This chapter has an update on some of the Avatar characters. It also has OC characters that I'm using to explain how things are deteriorating in the palace. After all, I only have Ozai left there. Even Shinu is at his family home by now.

Zuko sighed sadly as he watched the Fire Nation ship they were on pull away from the dock. He had wanted to stay in Ba Sing Se longer and spend more sweet time with Katara, but it wasn't prudent.

Word had reached them that his father was heading entirely off the rails. Katara had made him see that after only shy of two weeks there, it was time to head back to the palace.

"You look sad to head home," Avatar Szeto commented, now standing beside Zuko at the ship's railing.

"We head back to a fight. Ba Sing Se-"

"Had started as one, too," Szeto reminded him. "And the coming fight isn't yours."

"No, but peace will be harder to obtain afterward. So many won't want to follow me."

The Avatar teased, "they will be thrilled to follow Katara, though."

Zuko laughed. "You joke, but you remind me that with her at my side, I can accomplish anything. Thank you."

The Madam at the Fire Nation Palace locked herself in her room and paced. She would periodically shake her head and pause, only to start up again. Ozai seemed actually to be going insane, and she wondered if some disease he had gotten was driving it or if it was genetic. Not many Fire Lords lived into old age for her to know. Not that he was all that old.

She worried about what was coming. He had ordered all his counselors back, and they had a week and a half from now to return. Then she knew something terrible would happen, and her girls could get caught in the middle of it all.

She actually found herself relieved that they were only whores though. She knew the worst fates would be doled out to some of the counselors. He seemed to have gotten a taste for killing now.

When the men returned, she knew the sex parties would start up again. She wished for Katara to return. But she knew she had to devise her own plan for now –Katara would be counting on her.

Hence the reason for her pacing.

She knew many of the girls in the harem had taken to helping Katara. They spied and… That was it! She needed information. It would help her devise a plan, and if Katara got back in time, she would be able to provide it all to her!

She realized she needed a list of loyal women of the harem who wouldn't betray their mission. That she knew she could come up with easily. She knew her girls well.

Once she had a mental list, she knew none of it could be written down; she moved to the next point. Who to start getting information from? With the counselors gone, men further down the hierarchy were given access to the harem.

Who should she send the girls to in order to begin gathering information? The answer seemed clear to her. Many men left their younger brothers in the palace to keep an eye on things knowing they wouldn't be called before the Fire Lord.

She would send women to them to learn what the family was thinking. And since many of them weren't married, it would be easier. The ones with wives left since many of the women were disgusted with Ozai.

As she made her room assignments in her head, she included not just the women she intended to use as spies. She wanted to mask what she was doing.

She finally felt calm. She was doing something, and that made her feel like she was fighting to help in the only way she could.

Toph stood on the metal Fire Nation ship, and her heartbeat increased. She had been terrified she would be completely blind on board since there was no earth, only metal, and water.

What she found was she could still sense everything, just as she always had. It boggled her mind that she could, but more than that, it was exciting. Because of choosing her own path, she was learning something new.

She went in search of the Avatar. She hoped he could explain what was happening.

Suki was incredibly annoyed with herself right now. Sokka was in a Kyoshi Warrior dress, and despite her reason for making him wear it, it didn't tamp down her desire for him.

He asked to be trained by her, and really he didn't need to "dress the part" like she insisted; she had her reasons.

And on top of all of that, he hadn't flinched when she told him what to wear. He just nodded and went to change.

Yamato's laughter had amused her. When Sokka was changing, he couldn't hold it in. She looked at him and asked, "why is he so calm about this?"

"You haven't met his sister," was Yamato's reply.

Kei added helpfully, "I don't know what he was like before. But I know he's seen how powerful his sister is. She stood up to Ozai in his own office and won. Being feminine is strength to him."

And so Suki stood there, incredibly attracted to Sokka and contemplating her future and his offer. Could she leave with him to help take down the Fire Lord and end the war?

Emi took a deep breath and knocked on the door in front of her. Earlier that day, the Madam had come to her and asked her to act as a spy. She quickly agreed to do just that. She wanted to be of use, and she knew things were going to get so much worse at the palace. She liked the idea of trying to make a difference rather than sitting back and watching in fear.

The man who opened the door leered at her and, raking his eyes over her body, and said, "you will do nicely. Come in."

As she walked past him, he grabbed her ass and squeezed. "So, here to report on me to Ozai? Is he sending his harem out to discover family loyalties?"

She laughed and said, "believe what you want."

He walked over and flopped down on his couch, and picked up his drink there. He took a swig of fire whisky and said, "tell him we are immensely loyal, and my brother only went home to make sure his steward wasn't cheating him. He left in a rush since he wanted to catch the man off guard." He took another drink.

Emi walked over to the cabinets and pulled out a glass for herself. She then filled his glass and hers. Holding up her drink, she mock-toasted "to the idiot before me. The one who thinks that Ozai believes that whores could have any use other than to fuck."

He looked at her funny and took a drink. He then said, "Ozai would tell you to say that."

Rolling her eyes, she set down her drink and crawled towards him. "Use your brain. You do have one, right?"

"How dare you! I could have you-"

"Exactly. Ozai would have me killed in a blink and not care. He doesn't care about a single one of us. Not even his Mistresses. Do you know he doesn't know the name of the one he almost killed?" She took his drink and sipped from it.

He shifted uncomfortably as she handed him back his drink. "Why else would you come?"

She stroked his hard cock through his pants. "I thought that was obvious."

"I'm a second son. I don't usually get such a hot woman from the harem. The last few have been… Odd."

"All the first sons are gone." She stroked his cock again. "Don't you want me?"

He chuckled. "Yes. I really do. It pays to be… Careful, though, nowadays. As much as I want to have sex with you, I want to live too."

He then set down his drink and pressed her to her back, and hovered over her. "I find you incredibly enticing. You're the kind of woman who could easily lead me to my death. I want you so badly."

He pulled down the bodice of her dress, exposing her breasts. "Fuck, you make me want to risk my life with this body of yours. That is why I think you're a spy."

"I am a spy." She replied, risking the truth. "I just don't spy for Ozai, but against him."

"And why should I trust you?" He couldn't help himself as he asked her; he grabbed her plump breast. "Fuck I love your big boobs!"

She moaned and whispered, "I gave you a way to have me killed. If you told Ozai, he would know the truth. I don't spy for him. I'm risking my life because I believe you want to help me."

"And?" He pressed.

"And I need something from you."

"Finally, something I can believe."

Emi said, "I need to know how my sister is doing."

"What?!" That wasn't what he expected.

"My sister went home with your brother; she's his Mistress. I wouldn't work against your family; it would hurt her too."

He frowned, "we didn't know she had a sister."

"Like anyone would allow her to tell. Ozai demands no family bonds in the harem."

He sat up. "She saved his life. And now, she is well taken care of by everyone in the family. Even our mother adores her. And that was very unexpected considering what she is. Well, if his wife hadn't… But you know that story."

She shook her head. "I really don't. My sister… She would never betray your brother's secrets. I genuinely don't know."

"My brother's wife died in childbirth. He loved her, and it was destroying him to watch her die. He refused to stay out of the birthing room once he knew what was happening. The baby was stillborn. Then… she grew delirious and started calling out her lover's name, begging him to come and save her and their child. It turned out that her lover was my brother's best friend.

"My brother had never had a Mistress in his life before that happened. He had been wholly devoted to his wife. It broke him. And he went into a deep depression. It was your sister that saved him. Mother worried he would die from his heartbreak eventually. It's why she loves her so much."

"The Madam wants me to find out where your family stands with Ozai. Know this. If Zuko is Fire Lord, he will marry Katara and make it legal to marry from the harem. What would that do for your family?"

He grabbed her breasts and pinched her nipples. "We want Ozai fucking dead. And we would happily hail Zuko as Fire Lord. Pass any message to me, and I will help. Also, I will start quietly listening to what is being said around here and report it to you."

He sucked on her nipple and reached up her dress, and flicked her clit. "Oh, this is going to work out so well for me. Have the Madam send you to me every night, and I will ensure I repay her by having something to report to you."

"I can't have pleased you that much already."

He laughed. "You're so sexy, and I want you so much. And on top of that, I can work with you against Ozai. This is going to be amazing.