Chapter 4: The swamp

                                    

                                          
Appa flies through a gray sky over a large forested area; it is covered somewhat by fog, and looks rather menacing. Sokka is rubbing a whetstone against his machete, while Katara is studying a scroll. Faith is studying the same scroll as Katara while gently bending some water in her hands. Aang stares at the swamp, and seems to be in a trance. Sokka notices they were slowly flying down, and notices Aang's trance-like state.
Sokka: (To Aang.) Hey, you taking us down for a reason? (Aang continues to stare at the swamp.) Aang, (Aang snaps out of the trance.) why are we going down?
Aang: (Confused.) What? I didn't even notice.
Sokka: Are you noticing now?
Katara: (Moving to the front of the saddle.) Is something wrong?
Aang: (He still seems somewhat dazed by the swamp.) I know this is going to sound weird, but I think the swamp is calling to me.
Sokka: (Holding his stomach.) Is it telling you where we can get something to eat?
Aang: No, I... I think it wants us to land there.
Sokka: (Shrugging.) No offense to the swamp, but I don't see any land there to land on.
Aang: I don't know. Bumi said 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?
Faith, Sokka, Katara, Melody and Momo look over Appa's saddle down at the swamp.
Sokka: Yes.
Katara: I don't know. There's something ominous about that place.
Faith: (Closes Eyes.) I can hear it... the swamp is calling out to us. 
Momo hides inside Appa's saddle as Appa groans.
Sokka: See, even Appa and Momo don't like it here.
Aang: (Resignedly.) Okay, since everyone feels so strongly about this, (Looks at swamp.) bye swamp. (Shakes Appa's rope.) Yip, Yip!
Appa groans and flies upward, away from the swamp. A tornado suddenly emerges from out of nowhere, heading right for Appa. Sokka, hearing something, turns around and finally sees it.
Sokka: (Panicked.) You better throw in an extra "yip"! We gotta move!
Appa starts to fly faster, attempting to avoid the tornado, however he is not fast enough to get away. As the tornado begins to move closer to Appa, the wind pulls Sokka right off from the saddle. Katara manages to grab his hand, holding him back from flying into the tornado. Aang jumps up onto Appa's saddle and creates an air shield around Appa, stabilising the air and allowing Sokka to fall back into the saddle, uninjured, Faith soon helps Aang by helping him with the Air bubble. The wind sucks Appa, who is still protected by the air shield, into the tornado. Aang and Faith struggle to maintain the air shield, however as it shrinks, one of Appa's legs slips from the protective air, thereby breaking it. Aang, Katara, Sokka And Faith fall off Appa, with Aang landing lightly in muddied water as the latter two land quite roughly. Faith heads straight to Aang. Aang notices and quickly catches her. 
Faith: Thanks. (Aang puts her down.) 
Appa, Melody and Momo are thrown elsewhere in the swamp.
Aang: (Looking around the swamp and at his friends.) Where's Appa, Melody and Momo? (Aang jumps up to the top of the trees, looking for his animal friends as he uses the height to search for them.) Appa! Momo! Melody! 
Katara glances at her elbow before looking up at her brother.
Katara: (Pointing blandly.) Sokka, you've got an elbow leech.