Chang Ai [ENG] [zukaang/ zuko x aang fanfic]

Chapter XIV: The boiling rock

It was a quiet night in the Western Air Temple, the group was sitting in a circle around a small fire in the fountain hall and Zuko was serving a freshly brewed tea to his new friends.

"No one can make tea like uncle, but hopefully I learned a thing or two" Zuko said as he served the tea to the group"would you like to hear my uncle's favorite joke?"

"Sure" Katara agreed.

"I like jokes" Aang answered supporting his friend.

"Go ahead!" Toph said insistently.

"Well, I can't remember how it starts, but punch line is 'Leaf me alone, I'm bushed' " the group looked at him for a moment in silence, nobody found the joke funny because Zuko only remembered punch line "well, it's more funnier when my uncle tells it"

"Maybe that's because he remembers the whole joke" Katara said making the other members of the group snickered and laughed.

"It's nice to have a chance to relax a little" Toph commented.

"It hardly ever happens" Zuko said as he handed Teo and the earthbender a cup of tea, he approached to Sokka who was drawing in the dust of the ground with a sad look on his face.

"Hey, can I talk to you for a second?" the Southern Water Tribe boy asked. Zuko nodded and put down the tray as they walked over to where Appa was lying.

"So, what's up?" Zuko asked sternly "who was captured?"

"When the invasion plan failed, some of our troops were taken. I just wanna know where they might be."

"I cannot tell you."

"Huh?! why not?"

"Trust me, knowing it would just make you feel worse" the firebender said as he turned around.

"It's my dad" Sokka said, taking Zuko's shoulder "he was captured too, I need to know what I put him through"

"It's not good, Sokka."

"Please."

"My guess is they were taken to the Boiling Rock."

"What is that?" the Southern Water Tribe boy asked with a cold look on his face.

"The higest security prison in the Fire Nation. It's on an island in the middle of a boiling lake, it's inescapable."

"Then where is this place?"

"Why do you need to know? what are you planning?"

"Nothing... boy, you're so paranoid."

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

"Thank you, Zuko" Sokka thanked him and yawned tiredly "just knowing makes me feel better"

"Yes, I'm sure it does" Zuko said, suspecting why Sokka would ask him something like that just like that, but how the latter insisted that he was not up to anything, he downplayed it and they returned to where the others were.

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Assuming everyone else was asleep, Sokka crept his way over to Appa in the middle of the night, he cleared his sleeping area, and when he turned around... his foot narrowly missed Momo, he turned to Appa, shushing him when he stirred as he moved and climbed way up into the saddle.

"Not up to anything, huh?" Zuko said sitting in the saddle, Sokka fell off Appa to the stone floor, his bag emptiying out onto the floor.

"Fine, you caught me" he said as he gathered his things "I'm going to rescue my dad, ya happy now?"