Chapter VI

Zuko sat atop Appa, navigating the shaggy beast through the storm. Lightning flashed across the sky, startling the poor creature and irritating Zuko. Aang had told him that he was frozen in ice while riding through a storm; that probably explained why Appa was fighting his every command. All Appa wanted to do was to go to ground, but Zuko kept him up, pulling hard on the reins. Toph sat in the back, huddled up in blankets and his jacket, soaked to the bone and not happy at all.

After setting off from Goaling Toph had been teary eyed but happy. Her relationship with her parents was finally going in a positive direction, at least with her mother. They had made up wonderfully, and Zuko could not help but feel proud about what he had done. He had screwed everything up so bad that he could not see top from bottom, but then he had rolled up his sleeves, put his know how to it, and fixed everything. It really was rather ingenious. He would have to tell Sokka about his strategy when he got back, he would be impressed.

A streak of lightning in front of him brought him out of his thoughts. He pulled hard on the reigns, diving off to the left, a thunderous clap deafening them. He could hear Toph scream as they plummeted downwards, one of the few scenarios where Toph would actually scream aloud out of fear. With the wind rippling in his face he tried pulling up on the reins but Appa would not respond. The stubborn beast continued to hurdle straight to the ground, seeking the nearest refugee he could.

Zuko gritted his teeth, wrapping the reins around his hands and jerking hard, pulling the Bison's head away from the ground. Grudgingly Appa abided, slowly pulling up and leveling out. Zuko could hear Toph thrashing around in the back.

"What the devil are you trying to pull Sparky? First you fly right into a bolt of lightning, then you drop us like we're dead weight! Are you trying to kill us?!" Zuko could barely hear Toph over the roaring wind and thunderous claps of lightning.

"I'm not trying to fly into the lightning Toph!" He yelled back over his shoulder, keeping his eyes peeled. He squinted down below them, noticing that they were very close to the ground; hopefully the Bison would not feel the need to pull out another suicide dive, as they would either crash headlong into the ground or the beast would just fall asleep as soon as he hit the ground.

Looking back up Zuko noticed a flash of light, heading directly at him. Out of instinct he let go of the reins, making a fluid movement and channeling the lightning through his body and out his fingertips, away back in the sky. Thunder echoed out of his hands, and Appa decided that he had had enough, taking them straight down to the ground, whether Zuko wanted it or not.

Turning back around to the Bison, Zuko grabbed the reins and pulled hard.

"We're almost back your furry blob! Keep moving!" He yelled, trying to force the beast up, but with no use. Appa landed on the ground and laid there, seeming to be unware of the rain pelting him. Zuko moved up to the beast's head.

"Come on! Yip yip dang it!" He said, stepping on Appa's head. The beast growled and shook him off, throwing him into the mud on the ground. Zuko stood up, his ire quickly rising. He was in no mood for playing around in the mud.

"Appa, my friend, can you please take us the rest of the way back to the palace?" He said through gritted teeth. The shaggy beast peeked open an eye, groaning.

"Yes, I know there's thunder and lighting, but it won't hurt you, I promise. I'll just channel it away." Replied Zuko, hoping that Appa had actually meant something about the storm and not about being hungry. The beast seemed unconvinced. It growled at him again, both eyes open.

"Come on Appa, you'd do it for Aang." Said Zuko, trying to persuade him. Appa frowned at him. Slowly the beast pushed itself to its feet. Zuko grinned.

"Diplomacy wins the day." He said, getting back on. Toph sat huddled beneath their jackets, hiding from the rain as best she could.

"You done playing in the mud?" She asked. Zuko frowned.

"I wasn't down there by choice you know." He replied. Toph snorted.

"Whatever sparky, just get us out of here." She said, drawing in her wet jackets closer to her body. Zuko huffed out some puffs of fire, keeping his body warm.

"Alright Appa, yip yip." He said, grabbing firmly onto the reins. The shaggy beast growled beneath him, but obliged, surging off of the ground and back towards the palace. The trio managed to make it to the palace in one peace roughly an hour later, avoiding the worse of the lightning. After Zuko and Toph had put Appa back in his stable, especially commissioned by Zuko for whenever Aang was to visit, they made their way back to the palace, rushing through the rain.

As they went Toph kicked at the ground, making a little rock pop up and trip Zuko. He fell with a cry into a puddle of water. Toph laughed as she ran past, only to have her foot caught by Zuko. Soon the pair were rolling around in the rain, getting absolutely soaked and enjoying every moment of it. It was strange how a moment of childish fun could reverse an entirely sour experience.

After they finally had their fill of fun, the two got up and made their way inside. With the doors had clanging shut behind them, Zuko dropped his soaking wet coat on the ground. Toph followed suit, and decided that she could also make do without her shirt, leaving only a tight, green wrap, covering her chest. Zuko blushed.

"What's up sparky, your heart rate just spiked?" Asked Toph, walking ahead of Zuko. Zuko swallowed hard.

"Nothing, I just thought how creepy it was with no one around." Said Zuko. He passed, realizing the truth of the words that he spoke. He looked around, noticing the emptiness of the palace. There was no one, and no noise for that matter. It was unsettling.

"Where is everyone?" Asked Zuko. The guards were not at their posts, neither at the doors nor at the stable.

Toph stopped, taking a moment to look around with her feet sight, or at least that is what he liked to call it. She turned back to him.

"Everyone is over in the dining room, other than that I don't see any guards." She said. Zuko frowned. He did not like what was happening.

Following Toph, he made his way over to the dining room, stopping right outside to lean up against the door. Everything was silent behind it. He turned back to Toph.

"Are they still alive?" He whispered. Toph chuckled.

"Ya sparky, they're just all sitting there." She said. Her voice dropped a little. "Well, at least all of them but Sokka and Suki, but I could guess what those two are off doing." She finished, her mirth quickly dying. Zuko put a reassuring hand on her shoulder, which she did not brush off. After a moment she turned back to the door, throwing it open with a vicious shove.

"Sugar Queen, I'm home!" She called out, strolling into the room. Everyone jumped, a couple of them taking offensive stances. Zuko noticed the glint of Mai's knives as they disappeared back into her sleeves. Toph raised an eyebrow.

"What's up with you guys? Why are you so jumpy?" Katara rushed over to Toph, giving her a hug.

"I'm so glad you're safe." She said, her voice choking with emotion. Zuko noticed that her eyes, along with almost everyone else's, were red and puffy. They had been crying. Something was deadly wrong.

Toph drew back away from Katara.

"Easy there Katara, I'm fine. The storm wasn't too bad. Sparky here just had to redirect a bolt or two, but other than that the trip was smooth." She said. Zuko almost snorted. Sure it was a smooth trip for her, she was the one underneath the jackets. A tear crawled down Katara's cheek, dripping on the ground. Zuko felt a knot developing in his throat. Something was definitely wrong.

"Katara, what's going on?" He asked. Katara shook her head. Toph tensed up, the fellness of the situation settling in.

"Where's Sokka?" She asked, her voice hesitant. Katara opened her mouth, but said nothing. Toph stepped up, grabbing her by the arm.

"Katara! Where's Sokka!?" She demanded. Jack stood up from the table, walking over.

"Sokka's okay Toph, don't worry." Said Jack, placing a hand on her shoulder. Toph whirled around at him.

"Then why are you guys all acting like someone died? What the heck's the matter?" She demanded. Jack looked over at Zuko.

"I guess you didn't get the message?" Asked Jack. Zuko shook his head.

"I wasn't getting anything in this storm." He responded, jabbing his thumb behind him. Jack nodded his head.

"Ya, I figured you wouldn't." Said Jack, stroking his chin. His hands shook slightly as he paced around, searching for the words to say. Toph rolled her fingers into fists, the bones creaking as she lost her patience.

"What's going on?" She asked through gritted teeth. Jack sighed, his hands falling down to his sides.

"Suki's dead." Said Jack simply. Zuko blinked. Dead? Dead how?

"What do you mean she's dead?" He asked. Jack shrugged his shoulders.

"Dead, departed, no longer with us, kicked the bucket, bit the big one, stone cold and six feet under." Responded Jack. Katara hit him.

"You don't have to be so cold about it." She said, walking back over to the table. Jack merely shrugged his shoulders again.

"This is how I deal with situations like this." Said Jack under his breath. Toph stood still, her chest rising and falling as she was contemplating what this meant for her. Zuko could not help but think that she was weighing her odds of being with Sokka now that Suki was out of the picture. He shook his head. No, she would not be that cruel, she was probably trying to wrap her mind around the fact that Suki was now no longer with them. They had been friends. He froze. Suki was dead?

"Suki's dead? How? What happened?" He asked, still not grasping the reality of the situation. He noticed Toph's small frame making its way slowly over to a chair, sitting down with her head bowed low, her hair covering her eyes. He turned to Jack, who was biting at the inside of his cheek.

"Well…" Started Jack, trailing off. Katara turned on him, yelling at him from where she sat.

"Go ahead Jack, go ahead. Why don't you tell him?" Her voice was hoarse and hard. Her cheeks brunt red with anger.

"Tell me what?" Asked Zuko, befuddled. He watched as Katara stared intently at Jack, animosity sparking in the air.

"Go ahead Jack." Said Katara, spitting his name out with disdain in her voice, drawing out the syllables. She stood up, her body shaking.

"Why don't you tell him how your old friend came over and hung Suki out in the garden? Or better yet, why don't you tell him about how he butchered the guards at the prison, knocked you out, and kidnapped his sister!" Yelled Katara, pointing a finger. Zuko realized that the finger was pointing over at him. His heart jumped in his chest.

"Wait, what?! What happened to Azula!?" He demanded. Katara held a hand out to Jack.

"Well, go ahead, we're all listening, Fire-brat." Spat Katara, sitting back down. The reality of the situation finally hit Zuko. He stepped forward, grabbing Jack by the collar.

"What happened to my sister?!" He demanded, desperation sinking into his voice.

"Joshua took her." Said Jack laconically. Zuko paused for a second, confused.

"Wha… Joshua? He's alive?" He asked. Jack grabbed Zuko's hands, gently removing them from his collar.

"Ya." Said Jack, shaking his head slowly. "He's alive." Zuko stepped back, shocked. His mind was reeling, the room spinning around. Joshua was still alive? But how? Azula had killed him years ago in prison, he had been there to see it! There was no possible way that he was alive, it must have been a mistake.

"It was really him Zuko." Said Jack, as if reading his mind. "I saw him in the prison, and Aang saw him here, in the dining hall." Zuko looked up at Jack.

"You saw him in the prison, yet you let him take Azula?" Zuko's hands began to shake with rage. He looked at Jack with bitter disdain. He had been in the prison when Azula had gotten taken? He had let her get taken! Jack was working with Joshua, he was sure of it.

"You let her get taken you bastard!" Cried Zuko, throwing a fireball at Jack. Jack's eyes widened in shock, his hands moving up and blocking the fireball. Zuko charged at Jack, tackling him to the ground where the two exchanged fists, blood being draw from both. The others rushed over, pulling them off of each other.

"You let her get taken! You let her get taken! You're working with him!" Cried Zuko, blood dripping from his nose. Jack spat a glob of blood on the ground, struggling forward against Mai and Aang.

"Damn you Zuko! Damn you! I had to make a choice and I chose Suki!" Yelled Jack. Zuko jerked out of Katara's and Ty-Lee's grasp, standing straight up.

"Suki's dead you idiot! I bet you had a hand in that too!" He said, pointing a finger accusingly at Jack. Jack began to shake. Taking his left arm, Jack threw Aang off. Zuko watched as Jack threw off Mai as well and charged him, lunging for him. A blur of a hand rushed in and hit Jack's side, sending him crumpled to the ground, holding his ribs. Zuko blinked as he looked at Jack's form on the ground, Ty-Lee standing close by.

Slowly, Jack struggled to his feet, glaring at Ty-Lee. Ty-Lee stood there, upset at having to have knock down her friend. Jack turned to Zuko.

"I made a choice Zuko, I had to do it." Said Jack, the anger abating from his voice. Zuko shook, tears starting to fall from his eyes.

"But why didn't you choose her? Why didn't you choose my sister? We grew up together!" Cried Zuko, losing control. Jack lowered his head.

"Suki deserved the chance more than she did." Said Jack softly. Zuko turned around, kicking a chair and sending it flying across the room. He sank to his knees and grabbed at his hair, struggling with the emotions inside. He knew that Jack was not lying. Jack did not just let Azula be taken away, he would not do that. Zuko knew this, but it was just hard to admit it. Azula had not deserved that chance like Suki had, Jack had made the right decision.

It was not easy to take though. After the success with Toph's mother Zuko had begun to believe that he could fix his family as well, or at least his relationship with Azula. They had never been the closest, but he had always loved her, and after traveling with Sokka and Katara for a time his desire to have a positive relationship with his sister had grown. But now, now it seemed as if that opportunity would never come. His sister was in the hands of a lunatic, and more than likely would be dead within the day.

The feeling of a hand being laid on his shoulder made him turn. He wiped the tears from his eyes with his sleeves, standing up next to Mai. She gave him a reassuring nod, her eyes soft. He nodded his head back, sniffling as he regained control. He cleared his throat.

"So, what happened exactly? I want to know everything." Jack took a deep breath then started his story. Zuko stood and listened as Jack told him of Aang's run in with Joshua earlier on, then of his own encounter at the prison. Jack then told him of the slaughter at the prison and his rush back to the palace. Katara finished the tale, with no little amount of disdain in her voice, telling of how they forced the truth about Jack out of Ty-Lee and Mai, and then had noticed that Suki went missing. Katara finished by telling him how they had found her, hanging from the cherry tree in the garden.

"Sokka's with her now. He's devastated." Finished Katara softly. Zuko stood stoically, keeping his composure. He was the Fire-Lord, he was the leader, and he had to remain strong for everyone else.

His mind, however, did not get the memo, as it was reeling. How had this happened? It made no sense, unless people were coming back from the dead. Joshua was dead, but then again, he had thought that Jack was dead for the longest time as well. It just turned out that he could not trust Azula on anything, even on executions. He started to think whether or not Amy was really dead because if she was not then he could clear this up real fast.

Zuko shook off the thoughts. He had to focus on the now. His sister was somewhere out there in the storm with a lunatic, going who knows where. He had to find her, it was the only way he could piece his own family back together.

"Where's Sokka?" He asked. Katara looked surprised.

"In my room, with Suki's body." She said. Zuko turned and started walking out.

"Get ready to go. We're going on a hunt!"

Sokka sat on his knees, staring blankly at her body. Her face was pale and lifeless, her lips blue. She was cold to the touch. He had told the others to leave after he set her here, demanding to be alone. After that he had washed her body, cleaning the rope burns around her neck and dressing her in her battle gear. He had searched for her fan blades, but they were nowhere to be found, so instead he lay his boomerang on her chest, intertwining her fingers around it. Now he merely sat, watching her.

Tears had come at first, while he was washing her, but now his face was dry. He was empty, hallow. He did not feel life nor did he wish to. All he wanted to do was to curl up next to her and to sleep forever, forever away from this world, a world where he had lost his mother, friends, and now, two girlfriends. It was just too much for him, the world was too harsh, too cruel, he could not take it anymore, so now he just sat, and stared.

He did not know how long he sat there, all he knew was that his knees began to cramp and rain pour outside, thunder and lightning rumbling and streaking across the sky. At one point Katara had come in to tell him that Azula had been kidnapped from the prison, but he had not moved, not even when she brought him a bowl of noodles. She had set it down on the table by the bed, the thick, sweet aroma calling to him, but he did not hear it. By now it had grown cold.

He just sat in silence, staring blankly ahead of him. Eventually, as time went by and the cloud of sorrow settled around him, he heard the sound of boots walking down the corridor, and soon the door opened. He did not turn.

"Sokka." Said Zuko, his voice choked. Sokka sighed, turning to Zuko, his face haggard and worn.

"What Zuko? What do you want?" He asked, his voice low and hoarse. Zuko walked into the room, looking at Suki. Sokka turned back to her, waiting for whatever it was that Zuko had to say. He did not want his pity, he did not need it. Eventually Zuko spoke.

"We're going out on a hunt. You coming?" Asked Zuko simply. For a moment Sokka did not understand, but then it hit him. His heart jumped. His veins, only moments before chilled to the core, leapt into life, hot blood pumping through them. His mind sharpened at the thought of vengeance, and the cloud of misery that had shrouded him before disappeared. This what he needed to do. Why had he not thought of it before? It was action, a calling to fulfill, he would hunt that lunatic down to the ends of the earth, only to kill him and toss his carcass off of whatever cliff happened to be most convenient. He stood up, turning to Zuko.

"Let's go on a hunt." He said. Zuko turned and left the room, Sokka hot on his tail. The two marched down the hall and past the dining room. Zuko took a left turn to a wall, stopping to press something behind a pillar.

"For special occasions." Said Zuko, looking back at Sokka. Sokka was in no mood for jokes, so he merely kept his glower. The wall hissed and cracks developed, opening up into a room, torches springing to life as it opened.

Zuko and Sokka stepped in to find a myriad of weapons lining the walls. Searching for a moment, Zuko took his twin dueling blades, strapping them to his back. Sokka kept looking, peering at the different weapons while Zuko strapped on some plate armor. There was just so much to choose form. Axes, chains, maces, sickle swords, bows, knives, and just about every other item imaginable.

Eventually He settled with a two handed war sword. The blade was thick and curved slightly, glinting a harsh steel with ruby flames running along the fuller. The hilt was as long as the blade, slightly curved with a black leather wrap. It came in a black sheath with silver characters running along it.

Sokka strapped it to his back, clipping the silver buckle in place at his chest. Looking through the rest of the weapons he also chose a short sword with a curved blade and white pommel guard. He strapped it to his side, then picking out a black cloak and throwing it on, he turned to Zuko, who was waiting by the door. Without a word the pair left, the door hissing shut behind them. They made their way back out into the hall and then to the dining room.

They found everyone sitting at the table, silent, save for Toph and Jack, who sat off in a corner, Jack speaking to her in hushed whispers. Someone had fetched her a dry set of clothes. No one stirred when they entered, save Mai who merely looked up at Zuko.

"We're leaving." Said Zuko simply. Everyone sat frozen for a moment or so more, then Toph arose. Sokka watched as Jack tried to place a hand on her shoulder, but she brushed him off, walking away with a heavy countenance, her eyes obscured by her hair. She walked up to Sokka, giving him a hug. He did not return it.

"What are you guys waiting for? Do you want to catch this psychopath or what?" Asked Zuko, his ire rising. The others stood up, their actions slow and wearied.

Angered rushed through Sokka as he looked at everyone's languid forms. They did not want to catch this guy! They would rather be sitting here crying rather than going out and exacting justice.

Sokka took in a deep breath, calming himself. He had to remain in control. He would not be able to get at his target if he was a frayed ball of emotions. He needed to stay cool.

He let out his breath, turning and following Zuko as they exited. The others followed, Jack coming up beside them.

"We should start at the prison. Aang can take Appa and start a search pattern with Katara, while the rest of us split up into groups." Said Jack. Zuko grunted.

"You're with me." Said Zuko grudgingly. Sokka watched as the two exchanged a quick glance, and for a moment he thought that they were about to attack each other, but Jack merely nodded his head, keeping silent. The rest of the party filed out behind them. Zuko paused at the doors, turning back around to the rest of them.

"Alright, Aang, Katara, Jack and I are going to take Appa and fly over to the prison and start our search there. Sokka, you and Toph go north, out of the city, and over the mountain, Watch out for the volcanic glass." Warned Zuko. Sokka merely grunted, not waiting to hear the rest of the plan. He started off, opening the door.

"Sokka, wait!" Called Zuko. Sokka turned his head.

"If he doesn't have Azula we need him alive, understand?"

"And if he does have your sister?" Asked Sokka. Zuko nodded his head.

"He's all yours." That was good enough for Sokka. He threw his hood on, walking out into the raging storm, Toph trailing behind him. He went over to the Komodo-rhino pen and grabbed one, hoisting Toph up behind him. Kicking in his heels they started off, heading north of the city towards the mountain range. Toph sat silent behind him, gripping tight to his sides as the wind whipped by. Rain and lightning streaked about, a cold bitter wind numbing his skin, but he did not feel any of it. He was past the point of feeling anything aside from his rage. All he cared about at the moment was to find this Joshua guy and give him a slow, painful death. In fact, he would very much like to take him alive, just so he could torture him. He really did not care whether or not that lunatic felt pain, Sokka would just be happy to inflict some.

Eventually the storm began to let up, the rain slowing down and the clouds drifting off. A cold breeze swept down, chilling them to the bone. The first stars were poking through the clouds when Sokka and Toph reached their destination. They were at the edge of the city, at the base of the mountains. The path became broken, a rarely used road leading up between jagged shards of earth. Sokka dismounted, walking forward.

He looked around at the path, noting that there was no way that any trace of the lunatic would be found after that storm. They were going to have to just stumble across him. That, or else Toph could sense him with her Earthbending sight. Sokka turned back around to Toph, who had hopped down and was now standing next to the Komodo-rhino. Her arms were crossed, her hair plastered to her head form the rain.

"Come on." Said Sokka, turning around and moving up the path. He could hear Toph sigh rather loudly behind him, but she followed none the less.

The two trudged up hill, making their way up the mountain. Every now and again Sokka would bend low to the ground and examine it for marks, though he knew full well that if there was anything on the ground it would be much easier just to have Toph do it, but he was not in the mood for speaking, so he did it himself. The wind began to pick up and soon it was howling all about them, picking up some of the smaller rocks and throwing them at the pair. Toph just bent the rocks out of the way, also doing the same for Sokka, who walked on regardless.

Eventually, after several hours of uphill climbing, the sun began to poke through, its pale golden rays hardly lifting the chill that was set on them. Toph began to sneeze, her body shivering slightly. Sokka tried to keep on, but even he began to feel the drain of the fell chill on his body. His legs became heavier and heavier, his mind dulling once more. His rage was no longer supplying him with strength. Eventually he came to a stop, sitting down on a bolder. Toph came up next to him, calling up her own bolder to sit on.

"I haven't detected anything." Said Toph. Sokka nodded his head.

"I figured as much." He said, breathing heavily. Toph let out a loud sneeze.

"Bless you." Said Sokka.

"Thanks." Responded Toph. The pair sat there, quiet for a time. Sokka could feel his heart crashing in his chest. His emotions once again began to play around in his head, trying to draw him back to the grim reality that Suki was dead, but he could not go back, not yet. He had to keep his emotions at bay if he wanted to catch the psycho that did this; he had to find a way to distract himself.

"So, how was your fieldtrip with Zuko? Was it everything that you hoped it to be?" He asked. Toph seemed startled by his question. Obviously she had not expected him to address her in such a casual manner, considering all that had happened recently.

"Uhm, well, not exactly. It definitely was not what I had expected." Responded Toph. Sokka nodded his head.

"So, what was it? Come on, you can spill it to me. Zuko didn't take you on some mushy date or something like that? He wasn't playing Mai behind her back, was he?" Said Sokka, a slight grin in his voice. Toph laughed.

"No, no, nothing like that." She said, a little smile on her face. "No, he took me back to my parents." Sokka raised an eyebrow.

"Ohh really? And how did that go? The house is still standing, yes?" He asked, making Toph laugh again.

"Ya, the house is still standing, barely. I was really mad at Zuko when I first found out what he had pulled, and we even got in a fight. And when my mom found us and invited us to stay for the night and Zuko accepted, I just about killed him." Said Toph, recalling her story. Sokka sat and listened, appreciating Zuko's audacity.

"Dinner went horribly and I got disowned, but Zuko managed to pull it out somehow. My mother and I made amends, and now I feel as if there actually might be a chance for me and my family." Said Toph, her spirit lifted. Sokka smiled, glad to hear Toph's tale. There was something else, however, aside from amusement that played around in his chest. He did not want to think about it, but he was pretty sure that it was jealousy.

Sokka shook his head, dislodging the thoughts from his head.

"So, where do you think these guys got to?" Asked Sokka, looking behind his back and up the mountain. Toph shrugged her shoulders.

"No clue. If they were in this area, though, I think the easiest way to spot them would be at the peak." Said Toph, pointing up. Sokka stroked his chin for a few moments.

"Alright earthbender, get us up there." He said, throwing a thumb over his shoulder. Toph stood up, cracking her neck.

"Thought you would never ask Snoozles." Sokka smiled, glad to be with his friend and her demeaning nicknames. He suddenly realized that he should probably be standing for this.

Grabbing hold of a rock for balance, Sokka watched as Toph made a rigid motion towards the ground, lifting up the area they were standing on. She then began to make a swimming motion with her arms, as if climbing up the mountain. The platform they were on shot forward, careening by other boulders and jagged rocks that flattened before they hit them.

Sokka held on for dear life, screaming as they shot up the hill. The wind whipped past his face, making his eyes tear and his face go numb from its frigid touch. Eventually, right when he thought he was going to hurl, they came to a stop. Wobbling, he made his way over to the edge of the platform, falling off. Toph came over to him, brushing her hands off.

"We're here Snoozles." She said, picking him up. Sokka shook himself, trying to reorient his dancing sight.

"That was fun." He said, trying to keep the contents of his stomach down where they belonged. Toph laughed.

"Well, you're the one that wanted to get up my way." She said. Sokka nodded his head.

"Ya, remind me not to do that again." Toph punched him on the shoulder.

"Come on Snoozles, you got to admit that it was a little bit of fun." Sokka nodded his head.

"I'm not saying it wasn't fun, I'm just saying I'd rather keep breakfast down where it belonged, or whatever meal this was." He said, looking down at his stomach. It had been a long while since he had eaten, now that he thought about it, and the thought made him hungry. There was a dull ache in his gut from a lack of food. He was starting to regret not eating that bowl of noodles that Katara had brought him.

"Do you see anyone out there?" Asked Toph. Sokka looked out over the jagged landscape. The sun was just breaching the top of the ocean from where he stood, its golden tendrils reaching out over the bleak rock. He could see far, but the terrain was so ruff and covered with boulders that it was difficult to see movement, especially if the people you were trying to see were wearing black. Sokka shook his head.

"No, I don't see anyone." He said, taking a seat on a boulder. Toph came over and sat next to him.

"It was worth a shot Snoozles." She said. Sokka sighed.

"Ya, well, my best never seems to be enough." He said, a solitary tear trailing down his face. Toph shifted a little bit, trying to find the words to say.

"I'm sorry Sokka." She said simply. Sokka shook his head.

"Toph, no, now…" Toph held up her hand.

"Don't interrupt me when I'm being sympathetic." She said sternly. Sokka wanted to try and stop her, but he knew that she probably would just slap an earth gag across his mouth and continue on, so he just remained quiet.

"I've never really lost anybody that close to me. My parents wouldn't let me go out and meet people, so the only people I've really known are my parents, and they're still around. Not that it's that big of a deal to me, but still." Said Toph, laughing slightly. Sokka smiled at the gesture.

"But like I was saying, I really don't know anyone but you guys, and you're all still around. Even Jack, though I guess we really didn't know him." Said Toph, her voice lowering. Sokka nodded his head, still ambivalent about the whole situation with Jack, but that was something to deal with at a later time. Toph continued.

"The whole point, though, is that I don't know what you're feeling right now. You not only lost Suki, but also someone else, so I've heard." Said Toph, Sokka just kept silent, trying to suppress that bitter memory. "You've also lost your mother too, so I know that my sympathy doesn't mean anything to you, especially after everything that has happened, but I want you to know that I'm truly sorry for you, and I will do anything for you." She said. "Anything." She repeated, softer. Sokka felt a sensation crawl down his spine, making his body shake. He looked at his little friend, not so small as he seemed to remember.

Time had worked its magic. She had grown. Her once small, frail frame that hid such tremendous power came up to his chest, not his stomach. Her chest was beginning to press out, her hips attaining better definition. Her raven black hair, even damp, was silky and smooth, obscuring her ivory cheeks. Sokka had to take a double take, and then look away, finding that he was becoming more and more confused. Taking one last look at her he realized that she was turning red, noticing his stare.

They both turned away, rubbing their necks awkwardly. Sokka shook himself; Suki was dead! He could not be thinking of his friend like this, especially not his best friend! There was no way he could be involved with her romantically, she was one of the guys! In fact, Toph was about five times more masculine than Aang, and everyone knew it. It would just be weird for him to get involved like that. It must have been all the emotion of the recent events; that was what was getting to him.

Sokka stood up, rubbing his eyes.

"Uhh, thanks Toph, really. It means a lot to know you're there for me." He said. Toph stood up next to him.

"Don't worry about it, just don't tell anyone that I said that." She said, giving him a light punch on the shoulder. Sokka smiled, that was more like the Toph he was used to seeing.

"Don't worry kid, my lips are sealed." He said, sealing his lips like a zipper. She smiled at him, her ruby lips contrasting her pearly white teeth. Sokka stood there, staring at her for a while. It seemed as if the sunlight was catching her just right, creating a divine air about her. Eventually Toph begun to blush again.

"What are you looking at?" She asked. Sokka snapped out of it.

"Wha? Ohh, uhm, nothing." He said. Toph shifted slightly on her feet.

"So, uhh, where do you…. Ahhhh!" She cried, the sound of flesh being torn from skin coming from below her. Sokka jumped forward, catching her in his arms as she fell.

"Toph, are you…" The sentence froze in his mouth as he looked up, noticing the smiling form of a blonde haired man, clad in a dry black outfit. Two fire-nation brands sat on his skin, one on each shoulder.

"Joshua." Said Sokka, freezing. He had Toph in his arms, her body writhing in pain. He could not just drop her and draw his weapon, and the lunatic knew that.

"Well, well, well. Look what we have here. You know, I thought that I heard someone over here, and it turns out I did! I could have sworn though that that was the renowned Blind Bandit, detector of all things moving!" Said the lunatic, pointing a finger at Toph, Toph grimaced at him, clenching her teeth against the pain.

"Apparently all it takes to blind that bandit is a heart throb." Said Joshua, a devious smile on his face. Toph grunted, throwing a fist in the direction of his voice. A massive surge of rocks cascaded over towards Joshua, the smile on his face freezing.

"Run!" Cried Toph. Sokka had no objections against that idea. He threw her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and followed orders, taking off down the mountainside like a sure footed mountain goat-pig. Well, at least he was, until searing pain shot into his feet from his boots, making him stumble and fall. He tucked Toph tight into his chest, protecting her as he rolled down and rammed into a boulder. Sokka sat there, dazed for a moment. He let Toph's head come back, noticing the blood in his hand from her head. Panic welled up in him as he realized she was unconscious.

He tried sitting up, pushing himself to his knees even with the throbbing pain in his feet and side.

"Well, that was annoying." Said a voice. Sokka looked up to see Joshua, dusty his hands off. There was a cut on his cheek from Toph's assault, but other than that he was fine.

"Now, we're going to have some fun." Said Joshua, his hands glowing with power. Sokka used his body to cover Toph. Drawing his short sword he sat there. Whatever was going to happen, he was going to save her, he had to save her. He had failed every other time, but he was determined to make this last one count.

Jack and Zuko searched about the rocks, trying to find a path to follow, but there was nothing. They had been searching all night by the light of the bending, and they had found nothing. No sign of Joshua, no sign of Azula, absolutely nothing.

Zuko breathed out, trying to keep himself calm. He was cold, tired, and irritated. All he wanted to do right now was rage on someone, particularly Jack, but he knew it would not do him any good. They had to stick together at the moment if they wanted to get his sister back and capture Joshua. It just did not make any sense though; he had seen him die! How is it that Joshua was still alive? Zuko shook his head. He was not going to figure anything out until he found him, so he needed to focus up.

Turning back around, he looked up at the mountain. Toph and Sokka were approaching from the other direction, and so would get in Joshua's path, if he went this way. There was no telling, though, as there were no tracks. They were, at the moment, just guessing. They were not going to find anything.

"Zuko!" Called out Jack. Or perhaps they were actually on the right trail. Zuko ran over to where Jack was, a little further up the hill. The diamondbender sat squat next to a boulder, holding up a shining golden thing. It was a hair clip, shaped like a rose and studded with rubies.

"Azula's hair clip." Said Zuko, taking the piece of metal from Jack. Jack nodded his head.

"There seems to be a little bit of blood here." Said Jack, touching a dark spot on the rock. Zuko bent over, looking at it.

"He's probably got her hands locked up. The only way she would have been able to get this out would have been to fall over and jam it beneath the rock." Zuko shook his head. "I'm surprised that she would risk damaging her hair to leave us a clue."

"Me too." Said Jack, a smile spread across both their faces. Zuko looked up the mountain. They now knew that they were going in the right direction, unless Joshua had planted it there, but they just had to assume it was from Azula.

Putting her hair clip in his pocket, Zuko started up the mountain, looking about the landscape for any sign of moving forms, but it was desolate, nothing but black rock and boulders.

"Come on." He called back to Jack, picking up the pace a bit. The two began to leap about on the boulders, squatting down quickly to check for signs of anything, then continued on. The sun was rising high in the sky behind them, though its rays did not warm them much. Jack had bent all the rain away, but it would not have made a difference. They were both so focused on finding Azula that they could have walked out into a blizzard and would not have noticed. They had only one thing on their minds.

Moving quicker and quicker uphill they came across nothing. No more signs, no more hints, no more items. Just the hair clip. Zuko was beginning to believe that it was a mislead for them to chase. If Azula truly had left them something she would have left other things, wouldn't she? He did not know, and as time went by and still they came across nothing more the doubt grew. Finally he stopped, turning to Jack.

"What if it was a mislead?" Asked Zuko, panting slightly. Jack shook his head, sweating.

"We're screwed either way, whether we had followed it or not. If it was a mislead, and we had to pick our own direction, it would have been like flipping a coin. Who's to say that Joshua would not have just went in the direction of his mislead anyways, knowing that we would think it a mislead?" Said Jack. Zuko nodded his head. Joshua had always been a bit overcomplicated that way. Sometimes his greatest fault was assuming too much of his opponents. His plans were so complicated and relied on others fulfilling a certain part that many a time they failed, merely because they were too convoluted. Of course, Joshua never believed that it was his fault.

Zuko shook his head again.

"What do we do then?" Asked Zuko. Jack pointed up the mountain.

"We keep going up." Said Jack. Zuko nodded, turning around and running back up. He leapt from boulder to boulder, checking the area real quick then continuing on. Jack followed suit, also keeping his gaze ahead of them. Eventually the two stopped again, their bodies growing weary from their enterprise. Zuko panted, looking up the mountain and realizing that they still had a lot of ground to cover.

The pain in his stomach made him realize that he had not eaten for a long time. For that matter, he had not drank anything in a while as well. He was tired, hungry, thirsty, and nowhere closer to catching Joshua than when he had first begun. For all he knew they could be crossing the sea to the Earth-Kingdom right now. There was no way they were going to find them.

Jack grabbed Zuko's arms, dragging him down.

"Look!" Hissed Jack. Zuko looked up, trying to follow where Jack's finger was pointing. Eventually he saw what Jack did; a cave, far up the mountain, with a figure disappearing into it. It could be nothing, but it also could be Joshua. Zuko looked at Jack, nodding his head.

The two both sprang down, making their way between the boulders, running across the uneven ground. They stayed bent, running low to the ground. A burn began to develop in Zuko's legs as he squat, making him take a second to breath in the chill air and continue on. He was making his way forward when Jack held up a hand. They both froze. Jack peeked his head above a boulder for a moment, only to duck down swiftly as a boulder shattered right above him. Well, it looked like they had been spotted.

Zuko stood up, using his firebending to boost him up onto a boulder. Taking two quick steps he dove off the boulder, avoiding a flying mass of rock coming at him. He launched to fireballs uphill at the cave, then landed.

Zuko leapt from boulder to boulder, shooting flames and balls of fire uphill at the cave, where a figure sat in the entrance. For a while Zuko began to wonder whether or not they were fighting some lunatic earthbender, but when a ball of black fire shot out at him he knew that it was Joshua.

Zuko blocked the ball of flame with a jab to the center, splitting it around him. Taking one step he launched himself into a spinning kick, shooting two flames at Joshua then landing on the ground. A boulder came in from the side and crashed into the cave, no doubt Jack's doing.

Moving up behind the boulders, Zuko made his way to the cave, exchanging fire with Joshua. At one point, when he was getting close to the cave, the ground began to shake. Zuko felt the vibrations in his feet, the ground cracking up.

Springing onto a boulder, Zuko sprinted, dashing from one boulder to another. Looking up, he was just in time to see a massive wall of earth come hurtling at him. Black, jagged rocks rolled towards him in a wave, like some monstrous mincing machine. Taking in a deep breath, Zuko braced himself in his stance. He waited until the wave was almost directly on him, then he separated his chi, letting it out through the end of his fingertips.

For a moment electricity jumped from his finger, blue sparkles dancing before his eyes. His heart jumped up into his throat. He was doing it! He was creating lightning! He had finally reached the point of calm and control in his form and thought that allowed him to shoot lightning! He was just as good as his father and sister and uncle!

Then it blew up in his face, sending him flying back. He hit the ground hard, his head luckily being save from a whipping action by running into Jack. Quickly Jack pulled a layer of earth over them, the force of the wave going over them making the ground shake. It was like thunder crushing them, but eventually it passed, and all was quiet.

Jack threw the cover away, standing up and looking to the cave. Nothing. Zuko picked himself up, his body aching from his rough landing.

"Where'd he go?" He asked.

"What?" Asked Jack, his voice off key. Zuko blinked.

"Where did he go!?" He said, a little louder. Jack shook his head.

"No clue." Replied Jack, putting a finger in his ear and yawning. Zuko looked about uneasy. He felt like there was a pair of eyes watching him, waiting for the right opportunity to take him out. He stood tense, waiting for another assault, but it never came. Jack looked back at him, motioning towards the cave with his head; Zuko nodded.

The two separated, ascending up to the cave on either side. It was quiet, strangely so, especially after the clatter of their battle. Zuko came up to the side of the cave, peering in real quick then drawing back. Jack was over on the other side, waiting for Zuko's mark. A thought suddenly struck Zuko. He reached up, pulling his dueling swords out with only a slight click of metal. Separating them he took in a deep breath. This was it, Joshua was in there. They were going to end this here and now and get his sister back, it was as simple as that.

He looked over at Jack, putting a hand up with three fingers. Jack nodded, his hands beginning to glow white with flames. He took in one last deep breath. Three. Two. One.