Chapter 68: There's Something in the Sand!
"Okay." Toph said, breathing heavily. Katara looked down at her, eyebrow raised.
Toph continued, "I know I said it before, but there is definitely something behind us."
Zuko frowned down at the girl. He asked, "Have you felt it continuously since you first said?"
Toph shook her head. "No. It keeps stopping and starting, and appearing in different places."
"And you're sure it's not—"
"Sparky, I swear on the Spirits, I am not sensing sand!"
Zuko nodded. "Okay, okay."
He turned and scanned the horizon behind them. All he could see was sand.
"I'm sorry, Toph, but I still can't see anything."
She groaned. "I am not imagining things."
Katara said, "We believe you, Toph. But we can't see like you can."
Zuko shook his head. "Keep your feet focused on it, Toph. Tell me if something changes."
She sighed. "Fine."
Sokka cackled. "That's so funny, Momo!"
Katara slapped a hand to her forehead.
Sokka stared wide-eyed into the dunes. A fin sailed past, just poking up above the sand.
He reached out and tugged hard on Katara's sleeve. "Katara!"
She frowned at him. "What is it, Sokka?"
He pointed towards the sand. "Shark!"
Katara sighed. "Sokka, we're in the middle of the desert. There are no sharks here."
Sokka looked back to where he saw the fin. There was nothing there.
A light danced past his nose. It waved at him. He smiled and waved back happily.
Katara shook her head and went back to walking.
Toph and Zuko walked a few feet behind the Water Tribe siblings. Zuko asked, "Sense anything else?"
She shook her head. "Whatever it was, it's gone. Maybe I was just imagining things."
Zuko sighed. "I'd like to reassure, but it's possible. People can go mad out here quite easily. The vast emptiness does something to people's brains."
"Gee, thanks, Zuko." She said sarcastically.
He chuckled. He slung an arm around her shoulders and she let him. He said, "Your brain's fine. Just tired and thirsty."
She nodded. "I am both of those things."
He nodded as well. "Me too."
Katara was walking alongside her brother when she saw it. A large fin appeared in her peripheral vision before sinking back into the sand dune.
Her eyes widened. She looked around to see if anyone else saw it.
Nobody said anything. She called back, "Hey, Zuko?"
"Yeah?"
"Can you get high off of cactus juice just by being near it?"
He frowned at her. "Not as far as I know. Why?"
She shook her head and forced a smile onto her face. "No reason."
She turned back around and walked a little faster. The others quickened their pace in response.
"Hey, Sparky?"
"Yeah, Toph?"
"It's back."
Zuko nodded. "Okay. Where?"
She pointed to their left. "I think it's about twenty feet in that direction."
Zuko nodded again and looked where she was pointing. He frowned. His face paled. He cursed.
She frowned up at him. "Something bad?"
He nodded a third time. "Yep."
Zuko gathered them into a closer formation. He said, "Okay, so there's something following us."
Katara frowned in confusion. "Something?"
He nodded. "I only saw one once, the last time I was out here. It's called a 'sand shark'."
Her frown deepened. "When you say 'sand shark', you mean…?"
"I mean it looks almost exactly like a regular shark, except its huge and can swim through sand."
Her eyes widened. "That sounds… terrifying."
Zuko nodded. "Pretty much is, yeah. They're quite rare, but the Si Wong has them. Probably the only place left that still does."
Toph asked, "What do we do?"
"The desert tribe I lived with would sail away."
Katara said, "Not exactly an option for us, Zuko."
"Yeah, I know. It's been following us for a while, though. Maybe, if we keep moving, it'll get bored?"
Toph frowned. "You think that's likely?"
He sighed. "Not really, no. It's waiting for its moment. I can't think of any other options, though, than to just keep moving."
Katara nodded. "I think you're right. We just have to keep walking. Quickly."
"Not too quickly though!" Zuko said. "It might decide to attack."
Toph remarked, "Well, in a day filled with terrible, awful things, this might just be the cherry on the cake."
Zuko sighed. "You're really not wrong."
They keep walking.
