Okay, I yield. I wanted to write the next chapter. Mostly because I think I got something here. So, lo and behold, you shall read this new chapter! XP


When the salesman asked that, Toph rolled her sightless eyes, "Well, yeah, that's why we offered."

Chuckling, the salesman, with the same grin on his face, looked inside his large sack full of masks. However, what he got out, were masks that were each wrapped up in bundles of cloth, some of them probably being really valuable. He got six masks wrapped in cloth out and set them on the display futon in a horizontal line.

The Gaang all looked at the wrapped-up masks with blinks and raised eyebrows.

As soon as the mask salesman got the last one lined up, he sat crossed-legged near the top middle of his display futon and clapped his hands together, his grin turning gleeful as he looks at each one of the kids under his hood.

"Now, which mask would either one of you like to unwrap first?" he asked them, his tone almost a little too delighted.

Zuko looked at the salesman oddly, "You want us to unwrap the masks that you're advertising?"

Momo, who was on Zuko, looked at the mask salesman for a second...he soon decided to leave the comfort of Zuko's shoulders and jumped off him to go and fly over to Appa and rest on the saddle.

"Just the ones you feel most connected to," said the mask salesman with a shrug, his grin still intact, "Pick the one that you want to choose. The one you choose is the one you are most connected with. Go on now, choose! You might be surprised by what they'll reveal!"

Now Sokka looked at him strangely, "Uh...are you trying to make us do some kind of magic trick?"

The salesman laughed in an odd way, "Hohoho! I see some of you are a little wary of my way of reasoning."

"Oh, no, I'm not!" Aang said with a raised hand and a smile, "I mean, if this is like a magic trick, then I'll go first!"

He began to go to the closest mask, the fourth one, on the futon and reached for it, but the salesman put a hand on the wrapped mask and quickly dragged it away from him. Startled, Aang looked up at the seller.

The salesman's grin became a little broader, "Excuse my reaction, but all of this has to come naturally."

Toph raised an eyebrow, while Zuko looked on in suspicion, and Sokka, Suki, and Katara blinked.

Aang, though, looked confused, yet didn't complain, "Um...okay."

"Hmm. So! How about this? Instead of someone randomly picking a mask, how about the oldest go first, and the youngest go last?" the salesman suggested.

The Gaang all glanced at each other a little curiously, except Toph, who was also just as curious.

"Um...okay..." Zuko said hesitantly. "I guess I'll...go first?"

"Well, you are the oldest," Katara said with a smirk at him.

"Hey, wait, I'm older too!" Sokka said with a frown.

"Sokka, just because your birthday will be coming up in three months, doesn't mean you're the oldest," Suki said with a raised eyebrow and a smirk, "If anything, Zuko is actually the oldest and his birthday is before yours."

"What!? B-But, I...I really want to choose a mask!" Sokka whined with a pout as he crossed his arms.

Katara shook her head at her brother's childish reaction, "Well, Suki, you know what you're getting. Hope you can handle him."

"Oh, don't worry, I know how to handle him," Suki said with a smirk directed at Sokka.

Sokka froze and looked embarrassed, "Uh...Suki, Babe, easy there. They're kids present."

Toph snorted, while Aang rubbed the back of his head shyly.

Katara deadpan looked at the two until she went back to Zuko with a smile, "Go ahead, Zuko."

Zuko blushed a tiny bit, "Um...alright then."

With that, Zuko decided to pick a mask, the second mask on the futon. Picking it up, he unwrapped it, and it revealed...

...A golden mask that shined like the sun, having a mane of 'light' around the face, with a golden jewel placed on the forehead. It had intricate designs on the mask, making it look like a ceremonial piece more than anything. There were eyeholes in the mask, but no mouth, although the mouth of the mask had a golden upside-down arch of a smile.

Looking at the mask with a curious blink, Zuko observed it. Katara and Suki, and even Sokka and Aang also, looked at the mask with interest.

"Wow...it...really looks valuable," Suki said in awe.

"What is it? Is it Fire Nation?" Katara looked up at Zuko to see what his response would be.

"I...don't think so?" Zuko said as he looked the mask over.

"I'll tell you one thing," Sokka said as he shielded his eyes from the golden glare it emitted from the sun, "I think that's real gold."

"Are you sure it's not Fire Nation, Zuko?" Aang asked, "It kind of looks like it."

"I mean...I haven't seen anything like this back at home," Zuko confirmed. Once he was done looking it over, he asked the salesman, "What kind of mask is this?"

Still keeping his grin intact, the salesman replied, "Why, that mask is called the Sun's Mask!"

"The...Sun Mask?" Zuko restated, now intrigued.

"Sun Mask?" Aang reiterated questionably, "So it is Fire Nation?"

The salesman chuckled in his odd way, "Hohoho! Actually, that mask is from a faraway land! It's used in a very formal and traditional wedding ceremony! My, I wonder who the lucky lady is?"

Now blushing a little brighter, Zuko stammered in surprise. "Wh-what-wh-what!?"

Katara blinked and almost frowned at the thought, but she kept it under control with pursed lips.

Sokka, on the other hand, smirked, "Well, Zuko, you are going to meet some suitors sometime later on."

"What about that Mai girl?" Suki asked Zuko.

"Uh, M-Mai and I...kind of...um, no, we actually broke up," Zuko said as he looked down, a little bit of shame coming across his features.

Katara, however, was having victory laps in her head, but didn't want to sound heartless, so she comforted Zuko by saying, "Hey, Zuko, don't worry. I'm...well, I'm sure there are other women out there who would like you for who you are."

"Yeah, buddy!" Sokka agreed as he gave out his reassurance, "And honestly, no offense to Mai, but she's...well, too gloomy for ya, pal," he turned to his girlfriend Suki, "And she captured Suki one time."

"Yep, there is that," Suki nodded in agreement, not at all happy about that memory.

"I mean, yeah! There's someone out there for you, no worries!" Katara said with a smile.

Like me?

Zuko looked at Katara for a moment and couldn't help but smile, "You're right. Really, thank you, Katara."

Katara beamed brightly. Meanwhile, Toph and Aang looked on at the two, the former scrunching her face up in annoyance, while the latter was...slightly annoyed.

Oh, just suck each other's face already! Toph thought.

...Just...let it go...like Guru Pahtik said. ...Actually, I wonder what happened to him? I should probably visit him again...I also really do need to apologize to Katara, at least. Aang thought.

The salesman could only grin widely at their interactions. "And, the Sun Mask has a companion mask! It also is a wedding ceremonial headpiece! Hoho!"

Zuko turned to the salesman, "Where did you get this?"

Keeping his grin, the salesman just said, "Why, just as I said! From a faraway land."

The Gaang all looked at the man oddly.

"Uh, you might need to be a little more specific," Sokka said to the salesman.

"Hohoho! Take it for what you will! Fire Nation, Water Tribe, Air Nomad Territory, even here in the Earth Kingdom! They're all faraway lands, aren't they?" the salesman asked them.

The rest of the kids just looked at each other questionably. Toph, though, 'looked' at the person with a frown.

He's...not wrong...so he's not lying...

"Just know that I got most of these masks from distant lands. To other nations, to truly foreign countries, to the deepest parts...of the planet, so to speak," the salesman explained.

...That statement the salesman just said made Toph feel...she's not gonna lie, it made her feel...a little uneasy.

...Maybe it's the way he worded it?

Meanwhile, the rest of the Gaang just looked at each other and shrugged at what the mask salesman said.

"Um, okay..." Katara said, sounding a little uncertain.

The grin never left the salesman, "Now, who is next?"

Sokka puffed his chest out with a grin himself, "I would consider myself the next in the oldest category."

"Oh? Then your lady friend must be the same age as well!" the mask salesman pointed out.

Suki blinked and smiled hesitantly, "Well, I am. But, uh, my birthday is coming up as well...although it's two months before yours, Sokka."

"Wha-wait, what!?" Sokka's eyes widened as he exclaimed in shock. "You're older than me!?"

"Um...yeah," Suki raised her eyebrow, "Is that a problem?"

"...Actually, no...I got me an older woman!" Sokka said as he draped an arm around Suki with a sly grin.

Suki just smirked and rolled her eyes. "Which means, I go second."

"...Oh...well, okay," Sokka shrugged, admitting defeat.

Suki giggled and gave him a little kiss on the cheek.

The others just rolled their eyes at the couple's display of affection.

"Ah, yes!" the salesman told them, "Or, in this case, I was going with 'ladies first', but that's convenient too!"

Suki smiled brightly, "Thanks!" she then looked at the masks that were lined up and contemplated which one she can choose. "Hmm..." she picked the fifth mask up, "I'll choose this one!"

"Ah, then, open it up and see what it is!" The salesman said in a giddy fashion.

She unwrapped the cloth off the mask to reveal...

...An odd golden mask that looks like a bird with its beak protruding out downward and its eye holes above the beak. The top of its head looks like a long pointy edge, and it also has a purple cloth around the headpiece that's part of the mask.

"Oh...wow. What kind of mask is this?" Suki asked the salesman, impressed with the workmanship.

"That, right there, is called the Garo Mask!" he answered with glee.

"Garo Mask?" Sokka looked at the mask that Suki was holding, "Uh...what's a Garo?"

"Oh, well, Garos are ancient warriors, spies, if you will, that came from an ancient kingdom from long ago. They spied on their neighboring kingdoms to try and overthrow their rulers! This one right here belongs to the leader of the clan!"

...The Gaang were still a little confused.

"Uh..." Sokka started, "That...still doesn't tell us what a Garo is."

"Yeah, I never heard of a Garo before," Katara says with a raised eyebrow.

"You said they were like spies?" Aang asked the salesman in curiosity.

"Ah, yes! Some would say, they are like ninjas!" the salesman told them with the same grin.

"Ninjas, huh?" Suki looked the mask over, "Well...I like how it looks..." she looked at the man, "So they're like ninja warriors?"

"Indeed! They are quite crafted in their skill, carrying their twin katanas with them as they fight their opponents! They are though, however, long gone by now. Forgotten in the stream of time."

"Hm..." Suki looks at the mask once more, "...So this is their leader's mask?"

"Oh, yes, yes! It seems you are a leader of some kind then if you choose that mask, correct?" the salesman grinned.

"Oh! Well, yes, actually. I'm the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors! To honor Kyoshi in her name, as well as her fighting style!" Suki said with a smile, feeling proud of her heritage.

Chuckling, the mask salesman said, "Why, that is very noble!"

"Yeah, Suki's the best," Sokka said with a one-armed hug around his girlfriend.

"Aww, Sokka," Suki said with a blush and a shy smile.

The salesman kept his grin as he said, "Now, it is your turn, Sokka, is it?"

"Really? Alright!" Sokka let go of Suki and examined the masks, "Hmm...I'll choose...this one!" he said as he got the sixth mask on the futon. Unwrapping it, it revealed...

...A very grim-looking mask. The mask looked like a skeleton, the upper part of the face looking like a skull's upper jaw, with a spine-looking curve that has two arms and hands on each side of the curve spine, the top of it having another skull's upper jaw with its teeth protruding at the top of the mask.

Sokka...was a little weirded out by it.

In fact, everyone, except for Toph since she can't see, was weirded out.

"Uh...I think I chose the wrong mask?" Sokka asked the salesman in confusion.

"Hohoho! Oh, no, no, no! Don't be ashamed! That mask right there is the Captain's Mask! Or better known as the Captain's Hat!"

"Wait, so...it's a hat?" Katara asked him quizzically.

"Hat, mask, same thing," the salesman shrugged with a grin.

Toph raised an unsure brow.

Um...no they're not.

"Wait, so...it's called the Captain's Hat-uh, I mean, Captain's Mask?" Sokka asked him.

"Yes it is, my good man! In fact, this mask once belong to a captain from an ancient kingdom that commanded his troops to fight in wars!" explained the salesman.

"...Okay. It's not completely creepy when you say it like that," Sokka said as he observed every detail of the mask.

"Are you serious? It's a skull with a spine and with another skull on the spine," Zuko said in disbelief.

"Yeah, that's...kind of gross," Katara agrees as she winces.

"Hey, my inner warrior must've chosen this, so I'll just go along with it," Sokka argues, "Besides, I like to think I'm a captain of some kind."

"A captain of being a doofus?" Toph teased.

Suki and Katara snickered, which Zuko couldn't help but smirk, and Aang giggled.

Sokka pouted, "Oh hah, hah. I'm still kind of beginning to dig this mask, though," he looked over it once more.

The grin still in place, the mask salesman asked, "Well, now, who is next?"

All eyes went to Katara, who in turn felt a little self-conscious and pressured.

"Okay, okay! I, uh..." she looked at which mask she wanted to pick, "Um...the one Aang tried to get!"

"Huh? Hey!" Aang said, a little offended.

"I mean, there must be a reason why this man didn't...oh!" Katara realized something, "I'm sorry, we didn't actually get your name!"

The mask salesman just grinned, "That is not really important right now. You said you want the fourth mask in the row?"

"Um...yes, please?" Katara said, wondering why the man wouldn't at least give them his name.

The man then picks up the mask and gave it to her. Katara takes it and unwraps the mask...

It reveals to be a white and golden mask. But this one had a look to it as well, the eye holes present, and a golden gem was on the forehead of the mask. There were interesting touches to this one, the top of the mask having a golden swipe, and the left side having another golden swipe, with a golden smile imprinted on the mouthpiece. The white part was on the face like porcelain.

"Oh...this is really...intricate," Katara said as she observed it.

If it was possible, the mask salesman grinned wider, "Ah, that right there, is the Moon's Mask!"

Katara looked at the man with curious eyes. "The Moon's Mask?"

"Yes! That mask is also for a wedding ceremonial tradition! It connects with the one who carries the Sun's Mask!"

Katara and Zuko both froze.

"...Wait. Are you...saying…?" Zuko asked slowly.

"Uh..." Katara faltered in her speech.

Sokka, Suki, Toph, and Aang looked at the two of them, the former two in intrigue, while Toph was smirking at the convenience. Aang looked at the two and felt...a little jealous.

The mask salesman shrugged, his grin still intact. "Well, the Sun's Mask is considered worn by the husband-to-be, while the Moon's Mask is worn by the wife-to-be."

...Zuko and Katara blushed tenfold.

"U-Uh, I...w-well, that-that doesn't...really mean...I-I mean-uh..." Zuko stammered.

"Uh, yeah! It-It could be, uh, a-anything! I could, uh, find the right guy in the future! I mean, not that I'm saying you wouldn't be a good husban-uh, I-I mean, I-uh, I'm just, w-well-..." Katara cleared her throat and looked beyond embarrassed.

Sokka and Suki both looked at each other with side glances, wondering if they were thinking the same thing. Looking back at the two, Sokka stroked his chin in interest, while Suki had a knowing smirk on her face.

Toph leaned in on Aang, "Wow, good thing you didn't choose that mask, Twinkletoes. Or else you would be married to Zuko."

"...Yeah..." Aang crossed his arms and looked away with a little bit of an annoyed frown.

Toph notices this and knows why his posture and tone are in a slump. She decides to lay off the jokes for now on Aang.

Hey, I know it's hard, Twinkles...you just gotta roll with the punches...although I am a girl, and Aang is a boy, so I don't know how boys handle this type of stuff.

The mask salesman then interjected, "How about we all go onto the next person, hm? I would think you and your friend, Aang, are both the same age, am I right, little Toph?"

Directing her attention at the man with an irritated pout, she said, "First off, don't call me 'little'. Secondly, yes we are."

"Hohoho! Well then, Toph, since you are a young lady, you should go first!"

Rolling her sightless eyes, Toph mumbled, "Pfft! Thanks."

Stomping on the ground, Toph sensed the two masks that were present. She went over to the two masks and briefly decided to pick up the second mask.

"Eh, I'll pick this one," Toph shrugged.

"Splendid! Now, since I can see you are blind, would you like me to describe and tell you what mask you chose?" the salesman offered.

"I mean, yeah, sure, why not?" Toph nonchalantly said as she gave him the mask.

The mask salesman released the cloth off the mask, as it revealed...

...a yellow-colored mask of a fox...with two fox ears with the tips of them being black. The eyes were closed and the tip of the nose was a black spot.

"Oooh! You chose the Keaton Mask!" the man said with a big grin.

"The Keaton Mask? What the heck is that?" Toph asked with a raised brow.

"It looks like some kind of Spirit..." Aang said as he looked at the Keaton Mask with interest.

"Well, the Keaton Mask actually is a mask that belongs to a Spirit! The Keaton, is a three-tailed kitsune fox who likes to roam around freely and give out questions and quizzes. It's also very mischievous," the mask salesman explained.

Toph puts a hand on her chin, "Hmm...sounds pretty cool, I guess. So, what, I'm connected with this mask?"

"Well, you chose it," the mask salesman gave her a knowing grin.

"Only because there are two masks left," Toph countered.

"Well, still, you chose one. Which means..." he turned his gaze at Aang, "You can have the last mask!"

"Um...well, it beats trying to choose one, I guess," Aang said as he went over to the very first mask. He picked up the cloth-wrapped mask and unwrapped it to reveal...

Aang slightly gasped.

The rest of the Gaang looked over at Aang to see what he got, while Toph went close to Aang.

"What is it, Twinkletoes?" Toph asked him.

"Whoa, that mask...looks pretty cool, Aang," Sokka said impressed.

"Wow...it looks incredibly different than the other masks," Suki commented with her eyes wide in interest.

"Yeah...it...well, it almost looks...ominous-looking," Katara said as she frowned.

Zuko looked at the mask in Aang's hands and directed his attention to the salesman, asking him curiously, "What kind of mask is this?"

The mask...looked like something you see in a fantasy setting. Especially with the ears.

It has grey 'hair' on each side of its face, the bangs parted, with the forehead having a blue marking and the bottom of each of the eye holes having two red mark lines under them. The ears look like something you see in fantasy stories, like elves...

All in all, the mask looked...almost human.

The mask salesman just grinned as he said, "That...is a very rare and special mask."

"Uh...but, what is it?" Aang said as he looked over the mask.

"First, I will tell a short story," the salesman told them.

"A story?" Sokka blinked at the man.

"Um, how short is this story?" Zuko asked him, really not wanting to stay as long as they had to.

"Oh, no worries! This won't take long," the salesman said as he waved him reassuringly, "Now, this story is about...a man, a Hero, if you will. A Hero from a distant land. This Hero lived in a kingdom of tradition and prosperity. He had slain an evil king that took his kingdom by force, but in the end, he lost a very dear friend. Now hailed and considered a Hero, but yet...no one knew who that Hero was."

"No one knows who the Hero is? Why is that?" Katara asked the salesman in interest.

"That is...a bit complicated," the mask salesman said with the same grin on his face, "But either way, it all works out for the Hero, because he didn't really want any fame and glory to begin with. He was doing what his heart has told him to do; fight the evil and darkness that plagued his land."

"Sounds like an honorable man," Zuko said as he was now interested in the story as well.

"Yeah," Sokka nodded in agreement, "But I have one question: who was his friend that he lost?"

"Hoho! Now that, I was getting to. While the Hero conquered the darkness, his good friend who accompanied him didn't think she was needed anymore."

"She?" Katara asked with eyes widened in intrigue.

"Oh, is this like a romance too?" Suki asked the salesman.

The salesman looked at Suki with the same grin for a second and said, "It is up to the interpreter."

Suki blinked at that.

"Anyway, the Hero's companion felt like her job was done...so, she left the Hero, never returning."

"Never returning? Well, she sucked as a friend," Toph said with a frown.

"Hoho! Either way, it left the Hero...alone. And even though he slayed the darkness that covered his land, he had to slay the darkness in his heart that shrouded him.

"So, he set out on a personal journey...only to find that he entered a new land, a land not his own. And there was an even greater evil plaguing this land. An evil that brought catastrophic events onto this land. But soon, the world would be in danger...and the Hero decided to take action, in a land that is not his own. There were four guardians of this land, and they were imprisoned by this evil force. The Hero soon released them, and they fought the great evil. But the evil was proven to be too powerful as it was bent on destroying the world with everyone in it. That is until the Hero heard all the prayers and thanks for the people of that land...they all thanked the Hero for letting them live another day, even when facing death in the face, even when they all felt nothing but sorrow about their situation, even when they were mere strangers to this Hero. They all gave their gratitude and prayers to the Hero...and it renewed him. It gave him more of a purpose. It gave him the power to fight. It gave him and the people that he helped...hope. He moved on, and transformed himself into what you see today...a Fierce Deity."

The Gaang all listened in, enthralled by the story.

"...When he turned into this Deity, he slayed the wicked evil...and saved a land that was not his own."

...A pause, for dramatic effect...

"...And then, everyone was saved...and they all thanked the Hero for his bravery. He soon realized that not only he was a Hero to these foreign people, but he...learned something. Something about himself. About his character. About who he really is...a Hero."

Another pause...

"...He never wanted anything in return. He just wanted to help. Help people who are in need, who were in trouble, who needed a lending hand or ear...it made his character...fulfilled," the salesman glanced at the mask, "And that mask is but a remnant of the Deity he became. A Deity of courage, justice, and honor."

Aang looked at the mask that was in his hands...

"...What happened to the Hero?" Aang asked the man.

"Why, he lived his life. Up until he passed...feeling happy that he helped so many people without regrets."

"..." Aang glanced at the mask again.

"Wow...that's a pretty inspirational story," Katara said with a smile.

"Yeah. Not bad," Sokka agreed, "A little vague, but I like the message."

Zuko nodded with a smile. He looked at Aang and said, "I think that mask was saved the best for last."

...Aang looked up at Zuko and smiled appreciatively, "Yeah..." he turned his attention to the mask salesman, "Thanks for the story, Mr. uh..."

The mask salesman grinned and said, "Call me...The Happy Man."

Now they all looked at him oddly and blinked.

"The...Happy Man?" Sokka asked him, making sure he heard that right.

"Uh...that's...your name?" Suki asked the salesman in bafflement.

The Happy Man shrugged, "No. But I am just wary of telling people my real name."

"Um...why?" Katara asked him.

"It's just to keep them guessing," Happy Man chuckled.

Toph frowned, "You're a weird man, you know that?"

Now the Happy Man just laughed his odd laugh, "Hohohohohohohoooo! Well, I think now is my time to go. So with that, I would like for you all to hand over the masks now, please?"

"Oh, you mean, we're not keeping them?" Sokka asked him in surpise.

"Hoho! Oh no, no, no, these are just examples and display items of what I have! Besides, these actually come with a pretty price."

"How much are they?" Suki asked.

"Well, the cheapest one here is the Keaton Mask, which I would say...around three hundred thousand gold pieces."

The Gaang grimaced at that.

"Yikes. Okay then," Sokka said uneasily, "So, how much is the Captain's Mask?"

"Around five hundred thousand gold pieces."

"...Okaaaay, here ya go," Sokka gave the mask back to him.

"Well, I may be rich, but that's a lot for a mask. Keep it," Toph said to Happy Man.

"Um, question, how much is my mask?" Suki asked.

"Oh, around four hundred thousand gold pieces."

"Oh, okay...yeah, that's a little too much for my taste," Suki gave him the mask back.

"I'm guessing my...uh, well, I'm guessing Zuko's and my mask are worth a lot, huh?" Katara asked as she gave the mask to him.

"Oh, yes. They are both priced at nine hundred thousand gold pieces."

"Um...wow," Zuko said as he blinked as he gave the mask to him, "Your prices are pretty high."

"Well, these are pretty valuable masks. Each and every one tells a story!" Happy Man said with his same grin.

"Um...then I guess this one is..." Aang looked down at the Fierce Deity mask, "Uuuh...like, one million gold pieces or something like that?"

The grin on Happy Man's face turned almost knowing. "Actually, that one is...priceless."

"Priceless?" Aang now looked at Happy Man and blinked.

"Oh yes. I can't determine which price it could have, it's just that rare. It's one-of-a-kind, honestly. And quite frankly, it's not for sale."

"Oh...um, okay..." Aang looked at the mask one more time until he gave it back to Happy Man. "Well, the story was great, nonetheless."

"Indeed it was...indeed it was," Happy Man nodded with the same grin on his face.

"Well, uh, it was nice meeting you...Happy Man?" Zuko said with a bit of confusion.

"Ah yes! It was nice meeting you young people as well!" Happy Man said as he put the masks back in his sack. As he rolled up his futon, he carried it to his luggage and wrapped it around the giant sack.

The rest of Team Avatar just stood there as they watched him pack his stuff up. Toph, though, couldn't help but ask one question. "Hey, Happy Man. Where do you live?"

As soon as he got the last bit of luggage onto his sack, he turned to Toph with the same grin on his face, "Me? Oh...well, simply put...not anywhere around here."

Toph blinked.

...Why does that sound...almost cryptic?

"Now with that," Happy Man lifted his luggage onto his back, looking like he could actually carry the load that was on him. "I bid you all adieu!"

As he walked and continued his path, he was about to walk past the Gaang...

...when he stopped.

On his right, he was next to Katara, Zuko, Sokka, and Suki. On his left, Aang and Toph were next to him.

...Happy Man then began to say, "If either one of you has a darkness or even a burden that's shrouding inside your hearts, then you must learn to let go...and be truly happy."

Team Avatar all looked confused, glancing at each other, wondering what the man was saying that for.

"...Believe in your strengths," Happy Man told them as he glanced at the kids next to each side of him. He then looked forward...and grinned.

"Farewell, children...learn to be happy."

And with that, Happy Man continued to walk past them, carrying his luggage as he goes off into the forest, through the morning fog.

He became a silhouette in the distance...until they couldn't see him anymore.

...The Gaang just stood there, not saying anything...

"...Well, that happened," Sokka said.

"Yeah...he was...an interesting fella," Suki stated.

"...Hmph. He was more like a weirdo to me. He sounded way too...happy, I guess that being the more appropriate word," Toph threw her two pieces in.

"His smile was a little unnerving..." Katara said, "But...he seemed nice?"

"...Yeah..." Aang agreed as he looked off into the distance where Happy Man went. "...Although, he did act kind of weird."

Zuko then turned to the rest of Team Avatar, "Well, either way, that's all done and done. I think we can all get on Appa and go to the next town."

Everyone agreed to that. They all climbed up on Appa, and with Aang at the reigns, he and everyone else were ready to fly off...

But four benders were thinking about what that mask salesman last said.

If either one of you has a darkness or even a burden that's shrouding inside your hearts, then you must learn to let go...and be truly happy.

...I just...I just want to find my mother...maybe if I find her, I could...finally have peace... Zuko.

...To let go...let go of my emotions? Maybe...I do want to tell Zuko that I really...really am grateful for what he did...but will he return my feelings? Katara.

...I really got to talk to my parents...when all this is over. Toph.

...Let go...to be truly happy...what he said...it's hard to do… Aang.

...Avatar Aang took a deep sigh...he sat up straight and said, "Yip-yip, Appa!"

And soon, Appa got up in the air and floated up into the sky...heading toward their next destination.


The Happy Man continued to walk through the forest...

...His grin was still there...

...However...it almost faltered a bit.

...I thought it was gone...

...

...But...

...

...It was still there this whole time.

...

...I think I must leave this place. Away from this worl-

...He began to feel a lot...different...

...His grin was weakening...

N-...No...it...it can't...

The Happy Man's legs became a lot weaker until his knees buckled and he fell on them.

He was experiencing fatigue...sweat was coming down his face...he was becoming more feeble than he actually looks...

...His grin...was turning into a grimace...

...It was a full-on grimace, his eyes straining as he looked like he was holding it together...

I...shouldn't have come here...

Happy Man struggled to get up and try to keep on moving, but this feeling was just too strong.

He tried to remain conscious...trying to-

SLEEP

Then, like a light, Happy Man collapsed. His luggage and wares all slipped off his back, as the masks all spilled out of the sack. He lay there unconscious on his stomach, as whatever knocked him out in the first place had done him in.

...It was quiet...

...The masks were all out in the open, waiting for someone to take and steal...

...

...

...

...

...

...

COME TO ME.


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-TSP