CHAPTER 23
To The Rescue
"We need to hurry if we're going to find Aang." said Kattara worriedly. "If your afraid that any
soldiers are going to stop us, let me put your mind at ease." said Zuko. "I can handle anything
that comes our way." "Don't worry Kattara" said Sokka encouragingly. "If we were able to defeat
Fire Lord Ozai so easily, finding Aang should be a snap." Zuko had to fight back an urge to
correct Sokka, and tell him that they didn't do anything.
As they were walking they could hear a baby crying, Zuko, Sokka, and Haru wanted to keep
going; but Kattara and Toph wanted to go find out where the baby was. As they entered a room
they saw woman holding a little boy. When the woman discovered who was there she almost
shrieked in surprise. "Prince Zuko, what are you doing here?" "That's none of your concern" said
Zuko shortly. "We heard a baby crying and we wanted to see it." said Kattara. "This is Princess
Azula's baby." said the woman. "I cannot permit you to be near him." "Princess Azula is dead, as
are Fire Lord Ozai, and Zhao." replied Zuko. "You killed your own Sister and Father!" shrieked
the woman in shocked outrage.
"They stopped being a part of my family a long time ago" said Zuko bitterly. "He is this baby's
only living relative." said Kattara. "Don't forget my Uncle" Zuko interjected. "Right, sorry" said
Kattara. "Even if Azula, her husband, and The Fire Lord are dead; I still will not let you near this
baby." "Why not?" asked Kattara. "Because I've been taking care of Prince Ozai for so long that
I could be his mother." "Prince Ozai?" said Zuko incredulously. "Yes, he was named after your
father." replied the woman. "What ever" said Zuko a little bit louder than necessary. "Come on
Kattara, let's go. I don't want to take care of a baby anyway." "Yeah let's get moving" Sokka
agreed. "How could you turn your back on your own family?" asked Kattara. "It's very simple"
said Zuko, and he proceeded to march out the door before Kattara stopped him. "Zuko this will
be good for you. It will teach you how to be a good father." "But I don't want to be a father."
complained Zuko. "Are you going to say that to me if I become pregnant and have your child?"
asked Kattara. Zuko was about to say something, but Kattara's glare froze him in his tracks.
With a huge sigh Zuko turned to the nanny of the baby and said "Let us take care of the baby, and
we'll keep you as his nanny. Now come with us." said Zuko resignedly. The woman obeyed.
"Where are we going?" asked the woman. "As I said before that is none of your business. All you
need to worry about is taking care of the new prince." said Zuko heatedly. "Man Kattara really
knows how to handle Zuko" whispered Sokka to Haru. They both snickered not bothering to
conceal their laughter. Zuko felt his face grow hot, but he ignored Sokka and Haru's belittling
comments. "Do you know where Aang is being held?" Sokka finally asked the woman. "You're
looking for the Avatar?" said the woman in surprise. "Prince Zuko your helping the Avatar
overthrow The Fire Nation!" shrieked the woman in outrage again. "If you want to stay as this
baby's caretaker I suggest you keep quiet!" snapped Zuko. "Okay" said the woman wilting under
Zuko's gaze.
Kattara felt that it was time to be nice to this new woman. "My name is Kattara, what is yours?"
"My name is Fai Wing said the lady stiffly. Kattara sensed the woman's mood and decided not to
press any farther. As they walked a little farther they came across the guard. Before the man
could even react Zuko had him around the throat, and said in a very deadly voice "Take us to the
Avatar, and I'll let you live." The man had no choice but to comply. He led them to Aang's cell,
it was being guarded by a few guards.
When they saw Zuko and the others, they were prepared to attack. Zuko placed a sword to his
hostage's throat. The other guards didn't even blink, "It is an honor to die in service of the Fire
Lord." Zuko was surprised, these men didn't know that their Lord, his daughter, and her husband
were dead. "No time to think about that now" thought Zuko to himself. Zuko knocked his
hostage unconscious with a blow from the flat of his blade. He proceeded to attack the other
guards, when suddenly chunks of wall and pillars suddenly flew out and into the skulls and backs
of the guards. Zuko looked around wildly to see what had happened until he realized that Toph
and Haru had just done Earth Bending. He gave them an approving nod before hurrying over to
the door, he fished around in the guards pockets for a few moments before he found the keys to
the cell's door. He unlocked the door and entered inside, it didn't take him long to cut the chains
tied around Aang. Aang was unsurprisingly unconscious, Kattara quickly used water-bending to
try to wake him up but it was no use.
Suddenly Fai Wing pushed Sokka and the others into cell. "You will all pay for this outrage!
Especially you Prince Zuko, you killed your own Father! By the way it shouldn't come as any
surprise that I defeated you so easily. All governesses of royalty are trained in stealth and Martial
Arts so that we can protect our charges.
She slammed the door, "Kattara freeze that door with your water bending!" Zuko ordered.
Kattara did as Zuko had told her, Zuko then did a flaming jump kick slamming the door to the
ground. Fai Wing turned around and then began to run, she didn't get far though because she got
caught by Sokka's boomerang. She fell to the ground, clutching the baby in her arms. "Sokka!"
Kattara shrieked "you could have hurt the baby?" "What?" Sokka countered "I couldn't let her
get away." Kattara breathed a huge sigh of relief when she heard the baby cry. She ran to the
baby and scooped him into her arms, within seconds the baby stopped crying and fell asleep. The
rest of the group looked at Kattara in shock and awe. "I'm just a natural I guess" she said
blushing.
"Come on let's get out of here" said Zuko who had Aang slumped over his shoulder. Toph and
Haru knocked a wall out of the Fire Lord's palace to make an exit. Sokka then used Aang's silent
Bison Whistle to call Appa, who came to get them in no time. They climbed on Appa's back and
soared off into the sky. Zuko would soon return to take his place on the Fire Nation Throne, but
not before the Avatar had fully regained consciousness and his powers.