Fight 35: The desert

The wind blew loudly around the Avatar and his friends. It was carrying enough sand to slightly obscure their view, like they were in the middle of a fog. They were all looking in different directions, trying to spot the missing member of their group. Aang started lashing out on Toph for having let those people take Appa. Why didn't she do something? She could have come and get him so he could have saved Appa. He also accused her of not caring about the bison and wishing him gone since she had never liked him. The little girl desperately tried to justify herself. The library was sinking and they were still inside, she couldn't save them both! And she could hardly feel any vibrations out here. The sandbenders had snuck up on her and there was no time! Katara approached them and placed her hand on his shoulder in an attempt to appease him. She asked him to stop it. He knew Toph had done all she could and saved their lives. However...

"Who's going to save our lives now? We'll never make it out of here." Sokka pointed out as he motioned to the endless desert with an arm.

"That's all any of you guys care about: yourselves! You don't care whether Appa is okay or not!" The airbender angrily stalked off.

"We're all concerned, but we can't afford to be fighting now." Katara's words fell on deaf ears though. Aang declared he was going to find Appa and took off without listening. "We'd better start walking. We're the only people who know about the solar eclipse. We have to get that information to Ba Sing Se." She decided. Her brother hoped that giant owl would give them a ride if they dug it out. Desperate situations called for desperate measures. His request was denied though and the three started walking while Momo was flying in front.

Once they were at a safe distance, the sand sailors, still dragging Appa, stopped at the order of the young leader. They were still in the open desert but he wanted to hurry and review his loot. He told two of his subordinates to ransack the saddle. Who knew what treasures were stashed in there? The bison roared menacingly, and the two nomads stopped short of him, looking back to their leader. Gashuin reassured them. He was tied up good and couldn't hurt them. The sandbenders leaped up onto the saddle, kicking up a cloud of dust in his face that caused him to snuffle and let loose a tremendous sneeze. The blast of air hit the center skiff, sending it rocketing through the air to wreck against a sand dune.

"What's your father going to do when he finds out we lost a sand sailor?

"Nothing. It's the one we stole from the Hammi tribe. Did you empty the saddle?" The leader walked up to the pile of gear and kicked Sokka's club in frustration. "That's it! Nothing but garbage! Ahh! It doesn't matter. We'll still make a profit from selling him to those beetle-headed merchants!"

Chenlian Zuko and Iroh rode their ostrich-horse into another woody area. The girl was in front, the young man in the middle holding the reins, and the elder on the back wouldn't stop grunting in pain for five seconds. Annoyed, Zuko suggested they made camp. His female friend stifled a giggle. Surely Iroh must be hurting a bit but she also suspected he was purposely overdoing it and driving his beloved nephew over the edge. What a sure-kill tactic. Well, it was not like they were in a hurry.

"No, please, don't stop just for me!" However, the elderly groaned even more loudly and exaggeratedly. No longer able to take it, the prince stopped the animal and the three dismounted. Iroh went straight to sit on a rock. The girl snickered. That old one really knew how to push which buttons. But then the ostrich-horse perked up, and its ears pointed up. It had clearly detected something unusual. The two youngsters took a defensive stance. "What now ?" Iroh grumbled. In an instant, the Rough Rhinos had them surrounded. The retired general brightened, stood up, and placed a hand on his nephew's shoulder. "Colonel Mongke! What a pleasant surprise!"

"If you're surprised we're here then the Dragon of the West has lost a few steps. Chenlian, this time we'll definitely capture you!" The colonel menaced and made sparks with his bracers. His men readied their weapons. Zuko asked if they knew these guys.

"Sure. Colonel Mongke and the Rough Rhinos are legendary. Each one is a different kind of weapons specialist. They are also a very capable singing group." His uncle replied.

"We're not here to give a concert. We're here to apprehend fugitives!" Mongke shot back.

"Well I pinned that Colonel Monkey and his men as a bunch of cowardly brutes who liked needlessly razing villages full of innocent people and only targeted those they believed weaker than them. Now I want to add that they don't seem to have a learning ability. I alone had been enough to dispose of them at the time. I wonder what makes them think they can succeed now with us three as opponents." Chenlian stated her caustic opinion with a ruthless smile.

"It's Colonel Mongke!"

"Now, now, no need to be so hostile. Would you like some tea first ? I'd love some. How about you, Khachi? I make you as a jasmine man. Am I right ?" The elder looked at the guan dao wielder.

"Enough stalling! Round'em up!" The mercenary leader shouted. Ogodei swung his bolas at Iroh kicked the ball away that went to wrap around the foot of Kahchi's rhino. Iroh dodged the fire blast and fire arrow by tumbling along the ground. He rose back up and slapped the rump of the rhino that had been chained. It ran off with its rider, yanking the dark-skinned warrior who had one end of the chain attached to his belt. Iroh waved as he watched them go. The archer shot a lit arrow at Zuko's back but the teen sensed it, turned, and broke the arrow with the side of his hand before realising a small but fast blast which accurately burned a hole in the archer's bow and broke the string. The colonel launched fire at Chenlian but it was choked by her own fireball. He managed to block it however she had already jumped on his rhino. She kicked him away. Iroh climbed onto the ostrich-horse, and then Zuko who holding the last rough rhino at bay. They passed by the girl who jumped onto the mount too. The explosives specialist pursued them and threw a grenade but Chenlian detonated it in mid-air.

"It's nice to see old friends." The old man commented with a smile as they rode away. His nephew remarked drily that it was too bad he didn't have any old friends that didn't want to attack him. The young woman was sure Iroh had some of those though, since he was the type to befriend anyone anywhere. "Hmm... Old friends that don't want to attack me..." Iroh pondered.

Katara was leading Sokka and Toph through the desert. They were all hot, dry, and tired. The boy put Momo on his head and spread his wings for the shade. Toph bumped into him since he had slowed, knocking the lemur off his head.

"Can't you watch where you're—"

"No."

"Right. Sorry." He apologized, remembering her blindness. His sister turned to encourage them. They had to stick together. "If I sweat any more, I don't think sticking together will be a problem." He tried to pull himself and Toph apart as his shirt was sticking to her sleeve but since it seemed to be taking forever, the earthbender knocked him him, effectively disconnecting them. Then she requested some water. Katara agreed but they've got to try to conserve it. She bended a little water from her pouch she divided equally between her brother Toph and Momo. They drank it and were displeased with the taste. It was her bending water she had used on the swamp guy. The waterbender apologized. This was all they had. Her big bro wasn't of the same mind though. He had found a large cactus, and where there was life, there was water! He cut a piece off with his knife, and drained the liquid content into his mouth. The animal did the same.

"Sokka, wait! You shouldn't be eating strange plants!" Katara yelled, grabbing Toph's wrist and running to them. He offered some cactus water to her but she turned him down, unsure. And she had been right. Sokka might have had this thirst quenched, but suddenly, his pupils dilated, his expression became blank, and he started acting weird, moving like a worm on the sand and talking nonsense. "Okay, I think you've had enough." Katara took the cactus bowl and emptied it on the ground. Her sibling returned and asked who had lit Toph on fire . Momo spun in a circle in the air and dived to the ground where he crashed. Toph wanted some of that cactus but it wasn't a good idea. They needed to find Aang. The water tribe girl picked Momo and led Toph away before turning back and fetching her brother who hadn't moved at all. Sokka asked how they had gotten out here in the middle of the ocean .

Appa was dragged into a camp past a group of three well dressed men with tall beetle-shaped helmets. Once the skiffs stopped, the men walked around to the front of Appa stopping to his head to appraise him. A merchant asked about the beast's temper.

"Uhhhh, pretty good." Gashuin replied. But then the bison roared ferociously, causing everyone present to jump back in fear. "Uh, most of the time." The young bender sheepishly added. The second merchant turned to the first one. Someone was sure to pay a fortune for him in Ba Sing Se. The tradesman agreed to the deal. The thieving sandbenders accepted a small chest and left with a satisfied smile after checking the content. Appa was put onto a large sled and held in place by six arms levers. The sled was pulled by a giant green stag beetle ridden by one of the camp followers. Not too far from here, Aang was riding his glider low across the waves of sand, shouting the name of his missing friend. Then he blew furiously on the bison whistle. Hearing the note, Appa's eyes snapped open. The buffalo started moaning and struggling, rocking the entire sled. "He's your problem now. Hahaha!" Gashuin called back, laughing, and the sand sailors left. The merchants were angry but had no choice but to do something on their own now. Appa's tail broke the rope holding it down, and with a powerful slap he launched himself, sled and all, into the air and over the stag beetle. The beetle was flipped over and dragged through the camp, destroying a tent in the process. A merchant took a blowgun and hit the bison's paw with shirshu spit darts. Appa fell instantly asleep due to the poison and crashed back on the sand. And so the merchants decided to get rid of this all too troublesome animal and sell him away to someone who could tame him...

Aang landed on a dune. He called Appa, but nothing. The desert was just as empty. His eyes watered, he screamed, and in sheer rage and frustration, he slammed his staff into the sand, creating a large mushroom cloud of sand. His three human companions saw it in the distance and wondered what it was. Sokka suggested that the giant mushroom might be friendly. Katara kept them going, hoping that Aang was okay. Her bro waved his arms, danced, and called his friendly mushroom, his mushy giant friend.

At the Misty Palm Oasis, Master Yu of the earthbending academy, and Xin Fu of Earth Rumble 6 were interrogating the villagers. A man told them a little barefoot blind girl and her friends had passed through here a few days ago but needed a little incentive in order to give out more information. However, he instantly talked under the threat of having his fingers broken. They had gone in the desert! Too bad there was almost no chance of survival. Xin Fu said it was okay, since she was wanted dead or alive. Yu was certain her father wanted her back alive though. Then, they noticed Fire Nation wanted posters. The middle one had an illustration of Zuko and Iroh, and the one under it had a picture of Chenlian. The teacher didn't get the point until the tournament fighter showed him the three from the posters walking towards a building. They smiled at each other, their greed showing on their face.

It was getting dark when Aang finally returned to his friends. Katara approached him as he knelt down. She apologized. She knew it was hard for him right now, but they need to focus on getting out of here. But the Avatar didn't see the point. They wouldn't survive without Appa anyway. She tried to give him hope again. They could do this if they worked together. She was really the only who still looked forward. As far as Toph could feel, they were trapped in a giant bowl of sand pudding. So she got nothing. And Sokka was too busy to lie on his back and stare at the sky with Momo to think properly. He pointed at the buzzard wasps circling above them. Maybe THEY could help. Katara looked at everyone: Aang was still sulking, Toph was staggering and Sokka was useless. She had to shape up.

"Ugh... We're getting out of this desert, and we're going to do it together! Aang, get up. Everybody hold hands. We can do this. We have to." She affirmed with determination as she took Aang's staff and led him along. He was holding Toph's hand. Toph was holding Sokka's hand. And Sokka was pulling Momo by the tail. They walked until the end of dusk. The stars were shining. When Katara said they should stop for the night, everyone collapsed like dolls. The earthbender asked for more water. This was the last of it but everyone could have a little drink. The water tribe girl bended an orb of water from her flask. Suddenly, Momo leapt and tried to drink it, causing it to splash onto the sand. Sokka freaked out, accusing the lemur of having killed them all, and scrambled towards the wet spot. His little sis reassured him and bended the water out of the moist sand back into the flask she handed to Toph. Bending... what a convenient thing... "Sokka, let me see the things you got from the library." She requested.

"What! I didn't steal anything! Who told you that?!" The warrior reeled back, offended and clutching his bag full of scrolls. He pointed an accusing finger at Momo (who acted guiltily) and this time accused him of ratting him out.

"Sokka, I was there." Katara patiently reminded him as she took her brother's bag. But to Aang, it didn't matter. None of those would tell them where Appa was. She studied a star map. "No, but we can find out which way Ba Sing Se is. We can use the stars to guide us. That way we can travel at night when it's cool and rest during the day." She sighed. "Just try to get some sleep. We'll start again in a few hours."

As the three firebenders entered the restaurant, a man in sand-colored clothes with his arms and legs wrapped in bandages bumped into Zuko who demanded an apology. But instead of apologizing, the guy acted all the more defiant. It was clear that the bump had been on purpose and he was picking a fight. Chenlian held her head. Zuko had always fallen for such provocations. She stepped inbetween them, apologized in behalf of her companion with a sweet smile. And while the flustered troublemaker stammered, the girl ushered her lover inside.

"I didn't need your help! Why did you interfere? Why did you apologize to that guy? You want me to ignore such disrespect?!"

"I just didn't want you to make a scene. This is not the time or place. And I didn't want to waste any more time or energy. A smile and an apology, even insincere, can take you out of many sticky situations. That was the quickest way to solve things. Besides, between that guy and his cheap provocation and me and my words, which is more important to you?" Chenlian stared straight at him, and he had no choice but to submit. She smiled and happily went to buy some of those fruity beverages in ice bowls. Zuko watched her go. He felt as if he had been tricked but seeing her happy like that he couldn't help but feel that it was fine and smile slightly too. However, his smile turned into a scowl when she gave that bartender that adorable smile of hers and he smiled too and gave her a double ration of fruits. She returned at the table and commented that she really liked that bartender's skills and way of handling the swords. So much better than hacking people up.

"Well, I don't like how you smiled at that old man." Zuko snapped.

"Why? With just a smile I can get discounts and freebies. It's all good, isn't it?" The girl didn't get what he was so angry about. Smiles could be so incredibly useful... not using them would be such a waste. But then, that was not something HE would know...

"You're MY girlfriend, don't show such a smile to others." He crossly insisted. Chenlian understood at last and smiled. There was really no need for him to get jealous, and at this point you could call it paranoia. But...

"I can't promise anything. I still want to get discounts and freebies, and I want to make you just a bit jealous from time to time too." She grinned so charmingly that he couldn't stay mad at her after all. She wanted him to get jealous over her, make sure she had all his attention... because she loved him. But they didn't come here to flirt. The three looked around for one who could be Iroh's friend. As they didn't seem to have much luck, the boy started complaining. No one here was going to help them. These people just looked like filthy wanderers. His uncle remarked that they looked the same as these people and then pointed at an old, bald man sitting at a Pai Sho table. Looked like he had found his friend.

"You brought us here to gamble on Pai Sho ?" Zuko questioned, not sounding very pleased.

"I don't think this is a gamble. Right, Chenlian?" The fomer general replied.

"Yes." She smirked before turning to her childhood friend. "I've told you, you care too much about appearances, that's why you keep getting deceived so easily." The three walked over to the table. Xin Fu and Master Yu were sitting on a bench and watching the fugitives (unaware that their persistent attention had gotten Chenlian's notice). The Earth Rumble fighter wanted to take them nowbut the professor stopped him with a hand on the shoulder and told him to be patient. This place was full of desperate characters. If they found out they were collecting a bounty, they might have to fight them all just to keep the prize. Iroh requested a game.

"The guest has the first move." The pai sho player motioned to the table. The guest sat down and placed the lotus tile in the middle of the board. "I see you favor the white lotus gambit. Not many still cling to the ancient ways."

"Those who do can always find a friend." The old firebender replied.

"Then let us play." The two men placed one tile after another in rapid succession while the teens sat down too and watched. When the players were done, the tiles had formed the shape of a lotus, with the lotus tile in the center. "Welcome, brother. The White Lotus opens wide to those who know her secrets." He greeted them. Chenlian smiled and bowed. There have been times when those 'brothers' had helped her and saved her life. They had been her only sure support. Zuko asked what were those 'old gasbags' talking about . He seemed to be sulking, annoyed that he was the only one left out. There was definitely some secret he hadn't been told about. And he had never been able to stand things happening outside his control.

"I always tried to tell you that Pai Sho is more than just a game." His uncle grinned as he rolled a tile over his knuckles and clutched it. That was when Xin Fu, sick and tired of these yapping geezers, approached them and yelled at the three fugitives that they were coming with him. Yu sighed, dusted himself, and joined him. The bald elder came to stand between the groups (blocking the two bounty hunters) and pointed at the Fire Nation people.

"I knew it! You three are wanted criminals with a giant bounty on your heads!" He spoke loudly, obviously trying to garner attention.

"I thought you said he would help!" Zuko angrily complained.

"He is. Just watch." Iroh put a calming hand on his shoulder.

"That's pecking the wood to draw the ones inside and use them to distract those two." The girl muttered almost inaudibly with a small smile.

"You think you're going to capture them and collect all that gold ?" The old player accused. Everyone in the bar looked up at the mention of 'gold.' Several of them pulled out knives and swords and surrounded the two earthbenders. First, get rid of the competition.

"Uh... Maybe we shouldn't." Master Yu suggested in hope to avoid any unnecessary fight. His ally smirked though, interested in this development. The teacher covered his eyes in resignation. Two men attacked Xin Fu who got them out with a reverse roundhouse kick, bending a rock from the ground which knocked them away. The professor buried another neck down in the ground while his comrade was quickly dispatching a whole band of sandbenders. Not a single person noticed that in the middle of the confusion, the bounty was escaping, led by the pai sho player who had started the commotion. It was only when everyone but the two earthbenders were down that they finally realized what had happened. Xin Fu growled and in frustration slammed his fists downward, causing a pillar of rock to shoot out from under one of the defeated sandbenders who yelled as he flew through the window and hit a palm tree. Things had happened exactly as Yu had feared.

The Avatar and his friends were sleeping on a dune. Momo was burying Sokka but jumped away when Katara came over and woke her brother up. They needed to go. He sat up and so did Toph. Yesterday her mouth tasted like mud because of the swamp water she had drunk, but now it just tasted like sand. She had never thought she'd miss the taste of mud so much. The waterbender went to wake Aang too but he interrupted her. He was already awake. He hadn't been able to sleep. They looked up as a large bison-shaped silhouette floated past the moon.

"Appa!" The child exclaimed joyfully.

"Appa? But why would Princess Yue need him ? She's the moon! She flies by herself!" Sokka commented, clearly still under the influence of the cactus juice. However, upon a closer look, what was thought to be Appa was actually nothing more than a cloud. They slouched dejectedly until Katara remembered clouds were made of water. She gave Aang her pouch and told him to fly up and bend the cloud water into it. The airbender glared at her before snatching her water skin and taking off on his glider. In two passes, he quickly collected the moisture, dropped the pouch down to Katara and landed. She peeked inside. There was hardly anything in here.

"I'm sorry, okay! It's a desert cloud; I did all I could! What's anyone else doing! What are YOU doing?!" He snapped and accusingly pointed his staff at the waterbender who looked shocked and hurt.

"Trying to keep everyone together." Katara answered sadly. "Let's just get moving. We need to head in this direction." She read the star map and led the group. After a time, Toph suddenly tripped and fell. She rubbed her stubbed foot right next to a wooden object.

"Ow! Crud! I am so sick of not feeling where I'm going! And what idiot buried a boat in the middle of the desert ?!" She raged. But a boat? Katara came to examine the piece of wood. "Believe me, I kicked it hard enough to feel plenty of vibrations." She asserted. With a wide movement of his glider, Aang airbended all the sand away, revealing a sandglider. The water tribe girl recognized it. And it even had some kind of compass on it! It could point them out of here! And Aang could bend a breeze so they could sail it! They were going to make it! Everyone turned to see Sokka laughing stupidly as he buried Momo in a pile of sand. He turned to the others and gave two thumbs up as well as a large idiotic grin.

Zuko, Chenlian and Iroh followed their helper to a small village between the mountains and the desert. They entered one of the buildings. The pai sho player made sure that no one was watching before shutting the door. Inside the flower shop, the man turned to Iroh.

"It is an honor to welcome such a high-ranking member of the Order of the White Lotus. Being a Grand Master, you must know so many secrets." He bowed respectfully and walked to the back of the room. Iroh grinned, pleased with the praise.

"Now that you played Pai Sho, are you going to do some flower arranging, or is this club going to offer some real help ?" Zuko questioned petulantly. Chenlian elbowed him in the ribs for his rudeness. The teens glared at each other.

"You must forgive my nephew. He is not an initiate and has little appreciation for the cryptic arts." The former general said coolly. Their benefactor knocked on a door in the back. A small window in the middle slid open and a man peeked through.

"Who knocks at the guarded gate ?"

"One who has eaten the fruit and tasted its mysteries." Iroh replied. The door opened and Iroh and the Pai Sho player entered. Zuko attempted to follow them, but Chenlian grabbed his arm with both hands as the door shut in his face. Iroh slid the window open. "I'm afraid it's members only. Wait out here. Chenlian, sorry but will you look after him?"

"Yes, of course." The girl smiled, hugging her boyfriend's arm.

"Why don't you go with them? You're part of that club too, right? I don't need anyone looking after me."

"Iroh will be more than enough to speak for us. My presence is not needed there. But you'll keep sulking if I'm not with you." She smiled.

"I'm not sulking!"

"Really? Then you should wipe that pout off your face. Or maybe... you don't want to be with me?" She stared at him questioningly, as if testing him 'do you find me that repulsive? Do you want to leave again? Like you did all those times...' And her doubt and sadness caused a twinge of guilt and made him lose his cool and nerve. And seeing him panick like this, not knowing what to do or say to apologize and be forgiven, she did her best not to smile and giggle. Well, he had stopped sulking and being so unpleasant, she had teased him, and now everything was all good. She tilted her head in a quizzical manner. And after a few more seconds, it was like he blew a fuse and surrendered to his instinct. He pulled her to him, fiercely embraced her, and simply told her how he loved her. Chenlian smiled and hugged him back. Then, they gazed at each other and kissed.

Appa was sold to a Fire Nation circus and put in a cage where his paws were chained. The trainer sounded so compassionate at first. He understood that the bison had had a hard time, forcing him to 'behave outrageously. Like a wild animal'. He had stroked his forehead through the bars too. But then he had sinisterly declared that he was going to break him. And the best way to break an animal was to starve it. He fed cabbages to those he had tamed and made a vulture-griffon do some aerial acrobatics. If the bison wanted food, he had to obey. However, while the man was busy, the sky bison used his airbending skills to pull the cart full of cabbages closer to him, and then sucked a cabbage he devoured and a few more. "Of course, when you perform, the hoops will be flaming. And if you are careful, you won't get burned." The trainer instructed. The ruminant let out a loud belch. "You're about to be sorry." The circus member wheeled around angrily and created a blaze in front of the cage. Appa reared back and groaned and roared in fear and distress. The firebender approached. "It's obvious that whoever your previous owner was, he had no idea how to handle you properly."

At nighttime, a large crowd had gathered outside the entrance of the main circus tent and around the smaller ones. A fire nation boy, about Aang's age, peaked inside a tent and, his eyes wide in amazement, saw the caged Appa trying (and failing) to pull a bale of hay towards himself with his wind breath. The bison noticed the kid and made a licking gesture with his tongue. The lad smiled, amused, apparently ready to enter, when a hulking adult showed up behind him.

"I am gonna get a bag of sizzle-crisps. Stay here and stay away from that monster. Behave yourself, or you'll regret it." The adult, most likely his father, pointed commandingly. The boy watched him walk off with a meek look, and rushed into the tent as soon as he was out of sight. The child rolled the bale toward Appa who gave him a friendly 'thank-you' lick before chowing down on the hay. The boy quickly dashed back outside when he heard someone approach. The trainer and ringmaster were argueing. The beast handler was against using their new creature as it was too risky. That thing was difficult, stubborn, and willful and needed more time to be broken. That angered the Ringmaster. Too risky? What was he talking about? This was the circus, home of fear and danger! He insisted that the Wind Buffalo performed tonight and stalked away. The trainer glared at Appa and warned him. If he didn't behave himself, he'd regret it. And to make his menace clearer, he made a large torch of flame before Appa's face. The ruminant shrank back in his cage and growled in fear and anger. The man marched off. The kid, who had seen everything from the edge of the tent flap, stared sadly at the bison before they exchanged another friendly look. But then, his father came back and took him away. The boy waved with a 'See ya later buddy.' Appa settled down in his cage with a deep sorrowful sigh.

In the main tent, women were spinning plates on top of long sticks, platypus-bears in costume were balancing on large balls, a group of men were standing three high in a pyramid. The crowd cheered, seated on bleachers. The child from earlier reached for a sizzle-crisp, but his dad snatched them away selfishly. And then it was the turn of the wind buffalo that the ringmaster introduced in a flourish. A curtain dropped to reveal a rather dejected Appa, looking ridiculous in an outlandish circus get-up, his face painted in clown fashion. Appa pawed at his fake beard. The spectators laughed but the young boy looked on unhappily. The bison entered the center ring, where he was joined by the Circus trainer.

"Up." He ordered. The flying animal shook his head and turned completely around, to the crowd's amusement. The firebender looked at the people and angrily turned back. "Up, you insolent cow!" He cracked his fire whip at Appa, who roared in defiance. The kid jumped from his seat and shouted at the poor beast to run away and get away from here. His father pulled him back into his seat. The trainer managed to get Appa to fly up and through the flaming hoops, to the cheers and amazement of the spectators. The little one looked down in sadness. Appa's costume caught fire though. Then with his tail he slapped a hoop that went hurtling and smashing into the whip user who fell down, out cold. The crowd laughed. As Appa focused on the laughing child, he was reminded of Aang laughing in a similar pose. He growled and shook off his beard and hair.

"Go. You can do it." The Fire Nation boy smiled encouragingly at him. The bison flew up only to be intercepted by a blast of fire. The trainer had come to and furiously ordered the stupid beast to get back here. He cracked his whip again but Appa swooped down at him and struck him with an upward tail lash, sending him hurtling out the roof of the tent. Appa crashed through an opening in the tent's roof, shedding the rest of his costume as he did. The child smiled a lonely smile as he watched the bison soaring away into the dark sky.

At night, the sand glider was racing through the desert thanks to Aang blowing wind into the sail. Katara was on the upper platform and navigating using the compass and star map. And according to her charts the machine's compass didn't seem to be pointing north. Her brother was sitting behind her and reassuring her in his own fuddled way. He was still holding Momo by the tail. The wasterbender gasped when she saw a giant rock sticking out from the sand in the distance. That was what the compass was pointing to! That giant rock must be the magnetic center of the desert. Toph was glad to have some firm, hard rock to look forward to. Katara believed they might even find some water there. But Aang hoped
to find some sandbenders. He sounded so forbidding. It was dawn when the children reached the top of the rock. Toph let herself fall flat on her back and moved her arms and legs, creating an earth angel in the rock surface, expressing her happiness to finally be on solid ground again. They were actually on a platform and the rock next to them was riddled with large, weird, round openings.

They entered one of the caves. Its surface was partially smeared with a disgusting-looking yellow, gooey substance. Sokka breathed deeply and showed self-awareness for the first time in a long while as he said his head was starting to clear out the cactus juice. But then he and Momo tried to eat the sticky yellow stuff... only to instantly spit it back out. They made disgusted gagging noises.

"This tastes like rotten penguin meat! Awww I feel woozy."

"You've been hallucinating on cactus juice all day and then you just lick something you find stuck to the wall of a cave ?!" She rebuked him, sounding irritated and incredulous by his apparent lack of learning ability.

"I have a natural curiosity." He replied coolly.

"I don't think this is a normal cave. This was carved by something." Toph voiced her opinion. She had been studying it. The airbender agreed. The shape was strange, and too regular... even that viscuous thing! "There's something buzzing in here. Something that's coming for us!" She yelled in alarm. They ran back out of the cave, screaming. If you looked carefully at that dome, it ressembled a hive! They were soon surrounded by flying buzzard wasps. One approached and Aang blew it back with a gust of air. Another landed near Toph, she sensed it and bended a pillar of rock up from beneath it, sending it flying. One of the giant insects flew between Toph and Sokka. She popped a boulder into the air but it crashed back down just inches away from Sokka who angrily yelled at her. She apologized as she was unable to tell where they were in the air. Another one passed by. The warrior went after it and wildly swung his machete.

"Sokka, there's nothing there." His sister told him. He had just been attacking the air.

He guessed his head wasn't as clear as he had thought. "We have to get out of here! I'm completely out of water to bend!" But just as Katara said that, Momo was suddenly snatched by a buzzard wasp that then flew towards the sun.

"Momo! I'm not losing anyone else out here." Aang yelled and took off with his glider after the animals. Katara and the others started going down the rock formation on a narrow ledge. The water tribe girl placed her hands on Toph's shoulders and turned her to face the buzzard wasp. She asked him to shoot a rock right there and the earthbender sent a cluster of boulders as precaution. Most hit. Sokka cheered, also still unsure. But yes, she did get it.

The Avatar flew under the one that had captured Momo, rolled over, and with a strong kick airbended the lemur out of its clutches. The little pet flew next to Aang. Normally, it should have been over once the little one was free, they should be returning. However, the monk glared hatefully at the Buzzard wasp, closed his glider and swung it down, shooting a powerful blade of air that split the sand and the creature. For the first time, the pacifist airbender had indulged in unncessary killing, a sheer act of revenge done in order to vent his his rage and frustation. But he did not feel any guilt or appeasement. He just stared coldly and walked back to the giant rock. Momo followed, clearly frightened by his unusual mercilessness.

At the foot of the rock, Katara was still directing Toph's attacks. They were being quite successful. Suddenly, gigantic pillars of sand burst upwards, scaring of the swarm of wasps that returned to the hive. The youths shielded their eyes. When they opened them, they found themselves surrounded by sandbenders. Aang landed in front of his friends, ready to face the newcomers. The leader of of the sandbenders, Sha-Mo, a bald man with a beard, confronted the children. What were they doing in their land with a sandbender sailer that had been, from the looks of it, stolen from the Hami tribe? Katara explained they had found the sailer abandoned in the desert and they were traveling with the Avatar (she gestured towards Aang). Their bison had been stolen and they had to get to Ba Sing Se.

"You dare accuse our people of theft while you ride on a stolen sand sailer ?!" The young man next to the leader steps forth and raised his voice, his hands curled into fists. Toph narrowed her eyes in suspicious and concentration when she heard him.

"Quiet, Gashuin. No one accused our people of anything. If what they say is true, we must give them hospitality." Sha-mo rebuked him.

"Sorry, father." The son, Gashuin, apologised.

"I recognize the son's voice. He's the one that stole Appa." The blind girl asserted quietly but strongly. The waterbender asked if she was sure. "I never forget a voice."

"You stole Appa! Where is he?! What did you do to him ?!" Aang charged angrily as he stepped forward and menaced them with his staff.

"They're lying! They're the thieves!" However, Gashuin's denial, and even more so, the absurdity of HIM accusing THEM, only added oil to the flames and the airbender swung his staff down, obliterating a sand sailer with a blast of air. He wasn't going to be taken for a fool.

"Where is my bison ?! You tell me where he is now!" Aang demanded. The sandbenders watched in shock as he destroyed another sailer.

"What did you do ?!" Sha-mo asked his son.

"I-It wasn't me!" The young thief persisted.

"YOU said to put a muzzle on him!" Toph accused.

"You muzzled Appa ?!" The monk exclaimed, enraged, as his eyes and and arrow glowed and he began to enter the Avatar state. He twirled his staff around and demolished yet another sand sailer.

"I'm sorry! I didn't know that it belonged to the Avatar!" Gashuin finally confessed... only when he felt that his life was in danger... but it was too late.

"Tell me where Appa is!" The Avatar ordered in a sinister voice that sounded no longer like Aang's.

"I traded him! To some merchants! He's probably in Ba Sing Se by now! They were going to sell him there! Please! We'll escort you out of the desert! We'll help however we can!" The bandit begged, frightened by the overwhelming power and wrath his thoughtless actions and words had provoked. The air slowly began to pick up and spin around Aang as he fully entered the Avatar state, pulling in sand and creating a small tornado.

"Just get out of here! Run!" Sokka yelled warningly.

In the flower shop, Chenlian was lightly tapping Zuko's cheek and gently calling him to wake him up. While they were waiting for Iroh to finish, he had fallen asleep leaning against her, hugging her from behind. But now, she had heard movements inside. It would be over in a minute. The boy groggily opened his eyes just as the door opened and Iroh stepped out, causing his nephew to awaken completely and go into a defensive stance. He was so clearly protective of Chenlian in that stance that she smiled tenderly.

"What's going on ? Is the club meeting over ?" He questioned, dropping his guard. His uncle answered that everything was taken care of. They were heading to Ba Sing Se. "Ba Sing Se ? Why would we go to the Earth Kingdom capital?"

"Because there's no better place to hide trees than a forest." The girl replied. The Pai Sho player agreed. The city was filled with refugees fleeing from the Fire Nation. No one would notice a few more.

"We can hide in plain sight there. And it's the safest place in the world from the Fire Nation. Even I couldn't break through to the city." The former General and Crown Prince of the Fire Nation was smiling good-heartedly. Suddenly, Chenlian felt rage surging from the deepest part of her. She held her head, in pain, and saw the desert, and cowering sandbenders. She fell on her knees and gritted her teeth. Zuko was holding her and calling but she could hear him less and less. The pain was spreading and intensifying alarmingly. She steeled herself, knowing what was to come. But it was useless. That did nothing to lessen the excruciating agony. It was like being engulfed by a tsunami. Guang's power and conciousness flooded her, trying to overtake her body and be unleashed and it took everything she had to contain them. Trembling, sweating, fighting, resisting the urge to scream, feeling like she was being split open, she clung to Zuko who was trying to encourage her. That was all he could do. He didn't resent his powerlessness more than in those occasions. He didn't know how much his presence gave her strength. The other men were looking on worriedly.

Sokka grabbed Toph by the shoulders and pulled her away from Aang. They fled with Momo, and so did the sandbenders. The sand tornado grew larger and the Avatar slowly started to levitate. Only Katara stayed, her head down, heedless of the danger, or perhaps believing there was none for her, and even if there was, the sadness and care she felt for Aang were far stronger. She made her way through the fierce wind and sand grabbed his wrist. He glared down at her with anger and hate, but was only met with softness and sorrow. She brought him back to the ground and hugged him by the shoulders. The wind became just a bit less violent and Sokka and Toph gazed at them. Katara was crying. The wind died down. The glowing disappeared. Aang left the Avatar state. His expression melted from rage to sadness, but the pain didn't leave him. And he simply stayed there, against Katara, as they wept together.

Chenlian and Guang were also returning to normal. But she was breathing heavily, trembling uncontrolably, her muscles felt like masonry mortar that would turn to cement in a few minutes, but at least the pain was dulling. She touched her cheeks. They were wet with tears. The door opened and a man stepped inside the shop. It was another White Lotus Member. He had the passports for the guests, but there were two men out on the streets looking for them. The old firebender looked through the peephole and the two earthbending bounty hunters from the restaurant. The rough one stopped a passerby, showed him two wanted posters and asked if he had seen these people. Iroh and Zuko looked at each other before worriedly gazing at Chenlian who was still in the young man's arms. She tried to stand up, to assure them she was alright... and failed miserably. She was in no state to fight or run. She should not move at all for the next few hours. It was then the florist had a great idea...

Some time later, the young one who had brought the passports left the shop pulling a small wooden wagon with two very large flower pots on it. After a few seconds, Xin Fu and Master Yu approached the door and the Earth Rumble 6 commentator burst it open causing a flower pot hanging overhead to fall and shatter. He held up the wanted posters to the florist.

"Hey you, where are these men and that girl? I got a tip that they're in your shop."

"As you can see, no one is here but us." The shopkeeper replied calmly.

"We know all about your secret back room." The teacher added and told Xin Fu to kick it down.

"Hey! That room is for flowers only!" But the seller was ignored and the fighter kicked the door, knocking down the whole doorframe and the stone around it. The room was empty, save for a few mats and a Pai Sho lotus tile in the middle. Master Yu picked it up.

"Some unlucky soul has an incomplete Pai Sho set." He noted. Xin Fu growled angrily and knocked the tile out of his ally's hand. They were going back to finding the Beifong's girl.

The young flower shop man with the cart was pulling the two large pots over dunes just outside the village. Zuko and Iroh lifted the plants and poked their heads out to take a brief look around before sinking back into their hiding spots. Reassured, the prince reported his attention back to the girl curled against his chest, her eyes closed. He embraced her tightly, protectively, reassuringly. She still looked so weak.

Author's note: I decided to divide the Crossroads of Destiny into 2 chapters. So since I've gone quite ahead, I'm updating a chapter. I thank all those who favorited this story and/or subscribed to it... and Powerpuff who reviewed as usual :) If possible, I like hearing what people felt when reading particular parts. On another note, my poll about which story you're looking forward to the most is still ongoing. Gundam Seed is leading with 6, then Yu Yu Hakusho with 4, and Avatar dead last with 2 XD.