- Third POV -
"Aang, I still owe you an apology. You were just so good at waterbending without really trying. I got so competitive that I put us all in danger, I'm sorry" Apologizes Katara.
"It's okay" Reassures Aang.
"Besides, who needs that stupid scroll anyway?" Sighs Katara. Sokka tugs Mizuki's sleeve.
"Can you give me the scroll for a second?" Whispers Sokka. Mizuki nods and hands him the waterbending scroll.
"Is that really how you feel?" Says Sokka sarcastically as he holds the scroll in front of Katara.
"The scroll!" Beams Katara happily. Sokka puts his hand in front of the scroll to keep Katara from grabbing it.
"First, what did you learn?" Asks Sokka.
"Stealing is wrong" Answers Katara as she snatches the scroll.
"Unless it's from pirates" Chuckles Katara. Aang and Mizuki start laughing.
"Good one Katara" Says Aang.
"You tried" Comforts Mizuki as she puts her hand on Sokka's shoulder.
❀❀❀
Mizuki, Aang, Sokka and Katara are in a forest. Momo is chasing a bug through the trees. He lands on the ground to see a neatly stacked pile of lychee nuts. Momo runs towards it, but is pulled into the air by a cage trap, joining two other caged animals.
"Where's Momo?" Asks Aang confused. Momo starts screeching and the teenagers spot him in the cage trap that's hanging by a rope on the tree limbs.
"Hang on Momo!" Shouts Aang as he uses his airbending to fly to the top of the tree, jumping from trunk-to-trunk to get higher. He finds the traps' mechanisms, undoes them, and carefully lowers Momo to the ground where the others are waiting. Katara and Sokka open the trap together and the lemur runs out with one of the lychee nuts in his mouth. When Aang lands he looks up to see the other two animals seemingly crying out for him to help.
"Alright, you too" Says Aang as he jumps up to them.
"This is gonna take forever" States Sokka as he throws his boomerang to simply cut the animals free.
"That works" Replies Aang as he jumps back down. The hog monkeys run up the tree and leave. Everyone gathers around the traps and Sokka kneels down to examine them.
"These are Fire Nation traps, you can tell from the metalwork. We better pack up camp and get moving" Informs Sokka. The teenagers gather their things and begin to pack them onto Appa's saddle.
"Uh, no flying this time" Says Sokka.
"What? Why wouldn't we fly?" Asks Aang confused.
"Think about it, somehow Prince Zuko and the Fire Nation keep finding us. It's because they spot Appa, he's just too noticeable" Replies Sokka.
"What? Appa's not too noticeable" Exclaims Katara.
"He's a gigantic fluffy monster with an arrow on his head! It's kinda hard to miss him!" Argues Sokka while he points dramatically at Appa.
"Sokka's just jealous cause he doesn't have an arrow" Says Aang as he pats Appa's head.
"Sokka, even if you are right, walking is exhausting and takes a lot of patience and time" Sighs Mizuki, who has experience with traveling on foot.
"I know you all wanna fly, but my insticts tell me we should play it safe this time and walk" Continues Sokka.
"Who made you the boss?" Asks Katara as she raises her brow.
"I'm not the boss, I'm he leader" States Sokka as he points his finger at his chest.
"You're the leader? But your voice still cracks!" Mocks Katara amused.
"I'm the oldest, and I'm also a warrior, so- I'm the leader!" Answers Sokka annoyed.
"If anyone's the leader, it's Aang. I mean, he is the Avatar" Mentions Mizuki.
"Are you kidding he's just a goofy kid!" Shrieks Sokka offended.
"He's right" Chuckles Aang while hanging upside-down from Appa's right horn with his feet sticking out in the air.
"Why do boys always think someone has to be the leader? I bet you wouldn't be so bossy if you kissed a girl!" Exclaims Katara.
"I've kissed a girl, you just haven't met her!" Shouts Sokka defensively.
"Who? Gran-Gran? I've met Gran-Gran" Teases Katara.
"No! Besides Gran-Gran!" Argues Sokka.
"Maybe if I kiss him he'll shut up" Chuckles Mizuki.
"Yeah I-...what?!" Shrieks Sokka flustered. Katara and Mizuki start laughing loudly.
"Stop, okay?! Look, my insticts tell me we have a better chance of slipping through on foot, and a leader has to trust his insticts" Explains Sokka.
"Okay, we'll try it your way, oh wise leader" Replies Katara sarcastically.
"Who knows? Walking might be fun" Shrugs Aang.
❀❀❀
The group walks through the forest, with Sokka in front, followed by Katara, Mizuki and Aang.
"Walking stinks! How do people go anywhere without a flying bison?" Complains Aang.
"Well, I don't know Aang. Why don't you ask Sokka's instincts? They seem to know everything" Mocks Katara.
"Ha, ha, very funny" Responds Sokka sarcastically.
"I'm tired of walking and my backpack is too heavy" Groans Aang.
"You know what, why don't you ask Sokka's insticts to carry your backpack for a while" Continues Katara.
"That's a great idea! Hey, Sokka's insticts, could you carry my backpack-" Says Aang but he gets cut off by Sokka.
"Okay, okay, I get it. Look guys, I'm tired too. But the important thing is that we're safe from the Fire Nation..." Replies Sokka as he walks through a bush and sees a Fire Nation campsite with a lot of soldiers. Most of the soldiers are seated or crouched near the fire with bowls in their hands and a couple of them are sitting next to tents. They all notice the teenagers and get up.
"Run!" Shouts Sokka, but a firebender blocks them off by setting the bushes behind them on fire.
"We're cut off!" Exclaims Mizuki.
"Sokka, your shirt!" Yells Aang. Mizuki opens her water pouch and clears a fire on Sokka's shirt with her waterbending.
"If you let us pass, we promise not to hurt you" Says Sokka.
"What are you doing?" Whispers Katara.
"Bluffing?" Whispers Sokka back.
"You promise not to hurt us?" Mocks a soldier, but somehow, he gets knocked out.
"Nice work Sokka! How'd you do that?" Compliments Aang.
"Uh, instinct?" Mutters Sokka confused.
"Look!" Beams Mizuki as she points up at a tree. In the tree there's a guy with hook swords, he jumps down and takes down two soldiers. Then, he runs forwards and takes another two down.
"Down you go" Smirks the guy. Mizuki looks amazed, Aang and Katara shocked, and Sokka confused. Another soldier charges at the guy, but he gets thrown against a tree.
"They're in the trees!" Shouts a Fire Nation soldier. A young boy lands on top of the soldier and turns his helmet around to blind, before riding him around while laughing. Another boy launches arrows at the soldiers while more boys come out of the trees. Aang and Katara are fighting against some soldiers while Sokka holds up his boomerang and yells as one approaches him, but stops when the guy with hook swords takes him down first.
"Hey, he was mine!" Complains Sokka.
"Gotta be quicker next time" Shrugs the guy. Sokka glares at him annoyed. Mizuki notices and starts to chuckle.
"Mizuki, shut up" Grunts Sokka. Suddenly, a soldier tries to punch the guy who just mocked Sokka. But before he can react Mizuki manages to grab the soldier's arm, and throws him to the ground. The guy with hook swords looks at Mizuki with admiration.
"Gotta be quicker next time" Mocks Mizuki as she walks towards Sokka, who's trying to hide his laughter. The guy awkwardly turns around and faces Aang.
"You just took out a whole army almost single-handed" Says Aang surprised.
"Army? There were only like, twenty guys" Grunts Sokka annoyed.
"My name is Jet, and these are my freedom fighters; Sneers, Longshot, Smellerbee, The Duke, and Pipsqueak" Informs Jet.
"Pipsqueak, that's a funny name" Chuckles Aang while looking at a young boy. Suddenly a tall, big guy leans over Aang.
"You think my name is funny?" Asks the guy in a threatening manner.
"It's hilarious!" Replies Aang in a upbeat tone. Pipsqueak starts laughing and Aang joins him. Pipsqueak pats the Avatar on the back in a friendly manner, though the hit was hard enough to knock Aang flat on the ground. The Duke stops laughing and looks down at Aang sprawled on the ground before his feet, though when Aang raises his head and continues laughing, so does the Duke. The freedom Fighters are raiding the empty camp. Mizuki glances at Jet, who's standing in front of Katara.
"Uhm, thanks for saving us Jet" Says Katara in a grateful tone.
"We should be thanking you. We were waiting to ambush those soldiers all morning, we just needed the right distraction, and then you guys stumbled in" Replies Jet.
"Well, we were relying on insticts" Mentions Katara while rolling her eyes.
"You'll get yourself killed doing that" Answers Jet. Katara starts to chuckle and Jet smiles.
"Hey Jet, these barrels are filled of blasting jelly" Shouts The Duke.
"That's a great score" Replies Jet as he walks towards him.
"And these boxes are filled with jelly candy!" Beams Pipsqueak.
"Also good, let's not get those mixed up" Answers Jet.
"We'll take this stuff back to the hideout" Suggests the Duke.
❀❀❀
"Is your arm okay?" Asks Sokka worriedly. Mizuki nods as she starts walking towards Aang and Katara.
"You guys have a hideout?" Beams Aang.
"You wanna see it?" Asks Jet.
"Yes we wanna see it!" Exclaims Katara.
<timeskip, the teenagers have reached the hideout>
"We're here" Grins Jet.
"Where? There's nothing here" Asks Sokka.
"Hold this" Says Jet as he hands Sokka a rope.
"Why? What's this do?" Asks Sokka skeptically while grabbing the rope. The moment he grabs it he gets pulled up into the branches.
"Aang?" Asks Jet as he offers them both a rope.
"I'll get up on my own" Replies Aang before leaping up into the trees with airbending.
"Mizuki?" Asks Jet while offering Mizuki the rope. Mizuki accepts the rope and gets pulled into the brances. Mizuki lands on a wooden platform in the trees where Sokka is waiting for her.
"Grab hold of me Katara" Says Jet as he grabs onto another rope. Katara blushes as she takes his hand and they rise up through the tree together in a romantic setting. They come to a landing on a wooden platform in the trees where Sokka and Mizuki are standing.
"Nice place you got!" Exclaims Aang who's using a zipline.
"It's beautiful up here!" Beams Katara.
"It's beautiful...and more importantly the Fire Nation can't find us" Replies Jet as he glances at Katara.
"They would love to find you. Wouldn't they Jet?" Chuckles Smellerbee.
To be continued
Word count: 1760