Lgrog~ *salute* Aye aye captain!


Eri sat on the railing of the ship, her eyes on the sky, and sighed. They were docked, so she was safe from falling off, so she knew that wasn't why she was so tense. Her father was near. She knew it.

Eri didn't move as she heard the door open or as someone stepped on deck. She didn't budge as she listened to their footsteps crossing the deck. They were Zuko's footsteps. Eri snapped her arm upwards and a wave of water blocked Zuko from leaving. Eri swiveled her legs back over the railing and hopped off, raising an eyebrow at the Prince. He was cloaked in all black and held a mask in his hand. His swords were over his shoulders.

"Where do you think you're going?" She asked, leaning against the railing with a raised eyebrow. Zuko frowned.

"None of your business," He snapped. Eri walked forward as she froze the barrier she made.

"Zuko, where are you going?" She repeated firmly.

"Out," He said. Eri sighed.

"Fine, go ahead," She said, bending down the barrier. "Just be careful."

"Right," Zuko said. He ran off the ship and Eri frowned after him.


Eri sprawled on the floor near Iroh, listening to him play Pai Sho with the crew. She also paid attention to what the captain and Zuko were discussing.

"We haven't been able to pick up the Avatar's trail since the storm, but if we continue heading northeast..." The captain trailed off as a larger Fire Nation ship pulled up next to theirs. Eri propped herself up on her elbows with a frown. Her eyes widened.

"Is that Zhao's ship?" She asked nervously.

"What do they want?" Zuko snapped.

"Perhaps, a sporting game of Pai Sho!" Iroh exclaimed hopefully. Eri grabbed Iroh's arm.

"Iroh, that's my dad's ship. He'll be looking for me," She said. Iroh frowned, but Zuko beat him to speaking.

"Come here," He said. Eri stood and scampered over to him. He pulled the cloth off the table and draped it over her shoulders like a cloak. He pushed her back towards the Pai Sho table and she sat as a soldier from the other ship entered.

"The hunt for the Avatar has been given prime importance. All information regarding the Avatar must be reported directly to Admiral Zhao. As should information regarding his daughter Eri," He said to Zuko.

"Zhao has been promoted? Well, good for him!" Iroh said. As Iroh made a move in his Pai Sho game, another player slapped his hand against his own forehead as if he lost.

"I've got nothing to report to Admiral Zhao. Now get off my ship and let us pass," Zuko spat, looking down.

"Admiral Zhao is not allowing ships in or out of this area," He said.

"Off my ship!" Zuko shouted. The soldier left.

"Excellent!" Iroh suddenly exclaimed. Eri slid the makeshift-cloak hood off her head and raised an eyebrow. "I take the pot!" A crew member punched himself. "But you're all improving! I'm certain you will win if we play again."


Eri hadn't taken off the cloak of sorts since Zuko draped it on her. She huddled in it on the foredeck, watching Zuko let off steam, literally, by practicing firebending. Iroh approached.

"Is everything okay? It's been almost an hour and you haven't given the men an order," Iroh said.

"I don't care what they do," Zuko said.

"Don't give up hope yet. You can still find the Avatar before Zhao," Iroh encouraged. Zuko turned back, desperation and fear on his face.

"How, Uncle? With Zhao's resources, it's just a matter of time before he captures the Avatar," He said. He turned again out to sea and whispered, "My honor, my throne, my country, I'm about to lose them all."

Eri stood and walked over. She stood beside Zuko and nudged his arm with her elbow. He looked down at her.

"Even if Zhao captures Aang, he won't be able to contain him. No matter the resources, he will be freed," She said. She smirked at him. "And then you can capture him and go home."

"Thanks," He said, looking away. Eri dropped her gaze.

"If... Never mind," She mumbled, walking away.


Zuko, who was trying to sneak of deck, was stopped again by a wall of ice.

"Alright, now you have to tell me," Eri said, walking over. She was clothed in all black, like Zuko, and had her arms crossed over her chest with a pissed look.

"It's none of your business," Zuko said.

"You made it my business when you took me aboard," Eri said. "You're breaking Aang out of prison, aren't you."

"What?" Zuko said nervously, hiding his panic with anger. Eri smirked and shifted to reveal her whip.

"I'm coming to help," She said.

"No, you're not," Zuko protested.

"I've been to the prison before, I know where they'll have him hidden and how to get in," Eri argued. Zuko stared at her angrily, deciding.

"You don't-"

"Have a mask? Yeah I do," She said, holding it up. Zuko sighed with aggravation.

"Fine."


The Blue Spirit and the Owl peered up at the fortress, masked and ready. The ducked left, where a wagon was making its way along the path toward the gate. Zuko and Eri clung to the underside of the wagon. The wagon reached the gate.

"All clear," A guard said. A gate guard looked at the wagon and walked around. When the guard checked the undercarriage, the spirits were gone. The guard got back up.

"All clear. Go on in," The guard said. The Blue Spirit and the Owl were hidden in the back of the wagon. The wagon entered the first of the fortress' three gates. Boxes in the wagon have been unloaded. The duo ran from the boxes and ducked into the shadows.


Admiral Zhao appeared on an ornate balcony with bonfire pots on either side, flanked by attendants. The balcony was festooned with gold and red spades. During Zhao's speech, the innermost courtyard full of Fire Nation soldiers stood at attention.

"We are the sons and daughters of fire, the superior element! Until today only one thing stood our path to victory, the Avatar. I am here to tell you that he is now my prisoner!" The crowd cheered. "This is the year Sozin's Comet returns to grant us its power!" More cheering. "This is the year the Fire Nation breaks through the walls of Ba Sing Se and burns the city to the ground!"

As Zhao spoke, Zuko and Eri steadily and stealthily infiltrated the fortress.


Four guards stood outside the chamber that contained Aang. They began to look confused when they heard croaking. They looked down to see the frogs coming from underneath the door. Suddenly they looked up as a Fire Nation soldier's helmet comes bouncing down the corridor toward them. One of the guards walked up the corridor and turned right at the first junction, disappearing from view. A gout of flame erupted from the cross hallway as well as the sound of a brief scuffle. Two more guards go up to the junction and turn right, firebending stances at the ready. The first guard who went was hanging from the ceiling, tied up. They slowly looked up to see the Blue Spirit and the Owl on the ceiling above the two new combatants. They dropped down and melee began, but it was over quickly. The Spirits appeared at the junction.

The lone guard grabs the alarm horn next to him, but a crack of Eri's whip knocked it out of his hand. The guard let loose a gout of flame at the Blue Spirit as he ran down the hall toward the door, but Zuko extinguished the blast with a bucket of water, and proceeded to sweeps the guard's feet out from under him with the empty bucket. Eri walked over as he got back up shakily. She twirled and cracked the whip. It snapped against his head and knocked him out. She made quick work of tying him up. Zuko nodded to her and he unlocked the door.

The door opened and the duo entered. Zuko brandished two curved swords and ran forward to Aang, who screamed in fear. The Blue Spirit approached and swung. Aang pulled his arms back in surprise – the Blue Spirit had freed him. He looked at his liberators in wonder. The Blue Spirit came closer and cut his remaining bonds, and turned to the Owl, who was crouched and on guard for any people. Zuko turned and walked back toward the door.

"Who are you? What's going on? Are you here to rescue me?" Aang blurted. The Blue Spirit motioned for him to follow. "I'll take that as a 'yes'."

Aang followed them out past the gagged and tied guard at the door to his chamber. They heard frog noises and Aang turned to see his frogs on the floor.

"My frogs! Come back! And stop thawing out!" The Fox came back, picked him up by the collar and carried him out. "Wait! My friend need to suck on those frogs!"


The three would-be escapees scaled a rope on the innermost wall of the fortress. They were spotted, and a guard called, "There, on the wall!"

A soldier appeared at the top of the wall they are climbing. He cut the rope and the trio fell down the wall, Aang screaming. Aang airbent them to a soft landing. When the dust cleared, the Blue Spirit unsheathed his swords and the Fox Spirit cracked her whip, and they ran.

"The Avatar has escaped! Close all the gates immediately!" Zhao shouted from his balcony. Aang passed the spirits.

"Stay close to me!" He called. The third gate was closing in front of them, as are the two beyond it, and it was blocked by many soldiers. Aang airbent a blast of air that blew them all out of the way. Aang made for the gate, but the spirits got caught in melee and had to stop to fend them off. Aang turned to see the duo in trouble. He grabbed a spear from a guard near him, airbent him out of the way, spun it around and broke the head off the spear on the ground and launched back into battle to save his new friends. The gate closed behind him. The spirits were surrounded, but Aang airbent the guards all out of the way. With a mighty effort he then catapulted the Blue Spirit to the top of the third wall. He turned to launch the Owl but she was already halfway up the wall.

Zuko was instantly surrounded, but Aang appeared using the stick as a helicopter blade. He plucked the Blue Spirit off the wall and headed into the next courtyard, having every confidence that the Owl could follow. And she did, sprinting to where a wire was strung between the two walls. She leapt on and sprinted across, dodging arrows. Aang meanwhile struggled to keep Zuko and himself aloft. The Blue Spirit used his swords to knock the spears sent up at them by the guards. They barely made the top of the next wall as they crashed unceremoniously onto the battlement. Aang's stick went spinning away as guards instantly rushed them. Aang ran for his stick, but a guard stopped him, taking several swings at Aang with his sword. The Blue Spirit threw the guard over the wall. Aang then airbent the other guards off the wall.

They turned to see a few guards surrounding the Owl. Before they could even think of helping, she had twirled the whip in her hand and cracked it around, causing the guards to back away in fear of being struck. They fell off the wall and the Fox nodded to the Blue Spirit.

More soldiers were scaling ladders. Aang, the Blue Spirit, and the Owl knocked off the soldiers as they reached the top. With two mighty blasts, Aang depopulated the two scaling ladders nearest him as the Blue Spirit knocked the one final soldier off his. Aang brought over his two scaling ladders and stepped onto the one the Blue Spirit had just emptied. He handed one ladder to the Blue Spirit.

"Take this. Jump on my back!" Aang called. The Blue Spirit and Owl looked at each other, and Zuko gestured for her to jump first. She leapt and grabbed the ladder around Aang, and Zuko boxed her in. Aang began to use the ladders as massive stilts, shedding one each time a step is taken. The first ladder shed still had some Fire Nation soldiers on it, but it fell into the dust and took them out.

"Give me the next one!" Aang said. The Blue Spirit complied. A Fire Nation soldier, finally realizing the ladder was wood, sent a gout of flame up the ladder. It was too late though, as Aang and the masked 'spirits' jumped from the last stilt and just managed to grab the edge of the final wall. They boys were unable to hold on, however, and fell to the ground. The Owl perched and prepped to jump down. The Blue Spirit drew his swords. Four firebenders unleashed their flame on them, but Aang pushed the masked man behind him and airbent the flames away.

"Hold your fire! The Avatar must be captured alive!" Zhao barked. Eri flipped down beside the Blue Spirit, grabbed his sword, and held it to Aang's throat, surprising him.

"Shh," She cooed. Aang relaxed slightly, but he still didn't know it was her.

"Open the gate," Zhao hissed through gritted teeth.

"Admiral, what are you doing?" An officer asked.

"Let them out, now!" Zhao ordered. The gate was opened and the Owl backed out with her captive, sword still at his throat. Zuko covered her as they left.

"How could you let them go?" Eri heard the officer ask.

"A situation like this requires... precision," Zhao replied. Eri frowned. Something's going to happen... something bad...

The Owl continued backing away from the fortress. Her eyes never left Zhao, who now looked on from the top of the main gate. She saw a glint of light off metal... An arrow.

Eri's eyes widened. She shoved Aang away as two arrows were released and came flying at Zuko and her. One embedded in her shoulder. She let out a cry of pain and fell to her knees, gripping her arm. Zuko collapsed beside her, unconscious. Aang turned in horror, his eyes wide. He recovered, turned around and airbent up a huge cloud of dust around him and the spirits. Fire Nation soldiers began emerging from the fort and running toward the dust cloud.

Aang removed the Blue Spirit's mask to reveal Zuko. Aang started back in horror and fell backward on the ground. Eri ripped off her own mask and gazed at him through watery eyes. He jumped up and ran away, but turned to look at the two, his eyes huge and full of compassion. He saw the Fire Nation soldiers getting close through the smoke. Still, he hesitated.

"Shit, Aang, either help or run!" Eri said.


When the dust cleared, the soldiers found nothing.


Aang, Eri, and Zuko sat in the forest. It was morning. Aang sat on a nearby root to where Zuko was laying unconscious. Aang looked forlorn. Zuko still looked a bit dazed.

"You know what the worst part of being born over a hundred years ago is? I miss all the friends I used to hang out with. Before the war started, I used to always visit my friend Kuzon. The two of us, we'd get in and out of so much trouble together. He was one of the best friends I ever had, and he was from the Fire Nation, just like you. If we knew each other back then, do you think we could have been friends, too?" Aang inquired. After a pause, Zuko let loose a huge fireball at him, but Aang dodged and flew away on a current of air. Zuko watched him hop away from tree branch to tree branch and out sight. Eri came stumbling through the shrubbery, baffled and shirtless.

"What the hell just happened?" She asked. Zuko ignored her question, and instead turned a glare on her.

"Why didn't you capture him? It was the perfect opportunity! And where is your shirt?" Zuko snapped. Eri gave a deadpan stare.

"Oh, yeah, I'm so sorry. But if you couldn't tell, I was trying to dislodge an arrow from my shoulder!" Eri snapped. Zuko's eyebrows rose as he spotted the arrow. He walked over and swatted her hand away.

"Sorry," He said.

"For wha-!" Eri cut off with an ear-piercing scream as Zuko snapped the shaft of the arrow and pulled it out. She let out a stream of colorful curses, while Zuko merely cringed and dropped the arrow.

"Any louder and you would've popped my eardrum," Zuko complained. Eri used her good arm to punch him, and stalked away.

"I'm finding water, and then I'm kicking your ass, so come on!" She snapped. Zuko grabbed his mask and followed. He found Eri sitting in a stream up to her neck, her hand glowing on her injured shoulder. Her head was resting against a rock, her neck craned back. Zuko stopped for a moment, his face going as red as his scar. Eri's good eye opened and locked on him, and she smirked.

"See something you like, Princess Pouty?" She teased. He pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Just hurry up," He grumbled.


Zuko's ship reeled in the cutter vessel back into the mother ship. Zuko, sullen, walked past his Uncle on the main deck.

"Where have you been, Prince Zuko? You missed music night! Lieutenant Jee sang a stirring love song," Iroh gushed.

"I'm going to bed. No disturbances," Zuko ordered dully. Iroh rubbed his head and began to blow his horn again.

"Geez, could you play any louder?" Eri teased, settling across from Iroh. He chuckled.

"Good morning, Eri! How was your camping trip?" He asked. Eri smiled.

"It could've gone better, but it was thrilling enough," Eri said. Iroh smiled.

"Would you like some tea?"

"More than anything."