Everything was white, as far as the eye could see. The world around them was a desert of ice and snow, as different to her home as if she were on another planet. It was slightly eerie yet undeniably beautiful. Suki was giggling as she pursued Sokka across the frozen landscape. This was his territory, the South Pole and the home of his people, which at her insistence he'd taken her to see. Unlike her, he was totally at ease here on this unstable ground- he had paused up ahead, and was doubled up laughing at her attempts to keep her balance on the ice.

"What ever happened to you being stealthy?" He stood there with his hands on his knees, shaking his head at her in disbelief.

"I'm trying not to fall over!" To prove him wrong Suki covered the last of the distance between them at a sprint.

"See?" she said, skidding to a halt. "Perfect bal-"

The ground went out from beneath her feet, and she landed flat on her back in front of him.

Sokka burst out laughing again. "Oh, of course. Absolutely perfect."

Suki grinned at him, and before he could react she picked herself up and dived on top of him. They both went sprawling into a heap of snow, laughing and tangled in each other's arms. They landed with her head on Sokka's chest, feeling the beat of his heart even through his fur-lined jacket.

Sokka looked up at her, smiling playfully. She gazed back at him adoringly. His eyes flickered from hers to her lips, then back again. Suki exhaled deeply, her breath rising up in mist in front of her. The moment changed from coy to passionate in an instant, and suddenly his gloved hands cupped her face gently, pulling her into a kiss. His lips were soft against hers, and for a moment, the freezing bite of the snow around them seemed to disappear, as if a fire burned between the two of them…

The cold faded completely, and the heat took over. Suki opened her eyes slowly, and they adjusted to the dim lighting of her cell. Slowly she raised herself into a sitting position, wrapping her arms around her knees. The dream was already slipping away from her. She closed her eyes and tried to concentrate, but it was disappearing from her mind too quickly. She could not have been any further from the arctic escape of her fantasy, and Sokka… well, Sokka was nowhere to be found.

Suki squeezed her eyes tighter shut, refusing to let tears break through. If she concentrated, she could almost still feel the cool wind against her skin…

The cell was oppressively hot. The whole prison existed in a state of permanently searing heat, surrounded by the rising steam from the lake, spreading lethargy and making even the simplest tasks a drain to all but those who were most used to the conditions. Suki had always imagined captivity as being cold and damp, somehow. Right now she'd have gladly traded cold for this unrelenting, scorching humidity. Even thinking and keeping focus was a chore in this place- as if the Boiling Rock wasn't happy in taking her physical freedom, it had to wear down her mental liberty as well. The Rock felt to her almost like a sentient being, as if she were within the bowels of a living, breathing monster from which escape was impossible.

A knock sounded at her cell door. Who knocks in a prison? Suki thought. Not like I can tell you I want privacy. She sat up straighter and pushed her hair back out of her eyes, unwilling to let anyone think that captivity was getting to her.

The door swung open, and the voice she had grown to hate in the last few weeks echoed off the stone walls. "So, you're still here, are you?"

Only one person seemed to truly not feel the effects of the prison's atmosphere. One unbelievably maddening, infuriating person.

"Where else would I be?" Suki spat.

Azula gasped in false surprise. "You mean to say that boy from the southern tribe hasn't come to rescue you yet? How very rude of him. Boys. You can't trust them."

Suki glared at her. "He has a name."

"How impolite of me," Azula said with a sneer. "He's popular, that one. I have a friend with the most pathetic crush on him. I'd say if he isn't a complete idiot he'd be as far away from the Fire Nation as he can get- which, to be fair, isn't very far these days."

As ever, the princess was immaculately presented. It made her feel additionally self-conscious. Suki couldn't remember the last time she'd seen her own reflection. Would she even recognise it? "Not everyone is scared of you," she said malignly.

"Oh, it would be a boring world if they were. The headstrong ones are the most fun. Like your boyfriend. Or like you." Azula lazily began trailing a thread of flames between her fingers, a subtle reminder of who held the power between the two of them. "Of course, I haven't heard a word about the Southerners since I left Ba Sing Se. For all I know he could have already been killed-"

Suki shut her eyes. She couldn't bear to look at the fire princess' disgusting smirk any longer. What if she was right? What if something really had happened to Sokka?

"Oh, I'm sorry, am I upsetting you?" Azula laughed. She'd come to associate Azula's laughter with everything dark and horrible about prison life, even life in general. She was becoming more certain that the princess was, in some way, psychopathic- there was something inhumane about her depravity. "I'd offer to talk about something else, but I've got to have my fun somewhere. I've been bored ever since I got back from hunting my brother, and you're such easy entertainment."

Entertainment. No. She wasn't going to be a toy for this girl's sick little games. She was a Kyoshi Warrior. Suki sat up and stared defiantly back at the princess. "You really are that arrogant, aren't you?" she said. "That you think nothing at all can touch you. Well, fine. Think that if you want. But if you believe Sokka and I are giving up on each other as easily as the Fire Lord gave up on you, then you're wrong."

She'd just said what had sprung to mind, without really thinking of the meaning behind it, but she'd definitely hit something. Azula's eyes narrowed momentarily and for a second her haughty expression was cracked by doubt. A moment later, though, her smirk was back.

"Fine then. Let him try and reach you here. I almost hope you're right- I would love to see the look on both your faces when the guards get hold of him. Maybe we could even get him in the cell across the hall, if you're feeling particularly lonely-"

"Shut up!" Suki found she was suddenly on her feet. "Don't say another word." She was risking a lot here- she knew how dangerous Azula was, knew from experience, but her anger wouldn't subside. "I can't wait to see the look on your face when this little game comes crashing down around you, because there's no prison that could keep Sokka and I apart, and you can't stop the Avatar. Just because you'll never understand it, since nobody could ever care that way about a freak like you-"

Azula's hand flashed past her. Suki tried to move to stop her, but the fire bender was faster- she felt a stinging impact on her cheek and was sent stumbling backwards. "How dare you," Azula snarled. "How dare you even-"

White stars swam in front of her eyes. A palm caught her in the stomach and made her gasp with the pain. A second later she felt her legs be kicked out from under her; Azula's left hand shot out and grabbed the front of her shirt, stopping her from hitting the floor, while in her right she held up a sphere of cobalt flames.

Suki blinked, trying to clear the haze of spots. Azula was breathing deeply- for the moment, her composure was broken by anger.

"The Avatar is dead," she said, in a measured and deliberate tone. "I watched it happen. I made it happen."

"Then why is there fear in your eyes?"

Azula's grip on her tightened. Her face contorted with fury, and for a second, Suki thought she had gone too far. The fire princess sighed dramatically. A moment later, her usual expression was back: superior, aloof and sardonic.

"Suit yourself. Wait as loooong as you want for your precious Sokka." Her voice was dripping with supercilious derision. She relinquished her hold on Suki, and she staggered back from her. "I'll do my best not to laugh. It's so awfully pathetic, but I'll really try, I promise." She made her way towards the door. "If any Water Tribe boys wash up dead on our shores," she said with a final smirk, "I'll be sure to let you know." Azula shut the door with a snap.

Suki let herself collapse onto her bed. This time, she didn't even try to stop the tears from coming; she couldn't have done a thing about them even if she had. She curled up atop the covers, shaking from the force of her sobbing. Her cheek, pressed against the pillow, still stung from the mark Azula had left there, but it faded into obscurity next to the pain left in her heart.

Oh, Sokka, she thought. Where are you?