"Halt!" The officer screamed, visibly weathered. But the figure in black continued running with uncanny speed. The darkness of the night made the chase even more daunting, the crescent moon providing only a futile gleam of light through the surrounding abyss. Behind the officer trailed four guards, their red and black uniforms identified them as soldiers of the Fire Nation. They too appeared exhausted from the chase; a tiresome reprieve from their typically boring post. One of them cursed as a root jutting from the ground nearly tripped him.

The officer smiled as the figure stopped abruptly, in his path were the marshlands which were nigh impossible to traverse at this time of night. A quick decision and the man darted into a thicket of bushes on the outskirts of the marsh, the officer and the guard slackened their pace as they converged on the bushes. Sensing a trap, the officer motioned for his men to stand their ground but one of the younger guards filled with brash overconfidence rushed in and died on the edge of the man's short sword. Biting back a curse the officer and his men unleashed a volley of firebending upon the bushes, lighting them up in a blaze that illuminated the marshland for miles. The fire grew in intensity and still no sign of movement. The officer issued his ultimatum.

"Come out now! You're surrounded, there's no hope!" Before the officer could finish his sentence two shurikens burst from the flames and finding their marks among the guards, killed them instantly. The man followed suit and with eyes that glowed like the inferno behind him he slashed at the remaining guard who only barely evaded his attack. The officer at last came to his senses and blasted the man fully in the chest with such force that he flew back several feet; landing in a crumpled heap on the ground.

"Is he dead?" The guard was still badly shaken, as much as he tried to hide it. The officer scowled at the guard's lack of composure, and at his own incompetence that had cost the lives of three of his men. The spirits had it out for him this night. The man in black coughed as he began to slowly rise to his feet.

"Clearly not yet. If possible we take him alive, he may have useful information" said the officer. His malice barely contained.

The man stared at the two Fire Nation soldiers, his mind empty of any regret for he was merely the diversion. His short sword caught the light from the flames and gleamed as he brought it near his chest.

"Curse the balance, restore our glory!" he cried before burying the blade deep in his heart and collapsing to the ground, motionless. The guard gasped while the officer rushed to the man's side. The body that only moments before seemed so deadly and pulsing with life was now a harmless dead weight. The man himself was young, in his mid-twenties. His dark hair and golden eyes showed him to be a fire nation citizen. What was his motive, the officer wondered. Suddenly an object in the man's black robes caught his eye, reaching down he took out what turned out to be a scroll. Holding it to the light the officer saw it was a coded message, and at the bottom the image of a horrific Wolf-Bat.

"What in the name of…" The officer decided it was best to report to the Garrison commander as soon as possible. Motioning to the guard he said brusquely "You, stay here and guard the bodies until I can send for porters."

"Yessir!" The guard was over his initial shock, his training taking over he bowed to the officer. Somewhat pitying him, knowing what it felt like to lose friends the officer patted him on the shoulder before heading back in the direction of the city. The question of the man remained on his mind.

…

Miles away, perched upon the roof of one of the taller buildings in the city another man clad from head to toe in black saw the whole scene. Narrowing his eyes as he saw a battalion of guards rush from the city to investigate the fire he grasped the hilt of his short sword, his objective embedded in the depths of his mind. His comrade's death would not be in vain. The way was clear for him now. Curse the Balance, Restore our Glory! And without a second thought he vanished into the alleys beneath him.

…

The orange rays of dawn fell upon the dark red walls of the Fire Nation Capital, filling it with warm light. Here and there a stray turtle duck quacked, the slumbering city slowly came to life. Merchants began to set up their stands, porters readied their carts, and crews of men began to sweep the autumn leaves into neat bunches by the sides of the road.

And in the palace the servants began to wake, the night watchmen bowed to the new watch of guards who immediately took their places. In a room near the left wing of the palace Aang, the Avatar and savior of the world, slowly opened his eyes and immediately closed them, adjusting to the morning light. Stretching his arms he gazed down at the face of the beautiful woman sleeping peacefully by his side. The gentle light caressed her face, from her tan cheeks to her soft smiling lips. Katara the waterbendending master, and fiancé of Aang was ever radiant in the eyes of her beloved. They had been through so much together, and now they could at last enjoy the peace they had helped achieve. Leaning in Aang placed a soft kiss on her lips causing Katara to stir slightly before returning the kiss. Her eyes fluttered open as they parted and she beamed at him.

"Good morning." Aang's eager smile had always persevered. Even when all had seemed hopeless it always managed to return stronger then ever. And now, two years since he had defeated Fire Lord Ozai, there was little reason not to smile. The world was safe and he had the woman he loved most of all, his closest friend and teacher.

"A good morning to you too, Aang." Katara giggled, even after all this time she couldn't erase the image of the goofy kid from the iceberg; the man she had come to love. Aang hovered to his feet, and stood at the edge of the bed.

"Time for another exciting day. Who knows what adventures await!" said Aang, causing Katara to laugh once again. With a teasing smile she said,

"Before you go running off, you might want to put some pants on…" Aang turned a bright crimson before hastily putting on the clothes that were scattered about the room. The fire nation clothes fit him to perfection, he had long since outgrown his orange monk robes.

"Common Katara, or we'll be late for breakfast!" Katara covered a yawn with one hand before getting out of bed and dressing herself. Her hair now reached down to her calves, quickly braiding it into Water Tribe fashion she walked over to Aang.

"You look beautiful Katara." In response she gave him a peck on the lips.

"Now let's hurry downstairs, I don't want Sokka to eat everything before we get there!"

With a trill laugh that filled the halls they ran to the staircase, nearly knocking over a servant along the way.

…

Zuko sat on his throne, in the dimmed reception chamber, the flames surrounding his throne flickered gently as the Fire Lord listened intently to the Commander's report.

"According to Lieutenant Shui the man took his own life. The only indicator to his identity was the scroll found among his things but so far our agents have been unable to decipher it." finished the Commander. He had gotten no sleep that night, but his training allowed him to go days without sleep.

"I see." Zuko glanced at his Uncle, the famed General Iroh, Dragon of the West, whose face was stoic as he mulled over the news. The Commander continued his report.

"We have reason to believe that the perpetrator may have ties to the…the assassin who killed Ambassador Hong." The Earth Kingdom Ambassador's death had not yet been revealed to the public, and Zuko feared the negative effect it might have. The memory of the terrible war was still fresh in everyone's mind, and although peace had been restored many in the Earth Kingdom still bore a grudge against the Fire Nation.

"The image of a Wolf-Bat was..."the Commander shuddered at the cruelty "Was carved into the Ambassador's Chest. It's similar to the image in the coded scroll. Our physicians indicate that the Ambassador died of asphyxiation, and that the…mutilation was done afterwards."

Zuko's face was outwardly calm but he felt a stab in his gut and a hint of fear in the back of his mind, who was responsible? Turning to the Commander Zuko said,

"Very well Commander, tell all troops to continue the investigation I want every inch of the island searched, but keep it quiet. Try to keep news of his death from leaking out for as long as possible, this matter must be handled with extreme care, is that clear?"

"Yes, your majesty." The commander bowed low and headed down the hall, relieved that the Fire Lord had not had him punished for recklessness.

Iroh sighed, the wisdom of his many years having just as much trouble interpreting the attack as Zuko. He had seen his share of death and violence, this latest attack brought back painful memories which he quickly suppressed.

"Uncle, what is your wisdom on this matter?"

"I think someone is trying to spark a new war. Why else would they attack the Ambassador? You were right to keep news of his death a secret, the wounds the nations have suffered from the war have yet to heal. Like a poorly done stitch, any sudden movement and the wound will tear asunder."

"Who could be behind this attack? A Wolf-Bat…it must be the symbol of some sort of organization. Is Aang awake yet?"

"I believe he and his friends are at breakfast. Early morning meetings make me hungry and thirsty …" Zuko smiled, his Uncle's joviality and infamous love of tea were at times infectious.

"Then perhaps it's time we joined our friends. I could go for a cup of Jasmine myself." Iroh grinned.

"Then what are we waiting for! Let's go"

As the two of them left the throne room a shadow flickered in a corner. The flames around the throne began to die down. With the last of their light they showed a man clad in black hanging from one of the matching tapestries on the wall.

A/N: Tell me what you think. Review!