Team Avatar looks in every direction over the vast ocean of sand for Appa. Aang turns around to face Toph angrily.
Aang: (Enraged.) How could you let them take Appa and Melody?! Why didn't you stop them?!
Toph: (Defensively.) I couldn't! The library was sinking! You guys were still inside and-
Aang interrupts Toph as he walks over to her.
Aang: (Still enraged.) You could've come to get us. I could've saved him!
Toph: (Turns to face him slightly.) I can hardly feel any vibrations out here. The sandbenders snuck up on me and there wasn't time for –
Aang: (Snaps at Toph in a harsh way.) You just didn't care! You never liked Appa! You wanted him gone!
Aang looks extremely furious at Toph as Katara walks over to him. She puts her hand on his shoulder to try and calm him down.
Katara: Aang, stop it. You know Toph did all she could. She saved our lives.
Sokka is still hugging Faith but is looking out into the desert.
Sokka: Who's going to save our lives now? We'll never make it out of here.
Aang irately walks away from the rest of the group.
Aang: That's all any of you guys care about, yourselves! You don't care whether Appa is okay or not!
Katara: We're all concerned, but we can't afford to be fighting now.
Faith moves away from Sokka and towards Aang. She gently grabs his hand and he turns to look at her. After a minute of silence he breaks away.
Aang: (In a cold, hard tone.) I'm going after Appa.
Aang flies off. Faith calls after him.
Faith: Aang, wait!
Aang flies away from the rest of the group who stand by the large crater created by the disappeared library. Faith is still looking in the direction Aang took off.
Katara: We'd better start walking. We're the only people who know about the solar eclipse. We have to get that information to Ba Sing Se.
The group starts walking in the same direction as Aang took off to, with Katara leading the way. Sokka picks Faith up and carries her on his back. Toph holds onto Katara's hand.
Sokka: You think if we dig out the giant owl, he'll give us a ride?
Faith, Katara, Sokka and Toph, all exhausted and dehydrated, are still wandering through the desert. Sokka stops to take Momo off his chest and use his wings to create some shade, causing Toph to crash into him.
Sokka: (Annoyed.) Can't you watch where you're... (His eyes widen in comprehension as he sees who bumped into him.)
Toph: No.
Sokka: Right. Sorry.
Faith looks down at the sand as Katara turns around to encourage them.
Katara: Come on guys, we've got to stick together.
Sokka's clothes stick to Toph. He tries to free himself by pushing her away.
Sokka: If I sweat anymore, I don't think sticking together will be a problem.
An irritated Toph places her hand on Sokka's face and pushes him, freeing them both. Faith (still on Sokka's back) uses AirBending to keep the two up straight
Toph: Katara, can I have some more water?
Katara: Okay, but we've got to try to conserve it.
Katara bends four small blobs of water out of her pouch and three of them into the mouths of Sokka, Toph and Momo. Faith bends her water and seems to separate a green looking liquid and drinking the clear liquid. Sokka circulates the water in his mouth before swallowing it.
Sokka: (As he points to his mouth.) We're drinking your bending water. (He tries to define the taste of the water, smacking his lips. Disgustedly he exclaims.) You used this on the swamp guy! Urch!
Toph: It does taste swampy.
Faith: That's why you separate it. (She speaks in a dull dark tone before burying her head into Sokka's back.)
Momo lets out a sad cry in protest of the water's flavor, after also smacking his lips. Katara sadly puts the cork back on her water sack.
Katara: (Sad tone.) I'm sorry, it's all we have.
Sokka: Not anymore! Look!
Katara looks in the direction Sokka's pointing. Sokka places down Faith and he walks over to the cactus and cuts off a piece with his machete. He happily drinks the fluid that's inside while Momo crawls over to him.
Katara: (Worried.) Sokka, wait! You shouldn't be eating strange plants!
She drags Toph along on her arm as she runs toward Sokka. Faith soon follows. He and Momo are quenching their thirst with plenty of cactus juice. He cuts open another part of the cactus, excitedly offering its content to a skeptic looking Katara.
Sokka: There's water trapped inside these!
Katara: (Backing away from Sokka and the cactus.) I don't know...
Sokka: (While cactus juice drips off his chin.) Suit yourself. It's very thirst quenching though.
He gives Katara a big smile like a true salesman. Suddenly his pupil dilates rapidly. He tries to shake off the feeling by rapidly shaking his head. He starts to trip.
Sokka: (In a strange echoing voice.) Drink cactus juice. It'll quench ya! Nothing's quenchier. (He crawls over the ground as a caterpillar before jumping back to the front, pushing his face toward the three girls with a big smile.) It's the quenchiest!
Katara gives Sokka a very weird look. She grabs his cactus juice and pours it away.
Katara: Okay, I think you've had enough.
Sokka: Who lit Toph on fire?
Katara wants to react on Sokka's comment, but is distracted by a sound in the sky. She looks up to see Momo flying around in circles, increasing his speed, before plummeting into the ground, head first. Faith then picks up and cradles the unconscious animal.
Toph: Can I get some of that cactus?
Katara: (Wrapping her arm around Toph's shoulders.) I don't think that's a good idea. Come on, we need to find Aang.
Katara leads Toph away. Faith then looks at Sokka who stays behind, staring blankly at the sky. Faith pulls Sokka along by his arms.
Sokka: (In awe.) How did we get out here in the middle of the ocean?
Faith, Katara, Sokka and Toph climb over another dune. And spot a giant mushroom shaped dust cloud in the distance.
Katara: What is that?
Toph: What? What is what?
Faith: It looks like a mushroom cloud.
Sokka: It's a giant mushroom! (Very excited.) Maybe it's friendly!
Katara: Let's just keep moving. I hope Aang's okay...
As Katara leads Toph away, and Faith follows behind them, Sokka starts to worship the mushroom by waving his arms up and down, back and forth.
Sokka: Friendly mushroom! Mushy giant friend!
It is nearly twilight and they are still walking in a single file through the desert. A shadow passes over their heads and Aang lands behind them, kicking up a small cloud of sand. As the sand clears, Aang is still down.
Katara: I'm sorry, Aang. I know it's hard for you right now but... we need to focus on getting out of here.
She walks over to him and puts a hand on his shoulder to comfort him. He pulls away.
Aang: (Hopelessly.) What's the difference? We won't survive without Appa. We all know it.
Katara: (Encouraging.) Come on, Aang. We can do this if we work together. Right Toph?
Toph: As far as I can feel, we're trapped in a giant bowl of sand pudding. I got nothin'.
Katara: Faith?
Faith: (Dimly.) Theres nothing out here Katara we are lost in a giant desert and we've lost our bison.
Katara: (She frowns but then turns to Sokka hopefully.) Sokka? Any ideas how to find Ba Sing Se?
Sokka and Momo lie side by side on their backs, arms and legs stretched out. Sokka smiles blissfully.
Sokka: (Pointing up at the sky.) Why don't we ask the circle birds?
Katara directs her gaze to the sky and sees four buzzard wasps circling above their heads. She looks at every other member in the team. Aang still sits down sulking and Toph staggers a bit. Sokka sniggers a bit while Momo lazily claws at the buzzard wasps and Faith is just standing up looking at her feet shifting them slowly.
Katara: (Grabs her head in annoyance.) Ugh... We're getting out of this desert, and we're going to do it together! Aang, get up. Everybody, hold hands. We can do this. We have to.
She takes one more look at the buzzard wasps in the sky before pulling Aang along by his staff. Aang holds on to Faith's hand and she holds on to Toph's and then Toph holds onto Sokka. A big grinning Sokka pulls Momo along by his tail, who lazily tries to fly in the other direction.
The sun is setting as they all stagger up a large dune, with Katara still in the lead.
Katara: I think we should stop for the night.
The rest of the group sighs and falls down of exhaustion.
Toph: Is there any more water?
Katara: This is the last of it. Everyone can have a little drink.
Sokka crawls toward Katara with Momo riding on his back when she begins to bend the water out of her pouch. Momo leaps forward at the water, causing it to fall in the sand.
Sokka: (Theatrically panics, grabbing his head in despair.) Momo, no! You've killed us all!
Katara calmly holds her hand over the moist spot of sand and begins to bend the water back into her pouch, before giving it to Toph to drink.
Katara: No, he hasn't.
Sokka: (Relieved.) Oh, right. Bending.
Katara: Sokka, let me see the things you got from the library.
He immediately backs away and defensively grabs his back full of scrolls.
Sokka: (Offended.) What?! I didn't steal anything! Who told you that? (Pointing an accusing finger at Momo.) It was you! You ratted me out!
Katara: Sokka, I was there.
Katara takes the bag from Sokka and starts to examine the scrolls.
Aang: (Sadly.) It doesn't matter. None of those will tell us where Appa is.
Faith: (Is sat beside Aang curled up in a ball.) Or Melody.
Katara: No, but we can find out which way Ba Sing Se is. We can use the stars to guide us. (She pulls out a map of the stars.) That way we can travel at night when it's cool and rest during the day.
She turns around and sighs at the sight of the rest of the group. They are all lying there, exhausted from the long walk and their grief for the loss of Appa.
Katara: Just try to get some sleep. We'll start again in a few hours.
Momo is patting the sand he used to cover up Sokka while he is sleeping. He jumps away as Katara approaches Sokka to wake him up.
Katara: Come on, get up. We need to go.
Sokka drowsily sits up and smiles like a drunken idiot. Toph also erects herself, smacking her lips.
Toph: Yesterday my mouth tasted like mud. Now it just tastes like sand. I never thought I'd miss the taste of mud so much.
Faith is seen sitting up staring off into a direction. Katara goes to Aang to wake him up, but he interrupts her before she can touch him.
Aang: I'm awake. I couldn't sleep.
Katara: Well, we need to get moving if we want to get out of this sand pit.
Aang and Katara spot something large in the sky. He quickly sits up. A large, bison shaped object floats by the bright, full moon. Aang's expression brightens up in an instant.
Aang: (Joyfully.) Appa!
Sokka: Appa? But why would Princess Yue need him? She's the moon! (Grabs Momo's tail, using it to rub his cheek.) She flies by herself!
The floating object reveals that it is just a small desert cloud.
Katara: (Sadly.) It's just a cloud. Wait! A cloud! (Offers he pouch to Aang.) Here, fly up and bend the water from that cloud into my pouch.
Aang gives Katara an angry look before snatching the offered water pouch out of her hands. The group gazes at him as he quickly passes two times over the cloud. The few remains of the cloud evaporate. He throws the pouch at Katara when he lands and she peeks in.
Katara: (Disappointed.) Wow... there's hardly any in here.
Aang: (Lashes out.) I'm sorry, okay! It's a desert cloud; I did all I could! What's anyone else doing?! (Pointing his staff at Katara.) What are you doing?!
She returns his attack with a shocked look on her face.
Katara: Trying to keep everyone together. Let's just get moving. We need to head this
direction.
Katara looks at her charts once more and leads the group in the chosen direction. They are walking silently through the desert, until Toph trips and falls flat on her face. Faith, Aang and Katara are looking at Toph, while Sokka and Momo just stand there, staring blankly to the sky. Toph sits up and rubs her right foot.
Toph: Ow! Crud! I am so sick of not feeling where I'm going! (Pointing toward the little rocklike shaped object she tripped over.) And what idiot buried a boat in the middle of the desert?
Katara: A boat?
Katara runs over to inspect the object.
Toph: Believe me, I kicked it hard enough to feel plenty of vibrations.
Sokka turns around, swinging like a string puppet, to see what Katara is so excited about. Katara begins to rub of the sand of the object that appears to be made of wood. Aang steps forward, suggestively holding up his staff. As soon as Katara backs away, Aang swings his staff around, creating a mighty gust of wind, revealing a boat of some sort. Katara crawls aboard and examines it.
Katara: It's one of the gliders the sandbenders use! And look! It's got some kind of compass on it! (Tapping the compass.) I bet it can point us out of here! Faith, you can bend a breeze so we can sail it. We're going to make it!
Sokka laughs childishly while burying Momo in the sand.
The sand-sailer is seen making great speed. Katara navigates it through the desert, while Faith's driving it forward using strong gusts of wind.
Katara: The needle on this compass doesn't seem to be pointing north according to my charts.
Katara places her charts over the compass. Sokka sits beside her, dangling his legs over the edge and holding Momo by the tail, who glides in the opposite direction.
Sokka: (Dreamily.) Take it easy little lady. I'm sure the sand folks who built this baby know how to get around here.
Katara looks annoyed at Sokka. When she focuses her attention back toward the horizon in front of her, she gasps is comprehension when she sees a giant rock in the distance.
Katara: That's what the compass is pointing to! That giant rock! It must be the magnetic center of the desert.
Toph: (Ecstatic.) A rock?! Yes! Let's go!
Katara: (Hopeful.) Maybe we can find some water there!
Aang: (Darkly.) Maybe we can find some sandbenders.
Faith continues to send gusts of wind into the sails of the glider, directing it toward the rock. The sun's already rising when team Avatar reaches the top.
Toph: Ahhh... Finally! Solid ground!
Toph happily lets herself drop flat on her back, moving her arms and legs back and forth, creating a rock angel. After she is done, the group starts to explore the caves that decorate the top of the rock. They enter a round tunnel. The cave's surface is covered with a yellow, gooey substance.
Sokka: (Breathes deeply.) I think my head is starting to clear out the cactus juice. And look!
Sokka dips his hand in the yellow goo and tastes it, sharing his find with Momo. They both spit it out and Sokka makes a disgusted gagging noise.
Sokka: Tastes like rotten penguin meat! Awww, I feel woozy.
Katara: (Irritated.) You've been hallucinating on cactus juice all day and then you just lick something you find stuck to the wall of a cave?!
Sokka: I have a natural curiosity.
Toph: I don't think this is a normal cave. This was carved by something.
Aang: Yeah... look at the shape.
Faith: Your right it isn't normal. These caves were made by something.
Toph: There's something buzzing in here. Something that's coming for us!
The group runs out of the cave, back into the open. Toph and Aang scream as the first buzzard wasp emerges. Aang pulls Toph down as it flies over their heads. More buzzard wasps swarm out and surround the group. Aang blasts the first wasp to come near them away with a strong air current. A second wasp lands on a nearby rock. The moment it touches it, Toph turns around to send the wasp flying again, shooting up the rock from underneath it.
Another buzzard wasp flies between Sokka and Toph. She hears it fly behind her so she lifts the rock beside her and throws it in the general direction of the sound. The giant rock is only inches apart from crushing Sokka.
Sokka: (Surprised.) What are you doing? That rock almost crushed me!
Toph: Sorry, I can't tell where they are in the air!
A loud buzzing signals the passing of another wasp. Sokka readies his machete and runs after it.
Sokka: I got this one.
He ferociously swings his weapon back and forth.
Katara: Sokka, there's nothing there!
He lowers his machete, looking around in search for his imagined foe.
Sokka: I guess my head's not as clear as I thought.
Faith: Don't worry Sokka I got this.
Faith lifts her hands as a rock breaks from the nest, she shots it towards a wasp. Suddenly another wasp appears behind her and knocks her over. Aang comes running over to her and sends a wind blast to the wasp. He then gently helps her up. She smiles at him weakly and he sends her a smidge of a smile his smile soon fades as he breaks away from her.
Momo is seen crouched by the two. In the background, Katara backs a few steps in Aang and Faith's direction.
Katara: We have to get out of here! I'm completely out of water to bend!
A buzzard wasp swoops in from the sky and snatches up a screeching Momo as it flies away from the hive and the benders.
Aang: Momo! I'm not loosing anyone else out here.
Full of anger, he takes off on his glider in hot pursuit of Momo and the wasp. Faith, Katara and Sokka watch him go.
Katara: Come on, we're going down.
They descend along a narrow ledge. Katara leads Toph by hand.
Katara: Toph, shoot a rock right there. Fire!
Katara places Toph in the right direction. Toph kicks up some rocks and shoots them forward. The incoming buzzard wasp is shot down, taking several blows to the head. Sokka cheers, swinging his machete in the air.
Sokka: Yeah! You got it! She got it, right?
Katara: Yes. Now let's move.
Katara leads Toph as they start to run along the ledge.
Aang is still chasing the buzzard wasp that took Momo. A grave expression casts shadows on his face. He dives, emerging again straight underneath the wasp. As he turns, he directs a strong gust of wind at the wasp with a kick of his leg. The gust forces the wasp to release Momo out of its clutches. Momo tumbles down, but quickly regains control and begins to soar next to Aang. Aang looks from Momo toward the rising sun at the horizon. With an angry glare, he notices that the wasp is getting away. Aang glides down, flying close to the ground. Using the speed of his descent, he closes his glider and swings his staff down. A powerful wall of air splits the sand, racing toward the escaping wasp. The animal is hit in mid air, knocking it to the ground. With a dark glare, Aang just stares at the downed wasp before walking back in the direction of the giant rock. Momo follows him quickly, frightened by this merciless outburst of power.
Buzzard wasps circle around Sokka and the rest, who've reached the sand-sailer at the base. Faith looks to the left and see's a wasp charging at them. She stands in her stance and sends a rock towards it. The buzzard wasp takes the rock full in the chest, shrieking on impact before tumbling down.
Many more wasps are seen hovering in the air. Suddenly, gigantic pillars of sand rise from the ground and scare off the swarm. Faith, Katara, Sokka and Toph lower their arms they had lifted to shield their heads from the sand. As the wind blows the dust away, several sandbenders are revealed. Aang lands before Faith, Katara, Sokka and Toph, ready to face the sandbenders.
The leader of the sandbenders confronts Aang and the rest.
Sha-Mo: What are you doing in our land with a sandbender sailer? From the looks of it, you stole it from the Hami tribe.
Katara: We found the sailer abandoned in the desert. We're traveling with the Avatar. (She gestures at Aang. The leader's eyes widen a bit at this information.) Our bison was stolen and we have to get to Ba Sing Se.
A young man to the right of the leader takes a step forward and aggressively addresses Katara.
Ghashiun: You dare accuse our people of theft while you ride in on a stolen sand sailer?!
Toph's misty, green eyes, narrow as she hears the mans voice.
Sha-Mo: Quiet, Ghashiun. No one accused our people of anything. If what they say is true, we must give them hospitality.
Ghashiun: Sorry, father.
Toph's eye widens.
Toph: I recognize the son's voice. He's the one that stole Appa and Melody.
Katara: Are you sure?
Faith: They stole Melody?
Toph: I never forget a voice.
Aang's tunic flutters around him as he charges forward, threateningly brandishing his staff toward Ghashiun.
Aang: (Angry.) You stole Appa! Where is he? What did you do to him?
Ghashiun cowers back.
Ghashiun: They're lying! They're the thieves!
With an angry frown and a growl of frustration, Aang smacks his staff on the ground, obliterating one of the sandbender's sailers with a powerful blade of air.
Aang: (Enraged.) Where is my bison?
Aang confronts the sandbenders.
Aang: You tell me where he is now!
To emphasize his order, Aang sends a strong blast of air toward another sailer. The sandbenders watch in shock as it blows up.
Sha-Mo: (To Ghashiun.) What did you do?
Ghashiun: I-It wasn't me!
Toph: You said to put a muzzle on him! And you told your men to stun Melody!
Faith: You stunned my Lemur?!
Aang: (Enraged.) You muzzled Appa?!
Aang's eyes and tattoos start to glow as he enters the Avatar State. With a swing of his staff, he destroys the last of the sandbender's sailers.
Ghashiun: I'm sorry! I didn't know that it belonged to the Avatar!
Aang: (With the voices of all the Avatars.) Tell me where Appa is!
Ghashiun: (Frightened.) I traded him! To some merchants! He's probably in Ba Sing Se by now! They were going to sell him there! (The sandbenders raise their hands as if to ward off the Avatar's bright, angry glare.) Please! We'll escort you out of the desert! We'll help however we can!
The wind around Avatar Aang starts the swirl, as his anger is reaching its peak. Sokka pull Toph along with him as he starts to make a break for it, running away from his enraged friend.
Sokka: Just get out of here! Run!
Aang drops his staff. The wind around him forms a fast moving sphere, knocking up sand high into the sky. As everyone runs away Faith stays put, staring sadly at the ground. The sandstorm engulfs her and Aang completely, obscuring them from the sight of the others. They brace themselves as the whirlwind swoops over them. Upon seeing the destruction she sighs and realises the lose of Melody could do this to her. Aang's air sphere slowly lifts him up in the air, his teeth clenched and his hands cramped with rage. Faith grabs his right arm, preventing him from rising any further. The terrible face of an outraged Avatar looks down upon her, only to be met by Faith's sincere, sad expression. She pulls him back to the ground and presses him close against her chest. Sokka, Katara and Toph lower their arms as the wind becomes less violent. Tears are streaming down the Avatar's glowing eyes. Faith tries her best to hold on as her own tears swell up. The air sphere slowly dissolves away as Aang leaves the Avatar state. His rage subsides to make room for pure, heartbreaking sadness.
The two slowly fall onto their knees, Faith starts crying as Aang notices and gently grabs her face pulling her into his chest for comfort. The two embrace crying slightly as everybody around looks saddened by the twos actions.
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