AN: Chapter 14 takes place during Season 1 Episode 13: The Blue Spirit, lot of action-y scenes in this one so I hope I did those okay. Various POVs as always, so enjoy lovelies!
"Absolutely not!" Colonel Shinu growled as he glared at the taller Commander Zhao after watching one of his famed Yuyan Archers shot three arrows into the dead center of a target, splitting the first and second arrows, "The Yuyan Archers stay here. Your request is denied, Commander Zhao."
"Colonel Shinu, please reconsider…their precision is legendary. The Yuyan can pin a fly to a tree from one hundred yards away…without killing it." Commander Zhao said persuasively before his tone turned annoyed, "You're wasting their talents using them as mere security guards."
"I can do whatever I want with their talents," Shinu retorted, giving Zhao a stern look, "They're my archers, and what I say goes."
Zhao turned to the face the colonel with a frustrated and angry look on his face.
"But my search for the Avatar-"
"Is nothing but a vanity project!" Shinu snapped, cutting Zhao off mid-sentence and glaring up at him, "We're fighting a real war here, and I need every man I've got, commander."
"But-"
"That's final! I don't want to hear another word about it!" Colonel Shinu stated harshly as he turned away, just as a messenger hawk cried out then landed on the colonel's arm.
Shinu turned towards Zhao slightly, taking the scroll off of the hawk and letting it hop onto the ledge. Shinu opened the scroll and read it with a confused expression.
"News from Fire Lord Ozai?" Commander Zhao asked curiously as he walked closer to the colonel, who handed him the note.
A smug smile made its way onto Zhao's face and he looked at the colonel haughtily, "It appears I've been promoted to Admiral. My request is now an order."
Colonel Shinu kept his face impassive as he bowed and left the small lookout tower. Zhao watched the Yuyan Archers continue to practice below with a pleased expression on his face, unbeknownst to the figure in a blue mask that had heard the entire conversation perched on the roof of the above him. The mysterious blue-masked figure pulled away and disappeared into the shadows without a sound.
"This should bring your fever down." Katara commented worriedly as she gently pressed a wet cloth to Sokka's forehead.
"You know what I love about Appa the most?" Sokka asked suddenly from his position huddled in his sleeping bag, somewhat delusional from his illness, "His sense of humor."
"That's nice. I'll tell him." Katara said complacently and Appa growled quietly.
"Classic Appa." Sokka said with a laugh, his eyes closed as Katara held the wet rag to his forehead.
"How's Sokka doing?" Aang asked concernedly as he walked over to where Katara was sitting beside Sokka who was lying on Appa's side.
"Not so good," Katara replied quietly, "Being out in that storm really did a number on him."
Sokka gave a pitifully sniff as his nose began to run and his body shivered.
"I couldn't find any ginger root for the tea. But I found a map!" Aang said excitedly as he held up the rolled map then opened it on the ground, "There's an herbalist institute on top of that mountain. We could probably find a cure for Sokka there."
"Aang, he's in no condition for travel. Sokka just needs more rest. I'm sure he'll be better by tomorrow." Katara said only to start coughing into her fist.
"Not you too." Aang stated quietly, his expression becoming even more concerned as he looked at Katara.
"Relax, it's just a little cough. I'm fi-" Katara started coughing again, this time with more force.
"That's how Sokka started yesterday." Aang commented as he shielded his face with his arms, then he gestured to Sokka, "Now look at him! He thinks he's an Earthbender!"
"Take that, you rock!" Sokka shouted deliriously at the moment, flailing his arms as if to hit something.
"A few more hours and you'll be talking nonsense too." Aang stated firmly then jumped to his feet and snatched up his glider, "I'm going to go find some medicine."
Lightning flashed across the sky and Aang paused on his way out of the ruined building they had made camp in.
"Uh, maybe it's safer if I go on foot." Aang muttered as he closed his glider and leaned it against a pillar then looked over at Appa and Momo, "Keep an eye on them guys."
Appa grumbled lowly and Momo chittered at him, causing Sokka to start laughing hysterically.
"You guys are killing me!" Sokka stated through his chuckles.
Aang shook his head and leapt out of the ruined building, using Airbending to propel himself as he leapt down the side of side of the mountain where the ruined buildings had been built. He used Airbending to run faster as he headed towards the herbalist institute on the other mountain.
Xiaodan carefully poured the water she had just boiled into the clay teapot Iroh had let her use, then added the ginseng leaves to the hot water. She placed the teapot on the tray along with small teacups and the fruit pie she had managed to bake using the ship's kitchen. She picked up the tray and headed up to the bridge of the ship where Iroh was playing Pai Sho with two other crew members while Zuko and Zhao tried to pick up Aang's location.
"We haven't been able to pick up the Avatar's trail since the storm." Lieutenant Jee stated as Xiaodan walked into the room, pointing at the map, "But if we continue heading northeast-"
Xiaodan blinked and stopped pouring a cup of tea for Iroh to look out the windows when a large shadow darkened the room. Her eyes widened when she saw a much larger Fire Nation ship pulled up alongside Zuko's.
"What do they want?" Zuko wondered in confusion, looking angrily as the other ship.
"Perhaps a sporting game of Pai Sho." Iroh suggested, running his hands together eagerly.
"Not likely." Xiaodan stated drily as she handed the old man his cup of tea, much to his delight.
Xiaodan had just passed a cup of tea to the three men standing or sitting with Iroh and had taken her sit with her own cup when a soldier from the other ship entered the room. Xiaodan nearly choked on her tea when the soldier snapped open a wanted poster with Aang's picture on and held it open for Zuko to see.
"The hunt for the Avatar had been given prime importance," The soldier barked, ignoring the annoyed look the prince was giving him, "All information regarding the Avatar must be reported to Admiral Zhao."
"Zhao has been promoted? Well, good for him." Iroh said congenially as he moved one of his Pai Sho pieces and his opponent slapped his forehead when he lost, causing Xiaodan to giggle quietly.
"I've nothing to report to Admiral Zhao." Zuko stated coldly as he looked at the floor then glared up at the three soldiers, "Now get off my ship and let us pass."
"Admiral Zhao is not allowing ships in or out of this area." The lead soldier informed the prince, his face stern.
"Off my ship!" Zuko roared, causing Xiaodan to jump slightly as he pointed to the soldiers' own ship.
"Excellent! I take the pot!" Iroh exclaimed happily as the soldiers left and he pulled the Pai Sho pot towards him, one of the men punching himself in the face in exasperation.
"But you're all improving!" Iroh praised with a serene smile before grinning at them, "I'm certain you will win if we play again."
Xiaodan chuckled quietly and ducked her head so her hair hid her face as she poured more ginseng tea into Iroh's cup.
A Fire Nation soldier looked at the wanted poster while his companion was on watch duty.
"Says here that the Avatar can create tornadoes and run faster than the wind," The soldier said as he read the poster aloud, "Pretty amazing."
"Ah, that's just a bunch of Fire Lord propaganda! There's no way that's true." The second soldier denied before looking back out the small window in the hidden outpost only to see a large cloud of dust in the distance.
His eyes widened when something ran by and destroyed the outpost then he grabbed his horn and blew on it to signal that the Avatar had been spotted.
"Katara," Sokka rasped weakly from his sleeping bag, "Please, water."
Katara opened her eyes and looked at Momo, her voice also weak.
"Listen carefully, Momo." She rasped and held up her canteen, "I need you to take this to the river, and fill it with water. Got it?"
Momo looked at her then grabbed the water skin and flew out of the ruined building.
"Hello, I'm sorry to barge in like this but I need some medicine for my friends," Aang spoke rapidly after he had run up the stairs and into the green house of the herbal institute, "They have fevers and they were coughing-"
"Settle down, young man." The elderly herbalist chided gently as she stopped mixing something in a mortar, "Your friends are going to be fine. I've been up here for over forty years you know, used to be others, but they all left years ago."
The herbalist pet the large white cat that was on the table she was working on and it began to purr, "Now it's just me and Miyuki."
"That's nice." Aang said, trying not to bounce in place as the old woman continued to ramble.
"Wound Earth Kingdom troops still come by now and again, brave boys, and thanks to my remedies they always leave in better shape than when they arrive."
"That's nice." Aang said again and this time he tried to gently rush the old woman, "Are you almost done?"
"Hold on, I just need to add one last ingredient." The herbalist stated as she began to walk amongst the shrubbery, looking around and muttering to herself, "Oh, sandalwood…oh, er, uh that won't do, banana leaf? Ah, nope, uh, ginger root, uh, uh, oh where is that pesky little plant?"
Aang looked at the woman's back in exasperation and slapped his face with his hand as the woman continued to search and mutter to herself.
Xiaodan sat cross-legged on the top deck with her back against the hard metal of the command tower and watched Zuko practice his Firebending, kicking and punching the air in a rather dangerous looking dance.
"Is everything okay?" Iroh asked as he walked out of the command tower and stood beside Xiaodan as Zuko stopped flinging fire around, "It's been almost an hour and you haven't given the men an order."
"I don't care what they do."
Xiaodan's eyebrows rose to almost her hairline and she looked up at Iroh, the surprise at the prince's words evident on her face.
"Don't give up hope yet." Iroh said reassuringly as he looked at his nephew, "You can still find the Avatar before Zhao."
Zuko turned around and Xiaodan started at the obvious fear and desperation on his scarred face. She didn't think his expression ever changed from scowling or glaring, but apparently she was wrong.
"How, Uncle? With Zhao's resources, it's just a matter of time before he captures the Avatar." Zuko stated, his voice upset then he turned around and lowered his voice to a whisper, "My honor, my throne, my country…I'm about to lose them all."
"But you have something that Zhao doesn't have." Iroh stated and Zuko turned around to give him a confused look only to see his uncle looking down at Xiaodan with apologetic eyes.
Understanding dawned on the scarred prince and he stared at the befuddled white-haired girl with determination.
"Oh you have got to be kidding me." Xiaodan groaned when she realized what was happening and slammed the back of her head against the command tower wall when the two men looked at her, "You both suck."
"Oh, here's what I was looking for!" The woman exclaimed happily as she found what she was looking for, "Plum blossom!"
"Finally!" Aang groaned, lifting his head from the table and throwing his arms in the arm as the woman walked back over to the table and dropped the blossom into the mixing bowl.
"Thanks for all your help!" Aang said and tried to snatch the bowl from the herbalist's hands only for her to smack his hand with a wooden spoon, "Ow!"
"What do you think you're doing?" the old woman demanded, snatching the bowl away from Aang as he shook his hand.
Aang gave the woman a wide-eyed look and rubbed his injured hand, "Taking the cure to my friends!"
"This isn't a cure!" The woman said with a laugh as she placed the bowl on the table and the cat began to eat out of it, "It's Miyuki's dinner. Plum blossom is her favorite."
"What about my friends?!"
The herbalist laughed again as she stroked the cat's back, "Well, all they need are some frozen wood frogs. There's plenty down in the valley swamp."
"What am I supposed to do with frozen frogs?" Aang questioned, looking at the woman in confusion.
"Why suck on them of course!"
Aang's eye twitched and he looked at the woman in shock and disgust, "Suck on them?"
"The frog skin excretes a substance that will cure your friends." The herbalist explained with a smile, "Be sure to get plenty because once those little critters thaw out, they're useless!"
"You're insane, aren't you?" Aang deadpanned, unintentionally saying something Xiaodan would have if she were here.
"That's right!" The woman said crazily as she laughed then ushered Aang out of the green house, "Well, don't stand there all day! Go!"
The woman didn't have to tell him twice and Aang ran out of the green house as face as he could, wiping his face because the storm had gotten worse and the rain was getting in his eyes.
Aang yelped when two arrows came out of nowhere and pinned his pants to the ground, his arm pinwheeling as he tried to keep his balance. He at the arrows in confusion then looked up and saw even more heading straight towards.
"Ah!" He shouted and quickly Airbended a shield around him, sending the arrows out and away from him.
"Uh, I think you dropped this." He called out after yanking one of the arrows out of his pants and held it out, only to scream again when he saw a couple of archers taking aim at him.
In a panic, Aang quickly freed himself from the second arrow pinning his foot to the ground and started to run away, dodging arrows as he went. He jumped off the cliff the herbalist institute was on, screaming as he fell until towards the trees. Aang yelped as he hit and bounced off the tree branches, covering his face with his arms.
Once he was able to get his footing, Aang quickly jumped from tree to tree as he dodged the arrows the archers were still shooting at him, until he reached the swamp the crazy herbalist had told him to go to. He yelped when he went under the cold swamp water and quickly pushed himself back up.
"A frog!" Aang shouted as he looked at the frozen frog in his hand only to gasp when an arrow hit it and knocked it back into the swamp water.
Aang moved as quickly as he could through the swamp water and kept an eye out for the archers as he picked up the frozen wood frogs and stuck them in his shirt. He was about to put another frog in his shirt when he arm was pinned to the log he was standing front of. He stared in shock and began tugging on his arm as more arrows pinned his shirt sleeve to the wood. Aang gasped when he saw the archers standing in front of him with their bows drawn, thinking quickly he Waterbending the swamp water and froze it in front of him as a shield, but the arrows shattered the frozen water.
More arrows were fired at him and pinned his other arm to log then a net was shot at him, trapping him place. Aang looked at the archers with wide, terrified eyes as they advanced on him.
"I don't know how I'm supposed to help you!" Xiaodan shouted in frustration as she glared at Iroh and Zuko who were standing in front of her, blocking the door to her cabin, "I don't know where Aang is!"
"Then you can teach me how to fight him!" Zuko yelled right back, his gold eyes burning into hers, "That will give me an advantage that Zhao doesn't have."
"No it won't because Aang and I have two separate fighting styles!" She snapped and crossed her arms with an irritated huff, "He's more likely to avoid and evade, he won't attack unless it's absolutely necessary."
"Do you not fight the same way?" Iroh asked, his hands folded inside his sleeves and Xiaodan gave him an annoyed look.
"Essentially, it's the same but I'd rather incapacitate my opponent at the quickest opportunity then escape while Aang would evade all attacks directed at him until he saw an opportunity to get away. My way is more confrontational."
"I see." Iroh murmured, stroking his chin as he thought.
"Then you are useless!" Zuko shouted at her angrily and spun around, stomping out of the room with his fists clenched at his sides, "Come on, Uncle."
Xiaodan glared at his back then turned around and sat down with her own back to the door and Iroh. She didn't see the sad look Iroh gave her as he left the room and shut the door behind him. Xiaodan hunched her shoulders and glared down at her lap where she had placed her clenched fists, then sighed gently as her fists relaxed.
Aang glared angrily, at the metal door in front of him, his feet chained to the floor while his arms were outstretched with his hands chained to two pillars on either side of him. He was barely able to move, but he struggled against chains anyway.
He stopped his struggles and looked towards the door when it opened and a man in Fire Nation military garb walked inside with his hands clasped behind his back.
"So this is the great Avatar?" Zhao questioned sardonically as he came to a stop in front of the bald boy, "Master off all element. I don't know how you managed to elude the Fire Nation for a hundred years, but your little game of hide-and-seek is over."
"I've never hidden from you!" Aang shouted angrily as he strained against his bonds, "Untie me and I'll fight you right now!"
"Ah… No." Zhao drawled as he looked over his shoulder at the young boy before turning around full with a cruel smirk, "Tell me, how does it feel to be the only Airbender left? Do you miss your people?"
Aang looked down at his feet sadly as his words but it gave him a small amount of hope that the Fire Nation didn't realize he wasn't the last Airbender and that meant the Xiaodan was somewhat safe.
"Don't worry, you won't be killed like they were." Zhao continued to taunt the boy who glared up at him angrily, "See, if you die you will just be reborn and the Fire Nation would have to start searching all over again. So, I'll keep you alive, but just barely."
Aang glared at Zhao as he walked away then took a deep breath and blew a gale force wind at the smug admiral, knocking him over and into the wall. Zhao rubbed his head and shook it as he got to his feet and glared at Aang.
"Blow all the wind you want, but your situation is futile." He snapped as he walked to the door, "There is no escaping this fortress and no one is coming to rescue you."
Aang watched him leave with scared eyes before he closed them and bowed his head.
"Water…" Sokka rasped after a particularly forcefully coughing fit.
"Momo should be back any minute." Katara stated softly, snuggling deeper into her sleeping bag next to Sokka and between Appa's feet.
Momo flew into the ruined building right then and hopped over to Katara with a happy chitter, dropping a dead mouse on her chest.
"Ugh! No, Momo, water. Wa-ter!" Katara rasped in disgust and Momo's ear perks up then he scampered away, "Aang, what in the word is taking you so long?"
Xiaodan pursed her lips as she sat across from Iroh at the small table in his room for dinner.
"I truly am sorry, my dear." Iroh apologized for the tenth time since Xiaodan had entered his room, but had remained steadfastly silent as she ate, "But you must understand, Prince Zuko is my nephew and I must help him in any way possible."
Xiaodan carefully placed her teacup on the table and folded her hands primly in her lap then looked Iroh straight in the eye.
"I understand, Iroh." She stated quietly but firmly, "But you must understand that Aang is my brother, we have been bonded as siblings since he was born. I will do anything within and beyond my abilities to protect him."
Iroh bowed his head in understanding, taking a sip of his tea as he watched the young white-haired woman eat the fruit on her plate with a thoughtful expression on his face.
"Tonight is Music Night on the ship." Iroh stated after a few more moments of silence, "Would you care to join me?"
Xiaodan took a sip of her tea then nodded her head with a small smile, "Yes, thank you."
Iroh smiled happily and continued to eat his dinner, content with the knowledge that friendship he had formed with the young female Airbender wasn't completely damaged.
The Blue Spirit looked at the heavily armed fortress from the bushes carefully then quickly moved to the left and further down the road, keeping out of sight. Once he'd reached the good distance, the Blue Spirit slipped out into the road and laid down, covering himself with mulch and dirt to hid his body as he waited for the wagon he had seen earlier trundle up the road.
As soon as the wagon passed over him, the Blue Spirit lunged upward and clung to the bottom of the wagon tightly as it headed towards the fortress. He glanced to the side when the wagon stopped, watching the gate guards' feet as he walked around the wagon.
"All clear." One guard called out and the Blue Spirit watched as he walked around the wagon, pausing at the back to check inside the wagon briefly before moving to the other side.
Silently and stealthily, the Blue Spirit slipped out from under the wagon and into the back just as the guard ducked down the check the undercarriage.
"All clear." The guard called out again as he straightened then waved the wagon forward as the gates began to open, "Go on in."
The Blue Spirit looked out from the supply crates inside the wagon, watching as it passed through the three gates that closed right behind it. The Blue Spirit slipped from the wagon, ducking behind the supply crates that had been unloaded in the inner most part of the fortress, then raced towards the stairs that would take him into the actual fortress where the Avatar was being held prisoner.
"We are the sons and daughters of fire, the superior element!" Zhao stated, projecting his voice so that the soldiers below the balcony he was standing on would hear his speech, "Until today, only one thing has stood in our path to victory…The Avatar! I am here to tell you that he is now my prisoner!"
The soldiers below cheered loudly and Zhao smiled faintly, waiting for the cheers to die down then continued his speech.
"This is the year Sozin's Comet returns to grant us its power!" Zhao waited again for the cheers to die down, "This is the year the Fire Nation breaks through the walls of Ba Sing Se and burns the city to the ground!"
Aang growled as he struggled against the chains fiercely, pulling and straining but unable to get free. He stopped finally, panting heavily and his head hung low when he realized it was useless.
"What?" Aang muttered when he felt something his shirt start to move then the half-thawed frogs began to leap out of shirt and crawl across the ground, "No! Don't leave frogs. My friends are sick and they need you! Please go back to being frozen!"
The frogs ignored Aang's pleas and continued to pull their half-frozen bodies to the door, croaking loudly. Aang began to struggle against the chains again, silently pray that someone or something would be able to help him get out of this.
Standing outside the chamber, the four guards looked at each in confusion when they heard the unmistakable sounds of frogs' croaking. The soldiers looked down and all of them blinked in shock as partially frozen frogs began to appear from under the doorway. The four were distracted from the strange sight when a Fire Nation soldier's helmet suddenly came bouncing down the hall.
The guards looked at it then at each other, before the guard farthest on the left walked down the hall and turned the corner, disappearing from view. A burst of fire appeared suddenly followed by the sounds of a brief scuffle before going silent again. The remaining three guards looked at each other warily before two of them walked cautiously down the hall, their arms raised in a bending stance.
The two guards stare in shocked confusion at the first guard tied up and hanging from the ceiling. The two guards didn't have time to process before the one in the front was suddenly yanked into the air by his feet that had been wrapped in a chain while the other guard was knocked unconscious when the Blue Spirit had dropped from the ceiling and on top of him.
The fourth and last guard stood tensely by the door and reached for the horn hanging on the wall, only to stare with wide eyes when a dagger knocked it out of his hand. Glaring, the guard quickly shifted into a bending stance as the Blue Spirit raced down the hall towards him. The guard set a blast of fire from his fist, but the Blue Spirit doused the flames with a bucket of water he had in his hands. The Blue Spirit then swung the bucket and knocked the guard's legs out from under him, sending him crashing face-first into the metal floor.
Aang struggled against the chains, his lips pursed and brows furrowed in concentration when a noise outside the door distracted him and he looked up. The sounds of violence stopped suddenly and were replaced by the door's lock being turned and Aang stared at the door warily as it opened.
The young Airbender's eyes widened and he gasped when he saw a figure in a blue mask enter the room. Aang screamed in fear when the Blue Spirit suddenly unsheathed two dao swords and rushed at him, the swords swinging and slashing intricately.
Aang closed his eyes and flinched backwards as the Blue Spirit came close and brought the swords down, only to open his eyes a moment later when he felt the chains suddenly go slack. The bald boy pulled his arms back and looked at them in surprise then up at the Blue Spirit in surprised wonder.
The Blue Spirit stepped closer and cut the manacles from Aang's wrists with his swords then slashed the manacles on his ankles. The Blue Spirit put his dao swords back together and walked towards the door, leaving Aang to stare at his back in surprise.
"Who are you? What's going on?" Aang asked but the masked man continued to walk towards the door, "Are you here to rescue me?"
The Blue Spirit opened the door and peaked out, then motioned for Aang to follow him brusquely.
"I'll take that as a 'yes.'" Aang muttered as he hurried after his savior, blinking surprise when he saw the bound and gagged guard outside the door.
Aang followed a few steps behind the Blue Spirit when a sudden croaking grabbed his attention and he looked down one of the hallway junctions, gasping when he saw the partially frozen frogs on the floor.
"My frogs! Come back! And stop thawing out!" Aang yelped as he kneeled down and picked two of them up only to drop them again when the Blue Spirit came back, picked him up by the collar, and dragged him down the hallway.
"Wait!" Aang shouted as he reached for the frogs while the Blue Spirit dragged him down the hallway, "My friends need to suck on those frogs!"
"How many times do I have to tell you, Momo? We need water, wa-ter." Katara stressed in a weak voice after Momo had brought back another piece of junk then she rolled over, "Oh, forget it. Aang, please, hurry."
"Who's this 'Aang' kid you keep talking about, Your Highness?" Sokka asked deliriously, with a dopey smile on his face.
Katara rolled her eyes and her expression became annoyed.
Xiaodan laughed and clapped her hands after Lieutenant Jee had finished singing a rather beautiful love song with Iroh playing the tsungi horn.
"That was beautiful, Lieutenant Jee." The white-haired girl praised and smiled in thanks at the crewman that handed her a cup of water.
"Thank you, Miss Xia." Lieutenant Jee said with a faint blush staining his cheeks.
"It was very moving." Iroh agreed as he took a sip of tea then turned to face Xiaodan, "Do you sing, my dear?"
"Oh no," Xiaodan said with an emphatic shake of her head, "I can't sing to save my life and I can't play an instrument I can play is the dungchen."
She paused for a moment, her expression turning surprisingly shy as she ducked her head slightly to hide her face.
"I can dance though."
"Excellent!" Iroh exclaimed and picked up his tsungi horn, "Why don't you dance for us while Lieutenant Jee sings another song?"
The white-haired girl shrugged and got to her feet while Jee did the same. Iroh began playing a lively tune that was soon joined by Lieutenant's deep voice. Xiaodan closed her eyes and began to sway to the music, letting it carry her around the galley where music night was being held.
Aang followed the Blue Spirit as they walked silently through the sewer system under the fortress, the Blue Spirit occasionally looking up through the metal bars above them where soldiers were patrolling the grounds. The Blue Spirit paused and pulled himself up slightly so that he could look around the area then he dropped back down and faced Aang. The masked man pointed up at the grate then he hopped out, followed by Aang a moment later.
The two ran towards the wall where a rope was hanging from the top of the inner most wall of the fortress. The Blue Spirit gestured for Aang to start climbing then followed after him once he had gotten a few feet up the rope, then the alarm suddenly sounded. The two would-be escapees froze as the alarm rang out through the fortress.
"There!" One of the guards below pointed towards the Blue Spirit and Aang, "On the wall!"
Aang screamed when a guard on top of the wall cut the rope, sending him and the Blue Spirit plummeting towards the ground. Just before they hit the ground, Aang quickly Airbended the air around so that they landed softly on the ground, sending dust into the air.
The dust cleared and the Blue Spirit unsheathed his swords, pointing to the innermost gate with one of them and the two began running towards it.
"The Avatar has escaped!" Zhao shouted as he leaned over the balcony he had given his speech from only an hour or so ago, "Close all the gates immediately!"
The gate began to close and soldiers armed with spears rushed to block it while Aang and the Blue Spirit pushed themselves to run faster.
"Stay close to me!" Aang ordered as he ran in front of the Blue Spirit.
The bald boy ran slightly ahead then jumped forward slightly and sent a gust of air at the soldiers blocking the innermost gate, knocking them out of the way. Aang continued running for the rapidly closing gate but the Blue Spirit is forced to stop when two guards with spears attacked him, while more began to surround him.
Aang skidded to a stop and looked over his shoulder, seeing his rescuer was in trouble when a guard tried to impale him with a spear. The young Avatar grunted and grabbed the spear, hooking his leg over it and sending a blast of air at the guard's face which knocked him backwards. Aang quickly twirled the spear around then slammed the head against the ground, breaking it, he then raced forward to help the Blue Spirit while the gate closed behind him.
The Blue Spirit dodged the spears being jabbed at him then disarmed the guards rapidly but more kept surrounding him until suddenly the ones in front of him were blasted away by a gust of air. The Blue Spirit jumped up just another power gust knocked the rest of the guards away from him and Aang stood in front of him. Aang looked at his rescuer for a moment then used Airbending to catapult him to the top of the innermost wall, where he is instantly surrounded by more soldiers. The Blue Spirit looked at the guards on either side of him then Aang appeared, wrapping his legs around the Blue Spirit's torso as he spun the broken spear above his head and flew them into the next courtyard.
Aang struggled to the keep them both in the air while the Blue Spirit used his dao blades and feet to knock the spears being thrown at them away. Aang grunted and strained as he tried to keep them in the aloft before losing control just as they reached the second wall, sending htem tumbling down onto the top of it.
Aang rushed for the broken spear when the guards began to rush them from both sides but it was kicked away by one of the soldiers, who began swinging his sword at Aang. Aang ducked and dodged the blade, dancing around the guard until his back was to the Blue Spirit, who promptly threw the guard over the wall and into the last courtyard.
The Blue Spirit picked up his dao blades and moved to engage the group of guards in front of him but Aang Airbended them off of the wall. The two look at each for a moment before being distracted by the soldiers setting up ladders against the wall and quickly climbing them, Aang and the Blue Spirit working to knock the soldiers off the ladders as they reached the top.
Aang quickly jumped onto the edge of the wall where one ladder was leaning and sent a huge blast of air down it, knocking the soldiers off then the young Airbender did the same to the next later just the Blue Spirit knocked the last guard off the ladder in front of him.
The young Avatar grabbed the two emptied ladders and rushed over to where the Blue Spirit was standing in front of the cleared ladder in front of him.
"Take this." Aang ordered, passing one of the ladders to the Blue Spirit then he stepped onto the ladder still leaning against the wall with the other ladder held horizontally in his hands, "Jump on my back!"
The Blue Spirit quickly did as Aang told him, wrapping his legs around the bald boy's torso as he held the ladder horizontally while Aang used the ladder in his hands and the one he was standing on like massive stilts.
"Give me the next one!" Aang shouted as he dropped one of the ladders and the Blue Spirit handed Aang the ladder in his hands, just a Fire Nation soldier sends a blast of fire up ladder Aang and the Blue Spirit were standing on.
Thankfully though, Aang and the Blue Spirit were able to jump from the last ladder and towards the last wall. Aang grunted as he grabbed the edge of wall but his hand slipped, the Blue Spirit's hand grabbing the edge right after only to slip as well. The two fell to the ground below, landing on their backs with grunts of pain.
The Blue Spirit quickly rolled to his feet and unsheathed his dao swords just as four Firebenders cornered them around the last closed gate. The Firebenders launched a torrent of fire at them and Aang quickly grabbed the masked man by the shoulders, twirling him around then dissipating the fire with an air shield.
"Hold your fire!" Zhao ordered as he stalked forward to stand between two of the Firebenders, "The Avatar must be captured alive!"
Aang gasped quietly surprise when his rescuer suddenly crossed his dao blades in front of his throat. Zhao glared into the implacable black holes of the Blue Spirit's mask as the masked man shifted the dao blades even closer to Aang's throat.
"Open the gate." Zhao said through gritted teeth as he continued to glare heatedly at the masked figure.
"Admiral, what are you doing?" One of the higher ranking officers asked in shocked confusion.
"Let them out!" Zhao barked without looking away from the Avatar or the Blue Spirit, "Now!"
The gate opened and the Blue Spirit backed out slowly, keeping his swords against Aang's throat while also keeping his eyes on Admiral Zhao.
"How could you let them go?" the officer from before asked Zhao quietly.
"A situation like this requires…" Zhao's furious expression turned conniving as he smirked, "Precision."
Zhao watched the Blue Spirit back away from atop the main gate of the fortress.
"Do you have a clear shot?" The admiral asked without looking at the Yuyan archer standing beside him with an arrow drawn.
The Yuyan archer remained silent as he aimed the arrow at the Blue Spirit's head, but that was all the signal Zhao needed.
"Knock out the thief." Zhao ordered smugly as he watched the masked figure continue to back away with the Avatar, "I'll deliver him to the Fire Lord along with the Avatar."
The archer released his arrow and it soared through the air towards the Blue Spirit and Aang.
Xiaodan yawned tiredly as she collapsed on her sleeping mat in her metal room. It was nearly dawn and music night had only just ended, Iroh and the rest of the crew retiring for the rest of the evening after convincing her to dance to a few more times, after Iroh had compared her dancing to the grace of a hawk in flight.
Xiaodan snorted quietly in amusement as she remembered his strange compliment as she pulled the thin blanket over her body and curled up on her side with her hand under head. Her eyes drooped as sleep began to claim her, but just before she succumbed to exhaustion, Xiaodan wondered briefly where the firebug prince was and why he hadn't participated in music night.
The Yuyan archer's arrow soared through the air and struck the Blue Spirit in the head right over Aang's shoulder, a loud 'ping' filling the air when the arrow connecting with the mask. Aang turned around in shock as the Blue Spirit fell to the ground unconscious, the dao swords lying on the ground. His eyes widened further in horror when he saw a portion of his masked rescuer's face from the skewed mask.
Without thought, Aang spun back around and Airbended a huge cloud of dust around him and the Blue Spirit.
"Quick! Recover the Avatar!" Zhao ordered brusquely as the gate opened again and soldiers poured out, racing towards the giant dust cloud.
Aang kneeled beside the Blue Spirit's prone form and grabbed the blue mask, removing it from his rescuer's face and revealing Prince Zuko's scarred face. The young Airbender gasped and jerked backward in surprise, landing on his butt. Aang jumped up and started to run away then paused, looking back at Zuko's unconscious body with wide, compassion filled eyes.
Aang glanced up and saw the Fire Nation soldiers getting closer through the dissipating dust cloud, hesitating a moment before coming to a decision he knew would make Gyatso and Xiaodan proud.
The Fire Nation soldiers reached the spot on the road just as the dust cloud cleared completely and they all looked around in confusion when they realized nothing was there.
Zhao's face screwed up in rage as he glared furiously at the road which was empty save for his soldiers. His lips curled into a snarl and his fists clenched tightly at his sides, when a croaking sound by his feet drew his attention. His brown eyes narrowed when a slimy frog croaked again then leapt onto the edge of the main gate, then hopped over the side.
Zuko's eyes opened and he stared through bleary eyes at the green canopy with the sunlight filtering in above him then looked to the side where the Avatar was sitting on a large tree root a foot or so away from him. The young boy's knees were pulled up to his chest and his arms were wrapped around them while his chin rested on his arms, his expression forlorn. Zuko groaned quietly and he blinked, his vision beginning to clear just as the bald boy began to speak.
"You know the worst part of being born over a hundred years ago is?" The boy said suddenly without looking at the still dazed prince, "I miss all the friends Xia and I used to hang out with. Before the war started, we used to visit our friend Kuzon."
Zuko watched as the boy's forlorn expression turned to one of fond remembrance, "The three of us, we'd get in and out of so much mischief together, with Xia always having to bail Kuzon and me out of trouble."
Aang looked away then down at Zuko, " To Xia he was like another little brother and he was one of the best friends I ever had and he was Fire Nation, just like you. If we knew each other back then, do you think we could have been friends too?"
Zuko blinked at the younger boy who was now smiling slightly at him then he rolled into a crouch and launched a huge fireball at Aang, but the young Avatar dodged backwards and used an air current to fly into the tree branches high above Zuko's head.
Aang paused on the branch above the prince and looked down at him while the prince looked up.
"I will be coming for Xia and if she's hurt…" Aang trailed off then turned and jumped from branch to branch, away from Zuko, leaving the threat hanging in the air behind him.
Zuko watched the boy jump away until he disappeared from sight then he looked away, his tense expression relaxing into a thoughtful one.
Iroh sat on a small stool on the main deck next to a low table with the monkey statue he had bought from the pirates at the port harbor a few weeks ago with Xiaodan sitting cross-legged on his other side. The white-haired girl's eyes were closed with her hands resting on her knees with her palms facing upward as she swayed gently to the soft sound of the tsungi horn, much like a serpent being charmed by a snake-charmer would.
Iroh suddenly stopped playing the instrument when he saw his nephew walk onto the deck from below while the riverboat was being reeled back into the ship.
"Where have you been, Prince Zuko?" Iroh asked cheerfully as he watched his nephew walk past, "You missed music night! Lieutenant Jee sang a stirring love song and Xia danced as if she were the wind itself."
Xiaodan, who had stopped swaying and her eyes opened languidly once the music stopped, stared curiously at the prince as he headed into the command tower.
"I'm going to bed." Zuko stated in a tired voice as he ignored what his uncle said and rubbed his head, "No disturbances."
Iroh gave his nephew's back a curious look before shrugging and began to play the tsungi horn again, which caused Xiaodan's eyes to shut as she began to sway gently again. Iroh watched out of the corner of his eye as the air seemed to dance around the girl, playfully lifting and tugging on her white hair.
Aang shuffled tiredly back into the ruined building where his ill friends were dozing in their sleeping bags on Appa's side, surrounded by piles of junk. He had spent the rest of the morning in the swamp gathering the frozen wood frogs after he had run away from Zuko and it was close to noon.
Keeping his head bowed slightly, Aang pulled two frozen frogs from his shirt and put one in Sokka's mouth then Katara's.
"Suck on these." He murmured tiredly, "It'll make you feel better."
Aang then shuffled over to Appa's tail and collapsed backwards onto it with a sigh, his mind drifting to Xiaodan as he stared up at the vine covered ceiling. He wondered if she was okay, the last time he had seen her was when he had been flying Appa out of the storm that had caused Katara and Sokka to get sick in the first place. She hadn't looked injured then, but her face had seemed pained and relieved at the same time when she had looked up at him as he flew away. He really, really hoped she was alright.
"Aang, how was your trip?" Sokka asked as he sucked on the frog, still slightly delirious from the fever as he pulled Aang from his thoughts, "Did you make any new friends?"
"No," Aang replied quietly as he rolled over and brought his knees to his chest, "I don't think I did."
Zuko stared at the metal ceiling of his cabin on the ship then he looked over at the large Fire Nation symbol hanging on his wall. He stared at it a moment in thought then rolled over so his back was to the emblem and shut his eyes tightly.
"Mmmm! This is tasty! Mmm!" Sokka mumbled as he sucked on the thing Aang had put in his mouth with a happy expression.
He didn't realize it was a frozen frog in his mouth until it thawed out and began struggling to remove itself from his mouth, croaking loudly as it struggled. Sokka's eyes widened and he jerked into a sitting position, spitting the thawed frog out of his mouth in disgust. Next to him, the frog in Katara's mouth had also thawed out and the young Waterbender cried out sharply in repugnance, the frog hopping out of her mouth with a seemingly annoyed croak.
The two siblings started spitting and gagging and Sokka even started rubbing his tongue against Appa's furry leg in a panicked attempt to clean it.
Author's Note: This chapter is surprisingly not as long as the other two were, which I find surprising and a little confusing, but oh well. I hope everyone liked this chapter and no one was OOC. The next chapter will take place during Season 1 Episode 14: The Fortuneteller, which is going to be fun trying to write out since there is no Zuko in it…Anyhooties, that chapter will be posted on Friday, so stay tuned for that!
PS—Holy shee-at! As of this chapter, Open Your Mind has the second highest word count out of all 17 of my stories, with Always Sunny being the first with a total of 151, 193 words. Open Your Mind only has 13 (now 14) chapters will Always Sunny has 53! FIFTY-FREAKIN-THREE! And Open Your Mind is gonna be kicking its ass when it comes to the highest word count in the next few chapters, I just know it. But again HOLY FLIPPING FUDGE-CICLES! –insert head exploding here-
Special THANKS to everyone that faved and/or alerted! You guys are awesome and I lurves you in a totally unweirdo way!
SPECIAL MENTIONS!
LadyAmazon: No problem, I try to reply to all of my reviewers. I know what you mean about the chapter being a little sad, I was a little depressed writing it because it made me realize how sad I would be if my sister or brother were taking from me like that. Of course it also made me realize that I would beat the crap out of anyone that even tried do something like…Anyhooties, I hope Zuko wasn't OOC with him comforting Xia, even if it was at Iroh's encouragement. Also, I hope I did the Blue Spirit episode justice with this chapter and I hope you like it!
Fabala Throp: Awesome! I hope you like this chapter!
Anon Guest: Thank you, hope you like this chapter too!
88dragon06: Thank you, I'm glad you like the last chapter. It only seemed right to add Xia to the flashbacks if for nothing else than to show just how close she and Aang were before they got trapped in the iceberg. Haha, that was honestly one of my favorite parts of the last chapter, for some reason it seemed like a Zuko thing to do at the time (which I hope is right). Anyhooties, I hope you like this chapter!
Mira SeverusSirius Black-Snape: Thanks, I hope you like this chapter too!
Lirara xox: Awesome, I hope you like this chapter!
Ambrosia Maestro: I know what you mean. I used to think Zuko was a totally jerk, hot but a jerk and then I saw this episode and I was like 'Ohhh, so that's why he acts like an uncaring, demanding, snotty asswipe. It totally makes sense now.' Anyhooties, I hope you like this chapter!
Molly Grace 16: I'm glad you liked the last chapter and I hope the ending bit helped clear up just what Aang was thinking when he saw Xia on Zuko's ship when he was flying away. You would be sort of correct, he still sees her as a prisoner right now but there's a sort of grudging…respect I guess you could say, which is somewhat mutual. Anyhooties, I hope you liked the way I managed to incorporate Xia into this episodes, it was kind of a pain in the butt since it centered so much around Zuko and Aang in a place where Xia really had no business being. To answer your question, I haven't really decided when Xia will get back to the GAang to be honest. I write these chapters as I watch the episodes so inspiration just kinda pops out at me. Although, I do like your idea about Xia being rescued before the Northern Air Temple episode, though I'll have to figure out a way for her to possibly get captured again since I want to be able to show how Aang and Xia are able to survive without having the each other constantly watching the other's back. I also want to be able to set the base for Xia's character to grow into someone who can duel-bender two elements that are technically the spiritual opposite of each other, if either of those explanations make any sense. Anyhooties, long reply is done now and I hope you liked this chapter!
Nicky0: It's a great episode, isn't it? It's right up there with The Blue Spirit, The Deserter, The Northern Air Temple, The Waterbending Master, and The Siege of the North Part 1&2. Anyhooties, I hope you liked this chapter too!
Vicky Lexi Bennett: Haha, I'm glad you liked the Zukia interactions in the last chapter! Granted there aren't a lot in this chapter, I still hope you like this chapter! You know, I had actually thought about that, but the little Xiaodan in my head threatened to send a fiery tornado at me if I made her jealous of the Sugar Queen. Plus when I tried to picture that scene in my head, I had a freaking hard as hell time trying to see Xiaodan jealous, she just really isn't that type of girl to be honest. She too…what's the word… laid-back and easygoing to let something like that make her jealous. Now if she, say, found about the relationship Zuko and Mai have AFTER the Crossroads of Destiny episode, she might be a bit jealous and hurt about that. Anyhooties, I hope you liked this chapter!