Right after they had gotten out of the Serpent's Pass, the pregnant woman that was traveling with them had her child. It was a beautiful baby girl, and Konno was glad to see her born. Even if they did live in a world of war, she knew the parents would give everything they could to give their baby a great life.
Suki also left their group, needing to get back to her warriors and job. Konno was a little sad that she left, but she knew it was for the best. She said goodbye to all of them and disappeared soon afterward. Konno hoped that she would make it back okay. She had a feeling she could withstand anything.
Now, they were escorting the family out of the rocky pass toward the base of the great wall. Aang had disappeared a little earlier, taking off on his glider, so it was just Konno, Sokka, Katara, and Toph with the family. The family mainly kept to themselves, though, cooing over their baby.
"I can't believe that woman really had her baby on the ground," Sokka said, shivering visibly. "I would not want to have a child on the nasty ground."
"Good thing you'll never be able to carry a kid," Katara said with a glance at his stomach. "It's not like we can stop it. She had nowhere else to go!"
"Still!" Sokka said, throwing his hands up. "We have no idea what has walked around on this ground. We don't know if someone or something did its business right where we're standing -"
"Okay, Sokka," Toph said, shuffling her bare feet along on the dirt. "We get it. Really. You don't have to explain yourself anymore."
Sokka faced Konno and said, "They don't appreciate me, do they?"
"I don't think that's it," Konno said with a soft laugh. "You're not capable of having kids, so you wouldn't understand what we go through."
"Well, you haven't had a child yet," he pointed out. "You don't understand, either."
Konno rolled her eyes. "I did help some women give birth back home. So, yes, I do understand. And I had that talk with my mother when I was younger, so I would still understand if I didn't help those women."
"You're the Princess," Katara said with a slight frown. "Why would you help some women give birth? Wasn't there any doctors there?"
"It usually happened when I was with Navrek," she explained. Her hands twitched at the sound of his name hitting the air. "We used to walk through the city when we were bored, and we encountered a lot of pregnant women. I would help them give birth while Navrek went and got one of the healers."
"Who's Navrek?" Toph asked.
Konno blinked down at the ground and muttered, "He was my best friend."
"Oh," Toph said, presumably remembering their conversation in the desert.
Katara touched Konno's shoulder and offered her a small smile. However, her attention was drawn away from Konno as Aang and Momo swooped into view from the direction of the wall. Aang landed in front of them, and Momo perched on his shoulder.
"Aang, what are you doing here?" Katara asked. A frown creased her face. "I thought you were looking for Appa."
"I was, but something stopped me," he said gravely. "Something big."
He led all of them to the base of the wall. Aang explained something to Toph, who nodded with determination in her pale eyes. When everyone gathered together, Toph and Aang simultaneously began to earthbend a rock platform around them. It began to rise up the face of the wall, lifting them all upwards.
Konno stumbled when they first took off, but someone grabbed her shoulder, pulling her against them. She glanced up and saw Sokka holding her up. He smiled when he caught her looking at him and whispered, "I wasn't going to let you fall."
"I think I would've been fine," she whispered back to him. "We were barely a foot off the ground."
"Well, we're higher now so it would hurt a lot more if you fell off." He pretended to push her toward the edge, and she let out a small shriek as she started leaning over the edge.
"Sokka! Stop!" she said, gripping the one arm that was holding onto her. He laughed and pulled her back to him, to safety. "Why'd you do that to me?"
Sokka laughed. "You should've seen your face!"
She glared up at him and said, "You won't want to see it in a minute."
"Oh, what'll you do?" he teased. "Hit me? I'm not scared, Konno."
Konno stood up on her tippy-toes to reach his ear. "I've killed a man before, Sokka." She reached behind his neck and slipped her fingers around the boomerang. "I can do it again if you want a demonstration."
His eyes went wide after she let go of his boomerang. "You killed someone?"
"Right before Navrek died." She shivered slightly and tried not to picture that night. It was hard enough to not think about her sister or Navrek. She didn't want to think about taking another person's life anymore. "He was threatening me. There was nothing I could do about it."
The platform suddenly stopped at the top of the wall, and everyone exited. They all peered over the top of the outer wall, but Sokka and Konno didn't. He was looking at her with a weird look in his eyes.
"Don't look at me like that," she said, wringing her hands. "I already feel bad enough about it."
"We made it to Ba Sing, and we're still not safe," the woman said despairingly. Her shrill voice cut through the fog in Konno's mind. "No one is!"
"Do you want to see what they're looking at?" Sokka asked softly.
"Yeah."
The two of them peered over the edge of the wall. Konno gasped when she saw a massive machine flanked by eight tanks on either side.
"That's not good," Sokka muttered.
"What are you people doing here?" a gruff voice asked from behind them. "Civilians aren't allowed on the wall."
"I'm the Avatar," Aang said, looking determined. "Take me to whoever's in charge."
The Earthbender guard led them to an area atop the outer wall where a roof was supported by tall arches. An Earth Kingdom general sat at a desk, a huge smile on his face. "It is an honor to welcome you to the outer wall young Avatar, but your help is not needed," he said immediately.
"Not needed?" Aang asked skeptically.
"Who does this guy think he is?" Sokka whispered to Konno and Katara. "Doesn't he know that the Fire Nation will do anything to get in?"
"No idea," Konno muttered. Her mind was still stuck on what she told Sokka. Somehow, she had spilled two secrets to him and Katara. Did she not know how to hold her tongue?
"Not needed," the general said smugly. "I have the situation under control. I assure you the Fire Nation cannot penetrate this wall. Many have tried to break through it, but none have succeeded."
The general rose as he spoke, leading the group back out towards an open area of the wall manned by soldiers standing near large stacks of boulders. The land was barren beyond the outer wall while a patchwork of fertile fields grew closer to the wall. The general gazed contentedly out over the inward face of the wall.
Konno wasn't sure if she trusted this general because she knew how destructive the Fire Nation was. It seemed like he hadn't faced the wrath of them yet. She hoped he never would.
"What about the Dragon of the West?" Toph asked. "He got in."
The general startled at that statement. "Well . . . uh . . . technically yes." His brows raised as he tried to find a way around that exception. "But he was quickly expunged. Nevertheless, that is why the city is named Ba Sing Se. It's the impenetrable city. They don't call it Na Sing Se." He let out a full belly laugh. Konno blinked at him; now she was sure she didn't like him. No one was supposed to get through their wall back at the Northern Water Tribe, but the Fire Nation did. "That means penetrable city."
"Yeah, thanks for the tour, but we still got the drill problem," Toph said, sounding very unimpressed.
The general started pacing back and forth as he looked out over the land. "Not for long. To stop it, I've sent an elite platoon of earthbenders called the Terra Team."
"That's a good group name," Sokka said thoughtfully. He tapped his chin. "Very catchy."
Konno rolled her eyes at him. He shrugged at her as she whispered, "You're thinking about group names while there is a literal drill trying to break through the wall to Ba Sing Se?"
"What? I think we need a group name."
"You're ridiculous."
"I think you meant ridiculously handsome."
She stared at him, a smile cracking through her hard face. "Maybe I did."
His hand brushed against hers as they observed the Terra Team taking on some people at the Drill. They looked like little ants as they fought the people down there. Soon, the Terra Team all failed to who they were fighting.
"We're doomed!" the general shouted, flailing his arms in panic.
"Get a hold of yourself, man!" Sokka said. In a very surprising move, he slapped the general hard on the face.
The general rubbed his cheek. "You're right. I'm sorry."
"Maybe you'd like the Avatar's help now?" Toph asked in a mocking tone.
"Yes, please," the general said meekly.
Aang nodded. He stared down at the approaching drill. "The question is, how are we gonna stop that thing?" Aang asked.
Everyone looked at Sokka. Konno didn't really have to turn her head because she was already looking at him. He glanced at her before asking, "Why are you all looking at me?"
"You're the idea guy," Aang explained.
"So, I'm the only one who can ever come up with a plan?" he complained. "That's a lot of pressure."
"And also the complaining guy," Katara said with a laugh.
"That part I don't mind."
The general led the group across the outer wall. Sokka ambled next to her, occasionally brushing his arm against hers. Her arm burned where he kept touching her. Her feelings for him hadn't dissipated like she thought it would. For some reason, she was fine with it.
"The Group," he suddenly said.
Konno looked at him. "What are you talking about?"
"Our team name!" he said with an enthusiastic nod. "How does the Group sound?"
"Terrible."
"You're right." His pointer-finger tapped his chin in thought. "I have to put a lot of thought into our team name."
"I don't think you have a lot of time."
"Just watch me. I'll figure something out, and you will be amazed."
Konno laughed, and Sokka smiled at her. "What if I'm not? What would you do then?"
He stared at her as they continued to walk forward. "I'm not sure."
Before Konno could say something else to him, they entered an enclosed infirmary on top of the outer wall. The Terra Team lied on futons. Katara walked forward and started healing one of the fallen warriors.
"What's wrong with him?" the general asked. "He doesn't look injured."
"His Chi is blocked," Katara explained as she let the blue light dissipate. "Who did this to you?"
The Terra Team soldier she had been healing groaned as he tried to move. "Two girls ambushed us. One of them hit me with a bunch of quick jabs, and suddenly I couldn't earthbend, and I could barely move . . . and then she cart-wheeled away."
Katara looked away thougthfully. "Ty Lee," she said with a nod. "She doesn't look dangerous, but she knows the human body and it's weak points. It's like she takes you down from the inside."
Sokka began to gesture wildly. "Ooo, ooo, ooo, ooo, ooo!"
"Yes?" Katara asked unimpressed.
"What you just said, that's how we're going to take down the drill," Sokka said excitedly. "The same way Ty Lee took down all these big earthbenders."
"By hitting its pressure points!" Toph said enthusiastically.
Aang looked out of the window at the drill below. "We'll take it down from the inside."
They started to leave the infirmary, but Konno stayed put. Katara was the first to notice that she wasn't following them, so she stopped walking. "You aren't coming?" she asked her.
Konno shook her head. "I don't fight. I can't fight."
"Didn't I teach you?" Sokka asked with a frown.
Her cheeks burned. "I didn't really pay attention when you were teaching me."
"Why?"
"Reasons."
Katara seemed to understand, so she said, "You can stay here if that makes you feel safe. I'm sure we won't be long."
Katara lied to her. She watched as they snuck into the drill. From there on, she wasn't sure if they were doing fine or not. Time seemed to move agonizingly slow as she waited for them to get done.
She had waited in the infirmary for a little bit, but her anxiety made her go stand in front the edge of the wall. The buzz had entered her mind again, taking over her thoughts. It came like a storm, swirling around her. It pulled her to and fro, but she fought against it. She didn't want to allow the anxiety and depression to flow through her veins like they used to. She was finally getting happier now.
Konno dug her fingers into her eyes and let out a sigh. "Get it together," she muttered to herself. "You're getting better. Things are getting better now."
Konno missed Yue dearly. The ache in her chest hadn't lessened at all, but she could finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. She didn't think about Yue or Navrek as often as she used to. The days were getting easier to face. Things were looking up, and Konno was ready for it.
When she saw Sokka, Katara, Toph, and Aang walking along the outer wall, Konno finally let out a breath. They all looked okay. The sun slowly set behind them, giving them an orange halo.
"I just want to say, good effort out there today Team Avatar," Sokka said enthusiastically. Konno laughed as she met them in the middle. "How'd you like that, Konno? Isn't it great?"
"Enough with the Team Avatar stuff," Katara said, slightly annoyed. "No matter how many times you say it, it's not gonna catch on."
"I think that's your answer," Konno told him, pointing to Katara.
"How about . . ." He whipped out his boomerang from behind him, startling Momo. "The Boomerang Squad! See, it's good because it has 'Aang' in it." Sokka placed his hand on top of Aang's head. "Boomer-Aang."
"I kinda like that one," Aang said thoughtfully.
"Let's talk about this on our way into the city," Katara said with a roll of her eyes.
They started walking away. Konno stood next to Sokka as they walked along the top of the outer wall. She was glad he was safe. She didn't want to imagine losing him either. It would be devastating.
"The Aang Gang?" Sokka asked.
"Sokka," Katara said with a glare.
"The Fearsome Foursome?"
"You're crazy," Toph said, shaking her head.
Sokka stopped walking, so Konno did, too. "Why?" he asked. "We're fearsome!"
"Come on," she said, tugging on his arm. "I don't think they're listening to you."
"Did you like any of them?" he asked as they started walking again.
"Not really."
Sokka laughed. "Okay. That's fine. I'll come up with something."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
Konno slid her hand into his. He smiled down at her. Nothing could ruin the mood that settled over her. Yes, life had given her a terrible hand, but she knew things were going to get better. Especially with this boy right next to her.