Renegaded Spirits

Disappeared

The next morning the team started to pack up to head closer as everyone helped load their stuff onto appa. Zuko handed Sokka a bag as Suki watched Zuko and noticed something.

"Hey," she poked his shoulder.

"Stop it," he swatted her hand away as it was to early for this.

"Is that a hickie?" Suki whispered to him and Zuko sputtered as she pointed at his collarbone just under his shirt. It wasn't noticeable except for a certain angle she saw.

"Shh Shh Shh!" He looked at her as Katara walked over with her own bag.

"You gave Zuko a hickie?" Suki gasped a laugh covering her mouth so Sokka didn't hear as Katara looked at the reddish purple spot on his skin.

"Oh no, embarrassing," she taunted with a small smile and light blush across her face.

"So where's hers?" Suki whispered to him smirking and Zuko burned red.

"S-Shut up," he grumbled embarrassed now as the two girls looked amused by him.

"Okay That should be everything," Katara told her brother handing her his bag.

"No it's not," Toph cut in.

"Where's Aang?" She asked.

He wasn't around. In fact no ones seen him all morning.

They all immediately went to search for him as appa happily ate his hay. They ran up the stairs in the beach house of the main room that use to be the dining area.

"Aang?" Zuko called.

"Come on lazy bones! Let's go!" Toph yelled for him.

They nodded and split up separately as they checked both sides of the house as Toph went with Zuko to check the bedrooms. Nothing.

Sokka checked the balcony where Aang meditates mainly and saw his staff was leaning against the side. Suki and Katara walked over to him finding nothing as well.

"He left his staff, that's so strange," Sokka picked it up as Toph and Zuko joined them.

"Aangs not in the house, we should check the beach," Zuko told them with Toph at his side.

—

"Those are his foot prints," Sokka pointed out as they spent a half hour looking on the beach and finally came across his freakishly small feet.

"The trail ends here," he looked ahead seeing aangs foot prints going straight into the ocean.

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

"Maybe he was captured," Katara looked at the waters worried. Guilty for the anger the night before.

"I don't think so, there's no signs of a struggle," Sokka told his sister kneeling to the sand.

"He probably ran away again, he always gets pouty when sugar queen disagrees with him," Toph crossed her arms with a shrug.

"It's not her fault," Zuko frowned at the blind girl.

"What happened when he found out about your relationship? When he was in love with your girlfriend?" Toph asked flatly.

"He ran away.."

"Well he left his glider and appa behind, he always has his glider," Sokka stopped them from arguing.

"Then what do you think happened to him oh sleuthy one?" Toph asked sarcastically.