[EDIT: 1/22/2021] Changed the name of Hari to Masahiro, you get the picture. XP
There was knocking on the door.
"Toph! Wake up!" said a female's voice behind the door.
Aang stirred in Toph's bed as he was woken up from his sleep, "What...?" he mumbled. He was on his back, haphazardly splayed onto the bed. He turned around on his side and rests the side of his face on the pillow, taking a deep breath as he inhaled the surprisingly pleasant scent on the pillow.
Wow...Toph has a nice scent...
As he drifted back to sleep, the scent calming him, the knocking continues, "Toph! We have to go, right now!"
Aang's eye shot open. "Huh?" he sat up, "K-Katara?" he also felt a tenseness in his...lower half. He looked down quickly and yelped. 'Oh man! Don't go up, don't go up!'
"Toph? Are you in there?" Katara called out.
He looked back at the door and his eyes widened. Oh no...ooooh no, I'm in Toph's room! he instantly started to panic inside, What do I do, what do I do!? Wait a minute, what am I even doing here!? I mean, I was here because I wanted to help Toph out, but...oh man, I DID NOT THINK THIS THROUGH! What would Katara think!?
"Toph, are you okay?" Katara sounded worried.
Aang was in a stressful situation, one that he thinks he can't get out of, First things first, he covered his lower half(at least he was wearing pants, although they were loose), and tried to think of a quick escape. Okay, just think of something. Don't say anything and think. He looked at the closed balcony that connected in his room. Alright, if I just quickly open that balcony doors, I can safely air-bend outside and-
"Toph, I'm coming in!" the sound of the door was opening.
...Oh no.
"I-uh-I-uh-!" Aang stuttered.
When Katara entered Toph's room, she stopped in her steps and stared at Aang, wide-eyed at seeing him instead of the earth-bender girl. "Aang!?"
Aang, mouth agape, tried to say something, "Uuuuuh..."
Katara blinked, "What are you...doing in Toph's room?"
"I-I can explain!" Aang said with his hands put in front of him in defense.
"Aang, we have to leave! Now!" Zuko called out as he knocked on the door of his room.
After a while of no one answering, the Fire Lord tried again, only a little more forceful this time, but once he finished knocking a second time, the door opened to reveal...
Zuko blinked, "Toph?"
"Yep. That's me," Toph mumbled, her hair in a bedhead mess as she picked her ear. Momo flew onto her shoulders, chattering away.
"Uh...where's Aang?" Zuko asked her in bewilderment.
"In my room," Toph plainly said as she gave out a yawn.
"Um...why?" Zuko asked, a little perturbed by this development.
"How would you like it if you have two lovebirds going at it next door to your room? Aang just lent me his while he sleeps in mine." Toph explains while she adjusts her neck.
"Oh...um...well then..." Zuko stood there awkwardly but remembers what he was there for. Clearing his head, he said, "Either way, we have to go."
"Go?" Toph raised a brow, "Why so early?"
"I'll explain once we all get dressed. Go get ready."
Toph groaned, "Okay, fine."
"So...Toph couldn't sleep in her room, so she went to your room to try to get some sleep?" Katara reiterated to Aang, almost incredulous.
"Uh...okay, that didn't sound really plausible when I described it like that, but she came into my room and I offered her my bed-WHICH, uh-which, I-um, she lent me to sleep in her bed in exchange!" Aang nervously explained.
"Um..." Katara didn't look convinced, "Okay, first of all, I can understand why Toph couldn't sleep because of my brother and Suki's hopefully downplayed...roughhousing. But what I don't understand is why couldn't Toph just go to my room to sleep? And what do you mean by 'in exchange'?"
"Oh..." Aang cringed, "Um, yeah, I, uh...well, on both of those accounts, um..." Ah man, why did I say 'in exchange'?
"Coming through," suddenly said Toph with Momo still on her shoulders as she passed Katara, which caught the water-bender and Aang off guard.
"T-Toph!?" Aang stuttered.
"Toph?" Katara said in surprise.
"Aang?" Zuko came into the room, "Aang! Get out of Toph's bed! We need to leave immediately!"
"What? What happened, Zuko?" Aang asked.
"I can't tell you all right now. Just go to your room and get dressed," Zuko advised.
"Why not? You can tell us all now, and we'll fill in the rest with Snoozles and Fan Girl," Toph said with a shrug as she was getting her usual attire out of her sack.
"I..." Zuko's expression looked troubled as he didn't say anything.
"Zuko..." Katara said in concern.
Toph felt a trace of sadness in Zuko's voice and worry in Katara's. Aang felt a little tiny bit jealous, but didn't let it affect him too much as he tried to focus on the task at hand, "What's going on?"
Zuko was silent for a bit... "I got a letter...from my mother."
Toph(who got her clothes ready) and Aang's eyes all widened in shock.
"Your mother?" Aang asked stunned.
"Wait, you got a letter from your missing mother?" Toph asked a little incredulously.
"I know it sounds crazy, but..." Zuko shook his head to clear his thoughts, "No, actually, it is. The letter...didn't sound like my mother, but...it had her handwriting on it."
"Wait a minute, when did you get this letter?" Aang asked him curiously.
"I just got it this morning," Zuko confirmed, "It said...to meet her there in Sairento Hiruzu Island...in Silent Hills."
"Silent Hills?" voiced out Toph, "You mean that island you sent your special task force to?"
"Yeah..." Zuko frowned as he thought about the team of fire-benders that he sent over to the island, "I hope they're okay. They have a messenger hawk with them, so I wonder if someone used that to contact me."
Katara was quiet for a bit, until she said, "Do you think something happened to them?"
"I hope not...I could have sent those men to go out there for no reason, just to be held hostage," Zuko gravely said as he frowned even deeper, dreading the thought.
"Well, what are we waiting for then? It sounded like something went down over there," Toph commented.
"But when did you send the message, Zuko? You said you sent it around yesterday in the morning, right?" Katara wondered.
"I did...the messenger hawk could've delivered the message somewhere around the beginning of noon, probably around the twelfth hour. They could've gone to the island at night since they can sneak in undetected. So they could've left around nine and arrived at the island around the tenth hour, knowing the distance of the island. It could take an hour and a half to get there, depending on the situation," Zuko theorized, "And the messenger hawk had a long way to fly to arrive here in the Capital from the island, probably five to six hours."
Aang did the math in his head, "Hmm," he looked at Zuko, "What time do you send the hawk over to the base?"
"...Possibly around the seventh hour in the morning." Zuko said as he thought about it, "I mean, that sounds like the right timeframe when the messenger hawk would arrive here if they captured my father, sister, and the prisoners. But...it doesn't explain why and how I got this message from my mother."
Katara lowered her head in thought, "...Something's not right here."
"Well, no duh. And I can't really tell the basis of time," said Toph, "But from what this sounds like, this seems fishy."
"Yeah...it is," Zuko mulled it over a bit, "...This all sounds like a trap."
"I agree," Katara said as she nodded to Zuko, "Besides, what would your mother be doing on this island? How did she even get there?"
"I'm gonna find that out, along with capturing my father, sister, and these prisoners, as well as helping the team that I sent," Zuko vowed.
Aang got off the bed(once his lower half has relaxed), and said, "Well, if that's the case, then I'll get ready as soon as possible."
"Me too," Toph agreed, "Which means all of ya get out! I need to change!"
"Oh! Um, sure, Toph!" Aang said as he made his way to the door. Zuko reminded everyone again, "Just to let you all know, we need to leave as soon as twenty minutes is up."
"Got it," Toph said as Katara and Aang nodded to Zuko. However, as soon as Aang, Zuko, and Katara were about to leave the room, Toph called out to Katara, "Hey Sugar Queen! Actually, mind if you help me with something here?"
Katara looked at her oddly, "Help with something? What do you need help with, Toph?"
"You know, private girl stuff," Toph said with a shrug to her shoulders, with Momo still on them.
"Oh...okay," Katara turned to Zuko and Aang.
Zuko looked embarrassed as he stood there, "Um...we'll leave."
Aang rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment as well, "Uh, yeah, we'll, uh...go. Come on, Momo."
When Momo heard his master call him, he jumped off of Toph's shoulders and landed on his. Zuko and Aang left the room, Zuko closing the door and leaving Katara and Toph in the latter's temporary room.
Katara turned to Toph, "So, uh...what's wrong, Toph?"
"Before we get into that, and believe me, there is something I need..." Toph's face turned a tad red, "...I need help with...but first, I want to ask you if there is anything going on between you and Zuko?"
Katara's eyes widened at the question, "What? What do you mean?"
"Well, for one thing, your voice is lighter when you talk to him, and your heartbeat gets a little faster when you're near him," Toph clarified.
Katara frowned, "So? What does that have to do with anything?"
Toph rolled her sightless eyes, "Look, just straight up, girl to girl, do you like him? And be honest, you know it's no use lying."
The water-bender blinked, feeling a little hesitant about saying what she thought of Zuko, "W-Well...I mean, I haven't seen him for a good while. All of us haven't even."
"That's true," Toph agreed.
"Yeah...and..." she fidgeted in her stance, "...I guess I can say Zuko is...kind of handsome. But that doesn't mean I'm gonna run off with him or anything. I mean, I'm with Aang, and...I love him..."
Toph raised a brow, "You sound a little hesitant."
Katara groaned, "Look, nothing is going on between me and Zuko. And if you do want me to be honest, then yes, I do think he's very handsome. I mean, Suki even thinks so herself, and she's with Sokka! So it doesn't mean anything that I find him attractive, I'm in a perfectly good relationship..."
"...With Aang?" Toph finished for her.
Katara realized she didn't finish her statement and stuttered, "O-Oh! I mean, yeah, I'm in a good relationship with...Aang..."
The girls stood there, Katara feeling a little uncomfortable, while Toph just analyzed her through vibrations.
"...Are you..." Toph began, "...having second thoughts on being with Aang?"
Surprised at the question, Katara kept quiet for a couple of seconds, keeping her composure in check. When she finally spoke, she said, "Toph...I do love Aang, alright?"
"...But just not in that way?" Toph said softly.
Katara winced, hoping her blind friend didn't feel that as well.
Toph let out a tired sigh, "Okay, look Sugar Queen, let's just hypothetically say you're dating someone else besides Aang, and you're not happy with the relationship and don't feel the same way about this person. If that's the case, then why do you still feel like you need to be with the guy?"
"...Toph, please respect that I don't want to talk about this right now," Katara pleaded.
Toph studied her for a second, her dull eyes looking at her like she was actually staring at her, "...Aang didn't like...hurt you in any way or form, did he?"
Katara's eyes widened in surprise at the question.
"I mean, I know Aang isn't like that at all...I think...I mean, even though I can tell a lie and people's heartbeat, I can't tell what people will act like down the road. Either way, I'm just asking," the small earth-bender said.
Katara shook her head to both clear her head on the idea, and answered, "Toph, of course not! Aang would never do anything to hurt me or anyone else! I mean, he's thirteen, he doesn't know how relationships work, or how they even..." she paused, realizing she might've slipped up.
"...You are having second thoughts about Aang, aren't you?" Toph said, almost in pity.
The water-bender stood there in silence, the quiet apparently answering for her...
"...He's still so young. He...has a lot to learn about these things...about relationships," Katara gave out a sigh, "Sometimes, I feel like he's growing up way too fast...too fast for my own liking. And...really, I just want real communication, not the usual cuddling and...kissing," she frowned at that, "I get the feeling that's what he thinks being in a relationship is all about, honestly..." she closed her eyes as she shook her head, "It's more than that...and...he just doesn't have that mindset yet," she opened her eyes and frowned still, "I gave this a shot, I really did. Honestly, I thought this relationship was going to work at some point, but..." she sighs again and puts her fingers on each side of her face, rubbing the stress away, "After all the times I've been with him...I feel like..." she released her face and lets her hands drop to her sides, "I feel like he has grown up quickly...or that he wants to, but...in reality, he still isn't mature enough, you know? Which made me come to realize that...I don't feel that way about him..." she looked strained thinking about it, "...I know this is basically my fault. I led him on, thinking that...I was really interested in him that way. And now...I'm paying for it..." she took a big sigh, "...He thinks we're really together...I don't know if I can go through with this relationship letting him think we are," she gazed at Toph with a pained and desperate look, "Toph...I'm not...shallow, am I?"
Toph kept quiet throughout the whole confession. 'Looking' at the floor, she said, "No, Sugar Queen, you're not shallow," she 'looked' up at her, "Although, you should've told him all of this during the course of those six months."
"I know...it just...it hasn't been easy," Katara said solemnly, "I just don't want to break Aang's heart or hurt him emotionally."
Toph hummed...she then spoke, "Aang still does have a lot to learn."
Lowering her head, Katara agreed with a nod and a hum as well.
The younger earth-bender girl took a breath and sighed deeply, "Look, I'm not gonna tell Aang or anyone else, okay?"
Katara gave her a relieved smile, "Thank you, Toph."
"But..." Toph added, "You need to tell him sometime in the future. You shouldn't be in an unhappy relationship because you can't break it to him."
Katara frowned, "I know..."
Toph nodded, "Okay then..." she huffed a breath, "Alright, now onto the other thing."
The dark-skinned girl blinked, "Oh yeah. What is it you need help with, Toph?"
The petite earth-bender scratched the side of her face with her finger as she blushed, "Well...since you're a girl yourself, and I'm also...a girl...I, uh...I need..."
Katara waited patiently, but was also curious as to what she's gonna say, "Yes, Toph?
Toph pursed her lips, her blush growing redder by the second as she went silent for a bit.
Katara looked at her in concern, "Toph? Is everything okay?"
"...Ugh, screw it," Toph then grabbed the hem of her large shirt and began to lift it up.
Shocked at this action, Katara's eyes widened, "T-Toph? What are you-"
"Oh calm down, Sugar Queen, and look at this," Toph said as she lifted the shirt up more and took it off to reveal...
The water-bender looked surprised as her eyes caught something noticeable on Toph's chest.
"Oh...Toph, are those...?"
"Yep," Toph muttered, "Chest bindings...and..." she blushed, "...boobs, I would think."
"Oh..." Katara blinked at this, "Huh...no wonder you've been wearing baggier clothes recently."
"Yeah..." Toph tossed her shirt aside and turned her back to Katara, "So, I just need you to help me with these bindings, okay? They don't feel secure enough."
"Oh, um...okay," Katara went over and knelt behind Toph as she adjusts the bindings, "So, you did this yourself?"
"Tch, no. Suki helped me out."
"Suki?" Katara asked in surprise.
"Yeah. And upon seeing them, she thought it would be a good opportunity to go 'girl shopping' in Omashu." Toph made a face at that.
"Omashu? You mean, this was recent?" Katara asked with wide eyes, "Why wasn't I told?"
"Cause I told her not to say anything to anyone, of course," Toph replied.
"But...I would've helped you out," Katara said, a little hurt that Toph wouldn't discuss girl stuff with her.
"It's not like I told her, Sugar Queen," Toph said rolling her sightless eyes, "She saw my chest when we were at that spa in Omashu, the one you didn't attend with us cause you were with Twinkletoes at the festivities."
"Oh...right," Katara said, thinking about her time with Aang at one of the game stalls. It was...nice...although Katara kept mothering him all the time, which made it...a little weird. She shook that thought away and briefly thought about her brother winning that meat-eating contest... Ugh. To this day, I'm not surprised that he won it.
She tightened the bindings and then pinned the strap on the bindings, "Okay, try to twist your waist around in place and tell me if the bindings are too tight."
Toph did just that as she twists and turned, "Kind of a little tight on the chest area."
"Got it," she readjusted the bindings a bit, all the while continuing saying, "So, when did you start...blossoming?"
Toph groaned, "Are we really going through with this?"
"Hey, having breasts mean you've become a woman." Katara paused for a second and said, "Come to think of it, I think you were starting out even when you were twelve."
"Ugh. Yep, we're going through with this."
"Come on, Toph, you're thirteen now. You're going to have some changes in your body sooner or later," Katara went back to loosen her bindings, until she stopped once more, "Oh! Toph, important question, but did you have your...time of the month?"
Toph blushed as her eyes widened, "Oh dear Spirits, Sugar Queen, you had to remind me." she shook her head as she shivered.
"Oh...so, you have?" Katara said curiously.
"Let's just say...I was glad that I wore baggy pants along the course of our journey. And I learned this stuff beforehand from my tutor back at Gaoling to be more prepared for when it happens."
"Oh. Well...if it makes you feel any better, my first cycle was...embarrassing. I'll just leave it at that."
"Oh really?" Toph chuckled, "I got to know, was Snoozles involved?"
Katara chuckled as well, "Oh yes. I think he was panicking the most, thinking I was dying at first."
Toph laughed at that and soon Katara laughed along too. When their laughter died down, Katara tightened the bindings just a tad, "Okay, tell me how it is."
The earth-bender twisted and turned around her waist, "Hmm...it's a little better. Much better actually," she said with a smile back at Katara.
"Great," Katara smiled. Her smile then turned reassuring, "And Toph, just know that what you're experiencing may be a bit of a pain, but it's all perfectly natural."
"Pfft, I know," Toph rolled her unseeing eyes, "But this size is like the beginner's stage when it comes to boobs, right?"
"Well..." Now Katara blushed, "They're...small for normal standards, but for someone who turned thirteen last year, they're...advanced for girls reaching their teens."
"Really?" Toph blinked, "So...what, I'm bigger than you and Suki or something?"
"Well...Suki's bigger, and...well, I think we're the same size right now..." Katara said, now feeling a little self-conscious all of a sudden.
"We are?" Toph made a face, "Oh man...then...I am advanced, aren't I?" she cringed.
Katara raised an eyebrow, "Well...maybe. I don't really know...why? Are you against that?"
"Uh, yeah!" Toph scowled, "Cause I won't be taken seriously! I'll just be...eye candy to some people."
The water-bender blinked, "Toph, you have a few years down the road to become, uh...eye candy."
"Well, I already don't feel like a girl anymore," Toph crossed her arms in irritation, "I wished I could stay a girl throughout my whole life instead of turning into a 'woman'."
Katara frowned sympathetically at the small earth-bender, "Well, Toph, life just doesn't work like that. We grow up, whether it be mentally or physically. It's just the way things are."
Taking a deep sigh, Toph mutters, "Yeah...well, whoop-dee-doo on that, huh?"
Smiling sadly, Katara simply said, "Yeah..." She looked down in thought, thinking about how much they've accomplished, how they went to war, and basically stopped it from ever continuing. Now it could happen again, thanks to some...Ozai extremists? She wasn't too sure who broke them out, but from what Zuko said, they seem to come out of nowhere...either way, they went through their own traumas and battles, and each of them had a burden to carry. They had to live through it and grow from their experiences, maturing from kids to adults...
…Have they?
When Katara thought back to Aang, she wondered if he learned anything or grown from his experiences...
"Well," Toph said, interrupting Katara's train of thought, "We might need to get ready for whatever awaits us on this island."
Katara kept her face neutral and nodded, "Yeah..."
They stood there for a couple of seconds until Toph said, "Man, we're too young for this."
"Hmm...I agree," Katara said with a sad frown.
Before Zuko, Katara, Aang, and Toph were all having their discussion...
This doesn't add up...is Ursa really at Sairento Hiruzu? If she is, then...what is she doing there? Did what I received from the informant was not accurate information?
Iroh thought about this as he made his way to Suki and Sokka's rooms, truly at a loss.
This seems very suspicious. It has to be some sort of trap...however, if it is, they did a very good job of imitating Ursa's handwriting... Iroh frowned deeply, Something is not right.
As Iroh pondered this, he walked up to Suki's room.
Once he is in front of the door, he knocked on it, "Excuse me, Miss Suki? It's me, Iroh. Are you up?"
After a few seconds of silence, the door opened to reveal a very tired-looking Suki.
"Hey, Iroh," she said sleepily. She gave out a yawn, covering her mouth, "What's going on?"
"I'm sorry to wake you at this early hour, but as of right now, I think there is a change of plans," Iroh told her.
"Really?" Suki asked, her eyes now wide awake. "What happened?"
"Well...it's a little hard to explain, but...as of now, we have to head to Sairento Hiruzu this instant, so I urge you to get dressed right now for the trip," Iroh said with an apologetic smile.
"Oh...well, okay," Suki nodded, "Thank you Iroh for telling me. Do the others know about this?"
"Zuko and Katara are telling Aang and Toph right now at this moment. I'm about to tell Sokka in a little bit after I informed you."
Iroh noticed that Suki winced when he mentioned her boyfriend's name.
"Oh, okay...thank you again, Iroh," Suki said with a smile and a nod.
"Sure thing," Iroh smiled as well and turned to leave. As soon as he was almost at Sokka's door, however, Suki called out, "Hey, um, Iroh?"
Iroh turned to face Suki, "Yes, Suki?"
"I, uh..." Suki looked embarrassed for a moment, but took a deep sigh, "Can I...talk to you about something?"
The old fire-bender looked concerned, "Is something the matter?"
"...I'll wake up Sokka. But first, I...need to ask you something that requires...a grown male's perspective," Suki said.
Iroh blinked at that, "Oh...okay...do you want to talk about it in private?"
Suki blushed, "Yes, I think that would be good."
"Alright then..." Iroh walked over to Suki and entered her room, the warrior girl closing the door behind him. He began to ask, "Is everything okay, Suki?"
Suki stood there looking bothered, rubbing her arm until she said, "Have you...ever rushed someone into doing something that you're not comfortable doing yet, and wanted to wait until...like say...later down the road?"
The surprise was evident in Iroh's eyes. "Oh...is...this about you and Sokka?"
Lowering her head, a blush formed on Suki's face as she said, "Well..." she sighed, "It is."
"Hmm...I'm guessing you and Sokka are trying to be...intimate?" Iroh asked cautiously.
"Well...even more intimate than usual," Suki explained.
Iroh's eyes widened at that.
"It was Sokka's idea!" she quickly said, "I mean...he asked me if I wanted to...you know...'do it' and I said no. I told him I wanted to wait...that we were basically still kids and that I wasn't exactly...ready."
"Oh..." Iroh nodded in understanding, "I see...well...did he act respectfully to you when you declined?"
"Oh, of course!" Suki nodded with a smile, "He completely understood!" her smile faded, however, "Although...he did sound a little disappointed about not...'doing it'," she shook her head, "Either way, I just want to know and make sure, in your perspective...that what Sokka is going through is just a phase, right? Like every guy goes through this once in a while, right?"
The retired General smiled warmly at the young girl, "I think I know what this is about."
Suki blinked, "You do?"
Iroh chuckled, "Well, if I'm wrong, I'm wrong, so you can tell me if I'm right or not. But what I'm getting at, is that you don't want Sokka to see you as...well, a 'stress reliever'."
The Kyoshi warrior looked surprised, "Yes...that's exactly what I'm saying."
"Oh good! That would've been awkward if I was wrong," Iroh smiled sheepishly. He looked at her with warm reassurance, "Suki, Sokka is becoming a man, and he'll have urges every once in a while. But that doesn't mean he views you as...well, an object, I'll just say. From what I saw at the dinner table, he tries to make you happy. Like for instance, he pulled your chair out for you. He also makes you laugh, which I noticed, makes him smile every time you do. And most of all, you feed him vegetables, which he gladly devours! And I have seen the boy's plate of food, he's a meat eater."
Suki chuckled as she smiled, "Yeah...it took a lot of courage for him to try that spinach roll."
Chuckling as well, Iroh said, "Do not worry, Suki. Sokka really does love you, and I would think he was just trying to express that by...you know, doing 'that' with you," his face became serious, "But you made the right call. You are too young to be too intimate with one another. It's best if you wait for these kinds of things until marriage."
"Marriage?" Suki said with a blush. She looked timid, "I mean...I would like that down the road..."
Iroh nodded, "Then do tell him that. If it ever does come up again, just try to tell him the same thing you told him. I'm sure he will be respectful about it."
Suki smiled warmly at the retired General, "Thanks, Iroh."
"Oh of course! If you kids need any help with any type of problem, you can all come to me!" Iroh said with a kind smile.
"We certainly will," Suki smiled brightly, "Well, I'll get dressed then. Thanks again, Iroh."
"It's no problem," Iroh said with a nod and warm smile.
Meanwhile, Zuko and Aang were walking up to where Sokka and Suki's rooms were(Momo was on Aang's shoulders). As they kept walking, Zuko then said, "So...you lend Toph your room?"
Aang stopped in his tracks as he winced, "I mean...yeah?"
Zuko stopped in his tracks too as he said, "That was...all you did, right?"
"Huh?" Aang said questionably, "What do you mean?"
"I mean...well, you and Toph didn't like...get curious, and...you know..."
Aang looked at him strangely, until, after a moment, his eyes widened, realizing what he meant, "WHAT?" he exclaimed, spooking Momo which made him scurry off of his shoulders and go off into a direction, "N-No! W-We haven't! I-I mean, why would you say that? I-I'm with K-Katara!"
Zuko raised his hands to calm him down, "Okay, okay, Aang, settle down. I was just wondering..."
"Uh, y-yeah, o-okay..." Aang stuttered.
They stood there for a couple of seconds in awkward silence.
"...How, um...how are you and Katara, anyway?" Zuko decided to ask.
"Oh, uh, we're, um...we're really good! In fact, we, um, went to the Spring Festival in Omashu and we had a lot of fun at the festivities!"
"Oh, okay...uh, good," Zuko said with a somewhat forced smile.
"Yep! We're perfectly happy and we love each other! Just like a couple should act, honestly!" Aang said with confidence.
Zuko's smile almost twitched downward, "That's...great."
Aang didn't notice the hesitation in Zuko's voice, thankfully, "Yeah! Nothing can keep us apart!" he stood there for a second, "So, yeah, let's go wake up Sokka."
"Uh, right," Zuko said, a little uneasy as he followed Aang.
As soon as they arrived at Sokka's door, Aang knocked on it.
"Hey, Sokka! Wake up!" called out Aang, Momo going back to his shoulders when things calmed down, "We got to go early! Zuko said it's pretty urgent!"
They waited a bit until Sokka opened his door looking tired-eyed, "What? We're going now?"
"Yes, Sokka. We have to go," Zuko told him, "Something has probably happened to the men that I sent."
"Huh? What makes you say that?" Sokka wondered, his eyes shot awake when hearing that info.
"I received a letter..." Zuko didn't say anything after that, looking unsure.
"It was from his mom," Aang spoke up.
Shocked, Sokka said to Zuko, "Really? Wait, but...isn't your mother missing? And...what does this have to do with the men you sent?"
"That's what we're trying to find out," Zuko said in determination, "Someone sent a letter to me in the form of my mother's handwriting, and it was from the team I sent. So you need to get ready, Sokka. We leave as of right now to Sairento Hiruzu Island."
"O-Okay, okay, just give me a moment here. I had a rough night sleeping." Sokka said, rubbing his eyes.
"Oh yeah, what happened?" Aang asked.
Sokka looked at Aang strangely, "What happened? What do you mean?"
"You...oh..." Aang blinked and blushed. He laughed weakly as he scratched the back of his head, "N-Nothing! I just, uh...I'll get dressed!" and with that, Aang dashed off to his room with Momo latching onto him, leaving Zuko and Sokka alone.
Zuko turned to Sokka, and said, "Well, I just came to inform you. Get ready as we need to leave in twenty minutes."
"Uh...yeah," Sokka said, apparently in thought.
Raising an eyebrow, Zuko asked, "You okay?"
"Oh, yeah, I'm just..." Sokka sighed, "Actually, I need to ask you something. And I know, I'm on a time schedule, but this will be quick. I just need to know something."
"Uh...okay," Zuko looked uneasy, wondering what Sokka was gonna ask.
"Okay..." Sokka took a deep breath and said, "Now...when a woman says that...they want to wait...that doesn't mean, like...she doesn't want to do anything with...that person, right?"
Zuko's eyes widened as he made a face. "Uh...is this about you and Suki?"
Sokka groaned, "Look man, guy to guy here, alright? I asked Suki if she...well...if she wants to..." he rubbed the back of his head, looking embarrassed.
Zuko blinked, "Wait...did you ask her to...'do it' with you?"
Sokka cringed, "Uh...let's go with that."
...Zuko groaned, "Sokka, you're asking me about this?"
"Well, hey, I can't ask Aang. I mean, he doesn't have that mindset yet...which he better not be thinking about that in his age with my sister." Sokka muttered as he looked away to the side.
Blinking once more at that comment, Zuko just had a realization.
Wait...that couldn't be what Katara was gonna say in the office...was it?
"Anyways," Sokka spoke up again, getting Zuko's attention, "I could ask Iroh, but he's like...an old guy or something, it just feels awkward. So...you came here, and I decided to ask you."
Zuko sighed, "You really didn't do it, did you?"
"No, Suki declined, and I respected that. It's just...I want to know if...she...wasn't like rejecting me or anything."
"Well...she could be old-fashioned."
"Yeah, I know, and that could be it. I just...well, I just want to know...I mean, I just don't want to think...she doesn't want to, you know?"
Zuko looked at him in sympathy, "Look, Sokka, I don't really know the whole story about what happened, but you have to respect her wishes if that's the case."
"Hey, I am! I am so totally respecting her wishes!" Sokka defended himself. "I just...want to make sure nothing is wrong with me."
"Sokka, there's plenty of things wrong with you."
"Hey!"
"But, Suki loves you the way you are. She likes being with you for one thing. And you seem to treat her really nice. She even laughs at your corny jokes."
"Hey, those jokes are very well crafted!"
Rolling his eyes, Zuko said, "But you get the idea, right? I would say she really does love you."
Sokka pouted but contemplates what Zuko said. "Hmm...yeah...and I love her too..."
Zuko nodded, "Okay then...so, is everything alright now?"
"...Yeah. Yeah, in a way."
"Good," Zuko looked awkward for a moment and said, "Don't worry about it, okay Sokka?"
The Water Tribe boy smiled, "Thanks, Zuko. I know you're not comfortable with this type of stuff, but it really makes me feel better to know that ya care."
"Uh, no problem," Zuko said with a shrug, looking uncomfortable.
Sokka snickered, "Okay, enough of this sensitive stuff. I'll get ready, and we'll see what's up on this island. Thanks again, buddy." the dark-skinned boy was about to close the door, until he stopped and said, "Oh, and...we'll find your mother someday. Who knows? Maybe she might be on this island..." now Sokka felt awkward all of a sudden, "Just...don't lose hope, okay?"
Zuko smiled back at the young man, "I won't...thanks, Sokka."
"No prob," Sokka smiled back, "Well, I'm getting ready. See ya then!" and with that, he closed the door.
As soon as he did, Zuko stood there for a second and sighed. "Right..."
He heard another door opening and turned around to see that Iroh was exiting Suki's room. The older man saw Zuko and smiled, "Oh, Zuko. Are you about to tell Sokka?"
"Um, I just did," the Fire Lord looked at Iroh oddly, "Did you tell Suki?"
"That I did, along with reassuring her some things," Iroh said with a nod.
"Oh," Zuko can guess what it was about but chose not to bring it up, "Okay. Well, Aang, as well as the rest of the team and I, need to get ready to go to this island."
"Actually, do you have room for one more?" Iroh said in a serious tone.
Zuko's eyes widened in shock, "Really? You want to go?"
Iroh nodded. "Something doesn't feel right about all this."
"You don't have to tell me twice," Zuko muttered to himself. He then told his uncle, "Uncle, are you sure?"
"There might be other hostile people on this island besides the prisoners, your father, and your sister. You could need all the help you can get," Iroh told him.
"...I don't know, Uncle. This could be a dangerous mission."
"Oh come now! I was once a General, I should be used to dangerous missions by now," Iroh jested.
"Yeah, but..." Zuko's words died there.
"Zuko, I can take care of myself, as I know you can take care of yourself. Let me accompany you like old times, Nephew." Iroh said with a smile. His smile turned into a grim frown, however, "I do want to know if your mother is there as well."
Zuko said nothing for a bit, until he sighed, "Okay, Uncle. You can come with us. But who's gonna look after the nation while I'm gone?"
"Hmm...good question," Iroh muttered, thinking about it, "...Well, how about that Masahiro fellow?" Iroh suggested.
"Masahiro?" Zuko said in surprise.
"Yes, he seems devoted to you. Maybe you can tell him to look after things before you go?"
Zuko thought about it, "...I do trust him...and he does have some experience around the Palace and some of the politics. Plus, he's been reliable...I might as well." he confirmed with a nod.
"Then it's settled!" Iroh said with a smile, "Now, as you said, we don't have time to squander, so we all have to be prepared for this trip. Right now, you can tell Masahiro about looking over things from here and bring anything that you think you might need to accompany you."
Chuckling, the teenage Fire Lord nodded and says, "Right..."
"Well then, let's get to it!" Iroh said, a little jovially.
As soon as they went off in their respective directions, they both have different thoughts.
I hope things won't go from bad to worse on this mission. Zuko thought to himself grimly.
Something is amiss from all this...whatever it may be, you have to be strong, Zuko. Iroh thought gravely.
Before getting ready to go to the island, Zuko told Masahiro to look after the Palace while he, his friends, and his Uncle are gone. Masahiro was shocked, not knowing if he can fulfill this request, but Zuko told him that he believes in him and that he and everyone else won't be gone for long. After much convincing, Masahiro agreed to look after things while the young Fire Lord is gone.
As soon as they all got ready and had a quick breakfast, they, including Momo and Iroh(which came as a nice surprise from all of them), all boarded onto Appa. The air bison took off and flew over countless Fire Nation villages and islands, while the Gaang and Iroh all converse one another. Sokka and Suki, from Zuko and Iroh's standpoint, looked as if nothing was ever quarreling between them, happily talking to each other and giving each other affection. Toph and Iroh talked along the way as well, with Momo resting alongside Toph's shoulders. Katara checked up on everyone after a while, talking to Aang, Toph, Sokka, Suki, Iroh, and even Zuko.
Speaking of Zuko, while they stopped to get a snack(Sokka's idea, obviously) in a village somewhere in the southern part of the Fire Nation, he could see that Aang is being closer to Katara. There was even a point where Aang was trying to hold onto her hand whenever he had the chance, only for Katara to slip out of his range when he was close. Nobody noticed except Zuko, and maybe Toph and Iroh, but he was seeing that the lack of physical contact was making Aang feel and look...downhearted and crestfallen. It started to make Zuko feel bad for him...
He needs to talk to Katara alone and wonder what it is that's making her rethink her relationship with Aang. Granted, he understands her dilemma, but he needs to know the whole story. Maybe when they reach this island, they'll have time to talk about it.
11:00 AM
They were almost there.
Flying for almost seven hours(actually, it was almost eight hours, if you count the stop), they're above the ocean, where their route to Sairento Hiruzu Island is coming up.
"How much longer?" whined Sokka.
"Sokka, if you say that one more time, so help me-" Katara began to rant until Iroh interrupted her by saying, "Now, now, there is no need for another quarrel."
"Yeah, honestly, if I have to hear Snoozles' whining and Sugar Queen's complaining one more time, I might as well go deaf while I'm at it," Toph remarked in annoyance.
"I think we're getting close," Aang told them upon Appa's head, his air-bending staff equipped on his back. "What do you think, Iroh, Zuko?"
"I think so. Again, this is the first time I've been there," Zuko replied.
"It looks like we could be close," Iroh said as he squinted up at the sky, "Hmm...it also looks like things are getting a little cloudy."
"Well, we should all prepare ourselves when we get there. We don't know what we might be up against," Suki advised everyone as she readied her metal fans.
"Good call, Suki," replied Sokka as he readied his 'space sword'.
Katara gathered the water from the ocean and put it all in her canteen, securing it, while Zuko has his Dao swords equipped on his back. They all sat quietly for when they reached the island...
Before long, Aang, with Momo on his shoulders, spotted something out in the distance.
"Hey...I think I see it!" Aang called out to them.
In the distance, there was a large stretched mass of land that appeared before them. On the land, there were miles among miles of beach-shore, and there were two large mound-like mountain hills that came into view. One other large mound-like mountain hill was in the background far off in the back of the island, making all three hills form into a triangle. Covering the whole island, including the mountain hills, were forest trees that spread its greenery like a blanket...but also covering the island and hills was a thick layer of fog.
"That could be it," Sokka said, stating the obvious.
"So that's Sairento Hiruzu..." Zuko said as he looked on at the island.
"It certainly does look quite majestic," Iroh commented.
"It looks kind of...mysterious," Katara said, throwing out her first impression.
"Wow. That's a lot of fog," Suki commented, "So there's a town there on this island?"
"There is. The town is called Silent Hills," Iroh said.
"Huh. Fitting," Sokka said in mild interest, "Really though, this is the island? Like Suki said, there's too much fog over there. How can this be a resort town if it doesn't look all...resorty?"
"Gee, I wish I know what it is you're all looking at," Toph dryly said in sarcasm.
"You're not missing much," Katara muttered to Toph.
Aang squinted at the island ahead, "It doesn't really yell 'fun' at first sight," He then looked up at the sky and saw that the sky was getting grayer and grayer, as more clouds were covering the sky and sun, "Huh...that's strange. It's getting cloudier than usual..."
Iroh seems to take notice of this too, "My, it certainly is. Wasn't it sunny an hour ago?"
"Aww man, don't tell me we're gonna get rain on now, of all times?" Sokka moaned.
"It looks like it," Katara said as she looked up at the clouds.
"Well, either way, we need to get there fast." remarked Aang, "Yip-yip, Appa!" he snapped the air-bison's reins, letting Appa go towards the island.
After five minutes have passed and they were about three minutes away from the shore of the island, Zuko spoke up and pointed, "Hey, I can see an airship!"
They all looked at where Zuko pointed and saw in plain sight an airship belonging to the Fire Nation. It was on the beach-shore line straight ahead, seemingly sitting there unattended.
Momo, who was resting on Aang's shoulders, slowly let his eyes open as he set his vision on the island...it was then his eyes shot wide open.
Appa was also fidgeting a little bit as he got closer to the beach.
"Whoa, everything okay, Appa?" Aang asked his animal buddy.
Then all of a sudden, Momo screeched in Aang's ear.
"AH!" Aang exclaimed, "Momo, what's up!?"
Momo swung his body on Aang's right shoulder and started chattering to him. Meanwhile, Appa began fidgeting a lot more and was slowing down.
"Whoa, Appa, what's wrong, boy?" Aang asked again.
"Aang? What's going on?" Katara asked him worriedly.
"Uh, why are we slowing down?" Sokka asked a little anxiously.
"Um, Twinkles? What's up with Hairball and Furball?" Toph asked him a little uneasily.
"I don't know. Appa and Momo are acting really strange," Aang said as he tried to control Appa. Momo then hung onto his arm and began pulling on his long sleeve, "Momo, what's gotten into you?"
Then, Appa was actually starting to turn away from the island.
"Huh? Appa, what are you doing? We're going that way," Aang reasoned with the air bison.
"Uh, Aang? Is something wrong with Appa?" Zuko asked in confusion.
"I think Appa is turning back," Aang said as he led Appa to the island, but to no avail. "Appa, no! That way!"
Appa snorted and moaned as he turned completely around.
"Appa, no! Why are you going the other way!? Down, boy, down!" Aang ordered Appa.
And that was what Appa did as he landed on the ocean's surface, spraying water up and in different directions.
"WHOA!" exclaimed Aang and the rest of the Gaang and Iroh. Momo, who was still holding onto Aang, got off of him and flew over to Toph once more as he started chattering to Toph.
"Ack! Yo, Furball, what's up with you?" Toph asked the critter.
"Is everyone okay?" Iroh head-counted the passengers on board Appa.
"Yeah, I'm fine." Katara.
"I'm good." Suki.
"Ditto." Toph.
"Me too." Zuko.
"Aang, why did Appa start acting all crazy!?" Sokka asked rather frantically.
"I...really don't know. He never acted like this before. I don't think Momo normally acts like this either," says Aang. He looks down at Appa, "What's wrong, Buddy?"
Appa groaned as he stayed there.
"Well, what did he say?" Sokka said dryly.
Aang shook his head, "I don't get it...you don't want to go to the island?"
Appa groaned again in reply.
"I'm guessing that's a 'yes'," Toph muttered, with Momo on her left shoulder.
"Appa, we have to go to the island. Come on, boy, yip-yip!" Aang said as he snapped his reins.
But Appa just stayed there with a groan.
"Appa!" Aang frowned.
It's been two minutes and Appa didn't budge.
"Aang, what's going on with Appa?" Zuko asked him.
"I don't know! He's just being stubborn for some reason. Appa, come on, boy!" Aang said exasperatedly.
Appa groaned in reply.
"Uuuugh!" Aang then gave up, "What are we gonna do? We're almost right there near the shore!
"Hmm..." Iroh hummed as he stroked his beard, "Something isn't right here..."
"Yeah," Toph said, "Didn't somebody say that animals can sense danger or something like that?"
"Appa is just being a big baby for some reason..." Aang pouted, clearly disappointed in his air bison.
"Well, we can't just float here. We need to get to the island as fast as we can," Zuko remarked.
Katara looked at the ocean for a moment and began to have an idea, "Hold on..." she then stood up and threw her hands out as she began to freeze the water, creating an icy platform.
"Okay then. Everyone get on!" Katara then slid off of Appa and landed on the ice platform.
"What the!? Katara, are you crazy!? What do you think you're doing!?" Sokka exclaimed at her in shock.
As soon as she got her footing on the ice platform, she turned to her brother, "If Appa can't get us over there, then I can use the water to move this ice platform over to the island!"
"Are you sure?" asked Zuko, "It could take probably fifteen minutes for you to lug us all over to the island."
Katara raised a brow and put her hands on her hips, "I'll have you know, that I have a lot of stamina when it comes to propelling an ice platform to another area. For me, I bet it would last only three minutes."
"Well, I don't doubt you. You are an excellent water-bender," Iroh said with a smile.
"I didn't say I doubted her, I just didn't want her to stress herself out from moving the water so much," Zuko said in defense.
"Well thank you, Zuko, that's very kind of you," she said with a smirk, "But you shouldn't worry, I can handle this type of effort."
Zuko let his eyes look from the left as he rubbed the back of his head and said, "Okay..."
Aang frowned at that exchange.
"You know, we might as well go with the ice platform at this point," advised Suki, "Appa's not moving any further, so we should try the next best thing."
"Well, I guess if it gets us there faster, then we probably should," Toph said as she patted Iroh, "Carry me over there, will ya Pops?"
Iroh chuckled, "Why sure, Lady Toph!"
Sokka groaned at this predicament, "Oh man..."
"Oh, quit complaining, Sokka, and just get on the ice platform! The sooner you get on here, the faster we'll get to the island!" Katara argued.
"You might as well Sokka," Suki told him, "It could rain on us anytime."
Sokka groaned louder this time, but relented, "Okay, okay. Just don't make it into a bumpy ride."
Katara rolled her eyes and directed them at Aang, "Come on Aang, you're gonna have to leave Appa for a while."
Aang felt kind of torn about leaving his air bison out here in the ocean or going off to help his friends. Of course, his duty won out in the end as he sighed and told Appa, "Sorry, Buddy. You gonna have to stay here for a while I guess."
Momo then got off Toph's shoulder and went to Aang, chattering to him nonstop. Aang blinked at Momo, "I don't know what's gotten into you, either...I'm guessing you want to stay here too?"
Momo chattered and gave him a nod.
"Um...okay...but you guys will come to us when we get everyone, right?" Aang asked hopefully.
Appa and Momo each groaned and chattered. If Aang had to guess, they were saying 'yes'.
"Okay then...well, you two behave while we're gone, okay?" Aang told them.
And so, with his air-bending staff on his back, Aang and everyone else got on the ice platform.
After exactly three minutes, they arrived at the beach shoreline.
"Wow, Katara! You really improved!" Suki said in amazement, "And I gotta say, that was fun!"
"Yeah..." Zuko said stunned, eyes widened as he wobbled over to the sand.
"Uuugh..." Sokka moaned as he wobbled over to the sand as well, "You see, Zuko? I have a crazy sister too." he said next to the Fire Lord.
WHAP!
"OW! My butt!" Sokka exclaimed.
Katara, retracting the water whip and sending it back to the ocean, gave out a 'hmph!'.
"Hoo boy, thank goodness I hung onto you, Iroh," Toph said as she hopped of Iroh's back and landed on the sand. "Aaaah...even though it's sand, it's still good ol' earth!"
Iroh chuckled, "It was quite exhilarating."
Aang was the last one who jumped off the platform, "Alright...here we are."
As they all got their bearings, they looked around the beach shore to get a glimpse of their surroundings.
...It seemed they were all surrounded by fog.
"Man, what is up with this fog?" Sokka said looking around.
"Who would want to have a vacation here?" Katara asked herself as she squinted through the fog that was encasing the trees.
"Wow...this place almost seems kind of...eerie," Suki said uneasily, adjusting her Kyoshi Warrior getup.
"Well lucky for you guys, I can't see what you're seeing...wait a minute..."
"What is it, Toph?" Aang asked.
"Shh..." Toph hushed, "Everyone, be quiet."
"What's going on?" Zuko softly asked.
"Quiet, Sparky!" Toph hissed and they all stood silent for a moment... "...I don't hear anything."
Sokka gave her a dry look, "Really? Is that your way of delivering a joke?"
"No, Snoozles!" Toph hissed irritably, "Usually, on an island, we get at least some sound of animal life...but, I'm not hearing any of it."
"You're not?" Aang questioned.
"Well...maybe we're not near any animal habitats?" Katara tried to reason.
"Well, what I mean by no animals, I mean...like, no insects either," Toph elaborated.
"What? Really?" Zuko said in bafflement.
"Yeah...I mean, I don't know for certain, we haven't really trekked anywhere near that's far, and we're on the sand right now, but so far besides you all and the ocean waves, I'm hearing...nothing," Toph confirmed.
Everyone took a moment to let that sink in...
"...That is most troublesome," Iroh stated.
"What? Aw come on, so it's a little quiet here. That's actually relaxing. I mean, it's called Silent Hills for a reason, right?" Sokka rationalized.
"I don't know..." Katara said, feeling a little troubled by it, "That's kind of creepy to know that nothing can be heard on a big island like this."
"Yeah..." Zuko contemplates this, "...Well, either way, we're here. And so is my father, Azula, the prisoners, and anyone else who lives on this island, as well as the task force I sent. We got to move forward on finding them."
"That's right," Iroh turned serious, "We must not let my brother go back into power. From this point forward, we have a mission to fulfill."
"Then we should all get going," Aang said as he turned serious as well. He looked around the foggy area, "We might need to use our fire-bending to lead ourselves in the fog."
"Good idea," Zuko said as he conjured up a flame in his hand, along with Iroh. Aang conjured up a flame as well, the three of their flames lighting up the fog.
"We'll check on the airship just in case," Zuko stated as he went to the airship that was a little ahead from them.
They all followed him, and when they got to the airship, the hangar door was opened. As they looked inside, it was all empty and devoid of any soldiers, including the messenger hawk that Zuko received back at the Palace.
"Nothing," Zuko said softly.
"Well, we probably should head to the forest..." Katara turned to the trees that beckon them to enter.
They stood there for a bit, wondering what awaits them inside the forest...
"Let's just hope there's no bad malevolent spirit in there," Sokka joked, trying to lighten up the mood.
"Sokka, now's not the time to joke," Suki said with a dull look.
Zuko sighed, "Let's just go..."
And that's what they did. They advanced forward as they entered the woods...
As they walked by and passed the trees, Katara noticed something...
"...It's not raining," she whispered to herself.
"Huh?" Aang uttered, who was beside her.
Katara shook her head, "Nothing."
Aang looked confused, but said, "Okay..."
Meanwhile, as he walked, Zuko looked around the forest, glancing at trees upon trees...
...Is the fog getting thicker? Zuko thought in slight dread.
They kept walking...and walking...
...Walking towards the town...
...the town of Silent Hills.
End of Chapter 7
OKAY, SO TECHNICALLY, THEY DON'T ARRIVE IN THE TOWN, THEY ARRIVE ON THE ISLAND FIRST. XP
But hey, the next chapter will be when we get to Silent Hill! So prepare yourselves for some creepy stuff, everyone! ;D
Until then, tell me how I did! X) You know the drill; fave, follow and review! Thank you all for reading, and keep on rocking everybody! ^_^
-TSP