The Avatar's Guardian: The Lost Story (Avatar the Last Airbender fanfic)

Chapter Twenty-one

Satomi's P.O.V.
I do not go to sleep for fear of another argument or someone sneaking up on the group while they sleep. I stay awake keeping watch from Appa's head and switching to bending in the clearing every so often to starve off boredom and keep my muscles from stiffening. This tactic works well, and I am sure to step lightly so the vibrations don't wake Toph from her slumber. It also keeps me alert, but starving off sleep isn't an issue. I jump back on to Appa's head and await morning from my perch after my second round of practicing. The back of my neck tingles and my scar prickles alerting me to someone of the fire nation closing in on us. I stand up and look around, but I do not see anything. Toph scrambles out of her tent and wakes the others swiftly. "Do you know what it was?" I ask her landing softly on the ground beside Appa.

"I don't know. It feels like an avalanche but not," she says confused herself.

"Your powers of perception are frightening," Sokka comment sarcastically. Toph presses her lips into a firm line. He is already a tad grumpy from not sleeping through the night.

"Someone is coming and whoever it is, is from the fire nation," I add. " We need to leave here," I say pulling Toph's earth tent back into the ground to erase evidence of us camping here. The others decide that to be safe that we will move the camp. We quickly take everything down and repack it on to Appa. I nudge the flying bison awake. He groans in protest, but pulls himself up right anyways. "I'm sorry bud," I say jumping on to his head. I take the reins and send us up into the sky. We catch a glimpse of what appears to be a kind of tank, but it soon disappears out of our sight as I help Appa fly faster with the aid of a great amount of air bending. It feels nice to use my abilities to their true extent instead of holding back all the time. I fly on for a few hours until I am sure that we have put enough distance between us and the tank. Everyone has dark circles under their eyes as we land except me. I am used to staying up like this without much sleep. The others though are sleep deprived at this point. They need some sleep before they begin to lose their minds to their impulses. We unpack quickly and Katara and Toph begin to argue again to which Toph ends by slamming a wall of earth in Katara's face closing her tent. Aang sighs and steps up to his task as peacemaker. I grab his arm as he passes by since this is a lesson he may need to learn verbally before he gets clocked in the face by one of the two girls. "Aang, just remember that sleep deprivation can make some people go hay wire," I tell him. He nods and I release his arm. "Good luck," I whisper to him as he approaches the two.

"We're all tired. Both of you need to calm down," Aang says. Katara turns on her heel and snaps at Aang.

"I am perfectly calm!" she shouts a vein bulging out of her head and her eyes crazed. Aang cowers back and says no more to her afraid to anger her any further. Aang and Sokka quickly settle down and go to sleep while Katara fuming remains awake. I am leaning back against Appa's cheek and sitting on his paw. The bison doesn't mind me and is already fast asleep and snoring lightly. Momo rests in my lap snoring as well. Everyone is beat except me. I would hate to imagine what I would be like in this state of minor insanity. Someone one would have to knock me out with one of our cooking pots.

"The stars are so beautiful tonight. It's a shame Toph will never be able to see them," Katara says sarcastically drawing me from my thoughts. The next second she is sent flying into the air by Toph's earth bending and Katara lands solidly on top of Sokka. I bite my lip to keep from laughing at the scene. Sleep deprived people are hilarious. I see why Momo likes to mess with sleeping people. It's too fun not too. Sokka snaps as he wakes up and his eyes are bloodshot. He begins to argue when my neck and scar prickle in warning. I sigh. Toph exits her earth tent.

"It's back," she sighs warily.

"Yeah, it is," I growl annoyed with my abilities. I should have pushed Appa faster so we could have gone further and not had to deal with this tank. I pinch the bridge of my nose and take in a deep breath. We pack all of the stuff on Appa swiftly and I wake the flying bison from his slumber. It takes a little more time for the bison to pull himself on to his feet and wake up completely. I jump on to his head and once I have assured everyone is on Appa. I take off into the night. The others discuss how the tank could be tracking us and how to lose it. I push Appa along faster with air bending, but I can only do so much by using only my fingers to air bend. The others would be terrified of the strength of my power. The only reason that I am able to speed Appa along without their notice is because they are so sleepy that they can not perceive the difference in speed. I fly Appa for a few more hours before finding a spot that should be out of the machine's range and a good camping spot. I land Appa, and the others agree not to set up camp but to sleep instead. The others begin to debate on what the machine is and who could be after us before settling to sleep. I sit silent on Appa's head facing them listening.