Author's Note: Yes, I'm finally posting a chapter-hurray! I really wasn't joking when I said it takes me a long time to post some times. Though lately I've had a lot more free time (for obvious reasons) and I will cross my fingers that I can keep up the writing now and finish this story over the summer (also crossing toes).

Since it's been sooo long, I thought it would be helpful for me to put a quick index here of all of my relevant Original Characters to help stir the memory (I know, I know... if I didn't take so long to update I wouldn't have to do this, lol). That being said, I would still recommend re-reading at least a few chapters to get caught up: if you don't have a whole bunch of time, I would still recommend starting at Chapter 23 since that's where this last story arc really kicks off. Of course, if you just have TONS of time (which is possible) you could re-read my entire NOVEL of a story and then be really caught up, lol (omg it took me an entire weekend to read this whole monster...totally worth it though). Enough of my rant, hope you enjoy! :-)

OC INDEX:

Masato - Zuko & Katara originally meet him early in the story at the Southern Prison in the Fire Nation capital during a prison break out. He's big and gruff but described as a "big softie" underneath it all. He eventually becomes head of security for Zuko and part of his inner council, as well as a loyal friend. In recent events, he was captured by the Sons of Sozin (along with Toph) and is now being held as their prisoner somewhere in the capital.

Liem - A young and brash orphan who grew up on the streets of the capital city, Zuko and Katara also met Liem during the prison break early on in the story. Though initially he professes only to help Zuko and team to earn some extra money, he later admits that he enjoys spending time with Zuko, Toph, and group and considers them as friends. In recent events, he was with Toph and Masato in the Prison Tower when the Sons of Sozin attacked to release their members who were being held prisoner. He fights and eventually passes out during the attack and he wakes up to find Toph and Masato gone. Now he has been searching the capital city to see what has been happening to his friends.

Kenshin - Though originally Kenshin served as second secretary under Ozai, he did not approve of his rule and was relieved when Zuko became the new Fire Lord. He has been an invaluable help to Zuko in running the daily administrative needs (and paperwork) that comes with the office. He left with Zuko to the Peace Conference in Ba Sing Se and is now traveling back with him to the Fire Nation

Warden Takashi - Warden of the Southern Prison in the capital city. He also met Zuko and Katara at the beginning of the story during the prison break. Though he initially thought Zuko was a traitor, Zuko swiftly changed his mind and now he is unquestionably loyal to the new Fire Lord

High General Ichiro - A Fire Nation general that was initially a member of Ozai's cabinet and third in overall command of the Fire Nation military (under High Generals Bujing and Shinu) during Ozai's reign. He later pledges loyalty to Zuko and assists him as Zuko tries to bring order back to the Fire Nation. Not everyone is happy to have him around and doubts his intentions, though Zuko believes that his actions have proved that he is loyal.

Kayo - After helping Liem out of a little bit of a jam at the palace recently, Kayo eventually tells Liem that she grew up in the Fire nation but has been in the Earth Kingdom over the last several years working as a spy in their eyes-and-eyes network. She hints that she used to have a life in the capital city but had to leave when things went sour, and now is back to get a pardon from the new Fire Lord and get her life back. Liem knows she's still hiding something but they part on friendly terms.

Setsuko - after much searching, Zuko finally learns that Setsuko is the current leader of the Sons of Sozin. Setsuko is the one that meets with potential clients and decides if they are going to do business. It is obvious now that Setsuko and the Sons of Sozin are still after Zuko and Katara and will stop at nothing to have them eliminated and to keep the Sons going.

Goro - Goro is Setsuko's second in command for the Sons of Sozin. He and Zuko have met (and fought) several times now-the last time they fought, Zuko burned and scarred Goro- leaving Goro with a severe hatred for the young Fire Lord and a thirst for vengeance.

Yoshiro - Zuko hasn't been able to find out yet who is behind hiring the Sons to kill him. The only clues they have found out (so far) is that whoever wants Zuko gone is, or was, a general, and that a person named Yoshiro is close to them. Yoshiro was there on the day that they hired the Sons to kill Zuko and Katara. Zuko and the gang, despite their best efforts, still have not been able to come across anyone named Yoshiro...

"You know, I'm really looking forward to the day we can step into the Fire Nation Capital and be greeted with open arms and platters of food, instead of hoards of firebending and knife-welding fanatics who are plotting to kill us."

Suki shook her head at Sokka's words. As usual, he was trying in his own way to lighten the somber mood that had fallen over their little group. Aang, Bumi, Pakku, and Jeong Jeong were also riding with them on Appa, and together they made up the advanced team that was to arrive in the Fire Nation capital ahead of the group on Zuko's ship. The trip so far had been very uneventful and filled with good stories and jokes—most of which had been funny, though if Sokka retold the drama of the Ember Island Players yet again, even she was going to lose her patience over it. Aside from Pakku's continued corrections—and irritation—on how Sokka should be addressing him, the group overall had been in good spirits. That quickly began to change however, as the vast expanse of the caldera began to dominate their horizon.

Suki leaned in closer and gave Sokka a playful nudge. "Well, I guess that's just part of the job when you're the best of the best."

He finally turned away from the sight in front of them and turned to look at her, a quizzical look on his face. "The best of what exactly?"

"The best at beating the bad guys, of course."

That made him smile. "Yeah, I guess we are the best team out there...probably the best in the world. I think I could get used to hearing that." He waved his arm in a sweeping, theatrical motion. "Now coming to a city near you: Team Avatar, World-Renown Heroes and Ultimate Baddie Smashers!" He grinned as he glanced at her. "What do you think?"

Suki couldn't help but chuckle. "All we need now is a theme song."

"Not a bad idea...I'm sure we can think of something."

"I'm sure we could." She grabbed his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. Once again, he had lifted her spirits and put a smile on her face. We have to stay hopeful and positive...Toph and Masato are counting on us.

"There it is!" They heard Aang call out. He was riding ahead of them on Appa with the reins, and he pointed to a spot in front of them and off to the right. "There's the Southern Prison."

"Good," Sokka replied, "Take us in, nice and easy. Suki, go ahead and hand me the flag. Everyone keep your eyes open just in case."

Suki reached down by her satchel and grabbed their 'flag', which really was just one of Sokka's white shirts tied onto a long stick. Hopefully it would be enough, however, to let the people below know that their intentions were peaceful.

Sokka took the makeshift flag and started to wave it high overhead as Appa began to make his descent. Everyone was on high alert as the prison grew larger below them. As they got closer, Suki could hear men starting to yell at each other. Their group tensed, waiting for an attack to come, and it seemed to take forever for them to close the distance. Aang gracefully guided Appa down in the middle of the open courtyard and touched down, thankfully without incident. They weren't out of trouble yet though, and as if to prove this point a ring of guards began to encircle them, their weapons at the ready. One of the guards who must have been in charge of the group stepped forward and addressed them.

"You are trespassing in a secure prison of the Fire Nation. Who are you and what is your business?"

Sokka finally lowered the flag. "We're friends of Fire Lord Zuko and are here on his behalf. We have a message for Warden Takashi and we need to speak to him immediately."

"And how do I know that you're telling the truth?"

"Well for one, I have a letter with the Fire Lord's seal on it, and for two...we have the Avatar himself here with us."

Aang solemnly stood up after Sokka's announcement, and they could immediately hear surprised whispers coming from the circle of guards. Sokka spoke up again before the guard had composed himself. "And before you ask, yes, he really is the Avatar. Aang could give you a whole show if you would like, but seeing as he is covered with air bending tattoos and flying an air bison...do we really need to?"

Aang nodded in respect to the guard. "We mean you no harm. We are here as your allies, on behalf of Fire Lord Zuko. It is very important that we speak to Warden Takashi right away." A boyish smile crossed his lips, and his tone sounded hopeful. "So, can you help us?"

The guard hesitated for just a moment before he finally nodded and motioned for the other guards to drop their weapons. He turned back to Sokka. "I'll send a squad to escort you to the Warden." The man then looked quizzically at Appa. "Will your...mount need to be put up in a stable in the meantime?"

"Appa will need some food," Aang answered, "but he's not picky about where he stays." He smiled again. "As long as he's comfy, he'll be fine."

The guard nodded and began giving instructions to the rest of his unit. Suki and the rest of the group grabbed their things from Appa's saddle and then followed their guard escort into the large complex of buildings. Suki kept track of their route and turns they made as they snaked their way through the maze of hallways, though it was quite the challenge. The fact that Sokka kept making fire nation or prison themed jokes and puns every ten steps didn't help her either—like how he had been in so many prisons now he was a 'Pro' at being a 'Con'. She would usually just shake her head while still trying not to lose her count.

Eventually they came to a door that already had a pair of guards on either side, both of which saluted when their group approached. The room they entered was moderately sized and very modest, with only a large desk, some bookcases, and a couple chairs inhabiting it. The man seated behind the desk was middle-aged and very stern looking. This was probably because his lips were turned down into a deep frown as he surveyed the group in front of him.

"So…" Sokka took a step closer to the desk, "You're Warden Takashi, I'm assuming?" When those hardened gold eyes locked onto Sokka, Suki could hear Sokka audibly gulp as he made himself stand a little straighter. The nervousness and tension in the room was almost palpable.

"Yes, I am Warden Takashi," the older man answered as he gave Suki and their group another hard look, "and there better be a good explanation as to why I have such a large group of individuals—who clearly are not from the Fire Nation—in the middle of a Fire Nation prison."

The main guard that had led them there spoke up first. "Warden Takashi, they say they are here on Fire Nation business, and the Avatar is one of them."

Aang stepped forward and gave a courteous bow to the warden. "I am Avatar Aang, and you're right, most of us are not from the Fire Nation." He then nodded towards Sokka, "Sokka is from the Southern Water Tribe…" Aang began to motion towards each of them in turn, "Master Pakku is from the Northern Water Tribe, Suki and King Bumi are from the Earth Kingdom, and Master Jeong Jeong...well, he used to be in the Fire Nation but lately has been in Earth Kingdom."

Jeong Jeong bowed his head in respect. "Warden Takashi, I know that my history with the Fire Nation has been a bit...rocky, but I want to assure you that I am here on behalf of Fire Lord Zuko, and will provide whatever help I can to help both our Fire Lord and our nation."

Master Pakku nodded in agreement. "I think I can safely speak for both Bumi and myself that we feel the same. We are not here to dwell on the past, but to help pave a safe and secure future for everyone involved."

"The point is," Aang spoke up again, "that we've all come a long way to get here, for a very important reason. Fire Lord Zuko needs our help, and he needs yours."

Warden Takashi's frown stayed in place. "If Fire Lord Zuko truly needed my help, then he would have either come here in person or sent me a message."

Sokka grinned triumphantly. "Actually we do have a message for you...somewhere…" Sokka's smile quickly vanished as he started rummaging through various pouches and pockets with no success. "Um Sweetie?..."

Suki had to try very hard to suppress a smile as she held up Zuko's letter. Sokka looked over at her and then sighed with relief when he saw what she held.

"Ah, thanks Suki you're a lifesaver!" Without further ado, Sokka took the letter and handed it to the warden. "And Zuko wanted me to tell you something...something so that you could make sure it was really him that sent us…". His brow then furrowed as if he was deep in thought. Sokka started tapping his chin, obviously racking his brain, and Suki had to try really hard not to laugh. Warden Takashi, however, didn't seem amused in the least.

"...which was?" The warden asked impatiently.

"Hold on...I got the gist of it, but I'm trying to remember his exact words…"

Suki chimed in, "Sokka, I can pass along the message if you—"

"—I got it!" Sokka excitedly interrupted her. "Zuko wanted to tell you to remember the first day you both met, and that the reason why he showed mercy to you that day was because—in his exact words— 'If we're going to rebuild this nation, we need to learn how to work together, and we're both going to need each other's help in the coming days, once again'. Well, that was pretty close to what he said anyways."

If the message seemed strange to the rest of the group, the warden didn't seem confused at all at the words. In fact, the deep frown that had dominated his features was gone, and in its place was something that might have resembled satisfaction or relief. "Those were his words. I don't think I ever could forget them as long as I live...or forget anything that happened that day as a matter of fact." He then turned his attention to the small scroll that Sokka had handed him. After inspecting the official seal, he broke it and read the contents of the short letter. Suki didn't know exactly what Zuko had put in the letter, but she had a good idea of what it contained. Her suspicions were confirmed when he put the letter down, his expression once again grim. "So it's true...the Sons of Sozin do have hostages."

"Unfortunately yes," Aang answered before anyone else could. Suki could hear the pain in his voice, even though he tried to conceal it. "That's why we're here—we have to save Toph and Masato. It's our first priority."

"And Fire Lord Zuko...does he really plan on surrendering to the Sons?"

"Yes, he does."

"And I suppose you and your friends tried to talk him out of it, but he's still going to do it?"

"Pretty much."

The warden muttered something that sounded suspiciously like a curse before he got up and started to pace behind his desk. "I guess I don't have to impress on you just how dangerous the Sons of Sozin are."

Suki remembered all the different encounters they had with the Sons—including all the close calls—and she shuttered. "Yes, we all know what to expect from the Sons."

Warden Takashi stopped his pacing and looked her dead in the eye. "So then you know that going down under the lake to rescue Masato and Toph is as damn near close to a suicide mission as it comes. You're going to be in tight quarters underground, heading into their turf where they have Agni's knows what traps or nasty surprises laying about, against a significant number of them."

"Yes, we know," Suki quietly answered him, "but it doesn't change our resolve. We're going in to rescue them regardless, but if you and your guards could help us, we just might have a chance on making it out of there in one piece."

"We are all very aware of what we are walking into, Warden Takashi," Jeong Jeong added in a solemn tone. "Any men you could spare to come with us would help us tremendously."

The warden nodded. "I understand, but there's a bit of a problem there. With Fire Lord Zuko and Masato now out of the palace, General Ichiro is the officer in charge, and he has just given me orders to send all of my guards to the Fire Nation Palace, to be placed under his direct control."

"Well, I don't see a problem with that," Sokka told him, "Zuko did want us to go talk to him too. He was the next stop on our list."

Warden Takashi shook his head. "I hate to put a damper on your plans, but I don't think you're going to have any luck there. General Ichiro hasn't been granting audiences to anyone, myself included, despite my numerous attempts. Though he didn't have any problems sending me a sealed bit of parchment with orders on it."

"I'm sure we can find some way to talk to him."

"Well the problem is, even if you could get in to see him, I don't think it will do a bit of good. The general doesn't seem interested in any of the current events taking place in the city, and is content to hole up in the palace with his guards. I also have intel from a good source that he is replacing all of Masato's men with his own loyal soldiers. I believe his plan is to stay secured in the palace, and let whatever happens outside of the palace happen."

"You have someone inside the palace that is feeding you intel?" Master Pakku asked him.

"Well, not exactly…or not anymore, at least."

The group exchanged some confusing looks with each other, but they didn't get the chance to ask him any further questions as the door behind them opened. They turned to find two more guards coming into the room, followed by a small, rough looking boy. Despite his young age, he didn't seem the least bit ruffled about walking into a room of guards and strangers. His eyes, however, seemed to take in everything.

"Hey Takashi," the boy said with a slight drawl, "I didn't know you were expecting visitors."

"I didn't either." Warden Takashi aimed a meaningful stare at the small boy, "Though to be fair, I didn't expect you back so soon either." He glanced back at their group. "If you have questions on what is going on at the palace, you'd be better off asking him. Liem, for better or worse, is my only source of intel on what's going on around the palace right now."

"Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence, Boss," Liem replied sarcastically. "You know, if you or your boys want to strut up to the palace and have a nice little chat over some tea with General Stiff Pants, go right ahead."

"Boy," Warden Takashi nearly growled, "if you don't mind that mouth of yours, I will have you scrubbing so many floors clean that you'll be smelling and tasting soap afterwards for a month."

"Alright, alright!" Liem replied with a huff. "Geez, I was just jokin'. No need to start an inquisition over it." Without missing a beat, he strode over to their group and gave a theatrical bow. "The name's Liem. Despite what the good warden may say, I do know my way around the capital, and can pretty much find out anything you want to know."

Master Pakku's tone was dripping with skepticism. "That's quite a claim for one who probably has not even seen their tenth birthday."

The young boy defiantly met his gaze. "Yeah, but I've spent every one of those years on the capital streets. Can you say the same thing?"

For a moment there was a stunned silence in the room, and then Bumi started laughing—or more like howling in laughter. He came over and then squeezed the slight boy against his side in a quick hug. "I like this one...he reminds me of myself when I was his age. Lots of spirit."

Warden Takashi grunted. "That's one way to describe it."

Something had been bothering Suki this whole time, so she finally spoke up. "So, you wouldn't happen to be the same Liem that has been helping out Zuko and Katara, have you?"

Liem grinned. "The one and only."

"Katara and Zuko told us a little bit about you, and that you might be able to help us."

Liem demeanor became much more serious. "Speaking of His Highness—where is he?"

"He's on his ship heading here. He'll probably be here in another two or three days at the rate they're going."

"Good, then he can go to the palace and put a leash on that rapid porcupine-wolf they call Ichiro."

"Actually, that won't be possible," Sokka interjected. "Zuko has to stay on his ship and make the Sons think that the only place he's heading is to Caldera Lake to surrender."

Liem's jaw dropped. "Wait...you just said 'surrender', but that can't be right...Zuko can't surrender to the Sons. They want to kill him!" He looked around at the group, almost as if he was expecting them to reassure him it was a joke, but when he saw all the solemn faces around him, he grimaced. "He's really going to surrender to them? But why?"

"The Sons have Masato and Toph," Suki softly answered him, "and they told Zuko that if he didn't surrender, they would kill both of him."

Liem ducked his head and didn't say anything for a few moments. When he finally looked back up at her, she could tell that he was fighting off tears. "I was there when the Sons took both of them. I was fighting one of the Sons, and then before I knew it I...I passed out. When I woke up, they were gone."

Suki came over and put a hand on his shoulder. "It's not your fault Liem. I'm sure you did everything you can."

The young boy's tone was bitter. "Yeah...but it wasn't enough. Not by a long shot."

"Well, that's why we're here—we're going to rescue Masato and Toph."

"You are?" His eyes seemed cautiously hopeful.

Bumi slapped his hands together. "That's the plan!"

Next to Suki, Sokka scratched his head thoughtfully. "Now we just need to find out where they are. Zuko believes that they're going to be under Caldera Lake."

"Well, of course they're going to be under the lake," Liem told him, "the question is exactly where under the lake. Their hideout is freakin' massive, and with only four entrances it's not going to be easy getting in."

"Wait a minute," Sokka looked at him in almost disbelief, "do you mean to tell me you've actually been in the Sons of Sozin's main hideout, and know where all the entrances are?"

"Well, yeah...Toph and I had been scouting out the Sons' place for weeks until—" Liem suddenly looked crestfallen, "until she was captured."

"So could you point out on a map where all the entrances are?"

"Yeah, no problem."

Sokka looked very excited. "That's excellent. Our first objective was to locate where Toph and Masato were, and this will help give us a head start in accomplishing that. How much of the interior have you seen?"

Liem shook his head. "Not much, sorry to say. Even with Toph's super-duper human detection skills, we usually could only get about sixty or seventy paces down each tunnel before we ran into a ton of their guards."

"That's okay. Anything you could tell us is going to help so we can start mapping out their place. We'll need to break up into teams so we can survey each entrance as fast as we can, and then start to work further in."

Jeong Jeong sighed. "It would help if we had more people."

After a few moments of silence, Warden Takashi finally spoke up, "I think I could spare about fifty guards to send with you. It will leave us a little stretched thin here, but we should be able to manage."

"But won't you get in trouble with General Ichiro?" Aang asked him.

"You know Warden…" Liem had a mischievous glint in his eye. "Our 'friend' Ichiro never gave you a deadline for handing over your men. You could tell him that you need some time to get your guards together, just to delay him while they help look for Toph and Masato. So in a way, you wouldn't really be disobeying him...you're just not hastily following orders."

Takashi seemed to mull over this for a few moments, before nodding his assent. "Makes sense. Besides, I'd rather my guards be helping your group than Ichiro any day."

"That will definitely help us out," Sokka commented, "Though I still wish we had a few more..."

Liem huffed. "Well, don't hold your breath waiting for Ichiro to help-you'll pass out before that will ever happen."

"Is there anyone else up the chain of command that could possibly help us out?"

"Not likely," Takashi answered him, "all the lower-ranking generals have fallen in line behind General Ichiro. The only other person that outranked Ichiro was High General Bujing. Fire Lord Zuko had him sent to the Prison Tower before he left, but now he has disappeared once again."

"And I just found out why," Liem glanced back at Warden Takaski, "that was the reason I came over to see you. High General Bujing is dead."

There were several gasps from around the room, and even the warden looked shocked. "He's dead? Do we know why or when it happened?"

"It's hard to tell, but it most likely happened when the Sons of Sozin attacked the Prison Tower and freed their men. Now how it happened is a matter of public debate. Some people say the Sons freed Bujing and he was accidentally killed in the heat of the battle. Others say that Bujing managed to free himself during the battle and then was murdered by simple street thugs as he was trying to flee the city. Another popular theory is that the Sons of Sozin are just methodically taking out anyone in the Fire Nation who has any authority, and Bujing was just next on their list." Liem shook his head in disbelief. "And then the least likely reason-though by far the most entertaining-is the belief that Ozai and Azula was behind it, and that they somehow managed to sneak a whole other group of guards or assassins into the Prison Tower just to take out their obvious displeasure on their former employee. So take your pick on which rumor may actually have some truth in it."

"Well, in the end I guess it really doesn't matter," Sokka told them. "For now, we'll just have to work with the group we got here." He stood a little taller then and rubbed his hands together, as if he was gathering his thoughts to speak. "Our first priority is to find out where exactly under Caldera Lake Toph and Masato are being held. We'll need to split into groups so we can cover more area more quickly. Each group should have at least one member of the Supreme Council leading it too."

Both Warden Takashi and Liem looked confused. "What Supreme Council is that?"

"Well it's...I guess it's the people in this room, for right now."

Suki saw Liem suddenly look almost nervous. "You know Liem, if you don't want to come down into the tunnels with us, you don't have to."

The young boy vigorously shook his head. "No chance of that happening. Toph or Masato wouldn't sit back and twiddle their thumbs while someone is in trouble, and I'm not about to either. And it's not the going down into the tunnels part that makes me nervous."

"Then what is it?"

Suki could see the shiver that ran through his slight frame. "It's the thought of what might happen to us if we get caught."

An uncomfortable silence fell on the room. After a few moments, Sokka cleared his throat. "Well...we'll just have to be extra careful to make sure that doesn't happen. We'll go in small groups to make sure we have extra eyes and ears to be on the lookout. First, I wanted to work on mapping out what we know about the Sons' hideout so far. Liem, can you help me with that?"

Liem nodded, and soon their group had a map and were pouring over its details. It seemed to Suki that Liem and Toph had indeed done a good job on scouting out all the entrances to the Son's underground tunnel network. A very serious tone permeated their words and actions as the group worked out their plans to further survey the areas. They would have some long days ahead of them, but the thought of friends pushed them onward.

"Good evening, General Iroh."

Iroh had been watching the steady stream of boxes and other cargo containers going up and down the plank connecting their ship to the pier, but he turned to face the man who addressed him. The man was probably close to the same age as he, and he was dressed in a Fire Nation uniform that looked a little older than usual, but still well kept. His greeting had been short, but respectful, and his gaze looked sincere. Iroh searched his memory to see if he had met the man before, but he didn't think so. He bowed his head politely. "I don't think we've had the pleasure of meeting before. I'm afraid I don't know your name."

The other man let out a very short laugh. "I wouldn't expect you to, General. I've spent most of my time in the service running different prisons in and around the capital city, until your younger brother finally got fed up with me and sent me here to run the fort." A small smile crossed his lips. "He thought it was a punishment, but I actually got the better end of the deal. My name is Commander Mitsugu, and may I say that it is an honor to meet you in person, General Iroh. If there is anything I can do for you or Fire Lord Zuko, please let me know."

Footsteps behind them made them both turn, and it was Zuko that addressed the older man. "Actually Commander, I think there is something that you can help us with."

Commander Mitsugu bowed respectfully. "Whatever you need, Fire Lord Zuko."

His nephew's expression turned very serious. "Before I make my request, Mitsugu, I need to make sure you understand something first. I can't go into the details, but everything we do here needs to be kept as secret as possible. I don't want this to spread any further than the actual people who have to be involved. Do you think you and your troops here can do that?"

Mitsugu seemed a little surprised at the request, but after a moment he nodded. "Yes, Fire Lord Zuko. Since we are further outside the city, most of my soldiers prefer to stay here at our base or the marketplace nearby instead of going inside the caldera. If I tell them to keep things quiet, they will do so."

"Good. I want to keep to our normal routine so as not to raise any suspicions. Once our soldiers and extra supplies have been offloaded tonight, I will head with the ship to Harbor City to dock there. General Iroh and his companions, however, will not be going with me."

"Will they be staying here at the fort, Fire Lord Zuko? I can make accommodations for them if they need it."

Zuko shook his head. "That won't be necessary, Commander. They will be leaving as soon as they are able, which brings me to the next item of business." Zuko's expression was solemn and he handed the other man a small, rolled piece of parchment. "I am placing my uncle, General Iroh, in charge of our Fire Nation troops for the time being. You will obey any orders that come from him as if they were coming from me. I put my seal on the executive order to make it official. General Iroh will also be in charge of the force going up to the capital's Southern Prison."

"What force, Fire Lord Zuko?"

"The one I need your help in putting together, as soon as possible."

Iroh saw some confusion in the other man's expression, and so explained further. "Some of our companions arrived at the Southern Prison a few days ago, and we need to catch up with them as quickly as possible. We will also need extra soldiers at the prison, and we were hoping that you had some you could spare to come with us. If you were to run your fort with a skeleton crew, how many troops do you think you could send with us?"

"How soon do you need them?"

"We need the first group to leave with us as soon as possible. The second group could leave for the prison the following day."

Mitsugu didn't answer right away, but Iroh could see him doing the calculations in his head. "I would probably have about seventy or eighty soldiers that would be able to leave with you before sunset. I can start sending the word out for the rest of the troops to come back to the fort, so by the end of tomorrow I think we would have close to two hundred additional soldiers that we could send your way."

His nephew seemed pleased at his answer. "That would be a huge help, thank you Commander. In addition to your troops, we will also need some extra uniforms."

Iroh answered the unspoken question in the other man's gaze. "For myself and my companions who will be traveling with them. We want this to look like a normal troop transfer as much as possible."

"Yes, General, I will see it done." He turned to Zuko. "Is there anything else you will be needing Fire Lord Zuko?"

"No, Commander, that will be it...and thank you."

Mitsugu bowed. "I will take me leave then and get the preparations started. I will have one of my lieutenants stay here on the ship so he can escort General Iroh and his companions to the fort."

"Thank you Commander," Iroh told him. The elder commander bowed his head in respect towards him and then turned to head off the ship.

After a few moments Iroh turned back to his nephew, and made sure to keep his voice low. "Do you think it will be enough?"

He could tell that Zuko knew exactly what he was referring to. "I'm not sure...hopefully Warden Takashi and General Ichiro will have more soldiers to spare for us as well. In any case, some extra soldiers are better than no extra soldiers."

"That sounds suspiciously like something I would say."

That seemed to lighten his nephew's mood slightly. "This may come as a surprise, but I did actually pay attention to what you were saying most of the time, Uncle."

Iroh smiled. "Yes, and it only took years of traveling with me from one end of the world to the other while dodging patrols and nefarious plots for my words to finally start sinking in."

Zuko sighed. "I guess better late than never."

"Indeed." He affectionately patted his nephew on the shoulder, "We should probably head back inside the cabin again. We don't want to attract too much attention to ourselves...and the rest of us need to prepare to leave."

Zuko turned his face away from him, but not before Iroh saw a look of anguish cross his features. "Yeah…" he answered quietly, "I guess it's that time." His nephew didn't say anything else as he stepped away from him and headed towards the living quarters of the ship, with Iroh following him.

They both went back to the captain's cabin they were sharing. Zuko, who reached the door first, gave it a few hard raps to let Katara know they were there.

"Just a moment," they heard her call from within the room. Within a few moments, they could hear her footsteps approaching. She opened the door and glanced at both of them, but her gaze went right back to Zuko. His nephew opened his mouth as if he were going to speak, but quickly closed it again with a grimace. Katara, however, must have realized what he was trying to say because her frown deepened, and she gave a slight nod. "It's that time?"

"It is," his nephew answered quietly.

Iroh nodded. "I'm going to let the others know we are ready to leave."

"Alright," she answered, "just give me a few moments and I'll be ready too."

Iroh reluctantly left the solemn couple and made his way down the hall. Kenshin and Piandao were the next rooms down, so it didn't take long to let both of them know it was time to leave. Both of them grabbed their satchels and followed Iroh back to the captain's cabin to say their farewells to Zuko.

Piandao respectively bowed to Zuko. "May Agni grant you strength and watch over you on your path, Fire Lord Zuko."

"Thank you, Piandao, though if he really is there, I hope he watches over all of us—we're going to need it."

Piandao smiled. "There is strength in numbers, and we have a lot of good friends and companions here to help see this through...that is where my hope lies."

"That sounds a lot like something my uncle just told me."

"Well then it must be true," Piandao replied warmly, making Zuko finally smile a little. Zuko offered his arm, which Piandao tightly grasped and then they exchanged a quick hug before Piandao set off.

Kenshin stepped closer to Zuko and gave a deep bow. Iroh could see how nervous the slight secretary was, and he stuttered as he tried to speak. "F-Fire Lord Z-Zuko...it has been such a tre-tremendous honor—" but before the small man could continue, Zuko had stepped forward and, completely forgetting all about decorum, engulfed him in a hug.

Kenshin looked shocked at first, but very quickly a big smile came over him as he gladly returned the hug. When the two men separated, Zuko was smiling too. "And I've really enjoyed your company too, Kenshin. Thank you again for all of your help." His smile faded as some worry entered his voice. "Hopefully, this won't be a final farewell."

"Not if we have anything to do with it," Iroh gently reminded his nephew. His nephew glanced towards him, and almost immediately there were unshed tears in his eyes. Iroh had to blink several times to try to stave off tears himself, and then suddenly his nephew was already embracing him in a hug. Iroh closed his eyes and squeezed him back tightly.

There stood like that for several heartfelt moments. Finally Zuko pulled away from him, his voice thick with emotion. "I hate saying goodbye to you again...there is so much I want to say."

He gently grabbed his nephew's shoulder and gave it a squeeze. "I know, Zuko." Iroh had to concentrate to keep his voice steady. "But you don't need to say the words because I already know what is in your heart. Just remember to have faith in yourself and in your friends. Together, we will make it through."

Iroh saw a tear splash down upon his nephew's face as he nodded. He saw so much going through his nephew's gaze, but above all he could see the depth of his love and appreciation, and that made Iroh smile, even through the tears. "You will always have a special place in my heart, Zuko, and no matter what happens that will never change. And know that, no matter what happens or where you are...I will always be with you."

Iroh's vision was a blur as they hugged one more time. They had just parted when the door behind them opened and closed again. Iroh knew what it meant, and knew how hard this was going to be for his nephew.

Zuko turned around, and froze when he saw Katara. The two of them just stood there staring at each other, neither saying a word. Finally the sound of Katara's bag hitting the floor seemed to break the spell. In the span of a heartbeat, they were already in each other's arms.

As they whispered each other's names and held onto each other for dear life, Iroh's heart gave a little twist. He had witnessed too many scenes just like this in his past...and had been a part of too many of them himself. Different scenes began to flash in his mind, and with great difficulty he tucked the painful memories away again. I, too, must stay in the present and not the past. With any luck, we will pull this whole thing off and come out on the other side, together.

"It may not even come to that, Katara...if everything goes according to plan."

"I know, or at least, I hope so."

Iroh opened his eyes and saw Katara's arms wrapped tightly around his nephew's neck, with both of their foreheads touching. They stayed like that for several moments, until Zuko softly murmured, "I love you, Katara."

"I love you, Zuko." Katara moved her hands to either side of Zuko's face, and then unabashedly pulled his nephew into a kiss.

Iroh was just contemplating whether or not he should stay or go when Katara pulled away from Zuko, ending their kiss. She picked up her bag and started to turn away, but then seemed to change her mind and looked at Zuko again. She lovingly ran her hand across his nephew's cheek, and it hovered there as they locked gazes again. When Katara spoke, she sounded a little breathless. "I'll be watching out for you."

Zuko didn't answer right away, but placed his hand above hers. "I know...that's what gives me hope."

Without saying another word, Katara took her hand away and turned away again. Her resolve seemed to waver for a moment, but suddenly a very determined look crossed her face. Without another look backwards, she walked away from Zuko and past Iroh on her way out. Iroh could see the anguish and longing clearly written on his nephew's face as he silently watched her go. With one last, somber farewell to his nephew, Iroh followed after her.

Their small group remained silent as they followed their designated lieutenant into the large fort. Once they had been shown to some private rooms, they quickly changed into the temporary uniforms that had been given to them. Iroh, Piandao, and Katara had no problems fitting into their uniforms, and while initially they had toyed with the idea of putting Kenshin into a uniform as well, they quickly had to abandon that idea. Even the smallest uniform they could find still looked huge on the diminutive secretary—to the point of it being comical. Iroh finally relented and let him stay in his fire nation clerical outfit. A clerk transferring with an army unit wasn't exactly routine, but neither was it unheard of either. Hopefully, with the four of them riding in the transport at the front of the soldiers, they would stay out of sight and avoid any unwanted questions.

True to Mitsugu's word, in a very short amount of time he had gathered about seventy soldiers and an armored vehicle for them to ride in. It was much smaller than the tanks they used in battles and sieges, and it still didn't have much in the way of comfort—but it was less exposed than riding on a komodo rhino or ostrich horse. Iroh, Piandao, and Kenshin passed the time talking and drifting from subject to subject, but Katara remained silent. At one point Kenshin tried bringing Katara into the conversation, but after only getting a one word response and a look from both himself and Piandao, he gave up. Iroh could tell she was in no mood to talk, and given the current circumstances, he couldn't blame her.

It was well into the night by the time their group had gotten into Caldera City and arrived at the gates of the southern prison. Their surprise late visit had, of course, raised several questions, but after Iroh had given them the orders from Commander Mitsugu—and a good look at his face—they had allowed them in without any issues. The rest of the soldiers split off to the barracks while Iroh and his small group were escorted to Warden Takashi. Iroh had hoped they weren't causing too much of an inconvenience by showing up at such a late hour. His worries, however, soon vanished as he realized that the warden was already entertaining a large group of people. When they were escorted into the warden's office, he could see that everyone in the room was gathered around a roughly drawn map that was laid on top of the large desk in the room. Iroh was pleasantly surprised when he realized he recognized most of the faces that turned to greet them.

"Katara!" Sokka, Suki, and Aang all shouted as they quickly came to give her hugs. Iroh also took a few moments to greet the rest of his companions before coming to stand in front of the warden.

"Greetings Warden Takashi. I am General Iroh, and I am here on behalf of my nephew, Fire Lord Zuko. I will be the acting commander in charge of the Fire Nation troops while Zuko is dealing with the Sons of Sozin." He reached into one of his pouches and produced another sealed parchment, which he handed over to the warden. "He wanted me to give you this."

The warden took the parchment and inspected the seal. Once he was satisfied, he broke the seal and quickly read the short message inside. "Your companions told me about what Fire Lord Zuko plans to do. He is still going through with it?"

"He is. His ship is at the fort just south of the city right now as we speak. They will be there a while longer offloading supplies before making their way to Harbor City. He will meet with the Sons' leader tomorrow on the eastern pier of Caldera Lake."

Takashi shook his head in disbelief. "And do you think there is any way he is going to survive the encounter?"

Iroh paused, for it was the same thought that continued to cross his mind every day since their return trip home. He tried to sound as convincing as possible. "I believe that if we all stay strong and work together as a team, then we have a good chance of not just saving Zuko, but Toph and Masato as well. It will not, however, be an easy feat. The Sons of Sozin has proven extremely resourceful and deadly, and quick to adapt to any situation they face. We will need all the help we can get."

"Well, as I told your companions, I have about fifty guards here that I can spare to help you with your mission. I know it's not a lot, but I was told any amount of help you could get, the better."

Iroh gave a slight bow of his head. "Indeed, I am thankful for your help Takashi. We came with about seventy soldiers of Commander Mitsugu's, so together with yours we will have close to a hundred and twenty men." He smiled, "Not including, of course, our present company."

Iroh saw Katara frown as she and her friends came and stood by one side of the desk. "Will that be enough though?"

It was Sokka that answered her. "Well, our best guesses are that there could be anywhere from fifty of them to over a hundred of them...so either we outnumber them two to one, or we have just as many as they do. Either way, you have to admit...we've faced worse odds."

"Yes, against regular firebenders, but the Sons of Sozin are way deadlier than that. Every one of their members is easily worth two or three regular Fire Nation troops."

A small boy standing near Takashi cleared his throat. "I'd say more than that. And to add to that happy fact, I know that they'll have some nasty surprises up their sleeve...like having a small stockpile of gunpowder that Agni only knows what they're scheming up a plan for."

That bit of information was new to Iroh. He turned his attention to the slender boy. "—Liem, is it?" When the boy nodded, he continued. "Do we know for the fact that they have gunpowder? And where is it?"

"I saw a few of them cart some into one of the entrances a few days ago. No telling though if they kept it there or moved it somewhere else."

"Which entrance was that?" Suki asked him.

"The eastern entrance," Liem quietly replied, "the same one where Zuko is supposed to meet them at."

Iroh could see Katara's eyes widen before she quickly averted her gaze. He could tell the others shared the same worry. "Let us not jump to any hasty conclusions," he told the others, "as Liem pointed out, they could have moved it anywhere inside their hideout by this point."

"Or they could be waiting to stack it up outside a palace gate to blow it wide open," Liem muttered, but loud enough so he could still be heard.

"That would be pretty bold," Piandao replied, "even for them."

"Well, they were bold enough to bust into the Prison Tower and break out their buddies, so I'm not putting anything by them right now."

"It is a possibility," Iroh admitted, "but right now it is not our most pressing worry, I'm afraid." He looked around at the others. "Have you been able to locate where Toph and Masato are being held?"

Sokka nodded. "Yes, we finally had a breakthrough earlier today. We've been going undercover and hiding by the entrances, watching for any Sons members going and out of all the exits. We overheard a few of them saying that there were extra guards at the southern entrance. That also seems to be the area where some special meals and some special potions are being made. It wasn't much to go on, but at this point we'll take anything. Aang checked it out...and he believes they're there."

Katara turned to Aang in surprise. "You didn't actually go down there, did you?"

Aang made a face. "Well...not exactly."

"What do you mean? Either you did or you didn't."

"Actually, I went there in the Spirit World."

Katara looked both surprised and confused at his answer. "But Toph or Masato wouldn't be there."

"No, they weren't there," Aang patiently explained, "but I saw other signs that make me think they are."

"What kind of signs?"

"I explored a large section of their hideout that spread out from the southern entrance. There were only two areas that looked like they were made to hold prisoners. One area didn't look like it was inhabited at all—the area was completely bare—but the other area had things both inside and outside the cells that people would be using. After I spent some more time there, I got the feeling that they were there."

"You mean you felt Toph and Masato there? How?"

Aang shrugged. "It's kind of hard to explain. I sat in one of the cells and meditated for a while, and suddenly I felt this familiar energy around me. It felt like Toph." He started to blush, "I just kind of know what her energy feels like...and it was the same feeling. I know it's her."

Iroh was very intrigued by Aang's story. "So you know that it is Toph, but can you tell if she is there right now? It could be that she was there at one time, but then was moved somewhere else."

"We thought about that too. I've been surveying their hideout in the Spirit World over the last couple days to help Sokka and Liem with their map and I've tried searching for other places that were similar, but I never felt Toph's energy." Aang looked very determined. "I know I can't exactly prove it, but everything in me says that Toph and Masato are in the prison cells near the southern entrance. That's where we need to mount our rescue mission."

Iroh looked around the room, "So are we in agreement that the southern entrance is where we need to focus for our rescue mission?"

Warden Takashi huffed. "It still seems a little crazy to me. That's quite a hunch to go on with so much riding on it."

"Yeah it sounds crazy—" Liem smirked, "but no crazier than knowing people who shoot lightning from their bare hands, or bring back people from the dead using a splash of water, or are able to 'see' even though they are blind and can serve as a walking, human lie detector." He shook his head. "I've stopped questioning what's possible with this crazy group."

Bumi laughed. "Well said, my boy!" He then looked at Aang, "I think Aang's got it right. He's definitely got my vote."

"If that's where Aang believes they are," Katara quickly agreed, "then that's where we need to go. He was able to find me in the Spirit World and help me find my way out just by following his intuition." She gave Aang a big smile. "I say we trust in him again."

Aang returned her smile, "Thanks, Katara."

"Then it sounds like we are in agreement," Iroh announced after he had surveyed the others. He then looked at Aang and Sokka. "Zuko told me that the Sons of Sozin's hideout under Lake Caldera has four entrances. Have we confirmed that?"

Sokka nodded. "Yes. With Liem's and Aang's help, we've been able to sketch out a rough map to show where the entrances are." Iroh stepped closer to the map on the desk and watched as Sokka pointed them out. "The northern entrance is northeast of the palace and Lake Caldera, or southeast of the Prison Tower, and located inside a small shack that's behind a local tavern. The western entrance is in a cellar of an inn just south of the palace and west of the lake. The southern entrance is in the cellar of a tavern a little west of the prison here." He then pointed due east of the palace. "The last entrance is in an abandoned shack on the eastern shore of Lake Caldera, just a small distance away from the main pier there. That's where the Sons said they are meeting Zuko." Sokka turned his attention to Iroh. "So when is Zuko planning to be there?"

Iroh sighed. "He is going to stay on his ship tomorrow morning when they dock in Harbor City to buy us some more time. He plans to be at the eastern pier of the lake by tomorrow noon."

Sokka gave a slight nod. "I think that should give us plenty of time to get everyone in place. The first priority will be getting to Toph and Masato and getting them out of there. Our second priority is to capture all of the members of the Sons of Sozin before they can escape. We'll have to break into four teams—one team for each entrance. The team at the southern entrance is the one that will be leading the strike team inside the Son's lair to rescue Toph and Masato."

"Timing will be crucial if we are to be successful in carrying out both of our objectives," Iroh added. "Zuko believes that their leader, Setsuko, will most likely have all the Sons gathered in their hideout when he goes to surrender, and will be focusing most of their people there where he is. He also believes that either Setsuko or Goro—or both— will be there at the eastern pier when he goes to surrender. This will hopefully draw their attention away from the other entrances, including the southern one where their prisoners are. The team at the southern entrance will have to make their rescue attempt before Zuko surrenders, or there is a risk that the Sons will carry out their threat and try to kill Toph and Masato either during or after Zuko surrenders. If, however, the rescue team goes in too early and rescues Toph or Masato well before Zuko has a chance to surrender to the Sons at the pier, then the Sons will realize that we are up to something and will escape, and we will lose our chance to capture them and their leaders."

"Which means…" Sokka commented as he looked back down at the map, "that the rescue team will have to wait until right before noon tomorrow to start Phase One."

Katara directed a dubious glance at her brother. "And what, exactly, is Phase One?"

"Well, rescuing Toph and Masato of course."

The young waterbender rolled her eyes. "Why can't you just say that then?"

Sokka looked at her as if the answer was obvious. "Because it's a highly secretive operation! We don't want to announce to the whole world what our plans are."

Bumi chuckled. "You can't argue with that logic."

"Spirits help me…" Katara muttered as she crossed her arms and gave her brother another irritating look.

Off to Iroh's right, he saw Piandao shift his stance and prepare to address the group. "This is also going to require coordination between all four teams. The other teams can't go into the Sons' hideout before the rescue team is successful or they risk exposing our plans."

"That's right," Sokka agreed. "The other teams will have to wait by each entrance and be prepared to capture any Sons trying to leave until we can get Toph and Masato out. Once we've accomplished that, then we can start Phase Two..."

Katara rolled her eyes again. "...and Phase Two being?"

"Swoop into the Son's hideout and bag all the bad guys," Sokka answered with a smile.

"Oh sure…" Liem muttered sarcastically, "it all sounds so easy when you put it like that."

Warden Takashi scowled. "And how is each team going to know when this...Phase One...is going to be complete?"

"That's a good question." Sokka scratched his chin thoughtfully. "We're going to need to find a way to let everyone know at the same time that the rescue mission was a success...like maybe a signal or something."

"It would have to be a pretty big signal," Piandao told him, "in order for all the teams across the city to see it."

"Something pretty big...and pretty high up."

"I think I can handle that."

Iroh and the rest of the group all glanced at Aang when he spoke up. "One way or another, I'll make sure to give a big signal that everyone can see once we've gotten Toph and Masato out. As soon as I do, the rest of the teams have to move in as soon as possible."

"So I can assume that means you want to be part of the rescue team?" Iroh asked him.

Aang nodded. "Yes. The whole rescue is based off of my hunch, so I want to be there...and I want to make sure Toph's okay." He blushed a little as he said it, but then quickly composed himself. "But I'm also going to need some help."

"Well count me in," Suki quickly replied, which made Aang smile.

"Alright!" Sokka exclaimed as he excitedly rubbed his hands together, "Team Avatar is back and heading up the attack!" He then quickly wrapped his arm around Suki and gave her a big wink. "Ready to kick some fire bender butt together again Sweetie?"

Jeong Jeong cleared his throat. "You know that some of us are firebenders too, right Sokka?"

"Of course! I just meant the evil firebenders, you know...not the firebenders with us that may have been evil in the past but are now good firebenders…"

Iroh couldn't help but smile a little at the younger boy's antics. "We will need to make sure that some of us will be with each team to assist the soldiers with "Phase Two" as Sokka calls it. Aang, Sokka, and Suki have volunteered to be part of the team going to the southern entrance. Katara and I will be going with the team to the eastern entrance where Zuko will be. That leaves the western and northern entrances still to be assigned."

Bumi elbowed Pakku, who was standing right beside him. "Well Pakku, are up for another spectacular show?"

Pakku smiled slightly as he nodded. "I am." He glanced back at Iroh. "Bumi and I can go with the team at the western entrance."

Jeong Jeong spoke up then. "And Piandao and I can head up the team for the northern entrance."

When Iroh saw Piandao nod, he continued. "Good. Then we each have our assigned team. By mid-morning, the teams need to be in position at their designated spots close to each entrance. It will be important to remain out of sight until the signal is given, especially for the team at the eastern pier. The Sons must believe that Zuko is still coming alone to surrender to them or we risk exposing all of our plans. The team at the southern entrance will infiltrate the prison just before noon to rescue Toph and Masato. Once they are safe, Aang will give the signal for the rest of the teams to move in. We must move and work together to make sure to capture all of the Sons of Sozin members. We can't risk any of them escaping so they can regroup later and retaliate."

"Like I said before," Liem muttered with a shake of his head, "Easy peasy."

Takashi gave him a hard look. "What do you have to complain about? You're going to be glued to my side the whole time this is going on."

"Oh yeah, because I'm so happy about that. I'm trying really hard right now not to dance a jig in celebration."

Takashi's frown deepened, but before he could retort—and probably give the boy another tongue lashing—there was a knock on the door.

"Warden Takashi," a voice behind the door said, "I have an urgent message for you."

The warden huffed. "Fine, come in."

A young man in uniform came in, and after a quick, nervous glance around the room, walked straight over to the warden and handed him a piece of paper. "I was told it came from General Ichiro."

Takashi took the folded piece of parchment and unfolded it to read the message. After several long moments of uneasy silence while he read, he finally looked up at Iroh. "Well, this definitely doesn't help things. General Ichiro has commanded that my guards have been reassigned to him and that they need to transfer to the palace as soon as possible. He also informed me that I am to be relieved of my duty and title as warden of this prison. I'm supposed to come to the palace first thing in the morning."

"What!?" Piandao looked just as baffled as the rest of them. "But he doesn't have the authority to do that, especially since both Zuko and Iroh are back."

Liem uttered a short, humorless laugh. "If you think that sleazy, lying badgerfrog of a general cares about following the rules right now, you're dead wrong. He's already replaced all the guards loyal to Zuko and Masato within the palace with his own people, and now he's coming after the warden and his guards to do the same damn thing."

"Well, if he thinks he can come and try to force me and my men out of my own prison," Takashi practically growled, "he's going to be in for a nasty surprise."

Iroh shook his head. "We cannot afford to hole up and prepare for another confrontation here. We need every person and guard available tomorrow to confront the Sons of Sozin."

Sokka was the first to speak up. "So why don't we just let them come take the prison? Warden Takashi and the rest of his guards can come tag along with us tomorrow."

"I can't just leave the prison unguarded," Takashi told him. "We have criminals here in every part of the prison. I can't risk them breaking out and running loose in the city."

Sokka's face drooped. "Yeah...I guess that's a good point...we definitely don't want more crazy psychos running around the city tomorrow than there already are. And some extra prison cells would come in handy after we round up some of the Sons. So what do we do?"

Iroh was silent as he contemplated that question. Zuko had filled him in about General Ichiro and his recent dealings with him. His nephew seemed to trust him, and had pointed out how the general had helped him in the past. Iroh, however, was not so certain about where the general's loyalty really did lie. In his experience, a person's actions did not always show their true intentions. "There is something more here at work, I fear," he told the others. "This move by General Ichiro is very disturbing, and it is creating more issues than we can afford at the moment. We were counting on Ichiro and his men to help us tomorrow in assisting with the Sons of Sozin. We cannot afford another enemy right now."

"So what is your plan, Iroh?" Piandao asked him.

Iroh frowned. "I think it is time that I paid a visit to the good general and informed him that there has been a change in leadership...and a change in plans."

Liem laughed almost gleefully. "Oh man, I would love to see the look on his face when you tell him that."

Iroh smiled. "Well that is good to hear, because you will be coming along with me."

"What?!" Liem's smile disappeared in an instant. "You can't be serious! That man would rather spit in his own tea and drink it than talk to a lowly, dirty street urchin like me!"

Iroh had to try very hard not to laugh at the young boy. "Well, I guess you are going to have to be on your best behavior then. You seem to have some valuable information on him and the recent events around the palace, so I could use your help...and your company," he finished with a smile.

"Do I get a choice?" Liem asked, but as soon as the question left his lips, the warden aimed a particularly stony glare at the young lad.

"Sure, your choice is to either go with General Iroh, or stay here, and scrub every inch of every floor in this entire prison for a month solid. It's up to you."

"Fine, I'll go," Liem growled. He sighed as he met Iroh's gaze again. "Well, I hope you're better at staying out of trouble then Zuko is...for both of our sakes."

I dearly hope so too. He focused his attention back at the others. "I doubt they will let anyone into the palace to visit General Ichiro in the middle of the night, regardless of the visitor. Liem and I will leave right before sunrise tomorrow morning and head to the palace. With luck, we will be back in time to rejoin our teams, and—if all goes according to plan—we will have more reinforcements."

"Then I guess it's all settled then," Sokka added, "Tomorrow, we're going to get our friends back and put the Sons of Sozin in their place once and for all."

Iroh and his companions lingered in the room still, and separate conversations started amongst the different pairs and groups around the room. Iroh stayed for a little while to catch up with his friends, but a part of his mind kept straying to the situation surrounding General Ichiro. While he was hopeful that his nephew's instincts were correct, the more he lingered on the topic, the more uneasy he became.

Author's Note: I'm probably repeating myself, but I am so excited to be at this point. We are about to jump into a multi-chapter (hopefully epic) showdown between Zuko and Gang and the Sons of Sozin-which officially puts us in the final stretch of this bad boy! :D

Thank you to everyone who has continued to keep up with my story and leave me feedback! It's been epic and I'm excited to finally be finishing this story :-)