2Avatar: The Lost Airbender
Book 1: Finding the Airbender
Chapter 1: The Search
It was a happy day in the Fire Nation, the weather was hot and everyone was happy. No one expected bad news to come.
Fire Lord Zuko, was the happiest of all. It was his first day off as Fire Lord, and he was spending with his girlfriend, Mai. But fate would have it another way.
A ship from the Earth Kingdom carried news that was going to change everything.
/…/…/…/
Zuko had prepared everything, food, entertainment and a ship to prepared to sail to Ember Island at noon. Zuko walked to Mai's house carrying nothing but a picnic basket. Mai opened the door and smiled at Zuko, Zuko loved it when she smiled.
Just as Zuko entered Mai's house, a guard busted through the door, yelling. "IMPORTANT NEWS FROM THE EARTH KINGDOM!" The guard yelled.
"Not now, I'm not The Fire Lord today." Zuko said, taking Mai's hand, and walking toward the door.
"This news aren't for the Fire Lord." the guard pleaded, but Zuko kept walking. "This news are concerning the Avatar." Zuko slowed his pace, but it was clear the guard had his attention, as they walked out of the house. "The Avatar is missing."
This caught Zuko and Mai's full attention, they stopped. "Aang's missing?" Zuko asked, the guard nodded.
"The Avatar's friends has sent the news, they expects you to meet them at Jade Dragon." the guard said.
"I will go immediately." Zuko said. "Sent word to my ship, we have moved course to the Earth Kingdom."
The guard bowed and left running to the docks. Zuko turned to Mai. "I'm sorry, I pr-" Zuko said but Mai cut him off.
"Go, I understand." she said, just as her personal guard, Alecius, came to her side.
"Thanks," Zuko turned to Alecius. "Take care of her." Zuko said, Alecius bowed. Mai gave Zuko a hug and she left with Alecius.
Zuko watch Mai go, until he couldn't see her anymore. Then he turned for the docks, were he's ship waited for him.
/…/…/…/
Zuko's ship reached Ba Sing Se the next day at sun rise, Zuko ditched his Fire Lord clothes and guards and left for his Uncle's tea shop, The Jade Dragon.
As Zuko reached The Jade Dragon, he saw Sokka and Suki coming out. He rushed forward to greet his friends he hadn't seen in months.
"Zuko!" Suki exclaimed as she saw him.
"Hey dude," Sokka said, greeting him. "Where are you guards?"
"Ditched them at my ship, how are things?" Zuko said.
"Not bad, besides Aang's disappearance." Sokka said as the three teens walked inside the tea shop.
"Zuko!" Iroh called out.
"Hello uncle." Zuko said as Iroh gave Zuko a bear hug.
"Hey sparky." Toph said. "Long time no see." Toph laughed at her oxymoron. Sokka gave her one of his fake laughs.
"Where's Katara?" Zuko asked. Everyone got silent, Suki pointed at the back room of the tea shop.
"She not good sparky, she's been in there ever since she told us Aang was missing." Toph said. Zuko nodded and walked inside the back room, he saw Katara sitting with her legs crossed, facing a the wall, she looked like she'd been crying for days.
"Katara?" Zuko said walking closer to her, she looked up towards him, mumbling words he couldn't make out. "What?" he asked gently as he sat facing her.
"It's all my fault, he's missing because of me, I just know it." she said, Zuko didn't like the way she sounded like, he preferred happy, hopeful Katara, not sad, gloomy Katara.
"It's not your fault Aang went missing."
"But it was! I know it!" she said, crying on his shoulders.
"Stop blaming yourself, we'll find him. " he said.
"You promise?"
"I promise, I won't rest until we find Aang and you back to usual self." he said.
"Thanks Zuko." Katara said drying her tears and hugging Zuko.
/…/…/…/
The next morning, the Gaang left The Jade Dragon with Iroh on Appa, they were to start their search at the Fire Nation. Iroh was to take Fire Lord responsibilities until Zuko got back from searching for Aang.
"We should start our search at the main land, than move to the southern islands. " Sokka said, spreading his map of the Fire Nation out.
"It would take us about a week to search all of the Fire Nation." Katara said. "Maybe we should split up into two groups."
"Not a good idea, if someone kidnapped Aang, they would be very powerful, we should stick together." Suki said, everyone agreed.
The Gaang searched day and night, without rest for two days at the main land, they always got the same answer from everyone the asked, no one had seen Aang. Now they were moving on to the southern islands, and they were all very tired.
The waves from the sea were very strong and they were reaching high, Appa was very tired. Soon everyone aboard Appa fell asleep, and when a wave reached for Appa they all went over board.
/…/…/…/