The Song of Randomness," announced Iroh. Zuko cheered and Aang made a face at him while his uncle scolded him for immaturity. Momo decided that they were all very weird, and ate a bug.
"Do you realize that we've been here for a day now?" asked Aang.
"Good, if we can survive tomorrow, we get to leave," muttered Zuko.
"This calls for a celebration!" decided Iroh.
"And a song!" agreed Aang.
"And a nap," retorted Zuko, and curled up and went to sleep.
While Zuko napped, Aang prepared his song, Iroh found a few more nuts lying around, and Momo ate another bug.
An Undefined Time Punctured by Nuts, Songs, Naps, and Bugs Later…
"This is a
song that never ends!
It just goes on and on my friends!
Some people… started singing it
Not knowing what it was
And ended up singing forever 'cause…
This is the song that never ends!
It just goes on and on my friends!
Some people…"
Zuko rolled over and groaned, burying his head in blankets. Aang continued singing, oblivious, and Iroh ate nuts and clapped. Momo, intrigued by the antics of these odd humans, ate a bug.
"And ended up singing forever 'cause…
This is the song that never ends!
It just goes on and on my friends!
Some people… started singing it
Not knowing what it was
And ended up singing forever 'cause…"
Insane. These people were insane. Just one more day. And by then, he'd be insane. He was already talking to himself and believing that he had a conscience, maybe it was too late for him. Great.
"Some people… started singing it
Not knowing what it was
And ended up singing forever 'cause…"
Lovely. He was going to die here, or at least, his sanity was, and all because of the Avatar's singing. He was going to die because of a stupid kid, his pet lemur, and his songs. And what was worse, this was when Aang was trying to be nice to him. Zuko would never want to get on his bad side. Although, then maybe he wouldn't be singing…
In Another Place an Undefined Distance Away While Aang's Singing, Zuko's Napping, Iroh's Clapping (Hey, That Rhymed!) And Momo's Eating Bugs…
"This is boring," announced Sokka.
"Really? I hadn't realized. I thought we were having the time of our lives, locked up in a dungeon on Zuko's stupid old ship, where the stupid old stuck up prince won't even show up to tell us why he captured us. Fun, fun, fun. I thought we were having fun."
Sokka stared at his sister. "You're getting as sarcastic as me," he commented.
In response, Katara lashed some water from a bowl nearby at the wall.
"Hey, I was going to drink that," complained her brother.
Katara tossed the water back into the bowl and stalked over to the other side of the room, completely ignoring him.
They sat in silence for a while, while Sokka contemplated what to do about this situation. Katara, obviously, was annoyed. Probably more at Zuko for kidnapping them than at him for stating the obvious, but that didn't make her annoyance any less… annoyed. He needed to get a thesaurus.
Finally, Sokka decided that his sister's annoyance was better than his own boredom.
"I wonder what happened to Appa," he muttered, by way of conversation.
Katara brightened considerably. "Maybe he'll come rescue us!" she suggested.
Sokka sighed. Sometimes Katara could be as naïve as Aang.
"Yeah, sure, Katara. We're locked up in the bottom of a ship full of Fire Benders, and we're going to be rescued by a flying bison. Dream on."
His sister scowled at him for ruining her happy idea. "Well, maybe he'll find Aang, and Aang will rescue us," she snapped.
"And how, pray tell, with a bison manage to convey that we're in trouble?"
"Aang's not an idiot, Sokka. We've been missing for an entire day. By now, he's probably figured out that something's up."
"Yeah. So we'll be rescued by a twelve-year old?"
"He's the Avatar!"
"He's twelve. He'll probably just get himself captured and then we'll all die."
Katara glared at him. "Pessimist."
"Optimist," retorted Sokka, and the two sat in silence for a while. A few crashes sounded from upstairs.
"What d'ya think that is?" asked Sokka.
"Fire Benders being stupid and clumsy," responded Katara. "Why?"
Sokka shrugged. "Just making conversation."
"It's getting closer," she said suddenly, interrupting her own retort. She got up and went over to the bars, listening intently.
First there were more crashes, then shouts, then… a roar.
Sokka sat up. "That's Appa!" he exclaimed.
"No way!" shouted Katara, but was proved wrong when the flying bison himself charged into the room.
Appa grabbed the door in his teeth and ripped it out, throwing it at the Fire Bender behind him. Neither of the Water Tribe siblings bothered to wonder what had happened to all the others, dismissing it with faith in the strength of Appa, rather than the incompetence of Zuko's crew.
"No way!" Sokka echoed, as the two reverted into their usual roles.
"Come on!" Katara ordered, climbing up on the bison.
"You have got to be kidding me," complained her brother. "He just turns up? Right after we discussed how he couldn't? There is no way…"
"Maybe he heard our voices!" suggested Katara excitedly.
"From where?" Sokka the skeptic demanded.
"Maybe he was swimming next to the ship, wondering if this was the right one!"
"Or, maybe, he wasn't!"
Now Katara was beginning to get annoyed. "Sokka, just get on, okay?"
"Fine. But I still think that this is an extreme coincidence, and I'm going to wake up very soon."
"Would you like me to pinch you?" his sister asked sweetly.
"No! You always pinch too hard!"
"Well, you always think anything extraordinary is a dream!"
"And you always get involved in all this weird magic stuff. It's creepy."
"You're creepy! I mean, come on! Why aren't you adjusted to this yet?"
Sokka climbed up onto Appa and poked her.
"Who's creepy now?"
"Now you're creepy and a creep!"
Appa gave a loud roar, indicating that they should stop fighting while on his back. The trio charged outside, ignoring moaning Fire Benders strewn across the deck. With a cheerful 'yip-yip' from Katara, the bison took off.
"Let's go find Aang!" called the Water Bender.
"Let's hope that Appa knows where Aang is!" retorted Sokka.
"Let's really, really hope that, or we'll just be going in circles!"
Appa roared.
"I don't think he knows where Aang is," Katara said.
Sokka leaned back in the saddle. "Great," he muttered. "Just great."
Meanwhile, in the Place Where They Wanted To Be, Which Is the Place Where Aang, Zuko, and Iroh are, Along With Momo and the Cages and Other Miscellaneous Creatures Who Don't Participate in this Story…
Momo ate a bug.
A/N: Aah, freakishness. The story of my life. With Katara and Sokka out, this story will soon be drawing to a close. Sorry. Not much else I can say about this chapter, except that I hope you like it and please review, and I'm sorry for not updating yesterday. I was busy, and had writer's block.