Chapter Text
Ghost usually liked visiting the Howling Cliffs. Or at least they think the feeling was probably some type of positive affection. It could be a bit hard to tell now that they have started trying to put names to their feelings, but this one made their void swirl comfortingly like when they saw their siblings, or Mato called them ‘my child’, or even just the way the villagers of Dirtmouth would smile or wave at them. It was a good feeling, that at least they were sure of. But then again, they liked visiting most places in Hallownest now that there were no infected husks constantly trying to kill them.
But all of that was beside the point. They usually liked visiting the Howling Cliffs. Usually being the operative word here. But standing beneath the Stag Nest staring out at the wastelands beyond makes their void seize up, frozen in discomfort. Fear maybe? No, not quite fear. Fear was sharper, icy shards stabbing at their insides. Perhaps trepidation. Something was going to happen, and it was the not knowing that made it so unpleasant. Either way it was discomforting.
Movement next to them snaped their attention away from the foreboding wasteland in front of them.
“Neither of you had to join me today. I am more than capable of investigating on my own,” Hornet glowered out at the storming distance before whipping around to face their tallest sibling, “And you! You should be resting.” Hollow simply tilted their head to look at her better with their one good eye, the other still covered in silk bandages that hid the large crack running through their mask. They were leaning on the edge of their greatnail again. Ghost had noticed them doing that less and less lately, slowly recovering from their long imprisonment, but the journey through King’s Pass was enough to exhaust them. Still, Hollow’s void burbled in a way that was altogether unapologetic as Hornet’s glare lost its strength.
“I suppose I can understand that you take your responsibilities seriously, but you will do our people no good if you collapse out here and Ghost and I have to drag you back to town.” Hornet gently tapped a claw to her new brand and a gentle warmth radiated from Ghost’s own.
The King’s Brand and all it had entailed had weighed heavy on Ghost’s mind after they had destroyed the Radiance and rejoined their siblings. They did not know what it meant to be a ruler, or in fact how they could even rule if they couldn’t speak and no bug could understand the not-noises of void entities. But after finding Hornet and Hollow recovering in an abandoned Dirtmouth home Ghost had had a thought. Hallownest was mostly empty, no longer a kingdom but a near-empty ruin with only pockets of survivors. Hallownest didn’t need a king. Hallownest needed protectors, problem solvers, and peacekeepers. Someone to go from place to place and person to person and ensure that those who survived the infection could have a second chance at life.
Hornet had refused at first. Of course she had, her argument being that she was already the rightful heir to Deepnest and never wanted to claim Hallownest’s throne for herself. Hollow had accepted the brand with a feeling like wonder reverberating through their void, but it had taken some convincing yet to get their sister to share the mark. Ghost had finally worn her down after Hornet realized the new role wouldn’t be Queen, but essentially the same as the duties she took after the fall of Hallownest. Secretly Ghost was very pleased. After all, if the Mantis tribe could have three lords why not let Hallownest have three lord-protectors as well? Hopefully there would be less betrayal in their future.
Hollow brought them back out of their thoughts by letting out a soft little not-noise and sheathing their greatnail. Ghost nodded. Their biggest sibling was right, the investigation would not start itself. They had come out here for a reason, even if Hornet was the only one who would be able to reliably report their findings to the survivors throughout Hallownest.
The Howling Cliffs had been named so for a reason. The powerful winds coming from the edge of the kingdom never ceased, making it possible to enter but difficult but not impossible to leave, and the billowing storms of dust formed from it came all the way to Dirtmouth where the fine grit would slowly filter down through the air creating the perpetual fuzzy look to the small town.
So when the winds had stopped it was reasonable for people to react with alarm. It had been brought to their attention when the siblings had returned from their last parley with the Colosseum and Elderbug had been extremely worried. Apparently, the winds would stop and start without any rhyme or reason as far as the townsfolk could tell and it was leaving everyone on edge. Hornet had managed to calm the frantic bug down by telling him it was probably due to the lifting of the stasis on Hallownest, but she had confided her true thoughts to her siblings once they were settled back into their appropriated home in town.
If something is testing the kingdom’s barriers we can repel them. I have faith in us and the other surviving defenders of Hallownest to repel an invasion, even in our weakened state. But if it is the Pale King’s seals failing now that his influence diminished then we will have to think of something else. Perhaps if we could find the Weavers…
Hornet sighed. “Come. I would rather be off the cliffs when the wind stops. We are too visible up here. It will be easier to hide in the rocks at the base of the cliff, and we can escape into Greenpath if need be.”
Ghost hopped down from ledge to ledge, keeping a carful eye on their larger sibling as Hollow gently lowered themself down, always keeping a grip on every available handhold. Hornet came last, and Ghost could see the glint of her soul-spun silk as she ensured their sibling’s safe decent.
When they reached the bottom Hollow was trembling ever so slightly and did not object when Hornet directed them to lean against a boulder.
“All there is to do now is wait,” Hornet said before scrambling to the top of the boulder and settling down to start their vigil. Ghost turned to look at their larger sibling. Hollow was no longer trembling and Ghost tilted their head at them, a silent question prodding through their joint void. Hollow leaned down and held out their hand. Without hesitation Ghost hoped onto in and their larger sibling daintily lifted them up and placed them between their horns. Even standing up, Ghost was unable to reach the top of Hollow’s horns. However, they were now eyelevel with Hornet on her perch and she snorted at their antics as Hollow leaned in to put their heads as close to her as possible. After a moment of staunchly ignoring them, Hornet gave in and gently taped both of her void sibling’s masks.
She sighed. “I do not like seeing you strain yourself like this Hollow. Get some sleep. Ghost and I will keep watch.”
Hollow’s void relaxed slightly and they rested their chin on the boulder next to their sister as Ghost got off to sit on their other side. Ghost wished they had a way to convey to Hornet that vessels like themselves couldn’t really sleep. Rest, yes, but with their masks unexpressive and their eyes unable to close true sleep was unavailable to them through natural means. It certainly did not stop Hollow from relaxing, completely draped across the boulder with their void giving off a contented air.
Hornet turned back to watching the wastelands beyond and the windstorm that was currently blowing their way. Ghost watched her for a moment longer before pulling a piece of spidersilk paper out of their void and carefully bracing it against the boulder’s surface to avoid having it torn away from them by the wind. Pulling their trusty quill and inkpot out as well they started working on a new drawing. Their skills were improving, they know this from looking at their map and the improvements they had added to it the longer they had been exploring Hallownest. Ghost could see Hornet trying to steal glances at their work out of the corner of her eyes so Ghost shifted slightly to hide their movements from her. They didn’t want either of their siblings to see their work until it was finished.
Ghost wished they had some red ink. Perhaps Sly had some in his shop. Perhaps he had many different colors of ink and Ghost could buy them all. Or maybe they should visit Sheo and the Nailsmith again and learn to paint instead. Then they could paint portraits of all their favorite people instead of their ink sketches. That might be nice.
Their tram of thought was interrupted by a flash of Soul-light, an intricate pattern lit up for a moment stretching from the edge of Hallownest’s boundary and into the sky before blinking out, taking the howling wind with it.
Hornet’s eyes narrowed and she griped the handle of her needle, tension visible all throughout her form as Hollow pushed themself upright. Ghost tucked their supplies away as their sister bounded towards the edge of the kingdom, glancing back to ensure their largest sibling was following. By the time they reached her, Hornet was already standing on the sandblasted stone next to the faded seal.
“So they are failing. Wyrm damn it!”
Ghost tilted their head at their sister, trying to silently ask a question. Thankfully, she seemed to understand what they were asking this time and directed them to stand directly in front of the seal. “Do you see these lines?” Her claw traced the intricate patterns that lit up with various intensities as she passed over them. “There are multiple seals here. This one,” she jabbed at a brighter line, “is part of the seal that blessed the bugs of Hallownest with higher thought. But this one” she moved to a fainter line, “is the one that protects Hallownest from outside threats.” Ghost pointed at themself. “No, not you. Those who would seek to cause Hallownest harm. If I recall my childhood history lessons correctly, it has failed in the past before when other higher beings have tried to break their way into the kingdom. This one,” Hornet shifted to pointing to a nearly invisible strand with how faded it was, “made it difficult for citizens to leave. It causes the wind that usually drives people away, back towards the kingdom. The Pale King could raise or lower the seal as necessary, but there are other ways to bypass it.” Ghost should know that already. Afterall, they had managed to escape the kingdom once before even if they couldn’t really remember doing so.
Hornet turned her attention away from the now fading seals to her siblings. “These seals were tied directly to the Pale King, the living Soul source that powered them. But with his death there is no god keeping them powered and they will naturally fade,” Hornet scowled, “They aren’t as bad as they could be, but with one of them failing it is only a matter of time before the rest do. We have some time to come up with a solution. Perhaps the White Lady can be convinced to reclaim some of her old power and renew the seals.”
Ghost looked from their sister to the fading seals. The weren’t overly fond of the White Lady. Her behavior towards them had been rather callous, commanding them to sacrifice their sibling’s and their own life for the continuation of the stasis on Hallownest. And she had been rude to Grimmchild, who had done absolutely nothing to deserve it. It wasn’t their fault they had been born in such a way that no one could perceive their mind and emotions, and it wasn’t Grimmchild’s fault for existing to serve in the Nightmare Heart’s ritual.
But there was another option. They were a god now, were they not? Or perhaps they were still just the vessel, their Shade being the real god, carefully occupying their shell, reigning in their power so as not to split their mask and lose their corporal form again. They had ascended in the Godseeker’s mind but had awoken back up next her collapsed form with their void inside them pushing out with enough strength to cause a hairline fracture to snap through their mask. But they had awoken all the same, as a godkiller and a being that was one with the Void.
Either way, if they needed a powerful higher being to keep Hallownest’s Seals of protection active they were more than willing to use the Lord of Shades to fulfill that requirement.
Hornet was saying something to Hollow but cut off as soon as she noticed Ghost reaching out towards the seals. “Little Ghost, what are you doing?”
Ghost ignored her and placed their hand on a faded seal, feeling the faint traces of Soul still lingering in the ancient lines. They gathered themself before focusing, channeling their gathered Soul towards the faded seal.
“Ghost wait!” Hornet managed to get out before all pandemonium broke out. Instead of glowing with new, bright Soul, the seal darkened as if it were being flooded with Void, spreading out from the point of contact with Ghost. The windstorm roared back to life with a new ferocity, tearing at their cloak as bits of grit were whipped through the air, stinging their exposed shell.
Ghost could feel fear emanating from Hollow’s near invisible form as their tallest sibling plunged their greatnail into the ground to anchor themself in the storm. Hornet was calling their names, her voice barely audible through the wind.
Ghost thought they could see the glint of Soul-lined silk zipping towards them, but the moment before it touched their outstretched arm the glowing strand blinked out of existence and Ghost was falling. Not the controlled descent of willingly jumping off a cliff with their borrowed wings ready to break their fall to a gentle stop, but the terrifying notion of falling down down down, zipping past tall shapes and they were back in that place and no they couldn’t be there, they had escaped, they were free, not freefalling towards their siblings' graves and their void was clenching painfully pushing ever outward against their shell into something greater but they couldn’t afford to lose themselves here of all places and –
Thud!
Ghost landed as they always did, hard but whole, and the unpleasant-sharp sensation of fear that had been threatening to tear them apart settled into something still unpleasant but more manageable. They sat up in total darkness, tapping the ground gently with their claws. It was reassuringly solid stone, not shifting mask fragments. If they weren’t in that place then where were they? And where was Hornet and Hollow? Their siblings had not fallen down here with them, had they? They could no longer hear the windstorm, as if it was shut off as quickly as it had started.
Pushing themself to their feet Ghost shifted through their void-pocket, happy to note that everything was still in its proper place before pulling out their lumafly lantern. The little bug quickly woke up and started buzzing around its glass enclosure, producing a mellow circle of light. Holding the lantern up revealed that they might not be in the Abyss, but they were in what appeared to be a pit of some sort with a spiraling ramp leading upwards around the circumference of the pit and evenly interspersed with statues.
Ghost examined the nearest statue. It was of an odd creature, tall but not nearly as tall as Hollow. It was unlike any bug or beast they had ever seen before. They glanced upwards into the darkness they had fallen from. It was impossible to see the exit from where they were at but they had to have fallen from somewhere, and their siblings would be looking for them. Ghost hesitantly lifted their hand to the carapace of their right shoulder before pressing down on the brand that marked their shell. They waited.
After a moment the brand buzzed with warmth and the void underneath it tingled. The King’s Brand might not give them insight onto the whereabouts of the other bearers of the mark but at least Hornet and Hollow were both able to respond. They both had to be alright. Ghost would just have to climb out of here and find them themself, no doubt with a very good apology otherwise their sister would not let them cuddle with her for at least a week.
They dashed over towards the ramp and by extension the wall, Mantis Claw in hand. There was no point in hanging around when all it would do would make their siblings worry for them, and they had done enough of that for a lifetime. Although it was odd that there was a pit this close to the Howling Cliffs that Hornet didn’t know about. This area should be directly above Unn’s territory yet Ghost couldn’t feel any of the sleeping goddess’s influence no matter how hard they strained their senses. But there was something else they could sense. Barely a blip to their new senses but approaching at an even pace. Ghost froze and ducked behind a statue.
It was odd. The approaching being was muted. Like Grimmchild, Ghost realized. A vessel of a higher being. Could they sense them in return? The Godseeker had called them the God of Gods, so were their senses different? Unn never seemed to react to their presence, but the sleeping goddess didn’t seem to react to anything anymore now that the Radiance was gone and she could dream freely. But Grimmchild had reacted to them differently once he saw them post ascension. Clipping the charm on had summoned the Nightmare Child in a panic, the newborn Vessel attempting to escape Ghost’s presence before he realized that the charm still tied him to Ghost. After, Grimmchild had been more than happy to stick close to Ghost until their recent molt and disappearance. Since the charm had disappeared, Ghost could only assume that Grimmchild had returned to the troupe, and only hope that their friend was safe since he was beyond their range to sense.
Perhaps this new presence was traveling towards them because they could sense the Lord of Shade’s presence. It would make sneaking past them difficult, but Ghost wasn’t sure if they were willing to test their abilities against an unknown and potentially hostile god. They didn’t want to start their reign the same way that He did, by making enemies with other gods and not coping with the consequences.
Before Ghost could do anything more than worry, the sound of woodwind pipes filled the air and a bright light opened in the wall at the base of the pit.
Sokka’s day already wasn’t off to the greatest of starts. First, Aang had tricked him into waking up via fabricated prickle snake. Then Aang had used his blubbered seal jerky to start last night’s fire. And while Airball had the potential to be a very entertaining sport, Sokka wasn’t an airbender, and he was really only qualified to be a spectator for this particular sport. Maybe a referee if someone would explain the rules to him better than Aang had, but the bruises weren’t winning the kid any favors. To top it all off Katara was going out of her way to hide the Fire Nation’s presence at the air temple. There was no way that was going to end well.
But now, in the creepy air temple sanctuary things were coming to a head. There was someone by the entrance to the sanctuary, their shadow stretched out between the statues he and Katara and Aang were crouching behind. The distinctive prongs of the shadow’s helmet left him with no question as to what or who was by the doorway.
Sokka had been too young to do anything when the Fire Nation raided the Southern Water Tribe as a kid. He’d been too young to join the men of the village when they left to assist in the war effort. He hadn’t been good enough to defend his people when the scar-faced fire jerk and his shipload of soldiers showed up to capture Aang. But he was a warrior. He had to be capable of taking down a single enemy, otherwise he couldn’t do anything.
“That firebender won’t know what hit him,” Sokka whispered before hefting his club, the leather creaking under his grip. Springing out from behind the statue, Sokka froze mid-motion. That was not a firebender. It wasn’t even an adult.
The child glanced back at him and froze. Backlit as it was its features were hard to make out. A bone white mask that covered its entire head with curving horns coming off the top. A dark cloak. A weapon of some sort strapped to its back. The top of the kid’s head wouldn’t even come up to Sokka’s waist.
“Who is that?” Katara poked her head out, followed immediately by Aang.
“Hey! Are you the person I’m supposed to meet here?” The moment Aang spoke up it was as if a spell lifted and the child turned and started moving away quickly.
“Who are you? Come back!” Aang said, jumping out from behind the statue and starting to run. Sokka jumped up after him. Someone had to look out for him if it turned out the child knew how to use that weapon.
The child darted away, making it out of the sanctuary and it turned into the hallway beyond. Sokka could just make out how it crouched down and the ground started to vibrate. Suddenly crystals shot out of the ground at its feet and the child launched away from Aang’s outstretched fingers and down the hallway away from them.
“Was that earthbending?” Sokka mumbled before trying to catch up to Aang as he tore down the hallway after the child. “Aang, get back here! We don’t know what he’s capable of!”
Apparently Aang wasn’t interested in being reasonable and waiting. Sokka barely registered the motion Aang made as an airbending move before he tripped over thin air and fell on his face. He let out a pained groan before attempting to push himself back to his feet. It looked like today definitely wasn’t going to be getting any better.
“Wait! I have some questions for you!” The little … creature Aang was chasing did not wait. Whatever strange bending it had been doing to propel itself stopped suddenly as the hallway opened up into a balcony and it slammed into the railing. That didn’t seem to do more than slow it down momentarily as the thing jumped up onto the railing and then off of it, falling out of view.
Aang didn’t even bother to slow down as he followed it over the edge. In fact, he distinctly remembered jumping off this particular balcony on a dare when he was younger and had just started his airbending training. The look on Monk Tashi’s face, and Monk Gyatso laughing behind his back, had made the punishment well worth it.
The wind stung his eyes on the way down, but it was refreshing and Aang had to squint to keep his target in sight. The creature was well ahead of him, having already reached the ground as nimble as an airbender. By the time Aang had touched down lightly the creature was standing on top of the cloth covered entrance to a dilapidated building. Aang stopped in confusion. The creature wasn’t looking at him, but up towards the sun with its odd sword-like weapon drawn at the ready, as if challenging an unseen enemy.
“Don’t look directly at the sun little buddy! It’ll hurt your eyes,” Aang called out and the creature turned to look at him. The creature’s mask was devoid of any detail save for the two darkened eyeholes that gave no hint of the face underneath. Aang couldn’t help but recoil slightly as they seemed to stare directly into his own soul, an odd buzzing reverberating just at the edges of his senses. Just as quickly, the creature turned away and jumped down through what must have been a hole in the roof and into the dilapidated structure. Aang could hear the tip-taping of its little feet as it darted away through the ruin.
“Come back! I just want to talk to you!” Aang brushed aside the threadbare curtain that was left hanging in the doorway before entering the antechamber and being met with another, slightly more intact curtain. He didn’t hesitate to push through that one as well. Perhaps he should have. But by then higher thoughts had left his mind and all Aang could feel was overwhelming grief.
Ghost didn’t stop running until they reached the edge of what turned out to be a very steep cliff. It seemed as if the other vessel couldn’t sense them in the way that they could. Perhaps they were a young vessel, like the Grimmchild was before they completed the ritual. But none of that really mattered right now because they weren’t where they were supposed to be. They should be just on the edge of Hallownest but this didn’t look anything like the wastes surrounding the kingdom. And maybe their memory of before was somewhat clouded, Ghost had forgotten that the sun wasn’t always a vengeful goddess determined to destroy her ancient enemy, but that didn’t change the fact that where they were now was not a place they could recall being before.
Ghost turned back and took in the unfamiliar architecture that occupied the rest of the mountaintop. It was completely foreign, with no sign that their siblings were nearby. However, there was a windstorm building up where they had lost sight of the strange looking vessel, and it was coinciding with a surge of power from the other higher being. It felt strange to Ghost’s other senses. It felt like sadness, but a certain kind of sadness, like staring at the mass grave of their siblings. It felt like grief.
Cautiously, Ghost made their way towards the epicenter of the windstorm and the surging power. The building they had dashed through was torn apart by the powerful winds. It wasn’t long before they could see the other vessel was suspended in midair, glowing from their eyes and markings with a light that was just a little too blue to be Soul-white. There were voices that shouting through the din, the words being tossed away and unintelligible. Peering through a hole in the wall Ghost could see two other creatures approaching the grieving vessel. Whatever they had said seemed to get through to them and the wind died down. One of the creatures embraced the vessel as the higher being’s aura retreated to a dull, aching presence.
The King’s Brand felt warm on their shoulder. They placed their hand on it and was rewarded with a pulsing warmth as Hornet tapped her own brand and the comforting tingle through their void from Hollow pressing down on theirs.
Ghost’s siblings were out there somewhere, separate, but alive and well enough to try and send comfort to each other. They needed to work on finding them. They needed to find a way back to Hallownest and the failing seals. Perhaps their best bet would be to see if another higher being could lead them in the right direction. And this vessel didn’t seem overly violent, just young and overwhelmed like Grimmchild was when something upset him, lashing out with fire, or in this case wind, at any who tried to approach him.
It was a place to start.
When Katara came to collect Aang he was back in the air temple sanctuary standing in front of the statue of Avatar Roku. The statue stared out impassively towards the new Avatar standing before it. Katara glanced at Sokka who just shrugged from where he was keeping an eye on Aang. She stopped just behind the airbender, giving him the chance to become aware of her presence. After a moment of him not reacting she spoke up.
“Everything’s packed. You ready to go?”
Aang took another moment before glancing back at her. “I don’t understand. Is Avatar Roku the one who was supposed to be waiting for me in here? He’s just a statue, I can’t talk to him. Or was it that little kid in the mask? They couldn’t have been waiting for me in here for the last hundred years, could they? Why did they run?”
Katara shook her head. “I don’t know. But I’m sure we’ll be able to figure it out. We can look for them some more before we leave if you want.”
“I think I’d like that,” Aang said before his expression fell, “But what if – I don’t think I can take seeing – I mean –”
She interrupted him before he could get all wound up again. “I’ll be with you the entire way. I’ll keep you grounded,” Katara said, laying a hand on Aang’s shoulder, giving him a gentle smile. The one she received in turn was halfhearted at best.
Sokka coughed, “Riiiiiight, I’m gonna go wait by Appa, see if we’ve got any food left.”
“C’mon. let’s get going.” Katara said, attempting to reign in the annoyance in her voice.
She led Aang through one last lap of the temple, making sure to check any rooms they walked into first to avoid a repeat of the situation earlier. More often than not the only evidence of the fire nation’s presence was scorched out rooms and charred remains that Katara quickly turned Aang away from. Sokka had been right. It really had been only a matter of time before Aang stumbled upon the undeniable truth that the Air Nomads had been wiped out.
As they systematically moved through the temple Katara felt an uneasy sensation that creeped up on her and only got stronger the longer they searched. Once they met up back in the landing area where Appa and Sokka were waiting Katara couldn’t keep quiet anymore.
“Aang, do you feel odd? Like maybe somebody is watching us?”
Aang frowned. “Well now that you mention it, yeah. There’s this odd buzzing right at the edges of my senses. Kinda like – Oh!”
Whatever Aang might have wanted to say next was interrupted by the sound of tiny footsteps approaching. Katara turned around to see the strange child from before and got her first good look at them.
The most immediate thing she noticed was the mask. It was bone-white with a pair of curved horns with slight prongs on the top. The mask had large, dark eyeholes that caried no trace of the glimmer of eyes peeping back out at them. It covered the child’s entire head and made them look a bit top heavy. The rest of their body was mostly covered in a deep blue cloak with frayed ends. There was what looked like four hand-carved pins of various materials that lined the cloak just under where it clasped together under the mask. The little bit of the child’s legs and feet that stuck out under the cloak were wrapped in a dark material that seemed to absorb the light. A weapon glinted from its place on the child’s back.
“Careful Aang, he’s armed,” Sokka’s voice was low as he approached the pair. Katara noted that his hand was on his boomerang.
“Hey there little guy. We’re not gonna hurt you.” Aang approached the child with his hands held up before gently kneeling in front of them. The child was small enough that they still had to tilt their head up to make eye contact with him. “I’m Aang. This is Katara and her brother Sokka,” he said nodding to the siblings in turn, “What’s your name?”
The child just stared up at him, empty eyes unblinking.
“Were you – Are you the one I was supposed to meet in the sanctuary?” Aang asked shyly.
The child stared for a moment longer before shaking their head.
“Oh.” Katara could see the way Aang deflated before perking back up. “Were you trapped in there?”
More staring. Katara was getting a weird feeling from the child, like it was something else entirely hidden under the mask. Sokka didn’t seem to feel the same way as he moved forward to stand next to where Aang was still kneeling. “Come on little guy, can’t you answer his questions? Say something!”
The child visibly shifted their head to stare at Sokka who twitched back in surprise at being the focus of those two empty eyeholes. They continued to stare for a moment before a tiny hand, covered in the same dark material reached out and tapped at the bottom of the mask below the eyeholes where a mouth should be. Katara felt a lurch in her stomach.
“I don’t think they can talk.” Katara stiffened as the child turned their head towards her before nodding. The expressionless mask was more than a little creepy.
“Can’t talk, huh?” Aang kept his tone light and friendly, “Well then, we’ll just have to ask yes or no questions. Do you need help?”
A nod.
“Are you lost?”
The child held still before slowly shaking their head.
“Not lost then. Are you looking for someone?”
A vigorous nod.
“So they’re lost! And you need help finding them?”
Another quick nod.
Aang leaned back and glanced at Katara and Sokka before turning back to the child. “Can we help you find them?”
The child stared for a moment before pulling something out from beneath its cloak. Katara took a few steps closer to get a better look. It was a piece of paper with a drawing on it, done with decent artistic talent if a little unrealistic. One of the figures was obviously the child themselves, the horns on the drawn mask matching theirs perfectly. The other two figures were taller, one towering above the other and both had masks with similar curving horns on them.
Katara spoke up first. “Are those your parents?”
A vicious shake of their head before pointing first at Katara and then at Sokka.
“Oh! They’re your siblings?”
A nod.
“You’re looking for your siblings. Do you have any idea where they could be?” Aang asked.
A slow shake of their head before tucking the drawing back under their cloak.
“Well,” Aang continued, “we’re travelling to the North Pole right now. We’ll be passing through a lot of different places. Maybe you can travel with us and see if you can’t find them wherever we go?”
“Whoa hold on a second Aang. Can I talk to you for a minute?” Sokka didn’t wait for an answer before pulling Aang back to where Katara was still standing and forcing them into a small group huddle. “Are you kidding me? We can’t just go around picking up stray kids wherever we go! We’re trying to get to the north pole so you guys can find a waterbending master, not for sightseeing.”
“We can’t just leave them here! They’re just a kid!” Aang complained.
“Yeah, a weird kid. Have you ever seen anyone wearing a mask like that before?” Sokka talked right over whatever Aang tried to interject, “Besides, I thought I saw them earthbend earlier.”
“Really? I thought it looked more like firebending,” Aang said.
Sokka’s hand came up to cradle his head. “That’s even better reason to not trust him!”
“Not all firebenders can be bad, Sokka. I had friends in the Fire Nation before. And besides, they’re just a kid!”
Sokka burst out in frustration before breaking the huddle. “Fine! Whatever! He can come, but he’s got to pull his own weight.”
“Don’t listen to him little guy, he’s just being mean because he’s hungry,” Aang flashed the child a smile.
“Maybe I wouldn’t be if someone didn’t use my blubbered seal jerky as kindling!”
Katara watched as the child tilted their head at Sokka before pulling something else out from underneath their cloak. It was something wrapped in white fabric and the child waved it at her brother until he cautiously took it. “What’s this?” Sokka unwrapped it to reveal what looked like cured meat of some sort. He took a cautious sniff before shoving the entire thing in his mouth, making disgusting noises all the while. “Alright, he can stay.”
A second later Sokka jumped back with a yelp as the child drew their weapon and pointed it at them, all the while tapping their chest with their free hand and shaking their head vigorously.
“What did I do? Was it something I said?”
Katara sighed, “Sokka, I don’t think they’re male.”
Sokka looked the child over critically “So you’re a girl then?”
The child shook their head again, but they lowered their weapon somewhat.
“Then what are you?” Sokka said with a raised eyebrow.
“I think they just are. Can’t you feel it too? There’s almost an energy coming off of them. Like during a storm right before lightning strikes.” Aang looked at her for back up, but Katara just shrugged. She couldn’t feel anything other than a slight uneasiness after being near the child for so long. “I don’t – I think, I mean, are you a spirit?”
The child sheathed their weapon and started to shake their head before pausing and nodding it instead.
“No? Yes?” The child tapped their chest repeatedly again.
“What are you trying to say? You’re kinda a spirit?” Sokka asked with disbelief.
Katara took in the odd child, and their constant tapping. She took a guess. “Is Spirit your name?”
The child froze before wavering from side to side.
“Spirit is close to your name?” A nod.
Katara thought for a second. “What’s close to spirit? Soul? Ghost?”
The child jumped up and down in excitement, surprisingly high, making it all the way up to her eye level at the peak of their jump.
“Your name is Ghost?” Aang asked to confirm, met with vigorous nodding.
Sokka snorted “A creepy name for a creepy kid. Ow!”
“Don’t be mean Sokka,” Katara said, lowering her hand.
“I’m not being mean I’m being truthful!”
“Ignore him. That’s just how he normally is,” Katara said with a shake of her head. Aang stepped in front of her, grinning.
“Welcome to the team, Ghost! We’ll be traveling in style via flying bison. Meet my very good friend Appa!”
Appa, who had been waiting very patiently this entire time, turned his head and sniffed at Ghost as they approached, allowing the small child to pat his nose when they stood up on tip toe to reach.
“Alright everyone, all aboard!” Aang said, waving them up as he airbended himself up to Appa’s reigns.
“Do you need help getting up?” Katara asked Ghost as they looked up at the bison that towered above them. Ghost shook their head before taking a step back and jumping much higher than they had earlier, sailing cleanly over Katara’s head. At the peak of their jump there was a flash of white light that propelled them even further into the air and they gently dropped into Appa’s saddle. A second later their mask popped over the edge to stare down at her as if asking, what’s the hold up?
“You know, I’m starting to think that child might actually be a spirit,” Sokka whispered to her.
“At least they’re a friendly one,” She whispered back.
“Spirit or not, do you think they have any more food?”
“You could try asking nicely,” Katara threw over her shoulder as she carefully climbed up Appa and into the saddle. Ghost turned to look at her briefly before looking back out into the distance. Katara noticed the way their cloak bulged out a little bit around their shoulders as if they were hugging themself. Maybe they really were a lost spirit. She’d seen weirder things in the past week.