Who's up for a stop at the Boiling Rock? That terrifying, heart-stopping prison that holds the worst and most vicious prisoners of in Fire Nation… as well as one of the most incompetent wardens ever?

Toph: Ouch. Doesn't sound like smooth sailing for Mai's uncle. Is it that bad?

Toph, say you were a warden and someone disguised themselves to sneak into your prison one day.

Toph: I'd arrest him and put him in a cell.

Good, good. Now, suppose on that same day that someone broke in, there was a breakout attempt. Who would be the first person you suspect as being part of that? Or at least question because it's very likely they're a part of it? Especially after the guy who tried to breakout said he had help from a guy disguised as a guard?

Toph: Good point. So the warden's in trouble today. What about Zuko and Sexy Stuff… I mean, Sokka?

Toph:…

I'm just going bleach that last part from my brain.

Toph: Please do.

What SHOULD have Happened in Avatar the Last Airbender: Book 3: Chapter 14 & 15

As the first light of the sun barely crept over the horizon at the Western Air Temple, Sokka tip-toed his way through the cluster of his sleeping friends and towards the slumbering sky bison. With a small backpack and his sword over his shoulder, he reached the six-legged beast and began climbing up the side. When the young warrior peaked over Appa's saddle, he saw Zuko sitting and glaring at him.

"Not up to anything, huh?"

The Water Tribe boy let out a small shout as he flailed his arms and let go of the saddle. As soon as he landed on the stone ground, he stared up at his scarred friend. "Fine. You caught me." He began colleting what he dropped. "I'm gonna rescue my dad. Happy now?"

"I'm never happy."

Sokka kept his eyes downcast. "Look, I have to do this. The invasion plan was my idea. It was my decision to stay when things were going wrong." He stood up and watched the traitor prince hop off of Appa. "It's my mistake. And it's my job to fix it."

The young warrior stared the fire bender straight in the eyes. "I need to regain my honor." He gently pushed his new friend aside. "You can't stop me, Zuko."

The prince watched the other boy climb up the bison once more. "You need to regain your honor? Believe me, I get it. I'm going with you and so is everyone else on the team."

"No. I have to do this alone!"

"Sokka, regardless of how you get to the Boiling Rock, it's an enormous structure made out of metal and stone and it is surrounded by super-heated water. I understand that a stealth mission could work, but at the same time, having Haru, Toph, Katara, and the all-mighty Avatar with us can make a direct smash-in-and-grab tactic a lot easier. Believe me, they aren't equipped to handle something like that especially if we break a lot of the prisoners out of their cells while we're doing it."

The Water Tribe boy turned his head towards the prince and blinked twice. "So we combine my tactical skills with your basic knowledge of the prison and mix in the four members of our team who'd be able to take full advantage of the surrounding environment to make the mission extremely easy?" His mouth formed a bright smile. "That sounds like a really obvious idea that will make this whole situation get resolved with ease!"

"Indeed it does." Zuko nodded. "Now let's wait for the others to wake up, have some breakfast, and we'll depart."


0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0


With the sun still rising into the sky, Aang finished his last set of fire fists and hot-squats and slowly exhaled. The young monk then wiped the sweat off his brow and furrowed his brow. "Today, I'm going to talk to her about it!" He closed his hands into fists and made his way over towards the fountain in the middle of one of the terraces where his water bending teacher stood and practiced her techniques. "Katara?"

The Water Tribe girl glanced over her shoulder and smiled. "Hi, Aang. What's up?"

Hearing the voice of the girl he loved, the Avatar relaxed his body and smiled. "First off, I want to say that I perfectly understand why we didn't talk about the kiss we shared right before the invasion in the days following it. After all, with our friends and family captured plus the issue of Zuko joining our group; things were just too hectic and it was best to put our romantic lives on hold. However, now that a good amount of time has passed, we aren't dreading the fate of those we care about every waking minute, and Zuko has proven himself to be trustworthy, I feel we can take a small pause and discuss with one another how we really feel about each other."

The water being bent by Katara slowly fell back into the fountain and the girl rubbed her chin. "Hmmm… I'm going to say: no."

The bald boy's eyes widened. "What? But why?"

"Well, you've made a several really good points, but…"

"'But' what?"

The water bender shrugged. "I just don't feel like it."

As the nomad's jaw went slack, Sokka's sister calmly turned back around and resumed her bending.

"You know, Aang? I get the feeling that I'm going to be involved in an epically beautiful romance during my life. One that, and this just going on an intuition that I'm having, the spirits who determine our fates will say that the romance is the D.N.A. of the story that my life is a part of. They will literally use the phrase 'D.N.A. of the story' to define my romance. In other words, more than 95% of what happens in the story that my life is connected to wouldn't be able to happen if I weren't romantically involved with my future partner.

"Even if I was just traveling with that person but not in love with them, the story that my life is connected to just could never have possibly happened."

Katara turned her head again. "Don't you think that's wonderful, Aang?" She blinked twice when she saw no sign of her bald friend. "Aang? Aang, where'd you go? Aang?"


[[Mike and Bryan: No matter how much they claim otherwise, DO NOT trust them to write a romance story for you.]]


Wearing a small Boiling Rock guard uniform, Sokka stood beside the scarred prince, who dawned a matching outfit. As the sun beat down on the prison, the Water Tribe boy scratched his head. "You know, I just realized something: For the most secure prison in the Fire Nation, the floor of the prison yard is made of stone, the building is surrounded by water that could scold someone's skin off, and that the guards here appear to be neither top-notch fire benders nor superb bare-fisted combatants. All-and-all, this place seems rather easily-conquerable by the super-strong people it's supposed to hold in custody."

Zuko nodded and sighed. "Yeah, it's one of the things I need to set right when I become Fire Lord."


0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0


The traitor prince of the Fire Nation stood outside of Suki's cell as he heard her and the Water Tribe boy embrace one another. Just then, a female prison guard came up a nearby set of stairs. Zuko quickly tapped on the cell door as soon as the guard approached.

"''Scuse me! I have to get into that cell!"

The prince tensed. "No, you can't go in there!" He glanced at the door. "The… lights are out… The prisoner could sneak up on you."

The guard gave the young man a light scowl. "Step aside, foolllllll!" The younger guard grabbed her arm and pulled her, face-first, into the wall. "Hey! Hey! What are you doing?" She then immediately grabbed her attacker's arm and spun him into the metal door.

Inside the prison cell, Sokka and his girlfriend sat with their backs pressed against the door. As the sounds of Zuko's struggle echoed in the small room, the Water Tribe warrior furrowed his brow and put on his guard helmet.

Back outside the cell, the traitor prince wrestled himself out of the prison guard's grasp. He then locked her arm in tight hold and bent her body backwards.

At that moment, the female guard spotted a short young man is a guard uniform moving along the catwalk. "Guard! Help! I think he's an imposter!" She grunted as she struggled against the disguised man. "Arrest him!" She saw the boy stand up straight and then freeze. "Get him off me and arrest him!"

The Water Tribe boy tensed up as he marched towards the struggle. As soon as he reached the two attackers, Sokka grabbed Zuko by the forearm and whipped him to the ground. "You're under arrest!"

A second later, the male warrior pulled the scarred prince to his feet and whispered in his ear. "Why, in all the spirits' names, didn't you just tell her that I was interrogating Suki about suspected contraband or something?"

The fire bender gritted his teeth and cringed.


0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0


The traitor prince of the Fire Nation leaned against the crimson metal wall of his prison cell as the door slid open. In the entry way stood a short bulky man with long brown hair with a top knot and a gold and red plate tied to his forehead. The man smirked as his black uniformed darkened the barely-lit room as two guards flanked the outside of the doorframe.

"Well, well, well… I never thought I'd find you in here, Prince Zuko."

The teen's jaw slackened before he narrowed his eyes. "How did you know who I am?"

The man raised an eyebrow. "How did I know who you are?" He stared at the teen before clearing his throat. "Well, Duhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh…!" He took a deep breath.

"…uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
hhhhhh!

"Now behave yourself, 'cause you're my 'special' prisoner."


0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0


With the night sky looming over the Boiling Rock, Chit Sang and the Kyoshi warrior stood on the small beach surrounding the prison as a cold wind blew through the air. Just then, they heard a strange noise above their heads and turned towards the cliffs behind them where they saw Sokka and Prince Zuko slowly rolling the metal cooler down the rocky slope. The two quickly hurried up the hill and helped brace the weight of the steel cylinder as it slid down.

The full-grown fire bender scoffed. "Took you guys long enough." He then motioned his head towards a man and woman, both in prisoner outfits. "This here's my girl and my best buddy. They're coming too."

The Water Tribe warrior scowled as his eyes narrowed. "Fine… Wait a second…" He raised an eyebrow. "I suppose I can understand maybe getting them out of their cells by knowing a trick or two that took you years to learn and you saved for just the right moment, but how did you get them outside the prison itself? I'm the one who got you two out."

Chit Sang smirked. "Diversion. I tricked a few others into getting out of their cells too." He then laughed. "Guards are probably ruthlessly beating them to a bloody pulp as we speak!"

Sokka and his two friends' eyes shot open as they stared at him. "So… what were you put in the Boiling Rock for?"


0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0


The morning sun began to rise over the Boiling Rock as Chit Sang, his girlfriend, and best friend drifted through the boiling lake in the metal cooler. The large man and his companions sweated profusely as he wiped his brow. "Arhhh… This current is so slow!" He stood up and began to pry a piece of metal off the door. "I can use this to paddle!" The slab of steel tore off as he said 'paddle' and the small craft rocked a bit.

The fire bender then dipped the metal plank into the water and paddled. However, as soon as he pulled back, the scorching-hot water splashed onto his hand. He snapped his hand up and clutched it as pain surged through his body. Within moments, he let out a loud scream that echoed throughout the volcano's mouth.

Up on the top walkway of the prison, a guard turned towards the sound of the scream, spotted Chit Sang's craft, and ordered two guards on an elevated platform to slam a large bell with hammers.

As the bell rang, the warden of the prison furrowed his brow. "Guards! Secure the perimeter and lockdown the prisoners! NOW!"

While the guards scrambled and used fire whips to herd the prisoners into their cells, the head of the prison ran up to where one of his men stood beside a giant metal harpoon. "Get the fugitives and throw them in the cooler!"

The guard beside the warden turned to his superior. "Uh… Don't you think we need to worry about this large, obviously complicated, machine being sabotaged in some small but effective way? I mean, it just stands to reason that if someone were preparing an escape plan from this place, they certainly couldn't miss this gigantic metal crossbow." The man rubbed his chin. "Though I suppose I'm saying that only if a guard were involved. I could see if it was prisoners only, but anyone who had the time to survey this place from up here could easily have spotted and hindered this while no one was looking."

The warden snarled. "Just fire the thing, you idiot!"


[[The most secure prison in the Fire Nation lets a duplicate scene happen the same time prisoners would have escaped.

COINCIDENCE?

Toph: Yeah, probably. Since this satire and the format for it wasn't even around until several years after the episode aired.

Ugh… Way to ruin the moment.]]


The morning sun began to rise over the Boiling Rock as Chit Sang, his girlfriend, and best friend drifted through the boiling lake in the metal cooler. The large man and his companions sweated profusely as he wiped his brow. "Arhhh… This current is so slow!" He stood up and began to pry a piece of metal off the door. "I can use this to paddle!" The slab of steel tore off as he said 'paddle' and the small craft rocked a bit.

The fire bender then dipped the metal plank into the water and paddled. However, as soon as he pulled back, the scorching-hot water splashed onto his hand. He snapped his hand up and clutched it as pain surged through his body. Within moments, he let out a loud scream that echoed throughout the volcano's mouth.

Up on the top walkway of the prison, a guard turned towards the sound of the scream, spotted Chit Sang's craft, and ordered two guards on an elevated platform to slam a large bell with hammers.

As the bell rang, the warden of the prison furrowed his brow. "Guards! Secure the perimeter and lockdown the prisoners! NOW!"

While the guards scrambled and used fire whips to herd the prisoners into their cells, the head of the prison ran up to where one of his men stood beside a giant metal harpoon. "Get the fugitives and throw them in the cooler!"

The warden then snarled. "Oh, yeah! And make sure Prince Zuko, my very important, special prisoner, is in his cell at this very moment! It would be very stupid of me to not be suspicious of a breakin at a time like this!"


0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0


With the warden's newest set of prisoners lined up in front of him and a row of guards to his left, the head of the boiling rock began speaking. "Welcome to the Boiling Rock. I'm sure you've all heard the horrible rumors about our little island. Well I just want to tell you that they don't have to be true…" He then stopped in front of the chieftain of the Southern Water Tribe, who looked down at the ground. "… as long as you do everything I say."

Hakoda continued to stare at the floor.

"Look me in the eye when I'm talking to you!"

Sokka's father turned his eyes away. "No."

The warden glared at the warrior. "Oh, you'd rather look at my shoes? Then take a look!" The head of the prison picked up his foot and snagged the chief's cuffs with it. The foot then stomped towards the ground and dragged the leader of the Southern Water Tribe down to his hands and knees.

With his foot pinning the chieftain to the ground, the warden glared. "I know exactly who you are, Hakoda of the Water Tribe. So strong-willed. But don't worry, we'll get rid of that in time. Now look me in the eye!"

Hakoda furrowed his brow and glared into the other man's eyes.

"See?" The warden smiled. "Isn't that better?" He then turned to the other prisoners. "You will all do as I say or pay the price!" The head of the prison turned away from them and began walking. "You will all-!"

Hakoda lifted his wrist and caught the warden's foot as he walked away, causing the man to trip and scream until he hit the ground.

Two guards immediately hurried to their boss's side. "Are you ok, Sir?"

The warden pushed himself up and pushed the two men away. "I'm fine!" He spun around. "Get these prisoners out of my sight!"

"Ok, but don't you want to personally punish the guy who tripped you? You know, since he did that to you and right in front of everyone?"

"No!"


0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0


Within the crimson metal walls of the Boiling Rock, Hakoda sat on his cot and against the wall opposite the door as he curled up and buried his face in his arms. Suddenly, he heard the door open and shot up his head to see a young male guard entering his room.

"Thank goodness you're ok!" The boy in the uniform walked towards the chief.

Immediately, the older Water Tribe warrior jumped to his feet and into a battle stance. "If you take one step closer, you'll see just how ok I am."

Sokka stared at his father for a moment and raised an eyebrow under his helmet visor. "I'll 'see just how ok' you are? Look, I know you're high-strung right now and trying to hold back panic, but that was a REALLY bad comeback."

The chieftain shrugged. "Yeah, I'm not thinking that clearly. Just saying the immediate response to the first thing that's said."


0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0


The warden of the Boiling Rock slid open a door of his prison and watched two of his guards hold the strapped-in Chit Sang upside down in his wooden chair as the prisoner's head throbbed and turned bright red. "How is he?"

One of the guards glanced at his boss. "I think he's ready to talk." He and his partner whipped the chair down on the floor and on all its legs as they smirked and crossed their arms.

As the color returned to his prisoner's cheeks, the warden approached the fire bender and leaned next to his ear. "Have you had enough time to think about what I asked?"

Chit Sang looked at the ground. "Yes…"

"And…?"

"You're right. There was another person involved in the escape plan."

The warden put a hand on the other man's shoulder. "Who?"

"It's a guy who's disguised like a prison guard, only he's not a prison guard. He's the mastermind. He came up with the plan."

The warden grinned and patted Chit Sang's head. As he began to walk way, one of his guards stopped him.

"Sir, shouldn't we get Prince Zuko here and interrogate him? I know your niece is talking to him right now, but this is rather important!"

The head of the Boiling Rock turned around and raised an eyebrow. "What? What would we need to talk to him for?"

"Are you serious? You don't find it in the least bit suspicious that Prince Zuko breaks into the prison less than a day before there's a breakout attempt and that this guard who's not really a guard is using the exact same trick that the prince used when he broke in?"

The warden rubbed his chin. "Hmmm…" He then folded his hands behind his back. "No, I don't find that suspicious at all. It's just a coincidence."


0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0


Out on the roof walkway of the Boiling Rock, the warden of the prison glared at a row of unmasked guards. As two masked guards held Chit Sang behind him, the head of the prison eyed everyone in front of him. "One of you is an imposter who thought he… could fool me." The guards marched Chit Sang forward. "But now, that person is going to be in a lot of trouble."

Mai's uncle glared at the man who attempted to escape from his prison. "Who is it?"

Chit Sang slowly opened his eyes and saw Sokka trembling. The fire bender took a deep breath and pointed at the guard who threw him in the cooler yesterday. "That's him, Warden. He's the imposter!"

The eyes of the accused guard bulged. "What?"

The warden simply smirked and began walking away as his men hurried towards the suspected imposter. However, both men stopped.

"Um, sir? Shouldn't we get Chit Sang's girlfriend and best friend out here to corroborate one who the imposter is? I mean, it just stands to reason that a prisoner wouldn't want to give up the person who helped him almost escape if, for no other reason, that he might be able to help him escape again."

The warden rubbed his chin. "Hmmm…" He then folded his hands behind his back. "No, this will suffice. I trust Chit Sang completely and find no need to question a man who was sent to the cooler and tried to escape in the span of 24 hours."


0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0


Wearing his disguise, Sokka walked into the control room of the prison cells where a prison guard stood. "Hey, I just got…" He glanced out the room's window at the rows of cells. "…orders… Where are all the other guards?"

The other man raised an eyebrow behind his mask. "What do you mean?"

The young warrior gestured out at the empty floors of catwalks. "I mean, we're looking at-

[Yes, this happens.]

- 5 flights of prison cells right now and we're in the middle of a lockdown, but I don't see a single other guard around here. Where are they?"

"Didn't you eat lunch today kid? It was sloppy-bean taco day. Everyone's in the bathroom."


0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0


As Sokka, his father, his girl friend, and Chit Sang hid during the midst of the riot in the prison yard, the traitor prince of the Fire Nation ran up to him. "Zuko! Good, we're all here!" He pointed towards the main tower of the prison. "Now all we have to do is grab the warden and get to the gondola."

The scarred teen stared at his friend. "And how do we do that?"

Sokka blinked twice before his eyes widened. "I'm… not sure."

Zuko snarled. "I thought you thought this through!"

The Water Tribe boy flailed his arms. "I thought you told me it's ok not to think everything through!"

The prince raised an eyebrow. "When? When in Agni's name did I ever say that?"

Sokka began to shout, but stopped and rubbed his chin. "Actually… never. Why did I think you said that?"

[Zuko never says it.]


0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0


As Chit Sang followed his new friends into the gondola, he carried the warden on his back and glanced at the riot in the yard below. He then thought to himself, Oh yeah… my girlfriend and best buddy were down there when they let everyone out into the yard. Funny how I took the effort to get them out of their cells but not have them come up several flights of stairs.


0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0


Sokka held his meteorite sword tight as he and the traitor prince battled Princess Azula on the roof of the gondola. "Quick, Zuko, just throw all the random fire balls you can at her so she falls of since she's so close to the edge and since she can't do the same because we have more room to dodge and she could hit Ty Lee behind us!"

Zuko shook his head. "No! I'm just going to fire on or two at a time!"

"I hate you so much!"


0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0


Inside the captured gondola, the warden of the Boiling Rock struggled against his fabric bindings as three of his captures battled on the roof and the other two tilted their heads out the window and upwards. As soon as he freed his hands, he ran towards the window and yanked off his mouth gag. "Cut the line!" The head of the prison then felt Chit Sang grab him and throw his arm over his mouth.

Back at the gondola station at the prison, three guards glanced at one another.

"He wants us to cut the line."

"But, if we cut the line, there's no way anyone on board will survive."

The third guard lowered the telescope in front of his eye. "He knows."

"Ok… but the princess is on the gondola too. That's why I said 'anyone on board will' and not 'he will.' I mean, we could say that Azula and her friend were knocked into the lake before we cut the line, but are we really going to do that? To murder kids? Especially ones who are earnest heroes of our country?"

The third guard nodded. "Yeah."


0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0


The gondola docked on the outer rim of the volcano and Suki, Sokka, Zuko, Hakoda, and Chit Sang, carrying the warden, rushed out. However, Hakoda glanced at the large fire bender and pointed back at the cable car.

The chieftain watched his new ally throw the head of the Boiling Rock back inside the gondola and run off. "Sorry, Warden, your record is officially broken." Hakoda then hurried after the others, leaving the warden struggling against his bindings.

Meanwhile, Suki glanced at her boyfriend as they ran down the mountain path. "Well, we made it out! Now what?"

Sokka slowed down and glanced at the traitor prince, who stared back at the prison. "Zuko, what are you doing?"

The scarred teen turned to the Water Tribe boy. "My sister was on that island."

"Yeah, and she's probably right behind us, so let's not stop!"

"What I mean is, she must have come here somehow!" The young fire bender ade a quick dash over a small hill and spotted a giant war balloon anchored to a stone pier. "There! That's our way out of here!"

Suki raised an eyebrow at her boyfriend. "You mean you and your dad didn't bother with that subtle, tiny, kinda-important detail of 'how we get out of here'?"

The Water Tribe boy cringed and forced a weak smile on his face.


0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0


On the upper walkway of the Boiling Rock, Azula watched two guards hold her knife-throwing friend as the acrobat stood beside her. "Leave us alone."

The guards let go of Mai, bowed, and then walked off.

The princess glared at her friend and then lowered her eyes. "I never expected this from you." She then looked up. "The thing I don't understand is why! Why would you do it? You knew the consequences?"

Mai stood still for a moment. "I guess you just don't know people as well as you think you do. You miscalculated. I love Zuko more than I fear you."

Azula snarled and bared her teeth. "No, you miscalculated! You should have feared me more!"

The princess dropped into a fighting stance as the dagger-thrower pulled out a thin blade out of her sleeve. Azula's eyes widened, but she immediately thrust her arm forward, however, at that moment, Ty Lee struck the fire bender several times and paralyzed her body.

As Ozai's daughter fell, Ty Lee rushed over to the knife-wielder. "Come on! Let's get out of here!"

Mai stood frozen as the aura-seer shook her, but soon broke out of her trance just as a dozen guards surrounded her and her friend.

Azula snarled. "You're all fools!"

Two guards picked up the fire bender as one of the ones that captured Mai and Ty Lee turned towards her. "What shall we do with them, Princess?"

Azula glared at the officer. "How 'bout you frisk them this time to make sure they don't have any more weapons on them! 'Specially the same weapon they used to take out twenty of you with ease!"

The princess grumbled. "Freakin' morons…"


[[But wait! There's more!]]


On the upper walkway of the Boiling Rock, Azula watched two guards hold her knife-throwing friend as the acrobat stood beside her. "Leave us alone."

The guards let go of Mai, bowed, and then walked off.

The princess glared at her friend and then lowered her eyes. "I never expected this from you." She then looked up. "The thing I don't understand is why! Why would you do it? You knew the consequences?"

Mai stood still for a moment. "I guess you just don't know people as well as you think you do. You miscalculated. I love Zuko more than I fear you."

Azula snarled and bared her teeth. "No, you miscalculated! You should have feared me more!"

The princess dropped into a fighting stance as the dagger-thrower pulled out a thin blade out of her sleeve. Azula immediately thrust her arm forward, however, at that moment, Ty Lee struck the fire bender several times and paralyzed her body.

As Ozai's daughter fell, Ty Lee rushed over to the knife-wielder. "Come on! Let's get out of here!"

Mai stood frozen as the aura-seer shook her, but soon broke out of her trance just as a dozen guards surrounded her and her friend.

Azula snarled. "You're all fools!"

Two guards picked up the fire bender as one of the ones that captured Mai and Ty Lee turned towards her. "What shall we do with them, Princess?" He watched the princess glare at him for a moment. "Princess?"

Azula slowly exhaled. "Don't get me wrong, I'm glad you all showed up when you did. But when did 'Leave us alone' translate into 'just move a few yards away so you can easily come back'?"


0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0


Aboard the stolen war balloon, inside the bridge, Zuko approached Sokka as the Water Tribe boy piloted the craft. "Hey, got a minute?"

The young warrior shrugged. "Sure."

"I know Chit Sang helped us get out of the prison, so I suppose we do owe him his freedom. But, before we take him to our secret hideout where the Avatar himself his hiding, shouldn't we try to find out a little more about him? Most importantly, what he was in prison for? I mean, it don't think you would get sent to the Boiling Rock for pick-pocketing."


A/N: Wow… This one was longer than the Season 1 finale. Oh, but so worth it. I know so many of you had to have been asking yourselves why, oh why did Zuko let Sokka go with just him as back up. Now how many of you wondered where the heck Chit Sang's friends went? What about why the guards were willing to cut the line when Azula and Ty Lee were on the gondola?

Toph: Also, was it just me, or did they say the word 'gondola' way too many times in that episode?

Yeah, I think it was one of those moments where the writers just wanted to show off that they've read a thesaurus at some point in their lives.

Toph: Psssh… Reading! Whoever heard of anyone enjoying anything they read? Only total losers ever read.

Please don't insult my fanbase.

Toph: Awww… Dave! It was so subtle, they would have missed it!

Who in the world would miss that?

Toph: Same people who'd move only a few feet away when their princess orders them to leave.

Touche. And on that note, make sure you've watched the entire series over again so you can enjoy it one last time. Because the finale's going to change it all for you.

That's all for today, folks. Hope you enjoyed it and be sure to tune in next week for Book 3: Chapter 16

The Southern Raiders