Zuko's Baby Sister

Chapter Twenty-Six

   Currently Appa was slogging his way down the course of the sludge-infested river Jang Hui in the Fire Nation. Aang and Momo are frolicking in the putrescent water.

    "Momo!" He dives into the water causing me to scrunch up my nose. "Oh Momo!" He doves again and Momo flies to Aang. "Hahahahaha! You found me, buddy!" He looksdown at the water in distaste and airbends up to Appa's saddle, where he stands dripping in sludge. "Hey guys, I think this river's polluted." He airbends mud off himself, splattering the rest of  us with mud, which causes them to cry out in disgust as I leaned over the saddle and threw up.

    "Pah! Plegh!" Toph gags, Aang airbends again, blowing the rest of the mud back into the river and messing up their clothing.

    "Well that explains why I can't catch a fish around here, because normally my fishing skills are off the hook!" He holds up a fishing hook. "Get it? Like a fishing hook?"

      "I'm disgusted." Aang comes and picks me up smiling softly at me.

    "Too bad your skills aren't on the hook." Toph, Aang, and Katara laugh as Sokka makes a disgruntled face.

    "It looks like we'll need to go somewhere else to get food," She unrolls a long scroll in front of her. "assuming that'll fit into Sokka's master schedule."

    "Hmmm ... It's doable. But that means only two potty breaks today."

    "Hey, maybe we can get food there!" He points at a village in the middle of the river, as he holds me.

    "Now you look just like a little hill with horns! Bye, buddy!" I giggled after we hid Appa under grass. Appa groans as Momo briefly reveals himself under some more grass nearby.

     As we reach Jang Hui River, I noticed how bad the water truly is. I sighed softly. I'm going to help these people. My people.

    "I don't feel anything. Where is the village?" Toph said. I giggled quietly then grabbed Aang's hand.

    "It's in the middle of the river!" Sokka said as he points at the village.

    "Sure is! My name's Dock. Mind if I ask who you are?"

    "We're um ... from the Earth Kingdom colonies."

    "Wow ... Colonials. Hop on, I give you ride in the town." We load onto the boat and begin departing, Dock paddles the boat across.

    "Why do you guys live on the river?" I asked.

    "Because we're a fishing town. At least that's how it was before the factory moved in. Army makes their metal there. Moved in a few years ago and started gunking up our river. Now our little village is struggling to survive." I looked to the village sadly and bit my lip. The conditions of the starving and poor villagers. We get off the ferry boat.

    "Thanks for the ride!" Aang waves his hand to Dock, who waves back.

    "Look at this place. It's so sad. We have to do something to help." I said sadly looking down.

    "No, we can't waste our time here. We have a bigger mission that we need to stay focused on. These people are on their own."

    "These people are starving! But you'd turn your back on them? My people are terrorizing each other you want to save the world but can't help one village at a time."

    "How can you be so cold and heartless?"

    "I'm not turning my back, I'm just being realistic. We can't go around helping every rinky-dink town we wander into. We'll be helping them all by taking out the Fire Lord."Aang guides Toph toward the arguing siblings, grabbing my hand along the way.