Lost Arrow [A:TLA au]

six

CHAPTER SIX
( A TRIP TO CRESCENT ISLAND )

FLO COULDN'T BREATHE, BUT it wasn't like before. It was more as if the air got knocked out of her by the amount of surprise Aang's words brought to her. She sucked in one large breath as if she were about to scream, and shakily let it out. She felt lightheaded a little bit. And terrified. And angry, for multiple reasons but right now mainly because Aang decided that he would go alone right after she admitted to him that she didn't do well with people leaving. So of course, a few minutes after Aang dropped that bomb, she stood in front of Appa with her back to him, arms crossed, as Aang stood beside her, trying and failing at getting the flying bison to move.

"Let's go, Appa! C'mon, boy!" Aang groaned and pulled at the reigns. Appa groaned back, ruffling the girl's clothes and hair.

"Do you have memory loss, Aang?" Flo asked the airbender accusingly, voice firm.

"No, but I'm not letting my friends go into the Fire Nation."

Flo wanted to blurt out that she was the archer some of the Fire Nation Soldiers were terrified of. She didn't know how his innocent mind would react to that though, or how the villagers nearby would react either, so she kept her mouth shut about it for the time being. "I'm not exactly unfamiliar with fighting Fire Nation soldiers," she stated instead.

Aang ignored her and tried again to get Appa to move. And just like the last time, he failed. He moved so he was face to face with his giant companion. "Look, I'm sorry, but the others aren't coming to the Fire Nation with us... If you got hurt, I'd never forgive myself," Aang admitted. Flo didn't miss how the last part was directed at her, and technically the siblings too, despite them not being close enough to hear. Aang's next words were aimed at Appa once again, "So get your big butt off of the ground and let's go!" He continued to pull on the reigns, and did it so much so that he lost his grip and fell to the ground.

Flo moved to stand over him. "I can hold my own." Sleemo, perched on her owner's shoulder, meowed in affirmation.

He had a dejected expression right then. "What does it matter, Appa won't get up anyway," he complained.

"His big butt is trying to tell you something," Sokka spoke as he and Katara walked up. "So is Flo. Listen to them, maybe?"

"Oh, like you so obviously listened to me last night?" Flo muttered to herself, bitter and angry. The others still heard. Aang visibly winced at her words and Sokka, after realizing what she said, shrunk back, sheepish. She frustratedly rolled her eyes at him, and barely noticed how Katara had an expression that said she agreed with the other girl. It soon went away as she spoke to the airbender.

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

Aang got off the ground and walked over the two siblings while Flo stayed put. "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. That's today." He turned and then jumped on Appa where he usually sat, and gripped onto the reigns. As he looked at the three teenagers, Katara and Sokka moved to stand with Flo in front of Appa.