(1) Augmentum | Zuko

Chapter Sixty-Four

Aang lands Noivern on the side of the mountain, as close to the top as he can get him without risking falling into the volcano. Sokka slides from Noivern's back first and then pats his neck as Aang joins him, looking rather excited about this, Sokka looks so much less excited about it.

"I can't believe you're dragging me all the way up here for a stupid flower," Sokka tells Aang as they climb the distance towards the peak.

"Not just any flower – a panda lily. I've seen it in action and boy, does it work"

"Flowers are fine once you're married, but at this early stage, it's critical that you maintain maximum aloofness" Sokka argues.

"But my heart is telling me to get this flower, and Aunt Wu said if I trusted my heart I would be with the one I love"

"What? Don't tell me you believe in that stuff too" Sokka complains.

"Well, Aunt Wu hasn't been wrong yet" Aang points out. "Why should she be wrong about love?" He then points up, spotting the flower sticking out over the rim. "There, on the rim!" Aang hurries up the last few feet to pick up the flower, giving it a deep sniff. His eyes pop open though when he looks down into the volcano. The caldera is full of lava. "Oh no! Aunt Wu was wrong" He drops the flower into the lava. It burns instantly.

"Those people all think they're safe. We've got to warn'em" Sokka points out as they both hurry back towards Noivern who makes a panicked noise, flapping his wings and getting ready for take-off.

........

Rana holds out a piece of fruit to Pikachu on her shoulder as they move through the market square and towards where Katara is standing outside of Aunt Wu's door. She's been so desperate for predictions. For everything. Pikachu takes the fruit and happily nibbles on it. Noivern lands hastily close by and Sokka and Aang climb off to join them just as Rana reaches Katara.

"Hi, Katara" Aang greets and then looks at Rana who waves her fingers a little, but notes he doesn't have the flower he went off for.

"Can you believe she won't let me in?" Katara asks. Complaining. "And after all the business I've given her?" Aang frowns.

"But, she doesn't even charge," He tells her.

"I know, but still"

"Well, we have other things to worry about. Aunt Wu was wrong about the volcano" Sokka informs them as Noivern nudges Rana's back.

"Sokka, you tried to convince me she was wrong before" Katara argues. "It's going to take an awful lot to change my min....." She is cut off by the sound of the mountain erupting to life. Rana looks up at the mountain, which suddenly has a full plume of ash and smoke stretching to the heavens. Pikachu drops its fruit as its eyes widen.

"Oh, no!" Rana voices.

"Pika pika"

...........

Sokka races into the crowd of people, closely followed by Rana, Katara, Aang, and Pikachu. Each of them seeking to warn the village of their impending doom.

"Everyone! That volcano is gonna blow any second. Aunt Wu was wrong!" Sokka shouts, trying to get through to them, but his previous anti-Wu comments are making it difficult. They don't believe him. At all.

"Yeah, yeah, we know you don't believe in Aunt Wu, 'Mr. Science and Reason Lover'" A girl in the crowd tells him.

"If you won't listen to him, maybe you'll listen to me" Katara counters. "I want to believe Aunt Wu and her predictions as much as you do, but my brother and Aang saw the lava with their own eyes"

"Well, I heard Aunt Wu's prediction with my own ears." The Calm Man argues. Aang air-bends himself up onto the roof of Aunt Wu's house.

"Please, listen to us! You are all in danger! And we have to get out of here. You can't rely on Aunt Wu's prediction. You have to take fate into your own hands" Behind them, another explosion occurs from the volcano.

"Look!" Sokka points up at the mountain. "Can your fortune-telling explain that?" Sokka asks them.

"Can your science explain why it rains?" A man in the crowd asks.

"Yes! Yes, it can!" Sokka argues and Rana looks around, watching as the crowd starts to walk back towards their homes.

"They won't listen to reason" She points out as Aang flies back down to them. "But they will listen to Aunt Wu" She muses.

"I know, that's the problem" Sokka complains, Rana shakes her head and turns to them.

"Well, it's about to become the solution" The three of them frown at her. Rana smirks at them. "We're taking fate in our own hands"

"Pika pika!!!" Pikachu adds excitedly.

"What did you have in mind?" Sokka asks Rana who nods.

"First, we're going to borrow Aunt Wu's cloud reading book" She answers. The four of them share a look before Sokka nods.

.........

Rana is perched on a rooftop that faces Aunt Wu's house where Katara and Sokka stand guard with guilty expressions on their faces. Rana sighs a little and looks around. They're not very good at being sneaky. She lifts her eyes to where Aang and Pikachu are entering the house via a balcony.

.........

Aang is now searching one of the back rooms, Pikachu moves around behind him, looking through things, though more to be nosy than to help look.

"Pika"

"Shh... we don't want anyone to hear us" Aang whispers at it. The polished metal gong in front of Aang now shows Meng's reflection, an expression of surprise on her face. Aang sees the reflection and jumps, startled. He turns and faces her. "Oh! I didn't see you there."

"You don't like me. Do you?" Meng whispers sadly.

"Of course I like you" Aang reassures her, but it's not really what she wants to hear.

"But not the way I like you"

"Oh," Aang realises. "I guess not"

"It's okay," Meng tells him. "It's just really hard when you like someone, but they don't think of you that way"

"I know what you mean"

"She's beautiful, by the way," Meng offers and Aang blushes.

"Huh?"

"That water tribe girl" Meng answers. "I can see why you like her so much. She's sweet, she's a bender, and her hair seems so manageable" She tries to mash her braids down and fails at this last reason. She looks crushed.

"Don't worry. You're gonna meet a great guy who's gonna completely fall for you. I know it" Aang tells her warmly as he puts his hands on her shoulders.

"Thanks" He then turns to leave, Pikachu jumping up onto his shoulder. "Wait! Don't you want this?" She hands Aang the cloud reading book which Meng had in her robe.

"How did you know?"

"I've kind of been stalking you... heh!" Meng admits, Aang stares at her as Pikachu pulls a face.

"Pika"

"Oh, thanks. I guess" Aang tells Meng before he leaves the way he came in.