The Return

by tubendo

The ice of the South Pole hides many things, and when Azula and Sokka are confronted by something far greater than themselves, the strength of their relationship is tested, and the Princess has to decide whose path she will follow: the path of her father or the path of freedom. (Sequel to Into The Fire)

28. Chapter 28

Upon hearing a distinctive roar, Azula blinked a few times, realising that it could only mean one thing; she raised her head up from the pillow, and glanced beside her to Sokka, who was lying on his belly rather blissfully, probably still half-asleep. Appa had arrived, and with him, she was sure that meant Aang and Katara had returned from their trip to New Omashu.

"Sokka." she addressed him, "That was Appa."

"A... uh, Appa?" he mumbled under his breath, scrunching his lips up while his eyes remained shut, before they suddenly opened, "Oh crap... Does that mean I have to get dressed?" he asked her, and she let out a sigh, wishing she didn't have to do the same.

Greeting the new arrivals was their obligation, and she knew that if they barged into their quarters and found them nearly naked, that would be far worse than any frustration she might feel from being forced from the bed.

"Yes, that's what that means." she confirmed, before glancing over to the window, which had its shutters almost completely closed, though the morning sun did shine on through, "They could have chosen a better time to arrive."

"Well, they don't know anything about our sleep schedule, or... uh, other things." he mumbled with a small smirk on his face, making her roll her eyes.

"We're not going to mention that." she warned him, before she pulled the sheets off of herself; she reached up, and twisted her neck a few times to stretch, before sliding herself off of the bed, and touching her feet on the carpet which lay beneath.

She immediately realised she'd have to awkwardly trudge around, pick up the clothes she and Sokka had left strewn over the floor, and then dress herself, all while in Sokka's presence; usually, she wouldn't find much issue in doing so, but being tired and not in the best physical state, she simply felt embarrassed.

"Urgh... this is why I had servants to dress me."

"Please don't tell me that's gonna happen when you're Fire Lord." he pleaded with a cringed expression, "That'd be worse than Gran-Gran or Dad barging in."

"I certainly prefer polite and subservient strangers over people I know."

"Oh, so you don't even know your servants' names?" he asked her, and she shrugged her shoulders.

"If I did, I certainly don't anymore. I only remember the bad ones, and they got fired as soon as I had the authority to do so." she explained, and that only seemed to amuse Sokka.

"Yep, I'm not surprised." he conceded, before smirking, "Oh, but wait, if I was meant to be your servant, does that make me your favourite?"

"You're not my servant." she retorted, making him sigh, seeming pleased to just hear those words roll off her tongue.

"Ah, I would have liked to hear that back in the forest." he admitted, before he pulled the sheets off of himself.

"Just shut up. I'm not apologising for that." she retorted, before picking his tunic off of the floor beside her, tossing it at him; he caught it with ease, and winked at her before he pulled it over his body, making Azula flush red, wanting anything else but to think of what had happened for their clothes to end up where they had.

She needed to be composed when Aang and Katara showed up, and she couldn't be bumbling around Ty Lee, who would certainly tease her about it at the first opportunity; she reached down, and picked up her own tunic, as well her leggings, pulling the latter up her legs, before she took the former and slung her arms into it. She twisted herself around a few times to get her head through the collar, and then, picked up the waistband she'd left lying on the end of the bed, tying that around her waist, before she glanced over to the boots she'd left nearby the door, and beside them, Sokka's own, trying to remember back to when they'd taken them off.

She didn't want to think about it too much, knowing she just ought to put them on, though she reached down to pick up her pants first, noting that they were still dirty from the run she and Sokka had gone on at dawn. Of course, that had been a competition, and she won, perhaps only because she was eager and energised by the sun peaking just over the horizon to the east. She smirked back at the thought of that, still proud that she'd pulled herself out of bed the first time to do that, knowing that the training they were doing was sufficient, at least in her eyes, to prepare for the battles to come.

"Uh, do you know where my bands are?" he asked her, and upon turning around, she realised he was referring to the pieces of fabric he used to tie up his 'warrior's wolf tail', as he called it.

Admittedly, he was rather dashing with his hair down, but she wouldn't stoop so low to actually admit it, so she reached under the bedsheets, and after a short probing, she pulled out said bands, and handed them to Sokka, who nodded, before proceeding to tie his hair up. Azula then stepped into her pants, pulling them up before she fastened them with her waistband; now dressed in clothes, she rose to her feet, pacing over to the boots that sat by the door, before she slid each of her feet in. She knelt over, fastening the boots as she turned around to eye Sokka, who was still doing up his tunic. When he was appropriately dressed, he got up from the bed and eyed his own shoes, which sat on the ground beside her.

"Are you going to just stand there?" he asked her, almost sounding nervous, and she narrowed her eyes at him, finding his question to be rather unusual.

"I'm not moving." she retorted, crossing her arms as she stood in front of the door, waiting for him as patiently as she could.

By virtue of his boots laying right in front of her, he ended up kneeling in front of her to put each other them on, which might have looked like a sign of deference in any other context; his head drooped down as she eyed him, she wondered if he noticed that too, or that was what he was worried about. When his eyes met her own, she pursed her lips, curious to hear what he thought.

"Do you not like kneeling, Sokka?" she simply questioned him, and he eyed his own kneeling pose, before rising back up to his feet.

"No, no I don't." he conceded, "Only those who are worth my time will ever get me to bow in front of them."

"That's a roundabout way of saying I'm worthy." she observed with a humoured voice, before offering him a hand, "Now, are we just going to stand here, or are you going to talk to your sister?"

"Uh, yeah." he nodded, "Katara's probably going to be annoyed if I don't come and greet her."

"And I would be too." she conceded, before turning around to eye the door, "Better tell Ty Lee too. Can't have her getting too engrossed into whatever hobby she's picked up."

"I think it was still the mushy romance novels." he recalled, "I mean, each to their own... but I prefer a little more action." he suggested, before grasping her by the waist, his head leaning forward so they could turn and look eye to eye, "What do you say?"

She didn't say anything, simply reaching forward to kiss him on the lips; their short, impassioned embrace reminded her of what she really missed when it came to the South Pole. She was obfuscated by duty when she was in the Earth Kingdom, worried about assassins, future campaigns and orchestrating alliances with both her fellow countrymen and those who she once called her enemies.

She missed just being able to experience things with Sokka, with no strings of her past attached; she longed for it, even if she knew that those feelings might only lead down a path that would make her weak. Not because love begets weakness, as her father liked to claim, but because she would be more concerned about trying to serve their whims as a couple rather than considering their duties to the wider world. Sokka had a tribe to fight for and rebuild, and she had a nation to set back on the right path.

Ironically, more than ever, she was concerned with being selfish, something which had never crossed her mind before Yu Dao; but now, her desires to be Fire Lord weren't the selfish ones, but her desires to have some semblance of normality with Sokka were. Azula knew what had to be done, and she knew that the struggle had fallen in her hands, now that her brother was out of the picture; she had never imagined she would be the one taking up Zuko's mantle of 'righteousness', but now, she felt like it was her only choice.

The world was a terrible place, and only action could set it on a better path, something that she, as the rightful Fire Lord, could do, perhaps more than anyone, even the Avatar. Aang was just a child, but she was nearly a grown woman now, and capable of leading her country, and the world, out of the hundred years of war that had brought ruin and suffering to much of it. She opened her eyes, and stared into those of the one she loved, and wished that she just didn't want to continue their embrace; being impolite and ignoring what she ought to do was just being a poor host, and that wasn't something she could stand for.

Breaking their kiss, she grasped him by the neck, and continued to stare him down, "I love you." she simply told him the fact of the matter, before glancing towards the door, "But we can't just stand here and make out... again."

"Heh heh..." he made a sheepish grin as he presumably recalled that event, before nodding, "Alright, whatever you say."

"I prefer it when you argue back, Sokka." she reminded him, and the Water Tribesman shrugged his shoulders.

"Well, I'd argue with you, but I don't want to argue with Katara." he conceded, and she nodded, agreeing with the sentiment; their spats as a couple were nothing compared to the fiery feud of morals and virtue that would always come about when Katara decided to argue, and unlike her and Sokka's arguments, those ones truly angered her.

"Understandable." she conceded, before pushing the door open, stepping out to call out to her friend, "Ty Lee!" she addressed her down the hall, hoping she'd hear her.

A few moments later, as she and Sokka were pacing down the hallway, her friend burst out of her bedroom door, her hair still wet, presumably because she'd just had a shower, "Yeah?" she asked, "Are we doing something? Did they finish the airship?" she asked, and Sokka shook his head.

"Uh, not yet. Aang and Katara are back. We're going out to see them."

"Oh, I thought it was gonna be a spar... since you're wearing sparring clothes." she gestured to their outfits, making the Princess scrunch her lips up; she and Sokka had sparred for a short period, but they had dressed for their run specifically.

"We can spar later, if you'd like." she simply offered as she approached her, "But first, we ought to welcome the others back. I'm sure they're exhausted after their trip."

"Sounds good." she nodded with her usual cheery tone, and followed after the couple as they paced down the hallway; when they approached the door, she leaned her head between them, making both Sokka and Azula turn back slightly, both confused by her sudden closeness.

"So, how was your spar?" she asked them with a smug, overbearing voice, and Azula's cheeks flushed red upon realising she'd immediately seen through them; she decided to just ignore that question, and continue on through the compound, pacing her way towards the front doors, while the other two trailed behind.

"Thanks a lot, now you've peeved her." she heard her boyfriend whisper to Ty Lee with an understandably frustrated voice; Azula wasn't really that annoyed, she simply didn't want to discuss the thing Ty Lee was referring to.

"Your majesty." the men stationed by the doors addressed her as they bowed, before opening the doors for her; she wasn't paying too much attention to them, but instead, towards the three people standing at the door in front of them.

Aang, Katara and Toph, who she hadn't seen since they left that battlefield, stood tall in front of her, though all of them seemed a bit tired, and she couldn't blame them. Her sleep schedule wasn't the best when they had been travelling north across the Earth Kingdom on Appa, so she didn't imagine theirs had improved much in the month they'd spent apart.

The young Avatar, perhaps the most eager of the group, stepped forward with a wide grin on his face, "Hi! Did you just come to see us?" he asked, and they nodded, Azula glancing behind her for a moment.

"Would you like some breakfast... or tea? Anything, really?"

"Oh, I forgot how great it was here." he admitted before nodding, "Yeah, breakfast sounds good."

"Aang, we were here for one day." Katara reminded him, her tired voice earning her a little sympathy from the Princess, who too didn't really want to deal with anything at that moment.

"I know, but still. Free food is always good." he touted a maxim that seemed to amuse Sokka, who snapped a finger as he stepped forward.

"Spot on, buddy." he agreed with him, before turning his eyes towards his sister, "So, uh, were those rations any good?" he asked, making her cringe slightly.

"Uh... we probably went to the market more than we should have." she conceded, before glancing towards the Princess, "We've heard about what you've gotten up to, Fire Lord Azula." she addressed her by her technical title, with a little too much sass for her liking.

"Are you mocking me?" she narrowed her eyes at her, and the Water Tribe girl shook her head.

"No, no, you're literally the Fire Lord. It's not a joke... if somebody was going to make fun of you about that, it'd be Toph." she gestured to the stout earthbender beside her, who seemed to agree with said statement.

"Well, I'm not looking to get on her majesty's bad side... not yet at least." she suggested with a smirk, making Azula roll her eyes; she could tell they were going to butt heads, but at the very least, she knew that she was a skilled earthbender, good enough to teach Aang anything he'd need to know.

"Alright, breakfast it is." she decided to end their little conversation at the front door, "Come with me." she suggested, gesturing for them to follow, "A lot has happened since you were last here."

"Well, I've never been here." Toph added, which didn't surprise the Princess after her prior comment.

"That is what I wanted to ask about." Katara spoke up, "We went to Huangcha... spoke with this guy called Major Zhi. He told us a lot, but he was shy on the details."

"Of course he was. Most of my subordinates aren't tiptoeing after me like Sokka." she joked, making her boyfriend shake his head.

"Yeah, I do that for your safety." he retorted, before raising a finger to his chin, "Or is it for mine?"

The Princess ignored his question, preferring to let him mull over it instead of embarrassing them both with an honest answer, "We'll have a lot of time to discuss what's happened since you left. I want to know what happened with you, as well." she conceded, knowing that they must have seen quite a lot on their journey, which might give insight into the state of affairs across the colonies, as well as with their deal with the rebels, "Is Bumi on side?" she simply asked, and Aang nodded.

"Yeah, he's going to help. Some of his rebels are coming north with Hakoda's ships." he explained, making Sokka's eyes widen.

"Wait, Dad's coming here?" he asked, Katara giving a resolute nod.

"Yeah. I saw him a few weeks ago. He's looking forward to seeing you." she explained with an eager smile, and that seemed to brighten Sokka's mood from the dour one it had been in from being forced out of bed.

"And what about you, Ty Lee?" Katara spoke up, addressing the one person among them who hadn't uttered a word, just staring around with interested eyes; she blinked for a few moments and scrunched her lips up.

"Well, last week, I kidnapped a General and almost drowned myself, him, and a bunch of soldiers." she recalled what had happened during the battle, "But other than that, mostly just enjoying the spa treatments here and whatever books Zula can get me." she explained rather nonchalantly, as if there were nothing unusual about what had happened during their battle.

Toph stepped closer with an intrigued look on her face, "Okay, tell us more about this kidnapping."

"How exactly did you nearly drown?" Katara asked her almost frantically, like a mother worried about her child, and Aang's face was scrunched up, showing a similar degree of concern.

"Yeah, how?"

"Well, there'd been a big rainstorm... it filled up a cave that I was trying to get to, so I took a shortcut, and caved it in from the topside. Stopped the soldiers from capturing me, and led me right to Azula and the others." she explained what had happened, her cheery voice not faltering, "You know, it was pretty fun, and even though Azula got angry about it, she was impressed."

"It was a smart move." the Princess conceded, knowing that she had to give her friend credit where it was due.

"I already like her." Toph spoke up with a smirk on her face, "You're Ty Lee, right?"

"Yep!" she nodded with an eager grin, "And you're Aang's earthbending master." she observed something that seemed rather obvious from her clothing.

"Toph." she gave her name, before gesturing towards the stairwell, "So, how many flights of stairs is this gonna be?"

"Only one. Spirits forbid we actually use Zhao's office as a lounge." the Princess explained, adding a thought that had come to mind, though the idea of climbing the stairs every time she wanted to reach it made her consider it futile.

"You know, it is a lot of free space." Sokka conceded, "But four flights is a bit much."

"Heh, we could just use Appa now to fly up there." Ty Lee suggested, making the Princess eye the young Air Nomad, who didn't seem too enthused by the idea.

"Appa doesn't need to fly up someplace you can just get with stairs." he suggested, "That's just being lazy."

"Says the king of laziness." Toph retorted, "You'd never get off your butt if you could find a way." she suggested his hypocrisy, which amused Azula to no end.

"I'm not- I'm not that lazy." he stammered, "I do all the sets you tell me too."

"That's because I threaten to throw a boulder at you if you don't." she warned him, making the young Avatar shrug his shoulders.

"I can just break them now." he suggested, making Azula purse her lips upward as she began pacing up the staircase.

The fact he was already learning how to earthbend wasn't just impressive, but it told her that he might master the elements quickly enough that it could play a role in the coming conflict with her father. She had been thinking that he might take so long that Ozai would be long gone by the time he had mastered firebending, but at the rate he was going, she imagined he'd beat her in the race they were having. A race that was unspoken, but clearly existed; she either would win the war, or he would realise his full potential as the Avatar, and do it for her.

The group paced their way up the stairs, making their way towards the hall where they'd be eating; she had to call on some of her servants to get the food they required, but she imagined that wouldn't take too long, as they were often walking about, cleaning or preparing things for her, and sooner rather than later, some would run into her. She didn't think too much about that as she pushed the doors open, leading them into the hall where she usually would have her meetings with her subordinates, and where she had, about two weeks prior, faced off against those officers who were willing to betray her to her father.

"Well, everyone take a seat." she suggested as she paced towards the head of the table, where she liked to sit, given it emphasised her position of authority, as well being the largest chair.

Sitting herself down, she watched as the others did the same, eyeing the newcomers with interest; she wondered what they would have to say about their own journey, imagining a fair few things of interest had occurred, given Katara mentioned Hakoda coming north with some of Bumi's fighters.

"Katara." she addressed the Water Tribe girl, "You said that your father would be coming here with Bumi's fighters. I'd like to hear more about that." she explained her interest as plainly as she could, and the other girl nodded, seeming to appreciate her eagerness.

"Oh yeah, Bumi explained that my dad wanted to help him, so he asked him to sail his fighters north so we could fight together to get rid of the Dai Li." she explained, and the Princess pursed her lips, pleased that the result she desired had eventuated.

"Perfect." she acknowledged her opinion on that matter, "And what about fighting my father?"

"Well, he wants us to unify the Earth Kingdom first." Aang conceded, "Without us all working together, Ozai might be able to invade and conquer it again."

"That is true." she conceded, before narrowing her eyes, "Is there any news from the Order of the White Lotus? I assume they have something to say now that my brother is assumed dead." she asked, and with that, Aang, Katara and Toph all seemed to tense up.

"Uh, yeah, about that." the earthbender spoke up, "Your uncle was in New Omashu."

She raised a brow, surprised by that revelation, "Why?"

"Well, he'd come to oversee the returning of the old city to Bumi's hands... but, things went sideways."

"My father's supporters didn't want a bar of it, I assume." she noted the obvious, before furrowing a brow, "Well, what does he have to say, now that my brother is gone?"

"Uh... you're the Fire Lord." Aang gave the answer she was waiting for, and she clenched a fist, almost gleeful at the suggestion her uncle was going to submit to her authority.

"Finally." she smirked, "Well, that means that the rest of Zuko's supporters should fall in line." she guessed, and Sokka cringed slightly at her suggestion.

"Uh, that might just be wishful thinking. What's to say they won't go back to the old devil they know?" he gave the opposing possibility, which frustrated her, no matter how reasonable it was.

"Okay, you are right." she conceded, annoyed that she'd had to give up her own idea, but accepting that optimism was just that- wishful, and not considerate of the situation on the ground.

"Wow, I'm right?" Sokka asked her jokingly, feigning surprise, before he glanced towards the front door, "Uh... so about breakfast-" he began, the Princess raising a hand up, already understanding what he was going to say.

"If you want it quicker, then go down to the kitchen and ask for them to bring some up... or find some servants to do it for you." she suggested some possible things he could do to get the food she imagined he was rather eager to eat.

"Well, I am hungry." he admitted, before rising up to his feet, "I'll just be a bit." he explained to everyone, before he quickly paced on over to the door and out of the room.

"He's in a bit of a hurry." Toph observed with an intrigued look on her face, "Is he really that desperate for breakfast?"

"Sokka gets antsy when he's hungry." Katara clarified, before she chuckled, "Now I'm just glad I'm not the one he's harassing about breakfast."

"What's for breakfast, anyway?" Aang asked Azula, who scrunched her lips up, unsure specifically what would be on offer.

"Presumably some pastries, jook, egg noodles, or just some plain rice." she clarified the kinds of things she'd usually be served for breakfast.

"Sounds good." he responded with an eager smile, before he eyed Toph, seeming a little suspicious of her, "Toph? Are you going to say something?"

"Uh... Just thinking of embarrassing things to ask her majesty about to help me get to know her a little better." she explained her thoughts with a surprising bluntness, which made Azula cringe, before she noticed an eager look on Ty Lee's face.

"Oh! Oh! I know what you can ask her about." she suggested, making Aang and Katara snicker, while the Princess turned her eyes down, already knowing what she was going to tell Toph.

"Ty Lee... Do you have to?" she asked her friend quietly, hoping that she might actually listen and not just go off and blabber about her and Sokka's relationship like she knew everything about it.

"Ask her about the romantic things she's done with Sokka." she uttered the one thing Azula wished she hadn't, but knew she would.

That made Toph snicker, smacking her palm down onto the table as she seemed to ponder what kind of embarrassing thing she could ask on that topic, "Well... I'd like to hear how that boy flirts." she admitted, "He seems like he's just either angry... or hungry."

"I mean, that's pretty much spot on." Katara conceded, and Azula couldn't help but snicker at that.

"Spirits save me." she facepalmed, knowing that actually answering the question would just make her cringe in embarrassment

Sokka only knew how to flirt in two ways, which was awkwardly complimenting her, or by arguing about how competent or virtuous she was; admittedly, she did enjoy the latter a little, but she certainly didn't want to discuss it.

"Come on." Ty Lee prodded her with an eager smile, "Entertain 'the peasants', as you'd say." she suggested, making the Princess scrunch her lips up; even if she certainly would use such a disparaging term to refer to the people around her, Toph seemed slightly offended by such a term, at least more so than the others.

"I'm not a peasant." she mumbled, and Azula raised a hand to her cheek, wondering what she could say about her boyfriend that wouldn't make her feel like an overly romantic dunce.

"I don't think my boyfriend is very good at it." she conceded, "He probably thinks he's very charming, though." she added, amused by that fact; Sokka wasn't too confident when it came to things she was clearly better than him at, but when it came to charisma, he seemed to assume that he had it in the bag when compared to her.

"I mean, you're not the best at being... intentionally nice." Katara conceded, and the Princess raised her chin up.

"Well, I'm not... that doesn't mean he's good at it either." she retorted, before turning her eyes to Toph, "Was that what you wanted to hear?"

"I didn't get any examples."

"Okay, how about the time he complimented my fishing skills despite me being a complete novice." she recalled a time he'd tried to be flirtatious, "He thought that then showing off by spearing a fish with ease might make me think he... I don't even know. Katara, you're Water Tribe. Explain that." she directed the Water Tribe girl to give an explanation which Azula couldn't find.

"Being a good fisherman is a way to prove one's... well, usefulness. That's how boys like to compete for girls... see who can catch the most fish and the quickest."

"I guess you didn't find that all too impressive." Toph observed with a humoured voice, and the Princess nodded.

"I didn't... when he beat the crap out of those Southern Raiders, or Zhao's men... that was impressive." she admitted, knowing those were some occasions she found herself almost enamoured by his ferocity and determination in a fight.

"But he can't beat you, I'm guessing." the earthbender assumed correctly, and Azula just smirked, knowing that she always had to one up her boyfriend, no matter how good he got at his chi-blocking.

"No, he can't."

"And I thought I was cocky." she mumbled to herself, "Well, I guess I'll be able to test that soon enough."

"Oh, I'm looking forward to it." she indicated her own approval of such an idea; sparring Toph was something that interested her, given the skill of the stout earthbender, and her unique bending style unlike other earthbenders she'd seen or fought.

"You know..." Toph spoke up, "According to Katara, Sokka's not too bad at flirting."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Azula raised a brow, making the Water Tribe girl snicker.

"Oh, oh, I almost forgot about that." she admitted, before turning to face her, "Sokka may have accidentally wooed another princess."

"A what?" she gasped, before Ty Lee broke down laughing; Azula was less amused and more confused by how such an event could unfold, "What are you talking about?"

"Oh, the Chief of the Northern Water Tribe's daughter... supposedly she found his speeches decrying our sister tribe's arrogance rather impressive." she admitted, making the Princess' cheeks flush red with embarrassment; though she thought she ought to be angry, what she was telling her was no surprise, because she too was impressed upon hearing how Sokka had dealt with them.

"Oh... Sokka." she mumbled to herself, both annoyed by the fact it had occurred, yet somewhat impressed he'd been able to do it, "And let me guess, he denied it?"

"Of course." Katara smiled at her with a devious grin, "Sokka doesn't realise he's Prince material."

"Ahaha, that's a good one!" Ty Lee agreed with her, before Azula's eyes were drawn back to the doorway, realising that her boyfriend had returned from getting some servants.

"I'm what?" he asked out in confusion, making the Princess facepalm.

"Nevermind." she grumbled under her breath, preferring not to talk about the supposed flirting with everyone else around; she'd be sure to bring it up later, but she doubted that Sokka would come clean about it- he probably didn't even realise he was wooing said princess, and even if he did, she had no reason to doubt his loyalty, after all he'd done back at the Spirit Oasis.

"Why does everybody decide to gossip about me just when I leave?" he asked, and Toph snickered.

"To save you the embarrassment... plus, I don't wanna piss you off."

"Wow, you're still thinking I'm just an angry loser because of last time." he observed, seeming a little amused by that, "I'm not angry all the time." he warned her, before striding back down to his seat beside Azula.

"But you do get angry when things don't go your way." Katara observed, and he rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, so do you. Making me out as having anger issues is a little unfair." he suggested, before sitting back down in his seat, "Anyway... breakfast won't be too long."

"Thanks for that." Ty Lee smiled at him, and he narrowed his eyes at her.

"You didn't start that, did you?" he asked, and she shook her head, pointing towards Toph, and he raised a brow, "So, do you like to annoy people?"

"Embarrass." she corrected him, "I like to prove that nobody's as tough as they seem."

"Be careful, that logic could be turned against you." the Princess warned her, "Speaking of which... we know next to nothing about you."

"Well, she told Katara and me a bit." Aang spoke up, and Sokka pursed his lips up, probably thinking he could get back at the newest member of their group for talking about him behind his back.

"Go ahead, Aang." he suggested, "What's her big secret?"

"Uh... that she's a runaway." he admitted, the Princess furrowing a brow.

"Ah, so you don't like your family either, I assume?" she guessed, and the Earth Kingdom girl sat there silently for a moment, before nodding.

"Yeah, I don't. They treated me like a big baby... and both my parents can't even bend. They just never understood me... or my earthbending." she explained, and she could see Katara's expression shift, seeming to be reflecting on something after hearing that.

"After I came to understand life outside the palace... I realised how frustrating controlling parents can be." the Princess admitted, before sighing, "You must have figured that out a lot quicker than I did."

"I did." she nodded, before looking down, "They're not bad people... just- they just don't understand."

"I have the opposite problem... though, after hearing what you have, I don't think I need to explain why." Azula conceded, knowing that everyone on the table understood how messed up her family was, given what had happened to both her and her brother, all from her father's clearly abusive way of trying to parent them.

In trying to make two powerful firebenders, he only further alienated his son, and eventually, that bit him in the butt; now, Azula had realised how stupid he was, and how right her brother was. She had denied it for years, just fooling herself into thinking that her father's love and respect was worth all the things he'd put her and Zuko through. She still blamed her mother, for how she had divided them, and forced Azula to seek her father's approval; without her stupid, biased way of parenting, then Ozai's terrible ideas wouldn't have ruined her.

"Yeah... I think you've had it worse than me." Toph conceded, "From what I can tell... your uncle's sorry about what happened."

"With the Agni Kai?" she asked, and Toph shook her head.

"No, I think with everything." she admitted, "I mean, I don't know him well... but he seems like a nice guy."

"Yeah." Katara nodded, "Your uncle is a good man... and I think it'll be good if we all work together."

"It's the only way we're going to win." Aang admitted, before his eyes brightened, reaching into the bag he had slung over his shoulder, "That reminds me... he gave us something for you." he explained, making the Princess raise a brow.

"Oh, is he going to finally make up for that terrible present he gave me when I was eleven?" she asked, knowing that they would have no idea what she was talking about; Aang just shrugged his shoulders, before pulling out a square-shaped object, wrapped in fabric.

"I guess it might." he conceded, before unwrapping the object; when she saw the distinctive flames, shaped almost like feathers, she recognised it at once, having seen it on two occasions.

Once, in a family portrait of her great-great grandfather and her great-grandfather, when the latter was just Crown Prince, and the other time was in the Southern Air Temple, on the head of the statue of Avatar Roku.

"That's... that's his headpiece." she gasped, reaching forward to take it into her hands, "My headpiece." she corrected herself, and Aang chuckled.

"Uh, yeah, it is... well, at least, until you get your Fire Lord one." he explained, Sokka turning to face her with a near giddy expression.

"Well, this is pretty cool." he admitted, and the Princess reached up, pulling her small, unimpressive headpiece out, quickly replacing it with her new one, which just felt like it fit.

She thought of all her ancestors, who until Sozin, had worn it until their ascension to the throne; she felt closer to the throne than ever before, yet, the image of that statue of Avatar Roku stuck with her, imagining what he might have looked like when he was alive.

"Thank you." she acknowledged the gift as plainly as possible, not wanting to divulge her inner thoughts about the headpiece and its meaning to her, before narrowing her eyes, "So, back to winning. Uncle's on board now." she observed, pleased by that fact, even if she still held some mistrust towards the man.

"It's not really winning, it's just stopping Ozai. That won't solve all-" he began, stopping himself as his expression shifted, the uneasiness in his eyes unmissable, "All of the stuff that's happened since I got frozen." he conceded, and the Princess raised her chin up, feeling like she had the right people and plan to solve the problems he was thinking of.

"We're working on it, Aang." she assured him, "Eventually, I'll be able to say with confidence that the world is at peace, and that there is some better future for us to all look forward to... but right now, I understand why you're doubtful."

"We're gonna do it." Sokka spoke up, turning his eyes to Azula, "I know we can... and I mean, Iroh's gonna have all the support we need to get things done."

"You're not suggesting we actually ask the Order of the White Lotus to help us, are you?" she asked, turning to face him.

"I mean... they want what we want, right?" he asked, and Azula let out a sigh, knowing things weren't as simple as he was making them out to be.

She couldn't find much reason to trust said elusive organisation in helping achieve their aims; even if they wanted Ozai gone and the Earth Kingdom reunited, that didn't mean their goals were going to coincide in the long term. She didn't want to completely give up the colonies, nor force all those people to move back to the Fire Nation; that wasn't even considering things like the division of the four nations, or how trade, reparations or other things would work once the dust had settled.

She had plans to reinvigorate the other nations to the benefit of her own, but she didn't think the White Lotus was necessarily going to agree with her, probably thinking she should bow down and let things 'return' to how they were before the war, without any consideration for how terrible that 'natural state' was. The Earth Kingdom was a terrible, chaotic place, run by warlords and petty kings, and ruled by a monarch with no concern for the welfare of his people or the prosperity of his nation.

"It depends on what world they want, Sokka. A new one, or the old one?" she asked, and he furrowed a brow, before she continued, "I don't imagine anyone in the Earth Kingdom really wants to return to how things were, let alone the Southern Water Tribe. Do you think your tribe should remain poor and isolated, even if the Southern Raiders are no longer bearing down on them? The nations need to work together for this peace to last."

"No, you are right... but that's their whole thing. People from all the nations working together to ensure that there is cooperation."

"That's just a bunch of old men and women playing Pai Sho and lending a hand where they can. That is not the kind of cooperation I'm talking about. Trade, investment and new political processes to better each of our nations. Building something better than what we had before. We can learn from each other... I thought you understood that."

"I do... and I think they do too. Maybe we should just tell them... I don't think they're stupid, they'll understand." Sokka suggested, and the Princess let out a sigh, wishing that he was right, even if she doubted it; trust would not come easy, from anyone she needed to trust, or needed to trust her.

"I mean... you can try." Aang spoke up, "If you don't try and work with them... then, maybe they'll never trust you." he suggested, "I don't want everyone to hate each other."

"I doubt they hate me." Azula scoffed at what he was seeming to suggest, "They fear me."

"I mean, they have a reason." Ty Lee conceded, before glancing at her, "I think Aang's right. We need to... at least try and work with them. If you can trust those governors and generals who were loyal to Zuko, then it can't be that hard to trust these guys."

"Plus... we don't have to worry about any of this." Toph spoke up, "It won't matter until Ozai's dealt with."

"That is true." the Princess agreed with her, glad that she'd just given her a way to resolve the present conversation and move on, "We'll get around to planning our campaign soon enough. Shengchang is first, and then the whole Fire Nation."

"That's a whole... uh, scale up." Sokka conceded, "Maybe we should think about just the colonies first."

"The colonies will be mine with or without those airships." she retorted, "If my uncle's really going to work with us, his supporters will hold the colonies while we thrash whoever my father sends our way... because he will send people our way."

"We'll beat them." Katara declared, "We beat Zhao... you beat that General. Whoever comes next, they won't stand a chance."

"I wish I could be so confident." she admitted, knowing that she couldn't be certain of their victory over the next battle they faced; she had no idea how many ships or how large an army her father intended to launch against her forces, and even if the colonies provided a large distraction, she was the prize, or rather, the moral victory he could attain over her, her allies, and the Avatar was the prize he sought, "But... as long as they lose the fight, we will win. What do you think the Earth Kingdom will think when they see Fire Nation troops falter against the power of the Avatar and a united force of three nations?" she asked Toph specifically, knowing she was the most qualified to give an answer.

"That you mean business, and that your dad ain't as tough as he seems." she gave her opinion, before smirking, "I'm looking forward to thrashing whoever's dumb enough to come our way."

"And hopefully the rest of the Earth Kingdom feels the same way." she admitted, before glancing up, noting that some servants had arrived with trays of food, "Breakfast." she observed, watching as the dishes were placed down on the table, while another servant came over with a tray of cutlery, bowls and plates.

"Are we having a feast or something?" Katara observed, seeming rather impressed by the amount of food that was being brought in.

"This isn't a feast." Toph retorted, "Where's the roast pig-chicken, or pots of curry... or anything that isn't breakfast."

"Come on, Toph, it'll be good." Aang suggested, and she shrugged her shoulders.

"Never said it wouldn't be... it just isn't a feast."

"And I thought I was pretentious." Azula mumbled under her breath, making Sokka snicker, forcing her to elbow him as to warn him not to make any noises that would catch the Earth Kingdom girl's attention; however, she turned her head towards the couple, not seeming amused by their reactions.

"I'm blind, not deaf."

---

Walking out into the encampment surrounding Azula's base was not something Aang would do for the sake of it; the place was full of Fire Nation soldiers who he imagined wouldn't trust him, or want him around. However, as the soldiers had been cooperating with the Earth Kingdom forces in the area, he knew that their opinions of the other nations could have improved. He was with Sokka, and they had been told by Azula to go deal with something they were both somewhat familiar with.

What seemed like ages ago, they had helped a family of refugees, whose fellow villagers had been forced to labour for the Fire Nation military, along with some of their relatives disappearing entirely. Aang knew that horrific treatment of innocents was unconscionable, and as soon as Azula mentioned that the former labourers were being brought to the base, both to be compensated, but provided with information that could help them reunite with their families. He imagined it wasn't just Kuo and his family who had gone to Gaochang. It was a hub for those fleeing Zhao's occupation, as it had been.

Though Aang had only learned a little from the refugees themselves, he was sure that he could provide some assistance. He was the Avatar, and he knew that solving disputes, both between people and spirits was part of his role in maintaining balance and ensuring peace. He really hadn't done much in his station as Avatar just yet, but he knew that helping some mistreated commoners was a start.

They were approaching a section of the encampment that was fenced off from the rest of it, and from the makeshift shelters, mixed with canvas and tarp, he could tell that it wasn't inhabited by soldiers, but by Earth Kingdom commoners who had come to the base. How long they had been there, he had no idea, but he imagined that some might have still been left over from the labour camps he had heard about.

Though he was pleased to hear that Azula had ensured that they were closed down as soon as she had started sending out orders to her subordinates, that didn't mean those orders would undo the situation the commoners found themselves in. Their homes destroyed, or broken and in need of repair, probably uninhabited due to the conflicts that had arisen during the Earth Kingdom's steadfast rebellion against the Fire Nation.

"Do you know if Azula's been helping these people?" he asked Sokka, knowing he'd have no reason to mince his words while the Princess, or perhaps, Fire Lord, as he probably ought to call her, was at a meeting with her lieutenants, addressing their plans to meet with the local resistance leaders, using Aang and her ally, Jianren, as proxies.

She didn't have the time to deal with the commoners while the threat of further conflict loomed over them, and though he was annoyed by that, he understood her reasoning; she had the safety of everyone in the base to worry about, not the whole province of mostly Earth Kingdom people, forced under her nation's rule.

"Rations, supplies, and tools have been given to them, but without numbers... they can't exactly rebuild their villages, even if they wanted to."

"Everybody else going to places like Gaochao makes that hard... I guess." Aang conceded, knowing that those who might be able to help the unfortunate people living in the camp before him had fled already, trying to stake out a life away from the Fire Nation.

"Exactly." the Water Tribe warrior nodded, before narrowing their eyes, "That's why I think we should speak with those resistance leaders. Maybe they'll be able to help these people reunite with their families."

"What about that Jianren guy? His fighters can protect them."

"They have the whole province to worry about... all the innocents here are their responsibility, not just the people in this camp." Sokka warned him, before sighing, "I wish they could... but things aren't as simple as having the best chance we have of stopping Ozai's goons going off on a fieldtrip to help these people. You might be the Avatar... but I don't think we'll be in a good place if they actually reach the base without any backup."

"That's a bit selfish." he admitted, before shaking his head, "And I know selfish."

"Don't be so hard on yourself, Aang. I mean... you just wanted to be a kid. Most kids do." he tried to reassure him with a warm smile, before his expression hardened, turning his gaze towards the camp as their pace slowed to a halt.

"What about you, Sokka? Don't you want to... just live a normal life?"

"I can't, even if I want to... and I don't." he narrowed his eyes, before they met Aang's, "That choice was made for me long before I met you... or Azula." he told him with a solemn, frustrated voice, "But we've got to do what we know we must. I can't just act like I'm okay with these people living like this... and you can't ignore being the Avatar." he gave a comparison which he understood well; Aang knew Sokka had more things to worry about, but his sense of justice and honour made sure that he couldn't ignore what lay before them.

He couldn't ignore his Avatar duties; he'd shirked them back at the Southern Air Temple, in hopes that he could live out his childhood just for a little longer, only to find out it was the biggest mistake of his life. He had to help the people of the world; not everyone's problems were the same as the people who had lost their lands and homes to the Fire Nation, but everyone had something in common. The war hurt them all, in one way or another, and it would continue hurting, even after the fighting stopped.

"No, I can't." he agreed with Sokka's point, before stepping forward, "So, let's try and find a way to help these people." he suggested, and his friend nodded, already having indicated his intent with his prior statement; he had to do something, and with the power Azula had invested in him, he could.

As they approached, Aang noticed eyes turning to him, and that was no surprise; he wasn't wearing a Fire Nation disguise anymore, but rather, had his monk robes on, and bandana off his head, leaving his arrow to be seen by the world. They all looked at him with awe, perhaps thinking they'd never even meet an Avatar; he knew that he mightn't remember them or their names, but they'd probably remember him.

That made him feel weird, knowing that he was more important than he felt like he ought to be, but that was both a burden and an honour. It gave his words a weight like nobody else's, and even without the wisdom of the aged, wise Avatar he imagined everyone had in their head, he hoped that the knowledge and ideals the monks imparted on him could give him a chance to really make a difference.

"Avatar." one of them, an older woman, addressed him, waving her hands around, and with that, the others began to bow towards him, one by one; it made him feel more nervous, and he cleared his throat, hoping he could lighten the mood a little.

"You don't need to bow." he assured them, "I want to help you... all of you." he glanced around at their faces; he could see the hope sparkling in their eyes, or maybe that was just the awe of witnessing an Avatar, "Please, I want to hear, why you are here? Do you know where your families, your friends, where any of them are?" he asked out, and the people looked amongst themselves, their grimaces making his heart sink in his chest; he knew that they had been taken from their loved ones, and that was something he understood personally.

"Most people we know fled." a man spoke up, looking down with a sad expression, "Some were not as lucky." he conceded, "Some tried to resist when they came to our villages... it did not end well."

"Did they burn them down?" Sokka guessed, and many of them nodded along, "I'm sorry... that we didn't act sooner."

"The Avatar is here... that is the best news we've heard in a hundred years." the woman who had first addressed Aang spoke up, with a smile on her face, "But..." she mumbled, her expression darkening, "How can you help us? You can't rebuild our villages."

"No, I can't." he admitted honestly, "But I can help you reunite with your families. They must have fled to the free parts of the Earth Kingdom, where the Fire Nation doesn't rule." he acknowledged what he'd figured out from his visit to Gaochao, "If you won't return to your villages, maybe you can travel to and find your families... your friends. Your communities can come back together."

"We don't even know where to look. The Fire Nation doesn't have records." a young man warned them, "Trust me, I've asked... a few of us have. We just get the same answer: go back to our villages... like they didn't burn them down."

"They've offered the materials to rebuild, right?" Sokka asked, "I was sure to ask the engineer corps to do that." he assured them, and they glanced amongst themselves.

"We can't rebuild by ourselves." the same young man conceded, "Most of us are from different villages... we didn't know each other until we came to the labour camps."

"I think I know where you can all go... but I need to speak with somebody first." he admitted, knowing that without the approval and support of the local leaders in Gaochao, they might find a challenge in housing and helping what had to be a hundred or more individuals from a variety of villages.

"Who?" the older woman asked him, and he chuckled.

"Uh, whoever's the Governor... Lord... whatever, of Gaochao. I'm sure you guys have heard of it."

"It's the biggest free settlement in this part of the Earth Kingdom." the young man conceded, "Our families might have gone there... most people would look there first." he acknowledged, and Aang nodded.

"Yeah, well, we took some refugees there a few months ago. I'm sure there's others like them. The people you know and love... you might be able to return to your villages together. Restart... at least, have a chance."

"That would be nice." the woman admitted, before stepping closer, "Will you protect us, Avatar?"

"Well, I mean..." he mumbled, scratching the back of his scalp, "I'm just one guy. I'm pretty sure the rebels here might be able to help. They're tough, from what Sokka says." he admitted, the Water Tribesman nodding.

"Jianren and his fighters are the best choice. They're here to protect you and your province, after all." he acknowledged, "Did you want to speak with them? I could arrange for them to come here."

"That Jianren fellow has come over before." an older man admitted, "Wanted to find out if the soldiers were abusing us after we got here."

"They haven't, right?"

"They ignore us... unless we have something to trade for." he acknowledged, "We don't like them, and they know it."

"I can understand why." the Water Tribe warrior conceded, before narrowing his eyes, "Did Jianren suggest anything?"

"Well, he was asking if we wanted to help rebuild some kind of settlement here after the Fire Nation leave... and... well, some of you were receptive." he glanced around, the mixed expressions telling Aang that the people had differing opinions on whether staying was actually a good idea.

"I'd prefer something new over ash." a young woman spoke up, "Plus... this is our land. They stole it."

"It doesn't matter." the older woman warned her, "We can't build anything while we're alone." she argued, "Our villages will be gone for as long as our families and friends are."

"Well, we're going to help you with that." Aang assured her, "Sokka, should we go ask Jianren if he can get some fighters to escort them to Gaochao?" he asked his friend, who seemed to be mulling over it, before he nodded.

"I guess so." he nodded, before turning his eyes to the people surrounding them, "Do you want to go there? At least there's people there that might come back and rebuild the province. People who need homes." he acknowledged, and they gave him some affirmative nods and smiles, "Well, if you want to go, you'll need to pack whatever you'll need. It'll take a few days to walk there."

"Maybe some of us should stay here." the older man acknowledged, "It might not be good to just leave all our things here. Maybe others will come back around now... somebody should be here to tell them what's going on." he suggested, and that got him a few nods.

"Okay, well, we need to speak with Jianren to arrange things." Sokka admitted, turning his eyes to Aang, "So, uh, you wanna go?"

"We'll just be a bit." he assured them, before he scrunched his lips up, recalling what they'd promised Kuo and his family, "Actually, Sokka, just give me a second." he explained himself, and the Water Tribesman nodded, before Aang cleared his throat; he watched as his friend paced away in the corner of his eye, realising he'd have to go alone to find Kuo's family- he thought Sokka was better when it came to talking and plans anyway, so he was glad to leave that to him.

"Did you need to tell us something, Avatar?" the older woman asked him, seeming a little eager to hear what he had to say.

"Uh, no, not really." he conceded, "I'm going to do everything I can to make sure you and your families are reunited... and uh, that's actually what I wanted to ask. Uh... I'm looking for somebody."

"Who?" the young woman asked him, stepping closer, "Do you know their name?"

"No." he conceded, realising that he hadn't learned the names of either Kuo's son nor Tai's wife, though he was sure that if either was among the group, then they'd recognise who he was talking about, "I'm looking for a woman... about, maybe thirty-something... married to a man called Tai."

The people looked amongst themselves, seeming a little unsure, but then, he saw an older woman step forward, though her age made it clear that she couldn't be who he was looking for.

"I know who you want, Avatar." she clarified, "Fen." she gave him a name, "She's at the washhouse." she gave a location as well, and Aang raised his hand up.

"Uh, well, could you take me to her?" he asked, and she nodded, gesturing for him to follow.

The woman led him further into their small shanty village, taking him to an open shed when he could see a few women scrubbing cloth and washing it down with water. Their expressions shifted to ones of surprise as they realised that the Avatar was standing in front of them.

"Fen." the older woman addressed them, "He's looking for you."

One of the women rose up, and looked at Aang nervously, "Me? Why me?"

"Because I know where your family is. Your husband and sons." he clarified, and her eyes widened.

"My little Shi and Ho? You know where they are?" she asked, her expression brightening at once.

"I do." he nodded, "Me and my friends made a promise to help find you." he explained, before cringing, "I'm sorry for taking so long... your family's in Gaochao. They're still waiting for you."

"That's... that's good to hear." she smiled at him, and he scrunched his lips up, wondering if Kuo's son, her nephew, was with her.

"Do you know where your nephew is? I was told he ran off... and he's been missing." he explained, and she shook her head.

"N-no..." she admitted, "Young Gao never ended up in the camp with me. I didn't realise he got separated." she conceded, before turning her eyes away, "Oh, Kuo and Lian must be so worried."

"I- I think they are." he mumbled, feeling more nervous as he realised he had no idea where he could be; he didn't want to forgo their promise, and he was sure that Sokka wouldn't either, "Maybe I can try and ask around. He could have gone and joined one of the rebel groups... that was what Kuo made it sound like he wanted to do."

"There's a few of those." she mumbled, "It's dangerous. I wouldn't want either of my sons doing that." she conceded, before stepping closer, "Is my husband alright?"

"He'll be missing you." he assured her of something that was clear enough; Tai's rather abrasive mood was no surprise once he learned that his wife, the mother of his two children, was missing, presumed captured by the Fire Nation, "But you can be reunited now." he assured her, "You should come with everyone who's going to Gaochao."

"We're leaving?" she asked the older woman who had accompanied Aang, and she shook her head.

"Well, I won't be. If those fighters who've been helping the Princess can give any of us a hand, they'll be escorting you to that town... I don't imagine it'd be an easy trip." she admitted, and Aang narrowed his eyes.

"I'm going to go speak with all the Earth Kingdom rebels, so that trip can be safer for everyone." he assured the woman with an eager smile, and she made a small smile back, seeming to appreciate his assurance.

"Thank you, Avatar." she gave him a curt bow, "I am sure that things might turn around here now that you're here." she admitted, and Aang scrunched up his lips, recalling what he'd been told about the attempt by Ozai's forces to reach the very base he was standing in.

"I- uh, hope they do. I still have to stop some bad people before it'll be really safe." he admitted, "Then this province will be free... and someday, the whole Earth Kingdom can be free." he smiled at her, "I promise."

"Well, I don't really care much about the Earth Kingdom." the old woman conceded, "Nobody here does... it hasn't done us much good, or protected us from the Fire Nation."

"I mean... maybe it'll become something better." he suggested, knowing that Azula wanted to work with him to reform the country, something that Bumi seemed to approve of as well, "The Earth Kingdom can improve itself... just like the Fire Nation can."

"Well, I sure hope it does." Fan admitted, "I've had enough of this war... and all this pointless suffering, all for us to be left homeless and starving."

"I don't want that for anyone." Aang assured her, before smiling, "Uh, I've got to go speak with Jianren... but I'll be back to explain how you can get to your family. How everyone can."

"Thank you, Avatar." she acknowledged him with a curt bow, and he chuckled.

"Please, just call me Aang." he tried to deflect from her overt formality, when it felt a little unseemly, given he'd gotten to know her family, and only wished to help them become whole again, even if didn't know when Kuo and Lian's son was.

He then turned around, pacing back towards the entrance to the small shanty village, knowing he ought to hurry up and get to Sokka, who was probably trying to organise something with Jianren at that very moment. Making his way back out to the centre, he saw all the peoples' eyes back on him, and though he gave a few waves, he continued on, not really knowing what to say to them. He had already assured them much, and until he got something solid from Jianren, then it wasn't going to help them any more to just talk about things. Continuing on, he made his way back into the army's encampment, which sprawled all around the walls of the base itself, in which the Earth Kingdom fighters had decided to camp themselves.

A few soldiers shot him some looks, but none of them even tried to speak, obviously not thinking it was their place, or perhaps, just not liking nor trusting him. He didn't blame them for thinking that way, knowing that the other nations were just as mistrustful of the Fire Nation; that two-way coldness was something he knew he would have to try and amend, as the nations couldn't be stuck fearing each other.

When he reached the gates, the guards standing duty immediately opened them for him, having recognised him from his tattoos; he gave them a curt wave and smile as he paced on through, turning to head towards the small camp that was located by the edge of the compound, between it and the warehouses where the army stored all their supplies that weren't in use. He could see a few of the fighters doing sets with each other, and he scrunched his lips up, wondering if they might be good practice partners to hone his earthbending; as good as a master Toph was, she was an indomitable opponent who he saw little chance beating until he had properly mastered her element.

At the centre of the camp, he could see the larger meeting tent, which was akin to the one Hakoda and the warriors had propped up on the beach, and he approached that, knowing it was where Sokka would be. When he got into the camp, many of the fighters looked at him with interest, given it was the first time he'd actually been inside of it; like most people, they were in awe of an Avatar, even if he was a mere child, though that was probably made more shocking by the fact he was the last of his people. Nobody had seen an Air Nomad in decades, after all, let alone somebody who could even airbend.

Stepping up to the flaps of the tent, two fighters stared him down, but they parted the fabric, giving a curt bow each, before he stepped inside, seeing Sokka speaking with Jianren, though he hadn't been able to hear their conversation until he got inside.

"So... I'm thinking you'll only need maybe ten men for this operation. It's only a few days there and a few days back." the Water Tribesman explained to him, before turning around, "Oh, hi Aang. I was just giving him the rundown."

"I got that." he nodded, "Will you help them?" he asked the leader, who crossed his arms.

"Well, my men can protect them just fine right here, but splitting our forces is something I don't usually do. We need a contingent here to assist the Princess in case of another attack, but... these are the people I swore to protect. My fighters probably know some of them... they won't refuse, if that's what you're worried about." he explained his thoughts on the matter, and Aang smiled.

"Well, that's good to hear. So, you'll go with it?" he asked, and Jianren nodded.

"I don't have many reasons not to, but we'll need a plan for resettling if those refugees in Gaochao want to come back. We can't just show up with a hundred or more commoners with no place to stay." he warned, Aang and Sokka both looking at each other.

"Azula might be able to provide some solutions." the Water Tribe warrior gave his opinion, which was essentially the same thing Aang had thought.

"There's a lot of supplies here that can help feed them... and there's material if they want to build things."

"I don't imagine many people would prefer to build a whole new village, but... it might be easier. A bigger community might be more prosperous in the end."

"That's what I was thinking." Sokka smirked, "My tribe has the same problem this area has. All the villages are small and widely spread apart, and it makes it harder to gather resources and for anyone to protect them. Putting a lot of people in a central location will definitely help them build things, and make the tools, goods and stuff they'll need if they want to rebuild those villages the Fire Nation ransacked."

"Well, that is a good argument." Jianren conceded, before turning his eyes to Aang, "So, Avatar, what's the plan with the other rebels?" he asked, and Aang raised a hand to his head, unsure exactly what he should do.

"I mean, I can go visit them, but I've got to focus on learning my earthbending at the moment. Until Ozai's supporters are kicked out of this part of the Earth Kingdom, we can't... we have to be ready."

"Yeah, I agree." Sokka nodded, placing a hand on his shoulder, "But don't worry, Aang. We're ready if they come back. I think you can spare the time to speak with them. Gaochao's only a day's flight away, after all." he reminded him of the relatively short distances he would have to go; it wasn't as if he needed to go all the way back to Omashu to gather support, or even to Ba Sing Se, at least not yet.

"I mean, we'll see. I think Azula's advice might help with this one." he conceded, and both Jianren and Sokka nodded along, seeming to agree.

"The Princess does have a good judgement when it comes to strategy, I will admit." the rebel leader conceded, before he let out a deep breath, "Well, I better go tell the men what we're going to do. Let people choose who wants to come along, and who wants to stay."

"Alright." the Water Tribesman nodded, before turning his eyes to Aang, "So... uh, what was the deal with you walking off earlier?"

"I went to look for Kuo's family." he explained, before smiling, "I found Tai's wife, actually." he explained, making Sokka's expression brighten at once.

"Oh, that's good news." he expressed his thoughts with a nearly giddy voice, before narrowing his eyes, "What about the son?"

"Uh... she doesn't know where he is. He wasn't with the others in the labour camp." he conceded, before scrunching his lips up, "She said his name was Gao... I don't know if that helps." he added another bit of information, and the Water Tribesman's eyes narrowed as he glanced out of the tent.

"Wait... it couldn't-" he mumbled, before pacing on out of the tent without another word, leaving Aang unsure as to why he had reacted so oddly to that revelation.

"Sokka?" he called out to him as he parted the flaps of the tent, noting he was walking out into the encampment, glancing around eagerly.

"Hey, have any of you seen Gao?" he asked out, making Aang raise a hand, a bit confused by what was going on.

"Wait... you're saying you know a Gao?" he asked, and Sokka nodded, before he received some directions in the form of a point; the Water Tribesman paced over in that direction, Aang not far behind.

When they reached the edge of the encampment, he watched as the Water Tribe boy approached one of the fighters, who was probably only about fourteen or fifteen, and looked up at him eagerly, "Oh, hi Sokka... did you want to spar again or something?"

"Uh, no I'm here about something else." he explained, before clearing his throat, "Could you tell me about your family?"

"My family- I- uh, I haven't seen them in like- two months. Three maybe? I lost count of the days." he conceded, sounding rather dejected, "But I joined Jianren and the others because I wanted to stop the Fire Nation. They're safe... I hope. Why are you asking?"

"What are your parents' names?" Aang asked, deciding that if Gao was really the same child of Kuo that he had learned about, then he'd give the answer he was expecting.

"Uh, my dad's called Kuo, and my mum Lian. Why are you asking?" he asked, and both Aang and Sokka looked at each other, surprised by the turn of events.

"We know- we helped your family." Sokka answered his question, "We helped them get to Gaochao... and I didn't even realise you were their son."

"W-wait, but how did you figure all this out? I didn't mention my family once to you." he asked, sounding suspicious, "Did you ask the others or something?"

"No, I found your aunt." Aang clarified, "Fen." he gave her name, and Gao's eyes widened.

"So she's alright." his expression brightened, "I knew they took her... but I didn't have any way to help her, or any of the other people they took." he admitted, sounding rather regretful of his inaction, "But... that's good to hear. So, that means she's with those people in the camp?" he asked, Aang nodding.

"Yeah, and now the fighters are going to escort them to Gaochao. You can see your family again, if that's what you want." he suggested, and Gao smiled.

"Thank you." he simply thanked them, stepping closer to both, "I didn't realise I was so close... I thought I'd have to look through all the records to find Auntie Fen."

"Well, I would have helped with that, if you'd asked." Sokka assured him, before smiling, "I'm happy to know who you are... your family are good people. I mean, your dad and sister did nearly stab me... but they had a good reason." he admitted with such a straight, deadpan tone that Gao could barely contain his laughter.

"Oh, yeah, that does sound like them." he admitted, before grimacing, "Oh... now I feel bad. I knew I could- I ought to have just stayed."

"Well, you did a good job with Jianren. There mightn't have been any land for your family to come back to if Ozai's goons had taken over." he suggested, making Gao shake his head.

"I'm not that important." he tried to downplay his role, but Sokka seemed to be sticking to his view.

"No, you're not. Nobody is... but together, we make a difference. You help somebody, they help somebody else, and suddenly, your little good deed saves the world."

"I mean, with you it's only like a step away." Gao conceded, "You're standing here with the Avatar, serving the future Fire Lord as her personal advisor. You're actually important, man."

"No, not really." he shook his head, "I'm just a guy with a boomerang." he assured him, pulling said weapon off his back, eyeing it for a second, before pointing it towards Gao's chest, "Seriously, you can do a lot, but you can't do it alone."

"That's why I'm here." he conceded, and Aang smiled, realising that that truth was the same for all of them.

"Yeah, that's why we're all here." the Avatar agreed with the sentiment, before turning to face Sokka, "Should we go back and tell Azula about this?"

"Definitely." he nodded, before eyeing Gao, "Are you going to see your aunt?" he asked him, the boy immediately turning his heels.

"Yes! Yes I am." he confirmed as he paced away, "Thank you!" he farewelled them with a wave, and the two boys looked back at each other, before Aang glanced towards the nearby compound.

"I didn't expect this." he conceded quietly, "Do you think Azula will be okay with them leaving?" he asked his friend, who scrunched his lips up, seeming unsure of himself.

"Well, it's good if we can get those running Gaochao on side, and especially if they see that she wants to help them. The people will see, soon enough." he declared confidently, "Let's get going."

The two boys then paced out of the fighter's encampment, heading towards the gates of the compound; Aang didn't know exactly what the others were up to at that very moment, though he was guessing that Katara and Toph might have been sparring, since they suggested something like that at breakfast.

"So... uh, are you going to train your earthbending?" Sokka asked him, and the young Air Nomad mulled over his answer for a few moments, before smiling.

"Well, I'd like to. I prefer learning over... uh, Toph throwing rocks at me."

"Can't you learn from that?" he asked him, making Aang cringe.

"Would you have wanted to learn chi-blocking with lessons... instead of Azula beating you up?"

"I mean..." he mumbled, before sighing, "Actually, no you've got a point." he conceded to Aang's argument, before shaking his head, "But sparring's still good. It gets you ready for when you face the real thing."

"I'm not-" he began, before he remembered what Azula was planning to do, and perhaps, the main reason Bumi and men like Jianren were willing to support her- getting rid of the Dai Li, a group of highly trained, extremely dangerous earthbenders, "Well, yeah, I do need the practice."

"Exactly." he smiled at him, patting him on the back, "That's the mindset you need."

"What about you?" Aang decided to ask, guessing that he must have had something to do.

"Uh, just airship stuff. Major Chui- he's the guy leading all of it- he can use my advice."

"What do you know about technology?" the Avatar questioned him, unsure what speciality he had that could really help with that.

"Uh... I learn quickly." he simply responded, not really giving an answer; Sokka probably just wanted to have something to do, given Azula wasn't in the middle of trying to conquer or liberate some place.

"So... nothing fun?" he asked, and the Water Tribesman just let out a huff, seeming amused by his question.

"Engineering is fun. There's always problems, or something to consider. Bigger, smaller, wider, longer. Things need to be made as efficient as they can... and I like doing that." he argued, before raising his arms up, "Just like my exercise regime. Gotta stay in shape so I can beat some ash-makers." he declared, making Aang snicker, realising that there was a good reason Azula and him got along so well; they were both obsessed with putting things in order, and making sure everything was perfect.

"Does Azula make you do that... or do you really just like plans that much?" he asked, and Sokka shrugged his shoulders.

"Hey, she's gotten me into some good habits, what can I say." he acknowledged, complimenting his girlfriend instead of trying to justify his orderliness.

As they approached the gates of the compound, the guards standing duty immediately moved to pull them open, allowing Aang and Sokka to stride right inside; the young Avatar noted that Katara and Toph were sitting over in the courtyard, which had been torn up, presumably by Toph's earthbending. The Water Tribe girl turned to notice their arrival, and waved, the pair doing the same while Toph almost ignored them, raising her hand only for a moment.

"Did you want to do some practice, Aang?" Katara called out to him, and he nodded, deciding that he ought to do some, "Uh, are you just gonna tell Azula what's happening?" he asked, and the Water Tribe warrior chuckled.

"Yeah, yeah, I won't stop you from splashing around." he assured him in jest before he paced on into the compound; Aang's gaze turned to Katara, who had two buckets of water, beside her and Toph, probably so they could cool off after training.

"What's the deal?" the Earth Kingdom girl spoke up, "You and Sokka do something other than just 'be polite to former prisoners'?" she asked, her emphasis on their goal seeming rather mean coming from somebody who was trying to defend her own country.

"Um..." he mumbled, scratching his scalp for a moment, "Well, we found some people we were looking for... and we're planning to help them get to Gaochao, so they can organise the other refugees. They should be able to rebuild their villages, and Sokka was saying they could even build a new town here, seeing that the Fire Nation is gonna leave... eventually."

"Uh-huh." Toph nodded along, before furrowing a brow, "Doesn't Azula need us around for that whole Shengchang thing?"

"We're not going." Aang assured her, "Some of Jianren's fighters could go."

"Uh, but Aang... what were you saying? You found some people?" she asked, "You mean Kuo's family?"

He nodded, "Yeah, that's right. I was able to find Tai's wife... and then, Sokka realised that Kuo's son was actually one of Jianren's fighters that he'd befriended." he explained, making the Water Tribe girl gasp.

"Seriously?" she almost scoffed, before glancing away, "I guess they really didn't give us much details. They just wanted the prisoners freed." she conceded, "So, I guess that means we can fulfil our promise."

"Yeah, that's the idea." he nodded, "I'm not going to just let these people sit around, split from their families. If we can do something, we should."

"Well, you just said you won't be doing anything." Toph reminded him, and he cringed for a moment.

"Uh, yeah... I mean, I'm not going to leave the base unless I have to. Azula needs me so we can go and..." he trailed off, before striking a pose, "Do diplomacy!" he exclaimed, "That's what the Avatar's supposed to be good at, at least, that's what she said."

"I think she's just trying to get you to do her own work for her." the Earth Kingdom girl warned him, and Katara shook her head.

"No, no, I think she's right. Aang's meant to be the one who can bring balance between the nations. Diplomacy's got to be the best way to do it... even if we do have to fight."

"Well, fighting's easier." Toph argued, cracking her knuckles before she got up from the ground, "Are you and Twinkletoes gonna go at it or what?"

"I meant practice waterbending, not sparring." the Water Tribe girl corrected her, before rising up to her feet, "Unless you want to spar." she suggested.

Aang reached his hand towards one of the water buckets, ready to draw out the water; Katara must have seen it coming, and threw her left hand away from the other bucket drawing out the water into a coil that surrounded her.

"Well, come on then." she prodded him, and the Avatar moved into form, getting some water for himself while Toph stepped back, clapping her hands eagerly.

"Oh, this is gonna be good, I can feel it."

---

Toph found that training the Avatar of all people was more frustrating than anything, given that he wasn't raised with the same kind of understanding of her own element; admittedly, she had learned from badgermoles of all sources, and given they couldn't speak, Aang had a serious advantage with Toph as his master. However, that old airbender mindset was still getting in the way of things; even as he bent earth, he always used it sparingly, tossing boulders to deflect her own or moving her off her own footing rather than going in for a hard hit.

It was either he was too much of a wuss to actually practice properly, or he didn't want to accidentally hurt her, like he had Katara back one time, which Toph found hilarious at the time, though now it only seemed like she hadn't paid enough attention to it. The conclusions she could draw from his behaviour were numerous, but the desired end result was him putting his all into his earthbending.

"Come on." she prodded him, "I want to see you actually try and hit me." she spoke her mind, and the young Avatar let out a nervous chuckle.

"Uh, I've been trying." he tried to lie to her, but she could see right through that.

"You've been trying to spar, without trying to hit me. I couldn't call any other strategy more 'airbender' than that one."

"I mean, it works." he crossed his arms, and she rolled her eyes.

"It's not going to help you master earthbending, Twinkletoes." she retorted, before moving into form, "Are you going to put in your all or what?" she questioned him, the young Avatar tensing up as he stepped back, readying himself for a potential attack.

She pulled out some earth from behind him, and shot it towards herself, aiming to hit him right in the back; Aang sensed it coming, and drew himself down into the ground below himself, causing the rock to continue flying right towards her. Being in complete control of her bending, unlike a novice like Aang, she was easily able to halt the mass of soil, and clenched her fist to harden it as she moved it back over him, ready to drop it on the young Avatar as soon as he reappeared. He hadn't tried to move around underground, as she would have instantly sensed it, but she could sense that he was still moving, probably trying to consider his next move.

"Gonna do something?!" she shouted out, wondering if he could even hear her that well underground.

Suddenly, she did sense him earthbending, and Toph realised it was the earth shifting beneath her own feet; he snagged her soles into the ground, which didn't stop her from sensing his next move, where he shot himself out of the ground, ripping up the soil while she tried to counter him, aiming to whack him with the boulder she had in place. He just shattered it with his own bending, however, and now, she couldn't sense him, making Toph tense up as she realised she might actually have to raise up some defences.

She threw her right hand up, creating a wall of earth in front of her, which she sensed Aang jump onto, before leaping back onto the ground, not trying to jump over her, as she imagined he might; Toph scrunched up her lips, wondering what his next move was, but she decided to cut any of his plans short by using his own trick against him, snagging his feet into the ground. She flinched back as, suddenly, the wall she created was split in two, each half flung away, leaving only open air between the two of them, but after that, a few moments of silence fell between them, and neither made a move.

"Too scared?" she prodded the Avatar, who shot his arms out; she didn't get what he was trying to do, until she realised that the soil beneath their feet had quickly liquified, causing her to fall down flat on her face as she sunk into it.

Bending the dirt around her to solidify it once more, she sensed as Aang leapt forward, probably thinking he could take her while she was distracted; she bent some earth around her right hand, using it as a glove to defend against what she realised was a jab. He let out a rather pained grunt, obviously not expecting to whack solid earth, but instead of retreating or coming up with another plan, he whacked the earthen gauntlet again, this time bending it into dust, allowing him to grab her hand.

"Need a hand, Sifu Toph?" he asked her with a smug voice, and she gripped his hand tightly, deciding she wouldn't even need earthbending to beat him.

"Thank you." she replied, before throwing his arm down to the ground, somersaulting so he was forced face-first into the dirt; he grunted as she let go, shaking the dirt out of her hair as she sensed his splayed figure on the ground in front of her.

"Heh, heh, not so smug now, are you, Twinkletoes?" she prodded him, just amused by how he had gone about fighting him, "Your form is good... but I want you to actually beat me... or anybody." she admitted, before scrunching her lips up, "Those fighters Azula allied with are good enough. You can fight them." she decided, Aang pulling himself up from the ground as he dusted the dirt off his face and robes.

"You didn't have to-" he began, before shaking his head, "Fine, let's try that instead." he accepted her proposition with no argument; Aang wasn't the one to get into arguments, from what she could tell, unless he had some personal investment in the topic, unlike Katara, who seemed eager to argue about something if anyone had any kind of differing opinion on a given matter.

"What, you really don't want to hit me that bad?" she prodded him, "Trust me, you can't hurt me." she assured him, knowing that he was far too cautious with his bending to really pose a threat to her, even if his ingenuity was impressive; his fighting smarts didn't translate to sparring victories, so it didn't mean much.

"I don't want to hurt you. You've meant to be training me to fight other people... not you." he reminded her, glancing around, "And I guess sparring with multiple people is good practice."

"It certainly is." she nodded, before moving back into form, deciding that she'd clear up the field before she went and asked the fighters if they'd volunteer to join their sparring session.

She raised her right hand up, sensing the ripped up soil around them, before she dropped it, forcing it back down into a relatively flat form, before she tensed her grip, hardening the soil back into the expected hardness. She didn't want to accidentally create a sandy surface for people to sink into, no matter how amusing it might have seemed, as she herself could fall foil to that; though she had had limited experience with it, sand happened to be the one form of earth she struggled to bend effectively, being structured so finely that she found it hard to get a grip of, and more so, sense through it.

Turning her attention back towards Aang, "Okay, are you ready, Twinkletoes?" she asked him, the young Air Nomad cautiously stepping closer.

"Uh, yeah, I guess I am." he confirmed, and she sensed off in the distance, towards the encampment where the fighters were at present, though she couldn't sense any of them training.

The two of them then paced on off towards the camp, Toph not wasting any time in dawdling around; she hated wasting her time just doing stupid things like walking, even if she could find it useful to calm herself down if she got stressed, just like how she used her earthbending. Teaching Aang wasn't too stressful, as annoying as his airbender mindset got at times; his willingness to learn, however, kept her confident that he'd overcome his present issue, even if it took a lot of sets, lessons and sparring to get that earthbender mindset into him.

"So... uh, got any plans for today?" Aang asked her, his attempt at small talk somewhere between amusing and outright embarrassing.

"Training you." she told him what he already knew, "But, getting a kick out of watching these guys beat you... that's now on my list." she noted with a smirk, finding a little pleasure in seeing the little Air Nomad finally get into a proper fight- she'd wanted to see what he was capable of, outside of his deflection skills.

"Uh..." he mumbled, the awkwardness noticeable purely from his posture as he stepped slightly further away from her, "I mean, like after training." he clarified his initial question, and she shrugged her shoulders.

"Well, there's not much for me to do here. Maybe I can annoy the Princess about strategy... and goad her into sparring me." she suggested her next course of action, making Aang snicker.

"You keep talking about that... but you haven't made any progress." he noted, seeming a little amused, "So, are you scared of her, Toph?"

"No, of course not." she retorted, not finding the Princess intimidating in the slightest; she knew they were allies, so there was little chance Azula would go all out when it came to a spar anyway, "Azula's not going to shoot me with lightning." she argued, though the lack of an immediate reaction from Aang told her that he doubted that.

"Well, she won't shoot you... maybe the ground. Or right above you." he suggested some possibilities, "Either way, I get being scared by her... she might be really helpful, but she is definitely a danger to whoever we're gonna fight."

"That's a good thing." Toph piped up, "That means we're as safe as a badgermole in a cave."

"That sounds pretty safe." he acknowledged, before a few moments of silence passed between them, "But bounty hunters don't chase badgermoles, do they?"

"Maybe poachers... but they're gonna get crushed if they do." she warned him, making him laugh, albeit nervously.

"Well, I guess we're lucky we have so many master benders." he admitted, "Nobody's safer."

"You're the most powerful bender around, don't forget that." she reminded him, "I mean, you're not doing anything like in the legends of Avatar Kyoshi or anything just yet... but I think you have the potential."

"Uh, thanks, Sifu." he acknowledged with a curt bow, his heart rate rising a little from her comment; she was unsure what exactly to make of that, wondering if perhaps he doubted himself, or simply was embarrassed from her inadvertent compliment, "I'll try my hardest to be a good student."

"Well, you've done good so far. Just make me proud and whack these fighters good... if they're willing to play along, that is." she noted a potential roadblock; she hoped they would spar with Aang, and not be afraid of his strength purely because he was the Avatar- as well-trained fighters, they could go toe-to-toe with a novice earthbender like Aang, despite his innate skill.

"They seem nice enough, and plus, they're not really doing much." he noted, gesturing ahead of them, "It must be their day off."

"From what? Being glorified builders?"

"Hey, earthbending's really useful for that. I don't think it's a waste of their skills." he gave his own opinion on that role, which made her narrow her eyes.

"What, would you like it if airbenders only job was to cool and heat the air of some nobles' houses?" she asked him, and he cringed at her suggestion, before turning his eyes away.

"Uh... I can see your point." he mumbled, before scrunching his lips up, "I wonder whether airbending will help with the airship." he gave a thought which amused her, given that he was the only airbender around.

"Let's hope not, because there's only one of you." she warned, "You don't want to be Azula's chauffeur, do you?"

"I already am... I mean, Appa is." he clarified, Toph humming with interest, realising that the Princess and her little group had only been able to achieve as much as they had with the help of Aang and Appa; it wasn't just the boy being the Avatar, but his use of the fastest method of transportation there was.

As they got closer to the fighters' encampment, a few of them turned around to face them, and waved out to the pair, "Good day, Avatar." one of them addressed the boy beside her, "Did you need something?"

"Uh... well, we wanted to ask if-" he began, before Toph decided to take control of the conversation and get it over with quickly.

"Aang here's a little wuss, and he won't hit me back when I'm sparring him, so I want some of you to help rough him up... or let him rough you up." she explained her idea, before offering a hand towards them, "So what do you say?"

"Eh, I guess we can ask around." one of them conceded, "It's been a while since we've had a good spar, right?" he asked his comrades, who seemed to approve, before he cleared his throat, "So, anyone up for it?"

A few of them elected to raise their hands, before glancing back towards the centre of the encampment; one of them cleared her throat, "How about I go ask the others... get us a little team to spar against the Avatar with." she suggested, and the others nodded, before she paced off to go do just that.

"So, uh, where do you usually spar?" Aang asked them, one pointing towards the area just adjacent to their camp.

Over there Toph could sense some fencing, which told her they must have had a set area for training and sparring, just like she had back in New Omashu; that was mostly because they didn't want to accidentally start causing structural problems in the surrounding tunnels, so they elected to keep their fighting in a single place.

"So, what's the worst you've faced?" she decided to ask, "Other than a massive Fire Nation Army, that is." she recalled what both Azula and Major Zhi had detailed to her.

"Fire Nation elite forces." one of them spoke up, "Two years ago, just after the fall of Ba Sing Se, they sent a lot more soldiers into this area, trying to get rid of us... but we didn't give up. So, the sent these mounted guys. The Rowdy Rhinos... was it?" he asked his comrades, who laughed at him.

"No, no, it was the Rancid Rhinos." one of them jokingly responded.

"Aren't they called the Rough Rhinos?" Toph asked, having heard of that group from Ying, who had had to face said group when they tried raiding the lands around Omashu, a while before the Fire Nation's occupation.

"Uh, yeah, those guys." the first fighter confirmed, "They're a tough bunch... and they tried to draw us out by attacking an innocent village... they'd been paying their taxes, letting the Fire Nation move through and stay when necessary. Not that we wanted them to, but they had no choice. Then... they forced our hand."

"So you fought 'em." she concluded, "And you won." she guessed, the fighters nodding along.

"It was a struggle, a tough one. They're not like any Fire Nation soldiers... but the Princess' guards gave them a run for their money." one of them conceded, before gesturing towards the fenced off sparring ground, "Anyway, are we going to do this, or what?"

"Yes, yes we are." Aang confirmed, grabbing Toph by the arm, "Come on, Sifu." he prodded her, making Toph huff as she followed after him towards the sparring grounds, a little amused by his eagerness; she wasn't intending to partake in the sparring, simply there to critique Aang's form and give him advice so he could improve.

He wasn't going to become a better earthbender by avoiding chances to hit her, but he would when he was faced by a bunch of skilled earthbenders he didn't probably care too much about, even if he didn't want to hurt them. She was counting on his emotional distance with the fighters to make sure she could get a fight out of him.

"Alright, Twinkletoes. Don't just break all their boulders. I want you giving people... some light injuries... or at least some strong restraints." she warned him, making one of the fighters who had joined them laugh.

"Oh, restraints?" he asked them, obviously doubting they could be beaten by their own element, "We're not novices."

"Restraints are just a distraction... not the end-game." Toph retorted, knowing that she never used them to defeat her fellow earthbenders; the threat of being swallowed by the earth below them or being crushed by pillars was a little less intimidating for anyone with a good handle for their element, "That's what boulders are for. Knocking you out." she explained, flicking her wrist up to pull a bit of dirt out of the ground, before tossing it at the fighter who had bragged about the group's skill; he was fast enough to shatter the boulder, and snickered.

"You're fast, girl." he noted, "Are all fourteen year olds as good as you?"

"None are better." she retorted confidently, knowing that nobody her age could earthbend like her, though she was hoping to make Aang's skills comparable.

He could never be as good, but good enough to destroy Ozai and one of his armies with earthbending alone was good enough, and that was considering that the Avatar had the advantage of the incomparable strength of the Avatar State, something that made ordinary benders like herself pale in comparison.

"Give him a real fight." she suggested to the fighters, before pushing Aang towards the fenced off sparring grounds, "Go ahead." she told him, and the young Air Nomad stepped on inside, glancing back at the fighters, who followed him inside, moving to surround him on all sides.

"So... uh, one at a time?" he nervously asked out, and the fighters just took form.

"Don't hurt him too bad. I need him to keep practicing his forms." she warned the fighters, which seemed to scare Aang, as his heartbeat noticeably increased; there were a few moments of silence, and she sensed behind herself, noting some more fighters were coming around.

"Oh, you're already starting?" the woman from earlier addressed the fighters, who didn't verbally respond, moving to gesture to each other, something that didn't make much sense to Toph; hand signals weren't really too useful when she could barely sense the shapes they were trying to form.

It was only a few moments before the fighters thrust their hands towards the Avatar, creating pillars of earth to try and ensnare him; Aang, having dealt with such tactics from Toph herself before, pre-empted them by creating a pillar underneath his feet, causing them to hit that instead of him. He then ripped out two pillars that had come his way, tossing them back at their creators, who ripped them into dirt, which she could sense splattering over the ground around them.

The fighters didn't relent to continue trying to trap the Avatar, who responded by jumping up and out of the way, leaping about, just as she expected him to with his airbender mindset. It was what followed that interested her more, with Aang trapping a few of the fighters in the ground with his own earthbending, while they failed to do the same, probably due to his impressive agility, which came part in parcel with his airbending.

He then pulled clumps of dirt out from the ground, condensing them as he tossed them at the fighters, whacking a few back, or simply distracting them by forcing them to shatter the small boulders. He clearly wasn't aiming to hurt them all too much, but she could see that he was being far more proactive now that he was facing so many opponents at once.

When he ran back around to the pile of pillars, he ripped out another pillar, tossing that towards some of the fighters, incidentally in Toph's own direction, forcing her to pull up a wall of earth just in case some fragments came her way. From the feeling of fragments falling on the ground around her, she assumed the fighters tore it apart, and continued to observe his fast-paced attacks, ripping out more pillars to use as his weapons against them; none of them seemed to land, given how out-numbered he was, and given that the fighters had to only focus on him.

She realised this way of sparring may have been a little unfair, even if it was realistic when considering a threat like the Dai Li, so she decided to offer Aang a tip, "I said think like an earthbender, not to just run around!" she chided him, knowing that if he properly utilised the training she'd given him, he'd be able to figure out a better strategy that wasn't just evading their traps and throwing stone pillars whenever he had the chance.

He suddenly stopped, perhaps considering her advice, and when the fighters came to trap him again by pulling him into the earth, he actually went along with it, making her jaw drop, unsure why he'd just give in like that. She could sense that he'd been pulled under the earth, but she noticed that he still had a cavity of air with him, making her wonder whether it was really a surrender or something else entirely. Her shock turned to humour as she realised he was digging tunnels under the ground, all around him, snaking out from his little cavity.

"Oh... I did tell you how to see, didn't I?" she whispered to herself, knowing that Aang couldn't hear her, but certain he had learned one lesson well enough; his eyes and ears weren't the only tools he had in sensing his opponents.

"Come out!" one of the fighters shouted at him, "Unless this is your weird way of surrendering." he conceded a possibility, before turning to face Toph, "Is he surrendering?"

"I don't know." she feigned ignorance, "Better dig down and find out." she gestured in the general direction she knew Aang was, and the earthbenders stepped closer, moving into form, ready to try and draw him out from the ground.

When one of them tried to earthbend him out of the ground, he was suddenly thrown off of his feet by a pillar, making the other fighters look at their comrade, who landed on his behind, clearly shocked by what had just happened, their heartbeats racing as their heads jutted around, perhaps fearing they could be next.

"What are you waiting for?!" he shouted at his comrades, "Get him already!" he demanded, and they all moved into form.

However, they incorrectly assumed that Aang had tunneled underneath the fighter, and used their bending to rip up the ground around the pillar, which only seemed to further distract them as she sensed Aang continuing his moves, grabbing one of the fighters by her leg, pulling it into the ground. Before she could try and bend Aang's way, he'd used his grip to knock her over by whacking her in the back, throwing her face first into the ground.

He moved his focus onto another earthbender, who had moved to attack his actual position, ripping up the ground of the sparring area in an attempt to reveal Aang so he could be easily ensnared by the other fighters. Aang, obviously still not wanting to face them directly, decided to draw himself further into the ground, before he used the fighter's plan against him, whacking him in the back with a small pillar so he was thrown right into the trench he had dug in the process.

Toph gave her student a clap of approval, holding back laughter as the fighters continued ripping up the sparring ground, only making it harder for any of them to see when Aang was going to earthbend at them. Though his seismic sense was nowhere near accurate enough to allow him to properly fight the earthbenders, he could harass them to his heart's content; she hadn't imagined he'd enjoy the trickery as much as she guessed he was, but she wouldn't complain.

The young Air Nomad did eventually leap out of the earth, landing on the ground before he drew up walls around him, which sufficiently blocked the rocks the fighters tossed his way, though they seemed to crumble with relative ease, leaving him exposed. Instead of going back under the ground, Aang bent the earth around him, and ripped the fragments of rock and dirt apart into what she guessed was a fine dust or even sand, though it was hard for her to sense exactly what. She did understand quickly enough, however, what his intentions were as he raced into the cloud of dust he must have created around himself, ready to take down the fighters, one by one, while they were distracted and effectively blinded by his move.

Toph, however, with her seismic sense, got the full show of Aang's skills as he created pillars of earth, knocking fighters off of their feet, before he'd bend the boulders they were trying to attack him with right back at them, unable to see when he was coming for them. Some tried to move into a defensive formation, creating walls around themselves to try and block Aang off; this wasn't going to work, obviously, as he was sensing their position through their movements, and earthbending only made them far more obvious.

One by one, he'd strike the fighters back into their own defences with a pillar or two of earth, though they quickly recovered; his strategy did quickly wear thin as she assumed the dust settled and they removed their defences, going on the offensive, forcing Aang to either go underground, or dare to use his skilful use of leaping and dodging, which she didn't imagine would go down with a bunch of rocks getting thrown his way. He decided, intelligently, on the former, going back under the surface, though the fighters weren't playing around, immediately bending the ground where he was to try and ensnare him; Aang held them off for a few moments, before she sensed the earth swallowing him.

Without much of a choice, he shot out a bit of earth, probably just so he could have some air to breathe, before he forced his arms free, bending a dome of earth around himself, presumably both to defend himself and allow him to have a bigger air bubble. The dome held off a few boulders, before he was forced to draw himself deeper into the ground, lest he face the exact same problem again. Toph eagerly leaned forward, sensing as he dug himself a tunnel, small enough so that he could crouch, under the wrecked surface of the sparring grounds.

"Does he give up at this stupid badgermole game?" one of the fighters asked her, making Toph cackle, almost impressed Aang was being compared to her very masters; tunnelling underneath one's foes was something badgermoles did, though the Avatar was probably thinking it was a good idea because he liked to avoid fighting directly, not because he was inspired by the first earthbenders.

When he threw another fighter off their feet with a pillar, the other fighters immediately bent at Aang's original position, trying once more to pull him out of the ground, when it fact, he was still digging his tunnel, now moving to bend at another few fighters, who were drawn into the ground as he bent a pit, making them immediately thrash about, shattering the ground around them, and forcing Aang to scurry backwards as his little tunnel began to cave in.

"Come on, can't somebody find him already?" she prodded the fighters, who responded by all drawing out a pillar each from the ground, taking the base as deep as they could, one luckily snagging part of Aang's tunnel, before they hammered the pillars back down into the ground, leaving her student with only a narrow stretch of tunnel.

He responded by creating his own pillars, probably a bit scared, if not angry that he nearly got hammered by a solid five or so feet of earth; these were less accurate than before, showing that he wasn't as focused, and he only hit two of the earthbenders, and they quickly pulled themselves back up. He must have had enough, as a few moments later, he ripped the earth above him apart so he could leap out of the pit, this time airbending as he blasted the loose dirt and dust away from himself, before he raised his hands up.

"Okay, you guys win... I was about to get crushed." he conceded, seeming more than a little nervous.

"Yeah that's what would have happened in a real fight." one of the fighters warned him, before he stepped closer, "Did you want a rematch?"

"Uh..." he mumbled, seeming unsure if he wanted to face off against that many earthbenders by himself; though Toph thought she was more than capable of doing that herself, Aang was a novice, barely trained enough to use his earthbending in a fight, albeit a very strong on.

"I won't be annoyed, Aang." Toph spoke up, knowing he'd earned a bit of reprieve, "You did well... for a little scrappy Air Nomad."

"How long has the kid been learning earthbending for, anyway?" One of the older fighters asked her, and she scrunched her lips up.

"About a month... not even." she explained, and she could tell from the sudden shifts in posture that that came as a surprise.

"A month?" another scoffed, "He can snag us underground like he's some badgermole, and he's only been learning for a month. Avatars must really have it easy." she dejectedly gave her thoughts, perhaps wishing she could have learned as easily

"I guess I do." he conceded, "I did become a master airbender at eleven." he added more quietly.

"Is that how you got those tattoos?" she asked Aang, making Toph turn her head, wondering what they were actually like.

"Yeah it is." he confirmed, "Most Air Nomads get them... just not when they're eleven."

She didn't understand them and never imagined she would, just like writing, but the concept made enough sense. She found it surprising enough that Air Nomads were just expected to get those markings to represent their mastery, which would be with them forever; earthbenders like herself just had to prove their power with actual examples, which made more sense for her.

Practical things were always her style, and his sparring gave some good evidence to her ideal; he barely resorted to trying out seismic sense when sparring with her, even though it'd level the playing field considerably, but the danger of all those earthbenders attacking him at once forced him to. Showing him forms and techniques wouldn't ever amount to much if it wasn't forced to use them, given Aang would most likely resort to airbending in a proper fight.

"Well, we could always just help you practice your forms. Or... You can just follow our exercises." another of the fighters suggested, before hammering his hands together, shaking the ground beneath himself, causing it to flatten and harden, something Toph could easily notice, "Let's just fix up the sparring area first."

As the earthbenders all moved into form, Aang stepped back on over to Toph, stepping around the debris left over from the spar; she crossed her arms, unsure if he wanted to talk about something, or simply to get out of the way while the others cleaned. He did contribute a little, stomping his foot right in front of her to flatten the debris around them into the ground.

"Tryin' to scare me, Twinkletoes? Not gonna work." she warned him, and he didn't laugh, but she could hear the smile in his voice.

"I can't scare you, Sifu... I don't want to."

"Not even for a joke?" she queried, and made him tilt his head slightly to the side, seeming to consider her question.

"Well... I do like jokes." he conceded, before he placed a hand on her shoulder, "I think the only thing that can scare you is getting you away from the ground... but flying on Appa isn't funny. It's just what we do."

"Hopefully not much now that we're here." she voiced her own opinion, "I'd prefer to just stay here." she gestured to the ground below her feet.

"I mean, if that was the only way I could see the world, then I'd never want to leave it either." he conceded his own view on the matter, which aligned with her own.

"Nobody wants to be blind." she stated something obvious, "But I don't need my eyes. Earthbending is just better."

"And what if you want to read?" he asked, obviously knowing she couldn't do so; despite knowing the benefits that might come from written texts, she knew that they were inaccessible to herself, and she had gotten by in life fine from verbal instruction or following by example, the badgermoles being a rather obvious example of the latter.

"I never do." she retorted, "I prefer practical explanations, if they're necessary." she explained, before gesturing ahead of herself, towards the sparring ground, which was quickly being smoothed over by the fighters, "This was a great example."

"Huh, I guess you're right." he agreed with a chipper tone, before slapping her on the back, something that she herself was considering to do to him, "So, are you gonna spar too or what?"

"No, I'm here to train you. Sparring is for challenges."

"I can be a challenge." he argued, making her chuckle.

"I was thinking more about Azula." she clarified what she was trying to say, "You're my student... I'll literally know all your moves."

"I can make up my own." he argued with confidence, before pacing back into the sparring grounds, "I'll show you!" he almost shouted, and the fighters turned to look at him as he took an earthbending form; he spun himself around, his haste suggesting he was airbending as well when he began to run towards her.

Instead of trying to throw something at her, or bend the ground beneath her feet, Aang instead threw his hands up in succession, quickly earthbending pillars, each higher than the last, allowing him to run up them like a set of stairs; Toph sensed as he got closer and closer, and she bent up two fragments of earth to defend herself against his potential attack, holding them above herself. When Aang disappeared from her senses, jumping into the air, she sensed as he tried to bend the earth beneath her feet; she immediately liquified the soil, and created a pillar in front of her, trying to hit Aang by firing it into the air.

She didn't seem to hit him, as she only heard a tap, as his foot presumably struck the pillar. Knowing he'd be landing behind her, Toph readied the two shields she'd been holding up, and aimed to toss them right where he was set to land; without his staff, he couldn't glide, so it wasn't hard for her to guess. When she tossed them, she held her breath for a moment, sensing something touching the ground right when she guessed Aang would; it took a moment for it to click, but he hadn't touched the ground, but instead some boulder had, large enough and heavy enough that she'd mistake it for his body. This distraction was enough, however, as she felt herself slammed into the ground by a blast of air; frustratingly enough, liquifying the ground around her to stop him from trapping her feet only made her footing weaker, and when she tried to get back up, she sensed Aang finally touch down on the ground.

"Ha, what did you think, Sifu?" he asked her eagerly, making Toph raise a brow; he had surprised her with his quick thinking, and though he had airbent, it wasn't the thing that ultimately got her guard down- he did know how to earthbend, and now, he was thinking like one.

"You waited for me to think you were on the ground to time your attack... after I got rid of my defences." she observed what he'd done, "That was far smarter than hiding underground."

"Well, that'd never work for you. You'd always know where I am."

"I thought I did just then." she conceded, knowing that she had thought he was more predictable than he actually was.

"This kid is no joke." one of the fighters acknowledged, "But would you like to see some forms now?" he asked, the Avatar turning himself around before he gave a resolute bow.

"That would be very helpful, thank you." he politely accepted the offer, "I have a lot to learn... but I think I get how earthbenders fight now." he explained his thoughts, and he offered Toph a hand, "You're a really good master."

"Better than that old waterbender?" she asked, and he tilted his head slightly.

"I prefer this... it's more fun. He didn't like fun."

"Earthbending isn't meant to be all fun." she warned him, and the young Air Nomad just giggled.

"Oh, but I'm gonna make it fun!"

---

There was something majestic about large works of engineering, like bridges, towers and machines that made the curious little boy inside Sokka squeal with excitement. However, despite his eagerness to watch as their new airship was to be revealed, he kept his cool, not wanting Azula or anyone else for that matter to think he was any more immature than they already imagined. So, he stayed quiet, his hands grasping the railing of the ship they were standing on, waiting for the prototype to be launched; the first proper test flight was about to occur, and though he'd wanted to be onboard, Azula prodded him into simply witnessing it and letting the engineers handle the piloting process.

The airship had taken weeks to construct, but finally, he could see the fruits of his labour; though it wasn't his invention, the design in part was his own, and he had made sure the engineers got exactly what they needed, asking Azula for any resources to be allocated to their construction efforts. That all paid off, as now he was about to show off their greatest weapon, or at least, the potential for their greatest weapon.

A fleet of airships didn't exist yet, but they had the technology for it, and as long as War Minister Qin didn't somehow escape the North Pole and warn Ozai about Azula's plans with them, he couldn't see how they could reasonably be stopped. He was pretty sure that Qin guy wanted to help Azula anyways, though time would tell once they had that prisoner exchange and made even with the Northern Water Tribe. He wasn't looking forward to that interaction, if only because of how they viewed his own people; he expected that kind of arrogance from the Fire Nation, not from the people he expected to look out for and assist his own.

Azula must have noticed his slight snarl, and she snapped a finger to get his attention, "What, did you really want to get on the airship that badly?" she asked him, making Sokka shake his head.

"No, it's not about that." he conceded, "I was just thinking about the Northern Water Tribe... they'll probably be coming here soon enough... right? So you can get your battleship back and they can get their reparations." he reminded her, and her own miffed look suggested she felt similarly.

"Oh, that." she mumbled, "I don't want to deal with their complaints." she gave her own opinion on the matter, "I'll give them some weapons and supplies, but we don't have much to spare, not until we take Shengchang and the other colonies, that is." she explained, before narrowing her eyes, "If I was the leader of their tribe, I would be angry about what we did, but... I'm not. I don't care what they think."

"I mean, you definitely could have thought of a better way to deal with Zhao." he admitted, making her raise a brow at him.

"Standing your ground with that one?" she asked, and Sokka nodded, still feeling like he could have handled the situation better.

"Definitely. I thought you liked it when I had the guts to stand up against the indomitable Princess Azula." he prodded her, elbowing her side as he winked; the Princess rolled her eyes, before she smiled.

"Seeing that this isn't an argument, I will allow myself to agree with you. I prefer when you give me some reasonable criticism." she conceded, although rather quietly, her eyes turning back momentarily towards Aang, Toph and Katara who were standing nearby on the railing, waiting for the airship to launch, "We should stop talking otherwise they're going to start imagining things."

"We're just plotting to take over the world. What's the big deal?" he asked her in jest, the Princess struggling to keep a straight face after hearing that.

"Even I'm not going to be that blunt about it." she warned him, before she glanced down into the launching area, where the airship was sitting, undergoing a few final checks, "Well, unless you call this a blunt message." she gestured towards it, making Sokka smirk.

"It's better than a message." he contended, "It's your tool for victory. Agni Kai's don't mean shit when you can rain fire from the sky and land soldiers anywhere you need them." he argued, and his girlfriend's eyes lit up, the Princess seeming proud for a moment.

"It is." she agreed, "With a dozen of these, Aang and Uncle to back us up, the homeland will be ours in no time." she acknowledged, before narrowing her eyes, "I wonder what my brother would have thought of all this." She mumbled, seeming almost frustrated that she wouldn't get the answer.

"He seemed like a pretty stuck up guy... he probably would have thought you were crazy to even try and persuade the Avatar to help you." he guessed, knowing that Zuko seemed to be a person who misjudged Azula's character, even if he understood her intentions back in Yu Dao perfectly, "Maybe he'd be scared."

"Of me? He bested me in an Agni Kai, remember?" she asked him, seeming unamused by his apparent mistake.

"I'm not talking about fighting. You're offering a better plan... a better way to solve the world's problems."

"What, so I'm a better traitor to my father than he was?" she asked, and Sokka shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't care about you betraying him." he bluntly answered her question, "I don't think you should either."

"Well, care is the wrong word to use." she conceded, her quiet, almost nervous sounding voice catching Sokka off-guard; she was usually so confident when it came to their plans, and fighting Ozai, despite her miss givings about it, "I wish things could have gone differently."

"I prefer you on this side and not his." he admitted, now afraid she was suggesting that she actually would have preferred to be Ozai's pawn, in exchange for whatever stability and bond that would have given her with her father.

"That's not what I meant." she snarled at him, the Princess moving her left hand towards his collar, but she stopped herself before grabbing it, "I didn't want to be like this." she retorted, "I just wanted to make him proud... and I became that girl you met on that ship." she explained what she must have seen as the root cause of her 'evil', if he could even call it that, "I would have burnt a city to the ground just to see him smile, but... that's it, really. I was that desperate... I was always desperate."

"And you're not desperate now? You seem... uh, more than a little worried about Ozai, seeing what you just made us build." he gestured to the airship, and the Princess narrowed her eyes.

"I am not desperate for anyone's approval, but, with the approval of the world, I can make it better- no, stronger." she corrected herself, making Sokka smirk.

"And with the Four Nations working together, who knows what we could achieve? Even cooler new technologies? Better lives for everyone, even for the people we're trying to beat. No war... or at least, a lot less of it." he spoke of what he imagined would come of their victory, "It sounds nice."

"And what will you do once we're done, Sokka?"

"Build us an igloo... or whatever kind of houses you like in the Fire Nation." he explained, raising a finger to chin, "Someplace we can rest... enjoy our lives."

"And what about ruling the world?" she asked, Sokka shrugging his shoulders.

"Well, that too, but I'm looking forward to the downtime." he conceded, before he heard a rumbling noise below them, his attention turned towards the airship, out of which he could see some smoke bellowing, coming out of its exhaust chimneys.

"Wow, it's starting!" he heard Aang exclaim eagerly, leaning over the railing to get a better look of the airship.

Slowly but surely, the airship began to rise up from the hull of the ship, and when the gondola reached their level, Sokka made sight of a few of the engineers, who saluted their Fire Lord in synchronisation. Azula's expression had shifted from one of interest to a kind of euphoria, as she just beamed at the sight of the machine rising up, beginning to clap, congratulating those who had built the wonder in front of them.

"Something, something, march of progress, right?" he asked her with a prodding of the elbow, making the Princess shrink back a little bit, closing her eyes as she tried not to laugh.

"Yes, this is a great time to swear an outdated oath." she sarcastically quipped, "Long live the Fire Nation!" she chanted out loudly, saluting the engineers on board, who immediately did the same, their chant only serving to amuse Sokka, who guessed that Azula wasn't really meant to be saluting- that was the thing others were meant to do to her.

"So, you salute now?"

"I salute my nation's future." she retorted, "That is what I seek to protect." she reminded him, before her eyes turned up to the airship, watching as it began to rise up above the deck, rotating as the engineers performed their flight checks.

"And I salute nothing and nobody." Sokka argued, and she scoffed.

"If I recall correctly, about two weeks ago you saluted me after the stellar job you did of blowing up a road and all the tundra tanks driving on it." she reminded him of that battle, which only made him smirk, feeling proud of what he and the fighters had achieved together.

"Well, it wasn't all me. The earthbenders were the ones who set off the bombs anyway." he admitted, "Just like the airship. I helped... but Major Chui deserves more of the credit."

"No, I think it's mostly that inventor that Zhao got rid of that deserves credit. I wonder how he'd feel about my utilisation of his inventions." she raised a finger to her chin, "Well, I don't ever imagine we'd see him again, unless he's ingratiated himself with some new donors, like- urgh..." she groaned, seeming rather frustrated, "Let's hope he's not with those people."

"Conical-hat-wearing fellows with the brainwashing?" he asked her cryptically, and she nodded, Sokka tilting his head, "Well, the Earth Kingdom don't exactly have a flourishing industry, or lots of steam engines." he gestured to the airship flying above them, "I wouldn't worry about it."

"What, because we have his invention?" she asked him, and Sokka smirked, knowing that they had more advantages over their enemies than a mere invention.

"Oh, we have much more than that." he argued, "We have the future. They have only the past for inspiration. Ozai, the Dai Li, they've all got the same problem... they're really uninventive. Brainwashing people and conquering the world aren't the only two ways to win."

"Raining fire from the sky and burning my childhood home to the ground wasn't what I was imagining when we left your village." she conceded what might become of their 'airship plan'.

"Oh no, not the spa." Sokka gasped out, grasping his cheeks, before he heard a snicker behind him; both he and Azula turned around to see Ty Lee, who had been off by the edge of the ship, watching the launch, and had now come back, obviously listening into their conversation.

"I could hear you, you know." she warned them, and he pouted, recalling his humorous naming of the Dai Li.

"And my joke about conical hats wasn't funny enough for you?" he asked her, and Ty Lee shrugged her shoulders.

"I was more so watching that giant thing above us." she pointed casually with a flick of her finger to the airship that was flying above them, slowly moving away from the ship, over the water.

"Ah yeah, that is why we're here." he recalled, before slinging his arm over Azula's shoulder, "So, your majesty, how do you rate the new airship?" he asked her with a smirk, making her roll her eyes, though he was unsure if it was because of the public physical contact he was making, or because she actually wasn't happy with the airship.

"First thing, hands off." she warned him, pushing his arm off of her shoulder by stepping forward, closer to Ty Lee, "And secondly, I haven't seen it's offensive capabilities yet." she reminded him what the actual purpose of the test was, gesturing to the set of targets that had been set out on the shoreline, away from the walls of the compound; he was a little eager to see what was about to happen, given the powerful bombs they'd loaded onto the airship, as well as Azula's guards, who were ready to rain down fire, something only powerful firebenders like themselves would be able to do effectively.

"I like explosions... at least when they're hitting the bad guys." Sokka admitted quietly, before pacing over to the railing, "Come on, you wanna watch, right?" he asked, and she scoffed, following after him so she too could get a clear look of what was about to occur.

His eyes turned up to the airship, which was flying slowly above them, moving over the narrow stretch of water between the ship and the mainland; as it drew closer, he heard footsteps behind her, and glanced to the side, noticing Aang and Katara had come over to look, eagerly eyeing the targets, except Toph, of course, who being blind, wasn't going to be able to see, let alone sense it with her weird earthbending sense that Aang kept yammering on about, given they were on a ship.

"I seriously don't see what's so exciting." she commented with a dry, unamused voice, "It's just what, a hot bag of air with a bunch of firebenders in it?" she asked, making Sokka snicker, realising that was a rather accurate assessment, albeit one that didn't consider the power such a weapon could be on the battlefield.

"Well, it has bombs in it too." he clarified, and she made a clearly sarcastic laugh in response.

"Definitely sounds like a safe way to fly." she quipped, and Sokka scrunched up his lips.

"Well, the bombs are meant to stop it from getting shot down." he clarified, "It makes it safer for those onboard." before he glanced back at the airship, which was just about to fly over the targets, "Here we go." he whispered under his breath, leaning over the railing as he watched the Imperial Firebenders create streams of fire from their perches, blasting the wooden targets apart with ease.

A few moments later, the hatches at the bottom of the airship opened, dropping incendiary bombs down towards the larger targets, shaped to imitate the catapults the Fire Nation's forces regularly used, both on sea and land; when they struck, it created massive fireballs, like the kinds that it would usually take half a dozen firebenders to create, ripping the fake catapults apart and burning the remains.

The last targets were a set of small stone bunkers created by the earthbenders, although they were obviously unoccupied; a few smaller bombs were dropped, these ones filled with blasting jelly. They were Sokka's own design, with a spear-like tip to ensure it broke through roof tiles and the likes, so it would land inside, so that whatever structure it had pierced would be destroyed from the inside out. The bunkers were a little tougher than wooden targets, but a few moments after the bombs whacked into them, the blasting jelly went off, throwing up dust, smoke and fragments of stone into the air. When it cleared, it revealed that the bunkers were all but collapsed, their stone roofs having caved in from the pressure of the blasts.

"Okay, I could actually feel that." Toph conceded, "How big an explosion was that?" she asked Sokka, who tilted his head.

"Imagine what a boulder would do to a house if you threw it from Appa's saddle." he tried to give a comparison to what had just occurred; Toph seemed to get the idea as her lips turned into a smile, subtly showing that she was at least considering the power of the weapon.

Azula remained silent throughout the whole affair, and Aang and Katara were just aghast from the whole ordeal, though he could see that they were impressed, if not a little frightened by the power of the weapon; his girlfriend's first response was to clap, though so slowly that he couldn't tell whether it was sarcastic or not. He thought it had been a resounding success, and he leaned forward so he could get a better look of her face, noting that she was making a weak, but clear smile, like she'd just seen something terrible befall her enemies, and was gloating in their destruction.

"Those bombs were impressive. You should have brought them to the fight against General Gyoko." she suggested somewhere the bombs would have been useful.

"I mean, yeah, they might have been useful against the tundra tanks. I think the landmines were better." he conceded, before raising a hand, "But for whatever barracks they have in Shengchang... they'll be more than enough."

"Or enemy ships." she suggested, "If we take it over water." she observed another use of the airship.

"The point is, we can take advantage of any battle with this thing." Sokka gestured to the airship, "So, we definitely need to make more of them."

"We will." Azula smirked, clearly eager to see that become a reality, "We just need to take it where those airships will be built."

"Shengchang." he stated the place she was thinking of, "And whatever port town you were thinking of snatching." he recalled another settlement, which was important because of its shipyards, which he was almost certain could be repurposed for the construction of airships, and it would have the chemicals and industrial capacity they needed to make all the parts, and supplies the airships would use.

"Yingang is its name." she reminded him, "And that's where we will go after Shengchang is ours... or at least, my ships will be. It's shipyards will be vital to our efforts against my father, and perhaps the local industry could help in the construction of our airship fleet." she explained, her idea effectively the same as Sokka's, making him nod along eagerly.

"That's exactly what I was thinking." he agreed with her plans, before turning around, wondering if there was anything else for them to do while the airship continued its test flight, "So, uh, guys, are we going to have lunch?"

"Of course that's what's on your mind." Azula grumbled, clearly annoyed by his focus on food at any given moment; Sokka felt a shred of guilt over it, but he couldn't feel that bad- it was just natural that people got hungry.

"What, the food here is really good. Isn't that right, guys?" he asked the others, who all nodded along, except Toph, who seemed sceptical, "Ah, well, Toph's on your side." he suggested to his girlfriend, nudging her with his elbow, which only further annoyed her, as it was clear that the only reason she wasn't eager was because she didn't find the food all too impressive, probably because she had a refined taste, and wasn't from the Fire Nation.

"I don't appreciate her opinions about my nation's cuisine." the Princess stated her own opinion, making the earthbender snicker.

"Alright, your majesty, you can feel that way, doesn't make me like it any more." she assured her of her own position, "But, I do agree with loud-mouth over here." she gestured towards Sokka, "Food sounds good, even if it's spicy ash-maker food."

"Come on, Toph, it isn't that bad." Aang prodded her, "I'm sure it'll grow on you."

"Just like your hair, Scruffy." she quipped back at the Air Nomad boy, who self consciously patted at his scalp.

"It doesn't look scruffy anymore, does it?"

"It's just messy now." Ty Lee gave her opinion, "I think it looks cute." she complimented him, before grasping Azula by the arm, "Come on, let's get going to lunch. We don't need to watch it land."

"Let me just congratulate Major Chui on his achievement first." Azula deflected from her prodding, and Sokka nodded, knowing that the Major deserved a lot of the credit for the impressive feat of engineering that was flying in the sky above their heads.

She paced away from the group, making her way towards the railing, where Major Chui was standing with a few other officers, probably discussing the airships just as they had been. When Azula, and Sokka soon after, approached him, he turned and bowed towards the Princess.

"Your highness, I hope that you are satisfied with the new design." he politely addressed her and the achievement he'd made.

"I am more than satisfied. We will be making many more of these once we have the industrial capacity to do so. Your efforts will be a boon for our nation, I can assure you." she explained, her confident visage appearing once more; she was almost like a candle in some ways, lighting up brightly when need be, showing off the aura of confidence and wit that earned her the ears and respect of those around her.

"I look forward to the end results of our labour, your highness." Chui acknowledged her appreciation with a smile, "Are there any modifications you believe will be necessary?"

"If Sokka or any of your engineers invent some new bombs, feel free to figure out a way to use them. I'm sure they'll be of use." she noted somewhere there were countless possibilities.

They could certainly just make the airship bigger and strengthen its defences, but adding new armaments would give them a clear edge in the battlefield, especially when they intended to use shock to try and force enemy occupied settlements to surrender. He imagined something like an airship would terrify his fellow Water Tribesmen if they witnessed it, and the reaction at the North Pole was enough to tell him that his own tribe might have given up their fight if the technology had been introduced only a few years earlier.

"I'll try and think of something new." Sokka assured his girlfriend, who raised a brow momentarily at his declaration, before she turned her attention back to Chui.

"Anyway, when I have formulated our strategies for taking over Shengchang, I'll inform you of what weaponry I will require on the airship. Until then, keep testing and checking... I do not want this to fall into a burst of flames over the city I seek to take... I don't imagine that will send a good message to our enemies, Major."

"Of course, your highness. I will not fail you, or the Fire Nation. This machine will be the pinnacle of our nation's progress in technology and warfare." he assured her, and the Princess nodded, seeming confident in the Major's own drive to succeed, which he had done so far.

Sokka joined her as she turned back around, and paced along beside her back towards the group; though silence fell between them, he eyed her for a moment, and noted that with her upright posture and small smirk that she had to at least be in a somewhat good mood. Though she was good at lying, she wasn't the best at hiding her frustrations when they came about.

"I think that went well." he gave his own opinion, "Are you happy with it?"

"Well, there's not much to be happy about until more of them can be built. One airship won't defeat my father's forces." she conceded, "But we needn't worry about that... at least not until we face them again." she warned him, and Sokka tensed up, imagining if what they had fooled the treacherous officers into believing actually occurred.

In such a nightmare scenario, he didn't know if they could escape, in that worst case scenario, and even with Aang and his Avatar State, he wasn't confident they had the manpower or the arms to fight off a properly planned attack- the fight against General Gyoko only went as well as it did because the enemy was wholly unprepared for the kind of fight they faced.

He turned his mind away from that potential outcome, looking at the others as they chatted amongst themselves; when the pair approached, Toph pointed their way and addressed them at once, "What's for lunch, your majesty?" she asked, her mocking deference not missing the Princess, who remained silent for a few moments before she stepped past her, continuing on towards the plank that would lead them back down onto the pier.

"Whatever is cooked for you." she told her plainly and truthfully, her nonchalant tone covering up whatever annoyance she may have felt after being prodded, "Are you as picky as your opinions about the fine food served here say you are?" she simply asked the Earth Kingdom girl, who laughed at her question.

"Don't you worry, I'm no vegetarian like Aang here." she assured her, slapping the Air Nomad boy on the back perhaps a little too hard, as he flinched from the hit, "I'm no fan of ash-maker spices and all that." she bluntly explained her stance, "Why would anyone enjoy their tongue burning?"

"Can't handle a little spice, Toph?" Katara prodded her in return, making the earthbender turn around and point in her general direction.

"I don't hear you saying you like spices either. Actually, I'm pretty sure I heard the opposite." she argued, and Sokka cringed, not wanting a fight to start over whose cuisine was the best or whether spicy food was any good, especially when he would prefer to get on and go eat said food.

"Hey, hey, guys." he stepped towards them, "How about we try the food first before saying who can't stomach spices?" he suggested, and Toph crossed her arms, before nodding.

"Well, that works. I'll be able to prove my point." she observed, before she began following Azula, the whole group now making their way towards the plank; by that point, Sokka had stepped out of the way enough that he was at the end of the line, behind Ty Lee as they all made their way down.

The acrobat glanced back at him, probably assuming he was looking at her, though that was only because he didn't want to trip on the steep stairs down the plank.

"Sokka?" she addressed him, "Are you okay?"

"Well if I fall face first into your arse tripping down these stairs, neither of us will be okay." he warned her, and though she seemed a bit amused, she immediately glanced ahead, catching his point; the steep plank was not a great time to look behind oneself, especially given how much it was shaking with all of them stepping down at the same time.

"Fair enough." she mumbled, Sokka barely able to hear her; he could hear Aang snickering ahead of her, and Sokka raised a brow, gesturing towards the Air Nomad for a moment.

"What, do you want to fall into somebody's butt?" he asked him, and Avatar immediately hunched his shoulders, a visible sign of his cringing as the Water Tribesman just smugly grinned, making his way down the stairs; getting a rise out of anybody was a little fun, and he certainly could use some of that after all the frantic work he'd put into the airship with Chui and the engineers.

Though he hadn't had to do much physical labour, as most of the heavy lifting was done by machinery, he had had to put a lot of thought into just how the craft would work, and what weapons they'd need to use, or what kind of extra accessories the machine would need to be best utilised by its crew. Just having a big bag of hot air that you could ride around was a bit underwhelming, and not too strategically valuable, especially given how fragile the early design had been.

That wasn't even the one Azula flew to the North Pole, but what its original inventor had designed, a flimsy and light design, with a mere basket to ride in and coal-burner to heat the air in the balloon; it was dangerous enough just to take onto the battlefield that he doubted that they'd be much good in a battle against anything less than non-bending soldiers, or worse, civilians. Their new design, however, used stronger materials, had an internal framing, as well as being able to fit about twenty times more weaponry and people onboard, with the downside of burning through far more fuel.

Now with the whole design process out of the way, all they needed was some factories capable of producing the parts, and Azula would have a fleet of airships to contend against her father with; he didn't want to think all too much about Shengchang, or whatever would follow that, as it just seemed like more planning, strategy and danger, things he really didn't want to involve himself in just yet. He wasn't bored at the base, and he was happy that his sister was back; though they didn't get along all the time, especially now with Azula in the mix, he appreciated her company almost more than anybody else's.

She was somebody he could rely on; he was there to stop Azula from doing foolish things, and Katara was there to stop him from doing them. He could have said he was perfectly fine with them dawdling around, just working out their plan for a while longer, but he knew Azula wouldn't stand for that. She wanted to get things done, and Sokka would do everything he could to help her.

As they reached the end of the plank, the Princess turned around and gestured for them all to hurry up; once Sokka got off the plank, he paced on ahead of the others so he could catch up with his girlfriend. Making his way up beside her, Azula tilted her head slightly in his direction, before she rolled her eyes.

"You didn't need to follow me around everywhere." she reminded him of his own free will, though Sokka was amused by that, given he wanted to be around her because she was the best person to converse with.

"I don't... I just prefer talking with you." he argued, making her raise a brow.

"And what if I don't want to talk?"

"Ah, well, I'm stumped." he conceded sarcastically, placing a hand on his chin, before tilting his head her way, "But I can just throw ideas at you. I know you'll give me hell if I say something absurd and pointless." he noted, and the Princess huffed, seeming amused by his suggestion.

"Well, you're right. If you tell me that building a giant watchtower at the South Pole is going to be a better use of my nation's aid than building industry and infrastructure, I'm going to call you a fool."

"I-" he raised a finger, before scrunching his lips up, remembering that very conversation they had way back at the South Pole, "Okay, I did think about that." he conceded his own foolishness, though he wouldn't renege on the idea of rebuilding his watchtower at some point, at least in tribute to the effort he put into it in the first place- with Katara's new waterbending skills to help, it would be all the more easier to build something that would stand tall above their village.

"Yes, you did." she snapped a finger at him, "So, I'll keep your stupid in check, and you'll keep mine." she suggested, and the Water Tribe teen eyed her for a few moments, just considering what she had said.

"Your what, exactly? Your stupid?" he asked, unsure if she had just admitted that she could make dumb ideas and decisions.

"Do I have to spell it out for you, dimwit?" she retorted, clearly annoyed by having to address the matter any further, "Just fire your dumb ideas away. I'm sure you've got a lot of them... seeing that you've been spending your time with the airship and not fearing for our safety."

"I'm always-" he began, before stopping himself, not thinking that getting into a discussion about their mutual anxieties would do either of them any good, at least not until they actually were intending to go ahead and face the angers the outside world had for them, "Never mind." he shook his head, wishing he hadn't said a word.

"I didn't mean to push your chi-pathways, Sokka." she nonchalantly apologised, making him narrow his eyes at her, more confused than amused by what sounded like her attempt at a joke.

"Uh, good chi-blocking joke." he observed after a few moments, though his response obviously wasn't what she was expecting, as she sighed.

"Yeah, I know... my jokes are terrible."

"Is humour not one of your many skills, your highness?" Toph quipped behind them, making the Princess raise a finger, seeming poised to shout some obscenities at the stout earthbender, but she held her tongue.

"Wow, looked like you were just about to set her hair on fire." he whispered to her, the Princess pursing her lips up, as if she thought that would end any way other than terribly, "No, no, no, this is my bad idea session. You can have yours when it doesn't end with getting sunk into the ground... or in the present case, the pier collapsing beneath our feet." he gestured below them, not wanting Azula to inadvertently get them both dunked.

"I can hear you, Sokka." Toph spoke up, just to remind him that she was blind and not deaf, and he raised a hand towards her.

"I know you can, I'm just trying to keep the potential fights until after lunch." he explained his reasoning, and lack of care for her hearing what he was saying; he wasn't giving Azula tips on how to beat Toph, but why she ought to avoid going against her on a pier of all places.

"So, you're not even scared." his girlfriend noted, nearly looking as if she was going to laugh, "It's just a delay to lunch you're worried about. Typical Sokka."

"I am a rational man. I want my lunch, that comes first. Sparring shenanigans are secondary." he argued his position, and Azula raised her chin up slightly, considering his proposition before nodding.

"Well, you're right. We ought to eat before anything else." she conceded, before glancing back towards Toph, "Do you think being funny is something I even care about?" she asked her bluntly, her tone making her opinion on humour clear.

"Obviously not." the earthbender mumbled, seeming a bit amused by her dry, frustrated tone.

The Princess seemed unfazed, and continued pacing down the pier, Sokka remaining right behind her; as they approached the walls of the compound, the guards standing duty unlocked the gates, and opened them up. They moved into formation as the group neared, and saluted the Princess; Sokka eyed his girlfriend, noting she wasn't pleased by their deference, as per usual. She never seemed to take much pleasure in their respect, but she just acknowledged it with a simple nod, a sign that she at least was paying some attention.

Unlike himself, her mind was less focused on lunch, thoughts of which were racing through his head, imagining what kind of foods they could be eating. Though he wished for a Water Tribe feast, he knew he'd be kidding himself to believe they'd get anything like that. He knew it'd be the same old Fire Nation food, with rice, spiced meat and some weird fruits and vegetables too; their cuisine was more varied than his own, but that didn't make it bad. At least the variety was a little entertaining, even if it was getting old. His deep thoughts about mealtime distracted him a little too much, as he almost tripped over Azula's foot as they were striding into the doors of the compound; the Princess almost whacked him in the face, but Sokka was quick enough to lean back, making her purse her lips, impressed by his reaction time.

"Not bad for somebody salivating over their next meal." she quipped at his reaction, making Toph laugh behind her.

"Okay, I'll take it back. You can make good jokes."

"It's not like I was asking for an apology." the Princess scoffed at her response, before smiling, "But thanks... Sokka just makes it so easy."

"Hey, I want my lunch, not to be observant about every step I take around the compound I already know like the back of my hand."

"But you don't know where I'm walking." Azula retorted, "Or did you do that on purpose?" she asked, and he narrowed his eyes, unsure what to take from her question.

"I'm just gonna say no." he decided, thinking maybe there'd be dirty implications from the opposing response, the kinds Toph, Ty Lee and even Katara would like to pounce at.

"Oh, do you wanna accidentally fall over and make it all romantic?" Ty Lee asked exactly what he guessed she would, making the Princess smirk.

"Good question, Ty." she agreed with her, and that was how he could be sure she wanted to embarrass him; there'd be no other reason for her to play into something so dumb.

"That is pretty suspicious." Katara agreed with Ty Lee, "You're not trying to-" she began, before stopping herself, "I don't wanna think about that."

"And I don't want you to either." Sokka snapped a finger at her, continuing to pace ahead as he hoped the conversation went someplace else.

"Think about what?" Aang asked her, unsure what exactly they were talking about, and Ty Lee struggled to hold back a laugh.

"Nothing, Aang, don't worry." she tried to reassure them, Sokka rolling his eyes before he gestured down the hallway.

"Can we go harass the cooks now instead of me?"

"But I thought you liked respecting the servants, Sokka. So much for your claims of being a man of the people." Azula prodded him, making the Water Tribesman raise his chin up as he paced ahead.

"Never said I was a man for the people of the Fire Nation." he corrected her, before clearing his throat, "And I'm going to ask them politely."

"Do you even know how to be polite, Sokka?" his sister asked him, and he glanced back at her.

"Do you know how to proverbially bitch-slap the aristocrats of the Northern Water Tribe?" he asked her in return, earning a slight jaw drop as she failed to think up a response, "Exactly." he smirked, before continuing on his way.

"Well, you do have a point." Azula agreed with him, "Though I'd prefer if your public speaking skills didn't go into the realm of flirtation."

He cringed, and didn't look back as he mustered a response to that, "It was one way." he whimpered, just trying to tell her the truth; he wasn't really interested in Princess Yue at all, and she was married, on top of all that.

"Yeah, one way." Katara quipped back in return, Sokka noting her elbowing Toph, who snickered at her reaction.

"I trust you, Sokka. You were just... uh, getting angry at those guys." Aang assured him, and the Water Tribesman made a small smile.

"Uh, thanks, I guess." he responded, relieved that at least one of them was on his side about it all; Azula, Ty Lee and Toph hadn't even been there, so they couldn't really form an opinion, but that wasn't going to stop them from imagining things, "Can we actually have lunch though?"

Azula just gestured down the hallway, and shrugged her shoulders, "Stop stopping, and we'll get to lunch."

"I'm only stopping because you're all annoying me." Sokka retorted, before he began pacing ahead, knowing that just ignoring their prodding would make it a whole lot easier for all of them.

"What's for lunch, anyway?" Ty Lee asked, and he heard the Princess groan with frustration soon after.

"Didn't you hear me back up on the ship? Whatever we're given. I don't have a set menu here." she retorted snappily, making her friend cringe.

"Uh, sorry." she quietly apologised, and Sokka scrunched his lips up, feeling a slight sympathy for her as she slumped her shoulders down, walking behind the Princess, who was increasing her own pace as they made their way towards the kitchen.

As they drew closer, he turned to face her, raising a brow to try and get a response out of her; he hoped she wasn't actually in a bad mood, or if she was just hungry, like himself; she just paced ahead of him instead of saying anything.

"We're getting lunch before anything gushy." she bluntly addressed his unasked question, and he just beamed at her.

"What can I say... that's a win-win situation for me."

---

After weeks of travelling across the Earth Kingdom, Katara would admit that she was starting to enjoy the relaxation she could enjoy at the compound; sure, she was surrounded by Fire Nation soldiers everywhere, and felt a little uncomfortable after hearing about the attempt Ozai's forces had made to attack the place, but it was far better than spending every day fearing that the next village they'd visit would be burnt to the ground, or worse, that they encountered such a razing in process.

At the compound, all she had to worry about was keeping up Aang's waterbending training, and her own, honing her skills as best she could. She knew that she wasn't a master after learning from Pakku, even if she could thrash all the other students, Aang included; she had much to learn, but now, she had more to worry about than just learning waterbending.

She did miss the days when that was the only thing she was frustrated about; now, she was more concerned about what atrocity she'd hear about next, and be forced to consider what she could have done to try and stop it. Being the Avatar's friend added a whole new weight to every bit of bad news she heard, but now, they were actually going to do something, and she was afraid. Not because she feared she wasn't able to fight well enough, as she was more than confident in her own abilities; what she was really afraid of was what Azula was going to cause.

A battle wasn't just a battle between soldiers; the story of Yu Dao told her that well enough, and she knew Shengchang could go the same way. There mightn't have been a Zhao to undermine the Princess and cause chaos, but the enemy was likely led by people just as bad as the Admiral who sought nothing more than the utter annihilation of her people and bending art.

She couldn't refuse the call when it was made, and she climbed the stairs, joining the others in the meeting room, where Azula's lieutenants sat, along with her friends, who were sitting silently while everyone filed inside. The atmosphere was not of a casual meeting, where they'd discuss whatever their forces had been up to, or whatever intelligence had been gathered on Ozai's forces, but what exactly they were about to do. The airship was ready, the soldiers mustered, and the siege weapons loaded into carts; she wasn't an avid follower of military strategy like her brother and Azula, but she knew that the only thing left to do was orchestrate their actual plan to take over Shengchang.

The last person to walk into the room wasn't somebody she recognised, but his relatively ornate armour suggested that he was a general or something like it, which confused her, given that she thought there wasn't anybody that important at the compound; she knew that Zhao had been the head honcho, from what her brother had told her, and that obviously meant he had to be the highest ranking person. The man strode over to the head of the table, opposite to where Azula was sitting, and gave the Princess a curt bow before he took his seat.

"Governor Boei, thank you for coming all this way to attend this meeting. Given your forces will partake in the liberation of Yuehe Province, and its capital, Shengchang, I am glad to have you here. Sending you commands is not considerate of your rank." Azula addressed the last arrival, revealing he was the governor of Yi Province, which she had just taken control of in the past few weeks, which made a lot of sense; she wanted to appease him and incorporate him into her plans, just as she had with the Earth Kingdom fighters led by Jianren.

"It is my honour, your majesty." he acknowledged the Princess with a downward tilt of his head, "I want to see our country reunited as much as anyone else... today, we will make the first step to achieve just that."

"This is not the first step." she clarified, not seeming annoyed, but simply correcting him, "But it is the most important one yet. Without the support of the colonies, there is no way my aspirations can be achieved." she acknowledged, "That is why it is a priority that this campaign is as quick as possible. We cannot allow my father's forces the opportunity to regroup and plan a counterattack. We must take advantage of the speed that the airship provides, and bring word to the other colonies. Those that swore their loyalties to my brother will see the great power I alone now wield, and they will see the true path to victory."

"One under your righteous command." one of the officers declared, "The enemy will falter like Gyoko, and those with honour will not dare to stand with your father."

"I can only hope for such a result, Commander, but hope is not enough in war." the Princess warned him, her tone suggesting that her confidence was not as great as Katara had been imagining; from how she spoke about her plans, it seemed like they were meant to be infallible, but obviously, she knew that they weren't- they just needed a good enough plan, and enough allies, and the rest would fall into place, but without either, they wouldn't be winning for long.

Her tribe's warriors understood that, and that was why they had never just gone off to fight the Fire Nation alone; it was only by coordinating with Earth Kingdom forces that they could gain an edge over the Fire Nation, and now, that kind of coordination was what Azula needed.

"So... more allies?" she spoke up, and the Princess turned her gaze towards her for a moment, seeming surprised by her comment, but not disapproving.

"That is exactly what we need, and what we already have. I have travelled to Shengchang and met with those supportive of my ascension to the throne, and this was before the world learned of the events in the capital. They will be able to provide support within the city before we even launch our assault... which may itself not be necessary. Those loyal to my father, if they are present, cannot comprise more than a few dozen people in the upper echelons of the local garrison and colonial elite. If they can be neutralised as a threat, then forcing the surrender of any forces there will be simple enough." she explained what she intended to do with the assistance of said allies, before she snapped a finger, and Sokka pulled out a piece of rolled up paper, which he unfurled onto the table, revealing it to be some kind of map.

"This is a map of Shengchang that we received from our associates, and it marks out the strategic locations we need to take control of. The airship is primarily a weapon to break morale and destroy enemy defences but more than that, the weapons on board can be used for more than mere destruction." he explained, before throwing a small metal canister into the air, catching it with his left hand; he then flicked the lid that held it shut open, though only slightly, letting out a whizz of opaque gas that had a smell that was rather pungent.

The officers, along with everyone else, Katara included, felt rather disgusted by the smell and also by the odd sensations it seemed to cause; it felt almost like a burn, but far lighter, only causing her skin to itch, but it was noticeable enough that she realised the gas might have a harmful effect if allowed to fill the room. Luckily for everyone there, Sokka shut the canister closed immediately, letting the gas disperse.

"Sorry, what was this a demonstration of?" one of the officers asked him, "How you and Chui can poison us?" he asked, perhaps in jest, given how the other men reacted.

"No, this isn't poison. A chemical mixture, which doesn't smell nice, and makes your skin itch, forming a blanket of smoke when enough of it's used. There are smoke bombs like this one onboard, designed by the engineers to camouflage our entry, as well as distract anyone caught in the blasts. This will make sure that even if the enemy forces gather, they will struggle to find our forces while they deal with the enemy leadership." her brother explained the next steps of their plan, before gesturing to the officers on the table.

"Now, the actual siege, if it comes down to that, will be dealt with by your and your soldiers, so now... we'd like to hear what you think will be necessary to defeat any potential enemy forces that arrive to relieve the city's garrison."

"As much preparation as possible, if the last battle we had was any indication." one of the officers acknowledged, "Defences... traps... anything really to slow them down."

"The woods that surround the city on its eastern side might provide us with useful cover." Sokka spoke up, "If only some of the army moves into the city... then it might make it look like your army is smaller than it actually is. Then-" he began to explain his plan, before the Princess cut him off.

"The enemy forces will be cut off as soon as they move to besiege the city, leaving them vulnerable to the airship's attacks."

"Bombarding the enemy while they're in the outskirts of the city mightn't be the most effective strategy." Major Chui spoke up, and everyone's attention drew to him, given he was the one with the most input into the airship prototype's design, "The explosives on board are strong enough to pierce armour, and set buildings alight; we could end up burning down parts of the city just to try and attack the enemy."

"The parts of the city outside the walls could just be evacuated, couldn't they?" Azula asked the Major, and he nodded.

"Well, certainly, your majesty. But if we were to face a surprise attack, there mightn't be much time."

"There's another way to get them away from the city's walls." Aang spoke up, and Katara turned to face him, surprised that he had an idea to input, though his serious expression revealed immediately what he was thinking about- himself.

"You're not just going to be bait, Aang." she assured him, "There's other ways to make a distraction."

"Though the Avatar tossing around a few elements would be a fun little distraction, there's another way to distract some soldiers... and deal with them." Toph spoke up, her smirk telling Katara she was more than confident in her own idea, "You see, I watched the King of Omashu defend his city against a bunch of people trying to capture him and all his allies." she explained, before raising a finger, "Does Shangcheng have a sewer system?" she asked, and Ty Lee nodded along eagerly.

"Oh, yeah, yeah we snuck through it when we went there..." she explained, before her expression shifted to one of suspicion, "Just wait a second, you're just stealing my cave trick, aren't you?" she pointed a finger at her, and she shook her head.

"No, no, that was impressive, but you've got nothing on King Bumi. Got three dozen soldiers swimming in shit with a snap of a finger." she explained what Bumi had done; Katara realised she was talking about whenever Iroh and Bumi had gone to the city for the treaty, which had been mentioned off-handedly at their meeting.

"You do raise a good idea." the Princess acknowledged Toph's idea, "That would be an effective use of our earthbenders... and it would ensure that whoever comes into the city can't just escape. We'll have to scout them all out... given I assume the average earthbender can't just sense cavities beneath their feet."

"We cannot." Jianren conceded, seeming a little disappointed, if not jealous of the great ability Toph wielded, "Though, I'd hope to try and utilise such a skill, if Master Toph is willing to teach us."

"Sorry, did you just call her 'Master'?" Katara asked, almost about to laugh when she saw the earthbender's face contort; she obviously was offended by her presumption that it was weird to call her a master.

"I am a master of earthbending." she retorted, "But that's not what we're here to argue about. The point is, I can figure out where the sewers are... if I can actually get into the city in the first place."

"That won't be a problem." Azula assured her, "We have contacts in the city that we will be able to make contact with. We know where their hideout is, and with your earthbending, we'll be able to sneak into the city undetected."

"What about the airship, your majesty?" one of the officers asked her, "It was meant to be our great weapon... couldn't it be utilised for infiltrating the city?"

"It's useful for transport, but you can't hide it... the sky-bison is bad enough." the Princess warned against his idea, "Toph here has abilities that make her especially suited for infiltration, but the airship will be used when the time comes. We need to gather intelligence before any assault occurs, because we cannot rush in blindly; it will only waste our strength and allow the enemy a chance to organise themselves... if they even decide to resist in the first place. Once we know exactly who we need to defeat and what locations need to be secured, then the city will be ours in a single night."

"And what of our defences? Even if we can distract the enemy, draw them into traps, they will still try to expel us from Shengchang as soon as we have control."

"I believe that linking up with whatever forces that remain loyal to my brother... or now, loyal to my uncle, will ensure that we can expel Ozai's forces from the province. Yi Province is free of enemy forces... at least those organised enough to actually pose a threat." Azula further explained her intentions, "What's the latest report on their operations?" she asked out, and one of the officers cleared his throat, pulling out a scroll.

"From our border guards' reports as well as any intercepted messages, we know now that there is an attempt to organise the three divisions Fire Lord Zuko had sent to suppress the insurrection in Yu Dao and the surrounding province into a defensive guard to protect the oldest, most heavily industrialised colonies... which are those which you seek to obtain for your campaign to liberate the homeland." he explained, before gesturing to the map on the table; he was handed the pointer, which allowed him to indicate to various locations, "With the support of the Western Fleet, we assume they will focus on control of the coastal settlements and their strategically important ports to prevent Ozai's supporters from resupplying those forces which still remain on the continent; this leaves the frontier weakly defended, allowing Ozai's forces to continue harassing them, alongside whatever Earth Kingdom forces are bold enough to push into the colonies."

"That leaves my father's forces with a limited timeframe to attack us, if they seek to do so. Soon enough, they won't be able to supply themselves from the homeland... whatever armies remain loyal will be forced to a standstill. We face the same dilemma, which is why controlling the colonies is so important. If my father's forces remain in control of even a single major colony, it will be his launching ground to reconquer the colonies and Earth Kingdom." Azula acknowledged, "That is why... unlike last time, we need to focus our efforts on destroying the attacking forces. Any potential defenders of the colonies controlled by those loyalists will be a threat, and must be dealt with quickly. Gyoko's defeat has given us an opening, and we must seize it before my father sends another army our way, either from the colonies, or from the Eastern Fleet."

"Has the Eastern Fleet attacked any of our ships in the West Lake recently?" Sokka asked the men present, and they shook their heads.

"They lack the resources to waste ships on us. They have been trying to go around the Earth Kingdom the long way... which has left the whole area rather open, west of the Serpent's Pass."

"What is that?" Katara asked, never having heard of any Serpent's Pass before.

"Only the most dangerous choke point in the Earth Kingdom. A giant serpent lives along the thin rocky peninsulas there... and it makes crossing over a great challenge. Fire Lord Ozai, when he was still in power, was considering plans to destroy the rock formations there to kill the serpent and allow for more ships to move through, but it never went ahead." one of the officers answered her question for her, "It's the usual way we would sail to Ba Sing Se from here... however, that wouldn't be wise, given the Eastern Fleet's defensive positions in the East Lake."

"I never thought Admiral Chan's idea was any good, anyway." Azula spoke up, obviously referring to trying to kill the serpent, "The point is... as long as we have control over the West Lake, that front is secure. The real threat remains from an overland attack. Gyoko's army wasn't all too large, and I imagine my father is sending over more forces as we speak, to deal with both us and the colonies that remain defiant to his rule."

"So, we mustn't stop at Shengchang." another officer declared, gesturing his finger towards the western coast of the Earth Kingdom on the map, "From the Northern Sea to the Mo Ce Sea... nobody will stop us." he declared, and Azula pursed her lips, seeming to approve of the mentality.

"That is why I have sent commands to our former enemies... they were once loyal to my brother, but now, with my Uncle's express approval, they will serve the one true Fire Lord." she declared, rising to her feet, "I have ordered two divisions, the twenty third and sixteenth, to secure the roads between Shengchang and the coast for us, and we will push westward until we see water. That is where our fleet will move to meet us, seizing every port facility along the Mo Ce Sea coast along the way. I have already received a welcoming letter from the Mayor of Yingang, so, as you may have heard, our ships are already on their way to receive repairs and resupply before our next campaign."

"And then what of our supposed allies?" another officer spoke up, "You said the Avatar had secured the support of Earth Kingdom forces to our side."

"I have." Aang spoke up, "They're coming here right now... it's just that sail ships are slower than sky-bisons, that's all."

"They will be here to support us, along with the Water Tribe fleet, which may help us raid the enemy supply lines while we secure the colonies from my father's forces." Azula stressed, her tone confident, and most of the officers seemed to approve.

"Your highness... I don't mean to sound sceptical, but what if these divisions you've sent orders to aren't as willing as the Mayor of Yingang or Governor Boei here. The generals might have plans for themselves... it is no secret that many of those loyal to you left as soon as you were defeated in Yu Dao. The same might be said for your brother's supporters." he warned her of something that sounded rather reasonable; Katara already knew about the chaos of the civil war, and how each warlord was trying to get power for themselves, even if everyone was nominally split into sides supporting or against Ozai.

"If they want provinces to rule, they can receive them. We'll be in need of transitional administrations once the Earth Kingdom is reorganised, so these men, if they desire authority, would be best to derive it from a legitimate source." the Princess rebuked the officer's warning, before raising a finger, "We will hear back from them within the week, and by then, I expect that we will be well on our way to the Mo Ce Sea, but we mustn't forget that my father's forces are surrounding us as we speak of destroying them. We cannot know for certain how long it will take them, but they will arrive, and we will be ready. All of us... not just those here in this room, but the whole of the Fire Nation that is willing to stand against him."

"How many letters have you now received from his highness, the Dragon of the West?" Boei spoke up, and the Princess raised a brow, "I mean to ask, as we don't know exactly what he might be doing. He could be organising his own army... which we could coordinate with."

"We shall do just that, but I have only received a single letter thus far. It may take another week or two to set up proper lines of communication. This airship may make it easier to reach him, if necessary, to iron out our differences, and prepare for the liberation of our country. None of us wish to see the Fire Nation tear itself apart any longer." she argued, before momentarily eyeing Katara, and then Toph, who raised her chin up.

"Hey, I didn't say anything, your majesty." she assured her, her mocking deference getting on Azula's nerves, though she didn't directly respond, deciding to instead turn her attention back to the officers.

"Back to the matter at hand... I would like to hear preferences for roles in the coming operation. Each of you has a different experience in the war... and that makes each of you better suited for certain roles. We cannot waste our strengths, neither in manpower, technology or experience." she acknowledged before turning to face one of the officers, "Colonel Baobi... you're the longest serving soldier here, correct?"

"Uh, I believe so, your highness, as Colonel Jinchi is... no longer with us."

"He died?" Toph asked, making Sokka snicker.

"No, he committed treason." he corrected her, "Or rather, we forced him to reveal his treasonous intentions." he clarified what had occurred; Katara remembered him and Azula mentioning that they had found some traitors via some well-planned trickery, but she hadn't actually learned anything about the traitors themselves.

"We're far past that now." Azula declared, indicating she wanted Baobi to continue speaking, "Colonel, provide us some insight into your battlefield experiences."

"I've served on seven tours of duty as a commanding officer, over the past eighteen years." he acknowledged his time of service, "The last major campaign being our conquest of Ba Sing Se and the remaining strongholds in the eastern Earth Kingdom."

"What did you face? Organised troops? Guerrillas?"

"A mixture of the two. Some bandits as well, armed with some stolen Fire Nation equipment. The campaign was long and hard. We ended up going all the way to the Eastern Sea, away from the city and the flashy bits of the campaign, out to the last outposts of the Earth Kingdom Army. This was the gritty bits, after the comet."

"I imagine things didn't go as smoothly as in Ba Sing Se." Azula acknowledged calmly, though her tone didn't really give off the feeling that she was confident that the conquest had been as 'clean' as she wanted to imagine it had been, "If you could call it smooth."

"The enemy surrendered within a few hours, and your father was standing in the Earth King's palace with his generals by sundown." Baobi acknowledged, before sighing, "What we faced... was far less simple. There were no big armies to defeat, or even fortresses that we could assail with our superior arms." he conceded what they had faced during the following campaign, "You've been there, your majesty. You've seen how little the people respect the authority of the Fire Nation, and there's a reason for it. We were unable to defeat them, not truly; the last general surrendered after six months of fighting, and even then, most of the forces had abandoned their actual postings, and we were unable to account for them."

"Ahah, well..." Sokka mumbled, and Katara turned to face her brother, realising he was recalling the deserters he and Azula had faced, which was incidentally the first time he'd ever actually killed someone.

She still found it disturbing and sad that it ended up being some random, desperate Earth Kingdom man, no matter how undignified he may have been, that he killed first, and not somebody who deserved it far more.

"We accounted for them just fine, Colonel." her brother finished awkwardly, not seeming to appreciate the callback to that dangerous situation and terrible outcome.

"You-" he began, before clearing his throat, "Oh, yes. I guess we ought to thank you for saving her majesty's life."

"Don't give me too much credit. My tribe was going to take her hostage for money." he bluntly stated the truth that had always remained; Azula and Sokka befriended each other in the oddest circumstances, out of pure necessity.

It seemed that their poor luck was ultimately the best luck for the world at large; Katara was glad for the decisions the Princess had taken, now knowing that they were made in a genuine reflection upon the skewed and disturbing worldview her father imparted upon her. If things had gone a little differently, her brother might have ended up in a Fire Nation prison, or worse, dead either at the hands of the Princess or those deserters they had fought.

"Uh... well, these resistance fighters were always forcing us to patrol deep into the woods and to the most isolated villages in the region." Baobi continued, rather awkwardly after having heard Sokka's retort, "They knew the lay of the land better than we did, and with only our naval surveys to rely on, we tried to remain by the coast, as we always had, allowing the enemy to continue their resistance, despite the formal end of the war with Ba Sing Se's fall. Without an absolute victory, and the resources to crush them and colonise the land, victory was impossible."

The way the Colonel was speaking obviously spoke volumes to the great strength of the Earth Kingdom, or rather, the thing that made it such a problem for the Fire Nation; they never gave up, and even if their cities fell and armies disbanded, they were still unwilling to just let the invaders rule them. She wished that her tribe had been stronger, that she hadn't been the first waterbender in a generation; it was unfair, and she could only wish that things didn't ever repeat themselves.

"And Colonel, please, tell the room what lesson you learned from that." Azula asked, almost speaking like an elder speaking to children after telling them a fable, which amused Katara.

"Ultimately, strength in war doesn't derive from manpower or arms, it derives from one's ability to hold territory and dissuade resistance."

"And what is the key to holding territory?" she asked him, perhaps rhetorically, and he scrunched his lips up.

"Supply and morale."

"Thus, we must ensure that my father's forces cannot be supplied and that we can be, so we will need to rely on the one thing you tried to destroy."

"The willpower of the Earth Kingdom." Toph stated the obvious, seeming confident in what she referred to, "What do you say, Jianren?" she asked the leader of the local group of rebels which had been helping Azula.

"To liberate our country and ensure freedom for its people, we will stop at nothing. Even if the colonists living on our lands do not see eye to eye with us, they will learn what we have spent the past century learning... and what the Princess has already learnt."

"Strength is derived from belief, not from ability... if that were truly the case, then Sokka here would have been dead before he could even try and knock me out on my own ship." she acknowledged another blunt fact, which seemed to be stroking her brother's ego just a little, "I have belief in myself and our mission, and more than that, I believe that the people of our nation will realise the faults in my father's iron-fisted rule."

"So, we must truly frighten the enemy. Make them lose their spirit, and show the people our own, so they may join our side." one of the officers observed what Azula intended, and smirked confidently, seeming to believe in her plan, "Well done, your highness."

"It is not me that will achieve this. It is all of you... we will fight together, perhaps not all at once, and not facing the exact same foes, but our victory can only be achieved with each person playing their role."

"In harmony... like a good song." Aang piped up, making some of the officers snicker.

"Urgh, I hated music class." one of them conceded, and the Avatar gasped.

"How could you hate music class? Music is fun."

"Not in the Fire Nation. Music is something treated with the utmost seriousness." the officer warned him, before narrowing his eyes, "Was music different a hundred years ago?"

"Probably." he mumbled, seeming disappointed by the fact; Katara understood that the Fire Nation was a very different place when he visited it in the time before the war, and realised that the almost disfigured appearance it must have had in his eyes was disturbing and sad.

"The Avatar is right." Azula stressed, turning the table's attention back to her once more, "A harmonious fighting force is stronger than one fighting chaotically. Though chaos is a powerful tool, it is not the best one to wield when directly facing the enemy."

"But you will not, will you?" Baobi asked her, "The first stage of the assault must involve some reconnaissance, under the cover of disguise, I assume?"

"You are correct, but that is simply for us to set the stage and see exactly what we will be facing. The scouting operation by Major Taka did not determine the result of our last fight, Colonel, it simply allowed us to gauge our options and the threat the enemy posed." she explained what they had done last time, "It was Jianren and Sokka who led the charge, and Ty Lee alone who captured Gyoko, completely shattering their will to fight."

"So, how will flanks and sections be assigned?" one of the officers asked her, and the Princess rose to her feet.

"You may decide that for yourselves." she answered his question, perhaps a little unhelpfully, "The army will not go within sight of the city's outskirts until you receive my messenger hawk. It will give you whatever intelligence I gain from our operation in the city. If I have secured the loyalty of the local forces, you will move in without having to attack a single soldier, and if not, we shall rain fire and show them who's resolve is greater." she declared her intentions rather plainly, and perhaps inspiringly, as she raised her hand towards those still seated, "That is what we stand to prove, and we will- I will." she assured them, before glancing at her friends, "Get up, and get your things to Appa."

"We're going right now?" Ty Lee asked, seeming surprised, "But weren't-"

"We only have so much time before my father's forces regroup. We must reach Shengchang and investigate the situation." she declared her intentions plainly, before looking at the officers, "Take the airship by boat northwest to the closest point to Shengchang. It will fly for the city on my command, or upon any alert that indicates Ozai's forces are making a move for the base." she gave her orders for Chui, who would be commanding the vessel alongside some experienced navy men, who would be best suited for the role, according to Azula, "For the rest of you, meet your units, check your supplies, prepare for at least a week's worth of marching and camping before we can move in on the city. March out at sundown, and use as little torches as possible; we don't want any enemy spotters, if around, noticing that we're leaving."

The officers then all rose to their feet, and bowed, before striding out of the doors to heed said command; after doing so, Azula and the others followed, with Katara pacing behind Aang, stepping through the door, where she noticed the leader of the Earth Kingdom fighters was standing waiting, instead of leaving at once.

"And what about my fighters, your majesty?" Jianren addressed her, "Some are still coming back from Gaochao."

"Some can remain here to accompany them to Shengchang, but I request you and the rest follow the army. Your assistance will be greatly appreciated, and making contact with any local resistance forces will be helpful. Coordinating our people together has done wonders so far."

"Well, you are in luck." he conceded, "A few of my fighters are from Shengchang. Our brothers and sisters there will lend a hand with the right person asking." he explained, eyeing Aang as he spoke; the Avatar smiled, and as he rose to his feet, he gave Jianren a little salute.

"I'll try and find them... and I'm sure they'll see the path forward for the Earth Kingdom. We all need to work together." he declared, and Toph let out a snicker, patting him on the back.

"If only somebody said that when somebody tried to take a throne by ritual combat." she joked, clearly annoying Azula, though she raised her chin, seeming to actually consider her point.

"As much as I'd like to set you on fire for saying that, you raise a reasonable point. Sokka was far too easy-going with the whole Agni Kai plan." she deflected blame casually to her boyfriend, who look at her with a betrayed look, the same he'd give Katara when they were little after she tricked him into doing something stupid.

"But it was your idea... and I didn't want you to do it anyway. It was way too dangerous." he retorted, "You were the stupid one that day."

"I never said I wasn't. Me being foolish and you being a bootlicker aren't mutually exclusive." she argued, and Katara nodded along, actually seeing the merit in her argument; her brother really had defended the Princess's actions a little too uncritically, although in Ba Sing Se, he'd certainly done the opposite, when he was less enamoured by her.

"What does Azula say about criticism again?"

"It's good when it comes from smart people and infuriating when it comes from stupid people." he recalled something she'd once said around the campfire, which admittedly got a few laughs out of the other villagers, though that probably wasn't her intent, "Ah, I really am the smart one then, aren't I?" he smugly asked her, before pacing away, not even giving her a chance to respond.

"I- wait, get back here, savage! We didn't finish our argument." she demanded, and Katara giggled, turning to smile at the Princess.

"You really do like fighting him." she acknowledged, knowing that she'd just gone out of the way to start an argument with Sokka, who decided to override it with a smug departure, "That's kind of cute."

"I won't have you call me cute. I am the reckoning this spirit forsaken world has been waiting for."

"Okay, that's a bit dramatic." Toph acknowledged, "Plus that dramatic title fits better for Aang."

"Aang has no choice." she retorted, pointing a finger at the Avatar, "Your destiny is to bring balance. I have no destiny... only that which I make for myself."

"And I'm glad you chose this path." he acknowledged, before grimacing, "But what destiny do you want?"

"The one where I am able to right the wrongs of the past in their entirety; impossible, but I can still hope for it. Justice is not universal, and it has never been so."

"So, crappy compromises all around?" Toph addressed what she was referring to, and the Princess sighed.

"We're not making the same compromises. I will not create another anarchy, another Dai Li, another angry leader and another arrogant Avatar." she declared, before turning to face the Avatar, offering him her hand, "Will you rebuild this world with me?"

"I don't want to make those mistakes again either." he conceded, before smiling, the eagerness in his eyes making Katara smile back, knowing that at the very least, they truly were all in it together now.

"Yes, yes I will."