Chapter 31: The Spirit World
"Yue?" Sokka asked. "How can you be in the spirit world?"
"This is the spirit world?" Yue asked, unfamiliar with the forested surroundings or the spirit by the river. "How did I get here?"
"Well I got here with the spirit water Pakku gave me," Sokka said, holding up the vial. Then he noticed that it had refilled itself and was slightly glowing blue. "Did you drink some of this too?"
"No," Yue answered. She remembered a story her dad had told her about when she was born. "But when I was just a baby my parents bathed me in the spirit oasis, as I had been born barely alive. They asked the spirits to give me life, and my hair had turned white in the moon's light."
Beside the river the Painted Lady looked at Yue. "Tui gave you a portion of her life force, connecting you to her and this realm."
"I appreciate the gift, but I need to get back to my body," Yue said. "I'm not supposed to be here."
"Blame him," the Painted Lady said, pointing at Sokka.
"And how is this my fault?" Sokka asked.
The Painted Lady laughed at Sokka's ignorance in spiritual matters. "Tui sensed your affection to her, and brought her here to assist you. She cannot leave until your business here is complete."
"Okay, I'm calling bull-moose crap on that," Sokka said.
"Suit yourself," the Painted Lady said. She turned around and walked into the river, disappearing in the water.
Sokka grunted in frustration, then focused his attention on Yue. "Well if you're here, I could use the help."
"Help with what?" Yue asked.
"Finding the Avatar Spirit," Sokka answered.
Yue shrugged and held her hands apart. "I got nothing."
Getting frustrated with his lack of direction Sokka turned around to look for anything that might be of use. Then he noticed the vial in his hand glow brighter for a moment, but faded as he kept turning. Waving the vial back and forth Sokka observed that it glowed brighter only when he pointed it downstream from the river. "So this thing is a compass now?" Sokka questioned.
"Think we should follow it?" Yue asked, walking up beside Sokka.
"Like I have a choice?" Sokka questioned, thinking that the answer was no.
Inside his house in Minara, Aang demonstrated a simple airbending move to Ty Lee. "This one is easy," Aang said, cupping his hands behind his back. In one swift motion Aang thrust his hands in front of him, airbending a gust of wind at the wall. The moving air dispersed after impact and swirled inside the room, scattering loose scrolls and parchment everywhere. "Now you try it."
Ty Lee mimicked the technique Aang had just used, though she didn't believe it would work for her. She cupped her hands behind her back, and when thrust them forward no air moved. "I'm not a bender, much less an airbender."
"But you're just like the girls from the east and west temples," Aang reasoned. "Just keep trying, I'm sure you can do it."
Again Ty Lee tried to mimic the airbending technique Aang showed her, again making no air move. She repeated the motion again and again, getting nothing every time. "This isn't going to work," Ty Lee said.
"Just keep trying," Aang insisted.
Suddenly the door was thrown open from the outside, and Prince Zuko walked inside. "Out," he ordered. Zuko watched Ty Lee leave immediately, and closed the door behind her.
Aang could tell that Zuko was not in a good mood. "What is it Zuko?"
Zuko walked over to Aang's desk, seeing that the scrolls and books were in disarray. "Have you made progress with your project?"
Hesitating before answering, Aang didn't want to tell Zuko that he had neglected his work on translating the Air Nomad texts. "It seems that I am worse at braille than I thought."
"Might that have something to do with this?" Zuko said, grabbing a scroll that had legible words written over the braille.
Surprised that Zuko knew about the hidden message, Aang decided that it was time to confront his suspicions. "Why does that imply that it was the Fire Nation that struck first? And why did Qin call me the Avatar? I must know. Who am I?"
"You are my scribe," Zuko answered. "Now get back to work translating those texts."
Looking away for a moment, Aang thought about what the Fire Nation might do with the knowledge contained in the books and scrolls. "No," Aang said. He grabbed the pieces of parchment that had translated text already written on them. "I would rather destroy these than make them available for your questionable use."
Zuko watched Aang throw the parchments into a fireplace, seeing them burn in the flames. But Zuko didn't bat an eye at the defiance. Instead he reached into his pocket and retrieved a new scroll, unrolling it to show Aang a copy of the translated texts. "Did you really think that we wouldn't be tracking and copying every bit of your valuable work?"
Before Aang could answer him the front door opened again, followed by Azula walking inside. "There you are," Azula said.
"This had better be important," Zuko said.
"Yeah, the escape tunnel has been compromised," Azula informed. Her eyes glanced at Aang before settling back on Zuko. "And I have a hunch as to who's in there."
His sister's tone was enough to convey her meaning, telling Zuko that he needed to wrap up his conversation with Aang before pursuing the more immediate matter. "Aang, if you do not make significant progress soon, there will be severe consequences."
After that threat Zuko walked outside the house and was followed by Azula, who closed the front door behind her. "Is this really worth continuing?" Azula asked. "I heard enough from outside. He's not falling for the ruse anymore."
"Maybe so, but we still might get more out of him," Zuko reasoned. Then he changed the subject to the more pressing issue. "Now, who's in the escape tunnel?"
"I suspect it's his former friends," Azula answered, jerking a thumb at the door. "I don't know the voice that tried to report in, but it certainly wasn't one of the miners. And I can't think of anyone besides Sokka and his friends that have the guts to come here."
Zuko took a look around the immediate area, which appeared like nothing was out of the ordinary. "Then why hasn't the alarm been sounded? If they're using the escape tunnel they should have been spotted in the tower by now."
"We're just going to have to go down there and find out what's keeping them," Azula said.
"No," Zuko said. He took a sealed envelope out of his pocket and passed it to Azula. "I need you to brief Mai on this. Have her get started on it right away."
"Alright," Azula said, pocketing the envelope. "What about the intruders?"
"I'll deal with them myself."
Using the glowing vial as his guide, Sokka followed it deeper into the spirit world. Yue followed Sokka's fast pace, wanting to help in any way she could. Despite running through the forests and swamps in the strange world, neither felt any fatigue from their journey. Sokka reasoned that since their bodies were still in the physical world, physical concerns didn't apply here.
When the forests ended the ground became a flooded swamp, with small stone islands directly ahead continued a path to a large gnarly tree. Sokka and Yue had to leap from one small island to the next in order to reach the strange tree on its own larger island. There was a path leading into the roots of the tree, which they followed once they reached it.
Just outside the tree Sokka stopped, hearing an animal nearby. "Now what kind of animal is that?" he asked, seeing a strange baboon with a curled tail. It was facing away from Sokka, until it heard his voice.
Yue saw the baboon turn around, and she screamed when she saw that it didn't have a face. "What happened to it?"
Despite the apparent danger of face removal, Sokka didn't run away. He held the vial towards a tunnel leading below the tree, seeing it glow even brighter. "We must be getting close," Sokka guessed, and started walking into the tunnel.
Just before Sokka crossed the threshold into the tunnel the faceless baboon let out a loud screech, in spite of have no mouth to screech with. It leaped at Sokka, sharp claws extended and ready to shred Sokka's throat. But before the baboon could reach its target Yue tackled it, tumbling on the ground while keeping the animal at bay.
"Go!" Yue yelled.
"Seriously?" Sokka questioned.
Yue gripped onto the baboon's wrists, keeping the claws just out of reach from her face. "Just do it!"
Seeing that Yue had the animal under control, Sokka ran into the tunnel. Inside the ground turned into steps leading down, while dark tree roots pierced the roof and sides. Small holes in the dirt above let in light, but it was barely enough to see by. Sokka ran through the dark tunnel using the glowing vial to see the path, skipping over entire steps at his hurried pace.
Deep below the tree Sokka reached the far end of the tunnel, below even the longest roots of the tree above him. Exiting the tunnel Sokka found an enormous cavern, big enough to contain the entire upper ring of Ba Sing Se. On the wide floor were glowing markings that lit up the cavern, shaped like the arrow tattoos of an Air Nomad. The glowing arrows connected in the center of the cavern, and the vial glowed brightest when Sokka held it towards that spot.
Sokka hurried to the center of the cavern, stopping when the vial glowed bright enough to be nearly blinding. In front of him Sokka found a thin pedestal at chest height, which had a small depression in the top that was the same size as the vial. When Sokka placed the vial in the depression the vial's cork popped off and a fountain of light burst out, along with a shockwave that pushed Sokka over fifty feet away while the light coalesced in the space above.
Air rushed through the cavern and formed a gigantic sphere around the light. Water spewed out of geysers and formed a ring around the swirling air. Earth broke off the ceiling and orbited in a second ring around the water. Fire burst from the walls and created a third ring around the earth. Elements in motion spun around the light, in harmony with each other.
A portion of the earth broke away from the spinning ring, moving in front of Sokka and reshaping itself into a giant human skeleton five hundred feet tall. Some fire followed and joined the earth, forming muscles and tendons of living flame. A bit of water flowed from its ring into arteries and veins, while air condensed into skin on the elemental human. Eyes glowed bright blue on the being made from the four elements, which gazed down onto Sokka.
Feeling insignificant in the presence of the spiritual form of the Avatar Spirit, Sokka bowed to the giant standing in front of him. "Please!" Sokka begged. "Bring Aang back!"
Suddenly the elements comprising the spirit morphed into flesh and blood, taking on the form of a human being. It became a young man with black hair and amber eyes, revealing that the first Avatar was from the Fire Nation. Then its form morphed again, changing into an Air Nomad nun. Another morph changed it into an elderly Water Tribe Cheif, and then it morphed again into a young Earth Kingdom princess. Morphing into a Fire Nation prince, the cycle of the Avatar repeated again, and again, and again.
Stalling for time at his desk, Aang tried to fake having difficulty reading the braille texts in front of him. But three guards behind him were not convinced by the ruse, each ready to strike with a spear. While the guards were firebenders they didn't want to risk damaging the texts with stray flames. When Aang stopped working altogether one of the guards inched closer to him.
"No one told you stop nomad," the guard said.
Hoping to appeal to compassion Aang turned around to face the guards. "I believe that Zuko will use the contents of these tomes for destruction. Please, we can stop that."
The guard turned his spear around and struck Aang with the blunt end, knocking him onto the floor. Next he kicked Aang in the stomach, smiling as Aang couched in pain. He looked over to the other guards who were closing in for their turn. "You have to admit, it's an honor to stomp the former greatest threat to the Fire Nation."
Covering his face with his arms, Aang tried to block more strikes from the guards. "No, please stop," Aang begged. But the guards didn't stop, enjoying themselves too much to care. "Stop!" Aang yelled. Without any thought Aang punched with both fists towards the guard, an unfamiliar motion that his body seemed to know but his mind did not.
Fire spewed from Aang's fists, hitting the closest guard in the chest and burning into it. In that moment Aang didn't notice the fallen guard, too busy staring at smoke rising from his hands. It seemed so unreal to him, that muscle memory alone could access another element. "I can firebend?"
The other two guards dropped their spears and took firebending stances, thinking about killing Aang themselves before he could figure out how to fight with fire. But they didn't expect Aang to close his eyes and punch the air at random, throwing fire in every angle. When Aang opened his eyes he saw all of the guards on the floor, burned alive by his bending.
"I'm the Avatar," Aang muttered, accepting that everything Zuko had said was a lie. It was the only explanation for the firebending, and Aang guessed that he must have trained in that bending art during the time he could not remember.
Then Aang's focus returned to the present, noticing that the far wall of his house had been ignited by his firebending. Quickly Aang stood up, expecting more guards to enter after the house had been set on fire. Instead Aang heard a disturbance outside, followed by several loud thuds on the other side of the door. Aang avoided the fires inside and opened the front door to leave, finding Ty Lee standing outside among several paralyzed guards.
"You're okay," Ty Lee said.
"No," Aang corrected. He stepped aside to show the bodies of the guards inside. "I'm not okay."
"Oh," Ty Lee muttered, remembering that Air Nomads were supposed to have been pacifists. "You have to leave before more soldiers arrive."
For a moment Aang considered fleeing, to take flight on the wind and get out of Minara while he had the opportunity. But he knew nothing about the world beyond, uncertain if any portions of Zuko's fabrications had any seed of truth in them. Aang knew that he would be hunted, and likely caught with no idea of where to go. Or he could face the Fire Nation now, and possibly stop it here.
"Where's Zuko?" Aang demanded.
Sokka watched the Avatar Cycle repeat more times than he could keep track of, though each was different than all the ones before. Eventually it started to get boring, while Sokka hoped that it was getting close to the end. Each time the cycle returned to Air Nomad he wished that it would be Avatar Yangchen, the earliest Air Nomad Avatar he knew about.
"This is taking a while," Sokka muttered.
"Of course it is. This is the collective wisdom of the Avatars."
Not recognizing the new deep voice, Sokka gasped and looked around for the source. "Who's there?" Sokka demanded.
From above Sokka a large creature dropped down, landing behind him. It resembled a giant centipede, with the head replaced by a simple Noh mask. "I am Koh," the spirit introduced himself. "But your people know me as The Face Stealer."
Immediately Sokka's thoughts turned to the faceless baboon outside, and as if on cue Koh's face changed to become that of a baboon. "Uh oh," Sokka muttered, fearing that Koh was going to take his face as well.
Instead of attacking the trespasser, Koh changed his face to an old man's and laughed. "Oh mortals are so easy to frighten," Koh admitted. He turned and watched the Avatar Cycle repeat again, recognizing a few faces from five thousand years ago. "But most mortals at least try to show no emotion in my presence."
"How was I supposed to know about you?" Sokka asked, not bothering to hide emotions when Koh had already seen fear on his face.
"You did enter my domain," Koh answered, changing his face back to the Noh mask. He turned back to Sokka and coiled his body around the teenager, but didn't make any physical contact. "But then again, you came for the Avatar, not for me."
Barely keeping any kind of composure Sokka stood his ground. "Is that a problem?"
Changing his face to a bearded Air Nomad, Koh held it only inches from Sokka's face. "Not if a bargain can be made."
"Excuse me?" Sokka blurted out.
"On principal I can't let anyone just take what they want from my domain, even if I sympathize with their goals," Koh explained. He stretched out his body and held his face high enough to be at eye level with the morphing Avatar Spirit. "Should you succeed in restoring my old friend, you owe me a face."
Sokka gulped, expecting Koh to take his face.
"I didn't say your face," Koh corrected. Turning again Koh let Sokka see his face, changing it into a Water Tribe woman with long brown hair. "I have more than enough Water Tribe in my collection already."
"And if I refuse?" Sokka asked.
Koh hummed for a moment, which sent chills down Sokka's spine. "I have yet to take a blind face."
"Alright!" Sokka yelled, refusing to let Toph pay for his decisions. "I'll give you a face. Just don't take one from anybody I care about."
"You'll know when it's time for me to collect," Koh said, changing his face back to the Noh mask. Swiftly Koh charged at Sokka, while his entire body became transparent and passed through Sokka before disappearing.
Dropping onto his knees, Sokka shivered for minutes. "Man that's cold!" he complained, while not wanting to know what Koh just did to him.
When the shivering stopped Sokka looked up at the morphing Avatar Spirit, seeing the cycles pass by quicker than before. He saw and recognized a Fire Nation Avatar, the one from the temple his body was still inside. One more cycle was left and quickly passed by, and he recognized most of them. Sokka saw the spirit morph into Avatar Yangchen, Avatar Kuruk, Avatar Kyoshi, Avatar Roku...
Avatar Aang
Flesh and blood of the spirit turned into bright light, coalescing and flowing down into the open vial still in the pedestal. The glowing sphere with the elemental rings dispersed in the light, returning the four elements back to where they came from. Flowing light funneled into the vial, and when all of the light was inside the tiny container its cork had replaced itself. Sokka ran up to the vial and removed it from the pedestal, finding it shining a bright white.
With his prize in hand Sokka ran as fast as he could out of the cavern, heading through the tunnel back to the large tree. Once he was outside Sokka heard a screech from the faceless baboon, worrying about Yue getting hurt by the animal. Instead Yue had the baboon pressed against a tree root while holding its arms behind its back, keeping the animal pinned down.
"I have what we need," Sokka said, holding up the shining vial for Yue to see.
Yue released her grip on the baboon's arms and shoved it away, and it scampered off behind the tree. "Let's go."
Meanwhile Katara, Toph, and Haru were waiting inside the Avatar temple in case a patrol came through the tunnel, counting on confusion in the empty cavern to delay any alarms. But when Toph finally sensed someone coming it was worse than any patrol. "Crud, Sparky's here!"
The front doors of the temple were blown open by firebending, and when smoke cleared Katara and Haru saw Zuko entering. Clad in royal armor and armed with his dao swords, Zuko walked into the temple. "So this is an Avatar temple," Zuko said, seeing the statues inside. "You've gone to impressive lengths to restore your savior. Be assured, I will not underestimate you again!"
Haru stood beside Katara and assumed an earthbending stance. "Well don't we feel special," Haru said.
Ignoring the comment Zuko looked past his enemies to the chamber doors behind them. "Now I assume that the one called Sokka will be stepping through those doors, with the key to restoring Aang's memory in hand."
Katara bended some of her water into a whip, while seeing Toph and Haru bending stone out of the floor. "We hold this temple at all costs!" Katara ordered.
Zuko drew his swords and swung them, which caused the blades to burst into flame. "Let's go."
Toph and Haru both threw earthbended stones at Zuko, but he swung his burning swords into the stones and smashed them into bits. Then Zuko started slashing with his swords to bend arcs of fire at his enemies, going for the taller earthbender first. Haru bent a barrier of stone from the floor, but the arc of fire was intense enough to explode on contact and blast Haru back towards the chamber doors. Katara threw her water at Zuko, which evaporated into steam within the flames from Zuko's swords.
Trying to flank her opponent, Toph bent more stone at Zuko from his side, which Zuko blocked with more swings of his swords. Zuko brought down his swords onto the floor, bending a wave of fire from the swords and aimed at Toph. She blocked the fire with a shield of rock, which held her attention long enough for Zuko to charge at her and break down the shield with his swords. Up close Zuko slashed his flaming swords at Toph's head, forcing her to duck. Zuko jammed a knee into Toph's gut, and then kicked her away into a wall.
Katara condensed her evaporated water back into liquid and wrapped it around gravel on the floor, suspending the small pieces of rock in liquid. She threw the water with rocks in it at Zuko, and he boiled away the water with his fire. Hot rocks got through the defense, leaving small dents in Zuko's armor. Zuko slammed both swords together to bend a large stream of fire at Katara, and she had to leap out of the way to avoid getting burned alive.
While Katara dodged the attack Zuko charged to get a closer shot, but Haru tackled him and sent both of them rolling across the temple floor. Zuko's back hit the temple wall and Haru tried to pin him down. Instead Zuko bashed his head against Haru's, breaking his concentration. When Haru lost his grip Zuko grabbed Haru and threw him across the temple, slamming into Katara and making both of them tumble into Toph and the far wall.
Zuko expected at least one of his enemies to get back up and fight some more, but was gladly surprised to find all three of them out cold. He sheathed his swords and walked to the chamber doors at the end of the room, wanting to force his way inside. Stopping at the doors Zuko tried to open them, but they were sealed shut.
Running through the forests and swamps of the spirit world again, Sokka hoped that he was heading back the way he came from earlier. Keeping a firm grip on the vial Sokka didn't want to chance losing it now. Along the way Yue spotted the river that the Painted Lady had disappeared into, which told Sokka that he was close to the exit from the spirit world.
"Almost there," Sokka said.
"What about me?" Yue asked.
"Well that other spirit said you're here because I am," Sokka said. "If she was right, which I'm not sure of, you should leave when I do."
"I really don't want to be stuck here," Yue said.
Forcing his way through some bushes Sokka found the statue of the Fire Nation Avatar. "There!" Sokka said, heading for the statue.
Yue grabbed Sokka's shoulder and stopped him. "Wait a moment," Yue said. She turned Sokka's head around and kissed him. "There, now go!"
Sokka turned to leave through the statue, finding it glowing a dull red. "Tell Gran Gran that Katara's alright."
"I will!" Yue promised.
On contact with the statue the red light spread over Sokka, filling his entire perception of reality. Abruptly Sokka found himself lying on his back and his joints feeling stiff, while inside an old chamber. Back in the physical world Sokka got up and saw Suki holding the chamber doors shut. Suki heard Sokka groan as he stood up.
"Welcome back," Suki said.
"Good to be back," Sokka said. He checked the vial he carried with him, glad to see that the white shine had carried over to the physical world with his own spirit. "What'd I miss?"
"Trouble," Suki answered.
"Of course there is," Sokka muttered, thinking of several ways things could have gone wrong. He held out the shining vial for Suki to see. "This had better work."
Just on the other side of the doors Zuko waited for his enemy to emerge from it. "Come Sokka," Zuko said, though he didn't expect anyone to hear him. "Once I deal with you, the Avatar will never be whole again."
"I cannot allow that to happen!"
Zuko turned around and saw Aang entering the temple, glaring at the prince. "And why should you care Air Nomad?" Zuko taunted. "You are no Avatar."
"I used to believe that," Aang admitted, taking slow steps towards Zuko. "But regardless of who I am, there is one thing I do know. My sympathies lie with the Earth Kingdom and Water Tribes, not the Fire Nation, and not you."
Aang leaped upward on airbended wind, and he thrust both fists forward to blast fire down at Zuko. With ease Zuko deflected the sloppy attack, and when Aang came back down Zuko clenched a fist and punched Aang's gut. Falling onto his knees in pain Aang needed a minute to get his wind back in him. Zuko didn't give him that minute, slamming a fist into Aang's back.
Watching Aang in pain, Zuko lit a flame in his hand. "Your spirit may be in the right place, but you have much to learn if you ever want to defeat me." Zuko raised his hand with the flame in it, ready to kill Aang. "Which is a moment that will never come."
Suddenly the chamber doors swung open and Sokka leaped through, tackling Zuko and making both of them tumble away from Aang. Sokka struggled to prevent Zuko from firebending or drawing his swords, trying to keep the prince locked in a grapple. Aang wondered who was fighting Zuko, but he heard more footsteps coming from the chamber. He turned and saw Suki walk up to him, holding a shining vial in her hand.
Suki crouched by Aang and held the vial by the neck string in front of Aang's face. "Take it," Suki ordered.
Staring into the vial's white shine, Aang felt like it was a missing piece of himself. As if the contents would make him whole. "How do you know it's me?"
"We've known for quite some time," Suki said.
Aang grabbed the vial at the bottom, and it shined brighter instantly. The shining light split into two beams that shot out of the vial and into Aang's eyes, filling them with the glow of the Avatar State. All expression left Aang's face as the light continued to flow into Aang's eyes, and he was completely still while retaking the collective wisdom of the Avatars.
Nearby and unaware of Suki's presence Zuko broke out of Sokka's grip and forced Sokka against a wall, holding a flame at Sokka's throat. "Hand it over," Zuko demanded, believing that Sokka still carried the means to restore Aang.
Looking over Zuko's shoulder, Sokka saw the restoration in progress. In spite of the danger he was in, Sokka smirked.
Sudden worry plagued Zuko when he saw Sokka's smirk, and he turned his neck to see Suki with Aang. Immediately Zuko shoved Sokka away from him, then started charging a bolt of lightning to kill Aang as quickly as possible. In the middle of his bending Zuko saw the vial turn dark and the beams of light stop, and Aang collapsed in Suki's arms. Right before Zuko could fire his lightning Aang's arrow tattoo glowed for a moment, and Aang's eyes opened glowing for a few seconds.
Lightning arced through the air, aimed straight at Aang. At the last second the earth moved, forming a barrier that stopped the lightning from hitting its target. The lightning exploded on contact and demolished the earth barrier, and when the dust settled Zuko saw Aang standing there. The Avatar's fist was raised in an earthbending stance, as the barrier had been his earthbending.
"Enough!" Aang yelled. Aang pulled earth out of the floor and threw it at Zuko, then followed it with a quick fireblast. While Zuko dodged the earth and deflected the fire Aang attacked with a gust of wind and some thrown water, both hitting and pushing Zuko back. Bending every element Aang forced Zuko to fall back with each strike, and a strong gust of wind pushed Zuko out of the temple into the cavern beyond.
Nearby Katara recovered next to Haru and Toph, uncertain if what she was seeing was real. "Aang?" Katara muttered.
Hearing his name Aang turned towards the Water Tribe girl. "Katara, how did we get here?"
Standing up and helping Haru get to his feet, Katara smiled at the sound of Aang's voice. "We'll explain later," Katara promised.
Toph got up and started earthbending a new tunnel out of the temple. "Let's get out of here," Toph suggested. She ran into the tunnel with Sokka and Suki behind her, guiding the new path away from any Fire Nation structures above them.
Haru paused to earthbend a few stones at Zuko for cover, glad to have Aang back. "This time, he's coming with us."
With Katara beside him Aang walked backwards into Toph's tunnel, throwing cover fire at Zuko trying to get back inside the temple. "Everyone out!" Aang shouted, backing into the tunnel with his friends. Once everyone was inside Aang earthbended the tunnel entrance shut, leaving Zuko behind to curse his enemies.
Avoiding the main tunnel below and the Fire Nation base above, Toph shaped her earthbended tunnel towards the nearby mountains. They emerged in the forest far from the camp, near the spot that Toph had found the main tunnel earlier in the night. Nearby Aang heard Appa emerging from the trees he had been hiding in, pouncing on Aang and licking his face.
"Hey buddy," Aang said. He climbed onto Appa's head while everyone else climbed into the saddle. "Appa, Yip Yip!"
Once Appa was in the air and far away from the Fire Nation base Katara wrapped her arms around Aang in the biggest hug she could make. "You're really back," Katara said, tears of joy running down her face.
"I was gone?" Aang asked.
"For nearly a month," Katara answered.
Without warning Sokka shouted the most obscene curse word he knew. Every head turned to Sokka, who was frantically counting time on his fingers. "Aang, take Appa west, now!"
"Why?" Suki asked.
Recounting the time on his fingers Sokka realized that they had none to spare. "We have to reach the Fire Nation before the solar eclipse!"
A/N: Funny coincidence here. This story finally wraps up an Amnesiac Avatar Arc, and the Legend of Korra just started one. Strange how that timing worked out.