Only those who spread treachery, fire, and death out of hatred for the prosperity of others are undeserving of pity. -Martí: Pensamientos, by José Martí

"So what's your favorite color? Mine's pink. Although purple and red are nice too. Oh, and blue. Like the color of that Water Tribe boy's eyes. He's really cute. Do you think he's cute? I think you've only seen him once, but if you ever see him again, you should definitely look at his eyes. That's such a nice color. Green is a nice color, too, like your eyes. Oh, I guess they're Irada's eyes, too." Ty Lee laughed loudly. "That's still such a funny thought!"

Kiya didn't find it very funny. In fact, she was certain it was the most horrifying thing she could think of, but she didn't bother telling Ty Lee that. She didn't feel like speaking at all; the very idea of opening her mouth hurt too much. Not that she could've gotten a word in edgewise anyway. Ty Lee's mouth moved a mile a minute, and even though Kiya was unresponsive, she didn't seem perturbed. She just kept going and going, probably because she was bored, and had nothing better to do than bother the prisoner.

Why else had she been sitting down there for the past hour, blathering on about nothing important? Ever since they had moved her from the ship to a strange machine that they were currently in, she had been hanging around. They had been moving at incredible speeds, and Kiya had barely gotten any rest due to the noise, but in the rare moments that she did, she often woke to find Ty Lee in the same room, stretching and doing acrobatic things, occasionally talking and humming. As soon as she saw Kiya was awake, though, the occasional talking turned into unstoppable talking. Kiya didn't know what Ty Lee's motives were, but she was really starting to wish that the girl would leave. Nothing that Azula had done to her before compared to the torture that was listening to Ty Lee. If she didn't leave soon, Kiya would go completely insane.

There a brief pause. Kiya was so shocked that she looked up. Her neck muscles strained in protest as she looked over at the bubbly girl all clad in pink. She was bent over backwards, peering closely at Kiya from an upside down vantage point. Her large brown eyes were curious, and her face had assumed a serious expression. Her tawny braid hung down, brushing against the floor.

"What?" Kiya croaked, unnerved by the girl's unabashed staring.

"I was just thinking," Ty Lee said quietly, "about you, and Irada. You know that she and Zuko were promised to each other as kids, right?"

Kiya nodded. That action alone made her weary. She sighed, going limp against the blood-stained shackles that held her. "Why… does it matter?"

Rather than answering the question as Kiya had thought she would, Ty Lee instead asked another, one that caught Kiya completely off-guard. "Well, do you love him?"

Huh. She had never stopped to ask herself that before. They had both admitted they were attracted to each other, though without saying so many words. It had been an unspoken thing between them, given life and tangibility that day that she had woken up beside him, and learned that he had pulled her out of the Blank State. They had been through so much together that the friendship formed between them, if you could call it that, had been inevitable. Yes, they had done horrible things to each other - they had lied and hurt one another. But what hadn't killed them (or who) made them stronger, and they had forged an unlikely alliance through his desperate search for the Avatar. But did she love him? She didn't know. There were so many things they still didn't know about each other, and they had spent so much time apart…

Kiya sighed. "I don't know," She admitted, her voice barely an exhausted whisper. "Maybe I could have. But I guess we'll never know, will we?"

"No, I guess not," A dull voice answered from the doorway. Kiya would know that voice anywhere.

"Hi, Mai!" Ty Lee exclaimed happily, flipping over onto her feet.

"What are you doing down here with her?" Kiya could practically feel the hostility in Mai's voice, all the way from across the room.

"Just talking. I had nothing better to do."

"Was she talking back?"

Ty Lee shrugged. "Not really. I think she's hurt too badly. Did you want something?"

"Yeah, Azula was looking for you." There was a brief pause. "We're having a meeting."

"Oh, okay." Ty Lee smiled brightly, and waved enthusiastically at Kiya. "Bye! Thanks for listening!" She skipped out of the room.

As if I had any choice. Kiya took a deep breath, wincing at the pain in her ribs. She was certain at least two of them were broken, and several more were bruised quite badly. Three of her fingers were broken, the skin around her wrists was scraped and bleeding, and her entire body was covered in red, scabby burns. There were mild lacerations down her arms and back from Azula's whip, and she had a black eye. Her head throbbed dully from all the abuse, but somehow, she was still alive. She didn't know how she had managed to hang on, but she still drew breath. That made all the difference.

It took her a moment to realize that Mai hadn't left just yet. The swishing of her dress against the metal floor got nearer, as she slowly walked around to face Kiya. Kiya didn't even look up when the shadow fell over her; she no longer had any energy to deal with Azula's minions. If Mai had something to say, she would say it, and hopefully be on her way.

"I just don't get it," Mai said, her voice thick with bitterness. "Irada, maybe. It's not like he had a choice. They were kids, and it was wise for Zuko's mother to pick a girl of noble blood to match him with. They had grown used to the idea of getting married when they were older, and that's why they became so close. She's different from you, though. She is a noble, and she knows how to act like one. But you… what the hell did he see in you?"

"Probably what he didn't see in you," Kiya rasped, raising her head the tiniest fraction. She hadn't thought she had the energy to deal with anymore poking and prodding, but Mai's question genuinely made her angry.

"And what's that?"

Kiya's smile was the color of blood. "A personality."

Mai moved so fast that Kiya didn't even see the knife, much less feel it. It wasn't until Mai dropped her arm back down to her side, and Kiya felt the wetness on what was left of her tunic that she realized she had been stabbed. She looked down; a hot wave of pain sliced through her, and her stomach rolled. The knife was sticking out of her shoulder, at least two inches deep. Her legs wobbled from beneath her, causing her entire body to shift. The movement made her cry out, as the knife's blade scraped over her collarbone. When she was able to see again, and she could breathe without screaming, Mai had moved back to the door.

"Take it out," Kiya gasped, "At least give me that."

"Oh, come on," Mai replied cruelly, a smile audible in her voice, "Even you have to know that you'll fare better if I leave it in. Don't worry; I'm sure any infection might happen much later. For now, you'll feel every bit of pain, and I'll laugh, knowing I caused it. Goodbye."

Kiya gritted her teeth, as her legs trembled dangerously once more. You don't get it, Mai, she thought savagely, I know that removing the knife will make it bleed more. With any luck, that would've killed me, and I finally would've been free. But it wasn't so; she was once more left alone in the silence, and the dark.

"…and we should arrive in mere moments," Azula was saying, her voice haughty and cold. "Then perhaps we can get out of here, and the other two can stop brooding."

Irada's eyes snapped over to where the Fire Princess was talking with Ty Lee, a few feet away from where she was sitting. They had long since abandoned their ship for a uniquely made Fire Nation tank that ran on fire-bending; as their journey had brought them over long stretches of land, it only made sense to change means of transportation. It covered ground easily and quickly, and had room for all of them, including a small space where Kiya could stay chained. One of Azula's lackeys was driving it, and another was keeping it running, but other than that, the five girls were the only ones present.

"Who can stop brooding?" Mai asked as she exited the room where Kiya was being held. She slammed the metal door shut behind her.

"There you are, Mai," Azula said, glancing up from the map she had rolled open. "As I was telling Ty Lee and Irada, we will arrive at the den of the Black Vipers momentarily." She turned her attention back to the map. Ty Lee stooped over, tracing some lines with her fingers.

Irada glanced at Mai. The girl looked tired. Her normally pale, drawn face was even more washed out than usual, and she had dark circles under her eyes. Being on this mission with Azula was taking a toll on all of them, she couldn't deny that. But she had never really seen the evidence firsthand until that moment.

"You look awful," She said, inspecting her nails in an attempt to look like she didn't care.

Mai narrowed her eyes at Irada. "Have you ever heard that saying, about throwing stones when you live in a glass house? Maybe you should look in a mirror once in a while. You don't look any better."

"Trust me, I know."

"No, really. You look even worse than I do."

Irada already knew that was true. She felt like she was cracking into pieces, and like she lost even more of those pieces each day that they were away from the Fire Nation. Before she had agreed to come with Azula, her life had been so simple. She had attended the Royal Fire Nation Academy For Girls. She had strolled around the Capital City without a care in the world. She had talked to her friends, she had loved her adoptive parents. She had been everything she was supposed to be: sweet, quiet, and thoughtful. And even before then, years earlier, she had spent her days playing with Azula, Mai, Ty Lee, and more importantly, Zuko. Those days had been so much simpler. She had been in the process of being groomed to become the next Fire Lady, and everything was lovely, because she had loved Zuko, and he had loved her. Maybe now he still loved her. But was he still in love with her? Or had his heart fallen to that blackguard that was supposedly her sister? She couldn't say. All she knew was that things had been blurred by his time spent in exile, and she didn't quite know what to think anymore.

"Of course I do," Irada snapped, clenching her fists to ignore the way her hands had begun to shake. "It's not always easy figuring out that the boy you're in love has been fooling around with someone else."

"Yeah," Mai said quietly, understanding creeping into her dark eyes, "It's not fun, is it? To love someone who doesn't love you?"

The way she said it… Irada knew that Mai pitied her, even if only momentarily. And it wasn't because Irada was a victim; no, it was because Mai had been in the same position that Irada was in now. When Irada and Zuko were teenagers, right before he'd messed up, they had agreed to go on a break. Even though they knew that destiny would bring them back together because they had to get married, they wanted to pursue other interests and get away from each other for a while. Irada hadn't realized that pursuing other interests meant pursuing other people as well. Sure, she had maybe fooled around with a couple of boys, but she hadn't pursued a real relationship with any of them, not like he had with Mai. And when he realized that he still loved Irada and that she wanted to get back together, he left Mai entirely. Irada had never realized before how much Mai really had cared for the Fire Prince, but she could see it now.

But she didn't need anything from the downcast girl, least of all pity. Irada scowled, getting to her feet. "He does love me," She snapped. "He's just lost so much of himself while he's been away. Once he comes to his senses, which he will, things will go right back to the way they were, and we'll get married. According to plan."

"Yeah?" Mai fired back, "Just like things went according to plan before? Tell me, Irada, was the Agni Kai between him and his father part of your little plan for happily ever after?"

"Of course not! It was all a mistake! Just like this thing with Kiya!"

By then, their voices had carried, so now Azula and Ty Lee were both looking over and listening with great interest. Azula looked more bored and snidely amused than anything. She was standing over the map, her eyebrows raised in mild surprise as she watched her two friends argue over her older brother.

"I asked her if she loved him," Ty Lee piped up, her eyes flicking between the two shouting girls. "Right now, when I was in there."

"Yes, what were you doing in there?" Azula asked, turning her piercing gold eyes on Ty Lee.

Ty Lee shrugged innocently. "I have to stay in shape, and I don't want to be in the way out here. So, I go in there and work on some of my moves. She sleeps most of the time, anyway."

"What did she say?" Mai asked.

"Well, she hardly ever says anything, but-"

Mai rolled her eyes, cutting her friend off. "What did she say when you asked if she loved him?"

"Oh," Ty Lee smiled, "She said she could have, like maybe they were on their way to that point. I don't think they were as close as everyone seems to think." She looked pointedly at Irada and Mai before looking back down at the map.

"Including her," Azula said with a small smile. "Why didn't he come to rescue her? Clearly, there was nothing there. I really think there's nothing for either of you to worry about, particularly you." She nodded her head at Irada, who in turn smirked at Mai.

"Yeah, well, you also told him that you killed her. Maybe that's why," Mai pointed out, frowning.

Irada gritted her teeth. Yes, she remembered that. She had seen the look on his face. Maybe he did love Kiya… She shook her head, squeezing her eyes shut tight. No! He was hers! "Whatever," Irada muttered, making a dismissive motion with her hand, "It really doesn't matter."

Suddenly, before any of them could say anything else, their specially engineered tank came to a sudden stop. Mai nearly went toppling into Irada, as they were forced to hang on to avoid falling. Azula let loose a string of curses, losing her footing for a brief moment, before being steadied by Ty Lee. She tossed her bangs out of her face, looking angry as everyone righted themselves.

"Fool of an engineer," She spat. "I'll have his head when we're through."

"I guess that means we're here, though," Ty Lee remarked, her smile optimistic.

"Yes, I suppose it does," Azula replied sourly. "Ira, go get your unfortunate twin. She's coming with us."

"Why?"

Azula paused, turning her head slowly to glare at her friend. Clearly, Irada hadn't been thinking. Azula was angry, and she should have seen it a mile away, but she had been too caught up in her own thoughts to realize that the princess would take it out on her. "I must be mistaken, but that sounded oddly like you questioning my direct order."

Irada lowered her gaze. "Of course not, Princess. I was merely curious as to why we need her."

Her answer seemed satisfactory to Azula, because she didn't cause any bodily harm. Instead, she sniffed imperiously, and said, as if it were obvious, "She's the only one who knows the way in. It's an underground labyrinth, you know. We've gotten as close as we can, but she has to take us the rest of the way."

"Can she make it?" Ty Lee bit her lip. "I mean, she's pretty beat up."

"We have several mongoose dragons on standby," Azula said, "We'll take those. Ty Lee, go inform our idiotic operator that we require the beasts."

"Yes, Princess." Ty Lee did several handsprings past Mai and Irada, and down the narrow corridor that connected the main room of the tank to the second and third chambers. She hummed as she went. The metallic slamming of doors echoed behind her.

"Now, Irada, fetch your sister. Mai, step outside and scout around. If you see anyone nearby and they aren't wearing Fire Nation armor or the standard Viper uniform, kill them. Understood?"

"Of course, Princess." Mai exited through the hatch.

Irada caught a glimpse of bright blue sky before the hatch was slammed shut once more. She couldn't wait to be back outside, beneath the sun. She hated being cooped up inside the tank, especially since Azula's wild mood swings were starting to wear on her patience. With a heavy sigh, Irada trudged to the small door in front of her. She didn't know about the other two, but she was starting to feel like as much of a prisoner as Kiya.

Kiya bit back a scream as the tank suddenly halted, causing her to jerk against the chains that were holding her. More of her blistered skin sloughed off, and several drops of blood dribbled down her arms, toward her shoulders. She was so tired. She was tired of hanging there, tired of bleeding, tired of the pain that pulsed within her at all times… she just wanted to die. It would be easier, she thought, her eyes closing. I lost the only friends I have, and I gave up the location of the Black Vipers. I'm alone and I've lost my honor. What else do I have left to lose?

The door swung open so violently and suddenly that it hit the wall behind it. Irada marched into the room. Without a single word of warning, she unlocked the manacles around Kiya's wrist. Completely unprepared, Kiya collapsed to the floor. Her legs were too weak to hold her, and the muscles in her arms screeched in protest as she curled up in the fetal position. She had taken for granted the ability to bend her arms as often as she wanted, and now the muscles were weak with atrophy.

"Get up," Irada snarled, aiming a half-hearted kick at Kiya's ribs. "We're going for a walk."

"I can't walk," Kiya managed, coughing and spitting bloody mucus onto the metal floor.

Irada eyed her with disgust. "Can't, or won't?"

Kiya may have been injured, but she wasn't stupid. She recognized that tone of voice, for she had used it often on her own victims, back when she had been a successful assassin. Those days seemed so far away, but she could still remember the feeling of power that had once gripped her, and she knew what it felt like to be able to exercise it to any extent she desired. If I don't walk, she'll do something terrible. With a heaving breath, Kiya sat up. Closing her eyes and gathering herself, she slowly shifted so she was on her knees. Focusing on her strength, and the girl she used to be, she finally got to her feet. Her entire body was screaming with pain, and she felt like she was on fire all over again, but she didn't show it. Instead, she breathed hard through her nose and gritted her teeth. She reached for the knife still in her shoulder, and yanked it out with a grimace. It dropped to the floor. Leaning against the wall to steady herself, she glared at Irada.

"Where are we going?"

"We finally arrived at the den. However, we need you to sniff out the entrance for us."

Kiya shook her head. "I'm afraid I won't be of much use. The password changes every day, and I've been gone for months. There's no way we'll get in."

"Not even if you say who you are?"

Kiya rolled her eyes. "Please. If it all it took was saying 'it's okay, I'm Kiya, let me in', you could get in there. There's a doorway, and there's always a guard behind it. Once we tell him the password, he'll let us in." She paused. "And then, he'll hopefully kill me for showing you all of this."

"What did you say?" Irada's eyes narrowed at her twin.

"I said, he'll probably kill me for showing you all of this." It's only what I deserve.

"Small matter," Irada sniffed, flicking her wrist dismissively. "We only need you to get us inside. After we're finished, Azula will probably kill you anyway. Now, move." She stepped outside so that Kiya could go through the door ahead of her. With heavy, lurching steps, she slowly walked ahead of her sister, keeping her head held as high as she could. Irada grabbed her by the elbow, and yanked her out of the room, into a cramped hallway. Stifling her cries of pain by biting her lip, she was led down the hallway, and out a metallic door.

The sudden light of the outside world blinded her, and this time, she did cry out. She fell to her knees in the dirt; the shock of hard earth jarred her from her legs to her teeth. She kept her eyes closed against the harsh beat of the sun, certain that if she opened them again so soon, she would go blind. How long had it been since she had been outside? Days-hell, weeks--had passed since she had let herself be taken prisoner, and the light was just too much. After being chained in the dark, like some sort of beast, she was unaccustomed to the breeze through her stiff, blood-dried hair and the way the dirt felt as she dug her fingers into it. Despite the way her body was roaring in pain and the way her eyes stung, she had never felt so good, so happy to be out in the sun. Hesitantly, she opened her eyes the tiniest fraction.

Footsteps fell behind her; though it had been a long time since she had done any training, she could tell there were two people. As soon as they spoke, she knew.

"Mai?" Azula asked.

"I didn't find anything. No one's around."

"Excellent. When Ty Lee's joins us, we'll set off." Azula walked over to where Kiya was crouched in the dirt. "Which way from here, Viper?"

Kiya gingerly opened her eyes more. It was still too bright, and she blinked repeatedly, so the world around her arrived in flashes. Trees. There were trees, and rocks, big ones scattered along the ground. Sparse patches of grass dotted the earth, and nearby, Kiya could hear a running river. It gurgled over smooth rocks; she could see them in her mind. Many times she had stood in that river, the cool water flowing over her feet, collecting shiny stones that she could trade with Onu. Close. They were so close.

"North. Hardly a hundred yards."

Before Azula could say anything else, the sound of many scurrying footsteps reached Kiya. Squinting hard, she turned her head to see creatures unlike any other she had laid eyes on. There were four of them, large lizards with moss green bodies that were thin and lithe. They moved fast, and had saddles on their backs. Ty Lee was already riding one of them.

"Viper, you will lead us to the site of the entrance."

Irada glanced unsurely at the princess. "Who will take her, Azula?"

"I will."

Kiya only had one thought as Azula hauled her to her feet: oh, goody. With a strength that Kiya didn't know the Fire Princess possessed, she was picked up and settled on the back of the lizard. She slumped forward weakly, her chin nearly falling against her chest. Azula swung up in the saddle behind her, and grabbed for the reins. Kiya hated how close they were. She wanted to be able to grab Azula's hair, pull her head forward, and slice at that delicate, porcelain skin along her throat. She wanted to make the Fire Princess choke on her own blood as life slowly left her. She wanted her to suffer. But now, she couldn't. She had to wait, and give in to the desolation that pulsed through her veins.

Azula dug her heels into the lizard's ribs, and they were off. Looking back, Kiya wasn't even sure how she stayed upright in the saddle. The entire experience was a blind spot of agony. Her body was bumped and tossed this way and that as the lizard took them scampering over the landscape. Scrapes that had scabbed over reopened from so much movement, and new bruises formed upon old ones. Her entire body was alight with fire, the kind that was intent on devouring the last of her will. Blacking out for a moment, she was shocked when Azula's voice entered her ear.

"Well, are we near it, or do we need to keep going?"

Holding on to what consciousness she had left, Kiya managed to focus and look around. She needed to find the clearing, the rock, the tree… "Down," She murmured, squirming in her seat. "Let me down."

Mai, Ty Lee, and Irada had caught up with them, then. They halted their lizards, sitting atop them as they waited for directions. Azula slid out of the saddle and helped Kiya down, holding her hand up for the other three to stay. "Wait here. Listen for my call. As for you…" Her voice lowered, and she peered closely into Kiya's face. "What is it that you're looking for?"

"It's in a clearing surrounded by trees."

Azula nodded. "Fine. Let's find this clearing. Come on." Nudging Kiya forward, the two of them stalked off into the trees.

Kiya limped along, doing her best to keep up with Azula, but it was difficult. Her legs were cramped badly, and each time she took a step, a new muscle twinged. Her knees were stiff, and her ankles were sore; each step became harder and harder for her. Luckily, they didn't have much farther to go. Ahead of them was a giant wall of trees. Without even needing to be told, Azula knew that they had arrived.

"This is the clearing, then," Azula eyed it with distaste. With a sigh, she glanced at Kiya. "Well, what's next?"

"In the center of the clearing… a rock…"

"Ooh, how specific. A rock. Let me guess… the entire clearing is filled with them, but there's one that has a swirly design and if we find it, we'll find a door?" Azula snorted. "You assassins and your mysticism. How tiresome. Can't you just have a sign out front that says 'Black Viper Society; if you're seeing this, you'll soon be dead'?"

Kiya scowled, pressing forward into the trees. "No, this rock is shaped like a snake. It's really not hard to see, if you're standing in the right place. It's a… an illusion."

"An illusion. Of course. Well, lead on."

Kiya limped through the trees, her hands going instinctively to her hips to reach for the knives that were no longer there. Often in the days of her training, the clearing had been full of Vipers, taking breaks from the stuffy underground and lounging beneath the trees. Now, it was empty, and the air was oddly still. Even for a hidden society of assassins, it seemed disturbingly void of life. Without even having to be below in the passages, Kiya knew something was wrong.

She staggered towards the center of the clearing, towards an off-kilter circle of standing stones. There seemed to be no pattern to them, and Azula stopped short, her hands on her hips. "Where is this illusion, and what precisely does it do?"

Kiya ignored her. She walked slowly around the rocks, keeping her eye on them. By the time she was halfway around, she saw it. From that viewpoint, staring straight at the rocks, they seemed to form together to create a winding snake, its mouth open and its fangs protruding. Just an optical illusion to confuse any wandering eyes.

Kiya pointed at the ground. "Here." Reaching forward, she grabbed one of the snake's fangs. She jerked it towards her, and with a harsh grating sound, a panel of earth slid back, revealing earthen stairs leading down into darkness. Cold, thick air wafted up from below, and Kiya shivered.

Azula scurried over, gazing down into the blackness. Her golden eyes were feverish with excitement. She grabbed Kiya's shoulder, forcing her down into the hole. "You first."

Kiya did as she was told, descending into the mouth of hell itself. Azula kept her hand at the back of Kiya's shift, her fingers clenched around the fabric. She lit a blue flame in her other palm, illuminating the first passageway they came to. At the end of the earthen corridor, there was a dark wooden door.

Let it be quick, Kiya prayed. Let us be discovered, and let us be killed with no mercy. Let this madness end.

Kiya knocked once on the door when they reached it, and waited, frowning. There was a small opening in it, so the guard could look out and see who was seeking entrance, and he usually did. This time, however, he didn't. Nor did he ask for the password. The hair on Kiya's neck stood up. This wasn't right. Something had happened, but she had no idea what.

"I'm running out of patience. Shield your eyes, Viper." Kiya did as she was told, throwing one arm up over her face. With a roar of blue flame, Azula knocked the door down the tunnel, breaking it into several pieces. "There. Now let's go."

Kiya lowered her arm, staring off into the blackness. The air tasted stale, and her heart lurched. Swallowing dryly, she kept walking. They seemed to travel endlessly, following the labyrinthine twists and turns further down into the earth. The air grew colder as they went, the flame in Azula's hands growing smaller and smaller.

"Whatever trick you're playing at, end it now," She threatened, her teeth clenched to keep them from chattering. Her breath came out in frosty puffs of air. "You're leading me around I circles and I will not tolerate-"

"We're here," Kiya said, stopping in front of a metal door. It would lead them to the commons area, the place where there would be so many of her fellow Vipers waiting to strike. Or, so she thought. She took a deep breath before she yanked the door open.

No one was there. The cavernous room was empty. The tables that had once served them were overturned, and there were scattered candles and braziers, coal and wax that had long since gone out cluttering the dirt floor. The air smelled thick and musty, like no one had been down there in a long time. Kiya was horrified. So many different emotions, like confusion and fear, buffeted her at once. What had happened since she had been gone? Where were her people?

"Well," Azula said, flicking her fingers so the last few remaining candles that still stood upright were lit, casting the room in faint light. "It appears as though you really are a creature of legend." She turned her fierce eyes on Kiya. "You had better explain, Viper."

"I… don't know," Kiya said honestly, shrugging. "I have been gone for months. Something could have happened in that time that I'm not aware of."

"Clearly, something did happen." Azula huffed out an annoyed breath, her voice taking a pouty tone. "There goes my day."

Kiya scanned the room once more. There had to be something, some clue or indication as to why they'd left. There were nearly a hundred Vipers, all scattered throughout tunnels and caves. They couldn't have all just disappeared without a trace. She walked around, casting her eyes down to the floor. Just broken plates and bowls, candle stubs, and the remnants of a fire.

She turned to go, when she saw it. Stabbed into one of the overturned tables with a jeweled knife was a piece of parchment. She immediately hobbled over, wrenching the knife out of the wood and grabbing for the parchment. The calligraphy was messy, scrawled hastily, as if in fear. It was from Ari.

Kiya,

Things bad. Come to Ba Sing Se. You'll find what you need there.

-Ari

"What is that?" Azula asked, her predatory eyes not missing a single thing. "Ah, so there's a note left behind. And what does it say?"

Kiya handed it over. Azula read it quickly, before licking her lips. "So, Ba Sing Se. Capital of the Earth Kingdom. What precisely could be waiting for you there?" Her eyes glinted, and Kiya could see the blue flames reflected in them. She rolled the parchment up, tucking it into her belt. "Ah, Ba Sing Se. Long has that city been mentioned infamously among my people. Or should I say our people?" She grinned cruelly. "My fool of an uncle let that place slide from his grasp during the war, and it has since stood against the Fire Nation, enduring despite our efforts. Perhaps it's time we make a visit, and change history once and for all."

Kiya didn't know what Azula meant by that, but she was sure that she wasn't going to like it.

Katara looked over at Aang for the third time that hour. They had been flying on the back of Appa, after escaping the unexpected scene of a strange battle against Prince Zuko and his crazy sister. Aang had been oddly quiet and distant since they had left, and she was worried about him. With Sokka and Toph both sleeping atop the sky-bison, she figured now was as good a time as any to talk to the young airbender.

"Is something wrong?" She asked, laying one of her hands gently on his arm. The ripe air flowed past them, rippling through her dark hair.

Aang stared off into the distance, at the sun that was slowly starting to descend. "I was just thinking," He said softly, a frown forming on his brow, "about those dreams that I had. About the Viper girl - Kiya, I guess her name was?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, I was just thinking about that feeling that I had about finding her…"

"…before it was too late," Katara finished for him, nodding. "Yeah, I remember."

He smiled grimly. "I guess now it's too late, huh?" There was guilt brimming in his grey eyes, and Katara's heart panged.

"Aang, what happened to her wasn't your fault. You barely even knew her."

"That doesn't matter! I barely know a lot of people, Katara." He shook his head, wrapping his arms around his knees. "I'm supposed to save people. I'm the Avatar. Now another person has been lost to the Fire Nation, and I could've done something about it."

"Like what?"

"Like gotten her to come with us after she saved our lives! We just left her, and now she's dead." He ran a tired hand over his face. "I just know there was something special about her, something that maybe Roku or someone wanted me to know. Why else would I keep having dreams about her?"

Katara shook her head. "I don't know, Aang. I do know that you're not responsible here. The Fire Nation is. If anything, this just proves that they need to be stopped even more than before. And I believe in you-we all do. We know you're going to defeat the Fire Lord."

Aang swallowed hard. "How do you know?"

"Because it's your destiny. Like you said, you're the Avatar." She smiled comfortingly. "We're all here to back you up. Try not to dwell on it, okay? Things are going to be better in the future. I know they are."

He stared at her for a long moment, his face relaxing and his lips quirking at the corners. "Thanks, Katara. I don't know what I would do without you."

Katara blushed. "Listen, Aang, I-"

There was a sudden groan from beside them, as Sokka rolled over and sat up. He stretched his arms over his head, yawning loudly. "Hey you two," He said, noticing them sitting beside each other and talking quietly. "What are you whispering about?"

"Nothing," Katara said, scooting slightly away from the young airbender. "Nice of you to finally wake up," She said dryly.

Sokka flipped his hair out of his eyes, pulling it back into his wolf-tail. "I need my beauty sleep," He said primly. "Anyway, how are we doing? Where are we headed?"

Aang shrugged uncomfortably. "I'm not sure. After what just happened-"

Sokka's face fell. "Oh, yeah. The Viper girl. Zuko's sister said that she killed her. It's a shame. She would've been useful."

Katara narrowed her eyes at her older brother. "She was a person, Sokka. Maybe you should remember that first and foremost. So what if she was a Black Viper? She was your age, and now she's dead. It could happen to any of us, and-"

"No, it can't." Aang said fiercely, clenching his fists. "I won't let it."

There was silence, as Sokka scratched the back of his neck and looked around awkwardly. His gaze strayed to the small form of Toph, still fast asleep and curled up away from them. "Do you think…" He broke off, shaking his head and starting over. "Do you think maybe she was lying?"

"Who?"

"Azula. The Fire Princess." He shrugged uneasily, as if he wasn't even sure what he was saying. "Think about it. I don't know about you two, but I don't trust the Fire Nation, not any of them. I mean, if even Zuko thinks she's crazy and dangerous, then you know she's pretty bad. How do we know she wasn't just lying to get to Zuko?"

Aang frowned. "Huh. That would make sense."

"But they're Fire Nation," Katara said, her voice clipped and hard. "What's to stop them from killing her? Why is that something they'd lie about? That's just what they do."

"Not all of them," Aang said quietly, so that for a second, Katara might have imagined she heard it.

"Anyway," Sokka said, stopping Katara from questioning Aang about what he'd just said. "Maybe we should just stop thinking about it. She was an assassin-a trained killer. Who are we to say she wasn't just like them?"

"She saved our lives."

"Yeah, true. But think of how many more she's taken. Is that justified?"

Nobody said anything. The only sound that accompanied the rest of their journey was the mad howling of the wind, and their own guilty, confused thoughts.

Blah, it has been far too long. I don't really have much of the next chapters written out, but I'm going to try really hard to work on them. Thanks so much for your unfaltering patience with me :) You rock.

Chapter Title Credit: Korn - "Alone I Break"