Aang dove into murky water as he tossed his shirt to the side as everyone was relaxing while appa floated down the river.

Everyone had their shoes off as they floated and Sokka took the time to fish off the back of the bison, Katara watched Aang to make sure he didn't swim to far.
Toph was laying on her back enjoying the sun, Zuko had a hat over his face to block the sun while he had his arms crossed to his chest and legs stretched out.

"Momo! Oh momo!" Aang called from the water diving in as he played hide and seek with his lemur.

"Is that water safe to swim in?" Zuko lifted the hat to look over the side as he leaned back on the saddle next to Toph, leaning his head back and closing his eyes when he put the hat back on.

"Not sure, I know I wouldn't want to swim in it," Katara looked at the dirty water seeing unsure.

Aang jumped back on appa covered in the pollution as it dripped off him.

"I think the waters polluted," Aang looked at himself, using his air bending to get the mud off him. Only to get it all over Zuko, Toph and Katara, and blew zukos hat off.

"Dude!" Toph whined.

"Aang come on," Katara groaned wiping mud off her shoulder.

"Oi!" Zuko wiped the mud off his face irritated. Aang bender a powerful blast at them and blew their hair everywhere. "Stop that!"

"Well it Explains why I can't catch a fish around here, cause normally my fishing skills are off the hook!" Sokka held up his empty hook as a joke. "Get it!?"

"To bad they can't be on the hook," Toph smirked.

"It looks like we'll have to go somewhere else to get food," Katara giggled a little as Aang got dressed.

"Assuming that'll fit into sokkas master schedule," she looked at the scroll that was rolled out across the saddle.

"Hmm it's doable, but that means only two potty breaks today," Sokka allowed with a dramatic tone.

"Can You be any louder? You don't have to fuckin' yell," Zuko snapped annoyed still catching everyone off guard.

"What's up your ass?" Toph snorted.

"My head and throat is killing me, everyone is so loud," Zuko covered his eyes with the palms of his hands to block the sun.

"Are you drinking enough water?" Katara asked matter of fact.

"Uh oh someone's going to bring mother hen back out," Toph teased as Sokka groaned a little.

"I am not," the water bender scoffed.

"Im fine it'll go away," Zuko waved them off but stayed scowling. He hated his migraines.

"Here," Aang handed him the water. Zuko went to drink it but it was empty, he shook it upside down annoyed.

"Let's just find a town, maybe find you some medicine too," Sokka offered but Zuko stayed silent. It felt like someone jabbed an arrow through his head and two more through his eyes while his throat felt like he was swallowing sand.

"What about finding medicine and food there?" Aang pointed at a town in the middle of the river up ahead.

-

They covered appa and left the animals behind while they got their shoes back on before going to the village.

"Where's this village? I can't feel it anywhere?" Toph crossed her arms confused.

"It's in the middle of the river," Sokka nodded ahead.

"Sure is!" a strange man stood at a pier at the shoreline bottom of the hill. "My names dock, may I ask who you are?"

"We're um from the earth kingdom colonies," Katara lied quickly for them.

"Wow colonials, well hop on, I'll give you a ride into town," dock motioned for them to come down and hop on his boat.

Everyone boarded onto the small boat as Zuko kept his straw hat while he sat with Katara. She seemed concerned but didn't bother him as they started to move down the river.

"So why do you guys live on the river?" Katara looked over curiously.

"We're a fishing down, at least that's how it was before the factory moved in," dock swung his paddle over the kids and they all ducked.

He explained to them that's where metal was made for the war, and how it now pollutes the river horribly, food was hard to come by due to the pollution. How they struggle to survive.

Zukos watched the factory with disappointment but was calm still, seeing only a glimpse of it as they rowed by before getting to the town.

Dock tied the boat up and let the children unload their group onto the villages boardwalks, they thanked him for the ride and he let them know to find him when they were ready to leave.

"Look at this place," Katara looked around as she and Zuko took the lead, Sokka gave Toph a hand to guide her on the wooden floor.

"It's so sad, we have to do something," she whispered with guilt in her voice.

"No no no, we don't have time to waste here, we have a bigger mission that we need to stay focused on," Sokka heard her sorrow and pushed his way to the front. "These people are on their own!"

"Keep your voice down," Zuko growled pinching the bridge of his nose.

"These people are starving but you turn your back on them!?" Kataras jaw dropped horrified at her brothers words.

"I'm not turning my back on them I'm just being realistic!" Sokka justified.

Aang watched Zuko continue walking as he left the loud group for his migraines sake.

"We can't go around helping every rinky dink town we wander into!" Sokka opened his arms dramatically as neither of them noticed the missing fire bender.

"We'll be helping them all by taking out the fire lord!" He beamed excited for the plan.

"Hey loud mouth!" Toph covered his mouth quickly and the siblings stopped arguing.

"Maybe we should be a little quieter when we talk about taking out the fire lord," she hissed and took her hand back.

"Come on Katara be reasonable about this, you know our mission has to come first," Sokka finally sighed as he kept his voice low.

"I guess so.." she didn't seem happy about it still.

"Let's just get Zuko, get what we need, and head out," Aang smiled as Katara turned to him.

"Get Zuko? We lost him?" Sokka spun around looking for the other teen.

-

Zuko walked around the village looking to see the civilians life style, he never knew there was even river villages, it was heart wrenching seeing these are his people. He felt even more sick seeing children bedridden.

He sat down in the shade, taking his hat off to rub his head. No he wasn't a prince but there was some guilt and responsibility with the state of the people of his nation.

"Are you okay mister?" A small boy noticed him sitting in the shade.

Zuko looked at him and saw a red mark on his shoulder, his ribs and how bony the boy was in general.

"I'm okay, thank you," Zuko gulped.

"You have a mark on your face?" The boy pointed to his own face confused.

"I was born with it," he said softly and the boy smiled and nodded.

"Can I ask where you get your medicine or herbs are?" Zuko asked standing again and placed his hat on his head.

"Yea follow me," The boy grabbed his hand and dragged the soldier along to the stand that his group was at with dock.

"We usually don't have any though, I've been looking for my mom," he pointed to the merchant stand as Katara noticed Zuko returning.

"Thank you, you were very helpful," Zuko tried to sound nicer for the child as he parted ways.

"You feeling better?" Katara asked as he came closer.

He shook his head rubbing his face in pain still.
The boy that came with him tugged on Kataras dress as she was holding the wrapped up fish they purchased.

"Excuse me miss, can you spare some food?" The child asked.

"I wish I could help more," Katara knelt down to him and gave him one of the fish they had.

He bowed to her quickly looking excited for the food and quickly ran back to his mother that was laying with the others that were ill.

Katara and Zuko watched the child and mother, feeling more depressed for those who were in need and yet they could do little to nothing.

"I don't want to hear it Zuko, Sokka already told me no," she sighed standing again.

"About what?" He didn't catch on.

"To doing something for these people, I mean look around, how could you not want to help them in the slightest?" Katara walked with him back to the boat with dock.

"Well you just helped that family, that's something," Zuko tilted his hat down more.

"Yea, well it's not enough," she shook her head.