Accidental Avatar 3: Totally Lit

Developments Are Developing

"Good Morning, World," Mogui shouted.

I really wanted to slap him. I could have had a whole extra forty-three minutes of sleep if it weren't for his need to eat. I need sleep, and I think my sleep is more important than his eating. So I got up. I can't hit him if I'm still in bed.

Mogui set a fire to cook us some breakfast while Muteki curled up next to it, dozing back to sleep. Breakfast smelled like eggs, scrambled with some weird herbs Mogui had found in the food pack. It smelled really good, though. That kid really knows how to cook. Sokka had already started packing up the camp while Katara was doing something over by Appa.

"What's the matter, Katara?" Aang asked.

"I think Appa's sick," she replied.

"What?!" Sokka gasped, running over to them. "Appa's sick? That's awful!"

"He isn't the only one," Muteki groaned. "Did anyone eat the ham last night?"

"The ham that was green and fuzzy on the outside?" I asked.

"That's the one," he grinned weakly.

"Ew!" I exclaimed. "And I Kissed you!!!"

"You did?!" he gasped.

"No," I grinned back at him. "But you want me to...."

"Maybe..."

"Get a room!" Mogui shouted. "Never eat the ham, Mut. It's never really ham."

"Not You Too Muteki!" Sokka pouted with wide eyes.

"Wow, Sokka," Toph commented. "I didn't realize you cared so much."

"Of course I care," Sokka exasperated. "I might as well just throw our schedule away now."

He actually pulled out his scroll and looked at it. We all gave him a look.

"And I'm concerned because my big, furry friends don't feel well." He gave Muteki a pat on the head before running to stroke Appa.

"What do you think got him?" Mogui scraped some eggs onto a plate.

"Well, he didn't have green eggs and ham," Mutekki groaned.

"He must have gotten sick from being in the polluted water," Toph took her eggs.

"He doesn't look sick," Aang commented. "You okay, buddy?"

While Aang was busy pulling out Appas tongue, Mogui turned to me. 

"And how do you like your eggs in the morning?" he wiggled his eyebrows.

"Not fertilized," I scowled at him. "French toast?"

"What is French?" Mogui put on the worst French accent I've ever heard. "But here's the question... sweet or savoury?"

"Is that even a question?" I responded. "Savoury!"

"Finally!" he gasped. "Someone with some sense of taste!"

Mangetsu made a disgusted noise as he shuffled blearily into the camp circle.

"What's bothers you this time?" Mogui asked. "Is it the smell of social interaction?"

Mangetsu poked his tongue out at the firebender but didn't grace him with a response.  Clearly, someone wasn't a morning person.

"His tongue is purple!" Aang exclaimed.

"No, it's... ow!" I hit Mogui across the top of the head.

"He meant Appas tongue," I said.

"Katara," Aang pleaded. "Can you heal him?"

"I don't think we can," Mangetsu shrugged. "I mean, I don't have that level of healing understanding."

"Neither do I," Katara admitted.  "He looks like he needs some medicine.  Maybe we can find the right herbs in town."

"Really?" Mangetsu said with one eyebrow cocked.  "If they don't have real food, why would they have medicinal herbs?"

"I'm gonna have to agree with Mangetsu on this one," I said slowly.  "You saw that place, Katara. I don't think we're going to find medicine there."

"But we gotta try!" Aang said anxiously.

♍

Dock gave us another ride into town on his large barge. He seemed much more cheerful this morning, babbling on about how the spirits were favouring the town. I don't think anyone was paying any attention. We landed and stepped off onto the dry dock and...

Something felt different. I couldn't put my finger on it at first. It was as if this dark and dreary village had experienced a Renaissance overnight. It was bustling and... happy?

"Is it just me, or does this place seem different?" Toph asked.

"Yeah," Aang agreed.

"Maybe it's 'cause the delivery truck arrived," Mogui pointed at a kid running past with a loaf of bread.

"I'm not even gonna ask anymore," Sokka rolled his eyes at the boy.

Another kid followed the first, bouncing a ball as he ran. I thought I could see Katara throw Mangetsu a bright smile, but his expression was... wait, he's not scowling. In fact, I honestly couldn't read his expression.  Guess we'll leave it at "complicated" and figure it out later.

"Hey Xu," Sokka called as we approached the crazy guy's stall. "What's going on with everyone today?"

"Ahh," Xu/Dock gasped. "Something amazing happened last night. Food was delivered to our village by a mysterious and wonderful person." 

He paused for dramatic effect. "The Painted Lady."

"The Painted who now?" Katara asked.

"The Painted Lady," Dock plunked a statuette of the Lady down on the counter. 

She was dressed in large, flowing robes with elaborate eponymous face make-up and topped with a wide-brimmed conical hat.

"She's part of our town's lore," Xu continued. "They say she's a river spirit who watches over our town in times of need. I always thought she was just a legend. Until now."

"See," Sokka said to Katara. "We don't need to help these people. They already have someone to help them. All we need is medicine for our sick friend."

"Medicine?" Xu asked. "Sorry, all the medicine we have goes to the factory."

"Let me guess," Mogui raised an eyebrow. "That's why there are so many sick people in your village."

"Looks like we need to stay another night so Appa can rest," Katara sighed.

"I guess you're right," Sokka groaned, then he turned back to the shop. "You got any more food to sell?"

Mogui, Sokka, and Dock spent the next ten minutes haggling the price of a two-headed fish.