Defiance ❯ Atla

ᴠɪɪ. ᴛʜᴇ ᴡɪɴᴛᴇʀ sᴏʟsᴛɪᴄᴇ ᴘᴛ 2

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"Let's go, Appa! Come on, boy." Aang is tugging on the bison's reins, but the beast is refusing to move. Appa lets out a loud grumble. It's in the middle of the night. Aang is trying to hurry, leave before the others wake and discover him trying to leave them behind. (He doesn't realize they're already watching him struggle with his pet.) He's been off ever since calming the spirit the same way Katara did for him -- by reassuring it the forest will grow back. The spirit releases Sokka and all the other people it's taken into the spirit world with it in its anger. Sokka seriously has to use the bathroom. 

Aang sighs, facing the bison with a drooping face. "Look, I'm sorry, but Katara, Miko, and Sokka aren't coming to the Fire Nation with us." Miko isn't sure what surprises her more: the fact that he includes her in his small list of friends or that he says he's going to the Fire Nation. What business could he have there? "If they got hurt, I'd never forgive myself." His tone shifts abruptly -- from soft hearted to stern. "So, get your big butt off the ground and let's go!" He gives one more, rather aggressive tug on the reins, which only results in him landing on his rump, dejected. 

This is where the others announce themselves. "I think his big butt is trying to tell you something," Sokka says. 

"Please don't go, Aang," Katara begs. "The world can't afford to lose you to the Fire Nation." She holds her hands close to her chest, her blue eyes twinkling in the moonlight. "Neither can I." 

Aang looks down for a moment before getting to his feet. He doesn't air bend the way he normally does, he lifts himself this time. His eyes are darker in this moment, not angry or mean just darker. Determined perhaps. Or desperate? Is there a difference between the two? "But I have to talk to Avatar Roku to find out what my vision means." Vision? Miko shouldn't be surprised that he hasn't told her about it before, she shouldn't be hurt. Why should he tell her such things? They aren't friends. They're not even on the same side. In all technicalities, she is just his friend's prisoner.

 "I need to get to the Fire Temple before the sun sets on the solstice. That's today!" He air bends himself up to Appa's head, grabbing hold of the reins, hoping that the bison will listen if he's in a riding position. But Appa still doesn't move. 

Katara and Sokka move in front of the bison just in case. "We're not letting you go into the Fire Nation, Aang," Katara says, hands firmly on her hips. 

"At least, not without your friends," Sokka adds, head tilted to the side, arms coming to a fold over his chest. He doesn't say anything about Miko, and she wonders if he even remembers she's there in this moment. "We got your back." 

Aang offers a small smile in return, slowly relenting. Momo lands on his shoulder, chitters as the Avatar pets him; meanwhile, Appa gives Sokka a lick with his massive tongue, getting him all slobbery. A villager approaches the Avatar with a bag full of necessities. "It's a long journey to the crescent island. You'll have to fly fast to have any chance of making it before sundown." Aang takes the bag.

Katara and Sokka climb aboard the bison, and the former turns, offering her hand to Miko to help her up. She frowns. "I'm coming too?"  

"Of course," Katara says. "Why wouldn't you be? It could be useful, having a Native from the Fire Nation with us." Miko doesn't tell her she has no idea how to navigate the crescent island. She's never been there. "Besides, I don't think Sokka is ready to part with his 'prisoner' yet." She flexes her fingers at the word prisoner, rolling her eyes. After a moment she leans forward, cupping one hand over the side of her mouth, her voice a whisper. "Between you and me, I think he secretly likes you." 

"I…" What does she say to a thing like that? The wind catches Katara's hair, swoops it to one side; the moonlight hits just right. She's glowing. Forget talking about boys, how is she supposed to breathe when she looks like that?