Disclaimer: Avatar the Last Airbender is created by Michael DiMartino & Brian Konzieko and owned by Nickelodeon.

Based on/rewrite of "The Boiling Rock Part 1" originally by May Chan.

"Previously on Avatar, Sokka promised his father they wouldn't be apart too long. The invasion plan failed and the troops had to surrender," said Avatar Roku.

Unfortunately, Katara did not get a chance to get Zuko alone after he came back from the Sun Warriors Temple. After they got back from meeting the dragons, Sokka went to Zuko's room. Zuko was sitting on the bed.

"Hey, can I talk to you for a second?" Sokka asked. They walked to the area where Appa rested.

"So, what's up?" Zuko asked.

"If someone was captured by the Fire Nation, where would they be taken?" Sokka asked.

"What do you mean? Who was captured?" Zuko asked.

"When the invasion plan failed, some of our troops were taken. I just want to know where," Sokka said as he gestured both hands out, "they might be."

Zuko replied, "I can't tell you. Knowing would just make you feel worse," said Zuko. He turned around and Sokka grabbed his shoulder.

"It's my dad. He was captured too. I need to know what I put him through," said Sokka.

Zuko realized how close Sokka was with his father and said, "It's not good Sokka."

"Please," Sokka pleaded.

Zuko decided to tell Sokka. He closed his eyes. "My guess is..." he said as he opened his eyes, "They were taken to the Boiling Rock. It's the highest security prison in the Fire Nation," Zuko replied. Sokka's mouth went slightly agape. "It's on an island in the middle of a boiling lake. It's inescapable."

"So where is this place?" Sokka asked in a serious tone.

"Why do you need to know? What are you planning?" Zuko asked suspicious of Sokka.

"Nothing. Boy, you're so paranoid," Sokka denied as he waved his arm dismissively.

Zuko replied warily, "It's in the middle of a volcano between here and the Fire Nation. You guys actually flew right past it on your way here."

"Thanks Zuko," said Sokka as he yawned and patted Zuko's shoulder as he walked past. "Just knowing makes me feel better."

"Yeah, I'm sure it does," Zuko replied doubtful.

Sokka sneaked over to Appa. He nearly tripped over a sleeping Momo. He walked over him and pattered his way towards Appa. He started to climb up as Appa awakened. Sokka shushed him and Appa went back to sleep. Sokka continued to get on Appa. He started to pull himself up on the saddle, where Zuko was waiting for him.

"Not up to anything, huh?" Zuko said.

Sokka yelped in shock and lost his grip as he fell down on the hard stone floor with a loud thud and groan.

"Fine, you caught me. I'm gonna rescue my sad," said Sokka as he put back his belongings back into his bag. "You happy now?"

"I'm never happy," Zuko replied.

"Look, I have to do this. The invasion plan was my idea. It was my decision to stay when things were going wrong," said Sokka. Sokka walked toward Appa as Zuko jumped off the bison. Sokka continued determined, "It's my mistake and it's my job to fix it. I have to regain my honor. You can't stop me Zuko."

"You need to regain your honor? Believe me, I get it. I'm going with you," said Zuko

Sokka climbed up near the saddle and replied, "No. I have to do this alone."

"How are you going to get there? On Appa? Last time I checked, prisons don't have bison day cares," said Zuko. Sokka touched the saddle before he sighed and looked at Zuko. "We'll take my war balloon."

Sokka jumped off. Both boys walked off to write a note for the group.

The next morning at the temple, The Duke walked with an armful of hay as he threw it into Appa's mouth. Katara joined him. Momo slept on the floor with a piece of crumpled paper in his arm like a blanket. Katara retrieved the paper. Toph and Aang just woke up. They moved to Katara's side.

"What does it say?" Toph asked us.

"Need meat. Gone fishing," said Katara as she turned the paper and her head as she tried to decipher the handwriting. "Back in a few days. Sokka and Zuko. One more thing. Aang, practice your firebending while I'm gone. Do twenty sets of fire fists and ten hot squats every time you hear a badger frog croak. Zuko."

Aang was trying to go back to sleep when a badger frog croaked and Aang opened his eyes with irritation and stood up.

"Nobody else has homework," Aang mumbled. Aang squatted with his hands behind his head. "One hot squat. Two hot squat. Three hot squat. Four hot..."

Zuko and Sokka flew in the War Balloon with awkward silence. Then Sokka whistled.

Zuko turned toward Sokka, "What?"

"What? Oh, I didn't say anything. You know, a friend of mine actually designed these war balloons," Sokka attempted to make conversation.

"No kidding," Zuko replied.

"Yep. A balloon. But for War," Sokka said.

"There's one thing my dad's good at," said Zuko as he turned back to the tank and firebent, "it's War."

"Yeah, it seems to run in the family," Sokka replied nonchalantly.

"Hey, hold on. Not everyone in my family is like that," Zuko pointed out.

"I know, I know, you've changed," Sokka said.

"I meant my uncle. He was more of a father," said Zuko who was saddened, "to me. And I really let him down."

Sokka said emphatically, "I think your Uncle would be proud of you. Leaving your home to come help us, that's hard."

"It wasn't that hard," said Zuko.

"Really? You didn't leave behind anyone you cared about?" Sokka asked.

"Well I did have a girlfriend. Mai," said Zuko.

Sokka moved closer to Zuko with a surprised look on his face, "That gloomy girl who sighs a lot?"

"Yeah." He made a serious face as he continued, "Everyone in the Fire Nation thinks I'm a traitor. I couldn't drag her into it. Plus I don't know how really felt about her."

Sokka leaned back on the basket and looked up at the moon and said, "My first girlfriend turned into the Moon."

Zuko looked up, "You must miss her."

At the Western Air Temple, Aang, Haru, the Duke, Teo, Toph, and Katara sat around the fire and ate dinner.

"So, how long do you think their fishing trip will last?" Toph asked conversationally.

"Hopefully not too long," Aang replied. A badge frog croaked in the distance. "Aww, man." Aang walked off to do his fire fists and hot squats.

"Maybe they went to bond," said Haru. "Come on The Duke. It's time for another race." Teo and the Duke followed.

"I hope they come back soon," said Katara.

"You didn't get to talk to Zuko alone?" Toph asked.

"No, I went to talk to him after I got my bath, but he wasn't in his room," said Katara.

"So I guess they went fishing last night?" Toph replied.

"I guess so," said Katara.

"Well, I'm going to bed," Toph replied as she yawned.

That night, the war balloon continued sailing in the sky. Sokka snored with his mouth open. Zuko firebent into the tank. Zuko closed the door and wiped his hands. He leaned on the basket and spotted the volcano.

"There it is," he said.

Sokka awoke instantly.

"There's plenty of steam to keep us covered. As long as we're quiet we should be able to navigate through it without being caught," said Sokka.

They were near the steaming crater. Zuko tried to firebend into the tank, but it didn't work and the war balloon slowly descended into the crater. Sokka looked down at the steaming water. The burner began to lose its power. The war balloon rapidly went down into the balloon got lost through the sea of steam. Zuko rapidly firebent into the tank.

"We're going down. The balloon's not working anymore!" Zuko announced.

Sokka was frantic as he rushed to the other side of the basket. Zuko tried to firebend into the vent instead.

"The air outside is just as hot as the air inside so we can't fly," said Sokka.

The war balloon continued its descend. Zuko lost his balance.

"So what are we supposed to do?" Zuko asked.

Sokka grabbed onto the tank, "I don't know. Crash landing?"

The war balloon crash landed into the hot water and splashed Sokka. Sokka covered his mouth to keep from screaming. The basket crashed in pieces, as the boys were thrown forward with their belongings. The vent slowly deflated onto the broken strips of wood and metal. Zuko and Sokka got up as Sokka spurted out the stuff in his mouth. Both of them slowly turned toward the carnage.

"How are we gonna get off the island if the balloon won't work?" Zuko asked.

"We'll figure something out. I suspected it might be a one-way ticket," Sokka replied

Zuko looked at Sokka as he walked away, "You knew this would happen and you wanted to come anyway?"

Sokka walked toward the fallen vent, "My dad might be here. I had to come and see."

"Uncle always said," Zuko said as Sokka gathered more of the vent and placed them into the broken basket, "I never thought things through, but this, ugh," he grabbed his head, "this is just crazy." Zuko threw out both arms.

Sokka turned back to Zuko and replied, "Hey! I never wanted you to come along in the first place. And for the record," he threw the fallen cloth into the basket, "I always think things through. But my plans haven't exactly worked, so this time I'm playing it by ear. So there."

He pushed the basket but yelped as his hand automatically withdrew since the basket scorched him. He kicked it. The broken balloon slowly sank into the water.

"What are you doing?" Zuko asked.

"It doesn't work anyway," said Sokka. They looked at the vent as it slowly went underwater. "And we don't want anyone to find it."

"I hope you know what you're doing," said Zuko as they turned around. "There's no turning back now."

They faced a huge metal building hidden behind the steam.

To Be Continued...