Chapter 7: Escaping the Desert

Hello everyone. So I've got a confession, I almost didn't post this week. I've been dealing with a family loss and it's been tough doing anything, even getting out of bed. But I know we all have our own low times. What used to get me through was reading a story or watching anime. And I hope to anyone who is going through a time time that my stories will give you solace and lift your spirits.

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While the sand glider the group found had a needle on it, they soon realized it wasn't a normal compass needle since it wasn't pointing north, which Sakura confirmed with her compass. But they decided to keep following the line, to see where it would direct them. Aang and Toph used their bending, creating a wind force that was cold and strong to briskly carry them through the sands, crossing miles of the desert that would've taken them longer on foot.

Sakura noticed a structure emerging in the darkness ahead, growing larger as they approached. She squinted to make out the shape and then called out, "There's something over there!"

Katara, holding the compass, glanced at it and then at the structure. "That's what the compass is pointing to," she said. "It must be the magnetic center of the desert."

Toph grinned widely, her spirits lifting at the sight. Walking around in the sand, was like taking off glasses if she wore them on her feet, everything was blurry, and feeling nothing within her range was unnerving more than she cared to admit. The desert didn't just make Katara feel helpless.

"A rock? Yes!"

"Maybe we can find some water there,"

"Maybe we can find some sand benders," Aang said softly, his eyes focused on the structure as he bent the air to propel them towards it, as he swung his arms to pull the wind forward with purpose. 

As they drew closer, the structure revealed itself to be a massive rock formation, standing tall amid the endless dunes. It cast long shadows in the light, providing a welcome respite from the vast, featureless expanse of the desert.

Specks of light were already touching the sky upon reaching the base of the rock, they began to explore the area, although it seemed to be just as barren as the desert, with nothing growing, and only multiple entryways inside of it. Toph didn't care, it was something solid, something she could see, and immediately fell back into the rock, feeling its solidity and taking comfort in the familiar sensation of earth beneath her fingers as she stretched out and moved like she was making a snow angel.

"Not that solid apparently…." Sakura muttered, her mouth twitching as surprise pulled it down.

The rock was large enough to be considered a hill, and the top offered a view of the desert, but nothing else. To evade their disappointment for the object of their excitement, they kept investigating.

"Let's check inside," Sakura suggested.

Stepping through one of the entrances of the caves, everyone was quick to notice the unusual structure it held, not a solid base of rocks alone, but softer solids, an odd musky smell, and yellow liquid that seeped through the walls like an open wound.

"What is this?" Sakura asked, gesturing to the fall liquid running her hand down the wall with a phantom touch only.

 Sokka came up beside her with Momo on his shoulder and scooped up a generous amount with his hand before tasting it and spitting it out and commenting that it tasted like rotten penguin meat, to which Katara reprimanded him for like a mother scolding her child.

"You've been hallucinating on cactus juice all day and then you just like something you see stuck to a wall of a cave?"

And much like one, Sokka shrugged with a childish response, "I have a natural curiosity."

Sakura stuck out her tongue for a moment before curling it back into her mouth to avoid tasting the air. "Well, certain cactus juice can cause neurological issues if they aren't filtered properly."

Katara shook her head, "Unfortunately, we can't blame everything on the cactus juice. It's Sokka too."

"Hey!"

Toph frowned as she felt the sides of the cave, her palm reached deep through the structure, seeing the way it was put together, and she instantly noticed something off. "I don't think this is a normal cave. This was carved by something."

Aang pointed out the odd hexagonal shape, following a pattern inside the rock and Toph became alert, feeling vibrations through the channels.

"There's something that's buzzing in here....something that's coming for us!"

Everyone turned around when they heard the buzzing noise Toph mentioned. They ran out of the cave as quickly as their feet could carry them. However, the buzzing grew louder and closer, as they rushed through the exit. Realizing that something had followed after them.

"I think we poked a nest!" Sakura exclaimed. "What are those things?"

"Buzzard Wasps!" called Sokka, flailing his arms around as if that was enough to shoo the creatures away.

Dozens of swarming insect-like creatures began to collect in the air. These creatures were six-legged and had a vulture-like head and a bee or wasp-like body. Brown, white, and gray stripes on their abdomen, and their necks are dark gray with a light gray ruff at the body, and wings attached to their thorax. Not to mention the beaks and razor-sharp talons. That gave the imagination quite a few terrifying ideas, and also sent one message, that these were not friendly.

Of course, stepping into their territory and disturbing them likely contributed to this predicament.

They were big, big enough to carry off a person.

When they found themselves surrounded like ordinary wasps would when facing a threat to their hive. And Sakura knew what followed was nothing pleasant, and it was likely going to be multiplied. Aang and Toph went on the offensive, striking down the creatures where they fell.

Toph also moved into action, however, she was at a disadvantage since her opponents could take to the air which moved them out of her line of vision. She almost crushed Sokka when she targeted one of the insects and landed a rock on it.

Airborne opponents were harder obstacles to handle, but Sakura's confidence didn't dwindle. Sokka couldn't fight them all too well because his weapon, a boomerang, while able to extend its range was problematic since it lacked power.

The other issue was, that Sokka hadn't fully recovered from the cactus juice and his mind was still playing tricks.

Aang used his airbending to create gusts of wind, attempting to disorient the vulture bees and knock them off balance. "We need to keep them away from us!" he shouted, directing a powerful blast of air towards a cluster of creatures.

Sakura was in awe of the capabilities of bending. Manipulating the elements at will with just a flick of the wrist, without needing to form hand signs to give the command. It was as if they could turn the attributes into extensions of themselves, like extending their limbs to reach further and grasp what ordinarily couldn't be grasped.

"We have to get out of here; I'm completely out of water to bend!" Said Katara backing up to dodge one of the buzzard wasps that swooped down.

Sakura turned to Toph "Can you make another boulder like before?

"Sure," Toph had a question in her tone, but she still bent up a huge rock from the ground right in front of her. "Now what?"

"Leave it to me," Sakura grinned, wrapping her arms around the rock that had to outweigh her at least ten times and lifting it from the ground. Her unusual display of strength seemed to distract the others.

"Is she actually doing that or am I still hallucinating from the cactus juice?" asked Sokka with his jaw slackened.

Sakura lifted the rock into the air and aimed it right at two of the buzzard bees before throwing it straight at them with pinpoint accuracy. There was a loud crash as the rock smashed into the creatures, sending them tumbling to the ground.

Katara finally found her voice, "How did you—"

"Explanations can wait, let's deal with these things first!" Sakura interrupted, moving swiftly to engage another creature. She jumped far into the air and grabbed one of the buzzard wasps mid-flight, swung it through the air, and hurled it into the desert sands, its impact leaving a sizable dent.

Toph grinned widely as she sensed Sakura's movements through the vibrations in the ground. She heard Sakura leap into the air, almost as high as Aang could fly and then felt the shock wave as Sakura's fist connected with another buzzard bee, sending it crashing heavily into the rock they stood on.

"That was awesome!" Toph held her fists up to her chest with excitement, "Can we keep her? Can we keep her?"

"No, well maybe why am I even responding!?" Katara exclaimed, throwing her hands up, then turned to Sakura. "I'm sorry,"

"Don't be, I'm flattered,"

Just then, one of the wasps swooped down and grabbed Momo, its talons closing around the small lemur as it took off into the sky. Momo squeaked in alarm, struggling in the creature's grasp but he wasn't strong enough to break free and was being carried away from the hive.

Aang's eyes widened with panic and anger. He already had a gaping wound brought by the sand benders who stole Aapa, and now that buzzard wasp had just stung him in the same place. And what else can a person feel when they are struck but rage? "I'm not losing anyone else out here!" he exclaimed. He quickly unfurled his glider and took to the air, chasing after the creature.

"Aang!" Katara called out, but he was already too far gone, his focus entirely on rescuing Momo.

Everyone else refocused on taking care of the hive inhabitants while they made their way back down the rock hoping to escape. Sakura resorted to chucking a kunai and every creature's head she could, and it seemed like her cleanup was working. But then a more effective method came into play and it wasn't by any of them.

Several giant pillars of earth rose, startling the buzzard wasps and driving them back into their nests. Sakura, Katara, and Sokka watched in astonishment as the creatures retreated. While it was a relief to have one issue resolved, they knew that another might be waiting for them.

Sand gliders had gathered in front of them, and not their own, along with several people dressed in plain robes to protect from the desert sun. Most of their faces were covered in scarves as well.

"Who are those guys?" Sakura whispered her guard up.

"Sand benders," Toph replied, her eyes narrowing in suspicion.

Aang decided to reappear with Momo safely behind, while the buzzard wasps were taken care of, he wasn't dropping his guard either.

One of the sand benders stepped forward. "You are trespassing in our territory," he said, his voice muffled by the bandages covering his face. "Why are you here?"

Katara stepped forward. "We were trying to escape the desert and got attacked by those things."

The sand-bender leader looked them over, but as he did Aang appeared, having taken care of the buzzard wasp. Momo, who he had saved flew around in the air before landing on Sokka's shoulder.

"What are you doing with a sand-bender sailor? From the looks of it, you stole this from the Hami Tribe." 

"We found the sailor abandoned in the desert" Katara explained calmly, undeterred by the man's hostile approach to them. "We're traveling with the Avatar. Our bison was stolen and we have to get to Ba Sing Se"

Another one of the sand benders stepped forward, he was much younger than the first man who spoke, "You dare accuse our people of theft while you stroll in on a stolen sand sailor!?"

Toph narrowed her eyes and Sakura noticed "What's wrong?"

"I recognize the son's voice; he's the one that stole Aapa."

"Are you sure?" asked Katara worriedly; not wanting to make false accusations, especially considering the severity of what would be claimed. And the results that would ensure. 

"I never forget a voice," Toph confirmed confidently.

Aang turned to the sand benders furious; he marched forward holding his staff up "You stole Aapa! Where is he what did you do to him?"

"They're lying" the sand bender exclaimed "They're the thieves!"

Aang struck his staff onto the ground and sent a gust of wind toward one of the sailors destroying it.

"Where is my bison!?"

Now Sakura understood why Aang had seemed so aloof and distant and cold. He was upset because this bison was very important to him and someone had just stolen it.

"You tell me where he is now!" Aang said destroying another sailor with his air bending.

Sakura bit her lip as she saw the pieces of wood from the sand sailor scatter in the wind. "Should we stop him?"

"Hard to do when he's like this," said Sokka. They all knew the boy for carrying the identity of a monk very sternly, but at times that identity would slip through his fingers when emotions covered his palms.

 Toph pointed to the sand benders, and while her eyes couldn't see them, they were firm with fury precisely directed at the group. "You said to put a muzzle on him!"

Sakura glanced at Katara and she was looking down with a disdained expression.

"You muzzled Aapa!"

Aang snapped, a primal, instinctive reaction to the overwhelming surge of emotions that had been building within him. Sakura watched in awe and apprehension as his eyes and the arrow tattoos on his head and arms began to glow with ethereal blue light, illuminating the surrounding area. The very air around them seemed to tremble in response.

The glow intensified, radiating from his tattoos in pulses. The wind howled, whipping around them and kicking up dust and debris. Sakura had to shield her eyes with her forearm, squinting through the chaos to keep her focus on Aang.

His expression was one of ferocity, but there was also a haunting emptiness in his glowing eyes—a sign that Aang was no longer fully in control.

"What is happening!?" Sakura asked.

"He's in the avatar state!" Sokka said, and Sakura knew that was all he could explain at the moment. 

"Well, how do you calm him down?"

"That's…." Sokka shook his head under his arms.

The young sand bender attempted to appease Aang, but it was clearly more in desperation and fear than sincerity. "I'm sorry I didn't know it belonged to the Avatar."

"Tell me where Appa is!" Aang snapped; his enraged voice sounded far deeper as if it belonged to someone else rather than a twelve-year-old boy. 

"I traded him..." the sand-bender confessed terrified. "He's probably in Ba Sing Se by now; they were going to sell him there. Please we'll escort you out of the desert we'll help anyway we can!"

But the begging wasn't working because Aang was too far gone for that. Sokka told them all to run quickly. Sakura watched as Aang rose into the air, his face furious, and his eyes glowing deeply.

'What terrifying power...' She thought, her memories taking her to a dark-haired boy, with flashing red eyes, and a black mark spreading across pale skin.

"What are you doing!?" Sokka grabbed a hold of Sakura and pulled her, "You should move away right now. He isn't in control when he's like this!"

Sakura looked around before noticing that Katara was still standing there; she walked over to Aang completely calm and grabbed his wrist before pulling him down and engulfing him in a hug. It was then that Sakura saw he had tears streaming down his face. His tattoos stopped glowing and the wind calmed again.

"STOP" Sakura screamed, running forward before wrapping her arms around the boy who was heading towards their enemies with the intent to end them. But he stopped when she pulled him into a hug from behind, resting her head in between his shoulder blades. "Don't do it!"

When Sakura looked up through teary eyes, she saw the red commas dotted in the black.

Sakura swallowed hard with a heavy heart as she watched the two from the distance. Emphasizing with their pain and sorrow of loss. She may have arrived at a complicated time in another world but that did not change her urge to help them.

'Home might have to wait a little while.'

THAT'S ALL FOLKS! Hope you enjoyed this chapter and Remember to stay strong!

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-Commission: Demon slayer x My hero academia

 Kunoichi amongst Benders (Avatar x Naruto crossover) ( 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)

-Kunoichi amongst Heroes chapter (73, 74, 75)

-Kunoichi amongst Heroes WHAT IF SPIN OFF: Dorms and Exams

-Kunoichi amongst Pirates chapter ( 30, 31, 32)

-Crossroads of Fate chapter 21, 22, 23, 24

-Through the Looking Glass chapter 28, 29, 30, 31, 32

-(SEQUEL) Through the Spyglass chapter 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,6

-SPECIAL HALLOWEEN CHAPTER: Shinigami amongst Shinobi

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