Chapter Ten: Living Nightmare
Present Day- The Fire Nation
It would take over a week for the group to gather together at the Fire Nation Palace, since a storm delayed Aang and Toph from retrieving Suki from Kyoshi Island. Ty Lee ended up joining them, bearing a sudden need to return home after hearing the news.
When they were all together in the main dining hall, an untouched tea service in front of them, the tension was thick in the air.
"What I want to know is who broke out Ozai," Toph stated, crossing her arms. "Who has access to the prison tower?"
"Elite guards only, as well as myself and Iroh," Zuko told her. "Not even other members of the royal family are allowed in."
"So it was one of the guards then," Suki surmised, frowning.
Iroh frowned in turn and pulled at his beard. "Some of those guards have been working there since Ozai's reign," he told them. "It is entirely possible that one of them remained loyal to the former Fire Lord."
"But why?" Ty Lee asked.
Zuko and Iroh exchanged a look. "Many of the noble families benefited from the war," the former replied. "Some did not… agree with the outcome between my father and Aang."
Aang rubbed a hand over his eyes. "They would rather see the world in ruins than see Zuko wear the crown?" he asked incredulously.
"Many still don't see me as the legitimate heir," Zuko said darkly. "They still think of me as a banished prince who wrongfully took the throne."
"That's ridiculous," Katara scowled. "The world is far better off this way." Her gaze locked with Zuko's. "Do you know which families these guards belong to?"
"I'll draw up the files."
"We should go to the prisons and see what we find," Sokka said, leaning forward. "Maybe we'll figure out where they're going."
"I'll go to the prison where Ozai was," Aang said immediately.
"Take Sokka and Suki with you," Zuko suggested. "I'll need Toph's earthbending to see if they tunneled their way out."
"I'll go with Zuko and Toph," Katara said. "This feels like unfinished business."
And when her eyes met Zuko's again, a certain understanding passed between them.
Quietly, Toph cocked her head at the sudden change in Zuko and Katara's heartbeats.
Ooo0ooO
Lone Island
The prison reeked of old blood and death.
Although the bodies had been buried and the halls cleaned, the leftover stench still permeated the walls, as if it had seeped into the very bones of the foundation.
Katara nearly gagged when she walked in behind Zuko, and Toph swore loudly, her pale eyes watering.
"There weren't any survivors?" Katara asked, tearing off pieces of cloth to soak in water from her skin. She handed one to Zuko before tying one around Toph's mouth and nose gently. She placed one around the bottom half of her face as well, hoping it kept most of the smell at bay.
"No," Zuko said, his voice slightly muffled. "The guard who sent the message was the last to be killed."
Katara edged past the dark brown stains on the floors, wincing. "Feel anything, Toph?"
The earthbender stomped a foot, her head tilting to the side. "No," she said. "The prison doesn't give way to any tunnels. So unless they had a boat or a waterbender with them…"
"That eliminates one question," Zuko said as they approached Azula's old cell.
"Why don't we ask June to track them, like we did with Ursa?" Toph asked.
"I don't want the news to spread any faster than necessary," Zuko explained. "Plus, I only plan on keeping tabs on June, to see if she hears anything. She might be hired by someone else who is helping them."
They stepped into the cell. It was bare except for a cot in the corner and a water basin in another. There were gauges on the wall next to the window, as if someone had used a fingernail to track how many days they had been here. Some of them were smeared in old blood.
Toph placed a hand on the wall, then paused. "Wait, there's something…" Balling her hand into a fist, she rammed it into the wall, causing a chunk of stone to pop out and fall to the floor.
Zuko peered into the hole and reached inside. He withdrew a handful of small scrolls. He handed a few to Katara before unrolling one. "It seems my father has been sending my sister messages all this time."
Katara read a few more. "Zuko… they have been planning this for years. How could she be receiving mail without the guards knowing?"
Zuko turned toward the small window. "Perhaps he got someone else write them. A messenger hawk could land on this ledge in the middle of the night without being seen." He threw the scrolls on the ground, fists clenching.
"This is my fault," Zuko seethed. "I should have… after what Ozai did…"
Katara stepped forward, eyes narrowing. Her hand found his cheek, making him look at her. "Don't. Don't you dare, Zuko. Whatever you're thinking right now, this is not your fault."
"How could you be so sure?" Zuko whispered. "It's my job as the Fire Lord to keep my people safe, and with my father and sister on the loose, they won't be."
"And we will keep them safe. We will keep everyone safe."
Even though she couldn't see them, Toph lifted her brows at the serious ripples coming from the pair, accelerated heartbeats and all.
"Not to break up the pep talk, but we should go," Toph said, struggling not to smirk.
Katara blinked and stepped away from Zuko. "You're right," she agreed.
Zuko watched her walk out of the room, nearly flinching when Toph snickered under her breath.
"Careful, Sifu Hotman," she teased. "Don't have a heart attack."
"I don't know what you're talking about," Zuko said, adjusting his face cover as he let Toph walk out of the room before him.
"Your secret is safe with me," Toph said nonchalantly. "Right now, I guess we could use some goodness, even if that means you and Sugar Queen get together."
Zuko grabbed her arm, pulling her to a stop, glancing down the hallway. "Toph…"
The earthbender waved her hand, shrugging off his hand. "I don't kiss and tell, although I can't say the same for you two. Chill out, Hotman."
"Come on, you two," Katara called out. "Let's send a message to Aang and the others, then get to the other prison."
"Coming, coming," Toph said before lifting a brow in Zuko's direction.
Zuko grumbled but followed the earthbender quickly.
Ooo0ooO
The Fire Nation Prison
As opposed to the prison on Lone Island, the Fire Nation Prison was built into the side of the volcano. Its hallowed halls smelled faintly of brimstone and the screams of prisoners were rumored to be heard even in the heart of the old volcano.
Aang, Sokka, and Suki walked inside and all three of them suppressed a shiver. Sokka sought out the prison's warden, carrying a letter from Zuko granting them permission to be on the premises. Aang went to Ozai's cell, using his earthbending to see if he could sense any strange tunnels.
"The volcano has a lot of collapsed tunnels," Aang told the others. "I'd have to go down there to see if any of them lead out somewhere."
Suki looked around the cell. The room had no windows, not even on the door. It was like a room in the darkest part of the Spirit World, much worse than the cell she had had at the Boiling Rock. A dirty cot was shoved in a corner, but there was nothing else, no markings on the wall, nothing.
Aang felt around the room, looking for anything jammed into the rock or the corners, even in the sor smelling cot, but came up with nothing.
"I don't understand," Aang muttered as he exited the cell. He glanced down the dark hallway, which lead further into the heart of the erupted volcano. "I thought we would find something."
"This is Ozai we're talking about, Aang," Sokka pointed out. "The dude may be evil, but he is clever. I wonder if the others found anything."
Suki glanced at the warden, who was waiting for them down the opposite end of the hallway with a torch. "What about the warden?" she asked quietly. "According to the paperwork Zuko pulled, he's been working here since Azulon was Fire Lord."
Sokka followed her gaze. "You might be onto something. Aang, go see if any of those tunnels have an exit. Suki and I will question the warden."
Aang nodded, turning away from the light. He began walking into the darkness, summoning a flame of his own in the palm of his hand.
Briefly, he thought about his journey with Zuko and the Sun Warriors, and how they had to offer fire to the dragons. He almost smiled at how easily the flame burned now, but as he continued down deeper into the dark, he felt like it was swallowing him in more ways than one.
Ooo0ooO
The ship landed on the docks of the Fire Nation, allowing Katara, Zuko, and Toph to climb on a pair o kimono rhinos as a way to get to the prison. Toph cling to the saddle and Katara, swearing softly under her breath about riding on animals and why she couldn't just earthbend her way there.
When they arrived to the Fire Nation Prison, Aang and the others were waiting for them at the gates. Katara furrowed her brows at Aang, who was covered in a thin layer of ash.
"What happened?" she asked, bending a stream of water at Aang, who nodded in thanks and used some to wash his face and the rest to drink.
"Let's talk somewhere private," Suki said, looking over her shoulder at the warden and the prison.
"Let me call Appa," Aang offered, pulling out his whistle.
It did not take long for the air bison to find them, who was accompanied by a familiar lemur who perched himself on Aang's shoulder.
Katara and Zuko followed Appa on their kimono rhinos back to the docks. The others waited for them there and they opted to camp out along the beaches before they made the journey back to the Fire Nation Palace at dawn.
"Just like old times," Katara said with a wry smile.
Zuko and Aang built a fire while Katara cooked them all dinner. Sokka and Suki sat together, whispering, while Toph sat a little ways from the fire, rubbing her feet.
The years seemed to fall away as they all sat together around the fire, eating and talking. They chose not to talk about what they learned, not until they were in a more secure place. Instead, they reminisced about the days before the end of the war.
Katara found herself sitting next to Zuko, leaning back on her hands, staring up at the stars. The others had fallen asleep all ready, and Katara wondered how she had slept through her brother's snoring before.
"What are you thinking about?"
She glanced down at Zuko's soft whisper, then smiled. "This reminds me of the first night after the war ended. It was quiet, peaceful. The moon was almost full, like tonight and everything just seemed… Perfect. Like even though we still have a lot of work to do, tomorrow was going to be a new day, a better day."
Zuko turned on his side, eyes locked with hers. "And now?"
Katara laid down, facing him, tucking her hand under her cheek. "Now it feels like… I'm in a nightmare, and tomorrow when I wake up, it's not going to be over."
And for a long time, they watched each other, even as the flames died and the moon rose higher in the sky.
Ooo0ooO
Disclaimer: I do not own ATLA or any of its characters.
Author's Note: Please review!