A/N. A little bit all over the place, but next chapter is going to be exciting! I already wrote a part of it as I couldn't wait to get to that!
"I look ridiculous."
Sokka couldn't help but agree with Zuko. After bringing the firebender into one of the tents, the Water Tribe warrior had explained his plan. It was quite simple… Zuko was the Fire Lord, but no one considered him to be that. The soldiers he had talked to seemed to think that somehow, all this was a joke and Ozai was still the Fire Lord.
When he had asked the soldiers, the reason had become rather clear. Zuko was supposed to be a traitor, while Azula had been on the background for years in the sight of the population. She may have been named Ozai's heir, but the people of the Fire Nation had always considered that the eldest son must succeed their ruler. And luckily, Zuko was just that.
So, if they wanted the town to surrender, and quickly, there was only one option. Have Zuko order it, looking like the legitimate ruler of these lands. Which he was, of course, but the people supporting Azula needed to see that.
And the most important thing… If the town opened its gates, he would be able to look for his little sister and that idiot of a… Brother-in-law? Tui and La, that was just wrong on so many levels, that Sokka grimaced. Aang was his brother in all but name, as he had been adopted by them… Would that mean that technically, Katara was married to her own brother? Shaking his head, the Water Tribe warrior decided that that was something to think about another time. The most important thing now was actually getting the town to surrender.
"I mean, where did you even get these rags?" Zuko groaned.
"Rags? I would have you know these are the best! Before leaving the Royal Palace to go to Fire Fountain, I took the liberty to… Shop around." Sokka looked to the roof of the tent, balancing his weight on his toes, and then to his heels.
"Shop… Do you mean you plundered my palace?" The Fire Lord seemed shocked at the idea. Sokka, raised his eyebrows, looked at his friend.
"Little bit rich coming from the guy whose family did the same thing. I only took those robes from your father's apartments. Which, if I might add, is perhaps the best thing I did this war. I can say to other people that I plundered Fire Lord Ozai clothes." Sokka laughed at that. Tui and La, when he told Bato what he had done, his father's friend had just looked at him like he was crazy. And perhaps he was.
"I'm sorry, you are right. When we get back, you can take whatever you want." Zuko spoke, not looking at him. Sokka guessed that his friend was quite ashamed, and perhaps he had been a little bit too direct with the whole your family are war criminals.
"I don't want anything… But if there are things from the Water Tribes or the Air Nomads, we should maybe discuss that… Later." Sokka didn't say he had already seen several Air Nomad artefacts in Ozai's chambers, and he had not told Aang either. Aang already had enough on his plate…
Spirits, how had Air Head been so stupid? Sure, they would have gone into the town regardless, but to go in alone? That was just suicide, even for Aang. He was too unstable, too worried and not in control of his emotions. To be honest, the airbender was never in control of his emotions, but most of the time that meant he was the love and flowersguy… But now? Now, that could mean death and destruction for anyone in a hundred-mile radius.
"Well, first we have to clean up this mess…" Zuko sighed, pulling on the cape that Sokka had handed him. The Water Tribe Warrior couldn't help but laugh at how the firebender looked. The robes were slightly too large, but with a little bit of luck it would not be a factor. The most important part of his plan was to draw the attention to the northern gate.
Sokka doubted that the town would surrender to Zuko, and if they didn't, he planned to find the way in Aang had used to infiltrate the town. Surely the airbender had blown a gate of its hinges or something of the sort. Perhaps he had just jumped over the walls, but that would be stupid. If he had hoped to find Katara, he needed a discreet way in or out of the town. So, that meant he had made an opening… Hopefully.
Sokka knew that his plan, or rather his hopes, relied completely on things out of his control. And he didn't like that one bit. It was far easier to plan something when you knew what could go wrong… But here, he was blind. And they would have to wing it… Just like the Boiling Rock… And that had gone well, but with so much luck that Sokka didn't want to tempt the spirits.
"Well, come on." Zuko sighed, and walked through the opening of the tent, into the rain. Sokka, following, saw Momo sit next to the entrance, holding a large leave above his tiny head. Shaking his head, he held out an arm and the lemur quickly moved to grab it, climbing onto his shoulder.
"Hold that thing above my head too, and I'll make sure you get any treat you want." He grumbled, pulling the collar of his tunic higher to make sure no water entered his clothing. Tui and La, how did a nation of firebenders survive this monsoon season? After just one morning, Sokka had enough of it, and he was supposed to come from a place where they liked water.
Glancing towards the place the Water Tribe had pulled up the sails of the ships to make a dry spot, he saw that Appa had claimed that for his own, shaking of the droplets of water that had somehow managed to find their way underneath the canvas. It would have been funny if the bison had been any smaller… But him shaking wet fur around meant a sweaty stinking shower to whoever stood next to him.
"Appa needs a bath." Zuko shuddered as they walked past the bison, who looked at them with his big brown eyes, clearly lost now that Aang was missing too…
"Air Head can do that… He enjoys doing it." Sokka couldn't help but shudder too, thinking of how Aang actually liked giving Appa a bath.
"Lord Zuko, what in the name of Agni are you doing here?" Piandao's voice was clear, even if somewhat muffled by the rain. Looking over the firebender's shoulder, Sokka saw the older man walk towards them, clad in a dark, mud-spattered robe. Several younger people, all looking far too rich to be walking in the rain, followed him, grumbling. Those would be the hostages the sword master had taken during his peaceful subjection of the Outer Islands.
"Lord Piandao, I'm sorry for barging in like this, without warning. My uncle has the situation well in hand at Fire Fountain, and I thought I would help here." Zuko bowed politely towards Piandao, and Sokka had to stop himself from groaning aloud. Zuko shouldn't act like this… He was the ruler, he made the decisions… If they had an inkling of hope to make the people of the Fire Nation obey his friend, the firebender would have to be a little tougher…
But Piandao smiled.
"Well, there is a respectful student. You could all learn something from him. Humility." The last word was called to the people behind him, before Piandao bowed too. As the man straightened, Sokka felt slightly awkward. He had not shown respect to the old master, and doing so now would be awkward…
"Lord Zuko and Master Sokka are two of my best students. If you ever hope to achieve something while under my care, take care to listen to them." Piandao said to the hostages, and the Water Tribe warrior couldn't help but sigh in relief.
"The traitor and a Water Savage… pfah." One of the teens, no more than a year or two younger than Sokka, spit towards them. Just raising his eyebrows, Sokka kept his gaze on the young man.
"Also, while under my care, you are to refrain insults, if possible. And may I remember you that your families swore loyalty to Lord Zuko… With your lives as guarantees. Maybe it wouldn't be a good idea to insult your Fire Lord." The threat in Piandao's voice was clear. Keep clear of being a little bitch, your life depends on it. At least, that was the meaning Sokka took from the words.
The sullen looks didn't change, but no one else tried to speak.
"I surrender my command to you, Lord Zuko. But if you would permit, I would stay to advise you while the siege is going on." Piandao bowed once more.
"You are still in command, I know next to nothing about siege warfare… Uncle Iroh is the expert…" Zuko sighed, pulling at the robes. Sokka had to resist slapping the hand of the Fire Lord. Stop acting like the prince, and start being the Fire Lord!
"As you command." Piandao bowed politely, "I've sent scouts into the no man's land to get close to the town now that their movements would be obscured by the rain. They returned… with a prisoner." With that, the swordmaster waved his hand, and two guards came forward, holding a man by his arms. Sokka had to resist to speak up, for he saw that the man had blood across his face, clearly having been hit to knock him out.
"Has this man been mistreated?" Zuko asked before Sokka could say anything at all.
"I already put the man responsible for it in the stocks for a day." Piandao nodded, clearly not happy about the state of affairs. Sokka took a step forward as the prisoner lifted his head.
It was the man who had talked to them the day before… The man who had been with On Ji when she had said that Katara was in the town…
"I… I bring news." The man groaned.
"Let him be, he is no threat." Sokka stepped towards the two soldiers, who quickly released the man. Grabbing him by the arm, the Water Tribe Warrior pulled him upwards. There was indeed some blood on the side of the man's head, and his eyes looked slightly out of focus… But he seemed to be alright otherwise.
"What news?" Piandao asked, coming up the other side and also grabbing an arm to support the man.
"Lord Piandao… Not here. Somewhere… somewhere where we can't be overheard." The man closed his eyes, clearly in pain. Sokka rolled his own eyes at the fact that the soldiers had roughed him up like this. Finally, someone from the town they could talk to! And at that, someone who had been trusted by the girl On Ji to be present when she had told them that Katara was inside… As he helped the man towards one of the tents of the Water Tribe, he saw Suki and Toph walk towards them. As Sokka pushed the tent entrance away, he waited as Zuko, Piandao and then his girlfriend and the blind earthbender all entered the tent before letting it fall behind him.
"What is it?" Sokka couldn't stay silent any longer. The man looked at him, before something like realization crossed his eyes.
"You're the Water Tribesman. The one who came with the Avatar to the gates. Master Katara's brother." The man nodded as if all became clearer, and Sokka saw that his eyes became a bit more focused.
Master Katara's brother.
This man knew!
"Yes!" As the man sat down on a stool, Sokka quickly knelt down beside him. Holding in a curse as his nearly healed leg protested fiercely, he grabbed the man's arm once more. "Is she alright?"
He knew! He had to know!
"She is." The man said as Suki held a damp cloth towards him. Taking it with a grateful nod, he pressed it against the side of his head, "Master Katara has been in my care since the comet."
"Since the comet?" Zuko came to stand beside Sokka, confused, "My sister sent a message saying she had captured Katara."
"Your… sis… oh! Lord Zuko!" The man tried to stand up, but Sokka kept him on his place. The man had no business standing, or walking. He probably had a concussion, and there were more important things.
"Lord Zuko?" Piandao spoke up, a sharp tone in his voice, "People fighting for the Princess call him the Traitor."
"I… I'm not for the Princess. I would swear allegiance to the better candidate. And for the moment, I have seen nothing but danger from the Princess. I… Master Katara says you are worthy of the throne, and I trust her."
It had to be a trick. It had to be. Glancing at Suki, Sokka only saw what he was feeling too. Hope. Hope that everything was alright. Of course, Aang had found Katara, and had sent this man to tell them! Letting his gaze go from the Kyoshi Warrior to Toph, he saw that the blind girl was clearly trying to see if the man was lying. Her feet were planted firmly on the ground, and one of her eyebrows was raised. After a few seconds, she nodded, apparently aware he was looking at her.
He wasn't lying.
"She was held up here at Kirashi, and then, the siege began… I only learned who she was when my daughter told me yesterday."
Daughter. On Ji. This was On Ji's father. Feeling tears well up in his eyes, Sokka quickly wiped at his eyes to conceal them. Katara was safe… His little sister had been safe all along. All the worry, all the hardship… It had been for nothing. The sleepless nights at the siege camp of Fire Fountain… She had been safe all along. He had not failed his family in keeping her out of harm's way…
"So, Katara has never been in Azula's custody… What of Aang?" Suki asked the question Sokka himself had been too afraid to ask.
"The Avatar… Has been wounded. But he is alive!" On Ji's father's voice stammered slightly, probably because Sokka had dug his fingers in the man's flesh.
"Wounded?" He asked, gritting his teeth. Stupid Airhead! He should not have gone in alone! Of course he was going to be spotted! Of course, the idiot had been so focused finding Katara that he had not taken care of himself!
"A friend of my daughter stabbed him. But the Master Katara healed him, and is caring for him as we speak." The man answered, as he moved his arm slightly, clearly in pain. Sokka, making an effort to remain calm, released the man's arm from his grip.
"Well, at least they are together." Toph spoke in a careless tone. When Sokka turned to the girl, he saw her shrug, "I mean, if there is somewhere Aang is safe, it is with Katara."
If he wasn't so worried about the consequences of the fact that Aang had been hurt, the Water Tribe warrior could have laughed at the irony of it all. Stupid, idiotic Air Head had gone into the town to get Katara, to save her from whatever Azula was doing… And ultimately, it had been his little sister who had done that. It had been her who had saved him, and who was probably protecting him at this moment. Tui and La, as always, those two managed to do the exact opposite than they had planned. But for once, Sokka was glad of it.
"Well, that would explain the fact your town is still standing." Sokka shook his head, feeling the ghost of a smile creep onto his lips, "Spirits, they are probably being very, very oogies."
"O… Oogie?" On Ji's father seemed confused.
"Disgusting. I think they do it to torture me." Sokka explained, feeling better and better. Aang was wounded but alive, Katara was safe, and they had someone who could explain every weakness of the town where Azula was trying to keep her cause alive. Everything they needed or wanted was right here… In their reach.
"The Avatar is unconscious… Has been ever since he was stabbed."
Oh… Of course. Of course nothing could be that good.
"Well, Aang won't blow up the town, but Sugar Queen might. All in all, good news!" Toph laughed, in her usual the spirits may care way. Sokka heard Suki groan in exasperation, clearly intended towards the blind girl.
"That also means Aang can't be moved… I think?" He ignored the two women, keeping his attention to the man in front of him, "That means Katara will stay where Aang is."
Standing up, he sighed. Of course, nothing would be so fucking simple. Of course, they would come to the siege camp. But if his sister couldn't come here, he could go to her.
"How did Aang get in?" He asked the man, throwing his previous plan out of the window. It had been a long shot at the very best.
"If I understood my daughter correctly… he dug a tunnel through one of the walls." On Ji's father spoke cautiously, looking at him with unhidden apprehension, "But I would ask you to listen to me before you sent the army in. Please…"
The pleading tone made Sokka stop his thinking. At the mere mention of a tunnel through the wall, his mind had begun racing. That meant that there was a way in. And out! He would take Toph with him, find the hole in the wall with her help and go through it. Find Katara and Aang, bring them to safety, and then, go back. And when he would go back it would be with his father, Bato and perhaps some firebenders from Piandao's army. They would find Azula and stop, and force the town to open the gates. And then… then, his life would finally be normal!
But the tone in the man's voice was enough to make him listen.
"We are listening." Zuko spoke up for the first time since mentioning Azula.
"I'll help you, I'll make sure the town surrenders… But please, don't hurt the people in the town. Sack it if you want, but don't kill the people inside. We had no choice in the matter. Kantuno, the governor here, declared for your sister. Please my lord, they are innocent. Master Katara said the Avatar would stop any such talks, but he isn't here… So, I ask it. Keep my town alive, and I'll give you whatever you want."
Sokka couldn't help but feel ashamed. Did the town truly think they would have sacked it? Piandao, Zuko, and any of their friends or family would not have allowed it.
"What is your name?" Zuko asked, kneeling beside the man. Sokka heard the sharp intake of breath coming from the man. And he understood… The Fire Lord was supposed to be some sort of living god… And Sokka doubted any god would kneel in front of a townsman…
"Orsu…"
"I promise you I would never allow any of the soldiers to harm my people. I know you think I betrayed the Fire Nation by joining the Avatar, but please, understand that I had to do it. My fight is with my… sister. Not with you. You, your family and the town will be left in peace." Zuko spoke quietly, keeping his gaze on the man. Sokka could only nod at that.
"In that case… may I be the first of Kirashi's people to declare my loyalty to Fire Lord Zuko." Orsu bowed awkwardly, sitting on his stool.
"All right, all right. No killing and no plundering. Spirits, as if we were planning to do so anyway. Come on, where did Twinkletoes go through that damn wall?" Toph's high voice broke through the rather solemn atmosphere.
"Twi… I presume you mean the Avatar?" Orsu looked away from Zuko, towards the blind girl.
"Avatar Twinkletoes if you prefer."
"Ehm… Shoji said he saw the Avatar close to the northern gate… I would presume he came through there somewhere. It is the gate closest to this part of the camp."
At that, Sokka actually turned around and left the tent. That was all the information he needed. As the tent flap fell behind him, he crossed the clearing between the tents as quickly as his leg would permit. Cursing the hindrance it would pose, he knew there was no other way. He would have to go through the muddy, rainy field separating them and the town, enter the entrance Aang had made somewhere along the northern wall, and find them. Of course he was going to find them. Those two idiots needed his help.
"Sokka!" He heard his father's voice call, but he didn't slow down on his wall to his own tent. Footsteps neared rather quickly, and glancing around he saw his dad run towards him.
"What is it? The others said there was a prisoner…"
"Aang is wounded, but has found Katara. She is alright!" Sokka grinned at that fact. Tui and La, his sister was safe! "I'm going to find them!"
"Not without me." His father smiled the same smile the Water Tribe warrior had seen in the mirror when he had looked at himself. Remembering their argument from just an hour ago, Sokka let the grin fall from his lips.
"Aang wouldn't be wounded if you had let me go with him."
"And why do you think I'm coming with you now?" His father's tone didn't suggest that he would be able to change his mind…
"Alright, but keep up."
"I would rather think you need to keep up with me. Does the leg hurt?" His father asked, pointing his chin to said leg. Sokka just groaned aloud, keeping his pace as they arrived at the tent he had been occupying with Suki. Not looking at his father as he entered the tent, he was rather too aware that there was just one bed. But two bags, the one clearly belonging to Suki. Grabbing the sword he had "borrowed" from the Royal Armory, his boomerang and the bone club he had always used, he straightened and walked out the tent, without looking his father in the eyes. But he sensed a rather amused look.
"I get amusement, but when you learned Katara and Aang shared a room, you got concerned. Rather old fashioned Dad." Sokka muttered, a little of the anger he felt towards his father for letting Aang go alone bubbling to the surface.
"Sorry." His father sounded genuine, and Sokka knew that that had not been Hakoda's concern… It had been that the relation would only make their lives harder as long as the war lasted. And Sokka hated t admit it, but Aang and Katara had suffered more than necessary because of it.
"It stopped raining." The Water Tribe warrior realized. It wasn't supposed to stop raining.
"Yeah."
They reached the tree line, and Sokka cursed aloud this time. He had needed the rain! He had needed it to shield his movement from any watchful eyes guarding the walls. He had needed the rain to muffle any sound that he could make while searching for the tunnel Aang had dug.
"Sokka!" Suki called from behind, and glancing around, he saw his girlfriend, Toph, Zuko and Piandao run up to them, "Where do you think you are going?"
"In there!" He pointed his finger towards the town, "You heard the man. There is a way in, and Katara needs our help!"
"And you were just going to do that alone?" The Kyoshi Warrior crossed her arms, "Isn't that what got us in this situation in the first place?"
"Eh…" Sokka began, but he didn't have an answer to that. Yeah… Going in alone would have been a rather bad idea…
"Seriously, Meathead, you and your idiot of a father share one working brain cell, don't you?" Toph rolled her misty eyes at them.
"I'm standing right here." His father muttered.
"I know."
"Instead of arguing, can we get on with it?" Zuko intervened, and Sokka saw that the Fire Lord was pulling off the cape he had so carefully stolen from Ozai. Truly, what an ingrate. As the blood red cape fell into the mud, Sokka heard something.
It was faint, as if it came from far away… But it sounded as if someone was shouting. As he turned to the town, he had to strain his eyes. There was something in the air above the town. Not the clouds nor mist…. Thicker and darker.
Smoke.
Smoke…
"Tui and La." He groaned aloud.
"Is that smoke?" He heard Suki whisper. Inhaling deeply through his nose, Sokka could smell it now too. Burning wood, ash in the air. There was a fire. And if he could smell it from at least a mile; he would guess it was a big one.
"Agni." Piandao whispered, "They wouldn't be so desperate, would they?"
"What do you mean?" Zuko asked, but Sokka heard the hesitation in his friend's voice. To him, it sounded as if the firebender was rather well aware of what Piandao meant.
"Classic military strategy. If you plan to flee a besieged city or town, you burn it. As to leave nothing for the army besieging it."
Leave… nothing… in… it.
"Tell me that doesn't mean…"
"Azula is sacking her own town." Zuko finished his sentence, "Piandao!"
"Already on my way." The swordsman threw off the cloak he had been wearing, running with surprising speed to his part of the camp.
"I'll get the tribesmen. Go! Find Katara and Aang, get them out of there!" His father shouted and ran too.
"Well, I must say, slaughtering her own people was not something I would have expected of that loose fireball." Toph spoke, sounding impressed, "Well, the town is burning, the shouts I hear are clearly of people being attacked… We don't have any waterbenders, or the Avatar. What are we waiting for?"
Sokka didn't wait for her to stop monologuing. He began to run as best as he could towards the town, as he heard the clatter of weapons, and from a distance, he could hear Piandao's voice.
"Prepare to attack the town! Save whatever you can of the town, but harm no one. Princess Azula is attacking your own countrymen! Safe them!"
Answers:
StarJem18 : Well, the suspense is just this chapter… next chapter, everything will come together…. Or will it? Lol!