Violent Delights, ATLA

chapter twenty two, to haunt and be haunted

22
TO HAUNT AND BE HAUNTED

THE RAYS OF SUNLIGHT GLARED down at Zuko and San riding the ostrich horse as they determinedly followed unusual tracks left along the grass by an advanced metal vehicle of some kind. The aforementioned boy claimed it was his sister's doing based on the Fire Nation symbol spotted on it but San hoped with all her heart it wasn't. She wasn't in the mood to run into the princess again.

"San, look." Zuko said, gesturing to unidentifiable items scattered across the ground before them. Scratch unidentifiable, that was Appa's saddle and basic objects likely belonging to the Avatar's gang. "They went this way."

San followed his point to the row of Appa's shedding leading left but before he could ride the ostrich horse away, she departed the animal and eyed the suspicious scene on the right. The tops of the trees were broken, falling off somewhere behind in the forestry as broken wood at the tips were all that remained.

"I think Aang tried to fool Azula and the rest. The sky bison shedding go there but in the opposite direction, those trees have been partially broken off at the top." She pointed out, "So you'll follow the shedding and I'll go in that direction."

Zuko hesitated, remembering patently what happened the last time they split up.

"Don't worry. If I'm in trouble, I'll holler like a tigerdillo." San quipped.

Some expression mixing amusement and confusion curtained over his face but Zuko nonetheless agreed and they went their separate ways temporarily. Past the vast greenery and towering spruce trees, San found herself standing before a river with no rocks in between to help cross. However, on the other side, there was a fight going on between four people; the Water Tribe siblings against Mai and Ty Lee.

San's face lit up in excitement. She hadn't seen Mai and Ty Lee for what seemed like forever. Although the excitement coursing through her veins diminished slightly once she remembered that they've likely been recruited by Azula to pursue Zuko and herself to capture for being fugitives; hunting down the Avatar and his friends were just a fun bonus. Nonetheless, she won't get her answers by simply standing on the empty side of the riverbank so she utilised her firebending abilities to fly over to the other side as if she equipped rocket boots.

San's unexpected arrival thawed Mai and Ty Lee's smooth fight against the sleep-deprived Water Tribe siblings (why they were so incredibly sleep-deprived in the first place- she wasn't sure but the eye bags prominently seen was dark enough to rival ink smudges). She slid to a halt as she landed in the middle, the grass soft beneath her bare feet.

"San?" Ty Lee was the first to break the shock silence, a bright grin adorning her lips. "Oh my goodness, it's been so long!"

San couldn't get a word in before the circus girl squealed and embraced her in a hug, arms wrapped around her neck and pulling her close. The holder for the sun spirit's heart gladly returned it.

"Let me give you a kiss!"

"Sure." She giggled as they pulled away.

Ty Lee affectionately peppered her cheeks with fleeting kisses of warm greeting like a spring fairy blessing the angelic human with everything good in the world. Her bright pink aura (as she often called it) and strong positive energy was contagious as always and San allowed her guard to be down.

And then a knife was thrown, flying past her ear.

"Mai?!" San yelped, alerted and confused. The knife ended up nearly hitting a snoozing Sokka, who continued napping away with his sister against a tree.