Author's Note: Gah! I have been trying to upload this for a WEEK now! My apologies for keeping you all waiting…blame the FanFictionNet servers.
Sokka made it back to the alley just in time to see Zuko being led around the corner to the front of the shop. The prince's captors never even glanced back to see the warrior standing there.
He looked about, trying to determine the best course of action, and quickly decided against a rescue while they were inside. The close quarters filled with dry herbs would be a bad place to be if they started shooting flames. He'd just have to wait until they headed back to the ship, and make his move then.
Spotting a stack of crates and barrels near the kitchen window, he carefully climbed up and peered through the wooden slats of the shutter to keep abreast of what was happening.
From his spot in the doorway that separated the main shop from the back, Jee could keep an eye on the aged physician gathering up herbs for the ship as well as listen to and observe Huo and Zuko in the kitchen. The prince was tied securely to a chair, but the restraints somehow seemed unnecessary, as he had made no attempts to struggle or escape. Instead, he merely sat there glaring at the ground.
"Your sister is quite anxious to find you," Huo stated placidly.
Zuko said nothing, his face impassive.
"Where is General Iroh?"
The captured boy gave no response.
"Is he with the Avatar?"
Still, Zuko offered no reply, but merely continued to stare expressionlessly at the floor, his features betraying nothing. Huo resumed with the same measured but casual tone.
"I have orders to bring you back to the Fire Nation where you are to receive an honorable execution befitting a member of the royal family. But perhaps if you were to cooperate, provide some useful information…?" Huo let the offer linger unspoken.
"Do what you have to do," Zuko finally said quietly, not bothering to lift his gaze, "I'm not telling you anything."
Commander Huo raised an eyebrow as he exchanged glances with Jee. The lieutenant looked mildly impressed.
"Do you know who I am, Prince Zuko?" asked Huo conversationally.
"Is there some reason I should care?" the prince retorted numbly.
"Oh, I think perhaps you might. Three years ago, I was a field commander in a strike near Ba Sing Se. Do you know what division I lead?"
"No."
Huo turned around and faced his captive, leaning forward so that he was level with Zuko's downcast eyes.
"The forty-first," he intoned meaningfully.
Zuko glanced up in shock and held the commander's gaze only briefly before quickly looking back down. Huo stood upright with a smug expression, then turned and walked a few steps away as he expanded proudly on this piece of information.
"When the battle was over, we became one of the most highly decorated units in Fire Nation history. Of course, there weren't many of us left to enjoy that honor." He spun and faced the prince again. "One hundred and fifty men fought under my command that day…twenty-three lived," he finished quietly, his gaze fixed on the prince to gauge the boy's reaction.
Zuko clenched his eyes shut, trying to maintain his composure. But when he spoke, the shakiness of his voice betrayed his suppressed anguish.
"Why are you telling me this?"
Huo once again turned his back on Zuko as he contemplated his answer.
"Why indeed," he mused. Huo pivoted slightly to look over at his captive. "Tell me, Prince Zuko, what were you thinking when you spoke out against that attack plan?"
Huo observed Zuko critically as the young man's eyes went wide and he took in a sharp breath of surprise before gritting his teeth. Zuko then pursed his lips in a thin line as he swallowed hard, but he refused to answer or even look at the commander.
"Answer the question!" demanded Huo impatiently as he whirled the rest of the way around to face the banished prince again. Zuko took several labored breaths before answering.
"It was wrong," Zuko whispered hoarsely to the floor. Huo moved closer, leaning his head in towards Zuko, feigning an inability to hear.
"I'm sorry" Huo said politely, "I didn't catch that."
"It was wrong!" roared Zuko defiantly, snapping his head up to look at Huo; tortured rage was flashing in the princes' eyes. "Those men didn't deserve to be slaughtered just to gain a tactical advantage!" he fumed.
Huo straightened with satisfaction at this answer, and seemed about to say something when a loud cracking noise erupted from the window across the room, startling both of them into looking in that direction.
Sokka had pressed just a little too hard trying to hear Zuko's initial answer. Unfortunately, at that moment, the dry-rotted crate he stood upon gave way, and he felt himself pitching forward into the shutter. Unable to stop his momentum, he fell right into the window, smashing the shutters inward as he dropped in a heap onto a small, pottery-laden table, sending broken wood and shards of terra-cotta flying.
He pulled himself out of the wreckage only find himself staring up into the patronizing eyes of Commander Huo.
As Toph emerged from the underground corridor, she immediately sensed a familiar 'blur' racing down the mountain toward her.
"Twinkle Toes?" she called as he came nearer.
Apparently, he was moving too fast to see or hear her, for he sailed right on by.
"Hey!" she shouted, and then growled in annoyance.
With a slight of her foot and a jab of her arm, the ground in front of the speeding air bender suddenly shot up, tripping the boy and causing him to tumble several feet before plunging into a copse of shrubs. A litany of 'oofs' 'ows', and 'ughs' punctuated the brief cacophony of rustling and crunching as Toph strode over to the bushes and hauled Aang out.
"Ya know," she remarked sardonically, "It's a good thing I'm not a fire bender looking to capture the Avatar. 'Cause if I was, you'd be toast right now…literally!
Aang looked at her sheepishly while he picked the twigs and leaves from his clothes.
"What are you doing out here?" she demanded crossly.
"Iroh's sickness has gotten worse and…" he began, but when he noticed that Toph was alone, his face became ashen. "Where's Sokka and Zuko?" he asked worriedly.
"They're still in town," she replied unhappily, "we ran into a little trouble. But now that you're here, I can go back and take care of things."
"I knew it! I knew there was a problem!" he gushed, and without waiting for any further details, he started running off toward the city.
"Hold on there, Zippy!" commanded Toph as she grabbed the back of his collar, forcing it against his throat just enough for him to croak out an 'ack' as she pulled him back to stand next to her.
"We can't both go," she explained calmly as she pulled the bags from her belt, "one of us needs to get this medicine to Iroh before it's too late, and since I know where the boys are, that leaves you to take this stuff back to camp."
"But I-" he tried to protest as she shoved the parcels at him.
"Look, I know you want to be the hero, save the day and all that," the girl rationalized, "but if you really want to do your Avatar duty, then you need to start by saving your fire bending teacher. Because let's face it, if you don't master all the elements by the time we face the Fire Lord, the whole world is in serious doo-doo."
Aang opened his mouth wide to voice his refusal, but then his shoulders slumped as he realized she had a very good point.
"Do you always have to make this much sense?" he pouted.
"That's my job," she shrugged nonchalantly, before setting her features into an imposing scowl. "Now get going!"
She emphasized her order with a sudden rumble of the ground beneath his feet, tossing him forward just enough to get her point across clearly. Aang shot the girl a glum and ultimately useless glare, but without further complaint or prompting, he whipped up an air-scooter.
"And make sure he drinks the whole bottle," she called after him as he started back up the hill.
A faint 'okay' drifting on the wind was her only confirmation that he had heard, but that was enough. She dropped down into the hole and started earth-surfing back through the tunnel.
The two teenage boys were now both tied to their chairs, sitting side by side as Huo paced leisurely in front of them.
"So, Prince Zuko," he asked conversationally, "is this boy a friend of yours."
"No," he replied emotionlessly.
Sokka let out an indignant sound. "Oh sure, I come all the way back here to rescue your royal butt and you-"
He stopped short as he caught sight of Zuko's murderous glare. Only then did he realize that Zuko's denial was meant to be an act of protection, to keep Huo from associating the two so that Sokka might be left alone…and he'd just blown it.
"Are you incapable of keeping your mouth shut?" hissed the prince furiously.
"Sorry," the other boy mumbled contritely as he hung his head.
"A noble gesture, Your Highness," Huo interjected smoothly, "but completely unnecessary I assure you. I am well aware of the boy's affiliations with the Avatar. After all, he's one of the people responsible for tearing up my ship."
"Actually, I had nothing to do with that," Sokka pointed out, "Toph's the one…that…"
Again, he felt his companion staring at him wrathfully, and peeked sidelong to confirm it. Sure enough, if Zuko's eyes were a weapon, the water tribe warrior would be cold dead at that moment.
"Right, I'm shutting up now," Sokka said quickly.
Zuko hung his head as he let out an irritated breath. The binds on his hands were the only thing preventing him from smacking his forehead in frustration.
"I have to admit" Huo resumed casually, looking directly at Sokka, "That I am curious as to why a warrior from the Southern Water Tribe would risk his neck to save the banished Prince of the Fire Nation."
"Honestly?" retorted the warrior insolently. "Because I'd much rather see him," Sokka jerked his head sideways to indicate Zuko, "on the throne than Ozai…or Azula," he added with a grimace.
Huo seemed to consider this response most carefully as he turned away from the two boys. After a long moment of silence and a heavy sigh, he replied solemnly.
"So would I."
Two heads shot up and the boys looked at each other with stunned expressions of disbelief. They then snapped their eyes toward Huo, who by now had turned around and was regarding them both with calm conviction.
The commander gave a slight nod to Jee, and the next thing the boys knew, their bonds had been cut.
As Toph stood underneath the garden with her hands pressed against the roof of the tunnel to sense the presence of those inside the building, she frowned.
"Sokka…Zuko…Ru..." she murmured to herself as she spotted each person. Her eyebrows then quirked incredulously as she discovered they were the only ones there, "oh, they couldn't have…"
Deciding there was only one way to find out, she pushed the stones above her aside and popped up into the garden.
Sokka stared at the empty, broken doorway where Huo and Jee had exited. After their bonds had been cut, the two Fire Nation officers had simply paid Ru for their herbs and left without offering any explanations. The bewildered boy didn't even turn to look at Zuko as he came up beside him.
"What…just happened?" marveled Sokka.
Zuko shook his head in wonder, "I have no idea."
"Okay!" called Toph as she walked in from the kitchen, "What did I just miss?"
The two boys exchanged confused glances and shrugged.
"When we figure that out," answered Sokka as he scratched his head, "we'll be sure to tell you."
As Jee and Huo made their way back to the ship, the lieutenant cleared his throat hesitantly.
"Not that I disagree with your decision, Sir," he began cautiously, "but…might I inquire as to why?"
"Do you have any children, Lieutenant?" asked Huo abstractedly.
"Uh…no, Sir" stammered Jee with mild surprise at the unexpected question, "I never took the time for a family."
Huo nodded as if he felt that had been a wise choice. Taking a deep breath, he went on with the same vague sense of distracted thought.
"I have a son, just about Prince Zuko's age." He paused and frowned before adding, "Last week he received his conscription notice."
"Conscription?" asked Jee dubiously, "I thought the age for that was-"
"Eighteen," Huo finished for him, "it was."
The two men walked in silence for a bit as the implications of that last statement hovered between them. At last, Huo finally gave a more thorough explanation.
"If I took the Prince back to the Fire Lord, he would be executed, Azula would take the throne after Ozai, and this war would go on forever. That's not the life I want for my only child." He glanced over at Jee shrewdly, "I expect I can trust your silence on this matter." It wasn't a question.
"We just went to get some lunch and medical supplies, Sir," Jee responded offhandedly, "I wasn't aware that anything else happened."
The two men looked at each other fleetingly, confirming the unspoken promise between them as they walked across the docks.
Zuko sat alone at the mouth of the cave, mulling over the day's events. They'd done their best to explain to the others what had happened, but in the end, everyone was equally confused.
Iroh, at least, was doing much better. Aang had made it back just as the old man's condition became critical, but the medicine seemed to be doing its job. Iroh was now resting, his fever broken and his breathing much more relaxed and natural. Zuko took a sip of the tea Ru had provided and winced. That wasn't going to go ever well with his uncle, and the thought brought forth the flicker of a wry smile. In a bizarre reflection of his own thoughts, Sokka came up next to him and sat down, making a comment as he did so.
"Your uncle's really going to love this tea," he said sarcastically, and then gagged slightly as he finished his cup. "Bleh!"
The two sat for while in silence, watching the sun melt into the horizon. Zuko risked a sidelong glance at the other teen, and noticed the somber expression on his usually jovial face. Somehow, he knew what was on Sokka's mind.
"How much did you hear?" the prince asked somberly.
Sokka's eyes darted over to Zuko, then back out to the sunset as he took a deep breath and let it out.
"Nothing I didn't already know," he answered quietly, "Your uncle told us before we left Ba Sing Se."
Zuko's head drooped even as he clenched his jaw angrily. Catching this out of the corner of his eye, Sokka was quick to defend the old man.
"Don't be mad at him," he pleaded, "he did the right thing by telling us. And," he hesitated as he chose his words. "There's something else you should know."
"What is that?" asked Zuko with a bitter edge.
"Just that…well…if that had been me in your place…" Sokka let out a short sigh. "I'd have a scar too," he finished softly.
Zuko glanced at the other boy uncertainly, but as their eyes met, he could see quite plainly that Sokka meant what he said. A strange sensation came over Zuko that was not unlike what he felt earlier that day when the water tribe boy had so casually referred to himself as Zuko's friend. And in that instant, a rare bond was forged between them that neither would ever be able to fully describe, only accept as fact.
The two then looked away awkwardly, as if suddenly self-conscious of the profound acceptance they had just shared in that moment, and Sokka let out a short laugh.
"Of course, mine would have been right across my big mouth," he quipped.
Zuko snorted lightly, "Like that would shut you up."
"Yeah…probably not," Sokka admitted with a huge grin.
When the two glanced at each other again, Sokka got his first glimpse of a real smile on Zuko's face, and as they both turned to look back at the horizon, he decided that was something he wanted to see more often.
Nothing else needed to be said at that point, and the two sat in companionable silence as the red glow of sunset faded into the cool, star-speckled curtain of twilight.
fin
Author's Note: And thus concludes the fifth 'episode' of my speculative version of season three. And, just so you all know, this entire 'episode' was written for the sole purpose of facilitating Huo's interrogation of Zuko. That scene has been bumbling around in my head for almost two months, and was actually the first scene I wrote for this.
Yes, there are still a lot of loose ends hanging out there, but rest assured, all will become clear in time. I've already got the titles and basic plotlines for all 20 'episodes' mapped out. So, provided that readership doesn't dwindle, I will see this 'season' through to the end.
Thank you to all who graciously give reviews. You folks are the only reason I write these stories, and without your input, I would have no motivation to continue. Therefore, please be sure to let me know your thoughts as you read, and stay tuned for the next chapter: 'Reclaiming Omashu' (or something like that...)