Appa was swimming along through a wide muddy river. It was slow-moving and fairly disgusting. Quila was fairly certain that nothing could live in water so contaminated, but that wasn't stopping Sokka from trying to fish. And she also wasn't sure how Aang and Momo could be playing around in that water. Soon the young airbender realized how gross the water he was swimming in really was and airbended himself up onto Appa's saddle. "Guys, I think this river's polluted." He then tried to airbend himself dry "Ugh! Aang! Watch where you're bending!" Quila complained as mud was flung in all directions. "Sorry." he apologized before sending another whoosh of air at them, getting the rest of the mud off them, but messing up their hair in the process. "Well that explains why I can't catch a fish around here, because normally my fishing skills are... off the hook!" Sokka tried to make a joke, but everyone just stared blankly at him. He tried to explain the joke, thinking that they just didn't get it, but to no avail. "Too bad your skills aren't on the hook." Toph made a play on Sokka's joke, and they all laughed at his expense. "It looks like we'll need to go somewhere else to get food," Katara began as Sokka unraveled his absurdly long schedule. "assuming that it'll fit into Sokka's master schedule." the young waterbender said, lacing annoyance and a hint of mockery into her tone. "Hmm... It's doable, but that means only two bathroom breaks today!" Sokka announced, looking over his scroll. "Maybe we can find food there!" Aang pointed to a village in the distance that looked completely made out of small wooden shacks sitting on boardwalks above the river.
After they covered Appa and Momo up with large blankets of moss, they looked for a means to get across the river and to the village. "I don't feel anything, where is this village?"
"It's in the middle of the river!" Sokka exclaimed. "That's so crazy, a village in the middle of a river." Gopan said, to no one really in particular. "Sure is!" They looked down the cliff to see an old man standing on a wooden ferry. "My name's Dock, mind if I ask who you are?"
"We're uh... from the Earth Kingdom colonies." Katara lied, "Wow colonials. Hop on, I'll give you a ride into town."
They all crammed onto the ferry and he slowly paddled them into town. "So, why do you guys live on the river?" Gopan asked the old man as he waved the paddle over the boat. "We're a fishing town, at least we used to be before the factory moved in." He pointed to a metal factory with a large fire-nation insignia on it. It had drain pipes leading out to the river, spilling out filth and gunk. "Army makes their metal there. Moved in a few years ago and started gunking up our river. Now our little village is struggling to survive." Quila and Gopan exchanged a sad look.
They arrived at the village and they all got off, Aang thanked him for the ride and they all took a look around. "Look at this place, Gopan." Quila whispered to her friend, looking sympathetically at the villagers. Everyone was just sitting around, and they looked so skinny that Quila could see their bones under their skin. "Yeah, this is worse than the lower ring." Quila just nodded, then turned her attention over to Katara who said, "We have to do something to help."
"No, we can't waste our time here. We have a bigger mission that we need to stay focused on. These people are on their own." Quila frowned at Sokka. "These people are starving, but you turn your back on them?! How could you be so heartless?"
"I'm not turning my back, I'm just being realistic! We can't go around helping every rinky-dink town we wander into. We'll be helping them all by taking down the Fire Lord!" Quila tensed and Toph slapped her hand over Sokka's mouth. "Hey, loudmouth! Maybe we should be a little quieter when we talk about taking down the Fire Lord." She hissed and removed her hand. "Come on, Katara, be reasonable about this. You know our mission has to come first."
"I guess so..." Katara relented, and Quila placed a hand on her shoulder. "I feel the same way, Katara, but Sokka is right."
"Let's just get what we need and go." Aang smiled sympathetically at Katara.
They walked over to a food stand where the same man who took them over on the boat was working. "Hey, Dock, you work here too?" Sokka asked as they approached. "I'm not Dock, I'm Xu. Dock's my brother." They all looked at each other, baffled. This was the same guy...? "But we just saw you. You're even wearing the same clothes." Gopan pointed to the man's outfit. "The only difference is your hat." He added. "Dock works the docks, that's why we call him "Dock", and I work in the shop, that's why they call me "Xu"."
"I don't get it." Quila said. "Me neither." He pulled out a crate filled with muddy, revolting seafood, and Gopan held back the bile in his throat. "Oh god, it smells worse than that ship." He groaned. "What can I getcha? Hey, I'll give you a special deal. If you buy three fish, I'll throw in a clam for free."
"We'll just take the fish. Mind telling your brother we need a ride back to shore?" Sokka asked, playing along with the man's strange scheme. Dock ducked under the counter, and came back up wearing Dock's hat. "Hey, colonials! My brother told me you need a lift." They turn to leave, but a boy ran up to Katara. "Can you spare some food?" She crouched down and gave the small child a fish. "I wish I could spare more." Quila stood by Katara as they watched the boy take the fish back to a sick woman. Quila placed a hand around Katara's back supportively and they walked together back to the docks.
They were back at their campsite and the benders were separating the water from the pollution to use for cooking while Gopan watched Sokka look over the schedule. "Our detour in town into town today has completely thrown off our schedule! It's gonna take some serious finagling to get us back on track."
"Finagle away, O schedule master." Toph said sarcastically as they all sat around, getting ready to eat, but Gopan said he'd rather be hungry. "Well, for starters, it looks like we'll have to wake up forty-three minutes earlier every day."
"Forty-three minutes?"
"Look, we only have a few weeks to get to the Fire Lord in time for the invasion and the eclipse - which, by the way, only lasts for eight minutes. And we just lost a whole day. So if we want to make up the time and stay on schedule, we have to wake up early!"
"Well, I'm not waking up early." Toph replied. "Or, we could cut out all of our eating breaks." They all complained in unison at the concept of not eating. "I got it. From now on we'll take food breaks and potty breaks at the same time." There were even more passionate complaints at that one. "Hey! It might be gross, but it's efficient. Either way, we have to leave here first thing tomorrow morning."
The next morning Quila was preparing to pack up her things when she noticed Katara standing next to Appa, who was on his side. "What's the matter, Katara?" Aang asked. "I think Appa's sick." Sokka shot up as they all gathered around the flying bison. "What, Appa sick? That's awful!"
"Wow, Sokka, I didn't realize you cared so much."
"Of course I care! I might as well throw out schedule away now!--" He stopped when he realized everyone was glaring at him. He quickly changed his tone and rushed to Appa's side and began rubbing him. "Aaaand I'm concerned because my big, furry friend isn't feeling well!"
"He must have gotten sick from the polluted water." Gopan inferred. "He doesn't look sick. You okay, buddy?" Aang asked, pulling out Appa's tongue, and it was tainted purple. "His tongue is purple! That can't be good! Katara, Quila, can you heal him?"
"Without knowing the source of the sickness, I don't know if I can help." Quila admitted, raising an eyebrow at Appa. "It looks like he needs some medicine. Maybe we can find the right herbs in town?"
They went back to the village, but something was different. People were happy and celebrating, everything bustling with activity. "Wow, this place sure is different." Gopan noticed, looking around. "Yeah, the people are...happier?" They walked back up to the fish market stand to see "Xu" behind the counter. "Hey, Xu, what's going on with everybody?" Sokka asked. "Ah, something amazing happened last night. Food was delivered to our village by a mysterious and wonderful person... the Painted Lady!"
"The Painted who now?" Katara asked. "The Painted Lady." He pulled out a small figurine. She was heavily draped with elaborate makeup on her skin, with a wide brimmed hat around her. "She's part of our town's lore. They say she's a river spirit who watches over our town in times of need. I always thought she was just a legend until now." Sokka turned to the two water benders. "See? We don't need to help these people, they already have someone to help them." He turned back to Xu cockily. "All we need is medicine for our sick friend."
"Medicine? Sorry, all the medicine we have goes to the factory. That's why there's so many sick people in our village."
"Looks like we need to stay another night so Appa can rest." Katara said, but there was something in her tone that drew Quila's attention. "I guess you're right. You got any more food to sell?"
"Would you like the one headed fish? Or the two headed fish?" Quila placed a hand on Gopan's back as his gag reflex was triggered again. "Two-headed!" Sokka took the monstrosity and everyone looked at him, utterly disgusted. "What? You get more for your money that way!"
That night, Quila woke up to the sound of someone bustling around. She saw Katara get up and walk around the corner. Curious, Quila got up and followed her. She was shocked to see Katara in reflective ice decorating herself to look like the Painted Lady. "Katara?" She spun around. "Quila! You're awake!"
"You're the Painted Lady?"
"I know, I shouldn't be doing this, but I can't stand by while those people are getting hurt. I have to do something." Quila was silent a moment. "Wait here a moment." Quila silently went to her stuff and pulled out an outfit she'd grabbed last moment from her home before leaving. She changed into the familiar all black outfit, and returned. Katara's face turned to surprise. "Wait...that outfit! You're the--"
"I'm one of the Black Bandits of Ba Sing Se." Quila nodded. "I'll help you heal those people." Katara smiled ever so slightly. "Thank you, Quila."
"Let's go."
They both waterbended their way across the river to the town, and arrived at the medical house. The people were sleeping, and the two benders used their water to help heal them. They made quick work of it and it was a short time before they were leaving again, but they paused when the little boy followed them outside. "Thank you, Painted Lady." Katara nodded to him, and they both went back to shore.
The next day, Appa was still "sick", so they went looking into town for more food. "Hi, Dock, is Xu around?" Sokka asked. "Let me check..." The older man walked around the corner, changed his hat, and returned. "Hey there! Back again, are ya?"
"We need more food. Our friend is still sick, and we can't leave until he's better." Dock pulled out a platter of icky looking clams. "Oh, well, that's too bad. 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 replied sarcastically, and Quila elbowed him in the side. However, the sarcasm went right over Dock's head "Yeah, maybe! You know, last night she visited us again. Healed most of our sick folks."
"Is that why this place is so festive?" Aang asked, noticing the villagers putting up a tall statue of the Painted Lady to cheering and applause. "Yep, it's all because of the Painted Lady."
"Can you believe how much an entire village can be affected by one lady? I mean...spirit?" Katara said, wistfully. It felt strange, but Quila felt a bit of happiness at the fact something a Black Bandit had done was being celebrated. Although no one knew she had even been there. "Well, I hope she returns every night. Otherwise this place would go right back to the way it was." Sokka said. "Why would you say that? Look how much better off these people are."
"Yeah, NOW, but without her they wouldn't be able to fend for themselves. If she really wanted to help, she would use her spirit magic to blow up that factory." He made silly sound effects and gestures to simulate an explosion, but in a mocking tone. "Spirit magic doesn't work that way, Sokka. It's more like..." He did an elaborate, and even more ridiculous dance to one-up Sokka, and they both laughed while Katara marched off angrily.
Quila and Gopan woke at sunrise the next day, to a very angry Sokka. He had found Katara's sleeping bag filled with moss, and had concluded that she was the Painted Lady, and since Aang was missing too, they inferred that he must have known too. "Sokka, there's no need to get all worked up." Gopan tried to calm him down. "All worked up!? Katara isn't helping these people, she's making them dependent on her!" That's when they heard footsteps and voices approaching. They silenced and waited to see Aang and Katara come around the bend, and their faces fell when they realized they'd been caught. "Hi! Sokka! We were just...out on a...morning walk!" Katara lied. "Oh, really? A morning walk?" He dumped the moss and grass from Katara's sleeping bag. "I know you're the Painted Lady. I know you've been sneaking out at night, and I know you've been lying about Appa and feeding him purplizing tongue berries!" Toph opened her mouth to show off her purple tongue, holding up a bag of purple berries she'd been eating from. "Katara, what you did put our whole mission in jeopardy. We're leaving right now." He turned to Aang, still angry. "And how long did you know about this!?"
"Hey, I just found out this morning." He put up his hands defensively.
They began to pack their things, when suddenly there was a sound of motors coming from the river. They all went to investigate to see a detachment of Fire Nation soldiers in boats heading straight for the village. "What's going on?" Toph asked, unable to sense what was happening. "Fire Nation soldiers heading for the village." Aang explained, his voice full of dread. "What did you do!?" Sokka turned to Katara, angrily. "I...kinda destroyed their factory."
"You what!?'
"It was your idea!"
"I was joking! I also said to use spirit magic and made funny noises! Did you even think this through? The army's gonna blame the villagers. They're headed there right now for revenge."
"Well, what was I supposed to do?"
"Leave! Do nothing!"
"No. I will never, ever turn my back on people who need me!" She shot back, silencing him. She stood up and prepared to leave. "I'm going down to the village, and I am gonna do whatever I can." Sokka was silent a moment. "Wait. I'm coming too."
"I thought you didn't want to help."
"You need ME, and I will never turn my back on YOU."
"Sokka... You really do have a heart." Quila smiled as they hugged. There they were. Those were the two kids she grew up with.
They came up with their creative plan to save the villagers, and Katara was dressed up as the Painted Lady again. Appa, Toph, Sokka, and Gopan were all using various instrumentation to create an aura of mystery, Aang and Quila used their bending to create a fog, and Katara bended herself above the water, standing still in a chilling fashion. They fought back brilliantly against the Fire Nation soldiers, sending them all into the mucky river, or running in their boats, frightened out of their wits.
When the General of the soldiers had finally ran with the rest of his crew, the villagers greeted Katara on the docks, the gang spectating from the side. "I knew you'd come." The little boy smiled. "Thank you!"
"Painted Lady, you're the best!"
"Me and my brothers really owe you a lot." Dock said, but suddenly he recognized her, and Quila felt something sink in her stomach. "Hey, wait a minute! I know you! You're not the Painted Lady, you're that colonial girl!"
"Yeah, you're the one who gave me that fish!"
"You've been tricking us! You're a waterbender!"
"She's a waterbender! How dare you act like our Painted Lady!" The crowd surged forward in anger, suddenly turning on the girl who saved them. Immediately, Sokka jumped forward to defend her. "Maybe she is a waterbender, but she was just trying to help you. Because of her, that factory won't be polluting your river, and the army is gone. You should be down on your knees thanking her!"
"Sokka, it's okay." She turned to the villagers. "I shouldn't have acted like someone I wasn't, and I shouldn't have tricked you. But I felt like I had to do something. It doesn't matter if the Painted Lady is real or not. Because your problems are real, and this river is real. You can't wait around for someone to help you. You have to help yourself."
"She's right. But what can we do?" Toph hid herself in the crowd, and called out in a deeper voice. "Maybe we can clean the river."
"Yeah, we can clean the river!" The crowd cheered. "Thank you. You know, you're not so bad for a waterbender." Quila raised an eyebrow. Was that supposed to be a compliment? "You wouldn't mind keeping that a secret by the way, would you?" Gopan asked. "No problem. Keeping my mouth shut is a personal specialty. My brother, Xu, on the other hand, hoo! He's a blabbermouth."
"So, Dock, are you gonna help us clean?"
"No, ma'am. I'm going to get my other brother, Bushi. He loves cleaning rivers." Dock switched hats again. "Alright, I'm Bushi! Let's get some river cleaning done."
"Aha, I knew it! I knew you were the same guy. You're the shop owner and the boat guy."
"Oh, you must be talking about my brothers, Dock and Xu."
"You can't be serious." Quila muttered. "No, I just saw you! You switched hats and called yourself a different name!" Aang said, obviously annoyed. "Oh, you know who does that? My brother, Dock." He leaned in close and whispered. "He's crazy."
"This guy's brain is just gone." Gopan said after he'd left.
The whole rest of the day was spent cleaning the river, all of them helping out. By night fall the water was blue and clear, back to how it must have been before the factory. They all settled in for the night to get back on their travels the next day.