Ember Island [ON HOLD]

01 S

"We're here!" Katara's cheerful voice rang out, causing everyone to gain a little pep in their step. We had been walking for thirty minutes, lugging all our stuff to the beach house.

"Vayyycation! We haven't had a chance to really relax alone together in almost two years!" Said Aang, patting Katara's shoulder as he grabbed for the keys in his pocket. It was true; after the war ended we all had gotten busy with our own duties, and we hadn't gotten the chance to be together in a long time. After Toph's sixteenth birthday, we all agreed we needed a vacation. So we packed up, cleared the month, and headed to Ember Island for some much needed relaxation.

"So when are we heading to the beach?!" I asked excitedly, ready to dive into the warm, salty water.

"Sokka, we just got here! My feet hurt. We're not going to the beach right now." Toph said, kicking me hard in the back of the leg. I yelped and turned around, ready to scrap with the tiny earth-bender. She assumed a fighting stance, and I was about to make a move when I felt someone push us apart.

"We came here to relax, guys. Can we not fight for three seconds?" Zuko said, lightly shoving me forward towards the stairs. I huffed but started the climb to the house.

"Zuko's right. We all agreed we needed a vacation, and now we get to be in this beautiful house for a month together. Let's just get along, okay?" Katara pleaded, already halfway to the porch.  

"And this is the Firelord's vacation home. Zuko's vacation home. He was nice enough to offer it up!" Aang added. Toph and I rolled our eyes, but we both knew they were right.

We all climbed up the stone stairs to the porch, reaching the top and almost collapsing. I think we would maybe need a nap instead of the beach.

Aang unlocked the door and pushed it open, revealing a beautifully decorated entryway. Everything was red and gold, and the wood was dark and polished. There was a staircase on the left side and a hallway to the kitchen on the right. The whole room was filled with windows, letting plenty of natural light.

"There are other sets of keys in the dining room, through the kitchen. There should be one for each of us." Zuko said, dropping his bags on the floor and heading through the hallway. We all copied him, checking out the kitchen on the way. We each got a set of keys, which Zuko had labeled with our names. Mine had a little sword drawn on it!

"Okay, so there are three bedrooms. How should we split them up? I'm guessing Katara and Aang want to share..." Zuko said awkwardly, causing the two of them to blush. Aang laughed and nodded. 

"No offense, but I don't wanna share with Sokka- he snores." Toph said, crossing her arms.

"I do not!"

"Do to!"

"Do not!"

"Do to!"

"Do not!" 

"Agh! I will share a room with Sokka. Toph can have her own room!" Zuko said loudly, rubbing his forehead. Toph smirked, prancing out of the dining room. I was steaming. What was her problem? Maybe she was hungry. I knew I was. 

"I think we're all a little tired from the ride here and the walk. Why don't we all go to our rooms and unpack? Freshen up, power nap, whatever we need. Then we can reconvene later for dinner. How does that sound?" Katara said, smiling and trying to made peace. We all murmured our agreements and headed for the stairs.

"The kitchens' fully stocked; I'll make some Fire Noodles for dinner." Zuko offered. We all nodded hungrily. 

"How spicy are Fire Noodles?" Aang asked, his eyes growing wide. Zuko laughed.

"I'll make the sauce separate. Don't worry Aang." He said, slinging on his backpack. We all picked up our bags and headed up the stairs. There were four doors. The middle one was closed, so I figured Toph claimed it as her own. Aang and Katara headed for the leftmost door, so Zuko and I trudged to the third door. 

"That fourth one is a bathroom, but all the bedrooms have connecting bathrooms." Zuko explained, pushing our bedroom door open. We froze in the doorway, staring into the room.

There was only one bed.