Prince Zuko left the warm comfort of his ship for the chilly shore where the Avatar had been said to be spotted, so one cold night wasn't going to stop him from getting his prize, his troops had set up camp…and sent several others to scour the forest see what they could find.
Zuko's uncle, Iroh…looking rather chilly, stepped near the campfire his nephew was sitting by. "Z-z-z-Zuko, I d-d-d-don't m-mean to p-p-p-pry…but don't you t-t-th-think it be b-b-b-bet-better if we went back to the ship and w-w-w-wai-waited until the morning to hunt the Avatar?" he asked.
Zuko looked back at him and said, "If you're cold, you can go back to the ship…I'll stay here."
Just then a blast of wind came across the beach, "Z-z-zu-zuko, I'd wish you'd reconsider, you'd catch your death of cold out here!" Iroh argued with him.
"A cold would be a small price to pay in capturing the Avatar." Zuko said coldly.
"I'd listen to your uncle if I were you boy, you haven't had to live on these shores and learn to survive here like we have." said a familiar voice (familiar to us, not Zuko), Zuko then looked around, "WHO'S OUT THERE, SHOW YOURSELF!" he commanded.
"SHOW YOURSELF!" the voice replied in a high-pitched falsetto.
Zuko was ready to set out and hunt whoever this was down when the scouting party returned, he looked at them and asked, "I sent seven of you yet only four of you return, what happened?"
"Well…it seems that the forest is laden with a few traps, a few of them picked us off. Seems like they were well maintained too…like somebody's around here." one of the soldiers told him.
"Here…but the Air Nation is deserted, our forces cleaned this place years ago, who could still be here!" Zuko demanded to know.
"Those of whom you cannot see." The voice interrupted again.
Zuko let out a growl and said, "WHO ARE YOU!"
"One of those you cannot see." The voice replied.
"I think what the prince is asking is that you come out of hiding," Iroh said sympathetically, "I mean it's getting late, and you're probably hungry."
There was an long silence then suddenly one blast of wind put the campfire out, but was instantly re-lit with a black flame, Iroh looked at Zuko and said, "I have a bad feeling about this."
"You have nothing to fear, I mean you no harm." Said the voice from behind them. They turned around to see a man in a gray tattered cloak, black tunic, and beige pants standing behind them. A red eye peeked out from behind the hood of the cloak, it looked at them with the kindness of a long lost brother, yet seemed to hide some long contained malice.
"Who are you?" Zuko asked again.
The man looked at him and said, "Oh the need for use of names, please have this bowl of stew…my name is Sam Hill, go here, move that. My name is Diablo if that satisfies you." Diablo said sharply. "And I think I know you, you're Ozai's son Zuko, and the older man behind you is his brother Iroh."
"And how do you know who we are?" Zuko asked him.
"There's an old Fire Nation soldier in our village, and though he has changed over the years, he still remembers when you Iroh and he were in the army together, serving not the fire-lord, but the emperor." Diablo told them.
"You have knowledge of such it is uncanny." Said Iroh with a hint of surprise.
"True…but there are more urgent matters that must be called to our attention." Diablo told them.
"Like what?" Zuko asked.
"Like you helping get rid of a few troublesome pests." Diablo told him.
"I don't do favors for people, it is below me." Zuko said.
"Oh, I'm not asking a favor…but more of a trade, you do something for me, and I'll give you something you want." Diablo told him.
"You could have nothing that I want, so you wasted your time coming here." Zuko told him, and started walking away.
"Okay…but this something I mentioned is actually more of a someone." Diablo said slyly.
Zuko then turned around and looked at Diablo, "The Avatar, you know where he is?" Zuko asked, his interests now peaked at what Diablo had to say.
Diablo nodded and replied, "Yes, he's at my village…I could take you there tomorrow, though I suppose my brethren will throw up a fight for it."
"Why can't you take us there now!" Zuko ordered to know.
"The village is guarded by three layers of traps, each layers' traps are more closely knitted together than the next…I should know, for I helped design two-thirds of them. I'd be able to guide you…but I'm afraid I have not journeyed outside the village at night as much as the daytime, I'd be better use to you then." Diablo explained.
Diablo then looked up at the stars and said, "The night grows short, get some rest…Zuko, if you wish to rest on the beach tonight, follow me." Zuko and Diablo got up and Zuko followed Diablo into the night.
Back at the village Tem Li was suddenly burst awake, he was in a cold sweat. He knew something was wrong, but what. He went to find both Rain and Aldaris were awake, "Elder…Aldaris, funny to see you awake at this hour." Tem told them.
"We found it difficult to sleep so we decided maybe a little herbal tea may help." Aldaris told Tem.
"What keeps you awake at this hour young master Li?" Rain asked.
"I felt something, a disturbance in the Tomaìs' power…something bad has happened, I just know it." Tem told them.
"Tem, go to sleep, we have much to do tomorrow and little time to do it. Best be rested up." Aldaris told him, Tem bowed to them and departed.
"Funny, Tem sensing something we can't." Aldaris told Rain.
"I wouldn't say that Aldaris, for I sensed it too…but not as strongly as Tem has seemed to." Rain said back.
"Do you think this confirms your theory that he's…that we should tell him—?" Aldaris started to ask.
Rain shook his head, "I cannot risk that yet because my theory may be wrong, Tem is the future and rightful heir to the Fire Nation throne and that's all he needs to realize, only time will reveal if my theory is correct. If what prelate Aiur said to me as he was on his deathbed is true."
"But elder…until the Avatar arrived his ability to sense changes in the balance have never been this powerful, this has to prove it!" Aldaris argued.
"Aldaris…I've seen into the future, and Tem's path is clouded, yes…I can see where it'll end him, but I cannot see how he has got there. For now, let us see what happens day to day, and when the time comes when we should tell him, we shall."