Raindrops splattered down onto the tin barn roof the "gaang" was sleeping under. If you listened closely slight sounds of snoring could be heard above the pounding rain. The single lantern was long since burning and a chilly breeze managed to escape through the drafty walls. Even the sleepers shivered in between their thick fur sleeping bags.
Only Appa was awake. He usually was one of the first asleep, seeing how he had to transport four humans across the sky for hours on end. But tonight something was getting to Appa. Like a cold, dark claw, it slithered into his body and left him nervous and jumpy. The full moon softly lit the barn floor, but no comfort came the anxious bison.
He felt as though not one, but all six of his legs were unattached to his body. Appa felt the need to move, to do something to drive away the achy feeling. But his limbs wouldn't respond, as if they were nailed to the wooden floor boards. The bison wanted to talk to Momo, but the frisky lemur was also fast asleep. It must be midnight by now, thought Appa.
He finally managed to stand up, which took all his will power to do so. Shaking slightly, all six legs shuffled out of the barn and into the forest that surrounded their temporary rest spot. His large brown eyes spotted a grass clearing about a mile away. Grunting, Appa took off into the sky, hoping to catch some sleep in the clearing. He was so intent on reaching the grassy open space and trying to drive away the dark claw feeling at the same time, that he didn't notice two shadows slither across the landscape.
The air wasn't exactly windy that night, but an occasional breeze did stir up once in a while. Through his white, thick pelt, Appa felt yet another breeze whistle by. But when the "wind" snagged one of his legs and started hauling him down to the trees below, the bison was wide awake. He tried to struggle against the chain that was coiled around now 3 of his legs. His great body slowly started to flip over. Appa was using all of his body strength to try and fly up and away, but the chains were unbreakable.
He growled loudly when yet another chain locked around his forth leg. With only two legs left, there was no chance of flying away now. His big, brown eyes, now swimming with terror, tried to see through the shadows of the ever approaching trees, but his capturers where well hidden. For now.
A deafening crash signified Appa's failure to escape from the thick, black chains. He didn't have one free leg and the terrified bison could only fall through the many canopys of the forest before he slammed into the ground. Thorns stabbed into his back and he yelped. Appa tried to turn his head but his neck was caught in between a dead tree and the thorns below. Pain seared through him and he had never wanted Aang so much as he did now.
A snapping tree branch caused the bison to turn, or at least attempt, sideways where the noise had come from. A stench of rotten fish and dead animals surrounded Appa and he felt the sudden need to throw up. His massive body started to shake as he coughed and gagged for all he was worth.
His trembling eyes opened warily, and Appa jumped back in surprise. "Well, well, well. I see the "mighty" air bison needs to work on his reflexs a bit, doesn't he?" The most horrible, scratchy voice sounded from a disgusting, rotten face only a few inches above Appa's very own.
The last thing Appa saw before everything went black was a needle being plunged into his skin. One lone tear slid out of his clenched eyes and splattered to the ground, unnoticed and unheard.
