Last of Our Kind
Okay, seriously, some more reviews would be much appreciated please. Oh, please remember that Aang's crush on Katara is now what I call a "kiddie crush" directed at Wenona; no, I do not intend to have Aang and Wenona end up together, that would just be creepy, and I'm only doing it to illustrate a few of my many issues with Kataang, including the fact that the crush Aang had on Katara was only ever addressed at random intervals in the show and no serious romance was ever really developed. I have nothing personal against Kataang as a ship, nor the people who support that ship, I simply like Zutara more and I hate how Bryke wrote the Aang and Katara pairing.
Oh, I also found out the name of the type of fish that mocks Sokka at the beginning of this episode. According to Avatar Wiki, it is called a "se tu." By the way, has anyone noticed that the fish bears a resemblance to the man who tells the Gaang about Aunt Wu, you know the one who was constantly irritating Sokka. I love how Mike and Bryan include little things like that for the viewers to find out.
Also, I learned a new word, 'Prevaricator,' which means someone is a liar.
I don't own Avatar or the following quote.
"Everything is determined, the beginning as well as the end, by forces over which we have no control. It is determined for the insect, as well as for the star. Human beings, vegetables, or cosmic dust, we all dance to a mysterious tune, intoned in the distance by an invisible piper."
― Albert Einstein
Don't Tempt Fate
They had traveled for about two days after their departure from the abandoned city where Sokka and Katara had taken ill and now the Gaang was currently camping beside a peaceful stream. It was a balmy afternoon, the sun was hiding behind the clouds, and there was a certain degree of peace. Well, until the sound of splashing drew everyone's attention. A bright green and blue fish, called a se tu, was leaping out of the water.
"Oh, he is taunting us," Sokka grumbled.
"Sure he is, Sokka," Wenona said dryly. "The se tu just live to taunt people."
"You are so gonna be dinner," Sokka shouted at the fish. He then ran to grab his fishing pole and tried to cast it, only to realize that the line was gone. "Hey, where's the fishing line?"
"Oh, I didn't think you would need is, Sokka," Aang said, grinning as he held up a hand-woven necklace.
"Agh, it's all tangled."
"Not tangled, woven. I made you a necklace, Katara. I thought since you lost your other one…"
"Thanks, Aang, I love it," Katara said, accepting that gift.
"That was very thoughtful, Aang," Wenona added, causing the young boy to blush.
"Great, Aang," Sokka drawled sarcastically, "maybe, instead of saving the world, you can go into the jewelry-making business."
"I don't see why I can't do both."
They were again distracted by the fish's splashing and Sokka began to get more annoyed and hurled his fishing pole at the water.
"Stop taunting me!" He then jumped into the stream, jawbone dagger in hand, frantically trying to catch the fish.
"So, how do I look?" Katara asked once she had fastened the necklace.
Aang turned to look at her, but his attention was grabbed instead by Wenona, who was currently restyling her long black hair into braids.
"Yeah, you look great," Aang said, still looking at Wenona.
Wenona glanced up to see Aang staring at her and had to hold back an annoyed sigh. Looks like Sokka would have to have a talk with Aang sooner rather than later as this was starting to get old. It's not that Wenona didn't like Aang, as a friend or another little brother, it's just that she wasn't particularly interested in a romantic relationship at the moment and she also thought she wasn't the type of person Aang needed (in addition to her own type of interests and the fact that Aang clearly only liked her because he didn't have much experience with girls and was likely misinterpreting friendly or familial feelings for romantic ones).
Wenona caught Sokka's eye as the boy emerged from the water, holding the struggling se tu. She gestured towards Aang with a subtle nod and Sokka had to resist laughing.
"Smoochy, smoochy," Sokka teased. "Someone's in loooove." He held up the fish to look into its face, only for it to wriggle free and slap him with its tail.
"I…well…" Aang spluttered.
"Stop teasing him, Sokka," Katara said sternly. "Aang's just a good friend. A sweet little guy, just like Momo." She said the last part while petting the lemur that had just perched on Aang's shoulder.
"Besides," Keng added, slinging an arm around his friend's shoulder, "love is for grown-ups and would mean we'd have to give up having fun, right, Aang?"
"Yeah," Aang muttered.
Sokka had just emerged from the water, dripping wet, when there was a sudden sound of growling. The five kids rushed over to the source of the noise and spotted a man casually dodging the attacks of a platypus-bear.
"Well, hello there," the man greeted them as they approached to help him. "Nice day, isn't it?"
"Make noise, he'll run off," Aang advised.
"No, play dead," Wenona responded. "He'll lose interest."
The platypus-bear took a swipe that the man just managed to duck.
"Whoa, close one," the man said before starting to chuckle.
"Run downhill, then climb a tree," Katara shouted.
"No, punch him in the bill," Sokka countered.
"And then run in zig-zags," Aang added.
"Guys," Keng tried to speak up.
"No need," the man said. "It's going to be fine."
The man made another skillful duck as the platypus-bear took another swipe.
Aang decided it was time for him to intervene.
"Aang, wait!" Keng shouted.
Aang somersaulted through the air and landed in front of the creature.
"Whoa there," he warned.
The animal gave another croaky cry. At that moment, Appa appeared behind it and gave a loud roar, making the platypus-bear freeze and drop an egg before turning away and heading into the stream.
Sokka gleefully picked up the egg.
"Mmm, lunch." He then turned to the man. "Lucky for you we came along."
"Thanks," the man said simply. "But everything was already under control. Not to worry. Aunt Wu predicted I'd have a safe journey."
"Aunt who?" said Aang.
"No, Aunt Wu. She's the fortuneteller from my village. Awful nice knowing your future."
"Wow, it must be," Katara agreed. "That explains why you were so calm."
"Like I was trying to tell you guys," Keng spoke up. "This gentleman seemed perfectly capable of handling the situation. I tried to tell you that you were overreacting, but…"
"But the fortuneteller was wrong," Sokka protested. "You didn't have a safe journey, you were almost killed!"
"But I wasn't," the man replied with a smile. "Alright, have a good one," he concluded with a bow. He started to walk away but stopped short. "Oh, and Aunt Wu said if I met any travelers to give them this." He handed a long, thin package to Aang before continuing on his way.
"Maybe we should go see Aunt Wu and learn our fortunes?" Katara suggested. "It could be fun."
"Oh, come on, fortunetelling is nonsense," said Sokka.
"I gotta go with Sokka on this one, Kit-Kat," Wenona added. "It sounds like a lot of hocus-pocus to me."
"Well, what do ya know," said Aang who had just finished unwrapping the package. "An umbrella." No sooner had he opened it than it started to rain.
Katara and Keng joined Aang under the umbrella while Wenona used Waterbending to keep dry, leaving Sokka standing there with the platypus-bear egg as his only means of cover.
"That proves it," Katara decided.
"No, it doesn't," Sokka denied. "You can't really tell the future."
"I guess you're not really getting wet, then?" Katara said cheekily.
At that moment, the egg slipped out of Sokka's hands and ended up dropping onto his head. Wenona took pity on her brother and Waterbent the rain away from him as well. As the group continued along the path, Sokka refused to let the subject go.
"Of course she predicted it was going to rain," he said. "The sky's been grey all day."
"Come on, Sokka," said Keng, "just admit you might be wrong. It wouldn't be the first time, after all."
Sokka leveled a glare at his younger brother, who was grinning in a knowing way.
"Look, I'm gonna predict the future now," Sokka said tauntingly. "It's going to keep drizzling. See?"
At that moment the storm ended.
"Not everyone has the gift, Sokka," said Aang.
The five of them pressed on up the path to the little village of Makapu. They walked until they reached a building that had a strange man in black robes with greyish-white hair standing out front.
"Aunt Wu is expecting you," the man said, ushering them inside.
"Really?" said Katara.
Sokka and Wenona exchanged skeptical looks as they entered.
The five of them were shown into an elegant little sitting room where they were greeted by a young girl in a pink dress with her brown hair tied up in huge pigtails.
"My name is Meng, and I'm Aunt Wu's assistant," she said, freezing suddenly when she caught sight of Aang. "Well, hello there," she said in a dazed voice.
"Hello," Aang said uncaringly, as though he didn't really notice she was there.
Unlike Aang, however, Keng had noticed the girl. In fact, he had stopped stock-still and wide-eyed. If people paid more attention to the quiet little Waterbender, then they would have noticed the pink making its way into his cheeks.
"Can I get you some tea or some of Aunt Wu's special bean-curd puffs?" Meng continued.
"I'll try a curd puff," both Sokka and Wenona answered eagerly.
"Sometimes it's scary how they do that," Katara whispered to Keng, who just nodded without taking his eyes off Meng.
"Just a second," Meng said to the older Water Tribe siblings. She then bent down so that she was face-to-face with Aang, who had taken a seat on the floor. "So, what's your name?"
"Aang," the Airbender replied.
"That rhymes with Meng," the girl gasped. "And you have some pretty big ears, don't you?"
"I…guess?"
"Don't be modest," Sokka teased. "They're huge."
Wenona and Katara both shot Sokka glares.
"Well, Aang, it's very nice to meet you," Meng continued. "Very nice."
"Likewise," Aang said as Meng began to walk towards the other room.
Keng tried to introduce himself, but retreated when Meng walked past him without even a glance.
"I can't believe we're here in the House of Nonsense," Sokka said.
"Try to keep an open mind, Sokka," Katara replied. "There are things in this world that just can't be explained, right, Keng?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah, what Katara said," Keng stuttered.
"Wouldn't it be nice to have some insight into your future?"
"It would be nice to have some bean-curd puffs," said Sokka.
"I concur," said Wenona. "I'm willing to believe in spirits. Hey, I'll even acknowledge Great-Aunt Mari has some insight into the supernatural, but there's very little likelihood that this lady is the real deal."
Meng had just reentered the room with a tray of the bean-curd puffs when she was accosted by an older girl in a fancy dress.
"Oh, Meng," the other girl said excitedly, "Aunt Wu says I'm going to meet my true love. He's going to give me a rare panda-lily."
"That's so romantic," Meng sighed. "I wonder if my true love will give me a rare flower," she added, sending Aang a starry-eyed look.
"Good luck with that," Aang said obliviously.
"I like flowers, too," Keng muttered to himself.
The older girl giggled and whispered to Meng.
"Is that the big-eared guy Aunt Wu predicted you'd marry?"
Meng hastily pushed the girl away and walked towards the group. As she got closer, she was distracted by Aang and stumbled, only for Aang to catch her. The two locked gazes and Meng began to blush before quickly handing him the tray of puffs.
"Enjoy your snack," she said as she hurried from the room.
Sokka and Wenona snatched the tray from Aang's hands and began to scarf down the food.
"Welcome, young travelers," came a sweet voice. They all looked up and saw an old woman in golden robes. "Now, who's next? Don't be shy."
They all slowly turned their heads to look at Katara.
"I guess that's me," she said, standing up and following Aunt Wu into the other room.
"Mmm, these puffs sure are tasty," Wenona said.
"Heh, that's good," Aang said nervously.
"Want one?"
"Sure." He shakily accepted the little bean-curd puff.
Wenona watched Aang with a certain level of discomfit. Yeah, Aang was in desperate need of someone to explain the facts of life and the different kinds of feelings a person entering puberty experiences to him. Wenona probably wouldn't have been as creeped out if Aang had a crush on her sister, but, then again, getting into a relationship with a motherly type of girl who would always try to spare his feelings was the last thing a boy like Aang needed. Wenona herself didn't know much about relationships, but she figured Aang needed a girlfriend with a more assertive disposition who still knew how to have fun. Katara was more the type who would make allowances but was, at the same time, not the first person you would turn to when looking for fun and excitement.
Katara and Aunt Wu returned a few minutes later. Katara looked absolutely thrilled as she took her seat.
"Who's next, then?"
Wenona sighed and stood up.
"I suppose that's my cue," she mumbled.
She followed Aunt Wu into her back room. There was a low hearth and a couple cushions on the floor.
"Please, take a seat," said Aunt Wu.
"Just so you know," Wenona said as she plopped down on a cushion, "I don't believe fate is so easily read. My tribe has a Prophetess, but she doesn't do readings like this."
"No, your Aunt Mari is a voice to the spirits, is she not?"
Wenona stared in surprise, not expecting Aunt Wu to know about Mari.
"Uh, yeah," she said uncertainly. "So, shall we begin?"
"Show me your palm," Aunt Wu instructed.
Meanwhile, out in the sitting room, Aang was nervously wondering what Wenona and Aunt Wu could be discussing.
"So…what exactly does Aunt Wu talk about?" he asked.
Katara was about to answer when Sokka interrupted.
"Boring stuff, I'm sure," he said. "Love, who she's gonna marry, how many babies she's gonna have…"
"I wouldn't have phrased it quite like that, Sokka, but you are basically right," Katara responded with annoyance.
"Uh, could you guys excuse me for a moment?" Aang said. "I've gotta find a bathroom."
He tip-toed over to the entrance to the backroom and pressed his ear to the door and listened.
"…you have a very long life-line, young lady," Aang heard Aunt Wu say. "About the same length as your sister's."
"That's nice," Wenona replied, "but can you anything about my life in general? I really want to know about what's going to happen to me and my family."
"Ah, yes, I see many years of happiness. Your family and tribe will one day be restored and greater than they were before the war."
"Really? Are you certain?"
"I've never seen a future so positive as that of your family."
Aang was becoming anxious. Why wasn't Wenona asking about who she was going to end up with?
"Do you want to know about your love life now?" Aunt Wu asked.
"No thanks. I'd much prefer to figure that out on my own without having the burden of some vague description of a man I might end up with constantly clouding my judgment."
"That's a very sensible decision. Too many people who come in here want all the answers right away and then go off in search of someone who matches the description, only to be disappointed when they don't find that person on the first try."
Aang slumped in disappointment.
"But may I at least give you a small hint? The man you're going to marry is a very strong leader with whom you share a deep bond."
Aang's face lit up with excitement. A strong leader? Who was a better leader than the Avatar?! A deep bond? Aang knew he felt a connection with Wenona the first moment he saw her!
Aang leapt into the air a few times before strutting back out into the sitting room.
"Looks like someone had a pretty good bathroom break," Sokka said.
"Yeah, when I was in there-"
"I don't even want to know."
"Who's next?" said Aunt Wu as she and Wenona entered the room.
"Okay, let's get this over with," Sokka said as he stood.
"Your future is full of struggle and anguish. Most of it self-inflicted."
"But…you didn't even read my palms or anything!"
"I don't need to. It's written all over your face."
Sokka scowled.
"You, then," Aunt Wu said to Aang, "come with me."
After a few minutes, Aang returned looking more cheerful than before. Aunt Wu then motioned for Keng to follow her. He took a seat and she pulled out a stack of cards.
"This is one of my favorite methods of fortunetelling," she said as she shuffled the deck. "All you have to do is pick three cards and set them facedown on the floor. I will then pick up each card, one at a time, and interpret the meaning behind it. Go on, then." She held out the deck and Keng picked out three cards and set them down on the floor.
Aunt Wu turned over the first card.
"The Fool. People typically underestimate this card because of the name. It represents unconditioned, unmolded potential and the driving force that sets everything in motion. You, young man, have yet to master your gifts. You also are able to see things in an innocent and unbiased way because, unlike your older siblings, you have not been made fully aware of all that surrounds you."
She turned over the next card.
"Ace of Cups. The possibility of a new relationship and possibly even the seeds of love are open to you. Love can refer to many different things, though, and the card could also refer to a form of spiritual enlightenment. All I can say is this, you need to realize what it is you want and grasp it while you still can."
She turned over the final card.
"Ah, the Hanging Man. This is another card that people misinterpret at first glance. The man is actually hanging by his feet, not his neck, you see, and there is a smile on his face and a halo of light around his head. The Hanging Man symbolizes a sacrifice that must be made in order to attain a better state of life. You, your family, and your friends will be put through many challenges but you will overcome them in the end and reach what seems to be an insurmountable goal."
"Thank you, Aunt Wu," Keng said with a smile.
"Is there anything else you want to know, young man?"
"Actually, I think I'd better leave the rest of my fate to chance. If what you've said is true, I need to give myself up to what the Universe has decided for me."
Aunt Wu gave him a friendly smile as he left the room.
"That boy has a bright future ahead of him."
"Well, now you got to see for yourselves that fortunetelling is just a big, stupid hoax," said Sokka irately as they walked away.
"You're just saying that because you're gonna make yourself unhappy your whole life," Katara replied smugly.
"That woman is crazy! My life will be calm! And happy! And joyful!" He punctuated his final remark by kicking a pebble, which bounced off a street sign and hit him on the head. "OW! That doesn't prove anything."
"Well, I liked my predictions."
"Me, too," Wenona added. "Things are really going to turn out great."
"They sure are," Aang agreed slyly, remembering Aunt Wu saying that if he trusts his heart then he will be with the one he loves.
"Why?" said Keng. "What did she tell you?"
"Some stuff. You guys will find out."
They then noticed a large group of villagers gathered in a crowd and staring up at the sky. Curious, the Gaang walked over to ask what was going on.
"What's got you folks so focused?" Wenona asked the man they had met earlier.
"We're waiting for Aunt Wu to come and read the clouds to predict the fate of the whole village," the man replied.
"That cloud kinda looks like a fluffy bunny," said Aang, pointing up at the sky.
"You better hope that's not a bunny. The fluffy bunny cloud forecasts doom and destruction."
"Do you even hear yourself?" Sokka said dryly.
"The cloud reading will tell us if Mount Makapu will remain dormant for another year or if it will erupt," said a woman in the crowd.
"We used to have a tradition, once a year, of going up the mountain to check the volcano ourselves," the man continued. "But, ever since Aunt Wu moved to the village twenty years ago, we have a tradition of not doing that."
"I can't believe you would trust your lives to that crazy old woman's superstition," Sokka said in disbelief.
"Just give it up, Meat-Head," Wenona told him, putting a hand on his shoulder.
"Shh, she's coming," Katara said as they noticed Aunt Wu approach.
The villagers started to cheer as Aunt Wu made her way into the center of the crowd.
"Hey, Aang," Meng said, suddenly appearing, "don't you think that cloud looks like a flower?"
"Huh? Sure, I guess," he replied. He then lightly pushed her away, causing her to topple onto Keng, who helped her up. "Hey, Nona, don't you think that cloud looks like a flower?" he said to Wenona.
"Yeah, I suppose," Wenona said with disinterest.
"Sorry about that," Keng apologized to Meng.
"It's okay," she said before turning back to stare at Aang, causing Keng to sigh despondently.
Silence fell over the crowd as Aunt Wu began to make her predictions.
"Bending arrow cloud," she began. "Good crops this year, nice big harvest."
"Darn good news," a farmer exclaimed happily as he hugged his wife.
"Wavy moon-shaped cloud. Let's see. Gonna be a great year for twins."
Two twin boys high-fived each other.
"And a cumulous cloud with a twisting nob coming off the end of it. The village will not be destroyed by the volcano this year!"
As everyone broke into cheers at the good predictions, Aang tried to talk to Wenona. However, she noticed and instantly made her way over to Sokka.
"We need to talk," she said.
"I'll say," he replied. "These people are acting ridiculous. Trusting their lives to some batty old woman who says she can see the future."
"Not about that, you idiot. I'm talking about Aang."
"What about him?"
"Remember how I told you that you'll need to have a certain…conversation with Aang and Keng in the near future?"
Sokka gave a frustrated groan.
"Do I have to?"
"Better they find out sooner rather than later. Like today, for instance."
"Fine," he grudgingly consented. "Right after we convince these townspeople that their fortuneteller is a fraud."
Now it was Wenona's turn to groan in frustration. Sokka led her over to Aang and Keng, both of whom were looking rather forlorn. The two boys joined the teens as they walked amongst the villagers.
"I can't believe all these saps," Sokka ranted. "Someone really needs to scream some sense at them."
"They seem happy, Sokka," Aang pointed out.
"Not for long. I'm gonna prove Aunt Wu's predictions are nonsense." He then stopped a man. "Hey, you, I bet Aunt Wu told you to wear those red shoes, didn't she?"
"Yeah," the man said happily, "she said I'd be wearing red shoes when I met my true love."
Sokka and Wenona both exchanged looks.
"Uh-huh, and how many times have you worn those shoes since you got that fortune?"
"Every day."
"Then of course it's gonna come true!"
"Really? You think so? I'm so excited!" the man exclaimed as he happily walked off.
Sokka kicked another pebble in his anger, this time it struck a goose that promptly began to attack him.
"I'm gonna go…somewhere that's not here," Wenona said as she slowly backed away and left to go shopping for some supplies.
Aang and Keng followed Sokka around for the better part of half an hour as he futilely attempted to convince everyone not to listen to Aunt Wu's predictions.
"I don't care what Aunt Wu told you, you have to take a bath some time!" he screamed at a filthy man. The man simply snorted in amusement and went on his way.
"Hey, Sokka," Keng spoke up, "you know some stuff about girls, right?"
"Some stuff?" Sokka chuckled.
"Yeah," Aang added, "you're an expert on romance."
"Well, I don't know if I'd say expert," Sokka said bashfully. "But…you've come to the right place. What can I do for ya?"
"Well…there's this girl…"
Sokka looked up and noticed Meng in the distance, giggling as she stared at Aang. He completely missed the fact that his brother was looking at her with a bright blush on his face.
"I think I know who you mean."
"You do? And you're okay with it?"
"Of course I am."
Keng looked at his brother as though Sokka had just betrayed him. Keng believed Aang was also talking about Meng and that Sokka was going to help him. The youngest Waterbender wasn't sure why, but a painful feeling started to develop in his chest and he began to feel rather sick. Sokka, however, simply saw this as a way of getting out of having to talk with Aang and Keng as he believed Aang to have gotten over his ridiculous kiddie-crush.
"And to tell you the truth, I've been picking up the subtle vibe she likes you, too," Sokka continued, completely oblivious to his brother's hurt expression.
"She does?" Aang said happily.
"Oh yeah, she's crazy about ya. All you have to do now is not mess it up."
"Well, how do I do that?"
"The number one mistake guys like you make…being too nice."
"You can be too nice?"
"Yep. If you wanna keep her interested, you have to act aloof, like you don't really care one way or the other."
"Well…okay."
"Hey, Aang," said Meng, who had decided to come over. "I was wondering…"
"See ya later," Aang said, not noticing she was even there.
Meng gave a disappointed sigh.
"Wow, that kid is good," Sokka muttered to himself. "So, Keng, what was it you wanted?"
"Never mind," Keng said sullenly, "I think you've done enough." Now it was Keng's turn to walk away.
"What's his deal?"
Wenona was in the middle of her shopping when Katara walked up next to her at the produce stand.
"Uh, one papaya, please," she said with some reluctance.
"Katara, you hate papaya," Wenona pointed out.
"Yeah, but Aunt Wu said I should have it for breakfast tomorrow."
Wenona's eye twitched and she had to resist the urge to slap her forehead.
"Hey, ladies," Aang said in an uncaring tone. "So? Papaya?"
"Yeah," Wenona replied slowly. "You want one, too?"
"Oh, you know me; I don't really care what I eat." He casually picked up an apple, took a bite, and promptly spit it out in disgust.
"Don't like apples?" Wenona said with a smirk.
Aang gave a nervous chuckle as the two older girls walked away with their groceries.
"Maybe aloof isn't my style," he said to himself.
"Oh! A panda-lily?!" came an elated voice. Aang turned around and saw the young woman from earlier with a young man. He then noticed the beautiful flower and immediately went over to the young couple.
"Um, excuse me, but where can a guy find one of those things?" he said while indicating to the flower.
The young man told him that the panda-lily only grows at the top of Mount Makapu. So, it was only a matter of minutes before Aang had gone to get Sokka and Keng and practically demanded that they go up there with him.
"I can't believe you're dragging us all the way up here for a stupid flower," Sokka complained as they trekked up the mountain.
"Not just any flower," Aang corrected. "A panda-lily. I've seen it in action and boy does it work."
"Flowers are fine once you're married, but, at this early stage, it's critical that you maintain absolute aloofness."
"Come on, bro," Keng said cheerfully, his mood rapidly improving the higher they went, "I'm sure not all girls like the disinterested, aloof types."
"Yeah," Aang agreed, "and my heart is telling me to get this flower and Aunt Wu said if I trusted my heart I would be with the one I love."
"What?!" Sokka exclaimed. "Don't tell me you believe in that stuff, too?"
"Well, Aunt Wu hasn't been wrong yet. Why should she be wrong about love?"
"Hey, Sokka, race you to the top!" Keng shouted and quickly started to climb. Maybe if I give her the flower first, she'll like me instead of Aang, he thought.
"Hey! No fair!" Sokka shouted. "You got a head start!"
"There!" Aang exclaimed. "On the rim!" He pointed to a bunch of beautiful black-and-white flowers, rustling slightly in the breeze. Aang rushed up to get one, closely followed by his friends. Once he got to the top and picked one of the flowers, however, he noticed the bright red and steadily rising lake of lava and a horrible realization overcame him. "Oh no. Aunt Wu was wrong." The flower slipped from his hand and fell into the lava, bursting into flames upon contact.
"Those people all think they're safe," Sokka pointed out.
"We have to warn them," Keng added.
"There's no time to walk," Aang said, opening his glider. "Grab on!"
Keng and Sokka held on tightly to Aang as he flew them back down to the village, landing in front of Aunt Wu's house where Katara and Wenona were waiting.
"Come on, Kit-Kat, haven't you bothered the woman enough?"
"Hey, Nona," Aang greeted. "Hey, Katara."
"Can you believe she won't let me in?" said Katara. "After all the business I've given her."
"But she doesn't even charge."
"I know, but still."
"Well, we have other things to worry about," Sokka pressed on. "Aunt Wu was wrong about the volcano."
Wenona went wide-eyed while Katara looked skeptical.
"Sokka, you tried to convince me she was wrong before. It's gonna take an awful lot to change my mi-" She was cut off by a sudden rumbling sound, causing her to look up in shock at the smoke rising from the clearly active volcano. "Oh no."
The five of them rushed towards the people, intent on warning them of the impending danger. Unfortunately, the villagers didn't seem too concerned.
"Everyone, that volcano is gonna blow any second!" Sokka shouted at the crowds. "Aunt Wu was wrong!"
"Yeah, yeah, we know you don't believe in Aunt Wu, Mr. Science-and-Reason-Lover," a woman in the crowd mocked him.
"If you won't listen to him, maybe you'll listen to me," said Katara. "I want to believe Aunt Wu and her predictions as much as you do, but my brothers and Aang saw the lava with their own eyes."
"Well, I heard Aunt Wu's prediction with my own ears," said the man who had told them about Aunt Wu in the first place.
Aang started to lose his patience and leapt onto a roof to get everyone's attention.
"Please listen to us!" he shouted. "You are all in danger! And we have to get out of here! You can't rely on Aunt Wu's prediction! You have to take fate into your own hands!" Suddenly, there was another rumble from the volcano.
"Look!" Sokka shouted, pointing at the smoke. "Can your fortunetelling explain that?!"
"Hah, can your science explain why it rains?" said the man who was wearing the red shoes from before.
"Yes! Yes, it can!"
The villagers steadfastly refused to listen and went back to what they were doing. Aang jumped down from his perch on the roof to rejoin his friends.
"They just won't listen to reason," Katara concluded.
"But they will listen to Aunt Wu," Aang pointed out.
"Hate to burst your bubble, Aang, but that's kind of a bad thing," said Wenona.
"I know, but it's about to become the solution to our problems. We're taking fate in our own hands."
"What's your plan?" asked Keng.
"Well, first I need to borrow Aunt Wu's cloud-reading book. I need you guys to make sure no one catches me. Then we find a cloud shape that predicts a volcanic eruption and then Katara, Nona, and I will Waterbend the clouds to look like it while Sokka and Keng make sure Aunt Wu comes out to see it so that she will convince the villagers that their lives are in danger. Everyone understand?"
They all nodded.
"Good, now let's get to work!"
While the others stood guard outside, Aang snuck into Aunt Wu's fortunetelling room and began to look around for the book.
"Shh, we don't want anyone to hear us," he whispered to Momo.
Just then, the lemur began to chitter, making Aang turn around in shock to see that Meng had snuck up behind him.
"Ah! Oh, I didn't see you there," he said.
"You don't like me, do you?" she said.
"Of course I like you."
"But not the way I like you?"
"Oh…I guess not."
"It's okay. It's just really hard when you like someone, but…they don't think of you that way."
"I know what you mean," Aang said sadly.
"She's beautiful, by the way."
"Huh?"
"That older Water Tribe girl. I can see why you like her so much. She's mature, she's a Bender, and her hair seems so manageable." Meng tried to straighten her own messy braids, which immediately popped back into place.
"Don't worry, you're gonna meet a great guy who's gonna completely fall for you." He put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "I know it," he added, realizing at last why Keng had been acting so strange since they got their fortunes told.
"Thanks." Aang turned to leave, but Meng stopped him. "Wait, don't you want this?" She held out the cloud-reading book.
"How did you know?" Aang asked as he accepted it.
"I've kind of been stalking you, heh," she replied sheepishly.
"Oh, thanks…I-I guess." Aang promptly turned on his heel and left to find his friends.
Aang, Katara, and Wenona quickly took off on Appa and headed straight for the cloud bank. Katara hastily began to look through the book until she reached just what they were looking for.
"I found it!" she said. "The symbol for volcanic doom."
The three got a good look at the picture and set to work, carefully Bending the water in the clouds until they took the right shape. Meanwhile, down below, Keng had gone to get Aunt Wu.
"Aunt Wu, come quickly, something is happening with the clouds," he said.
"That's very strange, it shouldn't…oh my!" she exclaimed in fright when she saw the terrifying skull-shaped cloud. "This is terrible! The volcano is going to erupt!"
The townspeople began to panic and scream. When Aang, Katara, and Wenona landed, they managed to get everyone under control. Aang stepped forward to address them.
"We can still save the village if we act fast," he said. "Sokka has a plan."
"Lava is gonna flow downhill to this spot," the fifteen-year-old continued. "If we can dig a deep enough trench, we can channel all the lava away from the village to the river."
"If any of you are Earthbenders, come with me!"
"I'm an Earthbender!" exclaimed one of the twin boys from earlier.
"I'm not!" his twin added.
"Everybody else, grab a shovel!" Wenona ordered as a blast came from the volcano. "Move it, people! Move it!"
Everyone set to the task, desperate to keep the village from destruction. Aang oversaw the Earthbenders, who used their power to clear the dirt and rock away while the others all frantically began to dig. The lava was soon making its way down the mountainside and Aang ordered the townspeople to evacuate, promising to come back for them once it was safe. The Gaang, however, stayed behind to ensure the plan worked; however, it soon became clear that the lava was going to overflow. As they all started to flee, Aang turned around and used his Airbending to cool the lava more quickly; the result was a large wall of hardened volcanic rock encompassing the village.
"Man, sometimes I forget what a powerful Bender that kid is," Sokka said quietly.
"Wait…what did you just say?" said Katara.
"Nothing. Just that Aang is one powerful Bender."
"Along with a good number of other people in the world," Wenona added.
"Oh, I suppose you're right," Katara agreed.
Once they were certain the lava had cooled and that the village was safe, the Gaang went to give the all-clear to the people. As the Gaang prepared to leave, Aang came forward to Aunt Wu.
"By the way, we kind of borrowed your book," he said guiltily as he handed it back to her.
"So you messed with the clouds, did you?" she said before chuckling at them. "Very clever."
"No offence," Sokka spoke up, "but I hope this has taught everyone a lesson about not relying too much on fortunetelling."
"But Aunt Wu predicted the village wouldn't be destroyed, and it wasn't," said the man from before. "She was right, after all."
Sokka then got up in the man's face.
"I hate you," he muttered to him.
"It's okay, Sokka," Katara said as she steered her brother away. "Everything's gonna be alright."
"Can I ask you something?" Aang said.
"Of course, honey," Aunt Wu replied.
"You didn't really see love in my fortune, did you? You just told me what I wanted to hear."
"I'll tell you a little secret, young Airbender. Just as you reshaped those clouds, you have the power to shape your own destiny."
Aang thanked her before walking over to Keng, who kept looking sadly at Meng. Aang lightly nudged his friend and nodded towards the girl. Keng smiled at him before nervously going over to her.
"Um, hi, Meng," he said.
"Hi, do I know you?" she said.
"Yeah, I've been with them since we got here." He pointed towards his friend and siblings who were loading up onto Appa. "Anyway, I wanted to give you something." He reached into his sleeve and pulled out a panda-lily. "I managed to get it before the volcano erupted and, well…" He offered her the flower, blushing bright red as he did so.
"Thank you," Meng said shyly, accepting the gift. "I'm sorry, but I never caught your name."
"I'm Keng," he replied, absentmindedly brushing his loose hair aside to reveal his rather large ears. "Anyway, it was nice to meet you and I hope I get the chance to do so again." He waved goodbye to her as he began to walk over to the bison.
Meng looked at the flower in her hand and a smile spread across her face.
"I hope so, too."
Katara shouted goodbye to the villagers and the Gaang took flight once more. Once they were on their way, something occurred to Wenona.
"Sokka, did you remember to have that talk with Aang and Keng?"
"Don't worry, Nona," he replied smugly, "I told them everything they need to know about girls for now."
"Oh, really? Hey, Aang, do you know where babies come from?"
"Sure I do!" the Airbender declared happily. "When a mommy and daddy kiss, then the otter-stork brings them a baby wrapped up in a bundle of blankets. If they kiss twice in one day, the otter-stork brings them twins."
"Uh-huh," Wenona said, throwing Sokka a 'look.'
"That's not how it happens!" Keng protested. "Gran-Gran might not have let me in the room when she, Katara, and Nona were helping the women in the tribe, but I managed to figure it out. Obviously, when a married couple offers the right prayers to Mother Setna, she bestows magic on the woman's food and a baby grows inside the woman's tummy until it's ready and…well, I'm not exactly sure how it comes out, but I'm pretty certain it hurts a lot."
"Well, at least you were closer, Keng. Anyway, Sokka over here is gonna tell you exactly how things like that work. Aren't you, Sokka?"
Sokka shot his sister a glare before slumping against the side of the saddle in defeat.
Author's Note: Whew! That was quite a long one, wasn't it? Aang and Keng are so blissfully naïve and innocent. Hope you all like my KengXMeng pairing, that's actually the reason why I gave Keng the name he has. Anyway, post those reviews and I'll start working on the next chapter.