🌷 (Y/n) P.O.V. 🌷
"I thought you were weak before, you're not even a bender, but this is just pathetic. You're nothing but a coward and a traitor."
Fire, smoke, fear.
Blue eyes.
I'm abruptly awoken by Momo's screeching and the ground rumbling. Men a top Komodo rhinos appear around us. "Give up! You're completely surrounded!" They circle us carefully. One man fires two flaming arrows toward Sokka, who was trying to crawl away like a caterpillar in his sleeping bag. I get up and run toward he man. I grab the saddle of the rhino once close enough, using it leverage myself up to kick him off the rhino. I take control of the reins to distract the gang while the others mount Appa. I charge the other men as they try to use their weapons against Katara and Aang who go for personal items. Once I see all of them on Appa, I jump from the rhinos back to Appas tail and climb up to he saddle. "Yip yip!" Aang says.
Appa rises from the ground, leaving gang behind. One shoots a fire ball at us as we fly over. Katara and Sokka quickly duck and cover their heads, as the fire ball just misses them. As Sokka looks down again, he notices something on the ground. "Wait, my boomerang!"
"There's no time!" Katara tells him. "Oh, I see, so there's time to get your scrolls and time to get your staff, but no time for my boomerang?" His voice is laced with bitterness. "That's correct." Katana says cheerfully. He bows his head in defeat. "Oh." I carefully pats his shoulder, knowing how he felt. Without that weapon, he felt useless. He doesn't acknowledge me beyond a small glance. We soon come across a small village at the edge of a cliff, surrounded by open, green fields. We travel it for supplies, covering Aang's arrows with a hat. "Sorry about your boomerang, Sokka." Aang finally says. "I feel like I've lost part of my identity." He jumps up and moves Aang's hat slightly so that he can point at Aang's arrow. "Imagine if you lost your arrow, or Katara lost her ... hair loopies."
He slowly saunters over to the stall, where Katara gives him a hug for comfort. "Here's your produce, ponytail guy." The merchant says. He looks dejected, and I feel a pang of guilt. "I used to be boomerang guy." He walks away, and I follow. "If you want, I could teach you some combat techniques. I only have the one dagger anymore, but I could show you how to use it?" I suggest carefully. I don't know how to comfort him about the problem, and only can offer solutions. He smiles half heartedly. "Maybe."
"I'm no teacher, let alone master, but it's worth trying." I warn. He shrugs, clearly more focused on the retched boomerang. "Have a nice Avatar Day!" The merchant calls as Aang and Katara join us. "Avatar Day?" Aang repeats. "You guys are going to the festival, right?" He asks. Aang and Katara smile at each other, and it's clear we'll have to look into this today.
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Chin Village with several festive, green lanterns hanging over the street. It's charming to say the least. Aang, Katara, and Sokka are standing in the middle of the busy street, looking around in interest. I mostly stand on edge, wary of the big crowd. Few routes to escape, more people to recognize us. "There's a holiday for the Avatar. Who knew?" Aang says. A huge statue of Avatar Kyoshi rolls by. "Look! They made a giant Kyoshi float!"
"And here comes Avatar Roku!" I shudder, remembering the day in the fire temple. The main square is packed with people, and the giant float of Kyoshi and Roku are being pulled to the middle. "Having a huge festival in your honor is great, but frankly, it's just nice to be appreciated." Aang says, somewhat smug. "And it's nice to appreciate their deep-fried festival food!" Sokka takes a huge bite out of the food, happily forgetting the boomerang incident from this morning. "Aang, look!" They made one for Aang too. The statues seem so doll like, and it almost freaks me out. "That's the biggest me I've ever seen!" A villager carrying a torch comes running down the street which confuses me. I don't see anything to burn.
"Now a torch, that's a nice prop. It's bright, dangerous, smells manly. But I'm not sure I could carry it off." Sokka says. I roll my eyes, and shake my head. Men are something else. "Hey, what's that guy doing?" Katara asks. With a loud scream, the runner jumps through the float of Kyoshi, causing it to catch fire. The fire spreads rapidly over the whole thing. The villagers chant as she burns, "Down with the Avatar!" I suppress my amusement as the others are entirely shocked. I pat Aang on the shoulder. "So much for appreciation, huh?" The mayor signals to the torch-bearer, who is now on a roof, to throw his torch. The torch-bearer grins as he takes aim and throws his torch right into the eye of Aang's float. The crowd cheers in approval, while Aang looks at his own float burn with a look of pain on his face, closing his own eye.
Katara runs to the front and uses her waterbending to extinguish the flames with water from two large pots nearby. "That party pooper's ruining Avatar Day!" A villager cries at her. Aang looks angrily at the villager. He airbends himself to the top of his own float and lands on the shoulder. "That party pooper's my friend!" He takes off his hat and throws it away to reveal his arrow. I face palm.
"It's the Avatar himself!"
"It's going to kill us with its awesome Avatar powers!"
"No, I'm not, I..." Aang raises his hand. Several villagers run for cover in fear. The villager that spoke throws himself into the audience. Aang looks at his hand and quickly hides it behind his back. "I suggest you leave!" The mayor yells at him, waving him away. "You're not welcome here, Avatar!" I fight my way through to grab the two 'party poopers.' "He's probably right guys, we should just-"
"Why not? Aang helps people."
"It's true! I'm on your side." Aang adds. "I find that hard to swallow, considering what you did to us in your past life! It was Avatar Kyoshi; she murdered our glorious leader, Chin the Great." Aang is shocked by this. "You think that I...murdered someone?"
"We used to be a great society before you killed our leader. Now look at us!" A villager pipes up. "Aang would never do something like that. No Avatar would. And it's not fair for you all to question his honor!" Katara snaps. "Let's tell her what we all think of the Avatar's 'honor'!" He turns around to shake his rear at Aang and blows a raspberry; the villagers cheer in approval. I scoff at this. "Even if she did, it was a past life. You can't judge him in that life for something he doesn't even remember. And now, only he can restore balance." I argue. The mayor clearly disapproves of this, but doesn't get a chance to speak before Aang does. "Give me a chance to clear my name!"
"The only way to prove your innocence is to stand trial." He informs. "I'll gladly stand trial!" Aang seems far too confident, and I wonder how far he's thought this through. "You'll have to follow all our rules. That includes paying bail."
"No problem."
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Aang's confident look quickly disappears as he is cuffed with his hands and head stuck in a wooden panel and thrown behind bars. Katara holds her hand before her eyes in shame while Sokka leans against the prison bars, annoyed. I remain stoic. I've noticed I spend a large amount of time simply observing them. "How was I supposed to know they wouldn't take Water Tribe money?" Aang defends. "So some people don't like you, big deal! There's a whole nation of firebenders who hate you. Now let's bust you out of here!" I nod in agreement with Sokka. "I can't."
"Sure you can! A little," he theatrically jumps back and pretends to airbend by blowing air, "swish-swish-swish! Airbending slice! And we're on our way!" He says pridefully. "I think what "Master Swish" is trying to say is that you're supposed to be out saving the world. You can't do that locked up in here." Katara translates. "I can't do that with people thinking I'm a murderer either. I need you guys to help prove my innocence." Aang argues. "It's like I already said, you can't change the actions of your past lives. Nor can you be blamed for them. There isn't time for this."
"Yeah, how're we gonna to do that? The crime also happened over three hundred years ago." Sokka agrees. "That's okay, Sokka. For some reason, I thought you were an expert detective." I scowl, realizing his cunning as Sokka says, "Well, I guess I could be classified as such."
"Yeah! Back home, he was famous for solving the mystery of the missing seal jerky." Katara reminds. I inwardly groan, knowing I'm outmatched. His ego is involved now. "Everyone wanted to blame it on the polar leopard, but I figured out it was Old Man Jarko wearing polar leopard boots! See, a real eight hundred-pound polar leopard would have left much deeper tracks." Aang is making fun of Sokka, Katara holds her hand to her mouth to refrain herself from bursting out in laughs. He doesn't notice. "Okay, I guess I am pretty good."
"So, you'll help me with my case?" Aang confirms. Sokka pretends to ponder about the question. "Fine! But I'm going to need some new props." He leaves the jail for no more then a few minutes before coming back with a hat with a monocle. I often question his strong shopping abilities. "I'm ready." Katara giggles. "What?"
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I am left at prison in which Aang is being held. We agreed someone should keep an eye on him lest he say anything else incriminating. Aang, still cuffed, leans dispirited against the wall of the prison. A low voice emerges from the shadows at the other side. "You got a bald head. Some nice tattoos." The man emerges from the shadows. He has a strong build, earrings in both ears, and his body has a large snake tattoo that covers the top of his chest and down his right arm. He suddenly charges Aang, letting out a load growl. He is stopped in his tracks by the chains around his neck. I stifle my amusement. Aang slides down the wall in fear, while the man addresses him calmly. "You're going to fit in real well around here." Aang looks at me for help. Sure, I know more about how to deal with people like this then he does, but Aang doesn't need to do that. I know he's plenty capable of turning this people to his side.
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Low and behold, I was right. They all sit in a circle, and listen to Aang share his love woes. "This girl you're talking about? She'll come around. You just gotta hang in there." An inmate tells him. Aang removes his head and hands out of the wooden panel, a move that makes me scoff in irritation. "You think so?" He says hopefully. The inmates all share words of encouragement with gentle voices. I can't help but wonder if the reason for their imprisonment is as idiotic as Aang's. "I don't know..." He rests his head on the board. "Hey! You're smart, handsome, funny. Not to mention you're the Avatar."
"You guys are great." Aang says. I roll my eyes a the scene, but it's in amusement. Of course he'd think the hype men are great. Tears stream down the face of a ruffian while he talk in a very soft voice. "Don't be afraid to tell her how you feel."
"I've got to admit, Aang, even I think you've got a chance if you time it right. I mean, you did kiss in the freaky love tunnel right?" He blushes. "How would you know that?" I shrug. "You had to follow the lovers to get out or whatever, that's what you guys said, yes?" He nods. Several of the men holler, and pat his shoulder. "Well, what about you and Sokka? If you have to follow the story, did you guys kiss?" Completely unprepared for the question, I sputter over my words. I search for a response, but can hardly get out the word, "No!" This doesn't satisfy the inmates, who begin to brown nose into my business now. "Who's Sokka? Tell us about him? Did you want to kiss him?" The questions bombard me, and I feel my face heat up in embarrassment. I glare at Aang who smirks vengefully. "I've never even thought about kissing him!" I defend. "I've never even kissed anyone, I don't care to."
"Maybe he can teach you." An inmate suggests playfully. Unable to form coherent words, I scowl and leave the prison to take a break. But all that does is leave me with time to think. While it is true that I've never wondered about kissing Sokka, I can't help but think about it now.
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The statue of Chin seems ominous. It seems that every villager has gathered in the amphitheater just off the cliff. We sit in front, listening to the mayors testimony. "Everyone loved Chin the Great because he was so great. Then the Avatar showed up and killed him, and that's how it happened." That's it? He walks away with a giant smile on his face. "The accused will now present its argument." The monotonous guard says. "You can do it, Aang. Just remember the evidence." Sokka whispers to Aang, but he remains unsure. "Right... evidence... Ladies and gentlemen... I'm about to tell you what really happened. And I will prove it with facts. Fact number one. Uhhh..." Well this has got to be good.
"The footprint!"
"Oh, yeah. You see... I have very large feet. Furthermore... your temple matches your statue. But... I was in a painting at sunset. So, there you have it, I'm not guilty." He smiles wide, but the villagers seem unimpressed or confused. Sokka and Katara both have big smiles on their faces, but their eyes reveal that they are fake. I simply shake my head at him, stoic. "He's dead." Sokka mumbles to us. I knew this would be a waste of time.
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Katara had a last ditch effort. "Mayor Tong, I'd like for the court to hear one last testimony."
"I've already told you, it's just me and the accused. You can't call any witnesses!" Backwards justice, how familiar. "This isn't just any witness. I'm going to call Avatar Kyoshi herself!" The villagers murmur among themselves. I wonder if she can actually pull this off. I share my skepticism with Sokka who shrugs. The guard escorts Aang in Kyoshi's armor to the front. As Katara sits back down, Sokka leans toward her. "What are you doing?"
"This cannot be how it works." I adds. Katara remains hopeful. "Well, she is Aang's past life. Maybe wearing her stuff will trigger something." Sokka ponders this, saying, "I do believe in the power of stuff."
"Obviously, considering your attachment to your boomerang." I regret saying it when I see him frown. "Uh, sorry." Aang reveals his face from behind the fan, speaking in a higher pitched voice. "Hey, everybody! Avatar Kyoshi here."
"This is ridiculous! For the murder of Chin the Great, this court finds the Avatar–" Aang is suddenly engulfed in a tornado of earth. The sky darkens and when the tornado dies down, Aang is gone and the eerie spirit of Kyoshi has taken his place. I shudder in my spot, remembering the day Roku appeared in the temple. Like before, I am transfixed by her, and terrified of her. Something about the appearance completely freezes me to my core. I reach for Sokka's hand without thinking. I see him glance at me in my peripheral vision, but refuse to look at him. I expect him to move away, but he doesn't.
The past Avatar speaks calmly and surely. "I killed Chin the Conqueror. A horrible tyrant, Chin was expanding his army to all corners of the continent. When they came to the neck of the peninsula where we lived, he demanded our immediate surrender. I warned him that I would not sit passively while he took our home. But he did not back down. On that day, we split from the mainland." She tells us of the battle, of how the splitting land had caused him to fall to his death. Personally, I think he got what was coming to him, but it's not me that needs to be convinced. "I created Kyoshi Island so my people could be safe from invaders."
She slants her eyes and is engulfed by the sand tornado once more. Tong kneels to the ground and covers his head. While the sandstorm keeps spinning around Kyoshi, the darkness is lifted. When the tornado disappears, Aang is standing there once again, swaying from side to side. Katara catches him right before he collapses. I can only imagine the toll that takes. "So, what just happened?"
"Uhm, you kind of confessed. Sorry." The mayor finally stands, blazing with anger and smugness. "And I find you guilty! Bring out the Wheel of Punishment!" The villagers break out into cheers as they hear the sentence. The gaurd soon brings out a giant, almost comedic, wheel. "The accused will now spin the Wheel of Punishment to determine his sentence. Aang looks to us. I give him an awkward thumbs up, unsure of what else to do. "I said I would face justice, so I will."
He gives a good spin on the wheel. The villagers cheer for torture, bears, or razors. We hope for something more savory. "Community service! Please stop on community service!" It starts to slow, and it seems everyone is on the edge of their seats. It's morbid. Finally, it stops. "Looks like it's 'boiled in oil.'" The villagers cheer loudly, but it only rings in my ears. I'm completely shocked, and surprisingly feel...protective? Helpless on what to do to help him. The feeling doesn't last as a lit bomb bounces into the scene and detonates into the temple. I raise my arms to protect my face. The blast makes the whole amphitheater shake.
"We've come to claim this village for the Fire Lord! Now show me your leader so I may dethrone him!" A scared villager points immediately toward the mayor, quick to give him up. The mayor squeals and hides behind the Wheel of Punishment. "You, Avatar, do something!" Aang remains apathetic. "Gee, I'd love to help, but I'm supposed to be boiled in oil." I smirk as the mayor tips the wheel one slot further. "There, community service! Now serve our community and get rid of those rhinos!" Eager to be done with this, I happily crack my knuckles in preparation for a fight.
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Fireworks go off in the village, their minds changed about the Avatar. I suppose Aang has a way of doing that. "From now on, we'll celebrate a new Avatar Day in honor of the day Avatar Aang saved us from the Rough Rhino Invasion." The mayor announces to the town. We are each given a bowl of strange dough. "What is this?" Sokka asks. "That's our new festival food! Un-fried dough. May we eat it and be reminded of how on this day the Avatar was not boiled in oil." The villagers cheer, but we gives each other uncertain looks. I pick up one of the Aang shaped cookies, and it droops suspiciously. "Happy Avatar Day, everyone!" Katara says uncertainly. "This is by far the worst town we've ever been to." Sokka says, looking disdainfully at the food. I finally bit down on one. It's sweet and chewy and floury. Not the worst thing I've eaten.
Sokka sidles up to me. "How is it?" I simply shake my head, unsure of what to say about it. "Happy to have your boomerang back?" He nods happily. "But uh...I still wouldn't mind some lessons." He says quietly, his cheeks dusted with pink. "Oh yeah," I'd almost forgotten I'd made that offer, and my cheeks heat up as well, "we'll find some time. They're good skills to have." He clinks his bowl against mine. "Happy Avatar Day, (Y/n)." I smile slightly. "Happy Avatar Day, Sokka."
Sorry this chapter isn't much, I'm trying to build while also trying to get through what is, in my opinion, the driest part of the show.