Dust scattered through the air as a lone figure traveled along the road. Bodies lay alongside it, Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation alike. Other, living soldiers combed through the recent battlefield, tending to the wounded before retrieving their dead. Due to the conflict that led to these bodies being strewn across the earth, both sides agreed to conduct their clean-up one at a time. Right now it was the Earth Kingdom's turn.

The soldiers' necks turned to watch the traveler as he rode in on an ostrich horse. He was a large man, with a muscular build that suggested he kept active. His hair flowed directly into his beard and circled his entire head, kept in place by a large ring on top. He did not wear any sort of military uniform, only peasant's clothes. There seemed to be no reason for him to visit the front lines. Yet there was a determination evident in his expression that kept them from stopping him. He did not even seem to notice their presence.

As quickly as he had appeared, the man was gone, and the soldiers resumed cleaning up the battlefield.

The man continued riding along the road, ignoring the piles of bodies. He passed by a group of Fire Nation soldiers cleaning their section of the battlefield, and paid them just as little attention. They did not seem to mind his presence either, and let him pass.

He continued on until he reached a large gathering of Earth Kingdom soldiers. There were tents stretching further than he could see, and thousands of men occupied the camp. The man breathed a sigh of relief. He had reached his destination.

As he neared the entrance to the camp, one of the officers approached him. He was a shorter man, stocky but well-built. He had little facial hair, save some stubble that suggested he hadn't shaved in a couple of days. Bringing his ostrich horse to a halt, the man dismounted and bowed out of respect.

"What's a peasant doin' at the front lines?" the officer asked with obvious contempt, his informal speech patterns suggesting that he was not very highly ranked. Not that anybody policing a check point would be.

He was undeterred. "Looking for my son," he answered.

Understanding filled the officer's expression and his voice softened considerably. "Ain't we all. What's your name?"

"Gansu," he replied. "I want to speak to whoever's in charge."

The officer nodded. "I'll take you to General Guangli."

"Thank you," he said, bowing again. Another soldier came to tend to his ostrich horse, and he surrendered the reins. "Careful, she's very picky about who rides her."

"I'll keep that in mind," the soldier replied before yanking on the reins. He had to pull his hand back quickly to escape her beak.

Gansu smiled, then followed the officer. "While I'm here," he began, "I thought I might register a formal complaint against the soldiers sent to guard my village."

"Who are they?" the officer asked.

"A man named Gow, and a few other soldiers. They have not been protecting the village. Instead they spend their days gambling and causing trouble. Whenever they run out of money or supplies they take it from the people by force. Even when those people need it far more than them."

The officer nodded. "Yeah, I've heard about Gow. Unfortunately, there isn't that much we can do from here other than send an officer to run an inspection. Troublemakers are always on their best behavior when they know somebody's comin' to check up on 'em."

"I was afraid of that," Gansu replied.

"What's your son's name?"

"Sen Su."

The officer's eyes widened. "I recognize that name. He was with the battalion that got captured."

"That's why I'm here."

He nodded. "I have a couple of boys myself back home. I can't even imagine what I'm gonna go through when they're old enough to enlist."

"The Avatar is back, you know," Gansu encouraged. "With any luck, the war will be over by then."

"We can only hope." They stopped in front of a large tent. "The General's in here," he said, then stepped through the folds. Gansu followed.

The tent was even larger than it appeared from outside. A map of the area was mounted along the wall opposite, and the General was studying it, making several marks with a brush. No one else was in the tent with him.

"General!" the officer greeted, bowing. Gansu bowed as well.

"What is it, Lieutenant Wenyan?" Guangli asked with annoyance, not turning around. He clearly hadn't wanted to be disturbed.

"This man is looking for his son, Sen Su. He was with the battalion that was captured last week."

"Sorry, I'm afraid I don't know that name," the General replied.

"Well I do," Gansu said, stepping boldly forward. "I traveled all the way from my village to bring him back. And I need your help."

That got the General to turn around. "Excuse me?"

"The last time the Fire Nation captured Earth Kingdom soldiers, they dressed them up in their uniforms and left them on the front lines, unarmed. Then they watched as your soldiers slaughtered them. I'm not going to let the same thing happen to my son."

"Oh, it won't," Guangli promised. "Because the Fire Nation never did that. That's an old rumor that's been circulating for a while now. Believe me, if your son was taken captive, they've probably just killed him themselves by now."

Gansu's knees started to shake. His son could not be dead. He was not ready to accept that. "It wasn't just my son who got captured," he replied. "There is an entire battalion of soldiers that need your help. Can't you spare a few to go rescue them?"

"No," he answered flatly. "I need every soldier I can get on the front lines. The Fire Nation has been steadily pushing us back over the last few months. Our scouts report that they appear to be readying themselves for a massive attack that will probably take place tomorrow. I'm not going to send perfectly good soldiers on a suicide mission."

"But those men are under your command! You have a duty to—"

The General cut him off. "Have you ever been in the military?"

"I served for twenty years, as a matter of fact."

"What rank?"

"Sergeant."

The uncaring expression on Guangli's face did not waver. "Then you understand that the troops I have with me are far more valuable in battle than the ones who managed to get themselves captured. Besides, they're probably dead already."

Gansu was tempted to flatten the General's face, but resisted. "I understand just the opposite, actually. The men I commanded told me that I was like a father to them. I prided myself on never leaving any of them behind. It's just like my herds at home. If one of them goes missing, I go track them down."

"You're comparing soldiers to livestock?" the General remarked with a smirk. "We're more alike than I thought."

"Are you going to help me or not?" he growled.

"Not unless you want to rejoin," Guangli responded. "I'm terribly sorry about your son. But I have thousands of other troops that require my attention. And right now, they're more useful to me, because they're actually here."

He stood there for several moments. Eventually, he bowed. "I understand. Good luck with the war, General." He stepped out of the tent.

"Sorry about that," Wenyan told him as he joined him outside. "The General's a real prick. Just between you and me, I think he's one of the reasons we're losin' this battle."

"I don't disagree," he replied. "But I've dealt with men like him before. He won't allow himself to care about his men because he's afraid that the loss would devastate him. I sometimes wish I had that ability."

"Yeah, it must be nice to just stop caring." They arrived at the ostrich horse stables. "Here's your ride. Are you gonna head back home now?"

Gansu shook his head. "If your General won't help me rescue my son, I'll just have to do it myself."

He nodded to show he understood. "Best of luck. If I could come with you I would, but..."

"It's okay, I understand. Best of luck to you as well."

They bowed to each other. Gansu mounted the ostrich horse and rode off toward the Fire Nation's front line.

It was nightfall by the time the Fire Nation camp came into view. Gansu dismounted his ostrich horse, tying the reins to a nearby tree. He set out some feed for her, and there was water close enough for her to drink. Donning a cloak, he began sneaking towards the camp.

Getting in was not hard. There were only two guards patrolling that section of the perimeter, and he dashed past them easily. The flames had been extinguished from the camp in order to allow the soldiers to sleep. Gansu began looking in the tents.

What he saw was nothing new to him. He had taken part in many nighttime ambushes of the enemy's camp. It was a cowardly tactic, but they were also his orders. Gansu had made it a policy back then to never attack until the enemy was awake. He would not tolerate his soldiers slitting throats while the enemy was asleep either.

But he was not here to bring death tonight. This time, he had come to save lives. He peeked in one tent and saw sleeping soldiers. Another revealed a similar scene. None of the tents held what he was looking for, however. One tent stood out from the rest. There was an Earth Kingdom seal above the door, albeit one that had been burned horribly. He peered inside.

What he saw horrified him. The men inside had been stripped down to their undergarments, and most of them were covered with gashes and burns. They were each tied to a post, then blindfolded. He looked for his son among the faces, but it was too dark to see clearly, and the blindfolds obscured their features.

There was noise outside the tent, and he scrambled to the back. Three figures stepped through. One of them carried a lantern, while another had what looked like a pile of clothes. The third individual was not wearing a mask, suggesting that he was a high-ranking officer. His armor was certainly better decorated than that of his companions. He had a massive build that his armor barely contained. There were a number of scars on his face, which was clean-shaven. He stepped up to the closest prisoner and slapped him across the face.

"Wake up, all of you!" he shouted, and the prisoners did. "Now," he continued, "I'm sure you've all heard the rumors. Here's how it's going to work. You will put on these Fire Nation uniforms. We will escort you to the front lines, where you will stand, and you will not move. With any luck, your countrymen will slow down just enough to recognize who you are right before they kill you." His wicked smile was visible in the light from the lantern. "Try not to get too much blood on them."

The man drew a dagger from its scabbard and used it to sever the first prisoner's bonds. "Put it on," he ordered as the other soldier threw the uniform to the ground. The prisoner did not move. "I said, put it on!"

"No," the prisoner protested weakly.

The man did not hesitate to kick the prisoner in the chest, sending him onto his back. "What did you just say?"

"No."

He drew his foot back again and kicked the prisoner in the side. This time he coughed up blood. "I ordered you to put on this uniform. You are not in any position to say 'no.' Put on the uniform, or die!"

"I'm going to die anyway," the prisoner replied, standing slowly but defiantly. He managed to look directly at the man despite the blindfold. "I'd rather do it naked than in one of those monkey suits."

"Very well," the man said, stabbing the dagger into the prisoner's gut. The prisoner gave only a muffled cry of pain, then dropped to the ground, where the man left him to bleed to death. "Anybody else want to join him?"

Gansu did not stick around to hear their answer, instead slipping out the back of the tent. He spared one last look at it before starting to run. By the time he turned around again, it was too late to stop himself from crashing directly into one of the guards.

The impact knocked both of them to the ground, with Gansu on top. The guard managed to shout "Intruder!" before he could silence him. Gansu drew his fist back and slammed it into the guard's face, knocking him unconscious.

Soldiers started pouring out of their tents by the time he got back on his feet. He started to run, and the alarm sounded. Fire struck the ground just a few feet away, and he took that as his cue to run faster.

Taking a hard left, Gansu fled along a row of tents. Fireballs followed at his heels, and he felt himself beginning to tire. He was getting too old for this.

A group of soldiers appeared in front of him, and he turned around to discover that the same thing waited on the other side. He dashed between a couple of tents to the right, barely avoiding the flames that were sent his way.

He reached the end of the gap only to find himself surrounded by more soldiers. This time they formed a circle around him, leaving him with no escape. He closed his eyes and waited for death.

"What is going on here?" someone demanded, and he recognized the voice as the man in the tent. Gansu opened his eyes.

"Intruder, sir," one of the men answered. "He knocked Chang unconscious and tried to run for it."

The man stepped up to him and examined him closely. "You're wearing commoner's clothes. Not even part of the military, are you?"

Gansu shook his head.

"You know, when a commoner—or anyone else, really—is in the presence of a military officer, it is customary for them to bow!" He punctuated that statement with a swift kick to the back of the knee, causing Gansu to fall to the ground. He did not cry out in pain, or form any other sort of reply.

The man crouched down over him condescendingly, putting his face just inches away. "Why are you here?"

"Looking for my son."

The man stood up and laughed. "Did you hear that? He's looking for his son!" He looked back down at him. "Your son will be dead by morning. If you'd like, I can arrange for you to be with him when he dies."

Gansu said nothing.

"Take his clothes and put him in a private tent," the man ordered. "I want to spend some quality time with this one."

Two of the soldiers grabbed him by the arms and started dragging him away.

"What is your name?" the man asked him once his orders had been carried out. The soldiers had stripped him like the other men and tied him to a post, only he had been given his own tent. This unfortunately meant that there was nobody to inspire by acting brave. It didn't matter, anyway. He wasn't scared. His biggest worry was what had happened to his clothes.

The man punched him in the gut, and he felt the air rush out of his lungs. "I said, what is your name?"

He was not intimidated. "What's yours?"

"Not important," he replied calmly before kneeing him in the ribs. "Now tell me, before I get angry."

Gansu smirked. "Do you really think I'll give in to torture that easily? This isn't the first time I've been captured. Besides, what could you possibly learn from a commoner?"

While that statement was true, Gansu admitted to himself that this went against his training. The best thing to do during an interrogation was to stay quiet and not answer any questions while you waited for rescue. But there was no rescue, he knew. The best he could do now was turn the tables and antagonize his captor right back.

As expected, the man's face filled with rage and he punched him in the stomach again. "There has to be some reason that you were in my camp. Are you a spy? An assassin, maybe? Or did you just get lost?" A fist struck his left cheek, causing blood to fly from his mouth.

"I already told you," he replied, unimpressed. "I'm looking for my son."

"Really?" he said. "Then perhaps you won't mind telling me his name."

"Go to hell."

The remark earned him another blow to the gut. "You know, I normally find defiance infuriating," the man said, hitting him again in the same spot. "But you've provided me with quite an interesting challenge. I can't wait to see you break." He landed three more punches on his torso.

Gansu caught his breath, then smiled. "You're going to be waiting a while. I used to hunt Saber Tooth Moose Lions back home when they went after my herd. One of them tried to gore me in the very spot you keep hitting. Didn't break me then."

"Then maybe I need to turn up the heat," he replied, covering his fist in flames. He struck him again, and Gansu finally reacted to the pain with a sharp hiss. "Tell me your name!"

He just glared at him defiantly.

The man was preparing to strike again when another soldier came rushing into the tent. "Commander Peng!" he shouted while bowing.

He lowered his fist and turned around. "What is it?"

"Sir, one of the tents full of prisoners has been emptied. We believe there may be another intruder in the camp."

"Really?" Peng replied, glancing back at Gansu. "Order a search. Station guards inside each of the tents. I want that intruder found."

He bowed. "Yes sir."

As soon as the soldier left, he turned back around and smiled wickedly. "Friend of yours?" he asked, lighting his fist.

Gansu shook his head.

"Liar!" he shouted, punching him in the chest. He felt his skin burning and grit his teeth, trying to ignore the horrible smell that was developing. "Who else is in the camp?"

"I don't know," he answered. "You should have put better people on guard duty."

"Rrrgh!" He punched him in the stomach again, in a different spot from before. His skin retreated from the fire, leaving behind a mangled lump of flesh. Gansu cried out in pain for the first time that night. "Tell me who it is!"

He struggled to catch his breath. "I... told the Earth Kingdom General what you were... planning to do with that battalion," he replied between gasps. "He might be staging a rescue attempt after all." He started to laugh.

The next punch landed so hard that the post he was bound to cracked. "You fool! I'll kill you for that!"

"Killing a civilian?" he challenged. "You're already committing a war crime by torturing me."

"Exactly," Peng replied, punching him again. "So why should I stop?"

"I told you who was in your camp," he explained. "You have no reason to continue extracting information from me."

"Who said I was extracting information?" He kicked him in the side. "You can never trust what a person tells you under torture. They'll confess to anything if it will make the torture stop." He lunged forward and punched him again in the chest.

Gansu felt the splinters cutting into his back as the post continued to crack. "So you're one of those people, then," he realized. "You like to torture people for fun."

"Not fun," he clarified, socking him across the jaw with an unlit hand. "Stress relief." He landed yet another blow on his gut, then walked back a several feet. He stepped forward, then spun around while raising his right leg.

"It might not be the Earth Kingdom!" Gansu shouted, and the foot stopped inches from his stomach. Peng lowered it to the ground and stood there, intrigued.

"Continue."

"The General I talked to was reluctant to launch a rescue attempt," he explained. "He said that he was more concerned about the soldiers he had with him. Besides, I know Earth Kingdom tactics. I served as a Sergeant for twenty years. Rescue operations usually involve a lot more earthbending."

"Your point being?"

"You should probably be less concerned about killing me, and more worried about whoever managed to free an entire tent full of prisoners without you even noticing."

"Perhaps," he replied, drawing back his fist. "But I'm almost finished."

"What is going on in here?"

Peng quickly lowered his fist and turned around to bow to the man who had just entered the room. He was much older, and presumably higher ranked if he was commanding this level of respect. He did not look pleased with his subordinate.

"Just interrogating the prisoner, General," Peng replied as he stood up again.

"Well do it later!" the General hissed. "We have a real problem out there."

"Yes sir," he replied, bowing. He looked at Gansu. "I'll be back for you later." He followed the General out of the tent.

Gansu tried in vain to struggle free of his bonds. Commander Peng had left with the General a while ago, leaving two guards stationed outside. He still did not know what had happened to his clothes.

He lowered his head and sighed. He had failed. Perhaps he should have been like the Earth Kingdom General and just cut his losses. As soon as that thought entered his mind, he shook his head to get rid of it. He had not come this far just to give up. He was either going to rescue his son, or die trying.

There was a noise outside the tent. At first he figured that the Commander must have come back to finish him off, but the cries of pain from the guards suggested someone else.

A figure stepped through the opening in the tent, and Gansu did a double take. The man—at least he thought it was a man—was dressed entirely in black. He wore a blue and white mask over his face, which made him wonder if his rescuer was truly human. He studied him carefully.

"Who are you?" he whispered. The masked man did not reply. Instead, he drew a pair of swords that Gansu recognized from somewhere, though he could not quite remember at the moment. The figure stepped behind him and cut the rope easily, then sheathed the swords again.

"Thank you," he said, but his rescuer did not answer. He reached inside a large sack and produced a jar of ointment, as well as bandages. Next he produced Gansu's clothes.

Gansu applied the ointment to his burns, and the stranger helped him wrap the bandages around his torso. When that was done, he put on his clothes. The man in black peeked outside the tent, then motioned for Gansu to follow.

They snuck along the tents, careful not to raise any alarms. The younger man was very quick and nimble, and incredibly quiet. Gansu suspected that this was not the first time he had infiltrated an area.

A guard approached and they pressed themselves flat along the side of the tent, minimizing their profiles. The guard walked past and they dashed across the opening into another row of tents. The figure led him over to the same tent from before, where Gansu spotted a light coming from inside.

"Get dressed faster!" a voice ordered, different from the one he remembered. It seemed that they were still having trouble getting the prisoners into Fire Nation uniforms.

The stranger motioned for Gansu to wait, then slipped inside. A couple muffled shouts of pain later, the figure beckoned him inside. He followed, and found the prisoners were still there. Their blindfolds had been removed, but most of them were still bound to the posts, with the exception of the two who were being forced to dress as the enemy. A bloodstain on the floor was all that remained of the prisoner who had been stabbed earlier. He was probably dead by now.

Reaching into his sack again, the masked man produced a pile of green and brown clothing.

"Our uniforms!" One of the prisoners whispered. "Where did you get those?"

He did not answer, but simply drew his swords and cut the prisoners free. They rushed over to the pile of Earth Kingdom uniforms and began putting them on. Afterwards, he tied the two unconscious soldiers to the posts and then peeked outside. He motioned for them to follow.

One at a time, they exited the tent. They were about a hundred yards from the perimeter of the camp when one of the prisoners tripped and cried out in pain. Another helped him up, and they looked around warily. A moment later, all of them started running.

Soldiers began pouring out of the tents again, even more agitated than before. They surrounded the group quickly. The masked man drew his swords and prepared to fight.

"Stand and fight!" Gansu ordered the rest of the prisoners. "It's our only chance to escape!" The rest of the prisoners obeyed, forming a circle to match the one surrounding them. They stood on guard, prepared to fight at a moment's notice.

They stood facing each other for several moments before the circle parted to allow Commander Peng and the General through. "What is going on?" the General demanded, then smiled when he got a good look at the masked stranger.

"So, this is the legendary Blue Spirit," he began. "I heard you have been robbing Earth Kingdom peasants over the last few weeks. A far cry from stealing the Avatar out from under my former pupil."

The Blue Spirit said nothing.

"I also heard that Zhao managed to figure out who you were before he was killed at the North Pole," he continued. "He would not tell anyone, of course. He always did like to keep those kinds of secrets to himself."

There was still no response.

"And now you are trying to free Earth Kingdom prisoners that I acquired fairly after I defeated them in battle. I think you should give them back."

"Why?" interjected Gansu. "So you can dress them up in your uniforms and put them on the front lines?"

The General raised an eyebrow. "Why would I want to do that?"

"So that their own countrymen can cut them down. That's what you did with the last battalion you captured."

He rolled his eyes. "Oh, that. That is just an old rumor that has been floating around."

"It's not a rumor!" one of the prisoners shouted. "Commander Peng was just in our tent a couple hours ago, trying to get us to put on Fire Nation uniforms!"

"Yeah!" another prisoner agreed.

The General turned to Commander Peng. "Is this true?"

He looked flustered at first, then angry. "Of course not, General Shu. These men are the enemy. Who knows what deception they're capable of?"

Shu appeared to consider something for a moment. "I recall a battle report a couple of months ago stating that you allowed the Earth Kingdom to charge on one of your regiments, who were completely unarmed. They were all slaughtered."

"As I explained then, Sir, it was a diversion," Peng insisted. "It allowed the rest of our troops to get into position in order to overwhelm them. If you'll recall, we won that battle."

"I did not think you would be willing to sacrifice your own countrymen so easily," the General replied. "Much less deliberately use them as bait."

He did not reply.

General Shu leaned closer. "Were those men Fire Nation, or Earth Kingdom?"

He looked away. "Earth Kingdom."

"I thought so." He shook his head. "Really, Commander Peng, I thought you would know better than to sully our uniforms like that. It is not an honorable way to execute prisoners."

"What about this war is honorable?" Peng fired back. "We use the tactics that work. That's what has enabled us to come this far."

"Still, if we allow ourselves to indulge in something like that, we become no better than the barbarians we are conquering." He sighed. "Take them back to their tents, and find the others that escaped. Once you are done with that, meet me in my tent. We have some things to discuss." He turned around and started to walk away.

Without warning, Peng struck the General on the back of the head, knocking him to the ground. He lay completely still, meaning he was either unconscious or dead.

"Or I could just kill them now," he said before hurling a fireball at one of the prisoners.

The Blue Spirit leaped into action, zipping in front of the prisoner and crossing his swords in front of him, which somehow stopped the fireball. There was a moment of silence where everyone stood still, then chaos.

Gansu dashed to the right to avoid a spear being thrust at him, grabbing the shaft with his left hand before bringing his fist to the man's face as though he were swinging a hammer. The man fell to the ground, and he maneuvered the weapon so that the tip was facing downward, then thrust it into the man's gut and left it there. He turned to the left and intercepted a punch, then landed a blow on the man's stomach, followed by his face. He finished by kicking him away while still holding on to his wrist, wrenching his opponent's shoulder out of its socket.

He spared a glance at the Blue Spirit, who was currently engaged with Commander Peng. He was obviously skilled, using his superior agility to hold his own against a much older, but more importantly larger and stronger opponent. Peng had drawn a straight sword that he was using to fend off the dual broadswords, but neither of them truly had the advantage at the moment.

A foot came hurtling toward his head and Gansu raised his arm reflexively, grabbing his opponent's shin. The man was small but quick, and kicked off his other leg to try and land a blow on his stomach. He intercepted that one as well, and then simply let his opponent fall to the ground. The other man whirled his legs around and propelled himself to his feet, then stupidly tried to kick him again. Gansu caught the leg easily, then landed a kick of his own to the man's groin. He did not get up this time.

The other prisoners were not faring quite so well as him, having been tied up and likely malnourished for several days. One had been knocked to the ground and was about to be stabbed. Gansu charged headlong into the Fire Nation soldier, striking him with his shoulder. He reached his hand down and helped the other prisoner up.

"Thank you."

"Don't mention it," he replied, turning to intercept a vertical sword swing. He caught the man's arm at the wrist, then twisted it hard to make him drop his weapon. He landed a low kick on the side of the man's knee, bringing him to the ground. He brought his other hand to his opponent's arm and pumped it hard in a direction that nature never intended. He finished by punching the man square in the face, knocking him out to spare him any further pain.

Commander Peng had resorted to firebending now, hurling flames at the man in black. He dodged them almost effortlessly, and Gansu swore he saw some of them actively moving away from his body. He even found time to engage other opponents, knocking them to the ground without even looking at some of them. He also managed to do it in a way that would not cause any permanent damage. Gansu was more than a little impressed.

Something struck his side, and Gansu cursed himself for being distracted. He retaliated with a mighty right hook, which the man ducked under. He realized that, unlike the others, this man wore a mask. That meant he was not facing a simple foot soldier. This was confirmed when his opponent launched a flaming uppercut, which Gansu had to lean back to avoid. The firebender took advantage of the fact that this put him off balance, shifting his stance to the side and bringing up his leg.

Before the kick landed, however, the man was struck by the body of one of his comrades, and both of them fell to the ground. Gansu looked to his right to see that the Blue Spirit had thrown the man his way. He smiled and continued to fight. A large soldier made his way toward Gansu wielding an axe. He ducked under the swing, then spun around and placed himself inside the man's reach. Grabbing his opponent's wrist, he disarmed him with a quick twist and then elbowed him in the face, sending him to the dirt.

He spied another prisoner about to be killed, and picked up the fallen axe. Pausing briefly to aim, he hurled the weapon directly into the enemy's skull. The rescued prisoner got up quickly and waved to him, then stopped abruptly as a blade pierced his abdomen from behind. Gansu cringed as he watched the man fall, knowing there was nothing he could do. Every battle had casualties.

A less experienced man would have flown into a blind rage, charging at the murderer with wild abandon. That man would also likely end up skewered on the same blade. Instead, Gansu calmly grabbed the spear with which he had killed the first man, then held it in place while he broke the tip off with a low kick. He strode toward the man with purpose, intent on making him pay.

The murderer smiled wickedly and attacked him with an overhead swing, which he blocked easily by raising his staff and bracing it with both hands. The blade buried itself halfway into the wood, trapping itself there and allowing Gansu to lift his leg up and kick the man in the stomach, forcing him to drop the sword. He let the staff fall and calmly strode forward, then brought his hands together over the man's ears. His head shook violently from the impact, and he wobbled back and forth, stunned. Gansu picked up the blade that killed his fellow prisoner and thrust it directly into the man's stomach. The murderer leaned slowly backward, then collapsed.

The world started to slow for him as he observed the battle. He saw Peng running away, leaving his more expendable soldiers to keep them busy. It would appear that this battle had been more than he bargained for. He smirked, then looked to his right.

The Blue Spirit was surrounded on all sides, holding his own but just barely. Gansu noticed that no matter where his blows landed, they were never fatal. His own fighting style had become brutal over years of practice, because his enemies were looking to do the same to him. He began to wonder if the man in black had ever killed anybody.

Weaving his way through the action, Gansu arrived at the circle surrounding his mysterious ally. He punched the closest soldier in the middle of his spine, causing his arms to thrust out to his sides reflexively. He grabbed one and struck the elbow with his palm, shattering it. He finished with a sweeping kick that knocked the man to the ground. He pushed through the opening he had created to arrive at the Blue Spirit's side.

"Thought you could use some help," he explained.

The only reply he received was a nod, and they lined up back-to-back. Two soldiers came rushing toward them from opposite sides, and they shifted their positions in perfect harmony. Gansu deflected the first punch, then used his opening to land a blow dead center in the man's chest. The Blue Spirit dealt with his opponent in a similar manner, and both of them fell to the ground at the same time.

There was a pause as the soldiers surrounding them processed what had just happened. Then all of them decided to charge at once. Gansu grabbed two of them by the neck as soon as they came in range, smashing their heads together and then separating them again. He kicked a third opponent in the gut before shoving the first two into the rest of their brethren. His partner dealt with the men on his side as well, earning them yet another momentary respite as their enemies tried to figure out a strategy that wouldn't end in their defeat.

A soldier came his way with a sword, raising it up over his head. Still surrounded, Gansu had no room to react as it traveled downward, and braced himself for the worst. Rescue came in the form of twin blades from behind. He could feel where his partner's arms were wrapped around his torso and smirked before grabbing the other man's wrists and twisting hard enough to get him to release the sword. The Blue Spirit released his grip and turned back around to deal with his own set of enemies. Splaying his opponent's arms apart, Gansu pulled him closer and bashed their foreheads together, knocking the other man out cold.

Minutes became seconds as they quickly dealt with the rest of the men surrounding them, the individual moments blurring together to become something he would only remember clearly later. The more they settled into the rhythm of the battle, the less Gansu found he needed to pay attention. Before long, all of their opponents had fallen.

"Victory!" some of the other prisoners shouted, pumping their fists in the air. There were about a half dozen of them left.

"No," Gansu corrected, cursing himself for not pursuing Peng as he spied the tremendous force that was approaching. "Just a moment's respite."

They were surrounded again in seconds, this time by a force of hundreds. Peng stepped into the center of the circle, a wicked smirk on his face. He wielded a fireball in each hand.

The remaining prisoners moved into a tight circle, doing a poor job of concealing their dread. They had barely survived the first wave. Gansu realized that there was no escape from this situation. They were all going to die.

Peng continued walking forward. Gansu took a deep breath and readied himself for one last battle.

The ground below them started to rumble without warning. Commander Peng stumbled, accidentally extinguishing his fire. The rumbling continued, and the soldiers looked around warily.

"What is going on?" Peng wondered aloud.

The earth turned violent, flattening most of the army with a dangerous shockwave. Gansu had trouble staying on his feet, but managed just barely to remain standing. A hill suddenly came into existence in front of them, launching several soldiers into the air. Several more began to appear, and the men started to panic.

"Earthbenders!" one of the soldiers shouted, pointing to the ridge. Gansu looked and saw a collection of Earth Kingdom soldiers, observing them from the top of the hill. He smiled as they started to charge.

"Looks like the cavalry's here," he said. "Guess the General changed his mind."

Peng grit his teeth and pointed in the direction of the opposing force. "Get into defensive positions!"

It was too late. The soldiers that weren't trampled underneath the charging ostrich horses were knocked to the ground by the continued earthbending assault. They were overtaken in seconds.

"Rrrrgh!" Peng growled at them, lighting up his fists. He launched a fireball at them, which they quickly moved to the side to dodge. The Blue Spirit tossed one of his swords to Gansu, who caught it easily. They approached their enemy from both sides.

Gansu ducked under a fireball that came from the Commander's fist, then sidestepped another from his foot. He saw the Blue Spirit barely dodge a third flame by ducking to the side. They began circling around him.

Peng launched another set of fireballs, backing away to try and keep some distance between them. Most of the fire was directed at the Blue Spirit, who ducked and weaved in a way that almost didn't seem human. Who was this man?

One of the fireballs managed to singe his shoulder, which he only noticed because he saw it happen. The adrenaline in his system would not allow him to feel it until much later. He ripped off the burning portion of the fabric and threw it to the ground, leaving half his torso exposed.

The Blue Spirit leaped in the air and landed right next to Peng, who kicked him away. He landed hard on his back, and the Commander rushed over to finish him off. Gansu ran as quickly as he could and swung his sword down hard. Peng turned around swiftly and raised his right arm, his heavy armor stopping the sword easily. He swung his left around in a wide hook, which Gansu easily ducked under.

Meanwhile, his partner had managed to stand up and attacked their opponent from behind. Peng sidestepped the vertical swing, retaliating with a high flaming roundhouse kick that forced both of them to duck. He followed this by raising both his fists high above his head, then bringing down a column of flame. They each had to leap back to dodge, landing off-balance and falling to the ground.

Peng turned in the direction of the Blue Spirit, launching a stream of fire from both hands. He quickly somersaulted forward, putting his blade in front of him. The fire curved around it, and Gansu suddenly realized why he had chosen not to say anything or reveal his face. Peng realized it too, standing there completely stunned.

"Y-you're... you're a..."

He did not get to finish his sentence as Gansu's sword pierced his belly from behind, slicing upward into his chest and exiting through his heart. He kept it there for several quiet moments, then slid it out just as quickly. Peng's body jerked back and forth, then he fell to his knees with blood dripping from his mouth.

Moments later he collapsed to the ground, dead.

The battle was over less than twenty minutes later. The Fire Nation soldiers had beat a hasty retreat, moving towards one of the other camps. The sun had started to rise, and Gansu finally allowed himself to rest. The pain of the wounds he had received was finally starting to catch up with him. He continued walking in any case, searching for survivors.

"Wow, you look like hell," a voice said from behind him.

He smiled and turned around. "What took you so long?"

Wenyan grinned as well. "Had to drug the General's food so he wouldn't notice me sneakin' all those troops out," he replied. "You guys put up one hell of a fight before we got here."

"We held our own."

"Come on," he said. "We found somethin' I think you might want to see."

"What is it?"

He smiled. "Just follow me."

Wenyan led him over the remains of the camp, then up the hill to where he had left his ostrich horse. There was another figure lying there, apparently asleep. There were bandages tied around his stomach, and tears came to Gansu's eyes as he looked upon his face. Some of the finer details had changed, but he would recognize that face anywhere.

"We ran across him right before we reached you," he explained. "He took a dagger to the stomach for talkin' back to the officer who told him to put on a Fire Nation uniform. Said he'd rather die than wear one." He laughed. "I woulda just put on the damn uniform."

"He was always very stubborn," Gansu observed with a smile.

Wenyan nodded, giving him a look that only two fathers could share. "Your son's really brave."

"Thank you."

"No problem. I should be thankin' you. You made the perfect distraction for us to come in there and tear up their camp. We pushed 'em back pretty far today." He chuckled. "Hopefully that'll keep the General from skinnin' me alive."

He chuckled. "Happy to help."

A cough came from the ground, and they both turned to see the prisoner waking up. Wenyan smirked. "I'll let you two catch up," he said, then patted Gansu on the shoulder and started walking back down the hill.

Gansu crouched over his son's supine form, a soft smile gracing his features. His eyes cracked open, and he saw them blink in confusion before recognition filled them. "Dad?"

He nodded at the unspoken 'Is that really you?' and smiled wider. "Hello, Sen Su."

"Dad," he repeated weakly, producing a smile of his own.

"I saw what you did in that tent," he revealed, and Sen Su let out an embarrassed laugh. "I didn't know it was you at that point, but I'm proud of what you did."

"You always did teach me to stand up for myself," he quipped. "Although if I could avoid getting stabbed next time, that'd be pretty nice too."

He laughed. "Are you ready to go home, son?"

"What?" He jerked upright at that question, then grabbed his stomach and winced. As soon as the pain subsided, he turned to his father. "Why would I want to go home?"

Gansu tilted his head to the side. He had not been expecting that reaction. "You've been wounded, son. And you were kept captive for a week. I assumed you would want to get as far away from here as possible."

He shook his head.

"Why not?"

"I'm needed here," he answered simply. "They have an infirmary in the camp. I can rest there, and I'll be ready to go back into battle in a couple of weeks. I've been stabbed before, it's no big deal." He winced again and clutched his stomach.

"Let me see that," Gansu ordered, and he moved his hand aside. The wound had been bandaged, and he could tell that it had been a rush job. There was a significant amount of blood that had soaked into them, and the stain appeared to be getting larger. "You may have reopened the wound," he explained, reaching over to a pouch resting on his ostrich horse. "I need to take off your bandages to see what's going on."

Sen Su nodded and leaned back slightly, supporting himself with his arms. Gansu grabbed the start of the bandage and undid it, then began unwrapping it slowly.

"Why don't you want to go home?" he repeated, continuing their conversation. "Li and your mother have been missing you."

"I know," he replied, hissing as the pressure of the bandages started to release. "And I'm grateful that you came all the way out here, I really am."

"But?" Gansu prompted, working slower the closer he got to the bottom layer.

"But I can't go home right now. My country needs me, just like it needs every other soldier. I took an oath to protect the Earth Kingdom when I signed up. I'm not gonna go back on that."

"No one would blame you," he insisted. "Being wounded is a perfectly good reason to be discharged. And after the way you stood up to that man, I don't think anybody doubts the fact that you're brave."

"I've been wounded before, and I didn't go back then," Sen Su rebutted. "It didn't even hit anything vital. I should be healed in a matter of days."

He peeled the last layer of the bandages off, and tried hard not to grimace as he looked at the wound on his son's stomach. He grabbed a cloth and dipped it in water, then set to work cleaning up the blood.

"Son," he sighed. "Do you have any idea what I went through just to get you out of there?"

It was then that Sen Su seemed to notice his father's disheveled appearance. He shook his head. "No, I don't. But I'm sure it was hell."

"It was," he admitted, wringing out the cloth. He continued soaking up the blood, then located where his son had torn his stomach open. The hole was small, and the blood seemed to be clotting quickly. As he wiped the last of it off, he noticed something strange.

"Sen Su," he began. "Do you remember who it was that brought you out of there?"

He squinted and rubbed his temple. "Barely. He was wearing black, and I think he had some sort of mask over his face." He looked down at the wound. "I was bleeding pretty bad when he found me. I think he took out a knife and heated it up somehow, then he put it over where that guy stabbed me." He grimaced. "It hurt like hell, but it stopped the bleeding."

Gansu nodded and examined the wound again. The flesh around the cut had been burned, and a series of characters had been emblazoned on his son's skin. He read them to himself, and laughed at how appropriate they were, considering what he had just gone through.

From what his son had told him, it seemed like the Blue Spirit had snuck him out and healed him first before freeing the rest of the prisoners. The fact that he was able to cauterize the wound so quickly confirmed what he had witnessed earlier in their battle against Commander Peng. His mysterious ally had disappeared shortly after Gansu handed back his sword, and by the time the battle was over, he was nowhere to be found.

"Dad," he said, and Gansu looked up at him. "I get that you're worried about me. But that monster who did this was part of that army, and there's more people out there just like him who'd love to do the same thing all over the Earth Kingdom." His face was completely serious, and Gansu realized why his son was fighting so hard to stay. "If staying here means that I get to stand in their way and stop them from doing that, then I'm willing to give my life to make sure Li and mom stay safe."

He nodded, understanding. That was the same reason he had volunteered so many years ago. "If that's what you want, son."

"It is." He looked down at the wound. "What does that say?" he asked. "I can't read it."

Gansu smiled. "Never give up without a fight."

Dust surrounded him as he approached another location from the road. He was far from the front lines now, having left his son to recover there just under a week ago. He spotted the buildings and knew he was back home.

He passed through the village and noticed something odd. People seemed more carefree than usual, in contrast to the reserved fear that seemed to hang over them like a cloud when he left. It was something he only noticed when it was absent, and the village felt more welcoming for some reason that he had yet to figure out. He decided not to question it, figuring that whatever had lifted these people's spirits, it had to be good.

Gansu reached his farm a short while later. He heard the familiar noises of all the various pig hybrids as they greeted him, tuning them out. Two people emerged from the house at the noise, and he smiled as they approached.

"Dad!" Li shouted, running toward him at full speed. He dismounted his ostrich horse and lifted his son into a spinning bear hug. Li giggled and returned the gesture, still smiling when he was set down moments later. "Dad, did you find Sen Su?" He looked around expectantly. "Where is he?"

"Still on the front lines, keeping our nation safe," he answered, hoping that would satisfy him. The boy asked no further questions, but kept smiling nonetheless.

His wife reached them then, and he smiled before pulling her close and giving her a much-needed kiss on the lips.

"Gross!" Li protested, then scampered off toward the barn, leaving them alone.

"Sela," he breathed when they separated, needing to say that name again. "How did things go while I was gone?"

"For the last six days? Fairly uneventful," she replied. "Though we did run into a bit of trouble on the day you left."

His smile vanished. "What kind of trouble?"

"Gow came here demanding protection money," she answered bitterly as they began walking inside. "Li pulled a knife on them."

"Where did he get a knife?"

"That drifter gave it to him," she spat, though he sensed that her anger was not directed at him. "They grabbed Li and said that if he was old enough to wield a knife, he was old enough to join the army."

Rage welled up from deep within him. "Where is he now?"

"Gone," she replied. They crossed the threshold and sat down at the table. "I went to the drifter for help, and he chased them off. He was a really good fighter."

Her expression darkened. "He drove off the first three with no problem. Then Gow nearly beat him with earthbending, and he had to pull out something unexpected to win."

"What was that?"

"Firebending," she practically snarled. "He was a firebender, and he hid that from us all this time. And not just any firebender. No, he's the Crown Prince. Banished three years ago and left to wander the world."

Gansu said nothing.

"And do you know what he did after that? He had the nerve to try and give Li his knife again. Even after giving it to him was what got us in trouble in the first place! It's a good thing he left after that."

He considered questioning why they had driven the drifter out of town immediately after he saved them, but quashed that notion. He knew the reason. Fighting those men to drive them off was one thing, but revealing himself as their enemy transformed it into a battle. Firebenders could not be trusted in their eyes, and he would have agreed with them before what happened a week ago. He wondered what would have happened if the drifter had just stuck with his broadswords.

Wait. Broadswords?

All the pieces suddenly came together in a moment of shining clarity, and Gansu realized who it was that had saved him.

"Sela," he said, a giddy smile on his face. "Did that knife say anything on it?"

She raised an eyebrow at his excitement, but answered him regardless. "I think Li said there was something written on it. Why?"

"What did it say?"

"Don't give in without fighting, or something like that," she answered, still looking confused.

"Never give up without a fight," he breathed, then laughed.

"Gansu, what's going on?"

"Sela," he said. "I don't think that man was our enemy."

She looked at him like his beard had grown a beard of its own. "What do you mean?"

"When I was rescuing Sen Su," he explained, "he was badly injured. Someone stabbed him in the stomach."

Sela gasped and put both hands over her mouth.

"I was captured shortly after that. But he told me that someone managed to cauterize his wound in order to stop the bleeding. I looked at it myself, and those same words were burned into his skin." He laughed. "I think he might have helped me save my son."

She stared at him blankly, apparently too stunned for words.

"Not only that, but he broke me and the rest of the soldiers out of the camp, and we held off the Fire Nation army until reinforcements arrived. They took the camp."

Sela stood up from the table, looking deeply disturbed. "And where is he now?" she asked quietly.

"I don't know. He ran off."

"Why didn't you recognize him?"

"It was dark," he answered. "And he disguised himself with a blue mask over his face. He never even spoke a word."

She sat back down, suddenly weak. She rested her elbows down on the table and cradled her head in her hands. "What happened to Sen Su?"

"He's still at the front lines, like I told Li. He wanted to stay."

"I see." She continued staring at the table.

"Sela, what's wrong?"

"I'm an idiot," she muttered, shaking her head. "I fell into that trap of believing that just because he was a firebender, that meant he was out to harm us. I believed that because I was scared and didn't know what else to think." She laughed bitterly. "I should have known that anybody who got banished by the Fire Lord would have to be a pretty damn decent person."

Gansu laughed as well, though his was more genuine. "It's alright, Sela. Everything's going to be just fine now."

"I know," she said. "I just feel sorry for Li. When he tried to give him the knife again, Li said he hated him. I think it might have been because of how I was acting."

"And how was that?"

"Angry, confused, overprotective." She smirked. "Do you think we should tell him what happened?"

Gansu nodded. "Let's wait until after dinner, though. I'm in the mood for something that's been cooked."

She smacked him lightly on the arm. "What have you been eating?"

"Rice, mostly," he answered. "And some assorted wildlife. I'm in the mood for some of your famous stew."

Sela grinned and stood up. Gansu followed and they came close together again.

"I'm glad you're safe," she said, her breaths falling against his chest. "And I'm glad you rescued Sen Su. You must have gone through so much to save him."

"You have no idea," he replied, drawing her into a hug. "But it was worth it."

"It always is," she agreed, settling against his chest. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

Their lips met again, and Gansu poured all of his love into her, receiving hers in turn. He tightened his grip around her, telling her that he would never let her go. They stayed like that for several moments before someone interrupted them.

"Aw, gross!" Li shouted from the door. "Can't you two go somewhere else and do that?"

Gansu smiled. "I think that can be arranged."

It was hours later, after the sun had set and the rest of the house had gone to sleep, when Gansu finally let himself relax. He wrapped his arm around his wife's sleeping form and brought her closer to him, cherishing her warmth. He stared outside the narrow window near the ceiling, looking at the stars.

He hadn't given up. His journey had taken him to hell and back, but Gansu knew that if he had to, he would do it all again. He respected his son's choice, and the pride he felt at his words were only outweighed by the love that had brought him that far to rescue him.

They had told Li what happened after dinner, though Gansu wisely skipped the parts where he was tortured and his brother had nearly died. He didn't need to know about that yet. Li's face had brightened when he learned of his father's rescuer, how he was the same man who had delivered him from Gow's corrupt hands. He declared the Prince to be his hero, and wanted to grow up to be just as brave.

Gansu smiled at that. He already was. Sen Su had been exactly the same at his age, and he knew that Li would grow up to be a fine man. He only hoped the war was over by then.

He looked up at the sky, feeling that somehow his mysterious rescuer was doing the same. He smiled.

"Thank you," he whispered, closing his eyes. "Prince Zuko."

Author's Notes: Well, that was kind of long, wasn't it? That's what happens when I try and write a detailed fight scene. I hope the effort was worth it.

This idea came to me randomly one day when I was thinking about what happened to Gansu after "Zuko Alone." I wondered how he planned to rescue not only his son, but an entire battalion by himself. I figured that he would try going to the army first, but since he's just a civilian they weren't much help. Then I remembered that Zuko still had his Blue Spirit gear at that point, and the pieces just started to connect.

I focused exclusively on minor characters in this story, trying to see the war from their point of view. One of the things I always liked about Avatar is that you can take any character that only appeared once, or only got an offhand mention in an episode, and build an entire story around them. Gansu immediately struck me as a man who will go to any lengths to protect his family, and I wanted to see what would happen when he had to save his son all by himself. His military background was something I made up, but I like to think that Sen Su got the idea to join from his father. Also, it made the fight scene easier to write. Sen Su got a smaller role, but I like how it came out. He's a man of honor, just like his father. General Shu is the man Zhao was serving under when he discovered Wan Shi Tong's library. He's kind of ruthless, though he does have his own twisted sense of ethics.

This story features a number of original characters, all of whom I had fun developing. Lieutenant Wenyan is my favorite. I imagine him being voiced by Steve Blum, the voice of Spike Spiegel in the English version of Cowboy Bebop and the current voice of Wolverine on Wolverine and the X-Men. He's well known for his gruff, no-nonsense voice, and I hope that came across in his dialogue. Commander Peng is inspired by Colonel Volgin, the most evil son of a bitch in Metal Gear Solid 3. Both like to beat their prisoners for kicks, and are absolutely massive and hard to bring down in a fight. General Guangli only exists to give Gansu opposition, and I don't think I'll be following up on him anytime soon. Still, I hope he came across well enough.

The fight scene is one of the longest and most detailed that I've ever written, and I hope it flows well. The reason Gansu is so brutal is because they're fighting to the death, and he's falling back on old habits that got him through his own service. I wanted to contrast this with Zuko's style of fighting, which is simply to strip the enemy soldiers of their weapons and knock them out safely. The advantage of Gansu's approach is that when the soldiers go down, they stay down. He also can't afford to take the same risks as Zuko, because he's not as quick.

I originally envisioned Peng dying from both of the swords, with each of them stabbing him from both sides. That just didn't sit right with me, however, because Zuko doesn't kill people if he can help it. Gansu, on the other hand, is willing to get his hands bloody to save others. Oh, and the guy tortured him. So he's kind of sore about that.

Originally I planned for Gansu to find out that Sen Su was dead, and carry his body home for burial. That was too morbid, so I wanted him to bring his son home alive. But then it occurred to me that he shouldn't be bringing his son home at all. Sen Su chose to go out there, and his act of defiance demonstrated that he's willing to die before he betrays his country. He's out there because he wants to stop the Fire Nation from visiting the same horrors on the rest of the Earth Kingdom, and he will do everything he can to keep them away from his home. He's fighting the war because he wants to, not because it was chosen for him. It shows that he's grown up, and it teaches Gansu that his son doesn't need him to protect him from everything.

The final scenes demonstrate the other point I wanted to get across with this story, which is that while single acts of kindness are not enough to end a century of animosity, doing them repeatedly for the same people can help to change individual opinions. Once Sela and Li learn what Zuko did, their opinion of him changes, and they can spread this news to others. It seems like there may be some hope after all.

I've rambled long enough, so I'll stop here. I've got the first part of the next chapter of Conflict of Interest written out, and the rest is coming along well. I should be done with it by next month at the earliest.

Thank you for reading!