Sea and Sky

Chapter 31: In Plain Sight

Sea and Sky
Chapter 31: In Plain Sight

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"Are you sure this is a good idea, Twinkle Toes?"

Appa's leads in his hands, Aang looked up at Toph. A certain amount of doubt lingered in his mind, but Katara had made it blatantly clear that she was not to be left behind. Even with all of the limitless luxury and endless comfort offered to her within Zuko's palace, she was unwilling to stay behind. For more selfish reasons than he wanted to admit, Aang had agreed with her. She should be by his side, he thought.

"Who knows? But Katara refused to be left behind again. I don't want to upset her, so she's coming with us."

With a slightly sour look on her face, Toph picked at her teeth for a moment, flinging a bit food from her fingers. "Whatever you say, Aang."

"If it matters, she's feeling better lately and won't slow our travel down. We need to make Omashu by nightfall. I've already reached out to Bumi, he's secured a house for us to stay in outside of the palace."

His words were comforting to the earthbender. The thought of spending any more length of time trapped within the walls of a palace made her want to peel her skin off. Toph had no regrets about leaving her life of luxury behind. The sense of freedom she'd gained after leaving her family's home and her ownership of Earthenfire Industries gave her a sense of security and self-worth.

"So, what are you going to do to the General? Zap him with a little of your energy bending?"

Pulling at the leads and drawing them tight on Appa's horns, Aang was unsure of how to answer Toph's question. While the information he'd received from Iris had been insightful, it still hadn't answered his question on how to purge Kuyu of Aki's soul. The aspect of spirits taking over humans was new for him. Perhaps his previous lives would be able to offer him some sort of wisdom.

"Not sure yet. I could try what I did to Ozai on Kuyu, but it doesn't seem to be the same. Kuyu is possessed by malevolent energy. As far as I'm aware, Kuyu himself isn't the source of the dark energy, but Aki himself. I'm not even sure if the man who showed up after Zuko's banquet was even the General."

The memory of Kuyu presenting his nomadic lineage to Aang filled Toph's mind as she lounged on Appa's saddle. It was like she could still feel the energy coursing from Kuyu, the steady beat of his heart, the belief the emanated from Kuyu. Toph would admit that the man had spoken with true sincerity that night.

"Well, you need to figure it out soon. We're running out of time."

He knew Toph was right. What was he going to do about Kuyu? His options seemed sparse as he considered the thought.

"Good Morning, Team Avatar!" Sokka's voice boomed over them as he approached. Next to him, Suki presented the pair with a wide smile as they approached.

"Morning guys. How are you feeling today, Suki?" Aang asked, releasing Appa's leads.Offering Aang another smile, she spoke. "Pretty good."

"I'm glad to hear. You gave us all quite a scar for a while. Feeling prepared for the journey today?"

Before she could answer, Suki took hold of Sokka's hands as he hefted her up onto Appa's saddle. Leaving Aang's question unanswered, she pushed the hair back from her ears, revealing what she hoped all of them would notice. Upon her neck sat a glittering pendant of cool blue lapis, carved with the profile of a wolf.

At noticing the shift in Suki's demeanor and breathing, Toph rolled her eyes. "Congratulations, Sokka, and Suki. Aang, they're engaged."

Quickly, Aang drew his eyes up to the couple seated upon the bison's leather saddle. "What? When?"