We entered the steam, which sure enough, was pretty hot. Except, the balloon was going down. "What's going on?" Sokka asked.

"We can't go back up!" I said. I blasted some fire up into the balloon instead of the tank to see if it'll work. Nothing. "The air outside is just as hot inside!" Sokka cried.

"What are we going to do then?" I asked, grabbing to the side of the balloon. Sokka stumbled as we hit a rock. "I don't know! Crash landing?" The balloon hit more rocks as it fell. Thankfully, it wasn't too fast, but the more rocks it hit, the faster it did go. The balloon landed in the boiling water, splashing a little. I looked at Sokka, who was covering his mouth. The balloon hit the base and we flew off from the impact. Sokka started blowing on his hand. "Ooh, ouch! That really is some boiling water!"

"How are we going to leave now?" I asked, looking at our balloon. The balloon is destroyed, with metal poles emerging from every side. "I figured that would happen. I knew it was going to be a one way ticket," Sokka said, recovered.

"You knew this was going to happen and you wanted to come anyway?" I cried. Sokka walked toward the balloon. "My dad is here! I had to come and see!"

"Uncle always said I never thought things through…" I said quietly. Sokka gathered the parts of the balloon together. He kicked it in the water after pulling out his bag. "What are you doing?" I asked.

"It doesn't work anyway," he replied. "We don't want anyone to know we're here."

"I hope you know what you're doing," I said, "because there's no turning back now."

We both looked up the wall toward the prison. "It's bigger in person," I said. "I've only heard stories of it. My father used to tell me that once you got in, you never came back out."

"Well, we're going to change that!" Sokka said enthusiastically. "But, we need a way in."

We lined up against the wall. Sokka opened his mouth to say something but I stopped him. "Shh!" Some guards passed us overhead, speaking really loud. "Aww man! I spilled tea on my uniform!" one cried.

The other laughed at him. "I'm going to get in trouble now!" the first one whined.

"You do know there are extra uniform in the supply closet, right?" the second checked. "Just switch it out. Get that one washed while you wear the extra."

"What really?" the first asked.

"Uh-huh," the second replied. "Just…make sure you don't get caught with that stain, or you're in some deep water."

"Yeah, right," the first said, slowly. "Uh, I'll be back. Watch my post." The first walked off but I didn't hear the second move. "Shh," I warned. Sokka nodded and followed me as I slinked along the wall.

Eventually, we found the entrance and sneaked in after another guard. "Where's the supply closet?" Sokka asked.

"Why?" I whispered.

"We need disguises. It'll help us maneuver around here easier."

"Hey, that's a great idea." We slid into a dark corner as another guard walked up. "Hey. Where are you going?" a nearby guard asked.

"To the supply closet," the other replied.

"Which one?"

"The extra armor," the second whispered.

"What happened?" the first whispered.

"I spilt tea."

"The supply closet is right down that way," the first guard said, speaking normally again.

"Thanks." I peeked around the corner to see the first guard walking away and the second one around the corner. "Let's follow that guy," I whispered to Sokka, "but be extremely careful."

We waited until the guard stopped paying attention and moved away from the wall. We followed the guard down the hall. He entered a door, after staring at it for a second. We waited until he left and walked in front of the door. "Why are there no guards here?" Sokka asked.

"It's just a supply closet," I replied. We walked inside and found two uniforms in our size. We come out of the closet. Sokka adjusted his helmet. "I hope these disguises work," I said.

"We just gotta lay low for a while until we find my dad," Sokka said. A few guards ran past us. One of them stopped and looked back. "Hey! Guards! There's a scuffle going on in the yard!"

Sokka and I glance at each other for a second before we followed. "I didn't do anything!" A prisoner is standing in a circle of guards. "I'm going back to my cell!" A whip of fire stopped him. "You're not going anywhere," one guard said. "I've had it up to here," he held his hand up really high, "with your behavior, Chit Sang."

"What did I do?" Chit Sang demanded.

"He wants to know what he did! Isn't that cute?" a male guard next to me asked. We didn't say anything, which made him suspicious. "Very cute, sir," I replied.

"Super cute," Sokka said.

"You didn't bow when I walked by, Chit Sang!" another guard said, walking up to the prisoner.

"That's not a rule!"

"Do it!" the guard demanded.

"Make me!" Chit Sang yelled. The guard turned around but then, blasted fire at Chit Sang. He redirected it back towards the guard. "Tsk, tsk. You know Firebending is against the rules here, Chit Sang," the guard said, walking towards him again. "You're going to the cooler." He pointed at Sokka. "You! Help me take him."

Sokka leaned closer to me. "Meet me back here in a hour," he whispered before he walked away.

A few minutes later, the guards were called to lunch. I was the only one wearing a helmet though. "Hey, new guy! I know it's the rules to wear a helmet at all times, but take it off! It's lunch! Relax a little!" I remember when Uncle told me that before he got captured by some Earth Kingdom solders. "What if there's an accident? If I'm not ready, I could get smashed on the head." I covered.

"Eh, he'll loosen up. Give him a week."

"Can I ask you some questions on the prison?" I asked.

"No, you can't date the female guards," a female guard said.

"You don't want to," a male guard said. The female threw a cup at him. Someone behind him laughed. "No, that's not it," I said. "The Boiling Rock holds the most dangerous prisoners, right? What about war prisoners?"

"War prisoners?" the female guard asked. "Yeah, we get war prisoners. Quite a few actually. Why? You tryna bail them out?"

"What?" I asked. I gotta cover it up. "Of course not! That's crazy! I'll get in trouble with the Warden!"

"Good point," she said. "But why are you asking?"

"War prisoners are the most dangerous," I said. "We need to keep an eye on them."

"Hey, the new guy's quick!" a male guard behind the female guard exclaimed. "You're a quick learner!" He nudged me slightly. I sat down at the table. "I heard there was an invasion at the Fire Nation capitol."

"Yeah," the male guard next to me replied. "What of it?"

"Wasn't it the Water Tribe that attacked?"

"Way to go staying with the program!" The guard who complimented me before said.

"Wouldn't that mean there would be Water Tribe prisoners here?"

"Usually," the female guard said, shoving food in her mouth.

"Not this time," the male guard from before said. "I haven't heard anything of Water Tribe people here."

"It could be because the Boiling Rock is surrounded by...oh, what was it...WATER!" the guard next to me said sarcastically.

"Water Benders could escape easily," another female guard implied. "Even though the water is extremely hot doesn't mean that they still can't bend it. You never know how powerful they could be."

"What about Non-benders?" I asked. "What if they're from the Water Tribe?"

"Non-benders?" the first female guard repeated. "I don't think we get any of those here either. They aren't really a threat."

"So...no Water Tribe?" I asked.

"Nope," the male guard behind me said.

Thankfully lunch was good, but I couldn't get distracted. I needed to find Sokka back in the court yard.

When I walked out there, all the guards had their helmets up, so I couldn't tell which was him. On the way out, I asked more guards about Water Tribe war prisoners. Each said the same thing. I walked up to a guard that was standing by himself. I really hope this is him or I might end up giving myself away. "Hey there, fellow guard, how goes it?" I asked. 'How goes it'? That isn't even proper grammar!

The guard lifted his visor to reveal it was Sokka. Oh, thank goodness! "Zuko?"

"Shh! Quiet!" I replied. I pointed to a nearby guard. Sokka nodded. "I asked around the lounge. Each guard came up with the same answer: no Water Tribe prisoners. I'm sorry, Sokka. It seems like your father isn't here."

"Are you sure?" Sokka asked. "Did you double-check?"

"Yep," I said, nodding. "I'm sure."

"No. No!" Sokka slammed his fist into the nearby wall. "That can't be right!"

"I'm sorry, Sokka."

"So, we came all this way for nothing?" he asked, with both fists on the wall. "I failed...again!"

"What would Uncle say?" I asked. I gotta make Sokka feel better. Its not good being upset and thinking that way. "Sometimes...clouds have two sides," I said, holding my hands behind my back and walking over to the railing. "a dark and a light, and a silver in between. It's like a silver sandwich!" I looked at Sokka, who isn't looking at me. Not enough. "So...when life seems hard...take a bite of the silver sandwich."

"Maybe we haven't failed after all!" Sokka exclaimed.

"That's the spirit!" I cheered. I crossed my arms. "I can't believe that worked. I had no idea what i was even saying."

"What? No, what you said didn't even make sense at all," Sokka said.

"Wait, so it wasn't what I said?"

"No," Sokka said. "But look!" He pointed over the railing. His finger led to a female wearing a beat-up prison uniform. "Her?" I checked.

"Yeah!" That's Suki!" Sokka exclaimed.

"Let's follow them. I need to know where Suki's cell's gonna be."

"All right, lead the way."

We followed some guards down a long hall. We stopped down a corner and watched them throw her in the cell. They literally threw her. Ouch. "All right, once they leave, I'm gonna go in there and get some information from Suki. Maybe she'll know where they have my dad."

"I'll keep watch," I said. "I bet you can't stay in there too long though."

Sokka entered the cell after the two guards left. After...I don't know how long. Let's say, twenty minutes, a female guard walked up to me. "Excuse me," she said. "I need to enter that cell."

"No, you can't go in there!" I said quickly. "Uh..." I glanced at the door, "the lights are out! The prisoner's sleeping."

"Step aside, fool!" she replied. "I was ordered to enter." She tried to push me but I quickly grabber her arm and pushed her face against the door. "What are you doing?"

She turned around to push me back. She pushed me into the door. Thankfully, I could see Sokka and Suki through the glass. Sokka put his helmet back on and pushed against the door. I push my foot under the guard's right leg and push her down. I put a hand on her back and push her forward so she can't see the door.

I heard Sokka sneak out behind me. Except she saw. "Help! Guard! I think he's an imposter! Arrest him!" Sokka did nothing. "Get him off of me and arrest him!" she demanded.

Sokka finally acted. He grabbed me and threw me off of her back. "You're under arrest!" he said. He helped me off the floor and leaned closer. "Don't worry. I'll figure something out," he whispered. Sokka led me down a hall where there were no guards.

"What were yo thinking?" he whispered.

"I said I would keep watch, didn't I?" I asked.

"Yeah but did you have to fight her?"

"What did you want me to do?"

"I don't know, knocked on the door?"

"She was right outside!"

"Something other than fighting!"

We stopped in front of two guards. "We caught an intruder," Sokka said.

"Right, we'll take it from here."

They took me down another hall. Why does this place have so many hallways that look the same? They removed my helmet, once I was in a small room with a single chair, and handed me prison garb instead. "Put this on," one guard said. They closed the door. "The Warden will be here shortly," the second said from behind the door.

In a few minutes, the door opened back up again. "Sit down!" the first guard commanded. I did nothing so he pushed me down. The second tied my hands behind the chair. "Now be good or you'll get on the Warden's bad side." They both left, closing the door behind them.

The door opened again. This time, it's not a guard. I'm assuming he's the Warden. "Well, well, well. Look who we have here." He smiled and walked in. "Prince Zuko."

"How did you know that was me?"

"How could I not know?" he asked. "You were the one who broke my niece's heart." Just my luck. I get caught in the most heavily guarded prison, run by my ex-girlfriend's uncle. How lucky. "You're Mai's uncle?" I checked. "Look, I didn't mean to hurt her."

"Quiet! You're a prisoner now! In fact, you're a special prisoner." He walked around my chair. "You'd best behave yourself. "If these criminals found out who you are, the traitor prince who let his kingdom down, they'll tear you to shreds."

"Why don't you just call my father and collect you reward then!" I said.

"Oh, I will. In due time." He untied my arms. "I intend to collect what's mine." He walked out the door.