Disclaimer: Avatar: The Last Airbender belongs to Bryke and Nickelodeon, not me.
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"We're not going anywhere," Sokka said fiercely.
"I never said we were," Hakoda said. "We've looked everywhere for them."
Sokka squinted into the falling darkness, his jaw tight. "It's not like her," he said again. "Katara never runs off, Dad."
"I know," he said.
"I wonder if something's wrong with Toph," Sokka said. "They were walking by the shore, weren't they?" He gripped the handle of the short sword on his belt. "What if Toph fell in?"
"Katara's a bender," Hakoda reminded him. "Water's nothing against her."
Sokka sighed. "I know," he said. "I just…I can't think of any explanation. Why would they just leave?"
Hakoda gripped his shoulder. "We'll find them," he said. "We'll dock the ship here until they're back. I promise."
Sokka glanced up at the metal Fire Nation ship, rocking slightly in the waves. "I bet Katara's worrying about Aang," he said. "Usually she checks on him a dozen times a day."
Hakoda frowned. "Your sister…she doesn't have a crush on this airbender boy, does she?" he asked.
"How should I know?" Sokka shrugged. "I don't understand girls, much less the ones related to me."
"Your sister's too little to have a boyfriend," Hakoda said.
"Dad, the 'boyfriend' is in a coma and my sister's missing," Sokka said. "We have other things to worry about."
He sat down by the flickering campfire. They left after lunch, he thought, recounting the day's events. Toph was upset. They were going to talk.
"Sokka!"
He leaped to his feet, kicking sand into the air. "Dad, it's Katara!" he said.
She stumbled along the shoreline, swaying drunkenly. Hakoda ran to her and scooped her up in his arms. "Where have you been?" he demanded. She latched her arms around his neck and buried her face in his shoulders.
"It was Zuko," she said. "And those two girls, Azula's friends. One of them chi-blocked me. I couldn't move. And then…"
Hakoda set Katara down by the fire. Her long brown hair straggled around her face; her eyes were bruised and rimmed with red. "You're all right," he said. "You're fine."
Sokka stared into the darkness of the shore. "Where's Toph?" he said. "Isn't she with you?"
Katara shook her head. "They took her," she said.
He bolted, skidding through the sand. "It's no use," she called. "They took her. It was hours ago." He halted and looked back. "They're long gone by now."
Hakoda placed his hands on her shoulders. "What happened?" he said.
Katara bit her dry lips. "Toph was upset," she said. "We were walking by the shore, and she was arguing with me. She wanted to leave."
"What?" Sokka said, striding back towards the fire. "Why would she say something like that?"
"She's tired," Katara said softly. "She doesn't want to be out here anymore, fighting and traveling. I tried to talk her out of it, and she lost her temper. She pushed me…and she lost her balance."
"She fell into the water," Sokka realized.
"I tried to get to her, but Zuko got there first." Katara wrapped her arms around her knees. "I couldn't do anything. They took her away."
"Was she all right?" Sokka demanded.
Katara rested her chin on her wrists. "I couldn't tell if she was breathing," she said. "But I'm pretty sure she was unconscious."
Hakoda kissed the top of his daughter's head. "We'll find her," he said. "Don't worry."
Katara stared over the flickering flames of the campfire. "What are they going to do to her?" she wondered aloud.
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Zuko scratched the back of his neck. The servants scurried out of his way as he made his way down the hallway to the dining room. He pushed the door open and stopped dead in his tracks.
"Good morning, Zuko," Azula said sweetly.
"Good morning," the little girl sitting next to her echoed, her voice hollow.
Zuko stared. "What are you doing?" he said.
"Don't be silly," Azula laughed. She stroked the child's hair. "It's just your sisters."
"I have one sister," Zuko said warily. "One sister, one year younger, and obviously miles crazier."
"Are you feeling all right?" Azula said. "You have two sisters. Me, of course, and Isla."
"Who's Isla?" Zuko demanded.
"I am," the little girl said.
Zuko stared at her. The child he had kidnapped and nearly drowned the day before sat next to Azula with her pale green eyes downcast. He long hair was tied up in a similar fashion as Azula's, and she wore a miniature copy of the same dress Azula wore. "She's not my sister," he said in a low, terrible voice.
Azula only laughed, wrapping her arm around the girl's shoulders and pulling her close. "Don't be so silly, Zuko," she said. "Isla is our baby sister. Remember? I was four and you were five when she was born. She looks so much like our mother, doesn't she?"
The little girl looked up at him. A thin red scratch made a horizontal line across her throat- the kind of a line a small knife would make. "She looks nothing like her," he said fiercely. "Don't do this, Azula."
"Don't do what?" Azula said. She nudged the child. "Our brother is so silly, isn't he, Isla?"
The door to the dining room swung open. "I'm starving," Ty Lee said cheerfully.
"You're always hungry," Mai said.
Zuko turned on his heel and grabbed Mai by the forearm. "I think something's wrong with my sister," he said.
Mai shook his hand free. "Which one?"
Zuko stared at her. "I only have one sister," he repeated.
"But you have two sisters," Ty Lee objected.
"What's going on?" Zuko demanded. He grabbed the table, rattling the teapot and sending a teacup crashing to the floor. "Are you people insane?"
"No, but I think you are," Azula said. "Come, Isla. I think something's wrong with our brother." She stood up and took the smaller girl by the hand. Azula led her out of the room without a backward glance.
Zuko turned on Mai and Ty Lee. "All right, tell me straight," he said. "Azula's crazy, isn't she?"
Mai poured cream into her tea and stirred it idly. "Why?" she said.
"We kidnapped the little girl yesterday," Zuko said. "And now Azula's pretending she's her sister."
"Don't be so mean, Zuko, she's your little sister too," Ty Lee said. "What do you have against Isla? She's so cute."
Zuko picked up the nearest cup and slammed it into the wall. "Don't be insane!" he shouted.
"Honestly, Zuko," Mai said, gliding past. "It's just your sister."
Zuko watched her leave, seething. Which sister is she referring to?
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Author's Notes:
Who's crazy? Azula's crazy!
Were you expecting this twist? I feel like M. Night Shamalama-what's-his-face. "What a twist!"
Tell me what you think of this chapter so far. What improvements could be done (aside from making it longer; my updates are always too short...)?