Avatar the Last Airbender: The Boiling Rock (2) DISCOVERY

Written by Katie Jo aka AVidZktjo

"Do you even know where we're going?"

Sokka glared at Katara over his shoulder and answered, "Of course I know where we're going!" Sokka's attention turned back to the maps that were laid out in front of him. Zuko was sitting across from him as they both pointed at the map, apparently debating their landing point.

While Sokka and Zuko argued over which village to land nearby, Aang and Katara were busy bending the water and the air to create a cover for Appa as they flew over Fire Nation territory. Thankfully they didn't have to create a lot of cover given that the early morning was bleak and the sky scattered with clouds. So Aang and Katara were sitting on either side of Appa's saddle, peacefully bending the vapors in the air to keep them hidden as they traveled closer to the Boiling Rock prison.

Toph sat somewhere near Sokka, holding on tight to the sides of the saddle, while the three other boys sat contentedly in the middle, talking of firebenders and blasting jelly.

"You don't understand. We need to land near the village of Chiju. It is the closest to the eastern entrance, and the farther we are away, the harder and more treacherous it will be to cross the lake," Zuko said as he tried to convince Sokka of his plan.

"No, you don't understand," Sokka replied while pointing at the map. "We need to land in Ji Lin because it is a mountainous territory where we will be able to hide Appa and make camp for the night."

Zuko breathed out rather loudly, and Katara could swear she saw steam. "No! You don't understand! We won't have time to make it to Chiju by nightfall. By then it will be morning and our cover will be gone."

"So! We can hide Appa tonight, hike over to Chiju in the morning, and be ready by nightfall the next day!" Sokka countered, getting rather heated in the debate himself.

"No! It won't work tomorrow night! It will only work for tonight! I already explained this to you. The Fire Days Festival already arrived two days ago and tonight is the final night of their performances, and the final night is always the biggest, the loudest, and the most overcrowded. If we need to make a fast escape, we will have a crowd to provide cover for us. Plus, the final night is usually when the prisons are guarded the least because everyone is enjoying the festivities! How many times do I have to say it? We land in Chiju and that is final!"

Sokka opened his mouth to speak, but Katara beat him to it. "Then I guess we should land in Chiju. After all, most Fire Nation villages have some mountainous land surrounding them. Surely we could find someplace to hide Appa."

Zuko blinked and then his eyes grew wide as he stared at Katara. Did she just defend him?

"But…" she started, mischievously staring back at Zuko, "we could have landed in Ji Lin if someone had listened to Sokka and had us leave yesterday."

Zuko slumped. Her replies always had a double-edged meaning to them. She smiled hauntingly at him before resuming her graceful bending movements, mirroring Aang's every flick of the wrist. Zuko sighed before turning his gaze back to Sokka. "So, I guess it's settled then. We land just outside of Chiju. I know of some land where we might be able to hide Appa and set up camp. Then we can go to the village and get Fire Nation clothes for the three of them," Zuko continued as he pointed at Haru, Teo, and The Duke.

As much as Sokka wanted to argue with Zuko, he found that he couldn't. It was clear that the firebender knew what he was doing, and Sokka felt helpless in his role as the "planning master."

The rest of the ride to the village of Chiju was uneventful and seemed to drag on for what felt like hours. Aang and Katara had to start alternating so their arms wouldn't get tired. Zuko and Sokka continued to discuss plans for the rescue mission, Sokka disagreeing with Zuko on more than one occasion, even though they had already decided on their route. Katara continued to insert her jabs at Zuko and he continued to ignore answering to them, though each one made him cringe. Teo and The Duke had eventually drifted off to sleep because of their boredom while Haru moved to sit next to Toph in order to discuss anything related to earthbending. The sun was quickly rising in the sky and the clouds around Appa were beginning to disappear just as the Gang reached the outskirts of Chiju.

Zuko pointed out some woods not far from the village, and Appa descended smoothly before coming to a jolting stop in the middle of the trees. The Gang jumped off and in a matter of minutes Zuko had found the perfect hiding place for Appa and Momo. The Avatar's pets sluggishly moved into their little cave while the Gang grabbed everything they would need for their rescue mission and started on their trek to Chiju.

Just before entering the Fire Nation village, Zuko found a good hiding spot for their weapons, and there they waited while Sokka went into the village and bought some clothes for the three young boys. Once all weapons were hidden and all clothes had been changed to suit Fire Nation tradition, the Gang walked together down the hill and into the town's square where a crowd of people were already gathering.

Haru, Teo, and The Duke were instantly drawn to the firebending magicians and jugglers so they scampered away into the crowd after Zuko had reminded them to be back before the sun set. Sokka, whose other passion, unbelievably, was shopping, instantly found interest in some of the booths he had passed while picking up clothes for the boys. Toph willingly went along with him. This left Katara alone with Aang and Zuko. One of them she enjoyed spending time with, while the other she would have rather squashed under her shoe than be alone with again.

Katara partially wanted to grab Aang and run off into the festivities, leaving Zuko to fend for himself, but upon seeing that Aang had started a conversation with Zuko about the nearby firebending acrobats, she thought better of it and grudgingly followed behind them as they walked farther into the crowd. Zuko pointed out some of the firebending moves that the acrobats were effortlessly performing, and Aang was fascinated not only by the bending styles but also by Zuko's description of them. He seemed to hang on every word that fell from the firebender's mouth, and this made Katara angry for more than one reason.

Once Zuko had joined the Gang, it seemed as if Aang had begun to cling to him more for support and advice. Unbelievably, this not only made her angry at the trust that Aang so easily gave to Zuko, but it also made her jealous of their budding friendship. She would never openly admit it, but seeing them together, acting as friends and equals on the same side, unlocked within her a feeling of envy towards their relationship. She couldn't quite figure it out. Something about it just rested uneasily within her. It wasn't that she was fearful of Zuko hurting Aang, a fear that had been proven false after they returned from seeing the dragons, but it was that she hated seeing them so close. But still she questioned herself. Why? Why did she hate seeing them as friends and confidants? Was it because she missed the attention that Aang used to give her? Or was it that she remembered a time when she had shared her deepest pains with an understanding firebender and was now wishing for that feeling of completion to return?

Katara shook her head at the thoughts of absurdity and tucked her arms under her chest, keeping a well trained eye focused on Zuko's back. She may have begun to let go of her grudge towards his past mistakes, but she swore to herself never to trust him again. And so she followed after the boys with a confident air to her step and an angry glare in her eyes.

"Who are they, Zuko? They aren't doing any firebending," Aang innocently asked his new teacher.

Zuko looked to where Aang was pointing and watched as three skilled female acrobats seemed to defeat gravity itself with their movements. "They are known only as the Fire Lilies. Usually there are more of them, and there will probably be a great show with their whole group tonight. Where the other acrobats use bending, this group of ladies does not. They are amazing athletes and they seem to never touch the ground. Some have even said that they exhibit characteristics of the airbenders because they are so skilled in their performances. What do you think? Are they worthy to be given such a compliment?"

Aang turned his attention from Zuko and back to the three Fire Lilies that seemed to dance on air alone. He could indeed see how they would be looked upon as being as skilled as an airbender, but Aang could easily tell the difference by their movements. They exerted too much effort in their leaping, whereas with an airbender, it came without struggle. Aang was about to turn and walk away when one of the Fire Lilies caught his eye. Surely he didn't see what he thought he saw. He shook his head and blinked before the same movement caught his eye again. It wasn't possible.

Aang started to walk forward, and Zuko and Katara followed after him, believing that he was just as equally entranced by the performance as they were and only wanted a closer look. Indeed, Aang did want a closer look but his eyes were focused on one of them alone. His gaze never strayed from the youngest in the group, and he could swear she was not nearly as forceful in her movements as the others. And as he continued to follow her every leap and bound, he noticed something that only an airbender could see. She was jumping higher than the rest by only a mere inch, but an inch that the others could not seem to reach. Aang's eyes opened wide when he saw this, and in an instant he began to see other actions that exhibited the habits of an airbender. She was more agile than the rest, the effort she put forth wasn't as strained, she moved faster, jumped higher, leapt longer. And it was then that Aang came to a startling conclusion.

In a nearly inaudible voice that only Zuko and Katara were centered on enough to hear, he breathed, "She's an airbender."

Both Zuko and Katara moved closer to Aang as Katara whispered, "What? That cannot be. That is impossible. I've never heard of an airbender surviving the war. No one has seen them for decades. Fire Lord Ozai killed them all. Aang, she can't possibly be an airbender. Maybe they are just so good that you can't tell the difference."

While keeping his eyes fixed on the agile Fire Lily, Aang replied, "No, Katara, I know how an airbender moves, and she is one of them."

Katara looked over at Zuko, begging him to tell Aang the truth. But what Zuko said did not ease Katara's mind. "My father once told me that Fire Lord Sozin had burned down every air temple and murdered every air nomad. When I questioned him about the possibility of their survival, I was silenced. But then a day came when a prisoner was brought before my father. My sister and I hid behind the curtains of the throne room and listened in on the punishment for this man. All I can recall is that my father sentenced him to be imprisoned in the lowest level of the Boiling Rock. The man did not seem to be the type of hardened criminal that would deserve such a punishment. In fact, he seemed sad and forlorn, almost kind in his manner. I began to wonder from that day on if there really were airbenders still alive and if the Fire Nation had merely silenced any mention of them."

Aang looked up at Zuko, hope beaming from his gentle smile. "Do you really think that there are airbenders still alive?"

A small grin spread across Zuko's lips. "Yes, I do."

Aang's eyes lit up with such joy that Katara panicked and said to her friend, "Aang, we don't know for sure if they are still alive and we can't cling to false hope. What if she isn't an airbender?"

"And what if she is, Katara? I've been hoping to meet an air nomad who survived this war, and if there is a possibility that they are still alive, then I must find out!" Aang replied while watching the young Fire Lily move about above them. "What if she is that one, Katara? I have to know!"

Katara looked over at Zuko once more, and this time there was no hint of a budding forgiveness in her eyes, only a blazing, hot anger towards the man. But Zuko did not seem daunted by this for after the Fire Lilies ended their performance, he walked confidently beside Aang as he moved towards the tents where the acrobats resided. Unfortunately they were stopped by a rather pudgy, old woman who asked to know where they thought they were going.

"Please, ma'am, I only wish to speak to one of the Fire Lilies. It will only take a second," Aang asked while holding up his hands together in a pleading motion with a look of pure sincerity on his face.

"No. No one gets to speak to the Fire Lilies. They have far too much work to do. Now run along. They'll be performing again tonight," she said before stepping behind the curtains and swinging them closed in front of their noses.

Aang slumped in defeat and Katara put her hands on either of his shoulders for comfort. "It's okay, Aang. Maybe it just wasn't meant to be." Aang turned and walked away, and Katara looked after him, wanting to help.

But before she could even think of a plan, Zuko had stepped up beside Aang, whispered something in his ear, and the two of them disappeared around the fabric of the large tent. Katara muttered about their stupidity as she quickly followed after them. But her steps were too hurried and she bumped right into Zuko. He grabbed onto her arm before she could fall to the ground and then looked her in the eye, brought his index finger up to his lips, and shushed her before releasing his grip. She just glared right back at him and was about to tell the two of them to stop this nonsense when she noticed that Zuko had found a secret entrance into the thick fabric of the tent.

While Zuko knelt, slowly undoing the hidden side entrance, he quietly explained to them that all Fire Nation tents were made with not only the thickest and most vibrant of fabrics but were also unable to be burnt down by a single flame. But seeing as how Zuko was using firebending to open the entrance, Katara quickly questioned how he was able to undo the fabric if the flame could not affect it. Zuko looked up at her for a brief moment and said, "When you are royalty, you learn about certain secrets that others may not know." Focusing once again on his task, he continued, "For all Fire Nation tents there is a secret line in the fabric that can be loosened with a little bit a firebending. It has been used in every design so that the royals can make an escape or so that the guards can make a quiet arrest." Katara rolled her eyes but continued to watch as Zuko slowly moved up the seam of the tent, loosening the fabric bit by bit until a good three feet was open for them to enter.

Zuko was the first to step inside the tent, Aang following on his heels, and Katara trailing behind them both. Apparently they had stepped into a sort of storage room for the Fire Lilies' costumes and other things and luckily there was no one guarding this area of the tent. Zuko moved to the room's entrance and opened the flap just enough so he could see down the short hallway. From what he could tell, there were three rooms to the left of them and four across from them and the entrance was down the hallway in the other direction where another 8 rooms were presumably aligned in a row. Zuko closed the flap and looked down at Aang. "Can you tell which room she is in by using your earthbending?"

"I can try." The young airbender closed his eyes and concentrated, feeling the vibrations of the earth moving between his toes. He focused on each room individually until he could feel the slightest difference in the weight of the Fire Lilies' foot falls. There was one of them that seemed lighter than the rest, and he knew it had to be her. "She's in the last room across from us down the left side of the hallway," he whispered, looking up at Zuko with a smile.

A small grin grew across Zuko's face before he peeked down the hallway once more. "There is a guard standing at the back of the tent near her doorway. How can we distract him?"

Zuko looked to Aang then Aang looked to Katara. "What? I don't know what to do! You two are the masterminds behind this plan, not me!" she said, while tucking in her arms and lifting her chin in the air.

Aang looked back to Zuko. "Well...we could start a fire near the entrance but that would only cause a panic."

"No, really?" Katara jabbed at him.

Aang looked between the two of them, confused by their looks of anger at each other, but he didn't have time to think on it at the moment. He moved to the other side of the flap, peeked down the hallway, and noticed that the pudgy, old woman was standing there talking with another guard. Then he saw the jars all neatly lined in a row. Whatever was in them was about to be broken. With a quick intake of breath, Aang blew a gust of wind that knocked all of the jars to the ground, creating puddles of perfumes and spices at the old woman's feet. To Aang's delight, she cried out for the other guard and he came running. The yelling and bickering was soon to follow as the guards hurried to clean up the mess while the old woman sat down to dry off her feet, never once stopping with her orders.

Aang, Zuko, and Katara quickly ran down the hallway and into the last room on the right before the other Fire Lilies could spot them as they came out of their rooms to see what all the commotion was about. Aang would have laughed at his brilliant plan, but upon stumbling in on the young acrobat and seeing her surprised and frightened expression, he held back on his giggles of delight.

"What are you doing here? Who are you? You shouldn't be in here!" she hastily accused them while her eyes locked onto Zuko's face.

Zuko knew her reaction well. It was one he was never pleased to have when meeting someone new. But Aang pulled her attention away from his scarred face and back onto himself. "I'm sorry, but we just had to meet you. My name is–"

"Look, it's nice to meet fans, but I'm rather busy. I have to prepare for our next show, so if you would kindly escape the way you entered, then I'll be sure to speak with you after tonight's performance," she said with a smile.

"But you don't understand. I know what you are," Aang stated while taking a step closer to the young girl who was just a hair shorter than he.

The girl's eyes grew wide and she stuttered in her reply. "What? You couldn't...no...you couldn't possibly know what...what are you talking about? I'm a Fire Lily, nothing more."

"No, you're much more than that. I could tell. You can jump higher than the other girls. I saw you," Aang took a step closer. "Your movements are that of an airbender."

The Fire Lily's eyes seemed to grow wider before she glanced up at Zuko once more and then bolted past the three strangers, leaving them stunned by her quick departure. But Aang was not so easily surprised, and he took off after her, rushing past the guards and the old woman who was still drying her feet. After Aang's swift exit, Zuko and Katara glanced over at each other before running after him at a slightly lesser speed than his own. By the time they reached the entrance, the woman was already on her feet, yelling at the guards to chase after the intruder. The guards quickly rose, but as soon as they did, they were knocked down by two more trespassers running past them. And all Zuko and Katara could hear as they ran off into the crowd of people was the old woman yelling, "Guards! Guards! Quickly! After them!"

If Aang had any doubts about this young girl being an airbender before, they were all dashed away when she bolted into the crowd. Only an airbender could move at such speeds, and Aang found himself amused at keeping pace with her. She moved just fast enough to where a normal person would quickly lose sight of her, but slowly enough so that the crowd of people would not take heed to her movements. But when she looked back and saw that he was still close behind her, her speed picked up and her tactics changed. She darted this way and that, taking a sharp turn here and another there, trying desperately to lose sight of the young boy who was chasing her. But Aang found her game to be easily won, and he never once lost sight of her amidst the crowd.

He easily drew closer and closer to catching up with her, but just when he thought he had won, she unexpectedly sped off away from the village and into the woods. Stopping in front of the forest, Aang stared up into the trees for a brief moment, letting a smile brighten up his face, before giving chase once again.

Meanwhile, Zuko and Katara had their own problems as they were being hunted down by two very bittersweet smelling guards. The two of them pushed their way through the crowd before turning down an alleyway where Katara spotted a barrel of water and knocked it over behind her, bringing to life its freezing touch. But Zuko had other plans. Before the guards could even turn around the corner, he had melted her wall of ice with a fire blast, grabbed her arm, and made her keep pace beside him.

"What on earth did you do that for? I could have easily stopped them," she yelled at him, yanking her arm out of his grasp.

"Yes, you could have, but then we would've been found out," he hastily explained to her while grabbing onto her arm once more and swinging her around the next corner with him.

Tearing herself from his grip again, she retorted, "Would you stop that! I can find my own way!"

"Suit yourself," he said as he took another sharp turn, leaving her shocked at his sudden absence.

Katara stopped in the middle of the alley, putting her hands on her hips. "Well...this is just great," she said aloud as she turned around to see where Zuko had run off to. But before she could figure out where he had gone, the guards sped around the bend, and she quickly made haste in the other direction. She couldn't believe she had been so stupid. Now they were only focused on her and Zuko had easily escaped.

The young waterbender tried everything she could to try and shake the guards but they would not give up the chase. She was tempted more than once to just knock over another water barrel, for she had seen many on her run through the village, and freeze their boots to the ground, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. Zuko had been right. The risk was too great. So she just kept running, all the while cursing the foul firebender for being correct for once.

It seemed as if the guards were gaining on her, and Katara was losing hope of ever winning at this chase. But she decided to try one more quick run through the alleyways in an attempt to lose them, so she spun off into the dark corners of the village, speeding this way and that. She lost sight of them on many occasions, but they easily caught back up with her. And just when she thought all hope was lost, someone grabbed her arm and swung her around a corner, clamping a firm hand across her mouth. She was backed into an open doorway just as the guards ran past the alleyway.

Katara wanted to scream for all she was worth, but she knew that if she did, the guards would hear her and come running, so she resorted to biting down on the hand across her mouth instead. Her plan had worked and she was quickly released, ready to run out the door, but another hand grabbed her and spun her around, bringing her into the arms of her captor. Before she could start to fight him off, she heard him say, "Don't worry, Waterbender, I'll save you from the guards," and she knew in an instant who it was.

Looking up into the face of the scarred firebender, she couldn't help but spit back at him, "What makes you think I need saving," and she stomped on his foot, making him loosen his grip so she could step away from him.

Zuko grunted in pain at his bruised foot as well as his teeth-marked hand. Katara just stood in the entryway, patiently waiting for him to get over himself. But the bruised firebender didn't give her the pleasure of seeing him in anguish much longer, for within a matter of seconds, he had grabbed onto her hand and pulled her down the alleyway once more, only this time she did not protest.

Zuko lead the two of them down many more alleyways, making sure that the guards had truly given up their chase, before venturing out into the crowds and looking for signs of the young Avatar and his newfound friend. The only thing they saw was a happy group of people enjoying the festivities. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary until Katara looked past the village entrance and began scanning the trees. And it was then that she saw it, the slightest hint of movement, and she was sure it was Aang. Without hesitation, Katara yanked on Zuko's arm and pulled him along with her as she traipsed through the crowd, past the village entrance, and into the woods.

Aang had never felt so alive in his life. His heart raced a thousand beats a second as he jumped from tree limb to tree limb, following the girl's every leap and bound. She was as skilled as he was, and he knew that she had surely been taught by a master airbender. He even found at times that he was having trouble keeping up with her. She glided through the trees at the speed of sound, never once pausing to catch a breath. He thought the chase would go on forever, but suddenly she came to a jolting stop on one of the tree limbs and Aang ran right into her, sending them both sailing towards the ground which was now over a hundred feet below them. But the Fire Lily had anticipated this, and before they could hit the ground, she had artistically sent a wave of air underneath them so as to slow down their approach, and they both landed peacefully on their own two feet.

All Aang could do for the first several moments was just stare at her, and she stared right back at him, both of them wondering what had just happened. But finally the young girl spoke up. "You're...you're an airbender, too."

Shaking himself out of his amazement, Aang replied, "Yes, I am, but you...you are amazing! I never thought I'd ever meet another master airbender. You're...just amazing!"

"But how did you survive? You have the tattoo of a master airbender. Wouldn't the Fire Nation have already captured you by now?"

"Huh?"

The Fire Lily pointed to Aang's forehead and he realized that his bandana must have flown off during the chase. "Oh, right, my arrow." Aang shrugged his shoulders. "Well, you see...I'm not just an airbender. I'm...well...I'm the Avatar."

"You're the Avatar!?" The young girl's eyes grew wide as this revelation hit her. "Of course. Why didn't I think of that? I'd heard the rumors that the Avatar had returned and that he was an airbender, but I never thought the Avatar would be you. You're...you're just like me. You're a kid."

Aang smiled. "Yeah, that would be me."

The girl took a step closer. "So, you're the Avatar, master of all four elements?"

Aang shook his head in agreement.

"And have you mastered everything yet? All four elements? The Avatar State?"

Aang's countenance suddenly changed to one of guilt and remorse. "No. I'm still learning firebending."

The Fire Lily looked straight into the young Avatar's eyes and then said, "But the Avatar State. You...you haven't mastered it yet, have you?"

The young boy looked down at his feet, but before he could answer, Zuko and Katara came running through the woods to join them.

"There you are," Katara said to Aang while trying to catch her breath. "We thought we had lost you."

"So, you finally caught up with her," Zuko said, while eyeing the girl who was still fascinated by the scar on his face.

"Yes," Aang said, letting the moment pass and his expression change to one of happiness and joy, "I did, but she was a tough one to chase down. I told you she was an airbender!"

The three turned their attention on the young Fire Lily that stood before them. Where before she had looked scared, she was now calm. "So, what is your name then?" Katara was the first to ask.

The airbender turned her attention to Katara, and with a smile on her face, she replied, "My Fire Lily name is Jilaan but my real name is Maliya. I'm named after one of the great master airbenders that once lived at the Western Air Temple, or so my father once told me."

"Your father?" Aang asked.

"Yes, my father." Maliya's smile quickly faded. "He was captured by the Fire Nation when I was eight. I don't know where they took him."

Zuko's brows lifted in surprise. "How did it happen?"

Katara looked up at Zuko, wondering why he had suddenly taken such an interest in the girl's story. Looking back on the young airbender, Katara could see that she was somewhat fearful of the firebender that stood next to her, so she interrupted Zuko's question with an introduction of herself. "Maliya, it is nice to meet you. I'm Katara. I'm from the Southern Water Tribe."

Maliya took an interest in Katara once more. "So you are a waterbender?"

"Yes." Turning towards Aang, Katara continued. "And this is Aang, the Avatar."

"Yes, we've met." The two airbenders smiled at each other in amusement.

Looking to her right, Katara saw Zuko, but she refused to introduce him. Maliya, on the other hand, wanted to know who he was, so she asked, "And who is he? He's a firebender. I can see it in his eyes, but what is one of the Fire Nation's people doing with you?"

Katara crossed her arms. "He's Aang's firebending teacher," she explained with an insulting air to her words.

Zuko looked over at the waterbender standing next to him before focusing his attention on Maliya. "Yes, I'm the Avatar's teacher, and...I'm also the prince of the Fire Nation."

Maliya's eyes grew wide. "You're Firelord Ozai's son? I've heard of you. Everyone is talking about how you betrayed your country and are now an enemy of the Fire Nation. There was even a rumor going around that you joined the Avatar. I guess they were right."

Katara looked up at Zuko. Was it possible that he really had left the Fire Nation as a fugitive and wanted to join them because he had actually changed? Shaking her head, she refused to believe it. There was still so much bad in him, she just knew it hadn't disappeared for good.

"So, Maliya," Aang started, "do you know what happened to the other airbenders? Are there any others still alive?"

Aang looked on Maliya with a glint of hope in his eyes, but Maliya's words weren't encouraging ones. "No, Aang, I'm sorry. I only knew one other airbender and that was my father."

Aang hesitated to ask the next question, but he was so desperate for any news on the airbenders, that he couldn't hold back. "Could you...could you tell us about him?"

Maliya sat down on a rock nearby and the other three sat down around her as she started to explain the story of her father and the airbenders that had gone before him.

When the first attacks on the air temples had begun, many of the airbenders had been taken by surprise and so they were unprepared for battle. But they fought back anyway. They defended their land, but eventually the Fire Nation subdued them, burning down their sanctuaries and temples. The few airbenders that remained flew away on their sky bison, hoping to find refuge among the earth kingdom people.

The first generation of airbenders tried to live among the earth kingdom, covering up their tattoos and assuming normal positions among the people. But the Fire Nation was quick to discover the airbenders and their bison, and many of them were taken away to the Firelord and never heard from again. Amazingly, not all of them were captured. Some of the young children were adopted by earth kingdom families, and they were easily hidden for they did not bear the mark of the master airbender. But those with the tattoos found it increasingly difficult to hide among the people without being discovered.

But some of the masters were skilled in the art of evasion, and they avoided getting captured for many years. These lucky few created families among their own people, producing children that they instructed at an early age about the ways of their culture. These children quickly became skilled in the art of airbending as well as in the knowledge of their culture and history that their parents and the other master airbenders bestowed upon them. They were taught about not only the skill of airbending but also about the many secrets that had only been granted to the highest monks in the air temples. But even after many decades had passed, the Fire Nation was still on the lookout for airbenders, and any and all who were discovered were quickly taken away. Some of the master airbenders were captured; others grew too old and soon passed on to the spirit world, but the children they had instructed continued on with their legacy, producing children of their own and teaching them the same things that they had been taught.

One such child was Hyda. He was taught by this second generation of airbenders, but at the age of 14, he was separated from them and adopted by an earth kingdom family that had no idea about his heritage. He lived in secret among his own family for years, constantly running off into the forests to practice his skills, growing more powerful every day. As the years went on, Hyda grew farther and farther apart from his family until he eventually left them to travel the world. He visited many earth kingdom villages before finally taking off across the sea and towards the Fire Nation. Maliya once asked her father why he dared to travel to the Fire Nation and his only reply was that he wanted to learn more about the war, to know what they were up to, and to understand why they had destroyed the culture of the air nomads.

But what Hyda found was something he never expected. It was there that he met Pae Lon, a young Fire Nation woman, who he later fell in love with. It was a forbidden love, and he knew the dangers of it, but his heart grew so attached to her that he could not bear to leave. So he married the young girl, and many years later, they had a daughter. But this young girl was no ordinary Fire Nation baby. She was just like her father. And so it was at this time that Hyda finally told his wife Pae Lon about who he really was, and because she loved him, she accepted him and their love was made stronger.

As Maliya grew, Hyda took on the role that his own parents had taken. He taught her everything he knew, and by the age of 7 she was already a master airbender with the skills and knowledge of the great monks that had gone before her. But her teaching was not to continue, for only a year later, both Hyda and Pae Lon were captured by Fire Nation soldiers and taken away, never to be heard from again.

"So what did you do?" Aang innocently asked when Maliya paused during her story.

"I joined the circus. I had watched the Fire Lilies for years, and I knew that if I wanted to stay undetected in the Fire Nation, I would have to be a part of them. But I didn't want to give up airbending, so I found that the only way I could do both was to become a Fire Lily. But I also did it for another reason."

"And what reason was that?" Katara asked.

"I wanted to stay in the Fire Nation so that I could continue to do as my father did. It is in the Fire Nation that you learn the most about the secrets of war and rumors of prisoners, so I was hoping that one day I would hear something that could help end the war or even just something about my mother and father. I've learned many things while I've been here, but I still don't know where the airbenders are taken when they are captured." Maliya looked down at her lap. "I wish I did. I would give anything to see my parents again."

Katara moved closer to Maliya and put a hand on her shoulder. "I know how you feel. I lost my mother to the war and my father went off to fight the Fire Nation when I was very young."

Maliya looked up at Katara. "I'm sorry. That must have been awful."

"Yes, it was." Katara replied, looking down as she took her hand off of Maliya's shoulder. "Yes, it was."

Throughout Maliya's story, Zuko couldn't help but recall the poor man that had been brought before his father when he was 12 years old. What if he was an airbender? What if they were all being imprisoned at the Boiling Rock? It seemed impossible, but the longer Maliya talked, the more Zuko saw the possibility that his father had sent them all away to the lowest dungeons of the prison. But he didn't dare to speak up for reaching that level of the prison was as impossible as the notion itself. Only a fool would try to go that low into the depths of the Boiling Rock.

"Maliya," Aang said her name, shaking Zuko out of his memories.

"Yes?"

Aang looked in the eyes of Zuko and Katara before gazing back into the grey eyes that belonged to his one hope of ever finding the air nomads. "Would you like to join us on our quest? It would be great to have another airbender in the Gang, and I know everyone would gladly welcome you. So, will you?" he asked with his eyes sparkling and a pleading toothed grin slapped across his face.

Maliya laughed at Aang's darling expression. "Well…I have been traveling with the Fire Lilies for several years now, so, yeah, I think I could stand a change of scenery. Where are we going?"

Aang's smile disappeared. "Actually, we aren't leaving the Fire Nation just yet. We have a rescue mission planned tonight for Sokka's girlfriend Suki." Aang quickly continued when Maliya gave him a questioning look at the mention of Sokka. "Sokka is Katara's brother, and Suki is a Kyoshi Warrior who was captured by the Fire Nation. Zuko has informed us that she could be imprisoned at the Boiling Rock, so we are on our way to free her."

Maliya's eyebrows lifted in puzzlement. "You do realize that that is a fool's errand, don't you? The Boiling Rock prison is the most secure Fire Nation holding facility there is. No one has ever escaped. I've heard many stories about it. Once you're thrown in there, you'll never come out."

The Avatar looked over at his firebending teacher. "Is this even possible then?"

Zuko smiled slightly as he replied. "As my Uncle once said, 'nothing is impossible, there are only less probable ways of making it possible.' Don't worry. I've been inside this prison before. I know how it works, and there is a way to get in and a way to get out. We WILL get in, we WILL rescue your friend, and we WILL get out."

Zuko's confidence made Aang smile wide, and he turned his attention back on Maliya. "There you have it. We're going. So, are you with us?"

Maliya looked from Aang to Katara and finally to Zuko. He might have been a firebender, but there was something about him that ignited the same confidence within her that he showed to the group. He was right. It seemed like an impossible mission, but it could be done. And she wanted to be a part of it. Turning back to Aang with a smile, she accepted his offer. "Yes, I'm with you."

Aang jumped up from where he sat. "Great! We better go find everyone else and let them know about you before we start our rescue mission. So, let's go!"

Grabbing Aang's hand before he could run off, Maliya said to him, "Aang, wait. I can't enter the village again dressed like this. The guards will spot me. I need a disguise."

Katara stood to her feet at the same time as Zuko and Maliya. She walked over to where Maliya stood, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry. I can help you with that. I'll be right back."

Within a couple of minutes, Katara had returned with a new set of Fire Nation clothes for Maliya, and the small band of friends made their way back to the village in search of the rest of the Gang. After hunting down everyone else and introducing Maliya, they made their way to their meeting place. Before sundown, they had all gathered their weapons and made haste towards the outskirts of the massive boiling lake not very far from Chiju. Through the art of waterbending, Aang and Katara maneuvered a small Fire Nation boat away from the rest and over towards the east side of the boiling lake. But before they could get on the boat and start sailing towards the hidden eastern entrance of the prison, Zuko spotted a large Fire Nation war balloon that was gliding towards the main northern entrance. He recognized the emblems immediately, and he knew they would be facing a worse fear than the guards of the prison. For the emblems were that of Azula's and with her she was carrying the entire Invasion Force. It would not only be Suki that they would be saving that night, but they would attempt a massive rescue, one that only the Avatar and his friends were likely to pull off.

TO BE CONTINUED in the Third & Fourth Parts of this Story: The Boiling Rock RESCUE & ESCAPE

One of my favorite things about this story was that I explained what happened to the airbenders and created a cool character in Maliya. I miss her already. It's been years since I wrote this, and after reading it again, I'd love to come back to it and finally finish it. But we'll see. Here's a name guide for your convenience in the meantime.

Maliya (pronounced as Ma – lie – ya or Mae – lee – ya)
Hyda (pronounced as Hi – da)
Pae Lon (pronounced as Pay – lawn)

The next parts of this story were going to be called RESCUE & ESCAPE. I don't know if I'll ever finish them, but if I do, I can guarantee that they will involve a lot more than the actual episodes of The Boiling Rock. The prison that I had in mind was going to be more like a hardcore prison where the prisoners are starved to death and tortured. There is no "playground." They remain in their cells all the time. And also, the prison is guarded not only by firebenders but the prison layout is like a maze and it houses deadly firebending traps so as to keep prisoners from escaping. In other words, it's not your kid-friendly-appropriate-for-TV prison. It's a real prison with death around every corner. A little more intense. But that's how I like it. And just talking about it makes me want to finish it because I had some great ideas for this story and an ending that would make every Zutarian smile.

But we'll see. As for now, enjoy these two chapters and review if you so wish. Thanks for the input, and let me know if I should continue it.

AVidZktjo