Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or The Last Airbender.

Bodyguard of Azula

Chapter 33: Riots and Getting out.

"Talking"

"Thinking"

"Bijū/spirit talking"

"Bijū/spirit thinking"

(Location: Fire Nation)

"Line them up for the warden!" one of the warden's guards ordered. The prisoners were moved into a line. They were eight in all, Hakoda included.

Both Sokka and Azula made their way up to the gondola tower. "Dad…" Sokka said as he saw his father standing in the line. His hopes were rising. Maybe this trip would be worth it after all.

"We don't have all day here, Sokka," Azula told him pointedly. They needed to move into sight.

"Right." They both moved forward towards the guards. "Excuse us, coming through. The warden wants us over there. Sorry," Sokka told the other guards and they made their way into the line.

"Welcome to the Boiling Rock," the warden said to the prisoners, walking down the line. "I'm sure you've all heard the horrible rumors about our little island. Well, I just want to tell you that they don't have to be true, as long as you do everything I say." He stopped in front of Hakoda. "Look me in the eye when I'm talking to you."

"No," je answered, moving his eyes away.

"Oh? You'd rather take a look at my shoes? Then take a look!" He lifted his foot and brought it down on the handcuffs, making Hakoda fall to the ground. "I know exactly who you are, Hakoda of the Water Tribe. So strong-willed, but don't worry, we'll get rid of that in time. Now look me in the eye!" The captured Water Tribe chief raised his head and looked him in the eye. "See? Isn't that better?" He turned to look at the other prisoners. "You will all do as I say or pay the price. You will all—" He was interrupted when Hakoda lifted one of his hands and tripped him, making him fall to the ground. It also made both Sokka and Azula sniggered behind covered mouths.

"Are you okay, sir?" one of the guards asked him.

"I'm fine!" he told them, standing up. "Bring those prisoners to the railing. I have something to show them." Everyone went over to the railing, even the guards. What they saw made Azula tighten her grip on the rail.

Chained to a whipping post, without a shirt, was Naruto. "I assume you know who that man down there is," the warden said. "For those of you who don't, he was Naruto, Paragon of the Fire Nation and bodyguard to Princess Azula. Now he is a traitor and a prisoner. A few days ago, he had attacked one of my guards. This is his punishment."

The guard standing next to Naruto bent his fire into the shape of a whip. And then, to the horror of the prisoners as well as Azula and Sokka, he whipped Naruto's back, ten times. Each time the whip slapped across his back, it shuddered in response. He had nothing to bite down on, so everyone could hear his screams of pain. The only bright side was they were high up and couldn't smell the flesh burn.

Azula began to tremble in rage as she watched. "Mai's uncle or not, I am going to kill the warden!" she thought to herself.

When the whipping was done, Naruto's chains were unshackled and he fell to the ground unconscious. None of the guards bothered to catch him as he fell. They just dragged him away. "That was the new punishment for disobedient prisoners, with direct permission from the Fire Lord. I trust you gentlemen understand the ramifications of that?" the warden asked the prisoners before looking at one of the guards. "Get them out of my sight," he ordered before walking away. As the guards led the prisoners away, Sokka and Azula slipped away.

Hakoda laid on the bedding with his head between his hands. When he heard the door open, he looked up and saw a guard standing against the door. "Thank goodness you're okay," the guard said.

He took a fighting stance. "If you take one step closer, you'll see just how 'okay' I am," he threatened.

"Dad, it's me." The guard lifted his visor, showing his blue eyes.

Hakoda instantly knew who those eyes belonged to. "Sokka, my son," he cried, hugging his son, who had taken off the helmet. "You know Sokka, you should be more careful with that guard outfit on. I almost punched you in the gut."

"Yeah, I ran into that problem earlier," his son admitted sheepishly.

"AARGH!" Naruto screamed. "That hurts!" He was laying on his slab of a bed, hoping the metal would help cool his back, even if a little. But it didn't, leaving him in a lot of pain.

"Well, of course it's going to hurt," the Kyūbi said. "You were whipped on your back with fire. Be glad I began helping your healing rate right after the whipping."

"Well, it still hurts."

"I just dulled the pain, I didn't kill it completely. I think we both know you would rather deal with the dull pain rather than the full amount."

He didn't say anything, preferring to lay on his back. When he heard the door opening, he turned his eyes onto it. "What have I done now? Did I fart in the warden's general direction and he didn't like it?" he asked the guard. The guard didn't say anything. He just stood at the door, looking at him. "Please tell me they did not send a mute guard here to annoy me." Again, the guard didn't say anything. He walked over to the bedding and knelt beside it. Then, to his surprise, the guard kissed him fiercely on the lips. He then realized that this he was a she. And he knew this particular she, which was why after a stunned moment, he returned the kiss. "Hello, Azula," he greeted her after they broke away.

"How could you tell?" she asked.

"You were the one who kissed me," he told her pointedly with a weak smile. "I don't think I could forget those lips."

The warden stood in front of a door. Opening it, he walked into the room. Chit Sang was bound to a chair. "Are you comfortable, Chit Sang?" he asked the prisoner.

"If you're trying to get me to talk, forget it!" Chit Sang told him hotly. "I'm not a squealer!"

He walked past the chair. "Chit Sang, I only ask you if you were comfortable."

"Well, yeah, actually I am pretty comfortable." That got him kicked to the ground.

"Are you still comfortable?" the warden asked him.

"No."

"I know you and your cronies are not smart enough to come up with that little escape plan. So you're going to tell me who is." He walked out of the cell, leaving Chit Sang alone with two guards.

"So, where's Bato?" Sokka asked his father as he doubled checked the silt in the door, making sure they were alone. "Where's everyone else from the invasion?"

"The others are being held at a prison near the Fire Nation palace," Hakoda told him as he sat down against the wall. "They singled me out as their leader and sent me here. But before I left, I met some young women who said they knew you, the…Oshinama Fighters?"

"You mean the Kyoshi Warriors?" he asked for clarification.

"That's right."

He brightened up when he heard that. "Their leader Suki is here and she's gonna escape with us."

"Good, we'll need all the help we can get."

"And you know Prince Zuko and Princess Azula?"

"The son and daughter of the Fire Lord? I don't know them, but I know of them."

"Well, they're here too."

"Sounds like two major problems," his father commented.

"Actually, they're on our side now." Hakoda looked at his son with a raised eyebrow. "I kinda had the same reaction. After all they did, I knew it would be hard to trust them, but I gave them the benefit of doubt. And I was right. They've proven themselves and I never would've found you without their help." His explanation earned him a nod from his father.

"So, do you have a plan?"

"We had one, but some of the other prisoners got involved and ruined it. I don't know if there's another way off this island."

"Sokka, there's no prison in the world that can hold two Water Tribe geniuses," he told his son, patting his back.

"Then we better find two." His dad laughed and he gave a nervous chuckle. "We might get lucky, if Azula pulls through," he remarked.

"What do you mean?"

"Do you remember the prisoner you saw when you came in?"

His face turned grim. "Unfortunately, yes, I do." What he saw, he would never wish on anyone. There were less cruel ways to punish someone.

"Azula came with us to break him out. With any luck, she's in his cell right now, talking to him."

Azula could not help but wince as she saw Naruto move slowly back into the bedding after their brief reunion. She could still smell the burnt odor, courtesy of the warden's punishment. "You know, I was expecting you guys a few days later," Naruto admitted.

"What?" she said. She was sitting on the floor and holding his hand. She was a little afraid to hold anything else, as it might send him into more waves of pain. "You've just been fire whipped, and you can still make a joke?"

"Not joking. Why do you think I had Ozai send me here? I knew that Sokka would come here looking for his dad."

"And how would you know that?"

He smiled. "You'd be surprised at how much reports I used to receive from Admiral Chan, especially involving Water Tribe raiders, before all of this happened. He mentioned two of the Water Tribe leaders, Hakoda and Bato, and how their latest invention forced the crew of one ship to leave, due to the stench that entered it. Anyways, one of my last orders was to have him be sent here. That's why I expected you guys a few days later. You would've been able to get all of us out at the same time." He let out a soft groan as he involuntarily let himself feel the pain. "I just wasn't expecting the whipping."

She looked at him intently. "Naruto, you shouldn't be able to talk, much less complain about it." If anything, he should've been restrained to prevent himself from writhing in agony and cause more pain.

"Ah, it's okay. I heal quickly."

"No one heals that quickly!" she protested.

"I do."

She sighed. "This is one of your secrets, isn't it?" He just nodded his agreement. "You're going to have tell me them someday."

"Maybe, but it's not today." His answer made her groan and take off her helmet. "…I guess I didn't imagine you cutting your hair." He reached and brushed his fingers across the edges of her hair. "I kinda like it."

"Naruto, about that night—" she began to say.

"I'm sorry," he told her, stopping her before she could continue.

That caught her by surprise. "What?"

"I said I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that to you."

"You don't need to apologize, it was my fault."

"No, it wasn't. It was mine. I could tell you that I did to keep you safe, but that's not the entire truth."

"Then what is?"

"I was scared," he admitted.

If she had heard before surprised her, this one stunned her. "You…were scared?"

He nodded. "I was scared of you rejecting me." That had been one of the many thoughts raging through his mind that night, but it was one of the foremost ones.

"I would have never had done that!"

"But I didn't know that. All I had were my past experiences and they're not something I like to remember. Three years ago, there was this girl I liked." He gave a bitter chuckle. "Like is probably too easy a word. I had a huge crush on her. But she thought I was an idiot and kept hitting me every time I came near her."

"Who was it?" she demanded in a growl.

"Relax, you haven't met her." He chuckled, which turned into a hiss of pain. "You know the funny thing? I kept coming back and she still kept punching my lights out. That and she had eyes for someone else. When I came here, I had brought the memories of her rejections with me. So I was afraid that you would reject me."

"But I didn't."

"And I'm glad. Because I love you too," he told her, looking straight into her eyes. "I have never met a woman who can keep me on my toes as much as you."

"And I don't know anyone else who can be as irritating as you," she replied with a mock scowl. He laughed, and then rose his head up to kiss her. She didn't resist.

Sokka walked through the ground level of the prison, making sure he was alone. He approached one cell and lifted his visor. "Zuko, are you there?" he asked.

"I'm here," Zuko answered from inside the cell, his eyes appearing through the slit.

"I just got done talking to my dad. We came up with an escape plan together."

"What are you doing here?" a voice from behind the disguised Tribesman asked. Turning around (and lowering his visor), he saw two guards standing on the staircase.

"I was just telling this dirty lowlife what I think of him!" he answered, trying to sound gruff.

"Well, you'll have to do that later. He's coming with us."

"Why?"

"Because we have orders straight from the warden, that's why!" the second guard told him, sounding a little annoyed.

"Could I just get ten more seconds to rough him up a bit?" he asked, punching his own fist to emphasize his point.

"Fine, ten seconds." He walked into the cell and closed the door.

"Take that…and this!" they heard him shout, the sounds of punching filling the air and Zuko grunting.

"Newbie," the first guard remarked.

Inside the cell, Zuko was holding his bedding in front of him, while Sokka punched it. "We have a new plan, but it's gonna need a big distraction," Sokka whispered as he punched the bedding. "Be in the yard in one hour." They heard the cell door opening, so he grabbed Zuko and tried to strangle him.

"All right, that's enough," the first guard said, separating the two. They grabbed Zuko and led him out of the cell.

"What are you doing? Where are you taking me?" he asked them. They brought him to another cell, which only had a chair, and tossed him in. "I didn't do anything wrong!"

"Come on, Zuko," familiar voice told him. "We all know that's a lie."

"Mai!" he said in shock as he saw his ex-girlfriend in the corner of the room. However, his mind only had one thought. "Oh shit."

Sokka went to the lounge and sat at a table. A few minutes later, Azula sat down across from him. "Any luck?" he asked her.

"I found him," she answered. "He actually expected us a few days later."

"…I don't know whether I should be surprised about that kind of stuff anymore or not." It seemed like the blonde knew him better then he knew himself.

"Just take it in stride, that's what I do."

"Can you get him into the yard in one hour?"

"Yes."

"Good to know." He got up from the table and walked away.

The warden walked back to the room where Chit Sang was and opened the door. "How is he?" he asked.

The two guards were holding the chair, with Chit Sang in it, upside down, making all the blood rush to his head. "I think he's ready to talk," one of the guards said. They slammed the chair down into its upright position. As the blood left his head, Chit Sang started gasping to get his breath back, sweating all the while.

The warden walked up behind him. "Have you had enough time to think about what I asked?" he asked him.

"Yes," Chit Sang answered.

"And…?"

"You're right, there was another person involved in the escape plan."

"Who?"

"It's a guy disguised as a prison guard. Only he's not a prison guard. He's the mastermind. He came up with the plan," he explained. The warden patted his head and walked out of the room, satisfied with what he heard.

"How did you know I was here?" Zuko asked Mai as he sat in the chair, his shoulders set in a slump. He just knew this wasn't going to be a pleasant conversation.

"Because I know you so well," she answered, leaning against the wall.

"But…how…?"

"The warden's my uncle, you idiot. The truth is, I guess I don't know you." She showed him the letter that he had left her. "All I get is a letter? You could've at least looked me in the eye when you ripped out my heart."

"I didn't mean to—"

"You didn't mean to?! 'Dear Mai, I'm sorry that you have to find out this way, but I'm leaving,'" she read the letter to him.

"Stop!" he told her. "This isn't about you. This is about the Fire Nation!"

"Thanks Zuko, that makes me feel all better." She threw the letter at him, hitting him in the head.

"Mai, I never wanted to hurt you," he told her, getting out of the chair and facing her. "I'm sure Azula didn't either, but we have to do this to save our country."

"Save it? You two are betraying your country!"

"That's not how I see it."

"Do the two of you not realize what you did to me and Ty Lee?" she asked him. "Because of you, we were forced to practically become Yāo Jing's slaves. We can't do anything against her because our families will get hurt. She's beaten Ty Lee half to death on more than one occasion!"

"What?" he asked, his face showing his shock. "I'm sorry, I didn't know."

"Of course you didn't, you and Azula were too busy being traitors," Mai said scathingly.

Suki went through her forms, practicing her moves. It was the only way she could stay fit and keep herself ready. She had lifted her foot into a kick when the door opened and Sokka came in. "Sokka, what's going on?" she asked.

"I don't have much time," he told her as he kept an eye out through the slit on the door. "If I'm seen with you the guards might think something's up. I just talked to my dad."

"That's great."

"Yeah, and we're escaping today, on the gondola."

"What?"

"My dad and I came up with the plan together. We're gonna commandeer the gondola and we're gonna take a hostage with us so they won't cut the lines." He explained to her.

"We'll never make to the gondola," she protested. "There are too many guards."

"My dad already thought of that. He said we'll need a distraction. That's why we're going to start a prison riot."

"Okay, let's say by some miracle this all works and we make it onto the gondola. The warden will still just cut the lines, even if we have a captive," she reminded him.

"Not if the warden is the captive." They both heard a guard coming. "I have to go," he told her. She gave him a quick hug. "I'll find you before we start the riot." He snuck out of the cell and started to walk away.

"Hey, you," a guard behind him called out. "The warden wants to see you."

He turned around and saw the two guards. "Why?" he asked.

"I don't know, I didn't ask."

"Maybe I can schedule another time with him? How's tomorrow?" he asked as he tried to walk away, but two different guards grabbed him.

"He wants to see you…now." They took him up onto the gondola platform. Other guards were waiting in a line there.

"Put him in the line-up," the warden ordered. The guards did as they were told. "One of you is an imposter who thought could fool me," he told the line. "But now…that person is going to be in a lot of trouble." A pair of guards brought Chit Sang forward. "Who is it?"

Chit Sang looked at the line of guards. The silence was making Sokka nervous. He tried to remain calm but sweat was coming off his brow. "That's him, warden," Chit Sang finally spoke, pointing at the guard who tried to harass him. "He's the imposter!"

"What? I am not!" the guard said. The warden just gave an evil smile and walked away. "He's lying! He's a liar!" the guard shouted as he was dragged away. Chit Sang just turned his gaze onto Sokka, who breathed a sigh of relief.

The warden stood in front of the traitor guard, who was strapped to the same chair Chit Sang was. "I'm telling you…it wasn't me." the guard protested.

"Save your breath!" he told him as he walked up to him and got in his face. "I know you two were working together. You threw Chit Sang in the very cooler they used to escape. It was all part of your plan."

"That was just a coincidence!"

The door opened and someone walked in. "Sir, there's someone to see you," one of the guards told him.

"Who told you to interrupt me?!" he demanded, whirling around to look at the door. Stunned to see who it was, he and the two guards (who weren't traitors) hit the floor and bowed their heads.

"I did," Yāo Jing said, standing at the door. Ty Lee stood behind, looking uncomfortable. If one were to look closely at the acrobat, they could see the remains of bruising on her face.

"Princess Yāo Jing," the warden greeted her. "I…It is an honor to welcome you to the Fire Nation's most exemplary prison." He stood up. "I didn't realize you were coming."

"Who is this?" she asked, looking at the traitor guard.

"He was a guard who was involved in a recent and feeble escape attempt."

"It wasn't me!" the guard protested.

"Quiet, you!" ordered the warden.

"You're wasting your time," Yāo Jing told him, turning around and walking away. "That's not one of them."

"How do you know?"

"Because I'm a people person," she answered. She walked out of the cell and then through the prison.

"You know, he might actually be the traitor," Ty Lee said as she walked behind the new princess of the Fire Nation.

She whirled around and slapped her hard across the face, sending her to the ground. "Did I tell you to talk?"

"No, I was just offering my opinion," she said as she tried to stand up. She was slapped again and fell to the floor.

"Did I want your opinion?"

"No, I'm sorry," the acrobat offered. There were tears forming in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. Yāo Jing said nothing in reply. She just turned around and kept walking.

Sokka walked into the control room for the cell doors, beginning the plan. "Hey, I just got orders," he told the guard in charge of the controls. "Let the prisoners out into the yard."

"But we're in the middle of lockdown," the guard protested.

"Oh, okay, I'll just go tell the warden you said that." He started to walk away, making the guard nervous. "I'm sure he'll be glad to hear you undermining his authority. What was your name again?" he asked the guard.

"Wait, don't tell the warden," the guard pleaded. "I'm just a little confused."

"Hey, I'm confused too. But the warden's in a bad mood and…irrational. So if you ask me, it's best not to question it and just do what he says."

"Yeah…you're right." He took hold of the controls. "We're letting them out!" he announced, pulling the controls down and opening the cells.

Naruto heard the cell door open. "There we are," he thought as he stood up from the bed. The pain had dulled enough that he could walk, if he forced himself (and he had to force himself). He walked out of the cell, stumbling a little bit.

Azula was waiting for him outside the cell. She caught him as he almost fell. "Do you need some help?" she asked him.

"Yeah, I do. I might heal fast, but the pain is still there." She took his hand, put it around her shoulder and helped him walked out into the yard. Her eyes scanned the walled interior.

It didn't take long to find Sokka. He was already with his father and the Kyoshi Warrior. "Where are Azula and Naruto?" Sokka asked, looking around.

"Right here," she said, walking up to them with Naruto. If the yard wasn't full of prisoners, the sight of a guard helping a prisoner walk would've looked a little odd.

"Hey, Sokka," Naruto greeted the Tribesman. "It's been a while. And you must be his father," he said, turning to Hakoda. "You did a hell of a job raising him, a hell of a job."

"Um…thank you," Hakoda replied. He was a little unsure how to talk to a man who he had never met before and yet, still had been his enemy. That is, until they both ended up here.

"And you must be Suki, the Paragon of the Earth Kingdom. I'm sorry we're meeting in a place like this," the blonde apologized.

"How do you know I'm a Paragon?" she asked, surprised.

"I read the report Azula had written about capturing you and I saw the part about how the leader was wearing a Paragon Medallion. Out of curiosity, do you still have it?"

"Yes I do, but it wasn't easy," she answered with a small blush on her cheeks.

"Oh." He realized what the blush meant. "Then I won't ask how you did it."

"Thank you." No one needed to know how she did it. Quite frankly, she was still embarrassed to have done it.

"Hey, Naruto, is the Paragon of the Air Nomads still alive?" Sokka asked him curiously.

"Yes, she is. But the only time you'll meet her when she feels like it or if I call in a favor. But back to more important issues, you're going to break us out, right?" Sokka nodded. "Alright, but I won't be a lot of help."

"What? Why not?" he asked. He would've thought the Paragon of the Fire Nation would've helped out in any way he could to get out.

"You saw the whipping I got this morning. I heal quickly, but right now, it's taking all of my willpower not to cruel up and whimper like a baby from the dull throb of pain I have."

"…You're not kidding, are you?" The man looked fine to him. But if he were to look a little closer, he could see that the blonde's whole body was trying hard to visibly tremble.

He shook his head. "Plus I like being held by a beautiful lady." Azula blushed when she heard that comment. She hadn't been called a beautiful lady often (and meant it).

Sokka felt a hand grab his shoulder. "Hey you!" Chit Sang said as he stood behind him. "You're lucky I didn't rat you out. But my generosity comes with a price. I know you're planning another escape attempt, and I want in."

"Actually, we're trying to escape right now," the Tribesman told him. "But we need a riot. You wouldn't happen to know how to start one, would you?"

"A prison riot? Please." He walked to another prisoner, grabbed him, and lifted him up onto his shoulders. Naruto brought his fingers to his lips and blew a loud piercing whistle, getting every prisoners attention. "Hey!" called out Chit Sang, holding the prisoner high. "RIOT!"

That set everyone off. Fists were flying and so was the fire. "Impressive," Hakoda admitted.

Meanwhile, the warden was standing at the railing, watching the riot go. "Who let these prisoners into the yard!?" he demanded. "This is supposed to be a lockdown!" The guard who did open the cells heard and decided to become one with the wall behind him. He also decided to not be near the warden.

"Ma'am, there's a riot going on!" A guard told Mai as he stood in front of the door. "I'm here to protect you."

"I don't need any protection," she replied.

"Believe me, she doesn't," Zuko assured the guard. He couldn't have tried to hide the pride in his voice if he tried.

"I'm sorry, but I'm under direct orders from your uncle to make sure nothing happens," the guard said. At that point, something happened. Zuko bent fire at the guard's feet and when he backed away, he ran for the door.

"Get off of me!" Mai told the guard as he stood in front of her, tossing him off. She ran for the door, but he had slammed it shut and locked it. They looked at each other through the slit in the door before he turned away and ran into the yard.

"Hey Zuko, how have you been?" Naruto asked nonchalantly.

He threw a guard that tried to grab him into the ground. "I've been decent," he answered with the same nonchalance.

"Good, we're all here," Sokka said. "Now all we need to do is grab the warden and get to the gondolas!"

"And how do we do that?" the Scarred Dragon asked him.

"…I'm not sure."

"Please tell me he's kidding. Please tell he's kidding!" the Kyūbi begged from within Naruto's mind.

"I don't think he is," Naruto replied. "Besides, there's nothing wrong with a little bit of improvisation."

"In case you forgot. It's usually when you improvise that things go to whack!"

"But that's when I'm improvising," he challenged. "This is somebody else improvising." Although, he was willing to admit he didn't improvise as much as he used to these days.

"I thought you thought this through!" Zuko told Sokka.

"I thought you told me it's okay not to think everything through!" Sokka replied, his voice reaching a higher octave.

"Maybe not everything, but this is kinda important!" He rubbed his forehead.

"You know, it's pretty funny when it's not me," Naruto silently commented.

"I know," the fox replied. "And I get a front row seat with you.

"…Shut up."

"Hey, uh, fellas," Chit Sang said, getting everyone's attention. "I think your girlfriend's taking care of it." They looked in the same direction he was looking.

Suki was charging towards the masses, but instead of pushing herself through, she decided to run across both guards' and prisoners' heads. Not only did she get the scenic route, she was able to get to the tower much more quickly. She quickly climbed the side of the tower and leapt away from it, her feet somehow grabbing a pipe. She swung herself up onto the railing.

She quickly and expertly knocked aside two guards before leaping at the wall and scaling it. Jumping onto the level as the warden, she kicked the feet from underneath a guard and grabbed the warden, stopping him and holding her other hand in a fist. "You wouldn't dare," the warden said. She swung his arm around to his back, grabbed the other one and tied them together. She also grabbed his headpiece, turned around and used it as a gag.

"Sorry, warden," she told him. "You're my prisoner now." She slammed him against the wall just as the others joined her. "We've got the warden!" she announced. "Now let's get out of here!"

"That's some girl," Hakoda commented as they got their breathing back.

"Tell me about it," Sokka replied.

"Can we do this later, people?" Azula asked. "We are on a schedule here."

"She's right," Zuko agreed. "Let's get moving!" They ran up the tower until they reached the top. From there, they made their way to the gondola platform.

"We're almost there!" Suki announced.

"We noticed," Azula replied sarcastically.

"Azula, be nice," Naruto told her. The nearby guards saw them and bent fireballs at them. Zuko pushed Sokka aside and essentially swatted the fireballs away. More guards arrived to help.

"Back off!" the exiled prince ordered. "We have the warden!" The guards saw the warden on Chit Sang and stepped aside. "Let's go!" They walked quickly but carefully past the guards. Once they were safely past, they ran to the gondola car

"Everyone in!" ordered Suki as she opened the door. Everyone got in. Azula laid Naruto against the side of the car. Zuko pushed the handle down, starting up the gondola. Once he was sure that it was moving, he kicked the handle a few times, trying to break it. Seeing that the guards were coming, he gave it one final kick, which broke it. He ran to the gondola and made a running leap for it. Sokka held his hand and he grabbed it.

"What are you doing?" Sokka asked him as he pulled him into the car.

"I'm making it so they can't stop us," he answered.

"Way to think ahead."

"We are on our way," Suki announced.

Hakoda was keeping an eye out the window. "Wait," he said, getting their attention. "What's that?" He pointed at what he was talking about. Both Azula and Zuko looked at what he was pointing.

"That's a problem," Zuko stated. Standing on the platform, with the guards bowing to her, was Yāo Jing and Ty Lee.

"It's our half-sister, and…Ty Lee?" Azula explained, confused at what her friend was doing there.

"She's not here willingly, Azula," he reassured her.

But before she could ask what he meant, they saw movement. Yāo Jing had grabbed a pair of handcuffs off one of the guards. While Ty Lee leapt up onto the line and ran across it like a tightrope, she used her Firebending to boost her up to the line. She attached the handcuffs to the line and used her Firebending to move forward.

"This is a rematch I've been waiting for," Suki declared as she watched Ty Lee get closer. The acrobat had taken her and the rest of the Kyoshi Warriors down within a matter of minutes, giggling and smiling while she did it.

"Suki, wait," Zuko said to her. "Don't try to beat her, try to force her into the car."

"What?" She couldn't believe what she had just heard come out of his mouth.

"We need to get her away from Yāo Jing. Once that happens, she'll be safe."

"I'll help," Azula said. Both she and Suki climbed on top of the car. Sokka and Zuko joined them with the Tribesman drawing his jian. As the two approached the car, Ty Lee leapt to the front, facing Azula and Suki.

"Ty Lee, we can help you," Azula told her. The acrobat said nothing in return. She just looked back at Yāo Jing once and then started attacking. Meanwhile, Yāo Jing landed in front of Zuko and Sokka. She took her stance and swept a low wall of fire at the two. Zuko broke it his own Firebending.

Ty Lee attacked both Suki and Azula. Suki block her strikes while Azula tried to stop the acrobat from attacking. She dodged both of them by jumping to the edge and swung through the car, to the other side before anyone could stop her. She leapt back onto the top and continued to fight. "Ty Lee, please stop!" Azula begged. "We want to get you away from Yāo Jing." She didn't listen.

Meanwhile, Zuko and Sokka were fighting in tandem against Yāo Jing. She would bend fire at them, which Zuko would block and Sokka would move in to swing his jian at her. At one point, they forced her off the top of the car, but she had grabbed the edge and swung back up with a backflip, shooting fire from her feet, which all parties dodged.

In the car, the warden was trying to free himself from his bonds. "There's the warden!" a guard with a telescope announced. "I see him!"

He finally got free from his bonds and ran towards the window. "Cut the line!" he shouted, undoing his gag. Chit Sang pulled him back in but the damage had already been done.

"He wants us to cut the line," the guard told the others.

"But if we cut the line, there's no way he'll survive!" a second guard protested.

"He knows that."

They jammed the cable wheel, suddenly stopping the gondola, making it shake. Ty Lee lost her footing and slid down to where Yāo Jing was standing. It looked like she was about to go over the edge when Yāo Jing stopped her by putting her foot on her back. Sokka slid towards the edge and would've fallen off had Zuko not grabbed his hand and pulled him back up.

Yāo Jing looked at the gondola station and saw two of the guards trying to saw through the line. "It's seems they're cutting the line," she noted. She also saw the other gondola coming down, the car filled with guards. "Then I guess it's time to leave." She grabbed Ty Lee by the back of her shirt and, to the horror of Zuko and Azula, threw her at the other gondola.

"TY LEE!" screamed the two siblings. Thankfully, she grabbed the edge of the other car and safely climbed up to the top.

"Goodbye, Zuko, Azula," she told her half-siblings, Firebending herself over to the other car. She watched in triumph as they stood there, hanging in the air.

"They're cutting the line! The gondola's about to go!" announced Zuko as he and the others got back into the car.

"I hope this thing floats," Hakoda remarked as he looked down at the water below.

"Well, it probably can, but we still won't like the outcome," Naruto said in reply.

"You're not helping, Naruto," Sokka told him.

Meanwhile, the guards kept sawing away at the line. They were about to cut through it when they were suddenly pinned against the wall behind them with knives. "What are you doing?" one of the guards demanded.

"Saving my friends and the jerk who dumped me," Mai answered. The two other guards tried to attack her. She pinned one to the wall as well while sliding behind the cable wheel for from the second blast of fire sent at her. She saw two more guards coming at her, who she took care of with her knives and saw the other guard, who had two more with, charging directly towards her.

She grabbed the first and threw knives at the other two, who went flying and knocked one of the jammers out of the cable wheel. She then pinned the first one to the ground with a knife. She knocked the second jammer out of the cable wheel, allowing the line to keep moving and the gondola moving as well.

"Who is that?" Sokka asked as everyone (with the exception of Naruto and Azula) looked out the window.

"It's Mai!" Zuko answered, shocked.

"What?" Azula asked, coming to the window. Sure enough, she saw her friend standing in the middle of beaten soldiers.

Yāo Jing saw the same thing and was furious. "What is she doing!?" she demanded. Ty Lee said nothing to answer her.

The gondola docked at the station on the rim of the volcano. The doors opened and everyone got out. Hakoda noticed that Chit Sang was still holding the warden. He pointed to the car and the warden was thrown in. "Sorry, warden," he said with zero sympathy. "Your record is officially broken."

"I want to kill him," Azula growled, glaring at the warden. He had a frightened look when he heard that. The glare certainly added to it.

"Azula, his pride has been damaged," Naruto told her, gently but firmly. "For men like him, that's enough."

"Be glad, be very glad," she snarled at the warden before she helped Naruto walk away.

"Well, we made it out. Now what?" Suki asked Sokka as they went over the edge of the rim.

He was going to answer when he saw that Zuko had stopped. "Zuko, what are you doing?" he asked.

"Yāo Jing was on that island," he stated.

"Yeah, and she's probably right behind us, so let's not stop!"

"What I mean is she must've come here somehow." He ran to the edge of the rim and looked down. "There! That's our way out of here!" he announced as he pointed down to the airship docked below.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but thank you, Yāo Jing," Azula said.

Yāo Jing stood across from Mai, who was being held by two guards. The latter could not help but glare at the woman that she and Ty Lee were forced to serve, but while her short-lived attempt at defying her would have ended badly for her, at least she was able to save her former friend and boyfriend in the process.

"Leave us," she ordered the guards. They saluted and left, leaving Mai with her and Ty Lee, who didn't say a word. "I thought you would never do this kind of thing," she told Mai. "So why would you? You know what will happen."

"I guess you just don't know people as well as you think you do," Mai answered. "You miscalculated. I value my friendship with Azula and I love Zuko more than I fear you."

"No, you miscalculated! You should've feared me more!" she yelled in a rage. Mai readied a knife and she was about to bend fire when both of them got a surprise.

Ty Lee turned on Yāo Jing and blocked her chi, making her fall to the ground. "That was for all you put me through, you BITCH!" she shouted, giving her a vicious kick in the stomach. She walked over to Mai, who still had a stunned expression on her face. "What? You thought I was going to all of that lying down?" the acrobat asked her.

"Apparently not," she answered.

"Come on. Let's get out of here." They tried to run away, but were immediately surrounded by guards.

"You're both fools!" Yāo Jing declared as the guards helped her up.

"What shall we do with them, Princess?" a guard asked her.

"Put them somewhere I'll never have to see their faces again and let them rot!" she ordered.

(Location: Western Air Temple)

They had docked the airship right next to the temple, surprising the people there. "What are you doing in this thing?" Katara asked Sokka as he and Zuko got off. "What happened to the war balloon?"

"It kind of got destroyed," Zuko answered.

"Sounds like a crazy fishing trip," Aang said.

"Did you at least get some good meat?" Toph asked.

"I did. The best meat of all, the meat of friendship and fatherhood," Sokka answered. Suki, Hakoda and Chit Sang stepped out of the airship.

"I'm new. What's up everybody?" Chit Sang asked, waving his hand. However, Katara wasn't focusing on him.

"Dad," she said, almost like she couldn't believe it. But he was right there.

"Hi, Katara," he greeted her, giving her a hug.

"How are you here? What is going on? Where did you go?" she asked that last question to Sokka.

"We…kinda went to a Fire Nation prison," he answered. Hakoda just pulled him into the hug.

"Seriously, you guys didn't find any meat?" Toph asked.

"That's what your concern is?" Naruto's voice came out of the airship, surprising everyone who hadn't gone to the prison. "How did you people manage to make it this far?" he asked as he and Azula walked off the airship. During the ride on the airship, the pain had been whittled away by the Kyūbi. It had been whittled to the point where he didn't help walking around (much to both his and Azula's disappointment).

"You?" Aang and Katara shouted in surprise.

"Me," he answered with a annoyed look.

"What are you doing here?" Aang asked him. Of all things he had expected, seeing the blonde before them was not one of them.

"Well, somebody has to keep an eye on these two so they won't do something stupid." He looked at Zuko and Azula. "And I get the feeling that you would actually encourage it." He looked at Aang.

"You brought him here!?" Katara demanded of Sokka, Zuko, and Azula.

"He is the reason I went," Azula retorted.

"Don't even start, you two!" the blonde barked when he saw they were about to fight. They heard the command in his voice and stopped. He looked over at Zuko, who had a downcast expression on his face. "What's the matter, Zuko?"

"I've put Mai and Ty Lee's families in danger," the Scarred Dragon answered.

"What do you mean?" Azula asked her brother.

"Mai told me that if she or Ty Lee tried to do anything against Yāo Jing, they're families would be harmed."

"Oh, don't worry. I'm sure Yāo Jing will be very disappointed when she sends for them," Naruto said, making everyone look at him.

"What did you do?" Azula asked. That comment alone meant he had done something.

"Nothing much, really." He shrugged. "I just made sure that soldiers who had served with or under me took Ty Lee and Mai's families into hiding when the two of them would try to either escape or attack Yāo Jing."

"When did you give that order?" Sokka asked.

"Just before the invasion."

Everyone looked at him with surprise. "Just take it in stride," Azula told them. "Take it in stride."

"Well, now that I'm out, I can finally get rid of this." He rolled up his left sleeve, revealing a tattoo, which was the kanji for storage. He placed his fingers on it and channeled his chakra into it, muttering a quick "Kai."

He got a small cloud of smoke and when that dissipated, he was holding a spare jian, his Paragon Medallion, and the story he was working on. "What?" he asked as everyone was looking at him. "I only had time to seal the bare essentials." He put the Medallion around in his neck, slung his jian across his shoulders in its usual manner and put the book away in a nearby bag.

"What's the book for?" Aang asked, curious about it.

"Story I've been working on," he answered shortly.

"Any chance of reading it?" asked Suki.

"Maybe when I finish writing it."

"So…you're really on our side now?" Katara asked a bit hesitantly.

He looked at her for a minute in silence and then looked at everyone else. "Alright, everybody, listen up," he told them. "I am joining this little team of yours, but it's not because I feel like it. This war has gone on long enough. The Fire Nation has done terrible things, I will admit that. However, it is not the Fire Nation's fault. The fault belongs with the Royal Flaming Asshole. If we want this to end, we have to take him out and apparently, only one person can do that." He looked directly at Aang, making the Airbender feel nervous. "People may think you're the solution to their problems. Quite frankly, all I see is an idiot. But if helping you will end this war, I'll put Ozai on his knees in front of you."

He tried to calm down, taking a deep breath. "Thank you, Naruto. We'll be glad to have you on the team."

"Good to know." He turned his attention to the rest of the group. "Now there's just one more question I need to ask."

"What's that?" Sokka asked.

He turned back to the airship. "What the hell are we going to do with this?"

End

Author's note: Thank you for all the reviews you've sent me.

Naruto has confessed to Azula. That means there will be no more avoiding eye contact and being hesitant in admitting feelings. However, if you're expecting him to tell her what happened in his past right off the bat, too bad.

For those of you who are wondering who the Air Nomad Paragon is, you will see her when you see her. No sooner and no later.

There were a few of you who'll be disappointed that I didn't have the group rescue Mai or Ty Lee. As I said before, it would've made the story more complicated than it needs to be. Besides, if Ty Lee wasn't thrown into prison, how else would her vision in the swamp come true?

I'm probably going to make a few people unhappy with what I'm going to say next, but I'll say it anyway. I am not going to write the Ember Island Players. I hate that episode. I never saw the point of it, except for the writers to have a little fun. Oh sure, there were emotional scenes thrown in there, but it was mostly about the play. And I am not going to degrade the characters I have put into this story like that, it's just not going to happen. You don't like? Tough shit, you'll get over it.

I'll see you all next chapter!