So Mogui was out cold and slept for ages. Muteki had to carry him for a little while, and by the time we arrived at the Ferry Landing, he'd been filled in on our choice of safe, peaceful ferry ride versus the deadly pass. There was this really...mean-looking Earth Kingdom woman at a podium stamping paper, and some guy I swore we've seen before with a wagon full of cabbages was being told "no vegetables!" and then something about cabbage slugs and ecosystems. Cue the part where she screamed "security!" and this enormous platypus-bear with a cute little hat and jacket smashed the cart.
"Poor guy," I commented as security dragged him past us in a state of shock.
"Next!" she screamed, and Aang hesitantly approached the podium.
"Um, seven tickets for the ferry to Ba Sing Se, please," he said nervously.
"Passport," she snapped.
"Uh, no one told us we had to have passports," Aang answered.
"Don't you know who this is?" Sokka demanded, stepping forward. "He's the Avatar!"
The bureaucrat snorted, clearly unimpressed. "Ah! I see fifty Avatars a day, and by the way, not a very impressive costume."
She pointed over to her left, where a motley group of boys in avatar costumes lounged together. Actually, I think one of them is a girl...that one looks a little old...
Aang smiled and nodded over at them as Momo jumped up on his shoulder.
"Besides, no animals allowed," she glared down at Aang threateningly. "Do I need to call security?"
The platypus bear chomped down on a cabbage head, and Momo cowered on Aang's shoulder.
"That won't be necessary!" Aang answered, holding his hands up.
"Next!" the bureaucrat screamed.
Toph strode forward, smirking proudly.
"I'll take care of this," she slapped a document with a gleaming golden emblem on the podium, Muteki lifting her so she could "see" over the top.
Well, so she looked more helpless, really. A+ acting guys! "My name is Toph Beifong, seven tickets!"
"Oh!" the woman cooed as she gingerly touched the document. "The Golden Seal of the Flying Boar, it is my pleasure to help anyone of the Beifong family."
Muteki set her down with a slight flourish, then stood beside her with a stern expression. Damn, he took his acting seriously.
"It is your pleasure," Toph responded arrogantly. "As you can see, I am blind, and these imbeciles are my valets."
She gestured to the rest of us, and Mogui pulled us all in tightly for a group hug, grinning foolishly.
"But the animal," the Bureaucrat started.
"Is my Seeing-Eye Lemur," Toph answered as Momo hopped up on her shoulder.
"Well, normally it's only one ticket per passport, but, this document is so official, I guess it's worth seven," the woman rapidly stamped seven papers.
"Thank you very much," Toph answered, snapping her fingers.
Muteki dutifully reached over and gathered them off the podium, and they walked back over to us.
"Nice work, you two," I commented as we began filing in by the ferries.
That's when we noticed that Sokka had been stopped by one of the guards.
"Who'd he tick off this time?" Mogui questioned, leaning casually against Muteki.
"Dude, I am not a pole."
"I know," Mogui answered. "That's why I'm not dancing."
I slapped a hand over my face, trying to hide my laughter at the indignant look on Muteki's face when the girl suddenly leaned forward and kissed Sokka's cheek.
"Aw sweet," Mogui commented. "Look at these two. How come I don't get any of that?"
"Buy me a drink first," Muteki answered.
"Such hard work," Mogui quipped.
"But worth it," Muteki winked.
"Didn't you just object to him treating you like a stripper pole?" I asked, frowning.
"That's because he didn't buy me dinner or a drink."
"Ah yes," I answered sarcastically. "He skipped some crucial foreplay there."
"Very crucial," Muteki replied sagely.
We ended up gathering on a wall where everyone had a little reunion. Mogui had never met her, saying he joined up with the Avatar and company after they'd left the Kyoshi Island. So while they were having their little reunion, Mogui and I were sparring without fire. It wouldn't do to start throwing fire around when these people are scared of Fire Nation spies and stuff. I had just gotten Mogui into a headlock, which Muteki was laughing his ass off about when a voice called up to us.
"Avatar Aang, you have to help us!" We looked down to see the pregnant lady - Ying - we'd met with and travelled here with while Mogui was sleeping. "Someone took all of our belongings. Our passports, our tickets. Everything's gone!"
She started to cry as Than - her husband - tried to comfort her.
"I'll talk to the lady for you," Aang called down to them.
It didn't work out. She just kept screaming in Aang's face, and I doubted Toph's input would've changed anything. Aang turned back and walked over to us, wiping some spittle from his face with disgust.
"Don't worry, you'll get to the city safely," Aang said as he approached. "I'll lead you through the Serpent's Pass."
"Ah," I whispered to Mogui. "Deadly pass it is."
"My favourite kind," Mogui answered with fake enthusiasm.