Unexpected, an A:tlA fanfic by Tsunami Storm

Chapter 8: The Boiling Rock, part 3

This was getting ridiculous. It had been three days since Sokka and Zuko had disappeared off on their 'fishing trip', and Katara was still as angry and bitter as ever. Toph was forcibly reminded of the early days of their friendship when she had just joined Team Avatar as the Earthbending master for Aang. Of course, that time, Katara and she herself had been tired and crabby from lack of sleep because of the Fire Nation princess and her posse. Still, it was plain to see that Katara had some serious issues to deal with when it came to the prince.

"Why are you so hung up on Zuko anyway, Katara? Did you used to have a crush on him or something?" Toph teased on the third morning, and Katara shot a 'Death Glare' at her blind friend that she couldn't see anyway.

"You just don't understand, Toph." The Waterbending master huffed, turning away to resume her morning chores. But Toph smiled triumphantly when she felt the other young woman's heartbeat quicken for a second. I can feel you're ly-ing! Toph thought to herself with a smirk.

"You're right." The twelve-year-old master answered. "I don't understand. I don't understand how someone who was raised in a nurturing, caring, loving environment all their lives could hate someone so much just because he grew up in a different situation." She accused, glaring at the space where she could feel Katara standing. "And you two're not all that different if you think about it. Both are the child of an important man in your home culture, both have a sibling, both powerful benders, both teaching Aang, both lost your mothers at a young age-"

"Okay, I get it!" Katara interrupted, the subject hitting too close to home all of a sudden. Her mother was not a subject she liked to discuss, especially the day she died. No, the day she was murdered.

"My point is, maybe you should stop looking at all the ways you and Sparky are different and look at the similarities. I think you'd be surprised at how many there are." Toph smiled, but Katara only frowned stubbornly.

"It's not so much that I hate him for who he is- honestly, I couldn't care less about that. It's because of the things he's done that I can never forgive him." Katara admitted halfheartedly. "If he hadn't done all those horrible things, I would actually kinda like him. Or at the very least feel sorry for him, after everything he's been through." She added, her cheeks reddening a bit in embarrassment.

"Well, that's a start." Toph smiled, surprised. "Now you just gotta learn to forgive him. Everyone in the world makes mistakes, and I'm pretty positive he's very sorry for what he did." She observed thoughtfully. "At least, he sounded sincere when he was talking to us the other day." She shrugged. "An' as you know, I'm the 'Human Lie Detector'!" She boasted proudly, pointing a thumb at herself and smirking. Katara also smiled in spite of herself. Toph was a lot like Aang in that respect. She didn't hold grudges, and she was willing to give anyone and everyone the benefit of the doubt.

Suddenly both of the girls heard a heavy sigh of relief as none other than the young Avatar came strolling up to the fountain for a cup of water. "Man! Those badger-frogs have been croaking all morning! I've been doing fire-fists and hot-squats since like the crack of dawn!" Aang complained, flopping down on the rim of the fountain in a semi-graceful heap. "Wonder what's got them so worked up." He mused aloud. Then he shrugged and scooped his wooden bowl into the crystal-clear waters and took a large gulp, puffing his cheeks out like a chipmunk-squirrel before swallowing the whole thing. Katara snickered at how silly her best friend looked, and Aang beamed at her- glad that she seemed to be in a better mood today.

"Y'know something? I'm totally bored." Toph huffed. "It's no fun around here without Snoozles, and Sparky's always so fun to tease. Wish they'd get their butts back here already." She sighed, leaning her back against the wall of the fountain and folding her hands behind her head.

"Not to mention the rest of them." Aang put in with a sly grin, causing both the girls to snort at the sudden mental image.

"No 'buts' about it." Katara added brightly- trying once again to prove that she too could be fun- and that sent the other two into fits of giggles. Then Toph brightened up and sat up straight, putting her elbows on her knees. "When those two get back, we should have an 'All-Elements' Bending Tournament, and then a fencing tournament between those two. It'll be interesting to see who comes out on top."

"Yeah, we should! Nice idea, Toph!" Aang answered, already excited about the prospect. "But for the sword battle, we should find a way to temporarily blunt the blades so nobody gets hurt." He suggested wisely, and both the girls nodded- acknowledging that it was a valid problem to consider.

"Well, I could always coat the edges with a layer or two of ice, or constantly bend water around them- well, no, that would be too hard to predict the movements. The ice might work, though." Katara mused and the other two nodded, liking that suggestion.

"And even if they do manage to hurt themselves, we've got a first-rate Healer on our team. You can fix up just about anything, right Katara?" Aang interjected happily, causing the teenage Waterbender to both blush and smile at the praise.

"Well, as long as it's not too serious." Katara agreed. "As long as there's no broken bones, it should be pretty easy." She guessed, remembering back to when Zuko had first joined their group. Had it only been two weeks? It felt like months with everything that had happened. He'd been tortured and beaten so badly that Katara had worried that she'd never be able to heal him completely. And after his true identity was revealed, she wasn't even sure she wanted to heal him. The last time she'd seen Zuko, he still had quite a few scars on his face, and Katara felt a twang of guilt in her heartstrings. But then she shook that feeling away. After everything that he'd done, he'd gotten what he deserved. She didn't care what Toph said. No one could change that fast.

"They'd have to get pretty carried away for that to happen." Toph smirked. "It's not an 'Earth Rumble' match. Just three fairly light swords. But Sokka and Zuko are both pretty strong. We'll just have to trust 'em to restrain themselves." She observed, monitoring Katara's reactions carefully. When she winced at the word 'trust', Toph sighed inwardly. It was gonna be a while yet before the master Waterbender got over her anger toward the Fire Prince.

Toph wondered briefly what it would take for Katara to change her mind about Zuko. In her experience, Sparky really wasn't that bad. Sure, he had some issues, but who in this world didn't? He had a bit of a short fuse, and that was why it was always so fun to tease him- which was why the young Earthbender always did it. She'd always wanted that 'really cool older cousin' type of person that everyone wished they had. And for her, apparently Zuko fit the bill. Katara and Sokka were more like big siblings to her at this point, and Aang was like a little brother by only a few months. Being an only child, and coming from parents who were both an only child, Toph hadn't known what it was like to have a big family. But ever since she'd joined Team Avatar, she now found herself with more family than with whom she knew what to do. Almost. The Gaang had become her family, and she never wanted that to change. Like she'd asked on Roku's home island that one time, if friendships can last more than one lifetime. Aang had answered with an optimistic 'I don't see why not', and then they'd all held hands. Toph smiled. She hoped that their friendship would last for all eternity.

"Thank goodness you're okay!" An unfamiliar Fire Nation guard exclaimed as he entered Hakoda's cell, where the Chief of the Southern Water Tribe sat on his cot with a morose expression on his face. With the way things were going in the war, he would probably be stuck in this prison for the rest of his life. At this rate, he doubted he'd ever see his son and daughter's smiling faces again. At the guardsman's words, Hakoda stood to his feet and assumed a fighting stance, ready to attack the other man. "Take another step, and you'll see just how 'okay' I am." He threatened, though he was confused that the guard was actually concerned with his well-being. That was a surprise.

The young man flinched as if he were hurt by those words. "But-" and he took a small step forward. That was his mistake. With a swift motion, Hakoda delivered a swift punch to the young guard's stomach, knocking him back into the metal cell door with an 'Oof!' and knocking his helmet off in the process. To Hakoda's utter shock, Sokka's face appeared from behind the painted metal- a matching expression of shock on his face.

"Sokka?!" Hakoda gasped, regret and apology welling up in his throat. He'd just struck his own child!

Sokka laughed and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "You'd think I'd have learned my lesson from Suki. She gave me the same treatment earlier. 'Cept she kicked me in the gut." He chuckled, standing up and putting a hand over the twice-abused organ. But then he gasped in surprise as he was enveloped in a platypus-bear-hug from his father.

"Sokka, I am so happy to see you!" Hakoda laughed, tears in his eyes. "Sorry about that." He chuckled sheepishly, also rubbing the back of his neck.

Sokka laughed too. "Don't worry about it, Dad. I've had worse. Particularly from Toph." He giggled, recalling some of the more humorous wake-up calls from the feisty Earthbender.

"Yeah, she's a spitfire." Hakoda recalled, thinking back to the Day of Black Sun. "Only twelve years old, and she can already hold her own against highly trained warriors. She's something else. You're all something else, come to think of it." He smiled proudly, earning a beaming grin from his son. "You said someone named Suki was here? Isn't she the leader of those- um, 'Oshinama fighters' or something?" Hakoda asked, unable to remember the name of the group of female fighters.

"The 'Kyoshi Warriors', Dad." Sokka laughed.

"That's right." Hakoda nodded.

"Yeah, she's here, and she's gonna escape with us." The younger warrior told him, adding, "And you know Prince Zuko?" He asked.

"The son of the Fire Lord?" Hakoda queried with a tilt of his head. "I don't know him, but I know of him."

"Well, he's here too." Sokka answered, an inexplicable smirk on his face.

"Sounds like a big problem." Hakoda frowned. That was one more obstacle they'd have to avoid.

"Actually, he's on our side now." Sokka countered, and Hakoda raised a disbelieving eyebrow. "I know, I didn't believe it at first either, but he's really changed for the better. He actually helped me find you." Sokka added, and both Hakoda's eyebrows rose at that statement.

Suddenly an urgent knock came at the cell door, and Sokka knew he had to think of something quick. That knock was from Zuko, the signal that someone was coming. Both Water Tribe warriors froze, and Sokka hid in one of the corners. Hakoda nodded seriously and sat back down on his cot, acting like nothing was wrong. From outside, they heard a muffled conversation between the disguised Zuko and the other guard.

"I need to get in there." The guard stated impatiently, and Zuko stepped in front of the door.

"You can't." He hedged quickly. "The- lights are out. The prisoner could sneak up on you." He fibbed, trying to buy some time.

The guard wasn't fooled. "Step aside, newbie." He sneered, shoving the younger man aside so he could unlock the door. Abandoning his excuses, Zuko tackled the guard from behind and put him in a headlock as Sokka slipped out of the door and tried to sneak out of sight without being detected.

Unfortunately, the other guard spotted him. "Hey, you! Help me out here! I think this guy's an impostor!" He shouted, and Sokka was torn. While the guard's assumption was right on the mark, Zuko was also his friend. Not to mention they all had to escape this prison and get back to the Gaang. What was gonna happen now?

"Hey! What're you waiting for? Arrest him!" The man ordered again, wrestling his way out of Zuko's headlock and shoving him into the wall as Sokka locked his own set of handcuffs around the Fire prince's wrists, which were pulled behind his back. Sokka led Zuko away from Hakoda's cell to an empty one, whispering urgently, "Don't worry. We'll figure it out."

"Not that way!" The other guard called, annoyed. "He's a Firebender. The Coolers are that way." He huffed, pointing a thumb back over his shoulder in the opposite direction. Sokka turned Zuko around and started marching in the correct direction, avoiding eye contact with that stupid guard that had thrown a spider-monkey wrench into their plans. "Newbie Colony trash." The guard sneered as both boys walked past him, one downcast and defeated and the other sweating buckets in fear of being discovered next.

When they were a safe distance away, Zuko turned his head back to Sokka and remarked, "That was rude. Just because someone might not come from the homeland doesn't make them inferior. Jerk."

"Well, some people are just like that. There's nothing we can do about it." Sokka shrugged as Zuko sighed in resignation and Sokka helped him take his armor off. He felt terrible that their cover was blown all because of him, but Sokka put a hand on his now-armorless shoulder in a gesture of silent reassurance.

After he'd removed his armor and was dressed in the ratty old garb that the prisoners were forced to wear, Zuko checked around them to make sure no one was looking, then removed Appa's bison whistle from his pocket and slipped it to Sokka. At Sokka's confused look, Zuko explained, "Just in case somebody tries to confiscate it. I'm not taking any more chances." He grimaced.

Sokka matched his expression. "It's all my fault you got caught. I'm so sorry, Zuko."

Zuko just grinned. "Hey, no big deal. You wanted to see your father. That's perfectly natural. I understand. I should've given you more warning than I did. Then we both would've been able to get outta there scot-free. I don't blame you at all." He smiled gently in calm acceptance of his fate.

"Well, at least you won't freeze, with that 'Breath of Fire' of yours." Sokka joked to lighten the mood.

"I'll be okay. Don't worry about me." Zuko agreed, walking straight into one of the Coolers and sitting down on the frozen metal ground. He looked up at Sokka with an understanding smile as the phony guard closed the double doors, trapping his friend in the tiny chamber. "I'll be back as soon as I can. I promise." Sokka vowed both to his friend and to himself as he continued on down the hallway, keeping up the illusion of making his rounds. He would have to be doubly careful now that Zuko had been caught. The real guards would be suspicious of everyone now.

A memory suddenly coming to him, Sokka checked in the other Coolers to see if the Earthbender that Zuko seemed to know was still incarcerated there. The last Cooler in the row still had an occupant, and Sokka quickly unlocked the doors and opened the tiny container to release its denizen. Thankfully the man didn't look too damaged from the freezing temperatures, despite having been stuck in there for about two hours. The man looked confused that he was being let out after so short a time, but then relaxed when he recognized the fake guard.

"Th-thank y-you." Gansu shivered, and Sokka nodded- shutting the door to the Cooler so that the man would warm up quicker. "Hey, I couldn't just leave a non-Firebender in there for too long. I'm not a monster." Sokka joked to lighten the mood and to assuage some of his guilt from having to put his friend in one of those torture chambers.

"N-no, y-you're n-not." Gansu chattered again. "U-unlike th-these oth-er g-guards."

"You said it." Sokka agreed. Then he smiled grimly and said in a hushed voice, "We're planning an escape pretty soon, but we need to get you warmed up first. So, which one is your cell?"

"Well, well, well." The warden smirked proudly as he paced before the metal interrogation chair in which sat the son of the Fire Lord, still shivering from spending six hours in the Cooler. "I never thought I'd find you in here, Prince Zuko." He sneered, putting a sarcastic emphasis on the young man's royal title as if it were a joke.

"You know who I am?" Zuko asked dejectedly, but with just a hint of surprise.

"How could I not?" The warden frowned. "You broke my niece's heart."

Zuko's head shot up at that, shock and hurt being the most prevalent emotions. "You're Mai's uncle?" He gasped, and with that realization came a wave of guilt that washed over him. I guess she didn't find my secret message. It was kinda a long shot, but I had to try. "I never meant to hurt her." He told the older man, such conviction in his golden eyes that it took the stone-hearted warden by surprise.

"Quiet." The man barked, putting a hand on the back of Zuko's chair to which he was handcuffed. "You're my special prisoner now." He smirked, and Zuko bowed his head in dejected acceptance. "So? Are you gonna tell my father and collect your reward?"

"Oh, in due time, believe me. I intend to collect." The warden smiled sinisterly, sending an involuntary shiver of dread down Zuko's spine. Then he leaned in closer to the young prince and breathed in his ear, "But not before I make you pay for every- painful- second of heartbreak that you caused my niece." He poked Zuko's chest right over his heart to emphasize his words.

Zuko closed his eyes, knowing that he probably deserved any punishment the warden decided to mete out against him. He deserved to feel all the pain he'd unintentionally caused the young woman he loved. Errantly, he thought about all the new scars he would probably get, undoing all of Katara's hard work. And he highly doubted she'd heal him again, now that the panther-cat was out of the bag about his identity. Agni, he was such an idiot!

Suddenly both of the room's occupants heard some commotion from outside and both looked up at the distraction. "Ugh. What is it now?!" The warden snarled, then he yanked the metal door open to yell at the stupid subordinate who'd dared interrupt him. But the sight of the visitors wiped the scowl right off his face as if he'd been slapped. He dropped to the ground so fast that Zuko thought he'd been electrocuted, and that observation wasn't too far-fetched. For standing in the doorway were three people he thought he'd never see again, though one he'd fervently hoped to. It was Ty Lee, Mai and the Fire Princess herself, his sister Azula. Monkeyfeathers. Zuko's brain helpfully supplied.

"I must say, I'm rather impressed that you survived, Zuzu." Azula sighed smugly, smirking at her defeated brother in the prison chair. Ty Lee stayed by the doorway, unsure where she should stand. Mai walked into the room and stood in a corner behind Zuko, not even meeting his gaze. A tear came to the prince's good eye, but he blinked it away- not wanting the others to see how much it hurt. He wanted so badly to tell her that he loved her, but he didn't want to put her in danger. He couldn't do that to her. His life was too messed up. He didn't want to drag her into it along with him.

"How did you manage that?" Azula continued patronizingly. Then she pretended to remember. "Oh, that's right. Your new little friends have a Healer in their group. That Water Tribe peasant. What was her name again? I can never seem to remember pesky, inconsequential details." She sneered condescendingly as Zuko just glared at her.

"'Dear Mai, I'm sorry you have to find out this way, but I'm leaving.'." Mai quoted his letter from the Day of Black Sun, though her voice was toneless and completely free of emotion, almost as if she was holding something back. "I got your note." She told him- unnecessary, as he'd recognized his own words- "Azula burned it though." She added dejectedly. She was very subtly looking up at him through her eyelashes- hoping, praying that he would get the message she was trying to tell him without words.

Zuko cocked his head to the side in slight confusion, wondering what the young woman was hinting at nonverbally. Both of his golden eyes narrowed as he frowned slightly, but then both opened as wide as they were able, his left eye actually stinging when his nearly fused eyelids pulled open wider than they ever had in over three years. Understanding the message she couldn't say, he nodded infinitesimally so that Azula wouldn't notice, but Mai did. She allowed herself the smallest of smiles when her love finally realized what she'd meant, and Zuko's heart soared at the sight- though he kept all the positive emotion from his face. It wouldn't do to have Azula see it.

"You know full well that her name is 'Katara'." Zuko huffed, knowing that his sister was only trying to rattle him. She'd always been like that, even when she was little. "And she's not exactly a peasant. Her father is the Chief of the Southern Water Tribe. So, technically, she's just as much of a princess as you are." He told her proudly and with just a hint of smugness in his voice.

"Oh, please." Azula groaned. "A princess of a tribe of savage eskimos is hardly comparable to me, the heir to the most powerful throne in the world now that Ba Sing Se has fallen. And there's practically nobody living down there in the South Pole anyway. I heard from your one-time crew aboard your ship that there were only twenty or so people living in the entire village. That's just pathetic." She sneered.

"There were only a few people left because their men went to go fight in the war." Zuko argued, defending his friends stubbornly. "And besides, after the Siege of the North, a lot of Waterbenders and Healers left to rebuild their sister Tribe in the South. It's probably much different now than what it used to be when I was there." He added, his imagination conjuring possible pictures of what the Southern Water Tribe had become over the past months. Actually, it was close to a year since he'd 'attacked' the tiny village. Had all that time passed so quickly? So much had happened since then.

"Whatever." Azula waved her hand dismissively, quickly tiring of the boring subject. She wasn't concerned with the goings-on of people less important than she was.

Suddenly there was a noise from outside the cell once again, and a guard ran past the room and called to the warden, "Sir, you'd better come quick, there's a huge scuffle in the yard. The prisoners have started to riot! My Ladies, you'd better stay here for your own safety." The man pleaded to the Fire Princess and her close friends.

"I don't need your protection." Mai huffed, and Zuko actually laughed aloud despite the guilt still raging inside. "Believe me, she doesn't." In the back of his mind, Zuko thought to himself, Well, I guess this is it. So long, Boiling Rock, I can't say it's been fun, but at least it wasn't boring. I hope Sokka and the others are on their way to the gondolas already, 'cause it's gonna be a nightmare trying to find them in this mess.

It turned out that it wasn't nearly as hard to find the others as Zuko feared, and he rejoined his friends just as they were plotting their newest escape plan.

"Even if we make it to the gondolas in one piece, the warden will still cut the line. Even if we have a captive." Suki argued against her boyfriend's idea, looking at all the possible angles.

"Not if the warden is the captive!" Sokka added, beaming at his newest genius idea.

"There's one more person here that he would never risk putting in danger. I just don't know if she'd come with us. It's a lot to ask of anybody." Zuko muttered mostly to himself, but everybody else heard it.

"Wait. You're not talking about-" Sokka began, but Zuko was already running toward the central tower to climb up to the gondola platform. He knew that they could just call Appa and not bother with the cable car, but this prison was full of Firebenders. He didn't want his biggest friend to get hurt if it wasn't absolutely crucial. Plus, Sokka had the bison whistle at the moment. This was going to be interesting.

When the heroes were halfway across the boiling lake, they heard a commotion back on the prison tower rooftop. "What in Agni's exalted name do you think you're doing, Ty Lee?!" Azula screeched as the acrobat pulled the lever back into the 'ON' position and kicked it so that the handle and trigger broke off.

"Saving my best friend and the man she loves." Ty Lee answered grimly as she delivered several swift punches and jabs to the Fire Princess' pressure points, causing her to collapse to the ground with a gasp of shock. "I mean, you're my friend too, 'Zula, but you have to realize that what you're doing is wrong. That's your brother on that gondola! If they fall into the boiling lake, they're as good as dead! Could you really murder your own flesh and blood like that?!" The young woman asked of her former friend with tears in her eyes. She continued to stare accusingly at the Fire Princess even as several guards grabbed her and cuffed her hands behind her back and another group helped the princess to her feet.

"What should we do with her, Princess?" A prison guard queried as he stood at attention while his comrades restrained the traitor.

"Put her somewhere I'll never have to see her miserable, pasty face again. And let her rot!" Azula snarled viciously, unfettered hatred burning in her eyes as she glared at the young woman with whom she'd grown up.

As the gondola reached the station on the rim of the volcano, Zuko looked back at the Boiling Rock prison where his sister and the brave acrobat he'd known since childhood remained. Closing his eyes and bowing his head, Zuko whispered, "Thank you, Ty Lee. That's the second time you've saved my life in the past few days. I swear that I'll repay your kindness. Someday, when all this craziness is over."

A few feet away, Hakoda, Gansu and Sensu tossed the bound and gagged warden back into the gondola car as Mai stood by her boyfriend's side, impassive mask back on her face and not even sparing a glance for her cruel uncle. "Sorry, Warden. I'm afraid your record- has fallen." The Chief of the Southern Water Tribe growled as he slid the car door closed and followed his son and friends down from the platform to where the patient Sky Bison was waiting for them. Then all eight fugitives of the Fire Nation took off into the sapphire sky to return to the rest of their friends at the Western Air Temple.

Hours later, Katara and the rest of Team Avatar gasped aloud when they all heard the familiar and most welcome sound of Appa's distinctive bellow as the Sky Bison descended from the air near the main gathering area of the ancient Air Temple, but their outcries of joy were cut short as they noticed quite a few more people aboard the animal guide's saddle than had left their hideout a few days earlier.

"Heh. 'Fishing trip', my foot." Aang laughed brightly as his two best guy friends jumped out of Appa's saddle with beaming grins of triumph on both of their faces.

"Did you at least get some good meat?" Toph asked, feeling the beat of the extra hearts now added to the group.

"I did. The best meat of all: The meat of friendship, and fatherhood." Sokka grinned proudly as he and Katara turned to Appa's saddle as the last new arrival climbed off the Sky Bison and turned to them with a heartfelt smile filled with love for his remaining family.

"Dad!" Katara gasped as she ran and tackled the warrior around the waist as her brother did the same from his other side, the family of three reunited at last. Off to the side, Zuko smiled gently as he let the Southern Water Tribe members have their moment undisturbed, Mai right by his side- as it should be- and not saying a word. Although, if one would look very closely, they would see the barest hint of a smile on the taciturn woman's face.

"How did- where did you guys go? This is-" Katara could barely form a complete sentence in her ecstasy as she turned to the other leader of the 'rescue party'.

"We- kinda went to a Fire Nation prison." Zuko grinned a little abashedly as Hakoda offered his hand to the Fire Prince and gripped his forearm in a grateful handshake. The young prince returned the gesture with a humble smile and nod to the elder warrior.

"We're new. What's up, everybody?" a young man in his early twenties with horrible facial scars waved in greeting from his father's side. Suki was already busy giving hugs to all the other members of Team Avatar that she knew, and introducing herself in a friendly way to those she didn't.

Off to the side a slight ways, Toph crossed her arms and asked, "Seriously. You guys didn't find any meat?"

End of Chapter 8

Next chapter teaser: The Southern Raiders

WHEW! Finally! This chapter took forever too! Why must I always lose my inspiration right when I'm about to put it down on paper?! (or on my computer, in this case.) Anyway, can you lovely readers forgive me? Pretty please?

Finally done with the Boiling Rock! Ty Lee finally gets the chance to be a badass hero, albeit at the cost of her freedom, and Azula's as crazy as ever. Oh joy.

Now that our favorite Water Tribe warriors have been reunited with their father, maybe Katara won't be so hostile towards our favorite Fire Prince anymore. We'll just have to see.

I have no idea how long the next chapter is gonna take, so just bear with me for a bit longer. I promise I'll finish this story eventually. Whenever that comes, however, is another matter entirely.

See you next chapter!

God Bless!

Tsunami Storm