped to the responsibility, "Okay everyone move move move! Ying Between me and her husband, then Suki and…TOPH? Hurry up!"
He looked back to see Toph still across the ice bridge, standing on their little island.
"Toph we have to move!" Daiken called.
Toph dipped her toe in a puddle of water that was on the ice bridge, then hurriedly put it back on the rock.
"Actually….." she said with nervousness in her voice, "I think I may stay here on my little Island…"
Suddenly the Sea Serpent lashed out of the water near her trying to snap Aang up, Toph made a startled sound that was drowned out by the monsters roar and she hurriedly began making her way across the bridge.
"Ok! I'm coming I'm coming!" she said quivering.
"No Toph wait STOP!" Daiken called, but it was too late, the beast had reared its body up and over the bridged then crashed its full weight down on the bridge making it shatter.
Thankfully everyone on their side including Ying had made it to the opposite shore but Toph was now sputtering and splashing franticly, screaming.
"HELP!" she cried, "I CANT SWIM!" it was apparent to because now only her mouth was above water.
Sokka began hobbling on one foot attempting to take off one of his moccasin boots, "I'm coming Toph!"
Suddenly he was splashed as someone jumped into the water after Toph before he could even get the boot off.
Toph was coughing and thrashing futilely until only her arm was sticking out of the water, everything was cold around her and pressing against her, lighter then rock but nearly as dense from how she couldn't get a foot hold on anything, that she was regretting screaming as she had no reflex to keep the water from getting in her mouth and down her throat.
All she could hear was low rumbling, it was like being blind without her senses again…
SUDDENLY she felt something, a strong palm caught her bare arm above water and she was hoisted up out of the water and suddenly she could hear the resounding splash of her coming to the surface.
She coughed up a mouth full of water and gasped taking in as much air as she could and wrapped her arms around whoever it was that had rescued her, straddling them like Momo so as not to fall in that watery hell again.
She gasped over and over again, her nose and ears were clogged with water but slowly clearing,
"Sokka! You saved me!" she said remembering hearing his words before she couldn't hear anything under the waves and in the spur of the moment put a kiss on the cheek of….someone who wasn't Sokka…
"I think we should get you to dry land…." Came the voice of Daiken after what seemed like a long pause.
Toph's mouth dropped and she hoped she wasn't blushing, whatever that looked like…
"Hi?..." she said in a voice a bit squeakier than usual.
Feeling his shoulders she could tell it was indeed their tag along Sand Bender who had jumped in after her…and who she had just now kissed.
"Um…it's okay…you can let me drown now…" she said embarresedly, taking this all in.
She heard what she thought was his rough chuckle, and then him saying, "Hold on tightly…" as she felt them both moving through the water in a direction she assumed was shore as his arms moved in stroking motions.
Aang on the other hand was running across the water's surface using air and water bending to keep his feet from sinking as he ran, like a water striding lizard, he was running so fast that his tunic was fluttering from the wind.
He was dragging his staff alongside him through the water, using it as a stirrer to churn the water into a whirlpool around the Sea Serpent. On the other side of the Monster, was Katara doing the same as she used her Water bending to glide along its surface and used the wall of water at her disposal to churn the water on her side of things.
Together they were now successfully spinning the creature around and round as the water it sat in prevented it from moving in either direction.
Finally Aang called out, "NOW!" they had been spinning it away from the group and back towards the shore they had come from near the cliffs. As they stopped mid run, allowing the Serpent to spin off with their moment um, its head came smashing against the broad side of one of the more lower hanging portions of the cliffs, sending bits of rock out from the dent it had made, they could hear the impact.
It then teetered in the water for a while before falling on its side in the water with a thunderous splash, then did not move as it slowly disappeared into the waters murkiness, if it wasn't dead, it wasn't waking up any time soon.
Aang and Katara sped back to the shore that the gang were now safely on and they all cheered as Aang and she landed.
The wife hugged Aang and kissed his forehead "Thank you…thank you so much again for saving our lives!"
"And thank you!" the husband said to Suki, with those bags on my shoulders, I wouldn't have been able to get free before I sunk…" Suki smiled, "…It was no problem."
Sokka scratched his head, they all turned to him, "And thank you…for being our guide through that territory…" the wife Ying said.
"Thank you all…" the husband finished, "If you all hadn't….Ying….YING?" he suddenly interrupted himself as he saw his wife now holding her belly and squinting painfully.
"I think…I think the Baby is coming!" she said through her teeth.
"Oh god…for real this time?" her husband said immediately rushing to her side. She didn't even answer this time but nodded furiously.
"A BABY!" Sokka exclaimed, "We can't have a baby here on the road, can't you…hold it in or something….we're almost to- "
Katara pushed passed him, "Sokka don't be stupid of course she can't, we'll have to have it here….I've helped Gran deliver plenty of babies back home."
"This isn't some penguin seal! This is an actual…living…THING!" Sokka said looking like he was about to faint from the stress.
"It's called a baby, and yes, I have delivered plenty of those to…" she got on her knees in front of Ying without another word, holding the hand that her husband wasn't.
"It's going to be okay…" she said in a quiet soothing voice, then returned to her more stern and commanding one she was using before,
"Toph, I need you to make an earth tent around us, a big one, Sokka I need you to get me warm water and as many towels as we still have left. Suki you with me!"
Everyone was on the move the moment she finished her sentence.
Toph without question built a solid stone tent in an instant around the pregnant couple and Katara. Sokka, Aang and Daiken all scrounged for water and the towels they still had and were now rushing back to Katara.
What seemed like an eternity later, the amount of screaming that had gone on suddenly was exchanged for the single cry of a small fragile voice.
Suki's voice sounded from inside the tent, "Sokka, Aang, everyone come look! Oh she's so beautiful…"
Aang, Daiken, Toph, and Sokka all leaned off of the side of the tent they had been laying against and rushed into the little entrance Toph had made.
Before them lay the tired, and sweaty Ying, still holding her husband's hand which looked red from being held so tightly, but they weren't concentrating on that. Both parents had their loving eyes on the little bundle that Katara had just finished wrapping where the crying was emanating from.
Aang knelt down, "Wow…." He said as Katara turned her momentarily towards him before handing her to her parents.
He was actually feeling his eyes tear up a bit at seeing this brand new life.
"She's breathing well…" Toph said, "I can hear it, her heart too."
"She looks so…squishy…and cute." Sokka said. He turned to his sister, "You did it Katara…"
She smiled and moved some hair out of her face, she was perspiring too.
"You really did…" Aang confirmed, smiling at her warmly. She smiled back, thankful for it.
"Congradulations to you both…" Daiken said smiling almost, which no one could remember seeing him do previous.
Sokka exited the tent looking a little sullen, and Suki pursued him outside,
"What is it? Aren't you happy?" Suki asked.
Sokka just stood there, "Of course…she's born, no thanks to me…" Sokka said.
Suki rolled her eyes, "Sokkaaaa!" she said walking over to him with a hand on her hip.
"Everyone pitched in today, You saved Ying's husband, The new guy saved Toph, Katara helped Aang defeat a sea monster, and then give a baby right after that….all I did was offer up Momo in hopes it would go away…"
Suki turned him to face her and kissed him…which defiantly caught him off guard before he bewilideredly kissed back.
"So? That was one time Sokka, it was a Sea Monster, and you were about to jump in after Toph…I saw, I was about to too but he just jumped in quicker than either of us. It's not a contest…" she said putting her hand on his face.
"I know…" Sokka said, "It's just…I'm the odd guy out, and it shows. Sometimes I wonder even if I had bending if I'd be able to measure up…"
"Sokka…" Suki scolded. He shut up immediately looking at the ground.
"I don't have bending…did I save your lives?" she asked.
"Yes…" Sokka said,
"You don't, and weren't you the one who came up with this plan of bringing down the Fire Nation?" she went on.
"I was…" Sokka said admittedly. He suddenly felt Suki's arm curl around his neck, her other hand still on her hip.
"And aren't you the one who's in love with one of the world's deadliest ninja's?" she said leaning closer smirking.
Sokka smiled back, "Yeah, I got a lot to be thankful for…"
Suki shook her head, "And you DO matter Sokka, we all see it…don't think we don't. I'm sure you'd make your dad proud."
Sokka's smile changed but didn't leave, "Yeah…I hope so…" he said looking to the side at the water behind them.
"Thanks Suki…" He said smiling down at her, then he saw a change in her face. "What?" he asked.
"Sokka um…" she said, "I've…I'm going to be going back to my sisters in the Army…"
Sokka took both her hands, "What?" he said, "For how long?"
She sighed, "I really wish I were going inside the great wall with you, more than anything, but my sisters and I have made a commitment, we have to aid our people in the fight to keep the Fire Nation from endangering even more lives…like that one…" she finished glancing at the tent.
Sokka looked down, "I wish I…could've been better company or…told you more things about…" he felt her gloved finger touch his lips.
"You will, I will see you…I promise. I wasn't actually supposed to make it to the other side of the pass anyway, my Kyoshi sisters are all on this side as well, I just wanted to come along to make sure that you and your friends made it safely…and to see you again."
Sokka smiled a bit, "I can't wait…" he said, putting his hands on her waist.
Just then Aang exited the tent, "Oh sorry…" he said backing up. Sokka and Suki turned to Aang taking their arms from each other.
Suki giggled, "It's alright, I was just telling Sokka goodbye." Aang looked somewhat sideways at her,
"Good bye? But you just got here…er…with us." He said.
"I have to go help the other warriors defend the lands near the wall, and escort more people safely into the city. They say that in a little while they may allow us to have sanctuary inside the inner wall itself."
Aang rubbed the back of his neck and Momo popped out of his tunic collar fluttering over to her and nuzzled her face, she laughed.
"I'll miss you too Momo…" she said rubbing his fur.
Katara came out after that with Daiken, and Toph.
"Did I hear right? Your leaving Suki?" Katara inquired.
"It's only for a little while sis…" Sokka affirmed. Suki looked at him and he grinned at her showing he understood.
"Thank you so much for helping us this far." Katara said smiling warmly.
Suki brushed some hair out of her eye, "It was no trouble really, how is the baby?"
Katara smiled even bigger closing her eyes, "She's beautiful, sleeping now with her mother…"
Aang grinned, "They've named her Hope…" Aang said, "Something very precious, that we should never lose sight of…something that I've had to remember lately…"
Katara's smile changed a bit but Aang as if on cue kept going, "About Appa…who my friends are…" the thought about mentioning Ty but didn't want to ruin it, "Everything…I need get my head on straight." He finshed.
Katara just put a supportive hand on his shoulder, "Do what you have to do Aang…" he grinned at her, "I'm just going to be looking for Appa." He said with honesty, "But thank you Katara…you're an…amazing…friend."
He said the last part as if he was realizing the gravity of it as he said it, he adored her, more then anything, still did, just now…it was…somewhat different, but those old feelings of loving her as something more weren't gone either just…not as strong or dominant as the new ones…the one that burned with hope to see Ty again.
Katara nodded with a mature smile and hugged him tightly, he did the same. He thought he heard her sniffle, but it was simply her inhaling deeply from the moment.
They let go from the embrace and he turned to the group, "I'll be back! Soon…"
He looked at Daiken, "And thank you for saving our friend…your really one of the group now."
Daiken did another half grin which was as good as full grin in his case and he struck his chest with his fist in a salute.
Aang did the same, then unfurled his gliders wings and took his position, Momo quickly crawled back into his tunic with only his tale sticking out.
"Goodbye Aang!" Suki said as he lifted off, and everyone waved.
The Turtle Tram Station outside of Ba Sing Se
Zuko and Iroh were waiting in the Stone Turtle Tram Station, they had finally shaken that Jet character and his friends, at least in Zuko's mind they had shaken them.
"Not a bad group of lads…" Iroh mused. "Oh and little lady." He added remembering Smellerbee and chuckling to himself.
Zuko just kept his arms folded, looking sternly at nothing in particular, he was feeling..weird lately…he thought it might be that sick feeling you get in the morning that you pray isn't a cold or a fever but has all the signs. However he showed no symptoms the day before or today so he assumed it was just a bug…except…he also could tell it wasn't just a physical sickness he was still confused inside, and the more he tried to ignore it…the more strongly it would seem to return.
"What did you think of them Nephew?" Iroh said. Zuko grumbled, "Bah!" he said.
"I don't think of them, I wasn't thinking about them till you brought them up, I didn't get a lot of sleep last night getting food for half the passengers on board, I'm just trying to rest a bit while we wait for our train…"
He shifted in his seat to face away from his uncle.
Iroh just smiled looking at all the people bustling about, he thought for a second he saw the boy he had encountered in that little rainy village…the one who bent sand, but it wasn't him, just darkly complected like him.
Glancing up he suddenly noticed, "Oh look there they are again!" Iroh said animatedly as Jet and the Freedom fighters came into view.
Zuko mumbled something Iroh was sure was a curse, then sat up.
"GET YOUR HOT FRESH TEA, GET YOUR STEAMING DELICIOUS TEA!" came the call of a vender pushing his cart around the Tram station.
"I'll let you catch up…" Iroh said patting Zuko's arm, "Excuse me sir!" he said getting up, "I'll see what your selling!"
Zuko was sure he heard something crackle as he turned his head in frustration as every attempt to too keep to himself was now dashed.
"Hey." Jet said with that crooked smile of his, the quiet one and the short feisty guy, er, girl rather weren't far behind him.
"Hi…" Zuko said making eye contact with them.
"Listen…" Jet started, "We've been talking and…well what you did back there, helping us help those people…we like what we saw, we'd like you to throw in with us."
Zuko raised a brow, "But…me and my-" he started, but Jet cut him off.
"Your Uncle too, we never leave one of our own or their family, it's how the freedom fighters work."
He looked over Zuko's shoulder at Iroh spitting a bit after taking a sip of the Tea from the vender which was either cold or nasty by the look on his face.
"Besides…" Jet went on, "I can tell there's something inside of you that won't keep still. Your uncle can live safely once inside the walls, but you won't be able to settle down not till something is taken care of, I can see it in you."
Zuko would've been rude if what he said hadn't hit home in a sense, but he shook it off and simply replied.
"Thanks but…I really don't think I want to do anything like that, I'm trying to see what else is inside of me."
He glanced out of the corner of his eye at his uncle looking discontented at his tea, he would have returned his glance to the 3 kids if he didn't notice Iroh's smile return as the Tea cup began to steam.
A lump formed in his throat. Suddenly the train whistle blew, thank the spirits.
"We have to go…" Zuko said turning and walking towards his uncle not trying to look like he was hurrying.
"HEY!" Iroh said as Zuko grabbed his arm and hurried him towards one of the cars, making him drop the tea.
"Fire bending your tea?" Zuko growled through his teeth, "Not a very smart move for an experienced old man don't you think?"
As the doors to the train shut, Jet stood over the Tea on the ground, looking at its foggy reflection, foggy because it was steaming…he made fists and glared at the last of the Stone Tram car as it sped down the tunnel.
Aang piloted his glider up and over the clouds, as he pierced their fluffy canopy he could see something brownish, it was the great wall of Ba Sing Se…his friends and he were closer than he had thought, they would make it inside before night fall as opposed to the next day like they'd assumed.
"Whoa!" Aang said flying closer to it.
Momo stuck his head out of Aangs collar, then crawled out holding tightly to him by his tale and little paws to feel the wind as they soared over the surface of the huge structure.
They passed by a huge, green and golden flag that hung from the wall, with the words BA SING SE in it next to their National crest.
Finally they came to the top of the wall, they didn't even fly upwards from the bottom, they were near the middle of it when they started to ascend, it was truly massive.
As he landed on the walls edge, he could see it was not only massive going up and down, but going around, it was as if half of the Earth Kingdom were behind the wall or even the world considering how it nearly looked like it disappeared in the distance.
Behind him were all the villages, cities, and towns, and super cities of Ba Sing Se, as if an additional nation existed behind the wall.
Suddenly Momo chirped in Alarm, and Aang turned his head, and his eyes grew nearly as large as Momo's as he saw something…huge, and black, and metal…and omitting black fumes into the air…larger than even the Fire Nation blimps…but bearing the Fire Nations red crested flag…
It rolled around the ground like a big black caterpillar, easily several stories high, leaving a trail of dust behind it as it did that went nearly as high as the fumes. At its front, was a sharp point…like a rounded spear…and it was moving…it was a massive drill, a drill heading straight towards the great wall despite its size in great speed.
Momo quivered wrapping his tale tighter around Aang's wrist, "I'm sorry Momo…" Aang said glaring.
"Appa will have to wait some more…"