The monk wandered around the city streets. He didn't have a direction. The boy just needed some fresh air. A growl in his stomach suggested that he may need something more substantial too.

Aang had long since left the dingy streets of the honorary tribesman ghetto. The streets he walked now were properly paved and cleaned. The stores were cleaner. It honestly felt like a completely different town.

A shop took the boy's eye. It's sign held up an ear of corn and advertised itself as having "exotic vegetables from the island." Ever the vegetarian, the Avatar turned to it over the other stores that advertised mainly meat based diets.

The restaurant was immaculate. The tables were clean and polished. Each one was set with a nice cloth and a set of utensils for each chair. A man dressed in thin blue robes sat next to a table. The man first appeared excited seeing Aang walk through but his expression flattened quick.

The monk's attempt to speak was shot down by a finger from the man.

"Nope." He shook his head. "I know literacy is a scarce commodity amongst your kind, but we have a strict "only native tribesman" policy." Aang tried to talk back but the man was already pushing him through the door.

"No, no." He talked over the monk. "I'm sure you have a fine excuse for this mistake. I am sure it's well practiced and perfect for a quick sob. But this is a fine establishment, we can't have you scaring away good customers."

Aang barely forced out a "but" before the door was slammed in his face. The Avatar considered saying something but fell sullen and quiet.


The Prince was out and about. He tried and tried and tried to think of a solution and it never came. Sitting alone in his cabin didn't help matters. He decided a stroll might clear his mind and help him think on the matter. It couldn't hurt, if nothing else. The prince's men weren't alone in being tired of the cramped and damp quarters of their ship.

Sokka couldn't deny that the western tribe had done well for itself. The streets were paved and clean. The buildings shimmered in the sun. The people milling about seemed happy and healthy. This place used to be Caldera City, the seat of the Fire Nation. Pakku's ancestors turned into a beautiful Water Confederation city. Pakku was a jerk, but it did seem like there was something to his words. Maybe the Prince was being too soft.

"But, but" The Prince turned to a boy trying to make excuses. A waiter was shoving him out of a restaurant. Sokka could hear bits and pieces. What caught the prince's ear wasn't just the waiter but the murmur he heard from the others.

"Where does that ashbreather think he is?" A woman gossiped. "I know we're letting those types in but you'd think they know to stay to their own quarters."

"I saw him earlier. New arrival. He'll learn after the army gives him a proper whooping." A feminine voice responded.

"For his sake, I hope so." The first woman laughed.

The Prince didn't look at the source of the voice. He scanned the street. The looks of disgust and disappointment told the prince that these women weren't alone. Sokka gritted his teeth.

The prince strode up to the boy. "Hey, why'd that guy throw you out anyway?"

Closer, the prince could see the boy was pretty young. Maybe twelve years old? His outfit was pretty impressive. Looked like the old coat Sokka had when he was captured by the Dai Li. He was pretty bundled up too. The western tribe did freeze the surface of the nearby ocean. The sea breeze that brought up chilled the land. However, it was nothing to someone from the south pole. The prince guessed that's another way of telling when someone was an honorary tribesman.

"I-I don't know." The boy stumbled for words. "He just said they have a strict 'native only' policy and threw me out the door."

"What?" The prince burst out.

The boy was scared by the prince's outburst. He leaned back from Sokka. "It's fine, really. I can always eat at home."

"No, you're eating here. Right now." The prince pointed at the boy. He turned to the door and began knocking.

Sokka heard a man "sigh" on the other side of the door. "I thought I told you to…" The waiter stopped his words when he saw the prince in the doorway.

"Oh, hello there." The waiter changed his tune. "I thought you were someone else." He gestured for the man to enter. "Our special of the day is a nice, savory beet stew with a side of tossed greens from the Southern Earth Kingdom."

"That sounds...nice." The Prince turned to the kid. Sokka had a look of befuddlement. His eyes said "You really want to eat here?"

"I like vegetables." The boy sounded embarrassed. "I actually don't eat meat at all."

The prince chuckled.

The waiter, who just noticed the boy, wasn't as pleased. "Shoo, I have a real customer here."

"Actually," The prince turned to the waiter, "he's my guest. I'll be paying his tab."

The waiter thumbed his nose. "I apologize, sir. You're more than welcome to come in, but we only let real confederates eat at this establishment."

"What makes my friend here not a real confederate? I'm pretty sure his identification would say otherwise." Sokka gestured to the boy, who had begun to shirk away.

"Sir, I see what you're doing here." The waiter leaned in. "I'm not going to have it. I know some bleeding hearts care about how these ashbreathers get treated, but I feel they get exactly the amount of respect they deserve." The water put his hand on the doorknob. "If you really want to eat with some savages, go to their quarters."

Before he could slam the door again, the prince stopped him with words. "Is that anyway to treat a prince?"

The waiter scanned the young prince. Then, his eyes burst wide. "Prince Sokka?"

Sokka crossed his arms. "At your service." He smirked.

The waiter corrected himself. He leaned in a bow to welcome the pair. "Of course, any friend of the Southern Prince has a place at my table."

Sokka pat the kid on the back. "Come on, I'm paying."

The boy, however, looked away. "I'm not sure."

The Prince smiled. "I'm not taking no for an answer. You deserve it after how this guy treated you."

The kid smiled. "Well, if you insist."

Led into the restaurant, the pair were sat at a table and provided menus to peruse. The boy tried to focus on the paper in front of him, but Sokka could tell he was nervous. Not that it surprised the Prince. He was royalty, after all. He had this effect on his subjects sometimes.

"Relax." Prince Sokka chuckled. "I have to put on my pants one leg at a time like everyone else."

The boy scratched his chin. "How would you do it differently?"

"I guess you're not familiar with that phrase." Sokka leaned in. "What's your name?""Oh! I am An-Kuzon. Kuzon Pinpa-er, sorry. Kuzon of the Western Tribe!" The boy stumbled out.

Sokka let out a small laugh. "Well, Kuzon 'of the Western Tribe', I'm the Prince Sokka 'of the Southern Tribe,' if you didn't gather. That means I can afford anything on this menu...so pig out!"

Kuzon allowed himself a smile.


The apartment had grown a tad more comfortable with Azula's small stove flame. With that comfort came a restlessness amongst the group.

The fire princess had left to borrow some needle and twine from a neighbor. She needed her disguise as a seamstress to work tomorrow. Zuko had begun to sharpen his swords. Mai watched intently.

As for Ty Lee, the girl sat at a chair facing an open window. She stared out motionless and quiet.

The behavior eventually reached Mai. Leaning in, she whispered to Zuko. "Ty Lee is depressed."

"What? How can you tell?" Zuko whispered back.

"Have you ever seen Ty Lee stand still for this long?" Mai dryly replied.

Zuko looked back at the girl. "I am not good with those kinds of talks."

"I know." Mai sighed. "Neither am I."

It was then that Azula walked through the door. Her face was adorned with a scowl. "I swear, asking for anything in this place is like pulling teeth." She slumped in a huff. "Guess I shouldn't expect much from traitors."

Mai and Zuko looked at each other and nodded. The pair sat next to the frustrated princess. She took notice.

"If you want something from me, I should have you know that I am not in a very generous mood."

Mai rolled her eyes. Zuko could read her look: "she's your sister." Zuko groaned back at Mai. His gesture wordlessly replied: "we both know that doesn't mean I know how to get her to do stuff." Azula, who had followed the wordless exchange with ease, simply sighed.

"It doesn't matter who asks first, I am not feeling in a helping mood."

"Not even for Ty Lee?" Mai whispered.

Azula looked befuddled. "What are you talking about? What's wrong with Lee Lee?"

Zuko nudged toward the motionless girl. Azula narrowed her eyes.

"How long?" Azula spoke like a general

"Since you left, I think." Mai mumbled.

"Is she asleep?" She surveyed.

"No, she's moved a bit here and there, I think." Zuko scratched his head.

Azula closed her eyes. "I want you two as back-up." The princess rose. "I am going in."

Cautiously, the princess of flames crossed the room and pulled a chair up across from Ty Lee. Stealthily, the girl motioned for her followers to stay on guard but stay back. She would take point.

"Lee-Lee," she started casually, "it's been a pretty dreadful day so far. Perhaps we can," the princess thought for a moment to remember Ty Lee's hobbies, "work on my hair?" She questioned and motioned to her flowing locks. "It hasn't been the same since I removed the crown." She waved away her next words. "Of course it looks better on you, but perhaps I could use something like it to tie my look together?"

Ty Lee barely roused from her stupor, but only very slightly, speaking in a mumbled whisper. "A bow."

Azula was taken aback. She had never known Ty Lee to whisper before. It wasn't in the girl's character to do anything so low energy. "Excuse me?", she questioned.

"We could put a big bow in your hair. It would look nice." Ty Lee mumbled. "Your hair looks fine down, but it looks weird when its down. Bows are cute, anyway."

Azula looked back. She wanted to ask her if Zuko and Mai had infected her with their chronic lack of a personality. Now probably wasn't the time.

"Lee Lee, are you...okay?" Azula put her hand on Ty Lee's hand, trying to comfort the girl.

Those words turned Ty Lee like a switch was flipped. Her stupor fell away to a manic burst of energy, as if the girl realized she made a mistake. Her words began coming out a mile a minute.

"Oh, yes! A bow" Ty Lee jumped up and walked around Azula, playing with her hair. "I think one big bow would work. It should match your outfit color. I am sure I can even find one around here."

Azula frowned at Ty Lee's display. "Lee Lee, I know there is something else going on."

"I bet there is even one in town!" Ty Lee clapped. "I'll be right back."

With a hop, skip, and a jump, the girl danced out of the apartment. The second the door closed, the trio sighed.

"That...didn't go well." Zuko groaned.

"If she's just going into denial, what are you going to do?" Mai rolled her eyes.

Azula smacked the table, jolting the pair. "What are we going to do? We're going to strategize and figure out the next plan of attack!" She rose with a sudden start. "Is that understood?"

The pair simply shrugged and resigned to the girl's energy. It's not like anything they said would get them out of this situation or change her mind.


"And then, and then," Sokka talked through sips of his beet soup, "I signaled my ship to attack with the throw of my trusty," he stood up suddenly, brandishing a boomerang, "boomerang."

Aang had stars in his eyes as he absorbed every detail of the embellished exploits. "And then what happened?"

"Then," the southern prince sat back down, leaning towards the hidden monk, "I took advantage of the confusion to beat up all the Dai Li soldiers with my amazing martial arts skills." The boy emphasized his words with a series of shadowboxed chops and punches. "They didn't know what hit them."

"Woah." The monk dropped his spoon. "That's awesome!"

"I know I am." The confederate blew imaginary dust from his knuckles. "Maybe next time I'll tell you about the time I defeated a Fire Islander witch who had the power to turn a man's limbs to jelly."

"I never heard of that technique!" Aang practically jumped forward.

"Well," Sokka leaned in, "I doubt many islanders do. I know they're your home, but I traveled those seas for years. Never in my many battles had I ever seen such a power," Aang leaned in to hear more, "but that's a story for tomorrow."

Aang groaned, but then the words hit him. "Wait, tomorrow?"

"Well, I'm going to be in port for a while. My men deserve a break from fighting for their nation, tooth and nail." The prince smiled at the disguised Avatar. "I might as well spend the time with a fun stranger." Sokka leaned back, losing himself in worry and doubt. "It will certainly get my mind off things."

"Is something bothering you?" Aang questioned the tired looking prince.

The prince gave a wry chuckle at the boy's question. He sat back upright and faced the monk. "You better finish the soup before it gets cold.

In short order, the food was finished and the waiter was paid. Apparently, not enough money to stop him from giving Aang the stink eye. A simple glance from the prince, however, seemed to do the trick, the scared waiter went back to his own business.

Standing far enough from the restaurant to avoid any complaints, the pair got ready to part ways.

"You sure you don't want to sleep on my ship? I swear it'll beat your place." Sokka thumbed towards the docking, alluding to his ship's location.

Aang bowed to the prince. "Thank you for your generosity," the monk rose from his prostate posture, "but I really got to get back to my family." Aang laughed. "My frien-er, wife is probably getting worried." The Avatar flustered at his own words, worrying he had something that would give him away. "Since we're still new here and all, I mean."

The prince laughed at the display. "I bet! She must really have you under her thumb." Sokka sighed. "Islander women fight harder than their men, from what I've seen."

The prince narrowed his gaze. "Wait, wasn't that an air nomad bow?"

"Uh," Aang jumped back, "Well, you see, uh, I had to...take refugee with a nomad commune after my village threw me and my frie-wife out." The monk scratched the back of his head, like a nervous tick. "I must have picked it up from them."

"You wouldn't happen to know where this commune was, would you?" Sokka leaned in.

"Uh, they were a traveling camp, you see. It would be a waste for me to tell you." Aang felt freezing sweat form on his shaved scalp.

Sokka nodded. "Makes sense. Any air nomad away from the Boiling Rock or Ba Singe Se would want to stay on the move." The prince cupped his chin. "The last thing they'd want to do is make themselves a sitting target for a confederate hunter."

Aang gulped, hoping Sokka would drop this thought.

Sokka sighed. "Oh well," he waved at the monk, "I'll find them eventually." The prince pumped his fist triumphantly. "Or else my name isn't Prince Sokka, the greatest warrior of the Southern Tribe."

Aang relaxed at the sound of the prince's boast. The monk felt a weight lift as the Prince walked out of sight, none the wiser to the monk's deception. Still, the young Avatar felt rejuvenated. Maybe he would come back tomorrow.


Ty Lee wandered the open air market of the Islander ward. She wasn't really here for a bow. Despite being often called an "airhead", she knew her friends and girlfriend knew that she wasn't out for a bow either. She just needed some time to herself.

The Islander ward was nothing like home. It was cold, crowded, and had an unmistakable smell, no doubt coming from some forms of hygiene issues. The people of the ward also tended to have a tan to their skin and the unmistakable blue eyes of the Confederation, far different from the silver and yellow that the Islanders tended to sport. The area reeked of desperation and there was a ruckus of people going about their business, buying and selling goods of low quality for low prices. The squalor clashed with the noble's memory of the fun they had at Master Piandao's village. The thought brought a weak smile to her face.

"Should she really be here?", she mused. Her family was still in mourning. The acrobat had cast aside her sisters so easily. Was it for the world? For Azula? Or just to run away from her problems? Her stay was so short and it had left some scars. She put on a show for her friends, but it was tiring to keep it up the whole time. It was calming, even in this ruckus, to drop the act for a while.

The girl wandered a bit longer until something caught her eye. The land was cold and snow-covered, hostile to all plant life. The normally tropical environment was forced into a tundra by the craft of the confederates. Ty Lee, used to being mindful of her footing, even could tell that the dirt was hard like a rock, a sign of permafrost. Yet, there it was: a single tree poking up through the normally unyielding ground.

Ty Lee smirked. The honorary tribesmen avoided the place, as if it was dirty. If the snow and ice was something the colony strived for, this tree was probably seen as an oversight, a dirty spot on a clean floor. To the fire islander, however, this tree was a little patch of home in this strange land.

Setting herself down against the tree. Ty Lee took a deep breath. Drowning out the sounds around her, she drifted back to her time in the water pool, when Aang healed her with waterbending. Ty Lee wasn't a waterbender. She wasn't an "anything"-bender. Still, she could feel the sun hit her between the trees, a soft, warm glow. Firebenders get their strength from the Sun and, while she never heard of any fire healing techniques, she tried to imagine the rays melting away her worries, pretending that she possessed her nation's unique style of bending. She didn't feel a rush of energy like she did in the pool, but she did feel a familiar calm that gave her a moment's peace.


In the cold, run down apartment, the fire princess paced the floor. Under her breath, she muttered about her girlfriend, how she needed to find out what the issue was, and figure out how to help her. Her ravings had bored her brother and Mai, who had taken to a walk around the block to get familiar with their new home. Not that Azula even noticed, trapped in her thoughts.

She barely even acknowledged the door as it opened, letting the jubilant airbender walk in subtly. Feeling riled up from his chat with the Water Prince, the mischievous monk couldn't stop himself from having a little fun.

"What are you thinking about this time?," Aang burst out, causing the absorbed girl to jump back in shock.

On impulse, she grabbed the monk's collar and held him off his feet. "I thought we were past that silliness!"

"Sorry," he laughed, "I just can't help myself when you get stuck in one of your pacing fits."

The princess snorted, letting the boy go like a sack of potatoes. Returning to her composure, she turned her back to the monk as she took a seat in one of the broken chairs littering the apartment.

"Ty Lee is upset and I'm not sure what happened," Azula spat.

"Uh?" Aang tried to hide his feelings that that was the dumbest question in the world. "Her parents just died." Aang plopped on the floor. "She's going to need some time."

"Wasn't she all fine after she left?", the princess shrugged, "I thought we put a pin in that and moved on."

"People aren't like that." Aang shook his head, slightly disappointed. "You never really move on from something like that. Not completely. I mean, I wasn't really close to my parents. The monks taught us to treat them like any other adult." Azula raised an eyebrow in apparent confusion and interest at the monk's strange yet enticing lifestyle choice. "Still, when my mom died, it still hurt a lot. I didn't eat for a week." Aang sighed.

"And I still think about how Monk Gyatso must have passed away in the century I was gone." The young monk's face grew sullen with memories of his mentor. "He was like my second father. He was more of a father than my actual father." Aang's eyed peered off into the infinity of his memories. "Sometimes, I wonder if he thought I was dead when I vanished. If he stood up at night worrying about me."

The princess huffed.

"Hey," the monk grew indignant at the princess' lack of empathy, "I'm trying to help."

Azula rubbed the bridge of her nose, a tired look taking over. "It's not that." She let out a sigh. "I've just never been good with 'death.'"

"Really?" Aang was puzzled by her words. He never took her for the type to morbidly ponder and wonder about morality.

"Oh, I don't fear death or dying. Losing a loved one hurts, but I can manage." The princess didn't want to set the wrong impression. "I just can't help with that problem. I just, never know what to say." The fire princess leaned back on the wall, suddenly weary from the weight of memory.

"When Lu Ten died, I didn't really get it. Mother had never even told me what 'death' was before." She chuckled at her next thought. "Dad probably would have told me if I asked, but mom asked me not to." The princess scoffed, tasting something sour. "One time I actually listened to her."

"I guess it didn't go well." The monk cringed. He dreaded where this story would lead.

The young girl rubbed her temples. "At dinner, I told Uncle that if he was so sad Lu Ten was gone, then he should stop moping and just go to the Spirit World and see him." Aang winced, he knew full well that the young Azula would have said that like a command. "I thought I was helping."

A moment passed and the Avatar's wince turned to a quiet laugh. "Oh, I thought it was going to be way worse than that. I thought you would have called him a 'wuss' for mourning or something like that."

"Hey," the princes had now grown indignant at the monk's lack of empathy, "I wasn't that awful."

The monk pointed at the princess, with a clever grin. "See, it isn't fun when someone does that."

Azula waved off his moral lesson. "Yes, yes, monk wisdom. You made your point. Can we get back on subject?"

The monk simply shrugged at her suggestion of getting on topic. "There isn't an answer, really. The monks were split on the matter. Everyone had their own thing to say on death." Azula groaned at the monk's uselessness. "When it comes to mourning, Gyatso would probably say to let Ty Lee handle things on her own, that she needs time."

"Of course, an airbender is telling me to run away from the problem." The princess blew away the monk's advice.

The Avatar chuckled at her words. With a shrug, he dropped a simple reminder to the princess. "Ty Lee asked you to stop 'babying' her." The monk had recalled the pair's heated argument before the gang had left for Crescent Island.

"And maybe I can't just stop? It's not like people just change their entire behavior because of one argument." The princess hit her chest, emphasising her point. "I mean, you helped me back during training. Really nice conversation. Exactly what I needed to hear. Real Avatar stuff. But, it's not like I suddenly converted to the nomad lifestyle."

Aang rolled his eyes, a trait Azula was annoyed to recognize from her own repertoire of retorts.

"How about I put it like this?" The princess tried to explain herself better. "You're the Avatar. You want to help people and get yourself involved with other's problems." The princess pointed to herself. "I am a princess, raised to be a warrior. When I see a problem, I have to fix it. I just can't change my attention. Especially when it comes to my subjects." She lifted her finger upward while she sported a mockery of a regal stance in her tone, posture, and face. It was a bit of tomfoolery the monk saw himself in. "Especially when it comes to my queen."

"Wouldn't you both be the 'Queen'?" Aang scratched his shaved head, confused yet again at regal title and status.

"Technically, we'd be a princess and a duchess, but that doesn't matter." Azula waved. "The point is that, if Ty Lee is hurting, I just can't forget about it."

The monk fell back, defeated by the circular nature of the argument. "Maybe you're right: you can't fix everything in one conversation."

"And maybe I'm also right about an airbender running from the problem." Azula gave a tired smile to the exhausted monk.


Night came quickly. Ty Lee and the gang returned to settle down for the night, no one feeling up to really talking about the day's events. Just as quickly, morning came and brought its own problems.

A ratting startled the group. It was a familiar wake-up to Zuko, Azula, and Aang: the sound of metal clanging on metal. Ember Island had been the rudest awakening the group ever experienced and now they went through it again.

"Get up!," cried a deep voice, "Men are to report to the grounds for warrior training. Women are to go to their jobs. Kids are to head to school." A last, loud smack punctuated his final command. "30 minutes or you get half rations tonight."

The group slumped out of their sleeping bags, sleep still in their eyes. The sun hadn't even risen yet, a fact that sat heavily on the pair of Firebenders.

"Come on," Mai was all too used to this type of living from her days under Dai Li rule in Ishigaki, "I rather not go hungry tonight because you guys slept in."

The Avatar heard her words, but couldn't help keep his eyes open, the drowsiness of the early morning had overcome the young boy. The brief moment of peaceful slumber was replaced with a horrid moment of shock; the monk jumped to the ceiling when Mai threw the knife at the floor in front of his face.

"Are you nuts!?", Aang clung to the rafters, huffing and puffing in a cold sweat.

"Coming here wasn't my idea." Mai scoffed. She ended her words by blowing an unruly bang out of her face. "And I rather not make this any more uncomfortable than it already is."

"What is with fire nation girls?", Aang let out in an exasperated sigh. Prince Sokka's words from yesterday rang in his head, that fire island girls fight harder than their men. "At least Ty Lee is normal." Aang joked as he returned to the ground.

Zuko grimaced at the monk's words, his mind raced back to the girl's impressive escape from the Water Confederation's prison boat. "Yeah, normal." He grumbled in disbelief.

After a small breakfast made from the apartment's rations, the gang finally got out of their apartments. There was a flurry of moment outside. The entire apartment complex was heading off at the same time. Men were giving morning greetings to each other, some were half-hearted and out of obligation where others were heartfelt. Women gossiped about the prior day's events and what plans they had after work. Kids ran down the halls. One bravely claimed he wasn't going to school today, only for his mother's smack to set him straight.

"First time?", a passing man said to the group.

"Uh, yeah." Aang spoke first. "It's really lively here, all-of-a-sudden."

"You get used to it." The man's grin seemed out of place with his tired eyes and sunken face. "Follow me and my buddy and we'll get you to the grounds."

A woman standing next to him, likely his wife, chimed in. "Oh, and if you girls need help finding your jobs, I know everyone in this building. I can get you to the right group."

The gang looked at each other. They certainly needed the help. However, this whole situation just felt so odd. Only farmers work up this early and only during one season a year. Probably soldiers did too, but only Mai would know. Outside of Mai, the gang just felt out of place, if only from their exhaustion. Azula and Zuko, in particular, felt the most uncomfortable: they were here as spies, to help the Avatar steal the secrets of waterbending to use against the Water Confederation. Now, some traitors to their nation wanted to ferry them to their enemy's factories and camps. It just sat strangely in their stomachs.

"Oh come on now," another man rang out, "Just drag them along already. I ain't eating half rations tonight."

With that, the men began to push the boys along to the grounds. The woman, for her part, simply clucked out obnoxious gossip as she pushed the girls along by their sleeves.


The boys were pushed through town by the throngs of soldiers. Led to a square, the two honorary tribesmen found themselves caught up in the scurry. Their caretakers were nice enough to lead them around, shove spears in their hands, and get them to set up in line. Zuko was more accustomed to these military style drills, having grown up under a father who often demanded such from him and his sister. Aang, however, found his head spinning, unsure what direction to go in or what person to follow. The monk seemed rather klutzy and looked like a right mess of a soldier with his crooked uniform and perplexed expression.

It wasn't lost on others. Some honorary tribesmen snickered. Others rolled their eyes. Still others whispered about how "Nukilik Paku wasn't going to like this."

Zuko felt strangely embarrassed from the whole scene, even inching away a bit from Aang on instinct. The prince was used to ridicule due to his scar that looked like a Ryujin's prisoner brand. However, the islander was used to being around people who generally found ways to command respect. Despite being the Avatar, Aang was certainly doing a "good job" of pretending to be a confused and overwhelmed traitor to the Fire Alliance.

"D-do we just stand in these rows all day?", Aang whispered to prince, referring to the rows that the soldiers stuck to for training.

"The commander will come soon and put us through our stance." Zuko tried to keep his voice a near whisper, unlike the monk. "Best to keep our voice down and be good little soldiers."

"Why?", the monk's casual response drew a sigh from not just Zuko, some other soldiers in ear shot let out exasperation at the monk's naivete.

The monk yelped as he felt a snap hit the back of his neck. It wasn't terrible but it made it's point: "shut up." Looking towards its source, the monk couldn't tell who did it. More importantly, how they did it.

"If you're wondering who just shut your rude ramblings," an older voice called all the soldiers to attention, "then I can only assume you're new here."

Aang looked towards the voice, which seemed to belong to a distinguished old man. The wizened figure was more preoccupied with his trot towards the front of the rows than dealing with the bumbling "islander."

"How did you do that?", Zuko smacked his forehead at Aang's inability to take a hint. The prince couldn't remember if all the air nomads he knew were this oblivious.

The man stopped. A smirk took his visage as he turned back to the monk.

"Perhaps if you focused more on listening and going with the flow of the group, rather than bouncing off the wall like an air nomad on a sugar rush, you'd learn the water tendril technique." The man lifted his hand. "But if you need another demonstration." With a quick swipe of his wrists, a small tendril sprung up from the ice and whipped a yelp out of the boy's bottom.

Rubbing his swore butt, Aang started to finally get the picture. The pointing and laughing helped.

The rancorous display didn't sit well with the elder. "Is this how my honorary tribesmen act over a simple joke? In front of their Nukilk? Back to attention unless you all want to go with half rations for the night."

That shut them up.

Pleased with himself, Nukilik Pakku resumed his journey. "You are all lucky that the greatest waterbender in the Confederation spends his time training you for battle. I wouldn't waste my time again. I am a busy man."

With that, Pakku began moving them through their forms. At first, the waterbender focused on basic exercises to keep his men healthy and limber. From there, a weapon's master began basic spear forms. Spears have always been a commoner's weapon. Swords and war axes were too costly to make and maintain for peasants, especially honorary tribesmen. The weapon was easy to mass produce and even easier to train. After all, even a dullard can tell which end is pointy.

Aang found the experience strangely relaxing. Air nomads used wooden staves as their primary form of self defense. The spear didn't seem much different. Training spears didn't have heads, after all. The boy remembered, for a brief instance, practicing his staff forms back at his temple. Gyatso was certainly a kinder teacher, but Pakku had the air of some of the older, sterner masters.

Rounding out their morning, Pakku returned to go through some basic waterbending forms. What struck the pair of spies the hardest was the expectation of nonbenders to join in. While such men couldn't bend, they were expected to utilize and internalize the movements for their own unarmed style. Zuko knew Azula would appreciate this line of thinking, if it didn't come from the Confederation.

The fire prince had to be careful. The bending arts were a method of guiding one's chi outward to affect the elements. One could just force their element to move through will, but that isn't bending. Any firebender could make a ball of fire and lob it, but such acts were sloppy, poor moves that would not impress anyone, and fell even less. Bending moves were made to direct chi to move through your natural pathways and out into the world efficiently. By doing so, the act of bending was not just more useful than simply willing one's chi to shape the elements but also easier to perform.

The fluid motions of the waterbending forms were definitely having an effect on the boy's chi. Firebending forms were based on power. When his father had still trained him, Zuko could feel the force of every move when he bent flame. Howevers, these waterbending moves thrived on fluidity. Just like when he was at Master Piandao's grotto practicing a Confederation's sword style, Zuko could feel his chi swim through his body and try to spurt out. The endless sea of chi in his stomach sloshed about and channeled through the tributaries of his arms with every sweeping motion. Chi flowed so naturally with these movements that it took effort to stop fire and smoke from spurting out his finger tips. Years of ignoring and suppressing his natural abilities helped the prince keep his fire in check. He worried what would have happened were he more like his sister. Would fire just burst out in an explosive display and give his disguise away?

What was more perplexing was the odd numbing feeling at his fingertips. It felt like the energy that came off his father's lightning back at Roku Island. That couldn't be right, however. The prince had seen his father's and sister's technique and his movements were nothing like it. And yet he still felt that twinge as energy moved from one arm, through his stomach, and out the other arm. The prince wondered what it all meant.

Aang, similarly, found the movements easy to grasp. Within moments, the boy took to each move Pakku performed like fish took to water. The Avatar was a natural. Other soldiers thought the boy must have been trained a long time ago, as he moved with the grace and fluidity of a master waterbender at times. Of course, as the Avatar, Aang had mastered the art many times over a hundred different lifetimes, even if only Aang and Zuko knew of that fact.

Pakku certainly took notice of the boy's ability. The old master was pleased with his clumsy master-in-training. This one could be of great use to the warrior Nukilik, Pakku mused.


Azula and the girls were not enjoying their hectic morning. Seperated into groups and spread out across the camp, the trio knew their covers would get stretched in their new jobs. Not only were they working for the the enemy, but they didn't have anyone to back up their cover. At least, Azula didn't. Ty Lee and Mai were sent to some center to be assigned a speciality. The fire princess, however, was sent to a living nightmare.

"Ow," she yelped as yet another needle pricked her finger. Did they really have to assign her as a seamstress? This peasant work was tiring, tedious, and torturous. She was the princess of the Fire Nation, a skilled firebender, and simply too good for this work.

Her peers would at least agree she wasn't supposed to be here. She single handedly slowed their entire production circle, with her constant complaints and endless mistakes. The other women were on their fourth uniform, whereas Azula had not even finished one. And the one she was working on…well, these women pitied the man who had to wear it into battle. Perhaps the Islanders or Kingdom soldiers he'd face would take pity on the disheveled solider and let him live. It was the only good that outfit could ever do anyone.

"Are you sure you've sewn before?" An older woman asked, not for the first time.

"Yes, many times", she lied like she breathed. Unfortunately, she didn't breathe too gracefully when she was frustrated. No one bought it.

One girl had had enough. "Alright, pai sho pieces on the board: you stole some outfits to impress the guards, said you made them, and now you are stuck here without a clue what to do."

Azula dropped her needles. Had she been found out so easily? Please, she begged, say she wasn't the first to be found out. Literally, let anyone else be first. She couldn't imagine when she'd hear the end of it if she blew their cover.

"Relax", the elder laughed. "You're hardly the first to lie their way into the colony." Azula breathed a sigh of relief. "So many exaggerate their ability to the guards. I was terrified, just like you were, and would say anything to get inside."

"Yeah, I claimed I had hand forged my wedding necklace." Another girl perked up. "I got it at a pawn shop. I wasn't even marrying the guy. He was just a friend who could waterbend. I just needed an excuse to get my family in."

Azula couldn't stop herself from thumbing her own necklace. The girl took notice.

"Hah! You too!", she spit her words. "Makes sense. Gossip is you're dating some twig. A girl like you'd never go for some sunny guy like that. I bet you like the brooding types. Or the smart ones."

The princess chuckled. "I wouldn't say that. My actual love is a lot like Kuzon. Just, a little better in a fight."

"Knew it: you like the strong ones." Another girl barked. "Pay up." Two girls exchanged some blue, carved stones, some denomination of water confederation currency.

The fire princess rolled her eyes at the sight. "What I really like is people not betting on my life like I'm a wrestling kyoshi beetle." Azula thought these women would probably enjoy the allusion to the common fire alliance gambling game, beetle wrestling. It was a commoner sport, after all.

"Dearie, this is a sewing circle. Even the greatest liar alive couldn't keep a secret here."

Azula stopped a smirk. A part of her wanted to mock their perceived insight with a simple "wanna bet," but she thought better of it.

"I guess I can be a bit open with you." She picked up her needles. "I have never sewn a thing in my life. Daddy used to call it 'peasant work,' and have the local tailor fix things for us. Mom tried to teach me once, but, when dad found out...best I don't say what happened. " The princess let out a sigh. "I honestly have no idea how to do this and I'm afraid to fess up to the tribesmen that I lied on my way in. I have a feeling they'd frown on it."

Azula wasn't really opening up. She told them some relevant details, even a personal anecdote, but it was all for a goal: get these women on her side. A sympathetic backstory would get these women to open up and work with her. She needed to keep her cover, which was a difficult task considering she couldn't sew. Some useful pawns would make things go smoother.

"Oh, you poor thing", the elder cooed, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder. "Islanders can have the worst tempers. It's awful you and your mother had to suffer through it."

At her words, she felt bile rise in her throat. "He did it because he was a jerk, not because he was an Islander. Don't divert what he did to me and Zuko onto some stereotype!" She thought she had just thought those words and kept her cover. To her surprise and fear, she had spoken it aloud. Zuko was supposed to be 'Wang', not the fire prince. This outburst was sending things spiraling out of control.

The elder retreated into herself. "I'm sorry, dearie. That, that was wrong of me. What that man did, whatever he did, he has to own it as his own faults. I didn't mean to sound like I was forgiving him."

The other girls seemed to follow the beat of the elder's drum. "And that's a cute nickname for your brother. He's either really noble or really arrogant, if you're calling him by the Prince's name."

"From what I heard, her brother is apparently just a brooding mess. But some of the younger girls were swooning other him when he strolled into the apartment. I had to pull my girl from the window."

The joke earned that mother a smack on the arm. "Time and place, this isn't it", another sewing woman said.

"I was just trying to lighten the mood. It's not like she's the only one with some darkness in her past." The woman coldly said as she rubbed her arm.

"It's not a competition," the elder chided the girl, "and whatever wounds she has are still fresh, even open."

Azula couldn't stop herself: she had to laugh all of a sudden. These women, these traitors, treated her like a piece of porcelain, some wounded catdog that needed help. Last night, none of them would give her the time of day. Though, she guessed asking them to give up what little twine they had was probably a bridge too far for people so poor. Still, now, here they were, primed to help her, treating her like an old friend. The whole thing was so ridiculous. Was this that tribal commune culture she had heard about?

She was here to destroy this colony, ultimately, and return it to the rightful rule of the Fire Nation. She remembered how she planned to have all the people of this colony tried as traitors when she was back in Umbie. She hadn't had a change of heart, mind you, but the thought had begun to taste sour.

"Now look what you did: you broke her." The elder jested.

"I think you'll find it will take more than that to break me.", she said as her laugh died down.

"Enough of this touchy feely garbage. Get over yourself already and I'll show you how to sew a uniform." The jokester from earlier but back in. "We have to make quota and I don't plan to eat half rations tonight."


As the sun started to hang low in the sky, the Nukilik began to disperse the men from their training. Tired, most of the men began their long trek back to their apartments. Some chatted of heading to favored hangout spots to wait out their wife's return. Others just wanted to get caught up on their sleep before anything else. They were asked to rise rather early. For some, the end of conscript training was the only peace they got, until their wives and children came home with chores for them.

"Some of these men have a point." Aang joked. "Maybe I should meet my friend before we head home. Not like there is much to do in that apartment."

"Friend?" Zuko questioned. "When did you make a friend?"

"Just some water tribe guy who helped me into a restaurant. He's really nice. You'd probably like him." The monk beamed. "He's got so many amazing war stories."

"Stories from the war he's fighting against my people?" Zuko raised his eyebrow, an attempt to remind the monk of why they were here.

Before he could respond, the voice of Master Pakku snuck up and terrified him. "They aren't 'your people' anymore and you'd do best to remember that."

Zuko almost jumped as he turned to the wizened master. "Sorry, I just, uh, I just, uh, A-Kuzon, why did I say that again?"

Aang gave a blank, worried stare. "How am I supposed to know?" is what he said with a look to the prince.

"Enough." Pakku held up his arm to silence the affair. "I don't care for your excuses. Just do your best to remember your place in our tribe, conscript." He motioned to the crowd of leaving warriors. "Now, go. I have business with young Kuzon here."

Zuko looked at the Nukilik, then back to the monk. He was unsure what to do. Could Aang handle things on his own?

"I said 'leave' or would a night of half rations remind your family what your place is in our tribe." Pakku narrowed his eyes.

Zuko took the hint. If Azula were here, she probably would have hurried him along to keep the act up. The prince just had to trust that the Avatar could handle things on his own.

As Zuko turned to leave, he was conflicted. On one hand, Aang is the Avatar. On the other hand, his choice of fake names included "Wange Fire" and "Sapphire Fire." Seriously, who in the "Fire Nation" would have "fire" as a surname. Do Air nomads call themselves "air" as a family name? Well, if they had family names, Zuko corrected his thoughts. Do Confederates call themselves "water"? Somehow Zuko doubted he would ever meet someone named "Kaya Water" or something equally ridiculous. The more he thought on the matter, the more he regretted leaving.

While Zuko worried over the meeting, Aang dreaded the next words out of Pakku's mouth. He was the Western Nukilik. To defeat the Water Confederation, he'd have to battle him at some point. He wasn't ready, he knew that. His battle against Fire Prince Ozai was a grim reminder of the power gap between a novice Avatar and a true bending master.

"You're not in trouble, if that's what you're worried about. As a matter of fact, it's quite the opposite. You're a rather impressive waterbender, Kuzon of the Western Tribe. A true prodigy, from what I saw. And I think you may deserve better than the life of some conscript." Pakku grinned, a failed attempt to put the boy at ease.

"I, I'm just a natural, I suppose." Aang stammered, hoping not to give too much away.

"Well, that is essentially what makes someone a 'prodigy,' but I'm not here to discuss linguistics." He gestured to his castle. "Please, follow me. I prefer to have such discussions in private and among trusted peers."

The thought that it might be a trap flashed through the monk's mind. But what choice did he have? If he was wrong and attempted to flee, he'd blow everything. If he wasn't wrong, Zuko would come looking for him, if they hadn't planned for that contingency. The Avatar decided it was easiest to just go with the flow.

"I can't stay too long," the monk felt out the situation, "My wife would get worried."

"If your woman is such a distraction, I could see to it that she's removed from the colony." Pakku dropped the words like a torrent of ice rain. Was this how he got his way, the monk wondered? Before Aang could even stammer excuses, the Nukilik's features shifted. "It's a joke, Kuzon. I may have my biases and the weight of a colony on my shoulders and I've certainly done my share of bad deeds, but I'm not so callous as to throw one's wife to the bearwolves just because she likes her husband home on time." A toothy grin took his face before he added "you'll be home in time for dinner." With a turn and a wave, he motioned for Aang to follow.


Mai was exhausted. Ty Lee wasn't. That only made the knife thrower more tired. The entire day was a series of tests to find out what role they could best serve in the tribe. It was an endless series of dumb questions and tasks. And the results? Mai could have told them and saved them the trouble: Ty Lee would become part of their Army's Entertainment Services, doing her acrobatics for soldiers on shore leave, whereas Mai would be a carver. They better give her knives to work with, Mai scowled as she walked, because she wasn't dulling her knives on the enemy's tools.

"Can you believe it?", Ty Lee broke the silence, "I get to do my show here too! That will really help me take my min-I mean, it will be great fun!"

Mai just kept walking, ignoring Ty Lee's words.

"Aw, come on! You get to carve tools. You love knives!" Ty Lee forced a smile for Mai's benefit. "And you got so many."

"Ugh, I am not using mine." Was she reading her mind? Maybe? Ty Lee sometimes felt like she had that power.

Distracted, Mai felt a shoulder bump her. Before she could tell the person off, a whisper broke her train of thought. "Meet me behind the apartments at moon rise and I'll make it worth your while."

Mai knew better than to respond. She kept her mouth shut and kept walking. Ty Lee kept trying to talk, but Mai knew she wasn't the best person to talk to about this turn of events. Heck, Mai wasn't even really in the mood to tell Azula or Aang, especially not Zuko. She had a good idea what that girl was up to and, frankly, she could use the fun. She was an assassin after all: thief work sounded like a thrill.


"Please, have a seat." Pakku gestured to a seat across the table. "I hope you don't mind, but I am technically double booked, as it were. We'll be entertaining another guest as well."

Aang sheepishly did as he was told. "It's fine. I am not the most familiar with these things, anyway."

"Of course," Pakku sat down, "you are a noble, according to your paperwork, but I doubt that much formalities are still entertained in a nation so wracked with war. Those tend to be the first things forgotten in times of trouble." He stroked his beard. "Honestly, I couldn't agree more."

"I wasn't one for formalities either." Aang scratched his head, looking for the right words. "I do like niceties, though. They're...nice."

Pakku stared on through at the boy, as if he spoke like a fool. Which, honestly, he did. "Quite," was all the wizened man muttered before a rapt came at his door.

"The other guest is here." The man smiled. "Perhaps it's best if we handle these meetings together."

Aang didn't care either way, but it's not like his opinion mattered. Pakku moved forward without a word from the boy either way, as he called the servants to open the door.

That's when Aang froze.

Admiral Hahn, the same Admiral Hahn who attacked them at Roku Island, walked through the door. "Nukilik Pakku, I salute you." The young admiral bowed.

"Drop the act, Hahn, I have little patience for niceties." Pakku eyed the young Admiral. "And less patience for failures."

Rage flashed past the boy's face but he swallowed it down. "Who's he?", the Admiral finally took notice of the boy in the room. "He looks familiar."

Aang pushed into his chair as he pulled on his disguise, in a desperate attempt to ensure his tattoos were covered.

"He's Kuzon, an Islander noble who joined my training for the first time today." Pakku grinned. "And I believe he may have a place in my proper forces."

Hahn stared longer at the boy, but dropped it. "Really? An islander? Aren't tribesmen reserved for conscripted services?", Hahn took a seat.

"I have the power to unilaterally promote any citizen in our armed forces for whatever reason I see fit." Pakku grew stern at the boy's question. "This child has shown more skill in a single class than I have seen from any conscript in years of service. I want to move him to our academy."

The admiral groaned, which broke any formality of the meeting. "You double booked this on purpose? You want me to train the boy? I can't do waterbending, but I can tell his mettle and tactics need work, by how he's trying to dig a hole into that chair."

"No, I will train him, personally." Pakku smiled at Aang, which frightened the already tense monk. "I want you to take the boy into your ship when he's ready. At his rate, I bet he'll graduate by the time you fully heal."

Aang decided now was the time to speak up. "B-but my wife, she's…"

"What about her?" Pakku huffed. "You are a solider, one way or another. Better on his Avatar hunt than the front lines like the rest of the conscripts." Pakku leaned in. "I'm trying to help you, get you on an easy gig so we don't lose that raw talent senselessly. Try to recognize this is me being nice. I can be very mean if I have to be."

Aang slumped back in his chair. He looked around for a safe place to stare, but found none. "Thank you, Mast-Nukilik Pakku," he stuttered.

"Either is fine." Pakku smiled once more, the gesture brought no relief. The master motioned to the door. "Now, leave us. I have things to discuss with Hahn. Matters of state that are no place for foot soldiers of any stripe."

Aang didn't need to be told twice. With a quick bow, the airbender was quickly out the room and back on the street. As he sweat bullets, his mind wracked with scenarios of how Hahn could have recognized him, that this was a trap, that a group would ambush him at any moment. He needed to speak with the gang and plan a strategy.


"Was he the one?" Pakku started. "The Avatar you fought?"

"Yeah, it was him" Hahn side-eyed the door, "Why did you let him leave like that?"

"Did I now?" The Nukilik mused. "He can't leave the city. I have seen to that matter already. Guards are following him. I'll know his plans before he does."

Pakku turned to the window. "As for his traveling companions, they're of little threat. Some swordsmen, a firebender, an Ishigaki assassin, and some noble girl. Hardly a surgical strikeforce to be feared."

"But, you're going to train him? Isn't that treason?" Hahn poked at the Nukilik's plans.

"A wise observation, how unbefitting." Pakku joked, fully aware it would be lost on the boy. "I plan to teach the boy just enough waterbending that he is no threat to me."

"But why teach him at all? Why not just capture him?" Hahn pressed. "He's in your city. You have people on him already."

"And he's on edge." Pakku countered the boy's arguments. "He expects a betrayal. I am wiser than that. My men will strike when his defenses are down, when he fully believes that I have fallen for his disguise."

"The Avatar is…" Hahn started, his mind went to Roku Island. "He couldn't kill me. I'm unstoppable." The admiral boasted, more to himself than the Nukili. "But that avatar form thing is a serious threat. I don't know if your guards could handle it, even if he's not expecting a fight."

"The Avatar state? You don't know what it's called? Has it been so long that kids today aren't taught about it?" Pakku became lost in thought, his mind darting back to his childhood. "I sometimes forget how old I really am. This war is only a generation before me. To you, it's been over a century. The powers of the Avatar must seem like magic to you, when they were simply facts of life in my childhood."

"Hey! The Avatar vanished one hundred years ago. You never met him." Hahn pointed, his indignantation at being belittled was on full display.

The Nukilik narrowed his eyes. "Don't forget who you are talking to, boy. I outrank you in every respect, and I do not fear the prattling and bellyaching of the Koi Fish or the Eelsnakes if I give you the whooping you deserve."

Admiral Hahn sat back in his chair, terrified of the old man. This wasn't like Sokka yelping at him, this was the bark of an angry bearwolf, ready to maul him at any moment.

The old master huffed before he continued, satisfied the boy knew his place. "You are correct: I never met the Avatar. There was a fraud who claimed to be him in my youth, making wild claims and accusations. But, she now rests in my prison and has for eight decades." Pakku took the second to eye the boy; the master wanted to place emphasis on the power he held over another's life. "But," he continued, "enough about that blood witch."

"Under orders from Hakoda, back when he was simply an Admiral in the navy and his house was a footnote in the South, I infiltrated an order that pledged to keep a check on the Avatar."

"He commanded you? You were the head of a house and twice his age." Hahn interrupted.

"I was first in line, at the time, and that meant little to my father, as it does to me. We earn our glory in House Tigerwhaleshark." Pakku smirked, aware how his words would land on the boy. "My focus was still on mastering the art of waterbending, leaving me less time for military glory. Not really a concern to a weakblood like Hakoda."

"Or Sokka." Hahn added.

"Or you, lest we forget." Pakku countered. It took Hahn effort not to glare at his superior.

"Hakoda was an admiral, and had earned his rank. I respected that much about him, at least, and understood the prestige he held over me, despite our shared rank, for his accomplishments in battle." Pakku leaned back.

"Though, those details are irrelevant. What matters is he found out about this clan of stalwarts, the result of his wife's spy network, I believe." The old man cupped his chin, lost in half forgotten memories and hard to recall details.

"Hakoda concocted a false identity for me to infiltrate them. By the time they learned of my deception, I had gathered enough of their secrets to protect the tribes from the Avatar, were he ever to return."

Pride took the Nukilik. "For my efforts, my father finally stepped down and let me take the title of House Head. For Hakoda's, his house ascended to a greater house, a stepping stone in his ascension." Pakku enjoyed drilling the boy on his privilege, to mock the child on the nepotism he enjoyed. Not that any of it entered that ice hard head of his.

"And how does that protect us from ghosts with super powers?", Hahn crossed his arms, unimpressed by the master's boast.

"What you call 'super powers' - such a silly phrase - is far from it. That form is not the invincible super weapon you, or likely even the Avatar, believe." The wizened master leaned in, eager to speak his next words. "The Avatar state, my child, is when the Avatar is at their most vulnerable."