Unexpected, an A:tLA fanfic by Tsunami Storm
Chapter 7: The Boiling Rock, part 2
"So what's your plan, Sokka?" Zuko asked quietly as they skirted the grounds around the prison, trying to find a hidden way in.
"Sneak in, find my dad, sneak out, then get the heck outta here on Appa. Pretty simple." The Water Tribe warrior shrugged, thinking that it should've been pretty obvious.
Zuko made a face. "Well, yeah, I kinda figured that part. I meant your plan for sneaking in." He whispered, his tone mostly teasing and just a bit condescending as Sokka's had been earlier.
"Oh, right. That." Sokka grinned. "Well, I think we should find our way into the supply room and 'borrow' some guard uniforms. We kinda stick out like sore thumbs in a pond of snapping turtle-ducks in these." He chuckled, grabbing the hem of his own blue shirt for emphasis.
"Yeah, good idea." Zuko nodded in approval. Sokka was pretty good at thinking on his feet. Why didn't I think of that? He mentally berated himself.
"Score!" The Water Tribe teen whispered from a few feet away, and he waved his companion over. "I found a way in!" He beamed, pointing to a hole in the wall that was little more than a drain.
"You've gotta be kidding me." Zuko groused. "The sewage system?"
"Hey, I don't see any other way in. Unless you wanna get caught and taken in as a prisoner." Sokka growled back, defensive.
"Lead the way, O Plan Master." Zuko gestured sarcastically, but he was smirking slightly. He and Sokka were more alike than he'd expected. They could end up being really close friends in the future. But they'd have to survive this little 'fishing trip' first.
"Knock knock! Guess who!" A warm and bubbly voice sounded from the other side of the wooden portal, and another voice sighed, "Must you always be so dramatic, Ty Lee?" It teased with a hint of a smirk.
"Aw, it's no fun if you spoil the surprise, 'Zula!" The aforenamed Ty Lee complained, making a pouty face at her friend and Fire Nation princess.
Just then, the door to the stately manor opened, and a face that could only be described as 'bored out of her mind' appeared in the crack. "Oh. It's you girls. Come in. I guess." Mai shrugged as she opened the door wider to admit the only two people that she truly cared about anymore. Well, that weren't already in the house, that is.
"Oh, Mai. Is that any way to greet Her Royal Highness, Princess Azula?" Mai's mother sighed exasperatedly at her daughter before prostrating herself at Azula's feet. "It is an absolute honor to welcome you to our home, my princess. Is there anything I can get you? Anything at all?" She offered humbly.
Azula actually smiled. "No, thank you. I just came from tea at the palace, so I'm quite satisfied at the moment. Your kindness is appreciated, though." She answered in a way that could be considered sweet if you didn't know her as well as her friends did. It seemed like ever since the princess turned thirteen, her one-time gentleness and fun-loving personality that the girls had come to love had slowly been replaced by cold, calculating, slightly manic behavior. It was getting to the point that they hardly recognized their best friend anymore.
"So, to what do I owe the pleasure of your visit, Princess?" Mai asked in a slightly less bored voice than before.
"Oh, it's nothing really important. Just a routine inspection of our prisons scattered around the Fire Nation. The Boiling Rock in particular. That one is supposed to get a delivery of several decidedly unsavory prisoners of war. You must know how they can be." Azula sighed with a dramatic roll of her eyes as she thought of the mad king of Omashu. Former king- that is- of 'New Ozai'.
"I see. So what does that have to do with me again?" Mai groaned, sinking back into her depressed mood. She couldn't decide which she despised more: field trips, or being cooped up in this stuffy, dull house all day. Well, at least things wouldn't be boring with Ty Lee around. That girl had a way of brightening even the darkest days with her infectious optimism. On the outside, Mai didn't appear to be affected by it- but that was only due to her carefully perfected, emotionless mask that she almost never removed.
"Well, I thought a change of scenery would be good for you, Mai dear." Azula smiled almost charmingly. "And you could use some fresh air and sunshine. You're looking far too pale, my friend- even for you." She said with what seemed like genuine concern. Mai was quite a bit paler than usual, and she'd always had fair skin to begin with.
Mai sighed dejectedly. All right. If Azula insists, might as well get this over with quickly. Then I can get back to being miserable. And heartbroken. She thought to herself. As these notions passed through her mind, her hand clenched the scroll she'd been holding tighter- causing the paper to crackle slightly.
"Oh? What's that?" Azula asked conversationally, her sudden curiosity roaring like a tigerdillo.
"It's nothing." Mai sighed again. "Nothing important, anyway." Just the little scrap of paper that shredded my heart.
"Well, then you won't mind if I just-" Azula snatched the parchment out of her friend's hand faster than she could blink, "-peruse it, do you? I mean, you said it wasn't important."
Mai frowned at her friend's rudeness, but she didn't say anything for fear of banishment or far worse. She watched with increasing dread as Azula's eyes darted back and forth across the scroll, her golden irises widening as she continued to read. By the end, though, her smug smile was back on her face.
"So that's what Zuzu planned." She mused, conjuring a ball of blue fire in her palm. "Too bad he never got to go through with it." She laughed to herself so her friends wouldn't hear. It wouldn't do to let them figure out what she'd done to her own flesh and blood. Holding the letter above the flame in her hand, she allowed the azure flames to lick the bottom of the scroll.
Azula didn't see it, but Mai and Ty Lee both noticed a hidden message appear on the back of the scroll due to the heat from the tongue of fire. Both of the friends gasped aloud at the simple statement, but not loudly enough to alert the third young woman in the room. They were just three simple words, yet those three words spoke volumes and healed the tear that had sundered Mai's heart when she'd first received the letter. Azula was too busy erasing the evidence of her brother's treachery, so she didn't notice as her friends carefully controlled their expressions back into the neutral ones they'd been in before they'd seen the message.
When the scroll declaring Zuko's true feelings was nothing more than a few wisps of ash on the floor, Azula marched straight back out the door of the manor where Mai and her family lived- her two closest friends in tow as she strode down to the airship harbor, smug and perfectly confident as always. It was time to finally pay those villainous peasants and elusive Avatar a visit. After all, she was sure that the Water Tribe scum would want to reunite with their beloved father.
"Okay. We got these uniforms. Now what?" Zuko whispered to Sokka as they stood on opposite sides of the door to the supply room, on the inside so that no one could see them.
"Now we ask around and get some intel. Like if this prison has any war prisoners, especially from the Water Tribe. Particularly the Southern Tribe." Sokka answered, peering around the corner and quickly withdrawing his head as a pair of guards strode past. "With any luck, we'll just blend right in. We're not all that different from these guys. On the surface, anyway."
"Except for our eyes." Zuko argued. "Yours are blue, and mine are gold. That's a pretty big giveaway. Not to mention my scar."
"So don't take your helmet off, genius." Sokka teased. "Other people can't see anything past these mask thingies. It doesn't matter what color our eyes are. If we just act natural, we should be able to find my Dad and navigate through this prison without being caught."
"You forgot one important thing, Sokka:" Zuko countered. "What if your dad's not here?"
Sokka stopped in his tracks at that, turning pensive. "He's gotta be here. This prison holds the Fire Nation's most dangerous criminals, right? That's gotta include PoWs. He's gotta be here. Where else would he be?"
Zuko sighed. "I hope you're right. Otherwise we'll be in a lot of hot water. Especially if we get caught on top of things."
Sokka snorted. "Hot water. Nice one, buddy!" He chuckled. "Who knew you had a decent sense of humor?"
"Huh?" Zuko asked, confused, then it hit him. He chuckled too. "Heh. I didn't even notice. Nice catch."
"What can I say?" Sokka continued, still chortling. "I'm just a guy who likes comedy."
When the dinner bell rang for the guardsmen and women to eat, Zuko and Sokka decided to split up. Since he would blend in better than Sokka, Zuko decided to ask around the lounge if there were any Water Tribe prisoners incarcerated here, and Sokka would 'patrol' the hallways and surreptitiously check all the rooms to see if his father was one of the occupants. Sokka had only finished with the first floor, however, when the bell rang again- the signal for the guard to return to their patrols. What he did find, though, could potentially throw a spider-monkey wrench into their carefully laid plans. Or a fan.
"Zuko, you will never guess who's here!" Sokka whispered when they were the only ones on the top floor of the central tower, looking down at the yard where the prisoners were taking their 'recess' break.
[I guess it's 'recreation' break, but 'recess' sounds funnier. It implies school is like prison. lol]
"My father?" The Fire Prince suggested dejectedly, having received no news in the lounge. That was all they needed right now. More trouble.
"No!" Sokka shot back, offended that his friend would even think that. "Look down there!" He beamed, pointing to a boulder in the middle of the yard- atop which sat what looked like a teenage girl with short auburn hair.
"It's Suki!" Sokka sighed, his eyes turning into pink hearts as he looked at his girlfriend that he'd never thought he'd see again.
"Um- who?" Zuko answered, feeling like he should know the name somehow, but was unable to recall the face that went with it. For some reason, he was picturing a lot of face paint.
"The leader of the Kyoshi warriors." Sokka explained quickly, distracted as the prisoners were told to return to their cells.
"Oh boy." Zuko groaned, remembering their less-than-pleasant first meeting when he'd nearly burned down the island where this Suki lived. Back when he was a spoiled brat with a fiery temper and a short fuse. Well, he still had a short fuse, but he wasn't nearly as bad as he was back then. At least, he liked to think so.
"She could definitely help us! I gotta find which cell is hers and-" Sokka began, starting off toward the door, but Zuko grabbed his shoulder. "Hold on a sec', lover-boy. Something tells me we shouldn't blow our cover just yet. We still have to rescue your dad, remember?" The prince reminded the chief's son.
"Well, yeah, but-" Sokka sputtered, but eventually agreed that Zuko had a point. That had been their whole reason for coming here in the first place.
"We can rescue her too, but let's not forget our main mission." Zuko advised sagely. "Remember: 'Chase two meadow-moles and you'll catch neither', as the saying goes."
"I've always heard it as 'otter-penguins', but I get your point." Sokka agreed with a shrug as he reluctantly slouched back to Zuko and put his elbows on the railing.
"Speaking of which, I asked around the lounge. The other guards told me there aren't any Water Tribe prisoners." Zuko answered dejectedly. "I'm afraid your father's not here."
"What?" Sokka gasped, hardly believing his own ears. "No way! So- so we came all this way- for nothing?"
"I'm really sorry, Sokka." Zuko answered, his golden eyes downcast.
"No, they must've made a mistake." Sokka huffed in denial. "Not all the guards were there, after all. Maybe they just didn't know about all the recent arrivals. I saw a few other guards when I was walking around and checking in the cells." He supplied, crossing his arms stubbornly.
"I guess it's possible that they missed him, but it's not very likely." Zuko shrugged, offering the other teenager a small modicum of hope. "I mean, the Invasion was only like a week ago- two at most. That's not very much time for a transfer of prisoners. Especially if they're deemed 'dangerous' enough to be in this place."
"Yeah, that's true. I kinda expected it to be a long shot, but I had to try. He's my dad." Sokka answered, and Zuko smiled softly. "I know how you feel. I'd do the same thing for my uncle. In fact- before I confronted my father- I tried freeing him from prison, but he'd already busted himself out. So I know where you're coming from." He answered, causing Sokka to gape at him. "Whoa. Dude, I can't say I know the guy very well, but- your uncle is a boss." He laughed, impressed, causing Zuko to crack a proud smile. "Yeah. He is. After all, he didn't get the title 'Dragon of the West' for nothing."
Both warriors smiled down at the yard after that in companionable silence, but then something broke the relative peace that had settled over them. As usual. "Haahh." Sokka sighed. "What now?"
Zuko shrugged. "Guess we'd better check it out." He suggested as one of the female guards stuck her head out of the nearby doorway. "Hey, get down there, you two! Give our boys some backup!" She ordered.
"Yes ma'am." Zuko saluted politely and Sokka nodded, both running to the stairs and descending the tower to the yard.
"Stop right there, Gansu! I've had it with your 'unruly' behavior." A guard sneered with an evil smirk on his face. He knew the man hadn't done anything against the rules. He was just picking a fight.
"What did I do?" The man named Gansu asked without turning to face his 'opponent'. He wasn't even worth it.
"He wants to know what he did." The guard laughed derisively. "Isn't that cute?" He asked aside to Sokka and Zuko- who had only just arrived. After an awkward pause in which the accusing guard lifted his visor to glare at who he thought were his fellow guards, Zuko quickly answered, "Uh, very cute sir." and Sokka helpfully tacked on a "super cute." to keep his friend above suspicion. It wouldn't do to get caught right in the middle of all these dangerous prisoners.
Seeming satisfied, the first guard turned back to his unfortunate victim and taunted the poor man further. "You didn't bow when I walked by, Gansu." He snarled, but he was still smirking.
"What? That's not a prison rule!" Gansu retorted, at last turning and facing the guard who was trying to humiliate him. Honestly, why did he have to put up with this? He was a citizen of the Earth Kingdom, and had only been looking for his son. He wasn't supposed to be in a Fire Nation prison!
A short distance away, Zuko straightened up slightly. Something about that prisoner's voice sounded familiar. Like he'd heard it before. Just then, a memory came to him- unbidden- of a field of sunflowers at night and a young boy wheeling around with his Dao swords-
Zuko gasped aloud and Sokka looked over in curiosity before the Fire Prince clapped a hand over his mouth. He had met this prisoner before! He was Lee's father! He'd helped the man put shingles on the roof of his barn!
Fortunately for the two impostors, no one else had heard Zuko's little epiphany, so no one paid them much attention as the 'fight' continued. "Do it!" The arrogant guard demanded, proud smirk still etched on his face.
"No." Gansu stubbornly refused, not acquiescing to these Fire Nation pigs for anything. He would never bow to their brutish savagery, considering what they did to his elder son Sensu. Despicable. "I'm going back to my cell." He spat, turning his back on the guard once again and walking away.
Incensed that a lowly prisoner would have the gall to address him in such a manner, the guard created a fire-whip and lashed it across Gansu's back, making him cry out. Zuko took a step forward to interfere and help, but Sokka held him back. "We don't wanna blow our cover." He reminded him, and Zuko nodded reluctantly.
Just then, something happened that Zuko didn't expect. Gansu shifted and thrust his fist upward, and a boulder the size of his uncle jumped into the air and hovered over the arrogant guard's head. Two more guards behind Gansu suddenly tackled him from behind and shackled his hands behind his back faster than Zuko could blink, causing the boulder to fall to the ground with a loud thud- inches from the guard's face.
"No bending. Yer goin' in the Cooler." The smug guard sneered, stepping toward his defeated opponent. Oh, how he loved the power to torment others like this!
"Um, but sir, he's not a Firebender. He'll freeze to death." An unfamiliar voice objected, and- to Zuko's considerable shock- it was Sokka that had spoken, but with an elaborate vocal disguise. Now he sounded like a middle-aged adult with an accent of some sort that he couldn't quite place. [Wang Fire]
"So? Like I care?" The arrogant man answered, leading his captive away from the crowds as the prisoners dispersed now that the exciting part was over. "He knows bending's not allowed here. It's his own fault." He laughed as he frog-marched the other man off to 'the Cooler'- whatever that was.
"Only 'cuz you provoked him, you jerk." Zuko growled under his breath, and one of the younger prisoners who was still in the area looked up. "You must be new here. All the other guards are creeps like him, but you two seem different." He observed, walking back up to them.
"Whaddya mean? We're just normal Fire Nation prison guards, and we've been here for months!" Sokka covered quickly, but it was obvious that he was lying through his teeth. Zuko didn't bother and glared at their new companion. "You gonna rat us out?" He asked dejectedly. The young prince was horrified to see that the young man's face was horribly scarred by burns and whip lashes, exactly like his had been after the Eclipse. In fact, the only difference between their faces was the fact that this young man's eyes were bright green.
"Are you kidding? After the way you stood up for my dad? Not a chance!" The young man grinned, holding out his hand. "I'm Sensu." He introduced himself.
"Li." Zuko answered, figuring he should use his cover name again. It couldn't hurt. "And this is Wang Fire, my- uh- second cousin. We're from the Fire Nation colonies originally, and we just got transferred here." He fibbed, making up a whole new cover story on the spot. Sokka looked over at him with an impressed look. Zuko was pretty good at improvising.
"I've got a kid brother with the same name. Guess it's pretty common all over the world." Sensu grinned. Zuko smiled briefly when he remembered the energetic young man, but then frowned guiltily at the ground when he remembered what had happened when he'd left that town. One more town that now hated his guts just because of who his father was.
"Maybe you can tell us." Sokka spoke up. "We're looking for a specific prisoner. A PoW like you, only from the Southern Water Tribe. He would've arrived recently. Probably. Know anybody like that?" He asked quickly, but Sensu shook his head. "Sorry. Nobody from the Water Tribe here." He shrugged, and Sokka's chin dropped to his collarbone in dejection. "But they're always getting new arrivals. He might be on the next cable car. You never know." Sensu offered, and a ray of hope gleamed in Sokka's sapphire eyes.
"When do the cable cars usually arrive?" Zuko asked, completely focused now. All that stuff was in the past. Nothing he could do about it now. Except to bring Lee's family back- a mischievous gleam grew in Zuko's good eye, and he started to imagine the looks on the boy's and Sela's faces when their 'soldier boys' came marching home.
"After noon." Sensu answered, looking up at the tower again. "Which means the next one should be here within the hour."
Just then, the line that connected the central tower of the prison with the rim of the volcano started moving, and Sokka exclaimed, "Well, looks like it's right on schedule. We gotta get up there! He's gotta be on this car! He just has to be!" He bolted to the door of the tower, then ran up the stairs faster than Zuko had thought humanly possible- so great was his determination to find and rescue his father.
Just as Zuko emerged from the door to the roof of the tower, the cable car reached the platform where the prisoners were to disembark. As the first new inmate emerged- a large, muscle-bound man with dreadlocks and a nose-ring- the Fire Prince turned to his friend with a questioning look. "Is that him?" He asked, realizing that he had no idea what Sokka and Katara's father looked like.
"My dad doesn't have a nose-ring!" Sokka huffed, more than a little disgusted and offended. The thought!
More prisoners exited the car, including one that looked strangely familiar to the Fire Nation royal heir. Pretty sure I've seen that guy before. Oh yeah! Those pirates that blew up my ship! He recalled with a scowl. Unfortunately, Sokka hadn't spoken up since his exclamation at Zuko's guess that had been way off. That was it. His father wasn't on the cable car. Now what were they gonna do? Just get the heck outta here with Suki, Gansu and Sensu? Or should they wait another day?
But then one of the guards nearer to the transport system shouted, "Hey you! Get off the gondola!" and the two impostors looked back up with hope in their eyes. Maybe. Just maybe-
A man stepped out of the car, short hair cut to his chin with a warrior's 'wolf-tail' holding a portion of it back, while a few strands on the right side of his face were tied together with some blue beads at the end. The man gazed back at the rim of the volcano for a last glimpse of freedom, and- below them- Sokka breathed, "Dad."
End of Chapter 7
Next chapter teaser: the Boiling Rock, part 3
Holey, stinking, moldy Gorgonzola! I am SO, SO SORRY for this three-year hiatus! This story sat unfinished for almost as long as Zuko was banished! Huh. That's interesting- but I swear I didn't do that on purpose!
Go ahead and yell at me all you want for keeping you waiting for so long. I deserve it. It was a combination of Writer's Block, laziness, and total loss of interest in this fandom that caused this travesty. I'll accept your punishment without complaint. *bows head contritely*
When I said I'd be showing what the other characters were doing during the 'field trips', I must've been out of my mind! No way am I that creative! So I'll just stick to the story that we saw in the show. However, there will be a few little new twists from the Captain of Cliffhangers! *points to self* That's me!
I'm splitting this into three parts, because frankly, I ran out of room. Both parts are ten pages each already. I didn't want to make them longer than I had to. I mean, who likes reading an eighteen-page chapter all in one sitting?
Okay, on to the chapter summary:
I bet all of you can guess what Zuko's secret message was. I'm not exactly subtle, so it should be pretty obvious.
And yes, I changed a few things in the Boiling Rock. Hey, this story is an AU. I can pretty much do anything I want. Right?
Zuko and Sokka: A few things?! What didn't you change?
Me: Well, Suki, for one. You're welcome, Sokka. And the scene with that obnoxious guard and one of the prisoners fighting. I didn't really see a point to Chit Seng being there, so I changed him to Gansu and Sensu from the episode 'Zuko Alone'. Didn't see that one coming, didja?
Oh, and I kept the guy with the nose-ring in, because it's funny. And the pirate, because it's poetic justice. And Hakoda obviously, for story and plot. So there.
Whew! Now if you gentlemen will excuse me, I gotta go find my fire-proof pants, because my readers are gonna roast my tuckus alive! AAAHH! *runs off in a panic*
Zuko: *looks at audience* Please don't be too harsh with your reviews. Poor Tsunami's been agonizing over this story for three years, trying to think of an acceptable way to continue it. And the last time she had to deal with a bunch of flames, it almost broke her. Trust me, she's no Firebender, so go easy on her,
Sokka: More of a Waterbender, probably. A Healer, definitely. She's not a fighter.
See you next chapter. If I don't get burned alive.
God Bless!
Tsunami Storm