13

Once, when he was only five years old, Monk Gyatsu had taken him to the peak of a mountain.

Airbending had come easily to Aang, and he was definitely among the most skilled of his age group. Yet that did not mean everything came to him without difficulty. The day before, Gyatsu had deemed him ready to attempt his first glider flight. They had spent the whole day on the ground first, running through the techniques that would guide the air around him to flow in the direction he wanted, until the sun had been just about to set. Gyatsu had offered him a practice glider staff, taken him to a small ledge just above a pool of water, and instructed him to jump.

Aang had done so without hesitation, as children often did, but panic had immediately jolted through him as he felt that something was wrong. There had been a tear in the practice staff, hidden from sight whilst folded, and its sails could not catch the wind properly. Both Aang and the staff crashed down unceremoniously into the water.

Gyatso had swiftly rushed down to help him, but after confirming that Aang was unharmed he'd been unconcerned. He laughed it off, repaired the tear in the staff, then handed it back and prompted Aang to try again.

But Aang couldn't.

The moment he'd stepped up to the ledge, the drop beneath him had seemed to grow in height before his eyes. Fear had overcome him, and he stepped away with teary cheeks, fully expecting to see Gyatso's disappointed face when he turned around. Would his teacher be ashamed of his student's cowardice? Annoyed by his disobedience? Angry at his failure?

Yet Gyatso had not been disappointed. He'd place a hand on his shoulder as he guided him back to the temple, and promised that tomorrow they would overcome this hurdle together.

At the top of the mountain, the wind flowed fiercer and more freely than Aang had ever felt before. The cold seeped through his robes and into his bones, but Aang had not minded it. He felt a sense of rightness that his young mind had not had the words for. It was energetic, primal, wild, and yet by contrast still so peaceful and gentle; like a great tiger lounging peacefully in a tree. Gyatso had tied a rope firmly around Aang's stomach, checking the knot no less than three times over, then nodded sagely, and handed him the same glider staff from yesterday.

"Open it." Gyatsu had said. "Let it catch the wind, and carry you up. I am here, and I will not let the sky take you away."

Aang looked uneasy. "Can I use a different staff?" He asked.

Gyatsu smiled, as if he had anticipated the question. "What is wrong with the one you have?" He asked patiently.

"It's broken." Aang replied. "It should be thrown away."

Gyatsu did not look perturbed. "Was broken." He stressed, opening the glider to show the stitch he had made yesterday. "Yet that does not mean it has lost its worth. It is true that it let you down yesterday, but this staff has changed since then. With a little care and effort, what was broken has been repaired." He ran a hand across the stitch. "The past has not been forgotten. The scars of its failure may never fade. But that does not mean that a failure is all it shall ever be. It may yet still be the wings that allow you to fly."

"How can you be sure?" Aang asked, hanging on Gyatso's every word, yet still doubtful of the glider.

Gyatso smiled at him. "We can never be sure, Aang. Life is full of surprises. Yet if you do not give it a chance, how can it ever prove that it has become worthy of your trust?"

He held out the glider staff to Aang again, and hesitantly Aang took it. He stood, shot Gyatso a nervous glance, and then, gingerly, flicked the glider open.

The wind caught it immediately, and Aang was lifted ten feet into the air before Gyatso's rope snapped taunt. Like a kite, Aang hung in the sky, feeling the rushing of the winds around him and the weightlessness of true flight. A wide, goofy grin spread across his face as his heart swelled with the sensation of freedom unlike he'd ever felt before, and he whooped in pure joy! Flying was amazing! Even just hovering a little above the ground like this, Aang felt so light and untroubled!

He floated there for ten or so minutes, giggling whenever Gyatso wobbled the rope to send him darting around like a dragonfly, until finally his teacher reeled him back in. There was a twinkle in the old monk's eye as he spoke to him.

"So Aang, do you still want another glider?"

Aang shook his head quickly and held his staff tightly, almost possessively to his chest. Gyatsu laughed, and patted his head.

"Good. Now come, let's get some lunch."

"I'm starving! When can we get some lunch?"

Aang shook his head, the daydream dispelled by Sokka's words. There was no wind underground, no comforting breeze, and a part of Aang couldn't wait for this whole rebellion strategy meeting to be over so that he could go outside again. Yet his wisdom curbed that instinct. Bumi needed his help, and the only way to do that was to pay attention and work with the rebellion to iron out the details of their escape plan.

A plan that revolved around trusting the same boy who'd hunted them halfway around the world.

Across the table sat the Blue Spirit, his posture so stiff from social awkwardness that it was a miracle his spine didn't crack. Next to him, Katara smiled happily and said something to him Aang didn't catch. She'd liked him the moment that Aang had confirmed he was the one who freed him from the fortress, and seemed to have made it her personal mission to befriend the clearly socially awkward boy in the mask. Aang hadn't told her or Sokka that he knew who the Blue Spirit was. He hadn't lied to them really, just omitted the final part of his story of how he'd escaped; the part where he'd snuck a peak under the mask. He still wanted to believe that he and Zuko didn't have to be enemies, or could perhaps even be friends one day, but he knew that Sokka and Katara wouldn't understand. Keeping the Blue Spirit's real identity hidden at the time had felt like an unspoken declaration of trust in the angry young prince.

Now it seemed the time had come to take a gamble on that trust. Aang was under no illusion that Zuko had suddenly transformed into a saint overnight, but back at the North Pole the prince had surprised everyone when he freed the captured ocean and moon spirits from Tanya's clutches. He had shown that, as damaged as growing up in the Fire Nation had made him, he was still capable of seeing what the right thing to do was. It was also obvious that he'd suffered for that decision: he was travelling alone now, dressed in tatty grey rags, and noticeably thinner than he'd been before. The plan the rebellion was cooking up relied heavily on the Blue Spirit's stealth abilities, and Zuko would be in the perfect position to sabotage their efforts. All it would take was him taking off his mask and leading the Fire Nation here, and the Omashu rebellion was done for. Many would call it foolish to put so much trust in Zuko after all he'd done before, and a part of Aang couldn't help but agree.

He glanced over at his glider staff, knowing without having to open it where that little stitch Monk Gyatso had made was. If he wanted Zuko to change, he had to give him the chance to.

"… follow the staircase down on the right, and you'll reach the crystal cave." Yung finished, pointing to the map of the palace interior he had drawn out. "The entrance to the escape tunnel is right at the bottom: a doorway concealed behind a large green crystal. Once you can confirm that it is undiscovered by the Fire Nation, head back up again and make your escape. In the meantime the rest of us will be preparing for the assault. Meet us back here, and we'll launch the attack as soon as possible."

"Hold on." Aang interjected. "Where are they holding Bumi?"

Yung scowled. "I don't know. Why does it matter anyway? He welcomed the Fire Nation into our homes: the bed he's lying in is one of his own making."

"He is my friend." Aang replied plainly. "And your king. I won't abandon him."

Yung scoffed and looked away. "Have it your way. But we don't know where in the palace he's being held. I can guess at a few areas, but we won't know for sure, and we won't have time to waste trying to find him during the assault."

"What if Blue looked around for him as well?" Katara asked.

"And suppose that he got caught doing so? The more tasks we give the Blue Spirit to accomplish, the higher the chance he'll be caught. We know where the escape tunnel is, but searching the whole palace is another story."

Katara looked at the newly nicknamed Blue, who nodded once to confirm that Yung was right.

"Okay, what if someone else went with him? They could search for Bumi, while Blue checks the escape tunnel?" Katara asked.

Yung frowned. "We're soldiers, not thieves. I don't know anyone else who could get around the palace undetected."

"Perhaps they don't have to?"

All eyes turned to Sokka, who'd adopted that pensive look he got whenever he was on the verge of a genuinely good idea.

"Didn't you say earlier that all the patrol paths have been changing since Tanya took over?" Sokka continued. He tapped a finger on his chin thoughtfully. "Soldiers are being reassigned to new positions left and right. The new status quo is bound to be unfamiliar to them too. And with unfamiliarity, there'll be mistakes. Opportunities."

Yung eyed him curiously. "What are you suggesting?"

"Do you have any Fire Nation uniforms?"

"We've picked up a couple recently. Do you think a simple disguise will be enough?"

"Right now, yes. Any suspicious behaviour can be blamed on making mistakes because we've just been reassigned to a new job."

Yung stroked his chin. "That could work. Not with too many people though. Any more than a handful will attract too much attention. We only need one person to confirm Bumi's location."

"I'll go!" Aang immediately volunteered.

"No offence, Avatar, but you are too small to be a soldier, and your tattoos are too recognizable."

Sokka stood up. "Then I'll go!"

"Sokka! No!" Katara protested. "It's too dangerous!"

Yung eyed him carefully. "Your resolve is admirable, but are you certain? If you are caught I cannot guess what fate would await you."

Sokka nodded. "I am a warrior of the Southern Water Tribes. I won't fail.

"Very well." Yung rose from his seat. "In that case, I have preparations to attend to immediately if we are to begin the assault as soon as possible. Sokka, Blue Spirit, I wish you both good fortune in your missions. May the spirits watch over you."

As he strode away, Aang and Katara rounded on Sokka. "Sokka, what are you doing!" Katara hissed.

"What we have to do to protect the people we care about." Sokka replied resolutely. "Many in the rebellion resent Bumi for surrendering to the Fire Nation. If we leave one of their agents to do this, they may not look for Bumi and claim that they couldn't find him. Aang needs an Earthbending teacher, and Bumi's is the only one we know we can trust. Plus, Bumi is Aang's-… our friend. We have to do all we can to free him, even if it's a little risky."

Aang and Katara shared an uneasy look, but couldn't refute his words. Seeing that they were coming around, Sokka gave them each a reassuring pat on the back.

"Have some faith in me. I can do this."

Katara gripped his hand. "We'll be waiting a safe distance away. If there's any trouble, any at all, find a way to signal us. We won't let you be captured too."

Sokka smiled mischievously. "Don't worry. With what I have planned, they'll never suspect a thing."

Watching Tanya work was like watching a master conductor before an orchestra. Each movement of her hand was a gesture to direct her officers to a new location. Each word, a clear and concise command so authoritative than none even considered disobedience.

Mai had studied the arts of war at the Royal Academy for Girls, and though she'd never been bad at it, it had never been one of her strongest subjects either. Ty Lee had been terrible, and Azula had gotten top marks. Tanya though sometimes seemed as if she could have aced her exams before she'd even attended the first lesson; like she'd been born with a library of military strategies in her head. The Academy had taught them to prepare for and lead battles, but had assumed that, being as its students were all from the highest echelon of Fire Nation society, there would be be subordinates to take care of the lesser duties for them: organising supplies, planning guard duties, managing promotions, and all the other little tasks that allowed a military force to move effectively. It had been more important to hurry them along to their next etiquette lesson than study those sorts of things.

Tanya had studied them. More than that, she had mastered them. Mai didn't know when exactly she'd found the time, but the results spoke for themselves. She had done in three hours what should have taken days to accomplish: confined the local population to their homes, hidden key supplies in new areas, and organised an entirely new command structure for their military forces that was better adapted for finding and combating the rebel forces. The sun had not even set since she'd arrived, and already Omashu was like an entirely new city.

"… send a scouting party to all wells and public sources of water. The rebels must be drawing fresh water into their headquarters from somewhere. If we can find it, we can poison them..."

Tanya's voice was sounding notably horse after three hours of barking out non-stop orders at her newly appointed commanders. Mai knew from plenty of personal experiences that although Tanya would often lecture others on the importance of frequent rest to "maximise working efficiency", she herself would work with an obsessive, single-minded focus whenever a task fully captivated her attention. She had the borderline dangerous level of discipline one would expect from veteran soldiers: the mindset to ignore all fatigue, distractions and discomfort until the mission was done, and sometimes seemed to slip into that mode on the most mundane tasks without even seeming to realise it herself. Ty Lee was normally the one who'd coerce her into taking a break when she got like this, but her acrobatic friend had left a little while ago with Azula to investigate the reports of the pentapox victims mysteriously disappearing.

That meant it was left to her to drag her workaholic friend back to reality. Oh joy.

Mai walked over to the tea table, where a pot of that obscure drink called coffee that Tanya was so fond of had been left earlier, and poured some into a fine china cup her mother used for entertaining important guests. Then she approached the table with the large map upon it that Tanya had commandeered for her planning, placed the coffee down, and butted into the conversation Tanya was having with a nervous officer with a meaningful clearing of her throat. As both their eyes turned to her, Mai fixed Tanya with a deadpan expression.

"Enough. You need to take a break." What was the point in tiptoeing around the subject? Straightforward bluntness worked just well.

Tanya scoffed dismissively. "I'll take a break in a minute. Just let me sort out this strategy first. I reckon if we fill mail carts with explosive powder, we can use the delivery system chutes to quickly and accurately deliver a bomb to any part of the city where the rebellion appears in force, and blast apart their formations right before-…"

"Yes, yes, I'm sure you've come up with a hundred new ways to turn my dad's city into a deathtrap. Well done, we're all very impressed." Mai interrupted sarcastically. "Now sit down and drink your coffee."

"But I-…"

"Sit Tanya!"

Tanya pouted, but even she couldn't last long under one of Mai's deadpan glares, especially when a part of her knew she was right. With a heavy sigh Tanya sat down, dismissed the officer with a wave of her hand, and took a deep gulp of coffee.

"You've got a knack for brewing this stuff." She noted absently.

"I like it." Mai replied. "It's bitter and dark. Just like me."

Tanya smirked at that, and for a few minutes the two sat in comfortable silence as they often had, enjoying each other's company without much need for words.

"Is it true what Azula said?" Mai suddenly asked, prompting Tanya to look at her questioningly. "Is it true that Zuko betrayed us during the Siege of the North? That you tried to kill him?"

Tanya froze, her coffee halfway to her lips, and her expression tightened with anger as a memory flashed before her eyes. "I know this must be difficult to hear Mai, but it's true." She growled out. "I had ultimate victory over not just The Avatar, but every waterbender on the planet, quite literally. But he threw it all away at the last moment out of some misguided sense of righteousness." She put down her coffee cup. "I'll admit, in the heat of the moment I wanted to hurt him. Badly. Part of me still wants to do so now. But I won't kill him if it makes Azula suffer." She huffed. "In some ways I'd prefer to bring him back to his father alive anyway. See him face true, legal justice for his crimes."

"I see." Mai said flatly. Her face was as blank as a stone, but something in her eyes narrowed dangerously just a little. Tanya was perceptive enough to notice, and sighed regretfully.

"I'm sorry Mai. I know this must be especially difficult for you, considering…" Tanya trailed off.

Mai stiffened. "I don't know what you're talking about." She snapped woodenly.

"Come on Mai, we all saw the way you acted around Zuko when we were children. How you never spoke a word when he was with us, how you kept sneaking glances towards him, how you looked so nervous whenever he came close to you…"

Mai clenched her fist, looking about a second away from throwing her knives around.

"It's obvious that you were afraid of him."

Mai froze, but this time for a very different reason. Tension bled out of her expression, replaced by confusion. "I-… wha-…"

Tanya nodded self-assuredly, utterly convinced that she was right. "I think it's very brave of you, joining us on a hunt for the very person who so intimidated you as a child. It takes courage to face your fears."

Mai stared blankly at her, completely lost. "Tanya, I-… I was never afraid of him." She muttered.

"Please Mai, you can trust me with this. I won't think less of you for admitting your fears, especially when you're willing to face them head on." Tanya replied seriously. "Zuko was a very boisterous boy, and so easily angered, and you were such a quiet and shy girl back then. I'm sure you weren't the only one who found him scary to be around."

Mai shook her head. "No, Tanya, listen! I really wasn't-…"

Suddenly the doors of the office burst open, slamming against the walls, and Azula strode in triumphantly, with Ty Lee on her heels.

"We found a patch of shifted dirt nearby." Azula declared pridefully. "The plague victims disappeared down a tunnel, no doubt to the rebellion headquarters. I've had the local soldiers start digging the tunnel open again."

"Yes!" Tanya was on her feet, back in military mode in the blink of an eye. "Ty Lee, inform officer Kai to get the extermination team prepped and ready!"

"Aye aye Admiral!" Ty Lee flipped her a casual imitation of a salute and ran off. Azula's eyes sharpened dangerously at seeing her taking orders from someone else.

"Clearly it hasn't dawned on you yet then." She drawled, looking back at Tanya. "Come on Tanya, think! Why would the rebellion want to bring the entire infected population into their own headquarters?"

Tanya opened her mouth, and floundered as she realised that she didn't have an answer.

With a put-upon roll of her eyes, Azula continued. "The infected were the rebels all along. Not one of the guards around the quarantine zone caught this supposedly highly infectious virus. It was a fake plague, designed to try and get the rebels out of the city."

Tanya's face scrunched up in thought as she caught on. "You think their aim is to escape? But then why did The Avatar target Mai in that ambush? That suggests their aim is to fight back." She fell back into her chair, her expression pensive as her mind worked to try and connect the facts she had into a wider picture. After a good minute of heavy thinking she let out a heavy groan, massaging her temples with her fingers. "It's no good. King Bumi is clearly a master strategist of the likes I've never encountered before. I can't see the design in his moves. There just isn't enough information to discern his end goal."

Azula sneered victoriously. "Oh? Has the amazing Admiral Tanya finally met her match?"

"Why not interrogate him?" Mai asked bluntly. "He's being held in an iron coffin in the upper dungeons. Perhaps, if you talked to him, you might gain some insight about his plans?"

Tanya hummed thoughtfully, tapping a finger on her chin. "Good idea Mai. One would never aim to become a king if they didn't possess a great degree of pride. Perhaps, if I can trick him into boasting, he'll let slip some useful intel." She frowned. "Ah, but I can't leave the command room now that a route to their headquarters has been discovered. We need to be able to react to any changes at a second's notice."

"Then I will take command." Azula interjected haughtily. "It's what I'm best at after all."

Tanya beamed at her. "Thank you Azula. I'll leave everything in your capable hands."

How exactly had it ended up like this?

A few months ago he'd been righteously pursuing The Avatar around the globe, slowly but surely tracking his quarry and wearing him down. Yet now here he was, hidden behind a mask and leaping from rooftop to rooftop as he escorted one of The Avatar's friends on a mission against his own nation! Where had it all gone wrong?

Zuko didn't understand why The Avatar hadn't told his friends about his secret identity after the Yuyan archers incident, or why he hadn't exposed him on the spot back at the restaurant. Was this some convoluted attempt at trying to befriend him? Did he think Zuko had forsaken his loyalty to his nation because of what happened at the North Pole? If so he was wrong: Zuko loved his nation and believed in their cause, he'd just objected to Tanya's methods. The only reason he hadn't grabbed The Avatar and dragged him to the nearest guard patrol at the first opportunity was because Tanya had taken control of the city. He had no guarantee that if Tanya got her hands on The Avatar she wouldn't have them both executed on the spot.

That meant, as strange as it sounded, that in order to make sure he was the one who captured The Avatar in the end, he'd have to help him escape from Omashu.

His feet made no sound as they brushed across the roof tiles, stalking through the shadows cast by the setting sun without a trace. The same could not be said for his bumbling tag-along, who's armour rattled and clinked heavily with each leap. After one particularly loud clunk, Zuko could no longer fight the urge to whirl around and press a single finger to the lips of his mask in the universal gesture for silence.

"Sorry." Whispered Sokka between gaps and pants. "Jumping around in armour isn't easy you know."

That was true, but fortunately it wouldn't be a problem any longer. They were a single building away from the governor's palace now, which meant it was time for Sokka to stop scrambling around rooftops and trust in his disguise to take him further. Zuko led the way to the edge of the roof and helped Sokka lower himself down to the pavement, then with feline grace pounced down in one easy movement.

"Showoff." Sokka muttered, before slinging a satchel off his shoulder and unpacking its contents. He cracked open a jar of some kind of clear paste, and Zuko tilted his head to the side in a gesture of curiosity as he began smearing it across his chin.

"It's all part of the disguise." Sokka explained, wiping his hands clean and then picking out clumps of what looked to be long, brown hairs. "Tanya saw my face during the siege of the north, and while I was never the subject of her attention there's a chance she may recognise me. Luckily a little bit of glue and some hair can fix that. Say goodbye to Sokka-…"

He straightened out the hair now stuck to his chin with a comb, straightening it into a long and, admittedly realistic looking, beard. "… and hello to Wang Fire!"

Zuko's hand collided with wood as he instinctively tried to facepalm himself.

But Sokka was undeterred. With a swagger that was far too exaggerated to be natural he strode off towards the governor's palace, ignoring or not seeing Zuko's frantic gestures to come back. The moment the sentries at the door saw him it was too late to stop.

"Good day fellow guardsmen." Sokka greeted boisterously, his voice deliberately deeper than normal. "My, what a fine day it's been for conquest and subjugation, right?"

Zuko was glad that his mask was made of wood. It protected his head when he started banging it against the wall.

The guard on the left chuckled good-naturedly. "Yeah, I hear you buddy. All finished patrolling for the day?"

"Indeed." Sokka replied. "Though unfortunately I've made a bit of a mistake. I used to be stationed in the palace, and seem to have forgotten my pass."

The left guard sighted heavily. "Ugh, you and half the garrison. Job was nice and easy until little miss golden child showed up and started restructuring everything. Don't worry, we'll let you sneak in this once."

The left guard moved to let Sokka pass, until the guard on the right suddenly lowered his spear down to block his path. "Hold on a minute." He growled.

Sokka tensed, and Zuko's hands drifted to the hilt of his swords.

"I can't help but notice that your skin's mighty dark for a citizen of the Fire Nation." The right guard continued, his voice laced with suspicion. "Downright water tribe, I would say."

Silently Zuko began to pull his blades from their sheath, his body crouching in preparation to sprint forwards.

Until the left guard let out an exasperated sigh. "By Agni, not this again. Kang, how many more times, you've got to stop judging people on the colour of their skin! This is the colonies, there're plenty of soldiers with mixed heritage."

The right guard huffed irritably. "It ain't right. Fire nation blood ought to stay pure."

The left guard shook his head and turned back to Sokka. "Sorry about him. Came here straight from the homeland." He said apologetically, as if that explained everything. "Come on in."

Unbelievable. That actually worked. Zuko wasn't sure whether he should be cheerful or dismayed at how such a ridiculous disguise could fool his nation's men. A second later he caught himself; there was no time to waste. The sooner he could confirm that the escape tunnel was still undiscovered, the better. Silently he stalked back into the shadows, searching for another entry point.

It wasn't too long ago that Sokka had walked down these very halls with Aang, back when King Bumi was still in charge. The palace had that grand and powerful atmosphere, as any palace should, but hadn't struck Sokka as pointlessly extravagant. The paintings and other artworks on display had been reflections of Omashu's history and culture, meant to educate and remind visitors what principles Omashu had built itself up from a pair of small tribes into the second largest city in the kingdom upon.

That wasn't the case any longer. Green and stone grey had been replaced by red and gold. Portraits of past kings and queens had been swapped for unrealistically beautiful renditions of Fire Nation people Sokka didn't recognise. Sculptures made by local craftsmen were switched for gaudy trinkets caked with unnecessary gemstones. Tapestries of the city's history had been covered up with the red and black banner of the Fire Nation. Now it was just another place for a rich man to display his wealth, and Sokka mourned Omashu's loss.

But there was no time to wallow in his thoughts. He needed to find King Bumi, the sooner the better. Thankfully his uniform was enough to merit him no more than a passing glance from the soldiers and palace servants as he walked by.

"Now if I wanted to confine an important prisoner, where would I do it?" He muttered to himself. Some deep, dark underground dungeon would be his first guess, but that was a terrible idea if said prisoner was a powerful earthbender. "Somewhere with lots of metal probably. And as far away from the earth as possible." His eyes trailed upwards, recalling that he'd seen some scaffolding on the palace roof during the journey over. He'd probably have more luck starting his search on the top floor and making his way down.

One long and tiring walk all the way up flights of stairs later, Sokka had reached the top floor. The spiral staircase and the round layout of the top floor made him guess that it had once been an observatory, or some similar purpose that involved looking at the sky. Now however every square inch of the floor had been covered in plain iron, and there was a suspiciously high concentration of guards hanging around.

Jackpot.

He took a few steps forward, and was immediately intercepted by another guard. "State your business." The woman said, her lacklustre tone suggesting that she wasn't expecting any real trouble, just going through the motions her duty required of her.

"I'm-… eer-…" Sokka raced to think of an acceptable excuse. "… here to empty the prisoner's chamberpot."

"Ah, you're the new poor sod stuck on waste duty." She stepped aside and nodded towards a hallway with a large iron door at the other end, and two soldiers chatting idly in front of it. "Go ahead."

Sokka nodded a silent thanks and headed towards the door, hoping that these next soldiers would be as easily deceived as the previous two. His hopes sank when, as he drew closer, the soldiers looked over to him and their eyes widened in alarm. They suddenly stood ramrod straight, becoming picture perfect images of the attentive guards, and the air around them became charged with a tense anticipation that felt far too much for their task. What was going on?

"Hello." He said as he came to a stop in front of them, hoping a disarming smile would get them to loosen up. "I'm here to empty the prisoner's chamberpot."

The soldiers didn't react to him, didn't so much as twitch. Now that he was closer he could see that the soldiers weren't there actually looking at him, but something behind him. "Umm…hello?"

"At ease."

A trickle of ice-cold dread ran down Sokka's spine as a voice he recognised all too well sounded behind him. Now that he was not moving himself, he could hear the sound of a pair of smaller, lighter footsteps following down the hallway behind him. Slowly he turned around, hoping desperately that he'd misheard.

Sunlight golden hair greeted his gaze.

Admiral Tanya, the infamous Moonslayer, walked purposefully towards him. Sokka wished he could have said that his first reaction was righteous fury for all she'd done in the north, for what she'd done to Yue, but that would have been a lie. His first gut instinct was a deep, primal dread that made him want to run for his life. Despite her deceptively small and innocent appearance, he knew that this girl was a stone-cold killer: a psychopath in a uniform. And if his disguise didn't hold, torture or outright execution awaited.

In a panic he threw up a quick, shoddy salute, and dropped it again just as quickly when he noticed that the guards had returned to standing at ease in her order. His antics seemed to draw a half-amused, half-exasperated smile from Tanya.

"No need to fear, private. Despite what my reputation suggests, I won't actually court martial you for making an honest mistake." She came to a stop beside him and looked at the guards. "I'm here to speak with the prisoner. Open the door."

The guards got to work so fast you'd think their life depended on it, turning keys and pulling back bolts that kept the thick metal doors firmly sealed. As they waited for the door to open, Tanya glanced over at Sokka again.

"What's your name, soldier? What brings you to visit King Bumi?"

Oh no no no! She was trying to start a conversation with him! This was bad, very very bad! He wanted the least amount of her attention on him as possible! The closer she looked, the more she might recognise him from the North Pole! Only his mighty, luxurious beard stood between him and certain death!

"Wang Fire, maam. Chamberpot duty." He replied nervously, realising that not replying at all would be more suspicious. Desperately he tried to recall if Tanya had ever had the opportunity to hear his voice before.

Tanya hummed approvingly. "That's a good, patriotic name." With an ominous creak the door swung open, and she stepped forward. "My conversation need not be private, and I'd hate to keep you from your other duties. Come on in."

He really didn't want to, but after being invited there wasn't really much choice. Hesitantly, Sokka followed Tanya into the gloomy room. It was dome shaped, plated with thick, dull iron from head to toe, and bare of all decorations save for a single barred window at the back to let fresh air in. In the centre of the room stood a large metal coffin, just as dark and ugly as the rest of the room. Sticking out of its front was the face of King Bumi, looking calmly excited to see them and entirely unbothered by the fact that the rest of his body was imprisoned.

"The infamous King Bumi. We meet at last. You've given me quite the challenge." Tanya announced, striding forward and coming to a stop in front of him.

Bumi gave her a curious look. "I'm sorry, have we met?"

"Face to face? No. But I like to think I've gotten to know you quite well already from figuring out your plans for your rebellion cell."

"What rebellion?"

Tanya smirked "Don't be coy. The rebellion you secretly set the groundwork for when you faked your surrender."

Bumi raised an eyebrow. "I didn't do anything."

"Yes, I'm sure that's what you'd like me to think." Tanya began to pace back and forwards, her expression growing gravely serious. "Just as I'm sure that you knew nothing about The Avatar joining up with them."

A beaming, toothy smile spread across Bumi's face. "Aang is here? Why, how thoughtful of him! Is he doing well?"

"Please, enough with playing the fool." Tanya snapped. "Who else but a mind like yours could have concocted a plan as devilishly brilliant as the fake pentapox outbreak? You may be a genius King Bumi, but I assure you that I am one step ahead of even you."

Bumi was silent as he stared at her for a few tense seconds. Then he whistled loudly. "You are one paranoid young lady."

Sokka could physically see Tanya's patience snapping like an old rope. "Don't act like you have the upper hand here! I see through your games!"

"Games? I have literally done absolutely nothing."

"Fine! Play dumb if you want! We'll see who has the last laugh when you're sharing a cell with your friend The Avatar!"

"I would quite enjoy that actually. Aang has always been such lovely company."

"Aha!" Tanya rounded back on him victoriously. "So you know The Avatar that well? Yet my spies report that he was only in Omashu for a day! How have you been able to keep in regular contact with someone who constantly travels by flying bison?"

"I haven't." Bumi replied casually. "I knew Aang for a long time before then."

"He lived in Omashu before?" Tanya narrowed her eyes curiously, until they suddenly alighted with realisation. "Wait, is this where The Avatar was born?! I always figured some surviving air nomads must have fled somewhere."

"Oh no, you misunderstand." Bumi replied simply. "Aang never formally lived here, but he used to visit all the time. We were childhood friends."

"Childhood friends?" Tanya replied disbelievingly. "Despite the fact that you must be closing in on a hundred years old, and he can't be any more than thirteen."

Bumi chuckled. "Oh you flatterer. I'm one hundred and twelve actually. I credit my youthful complexion to a healthy diet of cabbages."

Tanya snarled with rage, and Sokka shuffled over to the thankfully empty chamberpot and tried to make himself look busy. He did not want the attention of an angry firebender on him right now. It wasn't long however before Tanya forced her composure back into place, and fixed King Bumi with a deadly serious glare.

"Fine. You want to treat this like a joke? We'll see who's laughing in a few hours." She turned on her heel and stormed off, practically throwing the metal door open and stomping out in the same way Katara did when she was furious. Sokka, quickly remembering that he had a cover to maintain, moved to go after her.

"I am not the one who was meant to teach him."

Sokka stopped, turning back to King Bumi, who's eyes were upon him now. The old king was still smiling, but now it was regretful rather than sincere.

"I cannot leave Omashu." He whispered. "Not while it faces such a crisis. When the proper time to strike back comes, I must be here. Tell him that, Sokka. Help him to understand. The one he is waiting for is one who waits and listens."

"I will." Sokka breathed, not quite sure what Bumi meant, but taken aback by the mournful tone of his voice.

Bumi nodded to the door. "Go now. That girl is as high strung as the Fire Lord's personal guitar. Don't give her any reason to suspect you. Hurry!"

Sokka raced to obey, hurriedly marching out the door and shutting it behind him. He'd returned to the other end of the corridor just in time to catch the tail end of the orders Tanya was barking at the soldiers waiting there.

"… mocking me! Clearly he had some sort of secret code in his words; a hidden clue to gloat over later if his plan succeeds. No doubt his reference to cabbages was one such taunt. Spread my orders: all cabbage related wares in the Earth Kingdom are to be systematically destroyed by the end of the month! We can't risk the chance that they're a cover for a wide, secret network of King Bumi's informants!"

"Yes, admiral!" One of the soldiers replied quickly, snapping a clumsy salute before hurriedly scurrying off to follow her orders. The moment she was out of sight, Tanya let out a heavy, stressful sigh.

"And here I thought that picking up Mai from Omashu would be an opportunity to relax. When did my life get so damn complicated?"

Perhaps it was a trick of the light, but for just a moment the demonette who savaged the north was gone, and in her place stood a girl even younger than Katara who'd been forced to bear the weight of responsibilities so much bigger than them. The tension in her shoulders and the bags under her eyes looked just like how Aang would always look for a few days after something reminded him of the impossible burden of being The Avatar. Quickly Sokka smothered those thoughts before they could take root. She was the enemy, a ruthless killing machine and nothing more! They couldn't afford to empathise with her!

Tanya seemed to sense his presence as he came closer and drew her posture back up into the pose of the perfect military commander; all unwavering confidence and authority. It made it easy for Sokka to forget what he'd seen before. "Ah, Private Fire. I feel I must apologise, I'm not usually one to lose my temper so easily. Alas, meddlesome old men have a way of getting under my skin."

"Oh… uh-… no problem admiral…ma'am…" Sokka floundered, completely unsure of what he was supposed to say. It seemed as if Tanya was used to her soldiers turning into nervous wrecks around her however, for she didn't give him a second glance. She took a step away, seeming for a moment like she was going to leave, but suddenly hesitated.

"Would you walk with me, private? It's been a while since I've had a chance to talk with the boots on the ground, and it would be enlightening to know your thoughts."

Sokka wanted to say no. He really, really wanted to say no. But Tanya was not the sort of person one said no to, especially when you were pretending to be someone working for her. "… Sure…" He answered weakly, not at all convinced that he was doing a good enough job to fool her.

"Wonderful." Tanya shot him a quick smile, and began walking back down the stairs. Sokka fell into step behind her, hoping that the nervous pounding of his heartbeat he could feel in his ears wasn't audible to the admiral as well.

"Tell me, Mr Fire, do you believe that balance is important?"

"What?" The question took Sokka aback. "Balance? Yes, of course it's important." It was what Aang was working so hard to bring back to the world.

Tanya nodded. "I agree. Radical opinions and actions are either inefficient or dangerous. Being extremely passive makes one weak and vulnerable, whilst being extremely aggressive turns everyone else against you. Be too controlling and your subordinates will rebel against you, but allow them too much freedom and they'll become lazy and uncoordinated. There are many examples in life that support the theory that the moderate, balanced approach is the ideal solution to any problem. It is no surprise really that all nations seek to attain balance in their own way."

This coming from an admiral of the nation that had attacked the rest of the world without provocation one hundred years ago. Sokka couldn't catch the derisive snort that slipped out of his mouth in time, and paled as Tanya looked at him with the first hints of suspicion in her eyes.

"You disagree?" She asked curiously, as if she found the fact surprising.

Uh oh. No taking back his mistake now. The only option left was to lean into it. "It's just that, out here in the colonies, it never really seems like balance in the f-… our nation's dream when we're constantly marching forward to conquer new bits of land."

"Hmm… I see your point." To his relief Tanya's suspicious look turned pensive instead. "I had never considered that soldiers from the colonies would be unfamiliar with the philosophy behind this war, though in hindsight I suppose there would be nowhere to pick it up from. It's a topic usually covered in schools back in the homeland."

"They teach war philosophy in schools?" That made an unfortunate amount of sense. What better way to indoctrinate the next generation of nasty little fire slingers for military service?

Tanya nodded. "Moreso in schools for the upper class, but yes. It uses the example of a set of weighing scales with four arms rather than the standard two as an allegory for the balance of the elemental nations before the war. In the past the world was balanced, and therefore at peace, as long as all four nations were equally prosperous and powerful. Teachers would show this by placing equal weights within each of the scale's four arms, causing it to be balanced."

Sokka could understand that. As long as all nations were equally powerful, none of them could afford to be overly aggressive with each other. If they did, the other three nations would unite to put them back in their place. It forced all four nations to play nice with each other.

"However, that system is deeply flawed." Tanya continued. "Each of the nations have their own distinct cultures, resources and technology. This causes their respective power, the weight on their arm of the scale, to wax and wane wildly out of conjunction with each other. Teachers would emphasise this point by randomly adding and removing weights of different sizes to each of the arms, causing the scales to rock and sway. The world cannot stay perfectly balanced because each of the nations cannot cooperate with each other. There are endless examples throughout history of this occurring: The Platinum Affair, The War of Secrets and Daggers, The Fifth Nation War, The Yellowneck Rebellion, The War of Chin the Conqueror. Each of these events threw off the balance of the world, causing misery and pain."

Sokka did not know what any of those events were beside Chin the Conqueror. The Southern Water Tribe wasn't exactly regarded as a bastion of historical knowledge. Still he got the gist of the point she was making. "Okay, but how is becoming another balance-breaking event going to change anything?"

"The answer to that is the reason why The Fire Nation is the one in a position to conquer the entire world: unity." Tanya answered. "The Water Tribes are divided into North and South. The Earth Kingdom is split into many smaller kingdoms. Even the Air Nomads had the north, south, east and west temples. Only the Fire Nation has remained united together throughout history since the crowning of the first Firelord. This has been our advantage. Our unity has allowed our technology and resources to spread throughout our lands, thus allowing us to advance faster than the other nations, until we became so strong that an outright war with the rest of the world became feasible. Imagine if that unity encompassed the whole world? With no more imbalance in resources and technology, with the whole world sharing openly with each other under one government, then each side of the scale grows in tandem with each other. The world is not only balanced, but stays balanced."

It was weird to hear that the Fire Nation, or at least some of its people, genuinely believed that they were good guys. In a way it made Sokka uncomfortable to see the demonic Moonslayer, a figure of ultimate evil in so many of his recent nightmares, explain the reasoning behind her motives in such an understandable way. He did not agree with her philosophy, but it was easy to see why she and so many who grew up in her nation believed in it. With the right wording, there was a logic to it he'd never considered before.

However he could also see a flaw in it.

"But what about the forms of balance beside from the four nations?" He argued. It was easy to look at the current state of world and assume that balance only applied to them, but his travels with Aang had opened his eyes to the fact that there was more to it than that. Hei Bei had taught them to respect the balance between the material world and the spirit world. The Great Divide had shown him the need for balance between clans and families. Jet had unintentionally taught him the follies of not balancing the passion to fight with the wisdom to have mercy. "While world conquest may balance the disparity between the nations, it will throw other forms of balance into chaos. Just because the Fire Nation controls everything doesn't guarantee that they'll treat everywhere same as the homeland. There's already discrimination against earthbenders in Earth Kingdom colonies."

To his surprise Tanya came to a stop, and he had to catch himself before he walked right into her. "I… have wondered that myself. For a while now." She admitted. "Not long ago I had the opportunity to… converse… with The Avatar." She had? Back at Pohuai Stronghold no doubt. Why hadn't Aang told them? "He raised the point that, in a world united beneath the Fire Nation, there would be no counterbalance to the authority of the Firelord." She seemed to squirm in place uncomfortably. "Do not mistake me: I know both Firelord Ozai and Princess Azula personally, and have no doubt that they will be fair and wise rulers. Yet it is a simple fact of business that, in the absence of proper competition, any organisation inevitably becomes lazy. Without pressure to improve or be defeated, they become stagnant and inefficient. I have considered that, without other nations to contend with, future Firelord's may become less concerned with the welfare of their people, and more concerned with their own comfort and pleasure. If they have no fear of their citizens deserting them for other nations, there is less imperative to address their concerns. There is a possibility that the balance between the nations will be offset by a disbalance between the rich and the poor. A possibility that, despite my best efforts, I cannot think of a solution to."

A flash of annoyance shot through Sokka. "If you know that the nation's philosophy is flawed, why continue to support it?"

"It may not be perfect, but it's better than a future plagued by endless repetitions of conflict and conspiracy between nations. And I will not allow fear that the future may be filled with rebellions to make me hesitate. With enough work and effort there will be a way to restore the balance in other areas of life too. I am aware that the influence I possess means that my actions will have a notable effect on shaping the future, and even when the war is won I will use that influence to help solve these problems." Tanya replied, the iron tone of her voice reflecting nothing but sincere determination.

How many other people in a position of power took the time to consider the ramifications their actions would have a hundred years in the future? How many realised the responsibility that needed to come with wielding influence? And of those that did, how many had yet to even reach adulthood? Tanya was exceptionally mature for her age. She really was unnervingly similar to Aang: a child far too young to bear the responsibilities they did, fighting for the cause they believed would bring balance to the world.

Yet she had imprisoned Yue. She had crushed the Northern Tribe. Sokka could not forgive her for that, nor deny that he still hated her for it. Whatever her motives, her methods were too brutal, too extreme, for him to accept as necessary.

"Admiral Tanya!"

Sokka's thoughts were cut off as another soldier hurriedly approached, snapping a crisp salute at Tanya as he came to a stop. "I bring news from the quarantine zone! The diggers have broken through to the rebel's tunnel system! They're widening it now, and estimate that it'll be large enough to bring the extermination squad through within the hour!"

What?! They'd discovered and reopened the secret tunnel opened after the failure of his fake plague plan! He had to get back to the rebel HQ and warn them, otherwise they'd all be caught by a surprise attack!

"Excellent!" Tanya was back in full military mode now, her every movement the picture perfect image of an authoritative leader. "Send word for the extermination squad to mobile and meet me at the tunnel. I will lead the attack that eradicates this rebellion myself!"

"Yes ma'am!" The soldier replied, rushing away again to fulfil her orders. Tanya turned back to Sokka. "It's been a pleasure to talk with you, Private Fire. I don't often get the chance to talk philosophy with someone who's willing to question our nation's doctrine. It feels good to voice some of my concerns for once." She nodded at him in an oddly respectful gesture. "Farewell for now, private. Keep that good head on your shoulders and I'm sure you'll be promoted above latrine duty before long."

With that she turned and quickly marched away in the direction of the quarantine zone. Sokka waited until she was out of sight, then turned and began walking as quickly as he could without drawing attention to himself to the meeting point he'd arranged to reconvene with the Blue Spirit at. There would be time to consider what to think about his unexpected insight into the admiral's mind later; for now he had to get news back to the rebels in time.

Remaining unseen indoors was trickier than it sounded, but Zuko had a wealth of experience when it came to sneaking around palaces.

It hadn't taken too long to make his may down into the crystal cave, and once there he began searching for the large green crystal Yung had described. Finally he'd found it, and more importantly had been able to feel a slight breeze coming from a crack between it and the wall of stone that it covered. The governor's men hadn't discovered the secret escape tunnel after all! That meant the rebellion, and with them The Avatar, still had a chance to escape this city!

With that information confirmed, Zuko headed back to his meeting point with Sokka: one of the rooms used by the palace servants for storage. When he arrived Sokka was already there, scribbling furiously on a piece of parchment with such fervour that he didn't even notice Zuko enter. It wasn't until he put a hand on his shoulder that Sokka jumped and finally noticed him.

"Blue! You're back!" He cried, his voice torn between surprise and desperation. Hastily he folded up the note he'd been writing and stuffed it into his hands. "There's no time! Tanya's discovered a way to the rebel headquarters, and in gathering a force to wipe them out as we speak! She'll be there within the hour! You need to get this note back to HQ as fast as you can: if they leave and begin the attack now, there's a chance they can all get out before Tanya and her extermination squad arrive! That also means that the most elite firebenders in Omashu won't be guarding the palace! It's the best shot we'll ever have of getting to the escape tunnel! It is still undiscovered, right?"

Zuko nodded, and Sokka sighed in relief. "Good. This may be our only chance, otherwise Omashu will end up just like Agna Qel'a and it'll all be my fault." He picked up a fire soldier helmet and placed it upon his head, the bristles of the ridiculous fake beard glued to his face sticking out the bottom. "I'll stay here. When the rebels arrive I can open the palace door from the inside. We need to do everything we can to move as quickly as possible, otherwise the extermination squad will return and attack from behind."

There was no time to waste on pointless conversation. The clock was ticking, and every second wasted brought Tanya closer to the final victory she desperately desired. Without another word Zuko turned and ran, his mind already planning the optimal balance between stealth and speed he'd need to return to the rebels as soon as possible.

In one hour war would arrive at Omashu. And if they played their cards right, perhaps this time Tanya wouldn't get her way after all.

Merry Christmas everyone! And a happy New Year!

Considering that I started this story on the 2nd of January this year, we're also approaching this fics 1st birthday. Weird to think that I've been working on this for a whole year already, and yet still get so passionate when writing it. The advice I got when I started about writing little and often has been working a treat: 15 minutes every weekday morning has added up into a mighty 127,887 words so far, and is still going strong. I know we've just passed the milestone for the end of book one, but I'm determined to keep this going little by little all the way to the end of book 3.

Apologies if you think this chapter had too much talking and not enough fighting. I can assure you that the next chapter is going to have a lot, and I do mean a lot, of fights. Looking forward to seeing you in the new year for the end of the Omashu rebellion.