Trust | Zukka

[ T H I R T E E N ]

"Appa! Up!"

Zuko was sitting in Appa's saddle, flicking the reins upwards. Everybody else sat behind him in uncomfortable silence as he attempted to get the bison into the air.

"Up!" Zuko repeated, louder this time.

"You gotta...uh," Katara made a face. "You gotta say it."

"Do I really?" Zuko grimaced. "I thought Aang just liked saying it."

"Um, no," Katara said slowly. "Appa won't fly unless you say it. Why would Aang make that up?"

"I don't know," Zuko snapped. "Maybe he thought it was funny or something?"

"Just say it, Hothead!" Toph shouted impatiently.

Zuko sighed.

"Yip, yip!"

Appa grunted. With a swish of his tail, his large body began slowly lifting off the ground. Within minutes, they were flying among the clouds.

To say that the ride was awkward would have been an understatement.

Zuko trained his eyes forward as he steered them through the air. Katara leaned towards Appa's head, bouncing her leg anxiously. Sokka was sitting as far away from the front of the saddle as possible, turning his boomerang over and over in his hands.

For several minutes, the only sound was the howling of the wind.

"So," Suki said in an attempt to break the silence. "The mountains look really pretty from up here, don't they?"

Nobody answered her.

"Well I think they look beautiful," Toph said after a few seconds.

"Thank you, Toph," Suki said sarcastically.

"No problem," Toph replied.

"Wait," Katara said suddenly. "Why are we heading towards the Earth Kingdom?"

"We are?" Toph asked. "Not to tell you how to do your job, Zuko, but there's no way Aang's there."

Zuko glanced over his shoulder at them.

"Just trust me."

After what seemed like forever, they finally landed in a small, dark clearing in the forest. A few yards away stood a dingy, grey building with a straw roof that looked as if it might cave in at any second.

"Where are we?" Toph asked as she slid off of Appa's back.

"Some sketchy Earth Kingdom tavern," Sokka answered.

"Why?" Toph asked. "So we can drink away our sorrows about Aang?"

"I could go for a nice pint of cactus juice right about now," Sokka muttered.

Toph laughed as they began walking towards the tavern. Zuko, who had ignored Toph's sarcasm, was ahead of everyone, already pushing the door open.

"And you brought us here why?" Katara called out from behind him.

They finally caught up with him, all crowding in the small doorway. Zuko was pointing at someone in the center of the room.

Ty Lee gasped.

"Mai?"

Sure enough, the raven-haired Fire Nation girl was sitting at one of the tables, sipping her drink as she scanned the room. Suddenly, a man in tattered clothes ran up to her and snatched the bag out of her hands. She slowly got to her feet, looking almost bored.