Author's Note: Sorry it took me so long to update, I was real busy with school and all. I just want to thank everyone who reviewed, and for being patient with me.

Chapter 7: It came from the Deep

Grae Jumsho clambered out of his dark cage and into the bright sunlight. The creature was not yet as large as Appa, but it was at least twice as long in length. Where there should have been eyes there was instead two blotchy red areas, proof of Leizuy's tyranny. Not quite a fish, and not quite a lizard, it had neither legs nor fins, but a strange mixture of the two. They ran down its rope-like body, twelve in all.

Sokka gasped, and Katara shrieked and dropped the knife. A hush fell over the crowd. Even Talon was quite. The only sound that could be heard was a gentle clinking as Momo continued trying to unlock his cage.

"Behold," announced Leizuy, "the Water Lung!"

"Cool! I've heard of those, they're suppose to live near the poles," Aang said, so happy at seeing the rare creature you could have sworn he thought it was some sort of cuddly puppy, not a malicious serpent.

"Katara cut me loose!" Sokka hissed at his sister as Grae lumbered forward.

Katara snatched the knife from the ground and slashed at Sokka's hands! His bonds fell away, and she quickly turned to Aang. With one swift chop powered by fear she sliced through the rope. The three hurriedly stood up and turned to face Grae Jumsho. He was staring coolly back at them, head turned to one side, watching them with the yellowed slit of an eye that showed beneath the scar tissue.

"Why isn't he attacking them?" Appa whispered rhetorically.

"He will, once they light the fire," Tanya explained, "It's really the fire that sets him off."

Even as she spoke, Tanzo brandished a lit torch, and with an expert toss threw it into a mound of hay piled on one side of the arena. Wit a fiery crackle the hay sprang to life as if it had been doused in oil, flames spewing from the top. The reaction was immediate. Grae Jumsho hissed, cowering from the fire. His scarred eyes snapped shut, and he went through a series of spasms, as if in great pain. Hiding his head under his thin, bluish body, the beast began to whimper and convulse.

The three kids stared at the Water Lung in shock. It was a rather pathetic sight, lying there and whimpering, not at all fierce or dangerous.

"Hey, it's okay, we're not going to hurt you," Aang said, edging towards the beast. He reached out and gently stroked the thing's side. The second his hand touched Grae Jumsho's side Grae snapped his head up; suddenly looking more like the terrible monster he was made out to be. With a lash of his body he sent Aang crashing into a cage. The beast reared up and snarled at Katara and Sokka, who were still standing in shock.

"I'm free!" Momo yipped, gently pushing his cage open and slinking out.

"That's great," Appa congratulated his friend, "now open my door."

Momo started shoving the key's into the keyhole on the door of Appa's cage.

"Aang, watch out!"

Aang leapt to the side, dodging Grae's lash-like tail. With a snarl he launched himself at Aang again. Aang jumped, but he wasn't quick enough. Grae's head smashed into him, and he was pinned to a cage.

"Kill him! Rip out his innards!" All along the ring came hoots and jeers from the men watching the battle. They demanded blood, and thunderous applause erupted as Grae pounded Aang into the bars.

"Aang!" screeched Momo. He dropped the keys and prepared to leap to the aid of his master.

"Momo, no! Get me out of this cage," Appa said.

The lemur looked from Appa to his friends. Aang was barely conscious, and Katara and Sokka were trying (unsuccessfully) to her at him, and being kept at bay by Grae Jumsho's lashing tail.

"Sorry, but I've got to help them," Momo squeaked, "but here, have the keys." He lobbed the keys into Appa's cage and ran to help his friends.

"What! Wait, Momo, come back," I can't use these. Momo, come back!" Appa bellowed, but it was no use. Momo was long gone.

"Appa, what you wait for? Use dem keys," Tango commanded, "Go save friends."

"Right," said Appa, reaching out to grab the keys. His stubby fingers brushed them, but he failed to pick them up. "Uh…this could be a problem."

"Oh dear, that can't be good," Tanya muttered.

"This would be a lot easier," Appa snarled, thumping the floor in an attempt to pick up the keys, "if. I. HAD. THUMBS!" Appa pounded the floor of his cage in frustration, flattening the keys into pancakes.

"Aang, hang in there," Sokka called. Throwing back his head, he gave a fierce battle cry. He prepared to leap at the Water Lung, but was knocked back by a torrent of water that poured from Grae's mouth.

"Ha! See that?" Leizuy crowed to the pirate captain, "Water Lungs, like their warm-water cousins the Unagi, have amazing Water-bending abilities."

"Now he tells us.." grumbled Sokka, rubbing the back of his head.

Grae bared his fangs at Aang, scarred eyes turning to slits. Teeth closed in on the Avatar, but the beast suddenly flinched. Hissing, he turned to see Momo. The lemur had sunk his tiny mouth into the back of the serpent. Grae Jumsho gave a sniff of annoyance and sent Momo flying with a flick of his tail. Turning back to Aang to finish him off, he found the boy had taken the chance to escape.

"Katara, quick, the water!" Aang called to his friend. She nodded, and together they formed a wave from the water on the deck. Working together, they managed to incase Grae in ice. The beast thrashed about, trying to escape from his icy prison. Despite his struggles, the ice held fast.

"Alright, we did it!" cheered Katara.

"Momo, wake up already," Appa hissed at his friend.

Momo groaned and shook his head. "That's going to be blue in the morning, I know it."

"Yeah, great, now please unlock my cage," Appa said impatiently.

"Uh, yeah, su-" Momo began, but he was interrupted by a huge cracking sound and a scream from Katara, "hang on, I'll be right back." Momo scampered away to the aid of his friends, who were battling a newly freed Grae.

"What! Momo, get back here NOW!" Appa roared. The bison tossed his head in anger. Snorting, he rammed his horns into the bars of his cage, knocking off everyone perched on top of it.

"Aang, we need to get out of here," Sokka said as he dodged a water blast.

"I know, but how-Katara!" Aang warned her in the knick of time. She ducked to avoid one of Grae Jumsho's leg-fins.

Streams of water poured out of Grae's mouth and onto the deck. It washed over the three friends, and nearly drowned them.

"Call the bloody thing off, before it damages my ship!" the captain begged, clinging to the top of the cage he was sitting on.

"Calm yourself," Leizuy, not the least bit shaken, instructed, "the beast's only having some fun. He'll finish them off soon enough."

"Davy Jones, party of four!" squawked Talon.

"You bloody bird!" screamed Momo, soaring around Grae's head, "I'm gonna rip off you feathers and shove you full of stuffing and bake you in a pie! You just wait and see if I don't." Momo continued to rant as he flew about the Water Lung's jaws, avoiding being eaten while providing a distraction.

"Good boy, Momo, keep it up!" encouraged Aang, "Now, Katara, you ready for some serious water-bending?"

"Ready as I'll ever be. Let's do this."

Aang and Katara stood back to back, arms out, wrists waving to and fro like the waves on a wind-churned lake. The water splattered across the deck gathered together, drawn by Katara and Aang. The mass of liquid grew larger and larger, until it was a towering wave. The two kids threw their weight to the right, sending the water rushing towards one of the cages.

"Now!" yelled Aang. Both the water-benders exhaled, and the miniature tsunami froze in place.

"We did it," said Katara, "we actually formed a bridge out of ice."

"Yeah, great, hurrah for magic water. Now let's go!" Sokka looked nervously at the men on top of the cages. They were all dumb-founded, staring at the hill of ice that had frozen perfectly over one of the cages. They were awestruck, now, but they wouldn't be for long.

"Momo, here boy," Aang called to his pet. The lemur landed on Aang's shoulder, rubbing his head in affection against the boy's face. "Haha, I missed you too."

"Don't let them escape!" ordered Leizuy.

"You heard him, cut them off!" barked Tanzo in his usual bossy tone.

Katara, Sokka, Aang and Momo scrambled up the icy slope, eager to get away from Grae Jumsho. Grae shot one last water blast in their general direction then turned around, ready to get back to the safety of his cage.

As they were climbing over the crest Aang glanced down and gasped. Underneath the ice was Appa, staring up at him.

"Appa, there you are. Don't worry, boy, I'll get you out."

"Aang, hurry up!" Katara called, already off the ice and heading towards the ship's jolly boat.

"Hold on, I've got to free Appa!" Aang slid down the ice and landed beside the cage.

"Aang, there's no time. We've got to go now," Sokka was slowly lowering the boat towards the water.

"But-" Aang turned to the bison, tears in his eyes, "I-I won't leave without you, boy." Aang slid his hands through the bars and ruffled Appa's fur. Appa looked into the eyes of his most dearly beloved friend. He wanted to be free of his cage so much. But more than anything, he wanted Aang to be safe. Appa grunted. The beast gently head-butted his friend's hand, as if urging him on.

Half sobbing, half laughing, Aang said, "I'll come back for you buddy. I'll get you out of here, I promise." Aang turned and ran, not daring to look back. Tears ran down his face, making his vision blotchy. I'll get you out Appa, no matter what.

Katara and Sokka cut the ropes loose the second Aang's feet touched the boat's floor. They could hear the angry, blood-thirsty cries of the men above them, but they weren't listening.

Appa sighed as the boat sunk out of sight. Aang had escaped; he was safe. That was all that mattered.

"Nee a hand?" chirped an oddly familiar voice.

"Momo, what are you doing here?"

"Getting you out, what else," Momo said, picking up the misshapen keys from the floor.

"Get out of here, Mo," Appa hissed at the lemur, "go with Aang, before they get too far away."

"I'm not going without you."

Appa's nose wrinkled up in the equivalent of a bison smile. Momo might get on his nerves sometimes, but he was a true friend through and through.

"Momo, you can't stay here. You need to go with Aang; protect him."

"But…what about you?"

"I'll be fine. Takes more than some stupid carnies to mess with me," Appa said boastfully.

Momo's ears drooped. Looking into the eyes of his friend he said, "Fine, I'll go. But don't think you've seen the last of me! I'm coming back for ya, soon as I can."

"Thanks."

Momo and Appa rubbed heads, and then the lemur shot out of the cage towards his escaping friends.

"Godspeed, little buddy," Appa whispered to himself, watching as the four people he loved the most left without him.

Sooooo, what did you think? Not as good as the previous chapter, but still okay. Make sure to review, I'll update in a couple of weeks.