Disclaimer: I do not own A:TLA or any of it's characters. The only thing I own is my OC.

The Six Rules:

Rule Number One: Alec won't warn the Gaang about things in advance or solve their problems for them, with a few rare exceptions.

Rule Number Two: Only Alec has the right to tell people his true origins, and he will mostly limit this to group members. He will tell new group members his secret as soon as they join the Gaang.

Rule Number Three: There are some changes Alec wants to make, and he will use his knowledge of the future to make those changes.

Rule Number Four: Sometimes, to make a change, Alec will act in a way that doesn't make sense. If that's necessary, he'll tell the Gaang "I need you to absolutely trust me." After he says that, the Gaang has to either do whatever he asks or leave him to do what he needs to do.

Rule Number Five: After a change happens, Alec will tell the Gaang what happened in the original story, in the interest of transparency.

Rule Number Six: If a major change happens that Alec doesn't expect, the Gaang will have a meeting ASAP. In this meeting, Alec will break Rule One and tell them all relevant information that will help them figure out how to respond to the change.

Chapter 33:

The Earth King

Alec POV

The next morning, we all sat at the table eating breakfast. Ty Lee and I fed Ved small chunks of meat. Zuko fed Druk. I even saw Mai give Druk a few chunks when she thought nobody was looking.

Sokka turned to me. "So, what's the plan?"

Suki tilted her head. "Yeah, are we going to get disguises, or something?"

I grinned. "My plan is fly to the palace, bust our way into the throne room, and talk to the Earth King."

Everyone looked at me with shock on their faces. "Are you insane?" Zuko asked.

I shrugged. "Maybe, but I know we can succeed. We just have to be careful. Non-lethal techniques only, and no permanent injuries." I said. I looked at Zuko and Iroh. "I'll be limiting myself to the fire whip, mostly. I might use fire bomb or wall of flames to stop projectile attacks, but that's about it."

Iroh and Zuko nodded. Mai gave me a questioning look. "How do you know the Earth King will even listen to us?"

I smirked. "Leave that to me."

"So, who goes, and who stays?" Katara asked.

"All of us should go." I said. "Even Ved, Druk, and Momo. As soon as Long Feng realizes what we're doing, he might send Dai Li to swarm this place. We should make sure to pack all the stuff we don't want them to steal, like my scrolls or anything else we can't replace."

Zuko frowned. "Are you sure it's a good idea to bring the dragons?" He asked. "We're supposed to keep them secret and safe. It would be bad if the Dai Li knew about them."

I nodded. "You have a point, but we can't leave them here." I noted. "I think it would be a good idea to keep them in the saddle. Ved and Druk are small enough right now that if they stay flat in the saddle, they can't be seen."

Zuko looked thoughtful for a few seconds. "I guess that could work."

We finished our breakfast and quickly packed up our essentials. We got our stuff into the saddle and climbed aboard. "Everyone ready?" Aang asked.

We all nodded. "It's time to meet the Earth King." Aang said with determination.


We took off. I was happy with how much space the new saddle had, even with nine people (Aang was on Appa's head) and two dragons. Sokka looked at me. "What kind of defenses can we expect?"

"Earthbenders." I said. "Lots of earthbenders."

Pretty soon, we saw the palace complex below us. A massive courtyard, then a small moat that was probably only there for aesthetic purposes, then a giant staircase leading to the palace itself. The palace was opulent, and I was fairly certain the entire roof was gold leaf. I knew palaces were supposed to be extravagant, but that was a bit much.

We got closer. I was tense, waiting for action. I turned to my dragon. "Ved, no matter what happens, stay here in the saddle and don't let anyone see you." I said seriously.

Zuko turned to his dragon. "Same for you, Druk."

The dragons looked at us, and inclined their heads slightly. "I'll make it up to you with an extra helping of bacon, I promise." I whispered to Ved.

"And some extra attention from Mommy." Ty Lee added. I smiled. She loved spoiling him.

We heard a whooshing sound, and Appa lurched suddenly to dodge a boulder. "What was that?!" Toph shouted.

"Surface-to-air rocks!" Sokka shouted. "More incoming!"

Appa had to bob and weave to dodge all the rocks. One came close to hitting Appa's head, but Aang backhanded it and shattered it into dust. We started to descend. Another boulder shot straight at us, but Aang hit it with his staff and split it in two. Momo took off to avoid being part of the battle. We could see a large formation of palace guards taking stances and getting ready to fire. Aang jumped down when we were about fifty feet up and slammed his staff into the ground, creating a huge shockwave of earth and knocking all the guards off their feet. Appa landed and the rest of us disembarked.

We began to run towards the palace. Two groups of guards surrounded us on both sides of the path and started bending rocks at us. Toph and Aang blocked most of them with earthbending. A few got past them, but we were able to deal with it. Suki fully unfolded her fans, turning them into small shields, and deflected the rocks with them. Sokka threw his boomerang, never missing, and always knocking out at least one guard per throw. Katara, Iroh, Zuko, and I knocked down groups of guards with water whips and fire whips, respectively. Mai pinned guards down by catching their clothes on her knives. Ty Lee flipped over guards and chi-blocked them, making them crumple into heaps on the ground.

"Sorry!" She apologized cheerfully. "We just really need to see the Earth King! It's super important!"

Katara took out another group of guards. "Sorry!"

We took out the guards on either side of us. Another large group of them ran towards us from the front. Toph flipped several of the tiles in the walkway, trapping the guards between them and ensuring our safe passage. Even more guards appeared on the opposite side of a bridge and threw two giant badgermole statues at us. Aang and Toph formed an earth igloo around us to block them.

Katara and I ran out of the igloo and towards the moat. Katara made a small ice ramp and used it to jump to the other side of the moat to the right of the bridge. I used jet propulsion to fly and landed on the left side of the bridge. Katara and I spun around at the same time, and using whips of water and fire, we knocked all the guards down into the moat. Aang jumped over the moat, and with a wave of his staff, he froze the water, trapping the guards in ice.

The others crossed the bridge and joined us. We were now at the foot of the staircase leading to the palace. Even more guards started running down the staircase towards us. Seriously, how many fucking guards did this palace have? Toph raised her arms above her head, and then pulled them down, turning the staircase into a ramp. All the guards began to fall and slide down. Toph and Aang used earthbending to make an escalator that carried us up the now ex-staircase.

"We're actually on your guys' side!" Sokka tried to console the screaming guards sliding down the ramp. "Sorry!"

When we reached the top of the stairs, two more groups of guards tried to attack from our sides. I was getting tired of all these guards! Toph and Aang made walls and pushed the guards away.

We finally made our way inside the palace. We ran down a hallway and came to an intersection with three possible choices. "Alec, what are we looking for?" Zuko asked.

More guards appeared and attacked. Toph used earthbending to knock them into the walls. "We're looking for a pair of shiny green doors with gold trim and knockers in the shape of badgermole mouths!" I shouted over the battle. "They're bigger than Appa, you'll know them when you see them!"

We ran down the central hallway, ignoring all the normal-sized doors we passed. After a few minutes, we found it. "There it is!" Sokka exclaimed. He tried to open them with a flying kick, but the doors didn't budge.

Ty Lee laughed. Mai raised an eyebrow. "Did he seriously think that would work?" The knife-thrower asked. Suki shook her head and chuckled.

Aang blasted the doors off their hinges with airbending. We ran into the throne room and took stances. It was mostly green, of course. Even the paper lanterns were green. At the end of the room, in a gold throne in front of a massive badgermole statue sat a man. He looked to be in his mid-twenties, with no facial hair. He was dressed in green and gold finery and had a small pair of glasses on his face. He wore a neutral expression on his face. Earth King Kuei. To the Earth King's right, with a very pissed-off look, was Long Feng. To his left was a grizzly bear wearing a yellow-green shirt and a hat. Bosco. In front of the throne stood five Dai Li agents in battle stances.

"We need to talk to you." Aang said seriously to the Earth King.


Long Feng turned to his king, although 'puppet' would be a more appropriate term. "They're here to overthrow you."

I shook my head. "No, we're here to report a serious crime being committed against the Earth Kingdom." I stated. "Please, listen to us."

King Kuei stood up. "You invade my palace, lay waste to all my guards, break down my fancy door, and you expect me to trust you?!" He asked furiously. "If you needed to report a crime, you could have made an appointment with my advisor, Long Feng."

I looked him in the eye. "No, Your Majesty, we couldn't. Long Feng is the one committing the crime."

King Kuei's eyes widened in shock, then they narrowed. "Why should I believe you?" He asked. "Why should I listen to you instead of arresting you right here?"

"We have proof of Long Feng's crimes." I stated. "Also, it wouldn't look good to the rest of the world if you arrested the Avatar."

King Kuei gasped. "You're the Avatar?"

I managed to keep myself from laughing. "No, he is." I pointed to Aang. Aang dropped his stance and formed an air scooter to prove it.

"What does it matter, Your Highness?" Long Feng asked. "They're enemies of the state."

I gave Long Feng a look. "Oh, hello Kettle. My name's Pot. Have we met?" I snarked, making his eye twitch. I heard Ty Lee giggle behind me, but I also heard Katara groan. I turned my attention back to the Earth King. "It's your decision, Your Majesty. You can have us arrested right now if you want, but if you do, a little voice in your head will nag you for the rest of your life, asking 'What if they were right?'. If you listen to us and we're wrong, you can have us arrested with no regrets."

King Kuei looked thoughtful for several long seconds. He sat down. "I'll listen to what you have to say."

Long Feng balked. "Your Majesty, you cannot be serious!"

The Earth King gave him a glare. "I decide, Long Feng." He said sharply.

Long Feng shut his mouth after being verbally bitch-slapped. "Everyone, drop your stances." I said.

The others slowly relaxed their guard. Long Feng didn't make a move. Aang stepped forward. "Your Majesty, there's a war going on right now, for the past one hundred years, in fact. The Dai Li's kept it secret from you. It's a conspiracy to control the city and to control you."

"A secret war?" King Kuei repeated. "That's crazy!"

"Completely." Long Feng agreed.

"We can prove it." I said. "And we won't have to leave this room."

Long Feng's eyes narrowed. He had no idea what was coming. King Kuei gave me a quizzical look. "How can you do that?"

"Please summon General How of the Council of Five, and ask him if he recognizes this man." I said, pointing to Iroh. "I think you'll find the answer quite interesting."

I had his curiosity. He turned to his pet bear. "Bosco, please go and get General How from his office." He said kindly. "There's a nice snack for you when you get back."

Bosco stood on all fours and lumbered out of the throne room. We all followed him with our gaze. I turned back to the King. "Sire, did you train your pet bear to summon your advisors?" I asked with complete disbelief.

He smiled proudly. "Not just my advisors. All the palace staff, as well. He knows them all by name. Bosco's very intelligent."

Ty Lee laughed. "That's amazing!"

"Thank you." King Kuei replied with a smile. That was good. We were building a rapport. A few minutes later, we heard a growl. Bosco entered the throne room, a man in an Earth Kingdom General's uniform with a black goatee following closely behind. He walked straight past us and prostrated himself before the Earth King. "You summoned me, Your Majesty?" He asked.

"Yes, General How." King Kuei replied. "Tell me, do you recognize that man?" He asked, pointing to Iroh.

General How stood up and turned. He saw Iroh and his jaw dropped in shock. "It has been many years, General How." Iroh said, inclining his head politely.

How closed his mouth and his face twisted in anger. "You!" He shouted. "How did you get in here?!" He demanded.

"General How." The Earth King said seriously. "Who is that man?"

How blinked and turned back to King Kuei. He knew he couldn't brush off his outburst. He kneeled before his King. "Sire, that man is General Iroh of the Fire Nation. Also known as The Dragon of the West. He held our city under siege for six hundred days five years ago." He admitted.

Shock covered King Kuei's face, and Long Feng's face was an expression of impending doom. "Why didn't I know about this?" King Kuei demanded.

General How swallowed. "Sire, Long Fang gave us explicit instructions to keep you uninformed about the war against the Fire Nation. If we didn't, we would be arrested or worse." He said.

King Kuei slowly turned to Long Feng and gave him a fierce glare. "Why?" He whispered. "If you asked me to trust you with a war strategy, I would have agreed."

I stepped forward. "Sire, Long Feng is overconfident." I said bluntly. "Almost suicidally so. And he only cares about Ba Sing Se, not the rest of the Earth Kingdom. He thinks nothing will ever break through the walls, even though General Iroh broke through the Outer Wall five years ago, and the Fire Nation almost broke through again less than a month ago. They would have, if we hadn't personally intervened and stopped them." Long Feng looked furious. I kept going. "Also, Long Feng has committed numerous crimes to make sure you never found out. We can prove that, as well."

King Kuei looked me in the eye. "I'm listening."

"Could you please have Bosco bring a woman named Joo Dee here?" I asked.

First date with Ty Lee: 50 gold pieces.

Appa's new saddle: 9,100 gold pieces.

The look on Long Feng's face: priceless.


Bosco left the throne room. General How leveled a fierce glare at Iroh. "I never thought I'd see you again." He growled. "And I can't say I'm happy to see you."

Iroh inclined his head. "I do not blame you."

"Tell me." General How said. "Why are you here?"

"I joined the Avatar and his friends." Iroh replied. "I want this war to end."

How seemed puzzled. "You held this city under siege for six hundred days. You almost won. Why would you change sides?"

Iroh looked down. "My son died during the siege."

A look of realization crossed How's face. "That's why you left the siege." He realized.

Iroh nodded sadly. "Yes. And I realized how many people lost family to this war. How many others have felt the same pain I have. This war needs to end. My brother needs to be stopped."

How's eyes narrowed. "So you can take the throne?" He accused.

Iroh shook his head. "No, I do not want the throne."

"Then who will be Fire Lord?" How challenged.

Zuko stepped forward. "I will." He said with determination. "My name is Zuko, Crown Prince of the Fire Nation. I want to stop this war. My father is a monster."

Before everyone could absorb this information, Bosco returned to the throne room, with Joo Dee in tow. I felt sick for what I was about to do. Joo Dee noticed us and her massive smile faltered briefly. She prostrated herself to King Kuei. "You wished to see me, Your Highness?"

I stepped forward. "Your Majesty, this woman has been brainwashed by Long Feng. And she's not the only one."

Joo Dee stood up and turned to me with a look of surprise. "Brainwashed?" She laughed lightly. "That's absurd!"

I looked at King Kuei. "Watch this." I took a deep breath and looked at Joo Dee. "Joo Dee, the Earth King has invited you to Lake Laogai."

Joo Dee's smile vanished, replaced with a neutral expression. Her back went rigid, and her pupils dilated. "I am honored to accept his invitation."

I heard Ty Lee gasp behind me. I guess this hypnosis had to do something disturbing to Joo Dee's aura. Long Feng's eyes widened in terror. He knew the jig was up. King Kuei looked at Joo Dee, then at me. "What did you do?" He asked, clearly disturbed.

"I triggered her brainwashing." I explained. "Long Feng did this to her, I just know the trigger phrase. In this state, I can make her do anything." I turned to Joo Dee. "Bend over and touch your toes." She did. "Stand up straight." She stood up straight. "Hop on one foot." She started hopping.

"Alec, stop it!" Ty Lee cried.

"Joo Dee, stop." I said. She stopped. "When I snap my fingers, you'll wake up, and you won't remember anything." I snapped my fingers. Joo Dee blinked and her fake smile returned. "May I help you?" She asked me.

"Joo Dee." King Kuei said. "Do you remember hopping on one foot just now?"

Joo Dee turned to King Kuei and laughed. "Why would I hop on one foot?" She asked. "That doesn't sound like something I would do."

King Kuei looked horrified. He swallowed. "Thank you, Joo Dee. You may return to your duties."

Joo Dee bowed and left the throne room. I turned to face my companions. Iroh somehow kept his cool. Zuko and Mai looked shaken. Toph was shaking her head, muttering curses under her breath. Suki glared at Long Feng with absolute hate in her eyes. Sokka, Katara, and Aang looked like they were about to be sick. I felt so dirty for what I'd done. Ty Lee was trembling like a leaf. I ran over to her and hugged her. "I'm sorry." I whispered. "It'll be okay."

"Her aura disappeared completely." She muttered. "It was like she was dead, but still moving."

"Long Feng, what have you done?!" I heard King Kuei exclaim. I turned around, still holding Ty Lee in my arms.

"People who mention the war in public are arrested and brainwashed by Long Feng to make sure that you won't learn about the war." I said gravely.

Long Feng gave Kuei a pleading look, silently begging for mercy. King Kuei had none. "Dai Li. Arrest Long Feng. I want him to stand trial for crimes against the Earth Kingdom."

The Dai Li hesitated, but only for a moment. Two of them turned around and grabbed Long Feng's arms, dragging him away. "You can't arrest me!" He shouted. "You need me more than you know!"

I felt elated. Finally, that son of a bitch got what he deserved. The others smiled. "Looks like Long Feng is long gone!" Sokka taunted. He laughed at his own joke. "I've been waiting to use that one."

Katara, Zuko, and I groaned. Mai gave Sokka a look. Suki chuckled slightly. Oh no, he was turning her!

King Kuei rubbed his forehead. "How could I have let this happen?" He said to himself. "How could I not know?"

Zuko stepped forward. "Your Highness, how old were you when you took the throne?"

"Four." King Kuei replied.

"And Long Feng was your advisor for that entire time?" Zuko asked.

King Kuei nodded. "Yes."

"When was the last time you left the palace?" Zuko inquired.

Kuei shook his head. "I've never left the palace."

Zuko figured it out. "So, all news from outside the palace came to you from Long Feng?"

Kuei's eyes widened. "Yes." He realized.

"So, if Long Feng lied to you, you would have no way of knowing?" Zuko prompted.

Kuei looked down, ashamed. "I'm a fool." He stood up, newfound determination in his eyes. "I need to know what's going on in my kingdom."

I nodded. "There are some things we need to show you."


"So this is what a train is like." King Kuei mused. "I didn't expect it to be this…public."

We were on a train. All of us except Aang, who was flying alongside on Appa. The Gaang sat in the seats, but the Earth King and four of his guards stood in the center. The other passengers stared at the King in shock. Kuei pointed outside at Appa. "Now that's the way to travel."

"Your subjects use this to go to work every day, Your Highness." Zuko said. "It's important to know what it's like."

King Kuei nodded. "It's just, I almost wish what you told me isn't true. Long Feng was my most trusted advisor." He turned to Zuko. "Prince Zuko, do you trust your advisors?"

Zuko looked thoughtful. "The number of people I trust completely can be counted on two hands." He replied. "They're all either on this train or on that bison. But I would only call two of them my advisors."

Sokka raised an eyebrow. "So Iroh and…?" He left it hanging.

Zuko looked at me. "Alec."

I was surprised and flattered. "Why me?"

"You're helping me with the list." Zuko pointed out. He turned back to the King. "But, even if Uncle or Alec came to me with news of a problem, I would want to see it for myself."

King Kuei nodded. "I see. Tell me, where is it we're going?"

"Lake Laogai, Your Highness." I answered. "The Dai Li's brainwashing facility is there."


We stood on the edge of a massive lake. "Where is this facility?" The Earth King asked.

"It's underneath." Toph said. "I can feel it." She stomped her foot, and a small stone bridge rose from the lake which led to a little island with a tunnel going down into the ground.

We crossed the bridge and climbed down the tunnel. It was dark and damp, and lit only by green crystals. Zuko, Iroh, and I held flames in our hands to provide more light. "Toph, is anyone else here?" I asked.

Toph stomped her foot and concentrated. "There's a group of people in a room down that way." She pointed.

We found a room with a door slightly ajar. Through the door, we saw a Dai Li agent speaking to a large group of women, all of them dressed exactly like Joo Dee.

"I'm Joo Dee. Welcome to Ba Sing Se." The agent said.

"I'm Joo Dee. Welcome to Ba Sing Se." The women repeated robotically.

"We're so lucky to have our walls to create order." The agent said.

"We're so lucky to have our walls to create order." The women repeated.

King Kuei couldn't take it anymore. He burst into the room. "What's the meaning of this?!" He demanded.

The brainwasher turned around and his eyes widened. "Your Majesty… I…"

The Earth King held up his hand. "Silence!" He demanded. "You are going to release these women. You will undo all the brainwashing. Then, maybe you can avoid spending the rest of your days in prison."

Damn. King Kuei was not fucking around. "Y-yes Sire." The agent replied.

King Kuei turned to us. "What else do I need to see?"


We got out of the facility and made our way back to shore. "We need to show you something at the Outer Wall." I said.

King Kuei frowned. "The Outer Wall is quite far from here. It will take a long time to get there."

I thought of an idea. "We can let you ride on Appa, but we need you to keep a secret." I said.

Zuko and the others looked at me. "Alec, are you sure?" Zuko asked.

I nodded. "We're entrusting you with a secret of ours as a show of good faith." I said. "Please, don't tell anyone. Not even your guards."

King Kuei looked thoughtful, then he nodded. "Very well." He turned to his guards. "You are dismissed. Please return to the palace." The guards saluted and left. He turned his attention back to us. "What is this you have to show me?"

I grinned. "Climb into Appa's saddle."


The Earth King gasped when he laid eyes on Ved and Druk. "Are those dragons?" He whispered.

The rest of us joined him in the saddle. "The only two baby dragons in the world." I said with a nod, taking Ved into my lap. "The Fire Nation has hunted them to near extinction. As far as they know, the dragons are gone."

Zuko gave King Kuei a serious look. "We need you to keep them secret. If the Fire Nation finds out they exist, it won't be good for us."

King Kuei nodded. "For opening my eyes to the truth, the least I can do is keep your secret."


We flew to the Outer Wall. We spotted the drill. "What is that?!" King Kuei exclaimed.

"That's a giant drill made by the Fire Nation to break through your walls." Sokka said seriously.

King Kuei shook his head. "I can't believe I never knew." He whispered.


We flew the Earth King back to the palace. Zuko and I left Druk and Ved in the saddle. We all gathered together back in the throne room. "Thank you, heroes, for opening my eyes." King Kuei said. "All this time, what I thought was a great metropolis was merely a city of fools." He stared down at his feet. "And that makes me the king fool." He rubbed his forehead. "We're at war with the Fire Nation."

Sokka stepped forward. "That's why we came to Ba Sing Se, Your Highness: because we think you can help us end the war."

"We don't have much time." Aang said. "There's a comet coming this summer. Its energy will give the firebenders unbelievable strength. They'll be unstoppable."

Iroh nodded. "That comet appeared one hundred years ago. Fire Lord Sozin used its power to wipe out the Air Nomads."

"But there is hope." Sokka said. "Before the comet comes, we have a window of opportunity: a solar eclipse is coming. The sun will be completely blocked out by the moon, and the firebenders will be helpless."

"What are you suggesting, Sokka?" King Kuei asked.

"That's the day we need to invade the Fire Nation." Sokka answered. "The Day of Black Sun."

King Kuei seemed uncertain. "I don't know." He said. "That would require moving troops out of Ba Sing Se. We'd be completely vulnerable."

"You're already vulnerable." Sokka countered. "The Fire Nation won't stop until Ba Sing Se falls. You can either sit back and wait for that to happen, or take the offensive and give yourself a fighting chance."

The Earth King was silent for a few seconds. "Very well. You have my support."

We all cheered. Thank the spirits this worked! General How entered the throne room and bowed. "Your Majesty. I apologize for the interruption."

King Kuei nodded. "It's alright. Go ahead, General."

"We searched Long Feng's office." He said. "I think we found something that will interest everybody."


We gathered inside Long Feng's office. A soldier carried a box full of papers to the desk. "There are secret files on everyone in Ba Sing Se." General How explained. He gave Iroh a glance. "Except for you and Prince Zuko. Long Feng was under the impression that you were simply refugees."

"Secret files?" Aang asked.

The Earth King took out a scroll. "Toph Beifong." He read. He handed the scroll to General How, who handed it to Toph, who handed it to Katara.

Katara opened the scroll and read it. "It's a letter from your mom." She said to Toph. "Your mom's here in the city. And she wants to see you."

Toph's eyes widened with shock. I felt a pang of hurt. Telling her the truth was going to make her feel bad.

"Long Feng intercepted our letters from home?" Toph asked. She shook her head. "That's just sad."

King Kuei took out another scroll. "Avatar Aang, this is for you. It must have arrived recently, it's still sealed."

Aang opened the scroll and read it. "It's from the Eastern Air Temple." He reported.

I was somewhat surprised that the scroll had arrived in this timeline. Guru Pathik gave the scroll to Appa in the last timeline. Did the spirits tip him off about us?

King Kuei pulled out one final scroll. "Suki of the Kyoshi Warriors."

That was interesting. Suki took the scroll. "It's from Tani, my second-in-command." She said. Her eyes widened. "She and the rest of the Warriors joined up with a small group of Water Tribe warriors in the mouth of Chameleon Bay. They're led by Chief Hakoda."

"Dad!" Sokka and Katara exclaimed.

King Kuei closed the box. "Those were all the messages I had for you." He said. "I'll give all of you some time to process it."

"Wait, Your Majesty." Zuko said. "There's something I want to ask of you."

King Kuei looked at him. "Certainly, Prince Zuko, what can I do for you?"

Zuko took a deep breath. "You see, I want to have a good relationship with the leaders of the other nations, so that I can help bring the Fire Nation into an era of peace. Do you have a way to contact the other world leaders, except for my father, of course, and ask for them to meet with us?"

That wasn't such a bad idea, now that I thought about it. King Kuei exchanged a look with General How. "It should be possible to contact them." General How said. "Our messenger hawks are extremely fast. They could reach the Northern Water Tribe from here in a day." He frowned. "But it wouldn't be wise to have a summit here."

Zuko tilted his head questioningly. "Why not?"

"The Fire Nation's forces are constantly watching the Outer Wall." General How explained. "They've been even more vigilant ever since the failed drill attack. There's no way another world leader could reach the walls safely. It would be a grave insult to ask them to take the ferry with all the refugees from Full Moon Bay. We need to have the summit somewhere else."

A thought occurred to me. "What about the mouth of Chameleon Bay?" I suggested. "Chief Hakoda has been elected as the Head Chief of the Southern Water Tribe, so he's already there. We can fly Your Majesty there, and Chief Arnook can sail there."

General How thought for a few seconds, then he nodded. "That could work." He turned to the Earth King. "With Your Majesty's permission, I'll draft a letter to send to the Northern Water Tribe tonight."

King Kuei nodded. "Do it." He turned to us. "You all probably have some things to discuss among yourselves. Feel free to use this office for as long as you need."

He and General How left us in the office.


We sat down on the floor of the office in a circle. "I can't believe it." Aang said, reading his letter with amazement while Momo sat on his shoulder. "There's a man living at the Eastern Air Temple. He says he's a guru."

Sokka scratched his head. "What's a guru?" He asked. "Some kind of poisonous blowfish?"

I shook my head. "That's fugu, Sokka."

"A guru is a spiritual expert." Aang explained. "He wants to help me take the next step in the Avatar journey. He says he can teach me to control the Avatar State." His eyes reached the end of the letter and widened. He looked at me. "He has a message for you."

That was surprising. "What message?" I asked.

"He says that Lady Ài contacted him and told him how to contact us. She wanted to tell you 'The ripple affected more than Ursa. Something else has changed, but you must find it for yourself. I will only tell you that the change isn't a threat to you or your friends.'."

My eyes widened. Another change in the past? What changed? When? I pinched the bridge of my nose. "You know, it's really annoying when she's vague like that." I grumbled.

Katara gave me a smirk. "Welcome to our world. That's how we feel when you don't give us answers."

I shrugged. "That's fair. I guess if this change isn't a threat, I can ignore it for now."

Katara smiled. "I can't believe we know where our dad is now." She said happily.

"I know what you mean." Toph said, clutching her letter to her chest. "My mom's in the city. And from her letter it sounds like she finally understands me."

My heart sank. I had to tell her. I swallowed. "Toph?" I said quietly.

She turned her head towards me. "What is it?"

"That letter is fake." I said.

Her sightless eyes widened. "What do you mean?" She whispered.

I took a breath. "Your parents hired Master Yu and Xin Fu to catch you and bring you home. They wrote that letter to lure you into an ambush so they can kidnap you."

Toph narrowed her eyes in fury. "My dad hired one of the fuckers that tried to ransom me?" She growled. Katara was so surprised that she didn't correct Toph's swearing.

Everyone else looked dismayed. Aang looked confused. "Why would he do that?" He asked. "Didn't your dad say you were free to travel the world?"

Mai looked at Aang in disbelief. "How are you still alive if you're this naive?"

I turned to Aang. "Even if I didn't know the story, it was pretty obvious that she ran away from home without permission, Aang."

Aang looked sheepish. Toph crumpled up the scroll in her hand. "So, we can just ignore this letter, I guess." She said glumly.

"Or, we could do something a lot more fun, and ambush them instead." I suggested with a smirk.

Toph nodded. "Yeah, beating those two up sounds like just what I need right now." She agreed.

Sokka shook his head. "Okay, we can deal with those two in the morning, but what do we do about everything else?"

Katara looked down. "I hate to say it, but, we have to split up." She said.

Aang looked worried. "Split up? Zuko, Alec, and I just got back after being gone for over two weeks. Now you want us to separate again?"

"You have to meet this guru, Aang." Katara said firmly. "If we're going to invade the Fire Nation, you need to be ready."

Aang looked disappointed, but he nodded. "Alright, if I'm going to the Eastern Air Temple, Appa and I can drop you off at Chameleon Bay to see your dad." He offered.

"Someone has to stay here with the Earth King and help plan the invasion." Sokka said.

"I'll do it." Zuko said. "I know a lot about the Fire Nation's defenses. I'll help the Earth King plan." He turned to Iroh. "Uncle, will you stay here with me and help?"

Iroh smiled and nodded. "Of course, Nephew."

"I'm staying, too." Mai said. "I can take care of Druk and Ved while Zuko's meeting with the King."

"Just Druk." I corrected. "I'm taking Ved with me to meet Hakoda. I figure we can trust most of the Water Tribe and the Kyoshi Warriors to keep their mouths shut."

Ty Lee looked at me hopefully. "Can I come, too?"

I smiled at her. "Of course." She beamed at me.

Suki looked at Sokka. "I'm going with you, too." She said. "I want to see my girls again." Sokka nodded and grinned.

I looked at Zuko. "While we're there, we'll tell Hakoda about you, and about the proposed summit." He nodded appreciatively.

Toph cracked her knuckles. "I'll stay here. I'm not one for mushy stuff, and there will probably be a lot of it at Chameleon Bay."

"Okay." I said. "Tomorrow morning, we spring the trap on Master Yu and Xin Fu. After that, Aang will fly Katara, Sokka, me, Suki, Ty Lee, and Ved to Chameleon Bay, before going to the Eastern Air Temple to meet the guru. Everyone else will stay here. Did I miss anything?"

Silence. "Nope." Sokka said. "Let's get back to the house."

I left the palace feeling triumphant. Suki's letter made me feel at ease. If the Kyoshi Warriors were at Chameleon Bay, that meant that Azula hadn't run into them. And if she hadn't run into them, she couldn't get into Ba Sing Se. And without her, Long Feng didn't have the means to launch a coup. And with no coup, the invasion would succeed, and Ozai would be defeated on the Day of Black Sun.

Things were going our way.


Third Person POV

Long Feng sat in his cell. He tried to contemplate his next move. A Dai Li agent walked by his cell and slid a tray of food under the door. "Dinner." The agent said. "The Council of Five and the military are loyal to the Earth King. But the Dai Li remains loyal to you, Long Feng, sir." The agent reported. He walked away.

Long Feng ate his food and frowned. He had underestimated the Avatar and his friends. He certainly hadn't expected them to turn former enemies into allies.

Wait. That gave Long Feng an idea. If he played his cards right, he could gain new allies and retain control of Ba Sing Se. When the Dai Li agent passed by his cell again, Long Feng flagged him down. "Bring me some parchment and ink." He instructed. "I need to send a letter."


Alec POV

Ty Lee and I sat together on my bed. Ved was in my lap, and both of us took turns petting him. I turned to Ty Lee. "This is nice." I said with a smile.

She turned to me and grinned. "It's about to get even nicer." She said. She picked up Ved and put him on his pillow on the floor.

I raised an eyebrow. "What are you doing?" I asked.

She turned to me. She was blushing, but had a confident smirk on her face. "I've been drinking Moon Tea." She said.

My eyes widened. "You mean…" I trailed off. Ty Lee's grin got even wider and she climbed into my lap, straddling me.

"I want you." She said, her voice turning husky and seductive. "Do you want me?"

I looked up at her. Her expression so seductive and playful. "Yes." I breathed.

She pulled me into a passionate kiss.


Some Time Later

We lay on the bed, naked, sweaty, and completely spent. "Wow." I whispered, stroking her cheek affectionately.

She beamed at me. "That was amazing." She whispered. "It was my first time. I'm so glad it was with you."

I kissed her forehead. "I love you."

She beamed at me. "I love you, too."


The Next Day

"So, is this the address?" I asked.

Zuko looked at the parchment and nodded. "Yeah, this is it."

Zuko, Toph, and I were standing outside a small house in the Upper Ring. "Toph, can you tell if anyone's in there?"

Toph stomped. "Yeah. It's definitely them. And only them." She shook her head. "Seriously? My dad still doesn't take me seriously." She complained.

Zuko shook his head. "If he took you seriously, he would have paid for an army."

I grinned. "Let's spring this trap." I said. Zuko and I hid behind the doorframes.

Toph walked up to the door and pushed it open. "Hello?" She called into the room. She walked in. "Mom? Anyone home?"

A wooden box dropped down from the ceiling and closed around her. "Hey!" She shouted. "Who the fuck do you think you're dealing with?!"

Zuko and I peeked around the doorframes and saw Yu and Xin Fu drop down into the room. "One loudmouthed little brat who strayed too far from home." Xin Fu said gruffly.

Zuko and I looked at each other and nodded. We both jet-stepped into the room. I held a fire dagger at Xin Fu's throat. Zuko did the same to Yu. Both men gasped in surprise.

"If you try anything, they'll have to change my nickname from Hand Slicer to Head Slicer." I warned them. I put my other hand to my mouth and whistled sharply. The walls around the building burst open, revealing several members of the Earth King's guard.

"What is this?!" Yu exclaimed.

The captain of the guard stepped forward. "You two are under arrest for attempted kidnapping." He said to Yu and Xin Fu. "You will go to prison for a very long time."

I smirked. "Don't drop the soap."


Third Person POV

Fire Lord Ozai was not a happy man. He threw both his daughter and his best engineer at the walls of Ba Sing Se, only to come up empty-handed. Even worse, Azula had proved to be a disappointment. Not only had she failed, but her two closest friends had defected. She clearly couldn't keep her subordinates in line. Something had to be done about this.

A messenger entered the throne room and prostrated himself. "Rise." Ozai ordered. "What is it?"

"My Lord, a messenger hawk arrived from Ba Sing Se. It claims to be offering terms of surrender."

That was certainly interesting. "Bring it to me."

The messenger gave him the scroll. Ozai unraveled it and read the contents. Fascinating. This was a tempting offer. Almost too tempting. A little test was in order. Unfortunately, he would have to keep his test under wraps. Most people were loyal to him, but if they knew what he was about to do, there might very well be a revolution.

"Bring me my writing materials." He ordered the messenger.

AN: A short chapter. The next one will take longer. Maybe longer than a week, I don't know. Next time: The Finale of Book Two.