While Zuko had gone to speak with the prince of Rhijaj, Sokka and Suki unhappily shifted their attention to Xei.
"I have to tell them we didn't find anyone," the chief-to-be said, the edges of his mouth curving down.
"I can go with you," Suki offered.
"Thanks."
The couple started going over to the island and stopped when they reached the turquoise building. Eagerly, Megat, Tipah, and Sabit went to receive their news. It only took the trio a second of seeing the giants for them to know that the search had led to no success.
"You couldn't find our people," the president said, frowning.
"No, we couldn't," Sokka informed him. "I'm really sorry. Something like this has never been an issue before."
Tipah sadly looked to the ground and Megat put a hand on his shoulder. Sabit seemed unsure how to respond and just closed her eyes.
"What's the next step then?" she asked, still not looking up at the strangers.
"Honestly," Suki commented, "we're not entirely sure."
"We'll definitely keep talking with everyone to see where we can find a detail that doesn't line up with the others," Sokka said. "Outside of that, we'll have to keep thinking."
Sabit turned on her heel and returned to the building. Her colleagues stayed behind for a moment longer.
"Thanks for trying to look," Tipah said sincerely.
"We're not giving up," Suki told him. "This might not have worked, but something else will."
With a disbelieving gaze, Megat nodded at the two. "Well, we'll be dealing with matters from the citizens, so that will take up most of our time today."
"We understand," Suki said.
The president went back to the building and Tipah sent the duo a mildly apologetic look before leaving as well. Sokka put a hand on the top of his head.
"It's probably a good thing we're giant, because Sabit might be angry enough to try to kill us otherwise," he mentioned.
Suki gave a solemn nod of her head. "I wish we had something better to offer them all."
"We'll just have to wait for Katara to start those lessons with Inaya. Maybe it'll lead to some progress."
Unsure, the pair returned to their base. The following day, Katara went with Sokka and Toph to Rhijaj to begin the lessons with Inaya.
"She's probably just going to say that she's busy with work and can't do any waterbending practice," the earthbender said, shaking her head.
"She might, but I'll just remind her that a few days of training will help her clean the castle faster and better."
"And if the guards try to give her a hard time about it, she can just threaten to drown them," Sokka joked.
Toph chuckled and Katara sighed at the two of them. "Remind me why you're both coming with me. I'm the only one who can teach her if Aang's not here."
"We can try to talk with the queen and Durnaz while you're with Inaya," Sokka said. He began to smile. "And our company just makes everything better, including the five or so steps it takes to get here."
The waterbender only continued to shake her head as they finished the rest of the short walk to the palace. Guards quickly came to greet them.
"Could I speak with Inaya again?" Katara requested. "Also, could you–"
Stopping, the Water Tribe girl saw Toph subtly shake her head. She did not understand the reason, but she trusted her friend and let her gaze return to the guards.
"That'll be it actually."
Bowing slightly, the small warriors left to go find the servant. When they were out of earshot, Katara turned to Toph.
"What happened? I thought you two were planning on talking while I was teaching Inaya."
"We were," Toph said, then pointed to her right, "but there's a bigger audience than we expected."
Flicking her finger, the earthbender caused a small area of the ground to rise up and fling someone into the air. With a small yelp, Sabit quickly began using firebending to help slow down the process of returning to the earth. She had a sheepish expression on her face once she landed.
"What are you doing here?" Sokka asked. "This could count as going against the truce."
"I'm not here to hurt anyone," the intruder insisted. "I just…I wanted to see if you were conspiring with Rhijaj. You might have been lying about not having found anyone if they promised to supply you with some request of yours."
Toph sighed. "We're not lying. I really couldn't find anyone. I could sense you hiding just now, but I can't sense the missing people. So, it's not like my abilities are suddenly malfunctioning. Something weird is going on here." The girl paused. "And the guards are about to be back, so unless you want to be the cause of a major problem…"
Sabit got her meaning and paled. The nonbender bent down and held out his hand. Nervously, the assistant stepped up onto his palm and was gently lifted. Sokka put his hand behind his back as the guards returned with Inaya.
"We're going to leave you two to do that waterbending that you do," he said with a wide smile and waved with his free hand.
Sokka and Toph scurried back to the other island. The boy spotted a small boat hidden off the edge of the coast and picked it up to take with them. When it was safe to do so, he placed Sabit back on the ground along with her boat.
"Thanks," she said quietly.
"No problem. Have you snuck on Rhijaj before?" Sokka asked.
"A few times," Sabit reluctantly admitted.
"Maybe you've seen some suspicious activity then!"
With a frown, the firebender shook her head. "I really haven't. The most I've seen is Buraid angrily burning some trees or some subjects looking pitiful. I don't often go too deep into the kingdom in case they see me."
"It's still really risky what you do," Toph said, starting to smile. "I can respect your guts for that."
The assistant had a small grin appear on her face. It faded as she thought more about the situation.
"I don't see it as being gutsy. I'm just trying to get everyone back."
"And we will," Sokka stated confidently.
"But how? We can't find them, you can't find them, and no one in Rhijaj will say what happened. You even said that you don't really know what you'll do besides talk to more people. Can you just let me know if you think we're getting anywhere or not?"
Toph and Sokka got quiet, considering what they even believed at this point.
"I'm not sure," the earthbender. "But I know that when we put our minds to something, we get it done. So, I'm not sure how we're going to get everyone back, or if it's even possible, but I know we'll find a way to end this war."
Sabit was not sure if she could agree. "I doubt this war will ever end before the people are home again." After a brief pause, she added, "But your confidence is infectious. I needed some of it today."
The young woman left to go further into the island. Before the friends could leave, they were joined by Aang.
"Returning another spy?" Sokka asked.
"What? No, I'm here to talk with Megat."
"Our reason is more exciting," Toph said, disappointed.
"Good luck. He wasn't happy yesterday when I gave him the news," Sokka warned.
"Thanks for the heads up," the Avatar told him.
The duo left as Aang caught the attention of some people. They regarded him in curiosity, and he waved to them with a friendly smile. A few waved back whereas a few others sped up their walking pace.
"Are you here to speak with the president?" one asked.
"I am. Do you know if he's available?"
"He'll probably talk to you even if he's a little busy."
The person went towards the building to find the man. After a few moments, the two of them returned. Megat smiled up at Aang, but the expression did not seem happy despite his best efforts.
"I heard you found out about the search," the airbender said.
"I did. I can't say that I was overly surprised."
Aang could feel himself becoming discouraged. "I guess that you did seem pretty doubtful about the idea."
"It just seemed too good to be true, and I've learned that things are rarely–if ever–that way." Megat hesitated. "Would you mind if I spoke to you from higher up? I keep feeling like I have to yell or you won't be able to hear me."
"I don't mind at all. Want a lift?"
"No, but thanks."
Megat pressed down on the earth with his foot, letting it rise up beneath him and lift him to be eye level with the Avatar. Aang regarded him in mild shock.
"I didn't know you were an earthbender."
"I suppose that I don't use it as often as I could."
"Are the others benders too?"
"They are. Tipah's a waterbender and Sabit's a firebender." The president's eyes conveyed sadness. "I wish that they had not gotten so hopeful about the search. It seems like they've been getting let down ever since I won the election."
"Don't say that," Aang told him earnestly. "I'm sure you're doing everything that you can."
"That hardly matters when it doesn't fix anything. Those seven years for terms…I'm on my sixth. If I cannot end the war before the next campaigning season, I'll never be able to live with myself."
"That's a lot of pressure to put on yourself, Megat. You didn't even start the war."
"But I'm supposed to end it. No one cares what happened before me now that it's my responsibility to fix things. I can even understand why they would feel that way. I wouldn't want to think about past presidents either if the current one was proving to be just as useless."
"Could you be elected again?"
"It's possible. It's also unlikely." Megat heaved a heavy sigh. "I never even planned on being a president. I used to work with animals. Can you imagine that? I'd find nothing more peaceful than a day spent with birds and vipers."
Aang thought that the animals he named sounded peculiar, like the Earth King's plain bear, but did not question the man, since he already seemed so troubled.
"Why did you decide to do this then?"
"Because I saw what was happening in my home. No one had been able to fix the problem or find the people. When the war began, things were so bad that I couldn't keep my head low anymore. If I wanted to make our home a better place, I would have to do something to make an impact."
"Well, a year's more time than you might think," Aang said, a knowing smile on his face. "My friends and I were always running into time limits. We had to go speak with someone really important before the Winter Solstice, complete a battle before a solar eclipse ended, then had to save the world before a comet could pass since our enemy was at his strongest during it."
Megat's eyebrow lifted. "And judging by how you all seem to be alive, these deadlines of yours were met?"
Aang chuckled and nodded. "Thankfully. Like you, I was freaking out as we got closer to that last deadline, but we did it, and we all can do it this time too. Before your term ends, I bet that we'll be able to solve this." The Avatar glanced around at the island. "This democracy you have is interesting, though. We've had so many kings and chiefs. I wonder what it would be like if there was a president in our world as well."
"You should have one," Megat suggested. "Maybe this president could lead an area where people who don't want to be led by those monarchs you mentioned can go."
"That could work." Aang's eyes lit up. "That could actually be great! Outside of my friends, or when everyone was fighting in the war back home, we've never really had people from all four nations intermingling. If they did, they could have their own president, since it would be easier than having them follow one nation's rules."
The small man looked confused. "Four nations? What do you mean?"
"Oh, yeah. In our world, airbenders, earthbenders, waterbenders, and firebenders live in different regions of the world. Things keep changing, so maybe that's something else that can change. I know I'd love to see everyone have a place to come together."
"I like the sound of that as well. Having people who can bend all elements living on one land is very helpful in wars and for practical uses. I've seen many firebenders and earthbenders work together to make homes and other buildings. If you decide to start that new place, I wish you luck."
As the pair continued to talk, Ebrah was looking for her son and daughter. It seemed like they both were in hiding. She had not seen either of them for the entire day.
"Buraid," she called, going down the hallway. "Durnaz?"
Heart racing, the queen began walking faster. She walked so quickly that she had to stop herself from accidentally running into the princess. Durnaz could see the concern on the older woman's face.
"What happened, Mom?"
"Nothing. I just have been feeling anxious lately. Do you know where your brother is?"
"I saw him out training with some of the warriors."
The queen visibly relaxed once she heard this.
"Are you sure nothing happened?" the princess pressed. "If you're feeling more worried than usual, maybe I can help."
"I don't think that there's anything which can be done about it. With the giants here, this supposed truce, and us having no answers, I suppose that I am just expecting the worst to suddenly happen. Maybe I need some fresh air. I should be better by this evening."
Ebrah gave Durnaz's hand a loving squeeze, then exited the palace to go outside. She took a deep breath once she was there. The queen began using her airbending to blast herself upwards. She could not stay up there for long, but it was calming to be in the sky while she could. This allowed her to see the subjects. Ebrah just wished she could have had them all there with her. Looking over at the giants' base, she saw Zuko with a troubled look on his face. Ebrah approached the firebender, who quickly noticed her and smiled.
"Hello, Queen Ebrah," he greeted.
"Hello," she said. "I've seen your expression on my own face many times. Apart from being trapped in a new world, what's bothering you?"
Zuko chuckled. "It does seem odd to have something besides that be an issue." He paused, sitting back on his hands. "I'm in charge of my home now. I've never really had so many people rely on me before. For as long as I can remember, it was just my father's role to give orders, but now it's up to me and I can't get back there."
"It can certainly be stressful to lead people," the queen said, "but it doesn't seem like you have to lead alone. I'm sure your friends will offer much support when they're needed."
"I think so too, but I don't want to be a burden on them. They've all got things they're taking care of too."
"Are there any other members of your family who could offer some assistance?"
"My uncle. He's always got a proverb ready for me when I need it…even when I don't completely understand what he means."
Ebrah laughed softly. "He sounds like my husband. Aryan used to have the wisest sayings. Most of the time, I would enjoy them. Other times, I just would want to use wind to drown out the sound of him going on and on."
Zuko noticed the remorseful expression in her eyes.
"I wonder sometimes if he knew how much I loved him."
"I'm sure he did," the firebender assured her. "I didn't think my uncle would know either, or even love me after some of the terrible things I'd done, but he never stopped caring."
"It's a nice thought to consider. I came out here to consider many things while just being in the sky. It would be nice if I could stay up there longer without having to fall back to the ground. Ironically, the very reason I need the ability to fly is why I lack it."
"How so?"
"Airbenders who have completely detached themselves from the world can do that. I imagine that no ruler could ever be so detached. We have so many people to worry about." Ebrah glanced towards the palace, then Xei. "Aryan never wanted a war. He saw the signs of it and so desperately wanted peace for us. He couldn't stand the idea of our people getting killed. He could barely stand the sight of a drop of blood. Battlefields covered in it would have horrified him."
The queen's brow became furrowed.
"You feel like you're either dishonoring him or yourself," Zuko commented.
Ebrah looked at him in surprise, then nodded. "Yes actually. This war goes against everything he stood for, yet as queen, I cannot simply let our people suffer. Even the mere idea of standing down when he might be a prisoner sickens me. I've spent many nights wondering if I'm doing this more for him or myself, and feeling even more ill as a result."
"Maybe there's a compromise that preserves what you both want."
"Maybe. I would like it if there is." The queen regarded the young man closely. "It's difficult to talk about Aryan with anyone. It would be improper to do so with the subjects, Buraid gets so furious, and Durnaz…she gets such a strange look in her eyes that I can't fully interpret her emotions. Thank you for listening."
"You're welcome," Zuko said with a kind smile. "Anytime."
Ebrah smiled and began returning to the palace. She got closer and gave a smile to Katara, who was wrapping up the lesson with Inaya. The larger waterbender smiled back and waved.
"All right," she said, looking at Inaya, "I think those water whips of yours are coming along nicely."
"Really?" Inaya asked with a twinkle in her eyes. "You think so?"
"I really do. I promise that I wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it. You can use that technique to clean dust off long, flat areas."
Inaya's expression took on a hesitant look. Katara noticed this and became contemplative.
"Is something wrong, Inaya?"
"Not wrong, but…c-could you teach me to heal?" The girl began speaking faster due to her nerves. "I know that's not really practical for cleaning, but I've always wanted to, and I was thinking that if some of the warriors got hurt or we found the king and he was wounded–"
"Inaya," Katara interjected, stopping the rambling.
"Sorry," the servant said, head lowering.
"You don't have to be sorry. You don't have to be so nervous either. I'd love to teach you how to heal. I think it's great that you want to learn it. We can start that tomorrow."
"Thanks!" Inaya started looking towards the village. "I was thinking last night about talking with more people. Tonight, since the water whip will help me finish everything before it's too late, I-I'm going to try to speak with a few people to see what I can find out."
Katara's face lit up. "Wonderful! Thanks so much for doing that."
Katara's excitement made the smaller person more timid, but it also made her a little happy to have caused such joy in someone so much more powerful.
"I hope I can find something useful for you."
"I know you'll do a great job."
A small smile came to Inaya's face and she turned to the palace. "I have to go back for now. Thank you for the lesson."
"You're very welcome. You did really well. I'm looking forward to starting the next lesson."
Inaya reentered the castle, thoughts focused on what the night would bring. She was terrified to go out there and begin interacting with more people, but also thrilled at the chance to prove her new instructor correct.