Okay, this is a HUGE apology for not updating this story! I've been so caught up with other stories and I have been busy with school stuff! I hope this was worth the wait. Here you go.
Book Two: Earth
Chapter 16: Appa's Lone Journey
Four Weeks Ago
In the desert Toph and Jiba are outside of Wan Shi Tong's library which is sinking into the sand and so the Earthbending twins work together to keep the library from sinking.
"No! Stop sinking!" Toph yelled.
"Dammit! This is a pain!" Jiba yelled.
Just then Appa growls and Grace barks as Sandbenders tie down Appa with ropes and one of the Sandbenders tug on the rope tied to Appa's head but Appa lifts his head and sends the Sandbenders flying and tumbling through the sand but two more Sandbenders let go of the ropes and scatter to avoid Appa's tail but Appa becomes more annoyed.
"Don't make me put this down!" Toph yelled as she sends a slice of sand at the Sandbenders but misses.
"DAMMIT!" Jiba shouted as he throws a slice of sand but also misses.
"Put a muzzle on him!" A Sandbender named Ghashiun ordered.
The Sandbenders throw a rope around Appa's mouth but Appa breaks it and makes the Sandbenders fall but more Sandbenders throw ropes around Appa's horn and Appa sends the Sandbenders that tried to muzzle him flying and Appa tries to take off but a Sandbender throws a rope around Appa's leg and then uses Sandbending to secure his feet while the other Sandbenders follow suit and all force Appa to the ground.
A sand-sailer then sails next to Appa and the Sandbenders use Sandbending to drag Appa with three sailers.
"I'm sorry, Appa." Toph said regretfully.
"Grace?! Where are you?" Jiba asked looking around as Grace is on the sand ground whimpering from the injuries from Ghashiun.
Further away in the desert the sailers are crossing through the desert and on one of the sailers is Ghashiun who lowers his mask and signals the other Sandbenders to stop.
"Ransack the saddle! Who knows what treasures are stashed in there!" Ghashiun ordered.
Two Sandbenders run up to Appa who growls at them.
"He's tied up up good. He can't hurt you." Ghashiun said.
The two Sandbenders jump onto Appa's saddle by stirring some sand making Appa sneeze and sends the center sailer into a sand dune.
While Ghashiun and a Sandbender were talking the two Sandbenders throw contents of Appa's saddle to the ground.
"What's your father gonna do when he finds out we lost a sand-sailer?" A Sandbender asked.
"Nothing. It's the one we stole from the Hami Tribe." Ghashiun said. "Did you empty the saddle?" Ghashiun asked as he walks over to Sokka's club, a sleeping pad, and a parasol. "That's it? Nothing but garbage!" Ghashiun yelled kicking a box.
"Doesn't matter. We'll still make a profit from selling him to those beetle-headed merchants." One of the Sandbenders said and the other Sandbender picks up the parasol and opens it.
In a small camp of people who have beetles on their heads known as merchants the Sandbenders bring Appa by using the remaining two sand-sailers and the three merchants walk around Appa's head to bargain.
"How's his temper?" One of the merchants asked.
"Uh, pretty good." Ghashiun answered but Appa roars startling the merchants and the leader glares but Ghashiun chuckles. "Most of the time." Ghashiun said.
"I bet someone will pay a fortune for him in Ba Sing Se." The second merchant said.
"All right. You've got yourself a deal." The merchant leader said.
Ghashiun is handed a box which he opens then closes and he and the other Sandbenders walk away while a large beetle comes and drags Appa onto the merchants' caged sled.
Meanwhile somewhere else in the desert Aang is gliding over the desert searching for Appa.
"Appa! Appa!" Aang called and then blows his whistle.
Appa widens his eyes as he hears the whistle and Appa starts rocking the sled.
"He's your problem now!" Ghashiun said as he gets on one of the sailers with the other Sandbenders and they leave while Ghashiun leaves a laugh behind.
"What?" The second merchant asked.
Appa slams his tail againts the ground and starts to fly away.
"We need the shirshu spit darts!" The merchant leader said.
"Got 'em!" The second merchant said taking a dart out of his robe. "Okay, big fella, you're gonna take a nice little snoozle." The second merchant said as he shoots a dart at Appa's feet making Appa collapse to the ground.
Back with Aang as he lands.
"Appa!" Aang called as he looks around the empty desert and his eyes start to water and closes them. "No...NO!" Aang shouted as he slams his glider to the ground and uses Airbending to send sand into the air and it forms into a giant mushroom cloud.
Appa looks at the mushroom cloud and sighs.
"We need to get rid of him! He's too much trouble!" The merchant leader said.
"We could sell it for parts." The second merchant said as Appa's vision starts to blur and blacks out.
"I understand you've had a rather hard time lately." A voice said as Appa's starts to wake up and he finds himself in a different place and sees a circus trainer who is standing outside a cage. "That's too bad. You probably felt you had no choice but to behave outrageously, like a wild animal." The circus trainer said and it's revealed Appa is inside a cage and the circus trainer pats Appa's head. "But don't worry. You won't anymore, because I'm going to break you." The circus trainer said darkly.
Appa is caged next to other caged animals and is inside a large circus tent.
The circus trainer rolls a cart of cabbages and gives one to a playypus-bear and then passes Appa who tries to lift his chained legs and tries to bite off the chains and the circus trainer gives a cabbage to a lion-vulture.
"Hungry?" The circus trainer asked offering a cabbage to Appa who is drooling. "Don't worry, I'm going to feed you too, but not yet." The circus trainer said taking the cabbage away and walks to the lion-vulture. "First, I'm going to show you how you'll earn it." The circus trainer said as he gives the lion-vulture the cabbage and opens the cage.
The lion-vulture flies out of the cage and flies around the room but the circus trainer uses a fire whip to control the lion-vulture and Appa pays little attention and looks at the cart of cabbages and uses air suction to bring the cart closer to his cage and starts sucking up a cabbage and while this is happening the lion-vulture flies through two hoops and making loops and then grabs the third ring with its beak and throws it at the circus trainer who catches it.
Appa continues to suck the cabbages into his mouth while the circus trainer's back is turned.
"Of course, when you perform, the hoops will be flaming, and if you are careful, you won't get burned." The circus trainer said and Appa lets out a belch and the circus trainer turns around. "You're about to be sorry." The circus trainer said as he Firebends a whip and makes a fire in front of Appa who panics at the sight of the flames. "It's obvious that whoever your previous owner was, he had no idea how to handle you properly." The circus trainer said and Appa glares at the trainer.
It's now nighttime and carnival music plays and people are gathering around the tent entrance and while people are walking past the tent outside a small boy walks back when he sees Appa trying to suck hay into the tent and the boy looks at the bison questioningly as Appa licks the bar of the cage and then the boy makes an understandingly look but someone gets behind him and it's a man who is is the boy's father.
"I'm gonna go get a bag of sizzle crisps. Stay here and stay away from that monster. Behave yourself, or you'll regret it." The man said as he walks away.
The boy runs into the tent and rolls the hay in front of Appa's cage and Appa licks the boy who laughs and Appa starts eating hay but then the boy hears voices and leaves.
The circus trainer and another man who is the circus master are talking while walking to Appa's cage.
"He's a difficult creature, stubborn and willful. I need more time with him. It's too risky right now." The circus trainer said.
"Too risky?! What are you talking about? This is a circus! Home of fear and danger! I want the wind buffalo to perform TONIGHT!" The circus master said as he leaves.
"If you don't behave yourself, you'll regret it." The circus trainer said as he bends more flames in his hands at Appa causing the bison to reel back in fear and the circus trainer leaves.
The boy peers out the tent at Appa who looks at the boy who smiles.
"Let's go!" The man said as he grabs the boy's shoulder and takes him with the man.
"See you later, buddy!" The boy said and he's gone.
Appa sighs and lies on the cage ground.
In the circus tent two women perform by holding three spinning plates in each hand and five men in the background with painted faces form a human pyramid and the two women walk to the sides and reveal two platypus-bears who are balancing on balls and the crowd applaud and in the front row are the boy from earlier and his father who is eating his sizzle crisps and the boy tries to take some but the man holds it away.
"Ladies and gentlemen! Now for something truly special!" The circus master then bends two flames with 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 said as he gestures toward a curtain which drops to show Appa who is now dressed in a costume and complete with makeup making the audience laugh but the boy has a concerned look and Appa walks to the center of the ring.
"Up." The circus trainer commanded but Appa shakes his head and turns around in a circle making the audience laugh again. "UP, you insolent cow!" The circus trainer yelled as he summons a fire whip and snaps at Appa who panics.
"Run away! Get away from him!" The boy yelled but the man sits the boy back down.
Appa flies up into the air and swirls around making the crowd gasp and begin to clap.
"Fabulous!" A man said.
Appa then flies through a fiery ring and stands on a platform with one leg but the boy is still concerned and Appa flies through a second ring and his costume catches on fire making Appa knock down the next ring with his tail and the ring hits the circus trainer and knocks him down making the audience laugh including the boy and Appa sees the laughing boy and a flashback of Aang laughing occurs making Appa shake his head and his costume hair falls off.
"Go! You can do it." The boy said.
Appa flies off but a blast of fire stops him.
"Get back here, you stupid beast!" The circus trainer yelled as he creates a fire whip but Appa knocks the trainer up into the air with his tail sending the circus trainer flying outside the tent.
Appa then flies out of the tent through the ceiling while leaving his costume behind and the boy looks up at Appa flying away smiling.
Appa flies through the desert and sees a large crater and a flashback of the library occurs and Appa lands in the center of the pit and looks around and tries to dig around with his chained feet but to no avail and gives up.
Appa continues to fly through the desert and his stomach grumbles and sees a purple egg and Appa tries to eat it but a gilacorn snatches it away and runs and Appa flies for a cactus while scaring a jack-alope and eats the cactus but roars in pain and spits the cactus out because of its sharp prickles.
Appa is flying again and is more wearied and he sniffs for food and flies toward the Si Tong Rock and flies into the rock but flies out as buzzard-wasps fly after Appa who uses Airbending to knock down the buzzard-wasps and scatter afterwards and Appa lands panting and licks honey on his feet and arms until he stops and starts to rest.
Appa is now flying across the setting sun and he later finds a barn, takes a drink out of the trough, eats some hay, and then starts to sleep.
Flashback:
In the Eastern Air Temple five baby sky bison fly through the air and circle around their mother sky bison and then gather close to their mother.
Young Airbending monks are with a woman known as Sister Iio who is holding a basket of apples and gives one to each young Airbender.
"Choose well. A sky bison is a companion for life." Sister Iio said.
The family of sky bison land while Sister Iio throws an apple to the mother sky bison and a young sky bison approaches a young Air monk known as Aang who offers an apple and the baby sky bison sniffs the apple and Aang gives it to him and Aang hugs the baby sky bison who returns by knocking Aang down and starts licking Aang's face.
"I guess this means we'll always be together." Young Aang said laughing as the baby sky bison keeps licking Aang.
Flashback End.
Aang who was dreaming while sleeping at the campsite of the Serpent's Pass laughs still as his arms hold out in the same manner in Appa's dream.
"Always." Aang said as he keeps sleeping and Lucy looks over at Aang with a smile on her face and goes back to sleep.
Meanwhile Appa wakes up.
"Ahhh! It's some kind of monster!" Someone yelled and it's a farmer with a pitchfork.
Appa stands up but the farmer backs away and the farmer's wife enters the barn while holding a torch making Appa back away from the flame and the farmer and his wife run away screaming as Appa breaks a hole in the ceiling to escape and the farmer and his wife watch the sky bison fly away.
Appa keeps flying and is flying over the Serpent's Pass and at the ferry Iroh and Aiko look overboard and they both gasp as they see Appa flying over the ferry.
"Uncle? Aiko? What are you two looking at? Is there something out there?" Zuko asked groggily.
"Uh, it's nothing! Go back to sleep." Iroh said and Zuko goes back to sleep.
"That was close." Aiko said.
Appa later arrives at a forest and crash lands into front of a tree growing over a passage and he bites on some grass and stands up as he hears squealing from the passage and it's a boar-q-pine who runs out of the shadows and toward Appa who roars but the boar-q-pine tackles Appa and they both fall to the ground but they stop rolling when they reach a clearing and Appa's fur is prickled with some of the quills of the boar-q-pine who roars at Appa who roars back and start circling each other and the boar-q-pine charges at Appa and knocks him into a tree which falls down but Appa grabs the tree with his mouth and throws it at the boar-q-pine, who jumps over the trunk and charges at Appa who stands on his rear legs, grabs the charging boar-q-pine, and throws it aside as dust is created while the boar-q-pine is sliding until it stops and runs away.
Appa pants and grabs a quill from his leg but roars in pain and later on returns to the passage and walks into it and starts to sleep again as time starts to change from evening to night and starts to rain.
The next day berry bushes are being hand picked and it reveals the Kyoshi Warriors picking up some berries and on a bush a Kyoshi Warrior picks up a clump of fur.
"Must have been some fight." A Kyoshi Warrior said and Suki and Skyla walk over.
"Let me see that." Suki said as the Kyoshi Warrior shows Suk the fur.
"Suki, you don't think..." Skyla stops talking.
"It couldn't be..." Suki said as she sees a trail of fur and so she and Skyla follow the trail and they both gasp as they see something. "Appa?" Suki asked but Appa backs away in fear as the two girls walk up.
"Hold on." Skyla said as she kneels down and places some berries and an apple on the ground.
"It's going to be okay, Appa. We have to leave, but we'll be back with some help." Suki said as she and Skyla leave.
Appa walks to the fruit and starts eating the fruit and later rests in the passage.
Suki and Skyla are leading five Kyoshi Warriors up the side of the cliff.
"No sudden movements. He's been lost for days for a while, and he looks like he's hurt." Suki said.
"He's really shy around people, and is scared. Just stay low and keep quiet." Skyla said.
"I can't believe you two found the Avatar's bison. Didn't you two travel with the Avatar and the Celestial Mage a few days ago?" One of the Kyoshi Warriors asked.
"Yes, so he can't be too far from here. It's our responsibility to get Appa back to him safely. This could be our most important mission yet." Suki said as she and Skyla start climbing up the hill but Appa growls.
"Give him some space!" Skyla said as the other Kyoshi Warriors take a step back while Suki and Skyla approach.
"Appa, it's me, Suki. I'm a friend. We want to help you. You're hurt. We can help you. We can help you feel better." Suki said but Appa growls.
"We can also help you find Aang." Skyla said making Appa clam down and they both pet Appa's head and Appa lies down.
Later on Appa's shackles and boar-q-pine quills are on the ground and Appa is surrounded by the Kyoshi Warriors and Appa licks one of the warriors but just then Appa's ears perk up and lightning hits a tree causing it to fall down and blocking the way and later on people arrive and they are Azula, Ty Lee, and Mai riding on their mongoose-lizards and Luke, Luna, Tor, and Roy.
"My, my, you're easy to find. It's really quite astounding my brother hasn't captured you yet." Azula said.
"What a shame. And it looks like that floozy isn't with you anymore." Luke said and Appa growls.
The Kyoshi Warriors stand in front of Appa while holding out shielded fans while Skyla prepares to fight.
"What do you want from us?" Suki asked.
"Who are you? The Celestial Mage's and Avatar's fan girls?" Azula asked.
"Oh! I get it! Good one, Azula!" Ty Lee said.
"Of course you'd find that funny, you stupid floozy." Tor said.
"You're looking for the Celestial Mage and the Avatar? Tough luck! You'll never find them!" Skyla said.
"So, they're not here?" Luna asked.
"I knew this would be a waste of time." Mai said.
"No Celestial Mage or Avatar. Well, that's okay. Any friend of the Celestial Mage and the Avatar is an enemy of MINE!" Azula said as she gets off her mongoose-lizard and unleashes blue fires at Appa but the Kyoshi Warriors block the flames with their shields.
Azula keeps Firebending at Appa while Luke uses his Storm Dragon Slayer Magic to attack Appa but the Kyoshi Warriors protect him but Ty Lee, Mai, Luna, Tor, and Roy charge to attack and Mai throws three shurikens at a Kyoshi Warrior and pins her to a tree.
"Huh?" A Kyoshi Warrior asked.
"You're so coloful, it's making me nauseous!" Mai said as she throws darts.
A Kyoshi Warrior deflects the darts with her sword and tries to swing at Ty Lee who dodges and gets behind and starts jabbing at the warrior knocking her down.
"You're NOT prettier than we are!" Ty Lee said.
More Kyoshi Warriors try to attack but Luna uses her crystal ball to stun them and then uses her Vampire Poison Magic to poison the Kyoshi Warriors while Tor uses his Wolf Slayer Magic to transform into his wolf form and starts attacking in his wolf state while Roy attacks with Wood Make Magic and attacks with his Wood Make: Lance.
"Too easy! These chicks stand no chance!" Roy said.
"How sad." Luna said.
Meanwhile Suki and Azula are fighting with Suki protecting Appa from Azula's Firebending and Azula unleashes more blue flames at Suki who deflects the blast to the side and it hits the fallen tree causing fire making Appa panic.
"Afraid of fire, I see. That's good. You should be." Azula said.
Meanwhile Skyla unleashes air to try and strike at Luke who dodges out of the way and delivers attacks with his sword and then delivers Storm Dragon Slayer Magic attacks sending Skyla back.
"You're too weak to stop me. I'm stronger than you know." Luke said.
"Appa, get out of here!" Suki said as she unsheathes her sword and charges at Azula who jumps up and knocks the sword out of Suki's hands and it hits a tree.
Skyla tries to Airbend at Azula who unleashes another fire blast but Suki blocks it with her shield and tries kicking Azula but Luke delivers a sweeping kick and knocks Suki down and then delivers a stomp on Suki's chest.
Appa sees this happening and tries to help.
A Kyoshi Warrior throws fans from behind but Azula delivers blue fire blasts while Luke uses his Storm Dragon Slayer Magic to strike.
Suki goes for a torch and waves it at Appa.
"Get out of here! You have to find Aang! We'll be okay!" Suki said.
Appa backs away and flies off.
Just then Skyla gets knocked by Luke, Luna, Tor, and Roy.
"Skyla!" Suki yelled.
"It's game over!" Luke yelled as he throws a sword at Suki but Skyla pushes Suki out of the way and the sword gets Skyla instead and Skyla screams.
"Skyla, no!" Suki cried.
"Looks like you've lost someone. What a pity." Luke said taking his sword.
"How pitiful." Azula said.
Suki takes out her fans and prepares to fight.
"Don't you know that fans only make flames stronger?" Azula asked as the two girls charge at each other.
"S-Suki..." Skyla said weakly.
"So, you're still alive? Let's fix that." Luke said as he, Luna, Tor, and Roy approach at Skyla and prepare to finish off Skyla.
Meanwhile Appa is flying near the tree tops and is now flying over a river and over a flock of birds and later on Appa is flying through rain.
Later on a fleet of ships which are Water Tribe ships are sailing through the waters and Appa flies over the fleet and a man looks up at the sky bison.
Later on Appa is flying through mountains and reaches the Eastern Air Temple and Appa walks inside it and a flashback of baby Appa and other baby sky bison occur and Appa continues to walk around the temple and finds a railing which the baby sky bison used to gnaw at and Appa is gnawing at the dusty railing and coughs and then goes outside the temple and crosses a bridge and later reaches a balcony finds a man meditating and Appa is overjoyed and knocks the man down and starts licking the man's face.
"Hello. I am Guru Pathik." The man named Guru Pathik introduced but Appa backs off and growls. "I know I am not the person you expected, and I didn't expect to be licked by a giant tongue just now! The world is full of surprises." Pathik said.
Appa continues to growl and Pathik lies down and closes his eyes and as he opens them Appa growls again and so Pathik lies down again and when Pathik opens one eye Appa snorts.
It's now nighttime and Appa is sound asleep and Pathik stands up while rubbing his hands together and then walks over to Appa and places his hand on his stomach.
"Oh, dear. You've been through so much recently. Hurt and betrayed. So twisted up inside. You're still full of love, ah, but fear has moved in where trust should be." Pathik said. "I've been expecting you and the young Avatar for quite a long time. I had a vision many years ago of helping him. That's why I came to the Eastern Air Temple. Oh, Your emotions are so turbulent. Like swirling storm clouds." Pathik said as he places his hand on Appa's forehead. "Let the clouds in your mind be gentle, peaceful ones." Pathik said.
Appa later wakes up and later finds a trail of fruit and decides to follow the path of fruit while eating the fruit until he later reaches a raised platform and approaches the platform where he finds Pathik feeding some birds and squirrels.
"Someone looks very well rested, judging by your bed head." Pathik said seeing Appa's messed up fur on his head but Appa shakes his head to get rid of the bed head.
Pathik is meditating again while Appa paces behind the guru and later collapses and Pathik opens his eyes and places his hand on Appa's side and takes out a scroll.
"I have prepared a message for Aang. May I attach it to your horn?" Pathik asked and Appa mutters to answer allowing Pathik to tie the scroll on Appa's horn. "You and the Avatar's energies are mixed. You have an unbreakable bond. By reading your energy, I can sense where Aang is." Pathik said and Appa licks him in excitement. "Funny, what invisible strings connect us all." Pathik said as he places his hand on Appa's forehead and the Air Temple shows a path of light that illuminates the pathway. "I'll see you again, great beast." Pathik said.
Later on Appa rushes over to Ba Sing Se during nighttime and flies over the wall but while flying two Dai Li agents watch the sky bison on the roof and they descend and while Appa continues to search the city his eyes widen as he hears a whistle and flies by three pygmy pumas on a roof who watch the sky bison and as Appa lands on the ground it's revealed Aang is alseep with his bison whistle.
Appa continues to find the whistle's source but then someone steps out of the shadows and it's Long Feng making Appa growl while taking a step back leaving a single footprint in the mud and Long Feng Earthbends the slab of rock beneath Appa causing it to swirl around and captures Appa underground while dust around the slab of rock dissipates.
FINALLY! After a WHOLE year, I've FINALLY written a new chapter! You guys must have been so waiting for this one to come, and I'm sorry about the inconvenience. I've been busy with other stories, school, and my life's been a WRECK! Trying to get my life back in order. Anyway, it feels SO GOOD to be writing this story again! I hope I'll get back to writing more chapters for this story! Thank you for those who were patient for the LOOOOOOOOONG update! I hope I see you again. Take care, and goodbye for now. (Hopefully).