Contrary to the sweltering, blistering heat they had just escaped, the air temples were chilly, especially in the night. The wind got caught up between the upside down pillars and structures, high up in the mountains with the denigrating temperatures hidden from the sunlight. That's why the group always lit a fire to keep the feeling comfortable, they would all gather around it during a meal, and stay there throughout the night, talking and sipping tea. Sometimes they would reminisce, crack a joke, or even tell a ghost story. Tonight was spent with catching up, hugs, and lots of questions. The time hadn't been that long, but so much had happened between it that there was plenty to be filled in on.
Sokka and Prince Zuko had just want a prison break expedition, a mission success. The two teenage boys had triumphantly cheated the undefeated system, getting away with Suki, Sokka's girlfriend and leader of the Kyoshi Warriors, Hakoda, Sokka's father and leader of the Souther Water Tribe, and another prisoner from the Boiling Rock prison who had helped them all escape. All the ex-captives were being bombarded by inquiries around the crackling fire that the avatar was happily feeding when it dwindled. Katara was sitting close by her father, and Sokka close by Suki as their new guest told a tall tale of how he got convicted to the Boiling Rock. As the escapee finished up his fable of conviction, Sokka began to fill the others in on how he and his new friend, Zuko, had gone about such a heroic feat, but he noticed the fire prince was nowhere to be found for Sokka to give him an encomium.
"Hold on a minute, everyone," Sokka spoke as he furrowed his eyebrows, standing up.
"What is it, Sokka," Asked Suki as she reached up and grabbed his hand.
"Nothing, I was just wondering where Zuko went off to," Sokka replied, shaking his head, "If I'm going to tell you all how he helped me out, I want him to hear it."
"He doesn't needed getting any more of a bloated head. He already thinks this transformation has reconciled all he's done- that he's good now. Don't bloat it up any further, Sokka," Katara spat bitterly, squinting her eyes as her brother rolled his and her father looked at her in confusion. He chose, however, not to purge the topic.
"Katara, Zuko just saved your father," Aang said softly, treading on thin ice carefully as Katara just scoffed, rolling her eyes at Aang.
"Maybe he went to bed, Sokka," Aang suggested.
"Yeah, he's probably tired from your big fugitive mission," Toph agreed as she pointed with chopsticks, chowing down a bowl of rice.
"I don't think so. It's freezing cold, he'd be sleeping around here like the rest of us," Sokka answered.
"Well, you know how Sugar Queen here makes him feel all uncomfortable," Toph grumbled with her mouth full as Katara clenched her fists.
"He's going to betray us again! You're all so naïve! This is all a ploy to gain your trust, then he'll turn around and stab us in the back again! He just wants to lure Aang back into his evil, fire lord father's clutches!" Katara shouted. The others just sighed, having been through this conversation countless times with the betrayed Katara who was having a more difficult time forgiving the prince because of his personal deceit with her.
"Whatever, if it weren't for him, Dad and Suki wouldn't be here right now, and who knows what could have happened to them. I'm going to go find Zuko," Sokka retorted as the others watched as the boy walked away, scouring the area for the Fire Nation boy. Sokka trekked the air temple frontier awhile until he reached a broken pillar on a cliffside. He saw the broad-shouldered young man puffing air through his cupped hands and rubbing them together as he hung his head. Sokka sighed as he walked over, sitting beside him on the crumbled, ivory pillar.
"Oh, hey, Sokka," Zuko muttered, diverting his gaze from him as he sat up, trying not to look as melancholy. Sokka scratched the back of his head.
"You know, Aang wouldn't let Katara actually kill you?" Sokka joked as Zuko blew a laugh through his nostrils.
"Yeah," Zuko rebutted curtly. Sokka let the moment linger in awkward silence a moment longer.
"Aren't you cold? Don't you Fire Nation people get cold easy?" Sokka asked casually.
"I'm alright. Why are you out here?" Zuko rebuked.
"I was looking for you, everyone wanted to know how we did it, and I mean, I needed to give you some credit," Sokka joked, "You helped a bit."
"You can just tell them," Zuko replied, "Thanks, though."
"…Alright," Sokka said as he stood up, eyeing him strangely as Zuko heaved a heavy sigh, closing his eyes, "You sure you're okay? You don't really seem it, you look kind of upset."
"I'm fine," Zuko fibbed, as he turned his head, the moon then shining on his face. Sokka could spot the tear stains on his unscathed cheek, along with the dabs of red that were symptoms of crying. Sokka, played dumb to this for the sake of Zuko's pride, but he knew that he was lying.
"My dad and Suki really want to thank you. My dad especially wants to talk to you, says he owes you an apology," Sokka explained.
"He doesn't," Zuko said candidly.
"Well, he thinks he does, for his preconceived notions about you," Sokka explained, "My dad's like that. He doesn't like doing a man wrong because of where he's from."
"He probably judged me on what I've done, not where I'm from, Sokka," Zuko justified.
"…Zuko, you know my family isn't perfect either," Sokka said quietly, assuming maybe Zuko had been jealous of how loving and together his family was in relation to his dysfunctional maelstrom of a family.
"I'm happy for you and your sister," Zuko retorted brusquely, aware of Sokka's presumptions, "You aren't going to leave unless I come with you or tell you why I'm out here alone, are you?"
"-Ugh, no, I mean… It's none of my business and if you don't want to talk about it, trust me, I understand. I don't like people prying into me either when I'm in a bad mood."
"It's Mai," Zuko muttered abruptly.
"Mai? Your girlfriend?" Sokka asked.
"Yeah… She-she was anyway," Zuko stated almost silently.
"She saved us, on the gondola," Sokka recognized.
"Yeah, I'm surprised. I broke up with her before I left, like I told you. And, she was furious with me, and…" Zuko gulped as he went on, "I don't know what my sister will do."
"What do you mean?" Sokka asked, shaking his head in confusion.
"Mai, and Ty Lee, you know, the girl who wears pink and does acrobats and is too happy for her own good?" Zuko described as Sokka snorted a laugh.
"Yeah, the one who flirted with me constantly," Sokka said, putting his one leg on the pillar, leaning his arm on it.
"That sounds about right," Zuko smirked quickly, "They both were long friends of my sister, or more like were her pawns… I saw them attack Azula from where I paused on that mountaintop. Sokka, my sister is ruthless, she can be more wicked than my father. I'm- I'm afraid. I don't know what she might have done to Mai… And, Ty Lee."
"We'll go back," Sokka declared adamantly, putting a hand on Zuko's shoulder, "You went for my dad, and I got my girlfriend safe, I'll go for yours. We can save Mai, Zuko."
"No, we can't," Zuko stated, disheartened.
"Why?" Sokka snapped.
"Mai made a sacrifice, I don't know why she did it, but she knew what she was doing. They must have that place surveilled even more scrutinizingly than before, with their eyes on the watch for us specifically. They'll see us, and they'll kill us. We can't," Zuko explained, biting his lip, "And, I couldn't endanger you like that."
"…She must love you a lot," Sokka stated finally and quietly, pitying Zuko. He knew how crazy he'd gone when Suki was in Azula's clutches. Zuko looked at Sokka like he was crazy, but then smiled.
"I don't know," Zuko said with a smirk, "I-I do love her, a lot. She's also the only one in my life, the only thing, other than my uncle who's been consistant. Who hasn't left me, or changed, or disappeared. I came back from being banished and it was like nothing changed, she didn't care what I'd done, or what had happened, she still wanted to be with me, regardless."
"She sounds really special, like there's a lot more to her than the dour, sighing pus," Sokka teased lightly.
"There is," Zuko recollected warmly.
"She'll be okay, Zuko," Sokka ensured, putting a hand on his shoulder, shaking it in encouragement.
"She isn't alone, she's got Ty Lee," Sokka told.
"She does, they have each other," Zuko agreed.
"And, any girl like that, who can do what I've seen her do in the past, and what she did to save our butts, will be okay, believe me. I don't think she needs any protection," Sokka explained to Zuko with a grin as Zuko smiled back.
"Trust me, she doesn't."