Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender. :)
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Chapter 7: Fudo
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They packed their belongings the next morning without conflict or strife. The only one in a bitter mood was Sokka... but then, that was normal. Toph, in fact, was in a happier mood than usual, and Katara (after realizing that it was Toph) decided to question it.
"Why're you all happy, Miss Sunshine?"
Toph wrinkled her nose at the way Katara addressed her but chose not to make any negative comments. "I guess I just figure it'll be a good day," she replied. Katara regarded her suspiciously but said nothing further.
"Ready to go?" Aang asked.
Sokka looked up from sharpening his boomerang. "We all packed up?"
"Yep," Ru answered. "C'mon, let's go!"
The five (plus Momo) boarded their ride. Aang was perched atop Appa's head, a broad grin on his face. Something's up, Katara thought. Aang, Toph... even Ru seemed in a better mood than the night before. Sokka's sour attitude didn't match those of his companions, and Katara figured something must be wrong with him, too.
"What is with you guys today?" Katara finally demanded.
Toph smirked slightly. "What's wrong, Sugar Queen?" she asked innocently.
Katara huffed, annoyed. "Sugar Queen? You haven't called me that in years!"
"Today was the first time you've ever called me Miss Sunshine!"
"Today's the first time you've ever fit the des-crip-tion!"
Toph rolled her blind eyes. "Just because you're cranky-"
"Cranky? Who're you calling cranky?" Katara stood up, taking a threatening stance.
Toph followed suit. "If you don't know, maybe you're more blind than I am!"
Katara opened her mouth to shoot a comeback, but Sokka spoke first. "Enough! Will both of you just shut up?" Sokka looked from one to the other. "I thought you guys outgrew that arguing problem."
"We don't have a problem!" the girls said in unison.
Sokka looked away and gave an exasperated sigh. "Okay, whatever you say. Aang... your turn."
"Okay, um, why don't you girls just sit down and discuss-"
"Sit and discuss? Wow, Twinkletoes, your tactics are SO revolutionary," Toph snapped.
"We're not children," Katara added irritably.
Aang looked around helplessly. "Um... Ru? Care to give it a try?"
Ru stood up and put a hand on each girl's shoulder. "What's the problem?"
"You're treating us like little kids," Toph mumbled angrily.
"You're acting like little kids," Ru shot back.
"We- we are not!" Katara exclaimed.
"Are too," Ru retaliated.
Toph was about to reply, but she saw the trick that was being pulled. She put her hand over Katara's mouth before the girl could be sucked into Ru's game and fixed a vicious glare toward the guy in question. "You are such a-"
"-jerk," Katara finished, pushing Toph's hand away; she spit a bit of dirt out as she did so. She'd just realized what Ru had been trying to do.
Toph threw her hands in the air. "Ugh! I can't believe you!"
"We can handle our own problems!" Katara added.
"Yeah!"
The two plopped down one opposite ends of the saddle, muttering a medley of insults under their breaths. They'd already forgotten what they'd been arguing about; they just knew they were angry at Ru for interfering. Sokka stared at each person, an I-can't-believe-that-just-happened expression on his face. How could that have worked?
"How... what the..." Sokka mumbled.
Ru sat back down beside Sokka. He was grinning; it made Sokka's insides burn. "Piece of cake." He sounded pleased with himself.
Sokka merely nodded, afraid that if he said anything it would come out the wrong way. The "wrong way," in actuality, meaning the right way that just wouldn't be considered appropriate.
They flew on the rest of the way in relative peace. Aang let Katara drive Appa for awhile so he could rest a bit and chat with whoever was giddy enough to indulge in conversation, and Momo had early on fallen asleep in Toph's lap.
Of course, it wasn't a long trip.
They reached Fudo within an hour and a half. Landing and leaving Appa just behind the outskirts of the bustling city, the party approached the outer barrier of the huge settlement. Their eyes (and feet) "gazed" upon the scene before them. It wasn't exactly what they'd expected from a Fire Nation city, especially one that was supposed to be inhabited by rebels.
High-society women in groups of twos and threes gossiped and floated around from cart to cart; they were dressed in fine red and black silks, heads held high. Some men were walking around in important-looking uniforms; others were wearing expensive suits of silks and satins. The occasional couple glided by, sometimes followed by a rambunctious child or two dressed similar to their parents. There weren't any low-class looking people, no one around in rags begging for money and nobody hiding in the shadows ready to mug any passerby. No rodents or other distasteful creatures wandered the streets, nothing that made it look like what the group had envisioned it to be. It was all very...
Disturbing.
"I bet this place really is like Ba Sing Se," Katara muttered. "They probably keep their lowerclassmen in a separate part of the city."
"I hope so. This place is weird," Toph said. She felt the fluttery footsteps, heard the arrogant voices. It was slightly familiar to her.
They walked into the square careful not to look anyone in the eye. Aang was, of course, recognized, but they hoped he wouldn't draw too much attention. They didn't think he would. These people probably had mixed feelings about the outcome of the war, and they probably didn't have anything to say to him. They walked in peace through the square and on toward the total opposite side of the city.
Now they saw all the things they'd expected to see earlier. "This is where Azula'll be keeping her troops," Sokka told them. "It'll be easy to get recruits around here."
Toph wasn't so sure, but she didn't voice her doubts. Katara, who blatantly agreed with her brother, spoke instead. "Well, I guess we'll have to make sleeping arrangements..."
Aang nodded and was about to speak, but Ru spoke first. "I think we'll have to go our separate ways now," he told them.
Toph looked up at him, surprised. "Huh?"
"It's been really great, and thank you for letting me travel here with you, but I'm going to follow my own mission. If I get any real leads, you guys will be the first to know, okay?"
"Um... okay," Aang replied. He was confused. Why did Ru want to leave now?
"Right... so I'll see you around, then."
Toph smiled faintly. "'K, see ya."
"Bye!" Katara and Aang said together.
Sokka stayed silent, glad that their companion was going off on his own. After Ru was out of sight, he said, "Okay, so about those living accommodations..."
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