A/N – This is exactly what I tried to warn about when I said I'm a slow writer. I recently overcame a bout of depression and promptly caught a cold. Now I'm finally over that, and have finished another chapter. I'm sorry you all had to wait so long! Hopefully the next one will come soon on this one's heels, although I make no promises. I thank you for your patience, dear readers, and thank Looneyluna for her continued support. I hope you enjoy.

Also, despite some very minor (and mostly geographic) similarities to things in Secret of the Fire Nation that I've incorporated to guide the plot along, this story will not follow those episodes as it started before they were around to mould it.


Chapter 8: The Path Becomes Known

The day after Zuko and his uncle—Sokka now knew his name was Iroh—resuscitated Katara and Aang, everyone had kept to themselves. Worse, Sokka had to sit up front with Zuko the whole day as they guided the two ostrich-horses that pulled the wagon north. That was a lot of fun.

He did learn something interesting though: Zuko's left leg was injured. Sokka hadn't noticed it last night with the darkness and the impending crisis. Dried blood circled a hole in his pants a few inches above his knee. The wound wasn't bleeding now, and judging by the slight singe marks on the fabric he had probably cauterized it himself. He shuddered to think about that. Firebending gave him the chills.

Just before evening they stopped. The day was warm and the night didn't look to be particularly cold, so they decided to go without a fire. They weren't close to the road, and those crazy girls would need just as much light to see by as them. Unless they have some kind of mystic fire sight!

No, Sokka assured himself, that's insane.

"We don't have any bedding," Katara noted while Zuko and Sokka unhitched the ostrich-horses. "We don't have much of anything, to be honest." Aside from Sokka's weapons, Aang's staff, and Katara's pouch of water, anything that they hadn't lost when Appa was stolen had been left behind in the rush to Da Bao.

His stomach grumbled. They didn't even have food, and it was too dark and too late to hunt. He looked at the two beasts that he was tying to a small tree and wondered how ostrich-horse meat tasted. Probably delicious was his conclusion. Sadly they needed them to get to Ba Sing Se.

"I'll find some food," Zuko said. Everyone turned to look at him. Seeing all their eyes upon him, he shrugged. "I just don't want to hear my uncle grumbling all night. That's all."

Sokka heard Iroh sniff. The old man reached up and wiped his eyes. "Such a kind... and... loving nephew..." A deep growl came from his expansive belly.

"I'll be back soon," said Zuko. Without another word he walked off. Everyone was still too shocked to say anything about it. Shouldn't I be the one hunting? Sokka wondered. And how's he going to find anything out here? It's rocks, rocks, rocks... grass... rocks. He rubbed his bottom, which still hurt from the wagon ride.

"I guess we will need a fire," Katara sighed. "We do need to eat."

"Their lizards are dead," Toph said, chewing on a long stalk of grass. "And I can feel their machine if it gets close enough, even if I'm asleep."

"What about you, Aang?" Katara turned to the Avatar. "You don't eat meat."

"I'm not hungry," he muttered, staring off into the distance. "I'm not strong enough for this," he added. "Appa's gone, we can't stop these girls... How am I supposed to help the world when I can't even help us?"

"You can't keep blaming yourself," Katara told him. "We had no idea those girls could still follow us. You did everything you could."

"Yeah," he muttered, getting to his feet. "It just wasn't good enough." He hopped out of the wagon and began to storm away..

"Aang..." Katara called after him, but he didn't look back. Sighing, she turned to Sokka, Toph, and Iroh, who appeared content to watch them in silence. "I don't know what to do anymore."

"Maybe you don't need to do anymore." Toph clenched her hands into fists and Sokka heard her knuckles crack. "Let's face it, Katara. You've had a mountain of patience with Aang. It's time he realized he needs to pull himself together. Preferably before something like last night happens again."

"So you think it's Aang's fault, do you?"

Although his sister's glare was not aimed at him, Sokka felt a chill pass through him. It wasn't good for them to be fighting about this, though. "I don't think Toph meant—"

"Yes I do," Toph interrupted. She jabbed a fierce finger in Katara's direction.

"You see, Toph, that's the sort of thing that just totally destroys my credibility," Sokka lamented. He was, of course, ignored.

"Well maybe you should just..." Katara trailed off as she spoke. Her eyelids drooped and her head swayed from side to side to side. "Just..." Suddenly she was tilting forward.

"Katara!" Sokka shouted. He sprung forward and into the wagon to grab his falling sister.

Iroh also leaned forward, catching her by the shoulders. "Careful, young Waterbender."

"I'm okay," she croaked out. "I just felt woozy for a minute."

"You should avoid straining your body or your mind," Iroh advised in gentle tones as he released her shoulders. "I may have guided your chi back to its proper course, but it will take a little time before it is fully in order once again."

Sokka looked at Toph. A frown hung on her lips and he suspected she felt bad that his sister had nearly collapsed. Knowing her, though, she likely stood by everything she had said.

As Katara's brother, he couldn't help the twinges of frustration pulling at him now. Yet, that same part forced him to wonder, could Toph be right?

He remembered a time where he hadn't trusted Aang. He had alerted Zuko to the South Pole tribe's whereabouts, and everything in Sokka's life had changed. Now Zuko was here, forcing him to cope with the idea of the Firebender as a possible ally and teacher.

But one thing he still remembered quite clearly: Aang's attempt to learn Firebending. Whether it was discipline or good sense, Aang had clearly lacked something at that moment when his uncontrolled wave of fire had burned Katara. Sokka had forgiven, but not forgotten. They had all grown closer since then, but was Aang just going to hurt Katara again with his recklessness?

"Sokka," Katara called his name and tore him from his thoughts. She always knew when something was troubling him, and the look in her blue eyes told him this was no exception.

Gently he squeezed her hand and gave a subtle shake of his head. He didn't want to talk about it. She had too much on her mind already.

"We should all get some rest, once my nephew returns with the food." Iroh suggested. The sky was a hazy mix of purple and pink. The sun was nowhere to be seen. "We still have about a day's journey to the ferry for Ba Sing Se."

"A ferry?" Sokka asked. "How do you know there's a ferry?"

Iroh pursed his lips and lowered his hazel eyes to the ground. "I'm afraid I have a confession to make..."

Sokka, Katara, and even Toph stared at the old man, enraptured by the somber weight of his words.

Quickly Iroh's hand reached into his robe and he unfurled a large piece of parchment covered in writing and colorful illustrations. "I couldn't resist this circus flyer I saw while we were leaving Da Bao!"

Thwap! Sokka's hand hit his forehead. Katara's jaw dropped. Toph groaned.

"High-flying feats of wonder and more await you at the Dusty Path Circus," Sokka read, skimming over the contents. A sideshow, tumblers, a menagerie—typical circus things. "Come see us in Ba Sing Se from—hey! That's just three days from now."

"If you haven't forgotten," Katara noted in a sour tone, "we're supposed to be saving the Earth Kingdom."

"Oh yeah." Sokka frowned and flicked a rock up and out of the wagon. "Stupid Earth Kingdom," he muttered. Suddenly the rock leapt back off the ground and hit him in the forehead. "Hey!"

He saw Toph smirking, and he frowned.. But they were right, of course. They had to tell the Earth King about the coming eclipse, and get Appa back. There was no time to see fire-eaters or dancing platypus-bears or their collection of exotic... wait!

"That's it!" he shouted, launching himself into a kneeling position. Everyone stared at him, even Aang who sat on the ground quite a ways off.

"That's what?" His sister lifted a dark eyebrow and frowned.

"The circus!" He snatched the parchment from a shocked Iroh and held it out to Katara. "See? Right here: see our daring performers push the limits of possibility, and behold our unrivaled menagerie of beasts wondrous and strange!"

"But that means..." Katara sucked in a breath as her eyes widened. "Appa! The circus would definitely try to get their hands on him!"

"He is pretty strange," Toph offered. "But I think they'd have a hard time getting him into the city."

"If a whole circus could get in, they could definitely get Appa inside," said Aang, who had returned to stand by the cart. There was a certain eagerness in his voice and eyes, and Sokka saw the frown that had been practically carved into his face the past few days lightening.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," Toph chimed in. "I don't mean to bury anyone's hopes, but there are a lot of people in Ba Sing Se who might want to get their hands on a sky bison. Collectors, for instance."

"Or the university," Sokka said. For the first time since their escape from Wan Shi Tong's library he recalled the curious Professor Zei. A frown crept to his lips. Well, at least he's where he's always wanted to be.

"Maybe," Aang admitted. "But I have a good feeling about this. I don't think it's just a coincidence Iroh found this flyer. Appa and I share a bond, and maybe this is somehow connected to that. You know, guiding me. I'm not sure I can explain."

"You should trust your feelings, Aang." Katara reached up and took the Avatar's hand as the last rays of light faded from the sky and the world finished its transition to night. Stars shimmered brilliantly, but Sokka was busy scrutinizing Aang and his sister. They were growing closer, he had no doubt of that. After Katara had calmed Aang in the Si Wong and prevented him from decimating the Sandbenders, Sokka knew something was up. But how much, exactly? And how do I know he won't hurt her again? Can I protect my own sister forever?

A bank of clouds shifted in the black sky, revealing a half moon that cast its light on their campsite. Almost instinctively Sokka's eyes were drawn to its face, her face. I couldn't protect you, either. His shoulders slumped.

Iroh's hand fell upon his shoulder. Sokka turned to him, and saw those hazel eyes filled with sympathy. The sad smile upon the older man's lips creased the rest of his elderly face. When Yue had given her life for the Moon Spirit, Iroh had been there. Katara, too. And, although consumed by the rage of the Ocean Spirit, so had Aang.

And now we're all here, Sokka thought, only able to guess at the deeper significance of it all.

Iroh disturbed his thoughts. "Look! My nephew returns."

Zuko approached the wagon with two dead mole-rabbits in tow.

Sokka's mouth watered. "I think we should should get that fire started."