(1) Augmentum | Zuko

Chapter Sixty-One

The rain doesn't let up as Rana follows Katara and Aang along a road. The mud now sticking to their boots as it becomes waterlogged. She should have brought her horse out for this walk. She glares down at her boots and then turns to look at Sokka, sulking behind them, walking along alone, soaking wet.

"Of course she predicted it was gonna rain. The sky's been grey all day" Sokka mumbles to himself, kicking at the mud with a squelch.

"Just admit you might be wrong and you can come under the umbrella" Katara offers. Sokka grumbles to himself.

"Look, I'm going to predict the future now" Sokka counters. "It's going to keep drizzling." He makes exaggerated facial expressions then folds his arms across his chest and assumes an expression of defiance. "See!" The rain instantly stops and the sun comes out. Sokka glares up at the sky in annoyance.

"Not everyone has the gift, Sokka" Aang teases a little. As Appa passes Sokka from behind, he shakes off his wet fur, drenching Sokka once again. He stops and glares at the sky bison.

.....

Inside the village, in front of the circular door of one of the buildings, some sort of herald dressed in black greets the group as they walk closer to them.

"Aunt Wu is expecting you," The Herald tells them.

"Really?" Katara asks with a smile. The four of them walk forward as Sokka makes a sound of disgust, turning to share a look with Rana who pulls a face back at him. The two of them then sharing a chuckle. They both know exactly how this is going to go. There has never been much truth to fortune-telling. No proof. There is no way anything good can come out of this.

...........

Sokka and Rana pull two cushions closer together to sit side by side. Slightly away from Aang and Katara. Separating themselves from the believers. Mostly so they can gossip and mock this as it happens. A young girl in a pink kimono and huge hair braids that stick straight out from the sides of her head enters from the opening on the left.

"My name is Meng and I'm Aunt Wu's assistant" Meng's eyes then go wide as she looks at Aang. Interest clear in her young eyes. "Well, hello there" Aang rubs at his nose.

"Hello"

"Can I get you some tea, or some of Aunt Wu's special bean curd puffs?" Meng asks Aang

"I'll try a curd puff" Sokka answers, Meng holds out a hand to silence him instead.

"Just a second" Meng is dismissive of him before she bends down to address Aang. "So what's your name?"

"Aang"

"That rhymes with Meng! And you've got some pretty big ears, don't you?" Meng tells Aang who looks confused and a little hurt.

"I... guess..." Aang agrees weakly.

"Oh, don't be modest. They're huge!" Sokka spreads his arms wide to demonstrate just how huge they are, as Aang looks angrily at Sokka. He puts his hands over his ears as if to smash them down to an acceptable size. Rana smirks and chuckles at Sokka's side.

"Well, Aang, it is very nice to meet you. Very nice." Meng offers, clearly attempting to flirt.

"Likewise" Aang comments, trying to be polite. Meng exits, looking back slyly out of the corner of her eye, presumably at Aang.

"I can't believe we're here in the house of nonsense" Sokka complains.

"Try to keep an open mind, Sokka," Katara argues. "There are things in this world that just can't be explained. Wouldn't it be nice to have some insight into your future?"

"It would be nice to have some bean curd puffs," Sokka tells her. Katara looks annoyed at this. "Even Rana doesn't want to be here" He adds. Katara looks at Rana who does look rather displeased with being here.

"You don't think there might be something in it?" Katara asks. Rana shrugs and shakes her head.

"I did when I was younger" She admits. Katara looks at her. "My nanny was a fortune teller" She offers, they look at her. "Shakra...she used to read my aura and go on about how great my life was going to be...I used to believe her, till I realised it was all utter rubbish...and that there was no such thing as 'great dragons' or 'spirit bonds'" She rolls her eyes and looks away.

"Spirit bonds?" Sokka asks her, Rana looks at him and frowns.

"You know..." She pushes. "Two people who are meant to be together....true love and all that stuff, their spirits twist together, linked"

"That doesn't sound like a thing," Aang tells her.

"It's not?" Rana asks. They all shake their heads. "See" She offers. "Utter rubbish" She did believe in those things as a child, she really did, but then life gets in the way, she grew up and realised that things like that were stupid. That all the dragons were gone. That love was for children. She knows that it's not that simple now, but she doesn't believe in true love. She knows she can feel a great love for someone. 

...........

Sometime later, Meng reappears with a tray of refreshments, passing by a door and heading back to where Rana, Aang, Sokka, and Katara are sat, now starting to get bored. A moment later the inner door opens to reveal a young woman in a green kimono. She rushes over to Meng.

"Oh, Meng!" She cheers happily. "Aunt Wu says I'm going to meet my true love! He's going to give me a rare panda lily"

"That's so romantic" Meng looks dreamily over at Aang. "I wonder if my true love will give me a rare flower." She comments louder, so Aang can hear her.

"Good luck with that!" Aang offers earnestly.

"Is that the big-eared guy who Aunt Wu predicted you'd marry?" The young woman asks Meng who turns and shoves the young woman away from them before she brings the tray over to the quartet, but her eyes are fixed on Aang. She trips and almost dumps the food on Aang, but he helps steady her grip on the tray. His hands now hold hers as they together hold the tray. They share a moment looking into each other's eyes.

"Enjoy your snack," Meng tells him, embarrassed before she hurries away. Aunt Wu walks past Meng as she leaves, walking into the room to meet with her next clients. Or victims might be a better term here.

"Welcome young travellers" Aunt Wu greets them. "Now, who's next? Don't be shy." Aang, Sokka, and Rana look uninterested., compared to Katara anyway.

"I guess that's me" Katara stands.

"I'll go first" Rana stops her as she stands. "Just in case" She looks at Katara who nods and then sits back down.