A Strange Beginning - Sokka x OC

Chapter 30: Gone

Hey everybody! This is the last chapter for this book, by the way, and I am SO excited to share it with you. I really hope you enjoy it, and I tried my best to make it as suspenseful and interesting as possible. Maybe you'll stick around and read what happens in the next book. I do have another chapter that is updated with this one. It's just filled with some information/questions. Anyways, as always, happy reading!

Presenting.......

|Gone|

Zuko

I swim up the tunnel, and I was starting to regret not listening to Zen. I was about to run out of air and the cold water was squeezing me with needles. Finally, I see the hole that'll save me and I lunge through, pulling myself up. I throw myself on the icy ground and take huge, grateful breaths of air while clutching myself for warmth. I look around and find myself in a rocky cave with some turtle-seals. 

Not a few minutes later, I hear something plunge through the water. I look over and find it's Zen also panting and breathing out some fire to warm him up. 

"Why are you here?" I whisper. "You're supposed to sneak inside the tribe."

Zen gives me a deadly glare. "You're the most confusing person I know. We're both supposed to sneak inside the tribe, but no! 'I'm gonna swim through a tunnel of water that leads to who knows where and leave my friend behind without a second thought.'" He put up air quotes while quoting me mockingly. 

I roll my eyes. "Let's split up. I'll stay here and you go back to try and sneak into the tribe to find Safiyah." 

This annoys Zen even more. "Seriously? You're gonna tell me that now?"

"Yes."

He swipes a fist of fire at me but it's much weakened and I laugh out loud. "It's only because I'm gonna die of hypothermia in a couple seconds," he grumbles. "And because it's hours past midnight and well into the night." He plunges through the icy hole, but then comes up again, asking, "Do you want me to meet you anywhere?" 

"I don't know. Just hide until everything clears up. We'll figure out something then."

"You always have to complicate things more than they already are," Zen groans. He plunges back in the water, leaving me alone in the freezing cave, smiling. 

It was hard to annoy Zen, but once you did, it was hilarious. 

~~~~~

Safiyah 

I didn't know how much time had passed; I literally couldn't conceive any sort of information from the outside. All I received were muffled vibrations. I was just lucky that the snow hasn't fallen on me yet and that the ice was holding it together. 

I had started working on the snow cautiously and slowly; tediously. My fire was weakened anyway; you couldn't blame me. I was sitting in an freezer along with minimal clothes. Who knows, it's probably the night time anyways. 

I wasn't even sure where I was supposed to start; starting at the top will just make the ice fall on me and starting at the middle and bottom would probably do the same. 

Recklessly, I crouched up slightly and put my hands against the ice above me. By controlling just enough of my body heat, I heat up my hands just enough to feel the ice melting at my palm. 

I grow giddy but still wary and wait until the entire slab is liquified. After the wanted dripping is done, I hold onto the next jagged slab, but I don't melt it. I just hold onto it steadily. Once I make sure it won't collapse on me, I sit back down, figuring out my next move while shuddering profusely.