Avatar: The Parallels

Chapter 30: Camp Red

Tikaani's POV:

"I missed you more than you'll ever know, buddy." Aang cooed as he hugged Appa's enormous head. His arms didn't even go a quarter of the way around the bison's head. Appa licked Aang and he laughed before falling to the ground. I smiled as I watched the scene.

"Look, we escaped from the Dai Li, we got Appa back, I'm telling you, we should go to the Earth King now and tell him our plan!" Sokka tried to convince us to go along with his plan, but he might as well not even bother. Toph was sitting on the ground picking her toes, Katara was giving Red another follow-up healing session, I was really too busy playing with Muu--who had been in my bag during the whole 'Lake Laogai' thing (I'd been really careful while I was fighting to make sure no rocks hit my bag, and that I didn't jostle him around too much)--Aang was too busy with Appa, and the Freedom Fighters were waiting for Red to wake up. She'd been out cold since yesterday's attack. "We're on a roll!"

"One good hour after weeks of trouble isn't much of a roll!" Katara chastised as she continued her healing.

"And some of us barely made it out of there alive!" I growled as I momentarily focused my attention away from Muu. He immediately became angry and started tugging on my shoe. I patted him on the head and handed him another apple slice.

"But if we want to invade the Fire Nation when the eclipse happens, we need the Earth King's support!" Sokka argued.

"And what makes you think we'll get it?" Toph asked. "I don't know if you've noticed, but things don't go that smoothly for our little gang."

"I know, but I've got a good feeling about this!" Sokka urged triumphantly. "This time will be different."

"But Long Feng's still in control of the city." Jet suddenly said, standing up from the spot where he'd been sitting, watching Red. "He could do the same thing to any of us that he did to Red."

"Why are you talking as if you're one of us?" Katara hissed, turning on Jet. She almost forgot to keep working on Red, but went back to her healing rhythm hastily once she noticed. Red let out a slow, painful groan in her sleep. Jet narrowed his eyes at Katara and turned away from her. I could tell that he didn't want to say anything hurtful to her because she was still working on Red, and he wouldn't do anything to jeopardize her healing process. Smellerbee and Longshot didn't say anything. They just exchanged a knowing glance.

"The conspiracy with the Dai Li is too powerful. Let's just leave the stupid city behind and get help somewhere else." I advised. Katara and Toph seemed to like that plan.

"I've seen enough of Ba Sing Se! AND I CAN'T EVEN SEE!" Toph declared vehemently.

"But now that we have Appa back, there's nothing stopping us from telling the Earth King the truth! About the conspiracy and the war!" Aang boosted himself into the air and landed next to Sokka, literally jumping into the conversation.

"See, Aang's with me!" Sokka pulled Aang closer and smiled. "It's the whole reason we came here in the first place, we have to try!"

"What about Red? If we go to the Earth King, that means leaving her here!" I pointed out. "And I don't know if you've noticed, but there are Dai Li ships searching for us even as we speak." I pointed out towards the lake, where three ships were sailing a long ways away. "We can't take her with, but we can't leave her here either..." Everyone exchanged a glance. They knew what I was saying was true. Nearby, Walt bark-screeched, as if in agreement.

"We can protect her." Jet answered, pulling out his hook swords. Longshot readied his bow and Smellerbee pulled out a crooked knife. My eyes widened.