Chapter 78: Confronting Thieves
Sha-Mo stared over at the group of children and he knew which one was the Avatar.
The orange Air Nomad robes were a clue, along with the Air Master tattoos, but even without them he felt like he'd know.
The boy had a… a glow, almost, around him. Spiritual energy clung to him; he could see the remnants of the Great Library's energies clinging to his skin, the way that the Desert had touched him. Sha-Mo could see in his aura the merging of the Four Elements, out of balance currently but on their way to achieving harmony. Air was the dominant force, as was Water; however there was no doubt that his connection to Earth was steadily growing stronger and more profound. It was only Fire that was barely present, there but only just.
Sha-Mo bowed at the waist to the young Avatar. In the common tongue he said, "Avatar Aang, it is an honour."
There was no response from the boy.
Another, almost familiar, voice said, "Sha-Mo?"
Sha-Mo looked up and watched in horror as the child Avatar seemed about to enter a state of incandescent rage.
There had been very, very, very few times in his life when Aang had felt such huge amounts of anger.
When General Fong had made him believe that he'd killed Katara.
When he'd merged with the Ocean Spirit at the North Pole; though, admittedly, that had felt more like the Spirit's rage than his own.
Those were two of the big ones.
They were nothing compared to what he felt now.
He could feel himself entering, exiting, and re-entering the Avatar State in rapid succession. He didn't want to do it, but he could feel it happen.
Although, a part of him did want it to happen. A part of him wanted to tear them apart with his power and make them return Appa to him.
One of the Sandbenders was speaking to him. Aang had no idea what the man said.
He didn't care.
Sha-Mo's second-in-command recognised the one-eyed boy, just as he recognised the sand-sailer the group were standing next to.
He frowned at them. Ignoring his Chief, who was trying to bow and greet the boy-in-orange, calling him 'Avatar', the second demanded, "What are you doing in our land, and with one of sand-sailers? It is the rightful property of the Hami Tribe!"
Sha-Mo's boy, Ghashiun, shouted, "They stole it!"
Katara's attention was split between the Sandbenders and Aang. She could see her friend reining in the Avatar State and hoped he kept control, despite the provocation from the Sandbenders. She saw one of them bowing to him but getting no reaction.
Vaguely she heard Zuko, who was stood closest to Aang, say, "Sha-Mo?"
She focused on the Sandbenders accusing them of theft and said, "We found it abandoned in the desert. This is the Avatar."
She pointed at Aang's shaking form. She could see the white glow that flickered across his tattoos and in his eyes. She prayed to the Ocean and the Moon that he'd stay in control.
Katara continued, "Our bison was stolen and we need to get to Ba Sing Se."
Ghashiun stepped forward angrily. "You dare accuse our people of theft while you ride in on a stolen sand-sailer!"
That attracted Sha-Mo's attention away from the Avatar. He stared at his son and chastised him.
"Quiet, Ghashiun!" He commanded. "No one accused our people of anything. This is the Avatar and we have a Duty. And, if what they say is true, then we must give them hospitality. That is the way."
Ghashiun said quietly, "Sorry, father."
Zuko said, "It is you. You saved me."
Sha-Mo looked over at the one-eyed boy. "Lee." He said quietly. He switched to the Desert Tongue and said, "I thought you would know better than to re-enter Si Wong."
Zuko smiled tiredly. In the same language he replied, "Where they go, I must follow."
Sha-Mo looked between them all. "You are a companion of the Avatar?"
Zuko nodded. Ghashiun stared at him. "You are the outsider. The one that took advantage of our Tribe's resources and left."
Zuko glared at the other boy. He said flatly, "Ghashiun. It's been a while."
Ghashiun spat a curse at the Firebender. Sha-Mo snapped, "Ghashiun!"
As the young Sandbender spoke, Toph's eyes widened. She said, "I recognise the son's voice. He's the one that stole Appa!"
Katara asked, "Are you sure?"
Toph nodded. "I never forget a voice."
They should have been paying more attention to Aang.
Aang felt the fragile hold on his anger snap.
Wind began to whip through the desert around them.
He turned on the Sandbending boy. "You stole Appa! Where is he? What did you do to him?"
He brandished his staff, pointing it at Ghashiun.
The Sandbender cowered in the face of the enraged Avatar. He stuttered, "T-t-they're lying! They're thieves!"
Aang's fury only grew. He smashed his staff down into the ground and sent one of their sand-sailers hurtling into the air. It fell back with a resounding crash, broken beyond repair.
"Where. Is. My. Bison?" The Airbender enunciated, his wrath coating each word.
Ghashiun just shook his head, still protesting his innocence.
Aang destroyed a second sailer, in the same manner as the first.
"You tell me where he is! Now!"
A third sand-sailer is destroyed by hurricane-like winds. The surrounding Sandbenders look on in horror and fear.
Sha-Mo turned to his son with rage to rival the Avatar's. "What did you do?"
Ghashiun shook his head. "I-it w-wasn't me!"
Toph added fuel to the raging inferno. "You said to put a muzzle on him!"
"You muzzled Appa!?"
That was when Aang entered the Avatar State.
The Sandbenders watched in terror and awe as the boy-in-orange's tattoos blazed a bright, blinding white. The same light spilled from his eyes.
One swing of his staff destroyed their remaining sand-sailers, crushing them like they were made from paper.
Ghashiun broke. "I'm sorry! I didn't know that it belonged to the Avatar!"
Sha-Mo hissed, "Stupid boy! You have doomed us all!"
Aang spoke with the voices of all of his lives, infused with their anger and their power. "Tell me where Appa is!"
Ghashiun shook his head, too scared to speak.
Sha-Mo grabbed his son and slapped him before throwing him to the ground. "Speak!"
Ghashiun, with tears spilling down his cheeks, cowered on the sand and stared up at his father and the Avatar.
He said, "I traded him! To some merchants! He's probably in Ba Sing Se by now! They were going to sell him there!"
The boy tried bargaining, "We can escort you out of the Desert! We'll help however we can!"
Sha-Mo looked at his son in disgust. He looked over at the Avatar and fear clenched his heart. His gaze went to Zuko.
He said simply, "I am sorry. I didn't know."
Zuko nodded. "I know."
Hurricanes began forming around the Avatar, whipping up a devastating sandstorm.
Sokka shouted over the din, "Just get out of here! RUN!"
The Sandbenders scattered, running for their lives.
Aang's staff fell from his hand as he rose into the sky, the winds forming a sphere around him.
His gaze was fixed on the fleeing Sandbenders, intent on exacting retribution.
Zuko, seeing this, shouted, "We've gotta distract him! He'll kill them all!"
Sokka looked over at his friend and knew he was right. He nodded.
Zuko, praying to the Sun Spirit for both protection and forgiveness, shot a weak blast of fire towards the sphere of air.
It was extinguished before it came close to the Avatar's encompassed form, but it did its job.
Aang, lost in the grips of the Avatar State, turned and directed his anger at the Firebender.
A blast of wind knocked Zuko off of his feet and sent him tumbling across the sand.
Sokka sighed and drew his boomerang, preparing to lose it to the winds, but a hand stopped him. He looked down and saw the sad, but determined, gaze of his sister. She shook her head at him.
Then, despite his protests, she walked towards the raging Avatar.
Zuko looked up in time to see Katara enter the eye of the storm. He panicked and tried to shove himself up. Sokka rushed over and helped him stand.
He shouted at the Tribesman, "Stop her!"
Sokka looked conflicted but shook his head. "If there's anyone that calm Aang down, it's her."
Zuko wanted to argue, but he knew the other boy was right.
He looked over and saw Toph hunkered down in the sand, hands over her head. He pushed Sokka in that direction and they struggled over, kneeling down on either side of her and forming a small, huddled mass.
The two boys wrapped their arms around the Earthbender and tried to shield her from the sand and the winds.
Aang was hovering in the air, surrounded by wind and rage.
Katara reached out and gently grabbed hold of his wrist. The Avatar's head whipped towards her and she met the gaze unflinchingly.
She pulled him down towards her until she could wrap her arms around his trembling form. One hand stroked up and down his back while the other cupped the back of his head.
She hummed quietly in his ear; old, barely-remembered Water Tribe lullabies that mothers used to soothe their squalling babes.
The winds began to die down. The sand began to settle. The air fell silent.
Sokka, Zuko, and Toph hesitantly pulled away from each other.
They saw Aang crying in Katara's arms.
