So I've been trying really hard not to get too graphic with the violence or "war realities" in this story so I can keep The Undying Fire rated T. That said, this chapter does toe the line. Consider this a heads up.
Thirsty.
It was an unbearable need. An ache pounding through her head and body, clinging to her sand-dry mouth. Even her hunger had been overwhelmed by thirst. She wanted water. She wanted it so bad. Her limbs felt shaky and weak, and her lips were cracked and full of cuts. Too bad the blood wasn't enough to moisten anything. Her dizzy mind wondered if just biting on her lip to open the cuts more would help. Make the bleeding worse and—
Stop!
The thought was a scream in her head. She was veering into strange territories again. How many hours had it been? Or was that days now? She didn't know anymore. Time had blurred. It dragged and dragged, trickling like the sand that filled her mouth. So, so dry. She wanted out. She wanted water. Fresh air. The crate was hot and suffocating. It was too cramped. Worse was the smell. She'd soiled herself. That had been humiliating, but she'd soon realised the blow to her pride was the least of her problems. She'd choked and gagged on the stench of her own filth with every breath, at least until she'd got desensitised. Now it was like the smell had become a part of her. Her only consolation, if you could call it that, was that she was so dehydrated that even the urge to piss was gone.
"Let me out."
The words were barely a whisper. No one answered. Maybe no one even heard. It felt like she had been abandoned in this place.
I'll be okay. I can take care of myself. I don't need anyone else.
Swallowing the lies was hard. They got stuck in her throat and dug deep into her chest, clawing at her ribs and making it hard to breathe. She squeezed her eyes shut. If there had been enough moisture left in her, maybe she'd have even managed to get out a few tears. As it was, all she could do was shudder. Even her sobs were silent. She had an odd urge to call for her parents—the mother and father she had chosen to run from—but the words didn't get past her lips. It wasn't like her parents could help her anyway.
Be strong.
She thrashed against the crate. Or at least tried. Her limbs were like a boneless fish and her bound wrists and legs protested with every movement. The chafing rope cut into her flesh. It should have hurt more than it did. She felt so light-headed. So thirsty.
Be strong. You're the greatest earthbender in the world. You'll be okay. Be strong.
A click-clacking sound drifted to her ears. Footsteps? She kept very still and listened.
"It's been over a day. You must be thirsty."
That voice was familiar. It was hard to place a name through the haze of dehydration and dizziness, but she had definitely heard this man speak before.
"I have water here."
Water.
Her fingers scrabbled feebly at the wood. She needed it. Desperately wanted it.
"Wa ..." Her lips tried to shape the word, but all that came out was a croak.
Something tapped on the box. Once she would have easily been able to place the sound. Now it meant nothing. Spirits, if only her head would stop spinning and pounding.
"What was that?" he taunted. "I can't quite hear you." A laugh. "And you were so loud at the beginning. Seems like you lost all that bravado, huh?"
She gritted her teeth.
"I tell you what, I'll make it easy for you. Just tap twice and I'll take it that you're ready to surrender. We'll let you out, give you water, food, even a bath and clean clothes. You'd like that, huh?"
Her fingers hesitated on the wood. It would be so easy to accept his offer. So, so easy to just give in and let them have their way. Every fibre of her body wanted her to do it, but she just couldn't. She couldn't make those two damn taps. Not when these bastards had hurt Twinkletoes. Not after witnessing for herself the truth behind the Joo Dees. Not after the Dai Li had shut her in this box like cowards and simply expected her to break.
It was just two taps, but it would be a betrayal of everything that made her Toph Beifong.
Toph raised her bound legs with what strength she had and kicked at the crate. A single kick.
"A pity. Too much longer of this and you'll be useless to anyone."
He waited a moment to see if she would change her mind. Toph did not. The click-clacking of footsteps retreated. She squeezed her eyes shut and cried tears that would not fall.
I'll be okay.
A lie.
I'm the greatest earthbender in the world.
She was … wasn't she?
I can get out of here on my own. I've done it before.
The wood enclosing her seemed to laugh at her attempts to reassure herself. It laughed even as she swallowed against a never-ending dryness. It laughed even as it kept her cut off from her element and suffocated her with too little air. She almost wished she had just tapped twice. Almost.
oOo
Sokka woke with drool mushed against his cheek and his body aching. He sat up, hair everywhere, and rubbed a hand against his eye. A hiss escaped his lips. The area was all swollen and tender. That's right, he'd been too slow to avoid one of Shizue's punches and had got hit in the face. His jaw felt just as bruised from where she'd kicked him. Even his knuckles looked a mess: the skin was grazed and had split on some parts, which he really should have bandaged last night, but he'd been so exhausted that he'd collapsed on his futon and had been out like a snuffed candle. Not even his paranoia had kept him awake.
No pain, no gain.
His dad had used to like saying that adage. Sokka could relate to it now. He felt like a ninety-year-old man. Just the thought of moving made him cringe.
"Want some pancakes?"
The chirpy voice made him blink blearily around the apartment until he spotted Ty Lee. She was wearing an apron over her clothes, had a bowl cradled in one arm, and was stirring whatever was inside with a big spoon. He wasn't sure where everyone else had gone, as it seemed to be just the two of them.
"Pancakes?" He blinked a few more times. "Uh ..."
"You don't know what pancakes are?"
Ty Lee's eyes widened dramatically. The way she said it was as if he'd just told her he didn't know the sky was blue. Sokka rubbed the base of his neck. He was from the Southern Water Tribe; there were a lot of foods he had only learnt about while on his travels. Not that Ty Lee seemed to expect an explanation. She grinned and declared she was going to educate him on the "wonderificness" of pancakes.
"Pretty sure wonderificness isn't a word," he muttered.
Ty Lee pointed her spoon at him. A glob of mixture fell off and landed on the ground, but she paid that no heed. "You. Less Chatter. Go wash up. Then we eat!"
Sokka pursed his lips. He had a right mind to tell her where she could shove her spoon—she was the enemy—but he had to admit he was a bit curious about these pancake things. It also helped that Ty Lee was such a bright, cuddly person, even when she was trying to do a pseudo-mum act. Being rude to her was like kicking a polar-dog pup. No one wanted to do that.
He sighed in an exaggerated way and hauled himself to his feet. His stiff, bruised body protested at the motion. Yep, he was definitely feeling that training. "Where is everyone?" he asked while folding up and putting away his futon and pillow.
"At work. Can't pay rent without money." She grinned and raised the bowl. "I start later today. That's why I thought I'd make brunch for us."
Which left Mai and Shizue sharing guard duty, he guessed.
"I didn't peg you as the homemaker type," Sokka admitted, looking her up and down.
She laughed. "Honestly, the only thing I can make is pancakes. That and burnt rice. I didn't have to cook when I lived in the Fire Nation, and the chef made everything while I was travelling with the circus. He was the one who taught me how to make pancakes." Her eyes twinkled. "I think he got sick of me pestering him to make them all the time."
Sokka was not going to smile. He absolutely was not going to smile, but the corners of his mouth betrayed him anyway. This girl was so disarmingly friendly.
"Anyway, go wash up," Ty Lee told him. "You're all icky and dirty and that's not good for pancake eating."
"Alright, alright."
He huffed and hobbled his way to the tiny bathroom. The sight of his face in the mirror gave him a shock. Those were some ugly bruises. He gingerly touched the discolouration around his eye, wishing he had Katara nearby to heal him or at least create some ice to reduce the swelling. Not that he wanted to think about his sister. It had been over a day now. Over a day and he still had no idea if she was okay or even what had happened to the others.
She's fine. They're fine. Stop fretting.
Sokka shoved the worry and doubt aside, knowing it would cripple him if he indulged in bleak thoughts. He quickly washed and joined Ty Lee back in the main room. She had started cooking and the smell coming from the frying pan made him salivate. Apparently, he wasn't the only one who noticed the tantalising scent. Mai poked her head out of the side room and zoned in on the stove.
"Oh, Luan," Ty Lee said, catching sight of her. "Are you going to join us as well? I made enough for everyone."
Mai nodded.
"Great!" Ty Lee put something golden and soft on two plates, then added some toppings and sliced fruit. "Can you give these to Shizue and our guest?"
Even with the bandages, Sokka could tell that Mai had her trademark "you have got to be kidding me" expression on her face. Perhaps it was because Ty Lee had made the special food for Long Feng as well. Still, Mai didn't say anything. She never did when she was around Ty Lee and Azula. Instead, she just heaved a sigh to make it clear she thought feeding their hostage pancakes was stupid and then took the plates into the side room. Sokka caught Ty Lee's expression. Her smile had drooped a little, not into a frown. It was just sad.
"Um," he said awkwardly. "I'm sure Luan didn't mean anything personal by that."
"Oh, I know." Ty Lee flashed her bright grin. "So, anyway, next up is your pancake! Just gimme a sec."
She turned back to the stove. Sokka didn't know why his stomach twisted. It wasn't like he cared about Ty Lee or her feelings. Sure, he didn't want to purposely be mean to her, but she had stuck by Azula's side even after everything that had happened. He couldn't condone that.
"Hey," Ty Lee said after a moment, quiet enough so only he could hear. "Luan is happy with you, right?"
Sokka blinked. That question had come out of the blue. The seriousness of her tone also took him off guard. "I guess. I mean, we're friends."
There was a pause. Ty Lee's back was still facing him so he could not see her expression. When she did turn, her smile seemed a bit odd. Or maybe it was just her eyes that couldn't quite disguise the complex feelings she was experiencing.
"I'm glad," she said softly. "I'm really glad."
Sokka let out a breath. He didn't get a chance to respond, as Mai came back into the room. That seemed to be Ty Lee's cue to become extra chirpy. She finished cooking their pancakes and sat down with them on the cushions to eat. There was no hint of sadness, no sign that maybe she was feeling anything but sunshine and rainbows. Except Sokka still remembered. His gaze followed Ty Lee, trying to figure out this puzzle of a girl who came across as such an airhead yet, as he had just realised, was actually hiding so much depth.
Why aren't you saying anything?
The words lingered on the tip of his tongue. Ty Lee had as good as disclosed that she was aware Luan and Mai were one and the same. If she'd figured out that much, why was she trying so hard to play along with the act that Luan was a guy? He didn't know whether to be worried or appeased. Her silence could mean anything: a change of heart, a warning, a deliberate choice to lull them into a false sense of security.
Which is it? he wanted to demand. Whose side are you really on?
Ty Lee rested her chin on her hands and smiled at him. "So?" she prompted. "How do you like your pancakes?"
Sokka swallowed. "They're good."
His voice sounded off to his own ears. Sure, a part of his brain knew the pancakes were delicious, but it was like stuffing his mouth with cloth. He couldn't enjoy it. This whole breakfast was messed up. Everything about this situation was messed up.
"How about you, Luan?" Ty Lee asked. "Are the pancakes to your standards?"
Mai put the last piece of pancake into her mouth for answer. Ty Lee seemed to take this as a compliment. Her smile widened and her eyes lit up.
"Yay, I got Luan's approval!" she exclaimed, clapping her hands.
Sokka's stomach twisted again. He wondered what the girls were thinking. They had been friends for years, yet here they were pretending to be strangers, tiptoeing around each other in some strange dance. It had never hit home for him how difficult that must be for both until this moment. He wasn't sure if he could have done it had he been in their position.
Mai stood up and bowed in thanks to Ty Lee before retreating to the side room. Ty Lee began clearing away the dishes. Sokka noticed that she was careful to keep her back facing him.
"Hey," he murmured. "You know, if you just—"
"I've got to get ready for work now," Ty Lee cut in brightly. "I'm glad you enjoyed the pancakes. Maybe I'll make them for you again sometime."
She flittered off with all her usual bounce and chirpiness. He really didn't understand that girl. It bothered him. He wished he knew her angle. Maybe that was why he found himself approaching Mai once Ty Lee had left for her job.
"She knows about you," Sokka told her.
"I know." Mai balanced the point of a knife on the table with her finger. "I realised it last night."
He blinked. "Then why are you both—"
"Because she's chosen to stay with Azula."
Sokka shook his head incredulously. "How? How can she follow that—"
"Monster?" Mai's lips curved into a wry smile. "You know, Azula wasn't always terrible. She was my friend."
"Friends don't try to burn each other's faces off."
"No, but I think that's why Ty Lee stays."
Sokka's jaw dropped to give him the unflattering likeness of a fish out of water. "That doesn't even make sense!"
"Ty Lee isn't like other people. She always looks for the good in others. Maybe she thinks she can save Azula."
"Save her?" Sokka raised his arms in a frustrated gesture. "From what? Her own craziness?"
"Probably." Mai flicked the knife over so that it clattered on the table. "But Ty Lee is wasting her time. Azula only listens to her father; she can't be reined in by anyone else, and the Fire Lord isn't exactly known for his kindness. He encouraged her to become the person she is today."
"That's kind of messed up."
"That's the royal family." Mai shook her head. "Zuko was lucky in a way. Despite all he suffered, he got out." Her voice lowered. "Azula ... she wasn't the same after he was banished. She got crueller, more demanding."
"You'll have to forgive me if I don't feel sorry for her," Sokka said dryly. "We've both seen what she's capable of. That girl is dangerous. She needs to go down."
"Yes." Mai closed her hand around the handle of the knife. "That's why we need to be ready. We have to stop her before she can hurt anyone else."
Sokka nodded grimly. "Tonight. We should attend the meeting. I don't like that we're always hearing things second hand."
"Hate to break it to you, but you won't get far with a face like that without being noticed by the city guards."
"She's right," Shizue said, coming to stand on the threshold to the side room. Her arms were crossed and she was leaning against the wall.
Sokka's mouth drooped into a sulky expression. "Whose fault is it that I look like this?"
"Yours," Shizue said bluntly. "If you don't like it, learn to dodge faster."
Sokka opened and closed his mouth, words of defence on the tip of his tongue. Then he just sighed. "Fine. I'll stay here and watch Long Feng, but one of you at least should attend the meeting."
"Then allow me," Shizue said, stepping away from the wall. "Luan will also draw too much attention with those bandages." She quirked her eyebrow. "Unless you are willing to go as yourself?"
Mai lowered her gaze. "From what Ty Lee hinted last night, it's best if I don't. Azula hasn't been able to confirm who I am. Even if she is suspicious of me, she won't risk breaking her own cover to find out until she's satisfied she can get away with it."
"Then you think she really would try to hurt you again?" Sokka asked.
Mai shrugged. "Azula isn't the forgive and forget type. I don't know what she would do if she got her hands on me." Her eyes narrowed. "Not that I plan on giving her another chance. I'll be ready this time."
Shizue's voice was cool. "Playing it safe is all well and good, but if you never take action yourself, you will miss your chance."
"Are you suggesting I stop pretending?"
"That choice is yours alone." Shizue turned her back on them. "I just wonder why you're really choosing to hide. From what I have observed, Ruolan doesn't want to expose herself to us or the Freedom Fighters. Is there any need for you to go to such measures then? You're just putting yourself at a disadvantage."
Mai tightened her grip on the knife handle. Her knuckles turned white.
Shizue gave a one-shouldered shrug. "Just a thought." She walked towards the front door, pausing only a moment to tell them to take over guard duty.
"Where are you going?" Sokka asked.
"To prepare. Long Feng has proven useless to me, and I have waited in this hovel long enough. I must find that boy with the pale gold eyes."
Sokka blinked. "You mean Zuko?"
"Yes, that boy." She glanced over her shoulder. "As it is, the surest way to get to him is by bringing down the Dai Li. We will make this revolution happen. Just see to it you don't falter when the time comes."
"Don't worry," Sokka assured her. "I haven't forgotten what you told me last night. I won't hold back."
Her lips twitched into a smile. "Good."
She left on the word, closing the door behind her. Sokka glanced at Mai, who was staring at the knife she clutched in her hand. Her knuckles were still white with tension.
"Don't let it get to you," he said gently. "You know Azula better than—"
"No." Mai shook her head. "Shizue is right. There's no real need for me to hide my face. If anything, making it clear who I am would put pressure on Azula and test her claim that she's changed. I could even talk freely with Ty Lee again."
Sokka said nothing. He wasn't sure how to respond.
A humourless laugh escaped Mai's lips. "All this time. All this time I've been telling myself we have to stop Azula, that I'll stand up for myself and make a difference, that I won't wait and let her hurt people like I did before." She shook her head. "But when Shizue suggested I remove the bandages, I didn't even want to consider the idea. I'm just ..." She bowed her head. "I haven't changed at all."
"Hey." Sokka was startled into moving closer. His hand hovered near her back. "You shouldn't beat yourself up about this. It's only natural you'd feel this way."
"Zuko didn't." Mai's voice was flat. "Azula tried to kill him and he didn't hesitate to face her again, even though he must have known he was no match for her skill."
"Uh, I really don't think using Zuko as your role model is a good idea. He's kind of a reckless idiot."
The corners of her mouth lifted. "Alright, then what would you do? If you were me, would you take the safe option and keep up the act or would you face Azula head on?"
Sokka scratched the back of his head. "I don't know."
"What?"
He shrugged. "I really don't."
"Some help you are," she muttered.
He held up his hands. "Hey, don't get me wrong. It's because I've never been in that situation. I've watched my friends get hurt, but I ..." He shrugged again and stared down at the table. "I guess I've been lucky. That's why I don't know what I'd do. Azula hurt you bad. I was the one who found you, and it just—it was sickening. Honestly, I can't understand how you're even willing to be in this apartment with her."
"Because we don't have a choice."
"Right, but that's what I mean. You're already doing more than what can be expected from an ordinary person. Azula tortured you and probably would have left you for dead, yet you were the one who said we shouldn't run. You told me to accept her truce." He placed his hand on her shoulder. "Mai, you're not a coward. I've been amazed by your strength and resolve from the moment you threw that knife at Azula."
She shrugged off his touch and averted her face. "You and your friends are always full of nice words, aren't you?"
"Huh?"
She sighed. "Never mind. I guess it comes so naturally that you don't even notice."
His brow furrowed. Maybe he had embarrassed her with his praise. The exposed skin on her face did look a bit pink.
She got to her feet. "Well, I guess that's that then."
He was about to ask her what she meant, but she raised the knife and sliced clean through the bandages covering her face. The cloth fell away like ribbons, fluttering to the floor and exposing her features. Now he could meet both of her eyes: the perfect and the slightly skewed. Now he could see the scarred tissue that puckered her otherwise flawless skin, a reminder that her injuries had been so bad that not even Zuko and Katara's healing powers combined could fix the damage. Mai's expression was steeled with determination. His heart skipped a beat. She was beautiful in that moment.
She tucked her knife back into the folds of her sleeve. "I'm going to attend the meeting with Shizue tonight. I don't want to hide anymore."
He smiled. "Alright."
True, a part of him almost wanted her to stay covered up by the bandages, to not make herself a target again. He still remembered what it was like to lose Yue. He remembered finding Mai barely conscious in the drill, remembered how broken she had felt in his arms when he'd carried her to be healed by Katara. He didn't want to experience anything like that again. But it was not his place to tell Mai what she could or could not do. Mai was a fighter; she had proven it again and again, and he had to admit that he admired her for it. Maybe a little too much sometimes.
Keep it together, idiot. You like Suki, remember? Mai is just a friend.
Sokka stood up and muttered that he was going to guard Long Feng. Mai didn't stop him. For that he was glad. Now was not the time to get confused by unnecessary feelings. He had to focus. He had to come up with a plan to entrap Azula before she could enclose her sticky web around them for good. Time was running out. It was a feeling that niggled within him. Perhaps it niggled in all of them.
It had been over a day. That was over a day in the hands of the Dai Li for Toph, Iroh and the woman who had once been known as Joo Dee. That was over a day for his sister and wherever she was with Zuko and Aang. When would they all be reunited again? Sokka didn't know. That was what scared him the most.
oOo
Zuko heard the giggles before he saw the girls. They peeked over the top of the fence at him like little meerhogs, all big eyes and curiosity. Both looked around Aang's age with identical toothy smiles and faces. Twins then. The one on her left had her hair pulled into plaited pigtails while the other had a single plait. Zuko straightened from the stretches he had been doing and turned to face them properly.
"Uh, can I help you?" he asked.
The girls giggled even more. Zuko rubbed the base of his neck, not really sure how to respond.
"Oi, you brats!" Changpu marched over and made shooing motions at the girls. "Stop pestering Lee."
The girls gave him identical pouts. "Big brother, you're supposed to introduce us!" they said in unison. "It's no fair if you hog the guests all to yourself."
Changpu pinched the bridge of his nose. "Lee, this is Shuchun and Dongmei, my younger sisters." He lowered his hand and frowned at the girls. "Now aren't you two supposed to be helping Mum? Come on, off you go." He made the shooing gestures again. "Back to work."
"But—"
"No buts." Changpu gave them both a gentle push on the small of their backs. "I know you're curious, but it's best if you don't come around here at the moment."
The twins grumbled and turned to leave, but they were distracted by the appearance of Momo. He flew out from the barn window and circled around their heads once before landing on Zuko's shoulder. Zuko suddenly found himself with two young girls crowding around him and trying to pet the lemur.
"It's so cute!" Dongmei exclaimed. "Look at its ears!"
"Is it a girl or a boy?" Shuchun asked, standing up on her tiptoes and looking at Zuko with bright eyes. "Does it have a name?"
"Uh, yeah." He pointed at the lemur's face. "This is Momo. He's a boy."
Momo chittered in greeting. The girls cooed with delight and tried their best to pet what they could of his fur. Zuko realised he was too tall for them and deposited Momo on the ground. The girls crouched beside him in an instant. Fortunately, Momo liked attention and was used to people, so he allowed himself to be petted. Zuko advised them that Momo particularly liked being scratched behind the ears. The girls thanked him for the tip and proceeded to do their best to please the lemur.
"You're pretty good with kids," Changpu observed.
Zuko shook his head. "Momo is doing all the work."
He was getting better at speaking to people, but it was still awkward and made him feel like he was standing on the wrong foot half the time. He was glad to let Momo be the focus of attention.
"Are you still serious about tonight?" Changpu asked after a moment.
"Yeah." Zuko picked up the tunic he had discarded and tugged it back on, retying the sash around his middle. "The most important thing right now is finding the others. We need to regroup. We're too weak separated like this."
"I'm coming with you."
They both turned to see Katara standing at the entrance to the barn and staring at them determinedly. Zuko repressed a sigh. Sometimes she was so stubborn.
"Katara, we talked about this," he reminded her. "It'll be easier if I go on my own."
"You say that, but think what happened when you snuck aboard the Fire Nation ships."
"That was different. I—"
She marched over and met his gaze with her chin held high. "It's dangerous to go alone. You know it, and you know I can help you. Besides, what would you do if someone is hurt? They're most likely all being held prisoner by the Dai Li. Are you going to risk weakening yourself to heal them?"
Zuko lowered his gaze.
"I'm coming," she repeated. "You don't get to argue with me about this. My brother is in there somewhere and so are my friends. I want to help them."
"I can't sneak you in through the checkpoints as well," he pointed out. "Katara, you're not trained in stealth. If you muck up, we'll both be finished."
"I won't muck up."
"You can't say that for certain."
She poked him in the chest. "And you can't say for certain that I'll muck up."
He made a frustrated sound. "Why are you being so stubborn about this?"
"Why are you?"
Changpu stepped between them and held his hands out in a calming gesture. "Guys, guys, let's just take a breather for a moment."
They both turned on him.
"Tell him it's too dangerous for him to go alone!" Katara urged.
"Tell her it's too dangerous for her to come!" Zuko countered.
Again, the two scowled at each other. Changpu pressed his palm to his forehead, as if he was already regretting getting in the middle of their argument. Shuchun and Dongmei tilted their heads and cracked identical grins.
"Is this a lovers' quarrel?" Shuchun asked.
"It totally is," Dongmei observed. Then she pouted. "Too bad. I was hoping Lee would be single."
Zuko and Katara blushed and took a step away from each other.
"She's not my girlfriend!" he exclaimed at the same time Katara insisted that he was not her boyfriend.
"Really?" Dongmei latched onto Zuko's waist. "Then marry me, Lee!"
He stared down at her in startled embarrassment. "Uh ..."
Changpu grabbed his younger sister by the back of her dress and plucked her off Zuko. "Brat, what did I tell you? Lee is an important person. You shouldn't bother him. Now hurry up and get back to work. I'll be the one who gets in trouble if you both keep slacking off around here."
The twins grumbled and tried to protest, but were soon sent trudging off by their brother to the other side of the farm. Changpu pinched the bridge of his nose with his forefinger and thumb.
"Sorry about that," he muttered. "Those two are at that age where it's all crushes and boys. Seems they really took a fancy to you."
Zuko rubbed the base of his neck. "Uh, sure. Whatever. So about tonight—"
Katara folded her arms across her chest. "Don't even start, Zuko."
He held her gaze. "Look, it's not that I doubt your abilities. I know you're more than capable of taking care of yourself in a fight, but this is different. This is about getting past the checkpoints without being seen. Besides, there's Aang to think about."
"I can guard the Avatar," Changpu offered.
Zuko stared at him in betrayal.
"There's no need to look like that," Changpu said, refusing to be guilt-tripped into backing down. "I agree that you shouldn't go alone. I'd come myself, but I know I'll just slow you down with my injury and all. Plus, I think Katara made some good points."
Katara raised her eyebrow at Zuko. "Well? What do you have to say to that? Even Changpu agrees I should go with you."
Zuko groaned and rubbed his hands over his face. "This really isn't a good idea."
"It'll be fine. I'll have your back and you'll have mine."
He lowered his hands. "Fine, but how do you plan to get through the checkpoint? I meant what I said: I can't sneak both of us through."
"About that," Changpu said, rubbing his chin. "I might just have an idea."
The two teens exchanged a glance. As it turned out, Changpu's idea was to use his family's ostrich-horse wagon to pass through the checkpoints. The wagon had been modified by his grandfather, now deceased, who had created a hidden compartment to smuggle alcohol back when there had been a temporary ban in Ba Sing Se. Zuko and Katara would be able to hide inside the separate compartment while his parents and two sisters travelled on the wagon as normal. It wasn't a bad plan. Still, Zuko pointed out that things could get ugly for his family if they were discovered. Changpu's father and mother claimed the risk was fine with them.
"We want to help you," Changpu's father said earnestly. "You've done so much for our boy, and it wouldn't be right if we left the Avatar's friends in a lurch. Please, let us assist you in this way."
Neither Zuko or Katara liked the fact that they would be putting the family in even more danger, but they also couldn't bring themselves to argue. Instead, the two bowed low to Changpu's parents. Both understood that there wasn't time to muck around with coming up with a better plan. If the family were willing to take the risk, there was no point debating the issue further.
The rest of the day was spent preparing for when they would all leave on the wagon. Zuko gave Katara a crash course in stealth, teaching her how to move and land from a jump without creating any noise, or at least not enough to be of significance, and how to blend with shadows. It helped that she was a fast learner. Mari, Changpu's mother, also presented Katara an Earth Kingdom outfit to wear so that her blue clothes wouldn't stand out so much. Katara removed the beads from her hair and her necklace so that she wouldn't spoil the disguise, then redid her hair in a standard plait. She seemed calm enough while they trained, but Zuko later found her kneeling on the floor of the barn and clutching the necklace and beads to her chest.
"You okay?" he asked, albeit a bit tentatively. Dealing with emotional girls was not his forte.
"Just thinking about home," she admitted. "It feels like forever since I last saw the village." Her voice softened. "And I guess ... I guess I'm worried about Sokka. We've never been apart this long."
Zuko placed his hand on her shoulder. "We'll find him, Katara. We're going to find all of them."
She leaned into his touch. "Yeah, I know."
He nodded and pulled away, leaving her to finish packing her things while he went to crouch next to Aang. Still unconscious. Zuko watched him for a moment and sighed. He guessed Aang wasn't ready to wake up yet.
"Hang in there," he murmured. "We'll be back soon."
He got to his feet, but was stopped by a low rumble and something tugging on the back of his tunic. A smile flittered across his face. Appa had moved to clench the cloth between his teeth, clearly trying to tell him to stay.
"Sorry, Appa," Zuko said, tugging his tunic free and patting the bison's head. "I know we're leaving you again, but we have to find out what happened to the others."
Appa stared at him with soulful brown eyes.
"Yeah, I know. We'll be quick."
Katara came to stand next to him and gave the bison a pat. "Watch over Aang for us, Appa."
Appa let out another low rumble, but this time he didn't stop them when they made to leave. They exited the barn together and joined Changpu's family near the wagon. Dusk had set in, creating sprawling shadows across the fields. Soon it would be dark, the perfect time to infiltrate the city and nab themselves a Dai Li agent. First, however, they needed to get through the Inner Wall.
Zuko stood next to Katara and examined the wagon. Just as promised, a hidden compartment had been built in the back part where they could hide from view. Katara scrunched her nose at the small space.
"Are you sure we'll fit in there?" she asked.
He folded his arms across his chest. "Well, if I went alone it—"
"Never mind," she said hastily. "We'll fit."
His mouth twitched. They said their goodbyes to Changpu and Momo—the lemur had found a new perch on the soldier's shoulder—and then Zuko gestured for Katara to climb inside first. He didn't say it aloud, but it was a fact that the person hiding closest to the edge was more likely the one to get stabbed by a searching sword or spear in such situations. No way was he going to put her in that kind of danger.
He waited until she was settled on her side before he crawled in after her. The space was much smaller than he'd expected. They were forced to squish right up against each other, legs all tangling together, so that the wooden boards could be put in place to block them from view. Now only a few slivers of light slipped through the cracks. Zuko wrapped his arms around her to make it easier. He could feel the rapid beating of her heart against his chest, feel her breath on his face. It would have been awkward if the reason for their current situation wasn't so serious.
"Alright?" he murmured.
"Yeah."
They both went quiet, listening as crates of eggs and pig-chickens were slotted into the wagon in front of their hiding place. No doubt the goods would be sold in the market the next morning. A tap on the side told them all was ready, and then the family got into their seats and the wagon was rolling into motion.
It was not a comfortable ride. Zuko and Katara were jostled by the swaying and lurching of the vehicle. Eventually, the sound of other voices and wagons drifted to their ears. They had caught up with the line of farmers trying to return to their homes inside the Inner Wall.
Zuko and Katara kept very still, careful not to make a sound. The snuffles and snorts from the pig-chickens helped to disguise their presence, but neither wanted to take any risks. All around them they could hear the squawks of ostrich-horses as the animals were nudged into action, along with the distinctive sound of stone rumbling and grinding as the gate was opened and closed over and over again. Soon it would be their turn to pass through the checkpoint.
Katara's heartbeat quickened. He tightened his hold on her for a brief moment, trying to reassure her that they would be fine. Her fingers dug into his back. Their breath intermingled as they lay in the dark. Listening. Waiting.
"Next," a sharp voice ordered.
The wagon rolled forward. Zuko heard Changpu's father talking with one of the guards, providing all the necessary information to pass through the gate. The twins and Mari were silent, only speaking when asked. Footsteps came closer to the wagon. Katara and Zuko both tensed; someone was checking to see there was nothing being hidden in the storage area. A hand rummaged around near the crates, moving things and opening lids. There was a long pause and then the guard moved back.
"It's just eggs and some pig-chickens," a gruff voice stated.
"Open the gate!" the first guard ordered.
Again, the stone rumbled and grinded to create an opening in the wall. The wagon rolled through the gap. Neither Zuko nor Katara relaxed until the gate had shut again and they were well away from the checkpoint.
"We did it," she whispered, squeezing him in a quick hug.
He made a noncommittal sound. Their real mission was only just beginning. The wagon continued to bounce along the city streets until it at last came to a stop inside a dark alley. Changpu's father jumped down from the driver's perch and began moving the crates aside. Then the boards of wood were pulled away to reveal the hidden compartment.
"You two alright?" he asked.
"We're fine," Katara responded.
"Then out you come."
Zuko disentangled himself from her and crawled out of the tiny space. She followed suit and dusted off her clothes. Changpu's father quickly put the board back into place and moved the crates to block the compartment. Now anyone looking at it wouldn't know that two people had just emerged from inside.
"Thanks for all your help," Zuko murmured.
"It's fine. You kids just be sure to come back safely. We'll be waiting for you."
Katara smiled. "We will."
Mari and the twins came to say their goodbyes and wish them luck. Shuchun hugged Katara while Dongmei tugged Zuko down by his arm and managed to sneak a kiss to his cheek.
"Be safe," she told him, flashing a grin. "I don't want my future husband to get hurt."
Zuko's face warmed. Geez, this girl was so forward. She must have noticed he was a bit at a loss because she winked at him and joined her family back on the wagon.
"Seems you got yourself quite the admirer," Katara observed as they watched the wagon continue down the street.
"She's just a kid," Zuko said dismissively. "Anyway, we should get moving. Hanging around here isn't a good idea."
Katara nodded and followed him up to the rooftops. He frowned a bit at the fact she wasn't as fluid as him at climbing. He had tried to prepare her as much as he could during their crash course, but there were certain things that could not be gained in a day: agility and upper body strength were just two. He had known this was a bad idea. Still, she had insisted on coming, and he could not have kept her at the farm short of tying her down.
"Keep to the shadows," he told her. "And keep your eyes open. The Dai Li usually move in pairs or small groups, but we just want one."
"Got it."
Zuko jumped to the next roof. Katara landed next to him with less grace, but at least she didn't make a big clatter. He felt a tiny swell of pride for his pupil. Well, even if she was a bit slower and not as fluid with her movements, at least she had understood how to carry her weight so that she wasn't thumping around on the roofs like a komodo rhino. He gestured for her to stay close and began jumping and crawling his way along the rooftops. Katara did her best to keep up. He glanced over his shoulder every now and then to make sure she wasn't falling behind. It was true that she had been great on the water back when they'd infiltrated the Fire Nation ships, but this time she had to rely on her own two feet and balance. Katara had her work cut out for her.
They came up against a taller building with lit windows and people moving about inside. Zuko ducked into the shadows and pressed his back against the wall. Katara joined him a second later. He tapped her arm and pointed to the house on their left. She nodded and moved with him along the tiled roof, keeping low so that they would not be in sight of those inside the building. Eventually, they were able to straighten and continue on their way.
Where are you? Zuko thought in irritation.
The Dai Li had never been far when they'd been living in the Upper Ring. He'd been conscious of their slimy presence the entire time he'd moved around the city. Always watching. Always following. Now it was like all of the agents had vanished. Or they were just hiding very well. He gritted his teeth and ran along the thin beam of a house. Movement caught his attention below. He paused. Katara gripped his arm. She had also spotted the agent walking down in the street. Even better, the man was alone.
Zuko met her gaze through the moonlight and held his finger to his lips. She nodded and crawled with him to the edge of the roof. He tapped her shoulder again and pointed at her water flask, then mimed her water coming out and being frozen. In other words, he asked if she could freeze the guy. Katara grinned in response.
She uncorked her flask and allowed the water to surround her hand. With a fluid gesture, she shot the water forth, letting it break into two so that one part clamped in a frozen gag around the agent's mouth while the other enclosed his hands. Zuko landed in front of him a split-second later. The ice suddenly shattered around the agent's hands. Zuko ducked the first bit of rock that came for him and sliced through the other with his swords; these guys really needed to get some new moves.
Still in motion, he ducked behind the agent and trapped him in a choke hold, pressing his swords to his neck. "We have some questions for you," Zuko said roughly in his ear. "I hope you're feeling cooperative."
Katara jumped down from the roof and stood facing the agent with a grim expression. With a flick of her wrist, she removed the ice from his mouth. "Where are our friends?" she demanded. "Tell us now."
The agent swallowed even as his eyes bulged in fear and rage. "Like I'd really tell—"
Zuko put more pressure on the sharpened edges of his blades. He knew he nicked the skin because he heard the man's sharp hiss of pain. "You should really rethink that decision. My friend and I aren't in a patient mood. You understand, right?"
Katara clinched the matter by turning the water that had been swirling around her hands into razor-sharp blades of ice. She guided the points to hover in front of his face and chest. "Talk!" she ordered.
The agent did. He explained that the blind earthbending girl, the old firebender, and the traitor Joo Dee had been taken to the Old City prisons. The others had managed to escape with Long Feng as their hostage. Zuko and Katara exchanged a swift glance. So, Mai, Sokka and Shizue had escaped. That was a surprise, and a relief, but it did make him wonder where the three were now. Still, first things first.
"Alright," Zuko said, "you're going to lead us to the Old City prisons."
"I can't do—"
Zuko dug his swords in even deeper. The man's gasp was definitely audible that time. "You do know the way, right?" he asked with a coolness that made him feel a bit icky for how much he sounded like his sister.
The agent slumped a bit. "Fine. I'll take you, but I'll need to use my bending to open the tunnel."
"That's fine," Katara said, and her eyes hardened. "Just remember that we'll be watching your every move. Do anything we don't like and that'll be the last thing you do. Got it?"
He gulped. "Got it."
She gestured with her hand. "Then, please, lead the way."
oOo
Toph's head was spinning. Dry. So dry. She couldn't take much longer of this. It was getting to the point where she could barely stay conscious, barely even understood what was real. Her heart thumped sickeningly in her chest and her wrists and ankles throbbed. Still not as painful as it should be. Her senses were becoming dulled, her body shutting down. She needed to get out. She needed to get out now.
"Earth."
The word was the barest croak. She needed earth. Her element gave her power. It was there outside the box; she could sense it through the tiny cracks that provided air. Masses of stone all around her. Masses and masses of strength. But it was still out of reach. So frustrating. Earthbenders relied so heavily on being able to move their hands and feet.
Why?
She stilled at the question her dazed mind threw at her. Yes, why did she have to move her hands or feet to bend? Maybe it was like metalbending. Maybe someone just hadn't figured out how to push the boundaries yet.
Toph gritted her teeth and centred all of her focus on the stone she could sense outside the cracks. It was hard work. Her mind was like dust being blown in the wind, pulled this way and that by dizziness and a pounding thirst, and it always felt strange trying to grasp hold of her element when she couldn't touch it physically. Still, the fact she could sense it at all told her she had a chance. If only she wasn't so weak. If only she could focus.
Aren't you Toph Beifong? Pull it together!
She inhaled deeply and latched hold of the stone with invisible hands. It was as if her very consciousness had slipped through the gaps and into the floor and walls, becoming one with her element. Her lips cracked and bled into a smile. This was it. This was the power she had needed. The question was how to control it. Her wrists and ankles were still bound with rope and her movements were limited inside the tiny space. Still, she could move her head and she could move her legs a little; she had done as much when she had kicked at the box. Maybe she could work with that.
Toph kept her grip on the stone and focussed it into a single motion: the raising of her chin. She felt the box sway. Her breath caught. That had been movement. She had definitely moved the floor just then. Unfortunately, just that small act threatened to overwhelm her with dizziness. Could she dredge up enough energy to do what was needed?
You must, she told herself sternly.
She dug her nails into the open wounds on her palms to shock herself back into focus with the pain. Good enough. It was likely she would only get one shot at this before she lost all ability to function, so she'd have to make this next move count. Toph sucked in a breath and screamed as loudly as she could. It was more of a hoarse croak than anything, but it still did the trick. Her guards had been jolted to attention. Footsteps moving on her far left. Another set up the front.
"What's wrong with that brat?" one of the guards muttered. "Someone shut her up."
Her lips bled into a twisted smile. Now I have you.
Toph honed her grasp on the stone and raised her chin in a sharp motion. Three pillars ruptured from the ground. Three screams also greeted her ears.
She laughed.
She laughed as the pillars pounded into bodies with violent strength, laughed as they pierced through vital organs and dug gouges into limbs. She laughed as bones cracked and the pathetic cowards who had kept her locked in the box were torn apart.
"My legs!" one of the men sobbed. "I can't feel my legs!"
Faint gurgles and groans was all he got in reply. Toph didn't care. She used the last of her strength to wrench a hole through the wood that kept her trapped. There was an awful ringing in her ears. It was making it hard to focus. Still, she fought past the haze of dizziness and managed to roll herself through the gap. Her body collapsed on the ground like a boneless fish. So hard to move. Even her heart rolled and thumped sickeningly in her chest, but that was okay. What mattered was that she was out. She was finally out.
Toph lay on her stomach and laughed again. A broken, hysterical sound. The man whose back she had impaled was still sobbing. She ignored him. All that mattered was water. All that mattered was getting out of this place. Too hard to do while bound. She fumbled with her bending to cut through the ropes binding her wrists and ankles. The sharpened stone sliced her arm by accident—a deep cut that spilled blood—but she barely even flinched at the pain. What was a little more? It was nothing to the thirst that gripped her body. Nothing to the aching, pounding need that throbbed through every inch of her.
Gritting her teeth, she dug her ruined fingers into the stone and dragged herself forward inch by inch. Her strength was failing. She could barely use her seismic sense to see; the room was all warped and hazy flickers. That attack had taken too much out of her. It would have scared her if she could focus enough, but it was like she was slipping into an abyss. So hard to move. So hard to do anything. A sound drifted to her ears—a monotonous click-clack that got louder. Footsteps?
"Clever girl," a smooth voice praised. "You truly are an amazing bender, but it seems the wild animal has turned rabid."
Toph tried to fire a rock in the direction of the voice, but her movements were sloppy. The rock missed and clattered to the ground. She slumped forward, unable to do anymore. A hand gripped the back of her tunic.
"You should have just surrendered," the voice murmured in her ear. "Now I have no choice but to put you down."
I toyed with the idea of not having Toph step over the edge, but you know she's been trapped in that box for pretty much two days and that would seriously mess with a person, never mind an over-powered 12 year old. So yeah, sorry about that. I tried to tone it down as much as possible.
On a less serious note, the line "It's dangerous to go alone" made me really, really want to do a whole Zelda "take this" parody, so I went ahead and wrote a silly extra. Please enjoy (and fist bump to anyone who got the reference):
oOo
BONUS
oOo
Katara marched over to Zuko and met his gaze with her chin held high. "It's dangerous to go alone. Take this."
He blinked as a sword appeared from out of nowhere. More strange was that it just hovered in the air in front of him. Oh, and odd music played as if to celebrate the exchange.
"Uh, what?" He blinked a bit more.
She stretched forth her hand in a grand gesture. "Now go forth, Chosen Hero, and slay the Ginger Mullet Man of Evil!"
Zuko blinked a bit more. "Ginger Mullet Ma—" He shook his head. "You know what, never mind. I don't even want to know."
That was when Momo started hovering around his head and screeching "Hey! Listen!" over and over. Zuko never did speak again after that. He'd been traumatised into a silent protagonist.