Sakura Beifong

The Painted Lady

Hey hey heyyyy my readers, hope you all ready for this next chapter, and I do apologize for the long wait! So I made this chapter longer for all of you to enjoy!

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Normal pov

The journey down the misty, polluted river was far from idyllic. Appa moved sluggishly through the thick, murky water, his usual grunts of contentment replaced with low, unhappy sounds. The air was heavy with a stench that clung to everything, a mix of rotting vegetation and industrial filth. Aang, always one to find amusement even in dire circumstances, had taken to splashing in the water with Momo, trying to make the best of their grim surroundings. His laughter and playful splashes seemed out of place against the backdrop of gray skies and a lifeless river. Sokka, perched at the edge of the saddle with a fishing rod in hand, muttered darkly about his lack of success. Despite his determination to catch something for their next meal, the water yielded nothing but slimy debris that clung stubbornly to his line. Zuko, seated nearby, watched the river with a look of disdain that deepened the longer they traveled.

"This water."

Zuko finally muttered, his tone sharp with disgust, Katara glanced at him but said nothing, her attention focused on their dwindling supplies. Aang, his cheerful mood fading, climbed back onto Appa, water dripping from his clothes.

"I think the water's polluted."

Aang had looked disgusted as he looked at himself, brushing off pieces of slime stuck to his arms. To rid himself of the remaining muck, he bent a gust of air around his body, sending the grime flying. Unfortunately, the muck didn't disappear entirely. Instead, it splattered onto his companions. Sakura, who had been adjusting her gear, let out a horrified gasp, flinching as the sticky mess landed on her.

"Ewww! Aang, watch where you airbend this stuff!"

Sakura had cried out, her voice laced with disgust, the others grimaced, equally revolted as they tried to brush the muck off their clothes and skin. Aang winced at her reaction and hastily apologized, attempting to fix his mistake by airbending the muck off everyone. While the effort was well-meaning, it left their hair in disarray, sticking out at odd angles. Sokka, as usual, tried to lighten the mood, though his timing was less than ideal.

"No wonder I can't catch anything, my fishing skills are usually off the hook! You know, because it's a fish hook."

He delivered the punchline with a flourish, clearly expecting a laugh. His audience, however, remained silent, their unimpressed stares speaking volumes. Toph, never one to miss an opportunity, deadpanned with a smirk.

"Too bad your skills aren't on the hook, Sokka."

Her quip drew snorts of laughter from the group, while Sokka turned to her with a dramatic glare, clutching his fishing rod as though personally offended. Katara, always the voice of reason, sighed and shifted the focus back to their immediate needs.

"It looks like we need to get food somewhere else, assuming we can fit it into Sokka's master schedule."

Unfazed by her sarcasm, Sokka pulled out his map before unfolding it, examining it with exaggerated seriousness.

"Hmmm, it's doable, but that means only two potty breaks today."

"Hey, maybe we can get there!"

Aang pointed to a village that was in the middle of the river, and Katara began to guide Appa towards the village. Even as they approached, the polluted river and lifeless surroundings weighed heavily on everyone's minds. Zuko's disgusted expression didn't waver, and Sakura pulled her cloak tighter as if to shield herself from the pervasive gloom. After they made it to dry land, Aang had covered Appa with a disguise that made him look like he was a small hill with horns. Momo had also coveree himself with a disguise as well, which Sakura thought was very cute. With that, they made there way towards the village, but Sakura and Zuko decided to stay behind.