*。☆。
★。＼｜／。★
˚ ₊ ♡ ❰ MIRACULUM ❱
*✧ ─── ❝ ❪ WHAT WAS I MADE FOR ? ❫ ❞

⋆ 🌪. CHAPTER THIRTEEN ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*
˚ ₊ ♡ 112 a.a ─── book two: earth

UKI THOUGH OF YUE AS SHE SAT ATOP APPA, EVEN THOUGH THE MOON WAS NOWHERE IN SIGHT. ONLY DULL GREY CLOUDS THAT PROMISED OF unfavourable weather could be seen. Her ice-coloured eyes rose up to the sky, trying to look through the thick clouds, in hopes of catching a glimpse of what her heart desired most. Home, the safety of the arms of her friend.

Something inside her stirred, as if responding to her pleads. Like it understood how she felt so irrevocably.

Uki knew it was La that called out to her. Deep within her soul.

The warmth of the Spirit Oasis always blanketed her with a sense of safety and belonging. The grass she sat upon, and the lulling sounds of water descending from atop the cliffs that surrounded this haven brought her peace.

"I think we are like them."

Uki turned to look over her shoulder, where Yue appeared as regal as ever. The soft and intricate design on her Parka and the prestige of her headpiece holding her hair—as white as moonlight, together. The crinkle of her eyes as she smiled, comforting blue eyes that twinkled with kindness.

Uki couldn't help but smile in return.

Where Yue was soft and harmonious, Uki was harsh and rigid—unlike what one would expect from a waterbender. The design of her parka simple but practical. Thick and warm yet easy to move in. The sharpness of her eyes, calculating yet brimming with ambition and pride.

Her gaze moved back to the pond she had been peering into, at the two koi fish that danced elegantly. White and black. Ying and Yang.

Uki and Yue.

Her hand hovered above the water, fingers swirling gently. "Do you ever wonder why they saved us?"

Yue didn't respond immediately as she approached the pond and kneeled down next to her.

Their reflection was mirrored on the surface of the water and it made Uki smile.

"We are children of the Water Tribe." Yue answered after a moment. "they have always watched over us... maybe they want us to watch over our home too."

The idea warmed Uki's heart.

Uki blinked as her stomach plummeted. "What's happening?" She sat up from where she had been leaning against Katara.

Sokka who had been sharpening his boomerang leaned over Appa's saddle to look at Aang, perched atop Appa's furry head. "Hey, you taking us down for a reason?"

The boy did not respond and Uki frowned, rubbing her eyes.

"Aang!" Sokka voice grew louder, "Why are we going down?"

Uki furrowed her brows at the distant look in Aang's eyes. "What?" His voice sounded dazed and not all there. "I didn't even notice"

"Are you noticing now?" Sokka continued, waving his hands out before returning his attention to Aang.

Katara taking notice of Aang's behavior turned toward Aang with concern. "Is something wrong?" she asked, leaning over Appa's saddle.

Uki positioned herself between the two siblings, her eyes filled with concern as she observed the Airbender's contemplative gaze fixated on a seemingly endless expanse of what appeared to be an ancient, overgrown swamp.

The swamp stretched out in all directions, its tangled mass of gnarled trees and twisted vines forming an intricate labyrinth. The vegetation was so dense that even the sunlight struggled to penetrate, casting long shadows that danced on the murky water below.

"I know this is going to sound weird, but I think the swamp is calling to me" Aang didn't look back at them as he spoke.

The siblings exchanged uncertain glances.

Sokka's shoulders slouched and he slumped against Appa's saddle. "Is it telling you where we can get something to eat?"

"N-no. I think it wants us to land there" Aang shared, voice tinted with curiosity and wonder.

"The swamp?" Uki muttered under her breath before daring another glimpse at the world below them. Something stirred in her stomach and she bit her lip. "It...It does feel spiritual somehow." Uki voiced breathlessly. "Like the Spirit Oasis back home." She turned to face Aang.

"No offense to the swamp, but I don't see any land there to land on" Sokka pointed out with a shrug glancing at the others.

"I don't know. Bumi said that to learn earthbending, I would have to wait and listen, and now I'm actually hearing the Earth. Do you want me to ignore it?" Aang's shoulders slumped and peered at the thick foliage below them.

"Yes." Sokka resolutely responded.

Uki narrowed her eyes and flicked Sokka's forehead.

The boy fell backwards howling. "What was that for?"

"For being an idiot." She crossed her arms before turning back to Aang. "If you belief the swamp is calling for you, we can check out why."

"I don't know," Katara looked down apprehensively, "There's something ominous about that place."

Momo squeaked and almost directly after Appa growled.

"See, even Appa and Momo don't like it here" Sokka stated smugly.

Uki sighed, gazing one last time at the swamp before back at Aang.

Aang's face fell slightly, "Okay, since everyone feels so strongly about this, bye swamp." He pulled on Appa's reins, "yip yip."

The Skybison began to ascend once more only to be cut off by a strong woosh of wind hitting their backs

Whirling around, Uki's eyes widened and she gulped as a colossal tornado began to manifest and expand right behind them. The swirling vortex of wind grew stronger and Uki, struggling to maintain her balance called out: "Uhm, Aang are you doing that?"

"Doing what?" The Airbender turned to look over his shoulder with a frown. "-Oh no! That's not me."

"You better throw an extra yip in there, we gotta move!" Sokka ushered in a hurried tone.

Uki dropped back to her knees, clutching onto Appa's saddle for dear life. Katara and Sokka mirrored her actions, desperately holding on as Appa maneuvered in an attempt to evade the oncoming tornado.

Aang strained against the force, attempting to guide Appa to safety, but it became increasingly clear that they were in the grip of a force beyond their control.

Tornado's did not follow people around!

Woosh.

"Sokka!" Uki shouted worriedly as she watched as Sokka was lifted up by the strong air current. Acting on instinct, both she and Katara lunged forward, each grabbing one of Sokka's wrists, their combined strength preventing him from being swept away.

Taking notice of their struggle Aang leaped up with a strong gust of wind before with a swift motion, he created an invisible barrier of air around them, encasing the group in a protective bubble.

Sokka, released from the grip of the tornado, promptly fell back against Appa's saddle, a collective sigh of relief escaping them.

Clutching onto Appa for dear life, Uki squeezed her eyes shut as the biting wind made them tear up.

With an abrupt and forceful surge the tornado broke through Aang's barrier. It dissipated with an almost disdainful ease, leaving the group suspended in the air for a fleeting moment before gravity reclaimed its hold. The collective scream of Uki, Katara, Sokka, and Aang echoed through the sky as they began their rapid descent, hurtling towards the earth below.

The landscape below transformed from a distant blur into a harsh reality, and the ground rushed up to meet them with alarming speed. They crashed into the swamp with a cacophony of splashes and surprised yelps, disrupting the tranquil surface of the swamp as ripples spread in every direction.

Coughing and sputtering, they tried to gather themselves in the waist-deep water, casting incredulous glances at one another.

"Is everyone alright?" Uki coughed out as she pushed herself back to her feet, wiping away the water from her eyes.

"I think so." Katara murmured, wading through the murky waters to approach her.

"Where's Appa and Momo?" Aang drew their attention and she began to glance around.

"They can't have gotten too far right?" Uki offered, albeit a bit unsurely. "I'm sure they're fine Aang." She patted his shoulder reassuringly. "Maybe you can go check from above?"

The airbender nodded, and used his bending to jump up, from tree branch to tree branch until he disappeared from view.

Uki's sigh echoed through the swamp air, a mixture of relief and exasperation as she surveyed their surroundings. The murky water they stood in was tinged with shades of green and brown, its surface adorned with floating lily pads and clusters of moss. The air hung heavy with the scent of damp earth, and the distant croaking of frogs provided some semblance of sound, although eerie.

The trees that surrounded them seemed ancient, with vines hanging down like curtains, creating hidden passageways and secret alcoves, their gnarled branches and twisted roots creating a natural canopy that filtered the dappled sunlight

Uki's gaze followed the Water Tribe siblings as they waded their way to the river bank, their movements creating ripples that distorted the reflection in the water.

The ground beneath the water felt soft and squishy as Uki moved to follow them.

"Uh Sokka..." Katara started and Uki turned her attention to the boy. "You've got an elbow leech."

The boy's eyes widened frightfully as he started to flail around. "Where? Where!" he yelled out and Katara crossed her arms with a sigh.

She rolled her eyes, "Where do you think?"

Sokka grabbed the leech and flung it in Katara's and Uki's direction, and Katara sent her brother a sharp glare.

"Why do things keep attaching to me?" he whined.

Uki raised an eyebrow, but before she could say something, Aang returned from above, using a vine and his airbending to slow down his descent.

"You didn't find them?" Uki asked softly, a frown marring her face.

Aang landed in front of her, a dejected look on his face. "No," he sighed out, "and the tornado... it just disappeared."

"I guess we'll just have to continue on foot until we find them." Uki suggested after a moment of silence and an encouraging smile directed at the airbender.

Sokka then trudged further, whipping out his machete and heading towards the vines. "We better speed things up." he grinned as he went to cut the vines.

Aang nervously glanced around the swamp as if being watched, "Maybe we should be a little nicer to the swamp." The avatar suggested hesitantly with wide grey eyes.

Disgruntled, Sokka turned around and narrowed his eyes, "Aang these are just plants. Do you want me to say please and thank you as I swing my machete back and forth?"

Uki crossed her arms. "Well it seems this is not a normal swamp tough guy."

Katara nodded, "Maybe you should listen to Aang, something about this place feels alive."

He sighed, waving his arms about and pointing his boomerang forward as he turned to Katara, Aang and Uki. "Look I am sure there are many things that are alive here, but if we don't want to wind up getting eaten by them, we've gotta find Appa as fast as we can."

For some reason Uki thought getting eaten was the least of their worries.

DARKNESS HAD FALLEN LIKE A HEAVY CURTAIN OVER THE SWAMP, AND A MYSTERIOUS MIST CLUNG to the ground, swirling around the twisted trunks of the ancient trees. The air was thick with an otherworldly quiet, broken only by the occasional call for Appa and Momo.

Sokka, swung his machete. "There's no way they can hear us, and no way we can see them." he rationalized, "We'll have to make camp for the night."

Uki opened her mouth to speak only to be interrupted by a rising cloud of...something exploding in the dirty water below them.

"What was that?" katara's voice was shaky as she brough her clasped hands closer to her chest.

"Nothing, just swamp gas." he waved nonchalantly, "there's nothing supernatural going on here--" a loud screech that sounded like a shrill scream cut through the boy's explanation.

In a second all three kids clung to Uki's body.

Alerted, Uki's eyes snapped up as the sound rung through the night, before, to her relief her eyes settled on a surprisingly small, white and fluffy bird nestled on a tree branch. "It's just a bird." She managed to wriggle her arm free from Sokka's unexpected strong grip to point at the little creature.

"I think we should make a fire." Sokka cleared his throat as he separated himself from Uki, and made his way to two lone and small trees.

Aang, Katara and Uki trailed behind him, the shakiness from before gone. "Sokka, the longer we're here, the longer I think you shouldn't be doing that—" He winched at the loud thwack of wood being cut.

"No I asked the swamp, they said it was fine." he retorted sarcastically, "right swamp?"

Wrapping his hand around the branch next to him, he shook it and squeakily imitated; "No problem Sokka, it's fine."

Thwack.

The top of the branch fell to the ground.

Placing a hand on Aang's shoulder, Uki sighed and pulled him away. "We need a fire Aang, I'm sorry, but we do."

"I know..." He mumbled, head lulling sadly.

As Sokka gathered the pieces of wood, Katara and Uki quietly worked together to clear out a small alcove in a hollow tree. Aang, still worried about his animal companions had taken to climb the tree in hopes of spotting them.

"Here you go." Sokka dropped the chopped logs before them, setting them into one pile before getting to work on lighting them on fire. Despite the time it took, a small fire was roaring. Embers carried on the wind and a warm orange glow painted their surroundings.

Katara settled down next to her brother, nervously playing with her fingers as her eyes darted around. "Do you guys get the feeling we're being watched?"

A chill went down Uki's spine at the mere though but she swallowed away her fear. "I'm sure it's nothing Katara." She tried to reassure her.

Sokka, waving his weapon around nodded in agreement. "We're all alone out here." he pointed out with narrowed eyes.

A zooming bug flew around the boy, and Sokka, disgruntled waved his machete at it. The bug, clearly startled and afraid, then turned into a large ball of light as it darted away, and in turn illuminated the swamp.

Uki tensed at the sight of peering glowing eyes looking at them.

"Except for that." Aang whispered worriedly as he shuffled closer to Uki.

"Let's just go to sleep." Uki suggested quietly, eyes already drooping.

A SHARP PAIN IN HER LEG STARTLED UKI AWAKE, ADRENALINE PUMPING THROUGH HER VEINS as she tried to pull her leg back. Her eyes grew wide at the sight of slimy green vines encasing and wrapping around her leg.

She desperately reached out, grasping for anything that might help her escape. Fingers digging futilely into the dirt. Her gaze briefly caught Katara's as she tried to wriggle free from the vines before, she too quickly disappeared from her sight as the swamp pulled her deeper into its grasp.

She felt the fabric of her sleeve tear from the force, a small, helpless cry escaping her lips.

Coughing, she was dragged along, too disoriented to focus on bending her way out of the situation. She gritted her teeth, trying to calm herself down and with a powerful tug, Uki managed to pull one arm free.

Digging her heels into the moss covered ground, she managed to slow down enough the maneuver her arm around to move to slice the vines with a strong gullet of water.

Uki gasped as the sudden rush of freedom left her lightheaded—heart hammering. She leaned against a nearby tree, struggling to steady herself. Narrowing her eyes, she pushed off the tree and started moving cautiously through the swamp. "Hello?" she called out, her voice raspy, "Aang? Katara? Sokka?"

Another cough escaped her lips, and just then, a figure began to emerge through the thick fog.

Her muscles tensed as red Fire Nation robes appeared, a clear contrast against the greenery of the trees.

A man's weathered face came to light next, the cringles near his eyes becoming more prominent as he regarded her.

Uki immediately pulled the water from her pouch.

"Hello Uki."

Her eyes narrowed, "Who are you?" She demanded.

The elder man didn't seemed phased by her hostility as he walked closer, "My name is Nyahitha. I was a Fire Sage from the Banthi tribe—a very long time ago."

"What do you want?" She gritted out.

"Please sit" He motioned to the ground as he made himself comfortable.

Uki faltered unsurely looking between the Sage and the ground before him. Slowly she moved and sat down.

"I was one of two men that aided Avatar Kuruk on his journey as avatar."

"W-what?"

"The other was a man from your own family line, his name was Atka."

Uki's thought trailed back to Pakku, and her fingers curled around the pendant tied around her neck.

Nyahitha smiled as he caught sight of the necklace. "It seems you already knew."

Uki bit the inside of her cheek, "Not for long, and not much. I didn't know his name."

Nyahitha nodded thoughtfully, stroking his long white beard. "After receiving a premonition, the elders of my tribe send me to give aid to the Avatar." He began and Uki leaned closer, "I first encountered Avatar Kuruk in a cavern beneath Ma'inka Island."

A bird called in the distance.

"He was thoroughly dishevelled, and I was clearly unimpressed—I had a hard time believing he was Yangchen's successor." A small grin came to his face, as if remembering a fond memory. "I hauled Kuruk to a campsite in the jungle—it was there we found Atka...or Atka found us."

"You see, in Kuruk's time, dark spirits ran rampant, and it had taken a toll on the Avatar." He continued, "Atka, who in turn was send by the elders of the Northern Water Tribe was able to diagnose the spiritual damage to Kuruk's soul from his many battles. He repaired what he could, but admitted that a permanent toll would be taken on Kuruk every time he fought a spirit."

Uki frowned, "That's... terrible."

"It was." Nyahitha nodded solemnly, "We tried our best to guide him; it was what made us conduct spiritual research in the Banthi Library. We were able to deduce that the spirits were trying to force their way to the material world through newly created cracks between the two realms, although we did not discover why or how the cracks were forming."

"Did you find another way to subdue the spirits?"

"Atka came close, his waterbending was the vocal point, but in the end it never came to fruition."

"Why tell me this?" Uki tilted her head.

Nyahitha smiled at her, "Are you not the spiritual guardian of the new Avatar?"

Uki choked on her breath, "W-what?"

"You are spiritually gifted, as Atka was—perhaps even more so because of the circumstances of your birth."

"I-I..."

"A time may come when Avatar Aang will need you to guide him." Nyahitha stated stoically, "He is at his core an airbender and it may lead to conflict with his morals to do what must be done. You must help him find his way as Avatar."

"But how? I don't know anything about what you told me about, or what Atka did."

"You must find Atka yourself—he will come to you, I am sure of it." He tilted his head away, as if hearing something that was not there. Nyahitha stood up suddenly and dusted his robes.

Uki stumbled to her feet as the Fire Nation Sage started to walk back into the mist.

"Wait! How do I find Atka?" She reached out for him, but her hand went straight through his robes and she fell to the ground.

When she looked up, he was gone.

Pushing herself back up to her feet Uki looked around her surroundings. The sun was beginning to filter through the canopy of leaves again.

Had so much time really passed?

Uki sighed and moved forward to walk again, moving to cross a group of intertwined branches when multiple bodies slammed into her own.

Uki groaned as her body collided with the ground once more, another figure landing atop of her.

"What do you guys think you're doing!?"

Uki's head shot up, "Sokka?"

"I've been looking all over for you?" The boy continued.

Uki crossed her arms over her chest as Katara untangled herself from Aang.

"Well I've been wandering around looking for you!" Katara pointed her finger at her brother.

"I was chasing some girl"

Uki's head snapped up to look at Aang in surprise.

"What girl?" Katara wondered as the boy airbended himself upright.

"I don't know." He helped Katara back to her feet, "I heard laughing, and I saw some girl in a fancy dress."

Uki frowned, mind drifting to Nyahitha.

"Well there must be a tea party near, and we just didn't get our invitations." Sokka stated sarcastically.

Uki hit the back of his head. "Ouch."

"I though I saw mom." Katara admitted quietly, reaching to touch the silver pendent around her neck.

Sokka looked down for a moment, before speaking up again, this time more seriously; "Look we were all scared and hungry, and our minds were playing tricks on us. That's why we all saw things out there."

"You saw something too?"

"I thought I saw Yue." Sokka said solemnly turning to face away from the group. "But that doesn't prove anything."

"What about you Uki? Did you see something?"

The waterbender looked at Aang, "I saw a Fire Nation Sage."

"What?!" Sokka stumbled forward, "What? Why?"

Uki glared at him before facing Aang. "His name was Nyahitha." She started, "He was one of the guides of Avatar Kuruk."

"Why would he come see you?" Katara asked unsure.

"Because the other guide was Atka—he is my ancestor."

"I was friends with your family?" Aang whispered with wide eyes.

Uki chuckled at his innocence. "Atka was spiritually gifted—he was tasked to help Kuruk on his journey."

"But why did he not come see you then?"

"I don't know, but Nyahitha told me to find him... I just don't know how." She sighed, "Nyahitha thinks I am your spiritual guide."

"Really?" Aang asked."

"Perhaps there haven't always been guides?" Katara offered.

"I'm not sure, and I don't really know what I'm supposed to do either...but I guess I'll just have to figure it out." Uki breathed out.

"All our visions led us here." Aang said after a moment.

"Okay, so where's here, the middle of the swamp?"

"Yeah," Aang turned around, "the centre." They all looked up the looming tree, its large branches spreading out beyond their sight, vines descending down. "The heart of the swamp. It's been calling us here. I knew it."

Uki placed a hand on his shoulder and the boy smiled at her.

"It's just a tree. It can't call anyone." Sokka denied. "For the last time, there is nothing after us, and there's nothing magical happening here—"

The words were barely passed Sokka's lips when a large wave exploded behind them and as the water tumbled down a looming figure wrapped in vines appeared.

The vine monster swung at Aang with incredible speed. The four scattered in different directions, narrowly avoiding the creature's powerful strike. But as Sokka tried to flee, the monster's vines sprung out, grabbing him by the waist and flailing him around like a ragdoll.

Uki ducked as a vine passed over her head, slamming into a tree.

"Aang, help!" Sokka yelled, his voice filled with panic.

Without hesitation, Aang turned and unleashed a powerful blast of air, knocking Sokka out of the monster's grip. Sokka tumbled into the water with a splash, but the vine monster was relentless. It swept its arm, sending Aang flying backward, crashing into a nearby tree with a heavy thud.

Drawing water from the swamp, Uki send out multiple sharp shards of ice as Sokka quickly drew his machete, slicing through the vines that threatened to ensnare him again.

But the swamp was alive with danger—more vines began rising from the water, snaking their way toward the monster, repairing the arm that Aang had damaged with his airbending.

"What?!" Uki exclaimed at the sight—she really wished Atka had visited her now that she was faced with an angry spirit.

The creature roared, regaining its full strength, and lunged at Sokka once more, capturing him in its deadly grasp.

Uki sprang into action, flipping through the air and launching two large streams of water. But the damage she had done was futile—the vines simply reattached themselves, and with a powerful swipe, the monster sent Uki flying back into the swamp, where she crashed into the mud with a grunt.

She spat out murky swamp water and wiped the water from her eyes. Hissing as a stringing sensation shot through her arm.

Katara, her eyes narrowing in determination, skated across the water with a graceful curve, summoning a jet of water that she hurled at the monster's left shoulder. The water sliced through the vines, creating a gaping hole that forced the creature to release Sokka. But even as it staggered, the swamp monster began to regenerate, pulling more vines from the surrounding muck to fill the wound.

Katara dodged the monster's wild swings, dancing around its attacks with agility and precision. She gathered her strength, summoning a massive wave that surged forward, washing the creature back and giving them a brief respite. But no sooner had the wave receded than the monster reappeared, vines lashing out once more to seize Sokka

Jumping back up again, Uki barely managed to raise a wall of ice to protect Sokka from getting taken once more—and next to her Katara quickly parted the water between herself and the monster, running toward the creature in hopes of striking it. But the creature struck back, vines erupting from its body and knocking Katara off her feet, sending her sprawling into Uki—the two tumbling onto dry land.

Aang, regaining his balance, rushed back into the fray. He dodged a vine attack just in time, but the creature's next strike hit home, sending him tumbling through the air before he crashed into the water with a splash.

Meanwhile, Sokka struggled against the vines that had begun to pull him into the monster's core. Desperation took hold as he fought against the inevitable, his breath coming in ragged gasps.

Uki pushed herself up, joining the fray once more, riding a wave of water that carried her swiftly across the swamp. She leaped off, landing with a roll, and created a pilar of ice, sending rapid bursts sharp discs at the creature.

But the swamp's vines were resilient, reattaching as quickly as they had fallen.

Frustration mounting, Uki gritted her teeth.

Aang, now on an air ball, charged at the monster, weaving between its flailing limbs. He rode the air ball up the creature's torso and back. Landing on its head, Aang summoned a powerful whirlwind, twisting the monster's vines into a tight coil.

Katara took advantage of the creature's momentary weakness, took a steadying breath before she blew out air that froze the vines around Sokka.

Sharing a look with Uki, the two waterbenders raised a large column of water together before with a swift and strong push, propelled it forward and Sokka flew back through the monster's chest and into the swamp beyond.

But the monster was not finished. As it repaired the gaping hole in its chest, it began advancing on them once more, its rage palpable. Aang leaped through the air, landing on the creature's back, but the monster retaliated, blasting him away with a powerful strike that sent him crashing into the water again.

"Aang!" Uki's twisted her head, hoping to see the boy.

Katara faced the advancing creature with grim determination, launching rapid loops of water that grew larger and sharper as they neared the monster. Each strike cut deep into the vines, revealing glimpses of a man inside the writhing mass.

"There's someone inside! He's bending the vines!" Sokka shouted, struggling to free himself.

Uki planted her feet firmly on the ground, her hands intertwining as sweat dripped from her brow. She closed her eyes, focusing her chi, and with a few precise movements, she sent large spirals of ice toward the monster.

Aang appeared again, flying back into the fray with a powerful blast of air that disintegrated the remaining vines, finally revealing the man within—a fat, leaf-clad figure who stood bewildered in the clearing.

"Why did you call me here if you just wanted to kill us?" Aang demanded, his voice echoing with frustration.

"Wait! I didn't call you here!" the man protested, dropping the last of the vines from his body in disbelief.

"We were flying over, and I heard something calling to me, telling me to land," Aang explained.

"He's the Avatar. Stuff like that happens to us—a lot," Sokka added dryly.

"The Avatar! Come with me," the man said, his tone softening and slowly they lowered their guard.

Together, the group climbed the exposed roots of the great tree at the swamp's center.

"Well, who are you?" Uki asked, her voice laced with suspicion.

"I protect the swamp from folks who want to hurt it—like this fellow with his big knife," the man explained, gesturing to Sokka's machete.

Uki grimaced.

"See? Completely reasonable. Not a monster, just a regular guy defending his home. Nothing mystical about it," Sokka tried to reason, though he sounded less sure.

"Oh, the swamp is a mystical place, all right. It's sacred. I reached enlightenment right here under the banyan grove tree. I hear it calling me, just like you did," the man, who had introduced himself as Hue, said.

"Sure ya did. It seems real chatty," Sokka grumbled.

"See, this whole swamp is actually just one tree, spread out over miles. Branches spread, sink, take root, and then spread some more—one big living organism, just like the entire world," Hue explained.

"I get how the tree is one big thing, but the whole world?" Aang asked, puzzled.

"Sure. You think you're any different from me? Or your friends? Or this tree? If you listen hard enough, you can hear every living thing breathing together. We're all livin' together, even if most folks don't act like it. We all have the same roots, and we're all branches of the same tree."

"But what did our visions mean?" Katara asked, her voice tinged with curiosity.

"In the swamp, we see visions of people we've lost, people we loved... folks we think are gone. But the swamp tells us they're not. We're still connected to them. Time is an illusion, and so is death."

Uki frowned at that.

"But what about my vision? It was someone I had never met," Aang said, still trying to piece it together." And neither did Uki." He gestured to the oldest of their group.

"You're the Avatar. You tell me," Hue said with a knowing smile before glancing at Uki. "as for her...who knows." He shrugged.

Aang pondered this, trying to make sense of it. "Time is an illusion... so it's someone I will meet?" he asked, more to himself than anyone else.

"Sorry to interrupt the lesson, but we still need to find Appa and Momo," Sokka interjected.

"I think I know how to find them. Everything is connected," Aang said with newfound clarity. He leaned forward, placing his hand on the tree root, closing his eyes in concentration.

The arrow tattoo on Aang's hand began to glow, and energy surged from his hand into the tree root.

"Come on! We've got to hurry!" Aang urged, leaping to his feet.

Hue led the group to the boats as they quickly set off to rescue their friends. Moments later, they confronted the boatmen, destroying one of their boats with a powerful jet of water. Aang appeared on a tree branch, his eyes locked on the captured Appa.

"Appa!" he shouted, his voice filled with urgency.

Aang unleashed a blast of air that knocked one of the boatmen, off his boat. Momo escaped from a dropped bag, flying to safety into Uki's arm's—who cradled the lemur.

"We're under attack!" Another boatman, yelled as he send a wall of water at Aang and Katara, who had joined Aang on the branch.

"Hey, you guys are waterbenders!" Katara exclaimed, her surprise evident.

"You too? That means we're kin!" The man responded, his tone unexpectedly cheerful.

Katara looked vaguely horrified as the water wall collapsed between them.

Uki, Sokka, and Hue ran up the tree branch to join Aang and Katara.

"Hey, Hue! How you been?" He greeted him with a grin.

"You know, scared some folks, swung some vines, the usual," Hue replied casually.

Uki blinked, "I think it might be time for us to go now."

⋆⋅ ━━━━ ‧ ༻✩༺ ‧ ━━━━ ⋅⋆
wordcount: 5538

that was a long one! I hope you guys enjoyed it!

Nyahitha is an actual canon atla character, and all avatars had spiritual guides! Aang will have Uki, and ofc the arc with pathik will still be there! Uki just will have a larger role, especially in book 3 🥰