A/N: I am not dead and neither is this fic. My writing life is undergoing chaos as I transition away from using other people's expectations to write towards motivating myself to write. It's a necessary skill and it's taking some time to master. The usual publishing schedule for this fic is hereby suspended. I do not know if I will ever reinstate it. Chapters from now on will be published whenever I feel like it.
Hopefully readers will find this chapter worth the wait, as I believe it is.
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Time.
It was a strange thing that never behaved as expected. One moment, too much of it - the next, not enough. The elusive "just enough" time, desired by everyone, was rarely spoken of and even more rarely found.
It was best to forget about time altogether. How much of it there was, how much of it was needed: what good did it do to think of such things? Azula's ship wouldn't reach the Fire Nation any faster or slower. Appa wouldn't reach Ba Sing Se any faster, either. And neither Mai nor Ty Lee possessed time- or space-warping powers. It was better to focus on what needed to be done and forget about time altogether.
The first party to reach their destination was Zuko. He had not the slightest clue how much time had passed. He'd been far too busy to keep track. As his chains were taken off and his wrists cuffed, he tried not to shiver. Ugh. I don't feel right inside. I need more time! Hopefully they hold me for a while before I have to face my father.
He was, indeed, held for a little while as Azula went ashore to inform the palace of her arrival. He spent that time taking deep breaths and running through the script he had prepared for himself. I am untouchable. I am not human. I am elemental. I belong with the wind and the streams and the rocks. They don't fear humankind, so why should I? I fear nothing. I am free.
When Azula returned, he was as ready as he could be. The script was working; the new personality state was settling in. Zuko put a determined look on his face as he was forced to his feet and marched away. Let's hope I can keep it in place.
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The second party to reach their destination was Aang and his friends. They meant to travel all the way to Ba Sing Se, but something was wrong. Appa flew slowly. At first, they blamed this on the hot desert sun, but it only got worse after they left the desert. He was obviously trying his best, but he was just so tired. They took a rest break at an isolated lake. Appa lay down, closed his eyes and began to snore.
"He's carried too much weight for too long," Iroh said. "It's time for me to go."
"You aren't coming to Ba Sing Se with us?" Katara asked.
Iroh shook his head. "I don't need to in order to accomplish my goal."
"Good luck," Aang said. "I'll practice the stances you showed me."
They gave Iroh food and an extra canteen of water. He packed up all of his possessions, including the Pai Sho set. He said it would come in handy. They wished him well. Iroh turned and headed for a gap in the rocky wall that surrounded the lake. Suddenly, people appeared in that very gap! "Oh!" Iroh exclaimed. "You startled me."
"Hello, fellow refugees!" said the sole man of the group. He was accompanied by two women: one in an advanced state of pregnancy, and a slightly younger woman who might have been the pregnant lady's sister. They all looked glad to have found company.
As those three settled in by the lake, Iroh congratulated the pregnant woman on her new baby. "I'm afraid I must be going," he said, "but I wish you the best of luck on your journey."
"Aren't you traveling to Ba Sing Se?" she asked.
"We are, but he's not," Sokka told her. "He's got, uh…friends to look for."
"Understood," replied the man. He handed the younger woman a freshly-filled canteen, which she drank from eagerly. "Good luck. You aren't the only one searching for loved ones. I, my wife Ying, and her sister Yuan were lucky to be able to travel together."
Iroh nodded. "A long journey is short when made in good company. You are fortunate indeed. Thank you." He went through the gap in the rocks and disappeared.
Appa snorted in his sleep. The three strangers, so intent on sitting down and getting a drink of fresh water, hadn't noticed him before. Their jaws dropped. "That's a flying bison," Ying said. "You must be the Avatar!"
"Yeah," Aang said, putting on a reluctant smile. "That's us."
"Does it have room for three more?" asked Yuan.
"No," Toph replied. "He doesn't have room for us. He's so tired he can barely fly. We're gonna have to find a land route."
"You should come with us to Full Moon Bay," Ying's husband said. "Ferries take refugees across the lake. It's the fastest way to Ba Sing Se."
"And it's hidden, so the Fire Nation can't find it," Ying reassured.
"I don't know," Sokka muttered. "Taking Appa to a place filled with desperate people waiting for rides sounds like a great way to whip up a mob."
"On the other hand, we do need to get to Ba Sing Se quickly," Katara said.
"Maybe we can rest for a while and fly across when Appa feels better."
"Not a good idea, Sokka," Aang said. "Flying bison are sacred, so the monks made sure we knew how to care for them. One of the things they said was that flying bison are the most loyal creatures in the world. They will give everything they've got for you. That means that if Appa looks tired, he's run out of strength to give. He's gonna need a lot more than a nap to recover."
"Your friend is right," Ying's husband muttered. "You can't come with us to Full Moon Bay. We've seen how desperate people are. You would be besieged for sure."
"Are there any other ways to Ba Sing Se?" Katara asked.
"Only one," Ying said gravely. "The Serpent's Pass. It is a deadly route, taken only by the most desperate."
Toph raised a giant statue of herself out of the ground. "I think we can handle it."
"Wait," Aang said. "Deadly how? Are there venomous scorpions that could crawl into Appa's fur and sting him while he sleeps? Fire Nation patrols hurling giant fireballs at any travelers they see?"
Ying's husband grimaced. "There are Fire Nation patrols along one side, and we've heard rumors of something else. It is called the Serpent's Pass for a reason. We don't know exactly what that reason is, but the rumors tell of great danger. Some call the pass cursed."
"Another curse? What is it with all these curses?!" Sokka exclaimed.
"You guys are experienced curse breakers?" Toph asked. "I rest my case. We'll be fine. Tell us where this pass is."
"You know what, why don't we go to this hidden bay and leave Appa outside while we arrange for a ferry ride?" Sokka nodded as if everyone already agreed.
Appa's eyes flew open. He stood up and roared the fierce roar he used in life-or-death combat. "No way," Aang said, his voice as firm as stone. "We're not splitting up."
"It sounds like our only alternative is a cursed pass filled with fireballs," Sokka said. "Either that, or we all swim across the lake."
"I can't swim," Toph said quickly.
"You wouldn't have to," Katara said. "Appa's a great swimmer. It would be gentler than flying. All we'd have to worry about is staying out of the way of the ferries."
"The lake is very, very large though," Ying's husband said. "At the speed of walking or swimming, it can't be crossed in one day."
"Wait," Katara said, her face brightening. "You said the Fire Nation patrols one side of the pass. What about the other side? Appa can swim next to the pass, away from the ferry boats and hidden from the Fire Nation, and come up onto the pass whenever he needs a rest."
Nobody could find a reason why this wouldn't work. Appa did not protest the idea. "Can we come?" Ying asked. "The pass might be dangerous, but riding next to it sounds safe enough. It would be just like a ferry ride."
"Sure," Katara replied. Ying's party agreed. It was a plan.
They reached the coast late in the day and decided to make an early camp for the night instead of beginning the long swim. Ying and Appa were just as glad. The area around the pass was rocky and barren, so Toph made several earth tents. In the center of those tents, around a campfire, they enjoyed a relaxed dinner and traded stories. Ying and her family had traveled quite a distance, it turned out. There was a lot to learn. When they went to bed for the night, Aang smiled a genuine smile. There still was genuine companionship in the world. There still was hope. He needed to remember that.
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The third party to reach their destination was Mai and Ty Lee. They linked up with the existing Fire Nation detail at Ba Sing Se's outer wall. To their surprise, the commander in charge there had something new to show them. They rode out to and boarded a gigantic machine: a drill proportionately as large as Ba Sing Se's walls. The commander apologized; had he known they were coming, he would have delayed its deployment until they arrived. "It's a good thing you didn't know, then," Mai replied. "This thing has an actual chance of breaking through. Delaying would be stupid."
"It's really impressive!" Ty Lee added before the commander could get too offended. "Show us how it works!"
The commander took them on a tour of all the controls and showed them blueprints. Afterward, they went to the control tower, which he ordered the drivers to raise so that they could see the wall ahead of them. "This drill is a feat of scientific ingenuity and raw destructive power," he proclaimed, subtly puffing his chest out. "Once it tunnels through the wall, our troops will storm their city. The Earth Kingdom will finally fall. Nothing can stop us."
Mai clenched her fists. She knew this man. He was a War Minister, and rightfully should have been back home in the royal palace attending meeting after boring meeting, like she had had to do before Azula rescued her. Why did she seem to be the only person in the entire Fire Nation whose useful talents were being squandered? She breathed in through her nose, reminding herself not to let jealousy blind her. Azula wouldn't approve.
Ty Lee looked through the viewscope. "What about those muscle-y guys down there?"
"The drill's metal shell is impervious to any earthbending attack," the commander replied, shooting a look at Ty Lee. If they hadn't had Azula's royal seal with them, he would have been higher-ranked. Having to show them the same deference he would have shown the princess was slowly killing him.
"I'm sure it is," Mai said. "But sitting back and waiting to be attacked is just dumb. Ty Lee, go take care of them." Ty Lee darted out of the room, leaving Mai with the war minister in the center of a room full of lackeys. It was uncomfortable.
Mai reminded herself that, though she was trying to live up to Azula's high standards, she wasn't Azula. She had to do things her way, not the way Azula would have done them. Azula might have said something to this man as part of a political game. Mai did not. She went back to the quiet room housing the blueprints to think through her next moves. The fact that plans were already in motion challenged her to think faster and move more decisively than usual. "Impervious to earthbending attack," she muttered. "Slow-moving, with two walls to drill through. They have time to come up with something that isn't earthbending." She studied the blueprints again, looking for possible weaknesses, as Azula would have done.
She couldn't help but notice that, while the outer shell was pretty impressive, the inner parts were nothing special. The drill was full of pipes and struts - those weren't impervious. What if some earthbenders did exactly what she and Ty Lee usually did: stealthily sneaking in? Mai looked for any openings, and found that the drill actually had quite a lot of them. She raced back to the command post. The war minister straightened up. "War Minister Qin," Mai ordered in her most commanding voice. "Deploy the soldiers onboard this drill to the underbelly, the drains, the extension points, and any other opening the drill has."
"But they need to be ready to invade the city," he replied. He knew her too. Royal seal or not, she wasn't going to receive the immediate obedience that Azula would have.
Mai swallowed down her resentment and pressed on. "The outer shell is impervious. That means the only attack that can possibly stop this drill is an attack on its insides. Do you think Ba Sing Se is populated by brain-damaged idiots? They're going to realize that. Deploy every single soldier if you have to. Their readiness means nothing if this drill doesn't make it past the walls." She turned and swept out of the room, like a princess. Then she stopped outside and listened to make sure he actually did as she ordered, like Azula.
He did. She heard the war minister announce over the intercom that every soldier was to report to the nearest extension point. He then summoned some names that she recognized as his personal lackeys to the command post. Mai left. She'd heard enough to be confident that he would follow her instructions to the letter.
She was surprised by a tingling feeling in her fingers. As she studied them, she realized it was the feeling of power. She had more power now than she had ever had in her entire life. And she liked it.
.
Meanwhile, the long swim continued. Appa swam at a leisurely pace since every single human being present had gone to great lengths to tell him how important it was that he rest and regain strength. Aang had told the story of how Appa fought off the fire-throwers in the hot and dry land. He said they might need that again. Appa had heard the things they talked about. Although he couldn't understand everything, he understood enough to agree with Aang. Their small herd had been migrating, prioritizing fast travel over everything else. Now they were slowing down and preparing to fight their way through some obstacle. He'd better get his horns ready.
Aang flew ahead, keeping watch for danger. The sight of it made Appa sad. Aang had to do this because the other flier, the small one named Momo, was not around. If Momo had been around, he would have kept watch and Aang could have rested. Or he and Aang would have kept watch together, and they would have flown in circles and loops, laughing. But Aang kept watch alone, and he flew in straight lines. There was no one to play or laugh with.
Appa was a herd beast. As such, he felt the loss of a herd member far more deeply than any of the humans did. He wasn't tired from carrying heavy weights; he could have continued to do that for another year. He was tired because his too-small herd had been made even smaller. The smaller a herd was, the more attached the beasts in it grew to each other. Appa had loved Momo and the friendly fire-thrower in a fierce and desperate way. Without them, he felt so very sad. Aang thought he was tired in general, that he could no more fight than fly. Aang was wrong. If anything threatened the herd, it would find itself facing Appa's horns.
So when Aang returned and reported a gap in the pass ahead with a dark shape swimming nearby…
Appa did not need to be told twice to get out of the water. He flew up onto the pass, surprising the small water-weaver, who had been prepared to lift him up. She helped all of the humans get onto dry land. Appa roared and shifted his weight from side to side, not enough to actually throw the pregnant human out of the saddle but enough to make it clear he didn't want her there anymore. The humans eventually figured this out and helped her down. Appa would have preferred not to wear the saddle either, but he had no way to communicate that, so he charged ahead. The humans ran after him, calling for him to stop. Aang flew at his side, asking what he was doing.
Appa came to the gap in the pass and leaped into the water. He splashed around vigorously, soaking the dry portion of the pass. He climbed back onto the wet rocks and roared in challenge, then waited. Aang landed at his side and said, "Hold on! Appa, you don't need to fight this thing. It's a water creature. Katara and I can handle it."
Appa was normally very obedient. Aang's words were sensible. But after losing Momo and the friendly fire-thrower who had brushed Appa's coat so many times, who had earned a very special place in Appa's heart very close to the emptiness he felt from being the only one of his kind… Appa really wanted to use his horns.
The water creature surfaced. One fin sliced the waves, then another at almost the same time but far away. The humans exclaimed in fear. Suddenly, with a mighty splash, it reared up out of the waves. It was an enormous serpent, its sleek scaly body shimmering in the sunlight as it screeched. Appa roared back. The serpent fixed its eyes on him. Quickly, before the serpent could strike at him and possibly wound the vulnerable humans standing too close behind, Appa leaped into the air. He soared up, over the serpent's head, making it turn around. Then he dived down.
It twisted out of his way with a screech. Appa grunted. The giant snake was too maneuverable. It was going to be nearly impossible for him to hit it.
Aang and the water-weaver joined in. With ice, they trapped the serpent's tail. It turned around to look at the ice. While it was distracted, Appa charged. But it broke the ice very quickly and ducked out of the way just in time. He needed something stronger.
The serpent fixed its attention on him. It lunged at him with its mouth agape. Appa flew out of the way. It twisted its body and struck again from the opposite direction, grazing one of his left legs. Then it twisted and struck again. Appa was forced upward, beyond its striking range. It screeched at him angrily.
Then it screeched again, fearfully. Aang and the water-weaver had snuck up around it and begun to run in circles, creating a whirlpool. The whirlpool trapped the serpent better than the ice had. It found itself spinning, unable to coil or twist, helpless. Appa went for the kill. His horns caught it just below the jaw, piercing the skin, ripping the serpent's head most of the way off as Appa's momentum propelled them into the dry rock of the pass. Appa removed his horns, threw his head back and roared. It felt good to charge!
Aang and the water-weaver returned. They stared up at Appa with their mouths hanging open. The other humans came closer, walking in a frightened and careful way. "Your bison is fierce," the strange male said.
"He's never done anything like that before," the water-weaver's sibling replied. "Appa, what's gotten into you?"
Aang placed a hand on Appa's nose. Appa closed his eyes and breathed out slowly, reassuring his human of the bond between them. "You're not tired because of carrying too much weight, are you?" Aang asked. "You're tired because of losing people. Seeing the horrible things that the Fire Nation does and not being able to stop it makes you feel like you can't do anything or protect anyone. It makes you feel hopeless and powerless." Aang looked at Appa with tears in his eyes. He felt the same way. "But we are not hopeless or powerless. There is hope and we can do something. We're gonna go to Ba Sing Se, raise an army, storm the Fire Nation and rescue Zuko and Momo. We're gonna get them back, buddy. I promise." Appa roared. That wonderful day couldn't come soon enough!
"He's not exhausted? Just depressed?" the water-weaver's sibling asked. "Does that mean we can fly the rest of the way?"
"I don't know. Does it?" Aang looked up at Appa with a smile.
Appa could have carried them. But since Aang was giving him a choice, he snorted and looked at the water. Swimming felt really nice after so long in that hot, dry land.
.
Katara washed the serpent's body into the lake, where it belonged. "The curse on the Serpent's Pass is lifted," she proclaimed. "Refugees can cross safely now. Assuming they have a boat, that is. Or… Hmm…" She helped Toph walk underwater, allowing the earthbender to raise the lake bed into a rocky bridge. "There. Now anyone can cross, boat or no boat."
Ying and her family cheered. "When we reach Ba Sing Se, we'll spread the word," Ying's husband promised. "There will surely be ways for refugees who have reached safety to send letters to anyone they left behind. We'll spread the news that way."
"Katara, I need some more help over here," Toph called. Katara led her underwater again. Toph earthbended the lakebed in ways that Katara couldn't see, but felt through her feet.
"What are you doing, Toph?"
"I'm not creating earth out of nowhere. If we leave behind the space where all this rock used to be, the weight of hordes of refugees walking across will sink it," Toph answered. "I'm bending the rest of the lakebed in underneath to stabilize the bridge."
"Oh. That's a great idea, Toph. Thank you for thinking of it."
Toph knocked on her forehead. "Just because I like to throw rocks, it doesn't mean I'm a brickhead."
When they were finished, they boarded Appa. Appa swam faster and sometimes ducked his head underwater, letting it wash clean the bases of his horns. The whole party was in high spirits when they finally reached the end of the pass. "Alright," Sokka proclaimed. "We have crossed the deadly pass and defeated the serpent. Now there's nothing but smooth sailing to Ba Sing Se."
They still had to walk a great distance. As the famed walls of Ba Sing Se came into sight, almost everyone sighed in relief. But Ying moaned. Katara's experience helping her grandmother kicked in. "Ying? Are you alright?"
"Yes," Ying replied. Her face had grown sweaty. "All this walking makes my thighs sore, that's all."
"I'm not so sure of that," Katara replied. "I used to help my grandmother deliver babies. Birth can take a long time; we had one case where it took almost a whole day, the woman having labor pains for hours before her water broke. Appa, get ready. We're flying."
Ying gasped. "It does seem to be coming and going in waves…"
As Toph lifted Ying into the saddle with earthbending and everyone else climbed aboard the old-fashioned way, Katara thanked her lucky stars that they had been within sight of the walls. Ying had done far too good a job of hiding her discomfort. If the walls hadn't provoked her into exclaiming, she could have ended up giving birth in the bare dirt of an active battlefield. But now, if Appa flew fast, they had a decent chance of getting her into the city before the big moment arrived. Appa understood the urgency. As Ying moaned, he leaped into the air and flew as fast as he could toward the top of the walls.
"Oh no. Oh double no," Sokka exclaimed. "Aang, Toph, we have to get off at the wall. Katara, you take her into the city. The rest of us have to help whoever's in charge of Ba Sing Se's defenses fight off that thing."
Katara leaned over the side of the saddle. She could see something large and artificial moving across the field near the walls. She took the spyglass from Sokka and peered through it. Her heart sank. It was a giant drill, and it was minutes from making contact.
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A/N: Yeah, I'm not a fan of Ying's convenient surprise quickie birth scene. None of those adjectives apply to most real-life births.
