I don't own A:TLA but I do own Avery (Nyla) and some yummy banana bread...
I waited until June entered the bar before I ran into the nearby woods. I shifted into a human girl and collapsed on the ground, crying. My shoulder was raw and bleeding with whip marks and I was sore from carrying them around all day. I don't know why I even tried to impress her anymore. She'll never see me as anything but a dumb beast to order around. I wiped my eyes and sat up, hugging my knees to my chest, watching the trees. I sighed and leaned back against a tree trunk. I hated being part shirshu. How the heck did that happen anyways? Bestiality? I stood and went to find my spare human clothes. It was a plain black jumpsuit. I wrapped on some bindings and slipped on the jumpsuit. I walked into the bar. I sat down next to June at the counter and ordered a whiskey.
"Aren't you too you young for alcohol?" June asked me.
"Aren't you too drunk to care?" I retorted, grabbing my shot from the table and knocking it back. June laughed.
"What's your name, kid?" She said.
"Avery." I told her.
"I'm-."
"I know who you are, June." I said, cutting her off sharply. She quirked an eyebrow with a slight smirk.
"Another two!" June barked at the bar man. He nodded and slid two mugs over. June picked up one and nudged the other to me. I picked it up and we clinked mugs.
"To what ever is worthy of a toast." I said. June grinned and we chugged down our drinks. I wiped my mouth and smiled at her slightly. I winced slightly as my shoulder was jostled by a passing man and looked at my shoulder. I swore. Blood had seeped through my sleeve.
"I have to go." I said.
"Wait, let me help you. Come to the back. I'll patch up your shoulder and give you some actual clothes." June said. I blinked at her in surprise but nodded. I followed her into the back.
~{~}~
"And you're all done." June said. She walked over to a bag and looked through it before tossing me a small shirt.
"This is an old shirt. It should fit you well enough." June said. I smiled at her thankfully and pulled it on. It was tank-top-esq at the top but it was loose and ended above my belly button.
"Thanks, June." I said. She nodded. She stared at me for a second before smirking.
"You have the same eyes as my shirshu, Nyla." She said. I raised an eyebrow and stood.
"Thanks?" I said. She nodded. June told me she'd take care of my shirt. I nodded and headed for the door. I paused in the doorway, one foot outside.
"Oh, and June?" I began. Said Bounty Hunter looked up and I looked her straight in the eye.
"I can talk to animals. Your shirshu isn't named Nyla." I said. June gave me an amused look.
"You sure you aren't drunk?" June asked. I frowned.
"I can hold my alcohol." I said sharply.
"Riiiiight. So if Nyla isn't my shirshu's name, what is?" June asked. I gave her an amused look.
"Avery." I said. I quickly stuck out my tongue and booked it out of the bar.
~{~}~
I stuffed June's shirt into a pouch and pulled off the shorts she had given me in there too. I then crawled under the saddled and shifted into a shirshu. I curled up and leaned against the bar wall. The teenager and the old man from before appeared from seemingly nowhere. I lifted my head and watched as they walked in. This would end interestingly.
~{~}~
June came out awhile later, the teenager and his uncle following close behind. June leaned against my side and she gave me a side long glance of curiosity.
"I need you to find someone." the teen said. June leaned forward to examine it before smirking.
"What happened? Your girlfriend run off on you?"
"It's not the girl I'm after. It's the bald monk she's traveling with." the teen said. If I could smirk, I would've.
"What ever you say." June said, rolling her eyes.
"If you find them, I'll consider the damage to my ship payed for." Zuko said. June scoffed and went to mount.
"Forget it." June said.
"Plus, we'll pay your weight in gold!" the uncle exclaimed. June froze before hopping off me.
"Make it your weight and we've got a deal." June said, poking the uncle in the chest. He chuckled.
"You got it!" He said. June snatched something from the teen's hand and said, "Get on!"
I felt the man and his nephew climb up on my saddle as June held the object in front of my face. It was a Water Tribe necklace. I registered the smell to memory. I looked her in the eye and nodded. She seemed surprised but jumped into the saddle as I took off.
~{~}~
I charged into an abandoned courtyard thingy and a cat hissed. An old woman stood and looked at us. From the look in her eye, I could tell she was insane. I waited patiently for June to give me the command to go on. The purple haze from the necklace floated lazily in the breeze and I watched it swirl.
"Out for a bit of fresh air, are we?" The crazy lady said.
"We're looking for someone." Zuko said.
"Well, I hope it's not Miyuki." The woman said. "Miyuki, did you get in trouble with the Fire Nation again?"
'Oh Agni.' I thought as the cat meowed.
"The avatar's been through here. Let's keep moving." June said. She took out her whip but I took off before she could use it.
~{~}~
I charged into another village, and people began screaming in fear. I followed the trail of scent, hopping over a roof top or two to get to a pile up of scent. An old woman stood by the scent, a light green haze surrounding her.
"Why are we stopping?" Zuko asked.
"Because the girl must've spent a lot of time here." June replied. She was mostly right. I also needed to take a break from running.
"We have no time for this!" Zuko yelled. He jumped off of me and snatched the purple-hazed necklace from June. He held it in front of me and I snarled. Jerk hole, I'll go when I want! I wanted to yell. Instead, I lashed out with my tongue. He ducked under and then glared.
"Watch it!" He exclaimed. June and Iroh laughed.
"Oh look, he likes you." She said. Hold on... 'he'? I am not a dude! I glared at her as Zuko climbed back onto my saddle.
"Care to hear you fortune, handsome?" The old woman asked the uncle.
"At my age, there is really only one big surprise left, and I'd just as soon leave it a mystery." Iroh said happily. June whipped my shoulder and I began running again, heart aching.
~{~}~
I crashed through the doors of an abbey and nuns gasped, looking up from their crafting. I turned towards the doors again and snarled at the purple haze.
"We're getting close." June told them. I took off into the forest.
~{~}~
I weaved through the trees and the purple haze became more apparent. I jumped over a small hill and into a ravine, right behind two people. I backed them into a corner and realized that the purple haze highlighted her. Zuko jumped off the saddle and stood parallel to my head.
"Do this is your girlfriend. No wonder she left. She's way too pretty for you." June said. Zuko ignored her.
"Where is he? Where's the avatar?" Zuko interrogated.
"We split up. He's long gone." the male said. He seemed to be purple girl's brother.
"How stupid do you think I am?" Zuko snarled in question. The brother grinned.
"Pretty stupid. Run!" He yelled. The siblings didn't make it far before I prayed to Angi for forgiveness and whipped them with my tongue.
"What are we supposed to do now?" Zuko thought aloud angrily. A light blue haze made me look to the brother.
"It's picking up another scent. Something that the avatar held." June said, urging me forward. I felt my heart pain worsen. 'IT'?! Seriously?! I walked forward a nudged a scroll from the brother's pack and it rolled onto the ground. A blue haze swirled around it before spiraling off into the sky.
~{~}~
I busted through the doors of the abbey again. Nuns scattered and his behind jars but my attention was focused on following the blue haze. I walked in a circle, following the blue.
"What's it doing? It's just going in circles!" Zuko yelled. Again with the 'it'? I cried but it came out a snarls. I looked up with blurry eyes to see the avatar dicing at me. He slammed me with air and I tipped back, sending my passengers flying.
"Aang!" the girl cried excitedly. June stood and cracked her whip in front of my face.
"Up!" She commanded. I yelped and stood. June hopped on and I charged at the young avatar. I went to whip him but something slammed into my side and sent me into a wall. I groaned and rolled to rest on my knees. I saw that it was a Sky Bison and that he did not look pleased. June laid near me. Iroh ran over from the side lines and knelt by June. He patted her cheek and her eyes flew open. She sat up and stood. She whipped at my feet and I growled, standing fully.
"Come on!" She yelled, hopping on my back again. I charged at the Sky Bison. It flew over my head and I whipped one of it's six legs. He fell to the ground and groaned before standing. I was surprised that he could handle the toxins but then again, he was a ten-ton bison. June whipped me and I ran forward at the same time as the bison. We crashed heads and June was launched from the saddle. She flew over the Sky Bison's head and managed to whip him as she went. She landed on the ground and rolled out of the way as the Sky Bison stomped where her head once was, cracking the ground. I turned to the avatar and jumped onto the roof as the bison was distracted. The avatar gasped and ran back up the roof and ran away. I followed hot on his heals. The Sky Bison turned and air bent the roof behind me off. I jumped off the roof after him and dove through some sort of fountain. I leapt up onto the opposite roof and jumped over a freshly made hole in the roof. The bison went after Zuko but I whipped him on the forehead. The bison roared and glared at me. I lashed out twice more and the bison collapsed. I felt bad for the bison but turned to the avatar, prepared to attack. I was then 'blinded' by colors. I screamed in pain and June hopped off trying to calm me down. I lashed out twice, striking two people, and collapsed in fetal position. I shifted into a human girl and blacked out.