Chapter 2
Escape
Sokka led Toph over the wooden floor out of the chamber and into the hallway. As frightened as he was, he couldn't help but smile at Toph's sigh when her feet touched metal.
"Ok Toph, can you find the way out?" he asked.
"Yeah," she said happily, "But we might want to get your sword first," she said, jolting down the hallway. Sokka glanced nervously about, but there was no one to be seen. I wonder where all the soldiers are. he thought as he ran after the girl.
She stopped outside another door and gleefully crumpled it, despite the fact that it could have easily been opened using the handle.
"It's in there," she said, and gestured for him to go in, "I'll stand watch," she said with a grin. He laughed and walked into the chamber. Dozens of weapon racks were riveted to the walls and floor, each one filled with swords, maces, knives, crossbows, and various other deadly objects. As quickly as he could, he searched through the swords until he came across his own and grabbed it, relishing the familiar weight in his palm.
He turned back toward the door where Toph was waiting for him with a harness to strap his sword to his back.
"I thought you were standing watch," he said as he slung the harness across his body.
"I am," she beamed, "I feel everything, and there's no one even on this level."
Sokka glanced back over his shoulder at her, "What?"
"No one is on this level, or the level above this one either. All the soldiers are on the main deck, and they're using their catapults. There's a battle going on up there, Sokka!" she said gleefully. He didn't know why she was so happy about it. The thought of a battle on top of this storm scared him half to death. Why would anyone attack in a storm like this? We could capsize any moment the way this thing is rocking. he thought. He knew they had to get up on deck and escape fast if they had any hope of being rescued. Besides, a storm and a battle were great distractions for the fire nation soldiers.
He walked out into the hallway and waited for Toph to lead the way. She turned left and broke into a wobbly run, one hand on the wall to balance against the lurching of the ship. They made it all the way to the second deck, and Sokka could see the door that would lead them up into the open air. It was open, and Sokka was so excited that he didn't see Toph stop, and he slammed into her back.
Her voice had a quiver in it that made his heart leap with fear, "Hold on to something!" she yelled, wrapping her arms tightly around the circular lock of the nearest door. He only had time to reach with one hand and grab on before the wave of water hit his body. He lost his grip and was washed back several feet.
"That's one heck of a storm out there," he said, jumping to his feet and pulling Toph along with him as he ran for the open door. All her joy had left her, and she was shaking now. She must have just realized that we're gonna have to swim to get out of here. he thought sadly. I don't know how we're gonna make it if that wave was any indication of how bad it is.
They lurched out into the open air just as another wave hit the ship and sent them sprawling onto the deck. Sokka stared in amazement at the sky.
"Look at the sky!" said Sokka in amazement.
"Ummmm...blind!" said Toph in the most sarcastic tone she could manage.
"Oh," he said turning to look at her, "Well, there aren't any storm clouds. There are waves and stuff just like in a storm, but there's no storm."
This seemed to make Toph very happy, because the grin spread back across her face, "I knew it!" she shouted happily, which drew the attention of one of the soldiers manning the nearest catapult. He rounded on them and threw a wave of fire at them. They dodged it and took off across the deck, lurching hard against the railing and running down the side behind a huge pile of wooden crates. Sokka unsheathed his sword and waited for the soldier to follow.
"Now," said Toph, and on her cue, he swung the sword with full force, and was rewarded with the sickly sound of metal biting into the soldiers neck just below his helmet. He fell to the deck motionless, and the two pulled him behind the crates as well.
"Is anyone..."
"No one is coming," she answered before he could finish the thought.
He nodded and began searching for the other ship. After all, the soldiers weren't firing the catapults at nothing. As they crested the wave, he saw it, and relief flooded him when he saw the fire nation ship flying Zuko's banner accompanied by two water tribe ships.
"It's the rebels! Aang and Katara must be the ones making these waves," he said happily.
"Well how are we gonna get off this ship to get to them?" she asked, but her tone told him that she knew the answer already.
"We're gonna have to swim, Toph," he said, turning to her and placing one hand on her cheek, "You think you can handle a little dunk?"
She nodded and mumbled something.
"Ok, well let's go," he said, and he pulled her to her feet and took off running toward the front of the ship. Sokka saw from the corner of his eye several soldiers who had noticed them and were in pursuit. He put all his energy into running for the prow of the ship, dragging Toph behind him, and dove off the ship.
He hit the water and felt himself momentarily paralyzed by the icy water, but quickly recovered and kicked his way to the surface. He looked around for Toph, and felt his heart skip a beat when he saw the top of her head sink below the waves several feet away from him.
He dove under the water and swam hard to where she had disappeared. She was there, eyes closed, looking so peaceful as she floated unconscious in the water. She must have hit her head on the side of the ship or something he thought, and he grabbed her and pulled her to the surface.
The waves drove them hard, and by the time he made it close enough to the other ship to be spotted, he was fighting just to keep him and Toph afloat. Sokka was barely aware of the spiraling pillar of water that lifted them from the water to the deck of the ship, and as soon as he felt himself land on the metal deck, he let himself drift into unconsciousness.
888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888
"Sokka?.. Sokka! Aang, come here. He's awake," said the voice of his sister in a voice he thought was much too loud. He clutched his head and waited for the pounding to stop before he spoke.
"Where's Toph?" he asked, looking from Katara to Aang and back again. He saw a look pass between him that sent his pulse racing, "WHERE IS TOPH!?" he said, lurching up and frantically shaking his sister's shoulder.
"She's over there, but she hasn't woken up yet," said Katara, pointing to the curtain that divided the chamber. Sokka ignored the pulsing pain in his head and stumbled over, shoving the curtain aside and forcing his way to her bedside. She didn't even look like the Toph he knew. Her hair was pulled away from her face in a low, lifeless ponytail, and she looked eerily peaceful as she slept, wrapped tightly in a smoky gray blanket. A bandage was wrapped tightly around the top of her head.
"Toph..." he said softly, and he gently stroked her cheek. She felt hot. Sokka fought back tears and turned to face his sister, "How long have we been asleep?"
"Two days."
He just nodded and turned back to Toph.
