"Water, earth, fire, air. Long ago these four nations lived together in harmony... but then everything changed once the fire nation attacked."
Her gentle voice expressed and I heard those carefully crafted words clear as day. They were hidden behind a whisper but being stranded in such a desolate place sure had its perks. Being just a few inches away from her physical form also helped.
"Only the Avatar-" Her head turned to the side and I watched a small smile form across her features before it faded and she faced back the other way. "The master of all four elements could stop them... but when the world needed him most, he vanished."
I couldn't tell if Katara was trying to cheer me up or drag me further down in that moment. Perhaps she realized that too as her soft tone retreated. The last few hours had felt like an endless amount of blows. We escaped the library and now held the key to taking down the Fire Nation. But I wasn't happy. How could I be? Sokka and I figured out the exact time of the next solar eclipse only to barely avoid suffocation along with the rest of our friends. Worst of all? It was all at the expense of another friend, Appa. I clutched the wooden staff more tightly at that most recent thought.
He's my best friend. Ever since I can remember my time with the Air Nomads... Appa was always there for me. We were lifetime buddies. Not only did we grow together but we practically were each other. I was the last airbender and Appa was believed to be the last of sky bisons. At least there was hope for his species. Maybe they're not all gone and perhaps he isn't the final one. The same could not be said for my people as the Fire Nation had already wiped them all out. Learning about the fate of my family and the causes of this war on the world only made me angrier by the day. I hated being bitter. That isn't who I am or who I want to be. But lately it's getting harder to accept the customs I've been taught to follow.
Knowing you've lost someone dear to you is heartbreaking. Deep down I knew Appa's capture wasn't Toph's fault. I already understood and accepted my earthbending teacher responded in the only option that was available to her in that moment. But at that point my emotions had already spiraled out of control and I foolishly lashed out at her once we resurfaced. I don't know what became of me then. Maybe it was the building frustration with everything recently or maybe the overwhelming fear of failure and the looming uncertainty that still lay ahead of us. Either way I should have known better. The accusatory stuff about Appa being tracked by Azula because of his shedding, although days ago and true, still somewhat rubbed me the wrong way. I can't explain the feeling exactly. It was like I had betrayed one friend to stand alongside the other. It didn't feel right.
"A hundred years later and my brother and I stumbled upon the new Avatar, an airbender named Aang. Although his airbending skills are great he still has a lot to learn before he's ready to save anyone. But unlike some, I believe that Aang can save the world."
She spun on her heel, still holding onto my hand, and I saw those blue eyes filled with hope. Katara had assumed the role of leader in our group since the journey on foot began and she definitely was the only thing keeping our suddenly unstable unit intact. I already had ventured out on my own in anger earlier in the day but my search had come up empty handed. I don't know what my deal was then, I willingly called my own friends selfish... who does that? The last thing I expected upon returning to them was Sokka enduring hallucinations and the water supply to be nearly empty. It was evident to me now that without our normal source of transportation and navigation we were never going to make it out of this desert. What's the point of surviving Wan Shi Tong if we're just going to fall short of reaching Ba Sing Se anyway?
Truthfully I could care less about this war or the new intel we carried regarding it. Appa was my priority. Whether or not my friends held that same mindset was the least of my concerns. I didn't have it in me though to give Katara that wish I knew she desperately needed. Instead, I remained impassive and stared straight past her, right into the emptiness of the night sky. Appa was out there somewhere with those sandbenders. I counted on him a plethora of times before and now it was my turn to deliver for my sky bison was counting on me. I wasn't just going to give up on him. I'll find him and when I do... I won't hold back.
We traveled using the luminous stars above as a guide. Before any of us even comprehended it, daylight had begun to break through above the dunes. It was the start of a new day and I felt some of the overwhelming stress that was burdening me lately slip away. It was such an odd feeling at first. Being frustrated with your own companions was an odd sensation. I wasn't helping our dilemma any by losing my temper either. I needed to get that under control. We had seen a cloud that looked like Appa, but it wasn't him. It was just a lonely cloud drifting over this barren wasteland.
Katara had requested I bend the water from the it into her pouch. Only problem though was that the cloud barely contained any water and the group confirmed that concern. We were in for trouble if we didn't find a way out of here soon. By the stroke of luck, while we were wandering aimlessly and doing so in boredom, Toph just so happened to walk right into something that was protruding out of the ground.
"I am so sick of not being able to feel anything or know where I'm going! Also, what type of idiot buries a boat out in the middle of desert?!"
I vaguely heard the Blind Bandit's outrage in front of me. My eyes were entirely occupied on the sharp wooden triangle that speared out of the sand. Toph said it was a boat. Maybe, just maybe...
Katara must have had the same realization as me in that moment and I saw her kneel next to the item. Her hands carefully analyzed it before she glanced up. I knew what that look meant. Sometimes you didn't need to speak verbally to send a message across. But what did you need to send sand flying in order to uncover a potential lifesaver? A trusty airbending glider, of course!
A sandstorm emerged around us as I blew away the golden slush we'd been walking through for hours. To my surprise, and the group's delight, a wooden platform looking mechanism revealed itself. It looked practically brand new! Nothing appeared to broken either. This was our way out of here!
"It's one of the gliders the sandbenders use."
Suddenly, the thoughts in my mind warped from joy to anger after I heard Katara's words. Everything was beginning to piece itself together now. We had been out in the middle of nowhere and escaped a murderous owl only to have my best friend captured. Appa's kidnappers had just involuntarily revealed themselves.
"Look Aang! It's got some type of compass." She cheered in excitement, the hope in her eyes mirroring a vast pool of water. "I bet it can point us out of here!"
"Or it could point us to where the sandbenders are."
I could tell right away the tone of my voice had caught her by surprise. I hadn't meant for it to come out like that, it just sort of happened.
"I know you want to find Appa. We all do Aang, whether you believe us or not. But our first priority needs to be getting out of this desert so we can survive. Now everyone, get on! Aang you can bend a breeze so we can sail it. We're going to make this work!"
Part of me wanted to lash out and fly away again. I knew she meant well, and I trusted her leadership, but I knew the reality of survival and reaching Ba Sing Se meant more to them than finding my sky bison. Who knows what Appa is going through right now! I stared at the sand for a few moments before releasing a groan in frustration. The rational side of me won out though and I nodded in acceptance before I grabbed Toph's hand and helped pull her aboard. I went to assist Sokka but his impaired state caused him to walk right into the glider and I watched him fall flat on his face.
All I could do was sigh.
"We have to get out of here!" I heard her grow increasingly worried behind me. "I'm completely out of water to bend, Aang!"
This new day that I thought would hopefully improve my mood was just getting worse by the second. We had sailed right towards a massive rock which we had decided to set up camp at until we figured out a plan to escape the desert. Only now... here we were trying to escape an angry swarm of flying creatures. I wish that professor had remained with us instead of staying behind in the library. Maybe he could tell me exactly what these things actually are. They looked like giant wasps from my view.
We hadn't meant to disturb them or walk into their domain. Besides, how were we even supposed to know the cave was home to these angry winged insects? Out of the corner of my eye, I watched one of the creatures pick up Momo by his hind legs and race off the mountain. I unconsciously felt a spike inside my very being and soon the rapid spin of my staff was followed by a gust of wind and two wasps hurdling back into their cave. Enough was enough.
"I'm not losing anyone else out here!" I declared and tapped my staff into the rocky terrain. The staff transformed into my glider and without any acknowledgement from my friends, I flew off the mountain to go and rescue another friend. My vision narrowed as I concentrated on the direction and pattern that the wasp flew in. Once I got closer to it, I noticed the appendages that held him in place.
For one of the first times, I did not regret being the Avatar or the powers that came with it. This wasp was going down whether it wanted to or not.
"Hang on, Momo!"
The lemur in question braced itself and I bombarded the wasp with a blast of wind. It had no choice but to release Momo and I watched in relief as he flared his own wings and flew up alongside me. The wasp, which I assume realized it was outmatched in this type of aerial chase, maintained its altitude and continued flying away. I watched it grow further and further before a flash of white replaced it. The sand was suddenly much closer and I perceived angry snarls, ones I had not heard before.
Those sandbenders were responsible for Appa being separated from me. This wasp was the reason Momo needed to be rescued. My friends were not means to an end. I wanted the world to know that. I wanted revenge... and so that's what I did. The sand supported my balance as I abandoned my aerial assault and focused all my energy on one spot. I watched the sharp wind strike the defenseless wasp and I watched the defeated creature plummet to its demise. The mushroom cloud of dust in the distance didn't deter me nor did the realization that I had just taken a life even affect me.
Enormous walls of sand suddenly appeared and forced a majority of the wasps back into their dens. Those who were unfortunate to get caught lacking were drilled in a direct hit and soon found themselves buried under the suffocating sand. I saw my friends had made it down the mountain and were waiting by our glider. Only then did it to dawn on me who the people were that surrounded us. Thick and loose clothing which nearly covered every inch of their skin. A protective strategy against the sun's fiery rays. It was rather smart... and these were exactly the people I was waiting for. They were sandbenders. I closed my own glider and dropped down from the sky. I was ready to fight for the whereabouts of my bison.
"What are you doing in our land with a sandbender's sailer?" I watched attentively as an older man, presumably their leader, spoke out with curiosity. "From the looks of it you stole it from the Hami Tribe."
I glared at the accusation but before I could voice any displeasure, Katara had already stepped forward.
"We did not steal anything, sir. We found the sailer abandoned out in the desert. Me and my friends are traveling with the Avatar." She revealed while motioning her left arm at me. "Our bison was stolen and we have to get to Ba Sing Se as fast as we can. We have a-"
"You dare accuse our people of theft while you ride around on a stolen sand-sailer?" A younger man interrupted and I felt one of my eyes twitch with anger. Toph's stance abruptly changed and I caught sight of her glassy eyes. They seemed to be wide open as if she was in deep concentration.
"Quiet Ghashiun. No one accused our people of anything. If what they say is true we must give them hospitality." The old man expressed and I felt that raging fire dim slightly. Maybe I can find Appa peacefully.
"Sorry father." I heard the son apologize and cleared my throat, ready to begin my own questioning- until Toph suddenly pointed her finger at the group of sandbenders.
"I recognize the son's voice! He's the one who stole Appa."
Every peaceful approach went out the window and I stormed closer to the opposing party. I brushed off Katara's touch as I took Toph's words to heart.
"You... you stole Appa?! What did you do with him! Where is he!" My staff was like a warrior's sword and I held it out threateningly just waiting for the first move to take place.
"They're lying!" The son accused us and I took an even closer step to reinforce my point. "They're the thieves!"
All of the emotions began spiraling around me and I vividly recalled everything that had happened in the past twenty-four hours. The escape, Appa's disappearance, walking endlessly in a desert, fighting off a horde of enraged wasps, and killing one of them.
"We wouldn't be stuck here if you hadn't taken my friend!" I shouted and, in my own rage, sent a bolt of wind directly at a sand-sailer. I watched as the wooden structure was forcefully torn to pieces by the might of the attack. "Now I'm going to ask you again. Where is my bison!"
"I didn't do it father! It wasn't me!"
"You said to put a muzzle on him!" Toph made her own accusation that sealed their fate in my eyes.
"You muzzled Appa?!" I asked incredulously and knew my fuse was about to blow. Instead of attacking their people, I took out another sand-sailer and watched it be shredded by my fury. The puzzled look on all their faces, and the look of concern specifically on the son, evoked a power that I hadn't felt since my time with General Fong. It was there that I understood what needed to be done. A lesson very much needed.
This extraordinary amount of energy flowed through my veins and I knew the Avatar State had been activated. Just like Katara's fake death had been the reason for it triggering before, this time it was my anger over Appa. The only difference? Whereas before I couldn't stop it... this time I didn't want to stop it. The last of their sand-sailers were reduced to broken planks and I watched them cower before me in fear.
"I'm sorry! I didn't know it belonged to the Avatar!" The son rambled in terror.
"Tell me where Appa is, NOW!"
"I traded him... to some merchants. He's probably in Ba Sing Se by now. They were going to sell them there." I knew my eyes were glowing white and likewise I was beginning to see red. "Please calm down! We'll escort you out of the desert and help in any way we can!"
His pleading was futile. My anger had reached its peak and I watched the sand began to warp around us all. I held onto the staff like a lifeline, knowing it was the only thing preventing me from imaging them as the departing wasp. They weren't getting away either.
"No."
A cyclone of air surrounded me and I continued to increase its size. They ran away like cowards just like they had done after they sped off with my bison. But now there was nowhere for them to hide. A ring of pure dust formed around my sphere and I sent it shooting outwards like a thunder storm. They ducked for cover thinking the desert would save them. Unfortunately for them their strength relied on the very ground they trembled on... while mine was available all around me for the taking. I felt my feet lift off the ground as I began to float upwards into the sky, prepared to enact my revenge on this heartless tribe. They had sold one of the last memories I had left of my people. For that, they were going to pay the ultimate price.
My name was shouted over and over but I tuned out whoever it was attempting to reach me. Nothing else would distract me of my goal. These people were going to pay.
"Aang!" The gentle but stern voice broke through the steel barriers of my mind as I felt something latch onto my wrist.
Strangely, my control over the Avatar State began to weaken before it dispersed all together. Everything suddenly became bright and I sealed my eyes closed, afraid to even open them. What had I just done?
"Thank goodness I managed to get through to you." She said in relief and pulled me into her arms. "I was so worried."
Normally a situation like this would have got either one of us or both of us all flustered, but that was the least of our concerns in this crucial moment. I was thankful for it. The stakes were much higher now knowing the fate of my friend. It was evident that with all the traveling, detours, and deadly encounters... we were now a full day behind where Appa was believed to be. Doubt began to creep into my soul.
"Will I ever see him again?" I couldn't help but ask the question that had been looming in the back of my mind since I flew off originally after the library sunk.
"You will, Aang. You and Appa will be reunited. We'll find him together."
The evidence of the Avatar State had all but faded and I finally established the courage to open my eyes. The wreckage that displayed itself startled me and I wondered if all of the sand-benders, as well as the rest of our friends were okay. I thought back to my anger directed at the group and how I called them all selfish. I was wrong. Out of all the people here, I was the selfish one. Katara had logically taken control of the situation when I couldn't even think straight and she was the reason for finding us a lead on Appa. I felt just as disappointed about my recent actions as I did about my decision to flee the Southern Air Temple. I've let everyone down as the Avatar.
It was like the last waterbender from the Southern Water Tribe could read my thoughts, as she leaned her head against mine and wrapped her arms tightly around my waist. I no longer could hold back the droplets of water that I restricted for my past failures and the fear I had for my best friend. Katara was the support that had always been there for me and so I freely let the tears fall at long last.
"You haven't let anyone down, Aang. Like I said before... I really do believe that you can save the world."
A/N: I recently completed Avatar: The Last Airbender series and this episode, The Desert from S2 definitely was my favorite one. Hence this story upload! I thought it would be fun to make a darker Aang/Avatar so hopefully I did ATLA fans justice!
For my Dragon Rage readers, I unfortunately was unable to accomplish my task of having the chapter out Friday, so be on the lookout for either a Sunday or Monday (finally) chapter update!