Tale Of Two Avatars

The Swamp

We travel through the skies once again quietly and peacefully to our next destination, wherever that may be. As usual, I was meditating, closing my eyes, breathing deeply and ignoring everything around me, just focusing deeply on nothing but my inner self. 

Everything was going without any hitches until I feel a mysterious pull internally, drawing my attention to the area beneath me. I open my eyes, peering downwards and staring at a forested area, immediately feeling drawn to the area and wanting to go down. Appa slowly begins to descend down to it and unaware of everything else except the forested area, I began unconsciously climbing over Appa's saddle, only to be stopped by someone grabbing my arm tightly. 

I blink again, snapping back to reality and realising where I was, seeing that Sokka and Katara were pulling me back onto Appa. Sokka stares at me as if I were a lunatic. "What are you doing, Suzume? You could've killed yourself!"

"I don't know, I just lost sense of reality there for a second and I-I don't know, I feel like something wants me to go down there," I gaze at the area beneath myself, seeing that it was a swamp. "I just feel naturally drawn to it for some reason. But thanks for saving my life, both of you."

"No problem, Suzume," Katara smiled, but her smile soon melted into a frown. "Just don't do that again, please."

"Yeah," I paused in confusion. "I just don't know why I feel so attracted to the forest all of a sudden."

"I feel the same way as you did," Aang looks back at me, nodding in agreement. "I know it sounds weird," Aang gazes at Katara and Sokka. "But I feel like the swamp is calling to both of us."

"Is it telling you where we can get something to eat?" Sokka joked, rubbing his growling stomach.

"No, I-I think it wants us to land there," Aang answered, looking to me for confirmation and I nod, sensing the same thing Aang was.

Sokka shrugs, "No offence to the swamp, but I don't see any land there to land on." I began to hear rumblings, chitters and all sorts of noises coming from beneath us, making me even more keen on going to the swamp.

"I don't know. Bumi said to learn earthbending Suzume and I would have to wait and listen, and now I'm actually hearing the earth." Aang looks at me again and I nod, confirming that I was hearing the same thing. "Suzume does too. Do you want us to ignore it?"

"Yes," Sokka deadpanned.

"I don't know. There's something ominous about that place," Katara shuddered. 'Yet it seems so fascinating.'

Momo quickly hides under Appa's saddle in fear and even the flying bison groans, further supporting Sokka's point which he was quick to point out. "See, even Appa and Momo don't like it here."

"Okay, since most of us feel so strongly about this," Aang sighs in defeat, glancing at the swamp. "bye swamp. Yip yip!" Aang yanks Appa's ropes upwards, making the flying bison fly upwards and away from the swamp. 

Katara and Sokka both breathe sighs of relief while I gaze down at the swamp longingly, still desiring and longing to explore the swamp. Aang's apologetic voice fills my mind, 'Sorry Suzume, the others just didn't seem to like the idea of visiting the swamp, maybe next time you and I can go visit the swamp together.'

'Well, I hope we do.'

Suddenly, I hear a continuous rumble and whooshing behind us, it was as if a train was heading toward us at light speed. I quickly turn around and Sokka does as well, spotting a massive swirling tornado heading straight for Appa.

"We gotta move!" Sokka yelled. 

Appa starts to fly faster, zigzagging away from the tornado but he wasn't fast enough, the tornado started to close the distance towards Appa. As the tornado neared Appa, the strong air currents around it almost pulls Sokka right off Appa's saddle. Thankfully, Katara reacts quickly, grabbing onto Sokka's hand before he could fly off the flying bison. I slam my fists together, summoning air currents and forming an air shield around Appa to shield us from the powerful gusts of winds that emanated from the tornado.