A/N: Alright... now that I got all corrections done (thx to my beta Ersatz Einstein btw :)!), even a ski vacation in Switzerland AND a broken shoulder joint (icy downhill patches can be real buttholes!) can't keep me from finally updating my story :P! Kept you waiting for long enough! Enjoy!

-18-

CAUGHT OFF GUARD

After packing his things – limiting his luggage to his Dao Swords, some dried food and clothes – he spent the rest of the night restlessly pacing up and down his room, mulling things over. Although his mind had been made up and he knew he wouldn't back down from his decision, he felt his heart hammering in his chest. Cold sweat glistened on his forehead and soaked his palms. Stop it! Stop being so ridiculously nervous! Angrily, Zuko gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. You spent more than enough time fearing his judgment. That's over now!

In fact, it really wasn't a big deal. One of the few advantages of being the prince of the Fire Nation was that no one within or around the palace would dare bar him from doing anything he wanted. If he issued an order, everyone had to obey, end of story. Thus, no one would stop him from borrowing one of the Fire Army's war balloons. it would be a piece of cake.

Especially compared to what he needed to do before.

Admittedly, the prince didn't quite know his way around the catacombs inside the extinct volcano, right below the Fire Palace - the place to which the royal family was supposed to retreat today, due to the coming solar eclipse. On another subject entirely, Zuko had come to detest all sorts of catacombs anyway. Oh, well… At least he knew how to get to the underground throne room, and that was all that mattered. Because before he left the Fire Nation, before he turned into an official subversive –

He'd need to speak his mind to his father. Work up the courage to throw it all in his face. His decision was irrevocable. But still… Agni…

The image scared the hell out of him.

x-x-x

Sureen couldn't say what she'd expected warfare to be like. What it would feel like to be a part of an invasion troop, entangled in an attack. All she knew for sure was that she'd definitely not expected it to be like sitting and waiting in the dark, clueless, unaware of what was happening around her. She felt waves of adrenaline washing over her whenever she heard the unfamiliar battle noises from outside getting closer or more intense. Her stomach cramped whenever their vehicle was jolted by an impact that caused the inside temperature to rise to such overwhelming heat that each of her hectic breaths made her lungs feel like they were on fire.

They were squashed into one of the five tremendous metal Earth Kingdom carriages that looked like giant caterpillars. The vehicles were crawling across the ground sluggishly yet unstoppably, steered by the earthbenders atop them. Sureen didn't know for how long she'd been sitting inside the thing, but it felt like ages. As if she'd spent half of her life inside that ominous war machine, forced to do nothing but wait. Their time to strike would come later - once their vehicle made it all the way up the volcano, up to the Fire Palace's gates. Only then would they be allowed to storm out of their cage.

Obviously, the first step of the plan had been implemented successfully: the submarines of the invasion fleet had made it to the harbor. Apparently, the diversionary tactic of sending their unmanned Water Tribe ships right into the Fire Nation's arms at the Great Gates of Azulon had worked as planned. But although Sureen had been there, she hadn't noticed it. She'd been stuck in one of the submarines' bellies, or technically speaking, in a metal caterpillar's belly inside a submarine's belly. Sitting in the same place in the same impenetrable darkness. The only sensations that had been different were the noises and the flow of the movement. The soft rhythmic bubbling – caused by the waterbenders that kept the submarine going – was suddenly replaced with a metallic rattling, and the gentle floating soon turned into a bumpy jerking. That was all she could tell.

Sensing the nervousness around her and knowing that her fellow soldiers felt the same way as she did didn't help to steady her nerves. The tension had grown so thick, it was almost too intense to bear. But in spite of the soldiers' inner restlessness, they had to keep calm, at least on the outside. It didn't matter how much Sureen's heart was racing or how much she wanted to actually do - or at least see - something, just catch a short glimpse of where she was and what was going on. There was nothing to do but wait. Nothing but agonizing uncertainty.

It was killing her.

"I know there are a lot of things that could go wrong today. But they won't. Because we know every step of the plan, and we know exactly what we have to do. We won't mess up. So don't… um… don't worry so much, sir. There's no need to. You can count on us." Remembering her words to the captain the other night, she felt the lump in her throat grow. She'd wanted to calm Hakoda's restless mind, and she'd been convinced of her every word. But still...

She'd given him his word. She'd made a promise. Something she'd told herself to never do again. She'd lost her faith in her ability to keep her promises. Either way, she'd try to do as she'd said she would. For better or for worse. You can count on us... you can count on us... you can count on us… The words echoed in her mind, falling in line with the rhythmical rattling of their vehicle.

x-x-x

He'd done it.

He'd said everything he'd wanted to, and he'd neither yelled with excessive fury nor whispered with anxiety. His voice had been firm and assertive, his words calculating and thoughtful, and he hadn't shrunk from meeting Ozai's eyes. He'd made his position clear; he'd left no doubt about what he thought of his father and his sick orders. He'd stood up for Iroh, defending his dead uncle's views and convictions. And what's more, for the first time ever when facing the Fire Lord, Zuko had fought back not only verbally, but physically. He'd managed to redirect the lightning bolt Ozai shot at him the moment he turned to leave. Just like Iroh taught him.

He'd stood his ground in every possible way. So why didn't it feel like victory? Why was he shaking like a leaf and unable to get rid of the lump in his throat? Why wouldn't his vision stop blurring?

In spite of what he'd accomplished behind that unremarkable metal door, there was only one thought in his head. One word. But it was enough to shake him to the core. Ursa. She'd neither been killed nor ruthlessly turned her back on him that night. She was alive. She'd been banished, forced to leave. Just like Zuko himself.

The prince desperately tried to regain his composure. Of course Ozai had known that, if there was anything that would throw Zuko completely off balance, it would be the story of his mother. Naturally, that was exactly what Ozai had had in mind. And apparently, the ultimate victory remained his.

Speeding up, shaky legs notwithstanding, was all Zuko could do to bring himself back to the here and now. Scowling deeply, he realized that he wanted to escape more than ever. With his uncle dead, his mother banished, and his only friend missing, how could he ever consider this place his home?

He almost ran along the narrow tunnel, turning to his left as he reached a crossing, hoping it would be the shortest way back up to the palace... when he suddenly heard the rising sound of footsteps. A distant throbbing rhythm that soon turned into a thundering beat, inevitably approaching from every direction. Whirling around, jumping into a firebending stance, he noticed with shock that there was no way out. There were Fire Nation soldiers closing in on him from all four paths of the intersection.

"What's going on? Out of the way," the prince hissed bemusedly.

The soldiers didn't slow down at all. If anything, the gaps between their rows only became tighter.

"Are you deaf? I said: Out. Of. The way. That was an ORDER!"

Again, there was no reaction. By the time one of the soldiers reached Zuko, the air was almost crackling with tension.

"Unfortunately, we have received immediate instructions from the Fire Lord himself to bring you straight back to the throne room. Therefore, I'm afraid we can no longer obey your orders, my prince." Taking a step back, the man added, "Arrest him!"

... And something in Zuko snapped.

He couldn't bear the feeling of being trapped, having maneuvered himself into a dead end, and the helplessness and panic that came along with it. Just as he had in the abandoned village, he suddenly became aware of how tiny, powerless and stupid he really was.
He should've known this, he should've seen it coming. He should've been prepared! Seething, blinding white rage spread through his mind, consuming every corner of his consciousness. The fury burst out of him in a series of vast fire blasts, hurtling in every direction and mercilessly devouring everyone in its path as the prince spun around.

But he didn't stand a chance against the Fire Nation troops attacking him from all sides. It was a matter of mere minutes before they overpowered the raging assailant that had once been their commander.

The first sensation Zuko felt through the waves of burning rage was an arm pressing against his larynx so tightly it made him gag, while his arm was twisted and pulled up behind his back. Wide eyed, he stared as another soldier lunged out at him. Suddenly a hot, sharp pain in his stomach pressed all the air off his lungs and made him groan in agony as he felt his knees buckle and his vision blur, and the world around him turned from seething white to black.

After all, even the most intransigent firebender was defenseless against a hammerlock and a punch in the solar plexus.

x-x-x

With a grating sound, the metal caterpillar came to a shuddering halt; Sureen's heart skipped a beat in excitement. Finally, it was their time to attack!

Storming out of the narrow darkness into the blinding light outside, she realized her error in judgement. Something had gone wrong. Seriously wrong. This was bad.

First, she noticed the abandoned battlefield. The entire area from the harbor up to the volcano seemed to be deserted, as if no one had ever lived there and no Fire Nation soldier had ever fought on its ground. Only the destruction all around, the smoldering points of impact, and the craters caused by firebending attacks gave proof of the battle that had been in full swing only minutes ago. But now, an eerie silence lingered over the empty place.

It was only then that she saw the Fire Nation airships. A fleet of giant flying monsters darkened the sky, inexorably moving towards the harbor. Before Sureen fully realized what was going on, she saw the bombs raining down from the ships' undersides. One bomb for each of their submarines. And just as every missile hit its target straight in its center, the realization shook the girl to the core: they were stuck. Their way out had just been cut off. They couldn't escape anymore. The invasion... it had all been a trap by the Fire Nation. Obviously, they had seen through their plan right from the start.

Swallowing hard, Sureen whirled around, noticing that her fellow soldiers were surrounding someone - presumably Captain Hakoda. Steered by a sudden feeling of panic, she ran towards them. As she made her way through the crowd, she realized that it wasn't so much the Captain everyone was gathering around as someone. In the center of the invasion troops was Appa - Toph, Katara and Aang on his back, Sokka standing next to him on the floor. And Captain Hakoda... apparently, he was injured! Sureen's eyes grew wide with sorrow. He was on his feet, but only because somebody was supporting him. Grimacing with pain, her captain leaned heavily on the guy next to him. A gasp of shock tore through her as she hurried forward.

"How are we all going to escape?" Sokka's voice was thick with hopelessness, as if he was already anticipating Hakoda's reply.

"We're not."

Turning to face his father, Sokka's determination suddenly returned. "Then our only choice is to stand and fight. We have the avatar; we could still win."

"Yes, with the avatar we could still win. Another day." The captain hesitated only a brief moment before voicing the inevatble. "You kids have to leave. You have to escape on Appa together."

"WHAT?!" Katara's shocked voice was the first to break the silence. "We can't leave you behind! We won't leave anyone behind!"

But Hakoda continued unflinchingly, "You're our only chance in the long run. You and Sokka have to go with Aang somewhere safe. It's the only way to keep hope alive." His daughter swallowed hard as the message sank in. She let her eyes wander restlessly across the breadth of the invasion fleet, along the rows of companions that had unhesitatingly implemented their plan until this moment. When she made out Sureen in the crowd, her eyes grew wide with surprise.

"Su- Sureen! I didn't know... I had no idea! Spirits, we were worried sick after you disappeared from those caves and then you were gone like you'd been swallowed by the earth! But you came back to support us. I'm so glad you're back. But -" The waterbender fell silent and bit her lip. Then she continued hesitantly, "But... you heard my father. I guess- I guess he's right. We must escape as long as we have the opportunity to do so. We don't have long before the Fire Nation soldiers arrive to capture us. Are you coming?"

"Katara... I'm sorry I left like that. But I just- I couldn't- I mean... um, it's a pretty long story. And there's not enough time to chat right now. Anyway, I heard your father. And yes, he is right. But... no. I'm- I'm not coming. I'm sorry." The girl's voice had become lower with every word, while her eyes wandered from Katara to Sokka, on to Toph, and finally to Aang. She'd made up her mind. "You know, I was in a situation like this years ago. But back then, I didn't have the guts to stick with my people and stand with them, to share their fate. I was too much of a coward. But times have changed. This time, I know my place. I'm a member of the invasion force, and I shall not abscond. I'm staying where I belong." Taking a shuddering breath to steady her voice, Sureen added, "Now leave! We'll meet again one day. This isn't over yet. But now you guys have got to hurry. Move. NOW!"

With a heavy heart, both siblings nodded and turned to give their father one last hug. Then they tore themselves away and climbed on Appa's back. Feeling Katara's tear-stained eyes on her, Sureen read more than heard the waterbender's parting words: "Please take care of him, he's injured..."

As they watched Appa disappear in the direction of the sea, carrying the youngest members of the invasion force to safety, a wave of relief washed over the soldiers left behind. But mere seconds later, the feeling ebbed away to be replaced with the foreboding of the dark and difficult times ahead. While the sensation brought a lump to Sureen's throat, at the same time, a strange kind of resolution filled her heart.

For once, she'd made the right decision.

x-x-x

The prince barely noticed being dragged along the corridor to the throne room he'd left behind. Not before his head was ruthlessly pulled back by the hair did he snap out of his nearly unconscious state, painfully becoming aware of his predicament. Gasping sharply, he opened his eyes - only to see his father glaring back at him, the man's face only inches from his own. The Fire Nation soldiers to either side of Zuko didn't make the slightest move to let go of his wrists and hair. As a result, their captive had to limit himself to returning Ozai's ice-cold glare.

"You didn't seriously think I'd let you walk out of the palace after you openly refused obedience and committed high treason towards the Fire Nation, did you? That would be an amazingly dense thing to do - for someone who just cockily blurted out he'd 'learned everything'. Don't you think?" The Fire Lord's voice was dangerously calm and as sharp as a knife.

Zuko did his best not to wince, to endure his father's spiteful remarks without batting an eye... but the smirk spreading across Ozai's face told him that his attempt to look indifferent was rather unsuccessful.

In a menacing tone, the Fire Lord continued, "Oh, well. At least today's fatal misbehavior served to confirm my suspicion that banishment is far too merciful a penalty for treason. So would death, come to think of it." Ozai paused to roughly grab Zuko's jaw, pulling his son's face even closer to his own. The prince felt his father's breath in his face, the older man's fingers mercilessly digging into his cheeks, forcing his mouth open. "I hereby declare that I no longer consider you my son. From this day, you are no longer the Fire Nation's heir to the throne. And in terms of an appropriate punishment for your indictable offense, I take it that even your superficial insight into the warfare strategy of the Fire Nation is enough to tell you the suitable prison for a subversive like you, isn't it."

It sounded more like a statement than a question, which wasn't the only reason Zuko didn't have the slightest interest in replying. Reluctance flaring in his eyes, he confined himself to intensifying his glare.

"When I ask, you shall answer," Ozai hissed furiously, clutching Zuko's jaw so tightly it brought tears to his eyes.

"D... Bahwn...wagh," he unwillingly ground out.

"Pardon? I can't quite understand."

"The... boilin'... rock."

"Well thought out, as a matter of fact. You do have your bright moments at times. So let's talk about The Boiling Rock. You know, its geographical position isn't its only unique characteristic. It also has... let's say, well-trained personnel. In general, the wardens are ordered to treat their prisoners fairly. To avoid riots and such, you see? But in... well, in exceptional cases they will not hesitate to apply their full range of qualifications. I assume you're getting my point?"

Zuko couldn't help but press his eyes shut in a desperate attempt to keep his mind off the realization.

Visibly enjoying his moment of victory, Ozai went on, "But I particularly want you to understand one thing: one who refuses to learn respect deserves nothing but a life in hell, suffering forevermore." Letting go of Zuko's jaw and roughly pushing his head back, the Fire Lord spat out the words, each hitting his son like a slap in the face. But... no. In the past, his father had dominated him far too often. Today was the day Zuko was destined to turn the tables. And he wouldn't let Ozai take it away from him. He wouldn't buckle. That time was over.

"Sure. Too bad your words can't intimidate me anymore. I couldn't care less if you consider me your son or not, for I no longer consider you my father. I am who I am, I am my own person, and that won't change, regardless of whether I'm the heir to the throne or not. Your threats don't scare me anymore. Put me in jail and do whatever to me, but I won't change who I am, and I won't break."

Although the time in which Ozai was taken aback only lasted a few seconds, it was enough to make Zuko's eyes flash with satisfaction. Then the Fire Lord regained his composure.

"But of course. It's a pitty I won't be there when you explain that to the wardens. I'm afraid they won't be overly intimidated by your words, either. Oh, and speaking of intimidating... I think the most appropriate parting words for an insubordinate traitor such as yourself would be... well, perhaps... ROT IN HELL?"

With that, he turned and ascended the steps to his makeshift throne. A mere wave of his hand was enough for the soldiers to tighten the grip around Zuko's wrists and push him forward, forcing him to comply as they marched out of the throne room.

The Boiling Rock. From what he'd learned in the war meetings he'd been able to join since returning to the palace, there was no escape from that prison. 'In exceptional cases they will not hesitate to apply their full range of qualifications. I assume you're getting my point?' Zuko let out a shaky breath. Apparently, he just wasn't destined to emerge victorious from any dispute with his father. All that was left to do for him was to stick to what he'd flung at Ozai.

No matter what lay ahead – he would not break.

x-x-x

They were driven like cattle down the hill, back to the harbor. A group of Fire Nation soldiers surrounded them, mercilessly forcing them forward. Sureen didn't let Hakoda out of her sight, letting herself fall behind to keep as close to him as possible without making it too obvious. He was still supported by that weird guy who seemed to prefer wearing a few leaves rather than real clothes. However, their status as prisoners didn't abrogate their ranks, so Sureen knew she was in no position to hover over her injured captain like a worried nurse. This in spite of the silent promise she'd given Katara... and in spite of her very real worry.

To shake off her dismal thoughts, she tried to figure out where exactly the Fire Nation soldiers were taking them. Soon the monstrous frigther mooring in the harbor caught the girl's eye. Well, we'd definitely all fit in there. That much is for sure.

Apparently, the great day of the black sun had become the day spent sitting and waiting in darkness, clueless of what happened around her and what lay ahead. Even when entangled in the war, in the middle of an attack, she still couldn't manage to intervene. Yeah, no surprise, really - how could a tiny drop in the ocean ever stem the tide? A brief, sardonic laugh escaped her. Just WHAT THE HELL was I thinking?

Swallowing hard, she turned her head, throwing another concerned look in Hakoda's direction.

x-x-x

Zuko couldn't remember ever being knocked out cold twice in one day. While his mind struggled to find its way back to consciousness, he felt waves of dull pain washing over his body with each shaky breaths. Nevertheless, he forced his eyes open, only to see... nothing. His senses slowly becoming clearer, he noticed that he was gagged and blindfolded, and his hands were tied behind his back. The floor beneath him seemed to be wooden and disturbingly unsteady. Judging by the cold and the sharp gusts of wind blowing by, he had to be somewhere outside. What's this place? Where the hell am I?

Just then, he heard a blowing noise, like someone was inflating a giant balloon somewhere above his head. He'd heard that sound before. It sounded like - a war balloon! Like the flame that was used to blow hot air into it. He was in a war balloon. Great. Just where I was planning to go. Only my plan was, like, ESCAPING in a war balloon - and not being brought to the Boiling Rock. 'A life in hell, suffering forevermore.' His father's words replayed in his head over and again.

Lying on the floor all alone, in complete darkness, Zuko couldn't block out the thoughts anymore, the foreboding that he'd probably spend the rest of his days facing a nightmare beyond imagination. Realizing that he didn't know how to escape his fate, he felt anxiety gripping his heart with icy claws, and there was no way to hide from the feeling. For it wasn't an irrational panic... it was the truth. A fact. His future. Inevitably lying ahead of him like a fathomless, gaping black abyss.

Digging his teeth into the gag as hard as he could, he helplessly tried to bite back his sobbing. Never in his life had he been so terrified and so alone... and so lost. Rocked by hiccuping, yet almost soundless, sobs, he convulsed on the floor, the blindfold around his head becoming slowly soaked with his desperate tears.

Suddenly, another gust of wind caught his attention, because it felt somewhat different. More like a gentle breeze, caressing his face and ruffling his hair. It was almost like a whispering, a soft voice he hadn't heard in a long time. Yet it was so familiar that his sobbing ceased immediately.

"Nephew... you're neither alone, nor lost."

Uncle! With the gag keeping Zuko from saying anything, the thought shot through his mind like a lightning bolt. Altough he was almost sure he was hallucinating, he focused on his uncle's whispering voice.

"As long as you don't lose your focus, nothing's lost," the familiar voice continued. "To obtain focus, you need to meditate. Meditating is breathing. Breathing is how you strengthen your chi. Chi is the source of life. Nothing is lost as long as you keep your chi alive. So empty your mind and focus on your breathing. There are times in which the emptiness of mind is your friend, not your foe. When the physical or mental sensations around you cause you nothing but agony, emptiness of mind is what soothes your heart and steadies your spirit. Therefore, don't use your time to be afraid, my nephew. Use it to meditate."

Uncle... o-okay. I'll try. It's just… it's hard to not be overwhelmed by all these feelings when they're so… um, overwhelming, I guess. But I'll try.

The whispering breeze slowly died down, and Zuko was left in silence once more.

No, please… Uncle! Stay with me! Again gripped by the undertow of the black abyss ahead, Zuko couldn't suppress the mental plea.

For just an instant, the breeze returned, gently wafting by his head.

"Prince Zuko, I am with you. Always. You're neither alone nor lost - believe me." With that, the whispering faded away.

Realizing that the weight of his heavy burden had been lifted just a bit off his shoulders, Zuko couldn't help but succumb to his pent-up strain. Suddenly, the abyss felt slightly less menacing than before.

This time, his blindfold was soaked with tears of relief.

x-x-x

A/N: First of all - OMG this time you really NEED TO LISTEN TO THE CHAPTER'S SONG! Like, really, seriously, urgently! It's for Zuko in the last bit of this chapter and it just freakin' NAILS IT! It's "The Whisperer" by David Guetta feat. Sia! Go look it up and listen to it, RIGHT NOW! :')

Second: Yeah yeah, you can already guess where I'm gonna take this, right? Can you? Cause yes, in that case you're right. :P

Third: Random fun fact! I seriously managed to work on a chapter about a SOLAR ECPLIPSE while we HAD an actual solar ecplise over here (well okay, admittedly it was only a partial one. BUT STILL!) O.O... and I didn't even do it on purpose! Which was why it felt EVEN MORE weird... like... omg, while staring at that crescend-shaped thingy aka. THE SUN (or what was still left of it), a part of my heart was totally convinced that somewhere else, far away, but under the same crescend-shaped sun-leftover, a certain invasion force was just arriving at a certain harbor, ready to attack a certain fire palace o.O! I swear! My real life never felt so close to my fanfiction, I'm telling you! It felt like a rip in the space-time continuum... a glitch in the Matrix... seriously. Yeah. But apart from that, I'm of sound mind. :'D
Well, but not exactly "of sound body" though. Which is why I'm gonna shut it for now :P. See you at the next chappy! Then my plot will ultimately stray from the "real canon", I promise! :]