The swamp

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"I've practiced how to hold my tongue long enough
I'm afraid I forgot to say goodbye."

____________

Aang looks ahead, a vacant, almost mesmerized expression on his face. He holds the reigns loosely in his hands. Aang looks down at the swamp below. Some sort of communication is happening, but its exact nature is unclear. Sokka looks over Appa's side.

"Hey, you takin' us down for a reason?" Sokka asks

Appa is indeed descending. Appa emits a low groan.

"Aang!Why are we going down?" Aang flinches

"What? I didn't even notice." He finally answers

"Are you noticing now?" Sokka says

"Is something wrong?" Katzumi and Katara ask

"I know this is gonna sound weird, but... I think the swamp is... calling to me." Aang explains

"It is telling ya where we can get something to eat?" Sokka groans

"No, I... I think it wants us to land there." He says back

"No offense to the swamp, but I don't see any land there to land on." Sokka shoots back

"I don't know... Bumi said to learn earthbending I would have to wait and listen, and now I'm actually hearing the earth. Do you want me to ignore it?"

Appa continues to descend.

"Yes!" Sokka yells

"I don't know... There's something ominous about that place." Katzumi says

Momo chitters and Appa groans.

"See Even Appa and Momo don't like it here." Sokka says

"Okay, since everyone feels so strongly about this... bye swamp." Aang shakes the reigns.

As Appa and the gang recede. A moment later a large tornado enters into their vicinity. It moves at terrifying speed in pursuit of the kids, tearing up the swamp as it goes.

"You better throw in an extra "yip"! We gotta move!" Sokka yells through the loud noise

Appa tries desperately to evade the tornado. Aang manipulates the reigns furiously. The tornado is right on top of them, however, and they are unable to distance themselves. As the whirlwind bears down on them, Sokka is blown off the saddle. Katara catches his arm and holds onto him And Katzumi grabs the other hand. As Sokka screams, Aang jumps out of the driver's seat and onto the saddle.

He instantly creates an air bubble around them and Appa, just as they are sucked into the tornado. Sokka falls back into the saddle as Aang struggles to keep out the whirlwind. He fails as one of Appa's toes begins to stick out of Aang's protective air blister. Aang's barrier collapses and they are engulfed in the tornado, which throws them out in all different directions.

Appa is ejected deep into the swamp, knocking down much in his path as witnessed by the dust and dirt cloud that erupts over the swamp canopy. Katara and Sokka drop from the sky into the muddy water. It is dark in here, even though it is still daytime.

The swamp canopy screens out most of the sunlight. A second later Aang drops down with Katzumi in his arms. Sokka gets up, rubbing his head and making pained sounds. The four get up and look about them.

"Where's Appa and Momo?" Aang asks

Aang airbends himself through the trees and emerges at the top of the tree canopy. He scans around, but sees nothing.

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