Chapter IX
Something was wrong, dreadfully wrong. Pain was haunting him, racing after him. He felt as if something had chewed off his feet, the agony so intense that he could barely think. When he opened his eyes there was nothing but blackness, thicker than night and pressing around him, threatening to cut off his breath. He tried to put his hand in front of his face, but he could not even see an outline of it. There was no light at all, anywhere, only night.
He felt around himself, noting the cold, rough, stone all around him, a sharp piece even cutting his palm. The sound of dripping water came along with it, a drop falling on his head, making him blink. It appeared as if he was in some sort of cave or tunnel.
Of course you're in a tunnel, idiot, that's why you can't see anything. It's not like your blind.
The thought struck him for a moment. Had he gone blind? There was no way to tell, but since the air was so still and his skin did not sense the touch of the sun he assumed he was in a tunnel. He liked it better that way.
Feeling the area around him he came across another person, their huddled frame laying still, the only movement the slight rise and fall of their body as they breathed. Panic shot through him as his memories returned and he realized what had happened.
"Toph! Toph! Wake up!" Called Sokka, shaking his friend's shoulder, but she did not stir. She just lay there, breathing. He checked her pulse, relieved to find it still beating strong. Feeling her body, he searched her for any injuries, as best he could without light. There was blood both on her head and her feet, the soles of her feet flapping around, the flesh all torn and dripping blood. He imagined that was what his feet were like as well.
Taking off his shirt, he tore off strips of his sleeves, wrapping them around her feet and tying them tight. He heard her groan slightly as he wrapped her feet, but she did not wake.
"Sorry Toph." He muttered, tightening the wrap around her other foot. Once that was done he did the same for himself, crying out in pain and shaking as he tightened the wraps. His hands shook as he pulled on the tie, a soft squish following along with the tightening of the cloth. He could hear liquid run down and onto the floor from his foot, no doubt a river of blood leaving his body.
Once he was done he laid back, his body shaking like a throb. He tried to calm his breath, settling his heart rate and letting him think clearer. He did not know where he was, but he did know that he was in a tunnel and that if they had entered then they could exit. That meant that he needed to stand up and walk out with Toph if she did not wake up.
He crawled back over to Toph, trying to rose her once more, but she was out cold, asleep to the world. He was going to have to find a way out for them. That, or he could just get out himself and come back for Toph later.
He shook his head. No, he would not abandon his friend. Either they both got out together or she got out. There was no way it was just going to be him walking out, even though that was the easiest solution.
Putting his hand on the wall of the tunnel, Sokka made his way to his feet, placing first one foot flat, then the other. He shook with agony, gritting his teeth as his weight went down to his shredded feet. It felt like knives piercing his soles with flames spreading along the blade. He began to sway, the pain almost becoming too much for him, but he did not fall. Once the pain became more manageable he made his way back over to Toph, bending over and feeling around for her.
"Come on kid, we're getting out of here." He said, more to himself than to Toph's unconscious form. Once he had found her he squatted down and picked her up, slinging her over his shoulder. He screamed out as the pain doubled, rushing up to his brain and making spots dance before his eyes, even in the darkness. His knees started to wobble, his body threatening to fall back into unconsciousness, but he bit his tongue, forcing himself to remain standing.
"I…will…not…fall!" He growled, staring straight ahead into the darkness. Eventually the pain fell to a tolerable level, or, at least to a level that did not make him pass out. It was going to have to be good enough.
Sokka took a step in both directions, testing to see which way he should go. Pain flared up with each step, the feeling of teeth biting into his flesh making him shake, but he stayed on his feet.
After regaining his sense of orientation he realized that one direction headed slightly up, while the other direction headed slightly down. He was now going to have to choose between going up, or down. Make a mistake, and more than likely they were both dead.
"In hell, the only way up is down." He said, turning around and making his way down, further into the earth. Pain came at him, dulling his mind and trying to force him to give up, but he would not yield, he had to make it out.
Each step was a struggle, the agony that he endured almost too much for him, but he had suffered worse. He just kept telling himself that physical pain was only temporary but leaving Toph behind would haunt him forever. He could not add another name to the list he carried, it would be too much for him, so he marched on.
Toph was not too heavy a burden, but with every step her weight seemed to grow. Her small frame seemed to be adding pounds, dragging him down more and more. He was strong, but even his strength had limits. He had to get out before he gave out.
The air, warming as he went, made him sweat in torrents, making it harder for him to hold on to her in a comfortable position. Every time he had to reposition her he almost passed out, the pain intensifying so, but every time he fought his way through, keeping himself erect.
Eventually, as he made his way on, the thought occurred to him to leave Toph once more. If he left her he could get out sooner and come back with help. If he kept trying to carry her out though he might faint or give out, then they would both be stuck inside the tunnel with their only escape being if someone found them. Plus, if he put her down, he would be in less pain and would be able to think clearer, maybe he would be able to come up with a better plan of escape.
Sokka stopped for a moment, shaking his head. No, he could not put Toph down. He had lost his mother, Yue, and Suki, and many others he did not care to name, he was not going to even risk losing Toph. She was the best friend that he had ever had. He would have to just grit his teeth and push past the pain, it's what she would have done if their position were reversed.
Well, not exactly. She had her Earthbending. She would probably just make some sort of sled and start dragging them out while sitting down. That way she wouldn't have to stand on her damaged feet. He grunted.
"Man, what I would give to be an earthbender." Said Sokka, continuing on through the tunnel. "What I would give to be a bender." He muttered.
Eventually, as he kept moving on, the thought came up again, an annoying nagging at the back of his head that told him to leave her and fend for himself. This time the thought made him take pause. What was going on? In any other situation this thought would have occurred once and then would have left for good, his mind not being able to hold on to much once dismissed, but now it had come back three times. It was almost as if something was trying to make him leave her.
He looked behind his shoulder, half expecting to see some evil spirit drooling, waiting for him to put down his friend so that it could devour her and munch on her bones, but there was nothing, just night.
Shaking his head he kept moving on, determining to not even entertain any notion of leaving Toph behind. Like he had said earlier; it was either both of them or her, there was no way that he was getting out of here with only him, he would not allow it.
As he walked and his burden grew so did a feeling of dread. It had started as a sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach and had grown to spread throughout his whole body. Every step brought another wave that threatened to swallow him along with his pain, but he kept moving, focusing on putting one step ahead of the other.
"You won't make it." Hissed a voice, hot liquid splashing onto the floor and covering his feet. Sokka would have jumped, if he could have, but looked up instead, looking around for the source of the voice.
"Who said that? Who's there?" He asked, his voice trembling with fear. There was nothing, no one around him. The hot liquid at his feet disappeared, leaving them dry. The only sound was that of his heavy breathing and the drip of water… or was it blood?
Give up now, just lay down and die, it won't be too bad.
Sokka froze, hearing the voice in his head, a sinister noise like the hissing of a thousand snakes. There was something else in this tunnel with them, something evil.
He turned to look behind him, then in front. He looked at the darkness, and suddenly he realized why it was it seemed so strange. It wasn't just the absence of light, but rather it was its own entity. The darkness was a physical presence, a dark spirit, pressing in on him and tormenting his every step. It was an evil spirit!
The realization created a strange reaction in Sokka. Realizing that he was facing an evil spirit bent on his demise, he began to laugh. He laughed out loud, long and hard, the whole tunnel echoing the sound of his tortured amusement.
"A spirit? Really, an evil spirit here to torment me? Uhh, gosh, can you throw anything else at me?!" He screamed, turning around and looking up at the ceiling.
"Come on God, I know you can hear me in here!" He cried, his frustrations pouring out. "I'm not yelling at karma, or the universe, I'm yelling at you! Why don't you go ahead and give me more! It's not like I haven't lost enough already!" He screamed, tears trickling down his face. He was angry at the world. He was angry at life. Above all, he was angry at God.
If there really was some person sitting up there in the clouds with heavenly power and might He must have liked to torment him. He had lost much in his life, too much. Suki, Yue, his Mother, almost all his friends in the Southern Water-Tribe, the list kept going on and on. He had been almost useless to Aang and the others in their quest to defeat the Fire-Lord, the only thing he contributed being comic relief when the others were bored. His little sister, the one he was supposed to protect, was one of the world's greatest waterbenders and healers. The only water he could bend was the puddles he splashed in. His sword skills were mediocre at best compared to a true master like Piandao or Zuko, and his boomerang had done nothing but hit Sparky-Sparky Boom-Man by accident, the one thing he could chalk up after a life of mediocrity. It just sucked to be him.
Sokka shook his head. Ya, if there was a God, He sure did like to mess with him. Guess God needed a laugh every now and again too.
Sighing, he kept walking down the tunnel.
"Go ahead God, give me your worst shot, not like I care anymore." He said under his breath, despondent.
Don't tell God to give you more, tell me.
Sokka kept moving, ignoring the voice of the spirit bouncing around in his head.
But you can't ignore me, can you Sokka? I'm right here, all around you. You'll never escape. You're not good enough. You'll get to play with me for all eternity.
"Ohh, really? Well, I like games, what are we going to play?" He said out loud, marching on. The spirit was silent, apparently caught off guard by his remark.
"Come on, give me a game! I want to play!" He called out, forcing his feet to keep moving. For a while there was silence, even in his head and he was beginning to think that he had stumped the spirit. Suddenly, there was a bright flash of light and the walls started to glow a dark crimson. Sokka blinked, forcing himself forward and onwards. He looked at the walls of the tunnel, the glowing crimson moving and flowing like blood. He did not bother touching it, but rather moved to the center, relinquishing the aid of the wall and completely standing on his own, making his way through what he felt a vein must have looked like.
As he moved on images began to flicker on the wall. He looked up to see contorted faces, withering in pain before him. Soft screams began to play at the base of his skull, tugging at his sanity as they tried to drive him mad. They pressed against the wall, looking at him with their tormented gazes. He looked away, the images disturbing him. Eventually, as he walked, an image of Yue appeared in the wall. The image made him freeze.
He watched as her contorted form was ripped apart by black snakes. Her screams ran down through the whole tunnel, loud and sharp. They hurt his ears they were so loud but he refused to cover them, instead locking his grip tighter onto Toph. Her eyes flashed and locked onto him.
"Sokka! Sokka! How could you abandon me! Why did you let me go!?" She called, staring at him with an accusing look. Sokka felt choked, pierced by her voice. It sounded so much like Yue.
It's because it was Yue. Her soul was trapped in here, being tormented by this evil spirit because you couldn't save her. Great going hero.
Tears of blood began to trail down her pale white face.
"I didn't abandon you!" He finally managed. "You left me." He said, recalling once more the disheartening memory.
He watched as her face was racked by pain, her hair beginning to drip blood.
"But you were there, you could have stopped Zhao." She said. Sokka felt the tears falling down his face.
"Believe me, I tried! I tried my best to save the moon spirit!" He said, his voice faltering.
"You failed." Said Yue "Just like you always do." A whip cracked behind her. She screamed out in pain, her spine arching. Sokka almost dropped Toph.
"Yue! Yue! Please, I didn't mean to let you go! You went away!" He cried, moving towards the wall.
"Why didn't you stop me?" She asked, her eyes beginning to turn black. Sokka shook his head.
"I tried." He croaked, his throat tightening with emotion. His hands began to shake as he watched her writhe in agony.
"Please Sokka, don't fail again. Sokka, save me!" She called, the blackness rushing into her eyes and swallowing them. Sokka felt his heart throb as he looked at her tormented form, the pain and agony that she was in. Slowly he let go of Toph's arm, reaching his hand out to touch Yue's. He could not take it, he could not stand the thought of her being tormented in here. He had to save her! He had to reach out and take her hand. He couldn't fail her again!
His hand trembled as he reached out, her fingers only an inch away from his. All he had to do was take it, to pull her free of the torment. Then she would be with him, then he would be happy once more.
His fingers were just about to brush against her torn skin when Toph began to slip on his back. Acting fast he moved his hand back, his nails digging into her wrist and yanking her back up. He cried out in pain as he stumbled backwards, fighting his way back standing straight. The feeling of warm liquid running down his fingers told him that he had broken skin, but she was still on. She would forgive him when she woke up. He looked back over at the image of Yue, her hand still reaching out to him.
"Please Sokka! I cannot bear it any longer! Save me!" Tears kept falling down his face as he looked at the image, realizing that it was not the real Yue. She was gone, far beyond his reach, to a much better place. This was merely a shade of her, an image invoked to make him stumble, to steer him away from his course. He had to leave.
"You're not real." He said, forcing the painful words from his lips. As much as he would like to believe that it was her, that he could merely reach out and save her, he knew better. The spirit was trying to get at Toph and he was not going to let it.
Yue looked shocked, her face hurt by his declaration.
"What do you mean? Sokka, please, don't leave me, not again!" She called. Sokka shook his head, lowering it. Turning away, he made his way down the tunnel. The sound of Yue screaming behind him brought tears to his eyes, but he did not turn back around. He just kept walking.
As he went on more images began to appear, people that he cared about being tortured and tormented in a sea of blood. They all called out to him, begging him to save them, but he would not stop. Their screams pierced his soul, tears streaming down his face.
"Sokka, Sokka, please, you can't leave me here!" Cried a familiar voice. Sokka made the mistake of looking up. He began to sob as he looked at an image of his mother, her body being tortured by foul demons. He bowed his head low and kept moving on, sobbing violently. Soon all he could do was walk, and sob, and listen, the screams of tormented beings bouncing around the tunnel and making him cringe.
"Go ahead! Give me more! I want it all!" He cried, tears pouring down his face. The spirit obliged him and presented him with the darkest images that it could conceive, plastering them all over the tunnel and even in his head so that he could not escape them no matter what he did. Images of Aang, Katara, and Toph appeared before him, their limbs being torn apart. Beasts gnawed at his friends, devouring them. Axes appeared to severe their limbs and chop of their heads. Some of the demons grabbed the severed heads, throwing them at Sokka as he walked by. He did not duck, however, instead focusing on moving forward, the phantom images of his friends heads bouncing off of him.
He could feel the slickness of their blood as it sprayed on him, but it did not stop him. He could hear the sound of their screams in his ears, but it did not stop him. He could see them all in misery and pain, reaching out and calling to him for aid, but it did not stop him. He was not going to let anything stop him.
"I will not stop. I cannot stop." He said, repeating the phrase over and over to himself, tears sill pouring down his face. He pressed his fingers against Toph's flesh, the warm feeling of her skin giving him courage to take another step. As long as he had her he could keep going.
Step after step he trudged on, surrounded with pain, filled with agony, wallowing in utter torment. One time he rubbed his fingers against Toph's skin only to find it rotted and dripping blood, but he did not stop, he did not turn around. It was only a hallucination, meant to slow him, to make him drop her.
"I'm not stopping!" He yelled, forcing his feet to go one after another. Suddenly, he realized that he was going uphill. The walk became harder, but he was so uplifted by the thought that he had chosen the right way that he began to laugh. He laughed long and hard, the noise of it mixing in with the screams around him.
"I'm going to get out!" He yelled, laughing and sobbing more. The spirit kept at him, but it could not deter him, it was too late. He had made it through the night, and now the dawn was beginning to come.
Eventually Sokka found that he was no longer crying. The screams were becoming duller and the images not so vivid. He had endured the spirit!
"Toph, we're going to get out of here girl!" He called, kissing her hand. He froze, however, as he heard a new noise. It was the sound of someone crying, but not like the horrendous cries that he had heard in the tunnel, but rather that of a frightened child, scared and all alone.
Sokka made his way up to the noise, the tortuous light totally disappearing by the time he made it to the source of the noise, leaving him in darkness. It was coming from down at his feet, the sound of someone crying softly to themselves. He was half tempted to keep walking on, but something was nagging at him. He just had to investigate it.
"Hey, who is that?" He asked, his voice merely a croak from his tears. The sobbing froze, the person on the ground sitting up.
"Sokka?" Asked the person.
"Ya?" He responded. The person stood up, embracing him in a hug, their arms warm and trembling.
"Sokka, ohh Sokka. It's me! Katara!" Sokka did not return the hug, suspicious.
"How do I know it's you?" He asked.
"What do you mean how do you know it's me? Of course it's me! I came in here looking for you for goodness sakes!" She said. It certainly sounded like his sister, and acted like her.
"This tunnel can play tricks on you. How do I know that you aren't some apparition or something of the sort?" He asked.
"Sokka, if I were an apparition then wouldn't you be able to see me? I experienced some of the same things in here as well, but you could always see them." Sokka nodded his head. That was true.
"Okay, I guess that makes sense." He said.
"Of course it makes sense, I said it." Replied Katara. He smiled.
"It is you Katara!" He said. She leaned in and hugged him again.
"I was so worried about you." She said, tears in her voice. She drew back.
"Is that Toph on your back?" Sokka nodded his head, then realized that his sister could not see him.
"Ya, she's unconscious at the moment, but okay. We just need to get her out of here." He said. An idea struck him.
"Hey, do you have some water on you? She has a head injury, I want you to heal it if you can."
"Sorry Sokka, my flask broke when I tried to fend off one of the hallucinations. I didn't have sense enough to take the water with me." Said Katara, her voice dropping low with embarrassment.
"What about the water here in the tunnel, can't you bend that?" He asked.
"No, there isn't really water here in the cavern. It's just another hallucination." Sokka licked at the sweat above his lip, trying to come up with an idea.
"Hey, what about my sweat, or tears? I've been doing quite a lot of both them." He said.
"Sokka, your sweat and tears are contaminated, I can't use that. Who knows what type of side effects they could carry. We might do more harm than good." Sokka sighed.
"Alright, well, it was worth a shot. Let's just get out of here." He said.
"Agreed." Said Katara. Sokka began to move on, continuing down the way he had been going, but Katara grabbed his arm.
"Not that way, I came in this way." She said, pulling him to a side tunnel that he did not know was there. Her grasp was weak, almost nonexistent. Funny, he always thought she was stronger than that.
"Ohh, good call." He said, following his sister. They moved slowly through the tunnel, all the images and noises ceasing save that of their own breaths. Sokka's was labored and heavy.
"Do you want to take a break? I think you need to catch your breath." Said Katara.
"No, we just need to keep moving." Said Sokka. As they walked he noticed that the path was heading down once more, going back towards the center of the earth. The feeling of dread, however, was no longer present and he felt much more assured that they were going to make it out. Perhaps he would take a brake later on, he had been through a lot.
"Don't worry. It's just a little dip. We'll be heading back up and out in a bit." Said Katara, making sure to keep within arms-length of him. "Then we'll be free of this cursed tunnel forever." Sokka merely nodded his head, too tired to speak. Where would he be without his sister?
Zuko sat against one of the pillars of his throne, leaning his head on the cold stone. He had cried his eyes red and now sat, thinking on what he should do. He couldn't really use Azula as bait, it just wasn't a risk that he was willing to take. Even after her declaration he was not prepared to give up on her or their relationship. They were going to be loving siblings even if he had to die to make it happen.
However, he did have to find Joshua. The man was slippery and devious. He had totally forgotten about the old escape routes from the palace to the mountains, something as Fire-Lord he should have known about. Who knows what else Joshua had in store or had discovered.
He sighed, his body and mind exhausted. Trekking up mountains, flying through storms, and fighting lunatics was pretty tiring on a person, and right now all he wanted to do was lay down and sleep. But if he did, then he was liable to have his throat slit while he slept. He first needed to get his hands on Joshua, then he could rest a little bit.
The sound of the doors banging close drew his attention to the throne room. He looked out over the floor, the flames in the moat long since dead. A single dark figure walked towards him, their hands tucked into their sleeves.
"Zuko, my nephew, how are you?" Asked Iroh. Zuko felt a wave of relief rush through him as he heard his Uncle's voice. Leaping up from his throne, he ran over and embraced his uncle, disregarding his normal gloomy nature.
"Uncle! I'm so glad to see you." He said, his voice shaking slightly. Iroh stood stunned for a moment, then he reached his hands out, hugging his nephew in reassuring hold.
"That bad, hmm?" Said Iroh. Zuko shook his head, taking a step back.
"You've got no idea Uncle. It seems like everything is going to hell and I just keep making things worse." He said, sighing.
"I wouldn't say that nephew, it's just more difficult than you first anticipated." Replied his uncle, holding out a cup of tea. Zuko raised an eyebrow.
"You were keeping that up your sleeve? Why am I not surprised." He said. Iroh smiled.
"It stays warmer that way." Said the old man, putting it in Zuko's hand. He took it gratefully, letting the curling tendrils of steam seep into his nose, reinvigorating him with their clean and pure odor. He took a sip of the warm liquid, letting the soft flavor rush over his taste buds, giving him new energy and relaxing his body. As much as he would hate to admit it he sure did like tea. Iroh watched him as he downed the whole cup, handing it back once he was done.
"Thank you Uncle." He said, wiping his mouth on his wrist, realizing that he still was not wearing a shirt. His uncle smiled at him.
"Come on nephew, let's leave this dreary place." Said Iroh. Zuko nodded his head, walking towards the doors. The two walked out into the hall, making their way over to the kitchen.
"I heard that your old friend has come back for a visit." Said Iroh. Zuko snorted.
"Some friend he is. He killed Suki and kidnapped Azula. We're lucky we managed to get her back." He said. Iroh did not seem so convinced.
"Not that I am trying to justify his actions but I do not believe that the boy I knew would do such a thing." Zuko looked at his uncle, surprised.
"It's not him Uncle, he's made a deal with an evil spirit." Iroh froze, shock on his face.
"Ohh, well then, if that's the case, just disregard what I said. He will definitely do that, and more." Zuko almost laughed, his Uncle could always make a dim situation a bit more absurd.
"Ya, we noticed it when he managed to shake off one of Azula's lightning bolts, and stick a piece of the evil spirit in me." Said Zuko, walking on. Iroh stood silent for a moment, thinking.
"What is it you think he is after?"
"He wants us dead, and to kill us as slowly as possible." Said Zuko. Iroh shook his head.
"No, not Joshua, the spirit." It was Zuko's turn to freeze in surprise. He had not thought of that.
"The spirit?" He said. Iroh nodded his head.
"Yes, if he has indeed let himself be possessed by an evil spirit then his goals will be molded to the spirit's. They will become more akin to what the spirit desires, even though the original idea remains." Zuko continued walking, pondering upon this idea.
"I do not know. I don't know what type of spirit it is, merely that it turns his eyes black, which I'm guessing isn't a good thing." Said Zuko.
"What did it feel like inside you?" Asked Iroh. Zuko thought about it, trying to fight through the fog that came with the memory, though it was only a while before.
"I don't know. I can't remember." He said after he failed to make any recollection. Iroh frowned.
"That is not good. The spirit is deliberately trying to hide its nature from you to keep you from anticipating its goals." Zuko did not like the sound of that. A spirit that hid its intentions and gave Joshua super-human abilities? Not a spirit he wanted to mess with.
Iroh opened the door to the dining room, letting Zuko go in first. As he entered he was shocked to see everyone else sitting at the dining table, even Azula. She sat next to Jack, staring everyone down with her most menacing glare, no doubt furious at his most recent order.
"I thought that you would not want to carry through with your original plan." Said Iroh, walking past Zuko. He blushed.
"Ya, thanks Uncle." He said, walking behind him. The others all turned as he entered staring at him. Azula nailed him with a look of abject disdain, obviously infuriated with him. He dismissed her look though, trying to focus on the others. They all looked to him, their faces ragged and tired, just like he was.
Walking to the front of the table, Iroh pulled out the chair, offering it to Zuko. Iroh also handed him a shirt, which he gratefully put on. He sat down with a gracious nod to his uncle, coughing a bit as Iroh pushed the chair in too far and crushed his stomach.
"Sorry nephew." Said Iroh, the table enjoying a slight chuckle, save for Azula, who merely snorted. Zuko turned to his uncle, telling him it was okay. He probably did it on purpose anyways.
"Would you all like some more tea?" Asked Iroh. Everyone nodded their head, except for Azula, of course.
"Good, I'll go fetch some more from the kitchen." Said Iroh, walking off and disappearing into the doorway.
Zuko looked around at the forlorn faces at the table. He could not help but think that they had been a much merrier gathering only a few days earlier, when they had been all gathered for breakfast on the day of the festival. Then his biggest fear had been getting pounded by Toph for the stunt he was about to pull. It had also been a lot fuller then too.
Startled, he looked back up, counting off everyone at the table, noticing that more people than just Suki were missing.
"Where's Toph, Sokka? Is Aang still looking for them?" Katara looked over at him with red eyes, her hair a mess.
"Ya. Toph and Sokka were ambushed at the top of the mountain. We can't find where Joshua took them though. Aang's still looking for them." She said, her breath shaky. Zuko placed his face in his hands. This was just what he needed, two more of his friends in the hands of that lunatic.
"Huh, I guess that's what he did when he left me alone for a while." Said Azula. Zuko looked up at his sister.
"You mean you knew that he went somewhere else for a while and didn't bother mentioning it to us? What, were you waiting to exchange that bit of information for a more favorable position?" He demanded, his temper rising. Azula sneered at him.
"It's not like I had much opportunity to tell you. Besides, I thought that he was merely laying in wait for you, I didn't know that he was on the other side of the mountain pulverizing your friends." She said.
"Shut up!" Yelled Katara, standing up. "My brother is out there somewhere, hurt and more than likely dying, this isn't a joke!" She said. Azula rolled her eyes.
"Sorry snow peasant, I did not realize that the other snow peasant was in danger. Please, let me offer my most sincere condolences." Katara began to shake with rage, probably ready to bash some sense into Azula, when Iroh came back in, carrying a tray of ornate tea cups.
"Now, now niece. I do not think it is a good idea to distance yourself from those who want to help you. Perhaps you can try to show a bit more civility? As false as it may be." He finished, making everyone at the table laugh. Azula stared at Iroh, her eyes burning but not saying anything in retort.
"Good, now perhaps we can come up with a plan to save your friends and stop your old friend before he can do more damage." Said Iroh, setting down the cups of tea in front of everybody. Thanks were murmured out as the wearied group took their cups in hand, sipping at them and resting, their eyes all focusing on Zuko.
"Why don't you take those things off of her, hmm? I doubt she wants to lap up her tea." Said Iroh, motioning to the cuffs. Jack looked over at Zuko, who nodded his head, then he made the casing dissolve, freeing Azula's hands. Azula flexed her fingers.
"You know dear uncle, I'm fairly certain that the last time we met I just barely missed your heart." Said Azula, lightning bouncing between her fingertips. Iroh laughed.
"I'm afraid you're mistaken dear niece. Last time we met I explained to you why it was they called me the Dragon of the West." Said Iroh, bringing a frown to Azula as she was once again bested by him. Everyone looked to her to see if she would come up with a response, but she merely grabbed her cup of tea, sipping at it grudgingly.
"Very well then, I guess we should get down to business." Said Zuko, tracing the golden rim of his glass. "Does anyone have any questions before we discuss or strategy?" Ty-Lee raised a hand.
"Yes Ty-Lee."
"Where are all the guards and servants at?" She asked. Everyone took pause, even Katara, looking about the room as they realized that they were the only ones in the palace. Iroh turned red.
"I guess I should have mentioned it earlier nephew. I gave all the palace attendants the week off because of the festival." Zuko smacked himself in the face, running his hands slowly down.
"Yes Uncle, you should have probably mentioned that earlier." Said Zuko. Iroh laughed.
"Well, as they say, better late than never!" The others were not so amused.
"I'll go recall them." Said Iroh, turning and walking away. Zuko nodded his head. That would be for the best.
"Thank you Uncle." He said, watching as his uncle left the room. He groaned as he turned back around to the rest of his friends.
"Is there anything else that you need to tell me that you just might have forgotten?" Asked Zuko. The others all stared at each other. Zuko looked over at Azula. More than likely she had something, but she was going to save it until it became useful. She stared back at him, holding his gaze with her golden eyes. Finally Katara spoke up.
"Suki's body is gone." She said softly. "We found this note in its place." She said, taking a note and handing it to Mai, who handed it down to Zuko. He opened it, the white parchment crinkling with his touch. Across the page sat masterful strokes of calligraphy, the black ink painting a mocking message.
Losers can't hold on
To anything they come across
Gold, wisdom, bodies
Sincerely Joshua
Zuko sighed, setting the note down. Why in the world did he write this? Couldn't he just have left him some taunting note like 'Ha ha, you can't protect her even when she's dead'? What was the point of writing a haiku that insulted both the beauty of the writing and his own intelligence? He was surprised he even got the syllable count right.
"It's terrible. I can't believe he would take her body just to rub it in" Said Ty-Lee. Zuko nodded his head, sliding the piece of parchment away from him. Iroh's words on the spirit echoed in his head.
"Yes, yes it is." He said. He sighed, rubbing his eyes. "Anything else?" He asked. Mai raised her hand.
"Yes Mai?" She turned to Azula.
"If you had Joshua locked up the whole time how did he escape?" She asked. Zuko realized that it was actually a pretty good inquiry, he himself now wondering as to how Joshua got away now that the question had arose. Azula looked at her nails, sipping at her cup of tea.
"Well, I believe that it was right after you and Ty-Lee betrayed me on the boiling rock. In all the confusion that followed some of the guards were killed and his cell was found empty. How he got off of the island without the lift I do not know, but it was during that time period." She said.
"So he's been out for a few months now, able to plot all this?" Said Katara. Azula laughed, shaking her head.
"Foolish peasant, you don't get it, do you? He's had years to plan this out. The man is crazy, he does not forget anything that he has seen. All the time he spent in prison he used plotting. Sometimes he would even bounce ideas off of me during torture sessions. I would play along, though I never believed that he would actually escape and start implementing his plan, Guess I should have paid better attention."
"Wait, if you knew that he was out this whole time why didn't you say anything?" Asked Ty-Lee. Azula seemed caught off guard by her inquiry, her eyes blinking.
"Well…uhm… I do not believe that I was in the proper mental state in order to realize what a detrimental force he might cause. Being in the psycho ward can do that to you." She said, turning her gaze to Zuko, a condescending look resting on her face. He brushed it off.
"Well, now that's covered, I guess it's time that we set out trying to get this guy, and our friends." He said, steering the conversation back to apprehending Joshua.
"We need to find Sokka and Toph first. That should be on the top of our list at the moment." Said Katara. The others nodded their heads, save for Azula, who smirked.
"That's not what I would do." She said, sipping at her tea. Katara frowned.
"Who cares what you would do, it's obvious that your plans aren't exactly that good, otherwise you would have won the war." Azula and Katara exchanged a glare, animosity sparking between their eyes. Zuko could feel it from where he sat.
"Girls, back off. This isn't helping." Said Jack, putting a hand on Azula's shoulder. She turned to him, her eyes fierce for a moment, but the moment passed, and she relaxed, settling into her chair and sipping her tea once more. Katara glared at Jack for a moment, then slumped back into her chair, arms crossed.
"What would you do Azula?" Asked Jack. Mai looked at Zuko to see if he would stop the question, but he let it play out, waiting to hear whatever plot Azula had cooking in her head. None of them trusted her, but they did trust her ability to scheme, it was one thing that had kept them all on edge during the war.
"Well." Started Azula, taking a sip from her tea. "I think that going after your missing friends would be a poor move as you won't find them. Joshua has so many hiding places on this island that we could spend a year searching through them and only find half. What you should do is track down Joshua, as he will more than likely will be going after them in order to buy some more leverage to get me back. Though I dare say that I'm worth more than…" She was cut off by an elbow from Jack, her comment dying on her tongue. She gave him a look, then turned back to the rest.
"More than likely he's going after your friends right now. We find him we find your friends." She finished, going back to sipping at her tea. Jack gave her a pat on the head, which only made her punch him in the ribs, but he seemed not to care.
"Well, I think that sounds like a pretty solid idea. Any objections?" Asked Zuko. Katara shook her head.
"I don't think that we should all be going after Joshua. Some of us should go back to looking for my brother. Aang is still on the mountainside looking for them, let me go up and help." Zuko shook his head.
"Not alone you don't." He said. "Ty-Lee, go with her, I want to make sure that nothing happens." Zuko knew that Ty-Lee and Katara could not stand each other, but hopefully if they spent some time together they would start easing off of each other.
Katara glared at Ty-Lee with a frown, but she did not protest, knowing that at the moment it was best just to follow orders.
"Alright, when can we go?" She asked.
"Go now, but I want you back here in an hour, understand?" Said Zuko. Both of them nodded their heads, pushing their chairs back with a squeak and standing up, making their way out and back to Appa. He turned back to the rest of the room.
"Right then, now for us. Where was the last place you saw Joshua?" He asked.
"In the garden." Replied Jack. Mai nodded her head, while Azula leaned back and kicked her feet up on the table, still sipping at her cup of tea. Jack knocked her feet off the table, pushing her chair in with one arm. She sneered at him. Zuko rolled his eyes.
"Alright, so he was in the garden. What happened?" He asked. Jack elbowed Azula, making her spill her tea on her lap.
"Azula?" Said Zuko, distracting her from her staring contest with Jack.
"Yes brother dear?" She replied, the lilt of her voice dripping with false civility as she took a napkin and wiped away the tea from her dress. Zuko pinches his nose. Patience, patience.
"What happened in the garden?" He asked.
"Well, you see, I wanted you to come play in our little apple game because I knew that I could embarrass you in front of Mai…" Another elbow from Jack got her to shut up.
"You know, the whole tying Azula up and using her as bait plan is sounding better and better. We wouldn't even have to go out looking for him, he would just come to us." Said Mai, glaring at Azula with her usual gloomy countenance. "Plus, we wouldn't have to listen to her." Azula scowled at Mai, sinking further back into her chair.
"Fine." Relented Azula. "Jack and I were attacking him right as Ty-Lee was coming out of the palace. I moved to shoot another bolt of lightning at him when suddenly there was a bright flash of white light. At first I thought Jack had blown himself up with a fireball, but when my vision cleared there was a cloud of black smoke in the middle of the garden. It blew away with the wind and he was gone." She finished, reaching out and taking Jack's cup of tea which sat just out of his reach.
"Well then, I guess the first step is examining the area." Said Zuko, standing up. Jack looked down and smacked Azula's hand, snatching his cup of tea back. Mai stood up, looking at him.
"Jack, why don't you and Azula stay here and hold down the fort until the guards return. I think I'll be able to manage with Mai." Said Zuko.
"Ohh, I'm not so sure about that dear brother. I don't think you have the stamina for her." Said Azula with a sneering grin. Jack smacked her on the back of the head, making her turn and glare at him. Zuko groaned, shaking his head.
"I can't unhear that." He mumbled as he walked away, leaving Jack and Azula to do whatever it was they did together. As long as the palace was standing when he got he would be fine.
Mai and Zuko made their way out to the garden, spreading out and combing the area, searching for clues. Zuko started at the point where he guessed Joshua disappeared at, stooping down and feeling the ground. Black powder covered the grass, coming off with his touch. He rubbed it between his fingers, noting the gritty quality and sent of smoke. Going down on a knee, he examined the grass, seeing that most of it was too bent or stomped on to tell much.
Spreading out further from his starting point, he looked through the bushes, trying to find anything. He ran his hands over the roses and lilacs, looking at their golden leaves, trying to find something out of place, but he found nothing. Squatting down in the dirt he looked for boot prints, but there was nothing. Not a sign of Joshua anywhere, no doubt the very same thing that Jack and Azula found when they searched the area.
Going back to the blackened grass, he looked again at the flattened area. He cocked his head sideways, realizing that there seemed to be a pattern. Taking a couple steps back, he looked down at it, noticing a spherical form that started at the center and spread out, encompassing a circle of flattened grass. What could have made such a strange pattern?
He mulled it over in his head, looking around to see if there was something that might account for the pattern. Perhaps Azula's lightning had done something to the grass? Looking over at some of the bushes, however, he noticed that they were burnt and charred, flames still burning on the tips. He snuffed them out with a snap of his fingers. No, it wasn't his sister's lightning, which meant it was something else.
Zuko walked around the pattern, looking at it from different angels, trying to figure out what caused it. It could not have been Earthbending, that would have just demolished the area. Firebending was out of the question, as the black powder on the ground wasn't char but some sort of gritty substance. Waterbending didn't work either, as it would have killed the grass as well as flatten it, like the time Katara had shown him how she could take water from plants. That left only one alternative if it was a bendable.
"Air." He muttered. He stroked his chin. What would Joshua do with airbending that would leave such a mark? He shook his head. This was when he needed someone like Aang. He would know what these marking meant.
"Mai, come here." He called, showing her what he had found once she came over.
"Azula said that the black smoke blew away with a wind. Joshua must have used his airbending. I just don't know what the pattern means." He said, looking to her for an answer. Mai shrugged her shoulders, her face apathetic as always.
"Come on! What does it mean?" He snapped, losing his patience. Mai looked him dead in the eyes, giving him a stinging glare. Zuko turned red.
"Sorry." He muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. Mai turned back to the blackened grass without a word, walking around it.
"If you were an airbender, and you had to escape, what would you do?" She asked. Zuko shook his head.
"I don't know, I'm not am airbender." He said. Mai groaned.
"Zuko, you hunted the avatar for two years, he escaped on several occasions, how did he do it?" She asked. Zuko thought back, reaching into his memories and recalling a few of his stunning failures.
"Well, he can run really fast." He started. Mai shook her head.
"No. What else?" He reached back further, thinking of all his failures.
"Well, he usually used his Bison whistle and had Appa pick them up."
"What about when he didn't have Appa around?" She asked. Zuko thought a moment.
"He would use his glider and fly away." He said. Mai snapped her fingers.
"That's it." She said. Zuko looked down again, moving to the center of the circle. He put his arms down as if he was going to blast himself up with a wave of air, imagining the pattern that would emerge on the grass as he took off. He smiled.
"Hey, that is it!" He said, the smile dying on his face when he saw Mai's amused grin. He cleared his throat.
"Good job." He said. "Now we just need to find where he went." Mai stood across from him, titling her head.
"There." She said, pointing a manicured nail over at the palace roof. Zuko turned around, noticing a black stain running up the red tiles and gold trim.
"Right then, now how do we get up on the roof?" He said, turning back to her.
"Don't look at me. I carry knives up my sleeves, not ladders." Said Mai.
"I was thinking about getting Jack to earthbend us a platform up there." Responded Zuko, amused by Mai's outburst.
"I'll go fetch him then." Said Mai, starting off back towards the palace. Zuko caught her by the hand as she walked past, swinging her over to his embrace and giving her a warm, smothering kiss. Mai did not resist, letting herself fold into his arms, kissing him back with her soft lips. They stood there for a moment, lost in a moment of passion, but the sound of someone chuckling brought them out.
Zuko looked up to see Jack and Azula standing in the garden, amused grins spread across their smug faces.
"Don't mind us." Said Jack.
"We're just observing." Added Azula. The two stood there, smiling. Zuko groaned, putting his hand over his face. Mai merely stood straight, staring over at them with her normal candor.
"Jack, good timing, we need you to get us on the roof." She said as if nothing had happened. Jack looked at Azula.
"On the roof?" He said. She shrugged her shoulders.
"I don't know how Zuzu's mind works. Maybe he thinks he can have clearer thought if he gets himself higher." She said. Zuko looked up at them, ignoring Azula's comment.
"Joshua fled up the roof, I want to get up there to investigate." He said, walking towards Jack. Jack looked up at the roof, trying to find what trail they had picked up on.
"How do you know he went up there?" Asked Jack.
"We do." Replied Mai, coming over next to him. "Now get us up there." She said. Azula tisked.
"Now, now Mai. Let's not be so pushy. We are all friends here after all." She said.
"Friends don't throw each other in prison and torture them for years on end." Replied Mai, her demeanor calm. Azula frowned.
"You know, she does have a point." Said Jack with an amused grin. Azula turned her piercing gaze on him, only to stare behind him, her face twitching. Zuko looked at her, turning his head to try and see what it was that she was staring at. There was nothing but flowers and bushes, rustling softly in the breeze. He turned back to see her mumbling something.
"Azula?" He said, breaking her out of her gaze.
"What? What do you want?" She snapped, fidgeting where she stood. Jack looked at her.
"You okay Jemnile?" He asked.
"It told you not to call me that street rat!" She snapped, getting in his face, a wild look in her eyes. Zuko reached out, grabbing her and pulling her back as blue flames sprung to life in her hands.
"Azula, calm down!" He yelled, trying to hold her as she struggled against him. She threw her head back, smacking him in the jaw. A white flash of pain spread through his head, blinding him. Copper flooded into his mouth as he bit into his tongue. The next thing he knew he was falling to the ground, his last thought being that he was falling unconscious for the second time that day. How embarrassing.