"Ah, Shan We" my father greeted warmly. "Please, come in. We've been waiting for you". I smiled, happy to have such a reception as I crossed the threshold into my home. It was a beautiful summer's day, with the sun shining down as the birds chirped in the trees, and a gentle breeze softly caressed my body.
Before me, my father was kneeling in front of a table, a delicious supper laid out on it. Across from him knelt my mother, whose long black hair and striking features were resplendent in the golden sunlight. I walked over to her, bending down and kissing her cheek as she said "Come, my love, your food's getting cold".
I smiled at her motherly concern, and proceeded to kneel down at the table. I was famished, and the bowl of roast duck in front of me was incredibly inviting. "This is magnificent, mother" I complimented. Pausing in order to swallow a chunk of meat, I asked "What is the occasion?"
My parents glanced at one another, and then my father replied "Why, the end of the war, of course".
"What?" I asked. The war was over? How could that be? As far as I could remember, the war was still raging, and it looked like the Fire Lord would commit an atrocity that would put all his forefathers to shame. Perhaps that had all been merely a bad dream, and I shook my head slightly. Noticing my parents' looks of confusion, I said "My apologies; I must not have slept well. Remind me again how the war ended".
My mother returned to her food, and my father smiled as he finished eating some fried squid. "After Ba Sing Se was taken, the Earth Kingdom lost its resolve; you had the honour of assisting Princess Azula in that endeavour. One by one, their cities fell before the might of our armies, and the greatest obstacle in our path to victory was claimed. All that remained was the Northern Water Tribe, and we came to focus the entirety of our military might against it".
I nodded. "But what about your first siege of the Northern Water Tribe?"
My father smirked a little and replied "Well, despite the fact that we both bravely led our troops against them, we were ultimately unable to subdue them once the Waterbenders' strength was amplified a hundredfold by the full moon. I called for a retreat, and the fleet lent its strength to the conquest of the Earth Kingdom. Once it fell, you commanded our forces to victory. Now, the entire world is under our control, and the Great War is finally at an end".
I smiled, gazing down at the colourful assortment of dishes laid out in front of me. The war, finally over. It was such a foreign concept, and yet, it made me happier than anything else in recent memory. "Zhao, dear, the two of you have been back for scarcely a week" my mother said. "Let's forget talk of wars and battles and enjoy the moment. Our family is whole, once more, and let us be thankful for that".
My father smiled. "Apologies, my love. You're right; the war is won, and now we can finally gain some small measure of peace". The three of us then continued eating our supper, enjoying the moment and the fact that we were all together once more. As I ate my food, the bright sun was eclipsed by dark storm clouds, and thunder soon came to rumble overhead.
Suddenly, as the sky threatened to crack open, my mother closed her eyes, and it was almost as if she were… fading. "Mother?" I asked, feeling very concerned. She didn't answer, and she continued to fade, her alabaster skin and red clothing rapidly losing their colour. "Mother, something's wrong!" Still, she didn't respond, and when all the colour had been drained away, she turned to dust, which was blown away.
The roof of our house was ripped away, leaving us open to the elements as a bolt of lightning arced across the sky, striking one of the nearby trees. "Traitor" I heard my father say. Turning to him, I saw that he had lost his pleasant demeanor, and had instead adopted the harsh and unforgiving expression that was so common to my memory.
"Father?" I asked, feeling the air rushing out of my lungs. My entire world was collapsing, and I had no idea who or what was responsible.
"So, my own son is a traitor" he replied as he stood up. I did as well, and the table was blown away by the fierce winds. His words were starting to sound hauntingly like those back at the North Pole, but I knew that those memories were nothing more than a bad dream; we had won the war, and now we were home, a family again. It must have been something I ate, or perhaps I hadn't been sleeping well. I suddenly found my father slamming into me as he tackled me to the ground. I grunted as I landed, and I felt the ice-cold surface touching my back.
We were back at the North Pole, and the sky was bleak, just like it had been after my father had slain the Moon Spirit. He wrapped his hands around my throat and said "It's a good thing your mother's not alive. She'd be ashamed to see what a disgrace you've become" he growled, a mad look in his eyes.
Feeling the rage growing inside of me, I used what breath I had and heated it as I blew into my father's face. He instantly recoiled, growling in anger as he closed his eyes in the face of hot air. I then shouted as I tackled him, taking the both of us off of the wall we were on. We fell downwards, eventually coming to crash onto an ice bridge. Holding my father by the collar of his uniform, I drew my fist back and started to punch him, never relenting as I hit him again and again and again. His face became bloody, and his hands went limp as I kept on punching him. "You could have ended it all!" I shouted, punctuating every word with a punch. "You could have been with me! WE COULD HAVE BEEN A FAMILY AGAIN!"
I awoke with a start, gasping for breath as I bolted upright in my bed. I clutched my chest as I panted, my body slick with sweat. As the events of the dream came rushing back to me, my eyes became wet with tears. I clutched my chest even harder as I curled into a ball on my bed, crying into my pillow. Everything had gone so horribly wrong at the North Pole. If only my father had seen reason, seen that his lust for power and glory had driven me, his son, away, then perhaps things could have been different.
I then heard the door to my cell opening, and looked up to see Sokka stepping inside. He quietly closed the door before peering through the slat in order to ensure that he hadn't been followed. He then turned to me and removed his helmet. "So, listen: I just talked to my dad, and… Have you been crying?"
As I sat up in my bed, I looked away as I wiped the tears off of my face. "No, I was just sweating. These cells aren't exactly temperature-controlled".
He looked as if he suspected something, but matters at hand forced him to move on, which I was grateful for. "So, my dad and I worked out a new plan for escaping out of here". I nodded, indicating that he should continue, and he proceeded to lay out the details for the new escape plan. It was certainly bold, and unexpected, which gave it a good chance of succeeding, but it was still risky. "So what do you think?" he asked me.
I stroked my chin, which was covered in a light stubble. "It's bold, and I think it has a good chance of working. But there is a considerable amount of risk. Since our first attempt failed, the Warden will want to crush any more plans, so as to maintain his 'perfect record'".
"Well, when we take him prisoner on the gondola", Sokka said confidently, "then he'll really know that his record is broken!"
I smirked. "Alright, I think we should go forward with this plan. With the Fire Lord likely ready to advance his plans of conquering the rest of the Earth Kingdom, and with Sozin's Comet approaching, this is not the time for half measures".
Sokka nodded in agreement. "Okay. I'll work on a way to get all the prisoners out into the yard. Once that happens, we'll all get together and start a riot, then it should be smooth sailing". I had to resist smiling in amusement; the optimism of youth was unbreakable, it seemed.
I thrust my hand forward, jabbing at my imaginary opponent's throat. I then followed up with a kick at his head before I spun on my heel and struck another opponent with a spinning kick. I had been relentlessly training ever since Sokka had informed me of the new escape plan. Foreseeing the need to fight my way through rioting prisoners and guards, I wanted to be in the best shape I could be.
Also, I could reasonably predict the need to protect Shan We. His injuries still weren't fully healed, and I would be damned before I let something else happen to him. Just as I finished another set of attacks, the door to my cell slid open, and I smirked. Upon exiting, I found myself amongst all the other prisoners, and there was a general sense of confusion as to why we were all being released when we shouldn't have been.
As I made my way through the throng of prisoners, I eventually met up with Shan We. Giving him a quick kiss on the lips, I proceeded to lead him outside. The bright sun shone down on us as we all filed into the yard, and as everyone slowly spread out, we joined Hakoda, Suki, and Sokka. "It's good to see you again, Hakoda" Shan We greeted, clasping the man's arm.
"And you as well" Sokka's father said in return.
"Okay, this is it" the Water Tribe boy said. "We have to start a riot!"
"Okay, but how are we supposed to do that?" I asked, scanning the prisoners milling about. The best way to start a riot, I figured, was to find someone and start swinging.
"I'll show you" Hakoda said with a pleased smirk. He walked over to a massive prisoner who was taller than all of us and roughly shoved him.
The man grunted in surprise, turning to look at the man who had just shoved him. He had a large scar running across his eye, and he also had a few teeth missing. "Hey, what'd you do that for?" he demanded. "That hurt my feelings!"
I blinked in surprise, exchanging a glance with Shan We as Hakoda asked "Aren't you mad at me?"
The man shrugged. "Ah, normally, I would be, but I've been learning to control my anger". My eyes widened in shock as my mouth fell open; of all the prisoners to shove, he had to shove the one who was working on self-improvement.
"This isn't working" Sokka said somewhat despondently.
Suddenly, Chit Sang placed a large hand on the Water Tribe boy's shoulder. "Hey, you!" I tensed, ready for a fight with the brutish former soldier as he said "You're lucky I didn't rat you out. But my generosity comes with a price". Of course it does, I thought to myself sardonically. "I know you're planning another escape attempt, and I want in".
Sokka turned to look at me, and I could only shrug in response. He then looked over at Shan We, who nodded. If we were going to get out of here, then we'd need his help. "Actually, we're trying to escape right now" Sokka told the large man. "But, we need a riot. You wouldn't know how to start one, would you?"
Chit Sang smirked confidently. "A prison riot? Please". He walked over to another prisoner, dragged him by the scruff of his shirt, and hoisted him up into the air. "Hey! Riot!" he shouted. The prison yard instantly erupted into a massive brawl, with flames being shot from every which way as every prisoner started fighting someone.
"Impressive" Hakoda noted, and I could only nod in agreement.
"Indeed" Shan We agreed.
"Forget about controlling my anger!" the scarred prisoner said eagerly. "LET'S RIOT!" The six of us made our way to the nearest wall, observing the chaotic proceedings as every prisoner tore into one another. Suddenly, Zuko appeared out of the chaos, walking over to where we stood.
"Zuko, good" Sokka greeted. "We're all here. Now all we need to do is grab the Warden and get to the gondolas".
"And how do we do that?" the scarred teenager asked.
Sokka squinted as he looked at the Warden before turning to look at his Firebending companion. "I'm not sure" he replied.
Zuko growled in frustration as I slapped my forehead. "I thought you thought this through!" As the two argued, I turned to look at Suki, who was staring intently at the Warden. She turned to look at me, and I conveyed my question with my eyes. She nodded, understanding the need for us to work together. I wanted nothing more than to earn her forgiveness, and I hoped that by helping her escape, I would be on my way towards achieving that goal.
The two of us then burst into action, charging forward towards the mass of rioting prisoners. Pushing off the ground with our feet, we nimbly used prisoners' heads in order to literally run over the commotion as countless fireballs shot beside us. We soon came to the main building, where the Warden was overlooking the riot from a balcony overhead.
Using our momentum, we leaped towards the wall, climbing for a bit before we pushed off, catching our feet on a bar and spinning onto the first balcony, landing on the railing with our hands before we landed on our feet. A guard tried to attack Suki, but she immediately dispatched him. I followed close behind as two more guards came at us from around the corner, extending my leg as I slid. Suki leaped above the guard in front, drawing his attention as I tripped him from below. She then flipped over the next guard, striking him on the back with her feet. As he stumbled forward, I pushed off the ground and kicked him twice in the head, knocking him unconscious.
As a third guard came at us, Suki opted to climb the wall. Not far behind, I landed on the guard's head before pushing off, knocking him down as I climbed the wall as well. The two of us flipped onto the second balcony, where the Warden was standing with a single guard. We charged forward, and I leaped over the man as Suki tripped him. I landed directly in front of the Warden, and as he tried to shoot a fireball at me, I gracefully spun aside as his attack missed me, coming to his rear as Suki grabbed his wrist while I wrapped an arm around his throat.
He stared at my fellow Kyoshi Warrior for a moment before saying "You wouldn't dare". I smirked over at Suki, and she roughly spun him around so that he was facing me. As she tied his wrists, I took his head band and wrapped it around his mouth.
"Sorry, Warden" Suki replied sarcastically. "You're our prisoner now".
She pinned him to the wall, and I said "It feels good to be fighting together again". She glanced over at me, and I thought I saw her smirk a little. Noticing movement to my left, I saw the others running up to us. "We've got the Warden; he's our prisoner" I told them. I couldn't help but smile as they were all panting, out of breath from having to run up all those stairs as opposed to the faster way Suki and I had just used.
"Those are… some girls" Hakoda said, barely able to speak.
"Yeah" Sokka agreed, a dopey smile on his face.
"Yeah" Shan We said at the same time, and his gaze made me blush a little. With the Warden now our prisoner, we proceeded to make our way to the top of the main building, towards the gondola. Once we were on the roof, we bolted towards our ride.
"We're almost there!" Suki said as we charged forward. The Warden was riding comfortably, hoisted up on Chit Sang's shoulder and still restrained and gagged. A group of guards saw us coming, and they shot several fireballs at us. Zuko and Shan We, who was noticeably slower than his younger counterpart, lunged forward and dissipated the flaming projectiles.
"Back off" Zuko warned. "We've got the Warden". Upon seeing their boss, the guards eased their stances and moved aside, opening the way for us. Zuko turned to us and said "Let's go!"
We cautiously moved forward, keeping an eye on the guards as we proceeded and wary of any trickery. I was the first one to the gondola, and I slid the door open and waved everyone over. "Everyone in" I said, and once they were all inside, I followed, closing the door behind me. Breathing a sigh of relief, I suddenly noticed that we were one short. "Where's Zuko?" I asked. We all looked for him before noticing that he was pushing the lever that started the gondola before kicking at it. "What is he doing?" I asked to no one in particular.
The guards started rushing towards him, and he kicked the lever twice more before the top snapped off. He then sprinted towards the edge of the platform. He leaped off of the edge as fireballs started shooting past him, and as he flew through the air, I knew that he wouldn't be able to get all the way. Shan We corrected that problem by leaning out of a window and holding his arm out. Zuko grabbed it, and the tea-loving Firebender started pulling him aboard. Suddenly, he lurched as he held his side and winced, crying in pain. His grip was in danger of slipping, but luckily, Sokka was there to pick up the slack.
Once Zuko was aboard, he asked "What are you doing?"
"I'm making it so they can't stop us" the scarred teenager. That was pretty clever, I had to admit once I thought it over.
"Way to think ahead" Sokka complimented.
"We're on our way" Suki said, and I couldn't help but hope for the best. We were finally going to get out of this place!
"Wait!" Hakoda suddenly said, and my spirits were crushed once more. "Who's that?"
We all rushed over to the window in order to look, and my heart sank as I caught sight of them: Azula, Ty Lee, and Mai were all standing at the edge of the platform, staring after us. What my eyes caught sight of next, however, really made my blood boil. "She's got my swords!" I growled as I gripped the edge of the window hard enough to make my knuckles turn white. On her back, Mai was wearing my twin meteor swords, which Azula had stolen from me during the invasion. Those were my weapons, and she had no right to them!
The three girls then burst into action. Mai and Ty Lee leaped onto the thick cables the gondola operated with and started nimbly running across them towards us, while Azula took a guard's manacles and wrapped them around a cable, propelling herself forward with jets of blue flame.
"Oh, it's on!" I said before gripping the top edge of a window and flipping onto the roof of the gondola. I was joined a moment later by Sokka, Zuko, and Suki, and we were all prepared for battle. In no time at all, the three girls who had formerly tormented me were on us, landing on the gondola. Azula faced Zuko and Sokka, Ty Lee faced Suki, and Mai faced me, her ever-present apathetic expression blankly staring at me.
For a tense moment, we all stood on top of the gondola, staring each other down. Then, faster than the blink of an eye, a fight broke out as Azula launched an arc of blue flames at Sokka and Zuko. As they fought, Suki launched herself at Ty Lee, and I charged at Mai. I noticed her gaze falling on Zuko for half a second before quickly flashing back to me, but it was enough of a distraction.
She drew two tiny knives from her sleeves before hurling them at me with incredible force. I easily spun out of the way, and they shot harmlessly past me before imbedding themselves into the part of the gondola which connected to the cable. I then aimed a spinning kick at her head, which she ducked under before aiming a slice at my leg with a dagger.
I pushed off and flipped through the air just in time, managing to avoid the weapon as I landed a few feet away. Maintaining my momentum, I spun, retrieving the two knives from her opening volley as I did so. As I came back around, I threw them at her with lethal accuracy, having learned a thing or two about sharp projectiles from her. She dodged them with ease before drawing two shuriken from wherever she kept the blasted things and throwing them at me. I leaped straight upwards, dodging the shuriken and coming to land on one hand, perfectly-balanced, thanks to my training with Ty Lee.
I looked back up at my opponent and said "I want my swords, Mai!" Pushing off with my hand, I flipped back onto my feet, entering a ready stance.
"Cut the line!" a voice cried out of nowhere. That almost sounded like…
Suddenly, the gondola started shaking, and our seven-way fight was interrupted as everyone struggled to maintain their balance. Glancing at the steam slowly wafting all around us, I shivered inwardly at the thought of falling into the boiling water we were suspended above. Just as the gondola came to a screeching stop, and everyone regained their balance, I glanced at my swords and realized that this was my chance.
I lunged at Mai, getting in close before she had time to react. Though she managed to avoid a few of my strikes, I eventually jabbed her lightly in the chest in order to throw her off. She grunted, and I used the distraction, grabbing an arm that she tried to attack with and wiggling one of my swords off of her back. She tried to attack with the other arm, but with the same result, and a moment later, I had both of my meteor swords back! I felt more whole, more complete than I had been in a while, with my weapons in my hands once again.
"They're about to cut the line!" Ty Lee cried from her perch, and we all glanced at the guards off in the distance sawing away at the cable that held us above becoming fried meat. Azula and her two companions looked at something ahead of us, and I turned to see another gondola slowly coming towards us.
"Then it's time to leave" the Fire Nation Princess declared. She pointed her fists downwards and proceeded to create jets of blue flames that propelled her over to the other gondola as Mai and Ty Lee leaped over there to join her. "Goodbye, Zuko" she offered, and I glared at the psychotic teenager as she and her equally-crazy companions slowly returned to the Boiling Rock.
The four of us quickly rejoined the others inside, and Zuko said "They're cutting the line! The gondola's about to go!"
"I hope this thing floats" Hakoda said nervously. Glancing outside, I wasn't too sure.
I then turned to look at Shan We, who grasped his side as he stood off to a corner. I walked over to him and proceeded to wrap my arms around his neck and kiss him with all the love I could muster in that moment. Our lips parted, and I whispered "Whatever happens, I thank the spirits every day that I met you". I gazed into his amber eyes, just as he gazed into my green and blue ones, and said from the bottom of my heart "I love you".
"I love you, too" he returned, and wrapped a strong arm around me as we held each other close. If this was to be our end, then at least we would face it together.
Suddenly, the gondola shook as it resumed its journey to the other platform. We all looked at each other in surprise before rushing over to look out a window. Back at the prison's platform, I could barely make out a fight going on between the guards and… No; it couldn't be! "Who's that?" Sokka asked.
"It's Mai!" I replied, completely flabbergasted as to why she would help us. I looked over to Zuko, and we both shrugged, not having a clue as to what was going on. Soon enough, we reached the other side, and we all gratefully filed out of the gondola. Hakoda turned to Chit Sang, who had the Warden hoisted on his shoulders, and pointed inside the gondola.
The brutish man threw the other inside, and Hakoda said "Sorry, Warden. Your record is officially broken".
I smiled as we made our way over a rise that led outside of the volcano. "Well, we made it out" Suki said. "Now what?"
"Zuko, what are you doing?" Sokka asked. I turned and saw the scarred teenager standing a few feet behind us, appearing deep in thought.
"My sister was on that island" he said, stating the obvious.
"Yeah, and she's probably right behind us" Sokka agreed somewhat sarcastically. "So let's not stop!"
"What I mean is that she must have come here somehow" Zuko clarified. He walked over to a ledge and said "There; that's our way out". We all looked to where he was pointing, and saw a large Fire Nation airship docked at the port, just waiting to be taken. "I can fly us out of here".
"Shan We and I can help" I said, exchanging a glance with the tea-loving Firebender. With his and Zuko's experience with piloting military craft, and my time with Azula, we should be well on our way home.
Azula was furious. She stood with her arms behind her back, so as to hide the fact that she was clenching and unclenching her hands into fists. Beside her was Ty Lee, whose gaze nervously flitted between her and the object of her fury: Mai. The constantly dour girl had done the unthinkable and helped Zuzu and Shan We and their little friend escape! She had betrayed her! "Leave us alone" Azula commanded icily to the two guards restraining Mai. They bowed before walking away, leaving just the three of them. "I never expected this from you. The thing I don't understand is: why? Why would you do it? You know the consequences.
"I guess you just don't know people as well as you think you do" Mai casually replied. Azula had to actively prevent her scarred face from twisting into a furious rage, but the burnt side of her lips still curled into a snarl. "You miscalculated. I love Zuko more than I fear you".
That was the final straw. Azula let go of all pretense, all control as she angrily retorted "No, you miscalculated! You should have feared me more!" She prepared herself, beginning to separate the positive and negative energies. Just as she extended her arm, however, she suddenly lost feeling in it that concurred with a sharp jab. Another jab stabbed into her back, and the Fire Nation Princess gasped, more out of surprise than anything, as she collapsed onto the metal floor, unable to move.
"Come on, let's get out of here!" Ty Lee urged her dour friend. Azula could only stare hatefully at them from where she was lying as the guards rushed to prevent them from escaping. In that moment, something snapped inside of her. The only two people who, aside from fearing her, actually cared for her had betrayed her. For some odd reason, that betrayal cut more deeply than any other. They were no better than her, no better than… her mother, who had hated and feared her before abandoning her.
As two guards rushed to help her stand, another asked "What should we do with them, Princess?"
Azula panted, her teeth bared like a feral beast. "Put them somewhere I'll never have to see their faces again! And let them rot!" she barked. The guards hurried to comply, bowing before roughly taking the two girls away. As the Fire Nation Princess watched them go, a single tear ran down from her left eye, leaving a trail across the leathery skin on the left side of her face before cascading down onto the floor below.
We stepped off of the airship and onto the stone square of the Western Air Temple. I had heard stories of this place, and had read about in in various scrolls and books, but to see its majesty up close was both awe-inspiring and humbling. The Air Nomads had truly been a great civilization. But all of that paled when compared to the sight that awaited us.
"What are you doing in this thing?" Katara asked as she, Aang, Toph, and Jin and Li stood in greeting. My sons looked like they were ready to cry upon seeing me, and I could understand the feeling. "What happened to the war balloon?"
"It kind of got destroyed" Zuko replied as Takara and I crouched down low, embracing the twins together, as a family. We all let the tears flow freely, savouring the moment where we were all back together, whole and complete once more.
"Sounds like a crazy fishing trip" Aang said.
"Did you at least get some good meat?" Toph asked, and Takara and I couldn't help but laugh at the question. Even during such a happy occasion, it seemed, the blind Earthbender let her stomach talk for her.
"I did" Sokka replied. "The best meat of all: the meat of friendship and fatherhood".
The others then joined us, and Chit Sang waved and said "I'm new. What's up, everybody?"
As Sokka and Katara embraced their father, Toph asked "Seriously, you guys didn't get any meat?"
So, we have the escape and the betrayal!
First, about the fight. As we all know, Mai doesn't show up in the episode until she helps our heroes escape. I had her show up before that so as to facilitate Takara getting her swords back. Why would Mai have them, you may ask? As the only user of edged weapons in her little group of nightmares, it made sense for her to have them. I suppose Azula might have them as a trophy to rub in Takara's face, but ultimately, she has no use for them. Takara was pretty epic during the fight, and I wanted to show how she's grown as a fighter, highlighting the traits she picked up from her time as Azula's prisoner. She learned Chi Blocking and agility manoeuvres from Ty Lee, and she observed throwing techniques and psychological manipulation from Azula.
Second, about the dream sequence. I wrote that in for two reasons: A) filler, as the first half of the episode involves sequences where my characters aren't present. B) Seeing Sokka's joyful reunion with his father triggered repressed emotions in Shan We, and the dream was the manifestation of his greatest wish (namely, having his father love him and his family be together) and seeing how that wish was ultimately corrupted and torn away from him. It began as a filler scene, but it evolved into an emotional experience that reinforces how much Shan We has suffered over the course of his life and the story.
Please review and continue to tune in!