Sorry this one took me so long guys. I'm having to do term papers and study for finals before this weekend because my husband is gonna be coming back home on leave!!! (jumps around happily) I get to see my hubby! I may not get the next chapter in for a while. Again, I'm sorry for making you guyz wait.

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Chapter 4

Party Crashing

The sun was beginning to set over the mountains when Aang and Sokka finally caught up with Zuko and the rebel forces. Iroh sat talking merrily with Zuko's wife Mei as Zuko discussed something heatedly with an earth bender and pointed at a map. Sokka leaped off Appa's back and strode purposefully over to them.

"So what's the plan?" he asked, interrupting the frustrated earth bender.

"The plan is to go in through the royal escape tunnels and enter Azula's chambers from there," said Zuko through clenched teeth.

"Azula will be expecting that! She's probably already blocked those tunnels off!" shouted the stout man with just as much frustration.

Sokka nodded, "You know he's probably right, Zuko. You're sister isn't stupid enough to leave those tunnels open so you can use them to get at her."

"Well if you have a better idea, lets hear it!" shouted the angry fire bender, running a hand through his sweaty hair.

"If we don't have a plan, then why did you schedule a raid?" asked Sokka perplexed.

Iroh was the one that answered his question, "Because Azula just announced that she is engaged to a wealthy nobleman, and it is traditional for the negotiators of a marriage treaty to share a bottle of brandy at the engagement party. Since Azula has no close male relatives in her court, she will have negotiated her own marriage, and if I remember correctly, my niece doesn't hold alcohol well. She'll be vulnerable tonight," said the older man without ever turning from his tea.

Sokka felt a strong breeze ruffling his clothes and turned to see Aang hovering on a ball of air to look over them at the map table.

"Zuko, Iroh and Mei would be too easily recognised, but the rest of us could disguise ourselves as party guests and sneak in through the kitchens here," said Aang, pointing to the place where the kitchens met the outer wall of the palace.

Zuko nodded, "Yes, there is a servant's entrace there, but how will Uncle and I get in?"

"Well..." floundered Aang.

"You could take Appa and enter through the roof once night has fallen. It's the new moon tonight, so it'll be pretty dark, and with his armor on, Appa should be pretty hard to spot. You know the castle better than the rest of us, and with only two of you, there's less chance you'll be noticed," supplied Sokka.

"What about me?!" shrieked Mei angrily, leaping to her feet.

Zuko shook his head, "No. It's too dangerous for you, Mei."

"It's just as much my responsibility as yours to help bring Azula down, and I have much more to attone for," said the woman with clenched fists held down by her sides as though she wanted to strike her husband for suggesting she stay behind.

"You will not endanger yourself..."

"I'll not be in any more danger than you, Zuko!" she cut him off.

He seemed to fight down more harsh words, and then hissed through his teeth, "But if I die, our child doesn't die with me. You can't say that."

There was a collective gasp from the group followed by a long silence.

Sokka looked around nervously. He hated silences. Finally, when the tension became so thick he could have sliced it with his sword, he decided to end it.

"So how are all of us going to get clothes for Azula's party?"

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The setting sun was making the red towers of Azula's palace waver and blaze like cooling magma as Sokka readjusted his robes. He felt bad for the people they'd taken these from, but unlike Azula's captives, the fire nation nobles wouldn't actually be harmed.

"Come on, Sokka. We need to sneak in while the other guest are arriving," said Aang as he applied the skin colored paste over his forehead and the back of his neck. Sokka smiled when he remembered Toph presenting the mixture of clay and oil to Aang as a birthday present. It had come in handy plenty of times because the fire nation still looked for his tattoos to identify him.

"Yeah, I'm coming," said Sokka, tugging one last time on his robe and moving to help Aang with the head dress he'd chosen. He heard the Appa take to the sky, no doubt taking the still irate Mei to safety. Sokka was very glad she didn't go into battle with them. He was having a hard enough time dealing with Toph's injuries. He didn't wish that on Zuko, even if the prince's attitudes sometimes irritated him.

"Alright, let's move out," said the stout earth bender.

"Hey, Aang," Sokka whispered as they followed him.

"Hmm?"

"Who is this guy? I don't recognize him," he said quietly.

Aang looked at the man for a moment then turned back to Sokka, "I think he's an old friend of Iroh's. His name is Lei."

Sokka nodded and kept silent, but he had a bad feeling. He was going to watch this guy closely when they got to the palace.

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It took a long time to reach the servant's entrance because they were trying not to be seen. It would seemed very strange indeed if party guests were to be seen coming in through the kitchens. When they reached the platform where supplies were brought in, they stopped.

"Ok, so how do we get past the servants without them being suspicious?" asked Sokka.

Lei stood and strode to the door, "I'll handle it. Just follow me."

Sokka and Aang hurried to follow him, remembering to fake a solemn expression before passing through the door.

"WHAT IS THIS?" boomed Lei.

Suddenly all the servants were facing them wearing looks of abject terror and trembling.

"Why is there no wine chilling for tonight's celebration? Do you men not think Fire Lord Azula's engagement deserves wine?! I expect you all had better go to the cellar and bring some up. Twenty bottles of red and twenty white," said the man in a commanding tone. When no one moved, he roared, "MOVE!"

Suddenly the servants were scattering, and Sokka had to smile at the audacity of this man's tactics. They would be remembered, but no one would be suspicious. He played the part of fire noble well.

The three walked confidently out into the main ball room and quickly mixed in with the other guests.

"Alright boys, we'll just enjoy the party for now. We move when Azula leaves for her chambers," whispered Lei before moving off in the direction of the food tables. Sokka tried to follow him with his gaze, but he disappeared in the mass of red clad bodies.

From the corner of his eye, Sokka saw Aang approach a nervous looking girl who stood against the wall nearby, "Would you please accompany me to the dance floor, m'lady?" he heard him ask her, and the two of them disappeared into the crowd too.

Sokka felt very uncomfortable. He tried to keep his head down to hide his eyes, because he knew they'd give him away. He walked around the room, listening carefully to whatever he could manage to hear. Near the back wall he heard something that made him stop in his tracks.

Lei's voice came to him in snippets between the drum beats of the music, "Yes... he's here...Avatar... my lady will..."

Zuko chanced a glance in their direction and saw Lei talking to one of Azula's generals and pointing toward the dance floor. Panic flooded him. He moved away as calmly as he could, hoping Lei hadn't notice him and that no one would beat him to where Aang and the shy girl were still twirling about on the dance floor.

Sokka breathed a sigh of relief when he reached Aang, "We need to go," he said to his friend with a hand on his shoulder to stop the dance, "Excuse me, my lady, but my brother and I have important business to attend to," said Sokka, and he bowed slightly to the young woman before pulling Aang toward the shadow of a nearby hallway.

When they were safely away from the party, Sokka leaned on Aang's shoulder and whispered, "Iroh's friend is working for Azula. We've gotta move now."

Aang looked shocked, then nodded and the two of them ran silently into the shadow of the corridor. Just as they turned the corner into the stairwell leading to the next floor, they heard shouting coming from the ballroom and Azula's shriek of rage.