I do not own Avatar The Last Airbender.

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"Father."

Iroh's eyes shot wide open when he heard that voice. It was a voice he could never forget. It belonged to the person he had once cared most for. The person he had failed the most.

"I am ready, father. We can breach Ba Sing Se together."

No. They could not. The walls would hold. The city would stand. But he would not survive.

"The troops are moving father. We must join them. We will break through the first wall."

Iroh could see his son. His beautiful son, who was barely a young man now. A young man filled with passion, and the desire to prove himself.

Iroh wanted to tell Lu Ten to stop. He wanted to simply grab his son and run somewhere else. The Fire Nation would hunt them. Their own family would hunt them. But Iroh didn't care. He only wanted to protect his son.

"It's time father. We have to move."

It was only now, at this moment, that Iroh could feel his voice. But it was too late. Just as it had always been.

"Lu Ten! Wait!"

A bright flash erupted, destroying the world, and waking Iroh from his rest.

"Zuko."

His eyes shot open when he heard his name. He recognized the voice. It was a voice he could never forget.

But how was she here?

"Zuko, listen to me."

He could feel his body as it was lifted up. He could feel her hands grabbing him by his shoulders.

"Mom?"

He looked to a face he never thought he would see again. He recognized her long dark hair. Her dark eyes. The love she was willing to give to him.

But there was something else now. A sadness.

"I have to leave now Zuko."

He wanted to scream. He wanted to tell her to stay, or to take him with her. Anything to get him away from his father. He didn't want to stay here with him. He knew what would happen.

"Never forget Zuko. Never forget who you are."

Zuko could finally feel his voice. But it was too late.

"Mom! Mom, wait!"

"Goodbye Zuko."

The world around suddenly sparked into flames. The fires began to lick and take everything. They soon had Ursa.

"No! Mom! Mom!"

"Zuko! Zuko, wake up!"

Zuko's eyes suddenly shot open, this time seeing the real world. Instead of his mother, he saw his Uncle. And he looked worried.

"Uncle?"

"Zuko? What were you dreaming about?"

"Dreaming?" Zuko breathed, and realized that it was harder than it was supposed to be. His face was also sweating. Was his nightmare that intense?

It must have been, because Druk came to him with a worried expression. He nudged his head against Zuko's scar, trying to comfort his human friend. Zuko appreciated that.

"You were shouting for your mother Zuko. Was she in your dream?"

"Yeah. It wasn't even a dream. It was a memory. The last time I saw her."

Iroh frowned. "Zuko what actually happened that night?"

"You don't know?"

"No. I never asked Ozai about it. I don't think he would take questions about his missing wife all that well. I also doubt he would be honest."

Zuko admitted to himself that those were good points. "I don't really know much about what happened that night. All I know is that my mom came into my room late at night. She told me she had to leave, and that I needed to be strong. I was too tired to stay up, and when I woke up, she was gone. That's when I learned that grandfather was gone, and that my fa- that Ozai was going to be the new Fire Lord."

Iroh's frown deepened. Zuko didn't know any more about the events of that night than he did. He shook his head. He should have conducted his own investigation when he had the chance. He might have been able to take the throne from his brother, perhaps protect his wife from him.

But he had been too absorbed in his grief at the time. Zuko needed help, and Lu Ten's death was still fresh.

Lu Ten...

The dream bought forward memories Iroh did not want to face. Not right now, when he and his nephew (and their new assertive friend) had a mission to complete.

"I suppose we will have to look into this mystery at a later date. You still have two more elements to learn nephew. Then we are going to have to find a way to dethrone your father. After that, we will be able to search for the truth of that night.

"I suppose. We're supposed to wait for Toph to get here. What do we do in the meantime?"

"GRRROOOWWWLLL"

Both heads turn to see a slightly flustered dragon. Druk had grown in the time since Toph had been teaching Zuko. His head could now stand taller than her whole body. And his once thin frame was now thicker, lined with more muscle. Unfortunately, that increase in his frame also meant an increase in his appetite.

Iroh sighed. "I will take him to hunt. Hopefully, there are some animals that he hasn't rendered extinct just yet."

"Alright. I'll stay here and wait for Toph."

Nodding, Iroh led the eager dragon into the woods to search for food. Now alone, Zuko decided to practice some earthbending moves Toph had shown him.

"I think she called this one the 'sink and save'."

It was a few hours later when Zuko felt the ground underneath him shaking. Thanks to Toph's own lessons, he was able to tell when she would show up.

And if his sense was accurate, she was going to pop up in three, two, one...

"Sup Sparky? Uncle."

"Sparky, I swear. If your dragon tackles me, I will bury him."

Zuko looked to see Druk (Who was now almost as tall as him), walking behind Toph. He stopped moving the instant he heard Toph's threat.

"What's the problem? I thought you liked Druk."

"I did. When he was small and manageable. I don't like this horse-sized lizard that could lay on me."

Druk actually looked upset by Toph's statement. His ears fell, and he slowly started trodding away.

"Toph, you just hurt his feelings."

"Ah, he's a dragon. He'll get over it. More on the point, I found a way for us to get to that swamp without riding an undergrown dragon."

"How?"

"Easy. You two just need to break into my house tonight and steal some ostrich-horses."

Zuko and Iroh both stared at Toph. It seemed like they all had very different definitions of 'easy'.

"And how are we supposed to do that?"

"My parents usually go to sleep a little after sundown. You can break into my house, knock out some guards, put some saddles on the ostrich horses, ride them through the gate, and wait for me here. I'll sneak out later and meet you guys here."

Iroh just looked at Toph with wide eyes. "You have been putting some thought into this, haven't you?"

"A little yeah. So can we do it?"

Zuko had to think about it. He had no doubt that he could sneak into the Beifong house. He had done it once, and the only reason he was caught was that Toph could sense him on the ground. It shouldn't be too hard to get to the ostrich-horse stables.

But there were still two problems. One was Iroh. While Zuko knew that his uncle was capable of many things, he wasn't sure if stealthy infiltration was one of those things. His body... didn't exactly lend itself to subtlety.

The second problem was Toph. If Zuko and Iroh somehow got caught, then what would happen to her? They could both pretend they didn't know her and keep her from getting involved in the consequences. But that could lead to a whole lot of other issues that were too numerous to consider all at once. Not the least of which was the potential loss of Zuko's earthbending instructor.

"Young Toph, are you certain there is no other way? Perhaps we could simply buy new mounts?"

"Sure. With what money?"

Zuko and Iroh shared a look. She had a point. But then again...

"And if either of you are thinking of asking me to lend you money, you should know that I don't have any."

Zuko frowned. "But your family is one of the wealthiest in Gaoling."

"The wealthiest. Problem is, I don't get any of that money myself. My parents never let me set foot outside the house, and they always bring everything to me. They never had any reason to give me something like an allowance. Right now, I'm as poor as both of you."

That was problematic. And also troubling. Did the Beifong's honestly not trust their daughter with money? Did they trust her with anything?"

"So back to the plan, what do you guys think? We can make changes if you want."

Iroh sighed. "If we are to do this, it would be best if Zuko enters alone."

"Uncle?"

"I can not move with the same grace you have, nephew. I would only slow you down. You will have to retrieve our mounts."

Toph snorted. "So do you plan to just stay here Uncle?"

Iroh shook his head. "No. I would not dream of leaving my nephew to a dangerous infiltration mission alone. Miss Toph, you said there was a gate?"

"Yeah. The stable for the Ostrich-Horses is by the main house. Close to that is the gate that people use when they want to ride them. It leads to a trail close to the forest."

"And that trail could be used to lead back here," Iroh said. "Very well. While my nephew secures the mounts, I will secure the gate. I will open it once he is close, and we will make our escape together."

Zuko smiled. "I like the sound of that."

"Great! I'll just of over a few drills with you today, and tonight, we can get us some good rides."

With the plan set out, Zuko and Toph set out to training. Iroh went to pack all of their supplies. Druk decided to throw fire at Toph a couple of times. He was still upset.

Tonight promised to be interesting.

"That's the place."

Zuko pulled the face mask over his mouth as he and Iroh walked closer to the Beifong estate. He made sure the swords on his back were strapped on tight. He would have liked to have a make that covered his whole face, but he was lucky to just have black clothes. They would help him to hide in the darkness, and hopefully, they would keep anyone from getting a close look on his face. The last thing he needed was to be on wanted posters right now.

"Do you know the plan nephew?" Iroh was still dressed in his normal clothes. His only job was making sure the gate was secure for Zuko to exit out of.

"Yeah. I'll go and get the Ostrich-Horses, you make sure we can leave. After that, we just have to wait for Toph at the cave."

"Correct. Good luck nephew."

Nodding, Zuko then moved. Moving quickly, he scaled the outside of the wall, reaching the top within minutes.

Frowning, Iroh looked at himself. "I could never do that."

Zuko paid no attention to his uncle. Instead, he quietly jumped over the wall and landed inside the Beifong property. Once he was on the ground, he surveyed the area.

Toph said that the stable on the side of the main house. Right now, he was in the backyard, where there were fewer guards. But Zuko still had to hide behind a bush to avoid being seen by the two in charge of the back entrance. And he also had another problem.

Toph never told them which side of the house the stable was on.

He had two options. Left or right. Choosing the wrong side could mean having to move to enemy sight at least, and at most, it would mean running into guards.

Zuko took a deep breath. Vaatu had said that he needed to 'go with the flow'. Pick a course of action and just run with it. This would be a good time to test that.

"Alright. Pick a side, and go."

Zuko closed his eyes and let his body move on its own.

He went left.

Using more bushes and some taller plants in the garden to block himself from view, Zuko made his way to the left side of the house. He crouched down on the side of the building to stay out of the guard's line of sight.

Nothing.

That's what he saw on the left side of the building. There were some plants, a few windows. But there was no wooden stable. It was on the other side.

"Hey! Who are you?"

And now a guard saw him.

Reacting quickly, Zuko drew one of his swords and slashed the guard's spear. While the man was recovering from having his weapon destroyed, Zuko turned his sword and used the butt of the handle to smack his forehead. The guard fell instantly.

"What was that? Who's...?"

The guard didn't get to finish. Zuko had already pressed his blade against the guard's throat. Instead of cutting him, he simply tossed the man's head against the wall. He joins his fellow in unconsciousness.

"I have to check the other side now."

Sprinting to the other side of the house, Zuko checked the right side. And he saw another problem.

The stable was on that side, which was good. He didn't see any Ostrich-Horses, but they might be lying down to sleep. Unfortunately, there were more guards on this side. There were at least four that he could see. All of them armed. And two of them were blocking the outside of the gate that was right across from the stable.

He couldn't fight them all. He didn't have the strength to knock one of them out, let alone multiple. Taking them out was out of the question.

But maybe distracting them wasn't.

Zuko moved to a part of the wall that had heavy shadows. Then he took a deep breath. He ignited his chi and threw out a fist. A blast of fire came out of it, and it struck one of the taller pieces of shrubbery.

"What was that?!"

"Is it an attack?"

"Go check!"

In a panic three of the four guards ran over to check the garden. Only one is left to guard the mounts. Perfect.

Stomping his foot on the ground, Zuko lifts a rock onto his hand. He moves to the edge of the wall, aims, and throws the rock at the remaining guard's face. He is slightly worried when he hears something crack before the man falls, but decides to focus on the mission.

Hurrying over to the stable, Zuko takes a good look at the Ostrich-Horses. They are definitely mounts that are breed for the upper class. And their sleek dark coats and strong legs meant that they would get them to the swamp quickly.

One of the two woke up, and it looked like it was about to start growling at Zuko.

"No, no, no. Calm down. I'm here to... rescue you," Zuko said as he held out his hand. "It's alright. Just come with me and my uncle. You'll be fine."

Surprisingly, the animal did calm down. The fact that Zuko grabbed some hay and fed it probably helped.

"Alright. Let's get you and your friend ready."

Zuko woke up the other Ostrich-Horse and feed it some hay. After that, he grabbed the saddles that had been left hanging. He was tying them on to the mounts when he heard the shouts.

"Someone knocked out Chin! They're taking the Ostrich-Horses!"

"Come on. Let's move!"

Jumping on to one Ostrich-Horse while grabbing hold of the other, Zuko urged them both forward. They needed to reach the gate.

"Nephew! Quickly!"

Iroh opened up the gates. On the floor around them, three guards lay unconscious on the ground.

"Uncle! Grab this one!"

Zuko let go of the Ostrich-Horse he had been pulling, giving his uncle a chance to climb on to it. Once he had, the two of them bolted away from the home.

"Grab your own mounts men! After them!"

Iroh took his horse closer to Zuko. "Be prepared to earthbend when I tell you. Follow me."

Zuko wanted to ask what he was talking about, but he wouldn't get a chance. One of the guards was an earthbender, and he had shot a rock at them. They had to drift apart to avoid it.

"Follow me! Now!"

Zuko and Iroh rode outside the city, the Beifong guards still behind them. They went inside the trees, but they were not moving towards their cave.

"Wait for my word nephew."

The two of them maneuvered through trees and bushes, all while trying to avoid the guards chasing after them. At one point, the two of them jumped over a small cliff

"Now nephew! Do it now!"

Now? But what was he supposed to... Oh.

Turning around, Zuko directed his chi at the small cliff. He waited until all of the men were standing on it.

"He's right there! Get him!"

Now.

Zuko used earthbending to collapse the cliff. All fo the guards and their mounts slid and crumbled inside the rocks. They weren't going to be getting up anytime soon.

"We stopped them, nephew. Now come!"

"Yeah. Let's go."

Now safe, the two of them rode to their cave.

"Calm down! He's not going to eat you!"

Based on the salivating from Druk's mouth, that statement might not be true. They had to tie the mounts to a tree to keep them from escaping. They would probably also have to tie Druk to something to keep him from eating them.

"They are not food Druk. You are not allowed to eat them. Understand?"

The dragon's face didn't change, so it was hard to say if the message went across.

"You guys got them."

Zuko turns to see Toph coming out of her usual hole. Only this time, she has a bag slung over her shoulder.

"We got the Ostrich-Horses. Now we just need to wait until morning to head out."

"Yeah, about that. I think we should go. Right now. This moment."

"What? Why?"

"Because my parents are thinking of hiring bounty hunters. And they already sent out a search party."

Both Zuko's and Iroh's eyes widened. "What?!"

"I didn't know they would go that far. Apparently there are really good Ostrich-Horses. I don't know. But we should leave before anyone finds us here."

Zuko and Iroh shared a look.

"I'll get the mounts."

"I'll get the supplies."

Everyone set out to their tasks (except Toph, who just stayed still in her spot, waiting) and within minutes everything was ready.

"Druk, you're going to have to fly ahead of us. The Ostrich-Horses are too scared of you. And I don't think they could carry your weight anyway."

Huffing, Druk nonetheless obeyed Zuko and flew ahead.

"I am ready nephew." Iroh sat upon his own horse, with all the important items in a bag behind him.

"So am I."

"Hey!" Toph suddenly said. "Don't forget about me!"

Toph climbed up behind Zuko. He would have asked why she chose to ride with him, but now wasn't the time.

"Hyah!"

Both Ostrich-Horses rode out into the night. They had a swamp to reach.

Tell me, does anything bring a group of friends closer than working together to rob some rich people? I don't think so.

Anyway, Zuko, Iroh, and Toph (I should come up with a name for their group) are now on their way to the Foggy Swamp. Will they find Vaatu there? Will anything interesting happen? Does this count as a life-changing field trip for Toph? We'll have to wait to find out.

We'll see more of Aang in the next chapter. For this one, I just wanted to focus more on Zuko's little escapade. Honestly, I feel like Toph would be cracking up on the inside at the fact that she gave two people permission to steal from her parents. I don't think they'll take it all that well.

And for all of those people asking about some Blue Spirit action, that time will come. With a twist.

Please leave reviews, let me know what you guys think. I'll see you all next time.

Bye!