Note: I published this while plastered, so expect a few revisions and edits over the next few days. Enjoy!

Genpei kept his eyes on the ground as he was hustled through the tunnels. He'd been wondering when the Grand Secretariat might summon him, since they reached the sanctuary. Someone was needed to fill the void in the officers' ranks, left by Xi's death; Zicheng was a more talented Earthbender, but he lacked Genpei's ability to calm, reassure and focus the men under him. The two officers escorting Genpei hadn't said a word, though, and he knew better than to protest or question them. His faith in Long Feng had been shaken by the growing casualties and deceptions, Rila hadn't been wrong about that. But Genpei had never lost sight of the fact that he owed Xi, and by extension the Dai Li, his life. And if they succeeded in uniting and stabilizing the Earth Kingdom, he would gladly give his life to bring Long Feng's cause to its' endgame- especially if he could prevent other deaths, along the way. Particularly Rila's.

They passed through a massive central cavern, easily as big as the Earth King's palace. Genpei glanced upward, squinting in the glow of the luminous crystals that sprouted from the walls. Far above, brown-and-green blurs swept across the ceiling and ledges, leaping and sliding from surface to surface. Each day, new squads of Earthbending troops from the Hu Xin province were arriving; most were immediately put into training drills under the Dai Li, particularly in their rock-gliding. General Fong had also sent a company of veteran Earthbending officers to instruct the Dai Li in anti-Firebending tactics. While this was, admittedly, essential training for the Dai Li, who had spent most of the war behind Ba Sing Se's walls rather than on the front lines- the new training regimen was raising tensions with their Fire Nation allies. Azula, Takeo and Long Feng's pact would never last indefinitely, but if it collapsed now, they were all finished.

As they turned another corner and came in sight of Long Feng's door, Genpei glanced to his right and frowned in surprise. Rila was also heading toward the chamber, flanked by two Firebenders. He hadn't seen her since their argument in the mountains, but he still felt a stab of regret each time he passed near the Fire Nationals' barracks. If either of them continued on their current courses, they would almost certainly be hunted, by one faction or another, for the rest of their days. Both of them were stubborn and brave enough to value their cause more than their own lives, it was true. But Genpei couldn't help wondering, if he'd met Rila earlier, or under different circumstances...

Why... why won't you come with me? Rila's offer was tempting, even now. To put aside his oath to the Dai Li, choose for himself, have a life with her in the United Republic, where he wouldn't be spat upon and ostracized for loving a Fire National... Did he love her? He still wasn't sure. He desired her, that much was painfully obvious to everyone around them. He admired Rila''s determination more than anyone he knew, and he didn't want to see it snuffed out in a desperate grab for revenge. But there was more to it than that. The way they'd opened up to each other about their equally harsh childhoods. The way she'd instinctively protected him from Shingen and Izumi's attacks in the burned village, even when she was angry over his keeping information from her...

As if she'd heard his thoughts, Rila glanced across and caught sight of Genpei as she and her guards drew level with the Dai Li. Her eyes widened, then narrowed in suspicion. Genpei hastily glanced away and shook his head once, willing her to get both messages: he hadn't said anything to incriminate her, and they should keep their mouths shut. A pit of foreboding was gathering his stomach. Both he and Rila were being escorted as if they were prisoners... perhaps Long Feng had summoned him for punishment, not promotion. Or perhaps Shingen was finally trying to get revenge for Rila spurning him, in favor of Genpei? Most of the Dai Li hadn't brought up their relationship, beyond occasional mockery. Even Xi's threat to her life, had felt more like a reminder to be on his guard. But if Long Feng was close enough to his endgame, then the Fire Nationals couldn't be trusted anymore, and neither could anyone who seemed too friendly with them.

The Dai Li agent on Genpei's left gestured, and the wall in front of them slid into the floor. Beyond it was a vast chamber lit alternately with braziers and crystals; at the far end was a rock-cut table. Long Feng was seated at one end, his hands folded inside the sleeves of his bronze-clasped black robes. Opposite him were four Firebenders, including Takeo, Shingen and Tomoe. However, Takeo wasn't at the head of the table; instead, he sat at the right hand of a young woman dressed in black and gold armor.

Genpei knew who she must be, even though they'd never met. He studied Azula as they drew level with the table. Her features were beautifully sculpted, if a little rough around the edges- a recently-healed cut was just visible on her right cheekbone- and the burning look in her golden eyes complimented them surprisingly well. Like Rila, she gave off an air of being unstoppable- but unlike Rila, her gaze was completely devoid of compassion.

He noticed Rila stiffen, and glanced at her. Her eyes were fixed on Azula; first her expression looked shocked, then came dawning realization, mingled with suppressed fury. Genpei looked away quickly before she could turn to him, then caught Azula's gaze; her lip curled into a small smirk. He cursed himself silently; clearly, Azula had heard about their tryst, and his glance at Rila made them both vulnerable.

"Lieutenant Genpei." Long Feng's voice was commanding, yet respectful. "I thank you for your loyal service in retrieving the Fire Princess, Izumi. Thanks to you and Captain Yuesheng, whose squad retrieved Princess Hou-Ting, our forces are able to move forward on-schedule toward the unification of the Earth Kingdom."

Genpei bowed his head briefly as he and Rila both sat down. "Happy to be of service, Grand Secretariat. I will say, that it couldn't have been accomplished without the cooperation of our Fire Nation allies... and the leadership of Captain Xi, who will be sorely missed."

"Indeed. That was part of the reason I summoned you. However, before we can proceed with that, there is a matter of some... delicacy, that needs to be dealt with." Long Feng threw a scornful look at his Fire Nation counterparts. "I believe you were guarding Princess Izumi, for most of the journey back to Zamyn Togsgol?"

Genpei glanced hastily at the Firebenders. Tomoe's face was unreadable; Shingen's expression was a strange mixture of smug satisfaction and guilt. Takeo looked mildly embarrassed, even bored, with the proceedings. But Azula's smirk had vanished; her mouth was set in a hard line, and she was staring daggers at Genpei and Rila.

"We... carried her together." Genpei finally found his voice.

"Hmm." Long Feng raised an eyebrow. "Apparently... she attempted to escape, when you reached the burned village. She was injured, during the re-capture?"

Genpei felt his insides squirm with shame. He should never have lost his temper to a frightened, angry child, no matter her background or what came out of her mouth. Rila had suffered much worse beatings from her own father, but that was no excuse for his behavior. "Corporal Rila had nothing to do with that. Princess Izumi managed to take all of us by surprise. I cornered her and tried to convince her to surrender peacefully, but I... let my emotions get the better of me when she insulted me. After she was secured I turned her over to the Fire Nationals, thinking she would be safer in their care. But Colonel Shingen insisted on taking her into custody himself."

He allowed himself a moment of satisfaction as Takeo shot a glare at his son. Clearly, Shingen hadn't done a much better job of caring for Izumi's injuries. But Azula's eyes didn't break from Genpei's face as she finally spoke, her voice quiet but deadly. "You had her in your custody for most of the journey?"

Genpei felt apprehension and curiosity as he turned back toward her. As far as Takeo's dismissal of Azula as insane... there was something off about her eyes, a brief flicker to the left. As if something had been broken inside her, long ago, and hadn't healed quite right. But the force of her commanding presence was overwhelming, drowning out the instability when she spoke, and the raw hatred in her gaze would have made a lesser man step back. Long Feng was right; insane or not, the Fire Princess was more dangerous than ever.

"She needed to be hidden, quickly, and restrained in case she regained consciousness." Genpei willed his voice to be steady as a rock. "A quarter of our assault team were killed, in the Caldera Cavern. The surviving Firebenders were needed either to carry the injured or help cover our retreat; Rila and I were the only ones free to carry and guard Izumi. I suppose we could have passed her on to Shingen, once we made it out of the Fire Nation-"

"You should have turned her over to Shingen the moment you secured her." Azula snapped. Her gaze suddenly shifted back to Rila. "Which raises another question: why was she knocked unconscious during the abduction?"

Shingen started to rise, but Takeo grabbed his shoulder and planted him firmly back in his seat. Rila didn't flinch as she met Azula's eyes, but before she could open her mouth, Genpei spoke again. "That was my doing. Corporal Rila was busy saving us from General Iroh's attack, in the Caldera Cavern. One of my Earthbending strikes redirected the wrong way while I was trying to support her; the ricochet caught Izumi in the head."

Rila and Azula both froze. Takeo shot another confused glare at Shingen; if his son had told him what really happened in the bunker, he knew Genpei was lying. "Is this true, Corporal?"

After a brief pause, Rila spoke. "Iroh and Mai had us cornered, until I managed to make my counterstrike. If Lieutenant Genpei hadn't secured the girl while I was dealing with Iroh, we never would have retrieved her. Damaged though she was."

Takeo and Shingen both looked surprised- and a little impressed- but Azula's expression was still murderous. Before she could respond, however, Long Feng spoke up. "I'm sure we can arrange you some compensation for the girl's injuries, Princess Azula. But as Lieutenant Genpei was doing his best to keep her safe throughout the journey- and, apparently, has been integral in upholding our alliance for months now- I don't see how we can lay all the blame on him. Besides, as he is an Earth Citizen and not a Fire National, I'm afraid you will have to leave judgement in this matter to me."

Genpei bowed his head low, fighting to contain his relief. He would owe the Grand Secretariat forever for this, sticking his neck out when it could have been so easy to use Genpei as a scapegoat. And in the process, he had deflected the blame away from Rila...But, as he straightened his head, he caught sight of Long Feng's face. The Earthbender was staring straight ahead, carefully avoiding Azula's gaze, but a smirk was playing around his lips. He hadn't been rescuing Genpei, he'd been making a power play, another little gamble in his cat-and-mouse game with Azula.

The uneasy feeling in Genpei's gut deepened. Rila's warnings were becoming truer by the day...

"...Totally understandable." Takeo had cut in, clearly wanting to change the subject. "Now, about the upcoming Agni Kai, assuming Zuko arrives on-schedule? If he does bring reinforcements-"

"They'll be dealt with." Long Feng replied dismissively. "In any case, the arena's two miles from the mountain sanctuary; we'll escort Zuko from the village of Zamyn Togsgol, rather than through the sanctuary itself. That way, neither of our hostages are disturbed in the process." He rolled his eyes at Azula. "You'll get to torch your 'imposter' brother in a perfect spectacle, with plenty of witnesses to back your claim."

Out of the corner of his eye, Genpei saw Rila stiffen again. Azula glanced at Tomoe. "Good. And the New Ozai Society will be ready to crown me, once I've won?"

"Of course, Fire Lord." Tomoe bowed low. "One of the few relics we managed to smuggle out of the Capital during our escape, was an Imperial headpiece from the era before your great-grandfather. Of course, you and Colonel Shingen will have a more official coronation once the coup is complete-"

"Wait." Rila spoke suddenly, her voice quiet and burning. Her bronze eyes were fixed on Takeo. "You promised me, I would be the one to take Zuko's life. You said-"

"I know exactly what I said." Takeo cut her off, impatiently. "I said what you needed to hear, under the circumstances. As I have to many others who have a claim on Iroh's life... which you may have taken from them, now. Both Zuko and Iroh will die, regardless. Your father's death will still be avenged-"

"But not by my hand." Rila clenched her fist, and the tattoo on her forehead flashed orange. "You gave me your word-"

"And you were naive enough to think Takeo would keep it, after he's been deceiving my idiot brother for almost twenty years?" Azula interrupted her, standing up. She locked eyes with the Combustionbender. "Even if he didn't tell you about my involvement, you should have known better than to trust him. Then again, if you're fool enough to bed a Dai Li agent, I guess I shouldn't be surprised. The plum doesn't fall far from the tree, does it? Your father trusted Zuzu, and look where that got him. Or what was left of him."

Rila's cheeks reddened, and she stood up as well. She was a full head taller than Azula, and for a moment, Genpei wondered if she might actually attack. But then he followed her gaze to Azula's face. The Fire Princess' expression had changed again; the blazing anger had vanished from her golden eyes. Now they were blank, calm...waiting. She knew what Rila was, and yet she was confident enough to let her strike first.

"Perhaps you can take this matter back to your own barracks?" Long Feng's tone was politely disdainful. "I have a few things further to say to Captain Genpei, and they are only for the ears of the Dai Li."

Rila's demeanor changed suddenly; she took a step back from Azula, her head bowed. "No need. I was just going." Her tone was bitter, but deferential. "Congratulations on your promotion, Captain Genpei." Without waiting for her escort to rise, she turned on her heel and strode out of the chamber.

Genpei wanted to reach out as she passed, plead with her not to go. But he knew she would reject him even if it wasn't dangerous to them both, and she had good reason to. She finally knew what he'd been hiding from her, why her entire quest for vengeance had been doomed from the start. Takeo and Azula both rose, followed by the other Fire Nationals. All except Azula bobbed their heads briefly to Long Feng, then followed the Princess out. As they passed him, Genpei overheard Takeo mutter, "You want me to deal with that?"

"No, I'll take care of it myself." Azula replied. "Once I've finished training with my niece. You go and address the troops."

Once the stone slab slid back across the doorway, Long Feng turned back to Genpei, a pleasant smile on his face. "Congratulations, Captain Genpei. I'm sure your squad members will be pleased to learn you are taking Captain Xi's place, instead of another officer they're less familiar with."

Genpei offered a weak smile of his own, forcing his thoughts away from his misery. "Time will tell, if I can fill Captain Xi's shoes, sir... but I do believe your judgement was sound, in choosing his replacement."

The Grand Secretariat nodded. "As Xi's judgement was, when he recruited you all those years ago, in Ba Sing Se. You both maintained your cover and provided us with an admirable trove of information for many years... since before Sozin's Comet, even."

Genpei saw the conversation was going in a dangerous direction. "Captain Xi didn't initiate me until after Azula's coup, sir. He merely started training me in Earthbending-"

"Relax, Captain." Long Feng waved a hand. "If I thought either you or Xi had been part of the original group of turncoats, you'd both have been removed or reeducated years ago."

Genpei's gut twisted at the word 'reeducated.' He tried to keep his voice steady. "I thought... that technique was lost, after you flooded the Lake Laogai stronghold-"

"Oh, far from it! We didn't need reeducation for Joo Dee, of course; the embedded code phrase is still enough to remind her of her true loyalties. But, honestly, the apparatus is easier to re-construct than you would think. And when we began recruiting new Joo Dees..." The old man shrugged. "Genuine loyalty to the cause is usually better, of course- and a fine example sits in front of me." He gestured to Genpei. "But, there are times when reeducation gives benefits loyalty or coercion can't. Like reactions under interrogation or surveillance, for instance." He rose and flicked his wrist; a new stone door in the rear of the chamber opened. "Follow me. I have something to show you. Captain Xi would have done so, had he survived the mission in the Fire Nation..."

Genpei followed him as if on strings, feeling completely lost. How little had Xi really taught him, about the Dai Li's darkest secrets? How many of them had survived the Hundred Year War?

At a fork in the tunnel that wound past the Fire Nationals' barracks, Long Feng paused near the entrance. Genpei peered around the corner, then hastily fell back into the shadows. Takeo was standing just feet away, ba fireball flickering over his hand. Spread across the cavern before him were ten formations of Firebending troops, about twenty strong each. Every soldier stood rigidly to attention, their faces hidden behind their black-and-bronze helmets.

"We are the sons and daughters of the flame." Takeo's gruff voice echoed through the cavern. The flickering light illuminated his manic amber eyes, the jagged scar carving into the edge of his side-whiskers. "We are the offspring of the Dragon, the ones who proved themselves on the battlefield, against the other Nations and each other, for a thousand years. The Agni Kai to come is not just for Azula. It is for all of us, the ones who have been fighting it our entire lives, against the false Fire Lords! Against the ones who did not uphold their ancestors' claim to the throne, have never had to defend it or their loyal followers their entire lives! Against the ones who sat on a heap of plunder while thousands of us died before the walls of Ba Sing Se! Against the usurper who took everything we earned with sweat and blood, and gave it back to our enemies!" He raised his fist, and the fireball flared twice as high. "THIS IS THE YEAR WE TAKE IT ALL BACK!"

As one, all the Firebenders let out a roar that shook dust from the roof of the cave and raised their fists, conjuring plumes of flame. Genpei shook his head grimly. He knew exactly what Takeo claimed to have 'earned' on the battlefield. "So much for Takeo's commitment to our alliance." he muttered to Long Feng as they continued down the passageway. "It'd probably be better if you just eliminated him and Azula now. If they take the helm of the Fire Nation, with that kind of agenda..."

"Oh, we knew it was only a matter of time." Long Feng waved his hand dismissively. "But we can't be seen as aggressors on the international stage yet. The people have to see the final failure of the Earth King's alliance with Ariq, and demand both their removals. When Kuei's ill-thought offensive against the Fire Nation fails, when he's at his most desperate... I will arrive in Ba Sing Se, backed by General Fong, and give him back the security and order he needs, along with his heir. In exchange, of course, for immunity and authority restored to all Dai Li- as well as removing the elected monarchy from Omashu and installing Dai Li leadership there. Meanwhile, assuming Takeo and Azula's coup succeeds after Zuko's death, the Fire Nation will almost certainly launch a counterattack on the Earth Kingdom. In which case most of the other vassals will be left vulnerable, and call on us for protection. And then... we assume a defensive, unified position in the western Earth Kingdom, with numbers that the entire Fire Nation military could never break." His green eyes glittered as they approached what looked like a dead-end passageway. "But for this plan to work, we need an unparalleled intelligence network. We did recently gain a valuable communications device through our trade with Takeo, but it will take us time to replicate. In the meantime, expanding our spy network quickly is critical. Which is precisely where reeducation comes in..."

He gestured again, and yet another door slid back into the wall, revealing a cavern that was pitch-dark... except for several greenish spheres of light at the far end. Genpei couldn't see clearly, but he could feel the vibration of three pulses near the lights. One of those pulses felt abnormally steady.

An authoritative voice suddenly spoke out of the darkness, as one of the lights began to rotate in a circle. "You are here to ensure the safety of the Earth Kingdom, at all costs."

A second voice repeated back, shaking slightly. "I... am here... to ensure the safety of the Earth Kingdom, at all costs."

"From wherever threats may come."

"From wherever threats... may come."

"My agents are currently working on one of General Fong's soldiers, who disagreed with the means to our ends when he first arrived." A match flared in Long Feng's hand as he lit a lamp. The flame illuminated two Dai Li agents standing on either side of a soldier in a Puyo uniform, manacled to a wooden chair with earthen restraints. Each time the greenish light- which Genpei could now see was some kind of crystal lantern- rotated before his face on a steel ring, the man's over-dilated eyes followed it. "He should prove much more useful to us, once he's been given a new purpose and sent back as a spy."

Genpei finally found his voice. "...Fascinating, Grand Secretariat." He felt as if he were about to be sick. Now he understood exactly what was done to Joo Dee, to citizens in the Lower Ring who would occasionally disappear when he was a child...

He carefully kept his face blank, politely interested, as Long Feng's pale green eyes swept over him. If he proved himself disloyal or 'useless' now...

As soon as Azula entered the room, Izumi sprang up. She felt both nervous and- she hated to admit it to herself- excited. After all the years she'd spent learning and perfecting just the basics of Firebending from Iroh... finally, she had a bending teacher who wouldn't hold her back. One who'd been described by nearly everyone she knew, as the greatest Firebender of her generation.

She still didn't understand why her aunt was teaching her, much less keeping her alive, if her goal was to overthrow Zuko. But Izumi wasn't going to waste the opportunity. If any of the new techniques she learned from Azula gave her another chance to escape...

As the guards stepped out of the room, Izumi pressed her fist to her palm and prepared to bow her head. Azula interrupted her by kicking an arc of flame toward her shins, forcing her to spring back. "Bowing wastes time, ruins your balance. Most importantly, it takes your eyes off your opponent. Don't do it again."

Izumi felt a spark of irritation at the contempt in her aunt's voice. "It's dishonorable to strike before an opponent's ready-"

"If you cling to honor as a crutch, you'll never make any progress." Azula cut her off. "The only time those rules need to be observed, is during an Agni Kai for the throne."

She jabbed her index and middle fingers at Izumi, launching a series of dart-like flame bursts at her. Rather than swatting or deflecting them away, Izumi rolled sideways, sprang up and launched a barrage of four fireballs. Azula swiveled on her heel, pivoting around or ducking them all, then launched a single burst of flame from her cocked elbow that caught Izumi in the shoulder, knocking her to the ground. "Pitiful. You think Firebending basics are going to catch me off-guard, simply because I so seldom see them anymore? Your mind may be inventive, but your Firebending's as weak as your idiot father's."

Izumi's irritation grew to anger. She drew in a Breath of Fire, feeling fresh energy surge through her limbs. Springing up, she launched an arc of flame off her roundhouse kick, spun and launched a second one from her other foot. Azula deflected the first attack with her knee, spinning away from the second; in the same movement, she launched a charged flame-jet from the heel of her hand. Izumi dove out of the way again, but the edge of the blaze singed her hair, just as Kiyi's had in their last duel. Her breath was coming in short, sharp gasps. Kiyi and Iroh had always defeated her in the end, it was true. But no one had worn her down so quickly, or landed a blow so soon in the duel.

Taking another Breath of Fire, she forced herself onto her feet and projected fire-jets from her fists, rocketing herself forward. Azula raised her right palm toward Izumi, conjuring a blazing barrier and forcing her to stop in her tracks. "Propulsion is no good if you don't project flames from your feet as well; otherwise, you can't maneuver. Didn't that tea-addicted old gasbag teach you anything?" She flicked her wrist. The barrier expanded suddenly, encircling Izumi in a tightening ring of sapphire flames.

Izumi turned wildly in panic, adrenaline racing through her veins. But there was nowhere for her to flee, no attack she could make to break through this inferno. The flames were as hot as the ones at Phleung Woat, but unlike Ran and Shaw's Firebending, this wasn't contained, wasn't balanced. She could feel the hairs on her forearms starting to crisp, even though the flames hadn't touched her yet-

Ran and Shaw. Balance. That was the answer. Izumi let her arms relax, stretching her fingers out towards the fire, ignoring the sting of the intense heat. She forced herself to even her breathing, slow her heart rate. The tendrils of blue fire around her began to coil toward her palms, changing to a more amber shade as they compressed into a sphere of light-

Abruptly, the blazing ring around her vanished. Azula strode toward her, her eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Where... did you learn that?"

Izumi opened her mouth, then closed it. She dropped her hands hastily, and the amber sphere vanished. If Azula found out about the Sun Warriors' existence... "Dad picked up some tricks, over the years. He got to train with some of the best Firebenders in the White Lotus-"

"You realize how pathetic of a lie that is? Not that it matters. It's an interesting technique, but it's not going to save you, if using it distracts you from your opponent."

"It's not meant to distract me, or save me. It's meant to keep my Firebending balanced, under my control... rather than under the control of my emotions."

"Hmm." Azula raised an eyebrow. "Perhaps your lie has a hint of truth to it, at least. Zuzu did have his temper better under control, the last time we fought."

She reached out and plucked lightly at the girl's scorched topknot. Izumi willed herself not to flinch as the pointed nails touched her hair. She changed the subject. "Why are your flames blue? I've never seen anyone bend fire like that before."

Azula drew her hand back, turning her palm upright. A tongue of lavender-tinted blue flame ignited over it. "It's a matter of aligning the Manipura Chakra point in your stomach, with your heart rate and breathing. Once you've adjusted to doing so throughout the day, it doubles the intensity of your Firebending. Though, I've never encountered anyone else who's successfully mastered the ability. And it takes time, for your body to acclimatize to such intensity without... outside influence." Her eyes flicked briefly to the right, then back to Izumi. "Meaning, it won't help you escape now."

Izumi felt her cheeks redden. Was Azula reading her mind? She covered it by curling her lip into a scornful expression. "Why... would I escape before I've learned everything you have to teach me?"

The ghost of a smile touched Azula's mouth as she closed her fist, snuffing out the flame. "Inventive, persistent and logical...I can see why Ty Lee takes such an interest in you. You both ultimately choose survival, but you keep skirting back toward death, in search of a third option that isn't really there."

"Ty Lee?" Izumi hadn't heard from her mother's best friend since a few weeks before she'd been kidnapped; now, she had an idea why. "Is she here?" She felt a surge of hope. If she had an ally, somewhere nearby... Then suddenly, she realized why Azula would know about her. "Did you capture her?"

"Capture? Nothing so dramatic. She's been in my service ever since I rescued her." Azula smirked at the look on Izumi's face. "No need to take my word for it, you'll get to ask her yourself soon enough. Yes, she's here. As long as she keeps deluding herself with the idea that she can give you and I our 'lost choices' back... She forgets that those of us with Royal Blood, have the least choice of anyone in this world. Her desperation to save all of us, clouds her judgement." Her mouth tightened as she glanced away. "When you're in desperate circumstances, unless you focus your resolve on a single target, it won't save anyone."

Izumi was suddenly reminded of her last duel with her other aunt. "My aunt Kiyi... she knew how to do that. To focus everything on a single target." She felt her stomach twist as Azula's eyes flicked back to her at Kiyi's name. "During our last Agni Kai...I nearly fought Kiyi to a draw. But she waited until I was at close-quarters, before she struck her finishing blow. She even let herself get burned, so she would have the chance to win."

"Presumably, because she knew the injury wouldn't be fatal." Azula shrugged. "Calculated risk. But that doesn't surprise me. I've seen the fire in her blood before."

Izumi was surprised. She'd expected Azula to show contempt and hatred for the half-sister who had 'replaced' her as Grandmother Ursa's 'perfect' daughter. But Azula's tone was respectful, when she spoke of Kiyi. She'd ordered Izumi's capture, yet she'd been furious when she saw bruises on her face. She was dishonorable and harsher as a teacher than Iroh or Zuko, yet she was giving Izumi advice.

Frightening and dangerous though her aunt was, Izumi felt strangely drawn to Azula. She knew so little about her parents' younger years, before Zuko joined the Avatar, and Azula was connected to them both. Mai and Zuko usually avoided talking about her, and Izumi had only been able to coax a few details from her grandmother and granduncle. She knew her father and aunt had shared a fierce rivalry since childhood, that Mai had met Azula through Ty Lee at the Academy, but beyond that...

She stared up at her aunt. "Why... did you take me? If you wanted to take over the Fire Nation, all you had to do was kill me and Iroh, and Dad would have no heirs left. And if you're marrying Shingen, you can have children of your own to succeed you. You don't need me-"

"You think I'm going to waste a perfectly good heir?" Azula smirked again as she turned away, undoing the clasps of her jacket. "You have potential for someone your age, Izumi, I'll admit it. You just need to be... cured, of your father's defects. His obsession with honor, his emotional attachments. But it seems you're already making progress there. The main weakness you'll need to break free from, is your attachment to your parents. Something I learned to do without, before I was ten years old... when my mother vanished, and my father gave me this." She pulled her left arm out of the sleeve and lowered the jacket from her back, revealing a large, crescent-shaped burn scar across her shoulder. The size of a large man's hand, almost the same shape and size as the mark on Zuko's face...

Izumi felt a chill pass through her. "Why... would Ozai burn you? Dad said you were always his favorite child, the one who never failed him-"

"And how would he know?" Azula snapped, pulling her jacket back on. "Zuzu wasn't there, when it happened. Be thankful that you're still young enough to adapt. That you'll live long enough to learn how unimportant, how unreliable, those emotional attachments are. Familial blood is necessary to continue our dynasty, it's true. But anything else is a weakness. And weakness will always destroy you, in the end." She strode over to the door and hammered on it; four armored Firebending guards entered the room. "We're done for today, take my niece back to her cell. I'll spar with her around noon again, tomorrow... unless her father arrives first."

A stab of dread passed through Izumi as the guards flanked her. She'd hoped she would have enough time to plan some kind of escape, before her parents arrived. But it sounded as though they were nearly here. And once Azula had them in her trap... But at least she had learned one important thing. Ty Lee was here, somewhere. She wasn't sure whether Azula was lying or not, about Ty Lee being in her service. But the Kiyoshi Warrior had been part of her life since she was born, had always protected and cared for her and her mother.

If Izumi had an ally in the mountain, she had an opportunity. And as her father had always told her, if she had an opportunity, she should never give up without a fight.

Genpei moved as quickly and silently as he could, his stone-plated shoes gliding down the darkened passageway. If he was caught now, Azula or Shingen would make another case against him- and if Long Feng became suspicious of his loyalties, there would be no rescue for him this time. Not that Long Feng didn't have reason to be suspicious. Genpei wasn't sure what was propelling him down the corridor, but he knew it ran against both the Grand Secretariat's agenda and the Fire Nation-Dai Li alliance. And yet, he kept moving...

When he turned the final corner, Rila's chamber door was ajar. Genpei had been half-expecting guards at her door; the fact that there weren't was both a blessing and a curse. On one hand, it would make it easier for him to act. On the other, if Azula hadn't posted guards, it meant she would be coming soon. Which meant he had minutes, at the most. He stepped through the doorway. Rila was pulling a rough grey travel cloak and fur-trimmed leggings from her travel bag; most of her armor was already strapped to the exterior.

"What do you want?" Rila didn't turn around; clearly she'd been expecting him. Her tone was bitter. "I suppose you're here to 'uphold the alliance' again? Talk to Shingen, if he's interested. I've got other plans."

"Plans that involve intercepting Zuko, before the Dai Li capture him?" Genpei shook his head. "You shouldn't have been so obvious, Rila. Azula won't let you jeopardize her plan for Zuko. You can bet she'll have it down to the last detail-"

"Which is why she needs Takeo now, in case her plans don't go perfectly." Rila scoffed. "She's not much of an improviser. The main thing I learned from Takeo is that complicated plans can be undone easily, if you interfere with the right detail. Sometimes the best-laid plans are left simple deliberately, in case you need room to handle something unexpected."

"And something unexpected interfered with your plan now, Rila." Genpei grabbed her wrist. "How do you think you're going to 'improvise' your way out of this one?"

Rila's eyes flashed. "Why would I tell you that, when I've got no reason to trust you? You think I couldn't have coaxed secrets from you, or one of the idiots on Long Feng's staff, if I'd really wanted to? I spoke with you because I was curious about you, as a person. Because as ruthless as my father was, he didn't raise me on the hate-propaganda the rest of the Fire Nation used to swallow. Which made me a little more interested in the rest of the world, than most. You seemed more decent than most of your comrades, or the scum I've had to claw past on my way to revenge. But look where that got me- got both of us. I kept telling you over and over, picking a side in this faction war is suicide, and you did it anyway. Let go of my arm."

Genpei slowly took his hand off her wrist. "You're one to talk. I've been telling you over and over: your obsession with vengeance is going to leave you hunted and haunted, for the rest of your life."

"Ghosts from my past, I can deal with. I've grown up with them. As far as being hunted...If anyone actually manages to catch up with me after I'm through with Zuko, let them try. Even that Royal brat of his, if she survives that long." Rila's tattoo glowed orange. "Whereas your obsession with keeping order through a promotion, is going to get you killed or turn you just as tyrannical as your boss. Remember when we first met, at Omori? Your eyes used to light up when you talked about keeping the people safe in Ba Sing Se, about keeping local gangs and Triads off the streets. But you've seen what Long Feng does to people who oppose him... or even those who are neutral or loyal to him, who he deems 'unnecessary.' And yet, you're still sucker enough to take his damn promotion, help him oppress your own people until he doesn't have a use for you anymore-"

"I'm not going to take it." Genpei turned away.

"What?"

"I'm not going to take the promotion. Or rather, I'm going to be demoted." He shrugged his shoulders halfheartedly. "Long Feng can't exactly have a senior officer who meddles in the affairs of his Fire Nation allies."

Rila stared at him, confused. "What are you talking about? What meddling?"

"Keeping Azula and Takeo from arresting you." Genpei crooked his arm sideways, and a section of the stone wall slide into the floor, revealing a passage. " I may not know exactly what's going to happen to the citizens of Ba Sing Se, if the Dai Li return. You may well be right, perhaps order isn't worth that price, but I...don't know. The current regime isn't any better than what I saw as a child, and the number of suffering Earth Citizens just keeps growing." He met her eyes. "I do know what's going to happen to you, if you stay in this mountain another night. Now that you've opposed Azula so blatantly, she and Takeo have no choice but to detain or kill you; I overheard them, as they were leaving the conference room. You and I disagree on many things, I know that. But I know you've got a good heart, no matter how far you hide it behind your ruthlessness. I know you've been alone for a long time, I know you've suffered. And I care about that." He took a deep breath. "I care... about you, Rila. I don't want to see you suffer anymore. I'm giving you a chance, however you decide to use it." He took a deep breath and held out his hand. "But if you're going to, we need to leave right now."

Rila finally found her voice. "Where... what-"

"Rila? Now."

As they sprinted down the cramped dark passage, gripping hands tightly, with only Genpei's seismic sense to lead the way, he was reminded vividly of their escape from the Caldera Cavern. Was this how they would be for the rest of their lives, always on the run? But he'd made his decision. And just as in the Caldera Cavern, they had both given too much to turn back.

Stay the course, Genpei. But the course had changed.

Finally, his vibrations detected the end of the passage a few yards ahead. Genpei thrust out his hand, and a circular chunk of stone the size of a cart-wheel cracked away, letting in moonlight. Icy mountain wind swept into the tunnel.

"Follow the treeline west, until you reach an outcrop about halfway down the mountain." Genpei tossed Rila's bag through the hole, then gestured for her to follow. "You'll be within sight of Zamyn Togsgol village when you get there, but stay in the trees. You won't see the Dai Li, but they're manning positions on nearly every slope. I know you can survive in the wilderness, I know you can keep yourself warm. Follow the treeline down into the river valley, and wait for Zuko to come. You'll only get one shot."

Rila caught his wrist as he started to back away from the tunnel entrance. "You... didn't have to lie to Azula or Takeo. You might be a friend, but you barely know me."

"...You barely know me." Genpei shrugged awkwardly. "You were right, you have no reason to trust me whatsoever. You didn't have to push me away from Izumi's attack in the mountains, either. And yet... you did." He took a deep breath. "Zuko's not innocent, I can accept that; no one involved in this is innocent. And I know you need to face him, that you may need to kill him. But I'm begging you... think, before you act. We've both taken lives before, in order to survive, but this is different-"

Rila interrupted him by grabbing his face with both hands and pulling his head out the entrance. "You talk too much." she muttered. Then, to Genpei's astonishment, she kissed him full on the mouth. Reflexively, his arms encircled her. For a few moments, he struggled to balance between embracing her and and trying to keep them both from falling off the ledge.

Rila finally released him and crouched against the rocky outcrop, finding her balance again. Genpei sucked in a breath. "Sooo... I guess, you don't hold my promotion against me, after all?"

"You're still an idiot." Rila rested her hand on his cheek. "If things go south, after all this is over... you know where to find me. okay?"

Genpei took her hand in his, brought it to his lips. Then, Rila sprang from the ledge, vanishing into the snowy darkness.