Sight ↣ A:TLA

13

Thalia (1)

We had been walking for what felt like days, but really only a couple of hours. I felt completely disgusting. Sweat dripped down from every inch of my body. My baby hairs sticked down onto my forehead. I had wrapped my hair up in bun, hoping that would help.

It didn't.

When I felt a slight push from behind me, I turn back. Toph was at Sokka's side while Momo was on the floor.

"Can't you watch where you're-" Sokka started, but when he quickly realized what he was asking, he shut his mouth and his eyes went wide.

"No."

He rubs the back of his neck sheepishly, "Right. Sorry."

"Come on, guys. We've gotta stick together." Katara said.

"If I sweat anymore, I don't think sticking together will be a problem." He tried to pull himself away from Toph, but was struggling. All Toph had to so was put her hand on his head and push him down.

"Katara, can I have some water?" Toph asks her.

"Okay, but we've gotta try to conserve it." She bends out some water from her pouch then divides the water into four, each of it going into our mouths. I crinkle my nose at the funky taste.

"We're drinking your bending water?" Sokka asks. "You used this on the swamp guy! Err!" He sticks out his tongue in disgust.

"It does taste swampy." Toph adds.

"I'm sorry, it's all we have."

I wave her off, "Eh, don't worry about it Katara. Now I can say what bendy-swamp water tastes like. We can all live with it."

"Not anymore!" Sokka grins before pointing to a large cactus. "Look!" He runs over and with his machete, he slices the cactus then drinks the water from it.

I place my finger on my chin, "Hm, I don't really think that's a good idea."

"Sokka, wait! You shouldn't be eating strange plants!" Katara rushes over to her brother. I grab Toph's hand then follow her.

"There's water trapped inside these." Sokka said, offering us some. Katara seemed uneasy about it still. "I don't know."

"Suit yourself. It's very thirst quenching though."

"It does seem refreshing..." As I bring my hand out to grab it, Sokka's eyes widened. When I saw that his pupils were dilated, I immediately brought my hand back down to my side.

"Drink cactus juice! It'll quench ya! Nothing's quenchier, it's the quenchiest!" The way he moved around and the exaggerated expressions showed something was wrong.

"Uh, what the heck just happened?" I asked.

"Okay, I think you've had enough." Katara took the cactus from his hand then spilled out the juice.

"Who lit Toph on fire?" He asked as he leaned into her. Above us, Momo was quickly flying in circles before dropping down to the floor.

"Can I get some of that cactus?" Toph asked. I watch Katara pick up Momo from the floor. I can't even imagine how Toph would be. I shook my head quickly, "Don't even think about it."

"C'mon, we need to find Aang."

We all start walking and when I realized there were only three of us, I groan. I give Toph to Katara then walk back to grab Sokka.

"How did we get out here in the middle of the ocean?"

I sigh loudly. "You just had to drink from the pretty cactus."

Sokka giggled. "You're a pretty cactus."

>>>

It was almost sun set when Aang joined us again. He plopped down to the sand, his back to us. Katara and I quickly made our way over to him. When it was known he didn't find anything, Katara apologized.

"I know it's hard for you right now, but we need to focus on getting out of here." She walked closer to him and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. He moved his shoulder away, "What's the difference? We won't survive without Appa. We all know it."

"Come on, Aang! We can do this if we work together. Right, Toph?" Katara turns back to my cousin for help.

"As far as I can feel, we're trapped in a giant bowl of sand pudding." Toph kicks the sand in defeat. "I got nothing."

"Sokka? Any ideas how to find Ba Sing Se?"

"Why don't we ask the circle birds?" We all look up to see what Sokka's admiring. In a circle, large buzzing creatures were flying over us.

"What do you want to do, Katara?" I ask the Water Tribe girl. She thinks for a moment before groaning, "We're getting out of this desert and we're gonna do it together. Aang, get up. Everybody - hold hands. We can do this! We have to."

One of my hands hold onto Toph's hand and the other holds on to Sokka's. We all continue to walk like this few a few more hours.

When the sun had went down, Katara decided it was best to stop for the night. All of us dropped down onto the sand, groaning in exhaustion.

"Is there anymore water?" Toph asked her. Katara walks over to my cousin. "This is the last of it. Everyone can have a little drink."

Katara bends the water out of her pouch, however before it could get into our mouths, Momo jumps into it. The water splashes down into the sand, making Sokka scream.

"Momo, no! You've killed us all!"

"No he hasn't." Katara told her brother. She leans down and starts to bend the water from the sand.

"Oh, right. Bending." Sokka smiles.

I face palm myself. "How much longer do you think until it wears off?"

"I don't know." Katara sighs. "But I hope soon." She hands the pouch to Toph before kneeling down. "Sokka, let me see the things you got from the library." She reaches for his bag, but he immediately backs away defensively, hugging his bag in his arms.

"What!? I didn't steal anything! Who told you that?" Sokka then points an accusing finger down to Momo, his eyes wide in anger. "It was you! You ratted me out!"

"Sokka, I was there." His sister proceeds to take the bag from him. I follow her to the edge of the hill we were on to scan the papers. 

"It doesn't matter." Aang said softly. "None of those will tell us where Appa is."

"No, but we can find out which way Ba Sing Se is." She places a paper down. We both lean in. "We can use the starts to guide us. That way, we can travel at night when it's cool and rest during the day."

"There is a slight breeze right now. I think we'll be fine." I agreed.

Katara nods. "Just try to get some sleep. We'll start again in a few hours."

I place a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Really get some rest, Katara. I mean it." I walk away from her then I lay my bag down next to Toph. I rest my head on it and let myself drift into a light sleep.