Eye of the Storm

Page Sixteen

The whole gang had separated from the ship, and were now flying on Appa on their own. "Hey! I think I see a cave down below!" Aang announced from inside their air bended cloud, "Shh! Keep Quiet!" They felt Appa land and Aang bended the cloud away. Sokka was the first to jump off the bison's back and looked around suspiciously before turning around and facing them. "Great job with the cloud camo, but next time, let's disguise ourselves as the kind of cloud that knows how to keep it's mouth shut."

"Yeah, we wouldn't want a bird to hear us up there and turn us in." Toph replied sarcastically, causing Quila to chuckle at Sokka's expense. The water tribe boy pointed to the toucan puffins on the rock above his head. "Hey, we're in enemy territory. Those are enemy birds." he said as one of them landed atop his head, making all of them laugh.

They all walk into the cave, none of them seemed very excited. "We have to live in here?" Quila complained, "At least it's better than being on a ship." Gopan tried to be optimistic. "Well, this is where we'll be living until the invasion begins. In cave...after cave...after cave." his head dropped more every time he repeated 'after cave'. "Sokka, we don't need to become cave people. What we need is some new clothes." Katara said, revealing her dirty and torn water tribe outfit. "Yeah, blending is better than hiding out. If we get fire nation disguises, we'll be just as safe as we would be hiding out in a cave." Aang agreed with a smile. "I could use some new clothes too." Quila said, seeing the tears in her brown boots.

"Plus, they have real food out there. Does anyone wanna sit in the dirt and eat cave hoppers?" She thrust her fist against the wall, causing the white cave hoppers to jump out of the ground. Momo jumped forward and plucked one up, shoving it in his mouth. Gopan scrunched up his face, showing his disgust for the odd colored bugs. "Looks like we got outvoted, sport. Let's get some new clothes."

They arrive at a house where they have dried clothes out on several wires. "I don't know about this, these clothes belong to someone." Aang said, sounding unsure, "I call the silk robe!" Katara announced as she hopped the rock. "Well I call the two-piece skirt!" Quila followed her lead and snatched the items of clothes off the wire.

She changed clothes, and braided the front bit of her hair, and tying it back, and letting her long hair fall to her mid-back before walking out to see that the rest of her friends had changed as well. She was now wearing a cropped red top with gold accents, a red skirt, and long gold sash, gold sandals, and gold bracelets. Gopan was now wearing a dark red sleeveless top with dark gold accents, a dark gold sash around his waist, grayish pants, and tall boots. He spiked up his hair a bit, and he had some stubble coming in.

"How do I look?" Katara asked, Aang looked like he was about to reply, but instead said, "Your mom's necklace..."

"I guess it's pretty obviously water tribe, isn't it?" Katara seemed sad to take it off.

They went to the local town and stopped at some shops to buy some accessories. A necklace with a gold band and a red jewel caught her attention. "Ahh, this here necklace would look fabulous with your dark hair, young lady." the shop owner said to her, holding out the necklace in his hands. I'm sure your boyfriend would appreciate it too." he nodded to Gopan who was standing beside her, and she laughed "No, no, he's not my boyfriend. Anyway. How much for the necklace?"

"Three pieces." Quila set down the amount and gently took the necklace from the shop owner and fastened it around her neck, and attaching the matching earrings. She looked over to see Gopan putting on some dark gloves that had holes for the pinkie and ring fingers.

"I used to visit my friend Kuzon here a hundred years ago. So, everyone follow my lead and stay cool. Or, as they say in the Fire Nation, stay flamin'." As Aang turned the corner, Quila leaned over to Gopan, "Why do I get a bad feeling about this?" They followed the Avatar out, who turned to a man eating meat on a stick and said, "Greetings, my good hot-man."