When Worlds Collide: Book Two, Earth

Chapter Fifteen

I sat on a rock, next to Sokka, looking over his shoulder to see the map in his hands. I tried to ignore the fact that I was right next to a giant pond, that seemed to be extremely deep. 

I saw Aang plunge under the water, and come floating back up as a giant piece of ice. I shook my head at him, smiling.

"Water bending bomb!" Katara shouted from on top a a cliff, and cannon-balled into the water. My eyes widened at the wave of water rushing towards me, and I shrieked, ducking behind the huge boulder Sokka and I were sitting on. 

"Sure," Sokka said sarcastically. "Five thousand year old maps from the spirit library. Just splash some water on 'em." 

"Sorry," Katara apologized, and used water bending to remove the water from the old parchment. 

"So did you find out what route we're gonna take?" Aang asked, as we all crowded around Sokka, who lay the maps down for us to see. 

"Okay," Sokka started, "we just got out of the desert, so we should be right around here." He pointed at the map, showing us. "And we need to go to Ba Sing Se, which is here." He pointed again. "It looks like the only passage connecting to the North is this little sliver of land called The Serpent's Pass." 

"You're sure that's the best way to go?" Toph asked, crossing her arms. 

"It's the only way," Sokka insisted. "I mean it's not like we have Appa to fly us there." He shrugged, and I thumped him on the head, and Katara shushed him. 

"Shush up about Appa," Katara scolded. "Can't you at least try to be sympathetic?" 

We all looked up to see Aang sitting on the ground quietly. "I'm alright, it's okay. I know I was upset for a while about losing Appa before, but I just wanna focus on getting to Ba Sing Se and telling the Earth King about the solar eclipse." 

"O-okay," I stuttered, surprised. 

Katara and I glanced at each other, and I bit my lip. "Well, we're glad you're doing better," Katara said, looking worried.

"Then to Ba Sing Se we go," Sokka said suddenly, and stood up. "No more distractions." 

"Hello there, fellow refugees!" a man called, and we all to turned to see a small party of three walking towards us. With the man, was a pregnant worman, and a younger looking girl. 

Sokka immediately got an annoyed look on his face, and I sighed. 

"So are you guys headed to Ba Sing Se too?" Aang asked. 

"Sure are," the man said. "We're trying to get there before my wife, Ying, has her baby." He placed his hands on his wife's stomach, and I smiled. 

"Great!" Katara said. "We can go through the Serpent's Pass together." 

The group got scared looks on their faces, and I shifted my weight, suddenly nervous. 

"The Serpent's Pass?" Ying gasped. "Only the truly desperate take that deadly route." 

"Deadly route," Toph trailed, and punched Sokka in the arm. "Great pick, Sokka." 

"Well, we are desperate," he defended himself. 

"You should come with us to Full Moon Bay," the man offered. "Ferries take refugees across the lake. It's the fastest way to Ba Sing Se." 

"And it's hidden," Ying added, "so the Fire Nation can't find it." 

"Hm," Katara wondered. "Peaceful ferry ride, or-" 

"-deadly pass," I finished, and we gave Sokka a sarcastic look. 

He glared and we chuckled. 

/////\\\\\ 

The rock wall in front of us disappeared, and we were given a sight that I wish I could banish from my mind. People in old cloaks and robes either wandered in clumps, or sat on the ground. A lot of them looked really sick, or extremely tired. Many tents were set up all over the place, and I could hear a baby crying from far away.