Open Your Mind

Chapter Nine

"Let's go, Appa! Come on boy!" Aang pleaded, tugging on Appa's reins only for the large sky bison to roar in protest and Aang looked down sadly, "Look, I'm sorry but Katara, Sokka, and Xia aren't coming to the Fire Nation with us. If they got hurt, I'd never forgive myself."

"So get your big butt off the ground and let's go!" Aang shouted and yanked on the reins again only to fall backwards onto his own butt.

"I think his big butt is trying to tell ya something." Sokka drawled from his behind Appa, where Katara and an irritated looking Xiaodan were standing with some of the villagers.

"Please don't go Aang." Katara begged desperately, "The world can't afford to lose you to Fire Nation. Neither can I."

"Besides," Xiaodan cut in, crossing her arms over her chest and giving her brother a stern look, "I thought we had already talked about you running off and trying to do things by yourself."

Aang looked abashedly away from his sister's stern gaze, but an image of the comet appeared in his mind and he jumped to his feet, "But I have to talk to Avatar Roku to find out what my vision means! I need to get to the Fire Temple before the sun sets on the solstice!"

He Airbended himself on to the top of Appa's large head, "That' s today!"

Xiaodan jumped onto Appa's head and snatched the reins from his hands, pushing his head down slightly to keep him from trying to grab the reins back from her, just as Sokka and Katara ran in front of Appa.

"We're not letting you go into the Fire Nation, Aang." Katara stated firmly and Aang gave her surprised look from under Xiaodan's hand.

"At least, not without your friends. We got your back." Sokka said with a grin as Momo perched on Aang's shoulder beside Xiaodan then Appa licked the Water Tribe boy, causing him to cringe, "EW!"

"It's a long journey to Crescent Island." The village leader said, stepping towards Xiaodan and Aang, handing the bundle he carried to Xiaodan, "You'll have to fly fast to have any chance of making it before sundown. Good luck."

Xiaodan released Aang's head so he could look at the village leader while Sokka and Katara crawled into the saddle.

"Thank you for your-"

"Go!" The village leader cut the boy off, pointing towards the ocean and Xiaodan snapped Appa's reins.

"Appa, yip-yip!" the white-haired girl shouted and with a rumbling growl Appa leaps into the air.

The village leader sighed quietly and pressed a finger to his temple as he left one of the intact buildings in his village only to gasp when he saw the scarred young man standing in front of him.

"Having trouble sleeping?" Zuko asked rhetorically and shoved the leader back into the house, knocking down the door then approached his fallen form, "Seen the Avatar lately?"

"Faster, Appa, faster!" Xiaodan urged the sky bison from her position on his head, snapping the reins gently to encourage Appa to fly faster, "We've got a long way to go, boy!"

Aang, Katara and Sokka watched the ocean below them fearfully, keeping an eye out for any Fire Nation ships. Xiaodan peered back at them then turned forward again and urged Appa to go a bit faster.

"Sailing into Fire Nation waters..." Iroh grumbled from behind his nephew, "Of all the foolish things you've done in your sixteen years, Prince Zuko, this is the most foolish!"

"I have no choice, Uncle."

"Have you completely forgotten that the Fire Lord banished you!?" Iroh demanded angrily before his tone turned fearful, "What if you are caught?"