Stratus | Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Chapter Eleven | Desert

"I couldn't help it, the library was sinking and you guys were inside."

"You could've come to get us!"

"There wasn't time!"

"No! You just didn't care."

"Aang-" Katara began but froze as Kumo swung her blade between the two, stopping them both.

"Toph did her best. How long do you think it would've taken Toph to go in and actually find you? That library is huge, you could've been anywhere, not to mention, in going down there, she could've been killed, along with all of you. She slowed the tower down, and probably saved your lives." Kumo stated coldly, narrowing her eyes as she stared down at him. "For an avatar, you have a long way to go, don't you?"

"What were you doing? When Appa was being taken?"

"Drowning in sand." Kumo snarled, "there was twelve of them, with three ships, against Toph, who is blind, and me, whose bending is almost useless against sandbenders."

"Aang, stop it." Katara placed a hand on her shoulder and the group began to argue: over who cared about who, how they were even going to get out of the desert, and who selfish each other was. It was ridiculous. Kumo felt rage bubble up in her stomach, as Aang shot off, leaving the rest of them defenceless.

"Well, we better get walking."

The group trudged on in silence.

"So, Kumo, you're half spirit, huh?" Kumo glanced to Sokka, raising a brow.

"I am, my father is Lang Yao, the wolf-spirit of the Southern Water Tribe plains, and my mother was an air nomad, who tended to the Shao-Lin Temple." Sokka hummed, scratching his chin in interest.

"Why aren't you with Zuko?" Kumo glanced back at Katara, before turning her gaze ahead, completely ignoring the question.

"Toph, can you compact the sand, like those sandbenders did to me?" Toph frowned, and shrugged. She placed her hands on the sand, and a thin body of sand began to clump together. "Can you keep it like that?"

"I can try."

"Okay, all of you, get on it." Though confused and slightly apprehensive, the group did as she said, clambering onto the platform. Kumo leapt on last, kneeling down on the edge before straightening out her arms, and to their surprise- Sokka's more verbal than the others- the sand plate began to move, hovering over the sand. "It's kinda how the sandbenders do it, but I didn't think it would work with earthbender, d'you think you can hold it?"

"I think so."

The sky above them became dark quickly as the sun sank in the horizon, basking the desert in a deep amber glow. Kumo glanced behind her to the others, noting Sokka's slumber. Since he'd made them stop for cactus juice, he'd been all over the place. Momo lay defeated, snuggling in her lap as she set her icy eyes forward.

"Wait, it's Aang." The sand platform stopped, sinking down as Aang landed a few feet away from them, a gust following him. Katara was the first to run to him, reassuring him. Kumo sighed, rubbing her cheeks, before glancing over to Sokka, who was pointing up at the sky excitedly.

"Circle birds..." he muttered and Kumo followed his gaze, only to freeze a second later.

"Oh, you're joking." She growled, moving Momo carefully from her lap and onto Sokka's. Lifting her arms up to the sky, the pale girl flicked her wrists, knocking all four wasp-like creatures out of the sky and off somewhere to their right. She glanced around, noting Katara's disheartenment, or everyone's really." Alright, you all get back on this bloody sand platform now, or we won't get out of here for a while."

The others did as they were told, Toph still managing to keep the large hunk of sand together, but Kumo knew she was getting tired, so was she. Katara sent her a grateful smile, placing a hand on her shoulder before turning round to smack Sokka, who was yelling obscenities.

Katara winced as she was suddenly thrown to the ground, along with the others. Glancing up, she eyed Kumo who lay on her side, her face flushed and her breathing laboured. A thought struck her, but she brushed it aside, realising now was not the time for sentimentality. Kumo stared up at the sky, feeling her vision fade gradually.

"What happened?" Toph groaned, rolling onto her back and spitting the sand out of her mouth.

"Kumo collapsed." Kumo's eyes began to drift shut, and her mind stilled.

She awoke a few hours later to gentle humming and the feeling of wood beneath her back.

"Are you awake now?" She glanced up, confused at first but then recognised the vehicle she was on. A sandbender ship, with Katara at the wheel, and Aang generating a breeze. Kumo groaned, rubbing her forehead, her throat dry and scratchy.

"Yeah, sorry, I think I overexerted myself."

"It's alright, we found a sandbender ship anyway." Katara shrugged, glancing too and from the map and compass at the wheel. "The compass on it points to a rock, so we're hoping it'll be of some help."

Kumo paused, combing through her silvery hair with her fingers.

"What if it's a sandbender base?"

There was a pause.

"Then there's a chance we'll find Appa."

Kumo rolled her eyes- out of Aang's sight- it was like Zuko and the Avatar all over again.

(A/N): The sketch at the top is just a quick one of mine of Kumo. She looks a little different now since leaving Zuko. The blue on her face is war-paint (she's very much a fan of it). Once my exams are over, I'll do a proper one on my tablet. It just struck me that this series is almost two years old. That's insane.