Water Lily in a Sea of Fire

Chapter 82: Tracking the Avatar...Again

It was their last morning on Ember Island, and Zuko and Chiara followed their morning routine. They were a little quieter than usual, both feeling down about leaving the beach house. During breakfast, Zuko, Sokka, and Izin studied a map of the main island discussing last minute plans of where they wanted to land and where they would infiltrate Capital City under ground. Once inside the city, they would work their way towards the palace to get to Ozai before Sozin's Comet arrived. Zuko was hoping they might have the help of the White Lotus cell in the Capital, but they made their plans without them since they were unsure of the Order's current status.

After breakfast the Gaang packed up to leave Ember Island.

"Okay," said Sokka after loading the last bag onto Appa, "that's everything."

"No, it's not," said Toph. "Where's Aang?"

They all looked around. Everyone had been so busy, no one had noticed that Aang was not there.

"Has anyone seen him today?" asked Katara.

They shook their heads.

"We've been looking at maps all morning," said Sokka.

"I didn't see him at breakfast," said Chiara.

They all returned inside the beach house.

"Aang?" called Zuko as they entered. "Aang!"

"Come on, lazy bones, let's go," said Toph.

Splitting up they checked all the rooms but there was no trace of the Avatar.

Izin walked up to Zuko. "He's not in any of the rooms on this side, sir."

"Let's find the others," he said as they started up the stairs.

Sokka returned to Aang's bedroom, and this time he stepped out onto the balcony. Looking around puzzled by the Avatar's disappearance, he spotted his staff leaning against the railing.

"He left his staff," he said picking it up as Suki and Katara walked out. "That's so strange."

"Aang's nowhere downstairs," said Zuko as he, Chiara, Toph, and Izin stepped outside with the others.

"We checked all the bedrooms and the attic," said Katara.

Zuko was looking out at the sea. "Let's check the beach."

They headed down the path towards the shore.

"Look, there's his footprints," said Sokka spotting Aang's prints in the sand.

They followed them down to the water.

"The trail ends here," he said as they stood at the edge of the shore.

"So, he went for a midnight swim and never came back?" asked Suki.

Katara was worried it might be something more sinister. "Maybe he was captured."

"I don't think so," said Sokka studying the prints. "There's no sign of a struggle."

Toph squatted next to him. "I bet he ran away again."

"Uh-uh," he disagreed. "He left behind his glider and Appa."

"Then what do you think happened to him, oh sleuthy one?" she asked.

"It's pretty obvious. Aang mysteriously disappears before an important battle? He's definitely on a spirit world journey," he said with confidence.

"But if he was, wouldn't his body still be here?" asked Zuko.

"Oh, yeah." Sokka looked dejected. "Forgot about that."

"Then he's got to be somewhere on Ember Island," said Katara. "Let's split up and look for him."