Hope you are enjoying it! This is the last chapter before Sam and Ashayna meet up with Aang and the gang. This has a couple of ships in it. Sam/Shay and Tokka. But as i said before, my ships never last. i LOVE moving couples around. So if you dont like the ship, then dont read. if you do, then enjoy this tasty treat! READ AND REVIEW

"Get up Miss Shay you've GOT to see this!"

The scene around them was breathtaking. The waterfall running down all three mountain ranges was enhanced by a soft rain of pine needles. The tall trees towered over them, showering them with the small needles. Ashayna leaned over Sam, trying to get a better look.

The boy smiled. "Does the scene look familiar?" he asked, knowing it more than likely was a scene Avatar Roku had shown Ashayna in her prophetic dream. Shay nodded slowly.

"Yeah…yeah…we have to take a left after we pass the end of the waterfall," she instructed, but pulled on the reigns to stop the Ostrich-horses. She sat back and stared at the scene. Samuel watched her.

"I've never seen anything like it before," Sam stated, brushing pine needles out of his hair. Ashayna turned in smiled at him.

"It's magnificent," she stated, looking up at the sky. For the irony of all world, as she looked up in the sky happily, a needle fell and hit her eye.

"Ow!"

Samuel, who noticed this, swallowed a laugh and reached up, extracting one of her hands which covered her stabbed eye.

"Here, let me see," he cooed, pulling her hand down into her lap as he looked closely into her eye. It watered but, otherwise, it was fine. The bodyguard smiled. "I think you'll survive," he said.

Ashayna smiled back at Sam, feeling a fool. She blushed, realizing how close their faces were to each other after he had closely expected her eye. He seemed to be getting closer…

Shay blinked and opened her eyes as Samuel jumped back and sat forward in his seat. Was it her imagination, or did Ashayna notice a trace of a blush on her young bodyguard's face as he pulled away?

Sokka and Toph grumbled as they walked through the forest. Appa could not navigate through the brambles and trees, so the two had to set off on foot. Looking at the scowls on their now scratched faces, it would be easy to note that neither was too pleased.

"I swear Toph, I mapped out their course. The Earth Nation army was trekking this way at the rate of 30 miles per day. They should be close," argued Sokka, weary of the young earth-bender beside him. The pair was searching for the Earth Nation army to rally their support for the Avatar. They would have to have a strong attack on the Fire Nation on the day of the eclipse, and so it was crucial that they start recruiting army brigades.

"Oh yeah, and what if they changed direction? Or got stuck? Or had to attack someone? Did you ever think about that, Snoozles?" Toph snapped.

"Yeah, well what else are we supposed to do? Shouldn't you be able to feel them? You are the greatest earth bender in the world. The greatest Earth-bender should be able to feel a hundred men marching through a forest? Tell me Toph, where are they?" irked Sokka.

The boy felt a sharp pain on his rear end as he was sent flying through the air and landed, belly flopped, ten feet away from his previous spot. The earth pier, which had hit Sokka in the rump and sent him flying, retracted and Toph smirked.

"Now, Snoozles, in case you were wondering, I do feel vibrations about thirty yards south of here," Toph's face was inches away from Sokka's as he looked up angrily into her faded green eyes. She scowled back, both silent. Pulling away, Toph stalked off as Sokka stood up, brushing off his now dirty shirt. Was it his imagination, or did Sokka notice a trace of a blush on his young friend's face as she pulled away?

"I'm bored," grumbled Ashayna, farther along in the day. "We're so close to finding the Avatar's hideout, we'll be there by nightfall, and so can't we take short break?"

"No. I just want to get there. We've been traveling for two days and I'm just as bored as you are," Sam replied tersely.

The young girl shook her head and sighed. Sometimes her bodyguard was extremely reserved and quiet. Sam seemed to get in quiet spells in which anything Ashayna did irked him. This was one of those times. Shay wondered if it had anything to do with their experience at the waterfall the past morning.

"If I'm going to help the Avatar," she started, "I'm going to have to practice Fire-bending before I get there. I have not actually done it in a while, hiding out in the Earth Nation and all What is the Avatar going to think if I am there to teach him and I do not know how to do what I am teaching him? It'll be a disaster…A catastrophe…A…"

"Will you shut up?" an annoyed Sam snapped, cutting Ashayna off.

"Not until we pull over. And then the Avatar will send me off, because I don't know how to fire-bend. And then what'll the world do? The Avatar will be defeated because he does not know how to fire-bend. The last hope of the world will die. And it will be all your fault because you didn't let us stop and practice. Then, the world will hate you and…"

A sharp pull off the side of the road made Ashayna smile. The cart came to a stop as she looked over to Sam smugly but was shocked when she saw a thoroughly upset boy instead of the kind, quiet one she was used to riding with.

"I'll give you a ten second start to get running, then I'm after you and you're in trouble," Sam almost growled; a playful growl. He was going to spar her to help her practice. Small flames emitted from his hands.

"1…2…3…"

"You're a Fire-bender?!" exclaimed Ashayna, forgetting that she was supposed to be running. The flames grew in his hands as he looked at her pointedly.

"5…6…."

"Oh shit," Shay muttered as she bounded out the cart, running to find an advantage point before Sam came after her. Running blindly, she found a small clearing just big enough for the two to spar. She hid in the bushes and waited for her prey.

She did not have to wait long as he came stealthily running into the clearing. Ashayna jumped out from the bush, sending a small, but bright, fireball in Sam's direction.

They started their spar.

Two figures squatted behind a bush, facing a clearing. The older of the two, Sokka, watched as two fire benders fought each other. It seemed as the two sparring members were both young, and probably defenseless to a surprise attack, but they were fire benders non the less and the pair sitting behind the bushes watched them wearily.

Toph faced Sokka since she did not have to face the match to see what was going on. "Let's attack them. We need to see if there are anymore around. Aang isn't safe if there are Fire-benders in the forest," Toph whispered.

The girl stood up and was about to earth bend when Sokka grabbed her hand and pulled her down. "As much as I would love to kick some Fire Nation butt, we cant. We need to get back to Aang and Katara and tell them. Besides, I left my boomerang with the Earth King, back on Appa. I wouldn't be able to fight. So lets just go."

Toph scowled at the logic. Sokka could be very logical when he wanted to be. The young girl relented and sat down next to him. Sokka let go of her hand, remembering that he was still holding it. The two blushed and faced away from each other and back to the battle.

"Lets go," Sokka backed up slowly, to not attract attention. Toph did the same and soon the two ran back to the forest – back to warn their friends.

Azula stood outside Zuko's door and knocked curtly. She sighed with annoyance as she had to knock for a second time…and then a third. Azula pushed at the door, which opened grudgingly.

"Zuko?" she called into the empty room. The fire princess smirked as she saw an open window and a note addressed to her. She picked it up as Mai and Ty Lee walked into the room.

"Wow! Look at the sky!" Ty Lee bounded to the open window, smiling. Mai walked over to Azula, who now stood with an evilly happy expression on her face.

"What is it?" Mai asked, sounding curious despite her monotone.

"Zuko fell for it. He just left to find Ashayna. Send out the search team. Get ready to move, girls. When the search team locks onto Zuko's position, we'll be following him quietly until he reaches the Avatar."

Ty Lee looked excited as she bounded off chirping about packing for a long camping trip. Mai stood, looking awkward and torn. Azula to her side set down the note and chuckled at her brother's soft heart.

A soft heart that would lead to yet another defeat.