(1) Augmentum | Zuko

Chapter Eighty-Two

Katara doesn't put the bandage back on, if Sokka has gone for more it will be best to put fresh ones on instead of replacing the ruined ones. She picks up the crystal ball from the ground where Pikachu left it and moves back to Rana. She presses the ball into Rana's hand and leans closer to her ear.

"Think of Noi" She whispers, hoping that this is going to work. "We could use his help" She looks at the ball which glows a little but nothing happens. "It's okay, Rana" Katara assures her as she takes the ball back. "It's okay" Her voice breaks as she sits next to Rana. Letting out a long breath as she sniffles. Rana's been hurt before, but she just does that purple light thing and everything is okay. This is different.

.........

Zuko leans on the railing of his ship. Staring out across the dark night ocean. He'd woken not long after Rana disappeared from their dream. His worry eating away at him. He can feel it, inside of him, that there is something very wrong with her. Behind him, Iroh walks onto the deck and towards Zuko.

"Can you not sleep?" Iroh asks him, watching his nephew. He looks exhausted. Pale. Troubled, more so than usual. He knows Zuko's been struggling with the concept of the spirit-bond, of what it means for him, but he thought Zuko was okay with it.

"Something's wrong" Zuko admits. "Everything feels wrong" He looks at his Uncle. "I think she's in trouble....and I don't know what to do..." He rubs at his head and then heads back inside, Eevee following behind him. Houndour looks at Iroh before following them. Iroh reaches into his pocket and sighs before pulling out a crystal ball similar to Rana's. He rubs his thumb over it.

.....

Sokka carries a bag of supplies through the village, Aang following behind him, scuffing his feet on the ground as he goes. They have what they need, but neither wants to go back to see Rana in the state she is in. They are dragging their feet as much as they can.

"So travellers, the next time you think you hear a strange large bird talking, take a closer look, it might not be a giant parrot, but a flying man!" A voice states close by. A man sat at a fire, surrounded by children listening with interest. "A member of a secret group of air walkers who laugh at gravity and laugh at those bound to the earth by it!" Aang moves closer to listen.

"It means a lot to hear air-bender stories being told," Aang tells the storyteller. "Where did you hear that story?"

"My Great grand-pappy"

"It must have been hundred years ago your great-grandpa met them"

"What are you prattling about, child? Great grand-pappy saw the air walkers last week!" Close by, a very old man who waves at Aang.

"Heya!"

...........

Rana is awake now but she still doesn't look great. Katara's been healing as much as she can but even that seems to have stopped working. Either it has stopped because of whatever this is, or Katara is just so tired she can't do it anymore. When Aang had heard about the possibility that there might be more air-benders they left, immediately. She lets out a sigh as she peers over the edge of Appa. She's been sort of propped up, taking pressure off of her side. Noivern makes a noise above them and then drops something from his mouth. Sokka stands to catch it, dropping back into a seated position again after.

"It's a reply from Shakra" He offers as he scans through the letter, Katara moving to his side to read it too. "Rest?" Sokka reads. "That's it?"

"It also says that without a spirit-bender that it's the best we can do" Katara scolds him. "It'll take longer but she'll be fine...She says it's something the Fire Nation used when it attacked Vasta" She reads. "It was meant to slow the vastaya down, not to kill them. It also..." Katara then gasps.

"What?" Sokka and Aang both asks her.

"It cuts off their bending" She answers.

"For how long?" Rana asks, shifting a little.

"It doesn't say" Katara offers. "Because..." She stops and looks down. Sokka tilts his head slightly. 

"The Fire Nation used the lack of bending to go in and kill them" Sokka realises and rubs at his eyebrow. "Whilst they were defenceless..." He turns to Rana. "So, good news, you'll be fine, bad news...no bending for a while" Rana pulls a face and looks away. That's not a great thing considering she's supposed to protect Aang.

.......

Iroh slides Rana's tome into a satchel as he approaches a Talonflame perched on the railing of the ship. The bird pokemon watching him approach, but not wary or cautious, with affection and warmth.

"Lu" Iroh whispers and holds out the satchel to the Talonflame. "I need you to find the True Elemental..." Talonflame takes the bag into his claw. "Give this to her..." Talonflame flaps his wings and then takes to the sky at speed. Iroh watching him disappear into the clouds. He lets out a breath and turns heading back into the interior of the ship.

.............

Zuko touches the top of Eevee's head absent-mindedly as he tries to meditate. Though it is difficult when he's so worried. Houndour brushes up against his side and Zuko lifts his hand to touch his head too. They are clearly attempting to comfort him, but it's not going to work unless he knows that Rana is okay.

...........

Rana goes over the letter from Shakra, but like Sokka and Katara told her. There is nothing more they can do. All she can do is rest. Which is great, because her life is so peaceful and calm. The Fire Nation could find them at any moment. If she can't fight. Then she is useless. She offers nothing to them without her abilities. If she can't put herself in front of Aang....then she fails. Sokka sits at her side. Can see the cogs turning in her head. Can see just what she's thinking about. He knows she worries about being the True Elemental. He knows she worries about being a failure. She's in pain. Rundown. Tired. It's all just swirling around inside of her. He touches the back of her hand before lacing his fingers with hers. Rana looks at him before she leans against his side.