Falling, Fallen

Chapter 14: Missing

Later that night, Team Avatar shares a meal outside. Aang faces away from the rest of the group. "I have a surprise for everyone!" Katara smiles holding a scroll. "I knew it! You do have a secret thing with Zuko!" Toph smiles while Sokka, Suki, and Zuko look at her strangely. Zuko and Katara blush and scoot away from each other. "Uh, no." Everybody else starts eating again. Zuko a little more disappointed than the others. "I was looking for cooking pots in the attic, and I found this!" She unravels the scroll showing a painting of a happy dark-haired baby playing at the beach. "Look at baby Zuko. Isn't he cute?" Everybody except Zuko laughs. "Oh, lighten up. I'm just teasing." "That's not me. It's my father." Katara rolls up the scroll. "But he looks so sweet and innocent." Suki comments. "Well, that sweet little kid grew up to be a monster, and the worst father in the history of fathers." "But he's still a human being." Aang mutters. "You're going to defend him?" Aang stands up "No, I agree with you. Fire Lord Ozai is a horrible person, and the world would probably be better off without him, but there's got to be another way." "Like what?" Zuko crosses his arms. "I don't know." Aang suddenly perks up. "Maybe we can make some big pots of glue, and then I can use gluebending to stick his arms and legs together so he can't bend anymore." Zuko rolls his eyes. "Yeah, then you can show him his baby pictures, and all those happy memories will make him good again." Suki and Sokka laugh behind him. "Do you really think that would work?" Aang says hopefully. "No!" Zuko says bluntly. Aang paces back and forth. "This goes against everything I learned from the monks. I can't just go around wiping out people I don't like." Sokka shrugs. "Sure you can. You're the Avatar. If it's in the name of keeping balance, I'm pretty sure the universe will forgive you." Aang turns back to Sokka; losing his temper. "This isn't a joke, Sokka! None of you understand the position I'm in." "Aang, we do understand. It's just ..." "Just what, Katara? What?" Katara frowns not appropriating being yelled at. "We're trying to help!" "Then, when you figure out a way for me to beat the Fire Lord without taking his life, I'd love to hear it!" He walks away. "Aang, don't walk away from this." Katara starts toward Aang. Zuko a hand on Katara's shoulder to stop her. "Let him go. He needs time to sort it out by himself."

The next morning Appa eats some hay while Sokka sits on his saddle loading everything. "Okay, that's everything." "No, it's not. Where's Aang?" Toph asks. Team Avatar runs to the beach house. "Aang? Aang!" "Come on, lazy bones, let's go." Suki and Katara run to check one side of the beach house. Sokka, Zuko, and Toph run to check the other side. Zuko opens a door, but does not find Aang. Toph shrugs to show Zuko she has not found him either. Zuko checks the porch, scratching his head. He spots Aang's staff as Katara and Suki follow him. "He left his staff." Sokka picks up the staff. "That's so strange." Zuko walks onto the porch with Toph. "Aang's not in the house. Let's check the beach."
"Look, there's his footprints." They follow it down the beach. "The trail ends here." Sokka says pointing to the water. "So, he went for a midnight swim and never came back?" Suki asks. "Maybe he was captured." Sokka examines the footprints. "I don't think so. There's no sign of a struggle." "I bet he ran away again." Toph admits. "Uh-uh. He left behind his glider and Appa." "Then what do you think happened to him, oh sleuthy one?" "It's pretty obvious. Aang mysteriously disappears before an important battle? He's definitely on a Spirit World journey." Sokka says. "But if he was, wouldn't his body still be here?" Zuko asks. "Oh, yeah. Forgot about that." "Then he's got to be somewhere on Ember Island. Let's split up and look for him."
Toph latches onto Zuko's arm. Zuko blushes. "I'm going with Zuko!" Sokka, Suki, and Katara stare at her. "What?! Everyone else went on a life-changing field trip with Zuko. Now it's my turn."
Sokka rides on Appa, searching the shores for Aang. In Harbor City, Suki and Katara approach a group of people gathered in a circle. "Aang! Aang! Aang! Aang! Aang! Aang! Aang! Aang! Aang! Aang! Aang! Aang! Aang! Aang!" Katara and Suki glance at each other and simultaneously run into the circle. They find Actress Aang in the center of the crowd. "Avatar State! Yip-yip!" Actor Toph lifts her up in the air as the crowd cheers.
Suki and Katara become frustrated by the false lead.
Toph and Zuko walking along the beach. "And then when I was nine, I ran away again." "Uh-huh." Zuko mutters not really listening. He wished he was with Katara right now. "I know I shouldn't complain. My parents gave me everything I ever asked for, but they never gave me the one thing I really wanted, their love. You know what I mean?" Zuko sighs and stops walking. "Look, I know you had a really rough childhood, but we should really focus on finding Aang." "This is the worst field trip ever." She sighs. and continues walking.