Burning Bright
Part XIII
"So, Aang, now that we are away from any bodily harm, how's that secret river coming along?" Sokka asked as he leaned against the cave wall and lazed about. Katara was preparing some breakfast while Toph had started her day by practicing some Earthbending moves outside. Jin was sitting by Katara's side, trying to unsuccessfully learn how to cook but apparently she was having very little success with it since when Katara told her to watch over the rice porridge while she went to get some nuts, Jin had managed to turn into a lumpy and gray mixture. The night before, it was almost midnight when they landed. They had continued walking trying to find a safe place to hide when they saw a cave and decided to camp there for the night. Sokka seemed to have momentarily forgotten about his relentless search for more Fire Nation data since he immediately slept the moment he found a cozy corner and claimed it as his own.
But this morning however, it seemed as if he had finally remembered.
Aang looked at Sokka from his place in the cave where he was playing with a small ant and said a little nervously, "Um…I learned how to make a portrait of Ozai with noodles—''
"Yes, Aang we are fully aware of your noodle-portrait-making skills. But that's not exactly what I'm looking for. Now, the secret river please?" Sokka demanded.
"Oh…the secret river. Right," Aang mumbled.
"Right. Do go on," Sokka continued.
"Um…I'm sure it's in here…somewhere…in my mind…..just have to find it…heh….erm…" Aang said. He looked away from Sokka's narrowed eyes Sokka glared at him suspiciously.
"Aang?"
"Yes?"
"You have no idea where the secret river is, do you?" Sokka demanded. His voice sounded calm, but knowing Sokka—that was highly uncharacteristic of him. If anything, it only made Aang feel more scared.
Aang started to fiddle with his sleeve as he said, "Well….I might've slept—er…I mean I might have been talking with Shoji when the secret river thing came up…."
Sokka's face turned purple as he sputtered, "You….but…..you were supposed to…..you mean you didn't….but….what…."
"Young man, go to your room!" Sokka hollered, forgetting for a moment that he was no longer posing as Aang's father.
"Breakfast!" Katara cheerfully chirped, interrupting the rant that was building up inside of Sokka. She each gave everyone a bowl. Sokka's anger was momentarily dissipated once he received the bowl but it returned just as quickly once he realized that it was nothing more than a weird, gray, pasty lump.
"What is this supposed to be?" he demanded as he poked it with his finger.
"Breakfast," Katara said simply. Jin, who was sitting next to Katara, suddenly looked guilty.
"This isn't breakfast!" Sokka declared.
"Yeah. It tastes a bit like cement," Toph cringed as she entered the cave, sat down with everyone else and forced herself to chew the rice porridge down.
"There could be only explanation as to why our breakfast tastes like garbage—'' Sokka darkly said.
Jin opened her mouth and protested, "Hey, it's not—''
"—you made it didn't you?" he said, turning to look at Jin.
"I only watched it for a few seconds. Only long enough for Katara to get the nuts," Jin miserably said, for once not arguing with Sokka.
"Katara how many times have I told you to never let Jin near our food?" Sokka hollered.
"It's not that bad. And besides she's learning, Sokka. And that's the most important thing," Katara said as she took one excruciating bite of the rice porridge.
"Learning? Learning? Everyone is always learning but nothing ever comes out of it! You know what? I think that we should just stop learning for awhile! Learning sucks!" Sokka ranted as he began to stab at his rice porridge with his chopsticks. A few grains of rice began to fly around.
"What's wrong with him?" Toph asked as she jerked her thumb at Sokka. She had completely given up on her porridge and was now making small shapes with the rock she was holding.
"Sokka's just mad that I forgot about the um….secret river," Aang sheepishly said.
"The secret river which he was supposed to learn," Sokka grumped. The bad breakfast had apparently worsened his mood.
"Sokka, Aang did all that he could," Katara said, quickly defending Aang.
"Don't worry Aang, he's just in a bad mood," Jin told Aang. She then faced Sokka and said, "You shouldn't be taking out my bad cooking on Aang!"
Sokka huffed.
"I'm just sick of everyone dilly-dallying and learning—'' he made quotation marks in the air "—when we should be focusing all our energy on knowing more about the Fire Nation in preparation for the invasion! Do you know how close it is? Aang was supposed to go to school to spy on the enemy!"
In her place Toph had discarded her rice porridge behind a misshapen rock.
Jin frowned and said, "Is it really that bad?"
"When you get past the fact that it's like cement, it tastes fine," Toph quipped.
"It tasted better than the last time," Katara offered.
Sokka scowled, silencing the conversation. He said, "Look, Aang has obviously learned nothing while he was in school so—''
"Hey! That's not true Sokka! I learned lots of things! I bet you didn't know that Fire Lord Ozai's favorite food is peppered steak with extra chili?" Aang defensively said.
Sokka paused and momentarily forgot his heated tirade and said in awe, "Really?"
"Yeah. And when you get past the fact that he loves to burn people alive, he is very artistic! My teacher once showed me a portrait of a turtle-duck pond that he painted himself," Aang continued, hoping to keep Sokka's impressed expression.
"That is very interesting," Sokka murmured, now completely distracted from what he was supposed to say. In their places, Toph, Katara and Jin stared at the pair's exchange, absolutely amused.
"And get this…..he's partial to the kuai ball team—the Flaming Rabiroos," Aang continued.
Sokka rubbed his chin and said, "No kidding? The Flaming Rabiroos huh? I've heard of them one—hey, wait!"
Sokka snapped back into focus, broken from his short fascination with Aang's enumerations. Aang's face fell while Toph snickered.
"I do admit that all that stuff is interesting. But they're not very useful! I mean honestly, what do we get out of knowing about the Fire Lord's favorite Kuai Ball team?" Sokka demanded.
Aang, in a weak voice, said, "First of all Sokka, he's just partial to them—''
"And anyway, we need real intel—intel you were supposed to get while you were in school," Sokka continued.
"I gathered great intel! I memorized the Fire Nation oath!" Aang defensively said.
"That's really useful Aang. Now, we have all the information we could need to defeat the Fire Nation," Sokka sarcastically said.
"Sokka, Aang learned lots of great stuff for us!" Katara said, rising to defend Aang again. She stomped towards her brother and said in a voice that Toph had labeled with great pleasure as the "nagging voice", "You're just very unappreciative of his efforts, as usual!"
"I'm just trying to make a point! We're in enemy territory and so far, we know nothing!" Sokka huffed.
Aang looked at Katara and said, "Katara, you don't really need to…"
"I'm just trying to help you Aang!" Katara said.
"Well, I don't need your help," Aang sighed. He meant it as a passing comment (since he was really tired of Katara's interfering nature) but Katara took great offense in it.
"Excuse me for just trying to defend you!" Katara spat.
"I don't need you to defend me all the time!" Aang argued.
Katara's face pinched and she said snippily, "I'm just trying to stop you from being a push-over—''
"I'm not—''
"And also, you shouldn't treat Aang like this Sokka—''
"Katara, it's no big deal. I mean I was supposed to—''
"Aang, I'm just trying to—''
"Well I hate learning!" Sokka declared.
"Will everybody just shut up? I already have to eat this, I don't need you guys to be yelling at the top of your lungs! It's early in the morning! Yeesh!" Toph bellowed, her irritation manifesting as she sent small tremors across the ground. Everyone seemed to have been a bad mood that particular morning.
Jin jolted from her seat and sheepishly stared at the dish she has prepared. In what seemed to be a guilty effort to fix her unpalatable rice porridge (and also to cool everyone down) she quickly said, "You know maybe we should go to the market today. We'll all get some noodles. All on me."
That got enough of Sokka's attention to make him forget about his cranky comments. He broke into a big smile and said, "Noodles?"
"Yeah. I guess it's only fair since I ruined everyone's breakfast," Jin sighed as she stared forlornly at the bowl of lump, gray rice porridge.
"Sokka, I don't know about this. I mean shouldn't we be trying to make ourselves inconspicuous?" Katara said, forgetting her angry demeanor. She jerked her head towards Aang.
"Katara, it's just noodles. And besides this is a great opportunity for us to check the Fire Nation out," Sokka said. He stood up, resolved and ready to go. Katara uncertainly started preparing herself, while Aang glad to have successfully gotten out of what would have been a potentially, really bad argument, eagerly wrapped his belt around his head. Jin hurried over to where she had kept her belongings and emptied what little money she had left into her pockets while Toph dusted herself off.
The morning was still cool and the sun hung low in the sky. Sokka eagerly led the way, excited at the prospect of a bowl of hot noodles while Jin and Katara hung in the back. Jin was trying to desperately figure out what she did wrong.
"I stirred it clockwise, exactly as you told me," Jin muttered as she rubbed her head.
"Things like these just needs practice," Katara said trying to soothe Jin.
"Just admit it. I'm a horrible cook," Jin grumbled.
"I'm sure that that's not true," Katara said.
"I couldn't cook to save my life," Jin sighed.
"Look, as long as you're treating me to noodles, then I don't see any problem. And 'sides, we're not only going to the market to get some real breakfast. We're going to see on a really important mission on collecting super top secret, important Fire Nation intel," Sokka said as his eyes darted from side to side suspiciously.
"Sokka, we're going to the market to get some noodles," Katara wearily sighed.
"We're going to the market to gather information on the Fire Nation," Sokka corrected.
"And to get some noodles," Toph added.
"Sokka, when we get to the market would you please tone it down a little bit?" Aang pleaded as they turned around a corner. There was a small dirt path that winded towards the north and they could hear vague sounds of people yelling loudly and small children wailing.
"Tone what down?" Sokka cluelessly asked.
"Tone all that," Toph said as she gave Sokka a light jab in the arm with her elbow.
"What are you saying?" Sokka said.
Aang held his hands up and said, "I'm not trying to offend you or anything. I'm just trying to say that you take things a little too overboard and you get too paranoid sometimes—''
"Fire Nation Torture Chamber!" Sokka yelled in horror. They had no emerged from the small forested area and into a small town. Their market was little and quieter compared to the bazaar they had entered when they first reached the Fire Nation. The stalls were small but it still had a lively atmosphere to it.
Sokka was pointing at kiln used for pottery and he continued to gape at it in pure horror.
Jin rolled her eyes, patted Sokka's shoulder and said, "Sokka, that's a pottery oven."
"It's not just any pottery oven. It's the pottery oven of death," Sokka said as everyone laughed and went ahead of him. Sokka huffed at all of them, annoyed that as usual they weren't taking any of his very insightful deductions seriously.
Jin peered around and brightened once she saw a small noodle shop tucked into one corner. She extended a finger and said, "Hey! I think I see a noodle shop over there—''
She was interrupted when Sokka suddenly jumped over her and began to make a series of stances, as he stared about suspiciously. He looked at Jin and whispered, "Wolf Warrior to Smiley, mayday! Mayday! Twinkletoes, Sugar Queen and the Super Duper Scary Blind Bandit have left the roost—''
"Left the roost? Smiley? Twinkletoes? Sugar Queen? Super Duper Scary Blind Bandit? Sokka, what are you talking about? And why are you whispering?" Jin asked. Behind her, something had caught Toph and Aang's eye and the two of them had wandered to a nearby stall while a poaching street vendor cornered Katara and was now shoving his wares in front of her face as Katara adamantly declined.
Suddenly Sokka grabbed her arm, drew her close and said, "Don't. Make. Eye. Contact."
"Sokka! We're just here to eat noodles!" Jin said exasperated.
"Smiley—''
"That sounds weird. Don't call me that—''
"Toph calls you that."
"She's Toph, Sokka. She's entitled to call anyone anything."
"Smiley—''
"I said—''
"—you need to recuperate Twinkletoes and Super Duper Scary Blind Bandit while I go grab Sugar Queen. We meet back at the mother nest—''
"Mother nest?" Jin incredulously said.
"That's code for noodle shop. Please, Jin. Try to keep up," Sokka said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. He rolled his eyes in annoyance.
"Why are we speaking in codes?" Jin asked as her previously annoyed expression started melting into one of amusement.
Sokka peered around from side to side suspiciously again, pulled her forward and said, "Because they're on to us."
"Who's on to us?"
But Sokka was already tumbling down towards Katara, knocking into a cabbage merchant's stall as he began to make wild gestures out of his paranoia.
"My cabbages!" the man wailed.
Sokka paused from his paranoia-infested run and said, "Hey, didn't you used to be in the Earth Kingdom?"
"Oh. I'm surprised someone remembered," the Cabbage-Man said looking flattered.
"Well you were kind of everywhere," Sokka shrugged.
"Taxes were going up in the Earth Kingdom," he shrugged.
"Well, sorry about your—'' Sokka didn't finish since he took a step forward, slipped on a cabbage and barreled headfirst into the already smashed cart.
Jin covered her mouth as the Cabbage-Man wailed, "My Cabbages!"
Jin, who was slightly annoyed at first, was now staring at Sokka with an amused expression.
Sokka, unfazed that he had just ruined the Cabbage-Man's cabbage for the second time, echoed as he peered about suspiciously, "Remember Smiley. The mother nest…."
"No….I think her nose was a bit smaller…." Zuko mumbled as the painter scowled and re-adjusted Jin's nose with a pencil yet again. After his meeting with the hired assassin (Zuko never really knew his real name) Azula had reminded him, again, about the wanted poster. Since he really didn't feel like pushing Azula's buttons anymore, he went to the printer's to get started on Jin's wanted poster. Before the printer could manufacture them into numerous copies, he first had to describe Jin and her brother's face to the agency's painter or portrait-maker.
He finished He Shen's with eased though with Jin's, he was having a more difficult time. He didn't want to see her face plastered on a wanted poster all over the Fire Nation. And also, for some reason (he couldn't quite finger it) he always found something wrong with the painter's picture of Jin. Just a few days ago, he could still remember every detail of Jin's face with ease. Now, it seemed as if he had clogged up and couldn't remember how her eyes or nose were specifically shaped.
"No…wait….you're doing it all wrong…."
"Why so, Your Majesty?" the painter demanded through gritted teeth as he started getting annoyed.
"Maybe….maybe flare her nostrils a little bit…."
The painter grumped, erased what he drew, fixed it and presented it to Zuko who wrinkled his nose and said, "Not that much!"
"Your Majesty would you please make up your mind. I'm running out of erasers," the painter sighed.
Zuko frowned at him, his mind having a raging internal debate. On one note, he was didn't want to make a wanted poster for Jin. He really couldn't bear the thought of what would happen if she would get captured. There was only one place where all the leaders of anything go to and it was the Boiling Rock. A fortress of unimaginable isolation where no one could escape. That was a place where he hoped Jin would never have to see. On the other hand, he knew that Azula would be severely angry with him once she finds out that he hadn't done exactly as she said. He was already standing on his tiptoes with the Avatar alive and all. He really didn't feel the need to add another item in the many list of things Azula knows that she could use to blackmail him.
Perhaps, he should just give up and leave and let Azula do it. That would ease a little of his guilt. He scowled and shook his head. That option did not sound viable. There was no way Azula would let him go on this one so easily.
He rubbed his temples. This was going to be a long day. They hadn't even started on Jin's eyes or mouth yet.
"How about this Your Majesty?" the painter inquired.
Zuko scowled. Jin's nose was a little too thin now. He was about to snap that he was doing it all wrong when something suddenly clicked inside of him. He suddenly knew what to do.
Zuko smirked, smiling for the first time since his trip to the printer's. He coyly said to the painter, "It doesn't have to be a hundred percent accurate right?"
The painter nodded and said, "Well in most cases, yes. As long as I get a rough sketch of the person's face then we're good to go."
Zuko's smile widened. Azula told him to get Jin's wanted poster done. But she didn't say that he had to do it properly.
He sat back a little straighter and said in a more enthusiastic voice, "Actually, I remember now. Her nose isn't that small. In fact, she had a very, very big nose…."
"Sokka, I don't want to burst your bubble but…I don't think we can find any information about the Fire Nation by just observing normal citizens," Toph said uncertainly as slurped some noodles.
Jin had successfully managed to pry Aang and Toph from a shop that sold wooden dragonflies that could be flown by attaching it to a string and twisting it with a small latch. The three met up with Sokka at the noodle shop who was trying to appease a very annoyed-looking Katara. Sokka shook hands with Jin, using difficult codes to congratulate her on succeeding with her supposed mission (Aang, Toph and Katara raised their brows at their "codenames"), but it was broken off by a very irritated Katara. According to Katara, Sokka had led her in and out through a series of stalls in a very espionage-like fashion. She began a long rant about how annoying Sokka was and how paranoid and utterly ridiculous he was being. Aang, who hated fights, broke the two up and suggested that they buy noodles.
After buying their noodles, they sat at a table near the window where according to Sokka "they could observe Fire Nation people and gather more information". The noodles seem to lift everyone up from their bad mood over their ruined breakfast (Jin stopped looking guilty) and soon everyone was joking around and laughing—all except for Sokka who continued to insist that they were on a very important mission.
Sokka suddenly bent forward, gasped and exclaimed, "Fire Nation methods of corporal punishment for children!"
He pointed to a young mother playing with her child. They seemed to be having a harmless game of wrestling.
Katara paused from her conversation with Aang and wearily sighed, "Sokka, that's a mom playing with her child."
Sokka ignored her and wailed, "Oh the horrors! What have they done to their children?"
"Would you shut up? You're causing too much attention," Toph said as she elbowed Sokka.
He rubbed his elbow and seemed to have calmed down for awhile when suddenly, he yelled yet again, "Fire Nation laundry line!"
Jin snickered and said, "And that's so scary how….?"
"They're filled with clothes made out of pure evil," he darkly said as he popped a shrimp into his mouth.
Katara shook her head in exasperation though she sounded amused when she said, "Sokka they're just clothes. And besides—''
"Fire Nation food made out of poison!" he yelled pointing to a man eating noodles. The man looked up, looking completely shocked.
"Sokka, he's just a person eating noodles like us," Jin patiently said.
"Oh, right," Sokka quietly said, abashed once he realized that the man was staring at him.
He calmed down after that and everyone ate their noodles without an outburst from Sokka. When they all finished, they clambered outside and began to explore (though Sokka referred to it as spying) more of the market. Just as Jin suspected, they did not gain anything from their little trip. As they walked on, they simply saw normal civilians going about their usual business.
"This is so pointless! I say we go back to the cave. Aang still have five more drills to complete," Toph whined as they went by a stall for the fifth time.
Sokka shook his head profusely and said, "But we're not done yet. True, I have gathered useful information on their torture methods—''
"You're delusional," Toph declared as she wiped some sweat off her forehead. What made their little trip all the more unpleasant was the unbearable heat. When they had finished with their noodles the sun had risen high in the sky and made the temperature even hotter.
"—but we still need to stick around some more. I haven't even started on observing their military tactics yet," Sokka said.
"Sokka, I'm hot, sweaty, my feet are killing me and I really want to sack out in the cave right now. Can we please go back?" Aang said as his tongue wagged out.
"You're not sacking out anything when we get back, Twinkletoes. You still need to master five more drills," Toph said.
Aang tiredly lowered his head.
Katara, who was walking behind Jin, seconded the motioned. She eagerly said, "Yeah. Let's go back. We aren't going to learn military tactics by observing civilians."
Sokka's shoulders slumped and he said, "I always get outvoted—''
He gave a yelp as he slipped on something and fell on the ground through his back. Alarmed, everyone quickly gathered around him. Aang held his hand out to help Sokka up.
"Are you okay?" Jin worriedly asked as Sokka stood up, holding the culprit in his hand.
"Yes. I'm obviously very okay despite the fact that I just slipped on a piece of paper and fell on my butt!" Sokka sarcastically said as he rubbed his bottom. Jin wrinkled her nose at him as he looked at the piece of paper. Suddenly his eyes widened and his mouth curled with pronounced pleasure.
"Why are you smiling?" Jin demanded as she raised a brow.
Sokka smiled rubbed his chin and said, "You know what you guys? You're actually right."
"You mean we could go back to the cave?" Aang excitedly asked.
"No—''
Everyone groaned and their faces fell.
"—but you're right about that too. What I'm trying to say is that I finally agree with you all," Sokka said as he continued to read the paper over.
"Agree with us? About what?" Katara incredulously asked.
"I agree that we need to be part of the Fire Nation in order to discover their secrets," he said as he proudly showed them the piece of paper.
Everyone's jaws dropped in shock as they what was written on it.
In a loud voice, he enthusiastically declared, "I'm joining the Fire Nation Army!"
"What is this?" a cool voice demanded as Zuko sent two fire balls to the right.
He started feeling extremely guilty once again, as soon as he left the printer's so to take his mind off things, he decided to devote the rest of the day to training. So far, he was trying to master a series of complicated drills that he found inscribed in a scroll. The drills proved to be a great distraction. As he somersaulted and sent a burst of flame as he did so, or sent three streams of Fire, he felt as if he had eased some of his guilt and anxiety away.
He scowled. He really didn't feel like talking to Azula so he continued on with his drills, completely ignoring her as she stood in front of the entrance.
Azula disliked being annoyed.
As Zuko sent two streams of fire while giving a high kick, a burst of blue flame suddenly sped in front of him. He stepped back, startled.
"What?" Zuko snarled as he spun around to face her.
"What is this?" Azula demanded a little more forcefully as she displayed the wanted poster in front of him.
Zuko stared at Jin's wanted poster blankly.
"I don't know what you are talking about. I made her wanted poster didn't I?" he said trying to act calm.
"This looks nothing like her!" Azula snarled in rage.
"It's been weeks since I've last seen her Azula. Did it ever occur to you that I might have forgotten what she looked like?" Zuko coldly said as he examined the picture. Even that sounded ridiculous in his own ears. How could he forget Jin's face? Right now, he could picture every single detail of her face in his mind.
He decided to focus on the picture. Okay, so he might have exaggerated when he said he had forgotten her face. He may have altered her appearance…a bit too much. Her cheeks were sagging, fatter and puffier, her nose had been widened and was more pronounced, her big, hazel-green eyes were slanted so it looked smaller while her choppy and messy black hair was too wavy and unruly. In fact, the portrait bore no semblance to Jin—it looked nothing like her.
Apparently Azula thought so too because the wanted poster was suddenly up in blue flames.
Zuko's eyes widened.
"You've always been a bad liar, Zuzu," Azula hissed as she flung the wanted poster on the floor, whirled around and began to stalk away.
Zuko barely had time to react.
Just when she thought she would finally leave him in peace, Azula paused turned around and said with a strangely mocking smile on her lips, "If you don't want father to know, Zuzu, I want her wanted poster at my bed at the end of the day. And this time, I want her face plastered on it with excruciatingly accurate detail."
Toph burst into laughter. When she realized that everyone was looking at Sokka without any trace of humor and amusement, Toph dropped her shoulders and said, "Oh. You're serious."
"Of course I am! Guys, think about it!" Sokka said.
"I am thinking about it and you know what it sounds like to me? It sounds really idiotic!" Toph said.
Sokka huffed at her and said, "You guys didn't think it was idiotic when we sent Aang to school!"
Aang sighed, shook his head and tried to patiently explain, "Sokka, I'm not trying to immediately shoot your idea down but….it sounds really ridiculous!"
"It's not as ridiculous as your school idea!" Sokka defensively said.
"That's different. In Aang's school, there weren't any evil Fire Nation soldiers to roast him alive if he did one wrong thing," Katara said.
Sokka crossed his arms and sarcastically said, "Right. Only, it's evil Fire Nation truant officers who'll roast him alive if he did one wrong thing."
"I'm just trying to be practical!" Katara scoffed.
Sokka threw his hands up and said, "Why is it whenever Aang wants to learn, everyone's okay with it but if I want to learn, no one sides with me!"
"You said that learning sucked," Toph said.
"Well, I like learning now so that officially means it doesn't suck! Specifically, learning in the Fire Nation army," Sokka said as he desperately tried to defend his idea.
"Well….when you put it that way….I guess it doesn't sound that bad…," Jin mused as she rubbed her Jin.
Sokka, eager at the encouragement, rushed over to Jin, pointed at her and said, "See! See! Jin agrees with me!"
Aang and Katara looked unsure while Toph seemed to be warming up.
"It still sounds….dangerous," Aang finally said after moments of silence.
Sokka scowled, digressed and said, "It's the perfect plan but none of you are willing to see it. I will stay in the army for a couple of days, gather information and leave directly after I collect enough data. Simple as that."
"I guess it's okay but just so you know….I'm completely against the idea," Katara said.
"You guys are always against my ideas!" Sokka frowned.
Toph tapped his shoulder and asked, "And how do you plan on signing up? You look too young to be in the army."
Sokka showed her the paper and said, "As you can see, it says here on the paper that the recruitment station which is at their training grounds is just about a kilometer away from here—''
"ReallY? 'Cause it says here that it's two kilometers away from this town," Toph said as she pointed at the corner of the paper.
Sokka frowned, rubbed his head and looked at the paper again saying, "Really? Because I was so sure that—''
Everyone suddenly broke into laughter. Sokka peered around confused at first but then he finally realized that as always, Toph played another joke on him. She couldn't see.
"Thanks for letting a blind girl see a paper, you idiot," Toph snorted.
"Okay, okay! Whatever. Age doesn't matter. I have my beard!" Sokka said procuring the beard from his shirt.
"You've kept that with you all this time?" Katara asked with mild disgust.
"It's special. Anyway, as I've said, their recruitment station is only a kilometer away. If I start out now, I'll be there by mid-afternoon! Now who wants to go with me?" Sokka said eagerly.
He turned to look at Aang.
"Oh well…I'd go with you but erm…I have to do those drills Toph was talking about," Aang said as he wiped sweat from his forehead yet again.
"And I have to facilitate Twinkletoes' drills," Toph said in a matter-of-fact tone as Sokka turned to look at her.
"I have to um…make dinner," Katara quickly as Sokka turned to look at her.
"I have to um….shampoo my hair?" Jin said as Sokka looked at her. Sokka frowned at her disbelievingly. Katara prodded Jin forward and Toph looked away.
"Okay, I guess I could do it another time. I guess that it leaves just me then to walk with Sokka in this stifling heat so he could sign up to be in the Fire Nation army…." Jin sighed as walked next to Sokka.
As the group separated Sokka's shoulders slumped and he miserably said, "I get no support."
"Back again your Highness?" the painter asked in surprise as Zuko entered their shop.
"The princess wasn't um….satisfied with the poster," Zuko sighed as he grabbed a stool and sat down. The painter sighed, fully aware that they were about to start another long siege on creating the outlaw's face. He grabbed a paper, his pencil and erase, sat down in front of Zuko, cleared his throat and said, "So, you know what to do. Tell me what the shape of her face looks like."
Zuko was about to say another false detail when he stopped himself and found himself saying, "It's a bit rounded….I guess."
The painter stared back at him, surprised that he actually said something with certainty. He made a quick sketch and presented it to Zuko, "Like this, Your Highness?"
Zuko stared at it and said, "Um….maybe….maybe fix her chin a little bit more….yeah….that's it…."
As soon as the painter finished, he looked up and stared at Zuko expectantly.
"Oh, her nose right? Well….I guess…"
"Big and chunky, as you once said?
"No, no. I didn't remember that well back then. Her nose is…..is really, really small like a button. Yeah….she has a bit of button nose…..it's kinda cute when you think about it," Zuko mumbled as the painter hurriedly sketched Zuko's descriptions. He started thinking about how cute and strikingly contrast, Jin's nose was in compared to his long, pointed one. He remembered all those times that when they kissed, her nose would accidentally brush against his. Once he was finished he showed it off to Zuko and Zuko nodded, satisfied.
"How about her eyes? Slanted or you didn't remember as well during that time too?" the painter demanded.
"No…her eyes are big and wide like almonds or like doe's eyes….." Zuko trailed off as he remembered how Jin's eyes would widen or narrow or go half-lidded depending on her mood. Those eyes which were always bright with happiness except for that one time wherein she found out. Zuko balled his fist up.
"Like this?" the painter inquired.
"Exactly like that," Zuko nodded. He then went on to the ears.
"They're like regular ears except maybe…maybe they're shaped like beans….I don't know!" Zuko scowled. Noting his angry mood, the painter hurriedly sketched it and prodded Zuko to proceed with her mouth.
Oh Agni! Her mouth! Zuko began to describe her mouth, the image forming as he continued on with his description. Zuko began to remember the feeling of her lips against his—how it was sometimes dry from too many hours working in the sun, selling flowers or how her kiss always sent tingles up her spine. Zuko felt heat rising in his neck all the way to his face and to the tip of his ears.
"Are you alright your Highness?" the painter asked.
Zuko snapped back to focus and muttered sheepishly, "Yeah….I'm alright…."
"Now….onto her hair…" the painter said.
"Well….her hair…her hair's really choppy, straight but uneven and extremely messy. She's got bangs on either sides and a small tuft of hair at the center…."
The painter continued to sketch . Zuko knew that with most her features down, all that's left would be the more specific details. He prepared himself for the speedy drill.
"Hair color?"
"Black," Zuko promptly answered.
"Eye color?"
"Hazel-green."
"Skin tone?"
"Light but not pale. I guess her skin is kind of olive…."
"Well…..I supposed that's all your highness. Wow. She looks a lot prettier than the first one I drew of her," the painter whistled.
Zuko stared at it sadly and frowned, "Yeah I guess so….but still….it's…it's missing something…"
"Yes Your Majesty?" the painter prodded.
Zuko's chest tightened as he realized what he was missing. In a sad tone he said, "It's missing her smile."
Jin was very tired after walking a kilometer from town in the blistering heat. Her knees ached and her face glistened with sweat. She was more than ready to go back to the cave and her stomach rumbled in anticipation at what Katara might have cooked for them. Sokka on other hand, seemed to be powered and fueled by his idea since he showed not a trace of tiredness as they walked on. His beard, which he had plastered on his face, made him looked impressive, Jin had to admit. When they reached within a few meter's length away Sokka immediately sprinted towards the small unimpressive sign labeled "Recruitment Station" while Jin wearily trailed after him.
The Recruitment Station was nothing more than a small wooden table with a large, pocked-marked man manning it. Sokka eagerly strode forwards and said, "Hey, I'd like to join the army."
The man yawned and nodded wordlessly.
"So what do I do? Is there a test? Do I have to pass something? Do—''
"Just give me your name," the man said with a hint of irritation.
Sokka, taken aback at first, quickly recovered. He stepped back, straightened up and with one imperious stroke of his beard he grandly declared, "The name's Fire. Wang Fire."
The man sighed and wrote his name down.
"Adress?"
Sokka faltered for a moment and said nervously, "Um…my house is in….actually, my house is not a house…it's a cave….sort of…which is in the forest…."
The man repeated as he wrote down, "House is not really house but a cave in the forest. Sort of."
Sokka stared at Jin who was trying to catch her breath at his side nervously.
"Any spouse?"
"Um…no I'm single—actually, wait! I do in fact, have a wife! Sapphire Fire, come here and meet this fine gentleman!" Sokka declared as he hooked Jin's elbow and presented her to the man. The man broke out from his bored stupor to stare at Jin with hungry eyes. Jin, thoroughly creep out, huffed at Sokka and forced a smile, "Yup. That's me. Sapphire Fire. Wang Fire's wife."
"Well? Write it down!" Sokka said once he realized that the man's gaze at Jin was a little too creepy for his tastes.
The man hurriedly wrote it down, muttering under his breath, "Sapphire Fire…."
Sokka straightened his back, apparently proud while Jin looked annoyed.
"Any children?"
"Yes—''
"No—''
Sokka groaned while Jin slapped her forehead.
"So should I write yes or no here?" the man asked stupidly.
"Actually, what Wang means is—''
"I want to have children but she refuses to!" Sokka dramatically said spreading his arms wide apart, causing Jin to step back.
"Oh. So I guess I'll write 'no' here," the man said.
After asking him more questions and after replying with many creative lies about his supposed life as Wang Fire, the man declared that he was now an official recruit of the Fire Nation army.
"Wait, you mean there's no test, no nothing?" Sokka asked, flabbergasted.
"Thank the spirits," Jin sighed.
"You mean I'm in. Just like that?" Sokka said in pure disbelief.
The man shrugged and said, "Yeah but you start right away. You gotta move in by tonight. Sorry, sweetheart, but women aren't allowed in the barracks…"
Jin wrinkled her nose at the man.
"The Fire Nation has terrible recruiting services!" Sokka declared.
The man sent him a glare. Jin quickly elbowed Sokka and retracted, "He's just messing around as usual!"
"Well….if you have nothing else to do, you better start your goodbyes," the man said.
When Jin realized that Sokka would be moving into the barracks by tonight she looked at the man in surprise and said, 'Can't he come here tomorrow—''
Sokka held his hand up and saw, "Naw. Don't worry about…erm…me….er…dear."
Jin rolled her eyes.
"I'll be fine. Just tell the others that I'll be back as soon as I can," Sokka seriously said. He grabbed both of Jin's shoulders and a sort of understanding passed between them.
Jin whispered urgently, "Sokka I'm not sure about this. It's all too sudden. You don't have time to think about—''
"Start acting like my very miserable wife!" he ordered.
"Sokka, don't you think—''
"Go on without me, Sapphire Fire!" Sokka dramatically said as he prodded Jin away. Jin glared at him but looked uncertain to leave.
"Sok—Wang, I'm not so sure—''
"Don't cry, Sapphire Fire! I know that you'll miss me! But I have a duty to fufill," Sokka said and with another exaggerated wave of his hand, he entered the tall gate, sending Jin a small smile as he ploughed on forward.
Jin watched, feeling as if she had done something severely wrong by letting Sokka go just like that. She wondered how she will ever be able to explain this to Aang and the rest.
Suddenly her thoughts were interrupted by the man who leered at her and said maliciously, "Don't worry, sweetheart. If you ever get lonely, I'll keep you warm."
Jin scowled and earthbent him upside down.
It was approximately three days since Sokka left and everyone began to miss him terribly. Katara missed her older brother's annoying mannerisms and paranoia, Aang missed Sokka's sarcasm and meat-loving ways, Jin missed the bickers she often had with Sokka and Toph just missed Sokka in general. The cave for some reason felt emptier and colder without Sokka's warm humor.
The day drew on and Katara listlessly made breakfast while Aang went off to practice some of his Earthbending and Waterbending drills. Toph and Jin played some cards but for some reason that made Toph restless. Finally as they were eating lunch, Toph declared that she couldn't stand the austereness of their little cave any longer. Katara agreed and together, they told Jin and Aang that they'll be off to the town to check some things out for awhile and invited them to join in. Jin and Aang declined and as soon as Katara and Toph left, the two made plans to cool themselves down in a small river that ran upstream just a few meters away from their cave.
Aang amused Jin by showing her a few of the Waterbending tricks Katara had taught him. With great concentration, he managed to form a small statue of a bird. He then began to make it fly.
"Impressive, I admit. But check this out," Jin said, smiling wickedly. She widened her stance and with the mud that formed from the banks of the river she earthbent a small figure and she made it fly around the place.
"What's that supposed to be?" Aang demanded as he squinted his eyes at it.
Jin frowned and said, "Isn't it kind of obvious? It's supposed to be you in your glider…"
And at that moment, Jin discovered that her artistic skills were about as good as her cooking skills. Nevertheless, she managed a semi-decent figure (made out of mud) modeled after Aang. With Aang's water bird and Jin's….thing….flying around the two began to make it go in a heated race. Just as Jin was about to win, a hawk suddenly swooped in, crashed against Jin's flying figure, got mud in its eyes and stumbled over towards a tree.
Jin and Aang stopped their little race and hurried towards the hawk.
"It's a messenger hawk," Aang said.
"Do you think it could be a message from the Fire Nation that we accidentally intercepted?" Jin asked.
Aang shrugged, grabbed the tiny scroll inside the case and handed it to Jin.
"Read it out loud and see what it's about. I'll try to fix the little guy up," Aang said, his caring nature towards animals taking over him.
Jin nodded, opened the scroll and was horrified to see that it was in Sokka's handwriting. Also, it looked as if he was in a hurry when he wrote this.
"It's from Sokka," Jin worriedly said as she scanned the letter.
Aang stopped what he was doing and gasped, "What? What does it say?"
Jin read it, her face becoming increasingly worried as she progressed, "It says 'Writing this before drill sergeant comes back. Stole teh hawk. Probably will get in trouble. So miserable here. Not even wearing my beard helps. Get me out of here!'"
Aang straightened up and said "That's it. I knew this was a bad idea. We have to go get Sokka."
As soon as he propped the messenger hawk up, he moved forward but Jin stopped him, grabbing him by the arm. She said, "Look, we can't both go."
"But—''
"Toph and Katara might get worried when they come back and find us gone. And we all know how Katara is. How about if I'll go look for Sokka and you guys wait here," Jin said as she started drying her hair.
Aang frowned and said, "Jin, I don't know about this…"
Jin snorted and said, "Don't worry about it. I'm sure it'll be all fine. You know Sokka. If anything, he's probably just exaggerating."
"Private Fire, your wife is here to see you," the drill sergeant said as Sokka did another lap of jogging with the moo-sow at his back. Hope sparked in Sokka's eyes as the moo-sow heavily pressed against Sokka's back. The drill sergeant however, looked irritated more than anything.
"Really? Where?" Sokka eagerly asked praying that Jin bought something to eat with her. Sokka cringed and decided against his last mental note. On second thought, it would be beneficial for all if Jin didn't brink anything for him to eat—especially if it was her who had cooked it.
"She's outside the gate. Private, didn't I tell you that women aren't allowed to visit in this compound unless during summer lapses?" the drill sergeant gruffly demanded.
"Sorry. But you know my wife. She gets a bit….too….suspicious sometimes…." Sokka wheezed under the weight of the moo-sow.
"I'm giving you five minutes, private! For every minute extension, you'll get two laps each. Now get moving!" the drill sergeant barked.
Sokka exhaled loudly before collapsing on the ground and dropping his moo-sow. He struggled to stand up, eager to escape when suddenly the moo-sow was back on his shoulders.
"The moo-sow Private! Keep the moo-sow with you always!" the drill sergeant barked.
"Do I have to?" Sokka groaned.
"Are you sassing me Private?" the Drill Sergeant demanded.
"No, sir," Sokka gulped before ducking down and running as fast as he could to the gate before the drill sergeant could further bombard him with insults and comments. He had expected all of his friends there, ready to bust him out so he was severely disappointed once he realized that only Jin was standing there, her weight on one foot and her arms folded.
He wailed in horror.
"Sokka—er, I mean Wang? Are you carrying a moo-sow?" Jin asked in surprise.
"Where is everyone else?" Sokka wheezed, dropping the moo-sow and taking short labored breaths.
"Back at the cave. Why?" Jin frowned.
Sokka slapped his forehead once realizing that Jin had not fully comprehended the terrible situation he was in. he said, "Why? Why? Do you not have any idea how horrible it is in here?"
Jin scoffed, "I'm sure it's not that bad. And besides, I didn't bring anyone along because I thought you were—''
"I need to get out of here!" Sokka wailed, shaking Jin wildly as he did so.
Jin, finally comprehending what Sokka's situation entailed, widened her eyes and said, "But what about the fire nation intel? Didn't you learn anything at all? 'Cause it'd be a shame if you learned nothing. You do know, if you came back empty-handed it would prove to Katara that she was right."
Sokka seemed to have caught and calmed himself down for awhile at that statement. He pulled Jin closer and whispered, "Actually I did find out about something."
Jin stared at him and smiled. She said, "Really?"
"Yup. Really. Last night, I overheard two of my comrades talking about the vault," Sokka continued in a hushed whisper.
"The vault? What's the vault?" Jin asked her attention fully captured.
"They say it's where the Fire Nation keeps most of its military plans. See, every week they send a general battle plan to each Fire Nation outpost—''
"And there's one here?" Jin asked.
"Yeah. And just the other day I heard someone else say that the drill sergeant plans to put new recruits in the front lines!" Sokka wailed as he tried to keep the moo-sow from escaping by blocking it's path with his foot.
Jin gasped and said, "Front lines? Whoa. I didn't know that it was that urgent!"
"I just sent you a very harried letter. How could it be anymore urgent?" Sokka said losing his calm.
"Calm down. First of all, I can't bust you out here on my own. I need to go back to get some re-enforcements," Jin said.
"I can't last another day here!" Sokka rasped.
"Is it that horrible?" Jin asked sympathetically.
"I got flung off from a komodo-rhino!" Sokka hollered.
Jin cringed and said, "Ouch."
"And that's not all! They made me do everything with the Moo-Sow!" Sokka whined shoving the Moo-Sow at Jin's face. Jin stepped back and cringed as the Moo-Sow snorted.
"Everything?" she mumbled.
"Everything! I had to clean its heiny while I took a bath!" Sokka yowled as he dropped the Moo-Sow who was struggling against his grasp.
"Sokka, don't worry. I'll run back to the cave as fast as I can. By nightfall, I'm sure we could—''
"And they wouldn't give me the uniform with the scary skull mask! Can you believe that?" Sokka hysterically said.
"Sokka, calm down—''
"Look! We don't have any time for you to go back, okay Jin?" Sokka said.
"What do you want me to do Sokka?" Jin said, catching Sokka's infectious hysterics.
"The only clear solution is that you have to stay here and steal the military information—''
"Me? But—but, I'll get caught!"
"You can handle it fine," Sokka dismissively said.
"We're in a place crawling with Fire Nation soldiers!" Jin said as she stamped her foot.
"Pffft….."
"Well, if it's just 'Pffft…' why can't you do it?" Jin demanded.
"Because the drill sergeant hates me and he's watching me like an eagle hawk—''
"Private Fire! Did I or did I not tell you to keep the Moo-Sow on your back at all times?" a loud voice boomed from behind them. Jin and Sokka jumped, completely startled. Sokka frantically grabbed the Moo-Sow but missed since it escaped through his clutches. The Moo-Sow squealed before, much to Sokka's subsequent horror, rushing towards the drill sergeant and knocking him off his feet.
"Private Fire! For thoroughly humiliating me in the presence of a lady, you are given seven extra laps for your run tonight!" the drill sergeant boomed as he tried to get up.
Sokka frantically rushed towards the Moo-Sow, tripping against the drill sergeant's leg as he passed by. Jin slapped her forehead as the drill sergeant yelled, "Private Fire! You just added yourself seven more laps! Now get that stupid Moo-Sow, put it in your back and resume your training!"
"Yes sir!" Sokka said as he tried to catch the Moo-Sow.
"So, you must be Private Fire's wife," the drill sergeant gruffly addressed Jin as soon as he dusted himself off.
"Yup. Sapphire Fire, Wang Fire's wife. Nice to meet you," Jin politely said. She held her hand out but the drill sergeant merely regarded her with a calculating gaze.
"Private Fire, there's something different about your wife. Where did you say she was from again?" the drill sergeant asked as soon as Sokka managed to catch the Moo-Sow and hoisted it up on his back.
"Um….from uh…from the…." Sokka racked his brain for a sensible answer and looked at Jin for support. Jin's look clearly told him that he had to do it himself.
Sokka grumbled, "She's from um…."
"The Earth Kingdom! Private Fire are you aware that your wife is from the Earth Kingdom!" the drill sergeant said.
"Um…yes?" Sokka said uncertainly.
"Humphf. I thought so. Only a classless dimwit like you would fall for a manner-less colony slob—''
"Excuse me?" Jin snapped, her face coloring.
She opened her mouth, ready to give the drill sergeant a piece of her mind when Sokka stepped in front of her and said edgily, "Can I speak with my wife for one more minute sergeant?"
The drill sergeant snorted and said, "You've wasted your five minutes."
"Come on!"
"Sergeant if you want to say something to her, you can say it in my presence. I am a man of secrecy," the drill sergeant said in a dignified tone.
Sokka watched Jin's increasingly furious expression and he quickly said, "But….I wanted to….um…..give her a goodbye kiss. You wouldn't want to stick around for that would you?"
The sergeant, an unmarried man in his forties, wrinkled his nose and said, "Well….I suppose I could leave you alone for a minute."
And after much deliberation, he added, "But the Moo-Sow has to be on your back at all times, you hear me private?"
And with that he stalked off leaving Sokka with a few, very precious minutes with Jin alone. Jin seemed to be sick of being referred to as a manner-less colony slob because she was having a very long rant under her breath.
"Stupid fire nation people….manner-less slobs huh?...well I'll show those dimbulbs—''
"Smiley, mayday! Mayday!" Sokka managed to sputter as he staggered under the weight of the Moo-Sow.
"What are you talking about?"
"I'm talking about the fact that we have less than one minute to get things straightened out. Okay, Smiley—''
"Sokka, I told you never to—''
"—your mission is this: get the swags from the enemy's den while I perform operation distraction—''
"Are we speaking in codes again?" Jin asked incredulously.
"Sssh and let me finish! As I've said, once you get the swag meet me in room Sokka—''
"I have no idea what you're talking about! Can't we just speak normally?" Jin pleaded.
"That's code for get the military tactics, I'll meet you outside the barracks and we'll sneak away undetected and leave this place and this stupid Moo-Sow forever and ever! And would you please keep up with all the codes? They aren't that difficult to memorize," Sokka scowled in frustration.
"Sokka I don't even know where the vault—er, enemy's den is," Jin desperately said. She suddenly wished that Aang was here.
"It's next to the changing room," Sokka hurriedly said.
"Changing room? Of all places, why there?"
"It's cause even if you're only a few meters away, the stink gets to you. It really sets anyone who tries to get in there off," Sokka said.
"But what if there are traps?"
"Then employ Tactic number 123," Sokka murmured.
"Tactic number one to what?" Jin said, absolutely baffled.
"Improvise! Yeesh! Can you please keep up?"
"I don't even understand why we're having codes," Jin grumbled.
"I'm just trying to make sure that no one understands what we're talking about! We're in an enemy training camp! For all we know, there could be spies everywhere!"
"Sokka, we're surrounded by nothing. Who's going to spy on us? The soil?" Jin sighed exasperated.
"Remember we meet at Room Sokka!" Sokka said as the Moo-Sow began to struggled at his back.
"Sokka—wait! How do I get in?"
Sokka opened his mouth to answer her when suddenly, to her surprise, he lunged forward, completely disregarding his Moo-Sow and gave her a giant hug. With an over-exaggerated sob he chortled, "I'll miss you too Sweetheart! But duty calls! The Fire Lord calls! My nation calls!"
He finished with a dramatic flourish. Jin realized that the drill sergeant was now standing behind them and since the Moo-Sow broke free again—it barreled through the drill sergeant sending him flying into the air and unto the ground again.
"Look, just try your best, okay? But if you can't make it, it's fine. As long as we meet up outside the barracks before midnight," Sokka whispered before running off to catch the Moo-Sow again.
Jin frowned, worried, as she backed away. She hurried away from the camp, her mind clogged with plans as he heard the drill sergeant yell at Sokka, "Private Fire, for humiliating me again you'll have seven more laps! And did I not say to keep the Moo-Sow on your back at all times?"
Sokka huffed wearily, "Fif-fifteen…."
He was half-way through his laps with Moo-Sow on his back and so far he was having a very miserable time. He regretted ever having this idea at all. The sun was slowly sinking and he still had not heard a sign from Jin. He hoped that she was okay. Their security here in the Fire Nation was very lax so he was crossing his figures that Jin would be able to complete her mission.
"Hold you head up high Private! You've still got an extra six to go!" the drill sergeant barked as Sokka wheezed pass him.
"E-extra six? No problem," he said as his knees wobbled.
"Is that a tone of disrespect I hear—''
Suddenly he paused, cocked his head to the side and craned his ear. Sokka, wondering what one earth could have happened to stop the drill sergeant's torture tried to listen. There was an unearthly commotion from the distance that seemed to have come from the training yard. Suddenly a gong resounded throughout the whole place making only one conclusion….
"We have an intruder in the premises! Private, drop your Moo-Sow, grab your weapons and let's go!" the drill sergeant ordered and with that he sprinted across towards the courtyard.
Sokka dropped the Moo-Sow and began to panic. There could only be one conclusion from this: Jin had obviously failed her mission.
And he was right. He watched in horror as she tried to desperately hang on unto a komodo-dragon while at least twenty soldiers jabbed spears at her. Jin tried to earthbend them all away but it was obvious that she was already on the brink of losing. Sokka was about to rush over to help her when the drill sergeant shoved him away and firebent a fireball towards Jin. Jin dodged it but she fell out of the komodo dragon and was immediately caught by five soldiers who immediately cuffed her.
Sokka bit his lip.
"Well…well….I knew it. I knew it that colony slobs were up to no good! Private Fire, are you aware that this is your wife?" the drill sergeant demanded as Jin struggled against the soldier's grasp.
"Um….are you sure she's my wife? Because I remember her being taller..." Sokka nervously said as he pulled at his shirt.
"Don't play games with me sergeant! You! What was she doing?" the drill sergeant demanded to one of the men who held Jin.
The men looked afraid to be addressed and he said in a scared tone, "Oh her? We're not really sure, sir. One of them just saw her sneaking around behind the pillar….."
"I was trying to find food for Sok—Wang okay?" Jin burst out in desperation. Sokka and everyone else stared at her.
"You were?" Sokka said.
"What? Your motives are baffling," the drill sergeant declared.
Jin held her nose up high, shook the men's grasp free and snapped, "I've heard that you've been treating my Wang horribly! I just couldn't stand seeing him lugging that stupid Moo-Sow around! And also I've heard that you haven't been feeding him right—''
"I feed everyone fine!" the drill sergeant huffed.
"Well…actually you feed us the same thing everyday," someone in the crowd piped up.
"Silence!"
"—so I decided to sneak back in here to find my Wang something to eat!" Jin continued.
"Yes! That's exactly what she was doing!" Sokka said.
"Or she could be spy from the Earth kingdom and she's trying to get stuff from our vault!" the drill sergeant crowed.
"That's ridiculous! She's only doing what every caring wife does. She's trying to get me food," Sokka said trying his best to defend Jin.
"Yes. I'm just a woman….caught in the act of….er….extreme love?" Jin said the last few words uncertainly.
The crowd soon erupted into awws. One man began to say that he missed his wife. The drill sergeant was very angry. He stamped his foot and boomed, "But still, why were you trying to steal a komodo-rhino?"
"Because….erm….because…"
"Because my wife is a bit of a klepto and um…she's komodo-rhino obsessed! Yeah! That's it!" Sokka said.
The drill sergeant didn't look ready to let this go but someone in the crowd said, "Aww come on sir. Just let her go. And besides, we didn't find her bringing anything when we caught her."
"Yeah, her explanation sounds reasonable," someone else said.
"I know that's what my wife would do!"
"And she's right! The food here tastes terrible!"
Since everything seemed to be on the verge of riot, the drill sergeant sighed and let Jin go. As Jin stood up, the drill sergeant narrowed his eyes at her and said, "You may have fooled everyone here, Earth Kingdom wench. But not me. I know what colony people are like."
Jin shot daggers at him.
"And the next time you or Private fire act up, it'll be treason for both of you," the drill sergeant added.
"Come on, sweetheart! I'll walk you to the gate," Sokka said. He grabbed Jin's arm and hurriedly walked her away.
"Private, I suggest that you keep your wife under control," the drill sergeant snapped as the two began to edge away.
"Don't worry sir. I'll straighten my wife up something' fierce," Sokka said before turning on Jin and blustering at her face, "You ma'am are going to get the punishment of your life once I get home from training!"
The drill sergeant nodded in approval as Sokka led Jin away.
"And for this outbreak Private, you'll get another seven laps!" the drill sergeant yelled at Sokka as he and Jin ducked away.
"You almost blew our cover!" he hissed once they safely made it out.
"Yes, but I got the swag," Jin said smiling at Sokka smugly.
Sokka's jaw dropped and he said, "What—but—how—''
"Mission completed Wolf Warrior," Jin said with a mock salute.
Sokka sputtered, "But where did you hide it?"
Jin's face colored, she looked away and said, "Just don't ask."
Sokka decided to escape with Jin that very moment as they exited the gate. He could not stand one more day at the stupid training bootcamp. It was too much for his body to handle. They were half-way away from the camp when suddenly they heard shouts from the distance.
"What's that?" Jin asked fearfully.
"I don't know!" Sokka wheezed.
"It sounds like….sounds like Komodo-rhinos…"
"The Fire Nation Army! Why are they following us?" Sokka said as he bordered on the lines of panic.
"Don't look at me! It's not my fault!" Jin defensively said as she ran harder.
"Are you kidding me? It's exactly your fault! Look!" Sokka said as he pointed to a tree. Jin's jaw dropped. There pinned on the tree, was a wanted poster of her.
"I have a wanted poster?" she incredulously said.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"I didn't know! And how did they know anyway?" Jin said.
"A bunch of wanted posters were delivered this afternoon! I can't believe this!" Sokka grumped as he ran faster.
"Look on the bright side Sokka! At least they made me look pretty!" Jin said trying to be enthusiastic.
"We're being chased by a horde of Fire Nation soldiers. Yes Jin. I am looking at the bright side," Sokka sarcastically said.
They ran a good distance without stopping until finally the noise and the sounds of komodo-rhino's footsteps died down. They caught glimpse of the town and once they did, they turned to the left where they found the cave. Wheezing and out of breath, the two of them burst inside.
"Where have you guys been? We were worried sick," Katara said.
"Yeah, we were just coming to look for you," Aang said.
"We need to leave! Now!" Sokka frantically said.
"What happened?" Toph demanded.
"Smiley just—''
"Hey! No one can call her that except me!" Toph said.
"—flopped the mission. We're on red alert everyone!" Sokka said.
"What?" Katara incredulously said.
"It means we're in big trouble," Jin explained as she gasped for some air.
"Look, I'll keep an eye outside," Sokka said as he strode outside.
He continued, "I think if we get out of here in a few minutes, we'll be fine!"
Sokka stepped outside and to his horror, he found the whole Fire Nation battalion on him, there spears pointed at him.
"Private fire, you are in serious trouble! You've deserted the Fire Nation armory and furthermore, you have been harboring a Fire Nation fugitive. A resistance leader of Ba Sing Se!" the drill sergeant barked.
Sokka gulped, "Or not."
Beads of sweat dropped from Sokka's forehead as he fumbled for a decent explanation, "It was my wife! She attacked me and so I…um…followed her here where I discovered waterbender and earthbenders spies with her!"
"Such lies! You are sorely mistaken if you think that you could weasel your way out of this one Private fire!" the drill sergeant barked.
Losing hope, he yelled the first thing that came to mind, "Smiley, operation 679!"
Silence.
"What in Agni's name was that?" the sergeant demanded.
Suddenly the earth shook and an earth pillar suddenly tumbled past the cave and into the right of the soldiers. A stream of water spurted past Sokka and into the left soaking everyone. Stunned and shamed the drill sergeant stared at Sokka in disbelief.
"You mean to say that….what….you mean….it's all actually true?" he gaped.
Sokka smiled in relief and he said, "Yes it is. But don't worry, drill sergeant! To prove my loyalty, I'll take them down myself!"
And before the drill sergeant could react, Sokka strode towards the cave. Once he was in panic seized him but he immediately calmed down once he saw the tunnel that Toph made for them to escape in.
"Get in! I'm bringing this whole place down!" Toph said as she gestured at the tunnel.
"Toph and Aang will stay so it will seem like you're actually fighting with us! Now come on!" Katara said as she scrambled down the tunnel.
"Wait, you guys actually knew what I was talking about?" Sokka said before he left the cave.
"Actually, I had no idea what you were yelling. Operation 679? What on earth is that?" Katara demanded.
Toph elbowed Jin and said, "But apparently Smiley knew. Said it was some sort of code for—''
Sokka burst into a big smile and said, "You finnaly got the codes down!"
Jin gave a small salute and said, "Thank you Wolf Warrior!"
"Wolf Warrior? Codes? Did I miss something?" Aang asked.
"Look we have to get going," Katara said as she pulled Sokka and dragged him down the tunnel.
Sokka nodded and said, "Right! Team Avatar, let's operate Operation Escape!"
Zuko holed himself up in the library. After finishing Jin's wanted poster he felt extremely guilty. He considered going to his uncle's prison cell but he wasn't in the mood for another silent meeting. He decided to busy himself by reading some books and the news when Azula interrupted his peace again.
Zuko scowled and snapped, "What is it this time Azula? I got your stupid wanted poster."
Azula shrugged and said, "I'm just here to thank you, Zuzu. Stop being paranoid."
Zuko huffed and looked away.
Azula smirked and said, "And also, to deliver a bit of good news. We finally caught some news of your girlfriend. We have a sighting in a military camp."
Whoo! Another chapter down! Writing about "Wang Fire" and his wife, "Sapphire Fire" was so ridiculously satisfying that I had to do another one! Jin and Sokka and their antics are just so fun to write! I don't know why but I just love the kind of friendship they bring. And also I wanted to keep things light for awhile.
So anyway, this is from a canonical comic called "Private Fire." No, I haven't exactly read the comic myself (which explains why it's severely inaccurate) but I have done my research (via Avatar wikia) so it isn't too off-tangent.
To SkorpionQueen012: Lots of thanks and love for reviewing as always! It just occurred to me that I didn't really answer your previous question. No, Sokka's not taking a liking to Jin. I'm an avid Sokka/Suki shipper. I just love the whole dynamic Jin and Sokka have going on.
To StaminaRose: Whew, first lengthy reviews, I've had so far (it matches my overly-long chapters). I really appreciate your criticism and don't worry—I won't ignore it. I'm sorry if you don't like Jin's characterization. However, you might not be seeing a difference in Jin's characterization just yet—I'm still holding out on something; it's part of the story. So you're just going to have to be a little more patient. But anyway, thanks for the constructive criticism. You don't know how much that means to me.:)
ToArrayeP: Thanks for the review. It made my day.
To Alana C. Jones: One word. Whoa. Best compliment I've had so far. Never thought that I'd be Sifu material. Super thanks! I really appreciate it!
To Marina Hawk: Three words for you and it's: AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME! Thank you so much!
To Wisconsin: Thank you so much! It made my heart swell three sizes bigger.
To TheApocalypticTarantula: Thanks for both reviews! You make me want to write more!