Notes: Sorry this took so long, guys! I know where I want this fic to go, but it took me awhile to figure out how to get everyone set up to go between point A and point B. Plus, angsty-Sokka is nearly impossible to write well. I'm still not happy with him, but this has been delayed enough.

OOOOOOOO

General Iroh knelt on the hard edge of his narrow pallet, and let out a long breath, wishing that he had a cup of tea to soothe his nerves. He was Azula's captive, but even that afforded no real luxury inside the steel plated cell except for a single window. His old tired eyes looked out to the night's sky, and to the half-moon sitting among a dusting of stars.

His thoughts were troubled.

Iroh's cares weren't for himself — although even he had to admit this was a difficult situation, and his left shoulder still hurt very badly, even if it had stopped bleeding some time ago. But he could ignore pain and even the threat of his own execution. He had been down those roads before. No, General Iroh's troubled thoughts weren't for himself at all. They were for his nephew.

Or rather, the boy that had been his nephew.

Iroh did not want to think of it. His very mind shied away from the whole idea, because he was afraid — he knew what would happen if those thoughts fully formed themselves in his head, and if he accepted realization as truth.

There had been no doubt that Zuko had been acting… strangely since his return from the Spirit World. Iroh put him though his tests; he was sure the boy had been aware of some of them, but not all. And he had been satisfied in the end that whatever had happened had helped Zuko see life from another angle, become wiser and stronger. In short, he had become the prince he was always meant to be… even if it was in the squalor of the lower rings of Ba Sing Se.

All of his hopes had been dashed cruelly against rocks tonight, for Iroh had seen the truth in his eyes down in the crystal cave. Yes, Zuko had made the honorable decision — even if it had led ultimately to tragedy. Iroh certainty couldn't fault him for it, especially as it had saved his own life.

But he knew Zuko. He had been the first to hold him as newborn baby. Ozai had been in the outer room, and had not wished to be physically present for the messy business of child birthing. Iroh had been the one to present his child to him, while the doctors had worked to save Ursa's life. It was he who had first looked into Zuko's new eyes. It was he who had spent the last three years at his side. He knew Zuko's faults as well as any father.

Zuko would have been tempted, at the very least, by Azula's offer of redemption. That boy… had not.

And now the boy had come to kneel on the other side of his cell door. Iroh heard him, in Zuko's voice, trying to explain himself… tryin to apologize for actions that he thought had been wrong. It shattered the General's heart, but he forced himself to turn away — he couldn't look at him. If he did, he would see nothing but strange false mask with his beloved nephew's face. He would know the truth. And he was afraid, deeply, unashamedly, afraid of the Spirit's retribution for that knowledge. If they wished their actions to be known, they would have told him. Above all, Iroh knew that the Spirits valued their privacy. To tamper with that would be a grave mistake.

Eventually the boy left, and Iroh was plunged into darkness and silence again. The old firebender uncurled his fists under his robe, not realizing he had clenched them at all.

He looked up from the small bars of his cell, and to the moon, and thought of the young woman who had given her life so many months ago in the North Pole.

Please Princess, he thought to the moon, Wherever my nephew is, tonight… protect him.

OOOOOOOO

Zuko intended to fly Appa through the night. The more distance they put between themselves and the besieged city of Ba Sing Se, the safer everyone was. And the less likely he was to turn back and try to break Uncle out of Azula's clutches.

But the night air was chill, and Katara insisted it wasn't good for Aang's wounds. The little Avatar had woken up only briefly in her arms before passing into unconsciousness again and now lay with his head pillowed in Katara's lap. He wouldn't wake up, but at least he was breathing.

Zuko tugged the reins, pulling Appa into the south. There was only one place he knew of that would be safe: Chameleon Bay.

It was a hard ride, even in the best of conditions. Aang had Appa traveling at near breakneck speeds from the bay back to the city for Katara's rescue. Now the bison was tired. They were tired. And the wind was steadily blowing against them. At this pace, they would be lucky to reach the bay by morning, and they would be in no condition to fight off any possible attack by the Dai Li.

Finally Zuko had to admit defeat. He directed Appa downward, past a crumbling skeleton of an old farm house and to the bank of a marshy-smelling pond.

Once the bison landed, Toph built for them a large earthen tent, and Katara bended out the water out of the damp earth so they would have a dry place to sleep. Somehow, (probably out of sheer desperation) Zuko was able to get the spark-rocks to work and started for them a fire. King Keui found a soft spot for himself, and feel asleep with Bosco, off to the side as the outsiders that they were. Katara took a place by the fire with Aang, washing his sweaty forehead and looking at him with eyes full of grief and despair.

"I didn't think this would happen," Katara murmured as Zuko sat beside her. She turned large, tear-filled eyes upon him. "He betrayed us."

There was no doubt in his mind about whom she was speaking. Anger raced through Zuko's heart, for in truth the betrayal was far, far worse than she could ever imagine. "I know," he said, wanting to reach out to her, but he was simply too shaken. "Just… try to get some sleep. I'll take the first watch."

She smiled at him; at her kind-hearted, big brother. "Don't stay up all night. Wake me up for the second watch."

He nodded, although he had no intention of doing it, and got up, sitting at the triangle opening of the tent, broadsword across his lap. There would be nothing he could do if a troop of Azula's Dai Li somehow found them. Nothing, except maybe raise an alarm. He would do what he could, though, because there was no one else to do it.

Eventually he was the only one still awake, judging by the snores from inside.

The hours passed and after awhile he grew thirsty. The marshy pond was fed by some fresh water inlets, one not being too far from where they were camping. Zuko walked over, took a drink, and then, after a glance to make sure he was still alone, went to pond's edge.

His Uncle was gone… really gone this time, now.

The water was calm and almost as smooth as a mirror, broken only by tiny bugs occasionally dipping down to the surface, casting tiny concussive circles in their wake. The air was thick with sound; creaking bugs, water reeds gently rustling against one another in the night air, and the occasional low call from a night bird. The moon was half full and cast a pale light on everything, turning Zuko's tan skin pale.

He knelt at the bank and looked down into the water, at the reflection staring up at him.

"Are you happy now, Sokka?" Zuko said, to the boy in the water. "You nearly killed him, and you… you have it all, don't you?" A snarl came over Sokka's reflected face, and Zuko scooped up some rocks, dashing it into the reflection. "You stupid water peasant!"

The rocks hit the water with an unsatisfying crack. The image resolved itself at once — Sokka's reflection now glaring up at him. The hate and anger in his heart swelled and Zuko stood up, kicking at the reflection. "What did she promise you?! My honor? My throne?! You stupid—" He broke off with a cry, turning away from the water, sinking down to his knees in the damp sand.

It was gone… all of it gone. He was sobbing now, brokenly, alone in the moonlight. He had given up his uncle, his birthright in exchange for a sister and friends, and it hurt… it hurt so much. Like an infection that had been lanced; burning, but also a healing type of pain at the same time. "You want it? Take it," he whispered, hiccupping, folding into himself. "Just take it."

OOOOOOOO

Iroh wouldn't talk to him.

Sokka walked along the long, lavish halls of the palace, feeling numb…. beaten. He had tried to explain himself, but really in the end it hadn't mattered. No explanation in the world could account for Aang's loss. Of course, a part of him felt angry at the rejection, buthe understood. Sokka had saved Iroh's life, but in doing so he had betrayed his wishes… and betrayed the world.

He had helped kill the Avatar.

"This way, sir." An agent swept his arm to the side, motioning to a large green door. They opened it for him, revealing a emerald green room with an oversized bed. Sokka nodded dully, and stepped inside. The agent closed the door for him, and Sokka had no doubt that they were going to wait right outside all night — gilded prison guards, under Azula's command.

Sokka glanced around the room; there wasn't an immediate exit except by maybe the sheer drop-off outside the balcony. He should be thinking of a way to get himself and Uncle out of this mess. He should be planning… thinking…

But his heart beat numbly in his chest. He sat on the edge of the wide bed, hands clasped in his lap. The knowledge that he had helped kill Aang beat in on him at all angles. His friend was dead… because of his mistake. He'd miscalculated. By leading Zuko to tell him to get into the Avatar state, he'd accidentally given Azula the very chance she needed — Aang's one moment of distraction… and now…

A hundred memories from over the months had had known the young monk flashed in his mind. Sure, Sokka hadn't liked the kid at first. He had come out of nowhere and removed him from his safety zone, and it didn't help that he was constantly making gooey faces at his little sister. But Aang had grown on him, and eventually Sokka had accepted him, and even welcomed him as part of the Tribe.

Sokka blinked; his right eye was running with tears, the left strangely dry and feeling scratchy. He rubbed absently at it anyway as he stood up, pacing around the room.

It didn't help. Nothing helped. His thoughts tumbled over again and again in his head for the rest of the night; a cloud of grief that numbed his mind.

Idiot.

Traitor.

Murderer.

OOOOOOOO

A soft hand touched Zuko's shoulder, pulling him up from a deep — if uneasy sleep. He winced and curled himself tighter, trying to fall back asleep. He was sore all over; exhausted even on the brink of unconsciousness. Sometimes Uncle's firebending practices felt like it took things out of his inner core, although he was always the better for it… he was tired. So tired…

The hand touched his shoulder again, and Zuko brushed it away. "Not now, Uncle, " he groaned, "Too early for firebending…"

"What?"

The voice was light, feminine and definitely not Uncle. Zuko opened his blue eyes with a sickening lurch, feeling jerked horribly back into the present. Katara knelt by his side, a frown pulled across her lovely features.

"Ugh… weird dream." He offered lamely, sitting up and looking around. He had slept into mid-morning, and the air was already thick with humidity and the low buzz of flea-mosquitoes. His neck already felt itchy from last night. Even if they weren't being chased by the Dai Li, they couldn't stay here again.

Katara just rewarded him with a long, penetrating look. "I bet. My brother, the firebender." she said, flashing something that could have almost been a smile. "Aang slept through the night… he hasn't woken yet."

Zuko vividly remembered the first few days after his Agni Kai, and the pain that had been so intense it would have driven him mad except for the liberal dose of herbs his uncle had prescribed him. Last night, he had caught a glimpse of the burn on Aang's back. It wasn't in such a sensitive place as, say, his face, but something inside him wilted at the thought of seeing the little Avatar go through that kind of agony. "Let him sleep, then. He will wake up when he's ready."

Still rubbing his eyes, he looked for the other members of the group. Kuei and the bear were sitting next to the fire, being useless. Toph was nowhere to be seen, although Zuko trusted her to stick within vibration-hearing distance. Last night, he had stayed up until the brink of dawn, and then had woken up Toph finish sentry duty before he crept back to the tent and collapsed, back against the fire.

He got up now and dusted himself off. Part of him, maybe something still left of the old him — the Prince, wanted to just go off somewhere and brood over his losses. But now, looking around, he saw that there were things to do. Kuei and Toph weren't leaders — well, maybe Toph would have the flair for it when she grew up a little. But to Zuko's critical eye, the Earth King was pathetically useless. And Katara would have her hands full with Aang.

He didn't have time to sulk. Someone had to get them out of here and keep them safe.

"Let's load up Appa," he said, reaching down to reholster both the broadsword and the bladed boomerang. "The more distance we put between us and Ba Sing Se, the better."

"Sokka, Aang's in no condition to travel."

"I know, but it'll be worse if Azula catches up to us."

Trust me on that. He thought, grimly.

After last night, he knew that nothing would ever be the same again. There had been too much betrayal, too much shock; anger, and hurt. But when he retook up Appa's reins and urged the bison into the sky, leaving the ground far, far below him again with Katara and Toph by his side with Aang sleeping more or less peacefully between them… he felt lighter.

Better.

By afternoon he even cracked a smile at one of Katara's bumbling attempts at a joke. She, too, was trying to lighten everyone's spirits. So Zuko decided to join in on a whim, and told Uncle's favorite tea joke… but he forgot quite how it began — and most of the middle part. The ending was pretty good, at least in his opinion. And even if they were laughing more at him then with him… well, that was okay too.

They were still heading for Chameleon Bay. So far, there hadn't been any sign of a pursuit. Aang's health was at the forefront of everyone's minds, and Zuko often took Appa down every couple of hours so they could all rest and have a break. Not that it mattered for the Avatar. He slept on, completely dead to the world.

As the sun sank down into the east, and the day drew to a close King Kuei was the first to spot the far shore of Chameleon Bay.

Zuko's heart leapt in his chest. Despite himself, he looked forward to seeing the Water Tribe again; to the welcoming atmosphere, and to the solid, almost comforting presence of Hakoda.

But when Appa sailed over the last ridge overlooking the bay, the beach below was empty.

Confused, Katara turned to look at him. "This is where you saw them last, right?"

"Yeah. This is where they camped. They were going to come back right after… " he trailed off over the next few words, but they hung in the air as if he had spoken them anyway.

The Water Tribe men were to return right after their battle with the Fire Nation ships.

Feeling cold dread lace around his heart like a tight net, Zuko snapped the reins and angled Appa down for a landing right in the middle of the rocky beach.

He didn't have his affinity with fire anymore, but one long look at the burned out fire pits told him that they had been cold for a long time. Days, probably.

Hakoda and the rest of the Water Tribe hadn't returned.

OOOOOOOO

Sokka poked uselessly at his rice dumplings with a pair of chopsticks. Even if he had gotten any sleep last night, and didn't feel like a flattened, run over armadillo-raccoon, the company at the breakfast table alone would have been enough to make him lose his appetite. He sat, staring downward at his plate with dull, uninterested eyes. He should be thinking; planning and trying to figure out why Azula hadn't thrown him in prison yet. But his heart was heavy, and a cloud of grief and lingering shock clouded his mind. He couldn't see past it to think straight.

Across the table, Azula picked up one perfectly cut slice of fish and chewed it. Her amber eyes flicked over his full plate. "What's the matter, Zuzu? Did you get too used to Earth Kingdom gruel?"

Ty Lee, who sat on Azula's left, giggled.

Sokka looked down at his plate and said nothing, poking again at the dumpling. "No."

"Perhaps I could have the cooks whip up some jook." continued Azula, and the corners of her lips curved up in what should have been a smile. "That's what the call the porridge here, isn't it? It's simple, peasant fair. You should like it."

"Maybe's he's just not hungry." Mai intoned. She, too, was poking at her plate and Sokka couldn't help but notice she kept shooting him glances when she thought he wasn't looking.

Sokka caught a flash of irritation — and something else he couldn't quite place, on Azula's face. But before he could figure out quite what it was, she shrugged and brought the napkin up to her lips. "Fine. You can starve for all I care." Her eyes fell to Sokka's right wrist, and the bones that stuck out from it. "It looks like you're quite used to that already."

There wasn't any kindness in her voice. It was all biting sarcasm and malice, but the words themselves made Sokka look up in surprise and focus on Azula's face. It was almost… almost something Katara would say.

Azula was trying to mother him.

The thought was so absurd that Sokka almost laughed out loud, and he had to bite the insides of his cheeks hard to keep quiet. But there was no doubt about it. There was something — well, not soft, but mildly concerned in Azula's golden eyes. She was a cruel monster wrapped up in the body of a girl, but Sokka remembered at that moment that she was also Zuko's little sister. Their bond was warped, twisted almost out of proportion — but maybe a thread of brother/sister love still lingered there.

Was that why he wasn't in prison along with Uncle?

Their eyes met, gold against gold, and Sokka was the first to look away. Determinedly, he put a small lump of rice in his mouth, and forced himself to swallow. If he felt like thinking, he would have noticed it was strange not to feel hungry.

Still, their meal passed in uneasy silence. Sokka didn't have the heart to talk with these… people. And the only time Azula ever seemed animated was when she mentioned that the Dai Li reported the capture of some sort of pirate fleet. She was going to have a lovely afternoon interrogating them.

After everyone had finished their meal (and Sokka and Mai had finished uselessly poking at his food) Azula dismissed them. Sokka made his way out — flanked by no less than three Dai Li agents — back through the halls of the Earth Kingdom Palace. It was mid-morning, but Sokka could feel a certain type of emptiness about the place. All of the noblemen and courtiers that lived here had probably either been turned out or fled from for their lives when the Fire Nation took over. The only ones that were left were dead-eyed servants, absently sweeping the floors.

The sound of quickened footsteps behind him made Sokka pause for a moment. In that instant, as if like a darting shadow, Mai appeared at his side. "Well, that was fun." she said, blandly.

"Yeah, that's me. A big fun barrel of octopus-monkeys."

The corner of Mai's mouth quirked up, and when Sokka continued walking down the hallway, she stayed at his side. A flash of irritation, briefly shone through his haze of grief and despair — bright and hot. Sokka turned, narrowing his eyes. "I'm just taking a walk. Azula's goons are right there in case I try anything." He jerked his thumb backwards at the three Dai Li agents who followed not fifteen feet away.

Mai didn't give a pause. "I know you're not going to try anything, Zuko." she intoned, "You're not that stupid."

"Then why are you following me?"

One dark eyebrow arched, although the rest of her face stayed impassive. "Who says I'm following you? Maybe I just felt like going in this direction, too."

"Yeah right."

But he kept walking, and she stayed by his side, her hands tucked neatly in the wide sleeves of her robes. The hallways of the Earth Kingdom palace were long and endlessly twisted, like the tunnels of the ancient badger-moles. Before long, Sokka knew he was lost… but that was okay… he hadn't actually set out with any destination in mind.

Mai was doing that funny glancing-but-not-glancing thing at him again. A couple of times, Sokka caught her at it, and when their eyes met she blushed and looked away.

Eventually, the long twisting hallways led them to a court yard. Sokka paused at the steps overlooking a well trimmed garden. Some overly creative gardener had cut the thick bushes into the shapes of a dozen or more different animals. He took in the sight of one of the animal topiaries with a saddened eye. Aang would have loved to see the giant elephant-koi posed leaping from out a small field of flowers.

"I would have thought you would be happier." Mai said, after a long, long period of silence. She was once more by his side, elegant hands resting against a white railing which bordered the display.

"Happy?" Sokka repeated, dully, thinking back to Kyoshi Island and the way Aang almost got eaten by that stupid sea serpent. He had been so annoyed back then…

"Well, you do have your honor back."

Another bright hot flash of irritation. Sokka's fists curled, and he turned to Mai. "I just helped kill a little boy yesterday." The hatred and grief on his face was so intense that the pale girl took a step back in shock. "My uncle is in prison. I don't know if he's going to be executed, and I'm probably going to be next." Now that Sokka was speaking, he felt like he couldn't stop. His heart felt torn open — he would have cried if there were any tears left to give. "So I'm sorry if I'm not jumping for joy around here. Things are different for me, now. You don't like the way I'm acting? Leave me alone."

He turned away from her, facing back to the topiaries, feeling a flicker of fire curl in between his knuckles. There was a time, only a few weeks ago, where that would have alarmed him. Sokka was used to it now, and just took a deep breath to steady himself.

He felt a hand slide to his shoulder. It felt soft… and strong at the same time. And when Mai spoke, her voice was the same — soft, but with a strong edge of tempered steel to it. "Hey, Azula's not going to let that happen to you."

Sokka furrowed his brow and turned his head slightly, looking at her from the corner of his good eye. "How do you know?"

It was strange how Mai seemed to shrug without making a move. "Because I've known her since I was two years old."

Then she's known Zuko that long, too. Sokka thought, the first real true thought he'd had in a day that was free of despair.

Mai's pale hand slipped down from his shoulder and interlaced with his fingers. Abruptly, Sokka was tugged forward. "Come on then," and again the corner of Mai's lip turned up. It almost looked like she wanted to smile. "If you're going to mope, at least do it while walking. This garden is boring."

OOOOOOOO

When the evening sun touched the rim of the far west horizon, Zuko decided he couldn't wait anymore. He was just climbing up, and reaching for the reins when the sound of crunching rocks behind him caught his attention.

"Where do you think you're going?" Katara's voice rang out, sounding for all the world like a mother catching a child sneaking out of the house.

"I'm going to fly out and see if I can spot any of the ships." Zuko said, not turning to look at her. A whole new type of worry gnawed at his stomach. There was no way that the Water Tribesmen should have taken this long. Something must have gone wrong. "Don't try to stop me, Katara."

"Then I'm coming with you."

"No." Now he looked at her, and saw exactly what he had feared; her mouth set in a stubborn line, but her wide eyes shared the same type of worry he himself had been feeling. It was bad enough that he worried so much for men he hardly knew… he didn't know how to handle it if his "sister" saw that her father was… dead. "You have to watch over Aang, in case he wakes up."

"I'm not letting you go out alone." Katara's voice was hard, and catching herself, she paused and took a deep breath before starting again. "I know what you're trying to do, Sokka. I know that you're trying to take care of everyone, and you're protecting me. But he's my father too. I need to go with you."

Zuko took a long look out to the west, and to the setting sun. He hadn't really come up with a plan; he just couldn't take waiting anymore and he had to do something. But the fact was he would be out on open water, and there was no one better than a Waterbender for backup. "Fine, but make sure Toph sticks by Aang's side." He didn't trust King Keui to manage an ant-hill much less a sick Avatar.

Ten minutes later they were flying over the water, so low that some high waves splashed over Appa's three pairs of feet. Zuko didn't want to bring them high, and present a visible target for any enemy ships.

Katara sat by his side on Appa's head, legs tucked up under herself. She didn't say anything, but Zuko could see the taunt lines of stress on her face.

Please let them be alright. He thought fervently, clutching the reigns in his sweaty hands. For some reason, he flashed to his own mother and the last time he saw her. He had been too confused and sleepy to really say goodbye, then. And his goodbyes were cut off short with Hakoda, a few days ago. People were always taken out of his life so fast, and never without any sort of goodbye. There had been nothing he could say to Uncle as well.

Please… be okay…

It wasn't okay.

They came across what was left of the fleet, bobbing in splinters across the surface of the water. A tattered bright blue sail listed off to the side, marking the mess with the Southern Water Tribe insignia.

Katara gave a strangled sort of a cry and immediately Zuko pulled her against him, shielding her face from it all, letting her cry against his neck. His own body shuddered, trembled, and the two gripped each other in their grief so hard there would be bruises the next day.

When Zuko felt he could open his eyes again, he looked over Katara's shoulder to the wreckage. Something, though, was missing. Something very important.

"Where are all the bodies?"

"What?" Katara drew away from him at last and looked around, puffy eyed and stricken. "What do you mean?"

"There must have been sixty men." Zuko crept out along the edge of Appa's head and looked over the water. He was being morbid, but he had seen a wide-scale navel disaster before. After escaping the North Pole, he and Uncle had floated their small raft out beyond the wreckage of the Fire Nation fleet. Zuko would never forget the bodies, floating like the many pieces of drifted wood floated now. There had been more than the eye could see.

Tentatively, Katara reached with both hands clasped and then drew them apart. The waves rippled to her command, and the wreckage of wood and sail shifted, and turned — but nothing gruesome bubbled up.

"I don't understand," Katara said.

But Zuko did. "They've all been captured by the Fire Nation."

OOOOOOOO

Sokka and Mai walked on, down through another set of long tunnels lighted with green flared torches every five feet or so. It would have almost been romantic, in a gloomy sort of way, if Sokka wasn't nearly paralyzed emotionally by grief and if Mai wasn't paralyzed emotionally normally.

Eventually they came to another opening — a cavern that seemed at once vaguely familiar. A waft of air filtered in, smelling stale and medicinal. It brought Sokka immediately back to the small cell he had shared with Jin. At once, he recognized the opening of the Dai Li prison.

"Nice place," commented Mai, vaguely.

Something drew Sokka forward, and he rounded the next corner to see a Dai Li agent guarding the main entrance. Dropping Mai's hand, he walked up to the man. "Why are you here?" Sokka demanded. Something was buzzing in the back of his head… but he couldn't quite place it. It was a half formed memory… what had Azula been saying over breakfast?

The agent looked momentarily surprised, but after all Sokka had a distinctive face and the agent knew who he was at once. He bowed low before replying. "I'm manning the front gate on Princess Azula's orders, sir. She's to interrogate the prisoners."

The buzzing in the back of his mind increased. "What prisoners? I thought the Avatar let them all go."

Again, the agent looked startled. But by now Mai had drawn up again next to Sokka, and faced with two Fire Nation nationals, he didn't dare comment. "Just a bunch of Water Tribe pirates—"

He didn't get any further. Sokka shoved past him so hard that the agent fell backwards. He yelled out for him to stop, but Sokka was already off — running as fast and as hard as he could.

Fear and horrible realization seared away the fog of grief. Finally, Sokka's mind felt clear again. He remembered that there were four floors to the prison, and as he ran flat out he started calculating in his mind exactly how long it would take to search all of them – and what he would do the Dai Li somehow tried to stop him…

… then he came to the first row of cells, and skitted to a halt.

They were all there. Every face he remembered from his childhood. All of them crammed too many to too small of cells; locked behind bars like animals.

Heedless of their glares, Sokka stepped forward, searching for the one man he knew better than everyone else.

Someone, Kuthruk probably, nudged Hakoda who was turned away facing the back. "Hey, Chief. Look who's come to visit."

And Hakoda turned, and saw the Prince of the Fire Nation staring at him.

OOOOOOOO

I usually don't ask outright for reviews, because I feel it's tacky, but I'm celebrating my birthday today (it was actually a few days ago, but today I'm celebrating it today) so I get an excuse. So… reviews and your general thoughts would be really appreciated. Hehe. :D