Avatar - The Last Airbender (Storyteller Version)

Chapter 27: The Boiling Rock

That night, Aang and his friends sat around a campfire. Zuko graciously made tea for everyone. Before long, however, Sokka asked Zuko to come with him for a private talk.

SOKKA: If someone was captured by the Fire Nation, where would they be taken?

ZUKO: What do you mean? Who was captured?

SOKKA: When the invasion plan failed, some of our troops were taken. I just want to know where they might be.

ZUKO: I can't tell you.

SOKKA: What?! Why not?

ZUKO: Trust me. Knowing would just make you feel worse.

SOKKA: It's my dad. He was captured, too! I need to know what I put him through.

ZUKO: My guess is they were taken to the Boiling Rock, the highest security prison in the Fire Nation. It's on an island in the middle of a boiling lake. It's inescapable.

SOKKA: So where is this place?

ZUKO: It's in the middle of a volcano between here and the Fire Nation. You guys actually flew past it on your way here.

Sokka thought about what Zuko had told him. Early the next morning, he awoke early and tiptoed over to Appa. But as he climbed onto the saddle, Sokka was surprised to see Zuko waiting there, as if he had been expecting him.

SOKKA: I'm gonna rescue my dad. You happy now?

ZUKO: I'm never happy.

SOKKA: Look, I have to do this. The invasion plan was my idea. It was my decision to stay when things were going wrong. It's my mistake, and it's my job to fix it. I have to regain my honor.

ZUKO: You need to regain your honor? Believe me, I get it. I'm going with you.

SOKKA: No. I have to do this alone.

ZUKO: How are you going to get there, on Appa? Last time I checked, prisons don't have bison daycares. We'll take my war balloon.

Sokka and Zuko left the Western Air Temple and set off across the clouds. After a long day of travel, the war balloon came in sight of the volcano Zuko had described. Steam was rising from its center.

ZUKO: There it is! There's plenty of steam to keep us covered. As long as we're quiet, we should be able to navigate through it without being caught.

But as the air balloon drifted into the volcano's steam, it began to descend, faster and faster. They were plummeting toward the boiling lake!

ZUKO: The balloon's not working anymore!

SOKKA: The air outside is as hot as the air inside, so we can't fly!

ZUKO: So what are we supposed to do?!

SOKKA: I don't know... crash-landing?

And that's exactly what happened — the balloon skidded across the water and finally crashed into the base of the fortress. The impact threw Sokka and Zuko overboard. Luckily, they landed on solid ground.

ZUKO: How are we gonna get off the island if the balloon won't work?

SOKKA: We'll figure something out. I suspected it might be a one-way ticket.

ZUKO: You knew this would happen and you wanted to come anyway?

SOKKA: My dad might be here! I had to come and see!