Learning Experiences Zukka

Chapter 1: Things Getting Worse

Sokka considered himself somewhat of an expert on Things Getting Worse. A quarter hour or so ago, when the three of them had been settling into their camp in the fading light of a setting sun and Katara was cooking, things were going really well, which meant that when Katara dropped the soup pot sending half their current provisions splashing into the dirt, Things were Getting Worse. And when she revealed the cause of the wasted soup to be having heard the sound of a child screaming for help, Things looked to Get even Worse than that.

Ten minutes ago, when Sokka and Katara caught up to Aang at what appeared to be a vine strewn hillside with some picturesque remains of an ancient park beside it, Things hadn't quite Gotten Worse. They had, however, gotten a bit confusing, as there was no sign of a child. But then Aang said he could hear the crying as well and took a deep breath to give one of his crazy airbending blows at the hill, revealing a crevice where the flowering vines pressed inward instead of scattering around. A hidden cave, then. Things probably Getting Worse. This pointed to a possible kidnapping, not just a lost kid. But they plunged ahead, moving into what turned out to be a tunnel stuffed with more vines, these ones damper and unflowered, which seemed to cling to their legs as they pushed in. Sokka kept his machete out with a torch in the other hand while Katara held her water flask like a weapon and Aang listened carefully for any more sounds of the child.

Five minutes ago, when the clinging of the wet vines became less "seeming" and more "watch out, the plants are trying to capture us!" it was definite that Things were Getting Worse at a rapid pace. The vines didn't mind getting wet or frozen, and there was only so much good that blowing on them could do, plus Aang had begun to act somewhat lethargic and less upset than the situation really warranted. So Sokka had a brief shining moment of being the most effective one, cutting swathes with his machete and trying to move the other two back to the mouth of the cave. But Katara stopped and argued about whether they should leave without finding the child, and Aang seemed to want to sit a moment and relax, which in short order brought them to the present time, with Sokka's machete arm hopelessly entangled by vines and all of them being pulled slowly but steadily deeper. Things, without a doubt, had Gotten a lot Worse.

"Help!"

"Aang, this is a really serious situation here, you need to do something about this!"

"Um, yeah, seriously... I kinda see what you're saying, but I'm not... you know, really... I dunno, maybe the plants are friendly..."

The airbender's eyes were looking distinctly glazed, and Sokka was distinctly scared. He had found Aang's lapses into what he called the Avatar State frightening, but it was very powerful, and might be the only option to get them out of this. But it seemed that Aang had to be feeling some strong negative emotion to get there, and whatever was happening had him too calm to Glow-It-Up right now.

"Seriously, anyone, help!"

"Katara, who's going to hear you?" Sokka wasn't sure whether to point out that anyone who did hear her was likely to just end up stuck with them. If the Avatar, a water bender, and a brave warrior such as himself were outmatched, a random passerby wasn't likely to do them much good.

"I don't know, but no one will hear if we don't yell, now will they? HELP!"

As Sokka tried once more to gain enough freedom of movement to bring his machete to bear on the vines pulling them deeper into the tunnel, he was surprised to hear a shout from the direction of the cave mouth.

"Chang! Is that you?"

Awkward. "No, but help anyway? Please?" Sokka was wondering who Chang was and how many people were going to end up stuck here when a burst of flame cleared the vines between them and the unknown voice.