The two boys raced through the dark to the entrance the Dai Li had raised at the edge of Lake Laogai. They'd been there all day, hidden and waiting for their chance to slip into the fortress. This was perfect. Two particularly stupid members of the Dai Li had left the entrance to underwater hideout open, forgetting to replace the lid before they left.

Zuko grinned to himself as he jumped into the hole that had been raised from the bottom of the lake. Sokka trailed close behind, although he was a little noisier than the prince would have liked. Zuko caught the ladder as he fell, and watched Sokka do the same above him. At least he wasn't completely incompetent.

At the bottom Sokka met Zuko's eyes, and the prince motioned for him to follow. They crept down halls filled with huge metal doors for a few minutes, hearing nothing. Sokka hoped this was because everyone was home sleeping or something of the sort, but he didn't get his hopes up, knowing how the universe liked to treat him.

The walls were made of large stone bricks and there was a green tint from the dim lighting that lined the floor of the hallways. Suddenly the Tribesman smelled something awful... And awfully familiar. He quickly tapped Zuko's shoulder; motioning to a door they had just passed. The prince nodded sharply and examined the door. Sokka frowned at the chains strung through handles, held together by a huge padlock, but Zuko, unfazed, grasped the lock and took a quick, deep breath. The metal began to soften beneath the prince's fingers and Sokka watched amazed and (although he hated to admit it) a bit impressed.

Zuko yanked the lock apart and silently placed the chains on the floor, then pulled the doors open. Sokka jumped for joy as he pranced into the room and leapt onto the sky bison's side. "Appa!" He whispered. "Don't worry, buddy. We're getting you out of here."

Zuko stood just inside of the doorway with the doors closed, watching Sokka nuzzle his face into the side of the great fluffy animal. Appa was humming in delight, trying his best to reach him with his tongue. When the Sokka finally got off, the Bison gave his face an appreciative lick, leaving him dripping in saliva and looking miserable.

"You just couldn't resist, could ya?" He grumbled, patting Appa's nose anyway.

Zuko couldn't fight back the smile that crept onto his face and the laugh that bubbled in his throat. Hearing the sound, Sokka looked up, shocked. He'd never heard the prince laugh, but it was a nice sound, and before he knew it he caught himself thinking the prince's smile was pretty nice, too. The tribesman felt a blush creep across his cheeks, and quickly looked away, coughing in an attempt distract himself from the weird thought. "So, uh, Appa." The bison's large eye looked in Sokka's direction. "You think you can get out of here on your own? Go back to Aang." The bison grumbled in response and marched towards the doors as Zuko opened them. The two boys followed and watched Appa wander down the hallway quietly.

After the bison disappeared in the murky light, Sokka turned to Zuko.

"So… Should we see what's going on down here?"

Zuko nodded and led the way in silence. As they walked Sokka wondered why Zuko was still helping him. The deal was kind of pointless, seeing as Jet was no longer a threat. And if anything, this was just a bunch of trouble that would surely blow the boy's cover if they were caught. Perhaps the prince was being… nice?

Psh, yeah right.

The two boys had wandered through the underwater fortress, but found it uncomfortably empty, and after a while they decided to leave. As they neared the ladder Zuko halted and spun around shouting, "Sokka, get down!"

Sokka ducked instinctually and twisted around just in time to see a burst of flames and flying stone fists heading straight for Zuko. Like lightning Sokka had his boomerang out and was smashing the stone hands. He quickly rolled out from under Zuko and jumped into a fighting stance. Before either of the boys had a chance to make another move, their hands and feet were pinned against the wall by small stone cuffs. Zuko caught Sokka's eye and whispered, "Don't look." Sokka was confused, but squeezed his eyes shut as the Dai Li agent approached.

"A firebender, eh?" The Tribesman heard the man say. There was a moment of silence. "Damn idiots must've left the entrance open. Figures they'd leave me on duty alone the night a firebender shows up." Zuko snorted. "Alright, better get you two to Long Feng."

At these words Zuko took in a slow, heavy breath and Sokka squeezed his eyes shut tighter, sensing what was about to happen as the temperature around them rose. "Hah!" The prince let the breath out with force and Sokka saw bright light flash through his eyelids as he felt an immense heat pass him. There was a blood curdling scream and the air filled with a putrid smell. It was all the boy could do to keep his eyes closed as he felt the stone fall from his limbs, no longer controlled by the distracted Dai Li agent. Horror began to well inside of him as the smell filled his lungs, and the screams overpowered his thoughts. The sound was ringing in his ears and Sokka felt his knees get weak. The smell was too overpowering, what was he supposed to do? He couldn't open his eyes; he didn't want to see what was happening, but-

A hand close around his wrist, and he finally opened his eyes to find Zuko staring down at him. "We need to go- now!" The prince began to drag Sokka up the ladder until the boy gathered his wits and followed.

They emerged from the Dai Li hideout and Zuko began sprinting into the forest surrounding the lake. Sokka followed without question and the two ran for a full five minutes, deep into the woods. When the prince finally stopped, he threw his back against a large spruce and sunk to the ground, holding his head tightly in his hands. Sokka stood a ways back, breathing heavily and unsure how to react. The terrifying scene was still too fresh in his mind.

Zuko was silent, his breathing calm, and after the two boys stood for a moment, he spoke with his face still buried in his hands.

"…I'm sorry you had to witness that."

Suddenly burning flesh was all Sokka could smell and he choked a little, trying to forget. Before he could even think, he was bent over and heaving stomach bile into the grass in front of him.

"I-I'm sorry," Sokka croaked as he wiped his mouth. "I-I mean… You had to do it…"

Zuko finally looked up and stared at Sokka. There was a weird expression on his face, like he was trying to smother regret and guilt with anger. He closed his amber eyes tightly and turned away. "Yeah."

Sokka bit his lip, trying to ignore the revolting taste in his mouth as he decided how to respond. Eventually he sat next to the prince, leaning against the tree as well. "No… I really am sorry." He muttered, and then continued, unable to repress his urge to babble nervously. "This is really my fault. I shouldn't have asked you to come. This never would have happened if I went alone or got the gang or something. I mean you held up your end of the deal well enough, and my end sort of took care of itself, so there was no need to-"

"Stop."

Sokka went silent. There wasn't any venom in the prince's demand. It was flat and rather void of emotion. The warrior glanced over his shoulder and found the firebender looking at him though shaggy black bangs. His eyes, like before, reflected the emotion the rest of his face refused to show. But what was it now? Shame?

Suddenly the prince's eyes sharpened and he was on his feet with his swords out in less time than it took for Sokka to blink. Startled, the Tribesman jumped up as well, scrambling for his trusty boomerang. He heard a chuckle from the trees and, out of the black void that was the sky, dropped Jet.

"Sounded like some pretty crazy shit went down in there." The rogue said casually as he spun a single hook sword around his fingers. "I saw you got the pet free though."

Zuko bristled, clenching his mouth shut and staring the boy down.

Sokka glanced between them nervously, asking, "What are you doing here, Jet?"

Jet looked at him blankly for a moment, and then shrugged as his typical oh-so-charming smirk appeared. "I figured if I couldn't partake, I could at least watch."

Zuko put his back to the Freedom Fighter and addressed the Tribesman.

"Listen, Sokka… We need to get out of here. The Dai Li will know what's happened and… I'm sorry but I don't think it's safe for our, uh… loved ones if we go back. We'll lead the enemy right to them. The Dai Li have no idea who caused this mess. We need to keep Uncle and everyone else safe and anonymous. Perhaps if we can keep the Dai Li occupied with chasing us, your friends will have a chance to figure out what they're up to and stop it. And the Avatar has his transportation back. That's one less thing he'll have to worry about."

Sokka was stunned into silence, and the firebender glanced away, emotionless. "I understand if you'd prefer to go on your own."

Finally able to form coherent thought, Sokka jumped. "Whoa, whoa, whoa!" He blurted. "Like that's an option." He sighed feeling a bit disappointed in himself. He didn't necessarily want to traipse around the country with one of Aang's most dangerous enemies, but he knew he'd never be able to last on his own with the Dai Li after them. He sighed heavily. It had to be done. "So. What now? Maybe we should try and meet Aang and everyone somewhere."

Zuko didn't reply for a moment. "And where would that be?"

"Well, Aang's next definite stop is probably…" Sokka paused unsure how Zuko would respond. "He needs to go to the Fire Nation. All he has left to master is firebending. And maybe they'd find us on our way. We could bring you back to your uncle, and… "

Sokka had noticed the prince's back snap straighter at the mention of his homeland. "I see." Was his only response.

Huh. That sounded like a no. The boy from the Southern Water Tribe began to pout to himself, and tried to think of what his next step alone would be.

"We'd better get going." Zuko insisted. "We'll have to walk all night and then some tomorrow if we want to put some real distance between us and the Dai Li."

Sokka's eyes brightened and he jumped in front of the fire prince, beaming.

"That means you'll come?!"

Zuko's face flushed slightly and he nodded, taking an aggravated step back. "We should head south first. We need to get around and out of the city, then head west to the gate. Then I think continuing on south would be the fastest route."

Through the planning Jet watched, interested and silent until now. "How will your pals even know if you're alive?" He tossed into the discussion, raising one of his erratic eyebrows.

The two boys glanced at him; having forgot he was still there.

Sokka's eyebrows furrowed. He knew what Jet was getting at, but the tribesman hated asking him for a favor, and he definitely didn't want his sister to know the manipulative rogue was in the city. Half of Ba Sing Se would probably end up under water if she did. But… It seemed unavoidable. If the gang didn't know that Sokka was safe they'd probably spend far more time searching for him than they could spare. The Fire Nation was getting more powerful and Aang needed to master the four elements as soon as possible.

The Water Tribe warrior sighed and slapped his forehead as he begrudgingly muttered, "…Would you be so kind as to tell the gang what's happening?"

Jet let out a pleased snicker. "Why of course. Anything for an old friend!" He slapped Sokka's back a few times.

"Can you tell my Uncle as well?" Zuko said, his face blank. The firebender was secretly fighting the fear of drawing back Jets attention. The Freedom Fighter was acting more like his usual self, and the prince was concerned Jet might remember the animosity he held for Zuko. Not only that, he feared Jet may have seen him firebend in the Dai Li's fortress.

But if he did, it didn't show, and he agreed, waving his hand in the air as he said, "Yeah, sure. I think Smellerbee knows where he is."

Zuko nodded, not allowing his relief to show. He caught Sokka's eye and began to walk away. "We need to leave."

The tribesman nodded, offering a short wave to Jet. As he followed Zuko, he shot over his shoulder, "You'd better be careful! Katara is not going to be happy to see you."

Jet scoffed and began to walk back to the city, once again twirling a hook sword on his finger.

The boys did as Zuko recommended and marched through the night, as well as the next day. The traveling was silent, and it left Sokka too much time to reflect on the incident in the tunnel. Neither of the boys felt comfortable addressing it again, and this only made it worse. By the time the second evening came around Sokka was ready to collapse, and when Zuko stopped- the Water Tribe warrior did.

"I can't go on!" He groaned. The boy's voice was muffled by the ground, which he was currently trying to sink into face first.

Zuko looked back skeptically, and then glanced at the sky through the heavy foliage that almost obscured it. "I suppose we can stop for the night."

Sokka rolled on his back, relief flooding through every inch of him. "I'm hungry." He whined, sitting up. "And I just realized I have absolutely no supplies!"

Zuko dropped the pack he'd been carrying since they first left in search for Appa. He rummaged through and pulled out a cloth bundle about the size of his head. "I haven't got much…" He murmured. "But it should last us three days or so if we're careful." Zuko unwrapped the bundle to reveal a fair sized loaf of bread, a small slab of cheese, and a few strips of jerky.

Sokka gasped, falling back to the ground dramatically. "I could totally kiss you right now!" He exclaimed punching the air triumphantly. He froze. Ooooh. That was awkward. Sokka cleared his throat nervously and sat up to face the prince. "And by that I mean well done, Zuko. Way to be prepared and… stuff."

"Yeah, yeah." Zuko grumbled, breaking off a piece of the bread and handing it to his excitable companion, who took it eagerly. Zuko tossed him a piece of jerky as well (which Sokka seemed to fawn over), and then began to munch on a bit of bread he broke off for himself. He observed Sokka quietly, and wondered how he was ever going to make it across the world with such an… idiot.

Sokka felt the prince's gaze and looked up from the meager meal, meeting his eyes. The piece of jerky hung from the corner of his busy mouth, which happened to be covered in breadcrumbs. "What."

Zuko raised an eyebrow and shook his head, trying to hide a smirk with another bite of bread. He wasn't the smartest, but at least the guy was funny.

When Zuko looked up again just moments later, Sokka was back to lying on the ground, this time snoring loudly. The prince sighed and pulled his blanket out of his pack as he put the food away. Being a firebender, Zuko had a higher body temperature than the average person, so he figured he might as well lend the blanket to Sokka.

It was late in the night when Zuko awoke suddenly to Sokka leaping up and running into the brush. Only a moment later there was the sound of heaving and the prince cringed. It couldn't have been the food, for it seemed to be sitting well in his own stomach…

Rather than indulge in curiosity and happen upon a less than desirable scene, Zuko waited patiently for Sokka to return. The blue-eyed boy, however, did not, and the firebender noticed the faint sound of rattled breathing. Concerned and cautious, Zuko drew his twin blades and quietly stepped through the heavy undergrowth that Sokka had barreled through minutes before. A few feet away, the boy of the Southern Water Tribe was crouched on the ground with his back to the prince. He was hugging his knees, with his face buried in them.

Zuko had to admit he was confused and unsure on how to proceed. He scrunched his face in discomfort, lowered his weapons, and then approached. "Sokka…" He said slowly in an attempt to announce his presence without startling the boy. Sokka's uneven breathing stopped and he furiously scrubbed at his face with his hands as he stood. "What." He replied flatly, not turning to face the prince.

"Uh… Are you… Sick?" Zuko cursed his inability to communicate with people as he stood awkwardly. Clearly he just walked in on some kind on mental breakdown.

Sokka said nothing, his hands clenching and unclenching systematically.

"I, uh…" The tribesman started, stopping because of the crack in his voice. He cleared his throat and continued. "No, I'm good."

Zuko desperately wanted to nod and walk off, ending the humiliating scene, but his slight knowledge of social situations told him that perhaps he should attempt to comfort his new travel companion. He sighed, and finally said flatly, "So you were crying, or what?"

Sokka's back went rigid and signaled to Zuko that his inquiry was not appreciated. In an attempt to recover some kind of good standing, the prince mumbled, "People cry and stuff… It's fine."

Sokka smoothed a hand over his muddled hair-do, and attempted to fix the wolf's tail. "Sorry." He said, emotion bubbling in his voice.

Zuko groaned inwardly, but kept his face straight. "Uhm… So… What happened?"

Sokka glanced over his shoulder, but quickly turned away again. Zuko noticed his blue eyes looked dull and worry blossomed in the prince's stomach. He hadn't known Sokka long at all, but the tribesman had never looked like this before.

"I uh, had a bad dream, I guess."

The two were silent, and Zuko knew what the nightmare had been about.

"It was because of what I did." He said, being sure to keep his voice emotionless.

Sokka shrugged and decided to go back to where they'd set up camp. He slapped Zuko's shoulder as he passed in an attempt to be friendly, and said with empty eyes, "You had to."

The prince sighed as he followed. "I know that." He stated. "So why is bothering you so much."

Sokka didn't respond as he lay in his original spot in the dirt, staring at the dark sky through the leaves. Zuko could see the memory running through the boys eyes on repeat as he sat next to him and returned the twin blades to their sheath. The two sat in silence while the prince thought of the best way to approach the situation at hand. He had little experience in comforting people, but this was a struggle he had once dealt with personally, and he knew it was difficult to move past. He didn't know Sokka well, but he felt a duty to the boy, having been the reason for the traumatizing experience.

"Listen… I know how you feel. That smell," Sokka noticed Zuko unconsciously touch his scar. "It's not something you forget. I tried to protect you from the situation as best I could. I know that seeing something like that is difficult enough to process, but… Hearing it and…" Zuko trailed off, unsure where to go from there.

Sokka shut his eyes lightly and nodded to show Zuko he was listening. The prince, however, did not know how to take the gesture and sat in silence for a moment. Sokka opened his eyes again, curious.

"The first time I burned someone, I didn't realize what I was getting into." Zuko looked away, his face hard and unreadable. "Fire bending is about control. When I was young I had very little, and I was often too reckless." Sokka listened intently, but said nothing. "I was probably ten the first time. My sparring partner and I were playing some stupid game. When he lost, he took it poorly. He decided I'd cheated and tackled me… He was so stupid. When he started to punch me I became afraid and grabbed his wrist. Before I could even think about what I was doing… I felt his skin blistered under my fingers, and I heard those screams for days..." He grimaced and met Sokka's eyes. "Anyway. What I'm trying to say is… I know what you're feeling, and it's okay. You're allowed to be upset. It's not the most pleasant experience."

Finally Sokka spoke, but first he rolled over, putting his back to the prince.

"Thanks..."

It wasn't hollow gratitude. It sounded honest, and relief flooded through Zuko. For the first time in years he felt like he had done something right.

Sokka did not sleep well that night, and awoke in a haze. His mind felt heavy and foggy, and he was still feeling dejected. Along his back there was remarkable warmth, and it was comforting against the biting cold of the early morning. Closing his eyes, and vaguely aware of his actions, Sokka turned to the heat and pressed his face into it, trying to thaw his chilled nose. With a sigh he attempted to fall back asleep, but the warmth began to stir with soft groans. Suddenly Sokka's eyes snapped open as he realized what the heat source was. Zuko's back. He attempted to roll away, but quickly became tangled in the blanket he had not realized was on him. Frustrated and still groggy, he laid in the tangled mess with his face in the dirt.

Zuko had been sound asleep until he noticed the soft prodding at his back that had been Sokka's nose. Unable to fully register what was happening at the time, he'd simply groaned grumpily and ignored it until he felt the sudden movement of the tribesman leaving his side. Startled out of his dream state Zuko leapt to his feet -heart pounding in his ears- and assumed a defensive stance; only to find the miserable boy rolled up in the blanket the prince had lent him.

"Oh," Zuko mumbled, a bit aggravated, but not feeling especially harsh after the incident last night. "Are you okay?"

Sokka said nothing, and began to smack his forehead on the ground. He felt too emotionally drained to be embarrassed, and didn't want to think about his attempts at snuggling one of the avatar's greatest enemies. (Even if he might have liked it a little.) At that thought he let out an angry moan and smacked his forehead in the dirt even harder.

Zuko, unsure of what to do, just watched the tribesman carefully. "So… Are you hungry?" he asked, unable to think of anything better to say.

At this question, Sokka perked up and tried to roll over on his back. Unfortunately the blanket pinned his arms tightly to his sides, and this greatly restricted his range of movement. The prince watched him struggle to escape the conundrum for over a minute before his anxiety got the best of him, and he finally snapped, "Do you want help, Sokka?"

The boy glared at him stubbornly, and said nothing. Knowing he wasn't actually going to ask, Zuko sighed and began tugging at the blanket as Sokka laid as still as possible, embarrassment finally overcoming his numbness. As the prince attempted to undo the mess the tribesman had made of the blanket, his mind wandered to the night before and he wondered how Sokka was feeling now. The prince had a powerful urge to ask, but feared coming off as mushy and emotional. But, he argued with himself. If I'm going to be marching across the continent with him, shouldn't I make sure he stays sane? Zuko pondered over this thought for a moment, and decided.

"How are you feeling?" He murmured, keeping his face stoic.

Sokka was silent for a long time and Zuko almost wondered if he hadn't spoken loud enough. However, his words were heard- Sokka just didn't know how to respond. The tribesman was feeling better, after last night's breakdown, he felt like a huge weight had been lifted off his chest. But knowing what had happened and who had caused it disturbed him to say the least. Sokka always knew firebending was dangerous, but he'd never seen it actually used on someone before. He'd previously never witnessed the intentional burning of another human being, and now that he had, it seemed to trigger a new discomfort. Not only was Zuko the enemy of the avatar, he was a dangerous and especially powerful firebender. Despite this, Sokka seemed to feel a strange sense of camaraderie with the prince of the Fire Nation. "How are you feeling?" He finally asked, realizing that, although he had to witness the terrifying experience, Zuko was the one who had to execute the violent attack. And the firebender didn't really seem like the monster Sokka originally thought he was. The guy was really just a socially awkward and especially short-tempered teenager.

The prince must not have expected the inquiry because he didn't respond until Sokka was freed from the blanket and sitting up.

"I'm just sorry to have upset you." The firebender said with reservation as he stood and began to pull the bundle of food from his bag and replace the blanket.

A wave of guilt washed through Sokka, but he felt sure that that wasn't the prince's intention. Suddenly, he realized that he really was feeling better. Although Zuko was kind of a stick in the mud, he truly regretted having to hurt the member of the Dai Li, and even though Sokka had no proof to support the idea, he really started to believe the firebender hadn't just created this elaborate plan to capture Aang. As Zuko handed Sokka a meager amount of bread with even less cheese, the tribesman let loose a grin and met the prince's eyes. Zuko frowned, a bit confused at the sudden giddiness of his travel companion, but didn't say anything.

Sokka inhaled his portion immediately, then said, a bit excited for a distraction, "So what next? I'm thinking we really need to find a way past the outer wall. The only way I really know of is the front gates, which you can only get through with earth bending."

Zuko nodded pensively as he chewed his meal slowly. He honestly hadn't thought that far ahead. One of his weaknesses. "Well, there are many farms in this area. Perhaps the locals know of another way."

Sokka nodded as he stood and brushed the crumbs from his shirt. "Alright. We should probably find a road." Zuko stood as well, still eating his serving.

"Okay," he glanced around them, looking for a path. Spotting a stretch that had clearly been tread numerous times, he slung the pack over his shoulder and began to walk, still munching.