A/N: (re-write : 7/1/07) Hey guys, I'm back with chapter Fifteen. Hope you all like my story so far.

Pureangel86: Your predictions were good, and your comments about the penguin made me laugh, literally I couldn't stop laughing. Lol. But I have all six animals planned out for Katara. If you want to keep guessing, you can. ( That goes to everyone) :)! And no, sorry, I'm not adding Toph to the story. Sorry if you were looking forward to her being in the story. I kind of like revolving the story around the three main characters. Notice, Zuko hasn't been mentioned ONCE... probably cuz I despise him. Lol NE WAYS, Thanks for reviewing!

That goes for everyone!

Book One – The Journey Begins

Chapter Fifteen - Sokka's Instincts

A few days had passed and Appa was landed in a large clearing of a forest. Aang was keeping Appa company as Sokka left in search for firewood. Katara vanished into the forest to do who knows what. It was early in the day, though, so she wouldn't get lost.

Katara happily pranced through the forest chasing a butterfly. She was headed back to Aang and Appa before a small sound behind her forced her to stop and investigate. She got low to the ground and peered over the forest brush and bushes. She noticed Sokka walking, holding no firewood, and muttering things to himself. Katara smiled and quickly scampered into a few bushes as Sokka walked by.

She smiled eagerly, loving the thought of the look on Sokka's face if she jumped out of the bushes. It was all going well until Sokka turned around and went in a different direction. Katara sighed and relaxed from her intense crouching position.

"Why do you have to make this hard for me Sokka…?" Katara grumbled to herself as Sokka walked away. Katara slowly inched her way out of the bushes and followed Sokka. She made sure she was not visible before she made deep, low, and vicious growling noises. Sokka quickly flung around nervously and looked around.

"K-Katara?" Sokka asked nervously as he looked around. Katara almost felt sorry for how helpless he looked, but she couldn't help the urge to scare him. Katara growled again and rustled some bushes to make it convincing. She could feel her fur stick on end from the anticipation of literally flying out of the bushes and freaking Sokka out.

"Oh come on instincts, don't fail me now, what do I do now," Sokka muttered nervously to himself.

"Katara?" He asked again shakily. He then pretended to be strong by pulling out his knife-like boomerang and holding it in front of him.

"I've got something sharp! Don't hurt or eat me; I don't taste very good" Sokka said nervously, slightly in a complaining tone. Katara attempted to hold in her laughter that seemed to grow with every word Sokka said. Katara got ready before she leaped from the bushes, letting out a loud growl before she dove into Sokka, who was frozen from shock and screaming for the heck of it. Katara laughed as she had Sokka pinned to the ground, her paws pressed to his chest. Sokka panted and looked up at his sister.

"You should've seen the look on your FACE!" Katara was laughing out of control. She then stepped off of Sokka and imitated him, screaming and falling to the ground.

"That was the highlight of MY day," Katara laughed.

"Very funny," Sokka muttered as he stood and brushed himself off, "I didn't find any firewood..."

Katara was busy rolling on the floor with laughter.

"Alright, we had our laughs let's just g--" Sokka was interrupted.

"-laughter-"

"C'mon Katara, it wasn't THAT f--"

"-loud laughter-"

"KATARA, I-"

"-even louder laughter-"

"I GIVE UP," Sokka yelled as he trudged through a few bushes, heading back to camp. Katara giggled and followed close behind him, accidentally giving him flat tires. It soon turned into purposely doing it. He sighed and sat down for the seventh time to put his shoe back on.

"You're really annoying me today," Sokka said as he eyed his sister. Katara was still laughing from the 'jumping from the bushes' incident. Sokka quickly stood and continued to walk. Katara gave him one last flat tire before he fixed his shoe and began to run.

Katara laughed; she loved a good chase. She quickly began to follow Sokka, though it was hard to go her fast speed while in a forest. She had to keep dodging bushes and trees and whatnot. She suddenly noticed Sokka enter a clearing in the forest where Aang and Appa were.

Sokka was running so fast that he tripped over a bush and landed right in the middle of the clearing, right by Appa. Katara was laughing too hard to concentrate on where she was going. She tumbled over the same bush Sokka tripped over and fell straight on top of Sokka. Sokka let out a long, loud groan.

"I hate you," he teased as Katara began laughing all over again.

"What are you two doing?" Aang asked with a little laugh from the sight of the two.

"Scaring Sokka, it's WAY too much fun… wow, I'm really tired," Katara giggled as she got off of Sokka.

"Try having a fully grown cheetah follow you through the woods while you're searching for firewood...and then, try having a fully grown cheetah jump out from the bushes and scare you half to death... And THEN--"Sokka was interrupted.

"I think Aang gets it," Katara laughed as she climbed up onto Appa's saddle. Aang laughed as the two peered over the back of Appa's saddle.

"Why were you getting firewood? It's not even dark out. I said look for WATER, not firewood," Aang laughed. Sokka blankly stared at the two before he heaved a long sigh and trudged up Appa's tail, muttering non-repeatable things.

"Ok then, air boy, Mr. Know it all, YOU go look for water," Sokka groaned and plopped down on Appa's head.

"Ok," Aang said cheerfully as he jumped off of Appa's saddle and vanished into the forest.

"Show off," Sokka grumbled. "YOU," Sokka pointed an angry finger at Katara," I'm so mad at you I could-- I could--"

Katara eagerly stared at him with a big smile, waiting for him to finish his 'threatening' remark.

"…I can't even explain," Sokka quickly looked away.

"Oh be quiet," Katara laughed before Aang came rushing back to the two with Katara's canteen full of fresh water from the forest. Sokka sighed loudly and plopped down in the middle of Appa's saddle. Aang and Katara laughed as Aang quickly climbed up onto Appa and handed Katara her canteen. Aang triumphantly walked to Appa's head.

"Yip Yip!" Aang called happily before Appa took to the beautiful morning sky.

Sokka sulked at the back of Appa's saddle alone as Aang and Katara happily sat with each other on Appa's head. He debated with himself on how he could get Katara back. For the past couple of days, all she'd been doing was scaring and pranking Sokka whenever she got the chance.

"Her and her 'cheetah' form," Sokka mocked above a small groan as he stared up at the sky.

He felt as if Katara was now more open and carefree in the cheetah form. She was a lot more energetic and playful, especially around Aang and when it came to scaring Sokka. He felt as if she enjoyed it so much that she wouldn't trade it for anything.

Sokka heaved a long sigh as he began to think of ways to avoid Katara while alone and when she was not in sight. He also thought of ways to get her back.

"Methinks," Sokka smiled evilly and tapped his fingers together.

- - -

"That was so much fun, you have no idea," Katara smiled as she made herself comfortable on her side next to Aang. He looked down at her and smiled.

"What was?" Aang smiled eagerly, urging her to tell him.

"Scaring Sokka. I jumped out of a few bushes and pounced on him. I could've sworn he wet himself," Katara laughed.

"You're probably right," Aang teased as he looked out to the morning sky before he continued, "but you had better be careful."

"What?" Katara asked softly as she looked up at him curiously.

"Well, you've been pranking him since the day you became this way, the cheetah form, and, if I were Sokka, I'd want revenge," Aang chuckled. Katara froze at his last word.

"R-revenge?" Katara asked nervously.

"Yeah," Aang laughed, "-but I won't do anything to you. The only person you've been bugging is Sokka. We're cool," Aang smiled sweetly.

"Thanks, but… eh, I don't want to be pranked," Katara frowned.

"Then stop pranking him," Aang laughed. Katara thought for a moment before she sighed and lay down close to Aang, who sat up and gazed at the beautiful sky.

"Guess you're right," Katara sighed as she gently closed her eyes and fingered Appa's soft fur by her head. Aang shook his head slightly and chuckled. Katara looked up at him and smiled.

"What's so funny?" She complained as she starred at him.

"Nothing," Aang continued to laugh as he looked down at Katara.

"Aang," Katara whined, " Sokka's going to kill me."

"I wouldn't be surprised," Aang laughed with a smile.

"...Aang I--"

"HEY GUYS" Sokka said loudly over the edge of Appa's saddle to freak Katara out. Katara jumped slightly before she scooted closer to Aang.

"Save me," she whispered to him. He just continued to laugh. "This isn't funny," she whispered again.

"Yes it is," Aang chuckled as Sokka sat on the other side of Katara who was laid really close to Aang. Aang sat in a comfortable Indian style, laughing his head off. Sokka noticed Katara lay next to Aang, her paws over her eyes, and she was biting her lip nervously. Sokka joined Aang in loud laughter.

"What's your problem Katara?" Sokka asked with a small laugh.

"N-nothing," Katara said as she lifted her head and arranged her paws before her. Sokka and Aang eyed her in silence.

"Nothing's wrong, now stop starring at me," Katara demanded. Sokka rolled his eyes and looked away. Aang chuckled and continued to stare at Katara. Katara nervously looked at Aang and frowned. She mouthed to him 'help'. Aang smiled and shook his head before he grinned sheepishly and shrugged. Katara bit her bottom lip and glanced at Sokka nervously.

"You'll be fine," Aang smiled as he placed a hand on her furry shoulder. Katara shook her head quickly and stood before she vanished to Appa's saddle. Once Sokka was sure she was out of hearing distance, he scooted closer to Aang.

"Help me get her back," Sokka whispered, careful not to be too loud, for he knew Katara's hearing had gotten A LOT better.

"I knew you'd say that," Aang smiled.

- - -

A couple of hours passed and Appa was already tired of flying. Aang let Appa land in a large field with a few scattered trees and a small pond. It was perfect for Sokka's revenge. Katara happily pranced around and chased birds.

Aang attentively watched her, thinking she's never acted so energetic and open like this before. She was either calm with Aang, stern and loud with Sokka, or concentrating hard when she was waterbending. Since she'd done just about all of those today, besides water bending, which she couldn't do anyway, she felt she had free time to do what she pleased. The cheetah form really made her open up, change into something different and crazy. Like a wild side she'd never revealed until now.

Sokka sat with Aang as the two discussed Sokka's revenge plan. Katara, who was basically on the other side of the pond, couldn't hear them.

"What is she doing?" Sokka asked with a small laugh as the two stared at the cheetah far away.

"I-it looks like she's playing with either a flower or… or a very oddly colored butterfly... or bird or something, I can't really see her," Aang chuckled. Sokka rolled his eyes and relaxed a little.

"Girls..." he sighed, "They're so weird, you know?"

Aang didn't answer him. He continued to watch Katara have fun playing with the colorful object she was playing with... whatever it was. It was all until Aang noticed her rise to her feet and take off at a high speed with the colorful little something in her mouth.

"Here she comes," Aang said as she ran up Appa's tail and dove onto Appa's saddle happily.

"Look what I found!" Katara said, muffled, as she held a colorful, and ripped, piece of paper in her mouth. Aang gently took it from her and read what had to be said on it.

"There's a festival nearby, we should go!" Aang said happily as he handed the paper to Sokka.

Sokka read it in silence before he handed the paper to Aang and sighed.

"Tomorrow, I'm not in a festive mood right now," Sokka mumbled as he relaxed against Appa's saddle.

"...Alright," Aang said happily as he handed the paper to Katara, "maybe there'll be a bender that could teach me some stuff, you know?"

Katara nodded happily and smiled at him before she looked around and noticed the sky was getting darker. She sighed softly, feeling like she had used all her energy up. She scooted closer to Aang and sat next to him, hoping to relax some.

- - -

Later that night, the three fell asleep on Appa's saddle. Katara was cuddled with Aang, and Sokka was sound asleep on Appa's head. Katara slept peacefully until a loud splash in the pond woke her up. She nervously looked around and noticed Aang sound asleep next to her. Katara quickly got to her feet and faced the pond nervously, getting somewhat scared.

She slowly and stealthily made her way off of Appa and crouched down low next to him. She inched her way to the frozen pond. There wasn't so much as a ripple in the dead, eerie water. The whole place was dark and the moon wasn't out that night. Thankfully, Katara had the eyes of a cat so she could see in the dark. She nervously scanned her surroundings, which consisted of the lake, a few scattered trees, and miles of grassland.

Katara nervously untensed from her low crouching position. She headed back to Appa, swearing that she heard a loud splashing noise in the lake. Katara shrugged if off until she heard loud, eerie grunting and growling noises behind her. Katara quickly turned around, fur stuck on end, claws extracted from her paws.

She suddenly saw a large figure, muddy and dripping with lake-water, creep out of the lake and walk towards her. Katara gasped and froze, not knowing what to do. The...thing crept towards her, dripping with mud and nasty lake leaves and whatnot. Katara's whole body tensed before the thing made a loud grumbling and grunting noise.

Katara's fur stuck on end before she scampered away, screaming, knowing she couldn't protect herself. She couldn't water bend while she was a cheetah. She jumped into a nearby bush and trembled until she suddenly heard loud laughter.

Sokka.

A/N: Sorry this moment kind of... ended, LOL I will have the next chapter up as soon as possible, it's a miracle I even finished this one. Please R&R! I'd love it greatly:)

- Katara -

Mohalo ;)