AN: Chapter 37 takes place during Season 2 Episode 16: Appa's Lost Days. Various POVs as usual, so enjoy my lovelies!
Four Weeks Ago…
"No! Stop sinking!" Toph shouted as she tried to hold up the sinking library.
Appa growled threateningly as the Sandbenders continued to tie him with ropes. One of the Sandbenders tugged on the rope tied to Appa's head and the sky bison tossed his head back, sending the Sandbender flying through the air where he then tumbled through the sand when he hit the ground. Appa swung his tail, causing two other Sandbenders to let go of the ropes they were holding and run away to avoid the sky bison's tail. Appa roared and tossed his head again as he became even more annoyed with what was going on.
"Don't make me put this down!" Toph screamed and she let go of the library and sent a slice of sand at the Sandbenders, only to miss completely as she turned to grab the library again.
"Put a muzzle on him!" The lead Sandbender ordered loudly.
One of the other Sandbenders tossed a rope around Appa's mouth, but the enraged sky bison snapped his mouth open and broke the rope then he lunged at the offending Sandbender, knocking him over. A rope was thrown over Appa's horn and the Sandbenders tug on the ropes in an attempt to force Appa's submission while another Sandbender stepped forward to try and muzzle Appa again. Appa growled and tossed his head, sending the Sandbender trying to muzzle him flying through the air then the sky bison attempt to take off into the sky, but one of the Sandbenders threw a rope around Appa's leg, using Sandbending to secure his feet to the ground. The other Sandbenders quickly follow the man's example and secure their feet to the ground, then they all forced Appa to the ground. A sand-sailer sailed up next to Appa's trapped form and the Sandbenders used their bending to drag Appa with the three sand-sailers.
"I'm sorry, Appa." Toph whispered regretfully as she listened to the Sandbenders drag the sky bison away and she closed her eyes, sniffling quietly.
Appa rumbled lowly as he was dragged away, his eyes drifting shut.
When the Sandbenders had traveled far enough away, the lead Bender lowered the mask that kept his mouth covered and held up his arm, signaling the others to stop the sand-sailers.
"Ransack his saddle." The leader ordered as he jumped off the sand-sailer he had been riding on, "Who knows what treasures are stashed in there!"
Two Sandbenders ran up to Appa, only to back away quickly when the sky bison growled and bared his teeth threateningly at them.
"He's tied up good. He can't hurt you." The lead Sandbender snapped with an eye roll and he watched as his two men jumped into the sky bison's saddle, stirring up some sand.
Appa accidently inhaled some of the sand and snorted quietly just before he sneezed, sending the sand-sailer stopped in front of him flying into a sand dune. The lead Sandbender sneered and turned his back on the sky bison while the two men began tossing the saddle's contents onto the ground.
"What's your father gonna do when he finds out we lost a sand-sailer?" One of the Sandbenders demanded as he walked up to the leader of the group.
"Nothing. It's the one we stole from the Hami Tribe." The leader replied with a smirk then he turned to address the men as they continued tossing things from the saddle, "Did you empty the saddle?"
The lead Sandbender didn't wait for a reply as he stomped over to the stuff that littered the ground beside the sky bison.
"That's it? Nothing but garbage!" He snapped with a scowl when he saw nothing of value among the items and he angrily kicked the club that was one the ground, "Doesn't matter. We'll still make a profit selling him to those beetle-headed merchants."
Behind him, the Sandbender that had just climbed out of Appa's saddle picked up the parasol and opened it, ignoring the irritated look his leader gave him as he held it above his head.
"How's his temper?" One of the beetle-headed merchants asked as he and two others walked around Appa after the Sandbenders had dragged him to their camp.
"Uh, pretty good." The lead Sandbender replied with a shrug, chuckling awkwardly when Appa roared loudly and startled the merchants, "Most of the time."
"I bet someone will pay a fortune for him in Ba Sing Se." A second merchant commented eagerly as he looked at the trussed up sky bison, greed shining in his eyes.
"Alright," The first merchant agreed with a smug smirk, "You've got a deal."
The youngest of the beetle-head merchants handed the lead Sandbender a chest. The Sandbender smirked as he opened then closed the chest before walking off to the side with the rest of his men. The Sandbenders were climbing onto their sand-sailers while the merchants used a large beetle to drag Appa onto a caged sled.
"Appa! Appa!" Aang shouted loudly as he glided over the desert, his eyes straining for any sign of his animal friend before he pulled out his bison whistle and blew on it.
Appa, who had remained somewhat docile as the merchants loaded him onto the sled, heard the familiar high pitched whistle and his eyes widened. He looked around himself for a moment then he began violently rocking the caged sled in an effort to break free, startling the merchants.
"He's your problem now!" The lead Sandbender shouted with a laugh as he and his men sailed away on their sand-sailers, leaving the beetle-headed merchants to deal with the sky bison.
"What?" One of the merchants shouted in distress as Appa slapped his tail against the ground and began to fly away, lifting the caged sled and the large beetle that was still attached to it at the same time, "We need the shirshu spit darts!"
"Got 'em!" Another merchant called out as he pulled a dart blower from his robe and he quickly loaded the spit darts into it, "Okay big fella, you're gonna take a nice little snoozle."
He blew the darts and they struck Appa's foot. Appa groaned and his pupils dilated then his eyes rolled back into his head as the shirshu venom took effect, causing him to collapse on the ground.
Aang frowned slightly as he landed on a sand dune and he snapped his glider closed, "Appa!"
He looked around the empty desert, his eyes beginning to water and he closed them tightly.
"No." He whispered and his eyes snapped open, blazing with anger, "No!"
Aang roughly slammed his glider against the sandy ground, his anger causing him to Airbend a massive cloud of dust into the air.
Appa hazily caught sight of the large mushroom cloud in the distant before it was blocked by two of the merchants.
"We've got to get rid of this one." One of the men said as Appa's vision began to fade, "He's too much trouble."
"We can sell him for parts." The second merchant suggested just as Appa's vision when black and he slipped into unconsciousness with a small sigh.
"Aw, I understand you've had a rather hard time lately."
Appa groaned quietly as he regained consciousness and his vision cleared, revealing a strangely dressed man standing on the outside of a cage he was in.
The man crossed his arms, "That's too bad. You probably felt you had no choice but to behave outrageously, like a wild animal."
Appa grunted when the man stepped forward and patted his head.
"But don't worry. You won't anymore." The man continued and his tone became dark, "Because I am going to break you."
Appa grumbled against and looked around him, seeing other cages with other animals in them.
The circus trainer walked into the tent where the animals were kept, pushing a cart of cabbages in front of him. He passed a cabbage to a caged platypus-bear as he walked past its cage, passing by Appa without giving him anything. Appa grumbled and lifted his chained legs then tried to bite the chains off, to no avail.
"Hungry?" The trainer asked rhetorically after he gave another cabbage to a lion-vulture and he turned to look at the sky bison, "Don't worry, I'm going to feed you too."
The trainer held a cabbage out to Appa, who began to drool then he tried to slurp it out of the trainer's hand, only for the man to pull it away from him with a smirk.
"But not yet." The man stated darkly and he walked back over to the lion-vulture, his back to Appa, "First, I'm going to show you how you'll earn it."
The trainer gave the lion-vulture the cabbage then he opened its cage. The lion-vulture stepped out of its cage and began flying around the tent, the trainer using a fire-whip to control it and direct it through the hoops in the tents. Appa watched the man for a moment then looked over at the unattended cart of cabbage, sneakily using Airbending to bring the cart closer to cage then he sucked up one of the cabbages.
The trainer, unaware of what was happening behind him, directed the lion vulture through two rings that were hanging from the ceiling of the tent, making loops, then he grabbed a third ring and threw it at the trainer.
"Of course, when you perform, the hoops will be flaming." The trainer stated as he caught the ring easily without turning around to look at the sky bison, "And if you are careful, you won't get burned."
Appa suddenly belched loudly and the circus trainer whirled around, his eyes flashing with anger.
"You're about to be sorry." The trainer hissed and he Firebended another fire-whip, which used to create a small wall of fire in front of Appa's cage, causing the bison to roar in panic, "It's obvious that whoever your previous owner was, he had no idea how to handle you properly."
Later that night, the loud sounds of circus music and people filling the surrounded tents reached Appa's ears from the open partially opened flap of the tent his cage was in. He grumbled lowly as he attempted to suck up a bale of hay closer to his cage so he could eat it. He had almost managed it when a young boy standing just outside the open tent flap caught his eye and Appa turned to look at him curiously.
Appa stared at the boy for a moment then licked one of the cage bars. The boy smiled slightly in understanding, his head slightly to the side. The boy suddenly jumped and turned around quickly when his father approached him.
"I'm gonna go get a bag of sizzle crisps." The man stated and he pointed at the ground as he glared at his son, "Stay here and stay away from that monster. Behave yourself or you'll regret it."
The boy watched his father disappear into the crowd for a moment then he ran into the tent, hurriedly rolling the bale of hay right up to Appa's cage. Appa rumbled and licked the boy's face in appreciation before munching down on the hay eagerly. The boy suddenly heard voices coming and he ran away, disappearing back out the tent flap. Appa watched the boy leave before his attention was pulled to the two approaching me.
"He's a difficult creature, stubborn and willful." The trainer explained to the circus master as they came to a stop in front of Appa's cage, "I need more time with him. It's too risky right now."
"Too risky? What are you talking about?" The circus master demanded with a scoff and he raised his hands, "This is the circus, home of fear and danger"
He pointed at Appa aggressively, "I want the wind buffalo to perform tonight."
The trainer watched the circus master leave the tent then he turned towards the sky bison, his eyes narrowing.
"If you don't behave yourself, you'll regret." The trainer hissed dangerously and he Firebended a flame in front of Appa, causing the sky bison to rear back in fear, then the trainer walked away.
Appa growled and barred his teeth at the trainer's retreating back then he looked towards the open tent flap, catching sight of the young boy from before. The young boy smiled reassuringly at Appa and the sky bison rumbled quietly.
"Let's go." The boy's father snapped as he reappeared and he grabbed the boy by the shoulder.
"See you later, buddy." The boy called out quietly as he waved at Appa.
Appa sighed and rested his head on the cage floor, seeing his human friends Aang and Xiaodan in his mind.
The young boy sat and watched boredly as two women held three spinning plates in each hand while five men formed a pyramid behind them inside the circus ring. The two women walked off to the side and revealed the two platypus bears balancing easily on a ball, causing the crowd to applaud. The boy sighed and glanced at his father then he tentatively reached out to take some sizzle crisps, but his father held it out of his reach and glared at him. The boy sighed again and let his hands fall into his lap, watching morosely as the circus master stepped into the center of the ring after the other performers had exited.
"Ladies and gentlemen, now for something truly special." The circus master exclaimed grandly and he created two flames in his hands, "A noble beast, so magnificent and rare, it hasn't been seen by human eyes in generations. I give you…the wind buffalo!"
The circus master gestured grandly towards a curtain which was dropped a moment later, revealing Appa dressed in a ridiculous costume and even more ridiculous makeup. The audience laughed loudly at the sight, but the little boy stared at the sky bison with concerned eyes.
Appa silently walked into the center ring where the trainer was waiting.
"Up." The trainer ordered, but Appa merely shook his head and turned in a circle, causing the audience to laugh again.
The trainer glanced at the laughing crowd then he turned back to Appa with a scowl, creating another fire whip and lashing out at the sky bison with it.
"Up, you insolent cow!"
Appa flinched away from the fire whip oared angrily at the trainer, his teeth bared.
The little boy's eyes went wide and he jumped from his seat, "Run away! Get away from him!"
The boy's father snarled slightly and grabbed him by the shoulder, yanking him roughly back into his seat. Appa glanced over at the boy then flew up into the air and the crowd gasped in shocked awe then they began to clap exuberantly.
"Fabulous!" One of the spectators shouted gleefully from the crowd.
Appa easily flew through one flaming ring and stopped to stand on one leg on a raised platform. The young boy watched with concern as the sky bison flew through the second ring, his costume catching fire. Startled, Appa roared as he flew toward the third ring, spinning around and knocking it off the rope with his tail. The trainer ran backwards to catch the ring, but missed and it hit him on the head, knocking him to the ground.
Appa landed back in the middle of the ring and looked at the crowd, his gaze focusing on the laughing young boy that had given him the bale of hay earlier. As he stared, the young boy was replaced by a laughing Aang with Xiaodan smiling beside him. Appa quickly shook his head, causing his costume hair to fall off and the image of Aang and Xiaodan to disappear.
"Go, you can do it." The young boy urged with a grin.
Appa stared at the boy for another moment then he took off towards the top of the tent, but a blast of fire stopped him short.
"Get back here, you stupid beast!" The trainer roared and he created a fire whip.
Appa roared as he swung back around and flew at the trainer, pulling himself up and smacking the trainer into the air with his tail. Appa grumbled again as he flew towards the top of the tent again, bursting out of the cloth and leaving his costume behind. The boy watched the sky bison fly away and he smiled happily.
Appa flew across the desert, his shadow passing over a massive crater in the ground. The sky bison rumbled lowly as his mind flashed to the tall tower being there and he descended, landing in the middle of the crater. He looked around curiously then began digging at the ground with his chained feet, but after a few moments he gave and laid down to rest a bit.
The sun was beginning to set when Appa continued to fly across the desert. His stomach rumbled loudly and the sky bison looked at the ground, landing a moment later when he spotted an egg. He went to lick it up, but a gilacorn scooped it up and ran off with it. Appa watched lizard-creature for a moment then turned his head, catching sight of something else that he might be able to eat. The sky bison jumped up and flew the short distance to the cactus, landing in front of it with a loud thump that startled away a jackalope. Without thinking, Appa chomped down on the cactus, rearing back with a roar of pain as the sharp prickles pierced his tongue and he spat the cactus out.
Rumbling again, Appa leapt back into the air and continued to fly across the desert through the night and well into the next more. His head hung low, a sudden scent reached his nose and Appa perked up slightly and changed direction, heading towards a large rock that was in the middle of the desert.
Appa dove into one of the carved tunnels at the top of the rock and eagerly began eating the honey inside, only to be chased out of the hive a few moments later by a swarm of buzzard-wasps. Appa flew as fast as he could, but the buzzard-wasps continued to follow him, so he flew up then swung around, knocking them all back by using Airbending when he swung his tail at them. The buzzard-wasps hit the sandy, desert ground with soft thumps then they all slowly rolled to their feet and flew off in different directions, leaving Appa alone.
Appa growled lowly as he farther away from where he had knocked the buzzard-wasps down, landing when he felt he was safe. He panted harshly and took a moment to catch his breath before beginning to lick the honey off his legs then he rolled over onto his side to rest.
Appa flew across the setting sun, finally out of the desert, as night fell completely he spotted a large barn in the distance. Groaning quietly, the sky bison landed in front of the barn and hurried inside, eagerly drinking from the water trough that was near the door before eating a smile pile of hay that was nearby. Once he'd finished eating the hay, Appa collapsed on the ground and closed his eyes, snoring softly as he fell asleep.
'A baby Appa cooed quietly as he flew through the air with his four siblings and they playfully circled around their mother before gather close to her. Below the family of sky bison, Sister Iio stood with several young Airbending monks, a bowl of apples in her hands.
"Choose well." Sister Iio said softly as the young boys each took an apple from the bowl, "A sky bison is a companion for life."
Appa's mother rumbled lowly and nuzzled her calves then growled and nudged them forward, towards the young monks and Sister Iio, landing on the ground with them. The younger Appa shambled towards a young Aang, who held out the apple. Appa sniffed the apple for a moment then took it from the young boy. Aang smiled and walked closer, hugging Appa, who gently knocked Aang down to the ground and began licking his face happily.
"I guess this means we'll always be together." Aang said and he laughed happily when Appa continued to lick his face.
Aang smiled and laughed lightly as he dreamed about Appa, his arms held out just like they were when he first met Appa. He sighed as he let his arms drop and he rolled over in his sleep.
"Always…"
"Ahhh!" A man screamed and Appa jerked awake, staring wide-eyed at the man wielding a pitchfork, "It's some kind of monster!"
Appa got to his feet quickly with a low growl and the man backed up, with his pitchfork still raised. A woman entered the barn and held up the torch she had been carrying. Appa whined in fear when he saw the fire and he backed up hurriedly, standing on his hind legs in an effort to get away from the flames. His back struck the back of the barn, breaking and pushing out several off the wooden slats as he struggled and roared. The farmer dropped his pitchfork and he and his wife ran out of the barn, screaming in terror just as Appa dropped down to all six legs. Appa leapt into the air and breaking a hole in the roof of the barn as he escaped, the farmer and his wife watching the sky bison fly away in numb shock.
The weary sky bison flew away from the farm, flying across a large body of water and over a narrow, twisting strip of rocky land that cut the body of water in half. A ship was sailing across the water and Appa flew over it slowly, his head hung tiredly.
Iroh looked overboard as the ferry he, his nephew, and young Airbending friend sailed towards Ba Sing Se. His eyes widened and he gasped quietly when he saw the Avatar's sky bison fly overhead and he turned around, watching as the large animal disappeared into the clouds.
"Uncle?" Zuko asked tiredly as he sat up from where he was lying down on the deck floor next to Xiaodan, "What are you looking at? Is there something out there?"
"Wazzapening?" Xiaodan slurred sleepily as she sat up slightly and peered around Zuko to look at Iroh through bleary eyes, "Is someone attacking again?"
"Uh, it's nothing." Iroh said hurriedly as he glanced back up at the sky nervously then he gestured for the two teens to lie back down, "Both of you, go back to sleep."
The former Fire Nation general sighed in relief when his nephew lied back down and went back to sleep. Xiaodan stared at him for moment and Iroh gave her a reassuring smile. The white-haired Airbender smiled sleepily back then laid down, curling up into a loose ball on the deck beside Zuko.
Appa flew over a forest and crash landed in front of a tree that had grown on top of a passage. The sky bison ate some of the grass that was on the ground, standing up a moment later when he heard a loud squealing come from the passage. A moment later a boar-q-pine bolted out of the shadowed passage and charged towards Appa. The sky bison roared at the boar-q-pine, which tackled him and sent them both tumbling down the small cliff the passage was on.
The two battling animals stopped rolling when they reached the clearing at the bottom of the cliff and they separated, several of the boar-q-pine's quills sticking out of Appa's fur. The boar-q-pine squealed at Appa and the sky bison roared back furiously, the two circling each other warily, then the boar-q-pine charged at Appa with a furious squeal, knocking Appa into a tree and causing it to fall down. Appa snarled and grabbed the tree with his mouth, throwing it at the boar-q-pine and knocking him back, but a few moments later the quilled animal jumped over the trunk and charged at Appa again.
Appa reared back onto his hind legs and grabbed the boar-q-pine with his middle and front legs, throwing it to the side. The boar-q-pine slid across the ground, kicking up dust and sending several birds scattering from their roosts in the trees. The boar-q-pine came to a stop and it quickly rolled to its feet, turning tail and running away with an obnoxious squeal.
Appa panted loudly and turned his head, grabbing on of the quills sticking out of his leg with his teeth, roaring in pain before he could remove it. The sky bison decided to leave the quills alone as he jumped into the air and flew back to the passage. He shuffled inside the passage and flopped down exhaustedly, a low rumbling of pain and sadness leaving him as his eyes closed. Appa remained in the passage for several days, refusing to leave.
Several of the Kyoshi Warriors walked through the forest, picking berries from and tucking them into their pockets. One of the Kyoshi Warriors kneeled beside a berry bush, her brow furrowing as she stared at the clumps of white fur caught in the bush curiously.
"Must have been some fight." She commented idly as her leader, Suki walked over to her.
"Wait, let me see that." Suki said and she took the clump of fur from her fellow warrior, looking at it curiously, "No, it couldn't be."
She looked up from the fur and stared at the trail of fur and broken trees leading up to a cliff nearby. Suki followed the trail up the cliff and gasped quietly when she reached the top, her brown eyes widening in dismay and shock.
"Appa? Oh no." She whispered and Appa backed away further into the passage, growling lowly as she approached him.
Suki stopped and kneeled down, putting several of the berries and an apple she had in her pocket on the ground.
"It's gonna be okay, Appa." Suki said soothingly as she stood back up and backed away slowly, "I have to leave, but I'm gonna be back soon with help."
Appa watched her walk down the cliff warily then he slowly shuffled out of the passage towards the fruit. He stared at it for a moment before lowering his head to eat then he shuffled back into the passage.
"No sudden movements." Suki instructed as she stood in front of five other Kyoshi Warriors on a small overhanging just below the cliff Appa was on, "He's been lost for a while and he looks like he's hurt. He's shy around people and scared. Stay low and stay quiet."
"I can't believe you found the Avatar's bison." One of the girls commented in awe, "Didn't you just see the Avatar a few days ago?"
"Yes, so he can't be too far from here." Suki replied then she turned and began walking up the hill, "It's our responsibility to get Appa back to him safely. This could be our most important mission yet."
The six Kyoshi Warriors reached the top of the cliff and paused when Appa stood and began growling at them, tossing his head in irritation.
"Give him some space!" Suki ordered quickly and the five warriors took a step back while she took a step forward, "Appa, it's me, Suki. I'm a friend."
Appa growled at her again, but Suki continued to slowly approach him with her hands held out in an unthreatening manner.
"I want to help you. You're hurt. We can help you feel better." The leader of the Kyoshi Warriors said softly and Appa growled at her, but she persisted, "And we can help you find Aang."
Appa growled softly and Suki put her hands gently on his nose. The sky bison stopped growling and rumbled lowly, laying down with Suki kneeling in front of him. Suki smiled softly and gestured for the other Kyoshi warriors to approach slowly.
A few hours later, Appa was sitting happily in front of the six girls, his fur cleaned and his shackles removed. The sky bison rumbled happily and licked one of the girl's faces, causing her to laugh and rub at her cheek. Appa's ear suddenly perked up when he heard rapidly approaching and thunderous footsteps. Appa stood and turned to face the sound, Suki and the other warriors whirling around a moment later.
Lightning suddenly struck a nearby tree, causing it to fall down and block the path in front of Appa and the six girls.
"My, my, you're easy to find." Azula commented with a smirk as she held up a clump of Appa's fur, "It's really astounding my brother hasn't captured you yet."
Suki and the other Kyoshi Warriors quickly moved into a protective formation in front of Appa, who was growling lowly at the three Fire Nation girls.
"What do you want with us?" Suki demanded sharply as pulled out one of her fans and her shield.
"Who are you?" Azula asked drily, "The Avatar's fan girls?"
Ty Lee furrowed her brow in confusion then she giggled, "Oh, I get it. Good one, Azula."
"If you're looking for the Avatar, you're out of luck." Suki snapped defiantly.
Mai sighed in annoyance, "I knew this was a waste of time…"
"No Avatar, huh. Well, that's okay. Any friend of the Avatar," Azula mused then she jumped off her mongoose-lizard and shot a blue fire blast at the girls, "Is an enemy of mine!"
The Kyoshi Warriors protected themselves and the sky bison by moving their shield-fans together before the blue fire reached them. Ty Lee and Mai jumped off their own mongoose-lizards and the two groups of girls quickly began to battle.
Two Kyoshi Warriors faced off against Mai, but the expressionless girl quickly threw three shuriken at one of them, pinning the Kyoshi Warrior against a tree.
"Huh?" The Kyoshi warrior gasped in surprise as she looked at the blades pinning her clothes to the tree.
"You're so colorful, it's making me nauseous!" Mai drawled disgustedly as she threw a handful of darts at the second Kyoshi Warrior.
The Kyoshi Warrior rapidly unsheathed her katana and deflected the darts with a swipe of her blade, then she ran at Ty Lee, who had flipped in front of her. Ty Lee danced away from the painted girl and slipped behind her, quickly jabbing her in the back and blocking the warrior girl's chi.
"You're not prettier that we are." Ty Lee sniffed disdainfully as she stood over her fallen opponent.
While the other Kyoshi Warriors fought against Mai and Ty Lee, Suki defended Appa against Azula's Firebending blasts with her fan shield. Azula swung around and kicked one foot in the air, sending a powerful blast of blue fire at the leader of the Kyoshi Warrior, but Suki managed to deflect it to the side with her shield-fan where it set the fallen tree behind her and Appa on fire. Appa looked back at the flames and growled in fright, his eyes widening in fear.
"Afraid of fire, I see." Azula commented smugly as she looked at the frightened sky bison, "That's good. You should be."
Suki unsheathed her katana and stood protectively in front of Appa, "Go, Appa! Fly away from here!"
Suki charged at Azula with her sword as Appa took to the air behind her. As the sword came at her, Azula jumped up and twisted above the sharp weapon, striking Suki's wrist and sending the sword into a nearby tree. Suki gasped and jerked backwards, holding her shield-fan up protectively when Azula sent a fire blast at her after she had landed. Suki lashed out with her leg in an attempt to kick the Fire Nation princess, but Azula easily deflected then knocked the older girl to the ground.
Appa paused in his flight and looked back before soaring back down. Azula smirked as she stood over Suki's sprawled out form and pulled her fist back, preparing to launch another fire blast at the older girl, but before she could another Kyoshi Warrior threw her fans at her. Azula snarled and ducked, spinning around and kicking a Firebending blast at the Kyoshi Warrior then she chased after the other girl when she ran off.
Suki shook her head and pushed herself to her hands and knees, gasping quietly when she saw Appa flying towards her. The leader of the Kyoshi Warriors lunged to her feet and grabbed a burning branch, swinging it at Appa as he flew closer.
"Get out of here!" Suki shouted urgently as she waved the burning branch at Appa, "You have to find Aang! We'll be okay!"
Appa backed away quickly and looked at Suki for another moment before turning and flying away. Suki watched the sky bison disappearing into the sky, yelping quietly and bringing up her shield-fan just in time to block another blue fire blast. Suki stumbled back and quickly regained her foot, unsheathing her fan and shifting into a fighting stance as she faced Azula again.
"Don't you know fans just make flames stronger?" Azula asked mockingly then the two charged at each other.
Appa flew over the tree tops then over a large river, a flock of birds joining him briefly. He continued flying, rarely stopping to rest even when it was raining. He knew where he was going and he was determined to get there.
Finally, after many days, Appa reached was flying through the mountains where the Eastern Air Temple had been built. The weary sky bison landed and walked inside, looking around at the stable where he remembered playing with his siblings and the other sky bison calves. He walked further into the stable, pausing when he caught sight of the circle of railing he and his siblings used to chew on. Appa shuffled closer to the circle of railings and bit down on it, pulling away and coughing when dust coated his tongue.
Appa snorted and continued through the stable, crossing over a bridge towards another section of the massive temple. He wondered through the buildings slowly until he stepped out onto a balcony, where he saw a man meditating. Appa's eyes widening and his ears perked up in joy and he raced towards the meditating man, knocking him down and licking his face eagerly.
After a moment, Appa stopped licking the man and stared down at him. The man blinked up in surprise then he smiled.
"Hello. I am Guru Pathik."
Appa balked and leapt backwards, flying to the back of the balcony where he then started to growl at the guru as soon as he landed.
"I know I'm not the person you expected." Pathik commented calmly as he sat up on his elbows and looked at the growling sky bison, "And I didn't expect to be licked by a giant tongue just now. The world is full of surprises."
Appa growled louder at the guru, who stared at him for a moment then lied back down and closed his eyes. Appa stopped growling and watched the man warily, his whole body tense. After a while, Appa laid down, but he continued to watch the guru intently.
Soon the sun was beginning to rise when Pathik opened his eyes and lifted his head, causing Appa to start growling at him again. He stopped growling when Pathik closed his eyes and laid his head back down again. Midday approached and Pathik tilted his head up slightly, opening one eye as he did so. When Appa proceeded to growl at him again, the guru closed his eye and laid his head back down. It was nighttime when Appa finally fell asleep, laying on his side and snoring loudly.
Pathik waited a moment then opened his eyes and lifted his head to stare at the sky bison. Seeing that Appa was asleep, the guru somersaulted backwards and to his feet, his arms held out to the side for balance as his eyes closed again. He took a deep breath then exhaled it slowly and dusted his hands off before walking over to the sky bison while rubbing his hands together. Pathik opened his eyes and placed his hand on Appa's upper stomach, his expression becoming sad.
"Oh dear. You've been through so much recently. Hurt and betrayed. So twisted up inside." Pathik murmured and he moved his hand slowly downward then he smiled, "You're still full of love. Ah, but fear has moved in where trust should be."
"I've been expecting you and the young Avatar for quite some time. I had a vision many years ago of helping him. That's why I came to the Eastern Air Temple." Guru Pathik explained lightly as he walked over to stand in front of Appa's head with his hands clasped behind his back, "Oh, your emotions are so turbulent. Like swirling storm clouds."
Pathik gently placed his hand on Appa's head, "Let the clouds in your mind be gently, peaceful ones."
Appa purred quietly and shifted in his sleep, his legs coming to rest more comfortably on the ground.
Appa awoke the next morning with a jolt and he quickly rolled to his feet, looking around hostilely for the old man. He noticed some fruit in front of him and he quickly gobbled it down, following the trail of fruit all through the temple, until he reached a raised platform. Pathik sat cross-legged on the platform, feeding a couple birds some seeds while another bird perched on his head and two squirrels sat near him.
"Someone looks very well rested," Pathik commented in amusement as he looked at the sky bison, the fur on one side of his head sticking straight up, "Judging by your bedhead."
Appa growled and shook his head, the fur falling flat once again, then he watched the guru warily.
The moon was high in the sky again when Appa finally left his post in front of the platform and he walked up to pace behind Pathik, who was meditating quietly with his eyes closed. Appa paced behind the guru twice before walking closer to Pathik and lying down right behind him. Pathik opened his eyes and smiled, reaching behind him to rub the sky bison's belly briefly.
"I have prepared a message for Aang." Pathik stated as he got to his feet and showed Appa a scroll, "May I attach it to your horn?"
Appa rumbled in agreement and the guru tied the scroll to Appa's right horn then he moved to stand in front of the sky bison.
"You and the Avatar's energies are mixed, like his energy is mixed with the young Xiaodan." Pathik explained gently, "You have an unbreakable bond. By reading your energy, I can sense where Aang is."
Appa rumbled and licked the guru, causing him to laugh lightly.
"Funny, what invisible strings connect us all." Pathik mused thoughtfully then he put his hand on Appa's head and closed his eyes, a path of white energy illuminating a pathway that would lead Appa straight to Aang, "I'll see you again, great beast."
The sky was still dark with nightfall as Appa flew over the walls of Ba Sing Se, towards Aang. He didn't notice the two Dai Li Agents perched on a rooftop as he flew past and he didn't see them slid off the roof and disappear a moment later. Suddenly, his eyes widened as a high pitched whistle reached his ears and he quickly headed towards the noise, passing three pygmy pumas sitting on a rooftop as he descended.
Appa landed and looked around for Aang, but he didn't see anything. A man stepped out of the shadows in front of him and Appa growled, taking a step back and leaving a single foot print. The man lunged forward abruptly and Earthbended the slab of rock Appa was standing on, causing it to swirl around and capture Appa underground.
In another part of the city, Xiaodan's brow furrowed and she shifted onto her side in her sleep, her hand clenching into a fist by her face.
In the Upper Ring, Aang sighed and rolled over, his hand falling unconsciously onto the bison whistle that was he had placed on his sleeping mat, Momo curled into a ball above it.
Author's Note: This is most likely one of the shortest chapters of the whole story, the other being the prologue-thingy. I have to admit, this chapter was actually really hard to write, but I think I did an okay job. Well, I really, really hope I did an okay job. Anyhooties, I hope y'all liked this chapter, even though there wasn't really any Xia action in it. I promise there will be plenty of Xia/Zukia in the next chapter. Next chapter takes place during Season 2 Episode 17: Lake Laogai, so stay tuned for that!
PS – I'd just like to thank BlueEyedDreamer97 for making an awesome picture/banner for Xiaodan. If you want to check it out, it's up on my profile! Thanks again!
Special THANKS to everyone that faved and/or alerted! You guys are freaking awesome-sauce!
SPECIAL MENTIONS!
LiveOutLoud143: Thanks, I'm glad you liked the last chapter! Tales of Ba Sing Se was always one of my favorite episodes, even though the one with Iroh always made me sad. Anyhooties, I hope you liked this chapter!
Molly Grace 16: Nah, I try not to give up on any of my stories, I'll go on a hiatus sometimes, but that's usually to get my bearings or if I'm super busy with other things. Anyhooties, I'm glad you liked the last chapter! I was really surprised by Zuko's and Xia's first kiss too, I didn't really plan for it to happen, but the chapter just kinda wrote itself and when I reread it, I was kinda like 'what the hell?' but I ran with it. Anyhooties, I hope you like this chapter!
Jasmyn: Haha, I'm glad you liked the last chapter! I don't think I'd ever hate my readers, you guys are the reason I even feel confident enough to put my stories up on this site. I'll try really hard not to leave this story for two months again and if something like that does happen, I'll be sure to put up an author's note to let y'all know what's going one. Usually if I lack inspiration for a certain story, I'll go back and read and keep reading all the previous chapters until my muse starts beating me over the head with ideas on where I want to take the story. Anyhooties, I hope you like this chapter!
MidnightWolf191: It's alright, I totally understand screwy phones. Mine doesn't even let me review and don't even get me started on autocorrect, that crap is evil incarnate, I swear to God. Now to answer your question about a pairing name, I do in fact, have two names that two other reviewers came up with. The most common one is Zukia and the second, more humorous one, is Xiabug. Anyhooties, I'm glad you stuck with this story despite the huge-ass wait I put all of you readers through and I really hope you like this chapter!
Inigo Montoya: Haha, I know! It's crazy, I wasn't really planning on them kissing so soon, but it just kinda happened, so I figured the Supreme Being of Writing was trying to tell me something. XD Anyhooties, I hope you liked this chapter!
Mira SeverusSirius Black-Snape: Yeah, sorry about that, life and lack of motivation have been kicking my ass lately, but I'm back and I'm ready to bust out a helluva lot of chapters! Anyhooties, I hope you liked this chapter!
Cate of Flames: Thanks, I'm glad you liked the last chapter and you thought it was worth the wait! Heehee, I'll be honest, Xia's and Zuko's kiss was a complete accident, but it was definitely a happy accident and I'm glad so many people liked it. Anyhooties, my version of Appa's Lost Days meets you expectations!
Pickle the chicken: Aw, I'm sorry I worried you! I promise I didn't mean to and if I can't update for a while, I'll be sure to post an Author's Note to let everyone know what's going on. Anyhooties, I hope you liked this chapter!
AsheeCakes07: Thanks, I'm glad you like the story so far! I hope you like this chapter too!
AmbrosiaMaestro: I'm glad you liked the last chapter! Haha, I wouldn't say has stopped denying her feelings for Zuko, but she's definitely becoming more aware of what they are now that she's kissed him. Anyhooties, I hope you like this chapter!
xRoosiee: Haha,I'm glad you liked the ending scene of the last chapter. XD I hope you like this chapter too!
Irena Black: Thanks I hope you like this chapter too!
Cookie Mafia Boss: I'm glad you liked the last chapter! Haha, honestly, I squealed a little too when I wrote their kiss, since it was kind of a surprise to me. XD Anyhooties, I hope you liked this chapter!
Becky: Haha, I'm glad you liked the last chapter! Ah yes, I figured the last chapter was the best place for the summary to come into play, though it's slightly different in a good way. Whoo! I'm glad you think I stuck to Jin's character, to be honest, I was a little unsure about having her say what she did, but now I'm glad I stuck with it. I liked Jin's character too, I have a feeling that if she appeared in more than one episode, she would be one of those characters, you can't help but like and I think she would have been a better match with Zuko than Mai.
Haha, I wasn't expecting Xia to kiss Zuko either, it just kinda happened and I went with it and I'm glad I did too, since everyone seemed to like it. Anyhooties, I hope you liked this chapter!
Break This Spell666: Thanks, I'm glad you liked the last chapter! Haha, I love when a story reaches the summary quote too, it always makes me kinda giggle. Anyhooties, thanks a bunch for pointing out that typo, I meant to go back and fix it before I uploaded the chapter, but I forgot. It's all fixed now though, so it shouldn't look so weird. Anyhooties, I hope you liked this chapter!
Luna WhiteWolf: Haha, I'm glad you liked the Zukia fluffiness in the last chapter and I'm glad you think my story is interesting too! Anyhooties, I hope you like this chapter!
Maria: Thanks, I'm glad you liked this chapter! There will be a few hints to Xia being Firebending in the upcoming chapters and then she's really gonna light it up in the last chapter of Season 2, so stay tuned for that! Ah, I do see your point about spending too much time retelling parts of the show and not enough time on Xia and Zuko's interactions, I'll definitely work on that from now on. Anyhooties, I hope you liked this chapter!
Twirlgirl4life1: Haha, I'm glad you think Xia and Zuko are adorable together and I'm glad you like my writing too! Anyhooties, I hope you liked this chapter!
Dear Writer: Thanks, I'm glad you like the story so far! Sorry about the link not working, if you want to check out the picture, it's up on my profile.