Two in the morning, and we were still flying on Appa.
At this point, even Aang looked seconds away from passing out at the reins, his head dipping lower every few moments before jerking back upright again.
So I eventually took over for him after some hesitating discussions.
Surprisingly, steering Appa wasn't that different from riding a horse.
Wind rushed past my face as I guided the sky bison through the dark sky, carefully keeping us steady while the rest of the group fought to stay awake behind me.
Eventually, after scanning the terrain below for several long minutes, I spotted a suitable resting point near the peak of a mountain.
It was elevated, isolated, and most importantly, defensible from any angle.
Steep rocky trails surrounded the area on nearly every side, making it difficult for anyone—or anything—to approach unnoticed. From this height, we'd also have a clear view of the surrounding landscape if that armored monstrosity returned again.
Perfect.
I began steering Appa downward toward the mountaintop clearing, only for him to jerk sideways without warning. The entire group was thrown violently off balance as Appa crash-landed onto the ground.
I barely managed to catch Toph before we hit the dirt, twisting midair so she landed safely against me instead of face-first onto the mountain.
Aang, Katara, and Sokka were far less fortunate. The three slammed into the ground in a tangled heap of limbs, bags, and blankets... And proceeded to take the opportunity to fall asleep right there on the spot.
Gently lowering the now-sleeping Toph onto the ground, I brushed some dirt from my clothes before walking over to Appa. The giant bison was completely motionless, which worried me until a loud snore echoed.
Ah, he's asleep. Phew. For a second there, I thought something bad had actually happened.
I gave Appa's side a reassuring pat for all the hard work.
Turning away, I went to collect the luggage that had scattered during the crash landing. As I straightened up with a bag filled with rations, something caught my eye.
A faint trail of white scattered across the dark ground.
I paused.
"…Fur?" My eyes narrowed.
The trail stretched away from Appa, leading toward the edge of the clearing where the wind picked up slightly, carrying loose tufts into the night sky.
Appa's shedding. That explained it. That's how the train-tank hybrid was following after us. They were tracking Appa's shedding like footprint trails.
At that moment, Momo flew toward the edge of the mountaintop and let out a sharp cry.
One by one, everyone stirred awake.
Sokka groaned loudly. "Oh... come on!"
Katara pushed herself up, immediately alert despite her exhaustion. "But we're on a mountain!"
"But that's impossible; no way they could have tracked us!" Aang's voice strained slightly as he finally sat upright.
Toph sat up slowly, tapping her feet to the ground. "I can feel it with my own two feet! It's approaching us fast, five minutes out!"
Within seconds, everyone had moved toward the cliffside, carefully keeping low as they scanned the surrounding darkness. A distant roar echoed through the mountains.
A few moments later, the metal monstrosity burst into view, emerging onto one of the narrow mountain trails below, zooming through the uneven terrain with terrifying dexterity.
"We should leave," Katara said quickly.
"Maybe we should wait," Aang said hesitantly. "Who knows, maybe they're friendly?"
"Always the optimist," Sokka said flatly just as the tank slowed to a halt.
One of the armored carriages on the back of the machine released a sharp hiss as its doors creaked open, smoke billowing out in thick waves.
The next thing I knew, three vague silhouettes riding on mongoose lizards emerged and broke into a dash, charging directly toward the base of the cliffside where we stood.
It took a second for my mind to register who was leading the charge through the smoke.
"Oh, you've got to be kidding me," I spat out after cursing a string of colorful words.
Why the hell was Princess Azula chasing after—no. Not the time. I shook my head, forcing the thought aside.
"It's those three girls from Omashu!" Katara announced as the group snapped into fighting stances.
The three-man team led by the princess of the Fire Nation was closing in fast now, climbing the final stretch of the mountain approach with frightening speed.
"We can take them, four on three!" Toph said, only for Sokka to turn to her with a confused frown.
"Actually, Toph, we have five people here."
Toph didn't hesitate. "Ah. Sorry, I forgot to count you. You know, no Bending and all."
"I CAN STILL FIGHT!"
"... OK, four on three, plus Sokka!"
"ARGHHHHH!"
"We need to leave!" I shouted back at the group instead, already running toward Appa and hauling the scattered luggage into place. "Toph, distract them! Everyone else, help me get Appa back in the air!"
"On it!" Aang called immediately, using his Air Bending to float the remaining bundles onto Appa's saddle as Sokka rushed to secure them into place.
Katara reached Appa's side and shook him away. "Appa, please—just a little longer!"
Toph cracked her knuckles, taking a deep breath as a smirk grew on her face.
She thrust both fists outward and yanked upward.
The ground beneath the approaching trio rippled upward in a sharp wave, rows of newly formed walls manifesting to block their way.
And while they easily sidestepped the walls of earth with ease, the slight delay had proven to be useful as Katara had managed to get Appa fully awake, shaking him until his eyes slowly opened.
Aang rushed to the reins. "Come on, buddy, yip yip!"
Appa snorted, shaking off the last traces of sleep, and began to rise into the air.
"Great! Get on, guys!" As Aang used Air Bending to pull Sokka and Katara up onto the saddle, Toph immediately stomped her leading foot down.
The earth responded instantly.
A massive wall erupted from the mountain's surface, rising in a sweeping arc that encircled their position on all sides and formed a near-complete barrier around them.
It covered every angle around us, which made me hopeful that we might make it out cleanly.
Then I caught it. A faint, sharp metallic tang cutting through the air—
And then lightning erupted.
A thunderous roar split the night as a bolt of blue energy tore into Toph's barrier, shattering stone like crushing wet tofu.
Since when could Fire Benders do that?!
There was no time to process it further, as the moment the barrier broke, the long-haired Fire Nation girl next to the princess flicked her arm—
I intercepted the trajectory of the darts before they could reach Toph, catching them between my fingers. With my other arm, I grabbed Toph by the collar.
"Hey!" she snapped.
"Sorry," I muttered, and without hesitation, I hurled her upward toward the flying Appa.
Aang reached out, using his Bending to slow her momentum and guide her safely onto the sky bison. "Got you!"
My eyes locked onto Princess Azula.
Her expression shifted; surprise formed for a split second before it melted into a confident (I think there was excitement in those eyes, too?) smirk.
"I think these are yours!" I called out, throwing the intercepted darts soaring back toward her and her team.
I didn't wait to see if they hit. Without looking back, I leaped hard and cleared the distance in a single burst, landing onto Appa's saddle just as he gained altitude.
"Hang on!"
With a snap of the reins, he guided Appa forward; wind roared past as the mountain quickly shrank into the distance below.
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NEXT UPDATE: 17 June, Wednesday
A/N: Cough. So. Um.
I was really busy with my assignments, OK? Don't look at me like that. I literally had no time to write/post.
Here's a chapter to replace last week's.
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