A/N: Ok, time to get back to business. Thank you to all my readers that have favored and or followed this fanfic and sent me a review or PM. Also, I've adopted a fanfiction from another writer. Once I've figured out how to continue the original writer's work, I will get to working on that story right away while still writing Five Elements. For this chapter, I've put in two special surprises that I think you'll like very much…
Disclaimer- I do not own Dragon Ball Z or Avatar the Last Airbender
Chapter 13- The Fortunetellers
The Gang was camping by a lake in the sun. The four teens were sitting around a pile of sticks with their tent still set up when a big fish suddenly splashed out of the lake.
"Look!" cried Katara as she pointed to the lake.
The fish jumped out of the water again and looked toward the Gang. It smiled mockingly before diving back into the water, which seemed to annoy Sokka.
"He's taunting us!" said the tribesman before telling the fish, "You are so gonna be dinner!"
Sokka ran to fetch his fishing rod from his tent. He swung it back and forth as the fish continued to taunt them. When he noticed the rod's line wasn't entering the lake, he looked at his fishing rod and asked, "Hey, where's the fishing line?"
"Oh, I didn't think you would need it, Sokka," said Aang. He then held up a necklace bearing a red flower for his friends to see.
Sokka inspected his once fishing line and groaned. "Aw, it's all tangled!"
"Not tangled. Woven," corrected Aang as he got to his feet. "I made you a necklace, Katara. I thought since you lost your other one…" He held up the necklace and smiled at the Waterbender.
Katara smiled back as she approached the monk. "Thanks, Aang. I love it," said Katara as she took the necklace.
"Great, Aang. Maybe instead of saving the world, you can go into the jewelry making business," Sokka suggested sarcastically.
"I don't see why I can't do both," said Aang.
The Tribesman then spotted the fish emerging from the water and submerging again. He threw his fishing rod at the lake, hoping to spear the fish, but it jumped out of the lake, unharmed.
"Stop taunting me!" growled Sokka. He then pulled out his dagger and rushed into the lake while Aang watched with boredom. Sokka jabbed at the water, missing the fish and losing his dagger in the process. Gohan watched in amusement as Sokka was being humiliated by a fish. "You know, I can help you catch that se tu if it's too much for you, Sokka," offered the Energybender.
"No! I'm going to catch it!" replied Sokka. "I'm not gonna let some fish embarrass me!" He dove for the fish, only to miss it again.
"So, how do I look?" asked Katara, getting Aang's attention. The Avatar turned toward the Waterbender and was immediately mesmerized by her appearance.
Unsure of what to answer, Aang nervously pulled on his shirt collar while saying, "You mean all of you or just your neck? I mean, because both look great!"
Sokka then emerged from the lake with the se tu in his grasp. "Smoochie, Smoochie, someone's in love!" teased Sokka while making faces at the fish: the se tu then slapped Sokka in the face with its tail and dove back into the lake.
"I…well…" said an embarrassed Aang.
"Stop teasing him, Sokka. Aang's just a good friend," said Katara as she patted the monk's head before petting the lemur. "A sweet little guy. Just like Momo."
"Thanks," said Aang, disappointed.
Sokka finally gave up on catching the se tu and approached his companions, soaking wet, while carrying an angry face. Gohan soon walked past them and stepped into the lake. He pulled out his sword and carefully positioned it as he stared at the water; he then stabbed the water with his blade and pulled it out, showing the now caught se tu. Gohan turned to his friends and smiled triumphantly, but Sokka just glared at him and muttered, "Show off."
The Gang then heard a loud growling noise, which the lemur bat flew toward. Aang followed his pet onto a large boulder where he saw the uproar taking place. "Someone's being attacked by a Platypus Bear!" cried Aang as he pointed. True to the Avatar's words, a Platypus Bear was walking on its hind legs toward a wandering man. The Traveler showed no sign of fear as the beast stood before him. The Platypus Bear swung one of its paws at the man, but he simply ducked the strike.
The beast swung again before attempting to swat the man with its tail, but both attacks proved futile. The Platypus Bear roared and swung at the man again, and the wanderer dodged again when he noticed the Avatar watching after leaping onto another boulder behind the wild animal. "Well, hello there," greeted the man as he dodged another slash. "Nice day, isn't it?"
"Make noise! He'll run off!" instructed Aang.
Katara, Sokka, and Gohan soon appeared beside the monk. "No, play dead! He'll lose interest!" said Sokka.
The beast swung its paw again and the man calmly dodged it. "Whoa, close one!" laughed the man.
"Run downhill! Then climb a tree!" suggested Katara.
"No, punch him in the bill!" said Sokka.
"And then run in zigzags!" said Aang.
"Toss him some food!" said Gohan.
"No need, it's going to be fine!" assured the man. The Platypus Bear roared again and swung at his prey once more. The man swiftly ducked the attack, and the resulting slash cut off a chunk of wood from the tree behind the man. The Gang grew worried as Aang suddenly jumped in front of the beast. The monk unleashed a small air wave that halted the beast in its tracks. "Whoa, there!" said Aang as he took a fighting stance. The Platypus Bear stood tall and roared again; Appa suddenly came behind it and roared at its back. The Beast was so startled, it laid an egg out of fear before leaving by swimming down the lake.
Katara and Gohan met up with Aang while Sokka picked up the Platypus Bear egg in delight. "Mmmm, lunch." said Sokka. He sniffed the egg before turning to address the traveler. "Lucky for you, we came along."
"Thanks, but everything was already under control," the man assured the teens. "Not to worry. Aunt Wu predicted I'd have a safe journey."
"Aunt who?" asked Aang.
"No, Aunt Wu. She is the fortuneteller from my village," explained the man. "Awful nice knowing your future."
"Wow, it must be," said Katara. "That explains why you were so calm."
"But the fortuneteller was wrong! You didn't have a safe journey; you were almost killed!" argued Sokka.
"But I wasn't," said the man.
"He's got a point," agreed Gohan.
"Alright, have a good one." The Wanderer bowed to the teens and began his journey back home. The man then stopped and turned back to the group. "Oh, and Aunt Wu said if I met any travelers to give them this." He handed Aang a wrapped item and continued his journey.
"Maybe we should go see Aunt Wu and learn our fortunes. It could be fun," suggested Katara. The Avatar started rapidly unwrapping the item as the siblings spoke.
"Oh, come on. Fortunetelling is just nonsense," said Sokka.
"What did he give you, Aang?" asked Gohan when the monk finished unwrapping his gift, which turned out to be an umbrella. He opened it and held it above his head. "What do you know? An umbrella," said Aang. The sky suddenly turned dark and rain started to pour as thunder was heard. Gohan quickly got under the umbrella with Aang while Katara created a shield of water.
"That's peculiar," said Gohan.
"That proves it," said Katara as she joined the boys under the umbrella.
"No it doesn't! You can't really tell the future!" argued Sokka as he held the egg above his head.
"I guess you're not really getting wet then," said Katara smugly.
The Platypus Bear egg suddenly slipped out of Sokka's grasp into the air. He tried to catch it when it was descending but it landed on his head and splattered. The Gang then started trekking toward Aunt Wu's village; the three benders stayed sheltered under the umbrella while Sokka walked crossly in the rain, getting completely soaked.
"Come on Sokka. You have to admit telling the traveler to give us an umbrella just before it rains means that this Aunt Wu can really predict the future," urged Gohan.
"Of course she predicted it was going to rain. The sky's been gray all day," replied Sokka.
"Just admit that you might be wrong and you can come under the umbrella," said Katara.
"Look, I'm going to predict the future now," said Sokka. "It's going to keep drizzling."
After he said that, the rain continued to fall. "See?" asked a cocky Sokka. Suddenly the rain stopped and the sky cleared completely. The three benders looked up from under the umbrella and the immediate weather change.
"Not everyone has the gift, Sokka," said Aang.
Aang, Gohan and Katara resumed walking while Sokka stood there in disbelief. Appa then came up to him and started to shake himself dry, soaking Sokka in the process. "Agh!" complained the tribesman. The Gang eventually approached a small village that was located at the base of a large mountain. They entered the gate and Turkey Ducks quacked at them as they passed. The teens were greeted by a man in a black robe.
"Aunt Wu is expecting you," said the man as he bowed.
"Really?" asked Katara.
Sokka scoffed as the Gang entered Aunt Wu's house. They removed their shoes and stood at the door. A girl in a pink robe approached them. "My name is Meng and I'm Aunt Wu's assistant," the girl introduced herself. Her eyes suddenly grew wide when she gazed upon the Airbender. She scanned him from feet to head as she became mesmerized by Aang's appearance. "Well, hello there," Meng greeted with pleasure to the monk.
"Hello," greeted Aang as he rubbed his nose.
"Can I get you some tea or some of Aunt Wu's special bean curd puffs?" Meng offered the Gang as they sat down on the floor pillows.
"I'll try a curd puff," said Sokka.
"Me too," said Gohan.
"Just a second," said Meng to the teens. She then bent down in front of Aang and asked, "So what's your name?"
"Aang," the monk answered dryly.
"That rhymes with Meng!" said the girl with joy. "And you've got some pretty big ears, don't you?"
"I guess," Aang said awkwardly.
"Don't be modest, they're huge!" exclaimed Sokka, making Aang glare at him while hiding his ears.
"Well, Aang, it's very nice to meet you," said Meng. "Very nice." She smiled slyly as she walked away. She snuck a glance at the monk before she left.
"Likewise," said Aang.
"I can't believe we're here in the house of nonsense," complained Sokka.
"Try to keep an open mind, Sokka. There are things in this world that just can't be explained," said Katara. "Wouldn't it be nice to have some insight in your future?"
"It would be nice to have some bean curd puffs." said Sokka simply.
A woman had just left Aunt Wu's room and ran into Meng who was carrying a tray with two bowls of bean curd puffs. "Oh, Meng! Aunt Wu says I'm going to meet my true love. He's going to give me a rare panda lily," said the woman.
"That's so romantic!" sighed Meng before she looked at Aang. "I wonder if my true love will give me a rare flower."
"Good luck with that!" said Aang.
"Is that the big-eared guy who Aunt Wu predicted you'd marry?" laughed the woman.
Meng blushed as she pushed the woman away. Meng walked toward the gang while staring at Aang. She suddenly tripped and almost fell over, but Aang quickly caught her by the hands. The two stared at each other for a minute before Meng blushed and placed the tray in Aang's lap. "Enjoy your snack," said Meng nervously before she hurried away. Sokka quickly swiped the tray of food from the Avatar and picked up a curd puff. The four teens were then greeted by an elderly woman in a yellow robe.
"Welcome, young travelers. Now, who's next? Don't be shy," said Aunt Wu.
Aang and Gohan turned to Sokka who looked away with disinterest before looking toward Katara. "I guess that's me," said the Waterbender as she stood up. The two ladies left, leaving the men to themselves. Sokka tossed a curd puff into his mouth. "Mm. Not bad, not bad!" said Sokka delightfully. Gohan picked up some and tried them. "These are really good," said Gohan. "You should try one, Aang." Sokka offered the bowl to the monk, but he politely refused.
"I'm good on puffs," said Aang.
Sokka shrugged and went back to stuffing his face along with Gohan. The Avatar looked over at the direction the women went off in with curiosity. "So, what do you think they're talking about back there?' asked Aang as he scratched his head.
"Boring stuff, I'm sure," replied Sokka as he picked up a cup of tea. "Love, who she's going to marry, how many babies she's going to have."
Aang tensed at Sokka's answer, but tried to act calm. "Yeah, dumb stuff like that…" He started to bite down on his fingers as he grew more anxious.
"Are you ok, Aang?" asked Gohan when he saw Aang's uneasiness.
"Just fine," said Aang before quickly saying, "I need to use the bathroom!"
The Airbender got up and hurried away. Gohan raised an eyebrow at this and stood up. "I'll be right back. Save me some puffs," said the Ki bender before he walked after his brother. Sokka rested onto the floor and tossed another puff into his mouth. Momo quickly snatched the bowl of puffs just as Sokka reached for another one, only to touch the floor. Aang tiptoed down the hallway until he reached the room where Aunt Wu and Katara were. He pressed his ear against the door and listened.
"Your palms are so smooth. Do you use moisturizer?" Aunt Wu asked Katara.
"Actually, I have this special seaweed lotion. I can get you some if you want," said Katara.
Aang stuck his tongue out in disgust. Gohan suddenly came up to him and whispered, "What are you doing? It's not nice to eavesdrop."
"Shh," was all Aang said.
"So, do you see anything interesting in my love line?" Katara asked the fortuneteller. Aang grew more anxious as he listened carefully.
"I feel great romance for you. The man you are going to marry," replied Aunt Wu.
"Tell me more!" said Katara tensely. The two brothers leaned against the wall to hear Katara's prediction.
"I can see that he's a very powerful bender," replied Aunt Wu.
Hearing this prediction, Aang's face grew a roguish smile. The monk leaped into the air with joy. "Did you hear that?" Aang asked his brother. "Yeah, he's supposed to be some powerful bender," said Gohan. "That could be anyone in the world."
Aang frowned at Gohan's words. "It's obviously going to be me."
"How can you be sure that it's you?" asked Gohan.
"Because in the end, there's no bender more powerful than the Avatar, and that's me," said Aang proudly.
The two brothers quickly left the hallway before they could be discovered. They returned to the waiting area where Sokka was picking his teeth. When he noticed Aang's look of joy, he stated, "Looks like someone had a good bathroom break."
"Yeah ... when I was in there ..." Aang started to explain, but Sokka cut him off.
"I don't even want to know!" he replied.
Aunt Wu and Katara then appeared in the waiting room. "Who's next?" asked the Fortuneteller.
The Water tribesman stood up and said, "Let's get this over with."
"Your future is full of struggle and anguish. Most of it, self inflicted," Aunt Wu told Sokka half heartedly.
"But, you didn't read my palms or anything!" Sokka protested.
"I didn't need to. It's written all over your face," explained Aunt Wu. Sokka simply stared at her in disgust and went back to picking his teeth. The Fortuneteller then turned to Gohan and asked, "How about you, young man?" Before Gohan could answer her, a voice called out to Aunt Wu and said, "Aunt Wu, wait. Let me have this one." Soon a tall elderly woman with pink hair, wearing a black robe and a pointy hat walked into the waiting room. "Lady Baba! What a pleasant surprise," Aunt Wu greeted the woman.
"Who's she supposed to be?" asked Sokka.
Aunt Wu glared at Sokka before answering, "This is Madam Baba, also known as the All-Seeing Crone. She's my mentor in fortunetelling and she's much better at it than me."
"Well, she certainly exceeds you in age." joked Sokka.
"Madam Baba is an incredible Fortuneteller and is very spiritual!" said Aunt Wu defensively. "She's even known to be psychic!"
"Thank you, Wu. Now, if you don't mind, I'll handle the fortunetelling of the spiky haired boy," said Madam Baba.
"Oh, of course, milady. I don't mind at all," Aunt Wu replied.
"Alright then, Gohan, if you'll come with me," said Madam Baba.
"How did you know my name?" asked Gohan.
"I wouldn't be much of a psychic if I didn't," said Baba.
The two then left the waiting room with the others staring at them with curiosity.
"See Sokka, that Lady Baba is proof that fortunetelling isn't nonsense," said Katara.
"Lucky guess," said Sokka.
Aunt Wu then pointed to Aang and said, "You there, come with me." The Avatar followed the Fortuneteller to another room. "Your friend must be a very special child," Aunt Wu said to the monk.
"What makes you say that?" asked Aang.
"It's very rare that Lady Baba would come out to predict anyone's future. Unlike me, she doesn't do it for free, but her service is worth the price," explained Aunt Wu.
Meanwhile, Madam Baba had led Gohan to her personal chambers. When they went inside, they sat down on the floor. In between them stood a crystal ball the size of an airball. Baba waved her hands around the ball and it started to glow. "Whoa," said Gohan.
"Now, before we begin you should know that I don't work for free," said Baba.
"Well, I don't have any money to give you," said Gohan.
"Normally, I would charge my clients with money, but for you, I'll make an exception." said Baba. "When the time comes, you have to pay me with something else. Now, what would you like to know about in your future?"
Gohan thought for a moment before saying, "I'm not sure. I don't really want to know my future that much. How about, showing me what I'll be like in… uh, twenty years."
"Okay then." said Baba. "Spirits hear my plea; show the future of the fighter before me!" The crystal ball began to glow brighter until there was a clear image on the ball. The background looked like a wide meadow surrounded by trees and boulders. The sky was blue and the wind was blowing. Two blurs suddenly appeared on the ball. The blurs were clashing against each other, moving back and forth as they shook the earth. The two finally stopped fighting, allowing Gohan to see them clearly.
The blurs were two people; one was a man while the other was a girl. The man was wearing a navy blue Gi, a red headband, red belt, red wristbands, red straps around his ankles, black shoes, and a white cape. The man had black spiky hair that defied gravity except for a single strand. The man had black eyes and a scar across his right eye. This man also had a monkey tail sticking out of his back. "Is that man me, in the future?" asked Gohan.
Baba nodded and the two looked back at the ball. The girl there had black hair as well, but her eyes were brown. She wore a long sleeved purple shirt with a pink shirt over it, a pink belt, purple pants, and back shoes. She also had a tail sticking out of her back. Gohan's future self approached the girl and patted her head while smiling. The little girl smiled back and hugged adult Gohan. Soon a woman wearing the same type of armor as the Kyoshi warriors came up to them. The woman kissed the little girl on the forehead before pecking adult Gohan on the lips.
"Are they my future wife and child?" asked Gohan, and Baba nodded in response once again. "My wife is wearing the same armor as the Kyoshi warriors, is that Suki? Can't be, her face paint and hairstyle is different, unless that's her future self," thought Gohan.
Meanwhile, with Aang, Aunt Wu led the Avatar to another chamber. There were four pillars to support the ceiling, four cushions, and a small flame in the center of the room. The two walked over to a big vase filled with bones. "This is the most reliable way of telling your fortune. The bones never lie," explained Aunt Wu. She then gestured to the bones and said, "Go on, pick one." Aang picked up a bone and the two sit by the fire. "Now, throw it into the fire." Aang tossed his bone into the fire while Aunt Wu spoke. "The heat makes cracks in the bones and I read the cracks to tell your destiny."
After a few moments, a large crack appeared on the bone, splitting it in half. "Wow, that's a big crack," said Aang. The bone cracked a few more times, which surprised the fortuneteller. "I've never seen this before!" she said. The bone eventually exploded and the flames shot toward the ceiling. "Oh my!" gasped Aunt Wu as she and Aang shielded their faces. Tiny pieces of the bone were laid around the fire and Aunt Wu read them while captivated. "Your destiny! This is incredible. You will be involved in a great battle, an awesome conflict between the forces of good and evil. A battle whose outcome will determine the fate of the whole world!"
"Yeah yeah, I knew that already," said Aang impassively. "But did it say anything about a girl?"
"A girl? You want to know about love?" asked Aunt Wu.
"Yes!" replied Aang.
"Sorry, I didn't see anything," said Aunt Wu. Aang started to look disappointed, so the fortuneteller suddenly said, "Well, look! I must've missed something. Right here." She picked up a bone piece and examined it. "It says: trust your heart and you will be with the one you love."
"Really? Thank you, Aunt Wu!" said Aang with joy. The Avatar then left the chamber and Aunt Wu placed her hand on her head in anxiety.
Back with Gohan, the all seeing crone put her hands down and the crystal ball stopped glowing. "Did you enjoy the insight of your future?" she asked the young fighter.
"It was nice to see that I have a future family," replied Gohan. He then thought about something, but didn't speak out.
Baba noticed this and said, "I sense there's something on your mind. What is it?"
"Well, I was wondering, do you have any idea what this is?" asked Gohan as he pulled the small four starred ball he found days ago. "And what it has to do with me?"
Baba observed the orb; her eyes grew wide as she recognized it. "A Dragon Ball! So they really have returned to us!"
"Dragon Ball?" asked Gohan.
"The Dragon Balls are seven mystic orbs that are hidden all over the world. The one you have is the four star ball. If someone were to gather all seven of the orbs and put them together, they would be able to summon the Dragon God Shenron, whose spirit rests in the orbs. Once Shenron is summoned, the person who summoned him would be granted any wish!" Baba explained.
"Any wish?" asked Gohan.
"Any two wishes to be exact," corrected Baba. "So long as it is not beyond Shenron's power, he can grant that wish. Like immortality, eternal youth, riches, power, or even world domination."
Gohan stared at the Dragon Ball in his hand; he could hardly believe this small orb could be the key to getting anything through one wish. Then a thought came to him. "What happens after your wish is granted?" he asked.
"The Dragon disappears and the Dragon Balls are scattered across the earth," replied Baba. "After that, they turn to stone and become unusable for one year."
"Am I supposed to collect these Dragon Balls? Is that why this one feels familiar to me? Do I collect them to summon the Dragon in order to help Aang save the world?" asked Gohan. "Can you show me if I'll summon the Dragon God in the future?"
"Very well, but only because I'm curious about that, too," said Baba. She waved her arms and her crystal ball started to glow. Another image appeared on the ball; it showed Gohan with a shining light at his feet. The light stretched into the sky until it formed a giant dragon that had red eyes, two large wings, and an incredibly long twisted body. Gohan looked amazed at the appearance of the Dragon while Baba seemed frightened by it. "Is that…no it can't be," thought Baba.
The crystal ball glow then faded and the Ki bender looked at the psychic, who was still looking terrified. "Are you alright, lady Baba?" asked Gohan.
Baba snapped out of her trance and looked at Gohan. "I'm fine. Looks like you will gather the Dragon balls in the future, but the purpose behind your mission is up to you."
"Thank you, Lady Baba," said Gohan. He then got up and left Baba alone in her room.
"Your future is so bizarre, Gohan, that even I can't fully predict it," thought Baba.
After Gohan met up with his friends, the four exited Aunt Wu's building and started to walk down the street with Appa and Icarus behind them.
"Well, now you got to see for yourselves how fortune telling is just a big, stupid hoax," said Sokka.
"You're just saying that because you're gonna make yourself unhappy your whole life," teased Katara.
"That woman is crazy!" argued Sokka. "My life will be calm and happy and joyful!" The tribesman kicked a rock in anger; it bounced off a sign and struck him in the head, causing him to fall to the ground in pain. He raised a finger and protested, "That doesn't prove anything."
"Well, I like my predictions," said Katara. "Certain things are gonna turn out very well."
"They sure are," agreed Aang.
"Why? What did she tell you?" Katara asked the monk.
"Some stuff, you'll find out," said Aang.
"What about you Gohan? How'd it go with Madam Baba?" Katara asked the Ki bender.
"I learned some very interesting things about my future," replied Gohan. "And I learned a few other things too."
"That's great!" said Katara.
The four wandered over to the village courtyard where a crowd of people were standing around. Apagoda-shaped structure was in the center of the courtyard. The people were all staring up at the sky. "What's up with the sky?" asked Katara.
"We're waiting for Aunt Wu to come and read the clouds to predict the fate of the whole village," said the traveler they met earlier.
"That cloud kind of looks like a fluffy bunny," Aang stated.
"You'd better hope that's not a bunny!" said the traveler. "A fluffy bunny cloud forecasts doom and destruction!"
"Do you even hear yourself?" Sokka asked the man.
"The cloud reading will tell us if Mt. Makapu will remain dormant for another year or if it will erupt," explained a woman as she pointed to the volcano.
"We used to have a tradition once a year of going up to the mountain to check the volcano ourselves. But, ever since Aunt Wu moved to the village twenty years ago, we have a tradition of not doing that."
"I can't believe you would trust your lives to that crazy old woman's superstition," said Sokka.
"Shhh! She's coming!" said Katara.
Aunt Wu and her guard came up the stairwell and walked towards the structure. The crowd aside from Sokka clapped and cheered as Aunt Wu and her guard passed them. Meng then appeared beside Aang.
"Hey Aang, don't you think that cloud looks like a flower?"she asked the Avatar.
"Huh? Sure, I guess," said Aang. He then pushed her aside and spoke to the Waterbender. "Hey, Katara, don't you think that cloud look like a flower?"
"Shhh!" Katara told her friend.
Aunt Wu stood on the pagoda, took a breath, and spread out her arms as she stared at the sky. "Bending arrow cloud… good crops this year. Nice big harvest," Aunt Wu predicted. "Darn good news!" said a farmer as he hugged his wife. "Wavy moon shaped cloud…let's see, gonna be a great year for twins," said Aunt Wu. The twins (Poi and Ping) high fived while saying, "Yes!" "And a cumulus cloud with a twisted nob coming off the end of it…" said the fortuneteller as she looked up at the sky one final time. "The village will not be destroyed by the volcano this year!" The crowd cheered ecstatically at the final prediction.
"Since I got you here, uh, there's something I want to tell you. I like you, but more than normal," Aang attempted to confess to Katara, but she was too captivated by Aunt Wu's prediction to hear what he said. The Water tribe girl quickly left, much to Aang's disappointment. "Never mind," sighed Aang. Momo's ears drooped in sadness as he sat on Aang's head. Gohan noticed his brother's depression and went to comfort him. "Don't give up, Aang. She'll come around in time," said Gohan as he put his hand on Aang's shoulder. The Airbender smiled at the Ki bender, who smiled back.
Aunt Wu's guard suddenly came up to Gohan and said, "Please follow me. Lady Baba wishes to see you, Gohan," Gohan raised an eyebrow in suspicion but followed the guard.
Katara went back to Aunt Wu's building and came up to her door. She knocked on the door and Aunt Wu answered it. "Hi, Aunt Wu. Sorry to bother you," greeted Katara.
"Anytime," said Aunt Wu.
"About this man I'm suppose to marry…" Katara started to say; she then blushed and spoke anxiously. "Is he going to be handsome? I hope he's tall!"
"Ah, you want another reading," said Aunt Wu.
"Yes please!" said Katara. The two women entered Aunt Wu's chamber for another session and closed the door behind them.
With Gohan, the guard brought the young fighter to a small house in a wide area that was surrounded by trees and sat beside the river. Next to the house was a circular platform. Madam Baba and a small, old man wearing a mask were waiting in the ring. The man's mask resembled the face of a cat. His clothes consisted of a long sleeve black under shirt, a sleeveless orange attire, black pants, and black shoes. His most interesting feature was the gold ring above his head. The guard led Gohan onto the platform before bowing to Baba and leaving.
"You wanted to see me lady Baba?" asked Gohan.
"Welcome, Gohan. Do you know why I called you here?" asked Baba.
"Does this have to do with the fortune you gave me?" asked the Ki bender.
"Somewhat. Remember when I told you that I don't usually work for free?" asked Baba. "Well, there are two things I live for: money and fights. And since you don't have a lot of money, I've organized a friendly match between you and my strongest fighter."
Gohan looked at his would be opponent and couldn't help but be a little concerned. "Are you sure this guy's a strong fighter? He doesn't look like much of a challenge," said Gohan.
"You say that even though you fought Roshi not so long ago? And he's much older that this fellow," said Baba.
"You know Master Roshi?" asked Gohan.
"Of course, he is my brother after all," replied Baba. "Now, will you accept the challenge in order to pay for your fortune?"
Gohan thought for a moment and said, "Alright, I could use a good fight anyways."
"Excellent," said Baba. "I'll referee the match. The both of you will duke it out until one of you surrenders or is knocked out of bounds. Let me exit the ring so that the two of you can fight freely."
The fortuneteller quickly left the ring, leaving Gohan and his opponent inside. The son of Goku unclipped his sheathed blade and tossed it outside the ring. "Ah, that takes a load off," said Gohan as he flexed his muscles. "Greetings Gohan, I hope you're ready because I won't go easy on you," said the masked fighter. "I don't want it to be easy, mister… uh?" said Gohan, asking for the fighter's name. "You may call me Gramps if you like," said the fighter. He then bowed to the Ki bender and took a fighting stance. "Now show me what you can do!"
Gohan bowed back to his opponent and took his own fighting position. "Here I come, Gramps!" said the boy as he charged at the masked fighter. Gohan started off with a punch to his opponent's face, but Gramps dodged it. He then countered with a hand chop strike that Gohan dodged. The masked fighter continued jabbing at the young boy who was evading all of his blows. Gohan then blocked one of the strikes and tried to punch his challenger, but Gramps grabbed Gohan's fist and the two started to push against each other.
The two eventually separated and retook their stances. Gohan jumped at the masked fighter, attempting to kick him. Gramps ducked and countered with an elbow bash to Gohan's back, sending him flying a few inches away from himself. Gohan landed on his back and quickly turned over, just in time to avoid the fist coming at him from Gramps. Gramps started rapidly punching at the boy; Gohan avoided every blow and grabbed both of Gramps' fists before double kicking him away.
The son of Goku stood up and rushed at his opponent one more time. The two warriors were then trading blows. Gramps gained the upper hand by palm striking Gohan in the chest. Gohan flinched, allowing Gramps to kick him toward the edge of the ring. Gohan quickly regained his footing and jumped over his challenger. He then nailed him in the back with an elbow bash before grabbing his shirt and tossing him away. Gramps quickly caught himself and retook his fighting stance. Gohan fired a ki blast at the masked fighter; he easily deflected it and rushed at Gohan. The young fighter braced himself for impact. Gramps threw a punch at Gohan; he stood still and absorbed the attack. "Nice punch, now it's my turn!" said Gohan as he reared his fist back.
He thrust his fist forward, aiming for the masked fighter's stomach. He was surprised when his fist went right through his opponent's stomach. "What the heck?" said Gohan when the image of Gramps suddenly faded away. "Looking for me?" asked Gramps as he appeared behind Gohan. The spiky haired teen quickly turned around and was a nailed in the chin with an uppercut. Gohan was sent flying toward the edge of the platform, where he landed on his back. He quickly stood up and unleashed a strong energy wave that knocked Gramps off his feet. Gohan jumped in the air and kicked the masked opponent in the gut.
The two landed on their feet, feeling slightly tired. They took a few breaths and staggered a bit. "Let's see if you can take this!" said Gohan as he placed his hands above his head. "MASENKOHA!" He fired a yellow beam at his challenger. The masked fighter jumped back to avoid it; however, this left him open for another attack from Gohan.
The son of Goku charged at Gramps with his fist ready. Acting quick, Gramps cupped his hands together and started chanting something. "KA…ME…HA…ME…HA!" Gohan's eyes grew wide as his opponent fired a blue blast at him; he quickly crossed his arms in order to defend himself. The blast collided with Gohan and pushed him back a bit. When the beam faded, Gohan's arms were a little singed. "Ouch! That stung!" growled Gohan. "Not bad, my boy, but can you take it again?" asked Gramps as he cupped his hands again. "I'll do better than take it! I'll use it!" said Gohan as he also cupped his hands.
"KA…ME…HA…ME…" the two fighters began to chant while a blue star of ki formed in their palms. "HA!" cried Gramps as he fired a blue beam, as did Gohan. The two Kamehamehas collided, creating a big sphere of energy. The Ki benders pushed as hard as they could, pouring more ki into their attacks. The sphere moved back and forth as the two beams pushed against each other. Eventually, Gohan's beam managed to overtake the struggle and crashed right into the masked fighter. Gramps was thrown toward the edge of the ring where he barely managed to stop himself. Gohan then charged at his opponent while channeling ki into his right fist. "This fight ends now!" cried Gohan.
He reared his fist back as he got closer to the masked fighter. Just as Gohan was about to throw his fist into his challenger's face, Gramps chuckled and said, "I surrender." Gohan's fist stopped abruptly just before it could hit Gramps' mask. Gohan blinked as he asked, "You surrender?" "That's right, boy, I admit defeat," said Gramps.
"In that case, I guess you're the winner, Gohan," said Baba as she stepped back into the ring.
Elsewhere, Aang and Sokka were trekking through the village. Sokka was looking at all the villagers with an angry expression. "I can't believe all these saps!" said Sokka. "Someone really needs to scream some sense into them."
"They seem happy, Sokka." said Aang.
"Not for long. I'm gonna prove Aunt Wu's predictions are nonsense," Sokka said with determination. He then grabbed the closest man and said, "Hey you, I bet Aunt Wu told you to wear those red shoes, didn't she?" while pointing to the man's said shoes.
"Yeah. She said I'd be wearing red shoes when I met the one I love," answered the man.
"Uh huh…and how many times have you worn those shoes since you got that fortune?" asked Sokka.
"Every day," replied the man.
"Then of course it's gonna come true!" Sokka yelled angrily.
"Really? You think so? I'm so excited!" said the happy man before walking away. The Water tribesman kicked a rock which hit a turkey duck. Enraged, the water/land fowl attacked the teen by pecking at Sokka's head, causing him to crawl away.
With Katara, the Waterbender held out her hand for Aunt Wu to read. The fortuneteller traced her finger along Katara's palm as she told her of her future. "And then you will have your third great-grandchild before quietly passing away in your sleep," predicted Aunt Wu while trying to stay calm. "Is that enough information for you?" "Wow! Thanks Aunt Wu," said Katara. She got up to leave, but then stopped to ask another question. "Oh wait, one more thing. How warmly should I dress tomorrow?" Aunt Wu placed her hand on her forehead as she asked, "You want me to do a reading for that?" Katara grinned widely and nodded creepily.
With Gohan, the three were standing in the ring just after Gohan had won his match with the masked fighter. "Good fight, boy. I didn't expect you to be this skilled," said Gramps. He then took off his mask, showing the face of an old man with small eyes and a white mustache. "You remind of your father." "You knew my dad?" asked Gohan to the old man. "We both know Goku very well," replied Baba. "He was such an extraordinary fighter. One of the best I've ever seen."
"Wow! My Dad's must've been super strong. Makes me wonder if I'll live up to that kind of potential," Gohan admitted.
"Well, if you keep doubting yourself, that'll never happen, boy. Just keep training and you'll be just as strong as your old man," said Gramps.
"Really? You think so?" asked Gohan.
"Absolutely. In fact, why don't I show you a few techniques your father learned in his time?" offered the old fighter.
"Seriously? Alright!" said Gohan excitedly. "When do we start?"
"Now!" said Gramps. He didn't move at all, which started to confuse the son of Goku. His new mentor remained immobile for a full minute before Gohan asked, "Uh, are you ok?" The boy was suddenly sent flying by a blow that hit him in the back. Gohan landed on his face; he quickly looked behind him to see Gramps with his leg extended. "What the?" asked Gohan as he looked back and forth from the two Gramps, before one of them suddenly vanished. "That was the same trick you used during the fight."
"It's called the Afterimage Technique." said Gramps as he walked over to Gohan. "A special technique that only those who can move incredibly fast can use. As you move faster than the eye can track, you leave a temporary image of yourself to distract your foe." The old master held out his hand to Gohan, who took it and was pulled to his feet. "The faster you move, the more images you can create."
"Was my dad good with this technique?" asked Gohan.
"Your father was a true master of this particular technique," said Gramps. "Why don't you give it a try?"
"Ok," said Gohan. He closed his eyes to concentrate. He suddenly disappeared in a blinding speed, leaving an image of himself in the process. The old master smiled at Gohan's success.
"Not bad, my boy," complimented Gramps. "But you're not gonna get me that easily." He then turned around and tried to hand chop the Gohan he saw behind him, only for his hand to pass right through that image as well. "What?!" The old man was suddenly hit in the face with an elbow bash attack by his new pupil. Gramps wiped his face as he looked to his right to see Gohan standing there smiling."Impressive, boy. You managed to pull off the double afterimage right off the bat," said Gramps.
"Actually, that was an accident," said Gohan as he rubbed the back of his head. "I kinda moved faster than planned, but I just went along with it. Sorry."
"No need to apologize. You managed to use the afterimage technique, and that's good enough," said Gramps. "Now onto the next step, countering the afterimage techniques." Gramps disappeared with an image taking his place again. Gohan narrowed his eyes and quickly looked behind him; he spotted another image of his mentor there. He smiled and said, "Gotcha!" as he threw a punch to his right. His fist went right through his target seconds before he was kicked in the chin. Gohan back flipped and landed on his feet; he rubbed his chin as he saw Gramps with his leg pointing upward. "Guess I didn't get ya," said the boy.
"No, but you were close," said Gramps. "I'm amazed that you were able to see through two of my afterimages out of three."
"I see. So, he must've been moving faster than I did in order to perform a triple afterimage," thought Gohan. "It seems controlling your speed matters very much with this technique. Let's test that theory."
Gohan smirked arrogantly, which confused the old master. "What's with the smiling, boy? Got something up your sleeve?" asked Gramps. Gohan didn't answer before splitting himself into ten afterimages. The ten Gohan surrounded Gramps in a full circle. "Amazing, he's learn to utilize the afterimage technique very quickly. He's just as talented and creative as Goku," thought Gramps as he examined all of the images. "However, you can't hide from me, boy!" The old martial artist looked up to see another Gohan preparing to strike him. Gramps jumped up to attack the boy, but ended up passing right through him.
"Surprise!" cried Gohan as he jumped at his mentor; the young fighter attempted to hand chop Gramps, but his attack passed right through the old man. "Sorry son, but there can only be one true master of this technique," said Gramps as he appeared behind Gohan. The old man threw a punch at the boy, expecting to win their scuffle, but once again, his attack passed right through the son of Goku. Gramps could barely register that before he was struck in the chest by a palm strike from the real Gohan. "And I guess that's me!" said Gohan. Gramps slowly stood up and dusted himself off. "Alright boy, you mastered the afterimage technique," said Gramps. "Now let me show you another one Goku liked to use. It's called the Jakken style."
"Jakken style? What's it do?" asked Gohan.
"This! Jakken!" cried Gramps as he rushed at Gohan, who took a fighting stance. "Scissors…!" The old man held out two fingers and jabbed Gohan in the eyes, blinding him. "Ow!" cried the boy. He instinctively threw a punch at his mentor. "Paper…!" Gramps blocked Gohan's fist with his own hand. "Rock!" The old man punched the spiky haired teen in the nose, making him stumble backward. "And that boy, is the Jakken style of fighting," said Gramps.
"Ouch, that really hurt," said Gohan as he rubbed his nose. "I see, you announce different hand signs and attack specifically with that hand sign."
"Exactly, each attack is determined by the hand sign the user performs," explained Gramps. "Go on, give it a try."
"Ok." said Gohan. "Jakken…Paper…!" He thrust his hand forward but his mentor blocked it with his knee. "Scissors…!" Gohan threw two fingers toward Gramps eyes; the old master immediately blocked it by grabbing his wrist. "Rock!" Gohan attempted to punch the old man, but he once again countered the attack by grabbing his fist.
"Not bad, boy, but you'll have to do better that!" said Gramps.
"Oh, I'll do better alright!" said Gohan. "Jakken…Rock… Paper… Scissors!" The son of Goku performed the Jakken fighting style once again, but the old fighter blocked every hand sign attack with ease.
"Don't you get it, boy, I'm an old pro at this style of fighting, you can't get me that easily," said Gramps. "Although, you did pick up on this technique rather quickly, like a true fighter."
"Thanks, but I'm not giving up till I've gotten the jump on you!" said Gohan. "Let's try this one more time; this time I'll try something different!"
"Feel free, just don't expect to win." said Gramps.
"Jakken…Paper..!" cried Gohan as he charged at the old warrior. Gramps was prepared to block a paper style attack, but was surprised when he was struck in the face by Gohan's fist. "Urgh! Why you little rookie…" said Gramps before he was interrupted. "Rock..!" Gohan quickly jabbed Gramps in the eyes, cancelling his sight. "Ow, you said it be rock!" complained the old man as he covered his eyes. "Scissor!" said Gohan as he gave palm strike to Gramps' chest, pushing the old man back a bit.
"Heh heh! Whatcha think of that?" asked Gohan.
"Not bad, you little trickster. Announcing one hand sign, while attacking with another," said Gramps. "You're just as clever as your dad. He'd be proud of your skills."
"Thank you, Gramps. If you'll excuse me, I'd like to stop so that I can check on my friends. I hope that's ok."
"It's fine, boy. That's enough lessons for today," said Gramps. "Feel free to come back anytime for some more training."
"Thank you," said Gohan as he bowed to Gramps. He then bowed to Baba and said, "Thank you for this challenge, Madam Baba. It was fun."
"You're welcome, boy. It was quite an excellent fight, definitely worth my fortunetelling skills," said Baba.
Gohan picked up his sword and strapped it to his back before happily jumping back toward the village. The two elders watched as the boy disappeared from their sight. "Well Gohan, what do you think of Goku's boy?" Baba asked the old fighter. "He's certainly an extraordinary young man. Brave, determined, selfless, kind, caring, and cheerful," replied Grandpa Gohan. "He reminds me so much of his father alright; I'm glad that he shares the same name as me."
Back at the village, Aang continued to watch his friend attempt to scream some sense into the villagers. It seemed like the more he tried, the crazier he became due to the villagers' ignorance. Sokka was clearly having no luck in proving that fortunetelling is ridiculous. "I don't care what Aunt Wu told you! You have to take a bath sometime!" Sokka screamed to a dirty old man. The hobo just chuckled before happily walking away.
"So Sokka, you know some stuff about ladies, right?" asked Aang.
"Some stuff? You've come to the right place. What can I do you for?" Sokka offered his friend.
"Well, there's this girl…" Aang started to say.
Sokka then looked past him and saw Meng hiding behind a barrel. "I think I know who you mean," said Sokka.
"You do? And you're ok with it?" Aang asked, surprised.
"Of course I am," replied Sokka. "And to tell you the truth, I've been picking up a subtle vibe that she likes you, too."
"She does?" asked Aang. The monk became anxious and didn't see Meng trying to get his attention.
"Oh yeah, she's crazy about you. All you have to do now is not mess it up," advised Sokka.
"Well, how do I do that?" asked Aang.
"The number one mistake nice guys like you make: being too nice," answered Sokka.
"You can be too nice?" asked a confused Aang.
"Yep. If you want to keep her interested, you have to act aloof, like you don't really care one way or the other," suggested the tribesman.
"Well, okay…" said Aang.
Meng then walked up to the Airbender and tried to talk to him. "Hey Aang, I was wondering…"
"See ya later," said Aang casually, completely ignoring Meng.
"Wow, that kid is good," said Sokka.
Just then, Gohan landed right next to Sokka and asked, "Hey Sokka, what'd I miss?" "Just me giving your brother the best advice on how to impress a girl," Sokka replied with pride. "I'd be happy to share it with you if you want."
Aunt Wu was pushing the Waterbender out of her building, while giving her prediction of the weather tomorrow. "And you'll be fine as long as you've got a scarf. Bye-bye now," said Aunt Wu. "Ok ok, but one more thing," insisted Katara. "Alright, what is it?" asked the fortuneteller, clearly exhausted mentally. "Should I eat a mango or a papaya for breakfast tomorrow?" asked Katara. "Papaya!" answered Aunt Wu before slamming the door shut. "Aw, I hate papaya," complained the girl.
"Oh, hey, Katara. I didn't see you there," said Aang.
"Hey, Aang," Katara responded while walking away.
"That's okay. I'm busy with my own stuff," Aang said, trying to grab Katara's attention. A Turkey Duck the landed by him and quacked.
Katara strolled to the courtyard and went up to the fruit stand. "Ugh, papaya please," she ordered with no satisfaction. She took the papaya and stared at it with distaste when the aloof Avatar walked up to her.
"So… papaya," said Aang.
"Uh huh. Would you like some?" offered Katara.
"You know me. I don't really care what I eat," said Aang as he picked up an apple and bit into it.
"Okay then. See ya later," said Katara as she walked away.
As soon as she was gone, Aang spit out the apple. "Maybe aloof isn't my style," said the monk. His gaze fell toward a man and the woman who spoke to Meng earlier in Aunt Wu's building. "Oh, a panda lily!" The woman cried with joy. The couple embraced each other, and this sparked Aang's interest. "Did you see that?" Aang asked his lemur friend. He then cut in between the couple and asked, "Excuse me, where can a guy find one of those things?"
Moments later, Aang, Gohan, and Sokka were outside the Village, climbing to the top of Mt. Makapu. The brothers were hopping along the rocky outcrops while Sokka had to scale the mountain the hard way. "I can't believe you're dragging me all the way up here for a stupid flower," Sokka complained.
"Not just any flower, a panda lily," explained Aang. "I've seen it in action and boy, does it work."
"Flowers are fine once you're married, but at this early stage, it's critical that you maintain maximum aloofness," suggested Sokka.
"Right, 'cause it works like a charm compared to a rare flower," said Gohan sarcastically.
"Look, guys. My heart is telling me to get this flower, and Aunt Wu said if I trusted in my heart, I will be with the one I love," said Aang.
"What? Don't tell me you believe in that stuff, too," said Sokka, clearly annoyed.
"That sound more like an advice rather than a prediction," said Gohan.
"Well, Aunt Wu hasn't been wrong yet," said Aang. "Why should she be wrong about love?"
"Let me guess, you believe in that old hag Baba's fortunes too?" Sokka asked Gohan.
"Absolutely," replied the Ki bender.
"Ugh. I'm the only sensible person left in this town," groaned Sokka.
"There! On the rim!" said Aang as he pointed to the top of the mountain where there were numerous rare black and white flowers. The Airbender and Ki bender leapt to the top of the volcano and Aang picked up one of the panda lilies. The monk smelled the flower before looking into the volcano just as Sokka appeared beside him. The three stared in shock as they saw that lava had filled the volcano to the brim and was ready to blow in mere minutes. "Oh no. Aunt Wu was wrong," said Aang as he dropped his flower into the lava, where it burned.
"Those people all think they're safe!" said Sokka. "We gotta warn them!"
"There's no time to walk!" cried Aang as he opened his glider. "Grab on!" The Avatar grabbed his friend and the two took off into the air. Gohan quickly flew after them. The three flew over the trees and landed right back into the village. They soon met up with the female member of their gang, who was waiting outside Aunt Wu's building. "Hi, Katara." Aang greeted his friend shyly.
"Can you believe she won't let me in? And after all the business I've given her?" Katara asked in annoyance.
"But she doesn't even charge," stated Aang.
"I know, but still…" said Katara. "Do you think Lady Baba will do a reading for me?"
"Don't think so. She charges a hefty price, and I'm pretty you wouldn't be able to pay it," said Gohan.
"Well, we have other things to worry about," said Sokka. "Aunt Wu was wrong about the volcano."
"Sokka, you tried to convince me that Aunt Wu was wrong before," said Katara as she pointed a finger at her brother. "It's gonna take an awful lot more to change my mind…"
She was interrupted by the sound of the volcano rumbling. The four look up at the volcano to see smoke coming out of it. "Oh no," said Katara. The Gang hurried to the courtyard to warn the villagers of the volcano's eruption. "Everyone, that volcano is gonna blow any second! Aunt Wu was wrong!" Sokka urgently warned the people, but once again, none of the villagers took him seriously.
"Yeah, yeah, we know you don't believe in Aunt Wu, Mr. Science and reason lover," said a disbelieving woman.
"If you won't listen to him, maybe you'll listen to me," said Katara as she stepped forward. "I want to believe Aunt Wu and her predictions as much as you do, but my friends saw the lava with their own eyes."
"Well, I heard Aunt Wu's prediction with my own ears," argued the calm man.
"Listen, we know Aunt Wu's predictions have been right so many times, but she's still human." said Gohan. "You can't always know the future. Aunt Wu could be wrong this time."
"Or, you could be wrong since you're also human and not a fortuneteller," said another villager.
The Avatar suddenly jumped onto a building and spoke out urgently. "Please listen to us! You're all in danger! And we have to get out of here! You can't rely on Aunt Wu's prediction, you have to take fate into your own hands!"
It seemed like the villagers were starting to listen, when another rumbling noise startled the village. "Look! Can your fortunetelling explain that?!" asked Sokka as he pointed toward the volcano. The villagers looked to see smoke coming from the mountain, but this still wasn't enough to convince them. "Can your science explain why it rains?" the man with red shoes asked mockingly. "Yes! Yes it can!" replied Sokka. The villagers simply walked away as if they were never warned of the own destruction.
"What now? We can't let this village be destroyed," said Gohan.
"They just won't listen to reason," said Katara.
"But they will listen to Aunt Wu!" said Aang as he descended from the building.
"I know, that's the problem," said Sokka.
"Well, it's about to become the solution. We're taking fate in our own hands," said Aang.
"How?" asked Gohan.
"First, I need to borrow Aunt Wu's cloud reading book," said Aang.
The Gang had gone back to Aunt Wu's building. Gohan, Katara, and Sokka were keeping watch while Aang and Momo snuck inside the building through the top window. The two entered the fortuneteller's chamber and began searching for the cloud reading book. The Lemur screeched while Aang opened a drawer. "Shh! We don't want anyone to hear us," Aang whispered to his pet. Aang continued to search until he saw Meng's reflection in the mirror; he quickly turned around and hid Momo. "Oh, I didn't see you there," he said to the girl.
Getting right to the point, Meng sadly asked, "You don't like me, do you?"
"Of course I do," said Aang.
"But not the way I like you," the girl corrected.
"Oh, I guess not," said Aang in realization.
"It's okay. It's just really hard when you like someone, but they don't think of you that way," said Meng.
"I know how you feel," said Aang in sympathy.
"She's beautiful, by the way," Meng said, surprising the monk.
"Huh?" asked an embarrassed Aang.
"That Water Tribe Girl," replied Meng. "I can see why you like her so much. She's sweet, she's a bender, and her hair seems so manageable." She proved her point by trying to fix her hair, only for it to return to its usual style.
"Don't worry. You're going to meet a great guy who's going to completely fall for you. I know it," said Aang as he touched her shoulder to comfort her.
"Thanks," said Meng. The monk turned to leave, but she stopped him. "Wait, don't you want this?" She held out Aunt Wu's cloud reading book.
"How'd you know?" asked Aang as he took the book.
"I've kind of been stalking you," Meng confessed as she played with her fingers.
"Oh, thanks…I guess," said Aang, embarrassed again.
After retrieving the cloud reading book, Aang and Katara quickly got on Appa and flew over the village, high above the clouds. The Airbender stirred the Sky Bison while the Waterbender looked through the cloud book. "Clouds are made of water and air, so between the two of us, we ought to be able to bend them into any shape we want," Aang explained to his friend. "I found it. The symbol for volcanic doom," said Katara as she showed it to Aang. The two benders immediately stood on Appa's saddle and started moving their arms up and down. Appa flew through the air with the clouds following his every move.
Down below, the villagers watch as the clouds began to change formation. The two swung their arms around, creating a new cloud shape. Sokka brought Aunt Wu to the courtyard and pointed upward. "Aunt Wu, look! Something is happening in the clouds," Sokka alerted the fortuneteller. "That's very strange. It shouldn't..." said Aunt Wu as she looked at the clouds. The fortuneteller was terrified by the symbol she saw. "Oh my!" Everyone could now see the skull shaped symbol in the clouds.
Moments later, the gang was speaking to the villagers on what to do in order to avoid destruction. Smoke continued to fly out of the volcano, indicating that time was short. "We can still save the village if we act fast!" the Avatar assured the people. "Sokka has a plan!"
"Lava is gonna flow downhill to this spot," the Tribesman explained. "If we can dig a deep enough trench, we can channel all the lava away from the village to the river."
"If any of you are Earthbenders, come with me and Gohan," instructed Aang.
"I'm an Earthbender!" replied Poi.
"I'm not!" said Ping.
"Everybody else, grab a shovel!" ordered Sokka. The volcano erupted once again, startling the people. "Come on! We gotta hurry!"
The villagers rushed to get to work. Pretty soon, everyone was doing what they could to dig a trench in front of the village. Earthbenders were using their skills to push boulders out of the way. The non benders were manually digging the trench while Appa helped by carrying rocks out of the trench. Gohan was by himself as he focused his energy into his hands. "HAAAH!" cried the boy as he blasted away some more large rocks. Gramps appeared beside him and the two Ki benders used their energy attacks to dig deeper.
Earthbenders continued to move the rubble while Sokka and the non benders dug with shovels. The volcano erupted again, and this time, lava started to escape from the top. "Dig faster! Dig faster!" ordered Sokka as they resumed digging. Poi ran off and earthbended a few boulders into the river. The Avatar leapt to the top of the trench and yelled, "Everyone needs to evacuate! We'll come for you when it's safe!" The villagers immediately stopped digging and fled. Momo placed a rock at the side of the trench and jumped onto Aang's shoulder.
Ash rained down on the village while the four teens waited patiently by the trench. Lava poured out of Mt. Makapu and headed toward the village gate. The gate burned as the lava moved past it. The lava flowed through the cemetery and destroyed the head stones in it. The lava made it to the trench and started to fill it up. "It's too much! It's gonna overflow!" cried Katara.
Another explosion occurred as more lava shot out of the volcano. Sokka and Katara ran to safety as boulders rained down into the lava. The Water tribe siblings looked back to see Aang and Gohan still standing by the trench. "You ready?" Aang asked his brother. "Let's do it!" replied Gohan before he flew into the air. The lava exploded in front of Aang, who then charged at it furiously. The Airbender launched himself into the air and controlled the air around him. Aang swung the air at the lava, preventing it from flowing out of the trench. He then took a big breath and blew a strong air blast at the lava, cooling it down. Aang lowered his hands in relaxation.
The Water tribe siblings watched in amazement. "Man, sometimes I forget what a powerful bender that kid is," stated Sokka.
"Wait, what did you just say?" Katara asked her brother.
"Nothing, just that Aang is one powerful bender," Sokka said again.
Katara stared at the Avatar and softly said, "I suppose he is."
The Ki bender positioned himself above the river before firing a Kamehameha wave at the water, pushing the water toward the streaming lava and cooling it to stone. The volcano finally stopped erupting, but still let out smoke.
Moments later, the courtyard was towered by a tall, rough looking wall. The people, Aunt Wu, Meng, and lady Baba gathered in the town square to see the Gang off. "By the way, we kind of borrowed your book," said a bashful Aang as he returned the fortuneteller's book.
"So you messed with the clouds, did you?" Aunt Wu accused the boy as she took her book back. The three benders carried shameful looks while Sokka just pointed to his sister. Aunt Wu simply laughed and complimented them. "Very clever."
"No offense, but I hope this taught everyone a lesson about not relying too much on fortune telling," Sokka said to the villagers.
"But Aunt Wu predicted the village wouldn't be destroyed and it wasn't," argued the calm man. "She was right, after all."
Sokka got in the man's face and growled, "I hate you."
"It's okay, Sokka. Everything's going to be all right," Katara assured her brother. The Water Tribe siblings walked to the Sky bison. Gohan went to talk to Madam Baba.
"Thank you for giving me an insight to my future, Lady Baba," said Gohan.
"I sense that there's still something you would like to know about your destiny," said Baba
"How did you…" said Gohan before stopping himself. "Never mind."
"What's on your mind, boy?" asked Baba.
"It's about my Dad. I'm always hearing about how incredible he was; I'm not sure if I'll be able to live up to his legacy," confessed Gohan.
"Let me tell you something I said about your father," Baba said as she put her hand on Gohan's shoulder. "I sensed that he would be a great hero of his time. I know that you will one day be just as great as he was."
"Thank you, Baba," said Gohan as he bowed to the psychic. He then left and got on Icarus' back.
"Can I ask you something?" Aang said to Aunt Wu.
"Of course, honey," she replied.
"You didn't really see love in my fortune, did you?" Aang asked her, disappointed. "You just told me what I wanted to hear."
"I'll tell you a little secret, young Airbender," Aunt Wu said to the monk. "Just as you reshaped those clouds, you have the power to shape your own destiny."
Aang smiled at Aunt Wu's words. He then airbended himself onto Appa's saddle. Sokka was waiting on the beast's saddle while Katara sat on the head. "Goodbye, everyone! It was so nice to meet you!" Katara said to the villagers. She then looked to Aunt Wu's assistant. "Take care, Meng."
"Take care!" Meng said back with a smile, but once the Gang left, she frowned and said, "Floozy."
A/N: Finally through with this chapter. I hope you appreciated the surprises. Sorry it took so long. I'm going to be working on this fanfic and the new one I adopted simultaneously, hopefully. So the chapters may take a little longer to post than usual. Keep reading, we've only just begun and send your reviews. Until next time, BBFN! AntiHero out!