𝐌𝐲 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐫𝐢-𝐋𝐚 | 𝐀𝐓𝐋𝐀

Chapter 7 - The Serpent's Pass

After several days, our team is situated at a waterfall pond. Thanks to our meditating sessions and just overall tranquility in the group, Aang managed to get out a smile again, I know that until we don't get Appa back he won't be perfect, but something is something.

Sokka is finally out of any hallucinogenic poison thanks to the stew and fruits we've been eating. Katara and I speak of how much it will take us to get Appa back, and I told her about Aang's soul, we really need to help him in case he gets into the Avatar State again. And Toph, well... I don't know what got Toph so riled up in the first place, and we still don't speak to each other as much as we used to. What I've been noticing tho, is how much closer she got to Sokka...

Something in me hurt a bit at the thought of it, and I can feel my soul trying to discover what's making me feel so bad. It's like my soul and I are different persons in one body.

Back to reality, Sokka is surveying a map while Toph is sitting with her feet in the water, moving them back and forth. Aang goes underwater for a moment and bends an ice cube around himself for amusement.

I've been reading the books I took from the library, the information about my soulbending is vital and it helped me a lot to perform new stances and how to connect to myself and everything around me. And the other book is... Well, something totally unexpected, but sweet, bitter and weirdly romantic, and beautiful at the same time.

"Waterbending bomb! Yeah!" Katara jumps into the water and the splash sends Aang out of the water, breaking his ice prison. She soaks Sokka and me and the papers and books we were reading. "Sure, five-thousand-year-old maps from the spirit library. Just splash some water on 'em." Sokka says sarcastically.

"Sorry." Katara wrings her hair dry and bends the water off the map and my book, I mutter a small 'thank you' before closing it and standing with them to look at Sokka's map. "So, did you figure out what route we're going to take?" Aang asks.

"Okay, we just got out of the desert, so we must be around here. And we need to go to Ba Sing Se, which is here. It looks like the only passage connecting the south to the north is this sliver of land called the Serpent's Pass." Sokka explains, and I take the map closer to me for a moment. "Why does the name sound like a trap?" I asked.

"(Y/N)'s right, it sounds kinda fishy." Aang agrees with me, and Toph speaks up. "You sure that's the best way to go?"

"It's the only way. I mean, it's not like we have Appa to fly us there." I facepalmed and shook my head as Sokka finished, Katara steps closer to her brother. "Shush up about Appa...! Can't you at least try to be sensitive...?" She quietly says.

We glanced at the airbender, who was staring at us since Sokka rudely mentioned Appa. "Katara, it's okay. I know I was upset about losing Appa before, but I just want to focus on getting to Ba Sing Se and telling the Earth King about the solar eclipse. Besides, I won't be able to hide what I feel, (Y/N) will know if something goes wrong with my soul. I want her to tell you guys if that happens."

Everyone looks at me and I nod at Aang, Katara was surprised for a moment. "I'm glad you're doing better." Sokka stands up and rolls the map away into his bag. "Then to Ba Sing Se we go. No more distractions."

Suddenly, three refugees arrive behind us, getting our attention. "Hello there, fellow refugees!" The man waves at us with a smile. "You were saying?" I mumbled to Sokka who glared at the refugees, they stepped closer and we began speaking with them friendly.

"Your family is headed to Ba Sing Se, too?" I asked the man named Than. "Sure are. We're trying to get there before my wife Ying has her baby." I can feel the baby it's healthy, I'm glad. "Great! We can travel through the Serpent's Pass together." Katara exclaims with a smile, the three refugees stared at us in shock.