General Iroh was a hard person to stalk.

Or, at least, he was hard to stalk when he himself was trying to be stealthy.

Which was why, nearly twenty-four hours after news of Zuko's treachery and imprisonment had spread through the palace like wildfire, Mai and Ty Lee were cautiously following Iroh, knowing he was likely on his way to spring his nephew out of the Boiling Rock. What other reason did he have for slinking through the palace an hour before sunrise?

The Dragon of the West was clearly on a mission, and he was going to have some company, whether he liked (or knew) it or not.

"What's he doing now?" Ty Lee whispered, trying to peek over Mai's shoulder. She was elbowed back and shushed, her question otherwise left unanswered.

Then Mai made a gesture that indicated it was time to move forward, and they dashed down the hall after Iroh's retreating figure.

Not that they actually knew where he was leading them. He had taken them in a maze of turns, entering rooms for long periods of time and leaving them alone, empty-handed; constantly backtracking in a manner that almost seemed like he was avoiding the palace's exit. It didn't make sense, it had been going on for far too long, and both girls were growing impatient.

Not to mention the obvious risks such behaviour carried – what if someone noticed? How did they explain wandering around the palace at night? How did they explain being armed and dressed in clothing from their days of travelling with Azula instead of the more formal outfits they had worn during their stay in the royal family's home?

Everything about their current situation was suspicious. Caution was absolutely necessary.

Though, no amount of caution could prepare them for what happened when the rounded the corner.

"You two have been following me for half an hour," Iroh stated as the pair came to an abrupt halt, meeting their wide-eyed gazes (well, Ty Lee's – Mai managed to look typically blank) with his own narrowed stare, his mouth a thin line. "Why?"

"Well, see, we couldn't sleep so we went for a walk but then we saw you wandering around and got curious and –"

"I want to help you free Zuko," Mai cut in, earning a squeak of dismay from Ty Lee. "I'm tired of following Azula's orders."

For a wordless moment, Iroh just stared at them, his expression unchanging and posture bordering on defensive. With a slight tilt of his chin, he asked, "Why should I believe you?"

"Because you know Azula's crazy and I like Zuko."

"And if we didn't want to help you, I totally would've chi-blocked you by now," Ty Lee added.

Letting his gaze shift between them, his frown deepened. On the one hand, Mai wouldn't do anything unless it held some sort of benefit, and Ty Lee wasn't a very convincing liar, so it was possible that they were telling the truth.

But what did Mai value more? Keeping herself entertained by doing Azula's bidding while reaping the benefits of being friends with royalty, or freeing the boy she loved from prison? And how could he be sure Ty Lee hadn't been tricked into following one plan when the intents were actually completely different?

The risk of trusting them was very real and very large, and the motive for doing so was mostly nonexistent.

"Go back to bed," he said, turning away. It wouldn't matter if they reported him – his absence would be discovered soon enough regardless, and trying to subdue them would waste time and alert the guards.

However, before he could take one step away, he heard a voice that could stop anyone in their tracks.

"What are you doing wandering around the palace so late?"

"A-Azula!" Ty Lee squeaked, offering a stiff, unconvincing smile as she whipped around to face her friend, who stood near the wall at the entrance to the corridor. "Wh-what are you doing out of bed?"

"You first," she said, one hand on her hip as her eyes narrowed. Then, without actually giving them a chance to answer, she explained, "My bedroom is down the hall. I could hear you idiots arguing."

All three stiffened, some more obviously than others.

"What were you talking about, anyhow?" she demanded, only to have realization (sort of) dawn when her gaze landed on Iroh. "Oh, let me guess. My dear uncle –" she pointed at him casually, the silky red sleeve of her robe slipping down to her elbow " – is hoping to save dear Zuzu from life in prison, and you two –" the finger shifted to where Mai and Ty Lee stood beside each other "– were hoping to stop him."

They held their breath, silent, weighing their options. Iroh considered the chances of being able to take out all three girls quickly and mess-free (slim) and slipping out of the palace undetected (slimmer). Ty Lee wondered if she should tell the truth, lie and use Azula's obliviousness to their advantage, or try to convert her to their cause. Mai was caught between both dilemmas (though, the attacking part was directed mainly at Azula).

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Azula demanded, her pleased grin dissolving into a scowl. "Get rid of him! We don't need another traitor on our hands."

Which answered all their questions quite clearly.

As Iroh moved to strike Ty Lee, she darted toward Azula with fingers poised and pressure points pinpointed. At the same time, Mai shot off a set of knives, pinning the loose sleeve of the princess's robe to the wall behind her. The chi-block came moments later, rendering her completely defenceless.

"You-you . . ." she sputtered, eyes wide and lips pulled back in an enraged snarl as she tore her arm free. A useless gesture, considering the fact that she was out-numbered and had no way of fighting back. "You fools! You won't make it ten steps! You'll be thrown in the Boiling Rock with the rest of the filth!"

But they weren't listening. Instead, the trio was barrelling down the hall in an effort to reach the nearest exit before the guards swarmed and Azula's threats were made a reality, seeming to have formed an unspoken agreement that an act of such magnitude on Mai and Ty Lee's part warranted a little trust.

XxXx

"So, what's the plan?" Ty Lee asked once she, Mai, and Iroh were out of the palace and sneaking across the grounds, having successfully eluded (well, incapacitated) the guards. "Are we stealing one of the airships?"

"No."

"But. . . How are we going to get to the prison?"

"We're not. Yet."

"Oh," she said, nodding. A pause. "Where are we going?"

"To gather some allies," he said, tone implying that was the most explanation he was going to offer. At the same time, his expression shifted to one of uncertainty and he slowed his pace until he reached a complete stand-still.

Standing behind Iroh and beside Ty Lee, Mai's eyebrow twitched upward curiously. "Why are we stopping? It's almost daylight and the guards are still looking for us."

Turning so he half-faced them, Iroh hesitated, choosing his words carefully. "What are your opinions on Ozai?"

"He's taking over the other nations to spread our wealth and prosperity, like the Fire Lords before him," Mai said blankly, paraphrasing what every piece of propaganda had told her all her life. It was hard to gauge how serious she was.

"But, well, I guess we're kinda going against him by attacking Azula and running away so Mai can be with Zuko . . ." Ty Lee added, index finger pressed to her chin while her other hand rested on her hip, her eyes titled skyward. "But it's for love, so it's okay, right?"

Frown deepening, Iroh studied the pair for a moment, wondering just how much faith he should put in them. Were they neutral enough not to pose a threat, or was the propaganda and their upbringing enough to keep them mostly loyal to Ozai's vision?

Deciding it was best to play it safe, he spoke with careful words and thoughtful pauses. "You see, there's a certain . . . rebel group my nephew and I have been meaning to join. Now seems like an appropriate time to do so, but I need to be careful. They . . . aren't quick to trust, and I believe this will be especially true in Prince Zuko's case. So it's best if they . . . warm up to me before he comes into the picture."

"Rebels?" Ty Lee asked, eyes bright. "Who? Where?"

"I can't tell you. Not until I'm sure I can trust you."

"We just took down Azula," Mai pointed out. "I think that's reason enough."

"Turning against Azula does not mean you have turned against the Fire Lord. I need to be certain you won't endanger these people before you can know who they are."

"But Mai wants to be with Zuko! How can you put war before love?"

"It's not like we have anything to gain by siding with the Fire Lord," she added, ignoring Ty Lee, who stared dreamily at the fading stars, hands clasped to her chest. "And I somehow doubt whatever you have in mind will be boring."

Glancing between the two, Iroh contemplated, weighing his chances. The motives they offered made sense with who they were, but they were still pretty weak reasons to believe they would do no harm – words were cheap unless backed with substantial information.

But who better to offer such a thing than a governor's daughter?

"Mai, what can you tell me about Omashu's value in the war?"

"That's –" she started, no doubt intending to say "classified" like she was trained to, but stopped short, realizing the purpose of the question. Without further hesitation, she rhymed off the city's assets – coal mines, shipping routes, and the small possibility of cutting a path (over or under) straight through the mountains to Ba Sing Se. Simple facts, but ones that revealed things important enough for an enemy to target and exploit.

With a nod and a hint of a smile, Iroh turned, resuming his stroll toward the palace grounds' exit.

"Good," he said, not pausing to make sure they were following. "Now, I don't suppose either of you have experience sailing to the mainland?"

XxXx

The sun hung high in the clear, deep blue sky early that afternoon. Gentle ocean breezes made the grass sway, cooling the sweat that accumulated on a person's skin. Regular tremors and explosions of earth kept things from becoming too peaceful.

"Twinkle Toes, quit pussyfooting around! This technique is easy," Toph snapped, arms crossed and a scowl on her face as she watched him twist the ground.

"I'm sorry," he panted, wiping at his moist forehead. "It's been a while since I practiced earthbending."

"Well, you better get yourself back in shape! Lord Hot-Pants won't hold back on amateurs!"

Wincing at the stinging comment, he was reminded once again of what lay ahead of him. He had awakened late the previous day, finally coherent enough to understand the bad news his friends had to deliver – they had missed the eclipse, so he would have to face Ozai at his full strength. He would have to master all the elements.

Despite everyone's assurance that it wasn't his fault (and it wasn't – the kidnapping and consequent week-long bout of unconsciousness had been completely out of his control), he couldn't help the guilt and anxiety that gnawed at the pit of his stomach. Already his friends were trying to cram as much training into his day as possible, despite the fact that he had just recovered hours earlier. And it wasn't just bending they were trying to teach him, either – Jet was determined to teach him how to handle a sword in place of firebending, a fact Aang was far from comfortable with. Swords were sharp and deadly; it was hard to fight with one without actually doing serious harm to someone.

Though, maybe that was the point.

"Uh, guys?" Sokka called from where he sat on the hill's edge at the opposite side of camp, squinting down at the shore. "I think we've got company."

Exchanging glances, everyone dropped what they were doing and rushed to his side. Sure enough, a small boat lay abandoned in the sand while three figures – two in red, one in pink, all drenched by the rough waves – approached the hill.

"Toph?" Sokka asked, throwing his blind friend an anxious look. "Are they close enough to see?"

""Yeah, one of them's Iroh," she said, though didn't sound comforted by the presence of the old friend.

"Who else?"

"Sighs-a-Lot and Circus Freak, Azula's crazy friends."

"But that doesn't make sense," Katara immediately protested, leaning forward and squinting down at the group, who had reached the bottom of the hill. "Iroh was always against what Zuko and Azula did, and Mai and Ty Lee are . . . well, Azula's crazy friends."

"Ooh, maybe Iroh got brainwashed!" Sokka said. At the look his friends threw him, he shrugged and added defensively, "What? It's happened."

"Forget why they're together!" Jet snapped, starting to make his way down the slope. "We gotta make sure they don't get to Aang."

Then, before anyone could agree or protest, he was sliding down the hill toward the trio, swords drawn and ready to strike.

Author's Notes: I'm surprised this is on time, since I ran into a block that lasted, like, three days. xD I needed help from a friend on LJ to figure out what motive Iroh would have for trusting Mai and Ty Lee with the location of the Avatar ('cause I don't know anything about war so I don't think of these things).

Also, I apologize if the timeline has gotten at all confusing. I had to cut a scene out of this chapter because it was just taking up space, so it's a bit wierd. Also, whoa, Mai-Lee-Roh got a lotta focus in this chapter.

Disclaimer:I do not own 'Avatar' or any of its characters.