Book Four: Air - Chapter Seven

by *Capt-BA

Suki put another log on the campfire and checked the bubbling pot of rice porridge.  She added a few berries to sweeten the meal and tried to think of something to say to her sullen companion.

"When I was a little girl, my mother used to make jook for me when I was feeling bad."

Toph flicked a stone and sent it bouncing off into the forest, startling Hawky from his perch.  "I've only had jook at funerals."

Suki frowned and spooned some of the porridge into a bowl to let it cool.  The two of them had been dancing around a conversation they both knew was coming but Suki was in no hurry to get down to it.

"Well, I guess I'll go check up on him."  Suki rose to her feet but Toph stopped her.

"I'll do it."  Toph took the bowl and held out her hand for the spoon.  "You've already done enough."

Suki relinquished the spoon and sat back down, feeling strange and empty inside.  It might have made more sense for the one of them who could actually see to be the one to take care of him, but Suki knew she could offer no argument that wouldn't sound hollow.

She stared up at the morning sunlight peeking over the trees and tried not to cry.  And then, angry with herself for almost giving up, she got to her feet and headed into the woods, determined to find a solution.

------

"Hey… Sokka.  I brought you some food."

Toph let the tent flap close behind her.  It was probably dark inside, but Sokka didn't seem to mind.

"Hey, Toph," he whispered.  "Hi."

She could feel him trembling through the earthen bed she'd formed under his sleeping bag in an attempt to make him more comfortable.  The soft, contoured shape had helped some, but his problems were more than a good night's sleep could cure.

Toph kneeled at his bedside.  "Do you think you can eat?"

He cleared his throat.  "Yeah.  I'm feeling better."

It was a lie, but Toph pretended she couldn't tell.  "That's good."  She wished for the first time that her earthbending sight wasn't so penetrating.  The gentle rhythm of his weakening heart and labored breathing filled her mind to the exclusion of everything else.

"Are we going to travel again today?"  There was an edge of worry to his voice that he tried to hide with a measure of his old bravado.  "'Cuz, I'm ready.  Whenever."

The only thing Suki and Toph had agreed on since her arrival was that one more day of earthbending traveling would be one day too many for Sokka.  They'd left behind everything they didn't need, even releasing Horsie into the wild, so they could make better time.  But the constant jarring movement and vibrations as Toph dragged the other two along had only caused Sokka an undue amount of pain.

"We're thinking of camping out."  Toph had to talk around a lump forming in her throat.  "For a while."

"Oh."  If Sokka suspected what she wasn't telling him, he didn't let on.  

Toph lifted a spoonful of jook and held it to his lips.  He hesitated a long moment before opening his mouth and taking it in.  Even without earthbending filling in the details, Toph could hear how painful it was for him to swallow.  

She waited before lifting a second spoonful, but he shook his head.  "Sorry."

"It's okay," she lied.  "I'll come back with more later and we can try then."

She got to her feet, torn between wanting to run and wanting to curl up next to him and never leave again.  A fumbling hand at her shirtsleeve helped to make up her mind.

"Stay?"  

She took his hand and couldn't help but remember a time when his strong grip had been the only thing tethering her to life.  He hadn't let go while she dangled helplessly, cut off from her element and the world around her.  Even when she was sure they'd both die, he'd only held on tighter.

But the strength had gone from his grip and no matter how hard she held onto him, she was just as helpless as she'd been hanging from the airship.

The tent smelled of herbs and cleansing poultices, but beneath it all, an unmistakable odor that made Toph cringe.  The monstrous dragon viper had gotten its revenge from beyond the grave, infecting the wounds it had inflicted, and no amount of first aid was going to cure Sokka.

And now their only real hope, to get him to a doctor, was gone.

Sokka summoned enough energy to squeeze her hand.  "I've been thinking.  I just want you to know, I don't have any regrets."  

Toph blinked and wasn't surprised by the moisture she felt.  Somehow it made everything even worse that Sokka knew how bad off he was.

"I just wish I'd gotten to say goodbye to Katara and Aang.  And my dad.  And Zuko and his grumpy girlfriend."

"They're getting married, Zuko and Mai," Toph said, regretting opening her mouth as she did.  Did Sokka really want to hear about the happy future plans of his friends?

"That's great!"  He didn't miss a beat and Toph could tell he meant it with every fiber of his being, but then something else washed over him and he tightened his grip on her hand.  "That's really great," he continued, voiced strained but intent on focusing on something besides his pain.

"Yeah," Toph said, trying to keep the quiver out of her voice.  "Can you imagine the wedding?"

"It'll be crazy," he said, in no uncertain terms.  "Best party of the century."  His hand shook in hers and she knew he was fighting just to stay coherent.  Tiny tremors rippled through his body and his breath came shorter and faster.  She held his hand and rode the wave with him, feeling every twinge, every twitch, every shuddering gasp with all her earthbending clarity.  But for all her considerable powers, there was nothing she could do except be there for him.

And then as quickly as it came, it passed.  He settled into his sleeping bag, exhaled one long breath and cleared his throat as though nothing had happened.  "It would have been great to ride on Appa one last time and play with Momo again, too."

Toph wanted to pretend nothing was wrong, more for his sake than her own.  "I do miss those furballs, but don't tell Appa I said so."

She could hear him smile. "Your secret's safe with me."  He shifted, trying to get more comfortable and Toph obliged with a little earthbending.  "But really, most guys my age haven't accomplished half the things I have.  I feel like my life was meaningful, y'know?"

Toph nodded and wanted to tell him how meaningful he was, but she couldn't.

"And in the end," he said, voice softening, "I'm glad it's you and Suki.  After everything we've been though, it just feels right."

Toph couldn't hold herself back.  She crawled up beside him on the bed and wrapped her arms around him.  He settled his hand on her side and didn't seem to mind the pain she knew even her gentle hug was causing.  

"Sokka, there's something I've wanted to tell you, for a long time."

He chuckled.  "Well there's no time like the present."

As she was about to tell him the one thing she never thought she'd be able to admit to him, the earth gave a familiar rumbling vibration.  It ignited a spark of hope that quickly flared into a bonfire when Toph realized what it was.

She sat up.  "Appa's here!"

Sokka snorted a laugh.  "I know I've been out of it, but I think I would have noticed a ten ton flying bison hanging around."

Toph slipped from the bed, nearly tripping in her excitement.  "And Katara!"

It was Suki who reached the tent flap first, breathless with her own excitement and anticipation.  "Sokka!  Toph!  You'll never believe who I found!"

"Lemme guess?" Sokka joked, and it was obvious from his tone that he thought they were both crazy.  

His sister burst into the tent before Suki could reply, and Toph had to fight the urge to tackle her.  She'd never been happier to see the waterbender, even if she couldn't see her in the strictest sense.

Instead, she grabbed Katara's wrist and dragged her to her brother.  "Fix him!  Hurry!"

Katara jerked to a stop when she saw Sokka laid out, covered in bandages.  "What happened…?"

"No time to explain!" Toph barked.  "He's dying!"

It was all the encouragement Katara needed.  She dropped to her knees and pulled the cork off her bending pouch.  "I'm going to need more water."  

"On it," Suki said and dashed from the tent.

"I think I'm hallucinating again," Sokka muttered and reached up to poke his sister.  

Toph pressed his arm back to his bedside.  "You're not."

"I'm here, Sokka, and you're going to be fine."  Katara covered her hand in a watery glove and held it over him, scanning his injuries.  "This is… This is really bad."  She turned to the earthbender and Toph was glad she couldn't see the look on the waterbender's face.  

Toph took her wrist again and guided it over Sokka's heart.  "Start with the important parts.  I may not be a healer, but even I can see that much."  

Katara took a deep breath and began, working her healing magic.  The effects on Sokka's wellbeing were immediately apparent to Toph.  He breathed easier and even lifted his head to watch his sister work.

"If you're saving important parts, can you do my brain next?"

Toph flicked him in the forehead.  "Your brain's beyond saving, Meat Head.  Now lie still."

He did as he was told, though Toph could tell he was grinning.

When Katara made it to his shoulder and lifted the stained bandages, she hesitated again.  "This is the worst of it.  I'm going to try and bend the infection out.  I'm sorry, Sokka, but this probably isn't going to be pleasant."

"The last few weeks of my life haven't been very pleasant.  I can take it."

"Toph, can you…?"

Toph knew what she was getting at.  She crouched at his side and placed one hand on his good shoulder and found his bandaged hand with the other.  She could feel his eyes on hers so she gave him a reassuring smile.  

"You're strong, Sokka.  Stronger than I ever would have admitted to you in a hundred years."

"Is that what you were going to tell me, earlier?"  

Toph didn't think it was possible, but it seemed like Sokka was blushing at her praise.  She grinned, not regretting for a moment what she hadn't said because now she had all the time in the world.  "Something like that."

------

Katara stepped out of the tent, looking exhausted, and let the flap fall shut behind her.  "He's asleep, finally.  I healed what I could, but it's going to take a lot of sessions to get him back to full strength.  There's almost nothing I could do for his broken bones, though."  She shook her head.  "I really hate it when he gets to say 'I told you so'."

"You did great, Katara," Toph said.  "And you should take that compliment and keep it in a box, cuz you know I don't hand them out often."

Suki stood, poised on the balls of her feet like she wanted to go and embrace the waterbender, but something held her back.  "I don't know how we can make it up to you."

"You can start by explaining how all of this happened."  There was an icy edge to Katara's voice that seemed to cut through the air.  Realizing that she might wake her brother, Katara switched to a whisper that did little to hide her frustration.  "I trusted you to watch out for him, to keep him safe, but I guess that was too much to ask?"

"I'll be the first to admit that I made a few mistakes and let my guard down," Suki said, her tone calm and level in contrast to Katara's.  "Almost all of his injuries were a result of him fearlessly sacrificing himself to help me.  I won't tell you not to be angry, but I think you should also be proud of him."

"Proud?"  Incredulity raised Katara's volume another notch, and then another few as she continued.  "For getting beat up?  For nearly dying?"  

"Katara," Toph began, but the waterbender rounded on her, completely giving up her attempt at whispering.

"Don't you start, Toph!  You're as much to blame as anyone!  Why weren't you with him?  I thought you were his best friend!  How could you abandon someone you care about like that?"

Toph only winced and pointed back toward the tent.  

"That's a good question."

The two girls without earthbending senses jumped and turned as the tent flap opened to reveal Sokka standing in his Water Tribe battle gear, with a crutch under his left arm and his walking brace strapped to his leg.  He slung Space Sword over his shoulder and finished tightening one of his bracers.

"Sokka!" Katara's cheeks flushed with embarrassment.  "You were awake the whole time?"

"It's a little hard to sleep with you three out here arguing about who's fault it is that I got hurt."

"We weren't arguing, exactly," Katara said in weak denial.  

He limped forward and Suki and Katara both made a move to help him, but he held up his hand to let them know he was alright.  "A more manly man might be offended that the women in his life think they need to protect him."  He took another step forward and gave each of them a look of bemused acceptance that only made them feel worse, even Toph, who could only hear it in his voice.  "It honestly doesn't bother me, but what does bother me," he said, stopping at Katara's side, "is that there are people out there who need our help and we're sitting around wasting time."

Katara started to object but Sokka put his hand on her shoulder.

"Katara, I really could not be happier that you showed up when you did, but I've gotta ask you something… Where's Aang?"

Katara sighed and Appa choose that moment to awaken from his own nap and let out a long lonely bellow.  

"We split up."

Sokka raised an eyebrow.  "Why?"

"We uncovered evidence that everyone was being targeted."

"By the Phoenix King," Sokka said, and Katara blinked in surprise.  

"How'd you figure that out?"

"You mean besides the fact that it's totally obvious the Loser Lord wasn't going to go down without trying to get revenge?"  When Katara didn't look convinced, Sokka added, "I also Agni Kai'd a Rough Rhino for the information."

Katara's jaw dropped and Toph picked some dirt out from under her fingernails.  "I don't think it counts as an Agni Kai without firebending."

Sokka puffed out his chest.  "Hey, I thought I was on fire back there."

"Very nearly," Toph said with a snort and then the two of them snickered in unison, releasing some of the group tension.  

"So where did Aang go?" Suki asked.

"Probably to save Zuko," Katara huffed.  "That's what he was so intent on."

Sokka honed in on his sister's attitude like a messenger hawk.  "And you came here instead?"

Katara looked away.  "I knew you were in trouble."

Sokka put two fingers to the side of his head and rubbed it like he was trying to stop a headache.  "So Ozai's been orchestrating international plots that will probably end in him escaping prison and overthrowing Zuko and you came after me even though Aang and the rest of the world really needed your help?"

Katara sighed and put a hand to her forehead.  "Yes."

Sokka hobbled past them, heading for Appa.  He paused and turned back to face the three girls.  "Well, what are we waiting for?"

Toph jumped to her feet.  "I think we were just waiting for someone with a head full of strategy."

"And natural leadership skills," Suki added as she took her place at his side.

"And great instincts."  Katara came forward and gave her brother a hug.  "I don't know what we'd do without you, Sokka."

"Hopefully you'll never have to find out," he said and pulled Suki and Katara into a hug of his own.  "Get over here, Toph."

The earthbender was only too happy to oblige, and Appa joined in a moment later with a lick that left one young warrior very wet and three young woman laughing.

------

The glider wobbled and Aang jolted awake.  He had to compensate for the drift, but he was still on course despite his momentary slip into slumber.  The first islands of the Fire Nation were just visible on the horizon.

"Please be in time," he said, under his breath, mostly to try and shake the fuzziness from his sleepy brain.  It was bad enough that he was alone and Katara was mad at him, but if he either wasn't needed or didn't make it in time, he wasn't sure how he'd forgive himself.  

"I could really use some friends right now," he said, and Momo flapped his wings and chirped an admonition.  "I mean, I could use some more friends," he apologized.  "I already fought Ozai alone, but without his bending, I have no idea what he's planning."

He sighed and Momo chittered encouragingly.  

"Thanks, Momo." Aang couldn't help but smile.  "But still, it would be nice to make plans with someone who can actually speak."

"Ahoy there!  Avatar off the port side!"

For a moment, Aang thought he'd fallen asleep at the glider again, because no matter how he justified it, he couldn't imagine how or why Ty Lee was dangling upside down in midair just off to his side.  His glider wobbled as he blinked and stared, and before he could correct his flight, he got a look at the imperial class airship he hadn't realized had come up beside him.

"You look like you could use a break," she said with one of her cheerful grins before flipping back over the railing of the airship and settling her chin in her hands.  "Wanna join us?  We're going to go save Mai and Zuko from a rebellion."

Aang didn't notice Iroh or the Kyoshi Warriors until the old man spoke.  "We could use your help."  

Aang grinned from ear to ear.  "That's what I was gonna say."

------

"Why hasn't Mai returned to the palace?"

Warden Ming glanced at the servants bustling around the royal changing room and appeared to be considering the best way to answer.  "She decided to remain with Azula."

"And everything went smoothly?"

"As smooth as could be expected.  We transferred Azula to her new living quarters early this morning and tripled security on the prison."  Ming placed her hands behind her back and met Zuko's questioning gaze.  "General Shinu is even there with a contingent of troops, awaiting your command."

Zuko frowned.  "I gave no such order."

"A good soldier anticipates the needs of his leader."

Zuko narrowed his eyes and turned toward his dressing stand.  The young, scarred Fire Lord looked back at him from the mirror, doubt tugging at the corners of his mouth.  A man held out a velvet cushion and Zuko took the offered Fire Lord diadem and pinned it in place, wishing that the mantle of rule were as easy to affix.  Two young women came forward with his royal robes but Ming held out her hand.

"Perhaps the Fire Lord would prefer to wear something more functional?  Your battle armor, perhaps?"

Zuko nodded to his servants and they bowed and went to retrieve his armor.  When they returned, Ming took Zuko's black and gold chest plate and slipped it over his head.  With another nod and a wave of his hand, Zuko dismissed the rest of his dressing staff and the two guards by the door.

"Ming, is there something you want to tell me?"

She cinched the straps of his armor before replying.  "No, my lord."  Zuko held out his arms as she slid his bracers in place.  "I just don't think you should go in there unprepared."

It was all the confirmation Zuko needed that something strange was going on.  "Thank you…"

The corners of Ming's eyes seemed strained as she smiled.  "Perhaps you should reconsider going to the prison today?"

Zuko straightened his tunic and appraised himself in the mirror.  He would face whatever came with as much honor and dignity as he could muster.  Steel glinted in the lamplight of his chamber and Zuko turned from his reflection and went to the wall display that had drawn his attention.  The dao swords were custom made by Piandao with help from his Water Tribe apprentice.

They were his favorite coronation gift, a fact that Sokka had boasted about endlessly.  For a moment, Zuko drifted back into memories not more than two months old.  His friends had been so proud of him, so sure that he was going to be the best Fire Lord ever.  He wouldn't let them down.  He couldn't.  Whatever came, he'd be ready for it.

Zuko removed the swords and pushed them together with a satisfying click.

"I'm ready to hear what my father has to say."

------

"Lord Zuko."  General Shinu saluted smartly while Advisor Lee bowed low.

"General."  Zuko nodded at the short, broad man.  "Advisor."  He inclined his head once more for the aging councilor before glancing over the field.  "Warden Ming wasn't kidding when she said you'd brought troops."  

Shinu smiled and appraised his men.  At least five hundred soldiers had set up a temporary camp outside the prison while three large airships hovered over the scene.  "I like to be prepared, sir.  Depending on the information you receive, we may need to mobilize immediately."  

"We've brought in some of the best talent the Fire Nation has to offer," Lee said while Shinu turned toward his command tent, hailing one of his officers.  The man came forward and Zuko couldn't help but recognize his unique face paint and uniform.  

"This is Captain Zou," Shinu introduced while the archer stood silently at his side.  

Zuko rubbed his forehead.  "You brought the Yu Yan?"

"You know about them?"  Shinu seemed surprised.  

"Let's just say they leave an impression."  Zuko dropped his hand back to his side and faced the officer.  "Glad to have you on board, Captain.  The accuracy of the Yu Yan Archers is the stuff of legends."

The archer stared and nodded slightly, and Zuko wasn't too disappointed when the man turned on his heels and headed back to his unit without a word.

"They're all a little weird," Shinu explained.  "But I guess you can't get that good without giving up something else."

"Shinu!"  A bearded official stepped out from the command tent, waving a rolled parchment.  "What have you done with my..." He stopped when he noticed Zuko, immediately straightening and executing a formal bow.  "Fire Lord Zuko!  It is an honor."

"This is War Minister Qin," Shinu said, "The genius behind the creation of our airships and war balloons."

"And tanks," Qin reminded him.  

Zuko cleared his throat.  "I thought the Mechanist invented war balloons?  My friend Sokka even helped with the design."

Qin raised his eyebrows and then bowed slightly.  "You're quite knowledgeable, my lord.  Naturally, our current models are much more advanced than the initial concepts."

"That's the Fire Nation way," Lee said with a smile.  "Take something and make it better."

Qin nodded.  "Right you are, Lee."

"So what are you doing out here, Minister Qin?"  Zuko asked.

Qin glanced at Shinu and the general explained, "He's working on a small project for me."

"Yes," Qin added.  "We're developing some interesting new tools that may revolutionize the industry."

"The industry?"  Zuko frowned.

"He didn't mean the war industry," Lee said with a nervous laugh.  "He meant real industry - the Fishing Industry, to be precise!"

Zuko tried to keep the skepticism out of his voice. "Fishing."  

"You know," Lee said with a wave of his hand as if to brush off Zuko's concern, "building things for the betterment of mankind."  

Qin smiled a little too broadly.  "Exactly."

Zuko narrowed his eyes.  "I'd like to be kept appraised of your projects."

"Absolutely."  Qin bowed.  "I hope to show them to you personally someday soon."  

Warden Ming arrived, flanked by a pair of burly prison guards.  They stopped respectfully outside the circle of leaders and saluted.  Everyone turned to Zuko, waiting for his orders.

"Is my father ready to talk?"  

Ming nodded.  "He is.  But perhaps first you'd like to visit Lady Mai and your sister?"  The invitation sounded good, but Ming's eyes held a warning.  Apprehension settled in the pit of Zuko's stomach, but if Mai was in danger, he really didn't have a choice.  The men, his generals and advisors and soldiers, all watched him expectantly - hungrily even.

"Very well, take me to them."  

He tried to act like he was oblivious to the way his "honor guard" looked more like a prisoner escort.  Shinu and Lee held back while Ming led the way and six of the biggest and meanest looking soldiers and prison guards fell in step with Zuko, three on a side.  

He checked his dao blades at his hip, making sure they were free in the sheath, ready to be drawn at a moment's notice.  Ming, for her part, cast regretful glances his way as they headed deeper inside the  prison fortress.  

"Azula's room is just up these stairs and then down at the end of the hall," Ming informed him, as though she were giving a tour.  "There's no other way in or out."

"Sounds very secure."  Zuko watched the men flanking him out of the corners of his eyes, but they didn't seem to be expecting any trouble.  He wasn't sure if they were just that confident or if they were underestimating him.  There was also the slightest possibility that nothing was wrong, but Zuko trusted his gut instincts.  He decided to wait until the right moment to make his move, but if these men thought they'd catch him off guard, they were in for a surprise.

The long walk up the stairs and down the hallway gave Zuko plenty of time to theorize what was waiting for him behind the heavy iron door.  Muscles tense, he prepared to grab Mai and make a run for it as Ming stopped and unlocked the prison cell.  Behind the door was a dim hallway that opened into a room, lit with torches.  Flickering movement danced on the far wall, but whoever was inside was a mystery.

Ming held out her hand, indicating that Zuko should go first, and the young Fire Lord took a deep breath and stepped inside.  The others didn't follow and Zuko let his hand settle on the joined hilt of his blades.

Back and shoulders straight, he walked into the room and turned toward the movement, keeping his expression neutral.

"How nice of you to join us, Zuko."

Zuko drew his swords while the world seemed to tilt on its side.  "Father."

Two identical looking servant women lowered an ornate golden shoulder guard over Ozai's head but the man kept his gaze locked with his son's.  His hair and beard had been trimmed and he wore robes finer than any of his Fire Lord apparel.  "You won't be needing those."  He pointed to Zuko's bared weapons.  "Unless you want something terrible to happen to your young bride to be."

Zuko took a threatening step forward.  "Where is she?  What have you done with her?"

Ozai snapped his fingers and the wall beside him opened up, revealing Mai, shackled to a steel chair with her head down, unmoving.  A Dai Li agent stood behind her, stone fist poised to deliver a blow that would no doubt be fatal.

"Don't!" Zuko shouted, trying to sound commanding but failing.  He didn't realize he'd put his swords on the ground until he stood back up, hands held wide.  "Don't hurt her."

"A little late for that," Ozai said with one of his malicious smiles.  

Zuko didn't care what they'd do to him, but he had to know if Mai was still breathing.  He rushed to her side and Ozai signaled the guard to allow it.  Zuko dropped to his knees and placed his hands on her shoulders, shaking them gently.  "Mai!  Mai, can you hear me?"

She didn't respond.  Her clothing was scorched along her left arm and side, but Zuko couldn't tell how bad her injuries were without removing the tattered fabric.  He glared up at the grinning Dai Li agent.  "Release her!"

The man looked to Ozai and received a slight nod.  Mai toppled forward into his arms as the agent opened the shackles holding her in place, and Zuko scooped her up and carried her to a nearby couch.  The room was decorated with opulent furniture and Zuko was happy to have somewhere comfortable to lay her down.  

"Mai?"  He put his hand to her cheek but she didn't stir, didn't even seem to be breathing.  

"Blame yourself for getting her involved," Ozai said.  

Zuko didn't even spare his father the glare he would have given him before his uncle had taught him the value of a keeping a level head.  Glares, threats, and curses could come later.  

"Please, Mai…" He grabbed the fabric at her shoulder seam and pulled, tearing away her sleeve.  Zuko recognized the starburst shaped wound on her upper arm as he too had a matching one on his stomach.  A lightning burn - Which meant one thing… Azula was involved.

He lowered his brows, feeling the irresistible pull to action and vengeance.  As he was about to make a dive for his blades, he noticed the corner of Mai's lip lift ever so slightly.  Something slid into her right hand, and Zuko had to school his emotions not to betray his happiness at finding out she was only playing dead.

They moved as one, Zuko rolling toward his swords as Mai sat up and tossed her dagger at the Dai Li agent.  As his hands found his blades, Zuko kicked out his feet and sent a blast of fire at Ozai and his unfortunate servants.  The two scantily clad women stepped in front of the former Fire Lord and with synchronized waves of their hands, dissipated the flames.  

Unsurprised, but disappointed, Zuko flipped back into a crouch and sprang forward with swords ready.  Beside him, Mai launched herself toward the Dai Li agent, who had caught her first dagger in his stone fist.  The two women stepped forward and launched their own attack, forcing Zuko to defend himself.

He sliced through their flames with his swords, twirling as he continued his attack.  Ozai didn't retreat or react as Zuko came within range.  Even when Zuko tripped the first girl and sent the second flying with a roundhouse kick, Ozai held his ground.

"Whatever you're planning, ends here!"  Zuko held his blade across the former Fire Lord's throat, but Ozai only smiled.

"Your father loves you."

Caught off guard by the comment, Zuko started to lower his sword.  Mai spun toward him, eyes wide with horror.  "Zuko, no!"  

Something exploded in his spine and as the world seemed to fall away, Ozai smiled down at him and a voice, haunting and almost unrecognizable, murmured in his ear.  

"Zu…zu…"

------

There were times where waking up was the most exciting part of Zuko's day.  You never knew what kind of possibilities lay on the horizon, or what new things you'd get to do or see.

But floating in the sea of blackness, Zuko found himself holding back, resisting the gradual shift to consciousness.  And then he remembered the look in Mai's eyes, his father, and the voice whispering in his ear…

"Uhnnng…"  

"Zuko?  Are you alright?"  It felt like Mai's voice was inside his head and he squeezed his eyes shut, hoping the disorientation and nausea would pass.

"Mnnn…"  He'd meant to say her name, but his tongue felt thick and heavy, like a giant slug, in his mouth.

"It's okay, Zuko.  I'm right here."

And she really did sound like she was right there - right there in his brain.  He let his head loll back and it bumped against something hard, but not unmoving.  

"Ow, Zuko.  That's my head."

Resting against her, he finally pried his eyes open and watched the ceiling circle above him.

"Mmmhnn?"

"I'm fine.  But, no surprise, we're prisoners."

Zuko grunted and lifted his head, expending far more effort than it normally would have cost him to do so.  His hands and feet were manacled to a metal chair, and a strap across his chest held him firmly in place.  Exhausted, he couldn't keep his head up, and he let if fall back, cushioning into Mai's soft hair.

"Ow.  No please, bump my head again, I enjoy it."

He exhaled a laugh at her wry humor.

"I… really need…" Zuko had to take his time to make his words come out clearly.

"What do you need?"  There was a layer of concern that many would have been surprised to hear in Mai's voice.

"To learn… to think things through… better…"

"You knew it was a trap?"

He nodded against her.  "Figured… it out… But had to…"

There was a long pause as Mai considered her next response.  "Part of me thinks you really are an idiot sometimes."  He grimaced, but then she continued in a softer tone.  "But the rest of me is really glad you came."

The wall opened up and two Dai Li agents stepped inside their tiny holding cell.

"The Phoenix King wants to see you."

"I have… nothing to say… to him."

One of the agents came forward and backhanded Zuko with a stone fist.  "It wasn't a request."

"Touch him again," Mai threatened.

"And what?"  The second Dai Li scoffed and took an earthbending stance, pushing them, metal chairs and all, into the next room.  Zuko didn't have to pretend to be stunned from the blow as he took in their surroundings, looking for any potential weaknesses or possibilities of escape.  Shinu, Lee, and Ming were all present, along with their guards.  A young man dressed in Northern Water Tribe blues lounged on the couch, while two young but threatening Water Tribe warriors stood behind him with their arms crossed.

Ozai held his hands wide in front of a giant mirror, watching his twin assistants take in a measure of his new robes.  He spared a look for his son.  "Do you think you can behave this time?"

Zuko couldn't think of anything clever to say, so he spit blood at his father's feet, hoping to stain the fabric of his Phoenix King robes.

"So uncivilized.  I thought I taught you manners."

"I happily reject everything you've ever taught me."

"It's a pity, too, but then, you never had much potential.  Unlike your poor demented sister."  He gestured to the corner of the room, and what Zuko had originally mistaken for a pile of rags, stirred.  He saw shackles and chains connecting her wrists and ankles, and what looked like a metal collar around her neck.  She shuddered, and a current of electricity rippled from her fingers, dancing over her body, and Zuko realized the attack that had brought him down had been less of a lightning blast, and more of an electrical current sent through his spine.  It explained why he was still alive.

"What have you done to her?"

"I tried to make her better."  Ozai smiled without a touch of warmth.  "My new allies, the Dai Li, have some interesting techniques, and when it became obvious that she was no longer useful to me, I had them make a few adjustments."  

"To your own daughter?" Zuko felt sick, and he doubted it was all leftover from the shock to his system.  "How much lower could you sink?"  

Ozai lifted an imperious eyebrow.  "Sink?  No, Zuko.  I intend to rise!  You and your little band took everything from me, but I will have it all back, and more."  He strolled toward Zuko and made a casual circle around him and Mai.  "I should really be thanking you.  Do you remember what you told me the first time you came to visit me in prison?"

Zuko did, but he wouldn't give his father the satisfaction of admitting it.  

"You told me that banishing you was the best thing I ever did for you.  You told me that perhaps my time in prison could put me on the right path."  He placed his hand on Zuko's shoulder and Zuko would have given anything to slip out from beneath it.  "And you were right.  At first I couldn't see it, but as the days passed, I realized you'd given me an opportunity to consider my mistakes."

"And so you decided to make the same mistakes again?" Zuko put all the disgust he could manage into his words.

"No, Zuko.  You opened my eyes.  I realize now that the only true path to victory, the only real way to bring the world under one banner, is to unite the nations!"

Zuko knew he'd been hit hard, but he couldn't make sense of his father's words.  

"What's the point of destroying everything, when I can rule everything instead?"  Ozai spread his hands in what he apparently found a magnanimous gesture, turning to his gathered followers.  The Water Tribe noble clapped politely while Shinu and Lee smiled their conspiratorial smiles and nodded at their chosen ruler.  The Dai Li stood silent and menacing.

Zuko rolled his head to the side until he caught the warden's gaze, the one person he couldn't place in the conspiracy.  "Ming?  My uncle trusted you.  I trusted you."

"Well, that's your weakness, isn't it?"  Ozai said with cold amusement.  "You don't realize that everyone has a price."

"They have my father," Ming spoke up, looking ashamed.  "I'm sorry."

"Sometimes it's a lust for power or simply greed," Ozai mused, waving his hand over the others.  "But everyone can be bought."

"Not me," Zuko said.  "And not my friends."

"Oh really?"  Ozai drew a thin, ornamental dagger from his sleeve and took a step toward Mai.  "And what would you do to keep her safe?  Would you trade the life of the Avatar for this young woman?"

Zuko tensed and strained against his bonds, anger and frustration leaking out between clenched teeth in a low growl as steam seemed to rise from his body.  Ozai placed the dagger under Mai's chin and lifted her face toward his.  

Mai laughed.  "Just do it.  I'd rather die than listen to you keep talking."  Ozai held the dagger in place and Mai sighed.  "Or were you hoping I'd die from boredom in this stupid chair?"

"She reminds me a bit of your mother," Ozai said finally, lowering the blade.  "But then I suppose the only side of her you ever saw was that weak woman who coddled you when she should have been teaching you how to be strong."  Ozai considered his son a moment.  "Maybe I should do you a favor and end her life now before she can corrupt your future children?"  He lifted the dagger and Zuko roared, snapping the iron shackle he'd been secretly heating.  

Ozai's firebending bodyguards couldn't stop Zuko from grabbing his father's wrist and igniting the robes they'd spent hours working on.  His sleeve went up in flames and Ozai staggered back while his followers jumped into action.  The Dai Li clamped Zuko's free arm with stone fists and forced it back down to the armrest, locking it in place with earthbending.  It took even less effort for the firebenders to put out the Phoenix King, but Ozai's cool demeanor had gone up in smoke.

Zuko could only laugh at his father's look of rage.  "You're a shadow of your former self!  Who in their right mind would follow a Fire Lord who can't even bend?"

Something dark and dangerous filled Ozai's eyes and for a moment, Zuko expected his father to execute him on the spot.  Instead Ozai lowered his face and his voice, becoming as sinister as he'd ever been.  

"You have no idea what it's like to have a part of your core, your essence, stripped away from you."  Ozai stared at his hands as though imagining flames bursting to life in his palms.  "That boy tore a hole in the very fabric of my being."  He clenched his fists.  "Imagine that kind of power…"

The hairs on the back of Zuko's neck prickled.  

All eyes turned as another young Water Tribe warrior, sporting tattoos and a head full of braids pulled back up in the traditional wolf tail, entered the room with a message scroll.  "My Lords, I have word from the Southern Raiders."

The Water Tribe noble rose from the couch.  "What's the news?"

"Our quarry was spotted not seven days ago entering the southern waters."

"It's time," Ozai announced, drawing all attention back to him.  "Hahn, prepare your warriors and benders for the hunt."   The Water Tribesmen hurried off to follow his orders while Ozai turned to his general.  "Shinu, ready the airships."  

"And what about them?" One of the Dai Li agents asked, indicating Mai and Zuko.

"You know what I want," Ozai replied.  "Make me a son I can be proud of.  Strip away his weakness and mercy and give me his undying loyalty."

"It will be as you say."  The Dai Li bowed.  

A Fire Nation messenger burst into the room before anyone else had a chance to depart.  

"Sir!  An unidentified airship is heading toward the prison."  

Zuko's head shot up and Ozai ran his hand down his pointed beard.  "No doubt Iroh is on board.  I knew Long Feng would fail to capture him."

"My men will blow him out of the sky," Shinu promised.  Ozai nodded and the general departed in a rush with the messenger.  

"You'd kill your own brother?"  Zuko gave a sharp pull against his new and improved bonds but they didn't budge.

"Why not?" Ozai turned to Zuko and gave him his coldest smile yet.  "I had his son killed and my own father murdered, after all."  

The casual declaration left Zuko feeling numb as bile rose in the back of his throat.  "Lu Ten… you…?"

"It amuses me that after everything I've done, you find the news surprising.  Don't you think it was a little convenient that Lu Ten met his untimely end, opening up the path for our family to take the throne?  Lu Ten would have made an even worse Fire Lord than your meddlesome uncle."

The news would devastate Iroh.  Zuko had no idea if he could even bring himself to tell his uncle, assuming they were ever reunited.  His cousin, who had never hurt anyone beyond what duty demanded, who had been like a big brother to him and who had meant the world to Iroh, had been killed by Ozai's command.  Ozai, who had remained out of the war, safe at Fire Lord Azulon's side, while Iroh and Lu Ten fought to provide a Fire Nation victory over the Earth Kingdom.

The man had manipulated, betrayed, murdered, twisted, and scarred his entire family.  

Zuko blinked back a tear and met Ozai's cool gaze.  "I am your son no longer.  I just wish I'd had you killed when I had the chance."

His words only made Ozai smile with twisted pride.  "Perhaps I'll make a Fire Lord out of you yet."

The same messenger who had delivered the last news came panting back into the decorated prison room.  "It's the Avatar, my lord!  He's onboard the airship with your brother and a group of female warriors."

Ozai snarled.  "No!  I will not have that child standing in my way again!"

"What are your orders?"

"He's too powerful to engage directly.  Have the Yu Yan archers cover our retreat and tell them to disable, but not to kill his friends and companions.  The sight of their deaths might provoke him into the Avatar state."

"By your command."  The messenger saluted and ran back the way he'd come.

"Change of plans," Ozai said, turning to the Dai Li.  "You will be accompanying me with these two as leverage in case the Avatar catches up to us."

Before Zuko could put up a struggle, they had him lifted out of the seat and his arms locked together behind his back with solid stone.  His legs were unsteady from the earlier shock to his nerves, but he still lashed out the moment he had a chance, lifting his foot to bring it down in a firebending kick aimed at the man who had once been his father.

One of the Dai Li caught his ankle in midair and kicked his other foot out from under him, sending him toppling to the ground.  He landed on his bound arms and his shoulders wrenched with the impact.  The agent brought his stone fist smashing down into Zuko's unprotected abdomen, hitting the tender scar left over from Azula's lightning blast.

Mai called his name as stars exploded in front of his eyes and Zuko wanted nothing more than to curl in on himself until the pain passed.  Two of the prison guards hauled him to his feet and he hung limply between them, trying not to throw up.

Everything was happening so fast.  Zuko was still reeling from the blow to his old wound when their small procession exited the prison and came to a stop.  It looked like a war zone.  Catapults launched flaming rocks at a lone airship and despite the efforts of a tiny figure zipping around with an air glider, it looked like the ship was going to go down.

A series of explosions ripped apart the main engines and the airship tilted at a dangerous angle, heading for the ground at a deceptively slow speed that Zuko knew would still be devastating.

"Uncle…"

Ozai took in the scene with a victorious smile.  "This fate awaits all those who oppose the Phoenix King."

Zuko closed his eyes and put up a silent plea to Aang.  The Avatar was his uncle's only hope.

As the airship continued on its crash course, Aang dropped out of the sky like an eagle hawk, plummeting toward the earth.  From the distance, Zuko couldn't see what happened when his young friend hit the ground, but in the next instant a small mountain rose out of the flat land, stretching up to catch the falling airship.  

"Thank you, Aang," Zuko whispered and Ozai shot him a look.  

"Yes, too bad your little friend won't be able to save you, as well."  Ozai motioned his procession forward.  "We'll be long gone before he even knows we were here."

Zuko cast a helpless glance back at Mai, who's hands were sealed in stone to keep her from pulling any more hidden daggers.  She looked pale and unsteady on her feet, but determination flashed in her eyes.  She gave him a slight nod that lifted his spirits, but he had no idea what she was planning.  And then her eyes drifted to the third prisoner, of sorts, and Zuko realized what she was thinking.

Azula shuffled along blankly, following the lead of one of the Dai Li, who held the chain attached to her metal collar like a leash.

"Azula," Mai whispered as they were herded along.  No one seemed to hear or mind her attempt to get through to the brainwashed princess, as most of the guards kept their attention on the not so distant battle.  "If only you could see how pathetic you look, Princess."  She said the title like an insult, but Azula didn't seem to hear.

"You used to be powerful and intimidating.  But now you're just, nothing.  Pathetic."  Azula blinked and Mai pressed harder.  "Do you remember back at the Boiling Rock when I betrayed you?  You don't know how long I'd been waiting to be rid of you."  Azula twitched.  "Being thrown in prison was better than being forced to follow you around pretending to be your friend."

Something crackled, and a spark of blue lighting arched between Azula's fingers.  Mai and Zuko exchanged a look of warning as Mai prepared her final verbal assault.

"Zuko and I are getting married, Azula.  We love each other and we're going to be happy together while you're left with nothing!"

Lightning, undirected and dangerous, exploded out from the princess in every direction.  It raced up the metal chain and sent her Dai Li captor flying, robes ablaze like he'd been launched from a Fire Nation catapult.  Mai and Zuko hit the dirt, but the rest of Ozai's escort hadn't been expecting trouble so close at hand.

The second Dai Li brought up an earth shield in front of Ozai and his two bodyguards as Azula kept blasting away with lightning.  The other guards tried to get her under control and most of them went down, smoking.  In the confusion, Mai got to her feet and helped Zuko up, both keeping low as they fled from the enraged princess.

They ran as fast as they could, avoiding troops retreating toward Ozai's airships, and made it past the mostly abandoned line of catapults as they headed toward Aang's mountain.

Zuko stumbled and Mai tried to catch him, but her hands were still locked in stone, and all she managed to do was hit him in the shoulder as he fell with no way to break his own fall.  Mai winced in sympathy as her fiancé skidded, face first, across the rough volcanic rock and soil.  He stayed in the awkward position once he came to a stop, with his knees bent and his feet in the air.

"I tried," she apologized and hoped he couldn't hear the slight touch of amusement in her voice.

His feet thumped back to the ground but the rest of him stayed right where he'd fallen.  "No problem."

She knelt down next to him.  "Not one of your more graceful moments.  I think you've been hanging out with Sokka too much."  

He chuckled and turned his head to face her.  She tried not to smile as she was reminded of a much younger Zuko after one of his many misadventures.  His nose and chin were scraped up and bits of gravel clung to his face, but he managed a smile.

"I guess I needed a break."

"Well, just as long as you didn't break anything."  She slid her rock bound hands under his chest and helped him to his knees but he didn't appear to be in any hurry to continue and with everything going on, Mai knew that meant he was hurting.  "Here, wipe yourself off on my sleeve."  She held her arm out for him and he awkwardly brushed his face against her, clearing away most of the rocks and blood.  

"Better?" He asked and even though he still looked like he'd lost a fight with a meat grinder, Mai leaned forward and kissed him gently.

"Much.  Now are you ready to find your uncle?"

He nodded and Mai did her best to help him get to his feet.  She would have given anything to have an earthbender handy to release them from their cumbersome bonds.  Her hands were starting to cramp and she could only imagine how sore Zuko's shoulders were getting with his arms pulled back until his elbows were touching, but the discomfort was nothing compared to what they'd have had coming to them if they hadn't managed to escape.  

There was just one more obstacle between them and their friends.

"The Yu Yan archers," Zuko whispered as he used his chin to indicate a place they could hide and take in the situation without being spotted.  

"When I was younger, I wanted to run away from home and join them," Mai said and Zuko fixed her with a look somewhere between impressed and horrified.  "What?  I could be just as accurate with a bow if I worked at it."

He shook his head in amusement.  "What about the face tattoos?"

"They're not bad," she said seriously as the two of them made it to the vantage point and ducked down behind a boulder.  Not far from their position, three Yu Yan archers took turns firing from behind cover, taking long, impossible shots at the green clad warriors coming down the Avatar made mountain.  The Kyoshi Warriors had their work cut out for them, deflecting attacks with their fan shields and dodging behind cover as the Yu Yan kept up a steady stream of arrows from their various points of cover.

"I don't see Uncle," Zuko began but then a huge fireball erupted from behind a rocky ledge, heading in their direction.  "Never mind."

The three Yu Yan archers nearest them relocated while Mai and Zuko stared at the incoming blast.  

"We're on the wrong side of this battlefield," Mai said as Zuko struggled to his feet.  She was ready to make a run for it, but Zuko jumped and kicked his feet out, launching an equally impressive fireball back at his uncle's.  The blasts impacted and exploded, cancelling each other out, but Mai was more concerned with the audible popping sound as Zuko landed hard on his awkwardly positioned arms.

"My shoulder," Zuko cried out and then rolled onto his good side with a groan.  "Why am I so stupid?"

"Don't beat yourself up, Zuko."  Mai came to his side and wished again that there was some way she could free her hands so she could help him.  "And I mean that both mentally and physically."

He stopped pounding his head in the dirt and grimaced up at her.  "It's dislocated.  I don't think I can even get up."

"That may be a problem," Mai said as she stood, staring at something behind him.  Zuko lifted his head and twisted just far enough to get a look at the three Yu Yan archers who'd decided to investigate the mysterious fire blast.  

"Stupid, stupid, stupid," Zuko berated himself while Mai gave the archers the deepest look of loathing she could manage.  The silent showdown lasted for a full five seconds before the three Yu Yan turned as one and fired uselessly into a wall of wind that sent them all tumbling back, further down the mountain.  

Aang landed next to them with all the flair one could expect from the little airbender.  "Zuko!  Mai!  You're alright!"

"That might be an exaggeration," Mai quipped but then offered him a genuine smile.  "Nice timing.  How'd you know it was us?"

"Iroh recognized Zuko's firebending," he said as he earthbended Mai's hands free.  She stretched her fingers and rubbed her palms to get the circulation flowing as Aang shattered Zuko's bonds.

"Ow!"

"Sorry, Zuko!"  Aang clicked back into student mode automatically, thinking his poor bending had hurt his former master.

"It wasn't you," Zuko growled and Mai helped him sit up.  He cradled his injured arm and looked absolutely miserable, the expression amplified by the abrasions covering his face.  "It's like no matter what I do, I fail!"  Mai and Aang exchanged a glance, both expecting the other to say something as Zuko continued.  "I couldn't even hold on to the throne!"  He reached up and plucked the Fire Lord diadem from his hair clip and tossed it angrily.

"Whoa!" Aang flicked his wrist and the golden flame twirled back into his hand on a current of air.  "Let's not be hasty, here."

"Hasty?"  Zuko roared and pointed at the three airships shrinking away on the horizon.  "That's Ozai escaping with his loyal followers to conquer the world!"  He emphasized the main points and then dug his fingers into his hair, messing up his topknot.  "Mai and I could have both been killed because I'm an idiot!"

Mai took advantage of Zuko's distraction and popped his shoulder back in place.  

"Gah!  You could have warned me!"  He yanked his arm away from her and glared with all the fury of a kicked puppy.  Mai wasn't known for her compassion but she couldn't resist pulling her man into an embrace to try and take away his despair before he spiraled out of control.  

"You're just upset," she whispered in his ear.  "After everything you heard today, you don't know what to think anymore."  She squeezed him tighter and she felt him tentatively return the hug.  "But we're both alive, and we'll figure something out.  I promise you."

Aang scratched the back of his neck and pretended to be distracted by a passing breeze as Mai kissed Zuko first on the lips and then on the forehead before resting his head on her shoulder.  He let out a deep, shaky breath and relaxed against her, the tension seeming to seep out of him.

"Now that that's taken care of," Aang began, "how about we go help Iroh and Ty Lee and the other Kyoshi Warriors?"

"Oh, I think we've got it just about taken care of," Ty Lee said from her place on top of Zuko and Mai's boulder where she'd been watching the whole exchange.  She stood and pointed back up the mountain and the other three stood and watched as the young armored warrior women worked in teams, covering each other as they closed in on the small pockets of archers.  

Up close the archers didn't stand a chance against the fans and swords of the Kyoshi Warriors.  Iroh hurried down the mountainside, ignoring the skirmishes unless they got in his way, ending them if they did.  Many a bow and arrow tasted his flames and the Yu Yan archers seemed more than willing to surrender to the Dragon of the West.

Iroh didn't slow down even as he reached them and Mai casually stepped aside as he barreled into his nephew.  "I was so worried for you, Zuko!"  

Zuko choked and gasped for breath as the stout, musclebound man squeezed him with all his considerable might.  "I'm okay, Uncle!"  His previously dislocated shoulder gave a threatening pop and Zuko yelped.  

Iroh pulled back with an apologetic smile and gave his nephew the once-over.  "You don't look so okay."

Zuko smiled and put his good arm around his uncle, giving him a hug of his own.  "I'm better, now that you're here."

When they separated, Iroh placed his hand on Zuko's good shoulder and searched his face.  "And what of your father?"

Zuko flinched and looked away.  "I have no father."

Tears sparkled in Iroh's eyes as he pulled Zuko back into a gentle hug.  "But you have me.  You'll always have me."

Aang peeked into Zuko's view, scratching his arrow, and interrupted the moment with his uncle.  "Should we hug, too?"

"What?"  Zuko glared.  

"I dunno, just asking."

Iroh reached around and pulled Aang into the embrace.  "You helped me rescue my nephew and for that I will never be able to thank you enough."

Aang laughed and buried his face in Iroh's robes, snaking his arm around Zuko as he did.  "It's like we're one big family!"

Zuko smiled back at Mai and Ty Lee who were watching the whole thing with looks of amusment.  "Yeah, I guess we are."