AtLA Rewritten: Edition 1

Chapter 34

They met that night in the dining room, seated on the floor mats around the table. Katara sat between Aang and Sokka, and Dai sat by Toph. The Fire Kingdom Royalty took the heads of the table on either end.

As the staff brought their food in, Toph crossed her arms. "What do we have so far?" she asked, "Because if they don't talk... I can make them. If you would allow me, Zuko." She grinned.

Athlea blinked a few times. "I mean... it depends on what Zuko decides. I don't make the calls when it comes to punishments."

"Have they really not spoken, other than that phrase about Azula?" Sokka asked, smiling and reaching for food. "That's tiring. They're not giving us any hints." Zuko nodded.

"Yeah, no shit, Sokka," Toph muttered sarcastically.

Athlea looked at Zuko. "What do you think?" she asked calmly.

Zuko shook his head. "I would love to watch that, Toph, but if they're on Azula's side she's probably got them trained like dogs to not respond." He bit his lip, then sighed. "I know not letting them shower will only mildly bother them. I think what I'll have to do now is starve them until they talk. For now, should we go look for Azula?"

Athlea sighed softly.

Toph rolled her eyes. "Boring," she said. "Not letting them shower or eat won't make them talk. We need to beat it out of them!"

Zuko raised an eyebrow at Toph. "I'll think about it." Sokka's facial expression mirrored Zuko's as he ate. "I have a lot to consider about torturing someone," he pointed out. "The entire Fire Nation would judge us about it."

Toph shrugged. "I would do it, not you two," she responded as Athlea watched her.

"We can't do that, Toph. We've just tried shining a brighter light on the Fire Nation. If words gets out that we started torturing it wouldn't be good. It would be contradictory," Athlea explained calmly.

Zuko shook his head. "You need our permission to do it. Starving is cruel enough."

"Then where are we going to look?" Aang asked. "I don't think we have any leads as to where she might be."

Athlea took a sip from her glass of water and set it down. "She shouldn't be far. Somewhere in the Fire Nation, and if not in the capital, somewhere outside of it and outside of the villages. Somewhere that she knows is silent and where no one would go."

Zuko frowned. "She's got to be in the fire nation. Azula would never leave unless she was pursuing someone. Somewhere remote."

Dai pursed her lips. "Are there any islands nearby?"

Athlea looked at Dai and then she nodded. "Like... five or so. Three of them are empty, so maybe at one of those?"

Toph smirked. "You better, sometimes you need to force answers out of people, especially when your life is at risk." she said as she faced forward with a nod.

Aang blinked. He looked at Katara for a second and then at Zuko. "We could leave at night," he suggested. "Explore and maybe see for ourselves."

Katara nodded. "I think that's a good start," she told Athlea. "Sounds good to me. Tonight or tomorrow?"

Aang nodded and looked at Zuko and Athlea. "It's up to you two."

"I say tonight," Sokka said as he ate. "Get on with it faster."

Zuko shrugged a shoulder. "We can go tonight."

Dai slapped the table and pointed at Athlea. "I call dibs on riding the cool dragon. Armor time!" She ran off, giggling.

Katara squinted after her. "She's... odd."

Athlea blinked a few times and sat there for a few seconds before giggling. "Looks like I'm riding with you, Zuko," she said, smiling as she stood up.

Zuko smiled. "Apparently." They followed Athlea out to the animals.

Athlea pat her blue dragon. "Be nice, Brasa," she told her calmly. Dai sat on her proudly.

Toph, Aang, and Katara got on Appa, while Athlea joined Zuko on the red dragon. "We should be careful. Not only because it is night, but in general. We never know," Athlea warned everyone.

Zuko nodded. He had ordered the stable hands to put the armor on their dragons; they used the lighter set since they didn't know what they were getting into. "Of course," Katara said. Dai gave Brasa's reins a little whip and she soared away, Zuko close behind her. It didn't take them long to reach the islands; flying was much faster than walking or riding.

"Should we land?" Aang asked.

Athlea took a second to think and then nodded. "Yeah, let's go." The animals landed, their paws crunching on the rocks. Waves lapped at the shore and the wind blew softly.

"Let's proceed with caution..." she advised as Sokka took the lead.

"What's the worst that can happen?" he asked with a chuckle. Katara smacked him.

Zuko pushed his way in front of Sokka, leading them along the island's sandy edge into some woods. Katara walked alongside Aang, her canteen open and ready. Dai held her staff close. Zuko lit a flame in his hand so they could see better. Athlea lit a flame of her own.

After a few moments of silence, Sokka hugged himself. "This place looks abandoned. Haunted, even," he said as he walked, glancing around with worry.

Katara frowned. "I wonder if anyone is here." Up ahead through the forest, there was a rockfall.

Dai gave Sokka's hand a squeeze. "Poor boy," she teased. Her eyes shined with exhilaration, and she let him go, rushing ahead.

Sokka blinked, approaching a plant. "Huh? What is this?" he mumbled. He blinked, realizing he shouldn't get distracted, but when he looked forward, the lights had disappeared. "Eh?" Sokka jogged forward. "Hello? Where are--" His eyelids hung over his eyes, and he suddenly collapsed.