Disclaimer: I own nothing; if I did, Tokka would be canon...or more likely a cannon, given the two we're talking about.

…

As Sokka reached for the doorknob, the door creaked open on its own, revealing a somber and moodily lit interior. Well…that's a good omen…, Sokka thought. He guided Toph to the bar and seated himself with a tired thud. The few, older patrons briefly stopped what they were doing to stare at the newcomers. Two men had been playing an odd game that involved throwing darts into a circular board, trying to accurately hit the center; Sokka's hand twitched a little instinctively. He was more than confident in his throwing ability, no matter what Toph complained. The other three patrons were sitting huddled just a few bar stools down from Sokka. After giving both him and Toph a weary glance, they quickly resumed their hushed discussion. An elderly bartender approached them, smiling kindly.

"What can I do for you youngsters this afternoon?" Sokka wrapped his arm around Toph's shoulders.

"Some Cactus Juice Lite for both me and my fiancé, my good man!" The bartender nodded and leaned down to get two glasses. While he was getting their drinks together, the bartender looked at them, interested.

"So, are you two new to town?" Toph nodded politely, still playing the feminine fiancé.

"Yes; we literally just got off the carriage." Sokka glanced at the bartender, cautious. The man might, after all, try to take advantage of their inexperience. However, if the man had any malicious intent, he didn't show it; instead, he just nodded.

"Ah, another new group of immigrants, eh? Republic City sure has gotten popular all of a sudden!"

"Well, look at it." Sokka gestured to the door and the street beyond. "The lights, the buildings, the culture…it's no wonder its reputation has grown so much! It seems like there are endless possibilities here…we can start over, become anyone we want." Toph raised an eyebrow but shrugged and just tried to look comfortable under Sokka's arm, letting him do all the talking. The old man set the drinks in front of them.

"Aye, that's true, I suppose. Thanks to the Avatar's Harmony Restoration Movement to end the Fire Nation colonies and get more folks to try and understand each other, this 'United Republic' was made. Just you two take care that the big city doesn't swallow you." Noting their confused expressions, he continued. "Most seem to lose something when they move here; due to all the close proximity, the number of people compared to the number of jobs, and gold, the city seems to draw out the worst competitiveness in people…they scramble, lie, cheat, and do anything to earn more gold than the next person. Not that I'm trying to discourage you, of course!" He hastily waved his hands. "I'm just warning you; not everyone is as kind as you may be used to, is all." Sokka and Toph nodded.

"Thanks for the heads up, mister!" Sokka took a short drink. "Say mister, why is your bar so…dead? No offense." He added, glancing at the older men at the other end of the bar, who shrugged and went back to their drinks. The bartender shook his head.

"No reason in particular; it's just the time of day. Most people are still working or otherwise engaged in the mornings and afternoons. Once night falls, this place normally gets quite packed, especially if Pro-bending is going on." Sokka nodded in understanding and went back to his drink. The bartender, satisfied, left them alone and went to the backroom.

"So, what do you think?" Sokka whispered to Toph, who took a delicate sip from her glass.

"I think I'm wondering how the hell this is going to help us find a place to live. Do you think this bar rents or something?" Sokka sighed.

"No, but bars tend to attract a lot of people who've been here longer than us; they can get us information, or at least point us in the right direction of some place."

"And if it turned out this bar was filled with assholes?"

"Then we would've moved on to a different one; the bigger the city, the more likely there's a bar on every block. You should know that." Sokka tsked; Toph just gave him a swift kick to the shin, the blow hidden by her long, green skirt.

"I know; I was just making sure you knew what you were doing, 'dear'."

"Oh come on, I always know what I'm doing!" Sokka rolled his eyes; Toph just snorted and focused on her drink. For a minute, they sat in silence, staring at the glasses before them; truthfully, neither of them was thirsty. Still, Sokka finished his glass and waved to the bartender. "So, as a more experience Republic Citian, where do you think my fiancé and I could find a decent place of lodging?"

"You mean, like an apartment?" Sokka nodded.

"Yeah! One of those. I mean, we can't just live in an inn or a bar or something for our whole lives." The elderly bartender thoughtfully stroked his beard.

"Hmm…what sort of money do you have? That greatly determines where you can room…." Sokka's eyes narrowed a little as he leaned towards the bartender.

"Well, you seem like the trustworthy sort…," He glanced at Toph who subtly kicked him twice. Is that supposed to mean something, Sokka wondered. A code? Dammit, we should've gone over this earlier…well, she doesn't seem to be on edge or making an excuse to leave, so she must be comfortable with him, a bit at least…right? Sokka hadn't planned on giving him an honest answer anyway. "Okay, we have a decent amount of gold…enough for maybe something a bit better than a barrel on the street…," seeing the man's concerned expression, Sokka quickly added. "But we have skills; we'll find work, but first we just need a good place to get us started!" The bartender thought carefully, then turned to the three man at the other end of the bar.

"Hey Shaun, have you heard about any buildings accepting new tenants for a decent price? These people here seem to be of the decent sort and deserve not to be ripped off." The tallest one-Shaun, Sokka figured- scratched his chin, looking a little nervous. He cast his friends a glance and they nodded, encouraging him. Toph gave them an attentive look, sensing their increased pulses; Sokka looked at them closely. Clearly something was scaring the shit out of them, now what could it be? Maybe something to do with the missing people? One could only hope; regardless, with his skills and the greatest earthbender in the world at his side, the Water Tribe warrior was confident they could take on whatever it was.

"Well…there was this one guy we've been hearing about. Word on the street is that he's losing so many tenants, he's practically giving rooms away...," Sokka thought about the gold that Aang had given them; while it was a more than decent sum, Sokka knew that city prices would quickly make it vanish, if they weren't careful. So a guy giving rooms away? A dream come true. No matter how crappy the room was, compared to the days they spent sleeping on hard ground during the War, it would be livable. "It's in a decent part of town too."

"Where?" The bartender asked.

"The Yellow district. The property is even near the river, so the view is great, from what we've heard." The old man nodded while Sokka was confused.

"Yellow district?" Shaun nodded.

"Yeah; ya see, Republic City is split up into social districts: Red is lowest-that's where you find the…more flexible women, if ya get me…," he cast Toph a weary glance; she just rolled her eyes and gestured for him to continue. "…and other…shadier people. After that, is the Orange District, where most of the poorest folks stuck in and hands on shops. Yellow district, which is near the river and the better-off poor folks stay there, and above that is Green district, with the park and garden shit and middle class peoples. Then Blue district for the lower rich bastards, and finally you get the White district, where all the classiest, snobbiest bastards stay, in their skyscrapers and shit, you know?" Sokka nodded; it made sense, though he knew Aang and Zuko would be pissed when they found out. Then again, it was inevitable, as far as Sokka was concerned; society just seemed to love dividing itself, no matter what the new optimistic Sokka thought. There was optimism, then there was just being plain stupid. Despite reports to the contrary, Sokka was by no means stupid.

"So Yellow district…that sounds better than we were hoping for." He turned to Toph. "Right, dear?" She nodded and wrapped an arm around his waist, appearing the perfect couple.

"That sounds perfect…but what's the problem? You poor men seem to be scared of something…." Shaun stared at his fingers, almost guilty.

"Well, ya see…not that I believe in such things, mind ya! But just two nights ago, someone was attacked in their apartment…the thing was…it weren't by anything…human, if ya get me. Ever since, there've been sightings of some sort of cloaked…spirit monster thing, throughout the building. My buddy Ed himself swears to spirits he saw a dragon or somethin' staring at him when he was tryin' to sleep! He moved out as soon as he could, he did." Sokka and Toph shared a confused look, but Sokka couldn't suppress a shiver; after meeting Aang, the living conduct between the Spirit World and the living world, he knew a thing or two about spirits. Granted, this seemed like an odd case.

"So, you're saying this building is being…haunted? By some dragon spirit thing?" He asked. Shaun shrugged and tried to seem nonchalant.

"As I said, only if ya believe such things; ya still can't argue that price, can ya? If ya get the owner now, he'd probably give ya a good lease, given his dire straits."

"Well, apparently there must be something, if so many people are eager to move out." Toph pointed out, but Sokka laughed.

"Oh honey, how naïve you can be! There's no such thing as dragons anymore, much less some dragon monster haunting some apartment building." He turned to Shaun and shrugged, the universal "Women, what can you do?" gesture. Shaun nodded and grinned; Toph, on the other hand, subtly stomped on Sokka's foot. Blinking away tears, Sokka asked, "So Shaun, why would a 'dragon spirit' be haunting some lowtown apartment building?" Shaun leaned forward and motioned for them to lean in as well. After Sokka and Toph scooted closer to him, Shaun began.

"Apparently, 'ccordin' to a friend of mine, back when this area was being cultivated and such for a town, centuries ago, before the Fire Nation went nustso, some of them firebenders and Earth Kingdom folks lived here with some kinda dragon thing; it was odd, considerin' most dragons lives in the Fire Nation, or so the tales say. Anyway, the firebenders tame this dragon thing, see? They used it to protect the town and such and everything was great…for a while, anyways. Generations go by, this dragon thing always living and workin' with firebenders and livin' with Earth Kingdom folks. When the War came on though, the Earth Kingdom folks kicked out and killed the firebenders, see? To protect themselves and what not. Anyway, this dragon thing flips out and so the Earth people have to kill it. So they do it, but bury the dragon in the ground and build an inn on top, so the dragon would always have people around it to protect it and vice versie; they thought if things 'ver got patched up with the Fire Nation, firebenders could return and stay at the Inn or somethin'; I dunno. Anyways, when the War ended and the Republic City was created, combin' a bunch of Earth Kingdom towns and Fire Nation colonies, the inn became a apartment building, and the owner hates firebenders, see? So he keeps 'em out, which pisses off the dragon spirit thing, and now it won't stop at nothin' to get back at him or somethin'." Shaun paused. "..if ya choose to believe such things, 'course…what a loud of ostrich-horse shet, ya know?" He leaned back on his stool and took a quick sip from his glass, only to notice it was empty.

Sokka subtly took Toph's hand and squeezed it, trying to let her know I got this. Dammit, we really should've gone over these signals before; what was expecting, for her to read my fucking mind? Stupid! "That does sound creepy enough…, but my friend, we're a tad old for fairy tales. How about you tell us how to get to this place? It sounds like it fits our needs perfectly." Shaun stopped staring at his empty glass disappointedly and looked at them. He shrugged.

"Ya funeral….granted, nothin' to be scared of, but still…. All ya gotta do is leave here, go down the street five-six blocks, turn left and it should be in the middle of the block. Name's Saint Bara. Ask for Fuin. Can't miss it." The bartender glanced down at Sokka, who fished out a few coins and placed them on the counter.

"Thank you, my good man! And get our friend Shaun over there another drink…on us." He bowed a little. "Thank you both for your helpful advice! We really appreciate it." Toph nodded and bowed as well. The bartender blinked, then smiled.

"Well, I hope you two can make it in the big City. Whenever you get settled, feel free to drop by here anytime!" Shaun raised his glass in salute to Sokka.

"Thanks man! Good luck to ya. Though…," he leaned close to Sokka and whispered. "Ya wife don't seem too…talkative, yeah? Somethin' wrong with her?" Sokka just grinned a little.

"First of all, she's my fiancé, not my wife. Second, she's always like that around new people. She's…shy…. All these new things, happening so soon, seem to have overwhelmed her a bit. Don't worry, I'll straighten her out." Shaun grinned and clapped Sokka on the back.

"See ya guys around!" Sokka and Toph waved as they walked out of the bar, bags slung over their shoulders. They closed the door behind them and turned left, walking towards the bridge. They walked in silence for a while, though Sokka noted that Toph seemed tense. Sighing, he began to wrap an arm around her waist; she smacked his hand.

"Don't even think about it." She scowled. "You're lucky I don't kick your ass here and now." Sokka blinked.

"What's up?" Toph glared at him.

"'What's up?' Well, if you're that stupid, then this 'overwhelmed', 'shy fiancé' can't spell it out for you." The Water Tribe warrior almost ran into an oncoming person, he was so taken aback. It wasn't like Toph to take things so personally, especially over some cover story lies.

"I had to say those things because that was our story, remember?" He whispered, hoping to spirits that no one overheard them. Granted, given how self-absorbed the multitudes of other walkers looked, there wasn't much need to be concerned. "Look, I'm sorry, okay? I didn't mean to make you seem weak or anything; I know how strong you are, better than anyone, remember? But we have to remember that no one can know about how badass we really are, or risk drawing the wrong kind of attention to us and possibly the missing people." Toph pursed her lips together, but said nothing. Sighing, Sokka gave in.

"Okay, I'll revise the cover story…how about this? You're the swamp spirit priestess that my overly spirit-obsessed father engaged me to? Swamp princess? Warrior princess? Come on, give me something here!" Toph couldn't help herself but smirk a little. Finally, she laughed a little and shook her head.

"I get the whole cover story thing, and I understand why you said that stuff; I don't mind being a little…feminine…but I'm not going to be some airhead Ty Lee or some quiet, invisible woman like Mai…."

"Thank spirits for that!" Toph raised an eyebrow and Sokka shrugged. "What? She scares me…."

"I don't?" She smirked darkly, making Sokka shiver.

"No, you do, but for different reasons." Sokka relented.

"Anyway, I just can't stand people talking down to me like that…like how my parents did for most of my life." Toph said with a shrug, as if she didn't really care that much; Sokka knew her well enough to know she was lying through her teeth. He gave her a pat on the shoulder.

"I get it, okay? No more coddling." Toph nodded and slowed down. She reached into her bag and pulled out her thin, woolen scarf that Sokka had bought her in Ba Sing Se, which she then carefully wrapped around her neck, covering the betrothal necklace. Sensing Sokka's questioning glance, she said.

"As nice as the necklace is, it would be better if the people we lived with didn't see it…we have no idea how long we'll be living there, right? That way they won't question why we aren't getting married or anything annoying like that, after months have gone by. Worst comes to worst, we just say you proposed or something the day before." Sokka could see some logic behind it and nodded.

"Sure; plus, that opens up a world of possibilities in the disguise department…," he grinned at the thought. "Besides, this whole 'dragon scare' thing actually fits perfectly into my master plan of finding those people anyway…."

Toph looked at him, confused. "How so?"

Sokka smiled again, but noticed that it was time to turn left and he could see a sign in the down the street that bolding said "Vacancies…anyone welcome!" He placed a hand on Toph's shoulder. "Okay, we don't have a lot of time…just listen to me and follow my lead, okay?"

…

"For the last time, I am not returning your deposit until the lease is up!" Ji Fuin scowled at the figity tenant before his desk. The man stood in front of his packed bags and tried to look confident.

"Look, my lease expires in a few weeks…why can't you just let me go early?" The man took a look at the furious expression on Fuin's face and winced.

"Oh, and what's got you running off, eh? Some mysterious dragon freak?" He scoffed. "Some man you are, being scared off by a rumor."

"It is not a just a 'rumor'!" The man protested. "Most people have seen it, and how else do you explain poor Ms. Fink from the third floor? Or the apartment that got trashed when no one was around? Or that Ed guy, who saw the dragon staring at him at night? Not to mention those people that no one's seen for months…the dragon got them!"

"Dragon? Do you have any idea how ridiculous you sound?" Fuin laughed darkly. The man just flushed, angry. Suddenly, there was a knock on the open door frame. "Look, I have real customers to deal with, so…," He set a few coins on the counter, along with a scroll. "Just take your damn lease and get your ass out of here. I'm sick of the sight of you." The man quickly gathered the coins and pocketed the lease. Picking up his bags, he turned and maneuvered around the two that had just walked in. One was a tall man, with shoulder length brown hair, and his lower face covered in stubble, darkening his already tan skin; he was clearly Water Tribe, even if the bright blue eyes and confident smirk hadn't given it away. He was wearing a black cloak over his long sleeved, loose dark tunic and pants. The other was a young woman, whose black hair was down and grown out to about her shoulder blades. She was on the paler side, but that didn't detract from her beauty any; if anything, it suggested an air of mystery and elegance. Under her light green cloak, Fuin could see that she was clad in a rather snug, form-fitting dress, one of the fancier kind, which made him hopefully. If she can afford something like that, then they probably not penniless bums…I may actually get some rent out of them! However, despite the heat, she wore a woolen scarf that seemed oddly out of place with the rest of her outfit. A memento of some kind? Though, despite her apparent wealth, Fuin was through off a bit by her eyes; those clear, light green orbs seemed to stare so…vacant yet purposeful, it was as if she could see to a person's soul…. Fuin suppressed a shiver. They both had bags slung over their shoulders, so they were clearly travelers of some kind. The man glanced at Fuin's former tenant as he walked out the door, then glanced at Fuin, an eyebrow raised.

"Bad day?" Fuin chuckled darkly at the understatement.

"Try bad week; that's the tenth tenant I've lost and this building only has eighteen rooms, not counting mine." The man winced, but nodded grimly.

"I see…. Well then, I have good news for you, my friend! This is the Saint Bara, correct?" Fuin nodded. "Perfect! Then, my partner and I would like a room please; whatever's available." Which would be most of them… While Fuin dug out the paperwork, the man leaned against the desk casually. "So, mister…?"

"Fuin. Ji Fuin." The man nodded.

"Ah yes, Mister Fuin…why have so many of your tenants left? Like that guy when we walked in? When he left, he was pale…." Fuin stopped short; had these people heard the rumors? Would they be scared off if he told them? He mentally sighed; chances are, they had heard the exaggerated versions already, so where was the harm of setting the record straight? After some hesitation, he decided that the truth was probably best.

"Well, we've had a few…accidents as of late, and one of my tenants got attacked in her room on the third floor. After the power surge a few days ago, people claim to keep seeing a mysterious figure or a man wearing a dragon mask. I frankly think it's only some hoodlum with a sick sense of humor, but he's gotten some of my tenants scared, so they're packing up and moving to other places as soon as they can. And people aren't coming in, now that the tale of the haunted Saint Bara has spread throughout the whole fucking City! As it is, I have only a handful of tenants left and I don't know if I'll be able to pay the bills…my wife and I could wind up on the street, if this keeps up…." The man gave him a hard, analyzing look, which made Fuin feel a little uncomfortable; he hadn't spilt his guts to this potential client in order to be stared at awkwardly. Finally, the man nodded and gave his partner a pat on the back.

"You know what, Mister Fuin? You seem like an alright guy who's fallen behind on some hard times. How about this? You give us a discount on the rent, and we'll help you with your problem." Fuin blinked.

"Didn't you just hear me? I'm about to go broke; why the hell should I give you a discount? Besides, I've already got an odd jobs tenant, however much of a useless jackass he is; what could you do to possibly help me that he can't?" The man chuckled and his partner smirked.

"Listen my friend, I'm Sou and this here is Omai." Omai waved. "And no offense to this jackass or whatever, but I seriously doubt he's got anything on us. We're the best at what we do, without peer! And we can solve this haunting of yours, without a doubt!" Fuin scoffed.

"Right, whatever you say, Mister 'Sou'." Sou just smirked.

"Go on, try lying to us." Fuin stared at the two, skeptical; were they actually serious? Well, Fuin may not consider himself a coward, but he could certainly lie when he had to.

"My wife and I have been married for twenty-five years, I inherited this place from my grandfather, and…I like fire flakes cold." He crossed his arms and stared down the unblinking duo, daring them to prove him wrong. The man rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"I'd say…true, false, and false; how about you, Omai?" The woman smiled.

"Yeah, same here." Fuin's stance weakened. How had they known? Seeing his surprised expression, Sou grinned.

"You want to know how we figured it out?" Fuin nodded. "Well, for starters, you have a ring on your finger but don't give off that 'freshly married' glow or hold yourself with the sort of subtle aura of…joy? Contentment? Whatever; regardless, you have a ring, but the married live has long since shifted out of its 'wow' stage, meaning the affect is not nearly as present or apparent in your bearing. But the marriage is a dedicated one; you're the type who honors commitment, judging by how you treated that man when we walked in. You're in things for the long haul, better or worse. And, no offense, but you don't seem to be on the…younger side, if you will." Fuin's jaw fell a little; he saw all that from just a few minutes of conversation?

"As for the other two, well, you don't seem like a fan of the Fire Nation given how the names of the Fire Nation colonials are practically carved on your tenant list and how few them there are, despite your available room, so I doubt you eat fire flakes at all, much less eat them cold-which is disgusting, by the way. And the quality of this place does seem old, but if this place really carried down from your grandfather or older, chances are you would advertise its legacy a lot more, emphasize how it's been in 'your family for generations' or something along that line." Sou smiled at Fuin. "Sound about right?"

Fuin didn't speak for a minute. Could these guys really help me? "I can't believe you saw all that, in such a short amount of time…."

"And that was only a trial run. As I said, I think we can help you with your 'ghost problem', and if we do, you'll give us a discount on the rent. Sound fair? In fact, you don't have to even give us the discount until after this dragon is dealt with." Sou stuck out his hand. Fuin stared the man in the eye; he seemed genuinely concerned and trustworthy. He shook Sou's hand.

"Fine but…just who are you guys? What is it you do?" Sou put his arm around Omai and they both grinned.

"We told you: I'm Omai and this idiot here is Sou, and we're the best damn detectives you're ever going to meet."

…

Now then, for those who guessed, I tried to go for a Scooby-Doo like mystery to start things off…because one can't do mysteries without proper tribute to the Doo. Anyway, I hope you liked it! As you can probably tell, I'm trying to tie it in with Legend of Korra as much as I can, but I had to make up a few details about Republic City since they're being so darn tightlipped about it. So if it turns out to be inaccurate, just keep in mind that A. It's fanfiction and B. this is about sixty five-sixty seven years before Korra (BK, not to be mixed up with Burger King). Things can change in that time span…*cough, shifty eyes* Hopefully, the next part should come out in the next month or so (as I said, I'm a slow writer, so please forgive me…) As I said, I am taking suggestions for cases or mysteries if people have any stories they'd like to see or parodied; depending on how popular the case portions are, I may make a side fic solely dedicated to them….if they catch on or I just can't help myself.

Anyway, thank you so much for reading! Be sure to let me know what you think/how I can improve!

Read and Review (because everyone needs to get their daily R and R in…the doctor on TV said so)!