I'm so excited for this chapter!!! There is quite a time jump from the first chapter to this one. This chapter takes place during "Jet" as you'll see. LOL. If the last chapter didn't make a whole lot of sense that's because I was a little impatient to get to this idea, but there should be some better explanations. Enjoy!!!!
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Zuko felt like banging his head into a tree. Azula was refusing to listen reason, that in of itself wasn't anything new, but this was just ridiculous.
"Come on ZuZu don't be a spoil sport!"
" I'm not being a 'spoil sport' I'm being realistic. Ba Sing Sai is nowhere near Gaipan. There is no reason to rush over there now, we'll get there in a month or two."
Azula just scowled and set a bush on fire. Zuko sighed and walked over to the bush, taking a deep breath and trying to connect with his chi, concentrating on reaching out to quell the fire in the bush. But before he could the flames flickered and vanished. Zuko turned to find Azula standing with a hand outstretched and a superior look on her face, but Zuko knew her well enough to see the concern and exasperation it covered.
"Come on Zuko, you don't need to be exhausting yourself. We have a long walk to get to the town so we can sleep in a bed for once."
Zuko knows she's right, he really should save his energy but it still rubs him the wrong way so he makes a point to stalk off. He'll apologize later.
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Sokka is bored, so, so bored. He's just been laying around since they met the freedom fighters yesterday, which was great for the first 6 hours but now he's ready to do something. So when Jet offers to let him join a patrol he readily accepts. Regardless of what he thinks of Jet.
So now Sokka is crouched in a tree, and its not all that different from what he was doing back in camp except there he didn't have a stick driving into his back. He's been listing for footsteps while Smellerbee keeps herself entertained by stripping leaves off branches. He finally hears footsteps approaching, possibly two people. Smellerbee signals Jet who is crouched in a tree on the other side of the road. Sokka only has a few seconds to stare at the two people walking down the road, completely unsuspecting, when Jet and Smellerbee leap from the tree and he has to back them up.
Sokka can't believe their luck. Of course it's a fire bender. The girl doesn't really look a whole lot older than him, but given that she'd just kicked Smellerbee into a tree Sokka wasn't too worried about hurting her. As he dodges another fire blast and throws his boomerang he hears Jet call out.
"Stop bending and get on your knees or this one gets his throat slit."
Sokka doesn't take his eyes off the girl until she slowly gets down on her knees, right as boomerang comes around and hits her in the back of the head. As soon as Smellerbee gets up and stands over the fire bender Sokka turns to see who Jet threatened to kill.
It's a boy who looks around Sokka's age. He has shaggy black hair, pale skin, and gold eyes. Clearly Fire nation, just like the girl. The thing that makes him stand out against the other Fire nation guards Sokka's seen is the scarring on the left side of his face. Three ridges run from his temple to his cheekbone, another one cutting through the corner of his eye, Sokka wonders if he can even see out that eye. That's not what intrigues Sokka the most though. Laying at his feet are two swords that Jet clearly made him drop when he hooked his own swords around the boys neck. Apparently he's a non-bender.
"Smellerbee execute the firebender."
Sokka is snaps his head around as Smellerbee lifts her sword, taking the look of growing terror and horror on the girls face. Now that he has a chance to actually look at her he realizes she can't be any older than Katara.
"Don't touch her."
The snarling words have Sokka spinning back around, his hand on his knife. The fire nation boy has started twisting and fighting in Jet's arms, not even pausing when the blades cut into his neck. The look in his eyes is filled with hate, but also a level of terror that dosn't match the pure venom that Sokka had heard in his raspy voice. And then it hits him, Sokka glances back at the girl, definitely younger than the scarred boy but with the same startingly gold eyes that he has. She's shaking her head and her eyes are growing larger with undisguised terror as the boy cuts himself to try to get to her.
They're siblings, and Sokkas heart twists, going out to the other boy. Fire nation or not, no one should have to watch their sister killed. Sokka heads over, drawing his dagger and motioning for Jet to go help Smellerbee. With his dagger still pressed against the brother's neck he turns them both around so that they're facing away from the scene behind them.
"Please," Sokka starts, the boy is whispering desperately, 'Please, she's only 14, we weren't doing anything wrong, please. We were just walking, we had no plans to attack anyone until you jumped us."
Sokka tries pretending he can't hear.
"If you kill her you have to kill me too, if nothing else surely you have the decency to allow me that request. If you kill my sister you better kill me too."
It's the pure heartbreak that Sokka can hear in his voice as he says the last words, combined with Sokka's already churning stomach at the thought that Jet was going to kill a girl that turns him around. His dagger still to the other boy's neck, the blood from his previous cuts trickling warm and slow over Sokka's hand as he calls out.
"Jet, stop."
Jet glances up from where he had been about to slice through the fire bender's neck.
"Jet, maybe we should keep them alive for uh, interrogation purposes."
Sokka grins to cover up the sick feeling he gets looking at the girl kneeling in the middle of the road, about to take her execution quietly to spare her brother.
"what would they know? They obviously aren't soldiers." He lifts his sword, in preparation to swing. Sokka opens his mouth but before he can protest the girl's voice rings out, the first time he's heard her speak.
" Oh but we are soldiers, special forces unit moving in to regroup with the troops at Gaipan."
She lifts her chin, like she's daring anyone to defy her. Jet does.
"Really, special forces? One average fire bender and a non bender with pathetic sword skills?" the disbelief in his voice is evident.
" Trust me," the girl's voice is smooth and oozes confidence, something Sokka wouldn't have expected from someone who was willing to let themselves be executed a few moments before. "I'm much more than an average fire bender, and Zuko here has his own special set of skills. Our job it to make sure that those individuals who oppose the Fire nation are silenced." Her smirk is terrifying, but for some reason Sokka has a hard time believing that these two teenagers are Fire nation assassins.
"Fine" Jet snaps, looking disturbingly annoyed that he's not going to kill anyone today. "But if you can't give us any good information, you're BOTH dead."
The girl nods and get's to her feet, holding her hands behind her and smirking the whole time Smellerbee puts cuffs on her. Once Sokka has tied (Zuko?) up and gathered the discarded swords. Everyone marches back to the treehouse camp, Zuko (yeah that's what the girl called him) and his sister being prodded along by Jet.
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Zuko is starving, and exhausted, and incredibly worried. Worried about Azula, worried he won't be able to lie well enough, worried that the knowledge that he's gleaned whenever the dock for supplies won't be enough. And he's been alone with all these thoughts for several hours, so when the flap of the tent that he's tied inside opens, he's almost relieved. Until he sees who it is. It's the Water tribe boy who held him while the Jet guy got ready to kill his sister. Zuko puts on the blackest glare he has (and he knows it's pretty good, the scar certainly helps) and waits while the Water tribe peasant (yes, he's resorted to name calling, in this case he thinks it's deserved) sits down just inside the tent flap.
"Okay so I can totally understand why you're glaring at me like that, but I stopped him from killing her didn't I ?!? Now that I say it aloud that sounds way less convincing. So yeah, sorry about almost being an accomplice to your sisters murder."
Zuko started, how did he know that they were related?
"You guys are siblings right? I didn't just imagine the family resemblance?"
Zuko hesitates than shakes his head. He supposes he has to be cooperative if he wants them to keep Azula alive, because he knows she'll be way to into the role of fire nation assassin and refuse to give them anything. So he lets out a long suffering sigh and opens his mouth.
"No, you're right. Azula is my little sister."
"yeah that's what I thought, my little sister is actually talking to yours right now" the Water tribe boy lets out a wry chuckle. "So anyway, I'm Sokka and You're Zuko right?" he nods.
"Good, good, now that we know each other tell me something." Sokka is leaning forward on his elbows with a serious look on his face. " Why were you lying about being in the Fire nation army." WHAT? He hadn't even said anything yet! How had this kid figured it out already!
" Aha I was right! I wasn't one hundred percent sure before but your face just confirmed it!"
Oh Agni help him
"soo mind telling a guy who you really are and what two clearly fire nation siblings were doing walking through the Earth Kingdom?"
"Ummm"
"The truth please, I'd really hate to have to tell Jet that you're lying because I don't think that you're gonna be able to get out it this time."
Zuko groaned as he dropped his head into his hands, why did he have to be such a terrible liar? He lifts his head slowly and looks Sokka right in the eye, he'll have to trust this boy with the truth because there is no way he's going to be able to lie well enough for anything else.
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Zuko tell Sokka their story, well the bare essentials anyway. Their mother moved to an Earth Kingdom colony when Azula was born. How she raised them there until they came home from playing one day when Zuko was 13 and Azula was 11 and they found her dead on the floor of their house, murdered. At this, Sokka's eyes widen and then narrow, nodding sympathetically. Zuko talks about how he and Azula were lost, how they had no one except each other, and no way to make the payment to their landlord. He details how they stowed away on wagons and trains and ships. Talked about how they lived at a port for 6 months until they were confident that they could sail a ship. How they then stole a boat, and had been traveling around the world for the past 3 years, visiting old ruins and new towns, large landmarks and random river valleys. He explained that they were only walking to Gaipan for supplies for the next stint of their adventure. He explained that they had no affiliation with the Fire nation other than being born there, how they had no love for the war or the Fire Lord.
When he finished Sokka was silent, clearly thinking. Zuko hoped he wasn't thinking about killing them.
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Sokka couldn't believe he had ever even considered killing them. He was disgusted with himself for almost standing by complicit while Jet murdered a FOURTEEN year old girl. He was getting Katara and Aang away from here as soon as he convinced that scumbag to let Zuko and Azula go. Then he realized that Zuko was sitting there scowling at him, shoot this guy had practically told him his life story and Sokka hadn't said anything, what a jerk he was!
"Thanks dude, I'm going to talk to Katara and Jet and get you and you're sister out of here and back on your way."
"Thank you"
Sokka nodded at him and stepped outside the tent, almost running into Katara who had been about to burst in. His arms shot out to steady her shoulders.
"Hey what's going on?" she looked livid, that was never a good sign.
"That fire bender, Azula. She is HORRIBLE!" Sokka was shocked at the vehemence with which she said those words.
"She wouldn't answer any of my questions, all she did was smirk and insult me! The only thing she said that was even remotely an answer to any of my questions was 'long live the Fire Lord'. She's clearly a threat." Katara hesitated and then continued in a much quieter voice, "I know Aang won't agree but I think maybe Jet had the right idea. I know that killing is wrong but we're in the middle of a war, I don't think we can afford to let a fire bender run back to the other side, especially someone who's seen all the Freedom Fighters, it puts them all in danger." Katara storms off, not waiting for a reply.
Sokka is about to call her back and tell her the truth that he learned from Zuko when he is distracted by the sharp intake of breath that comes from the tent that they have been standing in front of. Spirits, Zuko.
He ducks his head inside the flap to find Zuko scrambling to free himself of the ropes that bound him to the pole. When his head snaps up, the fury in his eyes makes Sokka want to take a step back, man that guy can glare.
"So, I guess you heard my sister, it sounds like our siblings didn't really get along. I'm going to try to get Katara to calm down but you're going to have to tell me why your sister would say things like that."
Zuko has stopped struggling and is now sitting back down with his head in his hands and emits a long suffering sigh, one that says he has to explain things for Azula a lot.
"Azula isn't the best with people, she probably thought it was funny to rile your sister, Katara right?" Sokka nods "okay, but she didn't mean any of it. She really doesn't care about the Fire nation, she just also doesn't care about anything else, things like what other people think of her. She can be perfectly charming when she wants to be." Zuko sighs again and Sokka has to resist the urge to pat this fellow exhausted older brother on the shoulder.
"She obviously cares about one thing though." Zuko looks up, clearly confused.
" I mean she was going to let Jet kill her so that you would be okay." Zuko smirks at that,
"You're lucky Jet got me, otherwise you'd be toast by now."
"No way!"
"I'm not lying, Azula is a prodigy, if she had wanted to she could have burnt you all to a crisp."
Sokka has to admit that the fight hadn't been going particularly well for him before Jet intervened. Sokka reassures Zuko one more time that he won't let anyone kill them and then leaves to go find Katara.
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Zuko is getting concerned, Sokka hasn't been back and it's starting to get dark. No sooner had he finished that thought then the flap to his tent bursts open and in tumbles Sokka, talking a mile a minute and Zuko only catches a few random words, "knew he was crazy", "blasting jelly!" and "reservoir" none of which make any sense to Zuko. He doesn't have any time to dwell on that though because Sokka has a knife out and is approaching rapidly.
"Look I don't know what your sister said to change your mind but I swear that we're not with the Fire nation"
Sokka looks around, clearly confused before looking down at the knife in his hand and grinning.
"Oh don't worry, I'm cutting you out, as long as you promise to not to randomly attack me." Zuko scowls and Sokka laughs while sawing through the ropes. Zuko bursts through out of the tent, and glances around, the camp is deserted. He spins around to face Sokka who is coming out behind him.
"Where is Azula"
"Oh yeah, this way. Come on"
As they run through the camp Sokka explains what's going on. Apparently the crazy Jet guy is going to flood a town of innocent people and Sokka needs them to help get the people out? Zuko agrees quickly, at this point he'd agree to anything if it would get Azula out of here.
They find her prison tent and Sokka hands the knife to Zuko, opting to wait outside and keep watch.
"Zuko, took you long enough." He grins despite himself.
"Well why didn't you just escape yourself" he teases, quickly bending over to cut her bonds, "You could easily have burned through these." Her response startles him so much he nearly cuts himself.
"I didn't know what they would do to you if they found out I had escaped before I found where you were."
He doesn't have a response to that so he just squeezes her hand and finishes sawing through the rope. Azula stands up, rubbing her wrist and he quickly explains the situation, she wrinkles her nose when he mentions Sokka but thankfully doesn't say anything. Just nods and heads outside, Sokka introduces himself, she says a quick hello, and they're off running.
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Sokka pulls them up short, Zuko can see panic quickly flit across his face as he motions for them to carefully peek around the tree. Two of the Freedom Fighters are ransacking the tents, clearly looking for Zuko and Azula, what he doesn't expect is for them to start calling for Sokka as they move away, his face immediately pales.
"They must know that I followed Jet and broke you out"
Surprisingly it's Azula who gets them back on track. "That doesn't matter unless we get caught, and we won't. But unless we move quickly you're going to be to late to save that town"
They all start running again.
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Zuko watches with apprehension as the water bender, Katara he remembers, pins Jet to the tree and encases him with ice. After all this is the person who wanted to kill Azula. Sokka approaches her, touching her shoulder and she turns to hug him. Zuko can see the minute she recognizes them, mainly because she sends a wall of water at them. To fast to dodge, or that could just be the fact that Zuko is still exhausted from all the running and exertion of rescuing the townspeople because Azula dodges just fine. Sokka spins around just as Zuko's back hits the tree and ice encases his body, binding him tightly to the tree. Azula snaps her head towards him when he gasps at the shock of the cold and the distraction is all Katara needs to encase Azula in ice. As Azula's fists star to glow with fire, Zuko finds a dagger of ice pressed against his neck. Great. Azula starts shouting in rage, Katara ignores her and turns to Sokka who has been yelling at her for the past minute.
"What, Sokka!"
"Katara let them go!"
"Are you crazy, their loyal to the Fire nation! And the girl is a fire bender!"
Zuko can't feel his legs anymore.
"Katara listen to me, they aren't fire nation, Azula was just messing with you, don't ask me why she thought that was a good idea but I talked with Zuko and-"
"oh so you're all buddy, buddy, with them now?"
"I'm the one that let them out!"
At these words Katara looks so betrayed that Zuko would have felt sorry for her if his inner flame wasn't dangerously close to sputtering out from the cold.
"Katara they helped me save the town, okay! They got those people to safety. They had plenty of opportunity to kill me, and nothing happened. So let. Them. Go."
Sokka's voice has gone steely, and he's glaring at Katara. Judging from what he can make out, his sluggish brain guesses that he must not look like this very often.
"Fine"
And all of a sudden Zuko is falling forward, but he can breathe again, and his brain starts to form coherent thoughts. Someone is kneeling on his left side, Azula if had to guess, judging from the green blurs of clothing, and the warmth that can only come from his sister. She's shouting now, but the adrenaline has seeped from his body and the penetrating cold is back, his vision is going black and his brain has decided that it doesn't need to listen to conversation anymore. Zuko agrees, so he squeezes the hand that's found his and forces words past his dry lips.
"Don't start any fights LaLa"
Then he welcomes the black that obliterates everything.
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Sokka watches with horror as Zuko collapses, his sister practically flies over to him, grabbing his hand, and placing her other hand over his chest. Right above his heart, and guessing from the steam rising, she's heating his heart? Sokka barley registers that thought before Zuko's eyes flutter shut and his hand goes slack. For one wild moment Sokka thinks he's dead, and he can tell Katara has had the same thought because her face blanches of her normal caramel color, turning a sickly white. Then he catches sight of the slight rise and fall of Zuko's chest and he nudges Katara. She visibly relaxes, Sokka knows she wouldn't really have killed them. She just wanted to scare them but sometimes her fear can make her take things to far. Aang moves for the first time since Katara initiated the fight. He heads over to where Azula is crouched over her unconscious brother. Moving her hands over his body in an obvious attempt to heat him up. Azula snaps her head up and sends a small arc of fire, which Aang easily jumps over but still makes Katara shift back into a water bending stance. Aang looks startled and sad.
"I'm so sorry your brother got hurt! Will he be okay?"
Azula glares at him before looking back down at Zuko's prone body. "He'll be fine," she replies before glaring at Katara and adding with cold hate in her voice "no thanks to her."
Katara glares right back, "that shouldn't have affected him like that, he wasn't even in there for three minutes."
"He shouldn't have been in there at all!"
Sokka intervenes, stepping between the hostile glares and raising his hands.
"Look we can argue about that later, right now we need to get going before the rest of the Freedom Fighters find us."
Aang takes the still upset Katara by the arm and leads her over to Appa while Sokka kneels on the other side of Zuko. This close he can clearly see just how cloudy his left eye is. Probably due to the fact that one of the scars runs right through the corner of it.
"Can he even see out of that eye?"
Azula glances up sharply and glares, Sokka curses his lack of tact.
"Yes he can." She snaps, and Sokka gets the feeling she wouldn't tell him if he couldn't. Which he doesn't really blame her for.
"Well I'll help you get him up on Appa"
"We're not going with you!"
"would you rather still be here when the Freedom Fighters come around?"
Azula glances around the clearing, clearly calculating her chances.
"Fine. But you let us off as soon as Zuko is awake."
"Deal"
Azula grabs her brothers arms, which leaves Sokka with the feet. After a minute of speculating. They manage to load him on Appa, Katara opens her mouth to protest but Aang leans over and whispers something in her ear that makes her pause and close her mouth, nodding.
Aang flips up to Appas head and shakes the reins. Azula and Katara are still glaring at each other.
Sokka sighs, this is going to be a long flight.