They were going the right way, Aang gave Lu Ten that. They even ended up at the doors, where Lu Ten indeed got Aang those coins his father had promised. They didn't get any further than that however, namely because if they went through the doors there would be guards, and the guards would bow and any semblance of keeping this 'guard in training' guise alive would be gone.

Aang thought he would be clocked on the head again. Maybe held in a headlock until he lost consciousness.

Lu Ten did none of those things, waving his arm out to the door, "Go on then."

As much as Aang wanted to question it, actually doing so would lead to this odd truce being dispelled. Maybe Lu Ten didn't know it was actually Aang under here. It was possible. Aang had grown his hair out a little more, and without his tattoos on display like they had been at the jail he could be mistaken for anyone.

So, saying nothing, he made his way as fast and as subtly as he could.

His idea that maybe Lu Ten hadn't known who he was lasted until he was about a street away from the palace. It was as he was turning the corner when he felt something was wrong. Like he was being watched.

His instincts were messed up, that was for sure, but even on the off chance they were right Aang took a few wrong turns to see if that feeling would go away.

It didn't.

If anything it got worse, and it was as he was considering going home that it dawned on him just why Lu Ten might have wanted to keep Aang's identity a secret. Why capture just the Avatar when Aang could lead him to whichever accomplices were in Ba Sing Se with him as well.

He couldn't go back to the house.

They had a plan for Zuko and Toph to leave at sundown if he hadn't come back, but Aang didn't believe for a moment Zuko would actually do that. He had a feeling any message he might have sent through someone else would be intercepted. Which meant somehow stumbling upon Zuko and Toph while he was out. He told them to go shopping, maybe they'd done just that.

He started in the middle ring, finding those stalls they'd stumbled upon yesterday. The ones that were a little pricier than anything they could hope to possibly afford but Toph took great care in trying everything on there anyway.

He couldn't hear Toph, that was for certain, no matter how long he wandered those streets.

He was tempted to go to the lower tier and try his luck. But, who was to say they weren't still at the house. If he took that risk and left them in the upper ring he might not be able to get back up there. The carriages running between all three were far more than the small coins Aang had in his pocket. He'd have to sneak back up, which would waste time, something he had a limited amount of.

He turned back, and ran head first into a familiar, very pink, girl. "Head down," she hissed, forcing Aang's head lower than he would have liked. "Look like you're interested and follow me."

She linked their arms, dragging him towards… somewhere.

"I can't believe you're actually here. When Mai sent over that poster I was sure she had it wrong, I mean, why would the Avatar go to Omashu? But here you are." She chattered, mentioning something about his aura as she took him down three more bends. He barely kept up with it all, feeling like he had whiplash as she finally asked "Did you do it then?"

"Do it?" he repeated.

"The note," the girl said, "The one Mai gave you. She said she gave it to you."

The note? The note! Oh he'd completely forgotten about it. "Right. Er, here's the thing, I may have accidentally destroyed it." By forgetting it was there and washing his clothes with it still in there.

"Good." Obviously this girl didn't understand that as she nodded her head, "Good, it means we don't have a paper trail."

"No, I mean I didn't read it. What was on it?"

The girl shrugged, not looking too bothered, "Probably some kind of instructions. But Mai said if you had half a brain you wouldn't follow them so they probably weren't anything important."

"Okay." This was a lot. "Look, I have to get out of here at some point. My friends-"

"Zuko's waiting for you at the station with that weird earth girl."

She knew. She knew who Zuko was. What's more she'd spoke to him.

"Don't look so worried. We're on your side."

He didn't know what to do with that. He wanted to believe her, but, Ba Sing Se wasn't known for being trustworthy, its people less so. "I don't even know you."

"Zuko does," the girl promised, sticking her hand out between them, "And I'm Ty Lee. My sister's married to Lu Ten."

Oh good, relatives. "If your sister's married to Lu Ten then why are you-"

She slapped a hand over his mouth, "Not too obvious. There's eyes and ears everywhere here. Best we get you out, Zuko's not known for his patience."

She was taking him through a back route. Something Aang didn't completely trust. He was sure at any moment the Dai Li or Lu Ten was going to corner them down a street and Ty Lee was going to end up betraying him. But that time didn't come. Ty Lee, for all her odd cheer, was true to her word. She got him through all three rings and to the train station without any problems. She even hung around and bought him supper as they waited for Toph and Zuko to appear.

When they did, Aang felt more than saw Ty Lee tense, a blinding smile overcoming her face until it dropped, leaving her standing just as wide eyed as Zuko. "What's wrong with your eye?"

The makeup was back on. But even with it his eye wasn't exactly normal. He could barely open it, and, like yesterday, the makeup had worn off in places leaving it red and aggravated. "My eye? I thought I told you not to get involved."

Aang intercepted before anything else could be said, "I thought they thought you were dead?" Meaning Ty Lee would think so too.

"He ran into me when he broke into Ba Sing Se a few months ago," Ty Lee answered easily. "He was wearing that stupid theatre mask his mom used to make him wear when they did 'love amongst dragons' for her."

Oh he was saving that information for later.

"I thought it was just a disguise," Ty Lee went on, "Not… Zuko what happened?"

She tried to grab his face, Zuko skirting around her until he was hiding behind Aang. "It's nothing. You should get going, they'll be looking for you."

Ty Lee scoffed, "All six of my sisters are at the palace right now, trust me, they don't notice when I go missing."

Zuko grabbed Aang's arm anyway, "We have to go."

The last train would be coming in any minute now, and if they didn't catch it they would be stuck here for another night. Not something Aang wanted seeing as they'd just lost the Dai Li. He didn't particularly want to go through that wild goose chase again so soon.

Aang said his goodbye, Toph throwing one out too. They got to about the station steps before common sense took over, Aang running back to where Ty Lee was about, from the looks of it, to take to the roofs. "Wait," he caught her before she could leap. "Why don't you come with us?"

He had a whole speech planned out. He was going to ask if she was really happy here? If she thought being here was helpful? She had said she was on their side, so why not actually be on their side. As strategic as it would be to keep Ty Lee in Ba Sing Se, Aang had a feeling she was only here temporarily, and who knew how temporarily that might be when the Dai Li reported they'd seen a girl in pink leading the boy who'd come to the palace out of Ba Sing Se.

Yet, he didn't have to say any of that. He didn't even finish talking before she was hugging him tight to her chest. "I thought you'd never ask," she let him go skipping over to loop her arm with Zuko's.

The whole train ride back was quiet. As was the long walk to Appa. Flying was quiet too. Well, save for Ty Lee who kept squealing in glee, arms raised as they went through a rather cold cloud. Aang's kind of girl, honestly. Maybe she would help him to persuade Zuko to let them go ride the monkeys in their down time.

It only took listening to the quiet behind him for Aang to decide to land a little away from their meet up spot with Katara. If he was going to be bringing Ty Lee into the fold he wanted the other two on his side beforehand. Mainly because Katara scared him when she got angry, and as good as Aang was getting at waterbending, she was getting better too, and she'd always been one step ahead of him.

So, making sure they were away from any town or city, he took Appa's saddle off and told the others to get a fire going.

Save for Toph's, "Great, more time wasting," the other two weren't too bothered about prolonging their trip.

Ty Lee for one was ecstatic. "I've never started a fire before. Can we do it the non bender way? I saw some people do it when I was training in the circus but they never let me do it myself. Gotta keep the performers in tip top condition and all."

Zuko just sighed and led Ty Lee off, looking for all the world like a man that was used to it.

Alone with Toph he worked on breaking her down first. "It was a strategic decision."

"Sure," Toph snorted. "Not because she's pretty?"

"How do you-"

"I can read heartbeats idiot. Both yours, Zuko's and every other guy's back there skipped a few beats when they saw her." Well that called into question just what else Toph could tell with that fancy skill of hers. "So wanna run that 'decision' by me again."

"It was strategic." Really. "And you know I'm taken," kind of. He'd kissed Zuko twice now anyway. "Just because she's pretty doesn't mean I wasn't thinking with my head. She's lived in Ba Sing Se for who knows how long now Toph. Or at least visits. Her sister is married to Zuko's cousin, she knows that Mai girl, she has connections. She's useful." And, "I also didn't want to leave her there Toph. The Dai Li followed us a good way back. They know she brought me out of the city."

"So?"

"So," he sighed, going over what had happened to Toph. About Lu Ten being at the palace and just, letting him go. "I know he knew who I was. I think he let me go so I'd lead them to you guys. He was probably seeing how many people were in his city, taking names and planning a takedown. If we'd left Ty Lee there she'd be questioned at most." and all of them knew questioning was a kind word for torture in any of the three nations.

Toph sighed, leaning back on her hands. "I don't know," she eventually said. "I don't know if this is a good idea. What if she turns on us?"

"Then you'll be the first to know," Aang said, which, both of them knew was a fair point. "I don't think she will though." It was just a feeling he got.

Toph mulled it over for a while longer. Long enough for Aang to start hearing the other two coming back. Then, "Fine."

"Thank you." That left just one.

They let Ty Lee try her hand at the fire, Aang's fingers itching every time her rocks made no sparks just to help her out. Zuko took him aside before he could however, dragging him over to the treeline, his careful breathing telling Aang maybe there was a reason those rocks weren't sparking. Could Zuko do that?

Aang started before Zuko could, "I know what you're going to say, that it was a bad idea and that I was stupid for inviting her. But-"

Zuko cut him off with a wave of his hand, "Don't care. What did my uncle say to you?"

"You…" okay, Aang could work with this, "Er, about the spirits?"

Zuko nodded.

"Oh, right, er he said that it was probably caused by the ocean spirit at the North Pole. That they're not necessarily trying to harm me, more, tell me something." That something still eluding him.

"Did he tell you how to stop it?" Zuko pressed.

Aang rubbed the back of his neck, "Kind of?"

"Kind of?" Zuko repeated.

"I mean," Aang shrugged, "I couldn't exactly ask him outright, Lu Ten interrupted, and what he said before that-"

"Lu Ten was there?" Zuko shook his head, saying more to himself "Of course he was there that's where he lives. No wonder Ty Lee brought you back."

"Yeah, and the Dai Lee saw her, and probably reported it to your cousin so I thought, better he come with us right?" Best to just get it out there.

Zuko nodded absentmindedly, "My uncle," he reminded Aang after a moment.

"Yes, he said that I'm the Avatar so I should be able to close the portal or something." He didn't actually say that but Aang could pretty much fill in the blanks now he knew how his dreams were being sent to him.

Zuko blinked a few times at him before demanding, "Did my uncle actually tell you anything important or did the two of you just sit there drinking tea for five hours?"

Aang shrugged, "We did both?"

Zuko pinched the bridge of his nose. Hard.

"Hey!" Ty Lee called, "I did it!"

"That's great." He left Zuko to his wallowing, sprinting over before anything else could be said to help Ty Lee baby the sparks into a full blown fire.

They didn't have any food to speak of. Thankfully they'd all ate in Ba Sing Se. Sure, it was almost morning now, and Aang was starting to feel a little hunger. But he could push it to the side, and so could the others. Honestly the only problem here would have been if Sokka had joined them.

As it was, tired, and Sokka-less, they all found whatever short amount of sleep they could before starting back to Katara and their resistance.

"When are you going to try it?" Zuko asked, sliding next to Aang on Appa's head as they passed one of the last islands before the start of their own.

He pursed his lips, "Tomorrow? Maybe? I don't know. Now I know they're trying to tell me something I don't know if I should close it or not." Or even if he knew how to. Sure, saying he just had to close a portal sounded easy, but he'd barely delved into the Spirit World. He'd been too afraid to.

"And what if they try and get you tonight? Aang you stopped breathing. Just because they're not trying to kill you doesn't mean they won't."

Which was a fair point.

"And their message? If they have any sense they'd try and deliver it without choking you. Close the portal. Please."

Zuko was looking when Aang turned his head, eyes begging Aang to just listen this once. He couldn't exactly argue with it. "Fine. But," he put in just in case he got yelled at tomorrow, "I don't know if I can do it first try. It might take a while. I've never done something like this before."

"You haven't done a lot of things before," Zuko pointed out, "But I have faith in you."

Zuko must have really been worried if he was actually saying this stuff out loud. Usually it was subtext. He couldn't help maybe taking advantage of this worry to lean over and steal a quick kiss.

One that finished with a little, "Aw," coming from the saddle. Ty Lee was leaning over the edge, watching the two of them like they were some kind of opera. In under a second however, that cutesy look was gone and replaced with something Aang would expect to see on Sokka. Something filled with glee and the promise to never let them live this down. "Mai's gonna be so disappointed."

"Shut up," Zuko snapped.

His warning went unheard, "She used to have a thing for you."

"Ty Lee," he ground out.

Aang tried to picture Mai, "The gloomy girl?" as having a crush.

"She's not gloomy," Zuko hissed.

Ty Lee shrugged, "She kind of is. But that's why we love her. And that's why she looooves you Zu-"

There was a small blast of fire that Ty Lee skillfully evaded. Looks like the circus had taught her some tricks. "Hey," she didn't sound mad, usual grin on her face, "Your firebending's gotten better."

"Shut up," Zuko whined.

That was their whole ride back.

Katara was waiting for them, Haru by her side and was that a mustache? They hadn't been away that long. Had they? He heard Zuko smother a snigger behind him, the pair of them taking a moment to brace themselves before breaking the news to Katara they had another mouth to feed.

Aang left it to Toph to take care of Katara's sudden anger. Grabbing Ty Lee he dragged her far from the firing zone and over to where their 'living' quarters were. They barely used them. Or, well, the others barely used them, Aang liked the four walls enclosing him every now and then. It didn't always stop the dreams, but it made Aang feel safer.

"So that's Katara's bed, but she spends most nights with Haru these days." Usually for midnight strolls and, on more than one occasion, Katara showing off for him under the weight of the moon. "Toph sleeps outside so if you want her bed it's that one." They didn't have one for Sokka and Suki here. They'd need to rectify that. Or, maybe not since Aang was sure they would be moving before Sokka came back.

"It's all so rustic," she said, smile still on her face. It was rather like spending time with Toph, everything Aang thought she would mind she actually didn't.

"Yeah, well, war and all."

He showed Ty Lee the rest of the village. Momo, who often liked to grace them with his presence when he was bored harassing the rest of the people here. The well. The people. It was small but it was home for now.

"I think Zuko might be able to give you lessons if you're interested in fighting. Otherwise, I'm sure there's a place for you on the war council." He wasn't going to let her just fade into the background. He'd let her find her own place here, but there was no way he wasn't utilising her at some point.

"Oh I'm not a firebender," Ty Lee said.

Aang nodded, "I meant other lessons. He fights with dual swords more than his bending."

There was a short snort from Ty Lee at that, "He still plays with those? His uncle gave them to him you know. They were a present before he… well before we thought he'd died. Azula was so jealous."

Aang held his tongue, leading her around the rest of the village and back to where Katara was, well she wasn't calm, but she definitely wasn't flinging water around anymore.

When she caught sight of Aang he almost ducked for cover. Almost. He did spend most nights terrorizing Zuko after all.

"So," Aang nudged Ty Lee a little in front of him, "This is Katara. And that's Haru."

Haru, at least, had the decency to shake Ty Lee's hand.

"So, now we've all gotten to know each other, I'm gonna," he zipped off, narrowly dodging a water hand trying to grab him.

He hid himself away on a roof, pacing around for a while before deciding to just do it. Just get it over with. It wouldn't be too bad. He was the Avatar. He could do this. He could do this .

Taking a deep breath, he sat and focused. He could do this. He'd trained for it, he'd made contact with Roku before so this shouldn't be any different.

He cleared his mind of all worldly problems. Focused.

Yet all he managed was a few hours of meditation. No matter how much Aang tried he couldn't get himself over to the Spirit World.

"Here," something delicious was wafted under his nose.

"Noodles?"

Ba Sing Se noodles. "I got them for when you came back," Zuko said, perching next to him.

Aang dug in, finishing the bowl faster than he would have liked.

He got back to meditating when he was finished, Zuko a solid presence behind him. He'd never say it, but Aang knew Zuko was there in case something went wrong. He could be pretty loud when he wanted to be, and Aang was sure Katara would come running no matter how mad she might be at Aang right now.

He still couldn't cross over, and before he knew it night had fallen and Zuko was snoring on Aang's knee.

"We'll try again tomorrow," Aang decided, grabbing under Zuko's knees and carrying him inside.

Ty Lee was the only one there when he stumbled in. She wasn't completely asleep, poking one eye open before, and Aang hadn't even realised she was tense, relaxing back into her pallet.

"He okay?" she asked.

"Fine," Aang mumbled back, shifting Zuko to his usual spot, "Just passed out in an uncomfortable place."

Apparently that hadn't been uncommon when Ty Lee had known him since she sent a small snort his way before turning her back. "Goodnight."

"Night."

The spirits must have known he was onto them since they didn't bother messing with him the whole week he tried to get in touch with them. He didn't even get dreams of his past lives, that was how much they were leaving him alone.

He didn't like it. He didn't trust the spirits at all, and he knew for certain they hadn't gotten their message across. This was just a strategic retreat.

Well, Aang could work with that.

"What's the status on the supplies?" Aang asked, brush stiff in his hand. It was already red and aggravated from how long it had sat, tense, as Toph, Katara and Zuko told him about the various messages they'd gotten.

Katara lay down the scrap of paper that had come this morning, "Sokka said it's going to take another month. But he's sending Suki back before then. Apparently there's been some trouble around the Southern seas she's checking out before meeting us back here to plan another take over."

So they'd have at least one of their commanders back soon. That was good. Even if Sokka was needing to stay longer. He felt a little useless with no one to boss him around, and Katara didn't count.

"That's still too long. We're going to have to go back to Omashu." He just hoped Mai would be willing to help them again. Toph had already said she would be, that Toph had warned her they would probably be back, but Aang had always secretly hoped their deal with the South would be worked out before then.

"Maybe we can send Ty Lee to do the negotiations for us. She's so 'willing to help'," Katara falsettoed.

"You should be glad she's here at all," Zuko snapped. Surprisingly, after the first few days of avoiding Ty Lee, he ended up spending the most time with her. Aang knew half of it was trying to ask about his sister, but Aang also thought Zuko just genuinely liked her. They went back a long way after all, and she was probably the only familiar thing he had of his old life left. According to Toph Zuko probably liked her because she was 'girl Aang'. Meaning she talked so much Zuko didn't even need to answer, and for a quiet guy like him it was probably easier for him to socialise like that. Meaning, "You might mock her but sending Ty Lee is probably one of the best ideas you've had yet. She knows Mai, she's a Fire Nation noble. Even if word has reached Omashu about her disappearing she's a proficient liar, and her fighting skills are unparalleled."

"Really?" Aang asked. He'd heard Zuko had been sparring with her since, well, Zuko told him whenever Aang asked about the new bruise he had. He knew she was good, just not 'unparalleled'.

"She's a chi blocker," Zuko explained. "Flexible and fast too. She trained with my sister." And if that wasn't proof of her skill Aang didn't know what was.

If a girl like Azula, a so called prodigy, had thought Ty Lee good enough to train with her, then Aang had definitely made a good decision in asking her to come.

"Then we'll send Ty Lee," Aang decided. "Toph, you too."

"Fine," Toph agreed. Aang knew he could always count on her to do the dangerous stuff.

"Great. Now what else?"

Skirmishes on some of the islands. A breakout at one of the prisons. Maintaining freedom was hard without Suki, but they were making it work.

They coordinated with the ships, and in under two weeks waved Ty Lee and Toph off as they went to Omashu. "If they don't come back with Mai I'll be surprised," Zuko sighed, mask on now they were surrounded by people.

"Mai," Aang repeated, grin on his face "Should I be worried if they do turn up with her? You seemed awfully defensive when Ty Lee mentioned-"

Zuko strode off before Aang could finish. He didn't worry about it. About Mai. Zuko was his own person, and Gyatso had always said to trust people to make their own mind up. Whatever happened was going to happen if Aang got jealous or not, so, why bother wasting time on jealousy? It wasn't like Mai was here kissing Zuko.

Still, he made up for his teasing by sneaking some Earth Kingdom sweets over to Zuko that evening. Over them, with Appa shielding them from the rest of the village, Aang listened as Zuko told him about Azula.

"She didn't know," Ty Lee that was. "I asked her what she knew and she just looked at me. She wasn't sad though. Not like if she was…" dead. Like they'd thought Zuko had been. "So I think she's been sent away somewhere. But why would father do that? Why would Ty Lee not know? Azula wrote to her about everything. So unless father took the letters or- or she just couldn't then." He sighed, leaning back into Appa's paw, the bison sniffing around, as if sensing Zuko's sadness, and planting one long lick to his second favourite human. The first being Aang of course.

"Maybe she joined the army," Aang suggested. "Or the Navy. Maybe she's in the North Pole right now scaring Arnook and Paku into submission."

Zuko snorted, wiping off the worst of the drool, "Maybe."

It was maybe stupid of him to say, but, when it came down to it, Azula was Zuko's sister, and if they were going to take on the Fire Nation then there was a good chance Azula would turn up at some point. So, "We'll find her," he promised. "It'll be okay."

Zuko sighed, saying nothing. Aang understood anyway. Conflicting loyalties were never easy to explain.

The spirits left him alone their whole way to the first of their many problem islands. Almost immediately Aang had to fight his way to some sort of peace, the Fire Nation inmates that had escaped literally leaving nothing to chance and scorching everything and everyone in sight.

When they had them tied back up, contained but not dealt with, Aang confronted the reality that they simply needed to build a prison. A real prison.

"If we'd taken that last one over," Aang sighed, looking at the maps. "But that was for earthbenders. How do you even contain a firebender?"

"Cold," Katara said, eyes on Zuko. "Right?"

The Blue Spirit inclined his head a little.

"Cold?" Had they all not seen Zuko and the rest of the Fire Navy at the North Pole?

"Contained cold," Katara said, "If we managed to come up with something that froze them up immediately we could contain them better."

"But we don't have that." They barely had supplies to survive on nevermind invent with. He let his head thunk back into his hands for a few minutes, long enough for him to remember, "Earth. Soil, it neutralises fire." He'd seen soil be used a few times to put out fires that got a little too much for water. In the forests too, wildfires were put out with soil not water. Only when fire had nowhere else to burn would it kill itself in the soil. "We need to gather the earthbenders, have them build underground cells. The firebenders can't destroy anything if there's nothing to destroy."

It was the best idea they had. There weren't enough waterbenders to build the kind of cold Katara wanted. Even if there were they were at the North Pole, and going there right now was suicide. So, they would work with the Earth.

Haru was the first to build one of these prisons. It took him a week, and hours of recovery with Katara, but they did it. One by one Aang and the villagers led the prisoners down to their new cells, avoiding the fire some of them spat in their faces.

Aang made them wait a few days just to make sure the prison held out before telling the island they needed to go. The Avatar's work was never finished after all.

They worked on building these prisons on each of the islands they visited. Thankfully there were other earthbenders to help Haru out, meaning it didn't take a week to get it all up and running. Aang dealt with the other things that needed his attention in the meantime. The fights were, of course, over stupid, little things, like stealing and land property. Aang thought the few families he'd seen starving in the streets were more important than who had the biggest stall at the market but, he was almost always talked over, meaning it was up to the few measly coins he had available to try and help out those who really needed his help.

By the time they landed on Kyoshi Suki was well and truly back. She was stood with the other warriors waving their return. Aang almost leapt off the saddle he was so happy to see her.

"Never leave," he begged when he did get a hold of her. "You're too valuable. These past few months have been awful."

She laughed, hugging him back, "It's good to see you too."

She held her arms out for the other three, managing to catch Zuko before he slunk off for a hug of his own. Katara's was the only one that didn't manage to make contact. She held her hand out stopping Suki in place, the fingers raising to point at something blue on Suki's neck, "Is that what I think it is?"

Suki's hand immediately went to it, Aang not getting a good look between her fingers. It looked nice, unfortunately he wasn't sure everyone agreed with him as Katara demanded a closer look. "It's not what you think."

"It's a betrothal necklace! How can it not be what I think? Wait." she peered even closer, Aang slowly edging away, not wanting to listen to this blow up, "Is that my mothers?"

"Well-" Zuko dragged Aang away before he could hear the answer, the rest of the Kyoshi warriors following them almost as fast to their training hall.

There, in the peace and quiet, only mildly able to hear the fight breaking out, did the Kyoshi warriors fill them in. They also introduced them to some new guests, all of them in familiar Water Tribe blue.

The trading with the South Pole went about as expected. No one at that village was happy with it. At all.

It took Sokka weeks to persuade his Gran Gran to hear him out. Even longer for the firebenders to be allowed off the ship and start building defences around the Southern Water Tribe. The Kyoshi Warriors that had went with Suki said they'd managed to start gathering supplies, building a real stock to bring back when they'd gotten word from one of the islands that there was some kind of blockade not allowing the supplies supposedly coming from Omashu onto their land.

"As far as we know there should be furs and cloth along with preserved meat and a few bone weapons coming with the first shipment. It's not a lot, but it will be," Iki said. Then she started on the blockade itself.

Naturally, Suki being the fierce, wonderful woman she was, wasn't going to stand by and let an island of people starve, so she'd loaded one of the boats and sailed head first into the first ship that came in her way.

Despite being outnumbered, Iki said Suki scared the Water Tribe warriors, who rightfully snorted at that accusation, enough to agree to peace talks. It was only during that when the two parties realised they were on the same side.

"Sokka met us halfway," Iki said. "You should have seen him, the leader's his dad, he was crying at one point." The other warriors nodded, Aang seeing this was a good thing. "And then he and Suki were talking and he just handed her this necklace. It was so romantic."

"The gesture," one of the other girls specified, "The necklace itself was a bit," she made a face.

"Yeah," Iki agreed, "So Hakoda, Sokka's dad, was all, why don't you hold onto this and gave Sokka his mom's necklace while the two of them made a better one in the South Pole."

"I think Suki liked the first one," one of the girls said.

"She did," another agreed, "But you have to admit it's cute Sokka let her wear his moms."

Katara didn't think so.

Regardless, the rest of the time it took for Katara and Suki to duke it out Aang formally met the missing members of the Southern Water Tribe. Hakoda was missing, Iki telling him he insisted on going back with Sokka and actually doing his job as chief for once. He'd be meeting them back up along with Sokka when the first supply ship came.

Until then Bato was who Aang would be communicating with on matters of war, Hakoda's second in command and overall good 'uncle' when Katara came in red eyed before sundown and flung herself at him.

"Is dad-"

"With your brother."

He at least got Katara to calm down.

They ate just after the moon rose, Aang finally getting a look at Suki's necklace. "It's… nice." he decided on.

Bato, across from him, snorted into his cup, "Hakoda hasn't an artistic bone in his body. Something poor Sokka got too. You should have seen Kya's face when he presented her with it. He ended up swapping it out for his mom's old one in case she left him."

The other warriors across the table shared a laugh, even Katara joining in, her eyes lingering on the necklace anyway. "Mom still wore it," she said. "Sometimes."

"It's temporary," Suki said, sounding like she'd said it far too much today.

"I know," Katara ground out.

It was like that the rest of the night.

He was happy to go to bed, it meant he didn't have to watch the staring contest Katara was having with Suki's neck. Or wait, tense, for the moment Katara snapped and lunged for it.

It did make him miss his own however, the strap of cloth along his neck now not the same. It was the first thing that had been solely his since he'd left home. The rest of his stuff was gone, his clothes too torn to be worn and now bandages. His glider was an old relic, and what he was wearing now was borrowed off other people. His necklace was something he'd made himself, that no one had borrowed because they needed it.

He yawned, letting that thought go. It was gone, Lu Ten had it now. He could always make another one.

War planning was on everyone's mind in the morning. Now Suki had been brought up to speed on Ty Lee and Toph in Omashu, the new prisons and the quelled rebellions she didn't want to waste any time striking another island. "The reason there's fighting is because they're restless. We need to get this up and running again. Which means moving further north." She pointed out the island she'd had her eye on before she'd left.

Strangely, especially with what Aang knew about Water Tribe customs, they had no problem listening to Suki laying out an almost flawless battle plan. There were some amendments. Especially now they had a sort of Navy at their disposal, but by the end of three days they had a plan, and Aang had no time at all to think. They were recruiting, mobilising, checking engines and sharpening weapons.

They were fighting.

So much fighting.

By the years end they had the islands surrounding the Earth Kingdom mainland claimed.

It was colder in winter. Not as cold as the poles, but the air was chill and no longer did Aang have to cool himself down should a warm breeze come their way.

They were docked on, not even an island, just a patch of land that was big enough to house a few houses. A good vantage point to watch the walls of Omashu from. As well as their ports.

Suki was already in talks with Bato about just how they could go about taking the port for themselves. Really, Aang thought she would have struck already were it not for the letter from Sokka who had been playing catch up with them. He was a few hours away according to the last messenger hawk, and that alone was worth another days wait.

It was after nightfall when the horn sounded and a lorn ship shadowed itself on the water. Closer it crept, the familiar sails of a Water Tribe ship making all of them let out a breath in relief.

"Dad," Katara said, a smile creeping onto her face as she waited impatiently for the ship to follow the flare of light Zuko and Aang sent up to help them.

It took a while to dock a boat, but Katara, waterbender, propelled herself up before Bato and the others could finish dragging it onto the sand. There was a rush of squealing, then Sokka poking his head over the edge.

"Suki!" They both got wet when Suki tackled Sokka into the sea. Laughing, Aang was witness to Sokka formally introducing his dad, again, to his now, for real, "Better than the last I promise."

"I don't care," Suki laughed, "I don't care just give me it."

"Aw," Ty Lee said next to Aang. "He's cute. Good for her."

"How cute?" Toph asked, the next few minutes of Aang's life filled with Ty Lee rating every boy Toph and her knew in terms of cuteness. He didn't particularly like his own ranking. He did enjoy that he came before Bato however, Aang hearing more than once Ty Lee and some of the other warriors saying that if he was just that little bit younger.

Sokka didn't appear to see anyone else, letting himself be willingly dragged off by Suki to look at her new necklace in a proper light. Aang heard them go, attention more on the man following Katara off the ship.

"Hakoda," Katara said, getting an odd look off her dad for that, "Meet Aang," she held her father's hand out for him just in case he decided not to shake Aang's hand. "He's the Avatar."

"It's nice to meet you," Aang said, "I've heard a lot about you." Mostly from the last few months, Bato being more than happy to fill anyone who would listen about his friend. Strangely it was just from Bato. Katara seemed rather closed off whenever Aang brought up the subject of his dad. Aang supposed it must have been hard for her, she had assumed he was dead after all.

But then, so did Ty Lee in regards to Zuko and the two certainly weren't shy about gossiping about each other. It felt like every time he turned around either Ty Lee or Zuko was pouncing on the other, battling it out until Zuko couldn't move any longer or Ty Lee was fleeing into whatever tree was closest to her.

The hand in his gave him a firm shake, "You too. I hear we have an invasion to plan."

Aang rubbed the back of his neck, "Actually, you're kind of late for that." He supposed Hakoda wouldn't know, what with Suki telling them outright that if she heard even a rumour that someone was letting slip battle plans they'd get their fingers cut off. So, it looked like it was up to Aang to ease another Water Tribe warrior into the idea of a lady taking charge.

Hakorda took it pretty well. What with Sokka talking Suki up the whole time they'd been to the South Pole, and Suki herself almost destroying the Water Tribe warriors he had no doubt a girl of her calibre could plan and lead an army. That wasn't to say Hakoda didn't want to go over the plans, just that he trusted the majority of the thinking process to be done for him.

Meaning it was a long night for Aang.

He slept only when Suki came back from wherever she'd dragged Sokka too, looking wholeheartedly more put together than her fiance when Aang found him attempting to tie his hair back up. Appa welcomed him for his quick before battle nap with a loud yawn, Momo appearing from somewhere to chitter him into dreamland.

Idiot that he was he didn't realise something was wrong until he was already sucked into whatever dark void this current spirit inhabited. The world around him seemed endless, empty, save for small light spots that glinted bigger at times like small flickering flames. He was hesitant to step forward, or even to look down, not wanting to dispel whatever was keeping him from falling.

One of the flames flickered brighter, Aang watching it swallow the one nearest to it. Then another. Eventually it swallowed Aang too, but unlike the other dreams this wasn't a suffocating light that cut off his air and tried to kill him. It was warm. Kind.

Scared.

The light faded, leaving Aang in a room looking more like the land he was used to. The walls were metal, the floor under his feet solid, packed earth. The air was humid, enough to make Aang swallow several times as he searched in vain for something to stop the dryness at the back of his mouth from spreading.

A puff of air at his back sent him forward, Aang turning to see steam, hot, boiling steam, fill the air. Or, more specifically, the cages.

There were dozens of them. Some were inhabited, some weren't. All of them were suspended, hanging from the ceiling by thick metal chains.

"It wanted to show you something else," came behind him, Aang turning again.

The girl at his back was familiar, but her essence wasn't what he remembered it to be. "Yue?" Sokka had said she'd died.

She smiled at him, "You remember me."

He knew they hadn't exactly talked, or interacted at all to be fair but, "You were Arnook's daughter. Kind of hard to forget a princess."

He got another smile for that. "It's a shame we didn't get to spend more time together."

Her necklace was gone, Aang supposing Yue wouldn't have any need for a betrothal anymore. She was dressed differently too, her clothes seeming to glow. "You said it wanted to show me something else?"

She nodded, face twisting as she looked towards the cages, "The ocean spirit. It's suffered so much Aang."

He saw the people for what they were now, the rags hanging on their wispy bodies just barely recognisable. The dirt, blood encrusted blue, the grey that at one point must have been white. "Water Tribe." Which, Aang wasn't sure. Maybe it was both.

"Waterbenders," Yue corrected. "This is what the Fire Nation did to my people. I never… I was told stories as a child about the raiders in the South, but never were we taught what happened to them afterwards. Whether they were still alive."

Aang didn't know if he would call this alive. Breathing they were certainly doing, but he was sure whatever life had been in them had long escaped their tortured souls. "Why the dreams? Why are they showing me this?" It was probably the only time he was going to get any answers, and while he couldn't tear his eyes off the waterbenders he wasn't going to waste this opportunity presented to him.

"Because the Avatar is meant to bring balance to the world. Both worlds. While they are separate, there are places in your world the spirits have left their mark on. They feel the earth, the trees, just as I see from the moon." A tid bit Aang was going to remember and never do any nightly mischief in the open land ever again. "They're suffering too Aang."

He nodded. He knew that. He had just never thought about it in these terms before. The ocean spirit wanted to show him this, meaning the ocean was connected to the waterbenders. These were, essentially, its children, just like the earth has its earthbenders and fire its firebenders. He wondered, briefly, if there was a spirit left for the airbenders. Did it feel the loss of its children when the Fire Nation cut out the last one?

"So, the message is to help them?"

Yue shook her head, "The message is to look at the consequences of your mistakes. The Avatar is human just like the rest of us, but, unlike the rest of us, he can look back on his past lives to learn about how to act in his future. They aren't trying to hurt you Aang, just warn you."

His mistakes. That made a lot of sense. If it had been a simple matter of helping the spirits then why show him his past lives. More specifically, why show him how he died? The spirits hadn't been sadistic, just figuring out a way to actually tell him what they wanted him to know. He was actually quite thankful they'd sent Yue instead of another route, the idea of looking at more of his mistakes, more things that had happened because he'd made the wrong choice or he'd disappeared at the wrong time made his throat dry out even further.

"I don't suppose you could get them to leave me alone now the message has been received?" Aang asked, mind already spinning about what he needed to think on when he woke.

Yue pursed her lips, "I'm certain they won't bother you too much, but Aang, sometimes there are things you need to know about. Accident or not, the ocean spirit has opened a way between our worlds for you. It's granted you knowledge some of your past lives strove their whole life for. Your dreams I can guard, but if something needs your attention I will let it be seen."

He thought about that for a moment before nodding, "I understand. And I am thankful," Now he knew what these dreams were about, "Just, could they try not to suffocate me? I really don't like waking up to injuries I didn't have when I went to sleep."

Yue nodded, the world around them fading until they were back in that black void. Or, maybe not black. Yue seemed to shine more now she was in her natural domain, wandering the sky easily as she put her stars back in place.

"You really are the moon then?"

"It's not a bad job," Yue said, "A bit lonely. But it's nice to be able to look down and watch the change you're bringing to this world."

He looked down, wondering if he could see some slice of his own world. There was nothing. Aang chalked it up to needing moon powers. "So er, when you say you watch us…?"

She gave him a look that confirmed everything he'd feared. After a moment, once Aang's embarrassment had worn off, Yue said, "Tell Sokka I'm happy for him, won't you."

Aang nodded, "Yeah." He hadn't known they'd even spoke to each other.

"Also," she came a little closer, "As the moon, I'm able to see more than just you Aang, so I'm going to give you some advice. Don't fight. Hear them out."

"Wh-" she gave him a push, Aang waking just before he hit whatever bottom had been waiting for him.

Her words echoed around his head as he sat upright. Or, as he tried to. The moment he was an inch off the ground something was wrapping itself around him, forcing his limbs to stiffen to his side. He would have screamed, but someone stuffed a gag in his mouth, Aang rolling around until his assailants hoisted him up.

Yue's words went around again, Aang wondering just what kind of moon alcohol she'd been drinking if she thought it was a good idea for Aang not to fight. They were probably here to kill him. They'd quietened him for crying out loud.

"We have him," someone said to his back, Aang's neck twisting to see a slither of familiar blue and white before the world went dark once more.

He didn't dream.

When he woke a second time his head was splitting and his limbs were cramped. A bump sent him crashing into whatever wooden contraption was carrying them, almost knocking Aang unconscious again.

Don't fight, Yue had said. Aang was beginning to wish he'd ignored her.

The ride was long, and as soon as whoever had him discovered he was awake Aang found himself knocked out again. If he didn't wake up with some gaps in his knowledge he would be surprised.

As it was, the next time he woke up his surroundings were vastly different from the wooden planks his nose had been pressed against the last time.

For one, he wasn't tied up, and happily moved his arms about. For two, he wasn't alone, Zuko, with his mask removed, was staring dazedly at men Aang vaguely recalled to be the Dai Li?

"Hey," Aang slurred, pushing up to his butt, "Leave him alone." They'd done a number on him. Where Aang had just let fate take him Zuko had put up a fight, The bruises on his shoulders alone told Aang the earth they'd packed Zuko in had been restricting more than just his limbs. His face was a mottle of black and blue, yet here Zuko was, even he no match for, what, twenty, Dai Li that had attacked them in the middle of the night.

They weren't attacking him. In fact, once Aang had been dragged to his feet and swept of any mud or dirt, he saw the Dai Li doing the same to Zuko. "Best behaviour," one of them warned, pushing the two of them in front of them.

They moved through vacant halls, Aang vaguely remembering them. They felt familiar in a way that made him want to boost himself up and take a nap on one of the cabinets.

It was a long walk. Too long for someone who'd been knocked out who knew how many times. It was a challenge just putting one foot in front of the other, and Aang found himself giggling as more than once his feet crossed over so much he almost fell on the nearest Dai Li agent.

"He's gonna kill us," He heard one of the Dai Li said.

"Not if we explain it," another said.

"Just look at them. He said 'be gentle'."

"They're alive aren't they. I'd say that's 'gentle'."

Aang almost fell over again, straightened only by the Dai Li that caught his arm before he hit the floor.

The halls ended up leading to a throne room. All three were occupied when Aang stumbled in. "Hey, it's the dragon," he remembered, the old man hopping up and looking just as old mannish as ever.

"I take it you ran into some complications," the Dragon said, eyes sweeping over Aang.

"Not so much the Avatar but this one," the commander nudged Zuko forward who did fall on his face. Almost immediately the Dai Li were around him, hoisting him back up and generally apologising. "He er, we didn't know he could use swords. You just mentioned the firebending."

The Dragon took Zuko's face in hand, Aang's vision going a little blurry as he heard, "My nephew has always been resourceful. Take them to their rooms commander won't you? I'm sure the healers and a good nights sleep will undo some of the damage you've wrought to these two young souls."

Aang didn't remember much else, just woke to a woman in Fire red bending water over his head. His mind felt clearer, and the aches in his body weren't as bad either. A healer then. Not one he remembered however. But since Aang couldn't really recall everyone he'd passed in the North he assumed she was probably one of the benders brought back from the recent conquering.

"My friend's a waterbender," Aang said.

The waterbender herself nodded, "I've heard. How are you feeling?"

Aang thought about it for a moment, "Like the moon's pissed at me for something."

The bender got her water back on his head for that comment, even if it was true.

"Where are we?" That feeling of familiarity was still thrumming through him. Even this room, if it weren't splashed in different colours he could have sworn he'd know it.

"Omashu," the bender said.

"Ah." that explained it. He tried sitting up, seeing the room he'd explored in his childhood come into focus more now he knew where he was. Yup, there was where Aang used to nap. There was where Bumi used to break down walls when he grew tired of hide and seek. Good times. "Where's… they brought another-"

"The prince is fine," the bender inclined her head behind her to where Zuko, unconscious still, was being tended to by his own waterbender. "He was whacked about a bit more than you." She let the water fall back to her bowl. "If you're feeling better the Dragon of the West has asked you for supper."

Demanded more like, but Aang wasn't one to pass up a free meal even if it was his enemies serving it. "Sure."

He was dressed in clothes fancier than he'd ever been dressed in before. They were light and easily moved in, so Aang didn't fear tripping up in them should he need to scamper before the night was done.

He knew where the dining room was, but the servants in Omashu were so earnest he let them show him anyway, and was rather glad he had since the dining room had changed places since the last time he'd been here. A hundred years, he reminded himself.

Supper was well underway by the time he arrived, the Dragon of the West not looking all that imposing as he made tusks out of chopsticks for the little girl squealing to his left. Really the only serious one there was Lu Ten, his eyes narrowing in on Aang as soon as he stepped foot inside.

He was the first to rise for all his seriousness, Aang surprised at the short bow Lu Ten sent his way. "Avatar," he greeted, the others standing and doing the same.

He bowed back, chancing a small, "Hi." He'd never exactly met them under formal circumstances. This wasn't exactly formal either. What did he even call them? "Thank you for the invitation. Could have asked without the whole, kidnapping thing but, well," he shrugged, he was here now, nothing he could do about it.

The Dragon bowed his head, "I'm afraid that's my fault Avatar. I had told my people to bring you here, I just did not think the means they would go to in order to ensure you got here alive." Which, yeah, it could have been worse. Even if there had been an invitation it wasn't like Aang would have taken it. "Please," he indicated to one of the two empty seats already set up and full of-

"This is vegetarian." He looked to the other plates, finding them full to the brim with Fire Nation delicacies. Most of which were meat based.

"I hope I did not offend you Avatar. I was told the Air Nomads lived off a meat free diet," the Dragon said.

"No, they did, thank you." It could have been poisoned. But, Aang was hungry, and he hadn't had a decent meal in who knew how long at this point.

There was a smattering of silence as Aang took his first bite, broken only by the baby Aang hadn't even noticed grumbling for his mother's attention. Aang made the connection before he even looked at the little girl. This was Ursa. Zuko's mother.

Oh no.

Lu Ten cleared his throat, putting Aang's mental breakdown to the side for now. Something dangled over the roasted pig chicken. "This is yours."

"My necklace." He gladly snatched it out of Lu Ten's hands, finding it in almost pristine condition. It had been rather dingy last time Aang had seen it, dirty from the lack of care and general roughness of sleeping outside. Now the metal gleamed, like Lu Ten had polished it. The ribbon felt softer too, the mud washed out of it.

"An interesting thing," the Dragon said, "My nephew was always a good artist in his youth." and, yeah, Aang could admit the thing supposed to be Appa wasn't the best. In his defence however, he'd never crafted with metal before, it had always been paper and ink.

"Well, it was dark when he made it."

"In that case," The Dragon raised his cup, "Allow me to congratulate you, and formally welcome you to the family."

Right, married. "Er, thanks?" Shouldn't they be trying to kill him?

It was an odd dinner. Aang ate his food trying to find out just what was going on and ending up with even more questions than answers. They seemed to be doing their best not to talk about anything incriminating. In fact, half way through Aang's soup course he found himself being told all about what Zuko was like when he was Kiyi's age.

Just when Ursa had started on the pond Zuko used to love splashing in they heard a series of shouts go off down the hallway. Ursa had her hand on both her children, even the Dragon perched on the edge of his chair, ready to leap up. The only one not on edge was Lu Ten, a small, "He's awake," reminding Aang that Lu Ten had been at the prison when Zuko and Sokka had broke him out. More, when they broke in. Aang still wasn't too sure if Lu Ten had been there the whole time just watching from some secret room.

Aang leaned back in his seat, trying to see if anything was flying down their hallway yet. "You know if you call the guards to retreat he won't end up sending more to the healers."

Lu Ten seemed to agree as he sighed, pushing himself up from his seat and yelling at someone down the hall to stop trying to show Zuko the way and just let him find it on his own.

Either the sound of Lu Ten yelling or the guards running instead of fighting had the hallways calming down. Just as Lu Ten took his seat Zuko, still a little bruised up, Aang sure half of them had just been made, hung his head around the doorway, hands alight with flames.

They stopped just as Aang heard Ursa's chair scraping.

He should have probably told Ursa in the short half hour before Zuko woke that it wouldn't be the reunion she wanted. He maybe, because he honestly didn't know what to make of Zuko's mother, probably should have just told Lu Ten to tell Ursa since Lu Ten, at least, Aang got a reading on. Either way, he hadn't said anything, which meant Aang was there when Zuko noticed the two young ones. He was there when Zuko ran off.

"I should," Aang was stopped from standing by a swift kick to his shin.

"You're our hostage, you're not going anywhere," Lu Ten stood up again, "I'll talk to him. Father don't bore the Avatar to sleep while I'm gone, we still have to talk to him."

"Bore him?" He leaned a little closer to Aang, "I am many things Avatar but a bore I am not. Now how about some tea?"

He remembered the guards warning in Ba Sing Se and nodded his head.

When supper was done, and Aang had been told insistently to call the Dragon Iroh "I hardly have scales," they took tea in a smaller room Aang remembered being a council room when he was younger.

Kiyi rather enjoyed the new room since she didn't have to sit still and eat all her vegetables. So much so Aang found himself being given a tour of sorts as, after she'd finished running around the room, she dragged Aang to every shiny thing she could find.

He had to admit, the shiny things were rather impressive.

"Usually the governor stays here. But I highly suggested he and his family take a short holiday to one of the colonies for a few days," Iroh said, watching them from his seat.

"In my day the king of Omashu lived here. I guess Omashu fell not long after Ba Sing Se." The casual way they walked the halls suggested a few years inhabitation at least.

There was a choking sound, Aang finding Iroh struggling a little with his tea.

Kiyi led him back around to the shiny golden badger mole. "I'm a princess you know," She told him, bringing him back towards her mother. "And if Zuko's a prince, does that make you one too? Uncle Iroh says you're married to him. But grandfather said that's illegal so are you?"

"Kiyi," Iroh grabbed the girl around the waist, blowing on her cheek, "Stop bothering the Avatar. Here, help me lay out my new Jasmine blend."

Aang took a seat next to Ursa, giving baby Zuko a little wave. As much as he didn't like the idea of her naming her son after her older one, he had to admit the kid was cute.

"He's angry with me, isn't he?" Ursa said.

"I mean," Aang nodded towards the baby.

She hefted the baby closer to her, rocking slightly as she said, "He's actually alive."

Aang just, had never understood that, "How did you all think he was dead? What happened?"

Ursa didn't answer, too busy coming to terms with her son's very much not deadness. Which meant it was up to Iroh to say, "It is a long story. Don't worry, you'll hear it before we let you go."

"You're letting me go?" Some good news then. Well, depending on how Iroh defined 'letting go' it could be good news.

Yet, "Oh yes. We need you to call off your army. I'm afraid if we do it, they may think we've done something bad to you and attack anyway."

He didn't understand any of this.

The Jasmine blend was actually pretty good. Kiyi was a good host too, refilling Aang's cup after he so much as took a sip. He ended up waterbending a little flying dolphin for her when his cup almost overflowed. The show got a little round of applause from Iroh too, commending him on his waterbending. "I had feared you wouldn't have much mastery over it. Pakku mentioned you left before he could get onto advanced forms with you."

Pakku? "You've talked with Pakku?"

Iroh nodded, "As soon as he suspected the young man walking through one of the waterbending schools was my nephew we have been in touch. I know Zuko does not like it, but he looks more like his father with every spring." Which meant Pakku had met with Ozai at least once.

Which meant, "He said Pakku wanted a word with him, that he thought he might know who Zuko was."

Iroh nodded. "I didn't believe it at the time. Zuko was dead. But, it appears not everything is how it's often told."

Aang was dying to unravel that one, but Iroh seemed to have a way of leaving Aang with more questions than answers so he held his tongue. For now.

They were in there long enough for the tea to go cold and baby Zuko to finally doze off. Kiyi wasn't far behind him, but she'd managed to hold off long enough for her cousin to come back with big Zuko in tow.

He didn't look happy. Neither of them looked happy actually, but they were here. "He's going to behave," Lu Ten said, taking a seat next to Ursa, leaving the one between his father and Aang free for Zuko. "You'd best talk fast father."

"I'll do my best."

Even then, Lu Ten started to do most of the explaining when it seemed Iroh liked to paint a picture than speak the facts. What Aang learned there he wasn't sure what to make of it. When they were finally free to go to their rooms he felt like he'd been bludgered again with how much he couldn't wrap his head around things.

"So," Aang said into the silence. Zuko was sitting on the edge of their mattress, back to him, he'd been unearthly still the whole night, and while any other time Aang would be dying to know what he was thinking, right now he couldn't even think about his own problems. One thing was for sure however, "We're going to have to call the invasion off."

Zuko hopped up, his movements finally having a purpose, "I'll do it. You stay here."

"But-"

He didn't say anything, just looked at Aang in a way that spoke of leaving the matter alone. Zuko needed this. He needed the time away, and if it hadn't been Zuko's own family here Aang would have been fighting tooth and nail to be the one to go. But it was Zuko's family here, and, Aang also had to admit, maybe Lu Ten would feel better about keeping Aang here than he would Zuko. Aang was security that Zuko would come back, the same couldn't be said yet for the other way around, Lu Ten hadn't witnessed Aang breaking Zuko out of anywhere after all.

So Aang nodded, grabbing Zuko just before he finished tying the last sash on the travelling cloak that had found itself into their new room. "Be careful," Aang told him.

"I should be telling you that." He dipped forward, their lips meeting for a brief moment before Zuko was gone.

The tingles Zuko's kisses still left behind distracted him long enough to make it back to his pillow. Unfortunately that was all, Aang back to working his way through Iroh's proposal once more.

"I suppose I should start from what you know. Or what you don't know Avatar, rumour has it you were frozen for a hundred years."

"More than rumour I'm afraid."

Definitely more than rumour. The world was more unrecognisable the longer Aang lived in it. He wasn't going to lie and say things were great in his day. That the sun was that little bit hotter and the land that little bit greener. The sun was the sun and the land, while it might have been less scorched in his time, had not lost the luster it had and would continue to have for the next hundred years he was sure.

But things were certainly simpler. His world was smaller. He had Gyatso, he had his friends, he had no destiny driving him to near insanity and spirits so desperate for him not to fail they were almost killing him to get their point across.

"Then in a way I am happy you did not have to live through some of the atrocities my people have performed."

He rubbed his hand against his head, the image of this 'happy' family Iroh had first painted seared there. The grandfather, his sons, their children, all of them just a family. People.

"We were always pitted against each other, as sons of ambitious men often are. I had no taste for it, mostly because Ozai took all the fun out of it. He was always a sore loser, tossing my game tables over and burning my curtains."

"He still looks at me like he wants to burn me."

It ran around Aang's head, the bluntness Lu Ten had spoken it. The way Zuko had mumbled almost immediately afterwards, "At least he hasn't." All of them looking at that awful scar on Zuko's face. The scar Aang now had an answer as to how it got there.

Burned by his own father.

What kind of man-

No man, Aang answered, thinking back on Zuko all those months ago, huddled in the Southern Air Temple. Aang had thought his opinion on his family was because of what they'd done to the world, never did he even imagine that it was born of something so hateful.

Iroh started with painting the picture of his family. How they worked. How Iroh was expected to bring honour to their empire and, as Aang had heard from Zuko, telling Aang himself about his dream of conquering the unconquerable Ba Sing Se.

He told Aang about doing the impossible. Of standing there, at the palace steps with the body of the Earth King laid out before him. How powerful he'd felt.

"All of it not long after my precious Lu Ten almost died."

"Father-"

"I don't know what would have happened if, what I would have become, if those men had managed to strike you."

Assassins, sent by Ozai himself. He'd hoped with Lu Ten out of the picture Iroh's lust for battle would be lost, and with no heir Azulon would think the younger son with more talent and two children prime for grooming would be the better option.

"We did not know it was Ozai that sent those men. Not until Zuko went missing."

Until then Iroh had been living in a world where his son had defied death and the spirits were showing him time and again this path was the right one. He'd been unstoppable, taking Omashu next. King Bumi-

His Bumi? Aang still wondered if it was his Bumi. He'd known people to live beyond one hundred before. Bumi could have still been alive. That could have been his friend. His friend Aang hadn't the stomach to ask what happened to him. All Iroh had said was that King Bumi had surrendered. Whether that was by death or negotiation Aang didn't know. Didn't know if he wanted to know.

The rest of the Earth Kingdom was inconsequential to him. Iroh had their cities, if the islands wished to defy him they would soon find themselves out of pocket and starved before the year was up.

They'd pledged their allegiance.

Iroh had been happy. Azulon had been happy.

The only one that wasn't as Ozai.

He didn't accept that the Earth Kingdom had truly surrendered. He said so long as they refused to adhere to the Fire Nation way of life they weren't conquered.

Iroh had thought his brother all talk. Azulon certainly did too.

Then came the comet.

In one day Iroh watched the Earth Kingdom burn and a messenger come from the Royal Palace declaring Prince Zuko dead after a failed Agni Kai.

Ursa's voice came to him. How could she even utter the words, "Zuko had always been toeing the line between life and death. It wasn't so far fetched to believe Ozai finally did it."

Aang didn't think he'd ever wanted to scream at someone as much as he had in that moment. She was Zuko's mother. How dare she let someone who shoved Zuko to the line between life and death so much that it was common knowledge. She was meant to protect him. Hide him. Help him. Not sit idly by and have two more children to replace the one she'd lost.

He took a breath.

Rationally, Aang knew it wasn't as simple as that. He knew marriages weren't always simple, that some were more dominating than others. But the fact she could just sit there and plainly say something like that when her son was sitting right there, alive, without her help, in front of her continued to tear his mind apart.

Well Iroh wasn't so meek.

"There's something humbling about watching the earth burn. In battle we fight men, people, we fight for the right to rule over them. But the land, the land is something different. Watching the grass turn to dust, knowing it would never grow again along with my precious nephew felled at those same hands...I couldn't rescind what I'd done and by the time I realised the consequences of my actions it was too late. There was no Earth Kingdom. Not anymore."

Ozai was responsible for setting up the prisons. He went behind his father's back at first, hiring builders who would later serve in these prisons, and guards from generals that were alike of mind. When Azulon finally got word, the vision he'd dismissed as fantasy before was reality and he, like his son, saw the beauty of it.

"I did my best in the position I was in to make amends. But things are not as simple as they seem."

He spread the word, quietly, underground, that Ba Sing Se harboured benders of all kinds. The generals that came to inspect the conquered unconquerable land were never allowed inside. Only Omashu would Iroh allow his father to have a say in.

It strangely worked.

Ba Sing Se was overcrowded, getting more so by the day, but it was safe.

Iroh didn't really know what to do beyond that. He had the Earth Kingdom, that was true, but word had gotten out that Ozai had sent assassins after Lu Ten, the guards that were always loyal to Iroh back in Caldera smuggling information to him now. His family was fragile as it was, and with Ozai still lusting for power he feared what else might be done to it. He'd killed one child, and almost Iroh's own, selfish as it was, Iroh ended up doing nothing.

Then word had come from the North Pole.

Iroh had proposed a truce. He wanted to meet with Aang's war council on neutral grounds to speak about restoring true harmony back to the world, not this madness his father and brother thought harmony was.

Aang didn't know whether to believe it. What Iroh was saying was too good to be true. If Iroh was to be believed they could have the Dai Li, the Earth army too at their disposal. They would have the firebenders Iroh promised were trustworthy in their fight too.

The problem was that it made sense. Everything Iroh said made sense. Fear would definitely make him stay in Ba Sing Se, and Zuko had told the story of Lu Ten's almost death to him.

Aang wanted to believe him.

But if he did and this ended up with his friends massacred he didn't know how he was supposed to move on.

The problem was that they couldn't just go and carry on like normal, because if Iroh was telling the truth then they were wasting resources and man power that they needed. They had actual generals who knew the ins and outs of the Fire Nation capital. Who had fought wars. Won wars.

But-

He groaned, burrowing his head in his pillow.

His head hurt.

Sleep didn't come that night, and Aang didn't blame it. He didn't know what he would do if Yue decided to have another talk with him on top of the one he'd just gotten from Iroh.

Yue.

She had told him to not fight, to hear them out. If she thought it was a trap, surely she would have told him to run. Or ignore what they told him when he got there. But she hadn't, she'd said not to fight and hear them out.

If she truly could see everything in her moon palace then maybe she'd seen they were sincere. That they truly had been harbouring benders in Ba Sing Se. There were certainly benders in Omashu that weren't solely firebenders.

He didn't know. He really didn't know.

He just hoped Zuko got back to their friends fast so they could figure this out together.

Morning came with Aang raiding the wardrobe. Him and Zuko had been given a different room to the one they'd woke up in being healed the day before. This one was more than spacious. Fit for a prince with the luxuries that came with it. There was a mountain of cushions and pillows that Aang had spent the whole night rating comfiness on. A balcony. Fruit, juicy ripe fruit that Aang had half finished as he looked to see just what Iroh had filled their wardrobe with.

There were robes, mostly. A lot of them were red, and made from materials Aang would think a member of the royal family would wear. Some of them were impractical, looking more for formal things like meetings or balls. Others were like the travelling cloak Zuko had took last night, practical.

Most surprisingly however, were what was hanging up alongside the red robes. He hadn't seen the yellow and orange of the Air Nomads since he'd had to ditch his rags from his last growth spurt. Yet here they were. Bigger. But the detail was right.

Even if this was a trap, Aang had to give Iroh points for the welcome wagon.

He ditched his old clothes as fast as he could shuck them, about to stick his foot in the familiar air nomad clothes when he realised he should probably have a bath first. The last time he'd had one had been… he honestly couldn't remember.

He gave himself a cautious sniff, almost retching at the sweat and blood that lingered on his skin. Urgh, how had they sat next to him last night? How had he not noticed Zuko as bad? Since he had to be. Aang hadn't seen him slip off to a river between their battles and war planning. It wasn't like he did it at night either, the pair of them so tired Aang barely had the strength to sneak a few kisses before he was snoring into Appa's fur. Appa's sticky, stinky fur.

He felt himself pulling another face as he carefully tossed the clothes over one arm. Poking his head out the door he asked the first person that passed where the baths were.

It was strange walking Omashu's palace, and it wasn't until Aang stepped through to the baths that he realised it was because it had doors. Usually the royal family bended the walls open. Looked like the Fire Nation couldn't do that so now there were doors. Or at least a lot of open archways.

"Thanks," Aang said, holding the clothes up to his chin. It probably hadn't been wise to stay undressed the whole walk here but, the thought of putting those dirt encrusted things back on was worth the embarrassed walk he took.

The baths were fire warmed and smelling like those oils Arnook had gifted them in the North. Aang dug around a bit before a few bottles that looked similar, setting them on the edge as he did his best to scrub the first layer of crust off himself.

He decided just as he finished with his face that he was cutting his hair off. He didn't know how Zuko did it, and his was longer. But maintaining it now was a pain, and Aang hadn't been bathing regularly. He didn't like the idea of doing the same when he had an actual routine to go back to. How often did hair even need to be washed?

He didn't know. He didn't want to know. He'd been brought up without it and while it had been helpful when they were doing reconnaissance he was getting tired of hiding.

He tracked another servant down before he started on the rest of his body, using the sharpened blade they brought, with supervision, to get the majority of his head smooth again. It felt like a weight being lifted.

It got better when he slipped into his robes. For the first time in a while Aang felt right again. When he looked into a mirror, which, wow, there was a lot of in this palace, he didn't see a stranger anymore. He saw Aang.

If anyone had anything to say about his tattoos being blatantly on display when he got out they kept it to themselves. The servants kept their eyes on their work and none of them tried to stop him as he worked his way around the palace.

He'd thought he'd have an armed guard. Someone to make sure he wasn't wandering places he wasn't allowed. But so far no one had come chasing after him. He supposed this could be Iroh's way of 'trusting' Aang. Of helping to bridge this alliance he wanted between them.

Whatever it was, it let Aang familiarise himself with all the changes the governor had made to his childhood friends home.

"Avatar," he heard when he stepped foot in the gardens. He turned, expecting Lu Ten to drag him back inside. He didn't, and instead stepped in time with him towards the first of the ponds that littered Omashu. "I had hoped to speak with you today. I would have come by earlier but I wasn't sure how late you slept in."

"Usually not that late. Zuko gets up with the sun. It's kind of hard to sleep when he's barking at Momo to keep quiet as he looks for breakfast." Momo liked it best when Zuko fetched him his breakfast too. Despite being capable of hunting, Momo liked to feel included, and since Zuko was first one up, it was up to him to see to Momo's demands before he went off to do his forms.

"Right," Lu Ten nodded, a small frown on his face. It was gone as quickly as it came however, Lu Ten turning to the matter of why he was here. "I take it my cousin has left?"

He nodded, "Almost as soon as we got back to the room. I think he needs some space." Some time away from all this craziness and betrayal. "I think if it had just been you and your father maybe he would have stayed," and then Aang could have went to go fetch Appa and the rest of their friends and actually have a proper second opinion instead of being left to his own thoughts.

"Truthfully we never expected Aunt Ursa to be here when we made our move. But, with Uncle Ozai in the north it's only a matter of time before he sends for her. Travelling somewhere so cold so soon we feared might not be so good for the baby's health."

Which was a fair point. "Did she know?"

Lu Ten shook his head, "We weren't even sure. Not until the Dai Li brought Zuko in yesterday. We didn't want to tell her in case it wasn't…" He sighed, "You have to understand this has been hard for us Avatar. I know what we've done has been beyond awful but family is still family."

Aang understood. If nothing else he believed they were happy Zuko was alive. Last night none of them could take their eyes off him. He saw more than once Ursa's hands go white in baby Zuko's blanket, stopping herself from reaching across and touching what she had to think might be a spectre before her. "He's been well. And I think he's been missing your uncle. He always quotes Iroh to me."

To that Lu Ten snorted, a sound most unprincely in Aang's opinion. But then, he didn't think he'd ever actually met a 'proper' prince in his life. Lu Ten certainly wasn't. Aang could tell beneath that scary exterior was a heart probably as soft as Zuko's.

Maybe Aang was reading into things. He'd only known the guy for a number of hours, and before that he'd been scared stiff of the guy. But he'd seen the way Lu Ten had made faces at his little cousin the night before. Usually when Iroh was telling a long winded part of his story and Kiyi was shifting so much she was seconds away from bouncing back to the golden badgermole. Maybe even monsters could be nice sometimes.

Lu Ten gathered himself again, looking all proper as he changed the subject from his father. "I actually came here to inquire about your training. I know you have some firebending youth in your army, but the spies I have said they've went to the South Pole to help rebuild. My cousin has been teaching you hasn't he?" Lu Ten guessed.

Aang shrugged, "As much as he can. Which is actually a lot. I mean, I'm no master, but the control he's teaching me is something I don't think I would have learned from anyone else."

"Breath control?"

Aang shrugged again, "Just control in general really. I think he forces himself to figure it out." And if all else failed he'd spy on the firebenders practicing and tell Aang when he got back that they were trying out a new technique until they got it right.

Lu Ten didn't look disappointed in his cousin's creativity. "Still, I think you would benefit from some formal, structured lessons as well. Which is why I would like to ask if you would have me as your teacher."

"You-" huh. So that's what this had been leading up to. "May I think about it?" Since he didn't know if they were even going to stick around once Suki and Sokka learned about this whole truce thing.

"Of course."

With that out the way Lu Ten played host to Aang the rest of his walk around the gardens. Aang took note of some of the subtle, but pointed, comments Lu Ten would throw his way. How Zuko had always liked that kind of flower last he'd seen him. How the turtleducks had been imported from the Fire Nation capital itself to add a little bit of home to this foreign city. How Zuko maybe had a favourite turtleduck back at the Royal Palace that Lu Ten had personally held a funeral for when she'd passed on a few months after Zuko's own passing.

"I think it's… that one. No, that one," Lu Ten pointed to two turtleducks wiggling their butts over to them. "Yeah that one. The baby had this little spot on its neck that was bald. Azula burned the poor thing when she grabbed it."

Azula.

Zuko's sister.

They hadn't spoken about her last night. To be honest Aang hadn't thought about asking about her. There was too much to even take in to remember that, even when Iroh was telling them about Ozai making plans to go North, that they hadn't spoken Azula's name.

Ty Lee hadn't known what to say. She'd just said her letters had gone unanswered, and despite her sister being married to Lu Ten Aang wasn't sure whether she would be kept in the loop or not when it came to matters of the inner royal family.

He let Lu Ten point out more ducks. The others of Zuko's favourite's babies, and when they started back the way he came he asked, "Where is Azula?"

Aang didn't know what emotion to describe the way Lu Ten looked but he was pale and looked to be near fleeing when he said, "With her husband."

"So she is married off then," Aang said. Zuko had always feared it. He actually thought it better that Azula was off in the North. Yet Ozai had done it.

Or, "It's complicated."

"How can a marriage be complicated?" The way he saw it the marriage made sense. Azula was a princess. She was of marrying age. She had a duty to her nation despite her family fearing it that she had to marry at some point. Just like Zuko would have had to marry too. Or, Aang supposed he was. If accidentally.

"With Azula everything is complicated." They stopped, Lu Ten motioning Aang to sit on the lone stone bench overlooking the next pond. "I was going to tell Zuko the next time we saw each other. But," Lu Ten knew. He knew Zuko might not come back. Yet he'd still let his cousin go. "You'll tell him at least."

"Is Azula okay?" Aang demanded, not liking the tone the conversation had taken.

Lu Ten bit his lip, "It depends on your definition of okay." His hands went inside his robes, "Father wanted to believe the best in uncle Ozai. They were brothers, and sometimes it's hard to believe someone you grew up with can be so vastly different from yourself. So, even after he got the news about Zuko, he thought perhaps it wasn't as bad as it had been told. People died all the time in Agni Kai's. Zuko was thirteen in his first one, sixteen at his second. We heard the damage from the first had left him a little," Lu Ten made a few motions to his head, "It's why he wasn't allowed in public."

Aang didn't know this part of the story. "But I thought-" He didn't know actually. Zuko didn't talk much about his past. Ty Lee was even briefer. She talked about Azula like it had only been a few years, but Zuko, yeah, now that he thought about it, the stories she told him didn't sound like the actions a fourteen, fifteen year old would make. So, what, had they just cooped him up? Locked him in his room? Who Agni Kai-ed a thirteen year old in the first place?

"He wrote to us. And Aunt Ursa always said he was doing fine when she and Azula visited. Azula always seemed a little off when we asked her though. I don't think even she realised the Agni Kai bothered her." So at least Aang wasn't the only one who thought fighting a thirteen year old was pure evil. Lu Ten certainly curled his lip when speaking about it too. "Then Zuko… died and, if Aunt Ursa thought he was dead then the rest of the world did too. Azula… I don't know. Uncle Ozai was always nicer to her, but, his definition of nice isn't really nice at all. I think she finally realised how fragile her place was. Or, something just broke since she just, she's not the same. There was something off about her. Last time she was here she challenged me to an Agni Kai for second in line to the throne. She didn't really give me an out and with Uncle Ozai there."

Aang could just imagine it. Of course Ozai would use his daughter to worm his way higher up the hierarchy. He could rule through Azula if he played his cards right. Maybe orchestrate a few more 'accidents' in the royal family. So long as he had the security of second in line who knew what he might have done.

"I won. And the next thing we knew Azula had been quietly married off to one of Ozai's generals." A separate army. Aang learned the members of the royal family had a small contingent loyal to only them. Guards, generals, people that would get things done for them. Like build prisons. "We tried to write. I know Ty Lee and Mai did, but the letters stopped coming back. Last we heard Uncle Ozai said she was expecting a child."

It was worse than Aang thought. "I don't get it. How did their mom not know any of this? How could she just-"

Lu Ten looked just as lost as he did. "I guess they were keeping the pregnancy quiet. Kiyi's. There were rumours she snuck out to Ember Island for a few weeks, that the baby might not be my uncles. I thought she was maybe kept with Zuko-"

"Zuko didn't even know Kiyi existed," Aang told him because Zuko hadn't. "He found out not even a year ago. And the year before that he was on the streets stealing before I found him." Then he maybe stole some more because Aang wasn't always good at getting them money, but hey, Lu Ten didn't need to know that. "I don't blame you." He didn't. Lu Ten seemed to be a good guy, and honestly, Aang would have kept his distance from someone as crazy as Ozai too. "But his mom should have done more."

"That we can agree with." He didn't look to have a lot of sympathy for Ursa when Aang checked. "My father thinks she's delicate. I think she's just as bad as Ozai, the only difference is where he wants power she wants freedom. I think she'd do anything to get it." There was a story there, one Aang wanted to know, but didn't think he had the capacity to listen right about now. Plans were being made in his head. Ones that refused to allow him to think about anything else.

Lu Ten sniggered, looking anything but happy as he clapped Aang jovially on the shoulder, "Some family you've married into huh?"

Aang choked a laugh out back, "Certainly different."

He sent the first kind smile Aang had seen on him his way after a moment, "Zuko's always had a good heart. If you had to end up with anyone I'm kind of glad it's him."

"Even with the whole," he motioned to himself.

Another laugh, this one genuine. "The only people who actually care about that stupid old law are sitting in the capital city. Besides, you're the Avatar, you used to be a woman in your past life, I'm pretty sure those laws don't apply to you."

Interesting.

They finally made it out of the gardens, Lu Ten making Aang promise to think on his offer of learning firebending. The walk back through the maze of rooms wasn't as bad as it was before. He felt more sure of himself. More purposeful. He finally knew what he was going to do next.

Before, with this whole taking back the Earth Kingdom, he'd been letting other people do the hard work for him. Make decisions for him, deliver orders. He was always just there for them to use, and he knew he wasn't the best at plans or leading, but he'd always felt like there was more he could be doing. That he was just that little bit inconsequential. Like they could have been doing this without him, which, with Suki and Sokka in charge, they kind of had been.

But now, even if Iroh was lying, he had an idea of how to make himself useful again.

It was like a sign from the spirits themselves when he stumbled into his room and found the gift Iroh left leaned against his bed post.

A glider. Much like the one Aang had back at his camp, but the wood was newer and material that little bit thicker. Specially made.

He took it after writing a quick note, sending one of the servants to deliver it with Iroh's evening meal as he went further into the palace where he'd been told the royal quarters were.

His purpose there didn't take long, and before Aang knew it he was dipping through the streets of Omashu and out through the sewers.

It took hours of gliding before he saw the small army already docked a few miles away from Omashu's port. Landing, he called an emergency meeting, stating before they could ask that, "I'm leaving."

"What!" Sokka barked, face still heavy with war paint. "You finally escape and you're leaving? Aang we're about to invade a city."

"No, you're not," he made sure everyone was aware how serious he was. "Iroh called a truce, and you're going to hear him out. If he violates any part of his terms then you attack. But until then you're going to stand there and listen."

"Aang-" Katara tried.

"We have a chance to have the entire Earth Army at our disposal. I could be wrong. But if I'm not and we turn our backs on this opportunity- an opportunity to use actual members of the Fire Nation royal family as well- then we're idiots." They had to know taking Omashu wouldn't be like taking an island. Omashu was a city, and they didn't have the manpower between them to rule over a city, the islands and plot to overthrow Ba Sing Se. They just didn't. They could try, and they certainly were going to before Aang had been taken, but this was worth a try too. It certainly saved them time. "Look, Yue told me to hear Iroh out and I did. I'm not saying I believe him, and I'm not saying he's not trying to use us, but if we manage to stay one step ahead of him, if we plan this carefully, we don't have to lose anymore men until we need to."

There was silence around him, a few, like Hakoda and Suki, sharing a look. Katara was the first one to pipe up when Aang's words sunk in, "You said Yue like the chief's daughter?"

"Yeah she's the moon." Oh he almost forgot, "She says she's happy for you Sokka. Suki's a great girl."

Sokka looked like he was going to be sick, his hands visibly shaking as he tucked them under his arms. "If Yue says hear them out, we should hear them out," Sokka nodded.

"Are you serious?" Suki snapped.

He let them fight, turning to Katara, "I trust you to look after everything until I get back okay."

"We could be about to fight for our lives," Katara said.

Aang shrugged, "Or you're about to go into some serious peace talks. All I know is that I've got other things to do. Things that I think are going to help us."

She didn't look happy, but the thing about Katara was that she had so much faith in his title of the Avatar that she merely hugged him instead of begging him to stay, "You'll send for help if you need it right?"

"'Course I will." He hugged her right back. "Take care of Toph for me will you? I don't trust her around new people." New breakable people who probably wouldn't take too kindly to the little goblin throwing rocks at them for fun. She was quite possibly the worst best general he'd ever had. Even now she wasn't in their peace talks because it infringed upon her pre battle beauty sleep. "Oh and I'm taking Zuko."

He dragged his hooded idiot as soon as he saw him breach the treeline. The good thing about gliding was that it shaved off a good few hours of travel time, meaning Aang got to the campsite before him.

"Here," Aang tossed him his mask, ignoring the incredulous wide eyes in favour of tying the last of Appa's hay in tight on his saddle. "I packed some sweets. Managed to steal them from the palace for you. Your mom said you liked treacle so I nabbed some of that too."

"Right," The mask slid into place, looking once towards where the others were still arguing, voices rising higher and higher with every man and woman who thought they needed an opinion, then back to Aang. "We're leaving?"

Aang nodded, patting the empty space beside him on Appa. "I left Momo with Sokka," it would be too dangerous for the little guy where they were going. "And Toph with Katara. We should be on Ember Island in about a week."

"Ember Island?" came muffled as Zuko climbed into his seat.

"Your sister. Your mom told me where she is, and we're going to get her."

He knew Ursa knew more than she was telling people. Lu Ten was right, she wasn't innocent in all this. She hadn't even bothered trying to negotiate with Aang when he'd asked her before he left, just told him to not take Zuko with him. Like he'd listen to her.

"She's alive."

"And pregnant."

He could just imagine Zuko's look of horror. Truthfully Aang felt the same. Azula had to be, what, just sixteen? A mentally fragile sixteen year old about to have a baby. It didn't bare thinking about.

"We're making another few stops after that as well. Hopefully it'll give you some time to catch up with her."

"Where?"

Aang told him everything. About Azula. About his mother. About the dream Yue had shown him of the waterbenders suspended in cages.

They hadn't been dead, the whole thing was a prison, and the thing about prisons were that very rarely did they execute the workforce. Which meant there were benders, water, earth, who knew what else, somewhere out there, and Aang was going to find them.

End of Part 1