Chapter One: A New Adventure

Zuko's Pov

"No one can make tea like Uncle," I chuckled as I poured some tea into cups for everyone, "but hopefully I learned a thing or two. Would you like to hear Uncle's favorite tea joke?"

"Sure." Said Aang.

"I like jokes." Ava exclaimed.

"Okay." I tried to think of the joke, "Well I can't remember how it starts, but the punchline is something like, leaf me alone I'm bushed!"

No one responded and a few of the kids rolled their eyes. I felt my cheeks turn red from embarrassment.

"Well, it's funnier when Uncle tells it." I nervously laughed.

"Right…" Smirked Katara, "Maybe that's because he remembers the whole thing."

Everyone else laughed and I just rolled my eyes. Maybe a bad joke was what they needed.

"It's nice to get a chance to relax a little and hang out with each other," I heard Ava say, "it almost never happens."

"I agree." I said as I handed her and Teo a cup of tea.

When I approached Sokka I noticed that he seemed a little off.

"Hey, can I talk to you for a second?" He asked.

"Yeah, of course you can."

"Thanks." He stood up and walked to where Appa was.

Appa woke up and looked at us as we walked past him. When we were completely out of everyone's view I was able to ask him what was going on.

"So, what's going on?"

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

"What do you mean? Who was captured?"

"When the invasion plan failed, some of our troops were taken. I just want to know where they might be."

"I can't tell you." I muttered as I thought of the Fire Nation prisons. All of them are in horrible condition and many prisoners have died from disease and hunger. I remember the first night that I visited Uncle Iroh, the guards were pulling a dead body out from a cell. I still can't imagine what he went through.

"What? Why not?"

"Trust me, knowing would just make you feel worse." I turned to leave, but he stopped me.

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

"It's not good, Sokka."

"Please." He begged.

"My guess is," I took a deep breath, "they were taken to the Boiling Rock."

"What's that?"

"It's the highest security prison in the Fire Nation. It's on an island in the middle of a boiling lake. It's inescapable."

"So, where is this place?"

"Why do you need to know? What are you planning?"

"Nothing," But then he paused. "Boy, you're so paranoid."

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

"Thanks, Zuko." He then let out a dramatic yawn that I knew was fake. "Just knowing makes me feel better."

"Yeah, I'm sure it does." I said sarcastically, but I knew what he was planning.

That prison will kill him the moment he stepped into it, and I wasn't going to let that happen. So that night when everyone was asleep, I quietly climbed into Appa's Saddle and waited for him to come.

"Not up to anything, huh?" I asked as soon as I saw Sokka's head above the saddle.

"Ahhh!" He yelled as he fell off Appa and landed onto the ground. "Fine!" "You caught me. I'm gonna rescue my dad. You happy now?"

"I'm never happy." I smirked as I glared back at him.

"Look," He explained as he picked up the items that fell out from his bag, "I have to do this. The invasion plan was my idea, it was my decision to stay when things were going wrong. It's my mistake, and it's my job to fix it. I have to regain my honor. You can't stop me Zuko." He pushed me aside and began to climb up onto Appa's saddle.

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

"No, I have to do this alone."

"How are you going to get there? On Appa? Last time I checked, prisons don't have bison day cares."

Sokka stopped climbing, and sighed as he looked back at me.

"We'll take my war balloon."