Chapter 21 - The Tribunal
No one slowed their pace as nearly two hundred something Earth Kingdom refugees and a couple dozen soldiers fled into the night. The soldiers split themselves between the front and back of the formation to scout out in front while simultaneously providing a solid rear guard.
Backpacks and whatever they could carry in their arms. That was all most of these refugees had to their names. Some didn't even have that. The elderly and the young were assisted by the more able-bodied civilians as the mass of people continued to move.
Toph and Zuko remained with the rear guard of soldiers, monitoring vigilantly for any possible pursuit from the Dai Li. Fortunately, it had been quiet so far. Zuko's parting flames really seemed to have done a number on discouraging any immediate pursuit.
"Those were some cool moves back there Sparky," commented Toph as she walked alongside the firebender.
"Sparky?" muttered Zuko in confusion at the nickname. "My name is Zuko." With Sokka around, it was pointless to try and use an alias anymore. The Fire Prince could only hope that the Water Tribe boy would be somewhat tactful and not go around shouting all the details of Zuko's identity to the heavens.
"Nah, your name is whatever I feel like calling you," answered Toph with a proud grin, clearly either unconcerned, unimpressed, or uncaring about Zuko's real name and background. If Sokka had told Toph about the Fire Prince, then the little earthbender didn't show it. "I got to see all that fire power you were holding in reserve until the end. Really quite the trick. Smart too. A good earth rumbler always holds their best card for last."
"Earth rumbler?" echoed Zuko before he could stop himself from asking.
Toph appeared a bit miffed. "You been living under a rock or something? Earth Rumble is one of the greatest competitions in the Earth Kingdom. And you're looking at the champion!"
That did little to explain to the Fire Prince what Earth Rumble actually was. But recalling the display of earthbending he witnessed Toph throwing around with minimal effort back in Ba Sing Se, Zuko found himself accepting the young girl's boast about being the best at this Earth Rumble thing.
Zuko turned to say something else to the little earthbender, pausing slightly as he finally got a good look at her. The young girl's eyes were a pale shade of blue and appeared to stare off into the distance as she talked to him. "You're blind..." he realized out loud, whatever else he was about to say fading away from his thoughts.
Toph stopped as her hands rushed to her face. "What?! I am? Oh, no! What ever am I going to do?!" The little earthbender appeared to be an a genuine panic.
It lasted all of about three seconds. Then, Toph punched the firebender in the leg. Hard. "Is that you Sparky?" Another punch. "Where did you go?" A third punch, in the same spot. "I can't see you. Are you still there?"
Zuko rubbed his sore leg as the barrage of punches ceased. The small girl packed a lot of strength in her tiny frame. "Point taken. You can see just fine somehow."
"And don't you forget it!" smirked Toph as she started to drill him with questions about how he knew Sokka, who Katara and Jin were, and what a firebender was doing fighting alongside a waterbender and earthbender against the Dai Li in Ba Sing Se.
Up near the vanguard, Katara was still trying to convince herself that this was all real. That her Brother was actually, finally, in front of her once again. He appeared to have matured so much in the time since she had last seen him. He walked with a more confident stride to his step and he spoke to the Earth Kingdom commander with a hint of maturity in his voice. "I'm telling ya! Those Dai Li agents were coming down from the rafters like spiderants!" Okay, maybe not that much more maturity, but it was still good to see him.
Sokka finished giving his report and dropped back a step to talk with his Sister. He had needed a couple of minutes to cool off after the fight to escape Ba Sing Se and absorb the fact that Zuko of all people had helped them.
"Did you...?" started to ask Katara apprehensively.
The Water Tribe boy shook his head. "No, I haven't told the Earth Kingdom commander about Zuko yet. You asked me not to and I owe you that much. For now. But if there isn't a good reason coming in the next few minutes, then I'm turning him in."
"I know," muttered Katara. "And there is."
Sokka appeared to be torn. This wasn't how he had imagined the reunion with his Sister to go either apparently. And as much as he wanted to focus on the firebender, it was the prison rig that kept coming back to his mind. Bringing that up instead, Sokka attempted to apologize, "Katara, before that... back on the prison rig, I want to apologize for that. I can't even begin to say how sorry I am for leaving you there, alone. I just couldn't find you through all that smoke. And Aang was hurt and unconscious. The Fire Nation was closing in all around us." The Water Tribe boy's gaze was downcast. "We tried to find you later, but we could never figure out where they took you."
Now it was Katara's turn to shake her head. "They didn't take me anywhere. They kept me locked up on that same prison rig with the Earth Nation prisoners."
"They what?!" replied Sokka in shock. "Even with all that water around?" His Sister nodded. Sokka placed his hand on his head. "Ugh, I gave those Fire jerks too much credit. My instincts were sure that they would have moved you to a land-based prison," groaned the Water Warrior.
Katara softly waterbent a small wisp of water from her canteen and swirled the element around herself. "They saw that I didn't have any control over my waterbending back then. They must have assumed that I wasn't a threat." Her voice lowered. "They were right. They kept me locked up in the deepest part of the prison rig and I couldn't do anything about it. Even with all that water around me."
Sokka had a pained expression on his face from his Sister's explanation. He eventually asked the other burning question on his mind. "How did you get away?"
Katara kept her eyes downcast. "I didn't."
"Then, how?" replied Sokka, perplexed.
"Zuko," came the simple response from the waterbender.
"Zuko?!" shout back Sokka in disbelief. "The same Zuko that chased me and Aang from one end of the world to the other? The same Zuko who only has a one track mind for ruining everything around him? That Zuko?!"
"He's changed," refuted Katara. She placed her hand on her Brother's arm. "Give him a chance Sokka. He saved me when he didn't have to."
Anger grew in Sokka's eyes. "I don't buy it. He probably only rescued you to use you. Probably to trick everyone, get in our good graces, and then boom! He's tries to capture Aang again and run off to the Fire Nation." The Water Tribe boy nodded affirmatively at his own brilliant deduction. "Yeah. That's what he's up to. It's so obvious. He's playing the long game with this new trap of his. Well, it's not going to work. I'm going to get the Earth Kingdom soldiers to help us shut him down right now."
A hand grabbed onto the Water Warrior's wrist as he started to walk back towards the very front of the marching crowd. "Wait, please Sokka. Just wait," petitioned Katara. She saw how much of a commotion that her and her Brother were starting to make and just how much attention they were starting to attract. "Once it's just our small group, I can explain everything. Jin knows everything already and if you trust Toph, well, then I do too."
Sokka tried to pull away from his Sister's hand, but she held firm. "Katara, we're at war with the Fire Nation. Zuko is part of the Fire Nation." His eyes narrowed as an inauspicious thought bubbled to the forefront of his mind. "I really hate that I have to ask my own Sister this, especially since we just found each other again." He stopped trying to pull away and turned to face Katara once more as he asked her, point-blank, "Are you on his side or ours?"
"We're both on your side, of course," answered Katara immediately. Sokka frowned at her use of 'we' and not 'I'. "We came to Ba Sing Se to find you and Aang. To help."
"So Zuko could capture Aang, you mean," rebutted Sokka, unconvinced. He gave his Sister an ultimatum. "Katara, you're going to need to pick a side. Mine or his."
Katara appeared more than a little heartbroken at the choice her Brother was giving her as she stared back at him with pleading blue eyes. "I don't want to pick sides between you and him. Why can't you be on my side? That's what family is supposed to do. Support you, no matter what. That's what I'm trying to do right now."
When Sokka didn't say anything, the waterbender implored a second time. "Please Sokka, for me."
The Water Tribe boy eventually relented as the tension in his shoulders slacked. "Fine," Sokka grumbled, clearly displeased. "But this had better be the best explanation ever." He moved to walk away. "I'm going to go keep an eye on that firebender until I get a better reason."
Katara frowned as she watched her Brother move to the back of the large formation. She had imagined a much more cheerful reunion with her Brother than this. It seemed that her own homecoming was going about as well as Jin's had.
A short time later, the large mass of civilians and soldiers paused for a break. They had been walking throughout the night and many of the people were running on fumes after coming down from their adrenaline high of escaping the city.
Zuko found Than and his family huddled together near Biscuit and Bree. The fact that Biscuit and Bree were the only two ostrich horses in the entire area made them stick out easily. "How are you holding up?" the Fire Prince asked as he approached.
"We're doing well enough. The soldiers said that they're going to escort everyone to a village called Gaoling. None of us have ever been there before," answered Faye.
"That's my hometown," supplied Toph as she made her presence known. "I offered it up as a refuge when the resistance members were looking for a place to take people from Ba Sing Se. They already took the Earth King there."
"Who are you?" asked Ying towards the young girl.
"Name's Toph Beifong," answered Toph nonchalantly.
"Beifong?!" echoed Than in surprise. "From Beifong Enterprises?"
"That's my Dad's company," replied Toph with disinterest as she picked some fuzz out of her ear with her pinky finger.
At Than's slack-jawed and stunned expression, Zuko asked the man, "Is that some famous company or something?"
Toph gave a small laugh at the firebender's casual and clueless dismissal of her Father's work. On the other hand, Than shook Zuko's shoulders with both hands. "The Beifongs are one of the most influential families in the entire Earth Kingdom! Lao Beifong has single-handedly created numerous highly-profitable ventures that employ so many people."
"Yeah, well, Pops has been a bit of a jerk lately. He sent his thugs to capture me and bring me home, but I invented metalbending and put an end to that," gloated Toph triumphantly as she proudly tapped on her chest with her fist. "Now it's my turn to send some people his way. See how he likes it when he's busy dealing with all these refugees."
The little earthbender noticed the baby in Ying's arms. "You're all friends with this lump, right?" she said as she pointed to Zuko with her thumb. As Ying nodded, Toph dug into her pockets and pulled out an emblem stamp. "Hey Sparky, go fetch some paper and ink for me, would ya?"
"Where am I supposed to find paper and ink?" muttered Zuko in confusion. Ying pointed to Than as the man started to dig through his backpack before pulling out the required items a minute later.
"Here," provided Than as he gave the requested items to Zuko.
"You got them? Good, then write this down for me," stated Toph as she started to dictate a message for Zuko to write down. The Fire Prince scrambled to find a flat rock to write on since it looked like Toph wasn't exactly waiting around.
After copying down the message and checking it over, Zuko asked, "Did you really want me to write down this last sentence? It almost sounds like you're taunting your Father."
"I am taunting my Father," smirked Toph. "It's what he deserves for trying to drag me back home." She gestured for Zuko to hand her the letter. "Now give it here."
Zuko slid the letter towards Toph as she wiped fresh ink onto the emblem stamp in her hands. Then, the little earthbender raised the stamp up into the air as she coughed impatiently at the Fire Prince. Zuko took the hint and guided Toph's hand so that it was above the signature block on the letter. Pressing down firmly, Toph stamped the letter with her Beifong emblem.
As the ink started to dry, Toph handed the letter to Than. "Here, take this and let my Mom know that I'm doing alright. Tell her that her Daughter is crushing it out here on her own. Then, let her know that if Dad sends anymore people after me, then I'll just beat them up too. Give her that message, and I'm confident that she'll take care of your family and set you all up with work in Gaoling."
Than's hands trembled as he reached out to accept the Beifong marked letter from Toph's hand. He held the dispatch carefully, as if it might crumble to dust if he held onto it too tightly. "Thank you," thanked Ying in her husband's place as he seemed to have momentarily lost his ability to speak.
"What are you all doing?" asked Katara as she walked over.
"I think Toph just gave Than and his family a new lease on life," commented Zuko as he put the cap back onto the ink bottle.
Ying gestured towards the waterbender. "You have excellent timing. Could you hold onto Hope for a minute while I help Than put this letter away? I think he's still a bit stunned."
"Of course," answered Katara as she accepted baby Hope into her arms. For her part, Hope continued to remain sound asleep.
"So I guess Gaoling is our next destination?" wondered out loud Zuko.
"Don't we need to get back to Ba Sing Se and continue to look for your Uncle?" asked Katara.
Zuko shook his head. "We need to think of a better plan. Uncle would be detained in the Upper Ring, if he's still there at all. But I think he'll be moved soon. And probably back to you know where."
Katara nodded. She knew where, but it was better not to say the Fire Nation in front of everyone else.
"The Upper Ring?" spoke up Toph. "That's where Sokka and I were headed as well. Before we ran into these resistance fighters and offered to help out."
"What did you all need to go to the Upper Ring for?" asked Katara in confusion.
"Aang's hurt. And it's not looking good. We got him to some field medics and they patched him up the best they could. But they hadn't treated any lightning wounds before," explained the little earthbender. "We were trying to get to the same doctor that helped this other friend of ours when he got hit with lightning."
"Lightning wounds?" parroted Zuko. Both him and Katara shared a look. Toph was very likely talking about Iroh. And if they had gotten him help in Ba Sing Se, then the old man had gotten better.
Katara offered to help. "I've healed lightning wounds before. I could help Aang."
"You're a healer?" asked Toph in surprise.
"I'll say she is," provided Than as he seemed to have recovered his composure. "That girl delivered my Daughter. And I saw her heal up her friend there from a pretty bad looking head injury."
"Excellent!" declared Toph. "In that case, we don't need to waste more time trying to get past all those stupid soldiers. We can head back to-"
"What are you carrying?!" demanded Sokka as he approached the group at a quickened pace.
Everyone stared at the Water Tribe boy in confusion as they watched him stop and point accusingly as the baby in Katara's arms. "Why do you have that little... human... thing!" Sokka continued to rant, slowly finding the words to piece together. Everyone then looked at Hope as she seemed to slowly stir within Katara's arms.
Toph was the first to both recover and understand. Though, she wasn't much help as all she did was laugh uncontrollably in response. Katara recovered next as she retorted, "Sokka, the word you're looking for is 'baby.' Hope's a baby, not a thing. And what are you thinking? Did you think Hope was mine?"
"No, of course not! Why would I think that?!" stuttered out Sokka. Then, he returned to his original unanswered question. "Why do you have a baby?!"
"I'm caring for Hope so that her Mother," Katara indicated to Ying right next to her, "Can put a letter in her backpack. Geez, Sokka, I don't remember you being this high strung."
"I've always been this high strung!" countered Sokka loudly as everyone started to laugh at the Water Warrior's response.
Toph slapped her friend on his back. "Yeah, Captain Fussy-Britches here is always trying to control everything."
The front of the refugee formation was getting up as the Earth Kingdom commander started to get everyone moving again. Than and Ying bowed their heads to Toph. "Thank you once again for the introduction letter."
Toph waved them off casually. "Yeah, yeah, you all seem like good people. It wasn't that big of a deal." Katara was almost positive that she saw a hint of awkwardness on Toph's otherwise outward confident demeanor when the little earthbender turned away abruptly. Like the young girl felt embarrassed for receiving a thank you.
Ying took Hope back from Katara. Then, Than, Ying, and Faye turned to Zuko and Katara and thanked them for all their help as well. Each said their goodbyes as Zuko and Katara wished Than's family good fortune in Gaoling. The gathering of refugees began to continue on their way. Jin gradually approached through the crowd as she moved opposite to the flow of the departing refugees.
"You just missed Than and Ying," stated Katara as her friend neared.
Jin shook her head. "I already told them good-bye earlier while we were walking. I figured that our group wasn't going to be sticking around with everyone else for long."
"And you're fine with that? Your parents are fine with that?" asked Zuko.
Jin sighed. "I spoke with my parents about that too. Neither of them are too happy with me, but they said that they weren't going to get in my way." Jin gave a slight laugh. "Well, Mom said that she wasn't going to get in my way. Dad was fuming, but Mom eventually got him to calm down and relent a little bit. At least enough to hear me out." Jin continued to explain how her parents came to realize that they wouldn't have been able to stop their Daughter no matter how hard they tried. Their little girl had made up her mind and she was staying with her friends.
"That must have been difficult for you Jin," comforted Katara.
"It was. If my parents want to keep running, then that is fine for them. But I don't want to be bystander anymore. You all have shown me that we can fight back, and I want to, no, I need to help," declared Jin.
"I like your grit. You'll fit in great here," replied Toph approvingly.
"Yeah, yeah," dismissed Sokka as he walked towards Zuko with his boomerang in his hand. "I've waited long enough. It's just our group now. So someone had better start explaining to me right now why this firebender is standing here; otherwise, my boomerang might decide to say hello to his face, repeatedly."
Undeterred, Zuko matched the Water Tribe boy's tough guy glare as Sokka tried to intimidate the Fire Prince into submission. "Like Katara already told you. I'm on your side now. I'm here to teach Aang how to firebend," proclaimed the Fire Prince.
"Ha! You teach? I've seen you fight. You couldn't teach anybody. It's more like you're here to try and capture Aang by pretending to show him firebending," retorted Sokka. "I'm not letting you anywhere near him."
"Do you want me to apologize? If that's what it takes to get you to believe me, then fine. I apologize for chasing you and Aang all across the world and trying to capture you two. I was in the wrong. I see that now. I want to make things right," expressed Zuko.
Sokka leveled his boomerang at Zuko's face. "What makes you think you can? What makes you think I want your apology? That means nothing to me! If you're truly sorry, then bring back Yue." The Water Warrior tightened his grip on his boomerang. "But you can't, can you? Because she became the moon! All because you led us away and allowed Zhao to make a mess of everything!"
Zuko knocked the boomerang in his face aside only for Sokka to hold it right back out. Zuko batted the offending weapon aside again. "We met Yue. She doesn't blame me for what happened."
Anger flashed across Sokka's face. "You dirty liar! Don't you say her name! You don't get to say her name!" shouted Sokka as he punched Zuko square in the jaw with a brutal left cross as that fist wasn't holding his boomerang.
The firebender even didn't try to defend himself and took the hit fully, dropping to a knee while gingerly nursing his jaw with his hand. Sokka stood over the wounded firebender breathing in deeply with a clenched fist and looking like he wanted to strike the other teen a second time.
"It's true Sokka. We met Yue in the Spirit World," interrupted Katara as she knelt down next to Zuko and supported him back to his feet.
"W-What? There's no way that's true," stammered the Water Tribe boy at his Sister's verbal and physical support of the Fire Prince.
"She's been looking out for me because of all the stories you shared with her about our family. Yue wanted me to let you know that she will always love you, but that you need to forgive yourself for her passing. She doesn't blame anyone for what happened to her," elaborated Katara.
Sokka's eyes immediately flashed to the little earthbender, but Toph just shrugged. "Don't look at me. All I can tell you is that they aren't lying."
"Are you sure?" pressed Sokka.
"Unless they're both amazing liars like Azula was, then they're telling the truth," returned Toph. "And you know I'm good at detecting liars."
Sokka latched onto that caveat. "Azula's his Sister. Lying must run in the family. Katara, get away from him. He's just a liar and an evil firebender."
Katara stood directly in-between Zuko and her Brother. "I will not. You're not listening to me, Sokka. Zuko is here to help. We're here to help."
Sokka stared at his Sister incredulously. 'Why is she so dead set on defending Zuko?' he debated inwardly. "Katara, I don't know what kind of lies he's been telling you. But Zuko was hounding Aang and I all the way up to the North Pole. He's been getting in our way and trying to stop us from defeating the Fire Nation. He's dangerous, just like every other firebender."
"No, he's not like every other firebender. Have you seen another firebender try to help you before?" asked Katara.
There was a momentarily pause.
"Well, there was Jeong Jeong," reluctantly noted Sokka in response.
Zuko looked surprised at Sokka's admission. "You met The Deserter? No one's seen him in over a decade."
"He didn't want to teach Aang firebending actually. Aang talked him into it, but then Aang singed Appa's fur while he was showing off and swore to never... Hey, wait a minute! You're trying to distract me! See! I told you that he couldn't be trusted!" shouted Sokka.
"You distracted yourself, Sokka," stated Toph nonchalantly. "Besides, what's the big deal? If Sparky acts up and tries to attack us, then I'll just beat him into the ground. There, problem solved."
"No, problem not solved! Problem unsolved!" exclaimed Sokka in frustration. "I don't trust him! You can't trust a firebender!"
"Well, I'm not so sure that we can trust you," interceded Jin on behalf of her friends. "You may be Katara's Brother, but in the time I've known you, you've done nothing but throw out accusations and refuse to listen to any of the explanations."
"Who are you again?" huffed Sokka as he tried to remember the earthbender that his Sister had introduced him too just a short while ago. He shook his head. "Argh! Doesn't matter. You weren't there."
"Maybe not for the parts where Zuko was chasing you and this Aang guy, but I have learned about Zuko's character," elaborated Jin. "Sure, he did hide his identity from me at first, but that was because he was hiding out in a country where people would have arrested him just because of his Fire Nation background. He has shown remorse for lying about who he was and I've forgiven him for that. I've seen his temper, but I've also seen his honesty and commitment to his friends."
Sokka crossed his arms. "Well goodie for you. He's still can't be trusted."
"Too bad you're out voted here, Sokka," proclaimed Toph as the Water Tribe boy looked at her in shock. "I'm with them. None of them are lying and I believe them. Besides, Aang's going to need a firebending teacher and it's not exactly like firebenders are lining up to teach him. We're running out of time to find one."
Sokka grumbled to himself lowly, seemingly defeated. Then, before anyone could react, he slapped one end of metal handcuffs onto Zuko's right wrist and bound the other end to his own left wrist. "Ha! Fine! If he's coming along with us, then I'm going to make sure that he can't do anything and he can't run away."
"Sokka," complained Katara. "Take those handcuffs off. Where did you even get them?"
"I brought them with me from Dad's camp. I figured I might need them if we had to restrain a prisoner, but I never imagined I would get to capture Zuko instead!" exclaimed Sokka in triumph.
"This is ridiculous. And how far away even is this camp? What are you going to do when either of you has to use the bathroom? You do have the key to these handcuffs, right?" asked Katara matter-of-factly.
The grin on Sokka's face fell. He hadn't considered that. "Right... key..." He patted down his tunic and checked his pockets as his frown grew. "Hey Toph, you think you could metalbend these cuffs off?"
"Oh no, this is way more fun," refused Toph with a growing smirk of amusement on her face. Then, she addressed Zuko. "Sorry Sparky, but Sokka only learns when he suffers."
Zuko sighed. Given his luck, this was about what he had expected. Well, not being literally handcuffed to Sokka, how could he have predicted that? But Zuko hadn't expected the Water Tribe boy to forgive him very easily.
Katara replayed in her mind what her Brother had just said. "Wait, did you say Dad's camp? Dad's here too?!"
"He's over in Chameleon Bay," answered Sokka distractedly as he continued to pull uselessly at the handcuff on his wrist. "It's not too far from here."
'Dad's here,' repeated Katara to herself inwardly. She hadn't seen her Father in over two years, ever since he had gathered the other tribal warriors and departed to try and keep the war from reaching their Tribe. Not that it had worked. The war found Katara and Sokka all the same.
A mix of emotions swept through Katara. She had been thrilled to find her Brother again. But her Father. That was a different matter altogether. She was happy to know he was okay, of course. And she was thrilled that she could be reunited with him too. But it had been two years. Two years since he left them alone in the South Pole. Sure, they had Gran-Gran, but they needed their Father too. And he wasn't there. He hadn't been there.
Shoving those emotions down, Katara told herself that she would handle it when she saw him again. Instead, she asked, "Did you all walk to Ba Sing Se? Did something happen to Appa?"
Sokka's and Toph's faces both fell. "Appa won't leave Aang's side," replied Toph. "Aang's back at camp and Appa's basically won't budge from outside of Aang's tent. We only just recently got Appa back after some thieves stole him too."
"And that's why we need to get back into Ba Sing Se and find a doctor who can help Aang get better," added Sokka as he gave up trying to pull his hand out of the handcuffs.
"No need anymore," dismissed Toph. "Your Sister says she can help Aang. We should get back to camp."
The Water Tribe boy looked over at Katara. "Since when were you a healer?" questioned Sokka critically. "You helped out Gran-Gran with little cuts and scrapes around the village. Aang needs a real doctor. And he needs one now."
"She's an excellent healer," supported Zuko as Sokka scowled at the Fire Prince for talking. Zuko raised their cuffed together wrists. "And do you really think we can sneak around Ba Sing Se like this?" Sokka's scowl deepened in response. Then, Zuko decided to ask about his Uncle. "The old firebender that you all brought to get healed from a lightning injury before, what happened to him? He is my Uncle."
When Sokka didn't answer, Toph did so for him. "He helped us back when we faced Azula in the Earth Kingdom plains. Aang and I voted to bring him to get healed in Ba Sing Se. Sokka didn't like to talk to him much, but even he couldn't leave an injured man out there like that. Your Uncle was a kind, old man who liked to serve us tea."
Zuko glanced at Katara. "You were right," he admitted, remembering his earlier mistake several days ago.
"You might want to start get used to saying that," the Water Tribe girl joked happily.
The Fire Prince looked back to Toph. "Do you know what happened to him?"
Toph's frown returned. "We managed to escape the city because of him. After Aang was struck by lightning, your Uncle held off Azula and the Dai Li agents while I burrowed a way out and Sokka carried Aang. I think I felt him surrendering and the Dai Li capturing him as we escaped."
'Azula has Uncle.' Zuko cringed inwardly. He had been operating under that assumption, but now that it was confirmed, it hit all the harder. Zuko sighed. "Uncle would definitely sacrifice himself for those he trusts. If Azula has him, then she would have taken him back to the Imperial Fire Palace for Father to deal with him. I don't know how safe he'll be there."
He turned to Sokka. "Another reason for me to travel with you. I need to save my Uncle." The Water Tribe boy merely scoffed in disbelief.
"If we have all that sorted out, then let's get moving people!" exclaimed Toph as she started in the direction of Chameleon Bay. "Aang needs that healing. I'm fine with my earthbending to travel. You all use the ostrich horses. We should get there a lot quicker than by walking."
Zuko smiled lightly at Katara. "I guess I'm riding with Sokka."
The Water Tribe girl smiled back at the Fire Prince. "Please try not to hurt Sokka. I only just found my Brother again."
"I think I need to use the bathroom before we go," stated Sokka as he started to hop back and forth on his feet.
Katara sighed in response. "Maybe just don't hurt him too much," corrected the waterbender as she joined Jin on top of Bree. Zuko merely frowned annoyance.
Sokka was absolutely positive that Zuko was taking the most bumpy route that the Fire Prince could as the firebender steered the ostrich horse along. It didn't help that the ostrich horse had nipped at the Water Tribe boy's head when he walked by to mount the bird. And it certainly didn't help when the stupid bird bucked him out of the saddle when he tried to climb on first and take the reins. Sokka was one hundred percent positive that Zuko had given some silent command to the horse to attack him.
All that compounded further with the fact that the Water Tribe boy was stuck in the uncomfortable position of having his left arm crossed in front of his body to reach to his right side as Zuko held onto the reins in both of his hands. Zuko had pointed out that Sokka could have sat reverse in the saddle, facing backwards, if he wanted to sit more comfortably. However, the Water Tribe boy wasn't about to take his eyes off the firebender by facing away from him for the entire trip.
Sokka cursed to himself as he felt the ostrich horse jump over a rock in their path and land heavily. "The path had plenty of room for us to walk around the rock instead of jumping over it," he grumbled. Zuko ignored the Water Warrior, just like he had been ignoring all of Sokka's other complaints.
The Water Tribe boy watched Katara chatting away merrily with that new earthbender girl on the other ostrich horse. He had been elated to be reunited with his Sister again after all this time. It was like a heavy burden that he carried since the day he had lost her was suddenly lifted from his shoulders.
And then, that burden had been almost instantly replaced by the damning knowledge that, of all the possible people in the world, it had been Zuko who had rescued Katara. Sokka still wasn't sure how or why the firebender saved her from that prison rig, but he'd get to the bottom of that too.
At the very least, Katara appeared to be happy as she continued to joke with that Jin girl. Her time in captivity couldn't have been pleasant. Sokka knew his Sister was strong. She always had been. There was no way the Fire Nation would have been able to break her spirit. The proof was right in front of him as he observed her smiling face. Now, he just needed to figure out why both Katara and Jin were so willing to step up and defend Zuko. And to that end, he was already mentally drafting up a plan. The ostrich horse jumped over another rock and Sokka added another punishment for Zuko to his plan.
Not too much longer after all that, the group approached the front of the Water Tribe encampment. A pair of sentries blew a horn at their approach as the campsite stirred and warriors rushed out of their tents.
Sokka slapped his own forehead. Unfortunately, he did so with his handcuffed wrist, which caused Zuko's arm to pull back as the firebender shot the other boy a glare. The Water Warrior called out to his earthbending friend. "Toph, you should slow down with all that the earthbending running. They probably think that they are under attack."
Toph shrugged as the entire group slowed down. "Eh, at least we don't have to wait around to gather everyone."
The commotion in the encampment died down as the group strode pass the gates, Sokka waving his uncuffed hand and shouting a greeting. The group was surrounded by a magnitude of Water Tribe warriors as they dismounted. Despite the gruff expression on his face, Zuko was feeling a bit more than a little apprehensive by this encirclement of blue armored fighters, each sporting various clubs and spears.
The warriors parted to make way as an imposing looking Chieftain approached. At the sight of the man, Zuko felt a sharp pain stab at his forehead. It was just like at the Eastern Air Temple or in front of the Gates of Ba Sing Se.
There were flashes of people fighting, icebergs, soot mixing with the moisture in the air and falling like black snow, the sounds of metal clashing against metal, and firebending cutting through the air. He saw the face of the Chieftain, even if it was a younger face than the man in front of him right now. Zuko was positive that he was seeing the same man again in a vision that he wasn't there to see in person.
Katara noticed the pain on the firebender's face. "Are you alright?"
Zuko held his head as he shook away the images. "Yeah, it was just a head rush. I think I got down from Biscuit too fast."
The waterbender didn't get a chance to press the issue further because the Water Chieftain froze when he saw his Daughter. "Katara..." he breathed. He turned to his Son. "You found her?!" Sokka nodded happily.
The Chieftain broke all decorum and etiquette of his position as he rushed to sweep his Daughter up into a fierce bear hug before raising her high and holding her in the air effortlessly as he spun around. "When Sokka told me what happened on the prison rig, I feared that I had lost my only Daughter. Thank the Ocean and the Moon that you are safe and sound."
"Dad!" cried Katara as the tears came unbeckoned and she hugged him in return. Whatever conflicting emotions she had been feeling before about seeing her Dad again were washed away as she hugged him. She had her Father back.
As they embraced for a couple of moments longer, the Chieftain's second-in-command turned to address the rest of the warriors. "False alarm. Everyone get some rest, we've got work to do tomorrow." The men slowly began to return to their tents, most with a grin on their faces that their Chieftain had been reunited with his Daughter. It gave them hope that they too would soon be able to return to their families as well.
Composing himself once more, the Chieftain took a step back. "Thank you for that Bato. That wasn't very chiefly of me was it?"
Bato shook his head. "No one's going to fault you for hugging your own Daughter, Hakoda."
Hakoda looked over at the other new arrivals. He nodded towards Jin before his eyes narrowed as he saw Zuko. "Fire Prince Zuko. How considerate of you to offer yourself up as our prisoner."
Wiping away a tear from her face and regaining her own composure, Katara spoke up. "He's not a prisoner, Dad. He's a friend and an ally."
Hakoda looked at his Daughter as if she had just spoken to him in some foreign language. "He looks like a prisoner. Sokka already has him in handcuffs." He looked closer at the Fire Prince. Then, he critiqued his Son's work. "Then again Sokka, we don't usually allow our prisoners to carry swords."
"That's because Sokka didn't want to listen to me when I told him that Zuko isn't an enemy and because he forgot to bring the key," replied Katara.
When Hakoda turned his attention towards his Son, Sokka felt himself shrink back a little. "Zuko can't draw his weapons anyway with me linked to his sword-wielding arm like this," rationalized the Water Tribe boy.
Zuko rolled his eyes before he glanced at Katara with a small smirk. In a single smooth motion, the firebender yanked hard with his bound right arm to throw Sokka off balance as he pulled his sword, sheath and all, from his belt loop and presented it to Hakoda, hilt first.
Hakoda gave a disappointed glare at his Son as he crossed his arms. The Water Tribe warriors on either side of their Chieftain had fallen into battle stances, ready to strike out at Zuko due to the Fire Prince's abrupt actions. Hakoda looked over the Fire Prince again before reluctantly accepting the Dao broadswords the boy was offering him.
Katara had to stifle a laugh at Zuko's display and Sokka's continued misfortune. It shouldn't have been that funny, but her Brother's stubbornness with his distrust was really starting to wear on her. Toph and Jin weren't nearly reserved in their judgement as they both openly giggled at the display.
"I see," contemplated Hakoda as he handed the confiscated blades to Bato.
Sokka regained his balance and sent Zuko an angry glare as he lightly pulled at the handcuffs. "Toph could have removed the handcuffs, but she didn't want too."
Toph laughed louder. "Guilty as charged." She walked up over to the Water Warrior and the Fire Prince. "And what did we learn today Sokka?"
"Never trust a firebender," the Water Tribe boy growled.
"Try again," asked Toph as she waved her finger back and forth disapprovingly.
"That ostrich horses make terrible travel animals," grumbled Sokka as Biscuit nipped at his head again.
"Meh, good enough," replied Toph as she shrugged. Then, casually, with minimal effort, she ripped apart the metal handcuffs.
"You couldn't have done that more delicately? Those were good handcuffs," complained Sokka as he rubbed his sore wrist.
Toph bent the cuffs into shackles. "I could use them again right now if you want me too, tough guy."
"No thanks!" concluded Sokka as he retreated a step closer towards his Father.
Zuko bowed formally. "Chief Hakoda. I regret that I could not meet you under more ideal circumstances. I will submit myself to your judgement."
Hakoda raised an eyebrow. "Oh will you now? With no reservations as to what my judgement might be?"
"What are you doing?" whispered Katara lowly to Zuko from a couple of steps away.
"Being diplomatic. I can't expect the leader of group of warriors at war with my nation to trust me so readily," the firebender answered her.
"I think you're being foolish again," the waterbender retorted. Then, she turned to her Father. "We're don't have time for this. Where's Aang? I can help heal him. I've gotten a lot better at my waterbending."
"We haven't had a waterbending healer in the Southern Tribes in years," commented Bato from his Chief's side. "Do you truly have the gift?"
Hakoda looked equally surprised before he turned to address Bato. "Place Prince Zuko in irons. We'll figure out that particular situation tomorrow morning."
"What?! No!" protested Katara. "I'm telling you that he's good now."
Zuko merely placed both hands in front of himself as Bato tied them securely with rope. "It's alright Katara. Go help Aang. I can wait."
As Bato led the firebender towards a far-off makeshift prison tent, Jin tapped Katara on the shoulder. "I'll go make sure that he's not treated harshly," she said as she hurried after the two. Hakoda permitted the Earth Kingdom girl to go without saying anything. He waved over another Water Tribe warrior to take the two ostrich horses and stable them.
Then, the Water Chieftain directed Katara, Sokka, and Toph to where Aang was resting. "Our healers aren't waterbenders. We only have various medicines, remedies, and tonics here. But nothing that strong. We've managed to stabilize the Avatar somewhat, but he's still in a lot of pain," the Water Chieftain explained.
As Hakoda led them pass a sleeping Appa and into a larger medical tent, Katara's face grew tense. Laying on a mat in the center of the room with several blankets was Aang. His minor injuries, burns, and cuts had been cleaned, treated, and wrapped but he appeared to be having trouble breathing.
"I need clean water. As much water as you can get me," ordered Katara as she knelt down next to the Avatar. A medicine man in the tent placed a bucket of fresh water at her side. Katara lowered the blankets and had her Father help to carefully move Aang from laying on his back onto his stomach so that she could see the wound on his back better.
Katara had to bite back a gasp. There was a hideously red and dinner plate sized scorch mark in the center of Aang's back from where Azula's lightning had struck him. She examined the rest of Aang and frowned. There was no exit wound of the lightning near his feet like Zuko had when she treated him. The lightning never exited Aang. He had taken the full force of Azula's attack.
Gathering water with her bending, she began her healings. The water glowed a magnificent light blue as she applied it to Aang's back and allowed the water to flow and mend the wound. To her surprise, Aang's wound seemed to fight her attempts at healing. She concentrated harder as she willed the water to pull at the damage and gather the scarring within the water itself.
"An empty bucket," she called out as the Water Tribe medicine man placed an empty wooden bucket on her other side and she dumped the bloodied and filthy water in the receptable. Gathering more fresh water from the first bucket to repeat the process, the waterbender instructed, "Keep the clean water coming. There's a lot of damage."
Hakoda was in awe of the extent of his Daughter's waterbending healing. He recalled seeing some healers during his youth use their waterbending to treat minor injuries and wounds, but nothing like this. The doubts that he had that his Daughter was going to be able to help the Avatar faded away rapidly.
Sokka appeared to be just as surprised. The last time he had seen Katara use waterbending, she could barely manage to move small amounts of water without the water collapsing. Now, she was effortlessly controlling the small water bubbles with the flick of a single hand as she used her other hand to examine the extent of Aang's wound and the efforts of her current healing. This wasn't playing with magic water anymore. Katara was commanding the magic water.
Toph gave a low whistle as she felt the vibrations of Katara's movements as the Water Tribe girl bent the water. "Ice Princess over there really knows her stuff. If she can fight even half as good as she can heal, well, now I'm getting excited. Both her and Sparky are pretty strong." Toph grinned manically. "I wonder where I stack up against them in a fight. We may need to have our very own Rumble here."
It took about an hour, but Katara finally dumped the last of the dirty water into a bucket as she breathed out heavily in exertion. "I think that was the last of the major damage. Or at least what I could heal right now."
"He's resting a lot easier now," observed Hakoda as he helped his Daughter to stand. "You should rest too. You're exhausted as well. I had some men pitch a tent for you and for friend Jin."
Katara shook away her weariness. "I'm going to check up on Zuko first." She stumbled after the first step.
Hakoda swooped in to pick her up and carry her in his arms. "The Fire Prince is being treated fairly. Bato's keeping guard tonight. There won't be any incidents. You need to rest."
It was a weird feeling, being carried in her Father's arms again after all this time. Katara wanted to protest that she wasn't a child, that she didn't need to be carried. However, the cumulative fatigue from yesterday's sprint to Ba Sing Se, sneaking through the city, fighting the Dai Li, riding all night to get to Chameleon Bay, and now healing the Avatar was finally hitting her with unrelenting force. "I don't need to be carried," she protested sleepily as her eyes grew heavy.
"I know you don't," soothed Hakoda. "But allow me this, please." When he didn't hear an answer, he looked down to see a slumbering Katara resting her head against his chest softly.
He held her close to him all the way to her tent, almost afraid that she would disappear again if he let her go. "Good night baby girl," Hakoda whispered as he kissed his Daughter's forehead after tucking her into her bed.
The sun was already high in the sky by the time Katara started to stir the next morning. She heard Jin rummaging around in her saddlebags as the Earth Kingdom girl was getting ready for the day. That was followed by a cheerful "Good morning," when Jin realized her friend was waking as Katara rubbed the sleep from her eyes.
Returning the morning greeting, the Water Tribe girl rolled out of bed and splashed some water in her face to fully wake herself up. Though, that wasn't nearly as effective as when she heard her friend add, "I'm glad you're up. I was just about to go check in on Zuko. Bato said he was going to stand guard overnight on your Dad's orders, and your Dad seems to trust him, but the rest of the camp is an unknown. Especially your Brother. Sokka was pretty upset and openly distrusting yesterday. I can see why you two were keeping Zuko's identity a secret while you were traveling now."
Grabbing a stick of dried jerky from her own saddlebag and chewing off a piece, Katara made her way to the tent flap. "Let's get going. I'm not too sure myself about everyone else either actually. But Bato's been like an Uncle to me. He's trustworthy. And Sokka... well, Sokka's Sokka. He'll come around eventually."
The two girls made their way to a medium-sized tent on the far side of the encampment that Zuko had been taken to the previous night. When Katara walked inside, she frowned when she saw each of the jail cages empty. "Where's Zuko?" she asked of a Water Tribe warrior who was straightening things up inside the tent.
"Sokka came by earlier and took the prisoner to a tribunal that Chief Hakoda called for first thing this morning," answered the Water Tribe warrior. "They've been gone for at least half an hour now."
Indignation flashed across Katara's blue eyes as she sped out of the tent with Jin close behind. "I can't believe my Father and Brother didn't wake me for this. How dare they leave me out!" Jin was about to say something, but one look at the ire on her friend's face made her wisely hold her tongue. Katara was on a warpath as she marched directly into the main tent pitched on the high ground of the encampment.
"Prince Zuko, your explanation and reasoning, while concise and detailed, still do not..." judged Hakoda as he sat at the principal location in the center of the tribunal members. Bato and three other senior warriors sat on either side of him. Zuko stood in the center of the tent facing the line of tribunal members, bound by the hands and feet with iron chains.
Sokka sat off to the side, intently listening to the proceedings. Toph lounged against a tent pole lazily next to him, mostly not paying any real attention as she absentmindedly practiced bending the metal handcuffs from the other day into different shapes. The Water Tribe boy had asked her to attend the tribunal to ensure that Zuko couldn't lie to Hakoda or any of the senior members.
And while some of the Fire Prince's responses were remarkably curious to the little earthbender, he never lied to them as far as Toph could tell. Which made this whole tribunal thing a little boring as it gave her nothing to do.
The only warning Sokka received that something was about to happen was when Toph's eyes focused suddenly. Then, the little earthbender sat up abruptly with a mischievous grin while whispering, "Oh, this is about to finally get interesting."
"What do you all think you're doing?!" demanded Katara as she stomped into the tribunal meeting with no respect for protocol or etiquette. Jin hurried inside behind the irate waterbender. The Earth Kingdom girl was both a little intimidated and impressed by this fiery side of Katara that she hadn't really gotten a chance to see before.
One of the senior Water Tribe members on Hakoda's left stood up. "This is an official tribunal. You have not been called on to give testimony. Do not talk out of turn and know your place."
Jin could see the visible tick mark of wrath on Katara's temple at the senior member's warning. 'Know my place?' the waterbender fumed inwardly. She had heard the stories from the women in her village that the Northern Water Tribes held to a strict male-led society, but she had never experienced that so openly in the Southern Tribes. Or perhaps, her travels had made her more keen to the biases evident within her own people.
Her Father never allowed that kind of talk in his village. However, before Hakoda could reprimand his senior member for his words, Katara retorted. "I know my place. And it's right here, next to my friends. Especially when they aren't receiving a fair trial!" The Water Tribe girl marched right up alongside Zuko as she stood shoulder to shoulder with him. Jin didn't stand as close as Katara did, but she nevertheless flanked Zuko on the other side.
"You don't have to do this," whispered Zuko. "I think I'm just about to get them to listen reason."
"You hush. You're getting blindsided and you know it," argued Katara back to him.
"Get away from the accused!" demanded the same senior warrior from before.
"Accused? Accused of what?!" snapped Katara. "Of liberating an Earth Kingdom village from a gang of thugs? Of preventing rebels from blowing up a different Earth Kingdom town? Of rescuing hundreds of people from the occupation of Ba Sing Se?"
"Of being a member of the Fire Nation Royal Family and hunting the Avatar," countered the senior warrior.
"And how exactly is he supposed to defend himself from being born a Fire Nation prince?" returned Katara in disbelief at the shallow logic of her fellow tribesman.
When the man didn't answer because he couldn't think of a good response, Hakoda cleared his throat and spoke, "Katara, please take a seat and allow the tribunal to continue."
She wheeled on her Father when her attention was diverted. "And you! You said he was going to get a fair trial. How can he?!" She pointed to the offending senior Water Tribe warrior. "When you have people like this judging him?"
"Katara, Chinook is a veteran warrior of the Southern Water Tribes and from a long, respected family. He offers a lot of experience," rationalized Hakoda.
"He's a bigot," Katara simply stated.
An awkward silence followed immediately afterwards that was only broken up when Toph gave a loud, resounding "Ha! Ha!" in the background.
Hakoda raised his hand to shut down the angry retort that Chinook was just about to throw back. Instead, his voice grew more stern at how disrespectful his Daughter was being. "Katara, you will take a seat and..."
The Chieftain stopped mid-sentence as his Daughter rolled up her left sleeve all the way up to reveal a Fire Nation brand marring her otherwise smooth skin on her left shoulder. "Did Sokka tell you I escaped from the prison rig? I didn't. I didn't escape. I was about to go from being a prisoner there to being a slave in the Fire Colonies. Zuko saved me from that. He didn't have to. He could have ignored me. Walked away because we were enemies at the time. But he rescued me and freed me. Then, he helped me. Helped me find the strength to move on and live again. I'm only standing here right now because of him."
When no one talked after Katara's declaration, Zuko found an opening to speak. "Chief Hakoda, I'm only here as well because of Katara. I've been angry at the world for the longest time, fighting to return to a family that had cast me out because they found me weak. Katara helped me realize that what I thought was a weakness was actually a strength. I truly want to do my part to help end this war. I request that you grant me the opportunity."
"Geez," gagged Toph as she pretended to be sick. Then, the little earthbender addressed Sokka from their side of room, which was bit further from the center stage than everyone else. "They sound like a bunch of lovebirds. 'Oh, I'm only here because of you.' Muah, muah, muah," the little earthbender finished as she made some fake kissing sounds.
Sokka looked visibly disgusted. "Don't even joke about that. That's just unsettling to think about."
"Heartbeats don't lie, Sokka," commented Toph, picking at her ear. When Sokka stared at his friend in bewilderment, Toph signed and pointed to the firebender and waterbender in the center of the tent. "Ice Princess and Sparky over there. Whenever they're next to each other, those heartbeats are loud. Usually I have to concentrate and focus to pick up on heartbeats like that." Toph flicked some earwax from her fingers casually. "It's starting to get a little grating to listen to actually."
"They're not..." started Sokka as his mind began to recall all of the tiny interactions between the firebender and waterbender that he had failed to notice since yesterday. All the little smiles they sent each other, the whispers when they were trying to figure something out together. 'No, they couldn't be... There's no way... It's just not possible...' Sokka's mind went blank as it started to shut down, overwhelmed at his spiraling thoughts.
Toph listened to the incoherent sounds of the Water Tribe boy next to her as Sokka wasn't really managing to say proper words anymore, just flustered and increasingly agitated noises. It didn't take long for that to start annoying Toph even more than the quickening heartbeats that she had been hearing from the waterbender and firebender. With a swift and brutal sideways punch, Toph restarted her friend.
"Objection!" shouted Sokka, his voice booming across the tent as he jumped to his feet, his arm stretched out as he pointed towards Zuko and Katara as everyone turned to look at the Water Tribe boy.
Chinook had just opened his mouth to speak once more and looked incredibility miffed at being interrupted by another audience member. "What are you objecting Sokka?" asked his Father, curious at his Son's outburst.
Sokka stomped his way to the front of the room. "I object to the fact that those two dating!"
Hakoda sighed. "Prince Zuko isn't on trial for..." the Water Chieftain trailed off as he noticed both Zuko and Katara had gone silent while looking exceedingly awkward next to each other, but still remaining terribly close to one another.
The temperature in the room seemed to plummet several degrees almost out of nowhere. A dark look was cast over Hakoda's face as he leveled a glare on the Fire Prince, who shifted uncomfortably for the first time since the tribunal began. Even Chinook grew silent as the senior warrior sat back down, knowing better than to say anything when his Chieftain got like this.
Zuko shivered as he whispered under his breath. "You didn't tell me your Father was a waterbender."
"He's not," whispered back Katara.
Zuko wasn't too sure about that. The room was definitely much colder. And he was positive that he had just seen his breath when he last spoke. The only other explanation that came to his mind was that some mystical force was dropping the room's temperature.
Zuko's posture straightened up immediately when he heard the Water Chieftain speak. The voice was low and intimidating. Nothing like how Hakoda had just been talking a minute ago. "Prince Zuko. In light of my Daughter's testimony, I was about to grant you a probationary timeframe to prove yourself. However, it appears we have yet to review your most egregious crime. Thievery is a most serious charge amongst the Water Tribes."
The Fire Prince gulped nervously. He wasn't exactly sure what Hakoda was getting at, but he knew it probably wasn't going to be good for him.
The Water Chieftain seemed to grow taller while sitting in his chair as he loomed over the Fire Prince. "Did you steal my Daughter's heart?"
Katara felt her cheeks grow bright red in sheer embarrassment. 'Did he really just say that?! In front of everyone?!' the waterbender screamed inwardly. Even Jin appeared to cringe at Katara's Father's appalling accusation as she shared her friend's feelings. Sokka was nodding his head in agreement like his Father had just said the most sage thing of the entire trial.
Zuko, on the other hand, seemed to take the comment at face value. "I don't think I stole it, sir. She has mine too after all," the Fire Prince deadpanned.
Katara felt her head nearly burst open from mortification. 'Did everyone just go crazy?! What is going on?!' She couldn't even manage to string together a coherent sentence in her defense. The sounds of Toph's cackling from the back of the tent were not helping matters at all either.
"Let me knock him down a peg or two. My boomerang is getting rusty," taunted Sokka as he drew his weapon.
"No," shut down Hakoda as he stood up with authority. "His punishment... is to have a chat with me."
Zuko found himself standing in an open portion of the Water Tribe encampment encircled by warriors. The Fire Prince was certain that every last member was here and idly wondered if it was a good idea to have all the sentries looking inside the camp instead of focused outward. His friends, as well as Sokka and Toph, were standing off to the side.
Hakoda gripped a whalebone spear as he stood opposite of the Fire Prince within the encirclement. Zuko placed a hand on the hilt of his Dao broadswords at his belt loop, which had been returned to him for this 'chat'. He had also been allowed to gather whatever he thought he might need from his saddlebags. "We're not going to do much talking, are we?" the Fire Prince asked.
"Real men talk with their fists," answered Hakoda, ice in his tone.
'But we're holding weapons...' thought Zuko to himself as he glanced at Katara, who just looked exasperated at the whole situation. Meanwhile, Sokka appeared almost downright giddy. Thinking back to his past encounters with the Water Tribe boy, Zuko sighed. 'I think I know where Sokka gets his terrible sense of humor from.'
"Go all out," warned Hakoda as he readied his spear. "Weapons and firebending. It's all on the table."
"But I don't want to burn you," answered back Zuko.
Hakoda smirked. "Don't worry. You won't even come close."
The Fire Prince wasn't too sure about that. Not that he wanted to hurt Katara's Father. Rather it was that ever since they had left the Spirit World, he hadn't had a chance to really train with his improved firebending. His flames were stronger now, blazed brighter. He was a little out of practice and wasn't completely sure about his capability.
Zuko set a determined expression. He would just have to control his inner fire then. With a single fluid motion, he drew his Dao broadswords and with a spin of the blades, pulled apart the weapon so that each hand held a steel edge.
"Swordbending!" shouted Sokka with an accusatory finger. This was the first time he had seen Zuko wielding swords after all. Katara pulled her Brother's outstretched arm back down.
Ignoring Sokka's audible outburst, Zuko focused on his opponent. For his part, Hakoda was bouncing back and forth on the balls of his feet as he finished getting warmed up. Zuko was about to ask how they were going to get started when Hakoda burst forward with a surge of speed that closed the distance between the two of them within seconds.
The Fire Prince just barely managed to bring his swords up to parry the spear thrust in alarm. Hakoda pulled back and spun his spear out wide. When Zuko blocked it with one of his swords and attempted to counter with his other weapon, Hakoda blocked the counter effortlessly with his metal arm guard and delivered a punishing front kick to Zuko's chest that sent the Fire Prince rolling backwards head over heels for several feet.
Zuko ceased his tumbling and looked up only to throw himself to the side. Moments later Hakoda came crashing down from a high leap, spear tip first. Zuko scrambled to his feet as he stared at the attack he had just barely managed to evade. That hadn't been a warning strike. If he hadn't avoided that spear drop, then the Fire Prince would have had a hole in his leg.
Hakoda ripped his spear from the earth and narrowed his eyes at the firebender. "I said to go all out. I won't miss next time."
Taking a page from his fight with Gow, Zuko made some quick motions with his swords as he summoned a vortex of fire all around him, obscuring him from Hakoda's view. Swinging his swords out, Zuko launched multiple crescent waves of flame directly at Hakoda.
Undaunted, the Water Chieftain charged forward, intercepting the flame crescents directly in front of him with his long weapon and avoiding the others by a hair's breadth. Reaching the fiery vortex, Hakoda cleaved the blazing whirlwind with a single powerful, horizontal slash of his spear. But Zuko wasn't standing there anymore.
The Fire Prince came leaping through the upper half of the flame vortex as the whirlwind dissipated, his swords sheathed back at his waist and a long cable of rope in his hands. As he flew upside down, head first over Hakoda, Zuko looped his lasso through the Water Chieftain's spear and pulled sharply as the weapon flew out of the man's hands and landed a fair distance away. Undeterred, Hakoda was on top of Zuko the moment the firebender landed.
Zuko managed to block the first flurry of jabs and punches with a close guard, but winced hard when one of the blows connected squarely with the side of his ribs. Striking out with a punch of his own, Zuko managed to clip Hakoda in upper chest. However, the older fighter merely shrugged off the punch and grabbed the outstretched firebender's arm, throwing Zuko several feet.
As the Fire Prince sailed through the air uncontrollably, Hakoda grabbed a length of the rope and pulled down sharply. Since Zuko was still holding onto his lasso in one of his hands, the Fire Prince came crashing down onto his back roughly. With another yank in the other direction, Hakoda recalled his spear to himself.
"Not bad. That was innovative. But it doesn't look like you're proficient enough with a rope yet to use it in an actual fight," judged Hakoda as removed the knot from his spear. Casting the now useless lasso to the side, Hakoda charged again without further comment.
There was a rally of fire bursts as Zuko attempted to dissuade the Water Chieftain's charge. However, the sound of steel singing out signaled just how unsuccessful that was as Zuko's swords slid into his hands once more to block a series of spear strikes. A spear feint to his left caused the firebender to raise his guard when Hakoda instead kicked out from the right and knocked the firebender away a second time.
"This has gone on long enough," declared Katara as she watched Zuko get thrown around time and time again. The injuries on the firebender were quickly accumulating. Not matter how he tried to attack or defend, with swords or firebending, Hakoda was just faster and more experienced than Zuko. "Dad's just beating him up now."
"I know. Isn't it great?!" laughed Sokka as he saw the Fire Prince take a particularly nasty blow to his side as the metal shaft of Hakoda's spear slammed against Zuko's ribs.
"I'm stopping this," proclaimed Katara just as her feet sank into the earth up to her knees and two firm columns of compacted dirt rose up to capture her hands.
"Hold up there Sweetness," countered Toph. "Keep watching the fight. I think that boyfriend of yours is learning."
Katara rose back out of the ground as Jin earthbent her friend back up and knocked away the earthen bindings. Toph looked displeased for about the briefest of moments. Then, the little earthbender stomped hard on the ground as Katara rapidly sank back down into the earth, this time all the way up to her neck, before the waterbender could react to her temporary freedom. Toph then bent the pair of metal shackles that she had been playing with across Jin's wrists.
"Hey!" protested Jin as she tried to remove the shackles to no avail.
"You're about a hundred years too early to best me in earthbending, rookie. Try again after you learn what you're doing," dismissed Toph, unconcerned about any action Jin might attempt as the little earthbender turned her attention back towards the fight.
Zuko was shaky on his feet as he stood up again. He knew that he was barely hanging on right now. The Water Chieftain was unrelenting and the man never left an opening open for long. And most of the time, whatever gaps Hakoda did have were just traps to get the Fire Prince to attack where Hakoda wanted him to attack. The man would move and change attacks freely, sometimes even during mid-strike. That made his spear swings seemingly impossible to predict.
The Fire Prince watched as another jab of the spear lashed out at his chest and he stepped forward to block it. There was a sharp stab of pain in Zuko's head as time seemed to slow to a crawl. There was another memory. But this time he saw it from a first person perspective of someone facing a much younger Water Chieftain. And that image of the younger chieftain was overlapping with Hakoda's current form in front of Zuko. The image of the younger chieftain was moving just a split second faster.
The spear of the younger chieftain revealed the feint as the strike dropped rapidly from being aimed at his opponent's chest and instead caught the leg of the opponent, knocking the opponent off of his feet. The younger chieftain than impaled his fallen enemy on the ground.
The hazy memory dissolved just as quickly as it arrived and Zuko had no time to think about what he just saw. He could only react. Since Zuko was already stepping forward and Hakoda's spear was already dropping, the Fire Prince reacted by using his back foot to hop into the air just enough to land on top of the Water Chieftain's spear tip, locking the weapon firmly in place on the ground. Both Zuko and Hakoda were surprised at the firebender's actions.
Hakoda recovered first and, changing his grip on his weapon, flung the firebender away before Zuko could capitalize on his brief advantage. The Water Chieftain looked oddly at the Fire Prince for a moment before charging in again.
There was another stab of pain, another memory of a fight long ago in the icy tundra. Zuko saw the image of the younger chieftain overlapping over Hakoda once more. The younger chieftain dug his spear into the ground, using the weapon to propel himself in a swinging arc that would side kick his opponent before following up with thrust that would impale the opponent.
Adjusting his body ever so slightly, Zuko managed to twist just enough to avoid Hakoda's side kick. Dropping one of his swords, he grabbed the length of the spear with his free hand to lock the weapon in place as the follow-up thrust flew out. Raising his remaining sword up, Zuko held the blade at Hakoda's neck.
The Fire Prince could barely comprehend how he had just managed to do all that when he felt the sharp point of a dagger nudging at the side of his ribs. Both fighters were breathing heavily as they stood locked there, each holding a bladed weapon at a vulnerable spot of the other. At an unspoken cue, both warriors stepped away from the other as they sheathed their weapons.
"Where did you learn that?" asked Hakoda as he looked at Zuko curiously.
Zuko tried to recall where he had saw the memory from, but where it had been so vivid just a moment ago, now it was just a blurry image. This had been going on for a while now, but this was the first time that the images had actually been helpful instead of just a mystery. "I don't actually know," the Fire Prince admitted. "I just kinda did it."
Clapping and cheers sounded out from across the Water Tribesmen as they applauded the spectacle of a fight that they had just witnessed. It wasn't everyday that someone fought their Chieftain to a stalemate, especially after being knocked around for so long. It had been a good fight, even if it had been against a firebender.
Hakoda was about to say something else to Zuko when the Fire Prince was tackled into a hug by a pretty waterbender. Zuko just barely managed to keep the both of them standing upright from the impact. "You're all beat up again," scolded Katara in a worried voice.
"At least I'm still conscious this time," joked the firebender with a small laugh just before he held his aching rib cage. "Though, I'm not sold on that being a good thing."
Removing the cap from her waterskin, Katara started to heal the firebender. "I don't think I like this routine of always having to heal you after a fight."
"I'll get better. So that you don't have too," assured Zuko.
"Can your Dad get some healing too?" asked Hakoda. Katara threw him a small roll of clean bandages from her tunic pockets.
"You barely got hit," she answered curtly. "You'll survive."
Hakoda recognized that tone. He knew it only all too well. It was the same tone that Kya spoke to him with whenever she had been cross with him. To hear essentially hear the same sharp tone of his deceased wife in his Daughter's voice filled Hakoda with a mix of painful emotions as he walked away from the waterbender fretting over the firebender. This... was going to take some getting used too.
"What was that?!" exclaimed Sokka as he gripped his head with both hands and then flung his arms out in front of himself as he made his point. "Dad was trouncing Zuko. And then that guy suddenly gets lucky out of nowhere and they tied?! No way! I call a do-over!"
"Give it up Sokka," dismissed Toph. "Zuko's part of the team now. He did good out there. Come on, let's go congratulate him." With Jin following, Toph half-dragged, half-led Sokka towards Katara and Zuko.
Soon another realization appeared in Sokka's head. Sure, he had seen Katara healing Aang the other day, which was impressive, but it had taken a long time and seemed to take an exhaustive toll on Katara. But now, here she was healing Zuko's cuts and bruises easily while talking to him. "Wait a minute! You can heal minor injuries too?! Not just lightning wounds?! When did you learn how to do all that?!"
Katara paused for a moment. "I guess I always knew. I found out that my waterbending has healing properties. Small stuff like this isn't really a problem anymore."
Sarcastically, Sokka rolled his eyes. "Oh... well, thanks for all the first aid over the years then I guess. Like that time I fell into the greaseberry bramble." He stuck his thumb out and angrily exclaimed, "Or that time I had two fishhooks in my thumb!"
Toph gave an unladylike snort. "Two?"
Katara gave an amused smile to Zuko, elaborating on her Brother's misfortunes for everyone as she continued to heal the Fire Prince. "He tried to get the first fishhook out with another fishhook."
Sokka wasn't done. "Oh, and that time the mink snake bit me! Thanks for healing me right up! That was great. Really helpful!"
Turning her attention away from the flabbergasted Water Tribe boy, especially since Sokka didn't seem like he would be done ranting anytime soon, Toph addressed Jin, "Here, give me your wrists. I'll get those cuffs off of you."
As Toph reached out, the little earthbender paused when she focused on the metal handcuffs around Jin's wrists. To anyone else, the handcuffs looked the exact same as when Toph slapped them on in the first place. But Toph wasn't like anyone else. And the little earthbender's vision with her earth sense was much more attuned to the actual shape of those handcuffs.
Those metal shackles had been expanded. The effect was minuscule. There was absolutely no way Jin would have been able to slide her wrists out. Further, Jin didn't even seem to realize what she had done. But Toph did.
Toph grinned as she ripped off the iron shackles from Jin's wrists completely. "Alright Pebbles, you just proved that you've got the right stuff."
"Pebbles?" echoed Jin at the nickname Toph had just given her. Still confused, she added, "Wait, stuff? The right stuff for what?" When Toph's smile only widened, Jin felt a shiver run down her spine and was suddenly one hundred percent sure that she was about to find out what Toph was talking about the hard way.
"The Big Leagues," answered the little earthbender as Toph punched one of her fists into her other open palm. "And call me Sifu Toph from now on."
