Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Like a good bunch of others, I decidedly fell in love with the Red Lotus during the past book – especially Ghazan and Ming-Hua. And I thought, maybe I should contribute to the blossoming Mingzan community, too! (Hey, did you see that pun there? :D )

Chronologically, the story will follow every instance we see Ghazan and Ming-Hua starting with their prison busts. It's gonna be a multi-chaptered joy ride aboard the SS Mingzan!

And lastly, if you are a fan, I highly suggest checking on the #mingzan posts on Tumblr.

Waves. Dry bread. Water. Strengthen. Stars. Sleep.

Repeat.

Waves. Dry bread. Water. Strengthen. Stars. Sleep.

It was all Ghazan could do not to drive himself crazy. His prison, the wooden caricature of a ship, mocked him relentlessly. At first, he thought long and hard of escape. What time would be best, how he could engineer some earth, how he could beat the White Lotus guards… Those musings went out of the door after his first year.

He soon discovered that his voracious appetite would never be sated in prison. Like that was a surprise, he thought drily. When the lack of sustenance began to whittle down his tediously built muscles, Ghazan initiated the best workouts he could perform, given his ten-by-ten cell. The guards let him be – they knew strength alone would not be sufficient enough to break the thick beams that composed his cell. With all of his might, Ghazan tried not to linger on thoughts of his comrades, his friends.

Rarely did it work.

Unalaq, the traitor, quickly tucked his tail between his legs and fled. Oh well, not like anyone particularly liked him anyways… Asshole.

Ghazan thought of the Amazonian combustion bender, P'Li. When she had been taken down after their failed kidnapping, Chief Sokka had been unimaginably quick in securing a permanent cover over her tattooed weapon. A veritable firebender even without her combustion, Ghazan could imagine her deep in the bowels of one of the Water tribe prisons.

Then came his brother-in-arms, Zaheer. Almost enviously, he pondered where they would keep Zaheer. He had no bending, so any old cell would do. Unless he could figure out how to hypnotize the guards with his ramblings on Guru Laghima, there was no real problem in keeping him incapacitated.

Don't do it, don't…

Too late.

Inevitably, his thoughts fell onto the last member of their group. Whenever his mind wandered off, he attempted to reel in his thoughts on Ming-Hua. It was like walking precariously along a cliff's edge; the second he lost focus, he fell. And when he fell, he became hurt and angry and confused all over again.

Ming-Hua. It was no secret that of his three main friends, she was his favorite. At first, they had been forced upon each other, two third wheels to the love-struck coupling of Zaheer and P'Li. While they had always gotten along, the increasing frequency between them had been leading to… something. Ghazan didn't exactly know what.

Not like I'll ever find out now.

Something in his chest constricted uncomfortably every time he thought of her. Whether it was a snippet of long black hair, shinier than the meteorite he had once seen in a Republic City museum, or her acerbic, witty comments… Maybe it was her gracefulness, her fluidity, her fighting? Ghazan shook his head. He knew the answer to his own question – everything about Ming-Hua was attractive to him, and he had never gotten to pursue that interest. She was endearing, she was mesmerizing to him, and now, she was probably floating in a volcanic cell somewhere, with no water…

Waves.

Damn. Every day, something about his floating prison reminded him of her. Thirteen years, thirteen insufferable years, renaming constellations, counting stars, rocking with waves… Ghazan didn't know how much more of it he wanted to take. The fall of footsteps shook him out of yet another reverie.

Here come the guards, must be time for food…

Dry bread. Water.

As the guards turned away, he heard them muttering. Shift change soon. Time to start some upper body maintenance.

"Finally…"

As usual, Ghazan tuned them out. How righteous of them to complain about being stationed somewhere for three weeks at a clip, with food, a bed, clean water…

Stregthen.

A commotion went ignored by Ghazan. Some idiot probably fell into the ocean again.

Then, suddenly, a rush of air whipped past a sentry into his cell. The White Lotus had burst into action around him, fire and water whooshing in targeted blasts. He quietly dropped from his handholds in his cell, peering through whatever gaps he could to see the source of the fighting. A set of feet padded over the top of his cell, and when he turned to identify the culprit…

Zaheer! Airbending?

Ghazan was left little time to ponder this interesting turn of events as three small rocks were tossed by his feet. The scent, the feel of earth engulfed his senses. How long had he waited to see the wonderfully muddy brown of rocks, to feel their hardness give way and become malleable under his hands?

His appreciative smile was only the beginning of this thankfulness. Soon enough, his earthly ammo was transforming into lava discs, each whirring with a menacing intensity. He felt the warmth holding his hands, his need for escape triggering some primal instinct in, to protect his friends, to help. Cutting through his cell wall, he strategically flattened a guard under the wood in which he was imprisoned. As he weaved through the remaining two sentries, his body creaked and cracked from its long stint in confinement.

I must've aged thirty years… Not like I had much flexibility to begin with.

His rescuer's identity was confirmed as Zaheer. Ghazan began to scrutinize his friend's appearance. His grey hair has gone even lighter in some areas, his face creased with age that he had not yet reached, but overall, he looked the same… And his new airbending skills seemed to make up for more than enough. Ghazan could only wish that he didn't look as much of a mess as he felt.

Standing taller than Zaheer, they exchanged a hand clasp and words, but Ghazan's mind was elsewhere. If these events were going to proceed as they appeared to, P'Li and Ming-Hua would soon be freed as well.

Ming-Hua.

He could only hope that he could convince Zaheer to free her first. He vowed to make up for his lost time and inactivity from the years earlier.

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