Chapter 11:
The Fortuneteller
It had been two days since the group escaped from the elite guard, and there were so many questions that needed to be answered: Where had they come from? How was it possible that their swords couldn't be cut by lightsabers? How many more of them are out there? And who was Lord Aurelius?
These were the questions that were bothering Neo as the gang sat by a lake. However, the one thing that was nagging Neo the most was that he and Katara hadn't talked since the escape plan. He feared their friendship was in jeopardy, but he didn't want to cause more harm than he already had. So, for now, he decided to leave it alone.
"Look!" Katara exclaimed excitedly, pointing at the lake they had decided to camp the night before just as a large fish jumped and landed in the water with a splash.
Sokka sat up and watched as the fish leapt into the air again and faced the group in mid-air then landed back in the water with a splash.
"Oh, he is taunting us!" Sokka grumbled as he jumped up and pointed at the fish as it jumped out of the water again, "You are so gonna be dinner!"
The Water Tribe boy ran to the fishing pole leaning against a log beside their tent and grabbed it, rushing back over to the edge of the lake and trying to cast the line, only for nothing to happen.
Sokka stopped swinging the fishing pole and brought it closer to his face to inspect it. "Hey, where's the fishing line?"
"Oh…I didn't think you would need it, Sokka." Aang said sheepishly from behind the older boy and he held up the intricately woven necklace with a red flower in the middle that he had made with the fishing line.
Sokka walked over and examined the necklace, then slapped his forehead and gestured to the necklace as he whined.
"Aw, it's all tangled!"
"Not tangled. Woven!" Aang protested slightly as he got to his feet with Airbending and faced Katara, "I made you a necklace."
"Ahh, how roman-" Eli said, only to get elbowed by Neo.
Aang continued, "I thought since you lost your other one…"
He trailed off and held the necklace up between his hands, flashing a toothy grin at the dark-haired girl.
Katara smiled and walked over to him, taking the necklace as he handed it to her, "Thanks, Aang. I love it."
"Great, Aang." Sokka commented sarcastically as he rolled his eyes, "Maybe instead of saving the world, you can go into the jewelry-making business."
"I don't see why I can't do both," Aang said with a shrug and a grin, oblivious to the fact that Katara was putting on the necklace behind him.
Sokka scowled slightly and turned back to the lake just as the fish jumped out of the water. Sokka growled and hurled his useless fishing pole into the water in an attempt to spear the fish.
"Stop taunting me!" Sokka shouted angrily as the se tu jumped out of the water completely unharmed and Sokka charged into the lake after unsheathing his dagger, stabbing the water.
"You won't get away with this!" Eli yelled as he jumped into the water, lightsaber ignited, only for it to leave his hand. "Hey!"
"You don't need a lightsaber to catch a fish, Eli," Neo said.
As he said that, Sokka dived into the water.
"I'm coming Sokka!" Eli said as he jumped into the water after Sokka and the fish.
"Don't listen to them. I think it was a nice thought," Neo said to Aang.
"So, how do I look?" Katara asked.
Neo and Aang turned around to face Katara. Aang's bored expression instantly turned from boredom to awe and amazement as he stared at Katara. A blush appeared on the young Airbender's face as he looked at Katara who was smiling sweetly at him, blushing slightly with one hand behind her back while the other was touching the necklace Aang had made her. Aang tugged nervously at his collar and smiled nervously.
"You mean, all of you? Or just your neck?" He asked nervously as he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "I mean, because both look great!"
Neo smirked and shook his head.
Sokka emerged from the water with the fish in his arms.
"Smoochie, smoochie, someone's in love!" He sang as Eli made kissing noises.
Just then, the fish broke free from Sokka's grasp and smacked both him and Eli in the face as it dove back into the water.
"Knock it off, you two," Neo said.
"Yeah, stop teasing him, Sokka. Aang's just a good friend." Katara agreed as she walked over to Aang and patted his head. "A sweet, little guy! Just like Momo."
"Thanks…" Aang muttered in dismay as he looked at the ground while Sokka and Eli walked out of the lake soaking wet and irritated.
Momo suddenly flew off Aang's shoulder when a loud growling roar came from a short distance away. The lemur landed on a rock and Aang landed beside him a moment later, his gray eyes going wide.
"Someone's being attacked by a platypus bear!" He said.
The platypus bear roared and rose onto its hind legs, swinging its claw-tipped paws at a man clad in blue. The man dodged to the side, smiling merrily as if nothing was wrong as he dodged another swipe of the platypus bear's claws.
"Well, hello there!" The man called out when he saw Aang land on a rock right behind the angry platypus bear and dodged another claw swipe, "Nice day, isn't it?"
"Make noise!" Aang shouted. "He'll run off!"
"No!" Sokka refuted as he, Katara, Neo, and Eli arrived at his position. "Play dead! He'll lose interest!"
The platypus bear swung again and the man ducked, the sharp claws passing through the air where the man's head had been a moment ago.
"Whoa, close one!" The man said with a bemused laugh as he continued to sidestep the angry bear's attacks.
"Run downhill! Then climb a tree!" Katara yelled.
"No, punch him in the bill!" Sokka suggested instead.
"And then run in zigzags!" Aang added.
"No need," The man called out cheerily as he backed away, "It's going to be fine."
"Stop, drop, and roll!" Eli shouted, prompting everyone to give him weird looks. "Well, what was running in a zigzag gonna do?"
"He's not on fire, Eli," Neo said. "And running in zigzags would confuse the bear."
The platypus bear roared and swung both his paws one right after the other, but the man simply twisted around until he was sitting cross-legged on the ground and the claws passed harmlessly over his head and cut deeply into the tree behind him instead.
Aang jumped into the air and flipped over the enraged beast, sending up a wave of air as he landed in front of it with his hands raised defensively.
"Whoa there!" He shouted, hands held up in preparation to attack.
The platypus bear reared up further onto its hind legs and roared at Aang when Appa suddenly appeared behind the smaller creature and bellowed, which caused the platypus bear's fur to bristle with fear and lay a large spotted egg before escaping into the water and swimming down the river.
"Mmm, lunch!" Sokka exclaimed joyfully as he picked up the egg and sniffed it then turned to the man still sitting on the ground, "Lucky for you, we came along."
"Thanks, but everything was already under control. Not to worry." The man stated as he rose to his feet and walked closer to the trio, "Aunt Wu predicted I'd have a safe journey."
"Aunt who?" Aang and Eli asked.
"No, Aunt Wu," The man clarified. "She's the fortuneteller from my village. Awful nice knowing your future."
"Wow, it must be," Katara mused thoughtfully as she looked off to the side and then back to the man with a bright expression. "That explains why you were so calm!"
"But the fortuneteller was wrong!" Sokka protested loudly in exasperation, "You didn't have a safe journey, you were almost killed!"
"But I wasn't!" The man said cheerfully as he began to walk away, "Alright, have a good one!"
Neo rolled his eyes. "Fortuneteller?"
"You have a problem with fortunetellers?" Aang asked.
"They're all scam artists- the future is always in motion; not even the most skilled of Jedi can just predict the future. You can only see... possibilities."
"But that's why he was so calm!" Katara said. "He knew he wasn't in any danger!"
"But the fortuneteller was wrong!" Sokka protested loudly in exasperation, "You didn't have a safe journey, you were almost killed!"
"But I wasn't!" The man said cheerfully as he began to walk away, "Alright, have a good one!"
The gang watched him walk a few steps then turn back around as if just remembering something.
"Oh, and Aunt Wu said if I met any travelers to give them this." He stated and pulled a long, wrapped parcel from his back, handed it to Aang, and then continued on his journey.
Sokka eyed the man suspiciously, still clutching the platypus bear egg in his arms.
"Maybe we should go see Aunt Wu and learn our fortunes." Katara suggested excitedly, "It could be fun."
"Oh, come on," Sokka groaned in exasperation while Aang began to unwrap the parcel. "Fortune telling is nonsense!"
"Plus, we're on a bit of a deadline here," Neo agreed.
"Oh, come on, Neo. We could use a break after that close call the other day, and we haven't been to a village since the storm," Eli lamented.
"I guess we could use some more supplies... but it's your call, Aang."
"I think it might be fun!" Aang said as he unwrapped the package. He blinked in surprise when an umbrella was revealed before opening the umbrella.
"What do you know? An umbrella," He said with a small smile as he lifted it above his head just as the sky darkened, a low rumble of thunder filling the air as it began raining.
"That proves it!" Katara said as she ducked under the umbrella with Aang.
"Lucky guess," Neo said as he and Eli put their hoods up. "She probably knew it was going to rain, and knew that that man had a good chance of coming across travelers on this road."
"But Neo," Eli said, "don't Jedi sometimes get visions that predict the future?"
"Yeah, Jedi sometimes get visions, but they only show a possible future, not what is going to happen no matter what."
"What about Aang having a vision of that comet? Isn't that like seeing the future?"
"That's different. It's something that was bound to happen like the sun rising every morning."
"See!" Sokka said. "That proves it. You really can't tell the future."
"I guess you're not really getting wet then." Katara retorted smugly.
The egg suddenly slipped out of Sokka's hands. He tried to catch it as it flew a few inches into the air but he missed, and it landed on his head. A scowl formed on his face as he glared over at Eli, who began laughing at him.
"Of course, she predicted it was going to rain," Sokka grumbled as he walked down the path, getting soaked by the rain. "The sky's been gray all day!"
"If you get sick again, Sokka, we'll leave you where you lie," Neo said.
"Just admit you might be wrong and you can come under the umbrella," Katara stated.
"Look, I'm going to predict the future now," Sokka stated sarcastically, then hopped from foot to foot and exaggeratedly waved his hands. "It's going to keep drizzling."
The rain continued to fall steadily and Sokka gave Katara and Aang a smug look.
"See?"
Suddenly the rain stopped and the sky became lighter, a bird chirping happily from the woods on either side of the path. Aang tilted the umbrella back slightly so he and Katara could look at the surprisingly clear sky.
"Not everyone has the gift, Sokka," Aang said, amused.
"Well, I predict Appa will shake all the water in his fur onto Sokka," Eli said. Appa proceeded to do just that.
"Looks like you have the gift, Eli," Aang said, and everyone but Sokka started laughing.
"Agh!" Sokka groaned in disgust, throwing his arms into the air.
Katara, Aang, Neo, and Eli walked through the village with Sokka trailing behind them slightly.
"Aunt Wu is expecting you," a man dressed in black robes stated suddenly as the gang was about to pass by a round doorway.
"Really?" Katara asked excitedly and Sokka scoffed as the man opened the door for them.
The gang slipped off their shoes and boots as they entered the building and looked around curiously just as a young girl in a pink robe with her hair in two braids that stuck out from the sides of her head entered from the back area.
"My name is Meng and I'm Aunt Wu's assistant." The girl stated as she looked up at the trio, her eyes going wide as she stared at Aang.
Her expression became dreamy as she looked at him, but Aang had a bored expression on his face as he slumped his shoulders slightly.
"Well, hello there," Meng stated with a pleased smile.
Aang rubbed his nose with disinterest. "Hello."
"Dang, Aang's a player!" Eli whispered to Neo, who snickered.
"Can I get you some tea or some of Aunt Wu's special bean curd puffs?" Meng asked she gestured to the pillows on one side of the room, which they all sat down at
"I'll try a curd puff," Sokka said.
"Me too!" Eli added.
Meng raised her pointer finger at them. "Just a second," she said as she crouched down slightly so that her face was level with Aang's. "So, what's your name?"
"Aang."
"That rhymes with Meng!" She said as delightedly as she beamed at Aang. "And you've got some pretty big ears, don't you?"
"Er... I guess?" Aang said as he shifted awkwardly on his pillow.
"Don't be modest," Sokka teased. "They're huge!"
"You're one to talk, big-eared cretin," Neo said as Aang glared at Sokka.
"Well, Aang, it's very nice to meet you," Meng said as she turned away and smiled slyly to herself. "Very nice."
"Likewise," Aang said as Meng walked out of the room.
"I'm gonna buy some more supplies," Neo said, getting up from his pillow.
"What, you don't want to have your fortune told?" Eli asked.
"Like I said, the future is always in motion. I have better things to do than put up with this nonsense. You coming, Sokka?"
"Nah, I wanna stay here and try these curd puffs," Sokka said.
Neo rolled his eyes. "Okay, make sure they stay out of trouble."
"Don't I always?"
"I was talking to Katara."
Katara didn't even look up at Neo. "Yeah, sure."
Neo nodded and walked out of the door without saying another word.
"Did I... miss something?" Eli whispered to Aang after he had left.
"I have no idea," Aang whispered back.
"I can't believe we're in this house of nonsense," Sokka complained.
"Neo just asked you if you wanted to leave and you turned him down," Eli said. "Stop complaining."
"Yeah, try to keep an open mind," Katara berated before her tone became more excited. "Neo's wrong. There are things in this world that just can't be explained. Wouldn't it be nice to have some insight into your future?"
"It would be nice to have some curd puffs," Sokka stated.
Meng walked back towards the front room with a tray in her hands when a woman in green robes stepped out of a door in the hallway and hurried over to the younger girl.
"Oh, Meng!" The woman exclaimed excitedly as she stood in front of Meng with her hands clasped to her chest, "Aunt Wu says I'm going to meet my true love. He's going to give me a rate panda lily!"
"That's so romantic!" Meng gushed dreamily and cast a flirtatious look over her shoulder Aang, "I wonder if my true love will give me a rare flower."
"Good luck with that," Aang called out breezily with a grin.
The woman giggled and looked at Aang. "Is that the big-eared guy Aunt Wu predicted you'd marry?
Meng blushed brightly and pushed the woman aside then continued on her way into the front room with the tray of bean curd puffs and tea. She kept her eyes on Aang, who was staring blankly into space and completely unaware of her presence. As she walked towards the gang, however, she suddenly tripped and fell. Aang quickly reached out and caught her hands underneath the tray in an attempt to help and the two looked at each other for a moment. Meng blushed brightly.
"Enjoy your snack!" She squeaked nervously and hurriedly backed away.
Sokka grabbed the bowl and began shoving the curd puffs into his mouth.
"Hey, Sokka, don't be a jerk!" Eli said as he took a few curd puffs for himself.
Just then, an old woman dressed in yellow robes entered the room.
"Welcome, young travelers." Aunt Wu greeted the trio with a small smile which turned into a frown as she scanned the gang. "My predictions told me there would be five of you."
"One of us running errands, Aunt Wu," Eli said.
She tsked. "A pity. Oh well, who's next? Don't be shy!"
"Guess that's me," Katara said after seeing that none of the others were particularly interested in getting their fortunes read.
She rose to her feet and followed Aunt Wu into the back room, leaving Aang, Sokka, and Eli on the floor of the front room.
Sokka grabbed another handful of bean curd puffs and stuffed it into his mouth. His expression turned into one of delight.
"Mmm, not bad, not bad!" Sokka said as he grabbed another handful of curd puffs.
"Quit hogging the bowl, Sokka!" Eli said as he tried to grab the bowl from him.
"Get your own bowl!" Sokka said as he grabbed the bowl back.
"So what do you think they're talking about in there?" Aang asked before the scuffle between Sokka and Eli could turn into a brawl.
"Boring stuff, I'm sure," Sokka stated casually. "Love, who she's going to marry, how many babies she's going to have..."
"Yeah... Dumb stuff like that.." Aang agreed before he began biting his fingers and jumped to his feet. "Well, I've gotta find a bathroom!"
He rushed out of the room before Sokka or Eli could say anything.
"You know, Sokka," Eli said. "I watched a holofilm where this guy who was the king of a city but didn't have any sons, so he went to a prophet to ask her what he should do."
Sokka rolled his eyes. "And then what happened?"
"She told him that the son of his daughter would kill him, so he locked his daughter in a dungeon."
"What?"
Aang glanced down the hallway before quietly tiptoeing to the door Aunt Wu had led Katara to, crouching down so he could press his ear to the door.
"Your palms are so smooth," Aunt Wu said from behind the door. "Do you use moisturizer?"
"Actually, I have this special seaweed lotion. I can get you some if you want," Katara said. Aang groaned but froze when Katara started talking again.
"So, do you see anything in my love line?"
Aang perked up instantly and pressed his ear closer to the door.
"I feel a great romance for you," Aunt Wu said dramatically. "The man you are going to marry…"
"Tell me more!" Katara exclaimed excitedly and he tried not to breathe so he could hear what the fortuneteller said next.
"I can see that he is a very powerful bender."
Aang grinned mischievously when he heard Aunt Wu say this and he jumped into the air in delight as he gently lowered himself back to the ground and hurried back to the front room, where Sokka was picking his teeth.
"A powerful bender? Are you sure?" Katara asked, disappointed.
"Yes, dear. Were you hoping for something different?" Aunt Wu asked, confused by Katara's reaction.
"I don't know... I mean, it's great that I'm marrying a powerful bender... but what about a great warrior, who wields a sword of fire?"
"A sword of fire?" Aunt Wu asked, even more confused now. "I'm sorry dear, I don't see anything like that here. Does that trouble you?"
"I'm... I'm just a little confused... That's all."
"So then, the king's grandson threw the discus. But then the wind changed its course, so it hit the king in the head. It instantly killed him, thus fulfilling the prophecy," Eli said dramatically, continuing his story. "So in the end, every action he took to prevent the prophecy ended up sealing it."
Sokka looked at Eli, dumbfounded. "I don't think I want to get my fortune read anymore."
"What's got you smiling like that, Aang?" Eli said as he watched Aang strut into the room with a goofy grin on his face.
"Well," Aang said quickly in an attempt to explain himself, "while I was in there-"
Eli raised his arm in disgust. "I don't want to know!"
"Who's next?" Aunt Wu asked as she walked into the room with Katara, who looked a little sad.
Eli pushed Sokka forward.
"No, wait!" Sokka said, shaking his head. "I don't want to get my fortune read!"
"Your future is full of struggle and anguish," Aunt Wu stated simply. "Most of it self-inflicted."
Sokka stopped struggling. "Wait, that's it? I thought you were going to tell me that I was going to kill my father, or that my son was going to kill me, or something. You didn't even read my palms or anything!" he said, prompting weird looks from everyone but Eli.
Aunt Wu stared at Sokka in confusion for a moment and didn't say anything. "I didn't need to. It was written all over your face," she deadpanned before gesturing to Aang. "You there, come with me."
Aang followed Aunt Wu out of the front room and into a large, dimly lit room that had four pillars supporting it. There were four cushions situated around a small fire in the center of the room. Off to the side sat a jug of bones.
"This is the most reliable method of telling your fortune. The bones never lie," Aunt Wu said as she and Aang approached the jug. She gestured for Aang to take one. "Go on, pick one."
Aang grabbed a random bone and the two then sat down on two of the pillows.
"Now throw it on the fire," Aunt Wu instructed and Aang did as she said. "The heat makes cracks in the bone and I read the bone cracks to tell your destiny."
A large crack suddenly splintered down the side of the bone, causing Aunt Wu and Aang to look in surprise.
"Wow, that's a big crack," Aang said, watching as more cracks began to appear on the bone.
"I've never seen this before!" Aunt Wu stated in shock as the bone began to crack even more until it exploded, sending a bust of flames up to the ceiling.
"Oh my!" Aunt Wu gasped as she and Aang looked at the shattered bone pieces lying in the fire. "Your destiny! This is incredible. You will be involved in a great battle, an awesome conflict between the forces of good and evil. A battle whose outcome will determine the fate of the world!"
"Yeah, yeah, I knew that already!" Aang groaned in exasperation before leaning forward. "But did it say anything about a girl?"
"A girl?" Aunt Wu asked in surprise, "You want to know about... love?"
"Yes!"
"I'm sorry," The woman apologized, "But I didn't see anything."
Aang looked down at his lap in disappointment, causing Aunt Wu's face to soften with compassion.
"Well, look!" She exclaimed suddenly, holding her hand to her face in mock forgetfulness. "I must have missed something!"
Aang watched as she picked up a particularly large and sharp bone fragment from the floor.
"Right here." She stated as she began to examine the fragment. "It says 'trust your heart and you will be with the one you love.'"
"Really?" Aang asked excitedly and jumped to his feet joyfully. "Thank you, Aunt Wu."
Aang then left the room and sauntered back to the gang.
"You're up, Eli," he said as he sat down. Eli left the room.
"So what did she tell you?" Aang asked Katara.
"I can't tell you... I'm a little confused about it."
"What was confusing about it?" Aang asked, confused.
"Nothing... I... I just need a little more info. That's all."
Just then, Eli came back from the back room.
"That was quick," Aang said. "What'd you learn?"
"Nonsense. She said someone from my mentor's past would come back to haunt us both. Utter nonsense. This is nothing like the holofilms..." Eli said as the rest of the gang stood up.
"Well," Sokka said as they walked out of Aunt Wu's house. "Now you got to see for yourselves that fortunetelling is nothing but a big, stupid hoax.
"You're just saying that because you're going to make yourself unhappy your whole life," Katara said.
"And that you won't kill your father and marry your daughter," Eli agreed. "But yeah, that wasn't even a fortune she gave you. That's just you're life in general."
"That was just an example of what she could have predicted, not what I wanted," Sokka spat angrily. "And that woman is crazy. My life will be calm, and happy, and joyful."
As he said that, he kicked a rock, which ricocheted off of a hanging sign into his head, knocking him down.
"Ow!" he yelled.
"Told you," Eli said.
"That doesn't prove anything!"
"Well, I'm not so sure about my prediction," Katara said.
"Well, with mine, I'm sure everything is going to turn out alright," Aang said with a wide grin.
"Really? What did she tell you?"
"Stuff... you'll find out."
"Well, I still think my prediction is nonsense," Eli said.
"You got a prediction?" Neo asked as he walked up to them, holding a basket full of food.
"Oh, hey Neo," Eli greeted. "Yeah, Aunt Wu said that someone from your past would come back to haunt us."
"Are they going to return as ghosts? 'Cause everyone from my past is dead."
"Exactly, these fortunes are nothing by nonsense. Though, she did say that Sokka was going to make himself miserable for the rest of his life."
"That's not even a prediction. That's Sokka's life in general."
"That's what I said!"
Neo shook his head. "Did you get your fortune read, Katara?"
Katara huffed and stormed off, with Aang right behind her.
Neo sighed.
"Dude, it's been three days," Sokka said. "When are you two gonna talk again?"
"When it's time to talk," Neo responded impatiently. "I'm going to take this stuff to Appa. Try to stay out of trouble."
Neo walked off toward Appa, while Sokka and Eli went in the other direction.
"What's up with Katara and Neo?" Eli asked.
"Well, Katara told Neo how she really feels about him, he turned her down, and then she started yelling at him."
"And... you're okay with that?"
Sokka shrugged. "This is between her and Neo. Though, if they don't get this figured out before we get to the North Pole, this is going to be a really awkward trip."
Sokka and Eli eventually made their way over to the center of the town, where a crowd of villagers stood staring at the sky.
"What's up the sky?" Eli asked.
"We're waiting for Aunt Wu to come and read the clouds to predict the fate of the whole village." A man said, not taking his eyes off of the sky.
"That cloud kinda looks like a fluffy bunny," Aang stated as he pointed at one of the clouds. The man turned to look at him seriously.
"You better hope that's not a bunny!" The man said, slightly worried as he looked back up at the sky.
"What, does that mean doom and destruction, or something like that?" Eli asked.
"Yes!" The man practically shouted before redirecting his gaze to the sky.
Eli looked at the man like he was a lunatic. "Seriously?"
"Do you guys even hear yourselves?" Sokka agreed.
"The cloud reading will tell if Mount Makapu will remain dormant for another year or if it will erupt." A village woman said and pointed to the mountain in the distance.
"We used to have a tradition once a year of going up to the mountain to check on the volcano ourselves." The man stated before smiling. "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 exclaimed in disbelief.
"How can you use clouds to predict something?" Eli asked. "What if they change after you make your prediction?"
"Shh," Katara shushed. "She's coming!"
"Hey, Aang," Meng said suddenly as she appeared beside him and pointed to the sky. "Don't you think that cloud looks like a flower?"
"Huh? Sure, I guess…" Aang agreed awkwardly as he nudged Meng away. He then turned to Katara and pointed to the same cloud. "Hey, Katara, don't you think that cloud looks like a flower?"
"Shh!" Katara shushed him in annoyance as she looked at Aunt Wu excitedly, her hands clasped in front of her chest.
The crowd watched as Aunt Wu stepped onto the pagoda and spread her arms out dramatically then pulled a small book from her sleeve and looked up at the sky.
"Bending arrow cloud…" She said thoughtfully as she looked at the book, "Good crops this year. Nice big harvest."
"Darn good news!" A farmer exclaimed with a smile as he hugged his wife to him happily.
"Wavy, moon-shaped cloud…Let's see." Aunt Wu flipped a few pages of her book then smiled and nodded her head, "Gonna be a great year for twins!"
The two twin boys in the village, Poi and Ping high-fived and cheered, "Yes!"
Aunt Wu looked up at the sky thoughtfully then down at her book, "And a cumulus cloud with a twisted nob coming off the end of it…"
She spread her arms out grandly with a smile. "The village will not be destroyed by the volcano this year!"
The crowd of villagers cheered ecstatically.
"Since I got you here, uh, there's something I want to tell you." Aang said slightly nervously and he looked up at Katara, "I like you, but more than normal."
Katara didn't seem to hear him as she ran off to follow the fortuneteller, completely enthralled with the woman and her predictions. Aang watched Katara run off with a crestfallen face.
"Never mind…" He muttered sadly as he scuffed his foot against the ground.
Katara gently knocked on the thin wooden door that led into Aunt Wu's house before stepping back and clasping her hands behind her back.
The fortuneteller slid the door open.
"Hi, Aunt Wu!" Katara said. "Sorry to bother you..."
"Anytime," Aunt Wu said with a smile.
"About this man, I was supposed to marry..."
"Ah... you want another reading?"
Katara shook her head.
"No?" Aunt Wu asked, surprised.
"I was actually hoping you could give me some advice..." Katara said, smiling slightly.
"I don't know what help I can be, but come, I'll see what I can do."
The two then walked into the building.
"I can't believe these saps," Sokka said as he, Eli, and Aang walked down the street. "Someone needs to scream some sense into them."
"I don't know Sokka, maybe we should just leave them be," Eli said.
"Yeah," Aang added. "They seem pretty happy."
Sokka grinned. "Not for long. I'm gonna prove that Aunt Wu's predictions are wrong.
Eli shook his head. "Oh, boy..."
Sokka walked up to a random man in the street who was wearing a pair of ugly, red shoes.
"Hey, you! I bet Aunt Wu told you to wear those red shoes, didn't she?"
"Yeah," the man said. "She said I would be wearing red shoes when I met my true love."
Sokka nodded. "Uh-huh. And how many times have you worn them since you got your fortune?"
"Every day!"
"Then of course it's gonna come true!" Sokka yelled in exasperation.
"Really?" The man asked. "You think so? Oh, I'm so excited!"
Sokka's eye twitched and in a fit of anger, he kicked a nearby stone which flew through the air and hit a turkey duck. Sokka yelled and waved his arms around his face when the turkey duck flew at him and began to peck his head, it even began flying after him when he tried to run away.
"Wow..." Eli said. "This... This is just like the holofilms!"
"I know you said my true love is a powerful bender," Katara explained, "but I can't help but wonder about Neo."
Aunt Wu rubbed her chin. "Hmmm... it sounds like you and Neo would make the perfect couple."
"That's what I'm saying!" Katara said excitedly. "I mean, we have so much in common, we're both fairly mature, and we've both lost someone important to us! Plus, we have so much chemistry! But... he doesn't feel that way about me. So, should I keep pursuing it, or should I... let go?"
"May I ask you something?"
"Of course."
"Do you really like him? Or the idea of him?"
Katara looked at Aunt Wu, confused. "What do you mean?"
"Let me put it this way: do you truly believe he is the one for you, or do you just like him because he seems like the easiest choice?"
Katara remained silent.
"In my line of work," Aunt Wu said, "I give people predictions of their love lives and possible futures. But then, these people go out looking for someone that seems like they could fit my description and pursue them, instead of letting things work themselves out. And when they come back to me to tell me my fortune was wrong, I tell them that the obvious answer is not always the right answer."
"That's what Sokka said!"
Aunt Wu laughed. "For someone who wants to marry his daughter, it seems like he can be pretty wise sometimes.
"So what do I do? I'm even more confused now. I want to know who my true love really is, but I also really want it to be Neo."
"That, my dear, is something for you to figure out yourself."
"I don't care what Aunt Wu told you!" Sokka screamed at a filthy old man, clutching his head in frustration. "You have to take a bath sometime!"
The dirt and grime-covered man shrugged, grunted, and walked away with a happy smile on his filthy face.
"So Sokka," Aang asked. "You know some stuff about ladies, right?"
"Some stuff?" Sokka said with a pleased look as he placed his arm around Aang's shoulders. "You've come to the right place. What can I do for you?"
"I don't know Aang... are you sure you want to get advice from Sokka?" Eli asked.
Aang ignored him. "Well, there's this girl..."
Eli and Sokka looked over at Meng, who was trying to get Aang's attention.
"I think I know who you mean," Sokka said with a smirk.
"You do?" Aang asked, surprised that Sokka might know about his crush on his sister. "And you're okay with it?"
"Of course I am!" Sokka said, still thinking he was talking about Meng. "And to tell you the truth, I've been picking up a subtle vibe that she likes you, too."
"She does?" Aang asked. "But I thought she liked Neo?"
"No, no. She's crazy about you," Sokka reaffirmed with a grin as he tried not to stare at Meng. "All you have to do now is not mess it up."
"Well, how do I do that?"
"The number one mistake nice guys like you make," Sokka explained, "is being too nice."
"You can be too nice?"
Sokka nodded. "Yep. If you want to keep her interested you have to act aloof, like you don't really care one way or the other.
Eli's eyebrows furrowed. "That doesn't sound right..."
"Well... okay," Aang said unsurely to Sokka as Meng began to approach them.
"Hey, Aang, I was just wondering-"
"See you later," Aang called out as he breezed past Meng with a lazy wave over his shoulder at Sokka and Eli.
"Wow... that kid is good," Sokka muttered.
Thank you for the advice, Aunt Wu," Katara said.
Aunt Wu smiled and began to close the door. "Of course. Bye-bye now."
"Oh, but one more thing," Katara said as she held the door open.
Aunt Wu sighed and leaned forward. "Alright, what is it?"
"Should I eat a mango or a papaya for breakfast tomorrow?"
"Papaya!" Aunt Wu snapped angrily before slamming the door shut.
"Aww, but I hate papaya..." Katara muttered as she kicked at the ground.
"Oh, hey Katara," Aang said suddenly as he leaned against the wall of Aunt Wu's house. "I didn't see you there."
"Hey, Aang," Katara greeted half-heartedly as she walked away towards the village market to pick up a papaya.
"That's okay. I'm busy with my own stuff!" Aang called out to her retreating form.
Katara's nose scrunched up with distaste as she stood at the village fruit stand. "Ugh, papaya please."
The merchant handed her a green fruit. As he did so, Katara turned slightly to see Aang leaning against the stall.
"So... papaya." He drawled. Katara gave him a strange look
"Uh-huh. Would you like some?"
"You know me," Aang said casually as he picked up an apple and tossed it into the air. "I don't really care what I eat."
"Okay then," Katara responded as she began walking away. "See you later."
Aang took a bite of the apple and spit it out in disgust.
"Maybe aloof isn't my style..." he muttered.
Across the street from him, Aang noticed a man and a woman that he had seen earlier. He watched curiously as the man handed the woman a black and white flower, and the woman's expression turned to one of pure delight.
"Oh, a panda lily!" The woman exclaimed as she took the flower and embraced the man.
"Did you see that?" Aang asked Momo before hurrying over to the couple and popping in between them.
"Excuse me," he said, gesturing to the flower. "Where can a guy find one of those things?"
"I can't believe you're dragging us all the way up here for a stupid flower." Sokka moaned as he followed Aang up the mountain, with Eli close behind.
"And I can't believe we said yes," Eli said.
"Not just any flower; a panda lily," Aang stated. "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 maximum aloofness." Sokka retorted.
"But my heart is telling me to get this flower," Aang explained. "And Aunt Wu said if I trusted in my heart, I would be with the one I love."
"What? 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?"
Aang jumped upward and pointed happily at the rim of the volcano where the panda lilies were growing. "There! On the rim!"
Aang climbed up to the rim and picked one of the panda lilies and brought it to his nose, smiling. He opened his eyes and stared in shock when he saw the volcano was full of boiling lava and was ready to erupt.
The panda lily slipped from Aang's hand and fell into the bubbling lava, bursting into flames before it reached the surface.
"Oh no..." he whispered as Sokka and Eli joined him on the rim. "Aunt Wu was wrong."
Neo took a deep breath as he walked up the steps to Aunt Wu's podium in the center of town when he saw Katara sitting at it with a papaya in her hands. She looked as if she was deep in thought, and Neo decided it was time to talk to her.
"Anyone sitting here?" He asked, pointing to the spot beside her.
Katara looked up at him for a moment before scooting over a little, not saying anything.
"I didn't know you liked papaya," Neo said, gesturing at the papaya.
Katara didn't take her eyes off the fruit. "Aunt Wu said I should have it for breakfast tomorrow," she mumbled. "But then again, she probably just said that to get me out of there."
"Have you been there all day?"
Katara nodded. "Not because I wanted a prediction, but because I wanted advice."
"About what?"
Katara looked up at him. "You."
"Me?"
Katara nodded again. "I'm really sorry, Neo. I put you-"
"Wait Katara," Neo interrupted. "Please, let me go first."
Katara looked at him expectantly.
"Look, I'm not good at this kind of thing. I certainly wasn't good at it with Celestia, but that was a different situation altogether. I'm sorry if I ever gave any signs that I had feelings for you, and if there was ever a moment where I led you on in any way, shape, or form, I am truly sorry. It was not by intention.
"I never meant to hurt you, and I didn't mean to break your heart, and I don't want things to be... awkward between us. I mean, I don't want our friendship to be ruined. I hope you can forgive me and understand that I care about you... just, not in that way."
Katara gave him a sad smile. "I will admit, I was hurt by what you said to me; I mean, when a girl spills their heart out to you, try to let them off easy, okay? And what you said about me not knowing what it was like to lose someone I loved..."
"I did say I wasn't good at this sort of thing."
"True, true," Katara acknowledged before going silent for a moment. "All my life, I've always wondered: who am I going to spend my life with? And then, there you came, falling from the sky, everything I could look for in a guy. You're courageous, brave, smart, and most of all, you care about others. I thought you were the perfect guy; and yes, you led me on without realizing."
"You know that wasn't my intention."
"I know. After getting some advice from Sokka and Aunt Wu, I realized something; no matter how much I tried, I just can't see us together, It's almost like... something is missing, something important.
"Sokka said that?"
"Yep."
"Huh. Guess he has high wisdom but low intelligence."
Neo and Katara shared a giggle.
"I really am sorry Katara," Neo said, putting his head down.
"I forgive you, Neo. I just hope you can forgive me."
"For what?"
"For putting you on the spot like that, back at the prison."
Neo smiled. "No problem. Heat of the moment, right?"
"That's for sure," Katara agreed.
"Look, I may not be the one for you, but I know he's out there somewhere. Who knows, you might have already met him, and you just don't realize it yet.
"Yeah... you're right. I'm sure there's someone out there for you too, Neo, someone just as special as Celestia."
"And Zuko might grow on you."
"Alright, Neo, now you're just pushing it."
"I don't know. Maybe if he grew out his hair he'd look a lot better."
Katara laughed. "It'll be a hot day in the Southern Water Tribe when I become friends with Zuko."
Neo smiled. "I'm gonna hold you to that."
"Neo! Katara!" a voice above them suddenly called out. The two looked up and saw Aang on his glider, carrying both Sokka and Eli. They landed on the ground, panting.
"What's up with you guys?" Katara asked.
"Aunt Wu was wrong about the volcano," Sokka panted.
Katara rolled her eyes. "Sokka, you've tried to convince me that she was wrong before. It's gonna take an awful lot to change my mind-"
Katara was cut off mid-sentence when the volcano rumbled violently from behind her. She and Neo turned to look at the volcano with wide eyes along with Aang, Sokka, and Eli, where smoke was beginning to bellow from the mountain's peak.
"Aunt Wu was wrong," Neo said, dumbfounded. "I guess this is why you shouldn't build a village at the base of a volcano."
"You don't say," Everyone else said at once.
"Alright. Katara, you, Sokka, and Aang try to get the villagers to evacuate," Neo ordered. "Eli, let's pay Aunt Wu a visit."
Neo walked up the steps to Aunt Wu's house, with Eli in tow. Once he arrived at the door, he began banging on it.
"Hello, Aunt Wu? Open up, we need to speak with you," he called out.
Eli grimaced. "Looks like she's not home."
"I can see that, Eli. Dang, where does a psychic go for privacy?"
As they said that, the rest of the gang came running over.
"Well, how'd it go?" Neo asked.
"They just won't listen to reason!" Katara said.
"They're bent on listening to Aunt Wu, huh?"
"Yep."
Neo sighed. "Figures."
"Any luck with Aunt Wu?" Sokka asked.
Neo shook his head. "She's not home."
"Where does a psychic go for-"
"Never mind that," Neo interrupted. "We don't have time to wait for her to get back. And while you guys were running over here, I came up with a plan."
"Oh really? What?"
"Something I like to call fake fortunetelling."
"Isn't it always?"
"And all we're going to need is Aang and Aunt Wu's cloud book."
Aang and Eli slipped into Aunt Wu's house and began to rummage around various drawers in search of the cloud reading book.
"Man, how come we're the ones who always have to do the dirty work?" Eli thought aloud.
"Shh!" Aang hushed. "We don't want anyone to hear us!"
Aang and Eli went back to snooping in the drawers near a mirror when Eli suddenly noticed Meng's reflection in the mirror.
"Er, Aang?" Eli said quietly. "Look behind you."
Aang looked up, jumped, and spun around, startled to see Meng standing before them. He quickly straightened and cleared his throat.
"Oh," he said awkwardly. "I didn't see you there."
"You don't like me, do you?" Meng asked sadly.
"Of course I like you," Aang said.
"But not the way I like you."
"Oh... I guess not."
Eli could barely keep himself from laughing. "Awkward."
"Shut up, Eli," Aang said.
"It's okay," Meng said with a sad smile. "It's just really hard when you like someone, but they don't think of you that way."
Aang nodded. "I know what you mean."
"She's beautiful, by the way."
"Who?"
"That water tribe girl."
Eli's jaw dropped. "Wait, you were talking about Katara?"
"Yeah," Aang said. "Who did you think I was talking about? Oh, wait..."
"So Sokka was actually giving you relationship advice about his sister. That's kinda weird."
Aang didn't say anything.
"I can see why you like her so much," Meng said. "She's sweet, she's a bender, and he hair seems so manageable."
"Don't worry," Aang said. "You're going to meet a great guy who's going to completely fall for you. I know it."
"Thanks," Meng said gratefully as she watched Aang and Eli prepare to leave. "Wait! Don't you want this?"
Aang looked at Meng in surprise as Meng handed him the cloud book.
"How did you know?" Aang asked as he took the book.
Meng smiled nervously. "I've kind of been stalking you... heh..."
"Oh... thanks..." Aang said as he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "I guess..."
No one said anything for a moment.
"Awkward."
"Shut up, Eli."
"We've got the book!" Eli said, with Aang handing the book to Neo.
"Great!" he said as he began flipping through the book. "Now, to find the symbol for volcanic destruction..."
Neo found the symbol, deadpanned, and looked up.
"Don't just stand there, Neo! What is it?" Katara asked as she took the book from Neo and looked at the symbol. "Really?"
She handed the book to Sokka, who also looked at the symbol.
He scoffed. "If this doesn't prove fortunetelling is a hoax, I don't know what will."
Soon, Aang and Katara were flying through the sky on Appa's back, rearranging the clouds to match Aunt Wu's symbol.
Meanwhile, on the ground, Neo, Eli, and Sokka had finally found Aunt Wu and were bringing her to the podium to show her the clouds.
"Aunt Wu, look!" Sokka exclaimed.
"Something is happening with the clouds!" Neo said.
"That's strange." Aunt Wu said. "They shouldn't be- oh my."
Neo, Eli, and Sokka looked up and deadpanned. The clouds were in the shape of a skull.
"Of course, she was gonna predict the volcano was never gonna erupt," Neo said, shaking his head.
"Seriously," Sokka agreed.
"We can save the village if we act fast!" Aang said. "Sokka has a plan!"
"Lava is going to flow down the hill to this spot," he explained. "If we dig a deep enough trench, we can channel all the lava away from the village into the river."
"If any of you are earth benders, go with Aang," Neo ordered. "Everyone else, grab a shovel and come with us."
The crowd quickly dispersed and began following Neo's orders. Soon, they managed to form a deep trench. However, it soon became clear that they wouldn't finish the trench before the volcano erupted.
"Dig faster! Dig faster!" Sokka ordered.
Suddenly, an explosion filled the air.
"Everyone needs to evacuate!" Aang shouted as he leaped to the edge of the trench. "We'll come for you when it's safe!"
The villagers quickly ran from the trench and the village as the lava began to pour out of the volcano. Soon, the lava reached the trench, which began to fill rapidly.
"It's too much!" Kataar shouted. "It's gonna overflow!"
"We need to get out of here! Now!" Neo called.
Sokka, Katara, Neo, and Eli retreated from the trench. Aang, however, remained as the lava inched closer.
"What is he doing?" Eli asked incredulously.
"Get out of there, Aang!" Sokka called.
"Aang! Aang!" Katara shouted as she began to run back to him. She was stopped by Neo, who held her back.
"Let's see what he's gonna do," Neo said.
"But-"
"He's the Avatar. He knows what he's doing."
Aang's face was pursed in determination as he jumped into the air, gathering enough power to send out a blast of air that blew the lava back.
"Man, I sometimes forget what a powerful bender that kid is..." Sokka lamented.
"For real," Eli agreed.
"Wait, what did you just say, Sokka? Katara asked.
"Nothing, just that I sometimes forget what a powerful bender Aang is."
Katara looked back at Aang and stared at him, a glassy look in her eyes. "I... suppose he is..."
Neo smiled as he heard what she said.
"By the way, we kind of borrowed your book," Aang said sheepishly as he handed Aunt Wu her cloud reading book.
"So you messed with the clouds, did you?" Aunt Wu questioned as she snatched the book from Aang, causing both him and Katara to give her a guilty look.
"Very clever!" She said with an amused laugh.
"No offense, but I hope this has taught everyone here a lesson about relying too much on fortunetelling," Sokka addressed as he looked at the villagers sternly.
"But Aunt Wu predicted the village wouldn't be destroyed, and it wasn't," one of the villagers said. "She was right, after all."
"Sokka glared at the man. "I hate you."
"It's okay, Sokka," Katara soothed as led him away. "Everything's going to be alright."
Aang watched Sokka and Katara walk towards Appa and looked at Aunt Wu. "Can I ask you something?"
"Of course, honey." Aunt Wu replied with a gentle smile.
"You didn't really see love in my fortune, did you?" he asked disappointedly. "You just told me what I wanted to hear."
"I'll tell you a little secret, young Airbender," Aunt Wu stated and gestured to the sky, "Just as you reshaped those clouds, you have the power to shape your own destiny."
Aang smiled and looked at Katara, who was now sitting on Appa's head.
"Goodbye, everyone!" She called out brightly. "It was so nice to meet you all!"
"Now, just wait one second, sweetie," Aunt Wu said. "We still have one more thing to take care of."
The gang looked at each other in confusion.
"I still need to read this young man's fortune!" she said, gesturing towards Neo.
Neo snorted. "I'm good."
"Come on, Neo!" Katara exclaimed. "We all did it. Even Sokka did it!"
"Come on, dear," Aunt Wu said. "It won't take long. Just a few seconds."
"Don't do it, Neo," Sokka said, shaking his head.
"Oh come on, it'll be fun!" Katara said.
"Just do it," Eli added.
Neo rolled his eyes. "If I do it, will you guys leave me alone?"
Everyone nodded, and Neo turned to look at Aunt Wu.
"Give me your hand," she said.
Neo looked at he like she had two heads.
"Here?" he asked. "Now?"
"No time like the present."
Neo sighed and held out his hand, which she took.
"Hmmm... you're hands have seen many things in their lives," she said as she analyzed his palms.
"Oh, really?" Neo asked sarcastically.
"I can see your future... and... oh my..." Aunt Wu gasped.
"What?"
"You're coming to this world... will change everything."
"What?"
"You and your yellow-haired friend there... will completely change to course of history."
Neo and Eli looked at each other and blinked. He was intrigued now.
"And someone from your past... someone you once thought dead... will come back to haunt you."
Neo gasped as he suddenly remembered his journey into the Spirit World, where his master had said almost the exact same thing.
If you are enjoying this story so far, please remember to follow, favorite, and review it. It would make a man like me very happy. Also, I've made some edits to previous chapters and rewrote part of chapter 1. Feel free to check them out.
This is RabbiSlimThot, signing off