ATLA- Faith's Story

Chapter 7: Winter Solstice part 1~ The spirit world

The chapter opens to a cloudy sky, looking toward the ground. A messenger hawk floats into view, emitting a cry. When Appa overshadows the bear and roars, it shrieks again and stoops down, swiveling out of view. Appa soars along with Faith, Aang, Katara and Sokka in his saddle.

Katara: (Somewhat dreamily.) Those clouds look so soft, (Aang sits lazily atop Appa's head, a twig in his mouth; Sokka carves something with an uninterested look on his face. Faith is reading her scroll clearly paying no attention. Katara lying on her stomach, popped up on her elbows, staring dreamingly over the rim of Appa's saddle, and Momo and Melody are sleeping on the luggage.) don't they? Like you could just jump down and you'd land in a big, soft, cottony heap?

Sokka: (Turns to Katara; mockingly with a smile.) Maybe you should give it a try.

Katara: (Looks at Sokka with annoyance; sarcastically as she looks away from him.)
You're hilarious.

Aang: (Excitedly.) I'll try it! (Carrying his staff, he jumps off Appa with a big smile on his face. As he begins to fall, he turns once around his axis, winking as he passes. He falls down spreadeagled, laughing joyously.) Yeah!

Katara and Sokka pop their heads over the rim, looking down in the direction Aang went. Aang falls down, still smiling broadly. He vanishes in a cloud. Katara looks somewhat worried, while Sokka gazes wide-eyed at the point where Aang vanished. When he leans over to search the sky, Aang comes back up from behind them on his glider. The siblings turn around as they hear the snapping noise of Aang's glider being closed, and they watch how the airbender plops down on the saddle, his legs spread apart and a big smile on his face. Sokka looks unimpressed as Aang is dripping wet.

Aang: (Looking at himself.) Turns out, clouds are made of water.

He breaths in deeply and slams his balled, right fist against his stretched left hand, creating an expanding air ball around him in the process, drying himself off. Faith raises her hand and makes an AirShield to stop her Scroll from getting wet as she continues to read it afterwards. As Aang leans back to rest on both his hands, he contently looks at Momo, whose fur got all fluffed by Aang's airbending. Sokka, still looks at Aang unimpressed. Katara glances at her brother, but her attention is drawn to something over his shoulder.

Katara: Hey, what is that?

Sokka looks over his right shoulder in the direction Katara is looking as well. Katara gets up and walks to the front of Appa's saddle. The landscape in front of them, a large, dark patch of burned land standing out among the lush green of the forest. Faith puts down her scroll and looks over the rim of the saddle as the four children have surprised looks on their faces.

Sokka: It's like a scar...

Team Avatar stand in the middle of a gray, barren patch.

Sokka: Listen. (Aang has a sad expression as Faith stands next to him and holds his hand.) It's so quiet. There's no life anywhere.

Faith: Aang? Are you okay?

Sokka: (Noticing footprints; angrily.) Fire Nation! Those evil savages make me sick! They have no respect for -

Katara: Shhh!

Sokka: (Whispering angrily.) What? I'm not allowed to be angry?

Katara points to Aang with a somewhat concerned look on her face as he slumps over, downcast at the sight.

Aang: (Let's go of Faith's hand and Kneels down sighing. He picks up some ash as it slowly seeps through his hand and drops to the ground; sadly.) Why would anyone do this? How could I let this happen?

Faith: Aang, you didn't let this happen. It has nothing to do with you.

Aang: (Sadly.) Yes, it does. It's the Avatar's job to protect nature. But I don't know how to do my job.