The door slammed shut, condemning me to the darkness once more. As it turned out, 'solitary confinement' meant that I was hanging from the ceiling by the manacles around my wrists, which dug into my skin constantly, as well as manacles wrapped around my bare ankles. The entire cell was sealed air-tight, which meant that nothing, neither sound nor air, got in or out. As I hung there, the only sense left to me was feeling, and the biting pain of the manacles around my wrists were oddly reassuring, as they constantly reminded me that I wasn't lost in oblivion.
Not even sure if I was still breathing, as I couldn't hear the sound, or if my eyes were even open, I reflected on Azula's visit just now. I had been both surprised and afraid upon seeing her half-burned face, but the encounter wasn't as unpleasant as I had feared.
Something had been wrong with her; she tried to maintain her usual self-assured persona, putting me down with every glance and word, but there was something else. I knew her well enough to know when she was unsettled, and I guessed that it had to do with Shan We. He would have pushed past the extraordinary pain he must be suffering in order to defy Azula, mocking her with his stoic demeanor and calm and collected persona, which must have been why the Fire Nation Princess hadn't been her usual self just now.
The thought of the tea-loving Firebender brought a slight ache to my heart; my mind flashed back to when we were being transported to the Boiling Rock, when he had been unconscious after the beating he had received at the hands of the Fire Lord and his psychotic daughter. I remembered seeing his broken body, covered in bruises and dried up blood. The guards wouldn't even let me crouch down so that I could tend to some of his injuries, and I had spent most of the time worrying about him. For a brief moment, I had thought that he… that he…
The thought of losing him forever brought tears to my eyes, and I felt them running down my cheeks, tickling my skin, before cascading onto the floor below.
After what seemed like an eternity, the door to my cell was finally opened, flooding the chamber with a blinding flash of light. I closed my eyes tightly, feeling a slight jolt of pain after being enveloped in darkness for so long. I heard footsteps coming towards me, and soon rough hands went to work, unshackling me from my bonds. "Come on, Earth scum" a coarse voice said from beside me as I felt the hands bringing me forward. "It's time to come out and play with your new friends".
The two guards dragged me along for a while, and I was eventually able to open my eyes after a few minutes. It was then that I realized that I was absolutely starving, having been denied food for spirits know how long.
Finally, they brought me through a door before literally throwing me outside. I landed on the ground hard, the impact jarring my sensitive muscles. Groaning lightly as I stood up, I looked and saw that I was now in some kind of prison yard, currently populated with every prisoner here. The ones closest to me turned to look, and almost all of them gave me a look that made me shiver inside.
From behind me, I heard the door opening. I turned, and gasped as I saw some guards hurling Shan We out just as unceremoniously as they did to me. He landed with a grunt, and remained on the ground for a few moments.
I crouched down beside him, and was shocked at what I saw. He was pale, paler than I had ever seen him, and his skin was icy-cold to the touch. Evidently, the 'cooler' was literally named, and the man I had grown to love had barely survived the experience, given the state he was in. I rolled him onto his side, very much aware of the stares being directed at us by several of the prisoners. His eyes were closed, but as I gently placed a hand on his cheek, he came to open them, and those familiar amber eyes stared up at me as he smiled.
"You're certainly… a sight for… sore eyes" he said, shivering as he did so. He was still suffering from the effects of the extreme cold. His expression then turned into one of fear as he placed a hand on my shoulder. "Azula… did she…?"
I shook my head in response. "She tried to act all collected and in control, but I could tell that she was unsettled. I'm assuming that that was your handiwork?"
He smirked. "I always did… have a way with words". He then chuckled, and I started to help him to stand. Judging by the grimaces as he moved, I could tell that his injuries were nowhere close to being fully healed, not unless we found a way out of this place and back to the others.
"Shan We" a gruff voice called from nearby. We both looked ahead, and saw four prisoners, three men and a woman, walking menacingly towards us. The man in front was powerfully-built, with short-cut black hair and a goatee. He didn't look at all pleasant, and as he came to stand within a few feet of us, his clenched fists were the biggest indicator.
"Ah, Chit Sang" Shan We greeted, grimacing as he supported his arm across my shoulders. "Fancy meeting you here".
"You know this guy?" I asked. I probably wasn't going to like the answer.
He nodded. "He was once a soldier under my command, along with his fellows here. I had them arrested and sent here for desertion when they abandoned their posts in the middle of the night".
"That's a lie!" Chit Sang growled. "We were falsely accused! You had us thrown into this hell, and now that you're here, we get to even the score". He said the last with a menacing smile as he and his cohorts cracked their knuckles in anticipation. Letting Shan We's arm slip off of my shoulders, I took a defiant step forward as I came to stand in between him and his former subordinates. "Get out of the way, girlie, if you know what's best for you" Chit Sang threatened as he put a hand on my shoulder.
I took a second to glance down at his calloused hand before looking up at him and retorting "Don't call me girlie". Without giving him any time to react, I jabbed him in the arm, using my Chi Blocking in order to render his arm useless. As it fell to his side, I extended my fingers and jabbed him in the throat, causing him to gag as he staggered backwards.
The other three rushed into the fray, and I let my reflexes guide me, ducking underneath a punch from Chit Sang's girlfriend as I swept her feet out from under her in the same motion. I then stood back up as I jabbed one of the other two men in the chest twice, instantly paralyzing him. As he fell helplessly to the ground, I struck the last man in the face with my foot repeatedly, bloodying his nose. I then struck him in the chest with a spinning kick, knocking him to the ground.
Once it was all said and done, I was the last one standing, with Chit Sang and his posse writhing on the ground. I blew an errant strand of hair out of my eye before turning to look back at Shan We, who smirked at my little display. With all of the training I had received from Suki, Ty Lee, and Master Piandao, I had become a formidable fighter. I was no longer the scared young woman I had been before Shan We had taken me.
"Prisoners, back into your cells!" a guard shouted from nearby, and the two of us proceeded to make our way back into the prison.
This time, I was led into a normal cell, complete with a single bunk and no windows. The door slammed shut, and I allowed myself to exhale. Now that my introductions were all over, I would have at least some time to heal, since the Warden and Azula were done torturing me, at least for now.
I walked over to the bunk, gingerly laying down and closing my eyes. Right now, rest was the best thing for me, and I intended to give myself enough time to heal so that I would be back in fighting shape.
I was awoken some time later by a guard banging his baton on my door as he slid a tray containing a bowl of rice through a slat on the bottom. Walking over to my lunch, I sat down cross-legged on the floor and, leaving modesty behind me, proceeded to shovel the rice into my mouth with my hand. I had not been provided with chopsticks, so this was the only alternative. Though the uncooked rice made for a poor meal, it was at least something, and I had to keep my strength up.
Noticing something out of the corner of my eye, I stopped eating. Looking down at my tray, I saw a tiny slip of parchment where the bowl had previously been. Setting it down, I picked up the parchment and unfolded it. It simply read: The White Lotus blooms where the Dragon's son fell, before the Dragonbane's flaming eye returns.
I set the parchment down, staring at the wall as my brow furrowed in thought. The message was clear enough: the Order of the White Lotus had been called together at Ba Sing Se, where Iroh had broken through the wall before his son had been slain. Only a Grandmaster of the Order could call together such a gathering, and though I had been a member for over a decade, I had only been to two official meetings, and Iroh was the only Grandmaster that I knew of. The thought of him calling this summons brought a smile to my lips, as he must have somehow broken himself out of prison during The Day of Black Sun.
The second part of the message was a little more unclear, but after some thought, I realized what it meant. Fire Lord Sozin had been the instigator of the near-extinction of the Dragons, so he was the 'Dragonbane', and his 'flaming eye' must have been Sozin's Comet. I realized that Iroh intended to marshal the Order's might in an effort to stop Fire Lord Ozai before Sozin's Comet could help him do irreparable damage.
This knowledge was of the utmost importance, but it was useless to me while I was stuck in this prison. I knew where the Order of the White Lotus was meeting, but I first had to escape, and that was a task that even a Dragon would blanch away from.
The following day, we were all ushered out into the yard for our mid-day exercise. I met up with Takara, and together, we made our way over to a rock where we sat down. Many of the prisoners shied away from her as we walked by, and it appeared as if yesterday's little fight had earned her quite the reputation.
I told her about the message I had received, and what its meaning was. She understood its importance, as well as the importance of us escaping from the Boiling Rock. Just as we were about to strategize on our escape, a voice said from behind us "Hey, you're sitting in my spot".
The colour instantly drained out of Takara's face, and she was as stiff as a mountain as we stood and turned to look at who had spoken. The prisoner stood with her arms crossed, bearing a tough persona that made me a little cautious. She couldn't have been more than sixteen years old, which made her stand out from most of the prisoners here. The girl looked at Takara, and upon seeing her, said breathlessly "Takara?" She then looked at me, and her expression became decidedly more hostile. "You!"
It was then that I recognized her from her voice: the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors from Takara's village. Suki, I thought her name was. She certainly had a warrior's bearing as she aimed a spinning kick to the side of my head. Allowing my reflexes to take over, I caught her ankle with my hand, stopping her foot mere inches before it struck my head. "Let's not lose our heads, shall we?" I asked evenly.
"Suki, please" Takara pleaded. "Don't fight him; he's on our side!"
"You're defending him?" the girl asked incredulously, turning to look at her former companion. "This monster threatened to burn our village to the ground before kidnapping you!" She then pushed off the ground with her other foot, jumping on top of me and manoeuvring herself so that she was on my back with her arm wrapped around my throat. Reaching behind me, I managed to grab onto her shirt before I bent down and threw her onto the ground.
"Suki, stop!" Takara said earnestly. I didn't want to fight her, but the younger Kyoshi Warrior was making that task quite difficult. Being smaller and quicker, she quickly extricated herself from my grip before getting back on her feet. Just as she made another attack, Takara stepped in between us, blocking a series of strikes. "I. Said. Stop!" she repeated tersely as she blocked Suki's arm with her own.
The younger Kyoshi Warrior glared at her, and I couldn't help but feel sorry for the woman I loved, as she was no doubt suffering while her friend hated her. She then turned to glare at me, boring deep into my soul with her defiant gaze. I returned in kind, staring unflinchingly at her with my best stoic gaze. Eventually, she relented, and Takara and I allowed ourselves to relax.
"We went looking for you" Suki told the blue and green-eyed warrior. "After you were taken, Oyaji wasn't himself. He couldn't sleep, he wouldn't eat; he was so worried for you. It got so bad that the others and I set off for the Earth Kingdom in the hopes of finding you".
"Suki, I…" Takara started to apologize, likely feeling torn in half over the state her father had been. Even though I was the direct cause of that, she still felt guilty.
"When I ran into Aang and the others on their way to Ba Sing Se, they told me that you were alive, and a prisoner of that Fire Nation Princess. I started to hope that we could find you and bring you home. We found you, all right, but instead of you rejoining us, you helped those three girls beat us and take our armour!"
"Suki, I'm so sorry!" Takara said, her face scrunched up in sadness and frustration. "I had no choice. If I didn't help Azula, then I wouldn't have been able to foil her plans later".
"You could have helped us!" Suki retorted angrily. "We could've taken them!"
"The fight was over before it began" Takara countered. "I wanted to help you and the others, spirits know I did, but it just wasn't possible without blowing my cover".
Suki snorted in derision as she crossed her arms, her thoughts on that statement clearly written on her face. "I've been stuck in this prison for weeks!"
Takara then turned and scanned the nearby area. "The others aren't with you?" she asked, her tone turning slightly disappointed.
The girl shook her head. "They separated us after we were captured". An uncomfortable silence then fell over the three of us, and I did my best to comfort Takara, placing a hand on her shoulder. She placed hers over it, silently grateful for my presence. Suki's eyes darted down to our point of contact, and her lips curled into a sneer. "Him?!" she asked incredulously. "Takara, he's a monster! He attacked us and threatened to burn down our village, took you prisoner, tried to hunt down and capture the Avatar, and Kyoshi knows what else!"
"He's not a monster" Takara quickly fired back. "He's a good man, Suki. He did all those things to please his father… but he realized that what he was doing was wrong! He's on our side".
"So I'm just supposed to believe that he's a changed man?"
I stepped forward, standing beside Takara as I replied "I don't expect you to believe anything, and quite frankly, what you believe does not concern me. I know that I've caused you and your people great distress, and for that, you have my deepest apologies. But right now is not the time to dwell on the past. Right now, we have to focus on escaping this prison. Sozin's Comet is fast approaching, and Aang is going to need our help to defeat Fire Lord Ozai".
The younger Kyoshi Warrior scowled at me for a few moments, but eventually huffed and said "Fine. We'll work together, but once we're out of this hellhole, we're going to settle this". She pointed a finger at me, and I nodded, understanding that she had been hurt, and now she wanted to even the score.
A bell then began to ring as a guard barked "Prisoners! Back to your cells!"
"We'll meet tomorrow" I told Takara and Suki. "We'll find a way to break out of here".
I sat cross-legged on the floor of my cell, my eyes closed and my back to the door as I meditated. As I sat there, my breathing carefully managed, the door to my cell opened as I heard someone entering. I could only assume that it was a guard sent to harass me for some trivial, and most likely non-existent, offense I had unknowingly committed. "Let me guess" I said evenly, keeping my eyes closed. "I've somehow broken prison rules, and you're here to 'enlighten' me on the error of my ways".
"Shan We, it's me" a familiar voice greeted in response. My eyes shot open; I shouldn't have heard that voice, and yet I was hearing it right now. Was I going mad?
I stood up and turned around, coming to look down at a guard standing just inside of my cell. He was a little short for a guard, but he otherwise had a warrior's bearing. My eyes widened in shock as he removed his helmet, revealing his face. "Sokka?" I asked incredulously. He smirked, obviously pleased with himself over the effectiveness of his disguise as we embraced. "What are you doing here?"
"We came to rescue my dad" he replied, keeping one eye on the door at all times. I nodded, understanding why he would risk coming to the most secure prison in the world.
Suddenly, my mind focused on a few facts as my brow furrowed. "How did you know to come here in the first place? And who is this 'we'?"
"Oh, didn't I mention?" he asked. My deadpan expression was response enough, and he ran a hand through his hair as he smiled nervously. "I came here with Zuko; he's the one who told me about this place".
My eyes widened before narrowing. "Zuko?" I asked, my fists involuntarily clenching into fists. The last time I had seen the Fire Nation Prince, he had betrayed Iroh and me, after everything we had done for him, siding with his sister and getting Iroh captured. The Dragon of the West had been more of a father to me than my own had ever been, and that was one of the worst crimes the teenager had committed that day.
Sokka must have sensed my unease. "It's okay; he's changed now" he assured me. "At least, we're pretty sure. He seems pretty genuine".
"'Pretty sure' and 'pretty genuine' aren't enough, Sokka" I replied, letting some of my frustration seep into my voice. After a moment, I relaxed my fists and sighed; focusing on old grievances wouldn't help me escape from this prison. "But, we can deal with that later. Where is Zuko now?"
Sokka rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, he kind of… you see, he's…" I gazed down at him with an unflinching stare, much like the one I used on Jin and Li after they had done something wrong. "He was discovered and now he's a prisoner as well" the Water Tribe boy said in one breath.
I held my chin as I glanced at the wall. "Well, that means we have one less person that can move about freely, but hopefully that won't be a problem".
"Okay, now is anyone else here with you?" Sokka asked me, holding his helmet in the crook of his elbow. I could see that he was already devising a strategy that would help us all escape.
"Myself, Takara, and the Kyoshi Warrior Suki" I replied. I immediately saw him blushing, and his eyes glazed over at the mention of Suki. I stood there, my arms crossed, as he drooled over the thought of her. I snapped my fingers, casting a small blue flame directly in front of his face. "Sokka! Stay focused".
"Right, sorry" he said, shaking his head. "Now, here's what I'm thinking…"
A short time later, and it was time for me to join the other prisoners as we cleaned the prison. I saw what it really was: an opportunity for the guards to bully us and to remind us of their power over us. It was a technique I had seen employed extensively through the military, many times by my father. I walked over to a guard who was standing near several mops, near where Sokka had told me that Zuko and Suki would be cleaning. The guard saw me coming, and proceeded to knock the mops over. "Pick it up" he ordered.
Realizing that to go against him at this juncture would be pointless, I bent over in order to retrieve a mop. The guard, however, walked over and kicked the nearest ones away. I glanced up at him, seeing a smug smile on his face. Taking a moment to imprint him into my memory, I walked over to a nearby mop, bending over. I felt a boot striking me in the rear, pushing me down.
I grunted as I hit the floor, feeling my ribs flare with pain. After a moment, the pain subsided, and I heard the guard laughing hysterically as he walked away. With what dignity I could muster, I grabbed a mop and stood up, wiping the dust off of the front of my pale red shirt.
I then headed over to where Sokka said Zuko would be so that we could work on our strategy to escape. As I descended the stairs into one of the lower rooms, I scanned the prisoners who were swabbing away with their mops. I turned to my left, taking note of two prisoners over there. One was Suki, who scowled upon taking notice of me, and the other was a young man with a head of scruffy black hair. He turned to look at me, and the scarred left eye widened slightly upon recognizing me.
I stopped once I was at the bottom of the stairs, standing there for a moment as Zuko and I stared at each other. My feelings on seeing the banished Prince were mixed: on the one hand, his presence here indicated that he had finally seen the light, just as Iroh and I had hoped for him, but on the other hand, he did betray us in Ba Sing Se, resulting in Iroh's capture.
That would have to be addressed later.
Without a word, I started swabbing with my mop. The rhythmic motions stressed the pain in my ribs a little, and I grimaced slightly each time I extended my arms. To my right, I saw Takara, and her smile was enough to make the pain disappear. After a few minutes, I heard footsteps, and glanced behind me to see Sokka approaching our little nook. "Oh good, you guys have met" he said, crossing his arms.
"Actually, we met a long time ago" Suki said, and I could feel her purposefully gazing at Zuko and I.
I knew precisely what she was talking about, but Zuko probably didn't remember. "We did?" he asked, sounding like the memory escaped him.
"Yeah", Suki replied. "You two kind of burned down my village".
Zuko and I exchanged an awkward glance before the teenager said "Oh. Sorry about that. Nice to see you again". Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Sokka and Takara slapping their foreheads.
Taking a cursory look at our surroundings, the five of us set aside our mops and crouched down behind the stairs. "So listen" Sokka said. "Shan We and I think we have an escape plan". He raised the visor on his helmet, then nodded over to me.
"During my time in the cooler, it occurred to me that they were completely insulated, so as to keep the cold in".
"And if they keep the cold in", the Water Tribe boy added, "then they must keep the heat out".
"Just get to the point, guys" Suki said.
"It's a perfect boat for getting through the boiling water" I explained, noting Sokka's excited grin. Takara, Zuko, and Suki all exchanged glances. I knew that the plan was incredibly risky, not to mention the fates that awaited us if we failed, but it was the soundest plan we had of escaping the inescapable prison.
"The cooler as a boat?" Zuko asked cautiously. "Are you sure?"
"I'm telling you, it'll work" Sokka assured him. "I walked around the perimeter this morning. There's a blind spot between two guard towers; it's the perfect launching point. I already tested it out. We'll roll the cooler into the water and just float with the current. It'll take us straight across. As long as we don't make a sound, no one will notice. And bing bang boom, we're home free".
"But how are you gonna get the cooler out?" Suki asked.
"Especially without the guards or the Warden noticing" Takara added.
"Yeah, how are you gonna get the cooler out?" a familiar voice asked from above, causing us to widen our eyes in surprise and fear. We looked up, and I sighed as I beheld Chit Sang's muscular form. He appeared no worse for wear after his stint in the cooler this morning.
My former subordinate hopped down beside us, landing with a light thud as Sokka swallowed nervously. "What?" he asked. "We didn't… we… we didn't say that!"
"Yeah, you heard wrong" Zuko told the other prisoner, only much more convincingly than Sokka.
"I heard you're hatching an escape plan" Chit Sang countered. "And I want in".
"There's nothing to get in on" Zuko said, his tone slightly threatening.
"Yeah, the only thing we're hatching is… an egg?" Takara, Zuko, Suki and I all groaned as we slapped our foreheads. Sokka was a budding genius when it came to strategizing, but he did not perform well under pressure.
"This doesn't concern you, Chit Sang" I told him, eliciting a scowl.
"I think it does" he growled, pointing an accusatory finger. "You put me in this hell, and you're going to get me out! I come with you, or the Warden hears about this egg, too".
The others and I exchanged glances. "I guess we don't have a choice" Suki said, voicing our predicament. Now that he had overheard our plans, Chit Sang was in the perfect place to extort us into helping him escape. I only hoped that his involvement wouldn't jeopardize our plan; I remembered him as not being the most capable of soldiers.
"Okay, you're in" Sokka told him reluctantly. He then retrieved a wrench from his belt. "Now, first we need someone to unbolt the cooler, from the inside". He then handed the wrench to Zuko, who hid it away in his shirt.
"Oh, I can get you inside" Chit Sang said with a smirk. A few minutes later, I watched, hidden, as the muscular man got into position, where everyone inside the main quad of the prison could see. Zuko then followed, making a show of mopping as he walked backwards into Chit Sang, who waved his arms in the air and loudly demanded "Hey, what are you, stupid? Watch where you're going!"
He and Zuko then proceeded to wrestle, with the older of the two throwing the other one a few feet away. The teenager scowled and replied "Hey! You watch who you're shoving!"
"I think you mean 'whom'!" Chit Sang corrected, pointing a finger at the scarred prince. I blinked, not quite sure I had heard that last part. In all my time of knowing him, I had never once known the other man to correct other people's grammar, let alone correctly. He and Zuko started wrestling once more, with Chit Sang having the obvious physical advantage.
"I need backup over here!" Sokka cried, right on time. With any luck, more guards would be showing up just as Zuko employed some Firebending.
He did just that, shooting a basic crimson fireball at his opponent, who leaped above the flaming projectile. Just then, a group of guards showed up, and one of them pointed at Zuko and said "Hey, no Firebending! Into the cooler!" Two other guards proceeded to tackle the scarred teenager before leading him away. I looked over to Sokka, Suki, Takara, and Chit Sang, nodding to each before we walked away. Tonight, Sokka would let each of us out of our cells, and we would escape from this prison.
We stood on the beach, the steam from the boiling lake wafting upwards and creating a haze that obscured my sight of the sky and the rim of the volcano. Shan We had an arm wrapped around my waist while I did the same, and I rested my head against his shoulder, taking comfort in his presence. Soon enough, we would be out of here, and these last few days would be nothing more than the last in a series of nightmares. No more, I promised myself, no more would the Fire Nation torment me and those I loved; it was time for us to take the fight to them, and finally end this horrible war.
Suddenly, we heard something, and I turned to see Sokka and Zuko holding the cooler as it slowly slid down onto the beach. Chit Sang, Suki, and myself walked over and helped them out, pushing our weight against the metal cylinder so that it wouldn't just roll down and sink into the boiling water. "Took you guys long enough" Chit Sang gripped from beside me. He nodded over to an average-looking woman and a shaggy-haired man standing nearby. "This here's my girl and my best buddy; they're coming, too".
I pursed my lips, wanting to be done with this meat-head and to be out of this prison before long. "Fine, everyone in the cooler. Let's go" Sokka said as it came to a stop.
Once it was rolled into position, Sokka moved a rock out of the way, revealing his blue Water Tribe apparel. "Are you sure you want to go?" Zuko asked, and I sensed that something else was going on. "You're the one who said you wanted to redeem himself, redeem your honour. Rescuing your dad is your chance".
"Your dad?" Suki asked, sounding slightly concerned.
"Is he here?" Shan We asked.
Sokka turned to look at us. "If I had just cut my losses at the invasion, maybe we wouldn't be in this mess. Maybe sometimes it's better to call it quits before you fail".
"I can tell you that that isn't true" Shan We said, crossing his arms. "In life, you're going to fail at a lot of things".
"You know, that makes me feel a lot better" Sokka said sardonically.
"What I mean is that you can't just run from every challenge because you're afraid that you might lose. If you never try, then you'll never know if you'll win or lose. You knew that the invasion was a gamble, a significant one, and yet you tried anyway. You knew that if we didn't try to end the war, then more people would suffer and die. You didn't shy away from it because it was difficult; you faced the challenged, and even though you lost, you still made the attempt".
"Hey, if you guys are done cuddling" Chit Sang said, shattering the moment, "can we get a move on?"
I glanced over at Sokka, who looked back towards the prison for a moment before taking a deep breath. "No", he said at last, "I'm staying". He then turned to look at Shan We, Suki, and me. "You guys go. You've been here long enough".
"I'm not leaving without you, Sokka" Suki said, taking his hand in her own.
"I'm staying, too" Zuko said, coming to stand beside her.
"And so are we" Shan We said, and he and I exchanged a smile. After joining with Aang and the others, we promised that we would help them restore peace to the world and stick together, no matter what. We intended to keep our promise.
"Not me" Chit Sang said. "I'm out. Let's go, baby".
"Enjoy your freedom" Shan We told him, eliciting a glare. "You've earned it". The three of them then sailed away, sealing our fate.
"We just gave up our only chance of escaping" Sokka said despondently, his shoulders slumping a little. "I hope we haven't just made a huge mistake".
"Everything will work out, Sokka" Shan We told him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Destiny has a funny way of showing up just at the right moment. One only has to wait for the opportunity". We then started ascending the stairs back towards the prison; Sokka would have to get us back into our cells before anyone noticed that we were gone. Suddenly, we heard a cry of agony off in the distance, and we all turned to look at the floating cooler. "It appears that Chit Sang is every bit the fool I remember him as" Shan We deadpanned as alarm bells started ringing.
"The plan failed; they're caught!" Sokka said in alarm. It was a good thing we weren't on the cooler with those idiots, I thought to myself, otherwise we'd be caught right alongside them. We ascended the stairs even faster, now that all the guards were on alert. "The gondola's moving" Sokka said, gazing out towards the prison's entry point. "If my dad's not on there, then we've done all this for nothing. Come on, come on".
We then watched as the door to the gondola opened, and a massive prisoner with long hair, tattoos, and a nose ring walked out. "Is that him?" Zuko asked, causing me to smirk a little.
"My dad doesn't have a nose ring!" Sokka replied somewhat indignantly. Several more prisoners then began filing out, and judging by the look on his face, the Water Tribe boy's father wasn't among them. "Where is he?" he asked, the desperation clearly evident in his voice. One by one, the prisoners were escorted away, and none of them was the one we were looking for".
"That's it?"
"I'm sorry, Sokka" Suki said, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"Hey, you!" a guard barked. "Get out of the gondola!"
We all looked up, and saw none other than Hakoda stepping off of the gondola, gazing out at his bleak surroundings. "Dad" Sokka said, a smile breaking out on his face.
Well, that first attempt failed, but if at first you don't succeed… you succeed in the next episode!
So I decided to have Shan We know Chit Sang from the military for the same reason that he knows Iroh and some of the Rough Rhinos: knowing them anchors him in the world of Avatar, and it reinforces that he's been in the military for a while and that he's traveled extensively.
Also, the Suki scene was interesting to play out. I think that, on a subconscious level, she knows that Takara ultimately did the right thing, but she's obviously still hurt over their last encounter. In time, I think she'll come to forgive her former companion, but the same can't be said for Shan We. The only thing she knows about him is that he threatened to burn down her village, kidnapped one of her friends, and also kidnapped two Earthbending boys when they were little. She sees him as a monster, and that's why they scuffle, and Takara's defense of him only serves to widen the gap between them for now.
Also, the same goes for Shan We and Zuko: in his heart, Shan We knows that Zuko's betrayal was just the latest in a series of attempts to appease his father and be accepted by a psychopath. He'll forgive him in due time, but his actual betrayal, which resulted in Iroh's capture, will have to be addressed later. Iroh was a father to Shan We, and anything that happens to him will cut deep.
Be sure to stay tuned for the exciting conclusion: The Boiling Rock (Part Two)!