Chapter 22: Taking Off (4)

"This could actually work, Sokka," Katara pointed out, meanwhile, Sokka continued to sit in front of Aang and rubbed his chin, deep in thought.

"Could this work?" Katara spoke up again.

Sokka simply hummed darkly and continued to feign silence and a frown as he seemed not too thrilled about the idea Aang had just posed for their problem.

"Will this work?" Katara spoke once again, evidently impatient as Sokka rolled his eyes, "Katara! Let me think, will you?"

"You're taking too long!"

"Oh my, I didn't realize that important decisions should be taken quickly and irresponsibly. My bad. Should we just leave everything without considering the possibility that returning may be harder than we expect because the moment Aang's identity is exposed, we all will be implicated simultaneously?"

Sokka's question silenced Katara.

"I don't think I should be here. It's your decision to make, after all," Nik coughed.

"No, you stay," Sokka scoffed, "If we leave, I won't let you stay in the Village, of course. So, whatever comes of this decision directly affects you."

'But I did say I want to leave already,' Nik silently judged Sokka but shrugged and continued to stay.

"Aang... when the procession of the Phoenix King arrived here, it stayed for two days to completely inform us on the situation. I stayed to listen to the stories because that is the only source of information I could have on the war as a whole," Sokka looked at Aang, "So, before I let you actually help us your way, I feel obligated to help you understand in return what your disappearance signified."

Katara looked away momentarily while Aang waited for Sokka to continue.

"It meant... loss. I can assure you, that wherever you go, you will find that everyone has lost someone they loved... well, except for the Fire Nation. And honestly, we have grown to accept it. We've had the years to cope with it, after all.

And you're an Airbender with a Sky Bison... even if I didn't recognize you at once, there will be many who does and understand your importance. I believe that unlike us, those who have not processed their loss will also find you to blame for whatever unfortunate circumstances they are in. Do you understand what I'm trying to say?"

Aang slowly shook his head.

"I hear and understand the words... but I cannot hide away. There could be many airbenders out there, just too afraid to reveal themselves. I want to travel. I want to learn bending and mastering the other three elements and resolve the issues that arise and stop me from mastering all the four elements.

And... I want to help the villagers not because I'm the Avatar, but because I'm taught to help whenever I can as an Airbender."

Sokka looked at Aang with an unimpressed expression before exhaling a long sigh and almost whining, "That's... so stupid!"

"Eh?"

Aang's expression froze and Sokka jabbed his index on Aang's forehead, "Learn to listen. You're ancient. You don't have any money. And your plan is to trade food for the villagers. But with what?"

Aang's lips twitched, "Not to mention, in this day and age, nobody would trade with the Avatar. There is a reason why other villages are not informed of your survival."

Sokka muttered and crossed his arms once again, "But there is a way."

"What?" Katara inquired and Sokka looked confused.

"Where is the 'please'?"

Katara narrowed her eyes and stated coldly, "Oh, then should I make you beg whenever I have to take care of your laundry. Nik, do you want to hear what I have been cleaning—"

"Alright, Alright! Alright!" Sokka gasped and hurriedly covered Katara's mouth before huffing, "It's simple. What you need is people to trust that the Avatar can do something about this terrible situation. Popular people get free stuff quickly, after all."

"But..." Aang seemed reluctant as Sokka continued.

"I'm not saying you to go around flying and shouting that you're the Avatar. Be discreet. You said that you want to help, right? Then you have to understand the problem first.

However, you can let others know that you're the Avatar only after you have helped the locals. Understood?"

"Uh, no?" Aang shook his head in confusion.

"Oh, if people really don't like Avatar, then revealing your identity may cause problems. But if you solve the problems, you give the locals a reason to trust and hear you. And soon, the word of the Avatar returning will help ease your traveling," Nik mused and Sokka nodded.

"That's it. As for helping us with food, there's no need for it in the first place. We were eating just fine before you floated in ice around here," Sokka smiled, "What you should focus on is problems that cannot be solved by fishing or foraging, understood?"

Aang nodded and accepted the reasoning. Sokka was right. They truly didn't need any help when it came to feeding their villagers and Aang felt that he might have been too excited to accomplish this 'one step at a time' plan.

"Now that this is settled, you can leave," Sokka stated, "Both of you."

He looked at Aang and Nik.

"Wait a minute," Katara spoke up once again, "Can you guys wait outside for a moment?"

Aang and Nik looked at each other before walking out.

"I'm not leaving," Sokka stated plainly.

"I know," Katara nodded, "Is there anything you want me to tell Dad?"

"What?"

Sokka gazed at his sister, dumbstruck.

"If you don't want to leave, I still do. Not only for waterbending. I will find Dad and bring him back alongside others... we never were part of the war. Maybe that is for the best. We were kids back then and we also used to have Gran-Gran keeping us together but ever since she passed away... I've had this feeling that we should be doing something."

"It's called frustration and I tried to set up a marriage for you so many times now, Katara. Just marry. Have a life," Sokka had his shoulders slumped.

"Like I will marry a stinky guy and only have my workload increased," Katara snorted.

"I want to leave, Sokka."

"What do you expect me to say?" Sokka frowned.

"A... goodbye would be nice," Katara smiled but Sokka couldn't muster any and he fell silent.

Seeing Sokka unresponsive, Katara sighed softly and stood up.

"I will tell dad you miss him," she whispered before taking her leave.

Outside the tent, Katara found Aang and Nik waiting by their temporary tents and smiled.

"You wouldn't mind me asking you to take me with you, too, right?"

"No," Aang quickly shook his head.

With a smile, Katara walked into her tent only came out after a while. Speaking a few words of farewell to the villagers, not minding hugging the children who pestered her to return quickly, Katara walked out of the village with Aang and Nik.

As they left, the villagers were stunned when they found Sokka quickly coming out of the tent, screaming, "Remember not to trouble your mothers too much! And don't quit your training for potty breaks! When I return, I will test every one of you!"

With that, he rushed out of the village with small baggage of his own and called out.

"Hey! Wait up!"

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"Sokka?" Katara looked back, her eyes widening in surprise and joy as she rushed towards his direction and quickly pulled him in a hug.

"You're coming?" She inquired.

"I don't want you to screw up my message to Dad. I don't trust you with important tasks. At all," Sokka huffed and he was instantly shoved back by an annoyed Katara who turned around and walked in the direction of Aang and Nik, calling out, "Let's go!"

"Yeah, let's go!"

Sokka came following with an eager smile as if he wasn't shouting in opposition to leaving the village a few hours back.

Appa, Aang's animal companion already had a wide saddle buckled on his back that provided plenty of space to the trio while Aang sat on top of Appa's head and held reign to the ropes tied to his horns.

The villagers could be seen gathered near the entrance as they waved at the group, signifying their farewell and Katara whispered, "Are you sure?"

Sokka pursed his lips before nodding, "No way I'm letting you go in this dangerous venture alone."

Sokka knew what he had recommended: clearing Aang's name, was no doubt dangerous and the moment it is revealed that the Avatar is alive, Aang will be chased without rest until he has enough strength to act as a deterrent to pursuers.

Hearing him, Katara nodded while Aang leaned down, rubbing Appa's head.

"Alright, Appa. This is it," He smiled, "We will eat fruits, and you won't be hungry anymore. You just have to push yourself to fly one last time."

"I'm sorry, fly?" Nik looked at Katara and Sokka who shrugged in confusion themselves.

"If you didn't notice it, magic man has a magic bison," Sokka clicked his tongue.

Appa moved and with him, the bodies of the passenger trembled. This would be the second time for Nik riding Appa as he was informed that Appa was the one who brought him, Katara, and Sokka back to the village after he was found alongside Aang.

*Ghnaaaghhhh*

Appa growled as he shook his head, snow being dusted off from his fur as Aang's gaze brightened. Waiting for Appa to fully balance himself, a restriction only because of his weakened and starving state, Aang flicked the reigns with the snap of his wrist.

"Yip Yip!"

*Ghaaagh*

Nik, Sokka, and Katara felt something. Looking behind, they saw Appa's large, flattened tail rising and with a forceful flap they found themselves momentarily pushed 'down.'

It was quick.

The village became increasingly smaller, leaving the villagers in awe, too, as Nik felt the breeze against his face. Cold but refreshing. The misty glacier seemed to be left 'down' and what appeared in everyone's eyes was a beautiful horizon with a shimmering ocean waiting to be explored.

"We're flying," Nik whispered, amazed by such an experience. The edges of his clothes moved along the gust of winds as Appa's speed remained quite comfortable to be at.

"We're flying!" Sokka screamed, much more excited when compared to Nik's level-headed and awed response.

"Katara, we're flying!" Sokka turned to face his sister with an amazed but joyous expression. However, when faced with Katara's smug and taunting look, Sokka coughed, "Big deal, we're in air."

Letting go of the reigns, Aang pushed himself off of Appa's head slightly and let the wind carry him towards the saddle seat on his bag before rummaging his hand into his clothes and taking out a thin bamboo scroll.

"Right! We're on a journey and I still have some things from hundred years ago to complete. The list is big, but as Nik said, if we do it one at a time, we will be able to finish all the work!"

He unfurled the scroll and revealed a map. Nik's eyes brightened momentarily as this happened to be a definitive form of information of the world he was present in this time around.

This world had one great landmass while the other sections of land seemed more or less divided. The landmass happened to be color-coded with the red cluster of islands marked— fire. The largest of the continent with the iteration of flowing rivers and large lakes had a brown shade and the mark— Earth. The two opposite ends of the map depicted the Northern and Southern Water Tribes and in between, marked with clear grey were three specific points on the mountain ranges— Air, and the fourth one being within the borders of the Earth Kingdom, as explained by Aang.

"Alright," Sokka smiled, a little relieved, "So you did have a plan to master all the elements. Where do you plan to go first?"

"What? No," Aang pointed at the map excitedly, "We will ride the Elephant Kois here, and then the Hog monkeys around here. And here—"

"We're not here to have fun!" Sokka shouted, his voice drowning with the cool gust as Nik looked away, more than happy to soak his eyes in this beauty of nature from afar because he already knew that up close... nature can be a gigantic killer bitch.

---

"How long?" Sokka groaned.

"9 inches..." Nik mumbled, his eyelids heavy with exhaustion and sleepiness. Sokka looked at Nik strangely, "What 9 inches?"

"I..." Nik blinked and frowned. Rubbing his eyes, he sat up straight and stretched his arms out with a long yawn, "I misunderstood your question."

"Damn right, you did," Sokka scoffed.

"We're just close by to the Patola Mountain Range," Aang looked back, "There, we can all the fruits and nuts. Yip yip, Appa!" he smiled and Appa's speed grew considerably.

The air had grown damp and warm as they continued to move to the northern direction so Sokka, Katara, and Nik had removed their coats with only their tunic and trousers on them.

Seeing the two men leaning against the edge of the saddle without any intention to move at all, Katara gave a long sigh. Thoroughly bored by the journey herself.

The novelty of flying was quick to pass by and now they all felt that the inability to do anything out of fear of falling to their deaths was much taxing. Only an Airbender like Aang wouldn't find it mentally taxing to be so high in the air. The shift in oxygen level in this moderate altitude was barely noteworthy so the group wasn't particularly affected by it.

Soon, the mountain range was within the view and Aang grinned, "Everyone, hold tight!"

Nik didn't take more than a second to clench the saddle firmly and so did Sokka, equally paranoid of falling to his death. Katara revealed a confused expression when suddenly, Appa growled and changed the direction of their flight.

From forward to up.

"Woaaahhh!" Katara gasped, her heart quaking in fear as she quickly grasped the edge of the saddle, too and their faces were whipped by cold gusts and soon their visions were covered by mist once again as Appa drilled into the clouds and some more!

His head tore through the layer of the clouds and everyone had their visions attracted to a spacious monastery with blue spiraled rooftops and winding path visible even from the distance built on the peak of a steep mountain without any vegetation in sight around the rocky range.

"There it is," Aang smiled with a relieved expression, "The Southern Air Temple. That's my home!"

He looked back, unfazed by the dangerous and sudden ascension but when matched with the disheveled appearance of the trio still heaving with a startled expression, Aang's lips twitched, "Um... I'll go slower next time..."

Appa zoomed in towards the Air Temple and soon landed on a wide, circular platform. The Air Temple clearly wasn't inhabited and there was even much structural damage on the walls of the pillars that led to the greatest heights of the building.

Though despondent by the sight of it, Aang still jumped down from Appa's head meanwhile Nik looked around curiously.

"Come on," Aang called out, "There's so much I have to show you guys."

"You said there was a war, right?" Nik looked at Sokka and inquired in a whisper.

"Yep, the Airbenders were first to be wiped out, or so they say. I wasn't born then so details are not so clear on that matter," Sokka gazed at Aang jumping around with a slightly troubled expression.

"Come on, it cannot be as bad as we are imagining it," Katara smiled and climbed down.

Nik and Sokka glanced at each other. Somehow, both of them were fully aware of the extent of cruelty humans are capable of and they hadn't even faced a war personally yet. Undoubtedly, things might be worse than they had already imagined.

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