Walk the Moon

by thewordshaman

A young man whose known nothing but suffering. A young girl born in wealth and privilege. When the former is given a fresh start in a new world, it causes unimaginable ripples and their destinies to intertwine in more ways than one. (SI/Self-Insert.)

4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: The Exception

The Avatar rolled in pain as the sand serpents tightened themselves to completion around his small body. He had finally disengaged from the Avatar State and as a result, the Si Wong Desert had finally reverted back to its dry and dreary conditions. However, as of that moment, the assortment of individuals who currently resided in the desert were anything but calm.

The brunette girl with the single braid was still screaming at me off in the distance as I approached the airbender, after having sheathed my Medusa-head daggers. The pony-tailed boy who had previously been wielding a machete, now cautiously approached me with a matching blue boomerang, along with the tiny earthbender girl. Apparently, Sha-Mo, Ghashiun, and the rest of the sandbenders who had accompanied me had taken the opportunity amongst all the chaos to disappear back into the desert. Pricks.

"Let my sister go or I swear I wont hesitate use this!" the tan-skinned sibling yelled.

I looked up and glared at the boy with my spinning red pupils until he flinched, taking two steps back and assuming a fighting stance. All I could do was smirk at the pathetic show of martial prowess. On the other hand, the earthbender was not to be taken lightly. Despite the girl's obvious blindness, she was a force to be reckoned with, as I had witnessed how easily she had been able to dispatch the buzzard wasps just moments ago.

The green cladded girl adopted a unique stance and said, "We won't ask you again. I don't know how you managed to stop Aang in the Avatar State, but trust that I won't hesitate to kick all the sand outta your butt right now."

"Your fighting style," I mused. "I can tell it's unorthodox, self-taught even, but your Chu Gar Southern Praying Mantis Art is nothing compared to the Way." I maintained the stoic look on my face as I watched her eyes widen slightly over my recognition of her earthbending style. Nevertheless, the girl shifted her stance forward and I felt the vibrations through the earth as she tried to catch me in a surprise attack.

"Toph, no! You have to stop!" the brunette girl screamed.

"Don't worry, Katara," the boy replied, while throwing his boomerang at me. "We'll get you and Aang out of this!"

I flipped backwards as an earth pillar arose from where I had previously been standing and bended two sand whips to my hands, while jerking my head in order to avoid the incoming boomerang. "Stop," I called out calmly. "All I want to do is talk, there's no more need for violence."

"You should've thought of that before you attacked my friends!" Toph yelled as she stomped the ground and brought up three huge rocks. Within a blink of an eye, she then proceeded to punch each one at me in quick succession.

I slithered my way around the rocks in quick, sleek dodges and sent a whip cracking above the earthbender's head. Caught off guard, Toph jumped back in surprise as I used that same whip and tangled it around both of her feet.

I tugged the whip with a little bit of force and sent the proud girl sprawling to the sand.

I whirled the second sand whip around my head and used it to catch the boomerang that the fool in blue tried to throw at me. I rotated and sent the projectile flying back towards the boy, whose victorious grin started to falter.

Tu-tu-tu-tu-tu-tu

The boomerang sailed through the air and made prompt contact with the front of the pony-tailed boy's head, knocking him unconscious. The would-be savior collapsed to the ground, as blood gushed out of his forehead.

I dissipated one of the sand whips and began to reel in the earthbender with the one that was tied around her feet. She tried to wriggle free and claw herself away from me, to no avail, as she cursed at me. I could tell that the girl called Toph found sandbending hard to navigate through and control because even though she still had the ability to bend with her freed hands, she struggled to manifest any solid attacks towards me. Regardless, I took no joy in this short-lived victory because all I honestly wanted at this point in time were answers to the questions burning inside my head.

Sometimes, this world in all of its cruel nature is like this and you were going to need to get used to getting your hands dirty in order to ensure your survival.

When Toph was just a few feet away, I quickly whirled my hands together so that the sand whip morphed into a small sand cocoon, which constrained her all the way up to her neck. This way I wouldn't need to worry about her being able to earthbend against me or flee, but also restraining her in a way that wasn't uncomfortable for her as well.

"Let me go, you bastard!" Toph screamed as she fought to free herself of her new confinements. "If we were on solid ground, then I'd for sure beat the hell out of you, you dunderhead!"

Katara was also yelling at me off in the distance, but I couldn't register it due to the incoming headache that was forming at the forefront of my head from all of the damn shouting. I signed and pinched the bridge of my nose, taking a deep a breath in and out of my nose. After I was able to somewhat clear my mind of the slight mental fog that had assailed it, I walked over to Toph and grabbed her by her shirt collar.

"Are you not listening to me?!" Toph screamed. "I said IF YOU DON'T LET ME-"

I brought the brash earthbender mere inches from my face and stared deep into her eyes, which finally cut short her profanity laced rant over beating me to hell then feeding my remains to a pack of Si Wong camel-elephants. The red stars within my eyes spun ever so slowly, which soon lulled Toph into complete hypnosis and she soon fell completely silent. I unceremoniously dropped her back to the sand with a loud thud.

Katara had finally ceased screaming at me as well and as an act of good faith, I decided to release her from the sand dune that she had been entrapped in. Katara fell to her knees from both exhaustion and being unexpectedly freed from her sand bonds. I sauntered my way towards her and dropped my skin of water at her feet.

Katara's eyes soon developed from downright weariness to a look of determination as she observed the water skin and began to calculate her future attack. What she didn't know was while I had been engaged in battle with the Avatar, that my eyes were able to read her chi points as well, thanks to my bloodsong. There I discovered that the young tanned girl had a strong affinity for water and that she thought I was none the wiser, being that I had just offered her a drink of the fresh cold liquid.

"Don't even try it, unless you plan on joining your friends over there," I said. "Now, drink. We still have a long way to go in order to get out of this pit."

"Why?" Katara questioned, staring at me with wide eyes as she stayed kneeling on the ground. "Why didn't you restrain like you did to my friends?"

I turned and walked away before finally peering back over my shoulder and replying, "Consider it an act of trust." And on that sudden note, I made my way towards the sailer and sandbended three shifting platforms underneath Katara's friends, guiding their bodies onto the glider.

Katara thirstily drank from the water skin until it was almost half empty and wiped the droplets from her mouth. She soon got to her feet and followed me onto the sand sailer, sitting next to her comrades while shooting me a nasty glare.

"Just because you're helping us get out of the desert doesn't mean I trust you, not even in the slightest," Katara said. "Especially, since you hurt my friends. You'll have what's coming to you I can assure you of that! You're no better than the Fire Nation."

I let out one of my rare laughs as I unfurled the sails and took my position at the front of the vessel to sandbend our journey out of this spirits forsaken desert.

"Whatever you say, water nymph."

000

Several days later…

My voyage out of the Si Wong Desert was made exponentially faster thanks to the sand sailer, but it unfortunately brought with it three more compatriots that I had not planned on taking with me.

I never could have imagined that the divine one, the legend and messiah known as the Avatar in this world, was just a harmless looking, bald twelve-year-old boy. On top of that, it was even more shocking that he was traveling with three other children around his age as well. I guess I shouldn't be calling them kids because I'm technically no wise old sage myself, but it was still mind-boggling to say the least.

The Elders told me that the Avatar would be a great, mighty, and old warrior and that I would need many more years of harsh training before I'd be able to even dare challenge he or she in their fully realized form. Obviously this was not the case in this situation, but I had a feeling deep in my gut that the Elders knew this to be true all along. Otherwise, they wouldn't have ended my training so abruptly.

Anyway, Sokka, whose name I had to come learn from his sister, and the Avatar finally regained consciousness, as well as Toph, who was finally able to snap out of the hypnosis that I had inflicted on her.

The first couple of days proved to be pretty awkward, as I had now forced my presence in traveling with the group who were understandly, not pleased. Sokka, in an endless verbal assault, expressed his low opinion of me at every opportunity he could get. Surprisingly, Aang said nothing and just stared off into the distance with a depressed look etched on his face. Katara watched me at every waking moment, in case I were to suddenly go berserk and start murdering everyone. I eventually was able to set Toph free from the cocoon I had entrapped her in due to the fact that she and the others had no choice but to trust to me to lead them out of the desert that only I could navigate.

Team Avatar ostracized themselves from me and huddled together on the opposite end of the sand sailer as I followed my internal compass and propelled us through the dunes. I was able to naturally able to find an oasis for us to stock up on water and the occasional scorpion-rat for us to eat. I found it hard to believe that the others couldn't appreciate such a fine desert delicacy.

Oh well, their loss.

Finally, after several days of traveling, we made it out of the Si Wong and to a box canyon that contained cascading waterfalls which went into a deep pool. Aang and company jumped off the sand sailer with joyful expressions on their faces. I watched as the group lied down in the grass and soaked up the afternoon sun as Aang's winged-lemur flew from tree to tree, ingesting as many nuts and berries it could find.

For some reason it felt odd not to be in the midst of the desert, but it was nice to finally have change in scenery after seeing nothing but sand for years.

It seemed as if Team Avatar had forgotten my existence as I dismounted from the sand sailer and cautiously approached them.

Sokka sprang up from the ground and his previous pleasant and dazed expression was replaced with a harsh frown. "Don't think we've forgotten about you," he said while pointing at me. "I'm not one to hold a grudge, but just because you helped us out of the desert doesn't mean you're apart of our group now!"

I stared at him with an impassive look on my face. Katara and Toph both arose to see what I would do next, but I simply walked past them to the gleaming pool in front of us. I knelt down and splashed water on my face, while I contemplated what my next move should be.

There was no way after attacking the divine one and his group of friends that they were going to all of a sudden welcome me with open arms, but I needed to figure out a way to earn their trust. Not because I cared about what they thought of me, but I needed to figure out what my connection to the Avatar was. If the airbender's friends didn't trust me, then he definitely wasn't going to give me the answers I sought, along with the fact that I basically kidnapped them.

Whoops.

"Hey, aren't you listening me?" Sokka questioned. "I'm still talking to you, buddy!" The Southern Water tribesman continued to make wild gestures at me, until I stood up and looked at him with my blood-red eyes. I missed the emerald eyes that I had once possessed, but the eyes of the Sand Serpent were always handy to have in case you ever needed to intimidate someone.

Sokka quickly shut his mouth and Katara started to slowly stand up with Toph, as they both had noticed the electrifying tension in the current atmosphere.

Aang hadn't made a single peep ever since he had gotten off of the sand sailer. He laid back in the grass in blissful ignorance to what was going on around him and stared off into the sky. Katara stood next to her brother and said, "I agree with Sokka. Normally, I think he can be a bit of an idiot when it comes to meeting new people, but why should we trust you?" Katara's frown deepened as she continued, "Especially, since you attacked us! What do you want from us? Why don't you leave us alone? If you're working with the Fire Nation and intend to take Aang, then we'll fight you right here. I don't care if you bested us before, but you won't now. Don't you have a clue you're working for murderers? People that killed my mother…"

On that sour note, Katara reached up and lightly touched her blue necklace with a tearful expression on her face, but her dark glare soon returned.

"Well, you gonna fight us or what?" Toph piped up.

Those who are skilled in combat do not become angered, those who are skilled at winning, do not become afraid. Thus the wise win before the fight, while the ignorant fight to win.

The wise words of the Elders echoed in my mind. I looked up at the rag-tag group and realized how far I had transcended mentally in the last couple of years. The game here was chess and these kids were not even playing at the level of checkers.

"No," I murmured.

"Whadja say sand for brains?" Toph mocked. The earthbender smashed a fist into her open palm. "You can still postpone your funeral by running off into those woods over there."

"I said, no. I don't care about you, your opinion of me, or even your very existence. That little speech you made about the Fire Nation and your dead mother does not matter to me either. I may have been able to tolerate your ignorance in the desert, but not anymore. The business I have here is with the Avatar now stand back, or else."

My eyes spun wildly and I began tying white wraps that started from around my hands, all the way up to my elbows. The Water Tribe girl now possessed a stunned look on her face that barely concealed the hurt that I had inflicted upon her feelings. Toph still held her haughty frown and Sokka's mouth was hanging agape over my blunt response.

"I have only known you for a short while, but I have realized one fact about all of you and that is you are all stake your very existence on a mere child," I said. "I do not accept any absolute formulas for living. No preconceived being can see ahead to everything in a human's life. As we live, we grow and our beliefs change. They must change. One must be awakened to a heightened awareness of living, but only those with ears for the song can touch this cosmic truth."

"Enough stupid speeches!" Toph yelled. "Bring it!"

"Stop," a voice whispered. "Just stop."

Toph waved her hands about while exclaiming, "What do you mean stop, Twinkletoes? Now's not the time to be lounging in the grass taking a damn nap!"

Aang slowly lifted himself up and turned to me. "I'm sick and tired of hearing you guys criticize him. He helped us get out of the desert and stopped me in the Avatar State before I could end up hurting anyone. It doesn't excuse how he did it, but the least I can do is hear him out before he goes on his way."

"I can't believ-," Toph started, but Katara quickly hushed her by putting her hand over the snarky earthbender's mouth.

"Fine, Aang. If that's what you want do, then we'll trust your judgment," Katara said, still taken aback over my verbal tirade.

Sokka, who was normally always one to speak up against interacting with strangers of any kind, merely shrugged and sat down on a nearby rock. He could read the message in my eyes.

It was time for the divine one and I to have a private conversation.

000

I went to edge of the forest line at the end of the canyon with Aang and we sat across from each other on some nearby rocks by the pool. Team Avatar went and did their own separate activities. Toph splashed her feet at the water's edge, Sokka looked to be studying a map he had spread out on the ground, and Katara decided to go for a swim.

I watched out of the corner of my eye as the Southern Water Tribe girl swam through the pool as if she were a mermaid of the sea. I couldn't help but slightly admire how she seemed to be at one with her element, until Aang interrupted my reverie.

"So, who are you? What do you want from me?" Aang asked.

I snapped my attention back to the airbender and replied, "I don't remember my old name, but I am called Ashura here. I don't know much about this world, but the individuals that trained me in the Si Wong told me that the nations here have been at war for a very long time and that you were the only one that could stop it."

"It's true. I am the Avatar, but I was frozen in an iceberg for the past hundred years until Sokka and Katara found me. They've been traveling with me to find bending teachers, so that I learn and master all four elements. I need to do this in order to defeat the Fire Lord and restore balance to the world. It's my destiny."

I nodded. Did I personally believe this boy would be capable of pulling off such a feat? No. But there was no point in expressing this because it had nothing to do with the answers I needed.

Or so I thought.

"I don't know how or why I was brought here and I know it sounds outlandish, but the moon told me to find you."

"What?" Aang asked, looking bewildered as ever.

"A girl from the moon. She has white hair and olive skin. My teachers told me that she wanted me to find you and that once I did, you would be able to reveal everything. Now that I have, it seems that they were mistaken."

"I honestly have no idea," Aang said shrugging awkwardly, while scratching the back of his bald head. "I'm sorry, but I have no idea why Yue or your teachers would want you to find me. And why do you keep sounding as if you're not from this world? It's kind of weird."

"Who is Yue?" I questioned. "The moon spirit? She has a name? And I don't say that in order to sound like I'm not from here, it's literally because I'm not from your world."

"Yeah, Yue was princess of the Northern Water Tribe before she gave her life to save the moon from dying. Her and Sokka used to be a thing," Aang answered. "Huh. Well, okay. I've never met someone from another planet before, but I guess it's all in a day's work for the Avatar."

My mind was spinning. Princess of the Northern Water Tribe? What would a princess from another plane of reality want to do with me? Why was my memory wiped and I couldn't remember anything? What was I supposed to do? My sanity continued to spiral down until Aang started shaking my shoulders to snap me out of the trance.

"Hey, Ash. Are you okay?" Aang asked worriedly.

I snapped back to reality and had to blink a couple of times to bring the young Avatar back into focus. "Yeah, yeah I'm good. I just lost myself there for a minute."

"Okay," Aang said. "Well, is that all you wanted to ask?"

I struggled to think of something else to ask the boy, when Sokka started yelling at Aang to come back over to the group because he had something important to show him.

"For the record, all I have to say is that I didn't take your bison. I don't apologize for what I said earlier or for fighting all of you in the desert, but just know that I didn't steal your companion."

"Oh, good. I'm glad. For both our sakes," Aang said, as he stood up from the rock and grinned. "So, now what? I'm not sure if you're welcome to join us, especially after all that's happened."

"No, and I don't want to. It was stupid of me to think that you were going to be this all-mighty oracle that would supply me with all these answers to my life. This is a journey I'll have to take alone."

"Okay, Ash. Well, I guess this is good-bye. See ya," Aang said. The tattooed boy then jumped and ran over to join his friends.

I sighed.

Now what?

000

Before I knew it, the bright afternoon sun went down and there were hundreds of stars twinkling brightly in the sky. But only one thing had taken full custody of my attention that night.

The moon.

It was as a bright as the morning star and lit up the entire forest before me. Everything paled in comparison to its overwhelming beauty.

I left the Avatar and his friends to huddle over their map a long time ago, as I waded my way through the forest. I didn't know where I was going or what I was about to do, but I wasn't going to give up. I would find the answers I needed. The Elders told me that my direction should be to always move forward.

I didn't care if I had to build a staircase up to the moon and demand why this Yue had forced me to come to this dimension. I wanted my memory back and I felt like I had no idea who I truly was. I didn't know whether this was fate, destiny, or just one big accident. Whatever this was, it was being thrust upon me like I had no choice in the matter. My very soul had been ripped out of me and intertwined with something dark and powerful as soon as I had arrived in this world. I felt its affect on me each day and I knew that it would eventually take me over completely.

I pulled myself from my thoughts and continued to trudge on through the endless woods. I didn't have time to be distracted. Although I may be alone, there could always be danger lurking in the shadows waiting to strike.

They believe the source of all evil in this world is the Fire Lord. How could they all be so small-minded?

This was bigger than some pompous fire-bending tyrant. Divine strings were at work and everyone in the land were just puppets. I don't care what I have to do.

I will be free.

000

I continued to walk until the morning and I watched as the sun gently rose over the horizon to signal the beginning of a new day. I yawned and stretched my sore muscles as the birds sung their dawn song to wake up the rest of the creatures of the forest.

The bloodsong suddenly began to ring in my ears.

I had planned to stop and get some shut-eye, but it seemed that new plans were at play. My song guided me for a few more miles until I came across a gloomy, cavernous inlet. I had no idea I had been so close to such a huge body of water, especially with three large wooden ships anchored past a fortified wall.

Behind the harbor wall were hundreds of people that had gathered on a stone landing. There were two Earth Kingdom guards standing at attention with one of them bending down a wall section behind them, which revealed a large tunnel.

And to my surprise Team Avatar were the ones that emerged from it with a young couple.

Sigh. I had mostly traveled through the night in an effort to get away from Aang and his friends, but it seems like my bloodsong demanded that I be here. This was no mistake.

I walked through the large crowd of pathetic refugees until I was able to approach the Avatar. "Hey, guys," I said. "Long time no see." Let's just say I wasn't met with the most joyful of expressions by the group.

"What do you want?" Katara asked angrily, while crossing her arms across her chest. "You were supposed to have left and been gone yesterday."

"Maybe I wanted to see your beautiful face again, did you ever think of that?" I replied with a wink. "Besides, I walked through the forest all night, so it's no wonder we ended up in the same place."

Katara huffed and I even managed to make Toph snicker a little bit.

"Whatever," Sokka said. "Just don't get in our way with your little sand magic, okay? We've already had enough trouble."

Aang tried to play peacemaker and said, "Calm down guys. It's all one big misunderstanding, right? Ash didn't mean to run into us here. Right?" Aang's eyebrows went up as he asked me this stupid question.

"Obviously, but my song says I should be here so it looks like I won't be going anywhere for the time being," I said with a shrug. "Anyway, you guys move quick. Who are your new friends?"

Husband and wife both stared at me with looks of shock, as was to be expected when meeting someone with blood-red black stars for pupils. It still didn't stop me from giving my eyes a quick spin for my own personal enjoyment in seeing them flinch.

"Uhh, I'm Than," the young man stammered out, while gesturing to the pregnant woman beside him. "And this is my wife, Ying."

Ying greeted me with an awkward and fearful bow of her head.

"I'm Ash, nice to to make your acquaintance," I greeted. "Where are you headed?"

"None of your business that's where," Toph said, with her hands on her hips. "Now if you don't mind, we're on our way to a dangerous path that someone I'm sure as chicken as you wouldn't even dare to go on!"

I laughed and pinched Toph's cheek, much like a grandparent would do to a child. The rest of Team Avatar winced and looked shocked. Apparently, it seemed as if no one touched Toph like this and got away with it.

I was rewarded with a powerful whack to my arm from the blushing earthbender. "What the hell do you think you're doing, sand for brains?!" Toph yelled.

"Judging by the pink tint on your cheeks, it seems like you didn't mind," I smirked, while rubbing my sore arm. Toph was getting ready to reel back to deliver another bone-crushing blow, until Aang stepped in between us to referee the situation.

"We're headed to Ba-Sing Se. Than and Ying told us that the Serpent's Pass was to deadly, so we're going to get on one of the ferries instead," Aang said, realizing I would only continue to antagonize the group until I got the answer I wanted.

The bloodsong rang powerfully in my ears at the mention of the The Serpent's Pass. Hmm.

"Well, that's where I'll be headed. Feel free to join me if you'd like or if the ferries don't work out. Anyway, safe travels and I wish you the best in your pregnancy." I then took a step back, bowed, and headed the other direction until all of a sudden a headache sent me to my knees.

The bloodsong was playing so loudly and violently that it caused me to grasp my head in pain.

Aang ran over to me and placed his hand on my shoulder. "Ash, are you alright? What's wrong?"

As soon as the Avatar's hand made physical contact, the bloodsong ceased completely.

I stood back up like I had been shocked from a firebender's lightning strike. "Looks like I'll be joining you," I said, absentmindedly. My eyes made contact with the confused airbender and I could feel my pupils relaying the bloodsong's message. Aang's eyes flashed blue for a milli-second and he felt a spiritual shiver that traveled through all of his chakra points.

He understood.

In what seemed like a miniscule moment to anyone else watching our interaction, was a total release of the mental fog that had clouded both of our minds. We were connected by the divine song and we needed to stick together.

For the time being, at least.

Aang turned to his friends with a serious look on his face. A look I'm sure they rarely ever got to see. "He's coming with us," the Avatar stated. Katara and Sokka opened their mouths to protest, but Aang cut them off with a quick wave of his hand. They really hadn't ever seen this side from their young friend, so they made no further protests. Toph didn't like the notion of me joining them either, but she elected to remain silent on the matter as well.

"We need to see if we can get on one of the ferries to Ba-Sing Se," Aang said, looking at me.

"I disagree; we need to go through the Pass. There's something there we both need to see," I said with conviction. "But if you feel so strongly about the ferry, then we can try to see what happens."

On that note, the seven of us made our way towards the ferry landing. What awaited us was an ugly and cruel-looking Earth Kingdom woman standing at a podium, stamping papers angrily.

As we approached the huge stand that overlooked all of the hopeful refugees, the Bureaucrat ordered an unlucky cabbage merchant be removed by security, while a platypus-bear reared up and destroyed his vegetable cart. I raised an eyebrow at the comedic sight.

This was going to be interesting.

"Next!" the Bureaucrat yelled as she hastily stamped another rejection.

Aang hesitantly approached the podium. "Um, five tickets for the ferry to Ba-Sing Se, please," he asked nervously.

"Passport."

"Uh, no one told us we had to have passports," the airbender replied.

Sokka stepped forward determinedly. "Don't you know who this is? He's the Avatar!"

"Ah, I see fifty Avatars a day, and by the way, not a very impressive costume," the Bureaucrat replied. She pointed over to her left, revealing a group of boys in Avatar costumes lounging together. Aang smiled and nodded in their direction, as Momo jumped on his shoulder.

"Besides, no animals allowed. Do I need to call security?" The Bureaucrat said haughtily.

The platypus bear audibly chomped on a cabbage. Aang held up his hands in surrender.

"That won't be necessary," the airbender fearfully answered.

I knew that we shouldn't get on the ferry, but there was nothing I couldn't stand more than someone being unreasonable for no other reason but to be pain in the ass. Plus, I didn't like it when those in power tried to bully others through force or intimidation.

That's why I strode forward and grabbed the Bureaucrat by her collar, slamming her ugly face into the podium.

The platypus bear and the Earth Kingdom guards jumped into action, while the line of people behind us stared at me in shock. I unsheathed one of my Medusa-head blades and held it to the neck of the fat Bureaucrat.

"Take another step and I ice the bitch," I said calmly, giving the guards a sideways glance. They stepped back in fear and were hypnotized by my Serpent Eyes. The platypus-bear charged forward, but I restrained the beast in a cocoon of sand with a simple wave of the hand.

"What are you fools doing?! Do some-," the Bureaucrat choked out, as I cut her off with a tightened grip.

"Now, how about those tickets?"

"What are you doing, Ash?!" Katara exclaimed.

"Yeah man, are you nuts? Now, we'll never get out of here!" Sokka chimed in, waving his arms in the air like wet noodles.

Aang was about to speak up as well, until Toph joined me at the front of the podium.

"I'll take care of this. My name is Toph Bei Fong, and I'll need five tickets," Toph said confidently. She then pushed up a document bearing a golden Flying Boar seal that gleamed in the sunlight.

I gave a half-smile to the earthbender's initiative. "I love it when a woman takes charge," I said sarcastically.

"Whatever," Toph huffed. "This is the correct and assertive way to do things. Not ramming people's faces in the desk like a damn psychopath. Although, it does make for a funny story." The blind girl grinned and the Bureaucrat instantly recognized the seal of the Bei Fong family.

I released my grip on the now humbled, yet now terrified Bureaucrat, who then promptly stamped all five papers.

"You won't get away this," the Bureaucrat said scornfully. "I don't know what you did to my guards, but I won't let you leave this landing alive or without being locked up."

"Oh, really? Well, if you have any desire to see them alive, then you'll have no choice but to let me go. I mean, I could always make you let me go through other means, but what would be the fun in that? No, I think it's best you forget this ever happened," I replied.

"What? Why on earth would I do-." The Bureaucrat was once again cut off midsentence immediately, when I placed her under the my trance. I channeled the Serpent's power to my fingertips and snapped. The Earth Kingdom guards and the Bureaucrat looked around with puzzled expressions on their faces. I released the platypus-bear from his sand bonds as well, before the Earth Kingdom administrative guards became cognizant.

"What are you brats still doing here? I asked you if I needed to call security and the bald kid said no, now move it," the Bureaucrat screeched with spittle coming out her mouth.

"As you wish, my darling," I said with a smirk and an overdramatic bow. Toph rolled her eyes and Sokka couldn't help but burst out in laughter. Katara seemed to be stuck in a state of shock with her eyes as wide as plates and her mouth hanging agape.

Toph grabbed our tickets and we made our way out of the ferry landing.

"Alright, we scammed that lady good!" Sokka exclaimed. "I'm not sure how you did it Ash, but that hypnosis thingy can really come in handy!"

Katara looked at her brother and frowned. "How can you say that, Sokka? Ash attacked an old lady and forced her to give us these tickets," the waterbender exclaimed.

"Just look it at this way, 'Tara," I explained. "If we did things your way, then we'd still be not only ticketless, but forced to go down the dreaded pass that you're so scared of. I call this a win-win."

Katara was about to give me a snarky reply, when an attractive young woman in an Earth Kingdom uniform approached us and demanded we show her our tickets and passports.

"Is there a problem?" Sokka asked, intimidated by the woman's aggressive questions.

"Yeah, I've got a problem with you," the young girl said menacingly, while poking a finger on Sokka's chest. "I've seen your type before, probably sarcastic, think you're hilarious, and let me guess, you're traveling with the Avatar."

Sokka's eyes narrowed. "Do I know you?"

Hmmm. She's one to talk about being sarcastic and hilarious with the little comedy show she's putting on. I put a hand to my mouth and quietly chuckled at Sokka's gullibility.

"You mean you don't remember!" the girl exclaimed. She then grabbed the clueless Water Tribe boy by his collar. "Maybe, you'll remember this." The girl placed a kiss on Sokka's cheek, which resulted in the two of them blushing as bright as the sun.

"Suki!" Sokka exclaimed. He wrapped the Earth Kingdom warrior in a strong embrace. Suki smiled in delight and returned the hug with equal fervor.

"Sokka, it's so good to see you!"

Team Avatar and Suki continued their little happy reunion indoors away from the harbor. I decided to hang back and let the group of friends catch up as I leaned against the harbor wall, watching the sea roll into small drifts near the landing. The sun dazzled like a diamond upon the water's edge and the refugees continued to pour into the building in the hopes of finding passage on either one of the ships that were still docked.

I thought about going outside to catch a breath of fresh air, until I heard my name be brought up in Team Avatar's conversation with Suki.

"Who's that guy you're with now?" I heard Suki ask. "And what's the deal with his eyes? Talk about giving me the creeps."

"It's a long story," Aang piped up, before a popular negative opinion could be shared about me from the rest of the gang. "We met Ash in the Si Wong and we don't really know much about him. He's traveling with us for the time being."

"Huh, well, okay." Suki replied. "If you change your mind and want to get rid of him, then I can always see if I can get some of the guards to help throw him out."

My face remained impassive as I silently made my way back to the reunited group of friends, effectively sneaking up behind them.

"I don't think that would be in your best interest," I said calmly. Team Avatar and Suki flinched, as they did not expect me to interrupt their conversation. Sokka started to move towards Suki in a protective manner, but I placed a hand on his shoulder in an effort to relax him. Sokka's tense body calmed as I washed my intent into his chi points to let him know that I meant the girl no harm.

I gave a half-grin and bowed. "It's nice to meet you, Suki. I can see why Sokka is so into such a pretty young woman like yourself."

Suki blushed. "Oh, why thank you." A jealous expression replaced the relaxed one on Sokka's face, which I ignored and asked the young Earth Kingdom girl if she had any friends helping her guard the landing.

"Yeah," Aang said. "Are the other Kyoshi warriors around?"

"Yeah," Suki answered. "After you left Kyoshi, we wanted to find a way to help people. We ended up escorting some refugees, and we've been ever since." Suki then solemnly looked over to the refugee camp, as Momo jumped up next to her and perched himself on her shoulder. "Hi Momo, good to see you." Suki scratched the winged-lemur behind his ears and discovering that the Avatar's huge flying bison wasn't around, asked, "So, why are you guys getting tickets for the ferry? Wouldn't you fly across on Appa?"

Team Avatar started to look down at the ground awkwardly, as Aang visibly tensed at the question, until Katara responded sadly, "Appa is missing. We hope to find him in Ba Sing Se." She then looked over at Aang, who frowned and looked off in the distance. Sokka gave me an accusing glare and Toph maintained her usual stoic appearance.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Suki said with concern. She then looked to Aang. "Are you doing okay?"

I crossed my arms and tried to keep the look of disgust off my face. "You all need to stop coddling the Avatar. I realize what happened is a travesty, but we will get the bison back," I said.

"How can you be so insensitive?" Katara said while throwing her arms down indignantly. "Aang just lost someone that has been apart of him for over a hundred years, and you have the gall to say that!"

I glanced at the waterbender. It seemed that no matter what I said, good or bad, it would always end up setting the young girl off. Maybe it had something to do with our different perceptions of reality? I didn't know, nor at that moment, did I really care.

"I realize you have a problem with me, Katara, but you need to quit mothering Aang and creating the illusion that we have any power over our past circumstances. This world isn't a happy place and it definitely isn't fair, especially now with the war. It is Aang's responsibility to end the Fire Lord's reign, but how will he do it if you still continue to treat him like a child?"

"I'm doing fine! Would everyone stop worrying about me!" Aang said annoyed.

Katara was about to open her mouth in protest, when all of a sudden the pregnant woman from before yelled out at the young airbender. "Avatar Aang, you have to help us! Someone took all of our belongings. Our passports, our tickets. Everything's gone!"

Fools. How could they be so foolish, unless this means….

"I'll talk to the lady for you," Aang said, calling down to the young couple. The Avatar then walked over to the Bureaucrat in order to plead the couple's case, but the bitter old woman would hear no excuses on the matter.

"NEXT!" I heard the Bureaucrat scream into the airbender's face and Aang's shoulders sagged as he walked back to us in defeat.

As Aang approached, a plan began to formulate inside my head. Before, Team Avatar had been adamantly against going through the Serpent's Pass. I knew that was where we were meant to go, but I couldn't risk separating from Aang. This was a perfect opportunity to redirect our course.

"It's no big deal," Sokka said, trying to reassure Than and Ying. "Our weird red-eyed friend here can help you with this. Right, Ash?"

"No," I lied. "I'm fresh out of hypnosis juice, it's only good for one time a day only." I kept my heartbeat as calm and still as a lake on a pleasant summer morning. I knew Toph would be able to sense if I was lying through her seismic sensing abilities, so I would need to bring my A-game if I was going to get them all to believe me.

The Southern Water Tribe boy gave me a look of disbelief and Team Avatar turned to Toph in order to verify what I had just said.

Toph frowned. "Huh, looks like sand for brains is telling the truth. This time at least," she said. I could tell the earthbender wasn't totally buying what I was saying, but there was no other way she could disprove it either.

"It's settled then," I said and placed a hand on Aang's shoulder; the young Avatar looked up to me with a knowing look in eyes. I turned to the heartbroken couple. "I'll get you to the city safely. I'll lead you through the Serpent's Pass."

000

What could Ash be planning? What awaits Team Avatar, Ash, and the young couple on the Serpent's Pass? Let me know what you think and also what you think of Ashura so far. Constructive criticism for improvement is also welcome!