The Burning Truth-Peace

Part 43~Gan Jin

"All clear, we're almost to the other side," Isu hopped down with a smile, seeing the other members of the gang.

"Do you think these people will cooperate long enough to get out of the canyon?" Hachi looked to the people they had sent undercover, seeing their shaking heads.

"I don't think so," Katara announced. "The Zhangs really wronged the Gan Jins. They ambushed Jin Wei and stole the sacred orb."

Blinking, Hachi and Zuko shared a look. "What are you talking about?"

"Yeah, Katara," Sokka gasped in offence. "What are you talking about? Wei Jin didn't steal the orb, he was returning it to their village gate and was wrongfully punished by the Gan Jin."

Scowling, Katara glared at Sokka. "Not punished enough if you ask me."

Isu looked between the two, stepping closer to Iroh. "So, my money is on a misunderstanding."

"Okay, okay I get it!" Hachi shook his head.

Isu sighed, tapping her chin. "If we want to leave, I need your help, I need everyone together at the base of the canyon wall."

"Please everyone, as soon as we get out of here we can eat and then go our separate way, but I need you all to put your head together and figure out a way up this cliff." Zuko pulled everyone forward, standing at the base of the cliff.

"Maybe the Zhang can climb the wall with their long disgusting fingernails." The Gan Jin leader scowled, glaring at the Zhang leader.

"Oh sorry, I forgot that to the Gan Jin unclipped fingernails is a crime punishable by twenty years in jail!"

"Why, you dirty thief!"

"You pompous fool!"

The tribes started to shout over one and another, Sokka and Katara joining in the screaming match.

"Guys, focus," Zuko sighed as he rubbed his forehead. "It's like being back home again."

"Come now everyone," Iroh held up his hands peacefully, "harsh words won't solve anything, action will."

"Perhaps the old man is right," the Zhang leader narrowed his eyes.

"Yes, perhaps he is." The Gan Jin leader nodded as Iroh smiled.

"Harsh words will never solve our problems."

"Action will!"

They both drew their swords as Isu slapped her forehead. "Am I the only one who thought this would happen?"

"To the death! And let this be the end of this rivalry!"

Isu rolled her eyes, walking to the wall. "Well, I brought you to the exit, bye." Isu started hopping up when Katara grabbed her and dragged her back to the floor.

The fighting raged on, evenly matched as Zuko sighed, blasting them away from each other. Food flew out of their clothes, dropping on the floor. Hachi gaped, hungry. "Is that... food? Everyone smuggled food down here? Unbelievable! You guys put our lives in danger because you couldn't go without a snack for a day? You're all awful!"

"Katara," Isu pulled at Katara's shirt. "That's a lot of canyon crawlers."

Sokka gulped, pulling out his boomerang. "We barely survived one!"

The canyon guide panicked. "They're coming back for me! They've had a taste and they're coming back for me!"

Katara held out her hand, grabbing Sokka. "Sokka wait. I don't care about this stupid feud, I just want us to get out of here alive."

"Me too. I only took their side because they fed me."

Isu hit back, fighting off the canyon crawlers with Katara beside her. Soon there was a crawler stack but they were still outnumbered. Zuko and Iroh tried to scare off as many as possible with their flames but it wasn't enough.

Zuko's eyes landed on the crawlers that snacked on the food bags. His eyes widened as he waved to the tribe members. "Everybody, watch me and do what I do." Zuko grabbed a piece of food, distracting the crawler as he leapt onto its back.

Isu grinned, hitting a piece of food to Katara as they jumped onto a crawler's back. The tribe people followed suit, mimicking the benders as Iroh screamed, being grabbed by Sokka and thrown on a Crawler's back.

Zuko offered out a hand for Hachi, pulling him onto the crawler's back as the last stragglers climbed onto the crawler. "Now follow me! We're riding out of this hole!"

Hachi tied a bag of food onto a stick, using it to guide the crawler up the canyon wall. "Everyone get off!"

As everyone climbed off the crawlers, Hachi kicked the food back into the canyon, smiling as the group cheered.

"We made it!" The Zhang leader cheered, smirking. "I never thought a Gan Jin could get his hand dirty like that."

Scoffing, the Gan Jin smirked back. "And I never knew you Zhangs were so reliable in a pinch."

"Perhaps we're not so different after all." They paused, letting the others sigh in relief. "Too bad we can't rewrite history. You thieves stole our sacred orb from Jin Wei!" The Gan Jin leader pulled out his sword, aiming it at the Zhang leader.

"You tyrants unjustly imprisoned Wei Jin for twenty long years!"

Zuko gulped, backing away and looking to Hachi for help. Hachi turned to Sokka and Katara who turned to Isu who held up her hands. "Don't drag me into this. I haven't eaten in a day and if you try to drag me into this I'm pushing you off that wall."

"Geeze, you're mean when you're hungry." Hachi sighed, looking at them in confusion. "Right... wait... did you say Jin Wei and Wei Jin? I know that story."

"We all know the story," the Gan Jin leader sneered as Hachi smiled.

"Yes, me and my siblings used to play that all the time."

"Play? What are you talking about?" The tribe people leaned in as Isu furrowed her brow.

"Yeah, what are you talking about? I don't remember that."

Scowling, Hachi glared at her. "That's because you called it stupid and hit me with an airball."

Isu opened her mouth to fight against the allegation but paused. "That does seem like something I would do."

"Anyway, Jin Wei and Wei Jin is a play." Hachi opened up his arms as he tapped his chin. "If I remember correctly, it's a tragedy about two tribes who had to go on a sacred quest to bring the sacred orb from the east to the west or the sun would never rise again. But after a few years of success, the authors of the play had a disagreement and changed the play. One play had the character a traitorous brother steal the orb while the other had the brother too weak and stupid to continue. Are you seriously telling me you didn't know it was just a play?"

Both tribe people fell quiet as Hachi sighed as he looked around the tribes as they agreed to put the past behind them. Isu ignored all that was going on as she tackled Corno, happy to see her bison once more.

Parting ways with the tribe's people, the gang climbed onto their bison and looked over the sky.

"I still don't remember that play," Isu announced as they flew away.

"Me neither but I'm glad they thought I did." Hachi scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

"You lied? I'm so proud."