Appa flew slowly, as if he could sense the rage and sadness of those he carried. Maybe it was the shouts of anger Appa had heard when Aang, Katara, Kakyoin, Jotaro, and Zuko had been reunited outside of Robert's fortress. They had all escaped. Maybe it was the dramatic tears Katara was crying, which had started when Aang had said,

"Uh, this is going to sound unpog, but Sokka is kind of… deceased. But moving on, look how tall I am now, guys! Look how brightly colored my bell-bottoms are! Now I can really be the centre of attention? Right guys? Right?!"

Or maybe Appa was aware of the foul mood they were all in because Zuko wasn't responding to Kakyoin's repeated requests that he listen to his slam poetry.

"ZUKO! ZUKO! LISTEN, YOU LIZARD FACED BASTARD! I'VE WRITTEN SOME SLAM POETRY, AND I HAVE TO EXPRESS MY ARTISTIC SOUL! I REALLY THINK I'VE BROKEN A LOT OF SOCIETAL AND ARTISTIC BOUNDARIES WITH MY LATEST COMPOSITION!" Kakyoin was red in the face with anger that Zuko was just looking off into the distance. For once, a single tear wasn't sliding down the firebenders face, which was unusual.

"GGGRGARAAAAAGGHHH!" Kakyoin shrieked with rage. Turning to the sobbing Katara, he shouted,

"KATARA! Since ZUKO doesn't appreciate my ART, WILL YOU LISTEN TO MY GORGEOUS, BREATHTAKING, UNQUENCHABLE SLAM POETRY?!"

Katara looked like she was about to rip off Kakyoin's nails and head, so angry was she that day. That bitter foul day. A day they would all remember for the next week of their lives, though they didn't they didn't know it yet. The 4th of July.

"Oh my god! Kakyoin you selfish little boich!" She sobbed aggressively.

"I'm going through SO MUCH right now! Your tiny brain cannot even COMPREHEND the amount of sheer emotional pain and suffering I am battling at the moment! In case you need a point of reference for my pain, what I'm feeling right now is definitely what freakin' Zuko feels EVERY SINGLE DAY OF HIS GODDAMN PATHETIC LIFE BECAUSE I DON'T LOVE HIM AND HE KNOWS IT!"

Everyone looked at Zuko with irritation. Zuko's pained, raspy voice rang out, like a frog croaking in a misty swamp at night. A single sparkling anime tear slid down his cheek. His heart was being stabbed by needles, by ZINKO. The shadow no longer linked, but actively did battle with his heart, mind, body and soul and flat, attractive ass. His heart was now 99% ZINKO. It would only take a minor slight against Zuko for ZINKO to take over. Then Zuko would be GONE.

Zuko nodded his head slightly, in response to Katara's statement. Katara sniffed dramatically, and gazing directly into the sun, said.

"I look into the sun with zero fear…. Nothing scares me anymore, not death, not the sun, not Kakyoin's slam poetry, not the prospect of being forever alone (like Zuko), not even Zuko himself! I need to go HOME, I need to BURN some INCENSE, I NEED A HOT BATH TO CLEANSE MY AURA! I HAVE TO EXFOLIATE! SELF CARE! I WILL GET THROUGH THIS WITH THE CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY BY MY SIDE!" She then turned around, so her back was facing the group, and refused to say any more.

"I know what will make her feel better!" said Kakyoin. He then slid forward on his belly towards Katara, and then gently ran one finger in tiny circles around her right shoulder, while gently running a spork over his lovely teeth to make a clinking noise. He grinned happily.

"This will make you feel better, Katara! Jotaro always makes tiny circles on my shoulder and clinks his teeth with a fork whenever I'm upset, it's very caring of him. I was actually surprised at first, because it seemed so out of character for him, but now I just know that he's a true friend who really cares about my feelings! Right, Jotaro?" Kakyoin smiled trustingly at Jotaro. Jotaro looked confused, then concerned. Leaning forward and lowering his voice, as if scared of being overheard by the MAN, he whispered,

"Good grief. Kakyoin, we've never even made physical contact, and I've never touched your shoulder OR clinked my teeth at you. In fact, I've never done such a dirty thing in my life! I realize that you don't mean it as a sexual thing, Kakyoin, but it's still super weird. I'd never do that! My dear Papa would disown me." Jotaro adjusted his hat with disdain, and fear of being disowned.

Kakyoin stopped clinking his teeth on the spork.

"If it wasn't you, Jotaro, who was it making those clinking noises behind me all those times? All those weeks, whenever I was upset about the tap water being the wrong temperature, or my parents getting brainwashed, or about not having any gerbils in my pockets! Also, not being able to get with your mom, Jotaro, that really set me off. That comforting yet eerie sound… It was definitely teeth on metal, I'd know that sound anywhere…. And those soft soft hands… Who's were they?" Kakyoin went pale, fear clouding his purple eyes. Jotaro paused for a second.

"Why did you think it was me? Why would you come to that conclusion?"

Kakyoin laughed good-naturedly.

"Jotaro, you're like my 16th best friend! Of course I know you're tooth density, and how they sound on metal! What sort of friend do you think I am?" Kakyoin patted Jotaro gently on the knee. Jotaro jumped practically three feet in the air, flinching away from Kakyoin's dainty reverse-feet.

"GOD KAKYOIN, I JUST SAID THAT I DIDN'T WANT ANY FORM OF PHYSICAL CONTACT! THE ONLY PERSON I ALLOW TO MAKE PHYSICAL CONTACT WITH ME IS MY MOTHER (not in a sexual way, you sick bastard) AND THE LION WHO KILLED MY DEAR PAPA (also not in a sexual way, just because I can't beat the shit out of him with touching him)!" Jotaro was now extremely worked up. He had the look of a man who has lost everything. But he wasn't mad. After a minute or so of breathing deeply, he looked a Kakyoin and spoke again:

"Ok, I'm clammed down now. HAHA GET IT CLAM LIKE MARINE LIFE IT'S A PUN BOIS uh anyways. If I'm your 16th best friend, who's your first best friend? Polnareff? You guys did have that secret handshake after all… Which you never taught me…. You just excluded me…. Not like that hurt my FEELINGS or ANYTHING!" Jotaro ended with a shout, but then calmed down and smiled sweetly at Kakyoin. Kakyoin was profoundly disturbed by Jotaro's smile (it didn't look natural at all).

"Firstly, Jotaro, we never had a secret handshake. That was just our mutual hand spasms, it's an awful affliction, almost as bad as my self-brewery syndrome!" Kakyoin looked very disappointed that Jotaro didn't recognize his various ailments. I know every single one of his diseases! He has crippling osteoporosis!

Looking down, over the fields of barley/gold they flew over, Kakyoin smiled, knowing that their adventure would only get better from here on out. Surely no one else will die on this lovely excursion! He looked over at Katara who was still staring with hatred and resentment in the direction of Robert's castle. She's not actually not that bad… she doesn't deserve to be so sad. I'll cheer her up! In the only way I know how: SLAM POETRY! But I need a drum… I guess I could just hit someone hard enough to make a beat…. Who looks like they could use a good wallop to bring them to their senses? I know when I'm feeling down, I throw myself into the bear pit back home. Not to cause actual harm to myself, just because the bears wake me up. Hm… Zuko could probably use a good whack. I'll use him! Shuffling over sneakily to Zuko, Kakyoin raised his fist threateningly, stopping when he noticed the death stare Zuko was giving him. It was a sif Zuko was shooting needles from his eyes, and for a moment, Kakyoin felt genuinely afraid. After all, with Hierophant Green not listening to him (it was currently throwing what little luggage he had overboard), he had little-to-no way of defending himself. Maybe I better hit someone else… Aang certainly deserves it, but he would probably kill me if I tried that. I have to get revenge on him somehow! Maybe I'll give him a threatening note written on a handkerchief. I could paint him, then push him down some stairs…. Later. Slam poetry first!

Kakyoin took off his cherry earrings, and began to clack them together for a beat.

"Hamon clacker volley…" muttered Joseph. Kakyoin had entirely forgotten that he was there, Joseph had been so silent. However, Kakyoin just took Joseph's statement as encouragement. He didn't think about the significance of how Joseph was no longer saying Jean Valjean's lines. Instead, he started his very artistic slam poetry.

My name is Yoshioka Yoshika...

I am 33 years old...

My house is on the east side of the Mines of Moria...

My whole house is one house...

I still work less in the UK, and I come home every day, until 8am...

I don't smoke, but occasionally I do...

I work 14 hours a day at the Com U factory!

Sometimes I go to bed at 11 o'clock...

I know I sleep 8 hours after a cup of hot milk, and 20 minutes of drinking the milk before bed...

I have no problem sleeping in the morning...

When I was younger, I was tired or anxious in the morning!

He said there were no problems with the final inspection...

I try to convey that I am a calm person...

I know you don't have to worry about the enemy, whether the enemy is good or bad, you don't sleep...

So when I have a family, I know I'm happy...

But no!

Kakyoin finished his slam poetry with an artistic shriek. Looking around, expecting to see adoring fans, he instead saw disturbed individuals. But that was nothing out of the ordinary.

"Well? Did you like it? I personally think it's some of my best work!"

Katara cleared her throat, and spoke in a quavery voice,

"Kakyoin, that was a hot mess! That was probably the most disturbing thing I've ever listened to! It's throwing off my aura! I really thought you were better than this! You are so inconsiderate of everything that I'm going through right now! In case you've forgotten, I recently went through a HEART WRENCHING DIVORCE! And my dear brother is DEAD! Because of this little bastard Aang! So, if you please, leave me alone!" With that she turned around and refused to say another word.

Zuko spoke up.

"Haha! You're pathetic Kakyoin! Your poetry SUCKS ASS! How does it feel to be a failure?"

"I think you would know what it's like to be a failure more than me. Your dad doesn't love you. Your mom left. Your sister hates you. Your uncle probably hates you too! And you get rejected like 4 times!" Kakyoinn stared straight into Zuko's broken and twisted soul as he said this. But Kakyoin felt no remorse. A single tear slid down Zuko's cheek. He knew, in his heart of hearts, that Kakyoin was correct. He had nothing… Katara didn't love him and would never settle for him.

Now Joseph spoke up.

"Wow…. What even happened? The last thing I remember was that we went through a portal…. Where are we?" Jotaro looked disappointed.

"Well, old man, apparently you're back. Basically, Avdol and Polnareff are dead, just like my dear Papa, thanks to Aang over there. And- oh, would you look at that, we're back at Zuko's trash-house! Aang, guide Appa back down." Aang shot a resentful look at him, but took Appa down anyways. Landing, they gazed up at the ominous house, and reflected on what they had lost; what had been taken from them (here they looked at Aang with rage).

They also reflected on how much more they had to accomplish, and knew in their shining hearts of justice that they would accomplish it, even if it was with their dying breaths. And with that, they went into the dark house to sleep (it was 11 PM by then).