I actually completely forgot that they snuck out through the same waterways as how Zuko snuck in, even though that kind of totally makes sense, until I re-watched the episode to do the rewrite lol. We don't see much of Zuko's hand to hand in the show, as compared to his dual blade techniques. But I for one Headcanon that Iroh would definitely teach him hand to hand just in case the poor teen had to use it at some point.
I've decided to take more liberty with the events of episodes in my rewrites; because this is an AU so F canon, I do what I want. I don't know how much I'll actually end up changing in the long run. I do still want Toph to be in the group and since she's introduced on his search to find an Earthbending teacher, I don't think that plot line will change much! Anyway~
Enjoy!
Chapter 7: The Blue Spirit
Zuko woke up to Sokka coughing. He was almost expecting Aang and Katara to join in by the time he'd gotten out of his sleeping roll, but the younger boy was silent, and Katara was already rolling a hand towel worriedly. Zuko stretched before he crawled out of his sleeping roll.
"It's probably from the storm," he says. Aang gave a whimper, looking utterly lost.
"Why aren't you sick?" Sokka croaked. Zuko shrugged, smirking.
"I used my fire to keep warm," he says. Before Sokka could snap something at him he continued. "And no, I couldn't do the same for you, unless you wanted to risk some scars of your own."
"I'm good…" Sokka said meekly.
A squawk alerts Zuko to the entrance of the temple. The messenger bird landed on the stone tiles, hopping onto a large root and starting to preen. He grabbed the letter from its foot and opened it. He furrowed his brow, looking at the bird. It took just a moment before it clicked.
"The storm…" he groaned.
He took out a piece of parchment, quickly scrawling out an update for Iroh and rolling both parchments up into the same holder. He gave the bird some seed, letting it eat its fill. Momo flew over, chirping at the bird. The bird, to his surprise, sidled over and let Momo grab some seed for himself.
"Aang, do you know what Ginger Root looks like?" Katara asks. Aang nodded, already standing. "See if you can find any for the tea."
"Right! Zuko, want to help?" Aang offers. Zuko was already slipping on his shoes before Aang had finished his question.
They set off down the temple stairs, satchel thrown over Zuko's shoulder. The trees were thick, meaning there was little light combined with the growing dark clouds above them. Aang ran around using his Bending, speeding along the ground and whipping his head back and forth in search of the small sapling-like sprouts. Zuko took a more methodical approach, searching the ground carefully and kicking leaves and branches out of the way when he felt it needed.
A few hours passed, based what he could see of the sun before it was blocked out by the clouds, and he finally relented, calling Aang over.
"I can't find any," he admits. Aang looked just as dejected, confirming his thoughts before Aang voiced the same. He dug around in his poncho for a moment, however, producing a scroll. "What is that?"
"A map of the area! I found it in one of the other temple rooms," Aang admitted. He pointed to one of the standing structures. He unfurled the map proudly. "It was a pretty well sealed room. The map is in good shape still."
Zuko looked it over, spotting a few marked structures. "It's not very recent, obviously, but… it says there's something on that mountain," he says, looking back towards the mountain in question.
Aang nodded, rolling it back up. "It says there were Herbalists there. They might still be there."
"After this long?"
"Herbalists don't tend to move very often," Aang said. "The monks always spoke of a few around the world that stayed where they were because some of the herbs they used were so picky to grow."
"Oh, that makes sense. Flame flowers are Fire Nation specific," Zuko mutters. Aang's eyes went wide.
"What's a Flame flower?" he asks wistfully. Zuko couldn't help but smile at the childish look of wonderment.
"They're flowers that spread their pollen by blooming and popping," he mimicked the action with his hands, "and the cloud of pollen shines red and orange in the sunlight. Looks a lot like a puff of fire. They do it yearly. Entire fields pop at about the same time. It's fun to watch."
"That sounds so cool! I want to see that!"
"Maybe one day. For now," Zuko says, unrolling the scroll to look at it geographically. "This map could be very helpful."
He spotted a swamp marked to the side of the mountains. As he looked over the map, the righthand side looked oddly familiar. He started to walk back, Aang gushing about the flowers still, as he tried to pinpoint the typography of the map. He had seen it before, in the map room of the ship, perhaps. Aang stopped in front of him and Zuko almost ran into him. He stopped short, rolling the scroll up and shoving it at the boy.
"What?"
"What else is Fire Nation specific?" Aang asks. He started to walk backwards. "At the temple we had a vine that liked to tilt upward towards the sky. I haven't seen anything like it since. We called them Reachers."
"We have a lot of Nation specific animals," he said. "I used to visit the stables a lot as a kid to see them up close. Almost got my leg broken by a Komodo Rhino because I walked behind it."
Aang made a pained face. "Ouch… well." He held his chin in thought. "One of the kids I was learning Airbending with did the same thing with a Sky Bison. It was a baby, though, so the kick wasn't that hard."
"…I don't want to imagine what a back kick from Appa would feel like," Zuko grumbled.
"Appa wouldn't back kick you! He'd use his tail, probably," Aang says.
Frankly, Zuko didn't think that was very reassuring. He caught Aang when he almost tripped backward over the steps to the temple. Aang was laughing as he ran up the steps, making it just before Zuko to the entrance.
"How's Sokka doing?" Aang asks.
"Not so good. Being out in that storm really did a number on him," Katara reported.
Sokka was shivering again. Zuko knew, logically, that he had to be sweating in part because of the bed roll and the fact that he was laid up against Appa and was in front of the fire. But fevers didn't care much about how warm the body was in regard to the damage they could wreak on it.
"We didn't find any Ginger Root, but we found a map," Aang says, laying it out on the ground. "There's an Herbalist Institute at the top of that mountain. We could probably find a cure for Sokka there."
"Aang, he can't travel like this," Katara says, readjusting the towel. "He needs rest, he'll be fine."
"You're sure about that?" Zuko asks.
"Of course, it's just from the storm—" Katara stopped, coughing into her hand.
"Not you, too," Aang whined.
"Relax, it was just a light cough," Katara tried to assure him. The next round of coughing as harsher, though, and Zuko could plainly see how it wore her out. That was exactly how Sokka was the day prior, and he'd similarly waved them off.
"You don't get sick often, do you?" Zuko asked.
"We know how to treat it," Katara said instead. He didn't appreciate the dodging of his question, but it at least answered that they had before. "That's why I'm not worried."
"A lot of illnesses present the same," Zuko says carefully. "You don't know for certain it's just a cold from the rain."
"You're some expert?" Katara asks. Aang shot her a disapproving look. "Sorry."
"I'm not," Zuko admitted. "Most Firebenders don't get sick from the cold, actually. But, I know a lot of symptoms are shared by a lot of illnesses. The crew got sick sometimes. Uncle would usually oversee them when they did… what the hell is Sokka doing?"
Katara turned to see Sokka trying to mimic Bending techniques. "I think he thinks he's an Earthbender," she says tiredly.
Zuko glanced at the boy. He was, in fact, trying to Earthbend. Why he hadn't assumed he was a Waterbender, he wasn't entirely sure. Sokka's claim of 'take that' to the rock might suggest he was a Waterbender, though. Zuko had heard stories of Waterbenders splitting the earth with their attacks, so it wasn't that far off. He eyed Katara a moment as she laid back down, clearly losing the battle to stay fully awake, and wondered if she'd done that kind of feat yet. He put that thought in the back of his mind for now because she had made a good point.
"Don't even think of flying," he said flatly, turning to Aang as he tried to open his glider. Aang looked ready to protest, but Zuko held up a hand, pointing behind him to the darkened sky. "This storm hasn't completely passed."
"But what about Katara and Sokka?"
"Just wait. They'll be fine," Zuko assured him. He stood and stretched, grabbing his satchel. "I'm going to look a little further, the other way. Maybe I can find some herbs of my own we can use instead."
"What if you're spotted? It's later in the day, people might be out," Katara says. She was allowing herself to lay against Appa now. Zuko grabbed her bed roll, handing it off to her to climb into. He pondered the implication and turned to his bag.
"I have something for that," he said. He dug around for a minute and then felt his hand on what he'd been searching for. He pulled out the Blue Spirit mask, holding it up over his face.
"Hey! Yeah, that'd work! No one could recognize you under that," Aang cheered. He set his glider against the stone wall. A flash of lighting split the sky. "Um… yeah, actually, you were right, flying wouldn't be a good idea."
"Exactly. Stay," Zuko ordered, making his way back down the stone steps.
"Heeey, where'd you get a second face?" Sokka asks. He sounded surprisingly unconcerned by the question. Zuko blinked at him numbly.
"The mask?" he asks. Sokka nodded, shooting him a few finger guns and a smile. Zuko didn't think he'd ever be unnerved by Sokka, but a delirious Sokka was… kind of unnerving.
"It was my mother's," Zuko started slowly.
"Oh, Zuko, you don't have to—" Katara coughed and Sokka waved his body forward. Aang caught him, setting him back against Appa.
"Ooooh! That's so nice!" Sokka shouted. "…What is it?"
"It's from a play," Zuko says more easily. "My mom took us to see the play every year. The Ember Island players butchered it, but a good story is a good story. Ever heard of Love Amongst the Dragons?"
"No," Katara and Aang admitted. Zuko was disappointed but not surprised. He wasn't sure at all the reach that the play had outside of the Fire Nation, and he doubted anyone would have put on a show at either pole.
"This mask was the antagonist's mask. It's sort of become my favorite," he admitted. "I didn't want to leave it on the ship."
"It's coming in handy now," Aang said helpfully. "Maybe one day we can see the play with you!"
Zuko hummed, slipping the mask on and starting down the stairs. "Maybe."
A horn blast caught Zuko's attention just as he was kicking away more leaves. He looked up at the sound, his brow furrowing. The storm clouds weren't exactly darkening at any worse speed than before. He hadn't been aware there was anyone in the area, much less some sort of guard post. Unease settled in his gut. He quickly made his way back to the temple cliffside. Neither sibling were fit to travel, but harsh times meant he might have to lift them to the saddle regardless and let them rest when they were certain they weren't in any possible danger.
Zuko came back into the temple, breathing heavily, and stopped abruptly just inside the doorway. Aang was nowhere to be found. Katara sat up to greet him, only serving to fall into a coughing fit. Zuko dropped the still empty satchel at Appa's feet. He tore the mask away, checking Sokka's temperature with his free palm.
"Where is Aang?" he asks.
"He left for the mountain," Katara says. Zuko disappeared back down the temple stairs. "Zuko?"
He reappeared minutes later with a large basin full of water. He dipped two hand towels into the basin and rung them out, replacing Sokka's and putting one on Katara's forehead. She didn't have a fever, yet, but better safe than sorry. He picked the water pouch up next, refilling it in the basin.
"How long ago did he leave?" he asks. Katara took the water gratefully, carefully giving some to Sokka.
"Not that long ago. A few minutes after you, probably?"
Zuko sighed, running his hand through his short hair. "He is in so much trouble," he grumbled, reapplying the mask.
"Are you leaving?"
"I'm getting him back here and I'm throttling him," Zuko says. He caught Katara raise a brow at him, unconvinced by the threat. "He's getting a talking to."
"That's more like it."
Zuko resisted smacking her leg and rooted through his bag instead. He pulled out a knife—because as Uncle Iroh always said, you could always be worse off without one—and his dual broadswords. He settled them against his back. He saw some rope at the entry way along the wall when he'd entered. He rushed over, hefting the roll up and latching it to his side. He made sure that the siblings still had water before he left. Taking one last look at the map before he slid down the cliffside rather than take the time of the stairs, he headed towards the mountain.
He climbed a nearby tree, taking the time to reach the canopy before he jumped to the next branch that looked like it could feasibly hold his weight. Jumping from tree to tree, once he had the momentum going, and swung from a branch from time to time, was marginally faster than if he'd run. He had a while to go to the mountain, but he could see the general direction easier than if it was blocked by the canopy had he stayed on the ground.
Once he started to have to go up, he realized the problem. He couldn't jump that high, no matter how much he wanted to. Propelling himself with flames, unless he wanted to burn the entire forest down, was out of the question. Zuko reluctantly slid down the trunk, his feet hitting the roots before the ground. He pushed off, landing in a roll.
It was about when he'd reached the first bend on the mountain path that led itself upward in a rather steep incline that the wind started to get worse. He couldn't have been high enough where the wind would be that harsh just yet. He picked up his pace, working to get away from the cliffside path. Once he'd gotten back onto a proper path, with ground on either side, he could see the temple in the distance. The path he was on likely led right to the Herbalist Institute.
He started to run. It was a break in the tree branches, what light was coming past the clouds hitting the pathway, that he heard something whizz through the leaves. "Whizz through the leaves" being the prominent thought that stuck with him. He side-stepped, an arrow landing in the pathway. Zuko didn't pause, rushing down the path in a zig-zag motion. Side to side and their arrows, no matter how good of a shot they were, had far less chance of successfully landing on him. He could hear and almost feel the arrows grazing his heels, his arms, his calves.
One arrow stuck itself into a tree just beside him. He snatched it out of the trunk on his way. He dodged into the actual forestry, slipping down an incline. He paused, waiting and listening. He could hear feet on the tree branches above him, moving over the pathway. He slid further into the bushes, laying on the ground to flatten his body out. The sounds of feet slowly moved away. Zuko waited. Not until he couldn't hear any sound at all, did he chance raising the arrow to inspect it. The level of craftsmanship on the steel was his first indication it was Fire Nation. The red shaft was the second indication. The third was the level of precise aim, despite the growing wind that was shifting rapidly to worsening conditions.
The slowly growing suspicion was cemented, then. The Yu Yan Archers.
Zuko cursed under his breath. He threw the arrow away, charging up to the path. Seeing the open layout of the temple's front pathway put him further on edge. Nowhere to slink off to the side. Nowhere he could slide along to hide his presence. Nowhere to duck for cover—at all. He made it to the doorway—graciously—without a single arrow trying to get him in the back. No doubt the Yu Yan Archers had taken a stealthier approach to the ascension of the mountaintop.
He looked around the property. Most of the buildings looked like they were being given minimal maintenance. Any indication of maintenance was enough to let him know someone was up here, however, so that was at least a good thing. He looked around, trying to find any clue as to where Aang would be. He spotted the green house not far from the entryway. It was worth a shot, he supposed, making his way over.
"What about my friends?" he heard Aang ask as he neared the doorway. Zuko rounded the entry way to find Aang speaking with a rather old woman. She looked far older than Uncle Iroh did. Was she seriously here alone?
"Oh, they just need some Frozen Wood Frogs. There's plenty of them down in the valley swamp."
"What am I supposed to do with frozen frogs?"
"Oh, suck on them, of course."
Yes, because that makes perfect sense, Zuko thought wryly. Once she started to explain, he begrudgingly amended his inner sass. It did make some sense.
"The frog skin excretes a substance that'll cure your friends. But make sure you get plenty. Once those little critters thaw out, they're useless."
Oh. Zuko bit back a heavy sigh. A time crunch was exactly what they needed. Great.
"Aang."
"Wha?! Zuko!"
Zuko glared fiercely at him, though the boy couldn't see it. The old woman didn't react to the name at all, thankfully. She simply waved him in.
"In need of assistance, young man?" she asks.
"Just picking up my dumb friend," Zuko says. He grabbed Aang's shoulder, pulling him towards the door. "We have to leave. Now."
"What's wrong?"
"I ran into Yu Yan Archers on my way to get you back to the temple," Zuko hisses. "I told you to stay."
"But I found out how to help Katara and Sokka," Aang says.
"Do you think they wouldn't have been fine once their fevers broke?" Zuko asks, stopping at the door.
He paused, trying to hear any indication of someone else being on the property. He couldn't hear anything past the wind. With no leaves overhead to hear an arrow coming, he didn't feel the best about waltzing out to the open plain, no matter how short it was. Not that they had much choice.
"I know I want them to feel better as fast as possible," Aang retorted. Zuko deflated a little at that. The kid was just… too nice.
"Okay… we're going to run. I don't care if you have to Bend your way down the mountain, alright?" Zuko asks. Aang shot him a concerned look.
"What's so bad about these archers?"
"They're the best archers in the entire Fire Nation. So, don't get hit."
"Right," Aang squeaked. Zuko took that as a good enough answer to how Aang was taking the situation and turned back to the door, prepped to run.
"Ok… go!"
Both boys shot out of the green house only to be immediately stuck in place. The arrows themselves were silent, soaring through the air and slipping between their skin and fabric of their shins. The arrowheads landed firmly in the ground, pinning their legs into place. Aang tried to tug at his arrows, glancing up to see an entire volley sent their direction. The majority of arrows were off to his right, where Zuko was breaking the shafts of his own arrows.
Aang spun his upper body, forming a large dome of air that knocked the arrows out of their trajectory. Zuko broke his arrows' shafts next, moving to stand back to back with him.
"The gate—"
"Don't bother," Zuko said quickly, moving his broadswords to block an arrow to his shoulder. He was starting to like the wind. It was working against the archers, blowing from behind the two and slowing the arrows just enough for his blocking to work.
"But, it's the fastest way!"
"To get caught!" Zuko spat back, blocking three more arrows.
"It's the fastest way down the mountain, isn't it?" Aang tried again. He pushed Zuko back, dancing out of the way of a smaller volleying of arrows.
"No! Aang, if I have to fight another Agni Kai against Zhao because of you, I'm punching you in your stupid arrow!" Zuko shouted, swinging his blades to cut down another arrow.
"If you have to what?" Aang asked incredulously. He spun, a circle of air knocking more arrows away.
Zuko looked around the field, picking up on a pattern in the groupings. The arrows fell in groups of four on the ground with each dodge Aang managed. Zuko furrowed his brow. First it was the leg. Then the arm. Then both legs. Once Aang started to rush across the field with him at his side, the arrows landed at his feet. The observation was interrupted when Aang grabbed at his sleeve, yanking him towards the cliffside. Zuko's brain blue screened for a solid few seconds. Long enough for them to go over the edge and drown out his swearing.
This is not going to work, this is not going to work, this is not going to work!
"Aang!"
"Just a second!" Aang pleaded. He blew air below them, glancing up to see the archers jumping right after them. "AH!"
Aang turned back towards the trees. The landing in the branches could have been better. His grip on Zuko's sleeve could have also been much better, because after the initial impact, his fingers slipped and the other boy was ripped away from him. Aang faltered, trying to look for Zuko in the mess of branches whizzing past him and failing spectacularly to do so as he hit a particularly thick branch. His breath rushed out of him, his chest already starting to ache fiercely, and he dropped. He landed on smaller branch, quickly Bending his way upward to try and spot Zuko through the canopy. Instead, he saw several Archers' ropes snap from the trees, the angle of trajectory headed right for him.
Zuko felt Aang's fingers slip off his sleeve and his stomach dropped. He whipped his head around, the smaller boy doing the same as he drifted away and into the trees. Zuko turned his attention back to his very rapid descent. He quickly thought through his options. His knife would be useless, the rope would just burn his hands as he tried to use it and he had no way to attach it to anything, so his final option was his swords. He held them out, hoping and praying that they didn't get stuck in the bark and rip out of his hands.
To his utter relief—and brief thought that he should really thank whatever God was taking mercy on him—the blades would shutter against the bark, gradually slowing his descent. He quickly re-sheathed them when he met a break in the trees. He shot his hands out, catching a branch and further slowing his descent. The impact hurt his palms, but nothing broke. That was a good sign he'd slowed down considerably.
He repeated the action, being careful not to impact any branch too head on. The last thing he needed to do was break a bone trying to reach the ground. When he'd finally slowed down enough to settle on a branch, he hung there a moment. The ground was still a good distance below him. But, he'd stupidly stopped his momentum just a few branches too early. Looking around, he was sure he'd have successfully hit a branch at the right angle regardless. So, instead, e shimmied to the trunk. He unsheathed one blade and embedded it into the bark with a flourish. He slowly let go, transferring his weight, and did the same with his other blade. The descent was slow, with rough yanks to pull his swords from the trunk, until finally he hit the dirt.
Don't panic, don't panic, don't panic
Zuko took a tentative look around. He'd seen the swamp lake ahead of him before he'd fallen through the trees. If Aang had paid attention, or had the luck to fall right into it, that was likely where he'd find the kid. That was also where the archers were headed, most likely. He tried to focus on keeping his footing solid. He couldn't afford face planting right now.
He broke through the trees in time to catch movement at the corner of his eye. He dropped to the dirt immediately, peering over the edge of the small outcropping that hung over the lake. He could see the back of the red and beige uniforms disappear into the tree line. There was no sign of Aang, but he could see the litany of arrows scattering the lake. It didn't take any genius to put two and two together.
He kept his distance. He doubted he could win a fight against them. Burning the forest down was out of the question—he couldn't risk having whatever outpost the archers were based at coming in as backup and it could reach either the Herbalist or the temple Appa and the siblings were residing in. His fighting style, therefore, was limited to close range combat with his blades and fists. Compared to the long-range arrows… he was not going to win that fight.
Following them through the forest was easier said than done. The Yu Yan Archers were notorious for good reason. But, Uncle Iroh had taken time to train certain methods and techniques into Zuko. He'd never bothered to ask where Uncle Iroh had learned the techniques. Most of it hadn't been typical Fire Nation training, based on what he'd seen the soldiers practicing at the palace and other bases. Learning how to track someone through the woods was Special Ops. Zuko had never felt comfortable enough to actually ask why Uncle Iroh had had such training. Perhaps it was just something you were taught when you reached a certain military rank; though, he wondered why he wouldn't have been taught it as a prince in the middle of war times.
He squatted in the bushes once he saw the walls of the compound through the trees. He carefully set his hands on the handles of his blades. He could see Aang, now, stuck in a net and being carried into the compound's front door. Clearly, they were ordered to keep him alive rather than kill him. At the very least, that meant that he could relax a little. But, given the amount of daylight still present, he was not going to be able to infiltrate the compound just yet.
He'd have to wait.
Nightfall came painfully slow. The storm clouds had passed, which was at least something good, since that meant he didn't have to worry about doing this in the rain. He was overly grateful that it hadn't rained while he was waiting, or he'd have to try scaling a wet wall. He'd ruled out digging underneath the wall—it would take too long. There wasn't a nearby entrance to any water system that he had been able to find, either. If he could get in through any systems, he'd have to scale the wall first and search. He couldn't see past the wall, even after climbing the highest tree in the perimeter, so the interior was unknown. He'd have to work fast and on the fly.
Not ideal.
One thing he'd noted was the guard check. The few carts that had come through were checked on their exterior, the interior, and then the underside. He had a stupid plan, but one that may work. If he got caught, then he was probably going to be killed. As it stood, however, it was his best idea. Zuko had walked down the road, finding a fork about a mile out, and then backtracked until he was just out of view of the compound's guard tower. He dug the hole as quickly as he could and, taking the time he likely had left, painstakingly smoothed out the soil he hadn't tossed off the path over his body until he was completely hidden.
He had to wait until a cart had passed over him, shivering when the weight of the Komodo Rhino shifted the dirt on either side of him. The tail dragged over him next, pulling some of the soil away, and Zuko shot his hands up, clasping at the first thing he felt: the underside of the cart. He pulled himself up, straining to do so while his heels dragged in the dirt at the sudden increase in speed; but he managed to latch onto the bottom of the cart, hooking his feet above the axel of the rear wheels. It was a rough ride, but he managed to hold on.
The cart stopped at the check point and he watched as the guard paced around it. The second guard stopped short of their typical post on the side of the cart. Zuko watched, holding his breath, until he saw the feet pause at the back. He slowly lowered himself to the ground. So as to make as little noise as possible, he waited until the guard started to move again, slowly shimmying to the side and then pulling himself up the side of the cart. The second guard was just far enough ahead of the back of the cart that he could slip into the back. He moved slowly, positioning himself between crates piled in the back. His limbs were already protesting the strain of being locked in place for so long from the undercarriage ride, so squatting down to remain hidden wasn't any more comfortable.
Once the cart had passed the gate, however, he chanced a peek outside through the front. Past the driver he could see the main compound—looking rather standard for these types of bases thankfully, making navigation a little easier if not a bit of a climb (he really didn't want to scale the side of the tower)—and he spotted his way inside as the cart parked. A guard tower entrance, placed a quick sprint from the position of the cart. Zuko waited, patiently, until the cart had been parked. Between the soldiers taking down the driver's information and unloading, he bolted.
Rushing up the stairs, he kept one hand on a blade, just in case someone rounded the steps on their descent. If he came across anyone, he'd have to take them out. Dragging an unconscious body up the stairs, leaving it in the stairwell, or pushing the other down would result in his position being exposed no matter what he did. He was grateful when he hadn't come across anyone, leaving him free to run the length of the wall's pathway. It was past the second guard tower that he saw the sewer grates.
He tore the rope off his suit, tying it to one of the merlon, and propelling down. He hit the bottom and pulled on the rope. He had been hoping to use it again, but the knot wasn't budging. He couldn't cut enough off to take with him, either. Zuko kicked the wall lightly, throwing the rope to the side to drag against the dirt and textured wall. He would just have to keep adapting. He was already running in blind, so there was no point in stewing on the loss of the rope. He could probably find more if he had the time to look throughout the compound, either way.
Zuko sprinted to the sewer grates, sliding down the slope and into the tunnels. For doing this entire rescue attempt blind and on the fly, he thought he was doing rather well. The possible threat of execution was definitely motivating him to remain as unseen as possible, so that probably helped. He slipped through the bars and paused. He had no way of knowing exactly where he could go. Figuring his best chance was blind faith, he picked a direction and ran. He couldn't really hear anything in the tunnels. Nor could he see well.
Zuko chanced igniting a flame, lighting his way. He randomly chose a direction with each fork in the tunnel's pathway, trying to move consciously deeper into the compound and hoping that he wasn't accidently moving too far and ending up on the other side. Whatever god he'd prayed to must be smiling down on him because soon he found a light source ahead of him.
The light from the grate above him was artificially white, allowing him to extinguish his flame. He strained his ears but couldn't hear anyone above him, nor any machinery. He grasped the grate, giving it an experimental push. It was stuck, but he could feel some give to it. Zuko pushed again, hearing the rust holding it in place snap, and then it broke free. He shoved it to the side, taking the edges in his hands and pulling himself up with a grunt.
He was in a kitchen, between the appliances, and it seemed empty. It was late enough, he supposed, that dinner had already passed. He looked around the room, searching for anything that he could use. He passed up the knives—he had his own and his blades, he didn't want to carry anything else that could stab him when it wasn't sheathed properly. His eye did catch a bucket near the door. Zuko hummed, picking it up, and filling it at a nearby sink.
He set it beside the door again and got to looking around the second half of the kitchen. He'd been hoping to find rope. Or perhaps tape. Instead, he found the meat locker. Empty chains hung from the ceiling. Zuko tapped his foot, contemplating, before snatching one of the longer trails of chain and unhooking it. He dislodged the hook on the end, setting it aside in the corner, and slipped back out of the meat locker.
The chain, combined with the bucket, weighed him down; but water was something he felt he needed. If Katara hadn't started to succumb to the same illness as Sokka he could have brought her. Her bending would have been valuable, especially with such am ample source right under his feet. He peered through the kitchen doors out towards the cafeteria. The serving area was sat between him and the actual cafeteria, but from here he could see the soldiers lazily sat amongst the tables. There weren't many, but the sheer distance between him and the entrance to the cafeteria was enough to turn him off of the idea of rushing the room.
Zuko slunk back, looking around the kitchen for any other exit. There was a back door, leading into an unmarked hall, across from him. He ducked down, rushing across the kitchen, and slipping through the door. The hallway was empty; so, he walked with a brisker pace. Zhao's speech must not have ended just yet, then, if most of the wandering soldiers were nowhere to be seen. He could use that, for any time that he could gain from it, to search more thoroughly.
He found himself drifting towards anywhere that would take him down into the underground levels. Prisoners were typically kept underground, so it was logical to assume that's where he'd find Aang. The further he got from the Archers, the better, in his mind. His first cue that he was getting close was the guard posted at a crossroads in the hall. Zuko had almost rounded the corner before he'd seen him out of his peripheral. He quickly ducked back into the hall he'd come down. There was no voice calling after him, no sound of footsteps, and no call for the alarms. He was safe.
He set the bucket down on the floor with the utmost care. The last thing he needed was to alert the guard because the bucket clanged on the metal floor. Zuko breathed, calming himself down, and then strode around the corner. The guard looked up, catching sight of him, and immediately raising his arm. Zuko sprinted, sliding along the metal floor, the flames shooting over his head. His own heels hit the soldier's boots, halting his progress.
He pushed himself off the ground, grabbing the soldier's wrist with his left hand. The flames cut off, briefly, but it was long enough that Zuko could get an elbow strike into the man's jaw. The hit was disorienting enough that he could spin, switching the hand holding the wrist, and delivering a second elbow strike to the chest. The soldier coughed, stumbling back, and Zuko spun again, grabbing the helmet in his palm and slamming it to the wall. The soldier slumped down to the ground. Zuko waited, listening, and when he heard nothing, he quickly retrieved the bucket.
On his way past the soldier, he pulled the helmet of his head, toting it under his other arm. He'd have to remember to tell Aang the whole "circles" thing wasn't a half bad idea for hand to hand. As he neared the end of the hall he withdrew one blade, inching it towards the corner. In the reflection of the blade he could make out four soldiers guarding a door.
Well, I think I know where he is…
He drew the blade back and re-sheathed it. He held the bucket in his hand, prepped to splash. He'd have one shot at this, and one shot only. He thought of trying to rush the four guards but there was no way he was doing that without coming out without an injury or two, nor without using his fire. That was a last resort. The missing prince chased the Avatar and now there's a Firebender with him? It wouldn't take long for Zhao to piece that together convincingly enough for his father to put a bounty on his head.
Zuko hummed, looking around for what he could use. He had the chain and the helmet aside from the bucket. Setting the bucket down alongside the helmet briefly, he unrolled the chain enough to separate it into three parts. He heated his hand, grasping at one of the links of chain until it warped enough for him to pull it apart. Once he'd finished that, he rolled the chain up and stuffed it in his waistband. He looked up at the ceiling. It was a tad too far for a single jump. Then, from down the corridor he heard a noise. He paused, straining his ears.
Ribbiting. That was ribbiting.
He seriously grabbed frogs.
Zuko sighed heavily, trying not to think of all the ways he was going to beat Aang over the head with a stick when they got back to the cliffside. That was why he got caught, and Zuko would bet his entire non-existent inheritance on that. But, he could at least use this mild distraction. He jumped up, rebounding off the wall in time to the ribbiting. He tied off one of the chains in the rafter of the ceiling, doing the same for the last two once he figured out how to secure it. after looping the two latter chains over a rafter and shortening one end, he held the first chain, slowly lowering himself, careful not to jingle them too much.
Once he was sure they'd hold, he grabbed the bucket's handle in one hand and the helmet in the other. He aimed, waited, and tossed the helmet. It rolled down the hall with an echo, stopping at the guards' feet. One pair of footsteps started to approach his hall and he tensed, backing up past the chains and around the corner. The soldier stopped short when he saw the chains. He slipped through them , cautiously, until he neared Zuko's corner.
Zuko held the bucket high, prepared to douse the first person to round the corner. The soldier came into view already in his stance. He spotted Zuko and shot off his flames, immediately having them doused by the splash from the bucket. Zuko swung it back into his head next. The soldier stumbled back, trying to readjust his helmet. Zuko kicked his side, sending him back into the hall. He grabbed the nearest chain, hooking it around the man's hands and pulling him back. He let him go, letting him call, held up only by the weight of the chain. Zuko grabbed at his neck scarf, pulling it up and back, tying it off at the back. He pulled the other end of the chain, hoisting the man up. He jumped off the wall, tying it off at another rafter.
Two pairs of feet came around the corner next, stances established. Zuko took their hesitance at the sight to drop on one's back. In the soldier's stumble, he shot his leg out at the second. His heel caught the soldier's jaw, whipping his head around. Zuko grabbed at the nearest chain, wrapping the soldier's wrists together. The second soldier stood, aiming a fire blast at him. Zuko kicked off the wall, sending him and the soldier's whose back he was still riding away from the flames. He shot his leg out again, catching the other in the chest.
He dropped from the first guard. He snatched up the second chain and wrapped on hand of the second soldier, hooking the chain around the man's ankle when he tired for a kick, and then catching his other hand in an attempted fire blast. Once he had him locked in, Zuko pulled on the ends of both chains. As he hoisted them up, he grunted. He was very happy he hadn't tried to go into the river with his own armor on. If this was any indication for him, he would have definitely drowned.
Zuko pulled until they were hanging and then knelt between the two to move behind the very first guard he had immobilized. He tied off the chains at his ankles. Despite the slack that was given when the weight of the others forced the first to raise his legs a little, all three guards remained suspended.
He grabbed the empty bucket. There was no use in dumping a potentially good blunt weapon. Zuko waited at the corner and breathed. He took his knife out, tilting it to look down the hall. The remaining soldier bent side to side on his heels. Zuko watched him reach for the horn and reacted. The knife was out of his hands before he had time to process what he was doing, revealing his position like that. The knife hit home, though, embedding into the wooden horn. He was halfway down the hall when the soldier had collected themselves and shot off a blast of fire. Zuko slid down and skid to a stop at his feet. He spun on the balls of his feet, swinging the bucket, hard, at the man's ankles. He lost balance immediately, tumbling over onto his face. After that it was easy to hog tire him.
Zuko sighed, stretching his arms and legs a little before pushing the door open to find Aang stuck between two poles. He wasn't even sure why this type of room was still permitted. He shut the door quickly behind him. Aang squinted at him.
"…Zuko?" he asks.
Zuko tilted the mask up, glaring Aang's way. "What if it hadn't been me?" he asks, stalking forward.
"Uuuuuuuh—"
"Exactly," Zuko snaps. He unsheathed his blades, cutting through Aang's chains with a flourish. Once he had sheathed them again he smacked Aang upside the head.
"Ow! What was that for?"
"For getting caught," Zuko hisses. He yanked on his sleeve. "You tried to grab the frogs, seriously? You could have probably gotten away if you hadn't gotten distracted by that."
"But Sokka and Katara need them," Aang says defiantly. Zuko readjusted his mask.
"I don't care. Now be quiet, just follow me."
Zuk pushed the door open, guiding Aang through the hall. Aang spotted the guard hog-tied on the floor and grimaced. Once they passed through the hall of the hanging guards he gaped as he passed by.
"Remind me why I ever tried to fight you?" Aang asks quietly once they were around the corner. Zuko turned to him, silent, but curious. "You're pretty scary."
Zuko snorted, turning back around to guide him towards the kitchen. Aang suddenly gasped from behind him and he picked up on the sounds of ribbiting. Zuko turned in time to see Aang drop down in a doorway, trying to grasp what half-frozen frogs he could.
"My frogs!"
Zuko turned on his heel, storming over. "Get new ones, let's go!" he hissed.
"Wait!"
"We'll get more, just get moving," Zuko ordered, yanking Aang by his poncho. "And tell me if you see anyone. Last thing we need is Zhao on our asses."
"How did you even get in?" Aang asks.
Zuko held a finger to the lips of his mask. Aang fell silent, waiting, as Zuko pushed open the door to the kitchen. He pulled Aang along, quickly opening the drain grate and shoving him down. He dragged the grate cover back over the tunnel, dropping into the water next to Aang. Aang turned to him, mouth open, and Zuko heard the door creak open. He slapped his hand over Aang's mouth.
"—that the Avatar had a Firebender and a Waterbender with him, but he was alone when the Archers got him."
"Where do you think they are then? Admiral Zhao isn't going to stop until he find them, too, don't you think?"
Zuko pressed harsher on Aang's mouth when the boy started to look panicked. He held a finger to the mask. He wasn't sure about trying to move in the water of the tunnel just yet. He didn't trust that the two above them wouldn't hear it.
"Do you think it's the prince?"
Oh, come on, Zuko thought in disdain. He fought back a groan.
"Are you serious? I hope it is. I want to go home already."
Aang's eyes widened. He pointed up frantically, clearly wanting to meet some new friends. Zuko shook his head harshly. No way in hell was he risking that in the middle of the entire compound.
"Ok but where is the prince, then?"
"What do you mean?"
"Gen—Admiral Zhao is pretty sure General Iroh is covering up his death, or something. Like, he's just living in the woods."
"Oh, please!"
"What?!"
"That's the dumbest… who left this mess around the grate?"
"What mess? I didn't touch anything; I just started my rounds."
Footsteps neared the grate. Zuko tried to pull Aang aside. The splashing rebounded off the tunnel walls far louder than he would have thought it would and they stopped. The two men above them fell silent as well. Zuko motioned at the water and then up, watching Aang and silently pleading he understood what he meant. As the shadows covered the grate, Aang nodded, and bended the water up to the grate. The cover was knocked clean off, right into the face of one of the men who yelled in shock (and who looked like a cook based on the apron he wore in place of any armor). The water fell back into the tunnel and Zuko turned sharply to Aang.
"Why didn't you freeze it?!" he asks.
"I was supposed to freeze it?" Aang asks. He looked panicked. "I haven't really learned how to do that yet!"
Zuko grabbed his poncho, yanking him down the tunnel as he ran. "What the hell has Katara been teaching you all this time, then?!"
"Waterbending!"
Zuko groaned, rounding a corner. His heart almost leapt out of his body when he heard soldiers dropping in after them, and an alarm sounding. He yanked Aang around the corner, spinning on his heel into a Firebending stance and shooting fire at the water. The blast of steam that enveloped the tunnel was hot and made it difficult to see, but it did buy them the time they sorely needed.
Zuko wasted no time in pulling Aang along until they'd reached the entrance he'd used himself to get into the tunnels. He rushed up the ramp, pulling Aang through the grates, and then pushed him towards the rope on the wall. Aang started to climb first, Zuko keeping watch as he saw guards rushing towards the main tower. Aang reached the top, motioning Zuko up. Zuko started to climb, hearing the chaos behind him grow louder. He was almost to the top when he spotted the guards coming down the pathway.
He scrambled up, Aang using air blasts to keep them at bay. Zuko climbed over the edge, cutting the rope with one of his blades. Aang turned to him, catching his motion towards his right, where the main doors of the compound were. They were halfway to the first door when their path was blocked by the guards. Zuko sliced a spear that was inches from his head. He spun on his heels, cutting off spear heads and ducking flame pillars. He could hear Aang bending the air around them to knock guards off the sides of the walls. Zuko shouldered the last soldier off the side and sprinted towards the hatch that lead to the stairs. He slammed it shut, grasping the latch and heating his hands until it melted together.
Aang came up beside him, sounding almost out of breath already. "What do we do?" he asked.
Zuko looked around, slicing off some spear heads and kicking the guards away. Of all the wall pathways, they had two more intersections like this to get past. Aang's air blast cleared the pathway for them to start sprinting. Zuko looked down to the courtyard. Guards were hauling bamboo ladders towards the walls. He followed the line of the wall, spotting two more courtyards, one of which was where the Archers were usually stationed, at the very front of the compound.
"If we can get past the last door, you can make a smoke screen and we can get away," he says. "We disappear into the trees. They'll expect us to flee, but we can cut through the swamp."
Aang nodded, rushing with his Airbending past the next intersection. Zuko jumped up, landing square on the hatch. He heard the sound of some guards screaming as it shut on them, then the tumble of bodies down a staircase. Aang looked on either side of the walls. He stopped short, pointing to the trees.
"We can get close to the tree line here, I just need a staff," he says.
Zuko looked back towards the hatch he'd jumped on. He ran up to it, pulling it open, the guard that was steps away from reaching the top stopped short. Zuko grabbed the spear, yanking it up at the same time he kicked out, catching the guard in the head. He slammed the latch shut again. Movement from the corner of his eye had him ducking. A spear flew past him, into the trees. Zuko knelt down, sprinting as best as he could back to Aang, who was Bending spears away as they flew towards him. Zuko stopped beside him, unsheathing a blade only long enough to cut the spear head off. He passed it to Aang, who immediately took it and turned towards the edge of the wall.
"On my back!"
Zuko latched on. Aang jumped off the side, spinning the spear like his glider, slowing their overall descent towards the tree line. Zuko tucked his legs up as they started to near the branches. A spear flew past his side, slicing at his shirt. Aang bent to the side, dodging a few arrows that followed the spear. They hit the branches with more force than Zuko would have liked. The wood bit at his shins through his pants.
The spear was torn from Aang's hands, ripped out by the branches. Zuko latched on like his life depended upon it. He was not, if he could help it, losing the kid thanks to the trees again. They hit the ground hard, tumbling through the dirt and roots. Zuko wasn't sure when he'd been flung off Aang's back and onto his own. All he knew was that he couldn't breathe and Aang was hauling him up moments later. Zuko tried to shake the feeling off, stumbling once. Aang wrapped his arms around his neck again, and they were off, with Aang's Airbending run sending them off towards the swamp.
Zuko didn't try to open his eyes until Aang had stopped. He was fairly certain that if he had tried, he'd have thrown up. Once his feet hit solid ground again he swayed a little, catching himself on the trunk of a tree to steady himself. Aang was already wading through the swamp water. Zuko took a second to himself, getting his breathing back, before he waded in himself.
"I'm never doing that again," he said. Aang looked up at him curiously. Zuko sighed, dropping his arms into the water to start his own search. "I'm never riding on your back again. That was terrible."
"Whaaaat? Running is the best!"
"No, it's the best for you. I'm pretty sure I almost threw up on you," Zuko admits. Aang laughed, sifting through the swamp water. "You do that all the time?"
"Well, not all the time," Aang admitted sheepishly. "But it does mean we have a head start. And I turned left at some point."
Good, Zuko thought. They might not be able to track us.
The slowly burgeoning morning light made it easier to find the frogs, but the burn behind his eyes negated a lot of the help that the light was providing. Zuko fished out a frog successfully, tucking it in his arm. Aang felt his hands brush against another frog. He held it up victoriously. Zuko shot him a tired thumbs up and they started off towards the cliffside temple.
"You know…" Aang began, tucking the frog into his poncho, taking Zuko's when he offered it. "I had a friend in the Fire Nation. His name was Kuzon."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah. One of the things that sucks the most about being born a hundred years ago is that I miss my friends I had…" Aang said. Zuko regarded him quietly.
"You made more," he says simply. Aang laughed, readjusting the frogs as they climbed a steep incline in the hill. The ruins of the temples were starting to peek out from the ground around them.
"You kind of remind me of Kuzon," Aang says. "He and I got into heaps of trouble. It was really fun!"
"Figures you'd find that fun," Zuko teased. He climbed a few stairs, his legs already protesting the strain. The stairs to the temple entrance were going to be so fun. Aang bended his way up to him—Zuko had never felt so jealous of not being an Airbender. "You haven't changed. Trouble follows you."
"You followed me for a while and now we're friends!" Aang says happily.
Zuko deadpan stared at him for a long moment until they hit the stairs. He contemplated asking Aang to Bend them up towards the entrance, but if there was an enemy there, he didn't want to risk getting an arrow to the face. Zuko climbed the stairs, gritting his teeth against the strain in his legs. He was first through the temple entrance, blades drawn, just in case. Sokka looked up from Appa's side, he swayed a little, smiling.
"Heeeeey, guys!" he called over to them. "Did you enjoy your trip?"
"Well, at least he isn't delirious anymore," Zuko grumbled, all tension leaving his body.
He sheathed his blades, detaching them from his back. He dropped them onto his duffle bag. Aang distributed the frogs to Katara and Sokka. Both boys trudged to Appa's tail, dragging their feet. Aang was first to collapse with a heavy sigh. Zuko followed right after him, face first, into the criminally soft fur. He paused a beat and sighed contently into the fur. Appa gave a small roar at the sensation.
"Hey, Zuko?" Aang prompted, scooting closer to the teen. Zuko sighed tiredly, already digging himself deeper into the fur.
"Yeah?" he asked. He was already half asleep as it was.
"Can you tell me more about the Fire Nation?" Aang asked eagerly. Zuko pondered the question a second.
"Never go near an Armadillo Bear."
"A what?"
"It'll bite your head off, Aang."
"It'll what?!"