Accidental Avatar

Close to a giant canyon, Mogui and the gaang prepare to cross....

How could these two be any angrier with each other? Sokka is practical, while Katara is cautious. Tarp on the tent and not enough firewood... that was the argument today... I just sat this one out and let the group monk sort this out. I mean, isn't he supposed to be the world's greatest problem solver?
"Guys!" Aang called out, trying to get the two siblings' attention. "Harsh words won't solve problems; action will. Why don't you two just switch jobs?"
The two grumble but agree to do it anyway. "You see that?" Aang asks, grinning proudly at me. "Settling feuds and making peace. All in a day's work for the Avatar."

Appa and Momo started fighting over a melon when Aang intervened, using airbending to cut it into two portions. A larger one for Appa and a smaller one for Momo. Momo protested over his part while Aang smiled and chastised the little flying lemur. "Come on, Momo. That's fair. Appa's got five stomachs."
I continue to skin the small animals we had caught earlier while Aang starts chopping the wild roots and vegetables. I got the fire going, and we spent the night in relative peace.

♍

"There it is, guys, the Great Divide." Aang had gotten us up rather early today, and I was still half asleep. Honestly, I was looking like a zombie... I think Katara and Sokka were used to it, but it sucked.
"Wow, I could just stare at it forever." Katara was obviously awestruck.
"Okay, I've seen enough."
"How can you not be fascinated, Sokka? This is the largest canyon in the entire world."
"Then I'm sure we'll be able to see it very clearly from the air while we fly away."
"Let's just look a little more, then we can go," I say to Sokka. "I wish I had my camera...."

Just then, a well-groomed man came running up to us, saying something about a guide...
"Ooh, Canyon Guide? Sounds informative." Katara said, her voice brimming with excitement.
"Believe me," Pretty-Mac-Flowing-Locks says in his self-important tone. "He's more than a tour guide. He's an Earthbender."
I had to keep from snorting at that. I mean, the way he said 'earth bender like he was some kind of messiah was pretty funny.
"AND THE ONLY WAY IN AND OUT OF THE CANYON IS with his help." Sokka started pulling faces behind Glorious Mane, whose constant changing of pitch and tone made him just probably the biggest laughing stock since Whose Line....wait, what?
"AND HE'S TAKING MY TRIBE ACROSS NEXT!" Sokka does some weird spaz thing before brushing the guy off.
"Calm down. We know you're next," he smiles one of those 'this guy is nuts, and it's hilarious, don't tell him,' kind of smiles.

"You wouldn't be calm if the Fire Nation destroyed your home and forced you to flee!" He snaps.

There's that sinking feeling again. It's not exactly my fault, but every time someone says something like how the Fire Nation destroyed their lives, I feel a little guilty. Eh, Hakuna Matata.
"What?" Everyone is looking at me funny.
"What?"
"Hakuna Ma-whatta?" Sokka says, scratching his head. "I mean, I've heard you say it before, but..."
I shrug. "Did I say that out loud? Hakuna Matata. It means no worries."

♍

"Is that your tribe?" Katara asked, looking over the scout's shoulder at a ragtag group of neanderthal looking people trudging towards the small group
"It most certainly is NOT!" the scout exclaimed. "That's the Zhang tribe. A bunch of low-life thieves. They've been the enemies of my tribe for 100 years." He called to the barbarians, "Hey Zhangs! I'm saving a spot for my tribe, so don't even THINK of stealing it!"
A huge Zhang woman walked up to the scout menacingly who took half a step back but stood his ground."Where are the rest of the Gan Jin?" The woman asked. "Still tidying up their campsite?"
"Yes!" The scout answered, "But they sent me ahead of them to hold a spot."
"I didn't know the Canyon Guide took reservations," The lady spat back.
"Heh! Of course, you didn't," the scout jabbed the woman in the collarbone. "That's the ignorance I'd expect from a messy Zhang! So unorganized and ill-prepared for a journey."

The entire Zhang tribe began to grumble loudly at this. An angry mob was about to form while Aang and Katara looked like they were getting ready to step in before the scout got himself killed. Suddenly, the sound of a moving earth was heard while the rocks underneath Momo quiver and began to split apart. Momo jumped as the rocks were picked up and thrown out of the way by an old man in a straw hat and green clothing.
"Sorry about the wait, youngsters." the canyon guide grunted. He gestured to the majestic canyon below them. "Who's ready to cross this here canyon?"
"Um... one of them, I think," Katara said nervously

Pretty Mac-flowing-mane Scout ran forward. "I was here first! My party's on their way!"
"I can't guide people who aren't here." the canyon guide said, shrugging.
The Zhang began filing past us kids and the fuming Gan Jin Scout.
"Guess you guys have to make the trip tomorrow." The hairy lady leader said with mock sadness.
The scout twitched in anger. A feeling I could relate to... Then another tribe appeared from behind the rocks. The Scout pointed to them in triumph. "Wait! Here they come!"

The Gan Jin was walking in a stately order towards us. They were all dressed elegantly and were wearing formal expressions on their faces. And they all had beautiful flowing manes. The Zhang Leader whipped around to look at the newcomers, the two tribes now facing each other with Appa and us kids between them.

"You're not seriously going to cave in to these spoiled Gan Jins!" the Zhang Leader all but shouted. "I mean, we're refugees too! And we've got sick people that need shelter."
The Canyon Guide held out the palms of his hands in a gesture of plication, "I...uh...well...."
"We've got old people who are weary from travelling!" Scout Glorious Mane yells, now standing with the rest of Team Flowing Manes.
"Sick people get priority over old people!" She-Male growls back. I really need real names for these people, but making up names is just as fun...so long as I don't call She-Male that to her face...
"Maybe you Zhangs wouldn't have so many sick people if you weren't such slobs." Gandalf the Asian sniffs. I should get some pointers on how to be snooty sometimes; it looks fun.
"If you Gan Jins weren't so clean, maybe you wouldn't live to be so old!" She-Male sneered back. This was like those insult fests that people could just down and eat popcorn too. Wait...what?

Anyway, while they were all arguing, Katara turned to Aang while Sokka and I watched the free entertainment.
"Well, Aang. Ready to put your peacemaking skills to the test?"
"I dunno..." Aang looked down, a mild frown on his face. "A fight over chores is one thing. These people have been feuding for a hundred years."
Katara stood between the two groups who looked ready to eat each other alive. Well, the Zhangs did; the other guys were more like those dainty dogs that just kick dirt at you with their noses sticking up. "Everyone, listen up!" Katara called, drawing their attention to her. "This is the Avatar!" Cue blank expressions all around. Hey! Is that a somewhat neat looking Zhang? Well, isn't he just out of place... "And if you give him a chance, I'm sure he can come up with a compromise that will make everyone happy."

"Tell them to just get over themselves and get on with getting on," I whisper to the small monk while Katara gave her little speech. Oh, look, now they're staring.
"Uhh....." Aang's face scrunches up as he thinks. "You could share the Earthbender and travel together?"
"Absolutely not!" Gandalf snaps. "We'd rather be taken by the Fire Nation than travel with those stinking thieves!"
"We wouldn't travel with you pompous fools anyway!" She-Male retorts. Wow, she's got that self-righteous sneer down pat. Nice. Oh, and they're arguing again—joy of Joys. While Aang gives himself whiplash looking back and forth, I lean back against Appa and yawn. Loudly. 

Not sure when it happened, but Aang finally snapped. "ALRIGHT, HERE'S THE DEAL!" He shouted, cutting over the childish bickering. "We'll all go down together, and Appa here will fly your sick and elderly across. Does that sound fair?!" Gandalf and She-Male stare at each other for a moment, then nod. Aang gives a hopeful smile; Katara is doing that hip thing with an 'I knew he could do it' expression, and Sokka... he was more 'well whaddya know?' Then they looked at each other and did that, 'yay' smile. Lotsa of smiles going round.