Flow [Sokka - Book Two]

⚝Chapter Seventeen⚝

Thankfully for Konno, they had gone to the Ferry Landing instead of the Serpent's Pass. She didn't want to die today because of a route Sokka wanted to take They had followed the family to the Landing and were waiting in line to get into Ba Sing Se. A cruel-looking Earth Kingdom woman stood at the podium in front of them, stamping papers.

"Do you think we'll find Appa here in Ba Sing Se?" Katara asked her as they waited.

"Hopefully," Konno replied with a nod. "Aang may have said that he's feeling better, but I don't really believe it."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I know what a facade looks like when I see one."

Katara glanced back at Aang before facing forward. She seemed to take that statement into account with his quietness lately and said, "I'll talk to him."

"That's good."

The line shuffled forward slowly. Katara and Konno stood behind Sokka and Toph and the family of three. He wasn't even facing her. Why had she allowed herself to feel those things about him? He obviously didn't feel the same about her. He hadn't even spoken to her since his harsh words. He would barely look at her. 

"I've told you already, no vegetables on the ferry!" the lady at the podium snapped to an older man. "One cabbage slug could destroy the entire ecosystem of Ba Sing Se. Security!"

"My cabbages!" the man yelled as an enormous platypus-bear, dressed up in a uniform, reared up and destroyed his goods, cart and all. The man fell to his knees, paralyzed in despair. Two human guards pick him up by the arms and carry him away.

"Poor guy," Konno said, watching as he struggled against the two guards. 

"That's not the first time his cabbages have been destroyed," Katara said to her. "It's usually whenever we're around, too."

"Next!" the woman snapped, stamping a piece of paper.

Aang stepped forward hesitantly. "Um, five tickets for the ferry to Ba Sing Se, please."

"Passport," the woman said, staring at Aang with a hard look on her wrinkled face.

"Uh, no one told us we had to have passports," Aang said.

Konno felt bad for him. The lady was being really rude, and he looked a little upset. Sokka seemed to notice, too, so he stepped forward. "Don't you know who this is?" he asked, gesturing to Aang. "He's the Avatar!"

The woman looked unimpressed. "Ah, I see fifty Avatars a day," she said with a roll of her eyes. "And, by the way, not a very impressive costume." She pointed over to the left, showing a motley group of boys in Avatar costumes lounging together. Aang smiled in their direction. Momo jumped up onto Aang's shoulder, and the woman's eyes zeroed in on him. "Besides, no animals allowed. Do I need to call security?"

"That won't be necessary," Aang said, holding up his hands.

"Next!" the woman yelled.

Konno almost started walking away, but she stopped when Toph strode forward. She leaned against the counter with an easy look on her face. "I'll take care of this," she said to Aang. "My name is Toph Beifong, and I'll need five tickets."

Toph pushed a document forward on the desk, and the woman let out a gasp. "Oh!" she said in awe. "The Golden Seal of the Flying Boar! It is my pleasure to help anyone of the Beifong family!"

"It is your pleasure," Toph said arrogantly. Konno blinked at her as Katara laughed. "As you can see I am blind, and these four imbeciles are my valets."