Flames of Destiny

18. NOTHING CAN GO WRONG... RIGHT?

Blue eyes scanned the horizon as they flew by, not a single word being said between the duo who rode on the giant sky bison towards the Earth Kingdom capital. It wasn't even a minute later when Sokka felt he needed to break the silence and he turned around to look at the bald teen guiding the furry beast.

"So, what kind of trouble is Katara in?"

Dawn was about to break when Appa landed at the Southern Water Tribe camp at the Chameleon Bay, and Sokka immediately noticed the look on his best friend's face. If the usually jovial and carefree Aang was to look this solemn, then it can't be good.

"It's Katara."

The unspoken 'she's in trouble' rang loud in Sokka's ears, and it didn't take long for him to convince his father, Hakoda, he was needed elsewhere. In fact, the Chief of the Southern Water Tribe must have understood the silent conversation too, for he was adamant that the teens make haste in ensuring the safety of his daughter.

The young Water Tribesman was almost torn for a split second – between choosing to be with his father whom he hadn't seen for three long years and making sure Katara was out of danger's way. His care for his sister won. As much as she's been a pain to him, he couldn't find himself to sit back and watch her get hurt. He exchanged a quick embrace with his father before getting on Appa and taking off.

That was over an hour ago, the only two words exchanged between the noisy pair had been when Aang landed. Now, Sokka needed at least some form of answers to settle his growing curiosity.

"I don't know," the airbender replied with honesty. The only information he had was from a dream when he was unlocking his seventh and last chakra. "In my vision, I just knew she needed help."

Sokka let out a sigh at that and rested his head on his arms on the large saddle he was occupying. "You know, it would be nice if your Avatar powers could be more specific from time to time."

Aang didn't formulate a reply, instead choosing to tighten his grip on the reins while silently agreeing with his best friend. The airbender decided he would not tell Sokka that he saw Katara struggling to free herself from chains that kept her locked up in his vision. The Water Tribesman would worry even more, despite his many heatedly claims otherwise.

"What's that?!" Sokka's question brought Aang out of his musing, and charcoal grey eyes followed the older teen's finger to see a huge cloud of dust tearing its way towards Ba Sing Se.

Curious at the strange sight, and worried that there is another Fire Nation Drill, Aang guided Appa towards the front of the clouds. As they got closer, two pairs of eyes widened upon seeing the diminutive girl in green and yellow getup being the source of the dust cloud.

Toph was... surfing on a wave made of earth.

Appa flew even closer to Toph, the distance between them enough for Sokka to lean forward and yell in an attempt to grab the earthbender's attention.

"Need a ride?!"

Instead of replying as Sokka expected her to, Toph instead lost concentration on the earth wave beneath her feet from shock. The sudden halting flung the girl forward and she yelped in surprise.

Both boys grimaced as they watched their friend land face-first onto the ground, eliciting a string of rather unfriendly phrases that would definitely send the girl's parents into denial about their 'baby' losing her 'innocence'.

Right, how did Sokka forget that Toph's hearing was more sensitive and more reliant on them than the usual person again?

oOo