An Innocent Spark [Zukka]

Chapter 25: The Next Morning

Zuko had stayed at the park for a few hours after the fireworks had ended, thinking about what had happened and what he was going to do. By the time he got back to the house the lights were all out and he assumed everyone was sleeping.

He dropped the blanket they had sat on at the end of his bed before collapsing onto the bed. He did not even bother to change into his pajamas, opting to stare at the ceiling instead for what felt like hours.

Eventually the tiredness caught up to him and he fell asleep, tossing and turning the entire night as nightmares tormented his mind.

                                                               --

Banging on his bedroom door woke Zuko up. He rolled out of bed and walked groggily over to the door, opening it and angrily asking, "What?"

"Whoa Zuko you don't look like you slept very much," Aang said and his cheerful voice adopted a more serious tone. "I went to wake Sokka up, but he didn't answer. When I opened the door he wasn't there, and it looked like he hadn't even come back last night."

The concern in Aang's voice was real and Zuko looked back at the blanket sitting in front of his bed. He saw Sokka running away from him the previous night vividly and his heart started racing.

"He's in trouble," Zuko said now fully awake. He quickly went to grab his swords and he put on his shoes. They couldn't waste any time if Sokka had already been gone the entire night.

"Where's Sokka?" a Toph asked and yawned large enough to swallow the whole house.

"He's missing and we're going to look for him," Zuko said before Aang could say a word. It was his fault Sokka was missing and it was his responsibility to find him.

Toph got ready quickly and the three were out the door in five minutes. Their first stop was the freedom fighter's flat in the lower ring. When they broke open the door a shocked Smellerbee and Longshot scrambled for their weapons.

"Where is he?" Zuko asked with his fist raised in the air ready to strike. He knew Aang would not approve but he didn't care.

"Where is who?" Smellerbee got up and tried to get in Zuko's face.

"We're looking for our friend Sokka," Aang cut in and Zuko begrudgingly lowered his fist.

"We don't know where your friend is, the freedom fighters disbanded after Jet was arrested and Longshot and I separated ourselves from them a long time ago," Smellerbee explained and walked over to where her friend was sitting.

"They're telling the truth," Toph said. Zuko stormed out of the room and left the decrepit building, making his way towards the train station.

"Zuko wait up!" Aang shouted as he and Toph ran to catch up with the Fire Lord. "Where are you going?"

"To the only other people who would have a reason to abduct Sokka," Zuko said coldly, "the Dai Li."