This chapter is a little shorter than the others, apologies! But, it is an important chapter as a turning point of this story, so I hope you enjoy!

Colonel Shinu watched as the gates to of the Pohuai Stronghold creaked open, and dearly wished to be anywhere else on earth. He had heard of this 'Commander Zhao' from some of his contacts still within the Fire Nation, none of it good. A man who denounced the spirits and threw his so-called 'influence' around because he had one measly success in the navy against a renegade group of Water Tribe savages. Shinu grimaced at the sight of the rumoured sideburns.

"Have you heard any more from the Fire Sages?" he asked the young woman to his right, stood ramrod straight at parade rest.

"No."

"And your mission within the homeland?"

"No word. Prince Iroh has been travelling with his nephew, however." Shinu swallowed heavily, pressing a hand to his forehead.

"Does he know, what he is travelling with?" The woman didn't move, but he could feel the shift in the air around him. Colder. Hostile.

"If Prince Iroh knew, he would have visited," she practically bristled. Shinu sighed and nodded.

"Of course, you're right." He paused and glanced towards the gate. "Ensure all information stays out of the hands of the Commander." She bowed and left, not even a whisper of air betraying that she had been there. Shinu pushed himself away from the railings, grimacing at the idea of having to greet this man. But he had learnt during the years of Azulon's reign, how to deal with the increasingly egotistical Commanders that the Fire Nation tended to churn out these days.

How he missed Prince Iroh's rule of the army.

He glanced towards the docks, just visible in the waning light. After the Hurricane the day before, quite a few ships had limped their way in, including one small, battered warship that was easily recognisable from how out of date it was. He mused, briefly, on inviting the Prince for tea, but ultimately decided against it. Rumour had it Zhao had not only lost an Agni Kai to Prince Zuko, a failure in and of itself, but that he had also lost the Prince while chasing him into home waters. Bringing the two together would be much like two stray sparks meeting a barrel of blasting jelly.

No need to stoke those flames.

It did, however, leave Shinu in this predicament. A need to keep secret Azulon's plots, or at least what was left of them, and balancing loyalty between the two main underlying factions that currently ruled the Fire Court. Loyalty to the Fire Lord by the complete despots and the more liberal, yet conservative, men who had served under Prince Iroh. Shinu claimed neither, remembering the terrifying letter from Azulon all those years ago, memories brought into the fore by the return of her to the Stronghold.

"Good evening, Commander Zhao," Shinu stated, giving the Commander a formal bow, much deeper than the man deserved. He hadn't survived Azulon by being stupid, and stroking the egos of idiots was the easiest way to get rid of them.

"Colonel Shinu," Zhao returned, merely inclining his head. Shinu pretended not to see the bristling of at least three bows on the walls at this disrespect to one's senior.

"How may we help you today?" Shinu asked pleasantly, turning to walk to the nearest observation platform. The last thing he needed was a 'stray' arrow to do away with Ozai's current favourite. He could get away with getting rid of the tyrant, but it wasn't worth the effort.

"I would like to see your archers," Zhao stated, as if he hadn't already guessed. Who else would he come to Pohuai Stronghold for? "Tell me, exactly what it is they can do?" Shinu felt his heart sink.

It seems I won't be able to keep the Prince away from the Stronghold after all.

The crew had been quiet ever since the Storm and Zuko was truly missing Junsuina right now. The dragon followed at a distance, always hiding. There were enough rumours of a dragon escaping Crescent Island and no doubt his father would be looking for her. The papers detailing his banishment had been explicit about Junsuina: no dragon was allowed to leave the Fire Nation. Uncle had attempted to negotiate that he had heard, but to no avail. Up until a couple of weeks ago, Zuko had thought he had just chained her up and forgotten about her.

The truth had been far worse.

He curled his hands into fists just thinking about it, watching Lieutenant Jee out of the corner of his eye. The man had been responsible for spreading the story of his 'attack' by the Water Tribe and had been far from happy that Zuko ordered the release of Sokka. For a solid week the man had kicked up a fuss, unrelenting in the face of Zuko's warnings to leave it alone. The last thing he needed was to lose control in front of the people he had spent three years following a rumour with. They'd think he had been tricking them for all that time and he had only just gotten away with not getting killed for the last time he had lied to them.

Then the Hurricane had descended on them all as Zuko tried to outrun the memories of Crescent Island under the ruse of chasing the Avatar, and suddenly Jee had backed off once more. The man just confused him. But, with the rest of the crew off on shore leave as they waited for supplies and repairs, the man seemed to want to talk to him.

Perhaps it would be prudent to see what he wants, Roku suggested gently. Zuko abjectly ignored him as much as he was able to. He was still not happy with the previous Avatar for trying to make out that it had been the Fire Nation in the wrong regarding Gaipan. You cannot ignore me forever, the spirit admonished him when he made no move to respond.

You've said nothing worthy of a response Zuko snarked back, turning to face the Lieutenant. Might as well knock two birds with one stone.

"Lieutenant," Zuko snapped, narrowing his eyes at the man. "You want something?" Jee shifted uncomfortably, armour creaking despite being regulation level oiled. Zuko frowned, wondering how the man did that.

"I wanted to apologise on behalf of the crew," Jee started with an awkward cough. "We may have… overstepped during the storm." Zuko narrowed his eyes.

"Overstepped how?" he asked, suspicious, a hollow opening up somewhere in his guts.

"We… we may have…"

"The crew were considering mutiny again at sailing through the storm, so your Uncle told them about the Agni Kai," Private Akiko stated from her perch on a barrel. She had her bow in separate pieces, taking the time to wax the string and drying the sinews within the forms of the bow before reapplying the protective wax. Zuko scowled harder.

"It wasn't General Iroh's place to discuss that," he growled. He would be having words with his Uncle about revealing things without his permission. Jee didn't recoil so much as sway ever so slightly backwards, nodding.

"It wasn't. Nor was it our place to demand answers." Zuko breathed out through his nose, allowing the soft push and pull of the water in the bay to soothe him. Unlike the others, Zuko was only allowed one day within a colony a month. It had not been long enough since Gaipan to step foot in Pohuai, so on the boat he stayed. Junsuina was not far, he could feel that, but he still missed her as much as he had when they were literal miles apart.

"So you've said your apology. What is it exactly that you want?" Zuko snapped. Jee's face remained professionally blank.

"Private Turk also wanted to know if you would be joining music night tonight." Zuko resisted the urge to throw a water whip at the man.

"No." Akiko snorted from her barrel, ignoring them all in favour of focusing on the bow. The thing was most probably the most expensive piece of kit on the ship and he wasn't about to get in between an ex YuYan archer and their bow. "If that was all?" Jee bowed out with whatever grace he might have left.

Zuko turned back to observing the Stonghold, set above the town. It loomed like a curse, reminding the small Earth Kingdom colony of who their ruler was. It made Zuko uncomfortable to look at, vague memories of coming here as a child with his grandfather resurfacing. Akiko had not looked at the place either, even as they came into port, barely together.

He wasn't stupid enough to ask either.

Colonel Shinu had sent a greeting to his Uncle, a polite message inviting him for tea if he was so inclined. Uncle, as usual with such requests, returned the letter with a refusal and a polite reminder that he would need to consult with the ship's Captain if he so wished to leave. A supposedly subtle reminder of who was actually in charge of the ship. Not that anyone listened- Zuko had been a joke his whole life, the Prince that started bending late in life, who only gained a dragon through luck because it too was an outcast. Being the weak link in the chain of authority was just a fact of life now, rather than something to rage against.

You are not weak, Prince Zuko Roku murmured. Zuko ignored him. You are no one's weak link. You showed me that in Gaipan.

You thought I was wrong, in Gaipan, he pointed out angrily. You thought that we ought not to have been there in the first place.

The Four Nations were made to be separate.

That's absurd, Zuko thought, rolling his eyes. People are people. If the Nations were made to be separate, why have an Avatar in the first place? Did you know that the manufacturing of steel has dramatically increased, not only because of an increased population, but also because both fire and earthbenders are now working together to remove impurities from the metal? The world is better when we work together, not against each other.

Then why the war? Roku asked. Zuko sighed, fighting off the headache.

Because no one knows any different now, he said tiredly. It was the fact that seemed to escape Roku. The man had died a hundred years ago. The war was a hundred years old. Whatever life had been like for the man, it was not the same now and could never return that way.

He wondered if Aang had worked that out yet. He dearly hoped he had.

Roku said nothing, leaving him to contemplate unpleasant memories in silence, wishing for Junsuina all the more. Perhaps she might be able to help shake off age old lessons. Sparing one last glance up at the stronghold, Zuko shuddered and clenched fists aching with phantom pain, turning to go meditate in his room.

Sokka threw a rock at Aang, ranting about being an earthbender, and he stared guiltily at his friend as Katara laid a cool cloth on his forehead. It had started as a cough at first, just a few sniffles left over from the storm, which was to be expected after the boy had half drowned in the ill-begotten fishing trip. Aang felt bad for running, especially after being outed as the Avatar and ranted at for running away, a completely accurate statement despite the fact that said old man probably had no idea how true it was. Katara tried to assure him that wasn't true but Aang knew she was only trying to make him feel better. The truth was, he had run away and so this kind of was his fault, even if he hadn't meant it.

Now, however, Sokka was feverish to the point of delusions and had started to get a little too feisty in the throes of sickness. And Katara had started coughing too.

"I'm fine," she insisted when Aang queried it in alarm. "It's just a little cough."

"Sokka said that yesterday!" Aang pointed out. "And now look at him!" He dodged another stone thrown in his direction.

"Take that, you rock," Sokka slurred. Aang gave her a pointed look.

"You'll be like that soon, if you don't get help," he insisted. "I'm going to go looking for a healer or something."

"No, Aang, it's too dangerous" Katara coughed. "Zuko's ship is out there!" They hadn't seen Zuko since Gaipan, or well, when Sokka saw him really, except for a brief glimpse of the ship in the Storm. They had made a camp near the small town, which turned out to be a Fire Nation colony and the nearest port from where they had last seen the ship, listing in the wind and rain. He hoped the other boy was alright.

"I'll be ok," Aang assured her. "I'll be real careful." Katara looked at him doubtfully, no doubt eyeing his orange robes which stood out like a sore thumb nowadays, since there were no other airbenders. Oddly however, people were more likely to mistake him for a travelling bard, than an airbender, although he wasn't sure why that was. "Trust me," he implored. "Otherwise you'll think you're an earthbender soon, too." And we really don't need a hallucinating waterbender, he thought quietly to himself. Sokka, for however destructive as he could be, had already had his weapons confiscated and could no more move water than he could move earth. Katara would be so much more difficult to deal with.

"Alright," Katara relented, leaning back to cough again. He paused, eyeing her carefully.

"I'll get you some more water first," he mused out loud. There was a fresh stream close by and Momo, while intelligent, wouldn't understand that neither Katara or Sokka were in any shape to get their own drinks.

Waterflasks full and returned to Katara, he set off, starting at a quick run, aided by airbending, before realising that if he did get caught by the Fire Nation troops, it was better to be mistaken for a bard than the Avatar, especially with Zuko and who knew who else close by. He slowed his pace to a jog, deciding to try the village first. It couldn't hurt after all.

The first person he spoke to in town gave him a suspicious look. Aang tried to make himself look as innocent as possible, and not like a beggar that certain other individuals sometimes mistook him for, especially if he was alone. He didn't even have Momo with him, having left he and Appa in charge of their sick friends. He knew they would do a good job of taking care of them. The man eventually relented, pointing the way to the healer's house, although this turned out to be a dead end, as a sign on the door read that said Healer Jook was away on family business.

"Won't be back for weeks, I'm afraid," the elderly woman sweeping the porch said, not unkindly. "His family were caught in the big flood back in Gaipan, made worse by the Hurricane that came through earlier this week. Good thing those soldiers got them all out. I even heard the Prince was there!" Aang gave her a wobbly smile, guilt clenching his stomach as he remembered Jet and his Freedom Fighters. Sokka hadn't let them stick around to find out what the soldiers would do to punish them.

"Do you know if there's anyone else?" he asked, almost desperately. "My friends are really sick."

"Well, you can always try the Healer on the Hill," the woman mused, "Batty as anything, but her remedies have always been the best, especially for Fire Fever. Been a bout of it going round since the Hurricane, with so many soldiers and sailors having been forced into port for repairs."

"Where can I find her?" Aang asked, brightening. The woman gave him a smile and pointed up the cliffs.

"Up on that hill right there, under Pohuai Stonghold," she said. "Lives all alone, poor dear."

"Thanks!" he said, already turning away.

"Just be careful of the checkpoints!" the woman shouted after him. Aang wasn't sure what she meant by that, but decided to worry about it later. He was going to have to use airbending after all to get all the way up there before night fell and he could help his friends.

There was a soft knock on Zuko's door, breaking him out of his meditation. Or at least, what he was passing as meditation. Every time he tried to meditate, he was overcome by visions, visions that Roku insisted did not come from him. Zuko was suspicious about that, but had neither the time, nor the inclination, to question him.

"Prince Zuko!" Jee called through the door. "You have a visitor." Zuko blinked, rising and opening the door.

"Who?" he asked, suspicious. "If it is Zhao, tell him I've come down with Fire Fever." Jee's lips quirked up in the shadow of a smile.

"No. A woman from Pohuai Stronghold. Says her name is Sergeant Yumi." Zuko blinked. Then blinked again.

"I'll meet her on deck," he said eventually, wondering. What is she doing here? And now? I know Zhao is here, his ship was here before us, but Yumi? He said none of this out loud.

Who is this Yumi? A Yu Yan archer? Roku asked, curious. Zuko ignored him, marching through the ships corridors in silence. This could not be good.

He found her out on deck, being served tea by Uncle. For a moment, he thought to shout at his Uncle to get away. Then, he remembered that Iroh probably did not know about Yumi, Airi, Kaito or the whole plot of Azulon's. His own father didn't know, would never have let him leave the Fire Nation if he did. He swallowed back the memories and stood, straight-backed, waiting to see what she would do.

She was dressed as a Yu Yan archer, bow slung casually across her back. Akiko was staring from across the deck, eyes narrowed, fingers clenched around her own bow. Zuko wasn't surprised- considering her skill set, Shinu would no doubt have wanted to know what happened to one of his recruits. Seems I underestimated him, he thought sardonically. Either that, or he doesn't know the whole truth. The woman stood, falling into a formal bow, an officer to royalty as deep as it could go.

"Prince Zuko," she greeted, just shy of a full kowtow. "I bring you news of the Fire Nation." He took the scroll she held out, as if it might catch fire any moment. Unlikely as that is, he thought, hiding a smirk.

He grimaced at the information hidden within.

"He made Zhao an admiral?" he sputtered, amazed. "What idiocy is this?"

"It was given by royal decree, from the Fire Lord himself." Zuko stared back at her, watching as her shoulders rose and fell minutely. This is insanity. Even Azula wouldn't advocate an idiot like Zhao. She would find a use for him and then throw him away. Unless… He glanced back down to the scroll, frowning. What was father thinking? Is there some reason he wants Zhao in charge of the Navy? And why?

"Thank you for bringing this to my attention," Zuko said. "We'll have to send our thanks also, to Colonel Shinu."

"Colonel Shinu wanted it known he is grateful for any thanks, but begs that you and General Iroh stay here. Admiral Zhao has ordered that no other officers are to interfere with his new mission." Her voice was free of inflection, of any judgement. Zuko heard the message anyway, swallowing.

"Ah, such a shame," Iroh mused out loud, watching them both carefully. It was apparent he hadn't seen Akiko, but had seen his nephew's stiff posture. He knew there was something off about their visitor. "I had so hoped to share a pot of ginseng with the Colonel. Is there a chance he could join us here?" Zuko almost threw the paper at him. That is not the message she is giving us, he thought, frustrated. And Shinu is not going to be helping the likes of me, not even at your command.

It would be pointless to point that out, however.

"I will convey your invitation," she said, bowing again. "May I take my leave?" Iroh waved her away. Zuko stopped her.

"Sergeant Yumi," he called. She turned back, face blank. "Congratulations on your promotion," he continued, giving her a formal bow of his own. "I thank you for your continued devotion to the Fire Nation." Her lips twitched and her bow this time seemed far more genuine.

"Thank you, Prince Zuko. You have been an inspiration to all of my team." With that, she was gone. Iroh stared after her, finally noting Akiko's watchful eyes, wide and alarmed as she left.

"I was not aware that you knew the Yu Yan archers," Iroh commented, almost as if noting the weather.

"Grandfather wanted me to have a working knowledge of all Fire Nation troops," Zuko answered easily. It was a rehearsed answer, one that he had been drilled on by the man himself whenever he returned from those training sessions. "Master Piandao brought me here when I was ten." Iroh's eyes narrowed minutely and Zuko refused to feel guilty for throwing Piandao under the bison.

Azulon had plans in plans, Roku commented, voice dark. It seems the apple did not fall far from the tree there.

Grandfather was taught by Sozin. But he cared more for the family to survive rather than the murder of thousands. Zuko paused, eyes returning to the small slip of paper he still had hold of. He would also be rolling in his grave at the actions of both his sons.

Iroh has done far more for the world than you know.

Uncle lost his son, Zuko stated, fingers tightening minutely. He shouldn't have to be involved anymore. But he is and it is understandable why he wants the war to end. If he paid attention, he would have known that by the end, so did Grandfather. He could hear Roku spluttering, but ignored it, heading to the rail to stare up at the Stronghold. Akiko approached slowly, cautiously.

"Private Akiko, would you be able to deliver my Uncle's invitation?" he asked. "I'm sure there are familiar faces there you would like to see."

"Of course," Akiko agreed easily. She was still subdued, quiet, watching. Another person who didn't know, no doubt. But, the only other person who knows just what Yumi is.

He left the deck once again, trying desperately to ignore the niggling feeling that Zhao was about to interfere yet again.

Shinu watched as Sergeant Yumi returned, no doubt having gone to visit the Little Dragon Prince. Zhao barely noticed, engrossed in the display of the Yu Yan below, young recruits firing their bows at targets.

"I hear they can hit a fly from a hundred paces," Zhao commented. He sounded almost impressed. Since it had been announced that he was now an Admiral, the man had demanded better quarters and a whole squadron of Yu Yan. Shinu had provided him with the senior recruits, not mentioning that they were as yet un-blooded and had yet to take their final exams. Hibiki's arrows still occasionally strayed to the left.

"That and more," Shinu agreed, turning away from the gates. "Fire Lord Azulon, May Agni's light shine eternal upon him, decreed that they only be used in the most crucial of missions."

"Fire Lord Ozai has granted me the power to acquire any and all resources I may need," Zhao countered. "And for this mission, I need their… unique skills."

"To acquire the Avatar," Shinu said dubiously. The report had come in a bare hour ago. A boy seen running at crazy speeds up the Mountain. Shinu thought it more likely that the men had consumed some of that crazy Healers herbs again and hallucinated the whole thing. However, the description of orange robes had him cringing. Should the Prince find this out, then the Little Dragon will too. And I will be stuck in the middle once again. Shinu had met Prince Zuko once- his dragon was a fierce little thing and the boy had not deserved what had happened to him. He had left with Yumi and the girl had returned a woman and changed. Azulon's plots, left to rot, he thought sourly. And no one but me to keep them alive.

"You should be honoured. Your men will be a part of removing the Fire Nation's greatest foe," Zhao coaxed. Shinu could have rolled his eyes: he could not be bought with flattery. "And such a fighting force ought not go to waste, in this Agni-forsaken stretch of Earth Kingdom." The man was sneering.

"If you find their work satisfactory, this unit is yours," Shinu said, as he had before. "I am honoured you believe my men are capable of taking on the fabled Avatar." A mere boy if the stories are true. Perhaps able to help the Fire Nation find our fallen honour, discarded by sycophants like Zhao and Ozai. Zhao smirked, turning away from him once again.

"Send them out to this Healer on the Hill. If the Avatar has been there, they will be able to track him to the ends of the earth." The man looked smug. Shinu gave the orders through a series of practised hand manoeuvres. The captain did not look happy, but gave Zhao the customary bow and rounded up his men. Arrows stopped almost instantaneously.

"I will inform you when they return," Shinu said gravely, as they watched them troop silently out of the Stronghold.

"See that you do," Zhao stated haughtily, turning to leave. "And if they fail, I will have this whole place torn down."

Shinu tried to look suitably cowed. Sergeant Yumi looked amused as she entered, watching the man leave. He sighed.

"The Avatar has been spotted," he said once Zhao was gone. "I have sent Hiroto's troop after him."

"Then he will not escape," Yumi said firmly. "I delivered the message. Should the Avatar be captured, he will not be held for long." Shinu frowned.

"You are not to interfere," he ordered sharply. "You are too valuable to lose now." A ghost of a smile drifted across her lips.

"I promise, I will have nothing to do with the Avatar's escape from his cell," she vowed. "On my bow, I do so swear."

The vow did not comfort him in the least.

Iroh did not know what his nephew had gotten himself into, but he knew that it was dangerous. It seemed his nephew had secrets he had not even suspected, secrets that had the potential to wreck all of his carefully built plans. Piandao. I must write to Piandao, to ascertain how deep this plot goes, he thought, reaching for ink and paper. If it is as terrible as I fear, then Zuko may not be the candidate I thought he was.

It was a troubling thought. Three years they had sailed the world, on a fruitless quest laid down by Ozai to rid himself of his so-called useless son. Three years Iroh had worked to coax Zuko out of his shell, to show the crew the beautiful prince he was, the strong ruler he would one day come to be. Those first few months had been hard, Zuko pushing them all away, the barbs in his words meant to hurt. Then, slowly, he had started to seek Iroh for comfort in the dark of night, when the terrors grew too much to handle alone. He remembered the dark night, just as stormy as that one days ago, when Zuko had shaken him awake the first night, trembling, tears hidden in the shadows. He had held his nephew then, held him all night as he shuddered at every flash of lightening and following rumble of thunder. When the boy finally began to sleep, Iroh had allowed himself to doze.

When he woke, Zuko had been gone, but someone had pulled the covers back over him. It had been a sign and one Iroh worked out tirelessly.

Slowly, slowly, so achingly slow, Zuko had started to open up once more, started to join him for tea, even if it did grate on his very short patience. Iroh had mentally blamed the pain for it, both physical and emotional, the lingering phatoms pains of Ozai's flames and the true hurt that lingered underneath and would take far longer to heal. Much like the scars on his soul where Lu Ten had once lived, Zuko's wounds were too raw at the time to speak of.

Now, however, Iroh had started to think that Zuko had shared all. It had been just under a year ago that Zuko had shown his ability to bend the four elements, shyly pouring tea from the stationary teapot on the table into their cups. Iroh had been elated, though he did his best to hide it, thinking that his beloved nephew was the Avatar. A cruel joke of the spirits, he had thought, and still held today. His nephew was not the Avatar, but he was something more than just a firebender as well. The White Lotus was searching furiously to find the truth of the matter, but had turned up nothing so far. More troubling still, however, was the quiet admission that Ursa had known, had known what he son could do and swore him to secrecy.

The decision, Iroh would ponder all his life.

He sighed as he settled into the chair at his desk, reaching for stylus and paper. A flick of the wrist lit the candle and good old Hob had left the window open after coming to pick up the laundry. The sun was setting on the horizon as he dipped the stylus into ink and started to write.

It was many hours later that he was interrupted by the knock on the door. Startled, he looked up from the new missive he was writing, informing Colonel Shinu that in fact, they would be unable to meet as they must be under way in the morning, a decision he would talk Zuko into taking. He had seen the way Akiko looked at that Sergeant Yumi, and he was not certain he wanted Zuko in the vicinity of someone who could scare even a Yu Yan archer. He had lost one son, he was determined not to lose another.

The knock came again.

"Come in," Iroh called, stretching. It had been a while since he spent so long at this desk. Usually he was at the table, musing over a good cup of tea, sometimes with Zuko. I am out of practice he thought ruefully as Jee swung the door open. His good humour died at the look on the Liutenant's face. "Leituenent," he began. "What is it?"

"We have had word from Admiral Zhao. He has captured the Avatar and has him imprisoned in Pohuai Stronghold," the man reported, expression grim.

"Does Zuko know?" Iroh asked, heart in his mouth. There will be no stopping whatever that boy decides to do. He wants Ozai to restore his honour. It both saddened and angered him that Ozai could instill such loyalty from his children, twisting them into terrible shapes. Jee shifted uncomfortably.

"I have tried, General, but my men cannot find any trace of Prince Zuko on the ship." Iroh's heart disappeared out through his shoe and dropped into the sea below. "I have sent out men to scour the port but…" He paused and glanced to his feet. "Private Akiko is missing as well."

Two shadows slipped through the night, unseen by the masses gathered in the practice yard. Only one person spotted them, a lone woman stood in a watchtower, bow cocked and ready for trouble. She smirked.

"I wonder, Admiral Zhao," Yumi murmured, fiddling with the shurikens in her sleeves, "if you have any idea of the monster you are about to unleash." She sighed and leaned back against the sill, bored. "I should have invited Kaito," she mused as the two shadows disappeared from view entirely, sliding into the sewers. "He would have made this far more lively."

Up on the balcony, Zhao continued his speech, oblivious.

At first, Aang had been terrified of the two figures who had entered his cell, dressed in black and comprising of the Blue Spirit and Wind Wraith from Love Amongst Dragons. That the Blue Spirit wielded the dual dao and the Wind Wraith a bow, like the fabled Wangdue and their diamond hard bows to spear the hands of the unfaithful. Aang had always been secretly terrified of those stories, and for a brief moment, was convinced that they had caught up with him for running away.

It had, in the end, been a silly thought.

When the Blue Spirit cut through the chains, however, Aang had known he was safe. The spiritual energy he had first sensed was familiar and he calmed down considerably. They were not spirits and only one of them was spirit-touched. He grinned, wanting to greet Zuko, but the teen made a silent gesture, cutting him off, before dragging him out, all without making a sound.

That was when Aang became afraid again.

The frogs had crawled out of his pockets, unfrozen now, much to their disgust, but only the archer made a noise. He recognised her gait as the woman who had dropped out of the trees at Gaipan. She must be a part of Zuko's crew, Aang thought, creeping behind her, anxious. But I don't like this. It's... wrong. He didn't know how he knew that, he just did. And he knew he didn't like it.

"Zu-" Another gesture cut him off and Aang bit his lip. "Blue Spirit," he whispered instead. "Please, Katara and Sokka are sick, they needed those frogs to get better. The Healer on the Hill said so." Crazy as she had been, the old woman in the town must have sent him there for a reason. And people must still go to her if she was still in business. Zuko paused under the mask, made a series of hand gestures with the archer who nodded and slipped silently out of the sewer, into the compound above. Only then, did Zuko nod silently at him. "Thank you!" he whisper-shouted, smiling gratefully. Zuko made no reply, only slid out of the grate above them.

Aang jumped at the sound of the alarm, halfway up the Wall. The archer had made it to the top and prevented the soldier from cutting the rope, which was a relief, but soon they were surrounded. There was no way down- the soldiers had cut them off- and no way out. They were stuck on the inner wall.

A solider was suddenly behind him, spear in hand, shouting a battlecry. Aaang raised a hand, ready to bend. Instead, there was a quiet thump and the solider slid sideways, an arrow sticking out of his back.

At which point, the air was suddenly full of arrows.

Aang swallowed, staring at the spot of red that had landed on his wrist. They killed their own man, he thought hollowly as Zuko took his gently by the arm and sped down the stairs. Someone killed a soldier to help us, and killed their own fellow countryman. He couldn't wrap his head around it. The monks taught that all life was sacred and someone had just killed another human being, spirits the man was dead, what was he going to do...

Someone took him by the shoulders, dragging him into a corner and shaking him roughly. Dimly, he was aware of voices around him.

"What did you kill the man for?" That was Zuko.

"The Avatar must live, yes? A simple thanks would be nice."

"What are you even doing here?" Zuko again.

"There was a rumour you were in the area. I thought to see the truth of it." The second voice was a woman, but not the archer Aang knew.

"And Airi? Kaito?"

"Returned to court and to his Grandmother in the Swamp. With the Fire Lord dead, no one knew what to do with us."

"At least some of us get to live normal lives," Zuko grumbled. Oh, they must be his friends, Aang thought, gulping down panicked breaths. The world was coming into further focus.

They were settled into a small cloister somewhere. The archer still had her mask on, while Zuko had pulled his off. He was the one holding him, hands on each of Aang's arms, facing to his right. They had been joined by a woman in the uniform of the archers who had taken him, bow in hand. Her tattoos were odd, different to the others and...

"Wangdue," Aang breathed, eyes wide. Oh spirits, they really are here to punish me...

The woman smirked and raised a finger to her lips.

"Where are these frogs you need?" Zuko asked grimly. "You've got five seconds."

"Um... there was a bog at the foot of the hills..." Aang said, confused. "She..."

"Doesn't matter." Zuko dropped his arms and pulled the mask back on his face. He gestured for him to follow. Aang gave the woman one more glance and startled.

Where she had once stood, was nothing more than empty air.

Zuko didn't know why he was indulging this. It was stupid, so close to Pohuai Stronghold where they could all be recaptured so easily. He had sent Akiko back to the ship- she didn't need to be involved further if he could help it. She had almost refused, face pale, when he first asked, but eventually relented. If only so she could protect him from Yumi. Too late for that, he thought sadly.

The Wangdue are a legend, Roku said from his head. Zuko ignored the probing comment, watching as Aang rooted about in the filthy water for frozen frogs, muted and silent. He worried at his lip, wondering what he might be able to say.

Aang's panic attack was all the confirmation Zuko had needed to know the boy had never seen a person die, let alone be responsible for it. And the time was coming soon when the Avatar would need to kill, when he would be required to take a life for the good of the people of the world. But in doing so, he would be betraying every edict of his people in living a peaceful life. Now, would not be a good time to bring it up, however.

"I've got them all," Aang said quietly. Zuko nodded, standing from his perch on a rock and gathering up mask and swords. He had cleaned them off as the boy searched, using his distraction to hide the blood on the blades.

"Do you need anything else?" Zuko asked, knowing he would need to be away soon. Aang bit his lip.

"Why?" he blurted out, grey eyes wide and so so innocent, that Zuko flinched. "Why did that man..."

"It wasn't your fault," Zuko said awkwardly. He didn't know how to explain this to someone, especially someone who didn't yet know the horror of taking a life himself. "It just... is. You had to live so he had to die."

"They could have just shot him in the shoulder or leg," Aang argued, tears filling grey eyes.

"The momentum would have carried him over the Wall no matter where they hit him. They gave him a quicker death than the slow torturous death internal bleeding would have been," Zuko said bluntly. There was no gentle way to discuss this.

"But-" Aang started.

"There are no buts," Zuko cut him off, before he could start. "I know... death isn't pleasant but in war, there is always death. I didn't want him to die either, he was one of my people. But Zhao is cruel and... my father is crueller. I cannot return home without you, but I also know what that will mean for you." Aang blinked, frowning.

"You could have taken me to your father twice now," Aang said slowly. "But you didn't. Why?" Zuko sighed, fiddling with the ribbon of his mask, having slung the swords across his back, out of the way and to enable freedom of movement.

"I followed you to prevent you from falling into hands worse than my own. I helped you, because the spirits would punish I and my crew if I didn't. I came to your rescue now... because you're a twelve year old kid who doesn't deserve to spend the rest of his life barely alive for lesser men's pleasure." And because... I can't do it, he admitted silently, staring at this child in front of him. Because I can't steal from him what was stolen from me.

Aang stared up at him, tears trickling from his eyes a moment, before he burst into sudden sobs and threw himself at Zuko. Surprised and unprepared, Zuko held him as he cried, awkwardly patting him on the back, unsure of what to do.

Shinu watched Zhao leaving, feeling a mix of disgust and childish glee at seeing the back of the man. And a silent disquiet at the woman he had his back to.

"You promised on your bow," he said to the room at large. Sergeant Yumi plucked at her bowstring, producing a soft thrum.

"I promised not to help the Avatar escape his cell. I said nothing about once he had left the cell."

"Clever wording," Shinu said, straightening. "You put the Stronghold at risk of discovery from Ozai. And, more dangerously, Prince Zuko."

"Zuko is not the dangerous one on that ship," Yumi said sharply. "I trust him far more than Iroh and his White Lotus." Shinu frowned at that status.

"The Prince has nothing to do with that organisation," Shinu snapped. "And more than likely he knows of the Wangdue already."

"Perhaps," Yumi allowed. "But not the others."

"No, not the others," Shinu agreed tiredly. "But you will take the Wangdue away all the same. I am promoting you to Captain. Do not return until I send you a sign."

"The Wangdue do not follow you," she said, standing herself. "I thank you for the official promotion, however." Shinu stiffened, turning. She was smirking. "We will be in touch, Colonel. We thank you for your hospitality, but you will need to find a new Captain for the recruits. Hiroto is one of us."

"I know. May Agni shine on your travels," Shinu said, bowing to her. She bowed back.

"And may the Wind Wraith bless you with favourable winds," she returned, before turning on her heel and leaving.

Shinu prayed it would be the last he would see of her in his lifetime.