Chapter Text
Sokka had thought the house they were given in Ba Sing Se was too big from the start. Now that it's almost entirely empty, just himself and Momo left for the day, it's more than too big. It's okay, he reminds himself as he smooths a hand over the map sprawled out on a low table, Toph will be back tomorrow at the latest. He traces a finger over the thin line that marks The Great Gates of Azulon and tries his best to rehearse his proposal. This evening at dinner he'll meet with King Kuei and the Generals to present his plan to use the eclipse to their advantage. It's genius, he knows it, but as Momo climbs up his back he can't help but feel small. Young, actually, would be a better way to describe the feeling that turns his gut over. What would five seasoned generals care about his plan for? He's just some kid from the Southern Water Tribe.
They'll care because it's their best opportunity. They have surprise, alliances, and advantage. Even if they disregard him for his inexperience, there's no way for them to reasonably shoot down his invasion plan on that alone. He just needs to be confident, remember all of the details. He could present this in his sleep with how long he's worked it over before finally getting this chance. That will be enough. This will work, that's all he needs.
"Ow!" He yelps as Momo tries to climb onto his head, but instead just yanks on his hair. "Momo, get down!" The flying lemur chitters at him as he leaps back to the floor. Aang seriously needs to train him. The too-big house is silent again in the wake of his voice. It presses in closer to him, disregarding the fact that he'd told Katara and her worrying a hundred times that he could use a break from everyone talking all the time anyways. He doesn't miss it, it's just that it sounds like there's no life outside either because the upper ring loved to pretend they were above concepts such as life and death. It's another difference from the South Pole he can't seem to ignore, the way community is so spread out he can't seem to find a sense of it. Momo chitters at him again. "It's your dinner time, isn't it? Aang did tell me to make sure I feed you. As if you can't just go figure it out yourself like when we're literally anywhere else. I should make you do that, actually," Sokka says as he stands up. He'll do no such thing, if only because he can already imagine the sad eyes Aang will give him if he finds out.
The kitchen is fully stoked with more kinds of fruit than Sokka knew existed, let alone that he imagined any group of people could ever want at one time. He grabs a moon peach for himself to snack on while he digs out a bowl of berries for Momo. The needy little shit won't stop chittering at him the entire time, tugging at his pants, and generally being a nuisance.
"Really, I don't know why Aang decided to keep you. You would've made a good meal, to start with, and now you're just a drain on our food. Well, sometimes, you are a good little scavenger," he keeps rambling as he eats. He can almost hear a mini Katara in his head scold him for talking with food in his mouth. It's not like anyone can see him right now, which means that it's not rude. Can't be rude if there's no one to be rude to. He triumphantly smirks. His cheeks are sticky from the juice and pull uncomfortably with the motion. Fine, maybe it's a little rude to himself to be this messy. That doesn't make the mini Katara right, though. Just to prove his point he says, "This whole traveling the world thing would actually be a little easier if we all could just eat bugs like you, buddy."
Momo makes a happy sound and looks up at him from where he's been stuffing his face full of berries. His paws and mouth are stained a concerning red already and Sokka sort of regrets not giving him the weird looking purple ones.
"No, just because you like bugs does not mean I'm trying them, Momo! Yuck."
Momo's head tilts to the side as he shoves another berry in his mouth.
"Bugs are flying lemur food, not people food. How many times do I need to tell you this?" With the bowl now empty Momo up and leaves him. "Hey! Where are you going? We were having a conversation." The lemur dips out an open window. "Oh fine, but only because I don't have time to chase you around the city right now."
He tosses the pit of his moon peach out the window and hopes that one day it leaves an inconvenient tree behind for the city to take care of. Or, several, considering he's tossed a few pits out there since their arrival. The map on the low table in the front room is calling his name, so Sokka swipes an arm over his mouth to wipe away the stickiness and follows the call.
Too much and no time at all passes before the long shadows stretching across the room remind him it's nearly time for dinner. He doesn't pay the flutter of his heart any mind, and ignores the way his instincts scream at him not to go. No, not his instincts, just his anxiety. Instead he finally pulls his hair back into his wolf tail for the day, staunchly refusing to use any of the provided mirrors, and straightens out his clothes. Sure, he could've gotten something nicer for tonight but that's just another thing he would either have to leave behind or figure out a way to lug around, so he decided not to.
His mouth is dry when he steps out their front door, eyes trained on the palace. In the shadows it's easy to spot the Dai Li still lurking, but he pretends not to. Just because Long Feng was (finally) revealed as corrupt doesn't mean King Kuei is going to immediately dismantle the entire agency. It means nothing that they watch his entire walk to the palace, maps in hand.
Should he have written the plan down?
No, that's a security risk. If it were to get into the wrong hands suddenly they lose any element of surprise without even knowing.
The road winds up to the palace. He's a little surprised, honestly, that he's not arriving at the same time as any of the Generals. Hopefully that doesn't mean he's late, or early. That's exactly the type of thing he would need to further discredit this proposal. His steps rush just a little faster. Better early than late, right?
He moves to push the palace doors open with the same surety as when they'd found King Kuei for themselves, but before he can they arc open on their own. That's right, this time he's expected. He offers a smile to the people who let him in.
That's when a Kyoshi warrior rounds a corner. Immediately he knows it isn't Suki. That disappointment is why his stomach drops at the sight of her. A moment later two more follow her out. They stand just behind her, one at each shoulder. It's a formation he knows he's seen before.
"Hello, ladies!" He greets. That's when it clicks. The formation, the hair. The fact that it's not Suki here.
The one on the left giggles, "He's cute!" Ty Lee.
The one on the right sighs but says nothing. Mai.
And that means the one in the front can only be one person. "Azula." His voice is dark with anger.
"So you've figured out that we aren't your precious Kyoshi Warriors already, peasant?"
"Where did you get those uniforms?" He's suddenly really glad that he wrote nothing of his plan down. All he has with him is a map of the world and a map of the Fire Nation. She can't figure out much from that alone.
Azula checks her nails. She's pouting just a little. "I'm just not sure those girls should even be called warriors. Really, it was almost too easy to beat them. Wasn't it, girls?"
"Yes, Azula!" Ty Lee is quick to agree.
"Sure." Mai shrugs as if she's barely paying attention.
"What did you do to them?" He gets the words out and then stops to consider why they aren't attacking him yet. Is he not important enough without Aang? It doesn't matter, he needs to know if Suki is okay.
"Don't worry, they're still alive. Although, I've heard prison is a difficult place to live through." No. She can't be. Suki is too strong to just be captured like that. But, Azula is strong. "Sokka, is it? Yes, you're the one my favorite prisoner keeps insisting will come and save her. Little does she know, it's already too late."
Before her words can even begin to sink in Ty Lee is on him. He dodges her hits once, twice, thrice. She giggles again, "It's like we're dancing!" He falters, the sheer absurdity of her words stalling his brain. It's the only opportunity she needs, a series of fast, deceptively light punches shoving into his body. All feeling drains out of him, his limbs turning into wet noodles.
Azula stands over where he slumps to the floor. "And you, Sokka, are even weaker than those girls. The idea of you being a warrior is laughable." Ty Lee giggles again, and underneath it he can hear Mai huff a little breath that might as well be a laugh from the gloomy girl. Behind him there's two thuds in quick succession. "Dai Li, put him in the crystal catacombs."
Two rock covered hands haul him up. He can't feel it, but he knows their grip on his arms is bruising. They say nothing as they drag his limp body away. They say nothing as they throw him down a sloped tunnel. He's willing to bet that even if he had feeling in his body he wouldn't have been able to control his descent as he careens into the earth. And just as quick as his tumbling started he slams into the ground.
Around him everything is lit by a dim, sickly green light from the crystals. He'd say they're the weirdest crystals he's ever seen, but considering that one time he'd been entirely encased in apparently edible ones that would be a lie. He lies there and waits.
Feeling comes back to him in a trickle. First his fingers start to tingle, than buzz, and then finally he can wiggle them. The feeling spreads up his arms and legs, and into his stomach. Spirits, of course he's hungry on top of all this. He tries to ignore it as he shoves up to standing and begins sight seeing. And it is sight seeing. Despite all the crystals around him bathing this place in an eerie light he can recognize that this used to be a city. The old Ba Sing Se, probably, or something else entirely forgotten. He isn't exactly the most well versed on Earth Kingdom history, yet. It's also sight seeing because no matter where he looks there isn't an escape for a nonbender like him. If he was with Toph, that would be a different story. But, if he was with Toph they would've been imprisoned somewhere else.
~
He wakes up to the sound of earth shifting open. He rubs sleep out of his eyes with so much force the darkness behind his lids lights up in bursts of color. He blinks the pain away in time to see Azula step out of a tunnel that hadn't been there when he finally fell asleep at some point last night. She's alone, although he's willing to bet that's not entirely true. Somewhere in the shadows someone is watching her, watching him. Unless she truly doesn't consider him a threat.
And would she even be wrong?
There's a small smirk playing at her lips when he forces himself to standing. He spent more than enough time at her feet for an entire life last night. He's taller than her, it means nothing. Her eyes are hard as she steps too far into his personal space. He steps back without even realizing and his back thuds against the wall he'd kept to his back when he was sleeping. She steps with him, staying exactly the same distance away from him and firmly within his bubble.
"Are you hungry?" She asks, her voice uncaring. He says nothing. "Oh, it won't be poisoned. Your friends do need to find you alive, afterall."
"I'm fine." He's starving.
"You're a terrible liar. I'll have the Dai Li bring you something later." He finally fixes his face into a glare, holding her eyes with his own. "Don't be like that. Everyone needs to eat, after all. You should be thanking me."
He huffs a half of a laugh. "No."
"Fine, be that way." The caverns go silent for too many moments. Their eyes never leave the other. Sokka continues glaring with all the hatred that he holds in his heart, and he knows it's more than Katara ever could no matter how angry she might be. Azula looks unfazed, maybe even mildly amused. "I know the Avatar will come looking for you, Sokka. I wouldn't, but he's just a child, isn't he?"
"Aang doesn't even know I'm captured!"
"How can you be so sure? I've already gotten reports of him flying over the city with his bison. It's only a matter of time, really." And she's right, it is. Aang and Toph will come back to an empty house and they'll come looking. They shouldn't, it's not like he's teaching the Avatar anything, but they will. Aang's heart is too big, and no matter how much she denies it, Toph does care. Besides, Katara would be heartbroken if they didn't and Aang could never sleep at night if that was his fault. Soon enough, he knows, they'll come, and Azula knows this too. She has time to prepare. "Of course, I don't need the Avatar, yet. That's Zuzu's mission, after all."
"Good luck relying on him, the closest he's ever gotten to capturing Aang was when he went with him willingly." Her eyes flash as he talks in a way that freezes the air in his lungs. It's as if Katara has doused him in water once again.
"Yes, my brother is rather useless. Regardless, you should prepare to watch your friends face me again. There isn't much someone like you can do to protect them, after all. Unless, of course, you have something to offer me?" He says nothing and prays his face is still a mask of hatred, that it says nothing of the guilt and fear swimming in his blood. "Well, you think about that, Sokka. I'll have food sent down in a moment." She steps away from him, a finger tracing across his shoulder in a way he would've called playful if she were any older and anyone else. The moment she reaches the cavern wall it opens for her. The tunnel has a much more graceful incline than the one he'd been shoved down. She disappears inside it and immediately the opening slams closed.
He sinks down the wall uncaring if some unseen Dai Li is watching. Something to offer her? The only thing of use he's ever done is plan the invasion that she has no way of knowing about! Except, she's infiltrated the palace, hasn't she? Infiltrated as a trusted warrior and guard and no one other than him would be capable of blowing her cover until the rest of the Team shows up. Plenty of time for King Kuei to spill the beans, and more than enough for her to realize that since he never went to that dinner they won't have the support of the Earth Kingdom. So she already knows of the invasion, what else could he offer her?
The wall pulls open with a grinding sound. He expects food to come sliding down, hopefully wrapped up so it doesn't spill across the floor. He doesn't expect a shouting person to come tumbling down. He rushes to them. About ten paces away he recognizes who it is and shouts, "Zuko?" The Fire Nation Prince grumbles. He's rubbing the back of his head and scowling. Sokka wouldn't be surprised if he smacked it on the way down. "Well, you're certainly not food."
"What does that even mean?"
"Azula said she'd be sending food down shortly."
"Azula always lies."
Zuko shoves himself to sitting. He keeps his knees pulled close to his chest, but doesn't rest his chin on them. Sokka begins to feel awkward standing above him, so he sits down as well, with his legs out in front of him and leaned back on his hands.
"Soooo," Sokka starts.
"Spit it out."
"What did you do to piss your sister off so bad she threw you down here? Wait no, let me guess!" Zuko growls at him. Like actually growls. "Okay, okay, spirits, I won't guess. But like seriously, why are you down here?"
"She can't have the traitor prince getting in the way."
"Traitor prince? That makes you sound way cooler than you are."
"Do you ever shut up?!"
"Damn, okay, I get the message. Shutting up now." The Crystal Catacombs lapse into silence other than their breathing and the sound of trickling water. Silence this far underground is dense in a way he thought the house had been. He'd been mistaken, of course. That silence didn't press in nearly as tight as this one does, even if there's another person here with him. Why would Azula keep them together? He's willing to bet there's plenty of space to have shoved Zuko inside without them ever knowing the other was here, so there has to be a reason.
He has a very short list of things to piece together Azula's intentions. She's prepared for when his friends try to rescue him, she thinks he has something to offer her, and for some reason Zuko is here with him now. It doesn't paint a very clear picture.
Wait.
He never presented his exact invasion plan to the King. The most she knows is the timing. She knows that he'll know more, though. That's what he has to offer.
Okay, so, his list goes as follows; Azula is prepared for when his friends try to rescue him, she needs him to properly prepare for the invasion, and for some reason Zuko is here. Well, she sure does love to be prepared. As if he'll ever betray his friends, his family, like that. He can't help but to laugh at the idea.
Zuko looks at him like he's crazy. "What are you laughing about?"
"I figured out what Azula meant by something."
"No you didn't."
"Yes I did!"
"No you didn't! You'll never figure out what Azula means by anything, it's impossible."
"No it's not, because I just did!"
"Your mistake."
The space around them doesn't fall silent again. Instead a small chute churns open in the wall and a tray comes hurtling out. It falls to the ground with a metallic clang and their food scatters. Rice spills across the ground, meat sparse among the mess.
"That's just rude," Sokka grumbles as he moves to put half of it back into one of the bowls.
Zuko doesn't move an inch. "Are you seriously going to trust that?"
Sokka shrugs. "It's not poisoned. She still needs me."
"Azula doesn't need anyone."
"She doesn't need me, she needs information, and bait. Both of which means she needs me alive!"
It's enough to have Zuko shifting over to the mess. He takes up the other bowl, which still has some rice in it. "I'm not eating anything off the floor," he declares as if Sokka is going to argue.
"More for me!"
"You're disgusting." Sokka ignores him. Not everyone gets to be a Prince, growing up in fancy palace's with servants and good food all the time. Some people have to work for their every meal, deal with the grosser parts of it first hand.
His first hunt is a vivid memory. His Dad's gloved hand holding tight to his own as the village disappears behind them. Bato's laugh in front of them, loud enough to scare the animals away if they'd actually been at the hunting grounds. There was a small spear strapped to his back. He wasn't allowed to kill anything yet, but Dad had insisted he have one for protection, spirits forbid. His feet were sore by the time night fell and they set up camp about an hour away from their destination. They rose early the next morning tracking a herd of buffalo yaks. Sokka was left on the outskirts as the men took down two. His eyes filled with tears when the creatures finally keeled over and became what their bodies could provide. That's something he's sure Zuko has never witnessed.
The two of them finish eating in silence. The floor is cleared of food by Sokka, and Zuko looks almost longingly at him as he eats the last few bites. They put their bowls back on the tray and continue sitting in silence. It's not as if either can demand the other leave.
Suddenly, and it really does take him completely by surprise, a different wall shucks open. It's a familiar sound, earthbending he hears everyday. He turns to it and is unsurprised to see the figures of Aang, Katara, and Toph. It's a little more shocking to see Iroh, but considering Zuko is here, it's not the most surprising thing to happen in the past two days.
He's up in an instant, and he's shouting, "We need to go! Now!" Zuko seems taken aback by his urgency, but it's enough to get him to follow, and suddenly the whole group is following behind Toph as she leads them to another chamber.
Another chamber where the ceiling opens up and Azula drops in with far too many Dai Li agents to count.