A/N: Happy Tuesday, readers! Next week, I'll be on vacation, but I'll make sure to post a chapter. This chapter was fun to write, but it probably took the longest amount of time. I'll be honest, it was just procrastination :) I actually wrote Three Days of Despair during the writing of this, so maybe that's a factor as to why it took so long! I'm currently working on the last stretch of Book Two (I know, It's been slow moving) And I can't wait to start Book Three!
Chapter 29 response:
Vapor23: Hello, friend! I don't know if I should be happy or sad that my review brought you to tears, loll! I'm grateful for the friendship that has formed between us as well, and I thank you endlessly for your support. I'll be honest, not having your story as a little push to get to work on my own has made it a bit harder to get motivated. I'm still seven chapters ahead (or six, I don't know if this one counts) but there was a time where I was 13 chapters ahead. The Desert is definitely one of my favorite episodes, I like seeing Aang just kind of letting loose and crashing out for once, but I can understand how it could be scary, too. I feel like with Sokka, he's funny in this episode at first watch, but once you've rewatched enough times, he's just annoying. Yes, Aang calling Akira useless was completely uncalled for and totally rude! I would've slapped him, too. Yeah, maybe I should've made Kiri know Aang killed the wasp, but honestly, I think that she wouldn't have cared, at least at that point. They were both in such bad mental states there, so it probably wouldn't be best for her to know then. And yes, Katara being as sweet and caring as ever. You've gotta love her! And yes, the real tragedy of this episode...losing Bun-Bun. Thank you for your review, and I can't wait to hear what you think of this chapter!
We were near a river. The cold water gracefully brushed against my fingertips as I stared aimlessly into it, Appa being the only thing on my mind. I hoped he was okay, and that he knew Aang and I wouldn't give up on him. I shut my eyes tightly as images of the muzzle covering his face filled my mind. I couldn't allow myself to wander that far, to slip under the cracks and snap like a twig under a person's feet. Suddenly, I was pulled out of my trance by the sound of Katara's voice, her joyful call reminding me that there was still some hope, some light in the darkness.
"Waterbending bomb!" She exclaimed as she dived into the water from a rock above, landing with a big splash.
The geyser she created was so large that it sent Aang, who was also in the water, flying down to the ground, his descent making a loud crash as the ice cube he had put himself in shattered. I covered myself the best I could, but when the water cleared, my clothes and hair had been soaked and stuck to my body. I giggled softly, feeling a sort of resolve from my past woes as I quickly dried myself with airbending.
"Sure, 5,000 year old maps from the Spirit Library," Sokka remarked, his tone dripping with sarcasm, "Just splash some water on them,"
Katara emerged from the water, wringing out her wet hair.
"Sorry," She replied before bending the water out of the map.
Sokka came down from the rock he was sitting on top of, and we all surrounded him.
"So, did you figure out what route we're gonna take?" Aang asked.
"Okay, we just got out of the desert, so we must be around here," Sokka responded, pointing to a spot on the map, "And we need to go to Ba Sing Se, which is here," He then pointed to another area on the map.
"It looks like the only passage connecting the south to the north is this sliver of land called the Serpent's Pass,"
"You're sure that's the best way to go?" Toph asked.
"It's the only way," Sokka replied, "I mean, it's not like we have Appa to fly us there,"
I looked down sadly, the remembrance of Appa's kidnapping bringing back the dread I had tried so hard to keep away.
"Shush up about Appa," Katara said in a hushed tone, her voice bearing a warning edge, "Can you at least try to be sensitive?"
They then both looked to Aang and I. I looked away, fearing that tears would form in my eyes.
"Katara, it's okay," Aang sighed, much to my surprise, "I know I was upset about losing Appa before, but I just wanna focus on getting to Ba Sing Se and telling the Earth King about the solar eclipse,"
I looked at my brother, confusion evident in my features. It hadn't been more than two days since we had lost Appa, and he seemed to not care anymore.
"Oh, well, okay," Katara said, "I'm glad you're doing better,"
"Then to Ba Sing Se we go," Sokka stated, rolling up the map and stranding up, "No more distractions,"
"Hello there, fellow refugees!" A man exclaimed, causing us to turn around.
He was traveling alongside a pregnant woman and a girl who looked to be no older than Katara. Sokka's face fell, his expression showing deep annoyance.
"Are you guys headed to Ba Sing Se too?" I asked.
"Sure are," The man responded, "We're trying to get there before my wife,Ying, has her baby,"
"Great," Katara said, "We can travel through the Serpent's Pass together,"
"The Serpent's Pass?" Ying repeated fearfully, "Only the truly desperate take that deadly route,"
"Deadly route?" Toph repeated, her tone full of annoyance, "Great pick, Sokka!"
She punched him on his arm, causing him the stumble over.
"Well, we are desperate," Sokka said as he rubbed his arm.
"You should come with us to Full Moon Bay," The man responded, "Ferries take refugees across the lake,"
"It's the fastest way to Ba Sing Se,"
"And it's hidden," Ying added, "So the Fire Nation can't find it,"
"Hmm, peaceful ferry ride or deadly pass…" Katara remarked before giving Sokka an annoyed look.
When we got to Full Moon Bay, earthbender guards let us inside. As I looked around, I saw that many people had pitched tents, their lives and families being uprooted by the Fire Nation.
"It's crazy how many people have had their lives destroyed at the hands of the Fire Nation," I stated.
"We're all looking for a bit of life, safe behind the walls of Ba Sing Se," The man replied.
We made our way to a ticket line. There was a grouchy looking old woman at the counter, her frown etched deep into her face.
"I told you already, no vegetables on the ferry!" She exclaimed harshly to an old man, "One cabbage slug could destroy the entire ecosystem of Ba Sing Se!"
"Security!" She shouted.
The old man screamed as a platypus bear began to destroy his cart of cabbages, anguish evident in his cries.
"Gah, my cabbages!" He exclaimed, putting his hands on his head and sobbing as the guards dragged him away.
"Next!" The ticket lady barked.
Aang gingerly walked up to the counter.
"Um, five tickets for the ferry to Ba Sing Se, please," My brother said, his tone filled with nerves as he spoke.
"Passports?" The lady asked dismissively.
"Uh, no one told us that we had to have passports," Aang responded.
"Don't you know who this is?" Sokka asked annoyedly, stepping up to the lady.
"He's the Avatar," I added as I gestured to Aang.
"Ah, I see fifty Avatars a day," The lady retorted, exasperation in her tone, "And by the way, not a very impressive costume,"
I turned my head to see a group of people, all dressed up as Aang. Some more accurate than others. My brother nodded, an amused look on his face.
"Besides, no animals allowed," The lady said, "Do I need to call security?"
I looked to see that the platypus bear had been chomping on the cabbages. Momo squeaked, hiding behind Aang.
"That won't be necessary," I stated nervously as I grabbed my brother by his arm and slightly backed up.
"Next!" The lady yelled.
"I'll take care of this,"
Toph stood up to the counter, pulling a passport out of her pocket.
"My name is Toph Beifong and I need five tickets," She stated as she slid the passport onto the counter.
"The golden seal of the flying boat," The ticket lady remarked, her gasp full of awe, "It is my pleasure to help anyone of the Beifong family,"
"It is your pleasure," Toph said, "As you can see, I am blind, and these imbeciles are my valets,"
Aang, Katara, Sokka, and I all pulled into a group hug, joyful smiles coming to our faces. Suddenly, my smile dropped, being replaced by an annoyed frown and cocked brow.
"Wait, imbeciles?" I repeated, my tone bearing annoyance.
"But the animal-" The ticket lady began.
"Is my seeing-eye lemur," Toph interrupted curtly.
"Well, normally it's only one ticket per passport, but this document is so official…" Ticket lady said, "I guess it's worth five tickets,"
She then stamped five tickets, and Toph took them from the counter.
"Thank you very much,"
"All right!" Sokka exclaimed happily as we walked, "We scammed that lady good!"
Suddenly, he was yanked backward, causing me to turn around.
"Tickets and passports, please," A girl said harshly, holding out her hand in front of him.
I could have sworn I remembered her voice, but I couldn't recall where from.
"Is there a problem?" Sokka asked.
"Yeah, I've got a problem with you," The girl responded, pointing her finger into his chest.
"I've seen your type before," She stated, her tone bearing a bitter edge, "Probably sarcastic, think you're hilarious, and let me guess, your traveling with the avatar,"
My eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
"Who is this girl?" I wondered, "And how does she know so much about Sokka?"
"Do I know you?" He asked, not recognizing the girl as well.
"You mean you don't remember?" She asked, grabbing him by his shirt, "Maybe you remember this,"
The girl then placed a kiss on his cheek, causing his cheeks to turn bright red.
"Suki!" Sokka exclaimed, his joy evident in his voice.
My eyes widened in shock. This was Suki?
"Sokka, it's good to see you!" Suki said, the bitterness in her tone lifting.
We were sitting around under a pavilion. The rest of the group was catching up with Suki, but I payed no attention to the conversation. I was sitting in between Katara and Toph, tapping my foot repeatedly as I hugged myself tightly, slightly rocking back and forth. I was nauseatingly nervous, images of Appa getting stolen playing repeatedly in my mind. I heard someone talking, but I was unable to make out their words. Suddenly, I felt a hand on my shoulder, and looked up to see Aang, his expression filled with concern. I noticed that I had been sweating bullets.
"Are you okay?" My brother asked, his tone soft and gentle.
My eyes scanned the area, looking over everyone's concerned faces. My nervousness settled in more, and I found myself unable to respond.
"I…" was the only thing I could choke out.
Aang's eyes softened, a knowing look coming to his features. He held out his hand, the gesture welcoming and filled with affection. I took it, feeling the familiar warmth of my brother's hand. He lead me out of the pavilion, and I felt as if I were dreaming, my vision hazy. When we stopped walking, I noticed we were in a secluded area, safe from the ears of our friends. I looked into Aang's eyes, my body shaking with nerves as I wrapped my arms around myself.
"Is everything okay?" My brother asked, his voice quiet and gentle.
I couldn't get any words out, so I just shook my head. I looked at the ground, sweat dripping down my forehead as more images of Appa filled my mind. I shut my eyes, not wanting to see it all again. Aang put his hands on my shoulders, the gesture slightly easing my nerves.
"Kiri, I'm gonna need you to take deep breaths for me," He said, "Can you do that?"
I nodded, beginning to take deep, uneven breaths. I was still shaking, but the deep breaths were working. The feeling of panic began to lift, my breaths becoming more even. When I opened my eyes, I saw that Aang looked a little scared, but his expression became calm almost immediately.
"Do you need anything?" He asked.
"Just…stay with me," I responded shakily, "I don't want to go back to the others yet,"
Aang nodded.
"Whatever you need, I'm here," He stated, his tone carrying a comforting reassurance.
I sat down against the stone wall, taking a deep breath. Aang sat down next to me.
"Do you want to talk about it?" He questioned, causing me to look at him, "What made you so panicked?"
I shifted my gaze to the sky, its beauty easing my troubles, if only by a little. If I were to tell Aang about what had caused my anxiety, I would be able to voice my pain. To get a burden lifted from my shoulders. But, we had a task at hand. To go to Ba Sing Se, and tell the Earth King about the eclipse. To find Appa. We didn't have time for long talks about feelings and woes like we usually did.
"No, not yet," I said, my voice lacking emotion as my eyes dimmed to a dark brown, "We have things to do, I'll tell you once everything calms down again,"
"If it ever does," My lingering thoughts added.
Aang's calm expression morphed into a concerned frown, his tone gentle as he spoke.
"Akira, I understand that we have to get to Ba Sing Se and find Appa, but that doesn't mean you have to push back your feelings," He said.
My eyes narrowed. Who was he to say that I shouldn't hold back my feelings? Earlier that day, he had acted like he didn't care about Appa being missing, even though prior, it was all he could think about!
"Says you," I grumbled, my tone bearing a bitter edge.
"What are you talking about?" Aang asked, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion.
"Earlier, you said that you just wanted to focus on getting to The Earth King, and not on Appa," I explained, "And you're saying I shouldn't suppress my emotions?"
I turned my head, shifting my gaze away from him.
"Maybe you should take your own advice,"
Just as Aang was about to respond, Ying's voice interrupted, her words frantic.
"Avatar Aang, you must help us!" She exclaimed, "Someone took all of our belongings, our passports and tickets. Everything's gone!"
She then began to sob into her husband's shoulder, making me feel a deep sense of empathy for her family.
"I'll talk to the lady for you," My brother stated, his tone carrying determination.
Ying looked up, a grateful spark in her eyes. Aang stood and quickly began walking to the ticket counter, giving me a glance. The family, the rest of the group and I all followed close behind.
"Excuse me, ma'am, I need three more tickets to Ba Sing Se," Aang said.
"Passports?" The ticket lady asked annoyedly.
"They don't have any, but they had tickets before," My brother responded, "So, if they could just-"
"No passports, no tickets!" The lady shouted, stamping a verification mark on his forehead.
"But she's pregnant, and all their stuff was stolen," Aang argued, "You have to make an exception,"
"No exceptions!" The lady spat, "If I just gave away tickets willy-nilly to anyone, there would be no more order,"
"And you know what that means?" She asked angrily, "No more civilization!"
"What if we gave them our tickets?" Aang asked.
"No!" The lady screamed.
"But-"
"Next!"
My brother walked up to family, wiping the stamp off of his head.
"Don't worry, you'll get to the city safely," He stated reassuringly, "I'll lead you through The Serpent's Pass,"
"I can't believe we gave up our tickets," Sokka groaned, "And now we're going through the Serpent's Pass,"
"I can't believe you're still complaining about it," Toph retorted, her tone carrying deep annoyance.
"I'm coming too!" Suki exclaimed, causing us to all turn around.
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Sokka asked, worry heavy in his voice.
"Sokka, I thought you'd want me to come," She responded, walking up to him.
"I do," Sokka said, "It's just-"
"Just what?" Suki asked, her tone laced with frustration.
"Nothing," Sokka sighed, the worry slightly lifting from his voice, "I'm glad you're coming,"
Suki walked past him, slight irritation in her eyes. Sokka looked at the ground for a moment, his expression unreadable. As we began to walk away, my eyes lingered on him for just a moment, before turning back to the path ahead as he ran toward our group.
"This is the Serpent's Pass?" Sokka asked.
We had made it to the dangerous route, its intimidating sight casting a looming fear in my mind.
"I thought it would be more wind-y, like a serpent," He said, "I guess they misnamed it,"
Ying shifted her gaze to a carving on the pole near her, her eyes widening in shock as she read the calligraphy.
"Look at this writing," She said, her tone carrying a sense of sadness, "How awful,"
"What does it say?" Toph asked.
Katara walked up to the pole, reading the words carved on it.
"It says, 'abandon hope'," She stated.
"How could we abandon hope?" Ying asked, despair in her words as she buried her head into her husband's chest, "That's all we have,"
"I don't know," Aang said, causing everyone to turn to him, "The monks used to say that hope is just a distraction,"
He turned away from us, his eyes facing the sky above.
"So maybe we do need to abandon it,"
My eyebrows furrowed in annoyance. Even if hope was a distraction, how could he say that to people who relied on it? How could he tell people that the only thing they had was a distraction, and that they needed to let go of it?
"What are you taking about?" Katara asked, her tone carrying confusion and slight frustration.
Aang turned to face her, his eyes devoid of any emotion.
"Hope isn't going to get us into Ba Sing Se, and it's not gonna find Appa," He stated, "We need to focus on what we're doing right now, and that's getting across this pass,"
Katara's eyes saddened as she looked down.
"Okay, if you say so," She sighed.
We began to walk, frustration settled deep in my stomach as Aang's words rang through my head.
We were walking across the narrow pass, the past events laying through my mind. I still couldn't wrap my head around the fact that Aang had basically dismissed a family's strength to continue, calling it a distraction. How he had been the one to tell me to not push back my feelings, but pushed back his own. My eyebrows were furrowed in boiling frustration that rose with every step, my eyes glued to my feet.
"The Fire Nation controls the Western Lake," Suki stated, "Rumor has it they're working on something big on the other side and they don't want anyone to find out what it is,"
I took my eyes away from the ground, glancing at the water. There was a large Fire Navy ship patrolling the bay, steam emitting from it. A Fire Nation flag flew high above it, its presence almost taunting to the Earth Kingdom refugees. Seemingly laughing at those who had lost their homes and families to the ruthless nation, those like my brother and I. I watched as Aang looked to the ship, his eyes narrowing slightly. If one of the soldiers onboard were to see us, they'd seldom hesitate to inform the others, initiating an attack. We needed to be as safe and unseen as possible, unless we wanted to be dealing with fireballs hurling at our faces. Suddenly, I heard the noise of rocks clacking, followed by a sharp gasp. I looked up to see that the Earth Kingdom man had fallen from a jagged spot of rock, my eyes widening in shock. He didn't slip more than two feet before being stopped by Toph sliding the earth beside him underneath his body, becoming his support. My heartbeat saved to slow, the realization of his near death still apparent in my mind. Toph then lifted the earth, causing him to bounce back up and land in the arms of his family.
"I'm okay!" He announced, causing me to sigh in relief.
I looked down to see that a few fallen rocks had plopped into the water. Nervousness filled my senses as the Fire Nation ship passed. Suddenly, a little ball of light began coming toward us, and upon further inspection, I realized it was a fireball.
"They spotted us!" I shouted, pointing to the ship and turning to the group.
"Let's go, let's go!" Sokka exclaimed frantically.
Aang bounced off of the side of the rocks, determination evident in his features. He met up with the fireball, knocking it away with his staff in mid air. The fireball flew straight back into the ship, a loud blast emitting from the impact. With no attention to the damage on their ship, the soldiers sent another fireball hurling at us. It landed only a few feet above our heads. Rock began to crumble, heading toward Suki's head. Sokka pushed her out of the way, and Toph put a slope of earth over him, protecting him from the rubble. When it all passed, rather than thanking Toph, Sokka immediately rushed over to Suki, worry in his features.
"Suki, are you okay?" He asked worriedly, helping her up, "You have to be more careful! Come on!"
"Thanks for saving my life, Toph," Toph said sarcastically, pretending to be Sokka.
"Hey, no problem, Sokka," She responded, talking as herself.
She then ran to catch up with the others, with me slightly ahead of her.
The sun dipped low in the sky, its warmth hitting my face. I stared aimlessly into the distance, the serine beauty of the sunset not apparent in my mind. We were setting up camp, the quiet hum of conversations in the air. I had nothing to do, so I resorted to sitting in lonesome. I slightly fidgeted with the Water Tribe bracelet I had obtained from Master Pakku. Normally, I would've been making a bracelet or something to get my mind off of things, but with the absence of my bag, I couldn't. I sighed, shifting my position against the rock. I closed my eyes, letting the warmth of the setting sun fill my senses. The sun lulled me into a sense of security, like a voice in the back of my head, telling me that everything was going to be alright. I began to believe the voice, visions of Appa eating hay and flying through the sky happily playing in my mind. Suddenly, the sound of Katara's voice snapped me back into the real world, where Appa was gone, and I had no choice but to live through it.
"Akira, have you seen Aang?" She asked, her voice soft but laced with worry.
"Not since we got here," I responded, my eyes locked on the sight ahead of me.
My tone was flat, teetering on the edge of monotone. Katara sat down next to me, causing my eyes to finally drift to her. She put a hand on my shoulder, the action causing a crack in my emotionless shield.
"Is everything okay?" She asked, her words filled with kindness and affection.
My eyes watered, the pain I had held back pouring out.
"No, Katara, nothing is okay!" I shouted, my voice breaking under the weight of my emotions as tears began to fall freely from my eyes.
"Appa is missing, I don't have anything from my life before the war, and-"
"You have Aang,"
My anger simmered, dying out like a campfire. I looked down, quiet sobs escaping my lips.
"No, I don't," I stated, my voice quiet but filled with emotion, "At least not right now,"
I looked up, seeing the surprised expression on Katara's face.
"Whoever that distant, hypocritical, jerk is, isn't my brother," I said, my voice becoming shaky, "He isn't himself right now,"
"So, no, I don't have him," I finished.
"Akira," Katara said, her tone filled with sadness and empathy as she pulled me into a hug.
I wrapped my arms around her, my sobs coming out heavy and full of pain. She rubbed soothing circles on my back, whispering soft, reassuring words into my ear.
"I'm so worried about him," I admitted through my cries, my words meaningful and thick with emotion.
"Me too," Katara agreed, her voice quiet and shaky, "I just want him to open up, to tell us what's wrong,"
"You know what?" She asked, picking up my head with her fingers, "I'll go find Aang and talk to him. And when I do, I'll tell him about how worried we all are,"
I nodded, relief slightly coming to my senses. Katara stood to leave, but I held her hand, stopping her. She turned her head, her eyes filled with kindness.
"Thank you," I said, my words carrying a quiet strength.
"Of course," Katara replied, her tone soft and affectionate.
I let go of her hand, and she turned away, leaving me by myself again. I wiped the tears from my red, puffy eyes. I sniffled, smiling softly to myself as I continued to fidget with my bracelet. I felt a sense of gratitude for Katara. She had done so much for me, for all of us. She was always there for us, her presence a guiding light in the darkness.
Later, I had returned to the group. I was silent, lost in the world of my own thoughts. I watched as Aang silently walked over, sitting down across from me. I quickly glanced at him. His eyes were a dull metallic gray, a stark contrast to their usual stormy color, slightly lidded and fixated at the ground. Katara walked over as well, her shoulders slumped with disappointment in her expression. She sat down next to me, her gaze fixed on anything but my brother. I figured their conversation didn't go very well, and my eyebrows furrowed, anger bubbling up inside of me. I looked between the two, my eyes hardening when they shifted to Aang. I closed my eyes, letting out a deep, heavy sigh of annoyance. Getting up, I gave Katara one last look of sympathy, and headed over to my sleeping mat. Sleeping was hard for me, since I usually relied on bun-bun for a good night's rest. But eventually, I drifted off.
I was six years old, sitting in my bedroom at the Southern Air Temple. My boredom was clinging onto me relentlessly, weighing my mind down. I had tried many things to cure my boredom, but none worked. Just then, I got an idea, a smile curling up at the corners of my lips. I hopped up from my bed, an excited expression on my face as I raced toward Aang's room. I knew he had been on a trip with Gyatso, which was the main reason for my boredom. I opened the door, being met with the sight of the generic dormitories I had grown accustomed to. I began to look around, excitement making my heart beat faster. I had been in my brother's room before, sometimes going in there when I would have nightmares, or when he was in there and I needed something. But, I had never been in there without him. I found some toys, which I played with for a little while. I also found books, but I couldn't do much with those since I was just learning how to read and didn't understand most of the words. Then, I came upon it. A little brown book with the calligraphy of Aang's name on the cover. There were more words under it, but none that I could fully understand. I opened it, seeing messy writing inside with math equations sprinkled in. I could make out some of the words, but it was harder due to the fact they had been written by an eight year old. I grabbed the nearest pencil and began to draw pictures all over every page, admiring my work once I was done. I put the book back, hoping Aang would like my drawings once he came back.
Two days later, Aang and Gyatso returned. I beamed at the sight of Lola, Gyatso's bison. I quickly raced over to them, jumping into Aang's arms.
"You're back!" I exclaimed happily, "Do you wanna play something with me?"
Aang looked down at me, his eyes filled with joy.
"I'd love to," He said. I smiled brightly, jumping up and down in excitement.
"Not so fast," Monk Tashi said, walking up to us, "Aang, you have a math test, get your notebook and head to the testing room,"
"A test?" I repeated, my voice whiny, "But he just got back!"
"And Akira, I'm sure Sister Penima has things for you to do as well," Tashi stated.
My eyes filled with tears as I looked down sadly. Aang had just gotten back, and now we were expected to immediately separate? My brother grabbed my hand, a soft smile on his face as he looked at me.
"Hey, it's okay," He stated, his tone carrying reassurance, "We can walk together,"
I nodded, sniffling.
When we got to Aang's room, excitement filled my senses. I remembered the beautiful drawings I had put in his notebook, and was anticipating his reaction when he saw them. He grabbed the notebook, opening it and turning the pages. My excitement dropped when his eyebrows furrowed, the page turning becoming more aggressive with each page. He snapped the book shut, turning to me with anger in his eyes. My lip quivered, guilt gnawing at me like an angered lemur wanting a moon peach.
"Why did you draw all over my math notebook?!" My brother asked harshly.
I began to cry, my words coming out through thick sobs.
"I'm sorry!" I cried, "I didn't know it was important! I just wanted to draw you pretty pictures!"
"So you drew them in my math notebook?!" Aang asked, his voice raising with each word.
He threw the notebook on the floor, stomping out of the room.
"I'm sorry, Aang!" I shouted desperately, "I'm sorry!"
I dropped to my knees, crying into my hands. I never wanted to make him angry, I just wanted to draw pictures.
That was the first time Aang got mad at me.
I still feel like that sometimes, like that little six year old that only wanted to make her brother happy, but still ended up failing.
Just like how I failed him with Appa.
The next day, we continued our walk across The Serpent's Pass. No one spoke a word, the only sound being our feet hitting the rocky ground. I walked in between Aang and Katara, memories of the night prior playing through my mind. Eventually, the path stopped, being seemingly split in half by a stretch of clear blue water. My eyes widened. It looked so unnatural, as if the path had been purposefully split to keep anyone who dared to cross it away. Aang's eyes narrowed, an exasperated expression coming to his face as he took in the sight. He closed his eyes, the deep annoyance saving to lift from his features.
"How are we supposed to get across now?" I asked, my tone bearing confusion and frustration.
Katara walked up next to Aang, her steps deliberate and full of confidence. She turned to the rest of the group, her words strong as she spoke.
"Everyone single file!" She exclaimed.
Aang's annoyed expression lifted, shifting to one of surprise. Everyone quickly began shuffling into a line, still silence in the air as we waited for Katara's next command. She lifted the water, revealing the sunken path underneath. She began walking through it, pushing the water aside as she did. We all followed, our steps slow, bordering on mechanical as we followed in our line. The water began to form into a sort of bubble, trapping oxygen inside so we could breathe.
"Aang, I need help!" Katara said.
My brother almost immediately responded, handing his staff to Toph. He began copying Katara's motions, closing our bubble of oxygen. I began to look at my surroundings, watching the sea life swim past us. I thought about how puzzled they must have been, to see nine humans traveling in a giant bubble through their home. I giggled, imagining a conversation between two fish about the matter. I watched as Momo leaped off of Toph's shoulder, jumping out of the bubble in an attempt to catch a fish. My eyes followed the lemur, watching as he swam alongside the sea creatures. Suddenly, some giant object rushed by, scaring Momo. He quickly hopped back into the bubble, landing back on Toph's shoulder again. Katara stopped waterbending, her eyes widening as they lie on the shadow of the large creature.
"What is that thing?" Suki asked, fear in her tone.
Shock came to my face, my eyes darting back and forth. Suddenly, a giant serpent rushed through the bubble, sending screams echoing throughout. Water began coming up, splashing into our faces with great force. Just then, the ground below us began to lift. We came to the surface with a large splash, ending up on a small rock island Toph had created. She handed Aang his staff, her expression emotionless. My eyes widened, my gaze following the serpent as it circled around the island. Everybody stood in shock, each one of us too scared to move. The serpent suddenly rose from the water, letting out a piercing screech.
"I think I just figured out why they call it the Serpent's Pass!" Sokka exclaimed, his voice squeaky with fear.
The serpent screeched again, the sound violently filling my ears.
"Suki, you know about sea monsters," Sokka began, turning to Suki, "Make it go away!"
"Just because I live near the Unagi doesn't mean I'm an expert!" Suki exclaimed angrily, pointing at him.
Sokka held up his arms in defense, an embarrassed look coming to his face. He picked Momo up off the ground, holding the lemur above his head.
"Oh great and powerful sea serpent," He began, his voice trembling with fear, "Please accept this humble and tasty offering,"
"Thank you,"
"Sokka!" Katara shouted.
The serpent screeched again, beginning to lunge at Sokka. Aang quickly retaliated, whipping his staff to slap the creature with air. It staggered back, its head whipping to the side as it took the blow. Aang turned to the group, his eyebrows furrowed in set determination.
"I'll distract it," He stated, "Katara, get everyone across,"
Aang snapped his glider open, ascending toward the giant serpent. Its mouth followed him, causing worry to rush through senses as I hoped he wouldn't get eaten. Katara quickly froze the water in front of her, running on it before repeating the motion. She did this multiple times until she reached the other side of the path, creating a perfect makeshift one for us to use. We began to walk across, our steps slow and steady as we carefully followed the path. I turned to see Katara getting into a defensive position. I watched as she slid on the ice toward the serpent, who was still busy with Aang. The serpent dove its head into the water, creating a large splash. Katara began freezing the water around it, trapping the serpent in a block of ice. It quickly broke out with a screeching roar, the ice shattering within mere seconds. It began to advance toward Katara, following her as she slid across the water. We quickly began moving faster, our hearts beating fast as we reached the other side.
"Toph, come on, it's just ice!" Sokka shouted, causing me to turn around.
I noticed that Toph was still on the rock island. She put one foot on the ice path before stepping back onto the rock.
"Actually, I'm gonna stay on my little island where I can see," She stated.
Suddenly, the serpent slammed onto the island, the impact sending Toph jutting forward with a scream.
"Okay, I'm coming!" She yelled, her voice laced with fear.
She slowly began sliding across the ice, each step filled with nerves.
"You can do it, Toph!" I exclaimed, my tone carrying reassurance.
"Thanks, Precious!" Toph shouted back, her voice slightly shaky with nervousness.
"You're doing great!" Sokka added, "Just follow the sound of my voice!"
"It's hard to ignore," Toph deadpanned, exasperation in her tone.
"You're almost there!" I yelled.
Suddenly, the serpent slammed onto the ice path, causing Toph to fall into the water with a piercing scream.
"Help!" She exclaimed, fear in her voice, "I can't swim!"
My heart began beating faster as a shocked look came to my face.
"I'm coming, Toph!" Sokka said, going to take off his shoes.
Suki quickly ran ahead of him, diving into the water. Shock spread across everyone's faces as we watched her swim to Toph.
"Help!" She shouted, her head bopping in and out of the water.
Suki dived in, returning seconds later with Toph in her arms. Toph let out a large gasp.
"Oh, Sokka," She began, her words full of swooning affection, "You saved me!"
She then proceeded to kiss Suki's cheek, resting against her shoulder. Suki's eyes went wide in shock.
"Actually, it's me," She stated.
"Oh, well," Toph said with a nervous chuckle, "You can go ahead and let me drown now,"
Suki swam Toph back to shore. Toph's cheeks were hot pink, embarrassment evident in her face. I heard another roar in the distance, and turned to see the serpent flailing its head around intensely, a whirlpool Aang and Katara had created forming around it. The serpent began spinning around, the whirlpool threatening to swallow it whole. Once it was large enough, the whirlpool caused the serpent to crash into some rocks. It let out a screech and dove back underwater, swimming away. Cheers echoed within our group as Aang and Katara landed behind us.
Later, we had finally made our way through the final stretch of The Serpent's Pass. Sokka put his hands on his knees in exhaustion, his head hung low. When he picked his head back up, his eyes went wide in surprise.
"There's the wall!" He exclaimed, pointing ahead. Looking up, I saw that only a few miles away from us, the large wall of Ba Sing Se stood stubbornly in the midst of the empty rock land, its power radiating all around.
"Now it's nothing but smooth sailing to Ba Sing Se," Sokka sighed gratefully.
Suddenly, I heard a sharp gasp behind me. I turned around to see Ying clutching her stomach, being held by her husband and daughter.
"Oh, no!" She gasped.
"What's wrong?" I asked, concern in my tone.
"The baby's coming," Ying responded, looking up at me with fear in her eyes.
"What?" Sokka asked, "Now?"
"Can't you hold it in or something?"
"Sokka, calm down," Katara said, "I helped Gran Gran deliver lots of babies back home,"
"This isn't the same as delivering an Arctic seal!" Sokka shouted frantically, "This is a real human thing!"
"It's called a baby," Katara corrected, exasperation in her voice, "And I helped her deliver plenty of those too,"
She then averted her eyes from Sokka, turning to the rest of us.
"Aang, get some rags," She said, "Sokka, water,"
Aang and Sokka quickly ran to do what they were told, and Katara turned to Toph, Suki and I.
"Toph, I need you to make an earth tent," She stated, "A big one,"
Wordlessly, Toph walked over to the family, forming a large earth tent over their heads.
"Suki, Akira, come with me," Katara instructed, walking into the tent.
"Akira, I'm gonna need you to set up a sleeping bag on the ground for Ying," Katara stated.
I nodded, taking a sleeping bag from the bag next to me. I set it down on the ground, draping a green blanket over it.
"Okay, Ying, you need to get onto the sleeping bag for me," Katara said.
Ying, with a pained groan, moved onto the sleeping bag. Sweat was dripping from her forehead, and her teeth were gritted in pain.
"Akira, if you want, you can go outside and wait," Katara said softly, turning to me with kindness in her eyes.
"Yes, I do," I replied, "Thanks,"
Later, Aang, Toph, Sokka and I were all sitting against the earth tent, waiting for the baby to be born. I was sitting with my legs out in front of me, staring aimlessly at a tree as I watched Momo eat a fruit. Aang was next to me, hunched over with his arms crossed on his knees and his head hung low, a distant expression on his face. Toph stood against the tent, her arms crossed with one foot resting higher than the other. Sokka was next to her, his hands on his head. He had fainted from seeing Ying giving birth when he came in to bring the water, and was still scarred from the sight. Suddenly, I heard a baby crying.
"It's a girl!" Katara announced happily.
"So, you wanna go see the baby, or are you going to faint like an old lady again?" Toph asked Sokka, humor in her tone.
"No, no," He replied, putting up a hand in defense, "I'm good this time,"
They began walking into the earth tent, and I stood up to follow them, assuming Aang would be behind me. When I turned around, I noticed he was still sitting on the ground.
"Are you coming?" I asked.
"I'm not sure," My brother responded, his voice low with deep emotion.
A let out a sigh before entering the tent.
"Where's Aang?" Katara asked.
"He told me that he isn't sure if he's coming," I responded.
Katara's eyes filled with empathy as her lips curled into a soft smile.
"I'll talk to him," She stated.
We all began circling around the new baby, affection swelling in my heart. Just then, Katara returned with Aang, whose eyes softened at the sight of the happy family.
"She sounds healthy," Toph remarked.
"She's adorable," I stated.
"She's beautiful," Katara marveled.
"And so…" Sokka began to add, "Squishy looking,"
"What should we name her?" The man asked.
"I want our daughter's name to be unique," Ying stated, turning her eyes to the baby, "I want it to mean something,"
I watched as Aang's eyes filled with tears, a smile coming to his face. He closed his eyes, wiping the tears from his cheeks.
"I've been going through a really hard time lately," He said, his voice filled with emotion as he walked up to the couple, "But you've made me…hopeful again,"
My own eyes filled with tears as affection swelled in my heart. Aang was back, if even by a little, all because of this beautiful family who showed him light in the darkness. The couple looked to each other.
"I know what I want to name our baby now," Ying stated, "Hope,"
"That's a perfect name," Her husband replied, "Hope,"
Sokka, Suki, Toph and I were standing and watching as Aang and Katara talked.
"I thought I was trying to be strong," Aang said, "But really, I was just running away from my feelings,"
"Seeing this family together, so full of happiness and love, it's reminding me how I feel about Appa…" He continued.
"And how I feel about you,"
Katara's eyes began to water as she looked down, the tears rolling down her cheeks. She wiped them, a smile on her face. Aang pulled her into a hug, and as I watched them, grateful tears began rolling down my cheeks. The rest of us walked up to them as I wiped my tears.
"I promise, I'll find Appa as fast as I can," Aang stated, "I just really need to do this,"
"Can I come with you?" I asked softly, walking up to him.
Aang looked at me, his eyes filled with the kindness I had missed so much.
"Of course you can," He said.
I let out a little gasp, my joy overflowing. I ran up to him, crashing into his arms. Aang immediately responded, wrapping his arms around me.
"I'm so glad you're back," I stated, my voice quiet but heavy with emotion.
I pulled out of the hug, looking into my brother's eyes. Everything was going to be okay. We were going to find Appa, and we were going to tell The Earth King about the eclipse.
"See you guys in the big city," Sokka said, putting a hand on Aang's shoulder.
"Say hi to that big fuzzball for me," Toph added, punching me on my arm.
I grimaced, rubbing my arm as a shock of pain ran through it.
"That's definitely gonna leave a bruise," I thought.
"You'll find him," Katara stated, walking up to us.
"I know," Aang replied.
"Thank you, Katara," I added.
We both unfurled our gliders, getting ready to take flight. Momo did so as well, spreading his wings.
"You ready, Momo?" I asked.
The lemur chattered in response, and we took off. As we neared the walls of Ba Sing Se, my excitement grew. We were going to get Appa back, and everything would return to how it was. Once we had gotten over the tall wall, my eyes immediately turned to an ominous drill with a Fire Nation insignia rushing toward the wall.
"Aang, look!" I exclaimed, tapping my brother on his shoulder.
Aang turned around, a sharp gasp escaping his lips.
"I think Appa's gonna have to wait," He stated, concern in his voice.
A/N: Thanks for reading! Make sure to review!