When All Hope Is Lost

The King of Omashu Part 3

Blinking her eyes open, Auretta looked around to see the crystals yet again glowing a soft green. Must be close to morning. She yawned and tried to stretch, only to realize she was still hugging Sokka from the side. When she moved, she must have woken him up, because she could feel him start to move around. She sat up, and smiled as he blinked drearily. "Morning!" She chirped as she poked his cheek.

Her smile turned to a frown however when she watched his face contort into a more startled and surprised expression as he looked behind her. Before she could turn around to see who was there, a hand clasped around her mouth, and an arm wrapped around her waist, trapping her arms. She looked at Sokka with wide eyes as the same was done to him, and looked over to see it was happening to Katara as well. Aang however was left to peacefully snore in his bed.

The guards lifted the three up as they struggled against them. Auretta tried to scream for her brother, but he was in too deep of sleep to hear her.

The guards dragged the three out of the room, and once the wall was shut off behind them, they finally removed their hands from their mouths; all expect Auretta so they can try and keep her from airbending her way out.

"What's going on? What do you want from us?" Sokka questioned as he tried to pull from the guards grasp, only to find that the man was too strong. The guards didn't reply, and just continued to lead them down the dimly lit hallway.

"Where are you taking us?" Katara tried.

"We'll be there soon." Was the guard's simple answer.

Sokka's mouth dropped open. "So you'll answer her and not me?"

The guards didn't respond.

The group stopped at a dead end. The guards bended an opening in the wall, revealing Aang and the king on the other side. The guard holding Auretta finally removed his hand from her mouth, just to slide a ring, made entirely of pink crystal, onto her pointer finger. The guards completely released the trio, only for the watertribe siblings to immediately try pulling them off. Auretta just stood there, staring at her brother with a worry shown clear across her face, and listened to what the king was saying.

"By nightfall your friends will be completely covered in it. Terrible fate, really. I can stop it, but only if you cooperate." The king said.

Suddenly, the rings then expanded up their fingers, causing Sokka to scream. "AGH! It's already creeping!"

Aang met eyes with his sister. He saw how worried she was, but he knew it wasn't for herself; she was worried for him. That's how she always was. He sent her a small smile, before turning back to the king with a serious expression. "I'll do what you want."

The king smirked. He then gestured that the guards lead the trio to follow him. As they walked through the halls, Auretta caught up with her brother, and put her hand on his shoulder. "Aang, are you sure about this? These challenges... what if you get hurt?"

Aang raised a brow at his sister. "Are you saying you don't believe in me?" he teased.

Auretta rolled her eyes and lightly punched him in the arm. "Aang, I'm serious. Of course I believe in you, you're my little brother, and you always pull through in the end, but that doesn't mean I don't fear for your safety."

Aang smiled and held his arm up to the elder sibling. "I'll be fine, Retta. I promise."

Auretta hesitated for a moment, before nodding her head and linking her arm with his. "I believe in you, little brother."

"It seems I've lost my lunchbox key, and I'm hungry."

They were all now in a cave filled with spikey rocks all around. Katara, Sokka, and Auretta were on a small balcony, overlooking the room with the king and the same three guards. Aang was down in the rocks, standing on a small flat area. In the middle of the room was a waterfall that fell into a stream that flowed through the rocks. In the middle of the waterfall however, there was a ladder, and a single key on a chain, hanging from the ceiling.