What caused Sokka to go on this mission? Perhaps it was his hatred for being stranded on a god forsaken ice island with a bunch of eskimos, or maybe it was the duties that await him there. Or maybe! It was a feeling nagging him for over six years. Clawing at his brain. A feeling he couldn't quite shake. The feeling of what… exactly? He wasn't sure. So perhaps that was the reason he was here now. Sokka was going to figure it out. Even if it killed him. Which, at the moment, seemed like that might just happen.
The Water Tribe warrior's shoulder forced the rusty door open with a groan, and he burst into the cell he already broken four doors trying to get into.
"Stupid doors…now I ruined a perfectly good shoulder" 'Door' was an understatement, but for the lack of a better word that is what Sokka would call them. He sheathed his brilliant, black Space Sword looking left and right. Where is she? He bounded across the room, lit by a single torch, looking for the girl the mission was solely made for. Shouts were ringing out behind him. Footsteps becoming closer with each second he stood there. His eyes darted around. There. She lay in a crumpled heap in the corner of the cell. A frail body in a white garment he wasn't quite sure what call. Ebony hair lay in a pool around her; a long, tangled mess of black it was. The trained, muscular body he once recalled her having was thin and boney: gaunt. Like they just threw her in here six long years ago and didn't bother to feed or clean her. She looked small and helpless. And that scared Sokka more than the woman she once was. She was Royalty. She was deadly and feral. Insane and furious. And unmistakably beautiful. She was. Now…now she wasn't even a fraction of that.
"Ah, hell…" he groaned. Azula's head shot up, revealing dull, topaz eyes full of confusion and fright. She's mad. Sokka thought. Insane. Crazy. Messed up in the head. The words poured into his head the longer he stared back into the former Princess's eyes.
"Peasant." She spat. "What are you doing here?" Sokka's mouth quirked up.
"Good. You still have some fight left in you, because—" He paused to glance at the door behind him. Their only escape. The footsteps were much closer now. "We're gonna need it to get out of here." He finished yanking her up by the arm, and, to his surprise, she let out a little yelp. He gave a goofy grin,
"By the way, Princess," he said putting emphasis on the 'Princess'. "You look a little different. Can't say it's an improvement, but…" he trailed.
"Shut up!" Azula growled between grit teeth. Sokka could tell how much of a toll being in this prison took on her. She was already starting to lean against him. That definitely means she's about to pass out. He put an arm around her waist in an effort to keep her upright and slung her arm over his shoulder.
"Well…this isn't going as planned…" The warrior assumed she would be stronger and would help with the escape, but once he saw the state she was in Sokka immediately started to think up a second plan. He would wait. Wait until an excessive amount of guards piled into the room...or were at least coming through the door. Then he would explode the floor with some make shift grenades he invented a couple years back. That would surely injure or bury some of the guards and maybe him too, but he couldn't afford to try to come up with something else. Azula twitched next to him.
"Why are you doing this..." she whispered suddenly. The question took Sokka totally off guard. He peeled his eyes from the door where the guards would enter in any minute and looked down at her. She had her head down and shoulders slumped forward with defeat.
"Good question," he's been avoiding asking himself that same one for quite a while now. Just as he was about to reply with a sarcastic comment; Fire Nation soldiers piled into the gigantic cell. Benders and sword wielders filing in one by one. Sokka shoved his free hand into a holster that lay on his hip grabbing multiple grenades; he unclipped them in one swift movement and threw them. A series of explosions erupted and he turned away to protect himself and Azula from the heat and debris coming their way. And just as Sokka planned: the floor gave out. He clutched on to Azula, twisting so she was on top of him. And for a split second they were both weightless. Only then did his stomach seize as they plummeted to the next level. His back slammed hard into the floor; knocking out any breath he had left. For a second they just lay there, but the creaking sounded and that floor gave away as well. Gasping for air, Sokka and Azula fell yet again. Another jolt of pain went through Sokka's back as he impacted into the metal floor a second time. Now he was really out of breath. The former Princess rolled off him as he began to heave. Clutching his stomach; he turned over and vomited.
"Why did you protect me, Water Tribe boy?" she sneered struggling to her feet, and nearly toppled over. Sokka looked at her from the corner of his eye; her own eyes were narrowed and sweat plastered her hair and clothes to the pale skin that covered her body.
"Dunno," he groaned straightening up and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "My manly instinct, I suppose," he grinned at her.
She snorted, and swayed again.
"Here," he walked over and put an arm around her waist; supporting her yet again. She mustered the strength she could and spat,
"I don't need your help."
"We both know that is a false statement," The brown haired man all but carried the ex-Princess, who was muttering a string of profanities under her breath, to the cell door. They were lucky to have fallen in an uninhabited cell. This way the doors weren't locked, and Sokka was spared from more shoulder trauma.
"You may not want my help, but you sure as hell need it."
Azula snorted again, "How did you even get in here, boy?"
He only shook his head in response. His chin length hair was down instead of in its usual wolf tail and it was getting slightly bothersome.
"Hm?" She glared at him, and then turned away. "I see, now's not the time." Guards began to drop through the hole Sokka made in the ceiling landing with loud thumps.
"Can you run?" Sokka asked urgently. She shot him another glare,
"Of cou—"Sokka broke into a sprint, cutting Azula off. She gritted her teeth and tried to move her legs, but they only drug feebly as Sokka continued running and basically carrying her at the same time.
"You're hopeless," he muttered stopping to throw the former Princess over his shoulder and began to sprint with the woman flailing helplessly. He meandered through the hallways he'd come to know over the past week; searching for the exit he had prearranged on using. He couldn't decide if he was glad Azula was so thin or not; it made running with her a great deal easier, that's for certain. Although, he bet his armor against her abdomen wasn't the most pleasant feeling.
"Put me down, peasant!" He didn't bother to reply. Sokka was nearing the metal stairs that lead down to the exit that was used least in the Prison when at least five Fire Benders appeared at the bottom.
"Dammit…" Two options. Fight or jump. The Benders began to trudge up the incredibly extensive flight of stairs; one about to shoot flames. Sokka waited for the right time; until they were closer to the top. He put his foot on the railing for leverage, shouting a warning over his shoulder for Azula to hold on, and he pushed off the iron paling launching themselves in the air. He maneuvered himself to, once again, position Azula above him; knowing that if she were to break her fall she would more than likely snap in half. The steel floor was rearing up fast. This is gonna hurt like a mother fu—
Sokka held back a cry of pain between clenched teeth as his left side slammed into the ground sending waves of searing pain up his shoulder. They rolled from the momentum and Sokka tried his best to keep the majority of his weight off of Azula until they slammed in a wall.
"Ow," he mumbled. He tasted a copper flavor, and jerked forward as the brilliant red liquid spewed from his mouth. Nasty. A trail of blood trickled down his chin as he looked up to see the Benders falling over themselves attempting to reach us. He sputtered a laugh and more blood came out.
"Damn…" he crawled to his feet and saw Azula doing the same with a bit of blood on her as well. It took a moment for Sokka to realize that it was his own blood.
"Oops…I kind of bled on you," he smirked. Sokka didn't give her time to spat a retort; instead he grabbed her wrist pulling her to the door that led outside. He knew it was locked, so he took the liberty of pulling out enough screws in the hinges earlier that day to make it ten times easier to knock down. His boot struck the door, sending it flying off its hinges. They burst into the chilling air of the night, the gales so strong he had to hold Azula tighter to keep her from getting carried away.
"What now, water boy?" she shouted over the wind as they jogged along the structures edge.
"This," A large, metal airship came into sight as Sokka pulled the ex-Princess around the sharp corner of the building.
"How'd you manage this one?" she sounded genuinely surprised. Sokka let a satisfactory smile grace his lips.
"You're asking an awful lot of questions." They ran up the ramp that lead into the bulky contraption and slammed the door heavily the moment they were both safely inside. Sokka released Azula's wrist, striding to the immense control panel that handled the ship. Punching buttons and pulling levers; Sokka managed to get the huge piece of metal in the air. At top speed too. He twisted the steering wheel jerking the ship to the left.
"Check if they are following us," he said without turning to face her. She stared at his broad back for a moment before actually looking out the back window to see if they had any pursuers. "Slowly, but surely." She replied. He steered into the thickest clouds and entered the general direction he desired into the key pad in front of him; setting the airship on auto-pilot.
"Now, Azu—"Sokka found a knife at his throat and dainty hands wrapped around its hilt.
"Now, peasant." He pictured that evil glint in her golden eyes that set them afire, and the way her mouth curled every time she said the word 'peasant'. "Why did you save me?" He smiled at her sudden strength.
"You know," Sokka started. "If you had strength like this the whole time, it would've been nice if you helped out a bit." He was rewarded with a knee in the back and a round of coughs. She thrust him to the ground and sat atop of him, letting the knife dig a little deeper into his thick neck. Blood began to well up at the cut. Leaning forward, Azula's grimy hair tickled his face and he could smell the stench of a young woman who was locked in a prison cell for six years. Who probably hasn't had a decent cleansing for God knows how long.
"I'm going to ask you again," her face mere inches from his as she snarled the words at Sokka. "Why did you save me?" The girl's voice broke as tears welled up in her topaz eyes now swimming with emotions. He was stunned. Completely and utterly astonished. Princess Azula. Who was supposed to rule as the fire lord of her home land. Who ruined his life so many years ago by capturing the girl he once loved. Who shot lighting through two of his best friends. But who was also controlled by her overpowering father. Who needed a mom that loved her the same as she loved her son. Who wanted to live a happy life with trusting friends and a loving family. Who wanted to be like him. Sokka closed his eyes and laughed.
"You're not the only one who'd like to know, Princess."