Weapon of the Fire Nation

Commander Zhao, ranking officer of United South Pole Naval Base, had an appointment with Destiny.

The day had started innocuously enough, just another wind-battered collection of hours in this heat-forsaken land of ice and irrelevance. Zhao's official mission was to secure the port against both the possibility of criminal activity from the indigenous Water Tribe slaves, and any incursions from any of the non-existent pirates who might someday prey on the South Pole Seas. It was, needless to say, a complete insult to his intelligence and strength, but Zhao refused to do anything but persevere. That meant surviving the supposedly unnatural storms- what the local dogs called the Everstorm- and supporting the new Governor in restoring peace and natural weather to the United South Pole Colonies.

Now, Zhao stepped quickly through the base's administration building. The new governor's ship had just been pulled into port by one of the base's tugs, and Zhao would be there to personally greet the new arrivals. Servants hurried along beside him, one polishing his armor as he walked and another doing a last minute trim of his side-burns. Zhao waved them back as he stepped outside into the courtyard, and let his cape flare open behind him in the frigid winds, trusting in his Firebending to keep him warm. Aside from wanting to present himself in the best possible light to his subordinates, Zhao refused to relent to something as inglorious as nature, whether the storm was natural or not.

The cold could offer him no new avenues to power, and so he had no interest in bowing to it.

A squadron of his best Firebenders was assembled in parade rows in the courtyard, exactly as Zhao had ordered, but his only acknowledgement was a wave of his hand signaling them to fall in behind him. He led the whole entourage past the walls of the administration building to where the docks of the port extended out to stab into the sea. The new governor's ship was already settled into the largest berth, and Zhao recognized it as a Comet-class military transport ship. That type was the smallest the Fire Navy had for transporting people and goods, but what it lacked in bulk capacity, it made up for in grandeur and luxury. Zhao despised the Comet class, but looked forward to the day when he could hand them out as favors to his allies.

A simple nod was all it took to deploy the soldiers into an impressive line of Fire Nation might. Only an idiot could fail to appreciate the display.

The thought brought a smirk to Zhao's face as the new arrivals filed down the ramp. Lord Ukano himself descended first, leading his family and their personal guards in a stately parade. There was a pomp and ceremony to the whole procession that made Zhao want to shake his head. Even those too weak to join the military as a warrior still sought to cultivate the strength of its image, but such attempts inevitably betrayed the true weakness within. Some of the Governor's guards were hoisting torches that flickered impotently against the winds and the snow, while the rest carried long spears best suited for defending a siege wall. Lord Ukano and his Lady Michi walked down the ramp side-by-side, the woman carrying a squirming human-shaped bundle that was probably their young son. Both of them were trying and almost succeeding to appear regal despite the bite of the storm.

It was the young lady who followed them who made no show or artifice.

She was the daughter, Mai, an ugly child made up to pass as a beautiful adult, but she didn't move like someone who cared that others might be watching. She walked with confidence within her hooded cloak, with the grace and surliness of a warrior without a battlefield, despite the long leather case strapped to her back. No doubt she refused to let anyone else handle her legendary blades. Even down here at the South Pole, Zhao had heard rumors of her importance to the various factions in the Royal Family, and though she had to be feeling the cold through her cape, she made no sign of caring.

But then, they didn't grant Weapon-class citizenship to any but the best, and even being a friend to the Royal Family wasn't enough alone to earn that honor.

Yes, Zhao would do well to keep track of this Mai, for however long he and she were stuck here together.

The procession moved off the ramp and onto the docks, everyone moving gingerly on the icy surface. Zhao pretended not to notice their discomfort and gave a minimally respectful bow. "Welcome to the South Pole, Governor." He signaled to one of his aides with a wave of his hand, and then continued, "Allow me to present some gifts, specially commissioned for your family." The aide brought forth a box, and Zhao took it and presented it to the Governor's wife. "For your son. Tomoshibi, I believe is his name?"

Lady Michi smiled and gave an acknowledging dip of her head. "Yes, but we call him Tom-Tom." She handed the child in question- bundled up in what looked like three layers of heavy coats- to Mai, and accepted the box. She let out a coo when she opened it and saw the intricately detailed metal spoons within. Michi lifted one out and examined the detailing.

Zhao said, "It's made from the platinum we've begun mining here. It's not a hard metal, so be careful not to bend it, but it is resilient enough that even the Great Dragons probably couldn't melt it, and some people say the metal has lucky properties. May it grant your son a long and prosperous life. Don't let him put it in his mouth until you've warmed it, though. These storm winds make metal dangerous."

"Ooh, you're so thoughtful. You have our gratitude, Commander Zhao." Michi bowed at the waist.

Zhao took a second box from the aide, and stepped over to present it to Mai. "It is my honor to meet a Weapon of the Fire Nation."

The young lady stared back without expression from beneath her hood, and shoved her brother back into her mother's arms. "I suppose I'm supposed to say that the honor is all mine." Her voice was every bit as uncaring as her posture.

Zhao held back a frown. "Keep in mind, my Lady, that your position will only take you so far."

Mai quirked an eyebrow. "I'd rather it not take me anywhere. If my Weapon status were worth all that much, I wouldn't have let myself be dragged halfway around the world to the rump end of civilization."

Zhao decided that he didn't really have to deal this attitude right now. He pushed the gift box out to her and lifted the lid to reveal a knife and a badge, both glinting with the same silver sheen as her brother's spoons. "Again, made from platinum. The knife is purely decorative, given the weakness of the metal, but we did sharpen it, and it's balanced and weighted for throwing. The badge is proof of your Weapon-class citizenship, and will grant you access to all of the secure areas here... provided you are operating under orders from the Royal Family, of course. Don't abuse your authority."

Mai took the box without any sign of gratitude, and poked at the badge with a gloved finger. "I know what being a Weapon means. Thanks for the gifts, I guess."

Deciding that he had met the minimum social obligations, Zhao turned back to Governor Ukano. "We have a vehicle ready to take you to your new residence. Unless you'd care to tour the base beforehand?"

Ukano tried to draw himself up to stand tall without risking a slip on the ice. "We have business to take care of, first. My ship encountered an enemy agent on our way here. He's an Airbender, and I suspect he has something to do with the issues with the storms that I've been sent to resolve."

An Airbender? Zhao had to keep himself from laughing. Sozin wrote of his suspicions that some might have survived the purge, but even as far back as Azulon's youth, that was a theory long discarded by all but the most paranoid. Zhao also doubted the local legends about the Everstorm, that it was a magic front of weather that never rested and served as some kind of divine agent of retribution. The storms were unusual, but the whole reason that Ukano was selected as the new governor was because of his science and engineering training. The storms were mostly likely caused by some kind of unforeseen ecological impact by the mining operation, and an administrator who understood the modern ways could properly oversee the investigation.

But if Ukano was now looking at ghosts for the explanation, perhaps he wasn't as educated as he was supposed to be.

Still, even if the face of others' madness, Zhao always saw an opportunity to make himself look good. "Well, we'll certainly look into it, my Lord. My soldiers will take custody of your prisoner, while we get your family safely to your new home."

Ukano looked back at Zhao with a certain glint in his eye. What did he find so amusing? "And what are you going to do about the prisoner's Sky Bison, Commander?"

It was a long moment before Zhao could find his voice. "The prisoner's what?"


The hardest part of getting out there to spy on the new Governor's arrival was finding a baby walrus on such short notice.

The Fire Nation didn't like having its slaves underfoot in their Navy base, so they walled it off from the Tribe's village with a massive fence. Climbing the fence was a very slippery and dangerous proposition, and that's assuming you didn't get spotted by the patrolling guards. Even if an especially manly and clever member of the Tribe theoretically worked out a way to get past the fence, there was still the issue of getting over to the docks themselves and hanging out within sight without being sighted in turn.

So Sokka snuck his way past the curfew. Soldiers patrolled the paths, but even the green crystal lanterns could only do so much against the snow and the night. Sokka stuck to the shadows, and could only hope that with his own imperfect vision didn't leave him trying to stuff himself into a shadow that was already occupied. That type of thing could get awkward.

The going was a lot easier once Sokka passed beyond the edge of the town, where he didn't have to contend with anything but the winds, and opened the shutters on his own small crystal lantern. He wasn't sure he believed the old stories about the Everstorm- it was easy to believe that some property of the South Pole made the weather there harsh, leading to legends about an everlasting storm- but the expanding stormfronts certainly had the Fire Nation worried, and Sokka could respect their science, at the very least. The word was that the new governor was supposed to be doing something about these storms, but then why would his arrival call for a curfew on everyone in the village? Sokka purposefully avoided coming up with any theories until he had more evidence, but to get that evidence, he needed walrus.

He made his way northeast, where the land met the sea at a long line of icy cliffs. He had to do some searching, walking along the coast, but eventually he found a low spot that led out onto a peninsula of ice, where a group of walruses were enjoying the awful weather and showing off their spotted blubber hides. Sokka remembered the lessons Dad had taught him before they were forced into the Fire Nation's village, before his family had-

Sokka remembered those lessons, and cupped his hands around his mouth and began yodeling at the top of his lungs.

The walruses roared back, but they didn't like the noise, and began hauling themselves back into the sea. They bumped into each other as they went, and retreated without any regard for the rest of the group. Sokka dashed into the chaos, and grabbed one of the babies- a baby that was just as long as Sokka was tall. "Don't worry, little guy," Sokka grunted as he began carrying the living, squirming pile of blubber away. "I'll bring you back when I'm done. Your poppa and your momma will be back waiting for you by then. If the Fire Nation hasn't, you know, already killed them or something. I hear that's going around a lot."

The baby walrus barked in what Sokka decided was an agreeable reply. At least, that was how he and Katara had taken such noises back when they had made the treks out of the village to play where the Fire Nation couldn't see.

Heavy as the 'little' guy was, he made an effective sled, and Sokka made great time back to the fence around the Fire Navy base. The fence went all the way to the very edge of the cliffs, but there it stopped. Tying the baby walrus to his back, and- somehow managing not to fall backwards- Sokka gently climbed down the face of the cliff, onto the nearly invisible steps that had been chiseled by the ocean into the face. While the walrus barked curiously and the winds tried to yank him into the sea, Sokka shimmied across and then climbed back up on the other side of the fence. The Fire Nation knew nothing about climbing ice, so they had no idea such a thing was possible. They were just stupid invaders. That Sokka had discovered this route completely by accident one day, while nearly tumbling into the ocean after slipping on a herring, was aside from the point.

After he hauled himself up, Sokka had to let himself drop down onto the snow and take a moment to catch his breath. As the life slowly trickled back into his arms and legs, he reflected that it was never any fun, hauling around baby walruses, especially in this kind of weather. Why did they have to be so fat and heavy, anyway? They could just wear coats like normal people.

Once he was ready to move again, Sokka began crawling along through the snow. With the baby walrus on top of him, Sokka didn't move as quickly as he had when he had been the one riding the walrus, but it was worth the lack of speed. Whenever he saw one of the Fire Nation soldiers coming along, standing out from the whites and blues and grays of the environment in their red-trimmed armor, he'd sink down into the snow and let the baby walrus on his back be his disguise.

He got all the way through the base's grounds to find a new ship moored on one of the docks. Sokka inched as close as he could, when no one was looking, and with the snow and night providing extra cover, he was able to get within hearing range. It helped that Commander Zhao was yelling:

"It really is a Sky Bison!"

Whoa. Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Come again? What was a Sky Bison? Sokka peaked out from beneath his best walrus friend and watched as a crane lifted a giant... thing off of the big ship and onto a transport pallet on the dock. It was a thing with massive curved horns, six legs, and a flat tail the roughly size of Gran-Gran's house.

Wow. That was pretty neat. Sokka immediately wanted to know more about it.

He looked over at the other people who were watching the bison's unloading. He naturally recognized the resident despot Commander Zhao, and in Sokka's opinion, the less he saw of those massive sideburns, the better the state of the world. He didn't recognize the other people- likely the passengers from the ship- but aside from all the soldier guards, the group wasn't what he was expecting. The leader guy? Sure, he looked like a typical Fire Nation politician, which probably made him the new governor. The lady carrying the toddler was a surprise, though, as was the other girl (Servant? Secretary? Fortuneteller? Political Officer?) who followed them. It was hard to think of Fire types as having families, but there you go, even rake-sharks had to reproduce, he supposed.

Still, it was a rather disappointing discovery for Sokka. Is this what the Fire Nation was so concerned about, that they had declared a curfew? Women and children? And a giant ball of fur?

One of the treaded transports- the kind enclosed for protection against the weather- rolled over to the group, and the governor's family climbed aboard. It headed off soon after, and Sokka saw that it was making for the base's side gate; it was likely going to take the long way around the town to the governor's mansion. The bison thing was rolled away on its pallet, headed in the opposite direction- maybe toward the stables, or one of the supply warehouses- and Sokka figured that the show was over. However, Zhao was sticking around, and as Sokka watched, even more of the commander's soldiers arrived and took up Firebending stances. What was that about?

Another figure was brought down off the ship by another pair of guards. Now, this one was an odd sight. It was a kid, and he wasn't wearing a coat but didn't seem to feel the cold at all.

The guards escorted the boy to where Zhao stood, and the Commander barked, "Well, boy? Are you an Airbender?"

Okay, now Sokka figured someone was messing with him.

But the boy nodded. "I am, but I think there's been some kind of mistake. I don't want to hurt anyone."

Zhao raised his hands, motioning at the wind-driven snow around him. "Then use your powers to end this storm. You can't destroy the colonies down here without killing the Tribals who serve us."

Sokka gasped beneath his walrus, and not just at the slur, but the boy shook his head. "It doesn't work like that. Airbenders can't make storms like this. I'd stop it if I could, but- well, like I said, I can't. Sorry."

Zhao crossed his arms over his chest. "You might be telling the truth, but it doesn't matter right now. My people will make sure, one way or the other. Take him to one of the maximum security cells!" The soldiers holding the boy shoved him into motion, and Zhao followed at a quick clip.

Well, that was weird and mysterious. Sokka felt instantly better, as 'weird and mysterious' were indeed good reasons for a curfew.

After everyone was gone from sight, Sokka began scooting his own way off the docks while his walrus partner dozed on top of him. This was a good start, but he needed more information.

He had a feeling he wasn't going to be back to Gran-Gran in time for dinner.


It was no palanquin, but Mai had to admit that the enclosed crawler, as noxious as the engine smelled, was much better than walking through the snow and the wind. The problem was that it was an especially boring ride.

The only view out of the transport was through the front port, and that was situated more for the driver's benefit than that of the passengers. Father and Mother were content to bounce regally in their padded seats, and Tom-Tom was treating the whole thing like a religious experience with wide eyes and a big smile, but Mai needed something to do, or at least look at. At one point, craning her head to see around the driver, she caught a glimpse of distant, eerie green lights out amidst the snow. The driver, a woman with dull eyes, noticed Mai's interest and said, "That's the Water Tribe slum. They used to live out in their own primitive village, but when the Fire Nation started the colonies down here, we made it illegal to live anywhere else. Everyone works for their food, either at the mine or in one of the softer postings."

Mother looked up at that. "Are any on staff at the mansion?"

"I believe so, my Lady."

Mother gave a, "Hmmm," and said no more. Mai was already bored with the conversation.

The ride, at least, didn't last too long, and soon enough the transport shuddered to a stop. Mai peaked around the driver again, and the first impression she had was of a monstrous, many-eyed face staring out through the snow. A moment's analysis, though, revealed the truth: she was staring at one of the mountains that the Fire Nation was mining down here, but instead of an industrial site, she was looking at glowing windows and reinforced doors.

Her new home was inside of a mountain. Mai's lip curled in disgust.

Before she disembarked, she spotted dark lines of some kind extending from the mountain, and traced their source to a boxy metal structure set against and into the rock, some distance from the front door. "What's that?"

The driver looked, and then made a sound of understanding. "That's the mansion's Communications office. The governor has access to his own telegraph station, so that he can send and receive messages independently of the base's workload. Until your father officially takes up his office, we're using it as a verification post."

Which meant it would be manned. Mai thought that over while she disembarked with her parents. The cold wind outside nearly chased the notion out of her head, though, and the group made a quick dash for the underground mansion's doors. They were greeted by the servant staff- and yes, there were some dark skinned and blue-eyed young ladies bowing with the more respectable servants- and then given a tour.

If Mai had any doubts about betraying her family, they were extinguished when she saw the labyrinth of caves that was to be her home.

Granted, a lot of pointless and incompetent effort had been put into making the place livable. The tunnels themselves were wide and smoothly carved, and an excess of both carpets and tapestries minimized the visible stone. Wide rooms sprung off of the hallway tunnels, and even though furniture was at a minimum, Mother was already chattering about how she wanted her own household items brought over from the boat and where they should be placed for optimum gaudiness or whatever.

Mai just sighed, and when she had the chance, drifted away to find the Communications center. It took a little searching, but she eventually found it situated next to the room that would soon be her father's office. She yanked the door open to find a startled man in a uniform hunched over a long desk covered in all kinds of equipment. When he recovered his composure, he said, "If you're the new governor, you don't look like how I expected."

Mai gave that remark all the reaction that deserved: she ignored it. "I need to send a maximum priority coded message to the Capital. You need to set that up for me." The man started to speak again, but Mai cut him off by whipping out Zhao's fancy platinum badge. "I'm a Weapon-class citizen, and this constitutes an order."

The man blinked, and then sat a little straighter. "Yes, my Lady. What kind of encryption do you require?"

"I have one of those cogs. Hold on." Mai slung her leather case off her back, and reached inside. She moved her hand over the blades in their secure cases, past the spare parts for her wrist and ankle launchers, to where her razor discs were stacked and secured by straps. One of those discs was thicker than the rest, one that she been given by Princess Azula herself. Mai slipped it out of the case, and held it up in the lantern light. Unlike her razor discs, this object was no weapon but still had teeth, several rows of them, each one marked by a character that didn't exist in any official list of Words Approved for the Glory of the Fire Nation. They corresponded to sounds that could be used to form a useful working language, while the numbered teeth were used to transform the messages written in those sounds to transmittable codes that were supposed to be completely undecipherable- except for someone with a corresponding cog at the other end of the transmission.

The man nodded much more slowly, this time, and motioned to a large machine with a keypad on the desk next to him. "You can use this encoder device. Insert the cog in that slot, and enter your message. The machine will print the code sequence on a paper tape. When you're done, I'll send that sequence out over the wire. Do you require an acknowledgement?" He suddenly blanched, and then quickly added, "No, of course not. Sorry, I forgot the protocol for a moment. I'll have to vacate the room while you compose the message, but I'll be right outside the door if you need assistance."

The encoding machine took Mai a moment to figure out, but not long after, she had transformed her short message into an encrypted set of signals, and then her treachery was flying across the world on metal cables.


Aang's theory about these guys being an isolated gang of Fire Nation pirates was falling apart pretty quickly. Their base was huge, and they had all kinds of weird machines that he had never even imagined existed. He caught glimpses of several different kinds of metal 'beasts' as he was dragged to a prison building, but it was the inside of that building that boasted the most amazing technological advance of all.

It was warm inside and there was no sign of a fire whatsoever. Hot, dry air came out of vents in the walls, and there was a metallic strumming sound that made the whole building ring.

The cells of the prison were covered in heavy metal doors, and it was into one of these that Aang was pushed. They unwrapped his chains just long enough to clasp new bindings on his wrists and ankles, and then he found himself being pulled by his arms until they were fully extended. He was forced to stand straight and tall if he wanted to stand at all, and then the chains were locked into place and the guards left him strung up like a sacrifice.

Aang was starting to maybe wonder if trusting Mai might not have been the best idea.

Then that Zhao guy sauntered into the cell, smirking, followed by a bunch of burly soldiers. "Well, young Airbender, perhaps you can shed some light on your situation. Who are you? Where do you come from? And what is going on with this strange storm?"

Aang took a deep breath. "Okay. I don't know anything about your weather, but I'm Aang, a simple monk from the Southern Air Temple. I, uh, well, got into some trouble with the Elders, and they were going to send me to the Eastern Air Temple, but I didn't want to leave, so I ran away. I didn't know where I should fly, but then I remembered that I always wanted to try penguin-sledding, so I started heading south. Then I ran into this awful storm, and me and Appa- he's my Sky Bison companion- got forced into the ocean. Things got fuzzy after that, and when I woke up, I was in this iceberg and Mai and her family found me and started throwing nets at me. And then they brought me here. So, I'm not sure how much I can really help you."

Zhao barked a laugh. "What a load of nonsense. You expect me to believe that your response to being banished by your people was to run away? No, young Airbender, you will help me yet, but I can see that you're not going to make this easy. Perhaps a day without food or water of any kind will soften your stance on this matter." He made a hand motion towards the other soldiers, and then turned on his heel and led his subordinates out of the cell.

The door clanged shut behind him.

Aang hung from his chains and sighed. He really hoped that Mai would come through for him. She was beautiful and pure in spirit, Aang could tell, but things were looking tougher than one person could usually manage.

And Aang was starting to really wonder what the Southern Air Temple would look like, if he got back.

With nothing else to do and needing a little inner peace, Aang did his best to meditate. He wasn't exactly in a comfortable position, but his back was straight, so Aang figured it was worth a try. He closed his eyes and focused on his breathing, steadying it into a soothing rhythm that pleasantly tickled his nostrils. With no distractions, Aang's thoughts gleamed brighter in his awareness, but he didn't let them become distractions to the sensation of his breathing. The flow of air was a calming influence, washing away thoughts, worries, and the scraping of steel chains against his skin.

Aang breathed in, breathed out, and enjoyed a little peace.


Above the South Pole Mining Colony, the winds and the snow abated, for a short while.


By the time Sokka returned the baby walrus to its fellows (with a friendly wave and a promise that he'd like to team-up again, if the opportunity arose), he had come to an intimate understanding of the concept of being 'dead on his feet.' He wasn't worried about becoming an actual undead horror that stalked the ice in search of manflesh to devour, but only because he barely had enough energy to stay upright, never mind doing any stalking. Besides, those were just legends.

Just about the only bright spot was that the winds died down just as Sokka started making his way back to the mining colony, letting him just stumble along in the newly revealed moonlight without worrying about holding his lantern up or fighting the breeze. It was nice.

The curfew was apparently over by the time he got back, so Sokka was able to blend into the regular foot-traffic that preceded a shift-change up at that mines. Despite the convenience, Sokka had to keep from groaning when he saw all the people out and about; that meant he had a shift of his own coming up back at the laboratory. Hopefully, he'd have enough time to get some food at Gran-Gran's before he had to run off.

He found the house dark and quiet, except for the little kid snores that echoed out of the bedroom. Sokka tiptoed his way to the kitchen stove, and left his boots and coat there to dry. A covered bowl was waiting on top of the stove, and Sokka had to smile at his Gran-Gran's thoughtfulness. The rice and sausage was a little dry, but it was food, and almost as good as sleep.

He was so focused on shoveling his dinner into his mouth that he didn't noticing Gran-Gran herself sneaking up on him until she said, "And just where have you been, young man?" Her tone was no less harsh for her whispering.

Sokka jumped enough to toss the rice out of his bowl, but most of it landed back in. On the downside, Sokka mourned for those lost grains of rice, but on the upside, the jolt of adrenaline had woken him up a bit. "Slush, Gran-Gran," he hissed, "you surprised me."

"We'll have none of that language in this house. Now, where were you?"

Sokka bowed his head in a brief show of shame. "I went to check out the reason for the curfew. Snuck close enough to see our new governor... and get this, he brought an Airbender prisoner with him." While he ate, Sokka proceeded to give his grandmother a quick description of everything he had observed, from the Governor's retinue to the boy in saffron clothes to the giant fluffy monster. He scraped the last bit of sausage into his mouth, and said, "I heard them say that they think the Airbender has something to do with the storm. There's some weird stuff going on up there."

"You took a big risk." Gran-Gran took the empty bowl and shook her head. "Do you think this information is worth it?"

Sokka began doing some stretches, as long as he was awake enough to feel sore. "I dunno. I think this is big stuff, but... I guess there isn't much I can do about it right now." He sighed. "I'm still hungry. Remember jerky, Gran-Gran? We used to always have some, and we could bring it with us wherever we went. I could bring it with to me work. You know, if we had it."

She nodded, and shuffled over to tend the stove. "I remember. I'm surprised you do. You were little when we came to the colony. You teethed on jerky."

Sokka smiled at the memory. "Dad kept some after we came here. He'd give a bit to me, sometimes." He never liked the colony, or living under the Fire Nation's control, but at least he had his family back then. His Mom and Dad were still alive, and Katara... The smile dropped from his face. "I gotta go to work."

Sokka went to get his boots and coat again, but then he noticed a pair of muddy yellow eyes staring at him from within the darkened bedroom. There was still a chorus of snores coming from the room, but once she realized she had been noticed, the little girl Shila stepped out of the darkness into the kitchen.

"Heya," Sokka said, biting back a sigh. "I'm just on my way out. You can go back to sleep."

She nodded, then skipped over and grabbed his hand. "I miss my mom and dad, too, but it'll be okay. Gran-Gran loves us, and we all love each other."

Sokka had no idea how to respond. Love? But the kids were Fire Nation. Well, partially Fire Nation. And he had to work so hard in order to feed them, betraying the Tribe by helping the Fire Nation with their work with platinum. And none of them were Katara.

He missed Katara most of all, which was why he hated thinking about her.

But Sokka didn't want the kids to know about any of that. It would just make things awkward. "Thanks, kid." He ruffled Shila's hair, and then went to get his boots and coat. "I appreciate that."


Princess Azula was up exactly forty-seven minutes after she normally went to bed, and the change in schedule was an annoyance, but annoyances could be tolerated for the greater glory of her family. She stalked through the quiet halls of the Fire Palace, footsteps muffled by the thick red carpets, holding her missive protectively in both hands. Delivering notes was usually work for servants, but this particular communication was both too secret and too personal. Hands that could have incinerated the paper in a second with the power of Firebending protected the note from even the light of the gas lamps that lined the hallway.

Mai had sent word, and unusually for Azula's dour friend, it was an interesting word, indeed.

Azula found her father's suite guarded, as always, by a pair retired soldiers who worked for him personally. They glanced at Azula as she approached, and one moved to knock on the door behind him. Azula waited patiently, not because these guards had any authority to stop her, but because it was her father's wish that she wait until welcomed, and she always did everything that her father commanded.

He didn't keep her waiting long. He never did, anymore. The door opened, and Father looked out with a smile that positively glowed. "Ah, Azula. You're up late. Please, come in. You know how much I love your company."

The words, the expression on his face, warmed Azula with an intensity that even her Firebending couldn't manage. She gave a quick bow and followed him back into his residential suite. The parlor was lit only by the blaze in the fireplace, and its warmth shielded the room from the chill of the early spring nights. Father took his place on a coach, and motioned at a cushioned chair nearby. "Please, sit down. It's late, and you've been working so hard lately. You need to take care of yourself."

Azula nodded, and took the seat. She didn't really need to rest, but she always did everything that her father commanded. Once she was settled, she held the note out. "Mai sent a message to me over the telegraph from the South Pole. It was encrypted with my personal code, and I decrypted it myself. No one but us knows what it says."

Father's eyebrows rose with interest, but he accepted the note without hurry. Azula had already memorized the contents, of course, in case she had been attacked on the way here from the palace's Communications hub and was forced to burn the note to keep it out of enemy hands. Or the hands of other family, but the distinction was almost invisible, in cases like this.

Mai's message had been characteristically to-the-point: "CHILD AIRBENDER DISCOVERED BY FATHER EN ROUTE TO S POLE. FATHER THINKS CONNECT TO STORMS. ZHAO AWARE. I THINK AVATAR. TOLD NO ONE. PLEASE ADVISE."

Father took his time with the note, and Azula had no doubt that he was considering every possible angle. When he finally looked up, he was smiling again. "This is wonderful. As I recall, Mai had an attraction to Zuko, yes?"

Azula smirked at the memory. She had fond memories of exploiting that to embarrass both of them. "To a degree, but Mai is not the demonstrative type."

"Didn't her parents arrange a betrothal to Lu Ten?" Father looked over at the crackling fire. "Yes, now I remember. Iroh sent word breaking it off after he took the North Pole."

"Mai said they were quite put out, but she was relieved, and who can blame her? I have no doubt that her parents will support you against Uncle if you need them."

"Zuko needs us all. Azula, we need to find your brother. He's alive, I can feel it in my heart." Father leaned forward, and his worry for Zuko was plain in the firelight. "His banishment is the greatest regret of my life. It taught me how much I need both of my children. I never expected such generosity from your friend Mai, but she has given us a great gift. If we can arrange things properly with her, we can fulfill Azulon's ridiculous conditions, and Zuko can finally come home."

Azula merely nodded. She had her own doubts about whether Zuko still lived, given how weak he had always been, but if Father insisted on it, then she would believe anything. She was less thrilled about the idea of bringing her brother back home. Certainly, he was the ideal contrast to her own perfection, but his weakness might be a poison to their Royal faction. Also, although Azula would never admit it out loud, she wasn't sure how Zuko would affect her dynamic with Father. He had changed much since the banishment, changed in ways that Azula found surprising, but his displays of affection for her felt so... enriching, even if they were a potential weakness. Would Zuko's presence draw some of Father's regard away from her, the way a Firebender divided her power for each stream of flame she sought to project?

But Father wanted Zuko back, and she always did everything that her father commanded. "Of course. Shall I handle things?"

"Personally. Send instructions to Mai, and give her whatever help and guidance she needs." Father's eyes met Azula's with an intensity he hadn't displayed since before Zuko's banishment. "Then, I want you to go out and bring your brother home. Zuko needs to be the one who captures the Avatar, but he needs to be found, and he must be prepared. Advised. You can do that." Father leaned back, and reached for the small bell on the table beside his couch.

A single ring was all it took to summon Master Piandao out from his shadowy lurking. "Yes, Prince Ozai?"

"We will need a hunter. The best. What do you require to make this happen quickly?"

"Gold, of course." Piandao stroked his chin. "Also, something of Zuko's that still carries his scent. It will be expensive, but the hunter I have in mind will find Zuko, whatever his state."

"It will be done. I'll have the gold prepared immediately, and the contents of Zuko's room have remained untouched. Get word to your contact as soon as possible, and arrange a meeting point for Azula."

The swordmaster bowed, and his voice was not quite sardonic as he said, "As you command, Prince Ozai."

Father turned back to Azula. "And please, stay safe. I want you and brother to come back happy and healthy. I love you both so much. You know that." He extended a hand to stroke Azula's face, and she couldn't help but enjoy the gentle touch. Father had so rarely been this affectionate before Zuko's banishment, calling it weakness, and Azula understood those lessons and appreciated the logic in them.

But such gestures were proof that she was good enough, that she was worthy of her Father, and that he knew she always did everything that he commanded.

"It will be exactly as you say. Anything less would be less than acceptable."

TO BE CONTINUED