Hey everyone!

This is my first ATLA fic, but nowhere near my first ever fic. On a whim, I decided to procrastinate and not do my college work and start rewatching the entire series on Netflix. There will be a pairing in the story eventually, but you won't meet her for a while. As much as I adore Teoph (and the endless fics of Teo taking Toph for a ride on his glider) that will not be the pairing here. I think Teo needs someone a tad more upbeat.

For those of you who haven't read my other work, I start each chapter with a random fun fact... if you are going to blow off homework to read fanfiction (which I often do) I think you should at least learn something to make it worth your while and not a total waste of time.

Random Fact: The "Northernmost Southern Barbeque" is found just 188 miles south of the Arctic Circle in Fairbanks, Alaska. It's called "Big Daddy's Barbeque." Enjoy your brisket and bread pudding, everyone!


All was peaceful and still around the campfire at the Western Air Temple when Teo woke from a sound slumber. He wasn't sure exactly why he had woken up, but it hadn't woken any of the others. He pushed his thighs forwards, stretching his legs out. Though he couldn't feel much below mid-thigh, what he could feel was sore from being in one position for so long. He rotated his neck; sleeping on the stone floor was very different than his nice warm bed back at the Northern Air Temple. But he was helping the Avatar… he wouldn't trade this for the world. He only wished his father hadn't been captured by Fire Nation soldiers only days before during the failed attack on the Day of the Black Sun.

He decided as long as he was awake, he might as well get some water. He pushed himself up slowly, stretching his arms as he went. His arms were strong from years of pushing his wheelchair, but the long cold nights of sleeping on solid rock were making his joints stiff.

He rested on his palms for a minute, chest up, feeling the pull in his muscles. It felt good in the cold night air. Even though it wasn't the temple in which he'd made his home, he was glad to be back in an ancient home of the airbenders. He'd always felt peaceful here, and though he was a citizen of the Earth Kingdom, he knew his heart was happy when he was flying.

A sharp crack of a stick brought Teo out of his thoughts and back into reality. He looked quickly around to figure out what had made the noise but he didn't see anything. Not that he'd be a huge help if there was someone. He was pretty far from his chair… Teo looked over to see his friend Haru had rolled in his sleep again, this time pushing Teo's chair away from the circle. Oh well, he would get it in the morning. Whatever had made that noise was gone now. Must have been a squirrel-rabbit, Teo thought as he shook his head, deciding to forget about the drink of water and just wait until morning. He closed his eyes, mentally slapping himself for worrying over nothing.

Suddenly, a think piece of cloth was yanked over his mouth, startling him. His eyes snapped open and he instinctively reached up to pull it away, but another pair of hands behind him grabbed his wrists and held them together in a vise grip before trying them together with a stout cord. The cloth was pulling his head back and he twisted, trying to dislodge it, but to no avail. It was quickly tied in a tight knot behind his head, and no matter how hard he tried to alert the others, only quiet muffled moans came out from underneath it.

Before he could get a look at his attackers, they shoved a thick black bag over his head. He couldn't see a thing. He felt one of them pick up his ankles, but finding them bound already by Teo's ever-present bandages, he let them be. They started dragging him toward the edge of the temple, and Teo fought harder than ever. All he got for his trouble was a hard kick to his stomach. Still, he fought. He had to warn Aang and the others that someone had found them at the temple. Another few seconds, and his bound wrists were jerked behind him, wrenching his shoulders and making him cry out in pain. The gag reduced his shout to an incomprehensible moan, but through the pain, Teo heard a voice that was decidedly male. "Shut up kid," another kick to the stomach. "Our orders are to get you and bring you back. If you wake up any of your friends, we'll kill them, and their death will be on your hands. Understand?"

Teo nodded. He couldn't figure out why someone would want him instead of the Avatar, but if being quiet meant these people spared his friends, then so be it. He sighed, and stopped fighting as his kidnappers picked him up and threw him towards the cliff. He couldn't help it, he screamed. Once again, the fabric over his mouth kept him quiet, but a muffled grunt escaped its bind when he hit a wooden floor with a dull thunk. His left side hit the deck first, wrenching his shoulder painfully. He heard two softer thuds as his captors' feet came aboard whatever he was lying on. The second one spoke. "We've got the kid, he's not going anywhere. Time to go home and deliver him to Princess Azula."

Teo paled. He had heard stories about the Fire Nation princess. None were pleasant. He still couldn't figure out why she would want him though. His thoughts were interrupted by a familiar lurch in his stomach. This one wasn't from a kick, but from a sudden change in altitude. Whatever this thing he was on was, it was in the air… it was flying. The Fire nation had air power. If he ever managed to find a way out of this, he'd have to remember to tell Aang that the skies were no longer an advantage.

One of his captors pushed Teo to the side with his boot, jostling his shoulder in the process. "Move it kid, you're in the way. Next time, I'll break your arm."

"The princess said she wants him unharmed until he gets there," said the second one. Teo let out a breath of relief. Until the rest of the sentence. "so that it's agony when she and the Lady Ty Lee and the Lady Mai interrogate him." Teo gulped. Apparently the stories he'd heard about Princess Azula were true.

As the two kidnappers argued about whether they should or should not break his arm, Teo slowly scooted away from them, not even aware he was doing it until his back hit a metal wall. It felt thick, and yet it was floating. He wished he could see this machine under different circumstances; his father would love it. Teo's breath caught. Thinking about his father only made him sadder. Teo fought to hold back tears and concentrated on the wisps of wind that made it through the bag over his face. Flying had always made him happy, but it was failing tonight. Being bound, gagged, blindfolded and kidnapped on a flying thingamajig is kind of a mood-killer, he thought.

Well, nothing to do about it now but wait. Teo shifted his body until he was lying flat to take the pain away from his injured shoulder. If he was being taken to Azula, it was pretty likely his kidnappers were Fire Nation. But what on earth could she want with me, Teo thought. I'm not the Avatar… I'm not even an earthbender. As he lay there, a small voice crept into his mind, uninvited as always, but unmistakable. You can't even walk. Teo squeezed his eyes shut and turned towards the wall, as if someone on board the vessel had spoken these words aloud.

He always tried to be upbeat and not let his disability get him down, but even his sunny disposition could not see a bright side to this situation. He curled in on himself and quietly fell into sobs until exhaustion overcame him and he finally slept.


Review please! you know you want to. I have no idea what my college schedule will look like over the next few weeks, but I promise I will dutifully try to update, as long as I know there are people reading. Otherwise, I might actually go back to doing homework. Happy reading everyone! Thanks, beanie