Toph's Twin

20. Out Of The Desert

A/N: WHAT? We're at 20 chapters already? I'm just surprised I made it this far without failing! LOL I honestly believed when I started I wouldn't be able to keep it up but now we reached 20 chapters!! Thank you, everyone, for sticking with me and dealing with my sloping writing schedule. (Read a/n at the end for more notes)

We had just gotten out of the desert so we all decided to take a break by a waterfall pond, everyone was doing something different to relax. I was sitting on a rock with my feet in the water, Toph was a few feet away from me; also with her feet in the water, Sokka was studying the maps he got from The Library, and Aang and Katara were swimming.

"Waterbending bomb! Yeah!" Katara yells excitedly as she jumps into the water, there was a large splash and Aang who had earlier bent an ice cube around himself gets sent out of the water; the breaking the ice. The splash also get soaks Toph, Sokka, and I; and Sokka's maps. I take my legs out of the water and pulling my knees up to my chest I began to wring the water out my hair, which I had down today instead of its usual side braid or ponytail.

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

I look over at Sokka and answer back in a joking/sarcastic manner "well if you're that thrilled about water imaged how great it must be if those 5 thousand-year-old maps are muddy!" I give Sokka my evil grin before bending some dirt and flung it at him, he tries to guard his precious maps against my dirt and I bend it back into the ground before it causes any harm.

Sokka gives me a glare and I feel light shaking through the earth from my sister behind me, turning I see she has a large grin on her face as she shakes; laughing. Aang nearby joins in and I smile at them before turning back around, Katara smiles at me before bending the water out of the maps.

"So, did you figure out what route we're going to take?" Aang asks as he and Toph go over to join Sokka and Katara, I slide off my rock and head over and stand next to Aang.

"Okay, we just got out of the desert, so we must be around here. And we need to go to Ba Sing Se, which is here. It looks like the only passage connecting the south to the north is this sliver of land called the Serpent's Pass." Sokka explains pointing to different parts of the map as he talks.

"You sure that's the best way to go?" Toph asks

"It's the only way. I mean, it's not like we have Appa to fly us there." Sokka answers

"Shush up about Appa. Can't you at least try to be sensitive?" Katara asks Sokka quietly

Aang then speaks up "Katara, it's okay. I know I was upset about losing Appa before, but I just want to focus on getting to Ba Sing Se and telling the Earth King about the solar eclipse."

"Oh ... well, okay. I'm glad you're doing better." Katara said with a look of surprise on her face. I frown; concerned

"Then to Ba Sing Se we go. No more distractions." Sokka declares

"Hello there, fellow refugees!" A voice calls, we all turn to find the speaker was a man who was with two others.

"So, you guys are headed to Ba Sing Se, too?" Aang asks

"Sure are. We're trying to get there before my wife Ying has her baby." The man replies with a smile

"Great!" Katara says cheerfully "We can travel through the Serpent's Pass together."

The refugees give us a look of shock "The Serpent's Pass?" The pregnant woman -probably the man's wife Ying- asks "Only the truly desperate take that deadly route!"

"Deadly route." Toph repeats then she punches Sokka in the arm "Great pick, Sokka!"

"Well, we are desperate!" Sokka replies, rubbing his arm.

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

"And it's hidden, so the Fire Nation can't find it!" Ying pipes up

"Hmm ... peaceful ferry ride or deadly pass?" Katara says pretending to decide between the two. I sigh in relief, glad we won't be trying to do any mountain climbing today. 

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A/N: Happy Birthday to me! Happy Birthday to me! Happy Birthday to me, time for a new chapter! 

That right people, it's my birthday!! I am now 17 which feel unreal so in order to help my celebrate my birthday I decided to give you all a gift and upload a new chapter (I am proud of my self because I started and finished it today, and it's not super sort)! I hope you all enjoyed it. 

Please add, vote, and comment. Now if you'll excuse me I'm going to go have some cake! 

-Isabel