Thoughts could be really disturbing, as Toph and Sokka found out. They were both sitting on a table in Iroh's lavish teashop. However, none of them spoke. Drinking their delicious tea, they kept pondering over 'what-ifs' and suspicions. They both felt equal disappointment that they hadn't managed to learn much apart from the fact that a tunnel existed under the bustling city of Ba Sing Se and the thought that it was somehow connected with the huàn couldn't leave their minds.

"Okay, I had enough of this!" Toph exclaimed after hours of thinking, exasperated. Shoving her cup of tea aside, making the green liquid swirl, she stood up in a very unladylike manner. "I'm going to find what's in that tunnel now!"

Sokka looked up in surprise, getting ready to prevent his younger friend from making any rash decisions. Iroh's soothing voice interrupted the warrior's speech, however. "Now, now." The old tea maker said, walking out of the kitchen with a wooden tray in his hands. "I believe that careless actions will lead you nowhere." He advised, putting the tray on the table. Placing a gentle but strong hand of Toph's shoulder, he pushed her down on the chair. "Patience is a virtue, Toph."

"Hmph." Toph grunted. Despite the arrogance of her character, she didn't spoke up against the former general, since she respected him and his opinion. "I just don't like doing nothing, that's all."

"You're right." Sokka agreed, finally snapping out of his trance of thought. "We have to do something."

"I think that your friend has come up with a plan, Toph." Iroh said in an attempt to calm the young earthbender down.

"Not exactly." Sokka murmured. "But I think that the only way to find something is by making the old man talk. We need to go there again."

Smiling mischievously, Toph bumped her fists together. "I'm in."

"I know that you don't need this advice, but I have to remind you that violence will lead you nowhere." Iroh argued, looking at the two teenagers with concern.

"Don't worry, Iroh." Sokka uttered, patting the tea maker's back softly. "We don't intend to use violence."

"Good." Iroh nodded, giving them one of his usual kind smiles. "Now go—and be careful."

Putting one biscuit—that previously rested on the tray—in his mouth, Sokka grabbed Toph's hand and ran out of the tea shop, leaving a worried Iroh behind.

The tea maker spent some more minutes looking at the door from which the two teenagers had just left. Having lost his own son in battle, the former general felt concern and apprehension for the two teenagers' fate. They have all got themselves involved into a hazardous game. Iroh thought, shaking his head. Agni, help them.

Looking around his almost-full tea shop, he returned to his cheery customers, doing the thing he liked the most.

****oOo****

"Is he still in there?" Sokka asked Toph, as the two of them stood before the old man's house, under which rested the intriguing tunnel.

"Yes." Toph nodded. "And he's alone."

"Let's just hope that he's not a member of the huàn, otherwise we're doomed."

Chuckling, Toph tugged him towards the rusted, half-broken door. She wondered if bumping her fist on the wood would make the door fall down, but she did it anyway.

Upon hearing the knock, the old man rose from the wooden chair he was sitting on. "They're early." He muttered to himself, expecting members of the huàn, as he proceeding on sliding the door open.

When he saw the two teenagers, his grey eyes widened. He had previously thought that those two would visit him again, but he didn't expect it to be so soon. Fighting over his inner dilemma through the last hours had led him to an important decision, which was fully capable of leading him to his own death. He had come to believe that he didn't care whether they'd kill him—he would do his duty to the world, no matter what.

"It's us." Sokka said, biting his tongue when he realized that this was probably a stupid thing to say. "Which is quite obvious, I think."

Toph shook her head at her friend's remark. "Look, we're searching for answers and you're probably the only one able to give them to us. So, if you don't want me to bring this place down, you'll have to let us in." This was probably one of the nicest things Toph had ever said, and she was quite proud of it.

The man thought about telling her that he didn't care about the place, but decided against it. With a sigh, he nodded and stepped aside to let Sokka and Toph pass.

Had the two teenagers stepped in under other circumstances, they wouldn't have believed that someone was actually living there. The house looked isolated, abandoned. Nothing but a weak fire burning into a stone-made fireplace in a corner of the room indicated that life existed in that place. Grayish carpets, curtains and needlecrafts rested on the floors and walls, hiding cracks, moss and other signs of decay.

"It's seen better days." The old man muttered when he noticed Sokka looking around the room in surprise. "This area used to be so peaceful." It looked like the man talk more to himself rather than Sokka and Toph.

"What happened?" Sokka asked, drawing his gaze away from the dusty furniture.

The old man closed his eyes, as if the memory was too much to bear. "When the Firelord's sister conquered Ba Sing Se, her forces destroyed everything: houses, stores…" He trailed off, unsure of how to continue. "People fled."

"Damn you, Azula." Sokka cursed under his breath, knowing that the damage she had caused could not be repaired.

"This area used to be full of life." The man continued."But now, it's nothing but a miserable place."

"Who are you?" Despite the fact that Toph couldn't see, she could tell from the tone of his voice that the man's grief couldn't be put into words. "And why did you stay? Why didn't you leave?"

"My name's Yan. Living here is the only life I know." The old man explained. "The others had something to hope for—they had family. I had nothing to lose." The man shrugged, as if the fact that he was alone didn't bother him. But it did bother him, more than he would ever admit. Yan had the misfortune to lose his wife a couple of years after their marriage. She became sick, while being pregnant with their child and died. After that, Yan had nothing to care for.

Both Toph and Sokka asked nothing else about the man's life, since that wasn't why they were there in the first place. "About that tunnel…" Sokka started only to be interrupted by Yan.

"Shh!" Running to the door, the old man cracked open just an inch, looking around suspiciously. "This is no safe place to talk." Closing the door, he walked back to the two teenagers. "Meet me at the market tonight."

Sokka nodded in agreement.

"Just tell us one thing." Toph murmured. "Do the huàn use it?"

The man looked around worriedly, afraid that anyone could hear them. "Yes."

Both Sokka and Toph smiled. The fact that they had finally managed to gather some information made both of them ecstatic—and concerned. "Can you get us in?" Sokka asked, his voice dripping with hope.

"Yes." Yan nodded. "But you need to go—they'll be here any moment now."

"Why are you helping us?" Sokka asked in suspicion.

"They threaten my life every day. I live in fear—do you need more explanation?"

Sokka stroked his chin in thought. "This better not be a trap."

"It's not." Toph reassured him. "He's telling the truth."

Trusting his friend's word, Sokka said nothing else. "Let's go."

As Toph ran towards the door, Sokka looked at Yan. "Tonight." He whispered. "Be there!"

"I will." Yan promised.

With that, Toph and Sokka left, eagerly waiting for the night.

Zuko and Mai were grateful that they could at least relax during the night, even when the days were being so hectic. The soft feeling of the cerise bed and the contact with each other were two of the things they'd never get tired of. The contentment, however, didn't last long as a soft knock on the door woke Zuko up.

The young Firelord slipped out of Mai's embrace, careful not to wake her. Putting on a tunic over his bare chest and running his fingers through his messy hair, he dragged his feet to the door.

Cracking it open just some inches, he looked at the servant that stood before him. "Yes?"

"My Lord." The girl bowed. "I'm sorry to disturb you, but Avatar Aang just arrived."

Zuko shook his head in an attempt to shove away the drowsiness. "Aang?" He asked, surprised that the young Avatar had visited without sending a letter first.

"Yes, my Lord. He and his lady are waiting for you." The girl informed.

Zuko, finally comprehending the servant's words, nodded. "Make sure they get rooms and whatever they might need. Tell them we'll join them in a while."

The girl bowed again. "As you wish, my Lord."

"Thank you."

Closing the massive door, Zuko walked back to the bed. He looked at his wife for some more seconds, regretting having to wake her up. He could stand there forever but time wasn't something they had on their side. Brushing a hand on her cheek tenderly, he smiled. "Mai. Mai, wake up." He whispered, eliciting a complaining groan from the recently-crowned Firelady.

"It's early." She muttered dryly.

"I know." Zuko whispered. "But Aang is here."

Mai's hazel eyes opened at that and she sat up weakly yet eagerly, her raven hair flowing over her pale shoulders, taking her husband's breathe away. Neither she nor Zuko knew why the young Avatar was there, but they both knew that it must have been something important. "Fine." She rasped, before getting up.

The royal couple proceeded on getting ready for the day. Putting on their uncomfortable but elegant clothes of the Firelord and the Firelady, they walked out of the room, their fingers linked.

"What do you think has happened?" Mai asked as they walked down a corridor.

"I don't know." Zuko answered. "It probably has to do with the Air temples."

"Maybe they found something." Mai pointed out, her voice dripping with hope.

"Or maybe not." Zuko muttered, frowning.

The knife-thrower rolled her eyes. "Do you always have to be so pessimistic?" She asked, her tone indicating boredom.

Zuko shrugged. "It makes things interesting." He teased, trying to lighten up the mood, as he knew that when he was down he wasn't good company.

One side of Mai's lips twitched upwards as she half-smiled. "Right."

After asking one of the guards about the room Aang and Katara had been given, they strode towards it, eager to learn the news their friends brought. Finding the room, Zuko knocked on the door softly.

Some more seconds passed as Katara rushed to open the door. "Guys!" She said with a somewhat relieved sigh. "Come in."

"Katara—what happened?" Mai asked calmly, as she entered the room with Zuko following behind. They noticed Aang sitting on the bed, his shoulders slumped in defeat and his head bent. His look was thoughtful and disappointed and he didn't seem to notice the couple entering the room.

"We went to the air temples." She stated, looking at Aang from the corner of her eye with concern.

"And?" Zuko urged her on, waiting her answer impatiently.

However, it wasn't Katara who answered. "And nothing!" Aang said, frustrated. Getting up from his sitting position, he started pacing the room in an attempt to calm down. "No sign of the huàn!"

"Well…" Mai started, raising an eyebrow to her friend. "Isn't that… good?"

"No!" Aang answered. "It's not. How are we supposed to stop them if we know nothing about them?"

Katara looked at Mai and Zuko, before walking to Aang. Placing a slender hand on his shoulder, she tried to calm him down for what seemed like the hundredth time of the day. "Aang, I know you're upset. But right now, it'll lead us nowhere." Aang nodded, relaxing under Katara's touch and sat on the bed again. "Maybe you found something?" Her eyes looked hopefully at Zuko and Mai.

Aang raised his grey eyes to look at the couple as well. "Did you?"

Zuko nodded triumphantly. "We did."

Both Aang and Katara listened with great interest as Zuko and Mai told them the whole story. Realization took a while to dawn to them, since the information they had to absorb were shocking. When Zuko told them that he held Finn in the palace, guaranteeing him his safety, they seemed alert but soon enough they became aware of the benefits. Keeping Finn meant more information.

"Su Heng…" Aang pondered, scratching his arrowed head in thought. "I think I know the area—but it didn't use to be isolated, like Finn told you."

"Ba Sing Se went through a lot after…Azula." Katara reminded him, hesitating at saying the Firelord's sister's name.

"You're right." Aang agreed. "So, what do we do?"

"We have to go to Ba Sing Se to find Sokka and Toph." Zuko suggested. "And we'll need to find forces to help us."

"The Kyoshi Warriors?" Mai suggested, looking forward to see Ty Lee and Suki again.

Aang nodded. "North Pole can help us, too."

"And South Pole." Katara added, smiling at the thought of her dad. "I'm sure my dad would like to help."

Zuko nodded, memorizing the options. "We'll let all of them know. For now, we need to go to Ba Sing Se and find anything we can."

"We need to leave tomorrow." Aang said. "We can't waste anymore time."

Zuko nodded. Taking Mai's hand, he walked towards the door. "I'll tell the council."

As Zuko and Mai walked towards the throne room, prepared to have a really acute meeting with the stubborn council, they couldn't help but feel nervous about what their trip would bring. They weren't particularly fond of their last trip's results—although they did enjoy their time there—but they were aware of the fact that the trip to Ba Sing Se would bring new discoveries.

"Your uncle will be ecstatic." Mai said in an attempt to lighten up Zuko's sorrowful mood, squeezing his hand.

Zuko smiled, like he always did when he thought about his uncle. "Yeah. He won't like the circumstances under which we're visiting though."

Mai sighed. "I know. But he'll still be happy."

Zuko didn't answer. His brow was furrowed in concentration and he seemed to be struggling to find the right words to say something. Mai knew him well enough to understand that he was probably overreacting. Again. "What's wrong, Zuko?" She asked softly. "I mean, besides the fact that a bunch of people are plotting against us." She tried to joke.

"Mai…" He trailed off. Stopping walking, he turned around to face her, placing two strong hands on each side of her face. "I know that I can't stop you from coming with me tomorrow—" And if he wanted to be honest with himself, he needed her with him. This had to do with Mai as much as it had to do with Zuko. "—but, please, I want you to be careful."

It took Mai everything she had not to roll her eyes. "I will, Zuko. It's not like I can't protect myself." To prove her point, her fingers pulled her sleeve down, revealing a bunch of shiny and extremely sharp knives.

Zuko smiled faintly. "I know."

Mai smiled back before placing a soft kiss on his lips, making the guards—that were too used to the couple's show of affection—roll their eyes.

Sighing in Mai's mouth, Zuko relaxed. Mai always had her ways to make him calm down, it seemed. "Come on. Let's go before they kill each other." Zuko murmured as he and Mai started walking once again.

Back in Su Heng, Ba Sing Se, two cloaked figures walked towards the centre of the city. The market was closed, since the layer of the night had fallen long ago. Hardly anyone walked by, except for a couple of drunken men that stumbled over and disappeared into the darkness.

Toph and Sokka waited under the starry sky, the eerie silence making them shudder.

"If he doesn't show up, I'm gonna bring what's left of his house down!" Toph hissed to Sokka, who looked around hoping that Yan would come.

"Maybe we shouldn't have trusted him—he is helping the huàn, after all." Sokka said, his brow furrowing in thought.

"He was telling the truth, Sokka." Toph reminded him.

"I no longer know what to believe, Toph." Sokka sighed, suddenly feeling exhausted. "Everything's so messed up!"

A loud smack on his shoulder made him look next to him. "Ouch! What was that for?"

"Stop acting like Zuko!" Toph demanded. "They're coming."

Sokka heard the footsteps some seconds later. "They're?" He asked when Toph's words sunk in.

"He's not alone."

"I, Firelord Zuko, call this meeting to inform all of you about the course of the recent events." Zuko said, sitting among his advisors rather than the uplifted throne which reminded him too much of his father. "Information that the huàn's hideout is in Ba Sing Se has been given. The Firelady and I will be leaving tomorrow morning, heading for the city." Most of his words came out quickly, as he decided that getting to the point would save him some minutes.

His short speech, however, brought about many objections and soon enough the whole room echoed with loud voices and hushed whispers, making Zuko put his fingers on the bridge of his nose.

"So much for a civilized conversation." Mai muttered from next to him.

Zuko groaned. "Tell me about it." He mentally wondered whether he should have probably used the throne, since it'd allow him to control the fire and silence the group.

Mai sighed, trying to stop herself from sending knives to every single politician. "Just do something."

Zuko nodded. Rising from his sitting position, he slammed a hand down the table. "Silence!" He shouted. This scene had become routine by now.

The room became quiet in an instant, as no one wanted to make the Firelord angry. "While I'm gone, which I hope won't be for long, one of you is going to make the decisions I'd make." He informed. "Zhen—you'll take care of my duties."

Zhen was a nice man, probably a decade older than Zuko. He was the only advisor Zuko could trust as he seemed to care for the Fire Nation.

"I'd be honored to, my Lord."

"My Lord," Another man said. "May I have permission to speak openly?"

Zuko nodded tiredly, already knowing what the man would say.

"I do not intend to question your judgment, but are you certain that trusting the rulership of your country to anyone but yourself is wise?"

Zuko rolled his eyes. "Trusting anyone else to handle the situation of Ba Sing Se isn't wise either." He pointed out harshly, making the man nod. "I trust Zhen. My decision is final."

Looking behind his shoulder, Sokka saw four men approaching—one in the front with the rest following behind.

"Well, well." The man cooed. "What do we have here?" He eyed the two teenagers and snickered.

"Who are you?" Sokka asked, despite the fear that boiled in his veins.

"Who were you expecting?" The man asked back, stopping a couple of steps away from the young warrior and the earthbender.

"That's none of your business!" Toph snapped.

"Isn't it?" The man asked, grinning mischievously. "I believe that Yan had something to tell you, didn't he?"

I knew it was a trap! Sokka gasped. "Where is he?"

"Bear—why don't you bring Yan here? I think he wants to have a…conversation."

Toph turned her head towards some nearby shadows and so did Sokka. "Yes, Raven." Another man stepped out, one of his hands grasping the torn shirt of an old man. With a sharp move, he shoved him to the ground. The man coughed.

"Yan!" Sokka gasped.

Yan raised his head weakly, fresh wounds and bruises on his face. "I'm sorry." He whispered.

Sokka's eyes widened. They hit him! Those monsters!

"Looks like we were right to doubt you." Raven spat to Yan. Turning to the rest of the men, he motioned towards Toph and Sokka with his head. "Tie them up. We'll get them to Panther."

Long author's note coming up (I warned you.):

Phew. I finally got it done. I'm sorry that it took me so long to update but I had to get some things done first. I have thought of so many things for this story! Ideas just keep coming.

In case anyone didn't understand, the tunnel under Yan's house is the one Bear used in one of the other chapters. I'm sorry if I didn't make that clear.

I have a feeling that this story is kinda predictable, since one of my reviewers found out everything that would happen xD I really hope that this isn't rushed! I don't want it to be rushed; I have so many things to do with this story.

I felt that I should everyone know the story of poor Yan—he helped the huàn because he had nothing to lose. But he can't stand this anymore, so he's helping Sokka and Toph. Yan didn't set up a trap, they made him tell them everything.

I tried to fit in as much Maiko fluff as possible. Trust me for finding the strangest circumstances to add romantic moments!

Anyways, ask away whatever you didn't understand. Suggest things.

I have a new Maiko request! Woohoo! I'll work on it!

Let me remind you that I'm on deviantART as doritos1996. Check out the poll on my profile, as well.

Sorry for any mistakes I have-I'm not a native speaker.

Thank you all for the feedback, it really means a lot.

Please, please review—I love reviews!

Flameo!

~Dora.