𝑯𝑰𝑫𝑫𝑬𝑵 𝑫𝑹𝑨𝑮𝑶𝑵, 𝒂: 𝒕𝒍𝒂

➳ 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘦: 𝘳𝘰𝘬𝘶'𝘴 𝘪𝘴𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥

KIDA HAS JUST GOTTEN TO SLEEP WHEN TOPH WAKES EVERYONE UP.

"You guys, you're all gonna think I'm crazy, but it feels like a metal man is coming," she warns.

Kida lets out an exhausted sigh, and beside her, Sokka groans. She sits up and looks around, only to find a ray of light shining on them. Kida follows it to the source, and, sure enough, Toph is right: a man with a metal arm is standing at the top of the trench, a third eye in the middle of his forehead.

Suddenly, the man inhales deeply, then sends powerful bolts of fire towards the team. Aang and Toph act quickly, bending air and earth to prevent any explosions from causing them harm. Katara uses water to block the next attack, creating a fog, which allows the group time to find cover.

"This is crazy!" Sokka shouts, just as the group is hit with another explosion. "How can we beat a guy who blows things up with his mind?"

"We can. Jump on Appa," Aang suggests. "I'll try to distract him." Aang leaps away before anyone can object.

"Let's go," Kida orders, tilting her head towards Appa.

As quickly as possible, everyone packs up camp and leaves on Appa. Not even a minute later, Aang meets them and settles into the saddle where Katara, Toph, and Sokka are sitting.

"Kid, you okay?" Kida wonders as she navigates Appa towards safety.

"I'm okay," Aang assures, though he sounds out of breath.

"Well, that was random," Toph notes, leaning back against the saddle.

"I don't think so," Katara states. "I get the feeling he knows who we are."

A tense silence engulfs the team as they fly further into the night.

»»---------------------►

KIDA LOOKS AT THE ASHES OF LAST NIGHT'S FIRE, FEELING A STRANGE TUG IN THE PIT OF HER STOMACH. Earlier, when it was still dark and she woke up, that same tug was there. Kida, as usual, watched the sun rise, and felt uneasy throughout. She tries to remember if she dreamt anything that could have upset her, but Kida's mind is blank.

"Hey, you okay?" Sokka, in the middle of his personal planning session, turns his attention towards Kida. Toph, Katara, and Aang are still sound asleep. Sokka tries to wake up as early as Kida does, so the two sometimes have some alone time in the morning. Kida wishes that this was one of the days he had slept in instead.

"Yeah," Kida replies, making sure to avoid contact.

"The summer solstice," Aang suddenly mumbles, still half asleep. "That's soon isn't it?"

Sokka lingers his gaze on Kida before looking at the schedule. "In a couple days, why?"

"We need to go to Roku's island," Aang announces. At these words, Kida feels the tug in her stomach grow stronger.

»»---------------------►

ROKU'S ISLAND IS COVERED IN VOLCANIC ASH. Kida had never been there before, obviously. Still the island felt familiar; when she kneels down and presses her palm to the ground, Kida can almost feel the heartbeat of her ancestors. The sun is brighter here, the earth warmer, and the air electric. Some might find it comforting, but it has Kida on high alert.

Aang leads the team to what must have been the top of the volcano. Even from its peak, there was nothing to see but miles of volcanic rock followed by even more miles of water.