ALRIGHT did you guys miss these frequent updates? Lol, I put up a note in my profile as to why my chapters will take a bit longer to get out to you guys, so you can just check that out. This chapter already has so many words, and I have so much more to say, that I don't feel like bothering to explain myself. Anyway, it's not a big deal.

YOU may notice, as you read on, that this chapter is titled something differently from what I said it would in my previous chapter excerpt. As you end this chapter, you may also notice that the excerpt I provided does not at all come up in this chapter. If you do, you are quite perceptive. As I typed out this chapter, it took a completely different turn than what I had originally planned, so I'm not sure the excerpt from last chapter will even be a part of the story - but hey, we all like our bit of Ever After, no? Lol, so I edited the last chapter to include an excerpt from this one if you are eager to check. No really, go ahead. I'll wait here C:

NOW this chapter is long. L O N G. Compared to the others. It's probably the longest chapter I've ever written for any fic, since my word counts usually range from 3000-4000 words. But I loved writing it, and I certainly hope you like reading it C: Really, this chapter will be the longest one in this entire fic, I think. I'm not sure, we'll see, won't we? There are also snippets from previous Avatar episodes in this, via Zuko's dreams. I'm sure you'll all recognize them, Lol.

UH . . . I don't know what else I wanted to say. I forgot it all, so I guess this is the end of my author's note (yes yes, you're all cheering) There's quite a bit in store for you ahead, so read on and I'd love it if you could tell me what you think. And some parts are purposefully vague. Go ahead, tell me your theories, your ideas, and your take on what's going on C: Bonus points to anyone who can tell me why Mazo calls Jing-Wei a nickname she hates, and why she hates that nickname :D


A C Q U I E S E N C E


Katara's scandalized retort and Toph's defense were but muddled words. Fuzzy and unheard. Their voices rose, but he couldn't move. Consciously he was aware that he should, that Katara wanted him to, that she might smack him away if he didn't, but he was numb already so it wouldn't matter. His limbs were sore, tired, strained to the bone, and he could feel the after-effects of his earlier blow to the head still reeling.

It was all he could do to stay conscious.

And within a few groggy seconds, he couldn't even do that.


Chapter VII

Hypocrites and Opposites


It all happened so quickly.

Katara was trying to sit up, ignoring the pangs and pains of her body as she did so, and the next thing she knew, Zuko pinned her back down onto the ground, her back flattening onto the cavern floor, shoulder-blades particularly sore from the impact. He was above her, his hands holding down her shoulders, arms wavering. He was pale, blood seeped along his hairline, his lips – did he lose a tooth? His eyes were tired, reddened from the water's icy sting. She was stunned, completely uncertain as to what to do, how to feel, it scared her that he was able to render her so completely speechless. Helpless. And yet, for a moment too brief for anyone to notice, she was content to look up into his drenched features, his eyes tired and golden, his mouth parted slightly from staggered breathing. The way the water droplets trickled down his face, tracing along the wrinkles of his scar, off the tip of his nose…

She felt a small drop of water fall on her eyelid and the physical disturbance was enough to jar her from that mysterious and warming sense of shock. Katara blinked the droplet away and her mouth formed a silent scream as realization hit her. Zuko, the banished royal headache, the traitor to the crown and to his family and to his friends, the nuisance and arrogant jerkbender, the bane of her existence, that Zuko, held her down, laying above her in one of the most intimate of positions. "What—what do you think you're doing?!" She barely managed to shriek as the sound of rumbling brought her attention to Toph who was on her knees and scowling at the waterbender through pallid eyes.

Clods of dirt sprinkled down on both Katara and Zuko, ashen rain of dark brown-almost-black, or perhaps it was red? The cave dirt was hard, moist from the rushing water, and yet it crumbled as one particularly large chunk found its way past the fire prince's barrier, weaving through his soaking hair, brushing his shoulder, and landed on her cheek.

"He was saving you," Toph explained, lowering her arms now that the falling spike had been diverted. It took strained effort on her part to earthbend, but of everyone she was in the best condition physically (if not mentally). "Not everything he does is bad you know."

Katara only shifted, scowling up at the boy above her, at the way he was so calm about this, the way he was always proving himself worthy of her respect, her trust, perhaps her friendship. But she could be just as resilient. "I could have saved myself," she said stiffly, waiting for Zuko to move now that there was no danger. But he didn't, he only stayed where he was, seemingly deaf, seemingly blind and dumb – though in the back of her head Katara didn't doubt he was all of these things (and then some). Zuko's eyes glazed over, his expression blank, unfeeling, completely oblivious to whatever snide remarks left her tongue. And then without warning, he collapsed onto her chest, out cold. The waterbender gasped as his weight knocked the breath out of her lungs, gasped at his sudden bout of unconsciousness, gasped at the way his nearness wasn't as vile as she thought it would be and gasped in fear of why that might be the case.

She dismissed the thought as absolutely nothing and let out a sigh. Zuko's hair was at her lips, his head cradled above her chest, and it was a rather awkward position to be in, whether he was unconscious or not. She was struggling to lift herself up earlier, but now with Zuko's added weight moving was futile and a wasted effort, so Katara dropped her head to the ground, cursing the situation, the circumstances, and Zuko's attempt at chivalry.

Well, at least he wasn't awake to catch her mumbled 'Thank you.'


"Can you see anything from here, Toph?"

"Just a lot of rushing water," the earthbender answered, focusing her senses on mapping out the rest of the cave. "The stream goes on and on, I think it opens out into the ocean somewhere, but the tunnel just follows it…I don't know how we can get back up."

Mazo raked a hand through his hair, flicking his dark bangs from his eyes. "You can't earthbend our way out of here, Hawkeye?"

Toph grinned at the new nickname, and shook her head, "No…the walls are too unstable, I could make this entire place collapse if I did something wrong…but maybe if I was really careful—"

"Oh don't even think about it," Sokka intervened as he secured his sword's strap on his back. The layers of clothes he wore were abandoned on the ground, serving as nothing more than dead weight. "But we still need a plan…how do we get out of this place?"

Mazo frowned, absently tracing the tip of his tongue around a fang-like tooth, annoyed with the loss of his toothpick, and glanced over at Katara who was busy tending to Zuko's wounds.

Of everyone he seemed to be the worst off…but not all of his injuries were caused by the strong current and sharp rocks. She noted a dark bleeding through his shirt and hesitantly lifted it, fingers carefully peeling away the fabric that clung to his chest. She gasped in surprise at the sight of his scorched abdomen, cobalt gaze transfixed to the wound. Who could have done this? Mazo was the only other firebender she knew aside from Iroh…and surely Zuko wouldn't do this to himself. Katara lifted his shirt up, preparing to tend to his wound, when the conscious firebender called her out.

"Hey Doll, I don't think now's the time for that sort of thing."

Before she could retort that he needed to get his mind out of the gutter, Sokka beat her to it. "Katara! What do you think you're doing?"

"I'm healing him!" The waterbender exclaimed in irritation. "He's been burned," she continued, quieter this time but still with that air of shut-up-before-I-waterbend-you-all-into-oblivion. Her eyes returned to the sleeping prince, his face far from peaceful. He looked in pain, discomfort, and his lips barely moved as he mouthed words she couldn't read. His eyes darted about beneath his lids as his expression eased into that of calm serenity…a part of her wondered, as she set to healing his burns, what he was dreaming about.


"Close your eyes…" Zuko said quietly, surveying the lanterns around them "…and don't peek."

The girl did so, her large chestnut gaze shut with enthusiasm long gone from his life. She was young and full of hope, she was kind and innocent and so sweet. It hurt to think that maybe this was wrong of him, to be out with her, to indulge her in something that he knew he couldn't, and shouldn't be giving, be a part of. But he figured that someone like her, like this charming young girl who was so oblivious to his past and everything he's done, all the crimes he's committed, was entitled to happiness. With alarming ease, he lit all the candles, and reveled in the way her eyes brightened at the sight as she finally opened them.

Beautiful.

"Now it's time for you to close your eyes," she said, wearing the smile that never failed to grace her lips whenever she was near, whenever she would oh-so-casually waltz right into the tea shop as if she had nothing better to do.

Zuko did so, humoring her, and was surprised to feel a pair of soft lips press against his mouth with a shyness he knew so well. He hesitated, the pure shock of her action catching him off-guard, before leaning a bit into her kiss, returning it. It felt…nice. Warm and comforting, something he hasn't felt in so long, or perhaps ever. It was a certain kind of happiness that couldn't be explained. It was the acceptance he's strived so hard to earn from his father, his family, his nation. The prince's eyes opened and he smiled at the girl.

Her face changed, her entire appearance shifted, morphed into someone he knew, someone he recognized. Another young girl, just as pretty, perhaps a little older, a little more mature, and certainly not as ignorant when it came to hurt and sorrow and death. They were seated together with his Uncle Iroh, speaking softly, sincerely.

"When I was a little girl, the Fire Nation attacked my village. They took all the men away; that was the last time I saw my father," she confessed, eyes lowering to her hands.

Zuko nodded, looking away. "I haven't seen my father in many years…"

"Is he fighting in the war?" She asked idly.

Iroh's cool gaze jumped to the young bender. The prince's eyes hardened, thoughts going to Fire Lord Ozai, to his sister, to the kingdom that might never be his, to the throne he abandoned. He nodded once, stiffly, grip tightening about his cup of tea. "Yeah."


"So the Fire Nation has come to find us," Mazo surmised after studying the unconscious boy's injuries. He bent over Katara, one leg propped up on a jutting spike, elbow resting casually on his knee. His dark eyes were searching, analyzing the burn with an expertise that could only belong to a firebender, and scowled. "Those bloody bas—"

"Calling them names won't remedy the situation," Katara snapped, giving the boy a rueful frown. Her hands, covered in crystalline gloves of water, gently cleaned Zuko's singed flesh, healing the scarred tissues, mending the torn seams of skin. It wasn't too difficult a feat, considering the wound was given not too long ago, but even so, it must have been torture for him to be submerged into that icy river, flailing about hopelessly with the violent currents. It certainly did nothing to ease the pain or fatality of his scalding. "First we have to think of a way to get out of here," the waterbender said as she finished up sewing together Zuko's marred flesh, the smooth skin beneath the scar tissues mending together, "And then we need to find Aang and the others."

Sokka scoffed, turning back from his watch at the river's end, eyes searching for any other floating bodies. "Aang and the others can take care of themselves, the important thing is getting to our destination," he declared firmly, waving a drenched map in the air. "Our map's ruined, but that doesn't mean we can't figure out what's what."

A resounding 'We're doomed' from Toph followed his optimism.

Katara was not amused and didn't fail to let her sibling know. "You expect us to just leave Aang behind?" She countered, reaching for his abandoned clothes and tearing it into strips as makeshift bandages, "You must have hit your head harder than I thought."

Sokka frowned at her, waving the useless map in the air with surprising vigor. "General Iroh instructed us all to head to the rendezvous point should anything happen. It's important to stick to the plan, or else the whole thing will just be a confused mess!"

"The plan won't work if you don't know where the rendezvous point is!" His sister argued.

"How hard can it be to find? We've got our own human navigation service!" His arm curled about an unsuspecting Toph's shoulders, and he shook her once, twice, with exaggerated camaraderie, "Isn't that right, Toph?"

The earthbender stiffened in his one-armed embrace, her cheeks lighting on fire, and she turned away from him, her hair serving as a curtain. "If you want to keep that arm, you'll let me go," she commented snidely, at which Sokka let out a nervous laugh and willingly did so. Toph smirked to herself, a small curve of her lips no one noticed, and folded her arms across her c hest. "But me knowing what's around us doesn't exactly help when we're looking for a place in particular – especially a place we've never been."

"How do you know we've never been there?" Sokka said with that grin.

"Alright, where are we going?" Katara asked, securing the bandages about Zuko's form.

"Yeah, where are we going, Oh-Knower-Of-All?" Toph added.

The warrior shook his head, folding up the map and tucking it away. "A top secret place, if General Iroh hasn't told you guys, then I guess you're just not important enough to know," he razzed, desperate to save face. "It's top-secret information given only to the people he saw fit to lead. Obviously I'm one of them—"

"The Fire Nation," Mazo cut in, glancing over at the waterbender. "Captain Iroh told us all to meet at a particular house in the Fire Nation province."

"The Fire Nation?" Katara echoed disbelievingly, "Is he insane? He must be! Honestly, why would we be headed straight into the heart of enemy territory? Why?"

"I don't know!" The firebender retorted at once, feeling verbally attacked, "I'm not the one who came up with that brilliant plan!"

Her glare rounded over at Sokka who gave his sister a look. "Hey! I'm not the one who came up with it, either!"

Katara pointed an accusing finger at him as she stood from Zuko's side. "Yes but you're the one who's all for going with that ridiculous suicide mission!"

"Why don't we focus on getting out of here first—" Toph began, when the roof gave in once more.

Everyone (who was able) leapt to their feet, prepared for battle. Debris showered down with a veil of dust, and only shadows of figures were visible through the smog. Katara lightly touched Zuko's limp body with her foot to make certain he was there, that he was alright, and drew water from her pouch, ready to attack, defend. She hadn't forgotten about the enemy, about the Fire Nation soldiers invading the underground complex. The dust settled, and three people stood amidst the wreckage. A short boy cloaked and covered, a girl who was bending the rocks away from their path, and a taller man. He smiled at the group, brushing ashes from his aged face. "Ah, it's good to know you are alright."

Mazo clapped a fist into his hand in firm respect, elbows out and arms flat, as he made for a graceful bow. "Captain."

But no one else bothered with formalities. At once, the Avatar trio cried out a unified, "Aang!" and bull-rushed the boy into a group hug. He laughed, struggling for a breath, "Wow. Have I been gone that long?"


"Fire Lord Zuko," the woman crooned affectionately.

The young man, donned in saturated reds and a variety of gold trimmings, glanced back from the balcony, amber eyes greeting his wife. He gave her a smile, genuine, pleased, as she approached him, a single delicate hand gently resting on her round stomach. "Yes Milady," he said with equal fondness, greeting her with open arms. She stepped lithely into his one-armed embrace, folding her own arm around his trim physique, and said nothing, simply content to stand with him here at the break of dawn, enjoying the serenity after all those years of war.

Zuko held her close, pressing his lips into her crown of hair, taking in the sweet scent of vanilla and jasmine and something else entirely. "You shouldn't be up so early," he said, voice low and intimate, golden eyes gazing down into her gentle face, the face of beauty and love and beaming motherly pride. He grinned, tracing a finger along the side of her face, re-memorizing every facet of her countenance. "What are you doing up?"

The woman, robed in silk and nothing else, shrugged, walking past him to stand against the balcony, resting her hands on the marble barricade. The sunrise was beautiful, the sky an explosion of pastels. Summer was coming near, and she smiled as she thought of the birth of their first child. "I just couldn't sleep anymore," she said off-handedly, eyes gazing out over the horizon, staring faintly at the orange melting into pink, catching the vague scent of saltwater with a coming breeze.

"Morning sickness?" The Fire Lord queried, wrapping his arms around her from behind and just standing there, taking in this peace, this bliss.

"No," the woman giggled, turning her head to give him that crooked grin, "I just woke up and you were gone."

Zuko felt his nose brush against her cheek, through her tangled locks, against her ear. "You know that couldn't be true," he whispered, "I'll never be gone."

"I know," she answered with mock disappointment.

He only laughed. "You hate me that much for doing this—" and he jokingly prodded her protruding belly, "—to you?"

The Fire Lady relaxed in his arms, easing back into his form, content to just stand there against him, basking in this sip of momentary grace. "I don't hate you. I've never hated you."

Zuko's eyes softened as he pressed a delicate kiss against her temple, "I've never hated you, too."


Zuko sat on the grass, legs folded beneath him, grimacing in soreness with every motion. He had come-to not long after his uncle arrived, and was immediately told of what went on while he was out. It was annoying, his fainting spells (though the first time was hardly fainting, rather, being knocked out cold, but technicalities aside, he was always falling unconscious.) Twice was more than enough for a lifetime, and he touched the back of his head to check for a serious contusion. He found none. Aside from that, he had various cuts and bruises, and a particularly noticeable wound around his torso, which was tended to and bandaged by a waterbender who's been ignoring him since he's woken up.

He wasn't too thrilled to be jumping back into that river, and he exhaled a long breath of fire to warm himself up. It worked for the most part, but earned a glower from the waterbender across the way who was stripping away her cloak. He tried for an apologetic look, but she brushed it off, and he scowled, turning away. She was such an intolerable brat. For the most part, the firebender was left alone, after having revealed to the group who attacked him (it wasn't the Fire Nation Army, just a few select mercenaries-for-hire – Iroh fantasized that Jun was among them) and that he lost his counterpart, Aang, during the brawl.

He certainly got an ear-full from Katara about that, but Aang assured her that Zuko told him to leave.

Katara refused to recognize his act of loyalty, and Zuko would be damned if he did it just to try and impress her anyway.

Now they were here, outside of the tunnels, at the base of what looked to be a little-known valley.

Jing-Wei scowled as they trekked out of the pool of water. Her hair, usually pulled back and neat, was a mess of raven tangles over her face, and she scowled, tugging it away from her eyes. "This is why I hate swimming!" The earthbender exclaimed irately, kicking off her sopping shoes that squished with every step. "I'm all soaking wet and I don't have a change of clothes and—"

"Oh suck it up!" Toph cracked at once, ringing her hair out, "At least you're out of that maze!"

But the older girl did not seem at all pleased.

Yes, their entire group was out of that tunnel, but far from safety. General Iroh instructed that by following the river's path, flowing with the current, they would be led back to the outside world. And he was right – but he left out the tiny fact that it would be via waterfall. Jing-Wei, not having learned how to swim and being an earthbender, quite disliked water, especially when she was submerged in it, hopeless and flailing. "I would have been better off going with Mai," she grumbled.

Mazo only chuckled, blasting fire so near her that she jumped back in alarm. Her jaded gaze turned onto him, but the firebender was only smirking, a reed from the banks perched between his lips. His hair was sopping, matted down to his face, a tussled mess but in a most attractive manner. "Don't get your undies in a twist, I was just trying to help, Sparrowkeet."

"Jing-Wei!" She exclaimed, her patience lost, "Jing-Wei. Call me Jing-Wei!"

Mazo arched a brow at her, clearly entertained, and nodded. "Alright, when shall I call on you?"

The earthbender slapped him across his pretty face.

Katara watched the girl storm off and shook her head disparagingly. "You'll never win her over if you keep acting like that," she commented, giving Mazo an amused look. He reminded her so much of Jet, right down to his flirtatious tendencies, the way he could make a girl blush. Jing-Wei, though she maintained that she couldn't stand him, was still a vibrant color of scarlet even as she stomped in another direction, mouthing off about how insufferable he was.

Mazo only shrugged, quite unperturbed in being soaking wet – surprising, for a firebender – and flashed the girl a heartbreaking smile, "I've already won her over, Doll. She's just a sore loser."

"I don't get it," Sokka voiced aloud, "If she likes you, why doesn't she just say so?"

"There is such a thing as subtlety," Katara answered.

But he dismissed her reasoning. "If a girl likes a guy, she should really just tell him. Boys can be pretty oblivious to these things since girls are so confusing sometimes. They don't make any sense. It would just be so much easier for everyone if girls could own up to their feelings and admit—"

Before he could finish, Toph punched him in the arm. "Or guys could just stop being so stupid!"

Mazo and Sokka exchanged nervous glances and let her counter go unchallenged.

"Is everyone alright?"

Katara nodded towards the general, "For the most part." She looked past him as he addressed Sokka and Mazo, speaking of tactics and plans and where the rest of the members are. Aang was there, by the river, looking uncharacteristically distraught. She knew she should be listening on the instructions, should be paying attention, but her thoughts were elsewhere…

"—right, Katara?"

"Huh, what?" The waterbender blinked and looked over to Sokka who was giving her a bemused stare. She could tell by the look in his eyes that he was suspicious of something, but he brushed it off, pointing to an enormous blob on the map.

"We've been in the Fire Nation Capital City before," he repeated impatiently, prodding the general area on the map she figured must have been the Fire Nation province.

Katara nodded sharply, feigning realization. "Oh, yeah. We were undercover as Fire Nation citizens," she affirmed.

"We know our way around pretty well," Sokka boasted to Jing-Wei (who reluctantly returned and was sitting beside a Mazo who was completely unaware of her withering scowls).

Mazo gave Sokka a pointed look, "It's my homeland, I think I'd know the way best."

"You sound like you're proud of that," the warrior disputed.

"What's not to be proud of?"

Jing-Wei didn't miss a beat, "Oh, I don't know, maybe – everything?"

"Sokka, stop arguing!" The waterbender scolded, but he only huffed and slapped a hand down onto the map.

"You're always siding with boys you think are cute!" He exclaimed irately, "This exact same thing happened with Jet!"

Katara sucked in a sharp breath, very nearly slapped in the face. Uninhibited anger swelled within her, mixed with emotions she couldn't even begin to describe. It was the first time he's brought up her willingness to follow Jet around since she found out of his betrayal. Of his deceit. How dare he comment on that again, especially after Jet proved to have reformed! Sure she was over her crush on the guerrilla warrior, on the alluring rebel, the freedom-fighter, but that didn't mean the remnants of her own naïveté were forgotten. She's never squared with the fact that she let a pretty face and a few murmured words ring her up to dry, and it was still something of a fresh wound in her memory. A constant nagging in the back of her head that she made that mistake, that she would never make that mistake again.

But didn't she?

After her lesson not-quite learned, she went and invested her trust in someone else undeserving. Perhaps less deserving…

Sokka's face crumbled at his sister's expression. "I'm sorry," he apologized at once, "I didn't mean that."

Katara looked away, focusing her eyes elsewhere. "Yes you did."

Iroh cleared his throat, politely calling attention back to the matters at hand. "We have a base situated directly in the Fire Nation. That is where we will meet the first group of White Lotuses."

"Lotuses?" Sokka asked, "Isn't it Loti?"

"Oh who cares?" Toph quipped, her tone demanding him to drop the irrelevant subject.

"You will not all be headed there, we will split the group in two. Mai is already there, she went ahead to pave the way and get past any suspecting guards. Azula has no knowledge of—"

Sokka's face paled with sudden horrified recognition. "Ty Lee!" He groaned in amplified dread.

"How are you so sure we can trust her?" All eyes flickered over to the injured firebender, his face uncovered now; scar visible and golden eyes scorching. "How are you so sure we can trust Mai?"

Iroh gave his nephew a hardened smile. "Mai has always been good, Prince Zuko," he answered evenly, as if stating a point, "She has known all along where her loyalties lie. I would have thought that you would be happy to know you two are in fact on the same side."

Zuko only growled, turning away to look at the lake before them.

"She is one of Azula's right hand men—"

"Women," Sokka corrected.

"—Whatever!" The prince rallied, spinning around to scowl at them all. "She is one of the lowest on my list of people to trust!"

"And that serves as grounds for distrust?"

He locked eyes with the waterbender.

Blue on gold. Ice on Sun. Both incredibly stubborn and unrelenting.

And yet, after his own objections in trusting Mai, he couldn't take back his words. He knew that he had just given Katara permission to forever bear a grudge against him.

He hated her all the more for it.

"We must decide who will head to the base in the Fire Nation," Iroh said, eyes grazing over the group around him.

"I'll go," Mazo volunteered, but Jing-Wei only scoffed.

"You're much too excited to go, it's suspicious."

The boy only shot her a cunning smile, "The only suspicious thing here is your strong abhorrence of me. Zuko is just as much Fire Nation as I am, if not more so. Why don't you hate him?"

"Because he's not an annoying, arrogant, cad!"

"I beg to differ," Katara muttered under her breath.

Zuko glared.

"I'll go to the Fire Nation," Aang piped up from his place by the lakeside. He turned to the arguing band, wearing that resolute smile of his. "I've been there before, and I've got friends I wouldn't mind visiting."

"No, absolutely not!" Katara jumped up to counter, "That would be like giving them Aang on a silver platter!" She said, rounding onto Iroh. "Aang's the last person we could send right into the Fire Nation!"

Sokka nodded solemnly. "Sorry Aang, but we can't gamble that much. We risked enough just coming to the village today. We should have known we were being followed. Hawky was injured when he delivered that message from Master Piandao. Must have been intercepted." His eyes lifted up to the skies, keeping a look-out for his messenger hawk on its way back from said Master. For some reason, he had a bad feeling about this…

"Why doesn't Jing-Wei go—?" Toph suggested, but the other earthbender immediately leapt to her own defense.

"Why don't you go!" She snapped, not bothering to hide her repulsion at the idea of being in the Fire Nation.

"I wouldn't mind going," the blind girl said with a grin, "Except that I'm on quite a few wanted posters over there."

"Wanted—?" Mazo began.

"Don't ask," the Water Tribe siblings chimed together.

"Alright," General Iroh recalled everyone back together, drawing the group into a circle. "Aang and Toph cannot go. Jing-Wei refuses to go. That leaves Mazo, Sokka, and Katara."

"What about me?"

Iroh quirked a brow, "You are a traitor, Prince Zuko," (the prince couldn't help but feel somewhat stung by those words) "You and I cannot return to that place. We would be killed on the spot."

"Katara and I can go," Sokka offered, giving his younger sister a knowing grin. "We've even got Fire Nation identities!" He turned around, fumbling with something.

"Oh no, Sokka, don't even—"

The warrior spun back to face them, sporting a gray beard that, for some reason, he had on his person, and pointed to himself. "I am Wang Fire, and that is my wife!" He directed his finger to an embarrassed Katara, "Sa Fire!"

A resounding groan left the group mates.

"Well, I'm not too fond of our identities, but I wouldn't mind going into the Fire Nation," Katara stated.

Aang's evident dismay was over-looked.

"I can go with them, escort them, you know," the firebender offered.

Iroh contemplated this, eyebrows furrowing in deep thought. He was staring intently somewhere beyond them, into the bushes, and Zuko studied the man's posture, his gestures, the calculating and searching look in his graying eyes. "Jasmine!"

"Jasmine...Uncle?"

"That is the tea I had two nights ago."

Zuko slapped his hand to his forehead. "Uncle, how does that relate to anything we're talking about?"

"I was drinking it with Mai. I have always wondered what you've said, Prince Zuko, about Mai being a double-crosser to Azula's advantage. That is why I do not tell her everything. I send her ahead of everyone else and keep the details of our missions away. However, I make sure to go according to plan – I make them vague, so she does not get suspicious of why I might change plans last minute without telling her." The man nodded thoughtfully, stroking the wet tuft of hair at his chin. "She will be expecting you to arrive, Zuko," he mused aloud, "I think it imperative that you go."

Zuko nodded his understanding, satisfied. "If its winds up being a trap, then she will blow her cover. It would be unwise to reveal herself a spy when she has not gathered sufficient information on what the society plans to do." A pause then, "Or has she?"

Iroh only shook his head, wearing that pensive smile, "She has not."

The prince nodded to himself. He didn't trust Mai, and no one else knew her like he did. She was Azula's friend, she was quiet and uncaring and did what she was told, usually whatever she was told. If Azula told her to spy, she would spy. The prince convinced himself that the only reason he wanted to go was to keep an eye on her and he did a pretty good job of it.

But it still took quite a bit of convincing on his part.

"What about me?" Mazo cut in.

Iroh nodded over towards Aang, Toph and Jing-Wei. "Toph and Jing-Wei will lead you and Avatar Aang to Omashu—"

"New Ozai?" The firebender prompted, earning twin glares from the earthbenders.

"—Yes," the general affirmed. "There is also a base," He turned to a pouting Aang, "...and I think that King Bumi is there."

The Avatar perked up at the news, "King Bumi?" He echoed with a childish smile.

Iroh nodded, "He has been waiting to hear from you."

"And you, General?" Katara questioned of the elder man.

Iroh chuckled. "Oh, no need to worry about me. I have a few things to attend to. But always remember…" His tone was vague, distant, almost mysterious but in an entirely thoughtful and trusting way. He smiled at the group, now separated in two, and reached into his robes. He handed everyone (save Sokka, who was still sporting his ridiculous beard) a Pai Sho tile, all bearing the image of the white lotus, and made sure he held every gaze before dismissing them with his parting words,

"…Those who favor the White Lotus can always find a friend."


"Do you suppose they'll be coming, then?" The exuberant acrobat asked as she impatiently peered through the window down at the streets of the Fire Nation. Her eyes were wide with excitement, enthusiasm, and she giggled behind a hand. "You say that Water-Tribe warrior was with them, will he be coming, too?"

Mai rolled her eyes, leaning back against a wall, clearly disinterested with the whole affair. "Probably, if he's with them, and if they're coming. It'd be safe to assume that he'd also be coming." She gave Ty Lee a pointed look, one that spoke volumes of her irritation.

But her cheerful counterpart was undeterred. "Why're you so sad, Mai? You just saw Zuko! I'm surprised you're not hoping for them to come sooner!"

The weapons-master scoffed, turning away from her friend to hide a faint coloring on her cheeks. "Oh, please. I'm not the type," she said sordidly, ignoring Ty Lee's quips about how if she was the type she'd be counting the moments until Zuko finally appeared at home, with her…here in the Fire Nation. Such silly thoughts, silly fantasies. Mai had to will herself not to gag on the spot.

She and Zuko were over.

And that was that.

"I wonder if Sokka will like my hair this way, do you think he'd prefer it down?"

Mai closed her eyes, mentally slapping a hand to her forehead.

"I think he'd like it if you'd shut up for five minutes."

Ty Lee only pouted and turned to her reflection in the mirror. "I think Zuko would like it if you'd smile every once in a—" A needle very precisely embedded itself into the vanity's frame, and the acrobat sighed, giving Mai a look through the mirror, "Very mature."

The projection artist didn't bother with a reply.

"What would you do if he wanted you back?"

Mai glare out the window, the shadows of the curtains falling across half her face as the sun began its descent behind the horizon. What would she do if Zuko wanted her back? What would she do if he begged for her affection, if he denounced his treason against the throne? What would she do if he confessed that he cared, that he always cared, that the letter was true and not a mockery of their relationship?

She closed her eyes, fingers gliding steadily along a single shurikenjutsu, the poison-tipped needle cool and smooth under her absent caress.

"I don't know."


And that concludes Chapter 7 C:

Now, I know that everyone says Katara's Fire Nation name is Saphire Fire
But when I first saw the episode, I cracked up because I took it as Sa Fire
And thought that was much more witty

So it's Sa Fire.

-shot-


Chapter VIII -- Strung Taut Excerpt

"I think your Uncle is a very honorable man," Katara said absently as they strolled along the Fire Nation streets, posing as civilians going about their daily lives. She paused at a vegetable stand and purchased a few melons, dropping them into the basket a disguised Zuko grudgingly held. "And talented. Girls love musicians."

He scoffed, rolling his golden eyes. "He's honorable, I'll give him that."

The waterbender scowled at him, purposefully dropping a cantaloupe with unnecessary force into the basket. "Show him more respect, did he teach you nothing?"

"He taught me to firebend," Zuko deadpanned.

"And nothing else," his counterpart snapped.

The prince huffed, moving the basket out of her grasp as she reached to drop in a few cabbages. "He taught me how to play the pipa."