Wild At Heart (Zuko)

Chapter Seventy

On the outskirts of the village, Kali follows along behind Aang, Sokka and Toph. She's not as used to the running around as they are. She's barely done anything like that in her life. Raya only moved them around a few times and Kali was not allowed to go off by herself. And even since being freed. There was a lot of travel before Ba Sing Se, but that was it. Travelling. Not talking to people. It's strange for her that they are going out of their way like this. It's not that she doesn't want to help people, it's just that she didn't really think about it taking this many steps. There is a hut at the far end of the path where there is an old man boarding up his windows.

"Old Man Ding?" Aang asks, startling the old man who ends up hammering his thumb.

"Ow, dang blame it! What? Can't you see I'm busy? Got a full moon rising. And why does everyone call me that? I'm not that old!" Old Man Ding attempts to lift a wooden plank off the ground but fails to do so. He pauses and then sighs. "Well, I'm young at heart" Aang approaches and helps Ding lift the board. "Not ready to get snapped up by some moon monster yet at least" Sokka takes over and nails the board to the window frame for him.

"We wanted to ask you about that" Sokka explains.

"Did you get a good look at the spirit that took you?" Aang asks

"Didn't see no spirit, just felt something come over me, like I was possessed. Forced me to start walking toward the mountain" Ding points to the mountain in the distance. "I tried to fight it, but I couldn't control my own limbs. It just about had me into a cave up there" He imitates a walking puppet as he talks to the teenagers. "And I looked up at the moon for what I thought would be my last glimpse of light. But then the sun started to rise and I got control of myself again! I just high-tailed it away from that mountain as quick as I could!"

"Why would a spirit want to take people to a mountain?" Sokka asks.

"Oh no!" Toph realises sharply, which causes Sokka and Aang to take defensive positions, believing that she must have felt something through the ground. "I did hear people screaming under the mountain" Toph points out. "The missing villagers must still be there!"

"We have to do something" Kali pushes and Sokka nods in agreement. That is the plan. They aren't going to change their mind now. Even if it is terrifying. Because whatever this is, that it is not so easily discerned, is scary. It would be nice to know just what it is that they are dealing with.

......

As the group of teenagers rush towards the mountain, Kali can't help but think this feels all rushed. She expected them to have a real plan, but they really are just running around and hoping that it works out for the best. She thought the Avatar would be more strategic.

"Wait, wait" Kali stops them with a frown. "We don't know what this thing is, how are we going to stop it?" She asks them. Sokka stops and turns to face her.

"Urm we kind of make it up as we go along" He admits. "Don't worry, it always works out"

"Okay," She whispers to herself and frowns harder. This is one thing, but that attitude isn't going to work if they truly are planning on stopping this war. "You are expecting to beat the Fire Lord and stop the war with....dumb luck?" She counters.

"We will have a plan" Aang assures her. "For the big stuff, Sokka's good at big plans" Sokka stands up taller with the praise, even if at the same time he looks surprised that those words came out of Aang's mouth.

"Things like this" Sokka offers. "You have to just react to..." Kali lets out a breath and glances around. "You have to trust us on this, Kali" Sokka adds, she looks at him. She then nods softly. "You came to find us because you wanted to help people, right?"

"I found you to teach Aang nature-bending, which by the way, we haven't even started yet"

"Okay, but you want to help people too" Aang pushes, knowing her enough to know that she wants to be a good person and wants to help people that need help. Help people like her. She went years without anyone helping her, so of course, she is the sort of person who wants to make sure it isn't like that for anyone else.

"Yes" She agrees and sighs. "Okay" She moves forward, implying that she is ready to get back to it. She is still not feeling great about the way they are doing this, but if it works then it works. Toph crouches and touches the ground.

"I can hear them. They're this way" She states and then rushes off, leaving Aang, Sokka, and Kali to race after her as she heads towards the mountain ahead of them.

.......

At the mouth of a cave at the base of the mountain, the group of teenagers come to a stop with Kali lingering back a little. The thought of going into somewhere so dark has her hesitating. It brings up memories she would rather not relive. Moments in which her sight would be taken from her. She takes a deep breath and reaches forward, her fingers lacing with Sokka's. He frowns and glances at her. Sees that fear in her eyes. He might not understand why, but he can see that she is scared of going in there. He squeezes her hand.

"I can't see anything down there" Sokka voices. Toph turns her head towards him and smirks a little before she takes his other hand.

"That's why you have me. Let's go!" She pulls him along, and Sokka, in turn, pulls Kali along. Aang hurries after them as they head into the cave.