Rush [Sokka - Book Three]

⚝Chapter Eight⚝

When Katara and Konno finally got back to their little camp, the sun was slowly rising above the earth again. They quickly had to wash off the face paint and strip out of their spirit outfits and get back into their Fire Nation outfits. Sokka was awake when they got back, but they told him that they went to the bathroom together to make sure they other didn't get lost. He believed them.

Konno felt bad for lying to Sokka, but he didn't understand why they were doing it. He didn't really care about helping these people; he just wanted to leave them and not break up their schedule for the rest of the time before the Day of Black Sun. He never would understand what they were doing because he didn't care about these people like Konno or Katara did.

She was exhausted as they stepped up to the counter at the small town on the river. Even though she really enjoyed what her and Katara did last night, she still needed her beauty rest. She stifled a yawn behind her hand when she noticed that Dock was polishing a figurine that looked strangely familiar. Katara touched her arm, and she realized that it was a figurine of the Painted Lady.

"Hi, Dock," Sokka said to him. "Is Xu around?"

"Let me check . . ." Dock ran around the shop and ducked beneath the counter. When he came back up again, he had on Xu's hat. Konno still couldn't get over how he thought that he was three different people. Maybe it was the river that was doing weird things to his mind. "Hey there! Back again, are ya?"

"We need more food," Toph said with a sigh. She held onto Aang's arm this time. "Our friend is still sick and we can't leave until he's better."

Konno also felt bad about lying to them about Appa. Katara told her that she was feeding him some sort of berries that made his tongue turn purple. They both agreed that it would be better to keep that between the two of them for the time being. At least, until they could figure out how to clean up the river.

"Oh, well, that's too bad," Dock said while presenting them with a platter of noxious clams. Konno had to look away from them before she accidentally barfed on them. "Maybe if you guys are lucky, the Painted Lady will visit you in the night and heal your friend."

"And maybe she'll cook us a midnight snack, and we'll all have a sing along," Sokka said skeptically. 

"Yeah, may be!" Dock said, oblivious to Sokka's sarcasm. "You know, last night she visited us again. Healed most of our sick folks."

"Is that why this place seems so festive?" Aang asked.

Konno glanced around at the town. Everyone seemed to share a bright smile as they were putting up a large statue of the Painted Lady in the town square that must have come from her and Katara helping them. This was one of the first times that Konno had ever felt this happy. It was strange, helping people. Sometimes she could barely help herself, but she would always try her hardest to help others. 

"Yep, it's all because of the Painted Lady," Dock said with a nod.

A kid that was running by paused near them and said, "And the Ocean Spirit! There were two spirits here last night!"

Sokka glanced at Konno, a frown painting across his face. She could barely meet his eyes without feeling so guilty. Maybe she should've told him everything; now she felt really bad about lying to him. They were supposed to be together and not lie. Yet she was lying to him right now.

"Can you believe how much an entire village can be affected by two ladies?" Katara asked hesitantly. "I mean . . . spirits?"

"Well, I hope she returns every night," Sokka said, looking back toward Dock. "Otherwise this place would go right back to the way it was."