Chapitre 26: Chapter Twenty six
"Zuko!" He called, a few meters away. It felt like it was taking years just to reach him.
Zuko spun around immediately, his expression dropping when he saw Sokka and then his eyes lit up. He started off towards the water tribe boy himself and they met halfway.
Despite the fact that he so desperately wanted to hug and kiss his boyfriend right then and there, they were surrounded by people. He glanced at the protesters behind the gates. People who wouldn't approve. They could manage a hug though...
Arms wrapping around each other, Zuko breathed for what felt like the first time in weeks. Sokka's warm body pressed against his, his soft scent mixed with the icy air of the South. He almost cried out of pure comfort.
"I missed you so much..." Zuko muttered, holding him even closer.
"I missed you too," Sokka smiled, just trying to enjoy the moment that he knew they'd have to end soon just because they would get weird looks.
Neither of them wanted to let go. But they did pull away. Looking into Zuko's eyes, Sokka felt everything he'd been repressing. All the stress and the worry didn't even matter anymore, under all of that he just missed him so much. Just having his hands on his waist or looking at his face was enough to take his mind off everything.
"I really... I really wish I could kiss you right now..." Zuko almost whispered.
The statement lead Sokka to glance at the Firelord's lips. They hadn't kissed in so long. He wanted to as well. So badly. Sokka nodded in agreement, a daze drifting over his mind. Why couldn't they just be alone right now?
"Hello, Sokka!" Earth king Kuuei chirped from behind Zuko, Bosco was there too, hugging the king to keep him warm.
"Thank you for coming! Welcome to the south, Earth king Kuuei!" Sokka grinned, looking to the man over Zuko's shoulder.
They were a little farther away than either of them wanted. But unfortunately it had to be like that for now. They didn't want to rile up the crowd even more.
"Are you sure we should be here?" Zuko asked softly, nodding a little to the fence.
"Don't worry about them," Sokka reassured, starting to walk towards the building where they were having their meeting. "Once they see all the good we're doing, they'll be fine."
.
In the meeting room, Katara and Aang sat across from each other. They were sharing a small conversation that Toph butted into every now and then but the whole thing stopped when Sokka walked in.
The water tribe boy had the biggest smile on his face in that moment, Zuko right next to him with a soft one of his own too. Katara breathed a tiny sigh of relief. She was just glad that her brother was happy. Aang shared the expression.
"What the heck is going on here?" Toph muttered, feeling the water tribe boy's racing heartbeat through her seismic sense. "Did I miss something?"
No one seemed to hear her, and she quickly ignored the question that she wasn't getting answers to yet. Hakoda started the meeting.
He explained the plan, they wanted to establish embassies in both the earth kingdom and the fire Nation and vise versa, Zuko was quick to agree, eager to assist them in any way that he could in order to make up for all the horrible things his nation had done.
"I'm not sure my kingdom can offer up its support so readily," Kuuei spoke up once Zuko had finished. "We're still fixing things up because of the war and as much as I would love to help the South reach civilization, I'm just not sure right now."
"Reach civilization?" Katara echoed, offended.
"Oh! Please forgive my clumsy words! I didn't mean to say it that way I just meant-"
"Head Chieftain Hakoda!" A soldier exclaimed, running into the room and cutting off Kuuei. "I just received word from the prison, Gilak and his men have escaped!"
Just as the group got up to go find them, the soldier fell to the ground. A boomerang flew back into the hand of Gilak who was standing in the doorway.
"Look at you, Chief Hakoda. So eager to sell your tribe to foreign masters." He said lowly.
"Officer Lirin? You're with them?" Hakoda addressed one of the guards.
"I'm sorry Chief Hakoda but he's right, we're in danger and you're too blind to see it." She responded, taking a stance.
"Foreigners out!" The group shouted before charging.
Zuko took a glance at Sokka who was pulling out his club. They locked gazes for a second, Sokka's expression from one of determination to one of reassurance. Zuko gave him a soft smile before turning back to the action, shooting a blast of fire at several guards' feet.
"Stay back!" He warned.
"Get down your majesty!" Aang called to the king as he shot away a guard with a blast of air.
"Ash maker!" Gilak shouted as he took a swing at Zuko.
Zuko dodged, Gilak hit the table. Sokka looked over, hoping to catch Gilak's eyes just to give him a nasty glare. But before he could really send the message, a guard took a swing at him. He managed to dodge but the guard whacked his club out of his hand.
"It's over, kid." The guard said.
"Not yet." Sokka mused, pulling out his boomerang.
He threw it, the boomerang whizzing around the guard.
"Ha! You missed!" The guard laughed.
"Oh, did I?" Sokka raised his eyebrows.
Looking up, the boomerang sliced the chandelier cord and it fell. Landing on the guard.
"Ha ha! Captain Boomerang strikes again!" Sokka cheered.
Just as Toph knocked down another soldier, Hakoda went to evacuate the earth king and Malina out. However, more soldiers jumped in through the windows including the old man and the two kids who'd stolen the briefcase before. They chi blocked the guards. Gilak reached Hakoda, Malina and Kuuei standing behind him.
"If you want them, you're going to have to go through me." Hakoda warned, taking a stance.
"You think I came for the foreigners? No. I came for the true enemy," Gilak charged. "You!"
Hakoda blocked him but Gilak got in a solid punch, knocking him out. Tossing him over his shoulder, he told his men to retreat.
"Stop him!" Katara cried.
"For the tribe!" Gilak shouted, running out of the room, Aang and Katara too late to grabbing him.
"Dad!" Sokka shouted, running after them.
Gilak's soldiers filled the hallway out. Stopping the group in their tracks.
"Aang! He's gone!" Katara called.
"No he's not." Aang replied sternly, creating an air turret and grabbing Katara.
They flew through the hallway, sending the other soldiers flying to the sides. Flying out they found Gilak running on his own.
"Drop me here." Katara commanded.
Toph, Zuko, and Sokka ran out just as Aang knocked Gilak off his feet and Hakoda out of his arms. Aang caught Hakoda, and called for Katara to continue after Gilak who was retreating.
Sokka caught his breath, Zuko patted his back.
"Are you okay?" The Firelord asked.
"Yeah, thanks." Sokka breathed, looking up at him.
He made his way to his sister who had stopped on a hill.
"He got away." She muttered.
"We got Dad, that's all that matters." Sokka comforted her.
_
"No!"
"Zuko, what's wrong?" Toph asked.
"They took Earth king Kuuei!"
They'd gone back to lay Hakoda down, but when they went back to the conference room the earth king was gone.
Sokka groaned. "Should've seen this coming..."
"We'll find him." Zuko reassured him.
"I just want this to be over," Sokka grumbled to him. "I want to be alone with you..."
Zuko blushed, looking away for a second before smiling a little.
"Yeah, me too."
_
They couldn't track down the earth king. The people who took him left footprints but they lead into tunnels that went on for miles according to Toph.
"We can rest for now but we'll have to get back to searching in a few hours." Aang announced.
"Yeah, no offense to the earth king but he won't last long out there." Sokka noted.
A noise from the outside alerted them. Hakoda walked out and came back with a messanger hawk and a note.
"It's Gilak, he wants to trade the earth king for me..." Hakoda announced.
"Can I see the note?" Sokka asked.
Hakoda nodded, giving it to his son.
"They want to meet on the bridge of no return..." Sokka mumbled. "His side on one, team avatar on the other, then he'll send Thod and his disciples in and we have to willingly let them chi block us."
"What?!" Toph exclaimed.
"Makes sense," Zuko noted. "They're basically asking us to lay down our weapons. They know we can easily overpower them."
"Then when Dad is on his way over, they'll send the earth king over." Sokka finished.
"He'll just cut the ropes while they're both on the bridge." Zuko reasoned.
"That's so cheat-y!" Aang protested.
"Not just that, plain evil!" Katara added.
"I mean hey, I used to be a bad guy! I know how they think." Zuko reasoned.
Sokka laughed a little at that, but quickly recomposed himself.
"We'll need a plan," Aang noted, looking to Sokka. "Would you do the honors? Planner guy?"
"Thought you'd never ask." Sokka grinned, rubbing his hands together.
_
They arrived at the bridge, the faint light of someone holding a lantern in Gilak's group piercing through the dark.
"Everything in place?" Sokka asked, looking back at Aang.
"All according to plan, planner guy!" Aang nodded.
Katara stood rigid, her hands fumbling together.
"Don't worry sweetie, Sokka's plan will play out," Aang comforted Katara, pecking her cheek. "We'll be okay."
"I know... It's just... I didn't expect this to be how things would be when we came home. I thought after defeating Ozai, everything would be normal." Katara sighed.
"I get it Katara," Sokka touched her shoulder. "But to be honest, nobody remembers what it's supposed to be like in the south. Not even Gran Gran."
"Heads up guys! Gilak's coming!" Aang warned, pointing to the bridge.
"Are we ready guys?" Sokka asked.
Zuko joined his side, taking his hand gently he gave him a comforting smile. "We're ready, and I'll be with you the whole time."
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone