A. N. : Short chapter but. We did it my friends. We climbed the whole mountain. Or well, we're at the second base camp, the weather is far from optimal and the guide still doesn't know what path they'll take, but... At least we're ready to go ? I guess ?
Aang opens his eyes.
His chest hurts and he has the vague image of a bright flash in his mind. He feels like that time he rode the Unagi. Bad.
His head aches.
Thankfully, the light isn't too strong – not like when he woke up at the South Pole, now that hurt – so it's not too bad. What a nice, warm, red light…
Red ?
He snaps his eyes wide open.
Fire Nation insignias on red banners, metallic walls, and Aang now realizes the room is really moving – oh no. He's on a Fire Nation ship. Probably headed to some sort of Fire Nation prison.
Where are the others, what happened to them –
The Fire Nation is going to regret not restraining him, they should've tied him up even if he was unconscious, because now Aang is awake and determined to find his friends and escape, he doesn't care if it hurts, he will –
A gust of wind takes care of the two guards – they won't catch him, they won't – and he runs, running hurts but he can't let them catch up to him –
Stairs. He sees the sky. Feels the air on his face. He climbs up and he's free, he's free, he – stops.
Katara and Toph are here, and they look surprised and happy – and they're safe, thanks the Spirits they're safe – but it's almost unimportant right now, because –
Zuko is here. Zuko is here, armored and red and smiling – he can smile – and that can't be good, can't –
Something sticky and warm touches Aang's foot. He lowers his eyes – a baby. What is a baby doing here. Jet laughs. Jet is standing next to Zuko and laughing and Aang is starting to wonder if he really did wake up.
Probably not.
Toph and Katara come towards him – he finally woke up – and hearing Toph call him Twinkle Toes makes him so happy, and Katara's smile is so soft and pretty he almost wants to cry – he is home, this is home – and a Fire Nation soldier with Sokka's voice hugs him and –
What.
This is definitely Sokka's voice and inflexions and attitude and – Sokka – but armored and red instead of blue, but Aang can still hear the smile in his voice and it doesn't make sense why would Sokka – maybe it's a disguise, maybe that's why –
And now Jet is coming forward too, with his smirk and arrogance and Zuko is following him and coming closer and closer until he's almost touching Aang and he kneels and takes the baby off the floor, and Aang thinks he's going to cry from how none of this is making any kind of sense and how everyone is acting like this is normal but instead he just –
Closes his eyes.