Now I know that I do this for the fun of it, but I feel like I haven't been able to put the same energy into the story as I have done in earlier chapters. I also know that most of you don't really care about what's written here and just want your dose of escapism.
So here it is, from me to you, especially you, yes you!
Darkillion: Actually I don't want to and I wanted to use this to close that door. She has a reason to why she is, and some might remind us of others, but that will be it.
Puck627: Happy to hear that you're happy! Also happy that you like where the story is going and hope you'll continue to enjoy it as much as it seems you do.
Revliledpembroke: How do you know I'm not?
Chapter 15
"Hey, look!" Aang shouted to the others as he reached down and grabbed the handle of a whale tooth sword sticking out of the ground. Ang held it up to show to the others as Sokka slid down a slope next to him.
"It's a sword made out of bone of some kind!" He said loudly.
Sokka snatched the sword out of Aang's hands when he got close enough.
Sokka walked as he studied the sword.
"It's a whale tooth. This is a Water Tribe weapon." Sokka said as he turned to Aand. "See if you can find anything else."
As Aang and Sokka were searching the area, Katara and Hari slid down the hill finding them half-buried in bushes.
"Did someone lose something?" Katara asked curiously.
Aang crawls into the bush only for his head to pop out.
"No, we found something!" He said as he disappeared back into the bush.
"It's burned." Sokka said as he picked up a singed spearhead from the ground. He looks around noticing more scorch marks and sharp cuts on the surrounding trees.
Sokka studied them intently while the others watched him. Suddenly he took a sharp intake of air.
"There was a battle! Water Tribe warriors ambushed a group of firebenders." He said as he moved along the tracks and telltale signs of battle. "The firebenders fought back, but the warriors drove them down this hill."
Sokka's eyes scouted the ground as his mind slowly stopped seeing tracks but his imagination filling in what happened in front of him as he followed the warriors ahead down the hill, along a dirt path, as he leaped over a few large rocks in his way and continued forward down onto the sandy beach.
The others followed and when they finally caught up to him, Sokka was standing on the beach looking at the sea.
Aang walks up next to him.
"So, then what happened?" Aang asks curiously.
Sokka closed his eyes and sighed.
"I don't know. The trail ends here."
"Wait, look!" Katara said as she pointed to something further down the shoreline.
Sokka turns to look and notices what Katara is pointing at, namely…
"A Water Tribe ship! It's one of our boats!" He shouted as he took off.
Katara and the two others run after him as Katara shouted.
"Is this dad's boat?"
Sokka had already reached the boat and turned towards her.
"No, but it's from his fleet." he said as he put his hand on the boat. "Dad was here."
.
.
.
Evening had fallen over the beach.
He was walking towards the beach where his ship still lay.
He pulled his shoulder a bit. He had just had his bandages changed and they felt a bit tight but he would never complain to the Mother Superior. She wasn't to be trifled with.
He'd hadn't been at the abbey that long, since he was wounded and was carried to there for treatment. Bato the Warrior, now Bato the Wounded. He understood the necessity of leaving him behind, even if it hurt his pride. He was no good in battle as it was and would only slow them down.
He hadn't gotten that far down the beach when he felt something cold and sharp against his throat, a cold voice following.
"Don't make a sound and don't move a muscle."
.
.
.
Sokka was sitting by the fire, reminiscing about when his father, Hakoda, had left them behind to go to war.
Suddenly, the unmistakable sound of people walking towards them in the sand was heard from farther down the beach, making Sokka grab his boomerang and turn towards the sound.
"Who's there?" He said as he stood, ready.
Out of the darkness walked two figures. One of them was Hari, but next to him walked a man, with bandages wrapped around the upper left part of his chest, but in obvious Water Tribe garb.
"Sokka?" The man said as Sokka realized who the man was.
"Bato? Bato!" He exclaimed as he ran to him.
Aang groggily looked up from his sleeping bag, having just woken up.
"Who the what now?"
"Bato!" Katara cheerfully greeted him as she ran to him as well.
"Sokka! Katara! It is so good to see you two." Bato said as he hugged them both when they were within arms reach. "You've grown so much!"
Aang stops next to Hari and bowed in greeting.
"Hi, I'm Aang-"
"Where's Dad?" Sokka asked, cutting Aang off.
"Is he here?" Katara followed up.
"No," Bato answered, "he and the other warriors should be in the Eastern Earth Kingdom by now."
Katara and Sokka looked out toward the sea, looking chestfallen as a gust of wind blew over the beach, causing them to shiver.
"This is no place for a reunion. Let's get inside." Bato said as he slung his arms around Sokka and Katara, leading them away. After a moment, he looked back at Hari and Aang only to find them gone. Shrugging lightly he turned and continued his walk answering the siblings questions along the way.
Up in the sky, Aang, Hari, Appa and Momo are floating.
"Why are we doing this?" Aang asked Hari.
"Just to give them a bit time." Hari said with a smile as they flew along to find a spot where they could set up camp, close enough to the ship so the siblings would be able to find them again, but hidden enough not to be found easily by others.
.
.
.
At the entrance of the Abbey, Bato was leading Katara and Sokka along to where he was allowed to set up during his stay. Inside the courtyard, a few nuns were milling about.
"After I was wounded, your father carried me to this abbey. The sisters have cared for me ever since." Bato told them as he walked up to a tall, matronly woman wearing a epimandylion that only showed her face.
"Superior, these are Hakoda's children. I found them by my boat."
"Welcome to our abbey." The Mother Superior said as she bowed in greeting.
"Thank you." Katara said as she bowed back.
"What smells so good, Bato?" Sokka asked.
"The sisters craft ointments and perfumes." Bato answered him.
"Perfume? Maybe we can dump some on Appa, because he stinks so much. Am I right?" Sokka said as he was greeted with silence, only broken as a single person coughed.
Bato smiled at Sokka. "You have your father's wit." He told him as he walked across the courtyard, Katara following him.
Sokka stands back and turns around looking back at the entrance, confused.
"Sokka, are you coming?" Katara shouts at him, making him turn to follow, but before he went, he looked one more time at the entrance. He then ran after Katara wanting to ask her where Appa, and Aang, and Hari, and Momo were. He remembered them being with them but somehow they were not there.
Katara went after Bato into the hut where Bato was staying and when Sokka finally caught up to them, he stopped and completely forgot what he was about to ask Katara. Inside the hut was a sleeping-tent on the opposite side of the door, a pot hanging over a fire with cushions in the middle, and various pelts placed and hung everywhere.
"Bato, it looks like home!" Katara said as she clasped her hands together.
"Everything's here, even the pelts!" Sokka exclaimed.
Katara walked over to the fire, opening the lid of the pot.
"No way! Stewed sea prunes!"
"Help yourself!" Bato said with a laugh.
"Dad could eat a whole barrel of these things!" Sokka said as he sat down on one of the cushions.
"Bato, is it true that you and dad lassoed an arctic hippo?" Katara said as she grabbed four bowels. She poured the prunes into one and handed it to Bato, then another to Sokka and as she poured one for herself, she stopped. She wondered for a moment why she picked up four, until Bato laughed.
"It was your father's idea, he just dragged me along. Well, the hippo did the dragging!"
The two siblings laughed.
"That's like that time Aang rode a giant eel and I-" Sokka started but he was cut off by Bato.
"Who's Aang?"
Silence followed as the two siblings looked at Bato, then at each other, then at the door and then at each other again.
"Wait, that was the bald kid, and Hari was the scary one, right? Who are they?" Bato asked.
"Weren't they right behind us?" Katara asked nervously as she bit her lip.
"No? We left them at the beach?" Bato said with a hint of confusion as Sokka put his head in his hands.
"We got some apologizing to do." He mumbled, just loud enough for the others to hear, earning a nod from Katara.
"Sokka, Katara." Bato said, getting their attention once more. "Who are they?"
They then told him about their travels since they left the south pole, but they non verbally agreed on leaving Hari's own story out since it wasn't theirs to tell.
.
.
.
Hidden among the trees, Aang and Hari were sitting close to the bonfire.
Hari was putting more wood, so the fire wouldn't go out while Aang sat with his shoulders slumped.
They hadn't talked much since the siblings went with Bato, but Hari felt that Aang would talk when he felt like it and he didn't feel like pushing. Also, this seemed like something no amount of flying would fix, which was saying something.
"They're gonna leave us, aren't they." Aang finally let out. "They're gonna go with that Bato guy and meet their dad and go with him."
"Who knows." Hari said.
"They completely forgot about us and just left." Aang continued, starting to get riled up.
"Yep." Hari said.
"Someone they haven't seen in ages turns up and suddenly it's the most important thing!" Aang said as he stood up.
"Seems like it."
"After all we've been through and then they leave just like that!" Aang stomped his feet as he walked back and forth.
"Uh huh. You done?" Hari asked Aang, making him trip over his feet.
"What?" Aang asked when he regained his balance.
"Please sit down, Aang." Hari asked him politely. Aang looked at him for a moment before sighing and sitting down across Hari.
"It's their choice if they want to leave, but you have to remember that it has nothing to do with you. It has all to do with them. We don't own them and they don't own us, and as much as it can seem like it sometimes, the world doesn't revolve around you." He said with a wink.
Aang thought about it for a moment. He was still a young kid and childish at times, but he understood when something was true. He didn't own them and they still had family. Who was he to take them away from their family. He felt a bit foolish and embarrassed about how he had felt and he could feel the heat creep up his cheeks.
"Seems like you have understood something?" Hari asked him.
"Yeah, but it still wasn't cool that they forgot about us…" Aang said petulantly.
"You are right about that." Came from behind Aang as he jumped a bit as Sokka and Katara came to view from between the trees. "And we're sorry." Sokka finished.
"We're really sorry, it was just, it was Bato and, you know, then we, and-" Katara stumbled over her words, getting redder and redder, syllable by syllable.
"It's okay, we understand." Hari said.
"We do?" Aang asked, looking at Hari who gave him a look.
"I mean, we do." Aang said.
"Well, we really want you to join us at the abbey where Bato is staying. We've gotten the first greetings and stories out of the want and we really want you to join us." Sokka said, reaching his hand out to Aang.
Aang smiled up at Sokka as he grabbed his hand and let himself be pulled up as Katara did the same for Hari.
They quickly packed up the campsite, and flew on Appa to the abbey where they were greeted by the Mother Superior.
"Superior," Sokka said, "This is our friends, Hari and Avatar Aang."
"Young Avatar, it gives me great joy to be in your presence. Welcome to our abbey." The Mother Superior said as she bowed in greeting, which Aang returned.
"Thank you," Aang answered, "it's truly an honor to be here. If there's anything I can do for you, please do not hesitate to ask."
"Thank you Avatar." She answered with a smile and turned to walk to the main building.
"Busy nuns." Sokka said, "Oh, and if you wonder about the smells it's because they make perfume and stuff." He and Katara then led them along to where Bato was staying.
When they entered they found Bato looking at a paper.
"Hey Bato!" Sokka said out loud making Bato look up. "As you probably know by now, this is Hari and Aang."
"It's an honor to meet you, Avatar." Bato said as he bowed in greeting which was returned by Aang. He then turned to Hari and reached out his arm.
"And Hari, it's nice to meet you under better circumstances."
Hari grasped his arm firmly.
"Likewise. You can never be too safe out there." Hari said with a smirk looking up at the taller man, making Bato gulp nervously at remembering their first short meeting. Even a hardened warrior doesn't take it lightly to be surprised by a knife to the throat.
"Please sit. I'm sorry but I don't think there's enough food left. Unfortunately Sokka eats as much as his father." Bato said, earning a chuckle from the group.
"There's something I should tell you kids." Bato continued. "I've received a message from your father."
"Really?" Katara sat up straight.
"When?" Sokka asked in a slightly demanding voice.
"Just before you arrived. Your father and the others found a rendezvous point. You can come with me, and see your father again." Bato smiled at the siblings.
Aang looked at Hari with a worried but understanding look and got a small smile in return.
"It's been over two years since we've seen Dad. That would be so incredible! Katara!" Sokka looked at his sister ecstatically.
"I do really miss him," Katara said, "it would be great to see Dad."
"It would be great," Sokka continued," but we can't. We have to take Aang to the North Pole first." He finished as he put a hand on Aang's shoulder. Aang looked up at him with a quivering smile and big watery eyes.
"Who knows how far we'd have to travel. We don't have time for a long detour." Katara said, looking at Aang and Hari.
"I'm sure your father would understand," Bato said, and slapped his knee, "and be proud that his children are helping the Avatar!" Smiled at the group who smiled back, Aang with glistening eyes.
They then spend the evening listening to stories from the Southern Watertribe. Sokka and Katara did their best to make sure Aang and Hari felt included, by explaining different things, like some of the stuff in Bato's hut. They still felt a bit embarrassed about forgetting them earlier. On the other side, Hari and especially Aang tried to be understanding, such as if there were things that simply seemed too complicated or long-winded to describe or tell.
All in all they had a good time, filled with laughter and by late evening our two airbenders felt like they understood a bit more about their Watertribe friends than before, but all days must end.
"... but then the octopus decided to ink Hakoda, covering his whole face! He couldn't see and stumbled straight into the hutt landing face on the floor in front of a very confused but soon very angry Kanna! We've never run so fast in our lives! Luckily she didn't get a good look since his face was completely inked with an octopus stuck to his head and we got away. I think Kanna had her suspicions but she never voiced them. I actually think she was too embarrassed that she was fooled to think that the great water spirit visited her." Bato finished his story, earning a round of laughter.
"But let's turn in for the night. Tomorrow is a new day and I could use your help with preparing the ship." Bato said, getting nods and agreements in return.
"I'm going to bunk with Appa." Hari said as he stood, padding Aang on the shoulder as he left. The others nodded and said their goodnights. They had learned by now that Hari didn't prefer to sleep in smaller spaces, having a liking for big rooms or the outdoors.
After Hari had left they all prepared to sleep when…
"I get that you met him at the Northern Air Temple, but he's dangerous. Are you sure you can trust him?" Bato asked them.
This made Aang, Katara and Sokka spin to stare at Bato, who took a step back and raised his hands in a placating gesture.
"Wow, wow, easy. I was just wondering." Bato said.
Aang looked at the siblings with raised brow as if to ask how much they told and got a near unnoticeable shake in return and nodded.
"We can trust Hari." Katara said, getting nods from the two others.
Bato, who had paid close attention to their interaction, was impressed. The way they communicated without a sound told a lot about their unit. He couldn't help but think of them as such, even if they were kids. They weren't just a small group on a journey, but already a tight knit unit, working together as tiger seals hunting fish.
"He might be dangerous, but he's one of the most trustworthy people I've ever met." Sokka said as he opened his sleeping bag.
"He's always ready to help, make us smile and is a great cook!" Aang said with a big smile.
"He's supportive, kind and…" Katara finished off with a sigh looking in the direction Hari had left, making Sokka snicker and Bato raise his eyebrows in surprise. As he laid down in his own sleeping bag he wondered what Hakoda would think about his daughter having her first big crush. Maybe he should talk with Katara before they went their separate ways.
As they all went to sleep they had no idea that a certain prince was right on their tail. With the help of the female bounty hunter June and her trusty shirshu Nyla that, as June said, could smell a rat a continent away was following their scent. Using Katara's necklace, they were getting closer, minute by minute.
.
.
.
It was early the next day and the group plus Bato was down at his beached ship.
Bato walked up to the ship and put his hand on the bow.
"This ship is sentimental to me." He told them. "It was built by my father."
"Is this the boat he took you ice dodging in?" Sokka asked.
"Yep!" Bato said as he stood proudly. "It's got the scar to prove it. How 'bout you Sokka? You must have some good stories from your first time ice dodging."
At this, Sokka's shoulders dropped as Katara walked up to her brother.
"He never got to go. Dad left before he was old enough." Katara explained.
"Oh, I forgot you were too young." Bato said.
"What's ice dodging?" Aang asked.
"It's a rite of passage for young Water Tribe members." Bato started to explain. "When you turn fourteen, your dad takes you-" Bato stopped his explanation, a soft smile grazing his face as he put his hand on Sokka's shoulder. "You know what, you're about to find out!"
.
.
.
It didn't take long for them to get the boat out in the water with the help of a waterbender and a waterbending Avatar.
Keeping close to the shoreline, Bato clapped twice to get their attention.
"Ice dodging is a ceremonial test of wisdom, bravery, and trust. In our village, ice dodging was done by weaving a boat through a field of icebergs.
"How are we supposed to ice dodge without ice?" Sokka asked.
"You'll be dodging those." Bato answered as he pointed to a group of tall, sharp, jagged rocks near the shore. This earned a gulp from Katara and Sokka. "Sokka, you steer and call the shots, lead wisely. Katara, you secure the main sail. The winds can be brutal, so be brave. Aang, you control the jib. Without your steady hand, we all go down. Your position is about trust. And Hari," Bato turned to Hari, "You get to sit this one out with me. You're putting your life in their hands. You're not allowed to help them, unless asked specifically by Sokka. You need to have faith in your friends." He said with a stern look. "For this to be done right, I cannot help." He finished and sat down cross-legged at the front of the boat joined by Hari. "You pass or fail on your own."
Sokka studied the rocky shore for a moment before turning to the others with a plan in mind.
"Aang, ease up on the jib. Katara, steady. Aang, less sail. Katara, give him room." The ship moved to the side and narrowly passed between some of the rocks. "Aang, helm to lee. Helm to lee!"
"What does that even mean?!" Aang shouted as a rogue wave hit the side of the boat knocking Bato around. Bato looked at Hari who still sat still like he was glued to the spot, arms crossed and not moving at all. Sokka struggled with the helm while Katara and Aang closed their eyes. Sokka was looking out for everything, wind direction, wave patterns and rock formations, quick calculations forming in his mind and his hands followed. Minute adjustments of the helm guided them safely though the path he had seen between the rocks.
"Great job!" Sokka shouted to them as Katara and Aang smiled up at him but the smiles quickly disappeared as they looked ahead. The boat was heading toward a large bundle of rocks blocking their path.
"There's no way through!" Katara shouted.
"We can make it!" Sokka shouted back.
Bato stood up, grabbing the side of the boat to keep steady.
"Sokka, you've already proven yourself. Maybe we should-" But he didn't get farther as he was pulled down to sit on the deck by Hari who shook his head at Bato just as Sokka shouted his directions.
"Aang, I'm gonna need air in that sail!" Aang nodded, standing ready. "Katara, I want you to bend as much water as you can between us and those rocks. Now!"
Katara swung her arms in a wide arch up and backwards, continuing the circle raising her hands, palms up in front of her, bending the water below the boat while Aang took a deep breath and blew an airbending-blast at the sail. The combination of riding the new wave and the push from the air cleared them from the rocks into clear water. Sokka sighed and relaxed, slumping down onto the deck, resting on the helm, the others smiling at him.
.
.
.
Back on the shore Bato stood in front of the four, carrying a small cup of purple paint.
Bato walked up to Sokka as he dipped his index fingers in the paint.
"The spirits of water bear witness to these marks. For Sokka, the Mark of the Wise." He said as he drew a downturned arc with a dot under it on Sokka's forehead.
"The same mark your father earned." He smiled at Sokka who smiled back emotionally.
"For Katara," He drew a crescent moon on Katara's forehead, "the Mark of the Brave. Your courage inspires us."
He then went to Aang and put a downturned arc on his forehead.
"For Aang, the Mark of the Trusted. You are now an honorary member of the Water Tribe." Aang gave him a blinding smile in return.
"And for Hari," Bato continued as he walked up to Hari and put a single dot in the middle of his forehead, "the Mark of the Faithful. You too are now an honorary member of the Water Tribe."
Hari turned to Aang and the two high fived each other as they shouted 'Water Tribe!', making the others laugh.
"I think this is truly a cause for celebration!" Bato said laughing, "Let's go back to the Abbey."
As they walked Sokka, Aang and Katara animatedly discussed the trial, while Bato walked next to Hari.
"I'm sorry for doubting you." Bato told him.
"I guess it wasn't random you chose me to be tested for the Mark of the Faithful then." Hari said in a light voice. It was obvious in his tone of voice that he didn't ask and that he wasn't angry.
"Yes. It's obvious that you have had training. You're a warrior who has seen war, unlike them." Bato said as he nodded at the others. "Take good care of them and take good care of Katara." He finished as he walked up to the others leaving Hari behind with a confused look on his face.
Hari nodded. Of course he was going to take good care of them. They were like family to him. Unfortunately he did not understand the true meaning of Bato's last words as they walked along the path.
They hadn't gotten far before the Mother Superior came running towards them.
Bato ran to meet her.
"Superior, what's wrong?"
A group of people came to the abbey looking for the avatar.
"Who?" Sokka asked.
"A fierce looking woman with a horrible monster, and a young man with a scar." She said, out of breath.
"Zuko." Aang said.
"The beast was using the scent of a necklace to follow you." The Mother Superior said.
"A necklace? My necklace!" Katara gasped.
"What did the monster look like?" Hari asked.
"It was a big, star-nosed creature with no eyes." She told them.
"A shirshu." Bato said in a serious voice.
"Tell me all about them." Hari said. Aang, Katara and Sokka looked at Hari. They knew that look. A plan was on the way.
.
.
.
"We've just been at the abbey and now this stupid animal is taking us back there!"
Zuko wasn't happy. They had been traveling far, and now it seemed like they were going in circles.
"Shut it, lover-boy! They probably returned after going to the beach. Don't worry, we'll find your girlfriend soon." The bounty hunter June told him as they rode back towards the abbey.
Zuko grumbled something along the lines of 'not my girlfriend' but no one was listening to him.
When they approached the gate it was wide open and compared to the first time they rode in, it was empty. No nuns, no one. Not only that but Nyla the shirshu started to walk in circles.
Prince Zuko and his uncle, the former general Iroh, went off the shirshu.
"She has to be here somewhere, Nyla seems confused." June said from Nyla's back.
Nyla was confused. It seems as if the smell was everywhere, slowly spinning around. It started to growl in frustration.
Slowly more smells mixed in, heavier, stronger. The smells were getting too much. Nyla shook its head from side to side so violently that Jun had to jump off so as not to be thrown off.
"What is this?" Zuko said in frustration.
"If I'm not mistaken…" Iroh said as he stroked his beard, "Perfume. If I'm not wrong this one is lavender and rose petal! Nice fragrance, nicely balanced."
"Not really what I was asking about uncle." Zuko dead-panned.
The wind started to pick up as dust, smells and leaves obscured their senses and vision.
"The Avatar is here!" Zuko snarled. The whole courtyard was now like a sandstorm and those in it, trapped, without being able to see more than a few steps ahead of them.
Zuko narrowed his eyes and took a stance as he tried to get his bearings. He spun, hands up and ready as he had seen a shadow out of the corner of his eye. Zuko knew that he was known to be rash but even he was worried about attacking when he couldn't see probably. He might accidentally hit his uncle if he wasn't careful and that was something he didn't want to do.
Nyla suddenly hissed and lashed out with its tongue. Something had hit it and it couldn't smell what. Another thing hit it and it lashed out again, this time wilder.
"Watch it Nyla!" June shouted, not being able to see anything herself. She could hear the shirshu trashing and she was worried about getting hit and paralyzed by Nyla's tongue.
As the wind picked up the dust cloud got bigger and denser. Small stones were thrown about making Zuko and June have to duck and weave to not get hit.
Iroh, compared to the fiery young ones, closed his eyes and envisioned where he was and slowly walked backwards until he was out of the centralized dust storm. When he no longer felt the sand hit his face he took a couple more steps, opened his eyes and found himself standing just inside the entrance of the abbey looking at a dome of swirling sand.
"Pretty clever." The old general said to himself. He looked around until his eyes caught something. A young man he hadn't seen before stood on one of the roofs. His dark hair tied back in a ponytail, dressed in faded green and yellow, eyes were closed and arms raised, palms up, in deep concentration.
Not far from the young man there were the two Watertribe children and the Avatar. The two siblings were throwing sand, rocks, stones and perfume into a small air vortex, created by the Avatar that shot it into the spinning sand dome.
"Pretty clever indeed." Iroh hummed as he stroked his beard.
.
.
.
Hari did his best to concentrate on his task. He hadn't done anything like this before, at least not this size. Keeping up this small tornado-ish storm was taxing and he slowly shifted his stance. He was feeding the storm, focusing on the whirlpool of wind before him, guiding it like a snakecharmer guiding a prickle snake, curling and spinning, not too tight but not too wide.
"Now Katara." Hari said.
Katara opened her waterskin and bended the water. Just like Hari she closed her eyes as she needed to concentrate. The water went low, moving not unlike a serpent along the roof, down on the ground and into the sphere, but now came the hard part. Katara cast out her senses to feel where Zuko was. Luckily he wasn't too hard to find. She quickly froze the Fire Nation prince's feet to the ground. Zuko, thinking that his enemy was near, abandoned his worry and started casting fire around him. Unfortunately for the prince, this set some of the leaves on fire, agitating the Nyla more, which led to it hitting Zuko with its tongue. Paralyzed Zuko fell, the thin layer of ice breaking, as he landed on his back.
Hari, sensing that the prince became stationary in the sand dome, lifted his hands higher above himself, airbending the dome into the air, leaving the paralyzed prince, the shirshu and the bounty hunter below.
Nyla, who had become very stressed and anxious from the ordeal, finally felt itself get a clear lock onto something and lashed out reactively. Unfortunately, the closest person's own smell had been covered up by the perfume and poor June had no time to react as she was struck.
"June! No!" Iroh shouted as he ran up behind her and caught her as she fell.
Nyla, smart enough to understand what had happened layed down on the ground as it covered its nose and whimpered.
Zuko, who was struggling to regain control over his body, saw the shadow of someone approaching him. He could only see the person's silhouette since the sun was high, but it was a girl and he was pretty sure who it was. The necklace he had used to track the Avatar was snatched from his hand and the girl left him lying there. Then he heard the telltale shout of 'Yip yip', which meant that the Avatar and his friends had left. In frustration he looked over at his uncle who lay with June on his chest.
"Uncle? I didn't see you get hit with the tongue."
Iroh opened one eye and smirked.
"Shhh." He said to his nephew as June's eyes shot open and if glares could kill, Zuko was sure they'd both be dead.
Zuko looked up into the sky as the sphere of dust, sand and other annoying stuff suddenly seemed to explode outwards and disappear.
Back to old fashioned tracking I guess, the prince thought to himself as he closed his eyes, calculating his next move.
.
.
.
High up in the sky, our four friends, plus Momo, were flying northbound.
"Did you get it?" Aang asked Katara.
"Yes I did!" Katara smiled as she held up her necklace, inspecting it to check if something happened to it.
"You sure you wont regret not seeing your father?" He asked nervously.
"Of course we do, Aang." Sokka said, "But, you're our family, too. And right now, you need us more."
"And we need you." Katara smiled at him as she went to hug him.
"Thanks guys." Aang said, smiling at them as he returned the hug.
Hari smiled at them as he sat on Appa's head. Looking down at the skybison, he ruffled its head, getting a happy groan in return. He looked up towards horisont as he started to hum, happily mumbling the words to a song long forgotten.
"In the cauldron boil and bake,
Fillet of a fenny snake,
Scale of dragon, tooth of wolf,
Witches' mummy, maw and gulf."
He closed his eyes, enjoying the wind that seemed to sing along.
"Double, double, toil and trouble!"