"Does everyone know the plan?"

Toph replied, "Sokka I think we got it," She pounded her fists together, "Not let's go get Twinkletoes."

Suki stood next to Sokka grabbing his arm with her hand, "It wouldn't hurt to go over it one more time."

Katara came into the room, "Just to be safe, let's hear it one more time."

Sokka pulled out a map of the fire nation palace he managed to find in his room, he pointed to locations on the map while he spoke, "Alright, Zuko, Chit-Zang, and Satou will create a distraction over here. You have to get as many guards over to you as possible in order for this to work. Wu you get their backs when they start to get surrounded but stay hidden until then. Katara, Toph, Suki and I are storming the palace and heading straight for the royal quarters. Ty lee and Mai are going to the dungeons to search for Aang there. Satou you wait outside the palace and cover our escape when we find him"

Everyone could tell that both Wu and Satou were anxious which their twitching and inability to sit still.

Wu then spoke with a fast tone, "Alright sounds good let's go."

Zuko glared at him, "Sit down, we're not going until midnight."

Katara again motherly quickly asked, "Why can't we go now?"

Sokka answered for him, "Less guards."

Toph jumped up, "So what, we can take em"

"Well the only way we have a chance is with Yue's help and the only way she can give us the chance is when the moon is at its highest point."

Ty Lee cut in, "Who's she?"

"I'd rather not get into that now, I'll tell you about it later but now we have to get ready. She said she'd help us and she will, I just don't know what she's going to do.

Oooooooooooooooooooooo

She quickly pulled away, why did it happen? How did it happen?

He looked at her with confusion and raised his eyebrows, "Well that was unexpected."

She just looked at the wall in front of her, thinking, wondering why. She just exposed herself to him, and she is not one to do that. How did it happen?

He could see the confusion in her eyes as well, "Was it spontaneous? Or did you do that?"

Her voice was not dignified as it usually was, it sounded rather fragile as she looked him the eyes, "It just happened, I don't know how or why but it did."

Seeing the change in her usual tone, he thought to help her, "You're suppressing emotion, that's not a good thing for your spirit. Close your eyes and think about something you did recently."

She thought and sat silent for a moment, not moving a muscle in her fire nation night gown. She peeked and eye and saw Aang meditating on the floor with her. Very quickly after opening her eye; he shook his head, she quickly closed her eyes again.

He spoke slowly, "How did you feel in a time before you met the circumstance that caused it?"

She took a minute and let out a good exhale before speaking, "Proud and full of Pride, but that blinded me from the deception of my father."

He nodded, "How did you feel when you actually faced your cause for the event?"

She was quick to answer, "I felt as if my life's goal was achieved, that all I needed was to finish one more thing and I would be satisfied with myself and serve a purpose to the one I sought the approval of."

"And how about just before what you're thinking about happened?"

"I felt lied to and betrayed that I could only trust myself to do anything. The something convinced me of something better and I felt different, the feeling was foreign to me."

He then recognized what she that she was think about the kiss and that she labeled him the reason for it, " And what about now?"

"Understood by someone that knows many things, I feel something different circling me. It's rather foreign to anything I've felt before. I can't really describe it, but it's actually made calmer than usual. Even with my father plotting against the Northern Water Tribe, I feel relaxed."

"Now do you feel you know why it happened?"

It felt like it was the tip of her tongue, but she couldn't find the words to use.

He broke her train of thought, "Well, never mind about it then. I would actually like to get off the subject."

She looked quite confused, "But just a minute ago you were trying to help find a reason to why that happened."

He sighed really to buy himself time to think, "Well I like to help people. Whatever, what happened happened and I'd like to stop talking about it."

She brought a finger to her chin, "Hmm, I have an idea. Wait here."

He heard Azula say something to the guards and then returned to him.

"We're going to spar, hand to hand combat only. No bending."

"In here?"

"If you're as good as I've heard then you won't break anything."

"Are you sure about this?"

She grinned, "Positive."

He brought his hands in front of him, "Your move."

She ran and slid between his legs hitting his legs but failing to strike a nerve point. He turned to face her and had to quickly dodge another flying fist. Once he recovered he closer for an easier takedown. He punched and kicked but his legs were a bit numb so it was sloppy. She avoided every attempt to hit her. She exhausted him so when he went for his takedown, she grabbed his arm and twisted it. He instantly fell to his knees. She pushed down on his arm so that he lay on his stomach. He glanced at her and the look of glee. He twisted his body onto his side then kicked at her ankle. She let go of his arm out of shock and fell to the floor. He then put her into a cradle hold so she couldn't move. She groaned and put numerous elbows into his chest. He dropped her after coughing. She forced a fist forward and he quickly countered with a swipe of his arm, which swung her body around letting her back face him. He grinned and took a few steps toward her. She swept her feet and knocked him down, she quickly fell on top of him to pin him to the floor.

She shook her head, "Too easy."

With that having been mentioned he grabbed wrists, crossed them, and pushed up so that they were both standing; when she was looking he smirked before throwing her on the bed. After she hit the bed she tried to recover but he was fast, he pinned her down.

He saw the look of shock in her eyes, "I wouldn't count myself out yet."

They were both could feel each other's hearts beating, she reached up to feel his. He didn't know what she was doing until she did it. He looked at her, her hair was tousled but still gleamed in the moonlight, he looked into her eyes. In her eyes he saw the moon. It shined brightly off the amber in them. They looked at each other and then he kissed her. She didn't refuse so he leaned into her deepening it. She broke the kiss and started kissing down his neck. She tore off his clothes and in return he did the same to hers.

After a few minutes later they vanished beneath the sheets.

Ooooooooooooooooooooo

They slowly approached the palace grounds, they hid behind some of the bushes in front of the gates.

Sokka whispered to the groups behind him, "Ok, now Zuko; take Chit-Zang and Satou and try to get the guards focused on you, but give us some time to get into position for our roles. Wu, take the high ground; toss a few boulders to take some of the heat off of them. If they get into trouble, head down and help them out. Ty Lee, Mai, you guys head up to the dungeon. Try to be sneaky about it, if Aang is there then we don't want the guards focused there. Katara, Toph, you're with Suki and me. We'll storm the palace, but we have to be sneaky."

Toph cut in, "Yeah, yeah, so we can get out easy." She pounded her fists together, "Now let's get some firebenders."

As everybody got into position, Zuko tried to find where Wu was going to be so he could give him a good line of sight.

Chit-Zang hit Zuko on the shoulder, "Look, see the glare of his knife? He's right there." He pointed to a spot on a hillside next to the palace, he was under an arch; it gave plenty of earth.

Satou moved on his knees toward Zuko, "Look," He pointed out two more of the glares, "I think that means they're ready."

Zuko nodded, "Alright let's move."

He jumped from the bushes he was hiding behind and released a vicious fireball from his hands, leaving them a gaping hole to go through the gate. He rushed through with the others, as soon as they entered many of the sentry towers lined on the walls towering above them began attacking.

Zuko shouted to the others, "Attack the towers!"

One by one the towers began to catch a blaze, the screams coming from inside were horrifying, but there was nothing anybody could do. While they were busy fending off the attacks of the sentries, guards began to swarm from the palace. Their battle cry was cut short by falling rocks. The guards still persisted and each one was swept of their feet by the blazing fireballs being launched at them.

Zuko heard Chit-Zang scream and turned to see his burnt arm, "What happened?" His shout barely penetrated the sound of the battle.

"One of the sentries, I'll be fine just keep fighting."

Zuko turned to look at Satou; he was fighting hand to hand against a squad of the poorly trained soldiers. He looked in front of him to see bright orange flying toward him. He froze in shock; he only relaxed when a wall of earth shot up from the ground and looked back to Wu running towards them.

"Thanks."

Wu glanced at him briefly, "Don't mention it," was he had to say before blocking another fireball.

Ooooooooooooooooooooo

Sokka grabbed his machete, "Now, we need to go. They have the guards distracted."

Toph bent the metal door inward before forcing it from its hinges. Nobody had stayed in the main hall. The gang crept through palace, they moved up stairway after stairway without meeting any resistance.

Sokka scratched the top of his forehead, "It couldn't have worked that well."

"I don't feel anything for the next few floor except for a two heartbeat up two more floors."

Suki looked at Toph confused, "Two? That's where Azula's rooms are suppose to be. Aang's in there, but who's the other"

Katara tone grew a sense of hate, "Azula's in the room with Aang."

Sokka hit the side of the wall with his fist, "Ugh! I thought she go down to face Zuko."

Suki put her hand on his shoulder, "Look we can hold her off while you get Aang out, then Mai and Ty Lee can lead her away while we get him to the house."

They ran up two more flights of stairs, Sokka pulled his machete again, "Ready your weapons."

Toph put her hand to the wall, "Wait, somebody just came out of the room. The other is still in there."

They turned their attention to the figure that had just run up on them with weapons ready.

Ooooooooooooooooooooo

Could she really still be a soulless hunter? One is not easily swayed form the roots of their mind. Ozai had corrupted her, with his dreadful tasks. Even if she willfully carried them out; how could she know they were evil. By the time she figured it out; it would've felt too natural to change. She could be changed, but it would be easier said than done. Loud thunderous booms coming from outside, he gets out of the bed and put his robes back. Looking back he can see her, she moves but only slightly. Her head on her hand she looked so peaceful sitting there. The guards start shouting and she started to toss and turn at the noise. When the guards next to her rooms leave, Aang knows something is up.

The tone is cold but not as heartless and it was before, "They're here."

He looked at Azula looking through her window, she had gotten her gown back on very quickly, "Who?"

She turned to look at him, "Your friends, they're attacking the palace." She walked over to the door in the palace hallways, "You'll be leaving here shortly."

He could see her absence of mind, "You're not going to stop me?"

She looked at him, "What's the point and someone has to hold off m father, but know that I will find you again."

He looked at her intensely with dark gray eyes, "You won't have to. When this is over meet me at your family's house on Ember Island. I'll be the only one there." He dashed through the door and faded into the curtain of black.

She watched him leave, and then sighed, "Now, time to give Father a good morning visit."

Oooooooooooooooooooooo

"Aang!" Katara ran and hugged him tightly, he returned the embrace, "I thought we'd never see you again."

Aang looked at her then to Sokka, "We need to get out of here, now."

Toph grabbed the back of robes, "Not before you tell us why Azula let you go."

"How do you… Look, it's a long story. I'll tell if we get out of here."

Sokka lowered his weapon, "Ok, then we need to head down and try to relieve Zuko from the guards."

Suki stepped forward, "I'll get Ty Lee and Mai, we'll meet you back in the courtyard."

Sokka nodded, "Nobody leaves until we have everybody with us."

They made their way down the stairs and onto the courtyard. They met up with Zuko and the others.

Katara hurried over to Chit-Zang when she saw him holding his arm against his chest.

She tried to get Sokka's attention, "We need to leave."

Sokka looked around for the girls, but he couldn't see them anywhere, "We have to wait."

"If we wait, then we'll die."

He struggled to make a decision; he looked again and saw Suki leading Ty Lee, and Mai toward them.

Sokka got behind the group, "Ok, Zuko and Satou in the middle; Toph and Wu get on the outside and block any attacks. Zuko and Satou, give them something to be afraid of while Suki gets here."

Like a well-oiled machine the formation worked together, fending off every attack and retaliating to keep the guards from gaining any ground.

Sokka kneeled by his sister's side, "Get him to the house, we'll keep them off you."

"Aang! Start wiping them out, we need to get out of here!"

One at a time the soldiers fell to their knees. They could see to avoid the fire, but not an invisible element. It them like bricks when it struck. As the soldiers fell, they were replaced by more.

Aang turned to Sokka, "There are too many, we'll never be able to take them all."

Sokka groaned in frustration. He saw the red force grow bigger no matter how many were taken out. More would fill their place; He looked and saw Aang began to lose his ground. He was now back into a corner, blowing away attacks, but he was unable to hit back. The formation he ordered his friends into began to fall, Wu was knocked after a firebomb hit harder than he braced himself for. Toph could not defend them both, so she too began attacking. It didn't take long for them to be knocked down by the constant attacks. Saving Aang would not matter if they were all dead. The sound of rushing water faintly made itself known. Sokka turned to see a beautiful spirit flying toward them. It was not until she was close enough did he see the gigantic wave behind her.

"Everybody brace!" was all he could day before he was enclosed in an earth tent.

He heard the sound of the water crash around him, his tent barely held. When it passed over his tent disappeared.

Toph walked over to him, "You're welcome by the way."

"How did you know it was coming?"

"I felt it."

Sokka looked around to see his friends and the front of palace in rubble.

Aang and the others walked and limped over to him, "We need to leave before.."

As he was talking, a firebomb cratered the ground next to him, Aang turned around to see Ozai. He was drenched but unharmed.

"Did you really think it would be that easy?"

The gang did nothing but held defensive stances.

"Afraid to speak?" His expression showed rage, "then you will die in silence."

Ozai jumped and let out a huge fire whip in their direction. Before anybody could deflect it, a blue arch of fire cut it in two. They looked down to see Azula standing in front of them.

Ozai grinned and began to approach her, "Azula, you stopped me once before, but it shall not happen again."

"Really? I could have killed you, and this is how you show your thanks?"

"That was your mistake," He let a flurry of fire balls and whips, which Azula gracefully dodged.

Aang started over to help but Zuko grabbed his shirt, "Aang, we need to go. This is the best chance we'll get."

He groaned to show his frustration before following him back to their new hiding place. When they got to the house, Katara was waiting at the front door.

Katara looked at them and then back at the palace courtyard, "There still fighting over there. How did you guys get away?"

Sokka turned around, "I don't know, Aang you care to explain who let us get away?"

Author's Note: I'm sorry it took so long, but this chapter is rather lengthy so I hope that makes up for it. Please don't forget to review.