"Judging by the looks on your faces, i'm guessing you guys didn't find Aang either." I speculated as i dismounted Appa along with Sokka.
We've decided to split up and search for Aang in groups of two, praying he'd just show up and say he had to run an errand. I went with Sokka since Toph demanded it was her turn to have a life changing field trip with my boyfriend. It was hilarious, and i didn't really mind. After all, ever since Zuko joined the group, he's been helping everyone out with their troubles.
"No." Zuko sighed as he sat on the steps along with the rest of the gang, holding out his hand and signalling me to approach him. "It's like he just disappeared."
"I just hope he's in the spirit world and his body is hiding from us somewhere. Unless, someone moved him." I continued to worry as i sat down beside Zuko, wrapping my arm around his tense shoulders.
"Wait a minute!" Toph gathered our attention. "Has anyone noticed that Momo is also missing?"
"Oh, no! I knew it was only a matter of time!" Sokka's eyes widened as he ran towards Appa, using his arms to open the bison's heavy mouth. "Appa ate Momo! I'm coming for you, buddy!"
"Appa didn't eat Momo, he's probably with Aang." I rolled my eyes as Sokka jumped onto Appa's tongue and started crawling deeper into his mouth.
"That's just what Appa wants you to think!" Sokka's voice was muffled as Appa's saliva began to consume him.
"Get out of the bison's mouth, Sokka!" Zuko ordered, disciplining Sokka as if he were a child. I noticed him begin to tense up even more, causing me to start grazing my hand up against his collar bone, hoping somehow my touch would help him relax. "We have a real problem here. Aang is nowhere to be found and the comet is only two days away!"
"What should we do, Zuko?" Katara turned around and gave him puppy dog eyes, the rest of the group staring up at him, hoping for an answer.
"I don't know." Zuko grunted and stood up quickly, my hand falling off of him. He had a look on his face that i knew well, indicating that he's brainstorming for an idea. "Wait, why are you all looking at me?"
"Wow, look at you." My eyes trailed upwards, staring into Zuko's orbs. "The new leader of our group, hey? How does it feel?"
"Hey!" Sokka whined, jealously in his voice. Appa has clearly had enough of him at this point, and spat him out of his mouth.
"Well, you're the expert on tracking Aang." Katara began to explain, returning her attention to Zuko. "If anyone's got experience on hunting the avatar, it's you."
"Alright." Zuko agreed, then bent down and grabbed my hand, pulling me up on my feet. "We're going to the Earth Kingdom."
"Uh, why?"
~
"Azula, listen to me. I need you here to watch our homeland. It's a very important job that i can only entrust you with."
"Really?"
"For your loyalty, i've decided to declare you the new Fire Lord."
"Fire Lord Azula? It does seem appropriate. But, what about you?"
"From this moment on, i am the new ruler of this world. You will address me as, the Phoenix King!"
~
"June." Zuko pointed towards a girl i instantly recognized as we entered a tavern in the middle of the Earth Kingdom.
"June!" I gasped at the sight of the woman taking down intoxicated losers approaching her table. "The girl you befriended and tried to take us down with her help?"
"Jealous?" Zuko's eyes met mine as a smirk appeared on his face.
"Uh, yes? She's stunning." I looked down at my feet, blowing a strand of hair out of my face.
"Yeah, right." Zuko sarcastically snickered. "I've already hit the jackpot when i met you for the first time."
I could feel my entire face begin to flush as i looked back up at my smooth talking boyfriend with heart eyes that were definitely visible. Katara and Suki let out a few 'awes' as Sokka and Toph backed away and began to awkwardly chuckle.
"The bounty hunter with the giant mole is gonna help us?" Katara guessed, interrupting the moment.
"Mole? She's flawless." Suki complimented June, then earned a face palm from Sokka.
"No, she has this giant mole creature she rides around on." He corrected as Suki nodded her head.
"The shirshu." Zuko named June's pet, revealing its breed.
"Not bad, Zuko." I winked at him. "If anyone can find Aang, it's the shirshu."
"Yeah, it's the one shot we have of finding him."
"I don't know who this June lady is, but i like her!" Toph smiled widely as she examined June's fighting techniques.
~
"Where are we?"
~
"Great, it's Prince Pouty." June gave Zuko a nickname, pretending she was glad to see him. "Where's your creepy grandpa?"
"He's my uncle!" He corrected her aggressively. "He's not here."
"I see you've worked things out with your girlfriend."
"Yeah, i don't see how that's any of your concern." I jumped in passively, earning a look of annoyance from June.
"What do you guys want?"
"I need your help finding the avatar." Zuko proposed, causing June to drop her beverage onto the table roughly.
"That doesn't sound fun."
"Does the end of the world sound like more fun?"
We all stood there in silence, as June and Zuko started a staring contest. Until finally, June gave up and let out a sigh.
"Follow me."
She stood up and made her way towards the door, exiting the tavern as we followed. Appa and the Shirshu were growling at each other right at the entrance, then Appa gave it a big lick, confusing it and causing it to back down.
"Nyla!" June called out to her pet, holding raw meat in her hand to gather its attention.
Nyla charged at June, snatching the meat out of her hand and swallowing it instantly. It was a little disturbing to watch, but also a bit cool.
"So, who's got something with the avatar's scent on it?" June wondered, waiting for someone to volunteer and she stroked Nyla's fur.
"Here's his staff." Katara pulled Aang's glider out of Appa's saddle and approached Nyla.
"Careful, i'll do it." June warned, then took the staff and placed it under Nyla's nose. He sniffed it, then began to walk in circles repeatedly. Suddenly, he fell to the ground and began to scrath his nose with his paw, confusing everyone.
"What does that mean?"
"It means your friend is gone. He doesn't exist."
"What are you talking about?" I took a step forward, feeling angry with June. "Stop stalling and give us the truth."
"You don't mean he's dead, right?" Sokka bit his nail, worry written all over his face.
"No, we'd still find him if he were dead." June explained, then mounted Nyla. "Oh, well. Bye!"
"That's not very helpful!"
"Wait, this doesn't make any sense!" I held my head, feeling my skin slowly turn pale.
"I have another idea." Zuko spoke up, then jumped into Appa's saddle and pulled out an old sandal that reeked, causing the whole scenery to smell like a garbage dump.
"What is that?" I pinched my nose, making my voice sound funny.
"Uncle's sandal."
"You've kept that this whole time?" Sokka joined me along with the rest of the group, all covering their noses to avoid the smell.
"That's actually pretty sweet." Toph voiced her opinion, not making a disgusted face like the rest of us.
Nyla leaped forward and sniffed Iroh's sandal, then started sprinting away with June on her back.
"Wait up!" Eveyone mounted Appa, taking off into the air and following the shirshu's footsteps.
Nyla dragged us all the way to the outside of Ba Sing Se's wall, then stopped at a rock and began to scratch at it repeatedly as Appa landed. By now it was way past midnight, but the thought of sleeping hasn't even occurred to me ever since Aang disappeared.
"Your uncle is somewhere past this wall. Nyla is getting twitchy so he isn't far. Good luck." June said her goodbyes, then took off with Nyla.
"I guess it's time to set up camp, unless we want dark circles around our eyes." Zuko requested as he looked up at the night sky.
Unexpectedly, giant flames of fire came out of nowhere and formed a circle, surrounding everyone.
"What's happening?" Toph panicked as we all huddled into each other as the flames grew.
"Up there!" Katara acknowledged, pointing towards a hill up ahead. Four men in robes were standing on top, looking down at us. Four 'familiar' men, might i add.
"Well, look who it is!"
~
"I offer you this wisdom, Aang. You must be decisive."
~
"I can't believe this." My jaw dropped as i further examined the masters and friends we've met on our long journey to this point.
"Pakku." Katara bowed to the waterbending master of the northern tribe.
"Yes, it's respectful to bow to an old master. But, how about a hug for your new grandfather?" Pakku revealed, indicating he has worked things out with Katara and Sokka's grandmother, making them jump into his arms with joy.
"You guys must be so happy to have found each other again!"
"You have no idea."
"This was Aang's first firebending teacher." I introduced Zuko to Jeong-Jeong, bowing to him in the process.
"Hello, Hilda." Master Piandao joked, using my fake name to greet me as i walked up to him. "And Sokka, of course."
"Wait, how do you all know each other?" Suki squinted her eyes, revealing she was puzzled.
"All old people know each other, don't you know that?" Bumi giggled, showing he hasn't changed one bit, not that i'm complaining.
"We're all a part of the same secret ancient society. A group that transcends the divisions of the four nations." Piandao described, making Zuko's eyes widen.
"The order of the White Lotus!" Zuko's eyes sparkled as he became excited.
"That's the one!"
"The White Lotus has always been about philosophy, beauty, and truth. But, about a month ago, we were called for something important. It came from Iroh of the Fire Nation." Jeong Jeong explained, shocking everyone as he mentioned Iroh.
"That's who we're looking for!" Said Toph, taking a step closer towards the masters.
"Then, we'll take you to him."
"Wait! Someone is missing. Someone very important... where's Momo?" Bumi changed the subject, wondering where the lemur was.
"Uh, he's gone." Sokka broke the news.
"Uh, so is Aang?" i put my arms up, pondering as to why no one has mentioned Aang's disappearance yet.
"Oh, well as long as they have each other!" Bumi chortled once again. "Let's go!"
~
"I offer you this wisdom, Aang. Only justice will bring peace."
~
"Bumi, how did you escape from prison in Omashu?" Sokka questioned the elder.
"I didn't escape, everyone else escaped! There i was back in Omashu, waiting for the right moment. Then, the eclipse came! Without fire power, the firebenders had no chance against me!" Bumi told his tale, intriguing me.
"That's amazing, and you were so patient." I admired the earthbender.
"So, what about you guys? Did you do anything interesting on the day of the eclipse?"
"...No."
"No, not really."
~
" I offer you this wisdom, Aang. You must actively shape your own destiny and the destiny of the world."
~
"Here we are! Welcome to old people camp." We reached our destination, as Bumi brought down the rock that was being used as a door back into to the ground to let us pass.
"Where is he?" Zuko began to shake out of nervousness.
"Your uncle is in there, Prince Zuko." Piandao pointed towards a tent, leading Zuko towards it.
As Zuko reached the entrance, he dropped down and hit his knees against the grass. I instantly marched towards him and placed my hands on his shoulders, rubbing them lovingly.
"Are you okay?" I barely whispered into his ear.
"No, i'm not okay. He hates me, i know it." Zuko covered his face with his hands, causing me to hug him from behind as i held back the need to cry. I hated seeing him like this.
"You're sorry for what you did, right?"
"More sorry than i've ever been in my entire life."
"He'll forgive you, i promise. In fact, i don't think he'll need to. Something tells me he isn't mad. How could he be? You're so precious to him."
"We'll see." Zuko stood up, then turned around and placed a soft kiss onto my forehead. "Please, wait here."
"Of course. You need to do this alone."
~
"I offer you this wisdom, Aang. Selfless duty calls you to sacrifice your own spiritual needs, and do whatever it takes to protect the world."
~
"Motoko." A recognizable voice called out to me from behind. I turned around, seeing Iroh and Zuko leaving the tent with smiles on their faces.
"Is everything okay?" I asked as i played with my thumbs. "You guys were in there all night."
"Everything is perfect." Zuko announced as Iroh pulled me into a hug. I instantly wrapped my arms around him, feeling relieved that there wasn't any more bad blood between the family.
"I guess it's time we all talked about the obvious situation we're in." Iroh spoke as we let go of each other. "Let's sit."
The three of us made our way towards the gang, who were all sitting around a fire and eating their breakfast. We took our seats and got comfortable, then had no choice but to get serious.
"Uncle, you're the only other person who could possibly defeat the Fire Lord. We need you to come with us." Zuko stated, then earned a hum from Iroh.
"No, Zuko. It won't turn out well." Iroh refused as he began to eat some rice.
"You can do it, and we'll all be there to help."
"Even if i did defeat Ozai, and i don't know that i could, it would be the wrong way to end the war."
"Iroh, we're all thinking the same thing. It's Aang's destiny to defeat him, but what if he doesn't turn up before the comet arrives?" I confronted, hoping Iroh would understand where i'm coming from. "I think i'm just being realistic here."
"History would see it as just more senseless violence. Think about it, a brother killing a brother to grab power. The only way for this war to end peacefully, is for the avatar to defeat the Fire Lord."
"Let's say Aang returns and defeats the Fire Lord. Then, would you come and take your rightful place on the throne?" Zuko pointed out, staring at his uncle with hope in his eyes.
"No. Someone new must take the throne. An idealist with a pure heart, and unquestionable honor. It has to be you, Prince Zuko." Iroh vocalized, surprising everyone, especially Zuko.
"I like that idea." I grinned at the thought, giving Zuko a reassuring squeeze on his shoulder.
"Unquestionable honor? But, i've made so many mistakes. However, i know the perfect person, and she's extremely qualified for the job." Zuko turned his attention towards me, a smirk forming on his face as we made eye contact.
"What? Me? No way!" I placed my food down as i refused. "Zuko, you've earned the title. I'm not even a firebender. Stop referring to yourself as a bad person, you don't give yourself enough credit for all the good things you've done."
"You struggled, you suffered. But, you've always followed your own path. You restored your own honor. Only you can restore the Fire Nation. Motoko is right." Iroh agreed as he gave Zuko an inspiring speech.
"I'll try." Zuko gave in, then grabbed my hand and lightly rubbed his thumb around it.
"Guys, what if Aang doesn't come back?" Toph returned to the previous topic.
"Sozin's comet is arriving, and our destinies are upon us. Aang will face the Fire Lord." Iroh promised.
"You sound so sure."
"Just wait and see for yourselves."
"Well, what now?"
"Zuko, you must return to the Fire Nation, so that when the Fire Lord falls, you can assume the throne and restore peace. But, Azula will be waiting for you."
"I can handle Azula." Zuko hissed as her name came up in conversation.
"Not alone. You'll need help."
"Of course, Mo and i will restore the Fire Nation together." Zuko playfully bumped his elbow into my arm, making me smile like an idiot.
"I don't know about you, but i think we need a certain waterbender to give us some backup." I turned my attention towards Katara, causing her mouth to open out of shock.
"Me?" Katara placed her hand over her chest, probably feeling honoured.
"She's right. How would you like to help us put Azula in her place?" Zuko properly invited Katara as she nodded in agreement.
"It would be my pleasure."
"What about us? What's our destiny today?" Sokka took this as an opportunity to receive an order.
"What do you think?" Iroh smiled at him.
"I think, we need to do everything we can to stop the airships from reaching the Earth Kingdom."
"That's what i like to hear."
"Okay, team Avatar. Looks like we're splitting up." I stood up, gaining everyone's attention. "No matter what happens, i want you all to know that i love each and every one of you. Well now, we've got a Fire Lord to stop."