THE FORTUNETELLER
A few days after Sokka and Katara recovered, the group was camped out beside a river. Katara was studying the waterbending scroll, Aang was fiddling around, Sokka was sharpening his machete and Shinra had just finished another round of training, in this case for kenjutsu(use of blades) which he honestly hadn't done in a long while, seeing as first of all, there was no one to actually help him practice with blades besides Sokka and second, he'd only unsheathed the chakra saber once since arriving here.
"Look!" Katara pointed to the river. A large green fish jumped out of the water.
"He's taunting us" Sokka narrowed his eyes, immediately standing up. "You are so gonna be dinner!"
Shinra quietly shook his head as he put his vest back on.
Sokka grabbed his fishing pole and tried to cast the line, till he realized there was no line to even cast. "Hey, where's the fishing line?"
"Oh, I didn't think you'd need it, Sokka" Aang perked up. He then held up the fishing line, now woven into a necklace with a flower in the middle.
"It's all tangled!" Sokka complained.
"Looks more woven than tangled" Shinra spoke up.
"Yeah, I made Katara a necklace" Aang turned to the water tribe girl. "I figured since you lost your old one..."
Shinra couldn't help but smile. He didn't need a prophet to tell him Aang had feelings for Katara, he just wondered why Aang never acted on it. At least this was a step.
Sokka how ever wasn't pleased. "Great, maybe instead of saving the world you could go into the jewelry making business"
"I don't see why I can't do both" Aang shrugged.
The fish popped out of the water again, catching Sokka's attention. The boy went back into the water with his knife drawn, trying to get the fish with his bare hands.
"Dude, be careful" Shinra warned.
"So how do I look?" Katara asked.
Shinra turned back to Katara who had the necklace on while she stood in a pretty cute pose. Shinra smiled at her before turning to see Aang's reaction. As he somewhat expected, Aang looked utterly mesmerized. The young monk's eyes almost bugged out of his head and he blushed... Hard. Shinra wasn't about to laugh at it though. Based on what the nine tails told him about his heartbeat, that's probably how he looked when he met Ty Lee.
"You mean all of you or just your neck?" Aang pulled the collar of his shirt a little. "Cause both look great!"
Sokka managed to catch the fish just in time to tease Aang. "Smoochie, smoochie! Someone's in love!"
The fish slipped from Sokka's grip, slapping him in the face with its tail before diving back into the water. Shinra laughed at the water tribe boy.
"Stop teasing him, Sokka" Katara walked over to Aang and patted his head. "Aang's just a good friend, a sweet little guy just like Momo"
Shinra winced, that one had to hurt. He remembered Sakura doing that to Naruto a lot and he even had some experience with it himself, as TenTen pretty much friendzoned him. But in Aang's case Katara pretty much
compared him to a lemur.. that was a completely different level of unrequited feelings.
"Thanks" Aang's expression fell. Shinra placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.
The group then heard a growl coming from nearby. Aang climbed on a boulder to get a better look. "Someone's getting attacked by a platypus-bear!"
"A what?" Shinra furrowed his eyebrows. There was no way that was a real thing.
They all ran towards the noise to see an old man in blue robes dodging attacks from...a bear with a bill, webbed feet and a flat tail. The creature was at least ten feet tall. When it stood on it's hind legs.
Shinra blinked three times, not believing what he was looking at. "I will never understand the kind of animal crossbreeding that goes on in this world"
The man then noticed them and smiled like nothing was wrong in the slightest. "Oh hello there! Nice day isn't it?"
Everyone started shouting advice... Well, Aang, Sokka and Katara did.
"Make noise, he'll run off!"
"No, play dead. He'll lose interest!"
The man dodged another swing. "Woah, close one!"
"Run downhill, then climb up a tree!"
"No, punch him in the bill!"
"And then run in zigzags!"
"Guys, he can't listen to all of you at once!" Shinra turned to them before letting out a sigh and leaping between the man and the bear. The bear was about to swing at Shinra when the ninja quickly ducked and thrust a Gale Palm at the bear, sending it flying into a tree.
"Sorry!" Shinra called out.
The bear got to its feet again and roared at the boy, about to charge again before Appa got up behind it and roared. The platypus bear laid a huge egg in fear and immediately retreated back into the river.
"Thanks, buddy" Shinra pet Appa on the head.
"Lunch!" Sokka picked up the egg the platypus bear had laid before turning to the old man. "You're lucky we showed up"
"Thank you, but there was no need to worry" the man declared. "Everything was under control"
"You almost got eaten alive" Shinra stated.
"Aunt Wu already predicted I'd have a safe journey" the man said.
"Aunt who?" Aang asked.
"No, Aunt Wu" the man corrected. "She's the fortuneteller from my village. Awful nice knowing your future"
"Sounds kinda stressful" Shinra said.
"That explains why you were so calm" Katara realized.
"But the fortuneteller was wrong, " Sokka pointed out. "You almost got killed!"
"But I wasn't" the man smiled. "Okay, have a good one!"
The man then turned around and gave them a wrapped parcel. "Oh and Aunt Wu said if I met any travellers, I should give them this"
"Maybe we should go to Aunt Wu and learn our fortune!" Katara said as the man walked away. "It could be fun!"
"Oh c'mon, fortune-telling is nonsense!" Sokka scoffed, meanwhile Aang unwrapped the parcel.
"What do you know?" Shinra tilted his head. "An umbrella"
Just then, the sky darkened and it started raining. Aang opened the umbrella as he and Shinra shared it.
"That proves it!" Katara said, bending the water over her to keep herself dry.
"No it doesn't!" Sokka refused. "You can't really tell the future"
"I guess you're not really getting wet then" Katara snarked.
"Of course she'd predict it'd rain, it's been cloudy all day!" Sokka protested.
"Just admit you could be wrong" Katara said as they all made their way to the village.
"Anyone could predict the future with these clouds!" Sokka insisted before putting on a dramatic voice. "Look I'll make a prediction... It's going to keep drizzling"
Conveniently, the rain stopped.
"Not everyone has the gift, Sokka" Aang shrugged.
"Personally, I don't trust fortune tellers" Shinra shrugged. "The whole knowing your future thing is overrated"
"Why not?" Katara turned to him. "Wouldn't it be nice knowing your future?"
"On paper, sure" Shinra nodded. "But if you know your future, you'll either always be worried about it if it's bad, or you'll get too complacent and lazy if it's good"
"That's.. actually a fair point " Katara stroked her chin. "Still, it couldn't hurt to just try it, right?"
"Aye, if that's what you guys want" the boy shrugged.
The village – Makapu village as they were told it was called, was honestly richer than most villages Shinra had seen since coming to this world... Omashu didn't count as it was a city. There was actually a lot of produce in the market and the people were dressed well.
They eventually made it to a large building with a circular door. A man with white hair and black robes welcomed them.
"Aunt Wu is expecting you" he said.
"Really?" Katara asked in excitement. Shinra smiled at shook his head. They probably told every visitor this but hey, it was nice to see Katara so excited. The four kids were then led inside where they waited.
The interior looked pretty luxurious, making Shinra wonder how rich Aunt Wu was.
A little girl walked into the room, she had tan skin and from what Shinra could place, she couldn't be older than ten. She has two braids that stuck up at the sides of her head, brown eyes and a big smile on her face. She was missing a front tooth but honestly that just made her adorable.
"My name is Meng" she said politely. "I'm Aunt Wu's assistant"
She immediately noticed Aang and her eyes widened.
"Well, hello there" she turned to him with a pleased expression. The monk however had a bored expression on his face.
"Hello" he said quickly and with little interest as he rubbed his nose.
"What's your name?" She asked.
"Aang"
"That rhymes with Meng!" She was delighted. "And you've got some pretty big ears, don't you?"
"I guess " Aang admitted awkwardly.
"Don't be modest, they're huge!" Sokka spoke, causing Aang to cover his ears and glare at the water tribe boy.
Shinra couldn't help but notice the irony of the whole thing. Just less than an hour ago, Katara failed to notice that Aang liked her, now Aang completely failed to see that Meng liked him. Was everyone around here this oblivious?
"It's nice to meet you, Aang" Meng continued, a sly smile on her face. "Very nice"
"I can't believe we're here in the house of nonsense" Sokka complained.
"Have you ever tried not complaining for like, once in your life?" Shinra looked at Sokka pointedly.
"Try to keep an open mind, Sokka " Katara said. There are things in this world that can't be explained. Like the spirit world and how the elements work in Shinra's world"
"That one I agree with" Shinra nodded. "And the existence of multiple worlds"
"Speaking of which.. don't you miss home?" Katara asked gently. "You barely talk about it"
Shinra gave a sad smile. "More than you realize... But I kinda have to help with this now. I can't just leave you guys in a warzone"
Katara's eyes softened as she reached for Shinra's hand. She remembered what he told them about seeing Roku in a vision. He'd really sacrificed his chances of going home any time soon to help them. "I know you don't like to talk about it, but I want you to know we appreciate you staying with us, really"
Katara pulled him into a side hug and Shinra held her hand a little tighter.
"Thanks, Katara" he mumbled.
Meng came back with a tray full of tea cups and bean curd puffs. As she dropped the tray in front of the group, a lady came out of the inner room, apparently excited.
"Aunt Wu said I'm going to meet my true love!" She gushed. "He's going to give me a rare panda lily"
"That's so romantic" Meng said dreamily. She then turned to Aang. "I wonder if my true love will give me a rare flower"
"Good luck with that!" Aang replied cheerfully, oblivious as ever. Shinra had to cover his mouth so he wouldn't burst out laughing. Wasn't Meng too young to be thinking about boys? Then again, who was he to talk? He was just drooling over a girl yesterday.
"Is that the big eared guy Aunt Wu said you'd marry?" The lady asked. Somehow no one else heard that. Shinra looked at Aang, Sokka and Katara who were completely oblivious... what was wrong with these people?
While dropping the tray, Meng's hand brushed over Aang's, causing them both to make eye contact. The girl blushed and stepped back.
"Enjoy your snack!" She said, a little nervous before going back inside.
Aunt Wu then stepped outside. She was old, but not extremely so. She had on a red and yellow robe and her hair was greying but still looked good. She would probably be what Shinra imagined Grandma Fifth to look like if she wasn't always hiding behind that Jutsu to make her look young. All in all, she looked like a sweet lady.. how he could tell? Her eyes.. they looked kind and gentle but also really observant. Especially towards him.
"Welcome young travelers," she greeted. "Who's next? Come on, don't be shy"
Sokka looked away in disinterest which Shinra felt like smacking him for. He and Aang then looked at Katara who seemed excited.
"I guess that's me" she smiled as she got up, going inside with Aunt Wu.
Sokka took a bite out of a bean curd puff. "Not bad!"
He then offered some to Aang who declined. Sokka then did the same to Shinra.
"Okay I could try one..." Shinra took a curd puff and and bit into it. "Or two.."
The ninja took yet another one as he finished the first. "Or maybe three–"
Sokka swatted his hand away from the tray, much to Shinra's annoyance.
"What do you think about in there?" Aang asked.
"Boring stuff I'm sure" Sokka shrugged. "Love, who she's gonna marry, how many kids she's gonna have"
Aang's eyes widened. "Yeah.. boring stuff like that"
The monk then stood up. "Well I'm gonna go find a bathroom"
Aang then left the other two in the room.
"He's gonna go eavesdrop" Shinra guessed flatly as Sokka lay back down to relax. Momo ended up taking the rest of the bean curd puffs, or he would've if Shinra didn't notice.
"Hey!" Shinra hissed at the lemur. "Momo, what did we say about sharing?"
The lemur's ears dropped as he placed a couple in front of Shinra. The ninja smiled and pet Momo's head.
"Alright you can have the rest" Shinra smiled at him.
A few minutes later, Aang walked back in, all smiles.
"Looks like someone had a good bathroom break" Sokka teased.
"Yeah, while I was in there–" Aang started.
"Dude, I'm eating!" Shinra cut him short.
Aunt Wu and Katara walked back outside. "Alright who's next?"
Sokka stretched and stood up. "Alright, let's get this over with"
Aunt Wu didn't even move. She gave him a dry expression. "Your future is full of struggle and anguish. Most of it self inflicted"
"That's it? But you didn't read my palms or anything " Sokka objected.
"I don't think it takes a fortuneteller to notice you create bad situations for yourself, Sokka" Shinra pointed out, causing Aunt Wu to let out a chuckle.
"Exactly" she nodded at the ninja. She then turned to Aang. "You there, come with me"
The monk stood up and followed her back inside. Shinra turned to Katara. "Sooo...?"
"It was great!" She gushed. "Aunt Wu said I'm gonna marry a powerful bender! I wonder where and when I'll meet him"
Shinra nodded. That did sound good.. he kinda hoped for Aang's sake that he was the powerful bender Aunt Wu was referring to.
A few minutes later, Aang and Aunt Wu came out. The monk looked happy. Aunt Wu then turned to the ninja in the group with a smile, silently beckoning him.
Shinra got up and followed her.
Aunt Wu led Shinra into her private room, the scent of burning incense thick in the air. The space was dimly lit by candles, their flickering flames casting shadows on the walls. A fire sat between them and beside it was a bowl of dry bones.
"Have a seat, young traveler," Aunt Wu invited gently, gesturing to a cushion on the floor.
Shinra sat cross-legged, trying to maintain a casual demeanor.
"Alright, hit me with it," he said, leaning back slightly. "What vague prediction do you have for me?"
Aunt Wu chuckled softly, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "You're quite the skeptic for someone so young. But I suppose that comes with seeing more than most."
He offered a faint smirk. "You get that from reading palms, too?"
"No," she smiled knowingly. "I see it in your eyes. You've walked through storms."
Shinra's smirk faded, though he kept quiet.
Aunt Wu reached for the small bowl filled with bones and handed it to him. "Pick a bone and toss it into the fire"
Shinra did as he was told and the fire cracked the bones slowly.
"Hmm..." she murmured thoughtfully.
"What? Bad news?" Shinra asked dryly.
"Not bad," Aunt Wu assured him. "But your path is unique. You carry a storm within you—a force capable of reshaping the world around you. You will face great trials, both in battle and in your heart."
Shinra chuckled lightly. "Sounds pretty standard for my way of life."
Aunt Wu smiled cryptically. "Perhaps. But beware—your greatest challenge won't be defeating enemies. It will be deciding who you are when the storm clears."
Aunt Wu's smile took on a more mysterious edge as she observed Shinra closely. "You know," she said thoughtfully, "I've seen your kind once before... only once."
Shinra blinked in surprise. "My kind? What do you mean?"
"It was a much older man," Aunt Wu recalled, her tone reverent yet curious. "Wise, powerful, though burdened by something I couldn't quite place. You remind me of him—your energy is different from anyone else in this world."
Shinra's brows furrowed. "Wait... are you saying—?"
She nodded calmly. "I know you're not from here—not from the Earth Kingdom, Fire Nation, Water Tribe, or even the Air Nomads."
Shinra's heart skipped a beat. He tensed instinctively but forced himself to relax. "How could you possibly know that?"
Aunt Wu's eyes gleamed with wisdom. "You carry the weight of two worlds, child. It's in your movements, your thoughts, and even your silence. That kind of displacement leaves a mark."
Shinra exhaled sharply, running a hand through his dark hair. "Guess there's no hiding it"
"Not from me," she said gently. "But don't worry—your secret's safe here."
Shinra offered a hesitant but grateful smile. "Thanks, Aunt Wu. I appreciate that."
She nodded with warmth. "Be careful, Shinra. The path between worlds is unpredictable... but perhaps it's meant to be walked by someone like you."
"Anything else?" Shinra tilted his head.
"A slight warning, child" Aunt Wu said. "The shadows of your past still creep around.. and they will attempt to destroy you in the present"
"Oh great... Just great" Shinra sighed. "Anything else?"
"Like what?" Aunt Wu gave him a teasing smile.
He shifted uncomfortably. Her words lingered, but another thought gnawed at the back of his mind. He hesitated, reluctant to ask, but curiosity eventually won.
Shinra cleared his throat. "What about... you know... love stuff?"
Aunt Wu's expression softened into a smile. She'd been expecting that.
"Ah, love," she said warmly. "You will find it in an unexpected place. Someone who sees beyond the storm you carry—a rare bond that will surprise even you."
Shinra blinked, his face warming slightly.
"You don't like to stress about things, do you?" Aunt Wu asked knowingly.
He shrugged. "Not really. I mean... I get things done, but only so I can relax afterward. It's like— let's just get it over with.. I don't want a stressful life, but I deal with stuff 'cause I have to."
Aunt Wu chuckled. "Ah, a strange blend of hardworking and lazy. You begrudgingly handle your responsibilities just to earn your peace."
Shinra smirked. "Pretty much."
"The girl you'll meet," Aunt Wu continued with a knowing glint in her eye, "will balance you out in that regard. Sweet, cheerful, active and almost smotheringly caring— she'll challenge you, keep you on your toes, and remind you that life can be about joy and connection too, not just getting through it so you can rest."
"Smotheringly caring,?" Shinra asked, recalling her earlier words. "Sounds like a drag"
Aunt Wu laughed softly. "Perhaps just a bit. But I suspect you'll come to appreciate that more than you'd think."
Shinra rubbed the back of his neck, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "Well... I guess that doesn't sound so bad."
"It won't be," Aunt Wu assured him warmly. "She'll help you find a better balance — if you're willing to let her."
"Wow, I was kinda expecting something more practical.." Shinra shrugged. "I'm really glad to be wrong"
Aunt Wu chuckled. "Practicality isn't exactly my specialty, but remember this—it's not about predicting the future, but choosing how you face it."
As Shinra stood to leave, Aunt Wu's serene expression never wavered as Shinra lingered near the doorway. He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly before sitting back down.
"Look, I don't usually do things like this," Shinra admitted, his voice lower than before. "Fortunes, mystic stuff—none of it ever really clicked with me. But you... you're different. Exceptionally sweet, actually." He offered a sheepish smile. "You remind me of someone I left back home."
Aunt Wu's gaze softened, her perceptive eyes never missing a beat. "Ah," she said gently. "Someone important, I imagine?"
He nodded slowly. "Yeah. Someone who always made things feel... safer, even when they weren't." Shinra exhaled quietly, the weight of old memories pressing on him. "You just kind of have that same energy, I guess."
"You carry many bonds with you," Aunt Wu observed, her voice warm. "I can tell you've always found pieces of maternal connection in some of the women you've met, haven't you?"
Shinra blinked, a bit surprised by the accuracy of her words. "I guess you could say that. I mean, I didn't really have a family growing up—so when someone older showed me a bit of kindness... I held onto it, you know?"
Aunt Wu nodded knowingly. "It's a rare and beautiful thing to recognize those connections, Shinra. They shape you, even when you don't realize it."
The ninja gave a quiet laugh, though it was tinged with nostalgia. "You're pretty good at this, Aunt Wu."
She smiled warmly. "I simply see what others overlook."
As Shinra stood up to leave, there was a lighter weight in his chest. "Thanks for the talk," he said earnestly.
"Anytime, dear," Aunt Wu replied. "And please remember—storms don't last forever."
"Well I hope you all got to see for yourself that fortune-telling is just a big hoax" Sokka said as they all walked out of the building.
"You're just mad you're gonna make yourself unhappy your whole life" Katara replied to her brother.
"That woman is crazy!" Sokka snapped. "My life will be calm and happy and joyful!"
Sokka then kicked a rock at the last sentence, which bounced off a nearby sign and struck him right on the head. He immediately raised his hand "that doesn't prove anything!"
"Well I liked my prediction" Katara smiled. "Certain things are gonna turn out very well"
"They sure are" Aang agreed slyly.
"Really?" Katara asked. "What'd you get?"
"Some stuff" Aang said. "You'll find out"
"And you?" She turned to Shinra.
He shrugged. "She said I'm awesome, lazy and basically said I have mommy issues. But, you know, I already knew that"
"That's it?" Katara furrowed her eyebrows.
"Oh and that a shadow of my past is gonna try to kill me.. and I'm gonna have a hyperactive girlfriend" Shinra added simply.
"Oh my gosh!" Katara squealed quietly at the last part, seemingly ignoring the first or just not catching it.
The group then saw most of the village standing in the middle of the village and staring at the sky.
"Uh... what's everyone staring at?" Shinra furrowed his eyebrows.
"We're waiting for Aunt Wu to come read the clouds and predict the future of the whole village" the same man who'd been dodging a platypus bear earlier replied.
"That one kinda looks like a fluffy bunny" Aang smiled up at the sky.
"You better hope that's not a fluffy bunny" the man replied in warning. "A fluffy bunny cloud forecasts doom and destruction"
"So you even hear yourself?" Sokka was irritated.
"I don't know... It sounds so outlandish and ridiculous that it could be true" Shinra spoke. "I mean who would think a fox was a destructive force of nature?"
A woman spoke up. "The clouds would tell us if Mount Makapu will remain dormant for a year or if it will erupt"
"We used to have a tradition of going up there once a year to check for ourselves" the calm man spoke again. "But since Aunt Wu moved to the village 20 years ago, we have a tradition of not doing that"
Shinra blinked. Okay that was pretty stupid. What would it cost them to go up there and just check? They lived near a volcano for Kami's sake, it was unpredictable.
"I can't believe you'd trust your lives to that crazy woman's superstitions!" Sokka complained, only t he shushed by Katara as Aunt Wu came outside.
Aunt Wu got to a podium like area in the village square, looking at the sky with her book in hand as the villagers watched with bated breath.
"A bending arrow cloud" Aunt Wu checked her book. "Good crops this year. Nice big harvest"
A pair of farmers celebrated.
"A wavy, moon-shaped cloud," Aunt Wu continued. "Gonna be a great year for twins"
A pair of twins high-fived each other.
"And finally..." Aunt Wu's eyes focused on a thick cumulus cloud with a twisted knob at the end. "The volcano will not erupt this year."
The villagers erupted into cheers, clapping and laughing in relief. People embraced each other, celebrating the good fortune.
Sokka groaned, folding his arms.
Shinra stood silently beside him, narrowing his eyes at the sky. He didn't say it out loud but he didn't buy it either. He liked Aunt Wu but something about this bothered him.
As the crowd celebrated, Aang took a deep breath, determination flashing in his eyes as he looked at Katara... he was going to do it.
"Katara, I really like you!" Aang shouted earnestly, but his voice was lost in the celebration noises. "Like, more than normal!"
Unfortunately, she didn't hear him over the noise and she ran over to Aunt Wu along with the rest of the villagers.
Shinra, who'd caught the whole scene, stepped closer to the young Airbender and offered him a sympathetic smile. "Hey, don't sweat it. She didn't hear you."
Aang's shoulders sagged. "I guess not..."
Shinra gave him a reassuring nudge. "This probably wasn't the right place anyway. You'll find a better moment, trust me."
Aang smiled faintly. "Thanks, Shinra."
"No problem," Shinra said, watching the celebrations continue.
The two boys and Momo approached a fuming Sokka, whose face practically radiated frustration.
"I can't believe these saps!" Sokka huffed. "Someone really needs to scream some sense into them."
"They seem happy," Aang said with a shrug.
"Yeah, but they're way too comfortable," Shinra added. "They live near a volcano and haven't checked it in twenty years! That's beyond dumb."
"See?" Sokka exclaimed triumphantly. "Even Shinra knows this fortune-telling crap is nonsense!"
Shinra shot him a sharp glare. "That's not what I said, Sokka. I just think it's common sense to not blindly rely on one person for stuff like this. Fortune-telling may not be my thing, but I'm also not some 'science and reason' fanatic like you. The real issue is that they've grown dependent on Aunt Wu. If something does go wrong, they might not react fast enough because they trust her too much. This is exactly what I meant earlier."
Unbothered by Shinra's correction, Sokka launched into a spree of yelling at villagers, attempting to "scream some sense into them." Shinra stood back, arms folded, watching with a tired expression.
After a few minutes, Aang found Sokka again. "Hey, Sokka, you know some stuff about girls, right?"
Sokka smirked and draped an arm over Aang's shoulders. "Some stuff? My friend, you've come to the right place. What can I do you for?"
"Well, there's this girl..."
Before Aang could continue, Meng popped up from behind a barrel, giggling quietly. What she didn't realize was that Shinra, leaning casually against a nearby wall, had caught everything thanks to his enhanced hearing from the Nine Tails. He raised an eyebrow but stayed quiet.
"I think I know who you mean," Sokka grinned confidently.
"Really? And you're not upset?"
"Nope. Matter of fact, I think she likes you too."
"She does?"
"Oh yeah. She's crazy about you. Now all you gotta do is not mess it up."
"How do I do that?"
"The number one mistake nice guys like you make," Sokka declared. "Being too nice."
Shinra facepalmed. "Dumbass," he muttered under his breath.
"You can be too nice?" Aang asked, confused.
"Yep. If you wanna keep her around, you gotta act aloof—like you don't care."
Shinra resisted the urge to groan. On paper, Sokka wasn't entirely wrong. Back in Konoha, girls had practically swarmed Sasuke because of his indifferent, "too-cool-to-care" attitude. But that didn't last—once Sasuke's darker side emerged, most of those girls grew out of their crushes.
Shinra thought bitterly about Neji, who was another "aloof" type. Despite being an arrogant jerk and even nearly beating his own cousin Hinata into the ground during the Chunin Exams, TenTen still admired him. Yet, in Hinata's case, Shinra knew she had always been head over heels for Naruto—someone who was loud, persistent, and the exact opposite of nonchalant.
It was confusing. Shinra didn't know which approach actually worked, but one thing was certain—he sure as hell didn't want Aang turning into a brooding Sasuke or a cold Neji.
"Ignore that last part, Aang," Shinra finally walked up to them. "Just be yourself. Trust me, that works better in the long run."
Sokka scoffed. "That doesn't work"
"And you would know this how?" Shinra folded his arms. "Has being aloof ever worked for you?"
Sokka shut his mouth instantly.
"Thought so"
"Ah, a panda lily!" a voice swooned.
Shinra and Aang turned to see the same woman who had emerged from Aunt Wu's office earlier. She was clinging to a slightly taller man dressed in pink.
Aang immediately perked up and rushed over to them, but Shinra's attention shifted to Katara. She was being practically shoved out of Aunt Wu's building. She pouted, kicked a small rock, then trudged toward a fruit stand.
Curious, Shinra silently followed. When he caught up, he saw her hesitantly picking up a papaya, eyeing it like it had personally offended her.
"Katara... you okay?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
She turned to him with a sigh. "Oh, hey, Shinra. Yeah... just buying a papaya. Want some?"
"I mean... normally, yeah. But you don't seem like you want it" he pointed out. Then, noticing the conflicted look on her face, he narrowed his eyes. "Katara... did Aunt Wu tell you to eat it?"
Katara sighed again and nodded.
Shinra folded his arms. "You know you don't have to live your life based on her predictions, right? You have free will. Sure, actions have consequences, but you shouldn't make every decision based on someone else's foresight. You were just fine before her prediction."
Katara blinked, then looked down at the papaya in her hands. Slowly, her grip loosened. "You're right... Even if her predictions are accurate, I still have to think for myself."
"There she is," Shinra said with a small smile.
"But... what if she's wrong about me finding love?" Katara asked quietly, looking down.
Shinra's expression softened. "Katara, you're one of the kindest people I've ever met. You literally saved my life the first day we met. If anyone in our group is likely to find true love—and actually deserves it—it's you."
Katara finally smiled, this time genuinely, the warmth reaching her eyes. "Thanks, Shinra."
"Anytime," he grinned. "Now, if you're not gonna eat that papaya, can we at least take it for the road?"
Katara chuckled and nodded, handing it over. Footsteps headed towards them. They turned to see Aang, Sokka, and Momo hurrying toward them.
"Hi, Katara," Aang greeted with a shy smile.
"Hey, Aang," Katara smiled back.
"What's up?" Shinra asked.
"Aunt Wu was wrong!" Sokka said. "That volcano is gonna erupt!"
"Oh, big surprise," Shinra rolled his eyes.
"Are you sure?" Katara folded her arms skeptically.
Before anyone could respond, a deep rumble shook the ground.
"Can't get more sure than that," Shinra quipped.
"Everyone move!" Shinra shouted as they ran into the village square, where the crowd was still staring at Mount Makapu.
"Why?" a villager asked.
"The volcano is gonna blow!" Sokka yelled. "Aunt Wu was wrong!"
A woman scoffed. "Oh, we know you don't believe in Aunt Wu, Mr. Science and Reason"
Shinra exhaled sharply. As dumb as she sounded, he couldn't entirely blame her. Sokka had spent the whole day parading around like a lunatic, trying to debunk Aunt Wu's every word. If he didn't know better, he wouldn't listen to Sokka either.
"If you won't listen to him, maybe you'll listen to me," Katara stepped forward. "I want to believe Aunt Wu too, but my brother and Aang saw the volcano with their own eyes."
The calm man from earlier shrugged. "Well, I heard Aunt Wu's predictions with my own ears."
Shinra stared at him, deadpan. He had seen a person's soul get sealed, had a literal fox demon inside him, and knew things existed beyond what the eye could see. But this? This was just stupidity. Humans were gifted with brains to think and protect themselves. These people weren't faithful—they were lazy.
And Shinra calling anyone lazy was saying something.
Aang leapt onto a rooftop. "Please, just listen to us! This place isn't safe—you have to leave! You have to take fate into your own hands!"
Some villagers hesitated, but most remained where they stood.
The volcano rumbled again, sending another burst of smoke into the sky.
"Can your fortune-telling explain that?" Sokka shouted, pointing at the eruption.
"Can your science explain why it rains?!" a man shot back smugly.
Shinra let out a sharp sigh. "Okay, I'm done—" He turned to walk away, only for Katara to gently pull him back.
"They just won't listen to reason," she sighed.
Aang jumped down from the roof as the villagers began dispersing. "But they will listen to Aunt Wu!"
"That's the problem," Sokka groaned.
"Well, it's also the solution," Aang said. "We just need her cloud-reading book."
Aang and one of Shinra's clones slipped into Aunt Wu's salon while the real Shinra stayed outside with Sokka and Katara, doing his best to look casual. A few minutes later, they returned with the book.
He and Katara took to the sky on Appa, bending the clouds into the shape they needed while Sokka and Shinra went to fetch Aunt Wu.
"Aunt Wu! We've got a problem!" Shinra pointed at the sky. "Look at the clouds!"
Aunt Wu furrowed her brows. "That's strange… It shouldn't— Oh my!"
Above them, a massive skull-shaped cloud loomed.
"What does it mean?" Shinra asked, genuinely curious.
"It means volcanic doom!" she gasped. "We must act!"
Shinra nodded. "Then we need to gather the villagers. Now."
"We can still save the village if we act fast!" Aang called out as he and Katara landed. "Sokka's got a plan!"
Sokka stepped forward. "Lava's gonna flow down right to this spot," he pointed to the ground. "If we dig a deep trench, we can channel it to the river and away from the village."
"If you're an earthbender, follow me!" Aang shouted.
"I'm an earthbender!" one kid raised his hand.
"I'm not!" his twin brother raised his hand too.
"Everyone else, grab a shovel!" Aang ordered as another rumble shook the ground.
"Oh, shi—We gotta hurry," Shinra muttered, already forming the cross-hand sign. Four clones appeared in a puff of smoke, immediately grabbing shovels without hesitation. Villagers gawked, but Shinra didn't wait around. "Let's go!"
It took thirty grueling minutes, but between the team, the villagers, and the earthbenders, a trench roughly twelve feet deep and thirty feet wide was carved out. The volcano rumbled again.
"Dig faster!" Sokka urged.
"No time! everyone, evacuate now!" Shinra called, waving people back.
"We'll let you know when it's safe!" Aang added. The earthbenders who'd helped quickly left with the rest of the villagers.
Now, it was just them, waiting. The volcano finally erupted—lava pouring down the mountainside straight for the village. The molten rock rushed into the trench… but it was filling too fast.
"The trench isn't deep enough," Shinra muttered, glancing at Aang. "We've gotta stop it before it overflows."
The volcano belched again, spewing ash and flaming rocks. Sokka and Katara ducked for cover as debris rained from above, but Shinra and Aang stood their ground.
A boulder crashed into the lava, splashing a wave of molten rock dangerously close to the village.
Without hesitating, Shinra leapt forward, flashing through the hand signs for Great Burst. he thrust his palms out, unleashing a powerful blast of wind that cooled and solidified part of the lava just in time.
Aang took over immediately, drawing in a deep breath before releasing a focused gust, freezing the rest into a hardened wall.
The two boys stood side by side, staring at the cooled barrier.
Shinra gave the smallest of smiles. "We actually stopped a volcano."
"Sometimes I forget how powerful those two are," Sokka muttered as he and Katara watched Shinra and Aang.
"What'd you say?" Katara asked, glancing at him.
"Nothing. Just that Shinra's freakishly strong, and Aang's one powerful bender," Sokka repeated.
Katara's eyes lingered on Aang. "I suppose they are…"
Later, back in the village square, everyone gathered as things calmed down.
"By the way, we kinda borrowed your book," Aang admitted, handing it back to Aunt Wu.
She gave him a sharp look. "So you tampered with the cloud readings, huh?"
Shinra tensed, ready to defend him—but then she laughed. "Very clever."
Sokka stepped forward. "No offense, but I hope this teaches everyone not to rely so much on fortune-telling."
Shinra nodded. Finally, the guy was making sense.
But the calm man from before chimed in, "Well, Aunt Wu predicted the village wouldn't be destroyed… and it wasn't. So she was right."
Shinra sighed, tilting his head. "Yeah… because we saved you. Again. Though… technically, you're not wrong." He shook his head. "Ugh. My brain hurts."
Sokka stared at him, dumbfounded. "You're agreeing with him?!"
"I mean, the logic tracks… kinda. I don't know, man. It's confusing."
Katara chuckled and took both of them by the arms. "its okay, you two. Everything's gonna be alright"
Once they were back on Appa, Shinra overheard Aunt Wu speaking softly to Aang, then she turned to him.
"I hope you return home safe, child," she smiled. "You've got trouble ahead, but you're far stronger than you realize."
Shinra returned the smile. "Thanks, Aunt Wu. You're amazing, but your villagers are mentally exhausting."
She laughed lightly. "I understand. Take care, young one."
"You too." Shinra nodded.
As they lifted off, Katara waved down. "Goodbye, everyone! Take care, Meng!"
"Take care!" Meng waved back… but once they were out of earshot, her smile faded into a frown. "Floozy."
Shinra, from his spot on Appa, turned his head sharply, shooting her a glare. Meng jumped, startled by how quickly he caught that.