"…Toph?" Sokka murmured thickly, still half asleep.
"…merrrrrrrg…" She gurgled, face down in the earth.
The two of them were usually the last people to get up, but they would never sleep so deeply that when they finally emerged from their slumbers, the rest of the group had moved on without them. However, there had been one significant alteration to this group whom we follow each week (or every month now…yes, Nickelodeon, that was a jab at you!). Furthermore, this significant alteration of the group has lead to disrupt the normal patterns of their daily life, such as trying not to take off without two members of the said group. And we all know who that little alteration is, don't we? If not, please leave, your ignorance sickens me.
"…Where is everyone…?" Sokka asked, scanning the area dreamily.
"They probably went on a walk..." Toph mumbled, this time sounding like she had indeed evolved from apes like the rest of us.
"Urrr…" Sokka said, raising a hand and pointing somewhere, his hand wobbling from bleariness, "Appa's gone too…" He watched the empty space to where he was pointing- the indent in the earth that was left by the huge Air Bison. He blinked at it a couple of times, frowning slightly, as if trying to work out a maths problem.
"They probably went on a flight…" Toph burbled, her tone identical to before.
"All the stuff is gone…"
"They probably…went…" Toph didn't finish, surrendering to her lack of knowledge on the situation, and to her exhaustion. She began to snore gently.
"Toph," Sokka said, slightly more awake now as his brain started to kick up and whirr again, working valiantly and bloody slowly as he tried to put two and two together. Eventually…
"D'you think they left without us?"
Silence.
"Those bastards."
"Cari, I really don't understand this plan…" Katara confessed her troubles, glancing behind her as Appa took them further and further away from Toph and Sokka. They were completely out of it even after the three of them returned from the walk.
"It's simple, Loopy!" Cari said happily as she bent too far over the edge of Appa's saddle, letting the wind whip through her hair and sting her eyes until they streamed, "They have to find us, don't they?"
"I guess they'lltry to…" Katara corrected her, a crease appearing in her forehead.
"And how will they do this?" Cari sang cheerfully.
She thought for a moment.
"Abysmally?"
"NO!" Cari snapped impatiently, "Together." She announced, suddenly sweet and lovely, her lisp never so poignant. The sudden change was astonishing. Katara just watched her nervously.
"Well, yes…but how do we know they won't get sick of each other?"
"They won't." Cari dismissed shortly, "This will only bring them closer together- sharing an experience, with just the two of them. They'll reminisce together and if we're lucky, they may well get their act together on the journey and realize their true feelings!" She concluded, saying this all in one breath.
"What do you think, Aang?" Katara asked, determined to try and find another way.
Aang shrugged. Katara frowned. Cari smirked.
"I think Cari's plan is good." Aang told her.
Aang beamed at Cari. Katara blinked at Aang. Cari smiled sweetly (and smugly) at Katara.
"Right." Katara said, her voice stiff, her posture rigid, and her mind set in stone. She did not like Cari. To be quite Frank, she wasn't exactly jumping to be friends with her in the first place, but now she was certain. Well then, she was certain.
Katara stomped off- to the corner of Appa's saddle. She couldn't really stomp either, as it would click Appa's rickety spine out of place again. So really, she just sauntered over somewhere and sat down. It wasn't the effect she had hoped for- and both Aang and Cari completely overlooked it.
"So, Aang." Cari said- Katara tensed ever tighter and gritted her teeth as Cari jumped over the saddle and joined Aang on Appa's neck, "How do you steer this big guy?"
"Weeell just pull the ropes in the direction you want to go." Aang said, shrugging his shoulders, "You want a try?"
"Welllllok." Cari accepted smugly, and wrenched them out of Aang's bewildered grasp.
"Uh, well I really meant after a brief tutorial-" Aang gabbled, looking extremely anxious as Cari cackled and whipped the reins viciously. Even Katara stopped muttering to take a look. Appa gave a rumbling growl, and didn't seem opposed to chucking this crazy shrew right off. Furrowing her eyebrows, Cari devised a plan quicker than a blink of an eye. With one last glance at Aang, she flung herself backwards and completely off the edge of Appa, not forgetting an overdramatic: "OH!"
"Sokka? They left this." Toph said, her teeth nearly ground into dust since that morning. Sokka scrambled up and saw a roll of paper in Toph's small hand. He took it from her and read aloud:
"Hey guys! You may have noticed that we're…well not there anymore. We figured you needed some exercise, after flying around on that crazy buffalo thing all the time. We have noticed that Toph seems to be getting some love-handles lately-"
"WHAT?!" Toph screamed, flushing deep red at the mention of her bodily bits in front of Sokka, "GIVE ME THAT-"
"We need it! It might say where they are!" Sokka argued, holding it out of her reach, only to be thwarted by Toph making a pedestal so large she cast a shadow over the boy who was so obviously disadvantaged. He gulped and squeaked: "Please?"
She stood there for a minute, hands seized into claws, teeth bared like an animal, her hair a wild bush. After a sigh, she returned to the floor and gestured him to continue lazily. Sokka eyed her warily before carrying on.
"Um…love…handles lately and Sokka does seem to be developing a double chin, not to mention his…receding HAIRLINE?! THAT'S IT-"
"SOKKA!" Toph barked, rolling her eyes.
"Youwere allowed your episode!" He exclaimed indignantly, but he managed to calm down, not before patting his hair.
"We're heading to Fire Lily Bay, so we hope you can join us there! Oh and Sokka, make sure that Toph combs her hair and washes out her mouth regularly. You know how beautiful she can really be when she brushes up nice! Kisses- Cari."
Sokka lowered the paper slowly, and awaited Toph's reaction.
"We'd better set off now." She stated, deadly quiet, "The sooner I get to maul that…that…" She took a deep breath, and decided she wouldn't bother trying to conjure up a word bad enough (although I can think of a few), "The sooner I get to maul her, the better."
So they set off, Toph with a better outlook on this long travel, because Sokka (who was lagging after five minutes, tongue lolling and gasping) had only ever known traveling with the comfort of Appa.
At this moment, as we watch them disappear over the horizon, Sokka still choking on his own cholesterol level, we can only wonder. Will this turn out as planned? Judging by Cari's past attempts we can safely say that prayer would be necessary and possibly our only option…
Until next time!