Chapter Seven

"Captivity"

Bojing laughed in victory, leaping from the earth column to land beside Aang. He immediately pulled out some rope and began to tie Aang's wrists together behind his back.

He glanced to Zuko, who stood frowning, behind the Avatar. "Good job, Zuko! I knew you could do it!"

Zuko's frown softened slightly as Bojing turned his attention to finishing tying the rope around Aang's wrists. Once done, he turned to Zuko again, a serious smile on his face.

"Honor and admiration come from doing something great. I think it'll be easier to gain now."

Bojing turned his attention to the area beyond Zuko, and Zuko frowned in sudden question. He knew Bojing's tricks. Bojing's grin returned as he snapped his fingers. At the sound of movement, Zuko looked behind him to see Mai pushing his Uncle, handcuffed, out from the trees. Ty Lee moved out from the trees as well, smiling as always.

Zuko looked from Ty Lee to Mai in shocked bewilderment. How had they gotten there? And then, he understood. Frowning, his eyes darted to Bojing. He turned toward him, moving into a fighting stance.

"You traitor!" He shouted.

But Bojing only grinned at him, not moving. Zuko took a steadying breath and moved his right hand slowly back, ready to fight, but suddenly all feeling was lost in his arms. He had felt someone behind him, touching him.

"Huh? What?" He questioned, looking from one hand to the other.

Instinctively, he swung his leg out behind him to send a blast of fire at whoever had been there, but nothing happened. Panic gripped him. He couldn't firebend.

"My bending..."

Bojing moved toward him, still grinning, handcuffs in his hands.

"Yes, it's quite useful, isn't it?" He asked, than glanced over Zuko's shoulder with a smile.

Zuko looked over his shoulder as well and saw Ty Lee there, waving happily. Sudden defeat sunk in and Zuko couldn't hide his sadness. Pressure dug into his wrists as Bojing locked the handcuffs around them.

Bojing then turned to Mai and Ty Lee with his grin on his face, only now, it seemed happier.

"Come on, girls, let's get our captives to our princess."

Zuko's eyes grew wide in realization and he looked up at Bojing with a frown.

"Azula," he said bitterly, then was shoved through the trees by Bojing.

Zuko moved through the trees, angrily, Bojing at his back, ready to firebend if Zuko tried to escape. Behind Bojing, his Uncle was being pushed along by Ty Lee. His anger rose at that thought.

And behind Ty Lee was the Avatar, with Mai bringing up the rear of the procession. The Avatar. I was so close, and now…

Zuko sighed. Sadness threatened to overwhelm him, but he refused to let it, keeping the scowl on his face. All his life, he had faced problems and had had people he thought he could call friends or family turn against him in some awful way. He thought it would end as he grew older, that somehow through that, he'd be able to accept it.

But here he was again, a good friend handing him over to his sister. But it was more than that that tore at his heart. Bojing's words of belief in him had truly lifted his spirits, had made him believe in himself, and learning that those words were lies being used to lure him into doing the bidding of someone else, deeply hurt. They were fake. No more true than the words his father would one day utter to him about his being proud of his son.

Yet still, he longed for that day to come and had to hope that it would and that the words would not be spoken in falsehood, but in truth.

Suddenly the thoughts of his past, and of his family, and of all that was happening at the moment, caused his sadness to boil over in rage. He would not let Bojing get the glory!

"You lair!" He shouted at him. "You said you believed I could capture the Avatar!"

"I did. That's why I let you capture him for me." Bojing replied, and Zuko could picture the grin on his face.

The words should have brought joy and hope back to Zuko, but the wound had already been laid, and they only caused his anger to rise more.

"Why, Bojing?" His Uncle questioned behind them. "You were a tea lover."

Bojing laughed. "Why else? I'm handing you over to Azula."

That did it. Zuko's anger exploded in realization of why Bojing was doing all that he did. It wasn't for glory, nor for the sake of his nation. It was for...

Zuko fumed. "You always were trying to win her admiration!"

"Yes, and this time I will gain her affection!"

Zuko balled his hands into fists in his anger, but he could do nothing without his bending. Furious, he continued on in silence.

Behind Zuko, Aang watched all that was happening before him half-heartedly. He was more concerned about the girl behind him and the whistle in his hand. He had realized straight away that the girl behind him cared nothing about transporting him through the forest.

He glanced at her over his shoulder and saw that she was boredly examining her fingernails. Seizing the opportunity, he sucked in a large breath of air, turned to the hands tied behind his back and sucked the bison whistle toward his mouth through the air.

Once the whistle was in his mouth, he glanced at the girl behind him again, wide-eyed. She was still examining her nails, bordley. She hadn't noticed a thing. Relief evident in his eyes, Aang turned to face forward and blew into the whistle, sending out a long, clear note that only a bison could hear.

Back at the campsite, Sokka was finally awake, watching a small fire that Katara and Toph had started. Toph was sitting on the ground beside Appa, resting her back against him while Katara readied some food over the fire.

"Where did you say they went?" Toph asked her.

Katara turned to her, worry evident in her eyes. "To the river, but they should have been back to eat by now."

Smiling happily, Sokka quickly moved toward the food. "Oh well! More for us!"

Just as he was about to reach the food, a loud bellow from Appa stopped him. He looked to the bison in worry.

"Appa? What is it?" Katara asked, turning toward him in question.

Appa groaned again, getting to his feet. His movement caused Toph to fall forward.

"Something's wrong," she said as she righted herself.

Sokka nodded in agreement, suddenly not caring about the food behind him.

"Maybe it's Aang!" He said, pulling out his boomerang with a frown. "I knew Bojing couldn't be trusted!"

Fear sparked in his sister's eyes. "Come on!"

Sokka rushed toward Appa as Toph made her way onto the great bison's back. Katara pulled water from her pouch and doused the fire, then ran to join the others, Momo flying after her.

Once she was safely on his back, Appa lifted into the air with a mighty, and worried, groan.