A/N: Hey everyone! Sorry for the wait, I had my exams about two weeks ago and then I just needed some time to destress and relax after all that stress. It took me a while to get back into the story as well. I'll have to take another break around September/October, but until then I'll try and get back into (somewhat) regular updates. This chapter might not be as high quality as some of the others, simply due to my exhaustion after all my work. Anyways, hope you enjoy and leave a review :)

WAS JUST ABOUT TO POST THIS THEN I REALISED THAT IT'S BEEN LIKE A MONTH SINCE I LAST UPLOADED. I'M SO SORRY

; ; ;

Sokka, Katara, and the rest of their group had set up camp outside a small village on the southern coast of the Earth Kingdom village. It was quaint, and the townsfolk had been very welcoming of their arrival.

"It's been years since we've seen your kind here," an old lady had said after Bato visited the general store for food. "We used to trade with you all of the time, but after hearing about how the men from your village had gone to war, we stopped getting trade ships from you."

Their group had grown smaller so that it was just the four of them plus Suki. She had sent her Kyoshi Warriors away: some back to Kyoshi Island to defend the town in case of an attack, and the other half ahead to Chameleon Bay to help prepare for the invasion and to relay the details of the eclipse to Hakoda, in case Bato's message was intercepted. Suki had decided to stay with them, however. She claimed it was for their protection (despite it being blindingly obvious that they didn't need any) but was probably due to the fact that her and Sokka were practically inseparable now.

Sokka was left all alone at the campsite where they were staying. They had been welcome to set up just outside town and had been provided with new equipment and a fourth ostrich horse by the town, after telling their leader they were freedom fighters. Kirima and Katara had gone off somewhere to practice their bending, whereas Suki and Bato had gone off into the wilderness for reconnaissance, looking for signs of Fire Nation and potentially Aang.

So he was sat on a tree stump, absent-mindedly sharpening his boomerang and his new knife stolen from the Yuyan archer, humming to himself. He had grown quite attached to the knife. It was small and easy to carry and conceal, and was useful for gutting what wildlife they could find for dinner. It was a handy bonus to his already fearsome arsenal of weapons alongside his boomerang and club.

Boredom gave way and he put down his weapons before wandering into the town. Sokka didn't have much money on him, only a few gold pieces that he'd received from Chin Village, but was perusing the local stores nonetheless. He visited a barbequed food stand where he picked up a few meat skewers to munch on, and flicked through the clothing items on display at a different shop.

He was walking out of the blacksmith after admiring their awesome displays of swords when a man approached him. He had short fair hair and deep blue eyes, and looked to be perhaps in his late fifties judging by the wrinkles on his face.

"So, you must be one of the new visitors that's got the town in such a state," the man chuckled, attracting Sokka's attention. He was leaning against the wall of the blacksmith's workshop.

Sokka, still with a mouth full of meat, let out an intelligible grunt in response, causing the man to laugh again. Embarrassed, Sokka swallowed the food in a large gulp and cleared his throat. "Can I help you?"

"No, sorry, I was just curious. Been a while since I've seen another Water Tribe fellow."

Sokka's eyebrows shot up. "You're from the Water Tribe? North or South?"

The man paused for a moment, his eyes darting to the right quickly. "North," he said hesitantly, "although I was in the South for a while a few years ago."

"You must know my dad then! Hakoda?"

"I remember that name. You must be his young boy then. Sokka, was it?"

"Yes!" Sokka said delightedly, clapping his hands. "Oh man, that's so cool!"

The man chuckled again. "Well, Mr Sokka, how would you like to have a cup of tea at my house for a bit then? Tell me all about the tribe, eh?" He pointed out to a lone house overlooking the beach, away from the rest of the town.

Sokka beamed. "I'd love to!"

The two started walking off to the house, Sokka blabbering on endlessly about the tribe and his recent adventures while the man just listened thoughtfully, occasionally asking a question. Before, long, they had reached the front door.

While the man was unlocking his front door, Sokka paused for a moment. He couldn't help but feel slightly uneasy about this man, but couldn't exactly place why. It wasn't going into the house, no, Sokka was sure if he tried to pull something on him Sokka would be able to beat him in a fight. It might've just been the way the man composed himself and the way he seemed hungry for answers about the south tribe. Sokka dismissed the thought, chalking it up to the man's prolonged absence from the tribes. Still, it would be good to at least know his name.

"What's your name?" Sokka asked as the man beckoned him through the door.

He paused for a moment and took a deep breath. His eyes flitted from side to side again, as if he was uneasy about the question. "I don't care for names much."

"Still, I need something to call you by, don't I?" Sokka replied as he entered the house. It was a fairly modest abode, with a few animals lining the walls and a small hearth against the far wall.

The man paused again, sighing as he closed the door behind him. "Ren. My name is Ren."

Iroh had awoken the next day to see Zuko packing up their campsite. Their fire had long since burned out, reduced to nothing more than white ashes, and the ceramic tea set Iroh owned had been stowed away. In fact, everything had been stowed safely onto the ostrich horses except for Iroh's sleeping bag. But that was hardly relevant, since they had precious little on them at the moment, especially after Zuko's act of charity last night and delivering back all of his stolen goods.

Zuko was sitting up a log, rolling his own sleeping bag into a cylinder when he saw Iroh awake with a yawn. He rubbed his eyes for a moment, taking in their surroundings.

"Why, good morning Zuko! It is unlike you to be up so early," Iroh hummed, stretching his arms above his head. Zuko just grunted and turned his attention back to the sleeping bag.

'We have to start moving. We've been in the same place for too long," Zuko tersely replied. "Come on. Pack up your things."

Iroh smiled, and slowly got out of his sleeping bag. "Relax, Zuko. If no one has stumbled across us thus far, I highly doubt anyone will in the next few hours." Despite his own words however, Iroh began to pack up to be of service to his nephew.

They ate a quick breakfast of bread stolen from the other night, the one thing they had chosen to keep, and were soon on their way, Iroh walking alongside Zuko, who was mounted on the ostrich horse along with their belongings. Zuko had tried to get Uncle to take the steed so they could travel faster, but Iroh had merely waved him off. "We are in no rush," he had said. "Besides, I enjoy walking every once in a while."

They started trekking out east. Their current plan was to go to Ba Sing Se, one of the last remaining Earth Kingdom cities not under the control of the Fire Nation and the last fortified one. Iroh had assured Zuko that he couldn't be persecuted by the Fire Nation as long as he was safe behind its walls.

"Besides," Iroh had joked, "If I couldn't take the city, I doubt anyone else can. Not even your crazy sister, Azula."

Zuko was not yet assured of the plan's success, but decided to play along with his uncle's pipe dream of security. He still yearned to continue his search for the Avatar and his companions, and being trapped inside a glorified prison compound with a bunch of insufferable Earth Kingdom idiots wouldn't help that. But, if the Avatar was going to go anywhere, it would probably be Ba Sing Se. After all, if he hadn't found an earthbending teacher yet, that would probably be the last place he could ever find one, what with earthbenders being sent to floating prisons in the sea nowadays.

They spent the good part of the day meandering along a beaten path through a savannah. Their pace was much too slow for Zuko's liking, and was internally fuming that Iroh had chosen to walk rather than ride on the ostrich horse. But every time he mentioned it to his uncle, he merely dismissed the notion with a wave of the hand, claiming he enjoyed the slower pace so that he could appreciate the beautiful scenery.

In reality, Iroh didn't care much for the views. Although he would agree that nature was inherently beautiful, these plains they were hiking besides were… well, plain. Rather, he wanted to test Zuko's capacity for patience further. The boy was still terribly hot-headed despite his experiences, something that Iroh felt he needed to temper. It was a gradual process that he had been attempting over the past few years, but was proving futile. That would never stop him from trying, though.

However, through Iroh's mindless observation of the wilderness, he spotted a piece of metal that had reflected the sunlight right into his eye. It was clearly new as the metal had not lost its lustre so far as he could see, and stuck out like a sore thumb amongst the soft green hues of the grass. Apparently, Zuko had seen it too.

'What is that?" he asked, peering at the metal.

Iroh grimaced. "Probably nothing good. It would be wise to steer well clear, I believe."

Of course, Zuko ignored him. He turned the ostrich horse off the road towards where the metal was shining from and began to strut forwards, until Iroh tugged at his shirt sleeve.

"What do you think you are doing? It could be Fire Nation!"

"It could be many things, Uncle, that's why I'm going to investigate. It's up to you whether you want to come with me or not, but I'm going to see what it is." With that, he urged the ostrich horse onwards up to the hill that the metal was shining over. Iroh sighed, and began to follow him. No doubt that he was going to do something stupid, Iroh thought, but he couldn't leave him now.

Zuko had given up on slowing to Iroh's pace, and took off towards the hill. The ostrich horse was slow and probably slightly underfed, but it was better than travelling at a snail's pace. Taking a quick glance over his shoulder, he was happy to see that Iroh was following him at a slight jog.

It didn't take him long to reach the top of the hill. There was a lone tree sitting on the crest of the hill, providing some shade from the beating sun. He climbed off the mount and tied its bridle onto one of the tree's thick branches, cautious not to make any loud noises.

The sight that greeted him was not wholly pleasant, to say the least. Zuko crouched next to the tree trunk and grimaced.

Below him lay a massive warehouse with a large Fire Nation insignia painted on the side. It was surrounded by a fortified wall, with soldiers milling about on top. There were barracks, a hall, a stable, and other small buildings dotted around the area. By this time, Iroh had reached Zuko and crouched down beside him.

"This does not look good," Iroh murmured, not taking his eyes off the facility. "This looks a lot more advanced than other fortresses I've seen."

"What do you think that warehouse is for?" Zuko asked, turning to his uncle.

"I am not sure. Perhaps some new kind of weapon?"

Zuko glanced back to the compound. "There's a lot more troops than normal down there."

Iroh stroked his beard. "Indeed. This looks like an invasion force to me. During my time at the North with the Fire Navy as Zhao's second-in-command, I overheard two officers discussing plans about invading…" His face paled. "Ba Sing Se. They said they were building a weapon to breach the walls."

Zuko grunted. That must be what they were hiding in the massive warehouse. He wasn't quite sure whether he should be happy with his country for making advancements in the war, or fearful. He carefully opted with the former.

Unfortunately, his mood was soured. Although the figures looked small, Zuko spotted his sister standing outside the warehouse, barking orders to some poor soldier. A person wearing pink was by her side, standing upside down on her hands.

"What are Azula and Ty Lee doing here?" Zuko hissed to Iroh. "I thought they'd be out looking for the Avatar?"

Iroh's face scrunched up. "It seems she may be leading this force, perhaps. She is by far the highest ranking person there, unless by some gross twist of fate your father is here as well."

Zuko shook his head. "No. My father wouldn't come all the way out here just to lead troops."

Something clicked in Zuko's head. He thought back to his childhood, when he and Azula weren't constantly trying to kill one another. Azula always had Mai and Ty Lee tagging along with her wherever she went. Surely if Ty Lee was with Azula now, then Mai would have to be here somewhere as well. Zuko scanned the grounds again, but could find no sight of the slender black-haired girl. Where was she?

An unfortunately familiar voice from behind snapped Zuko and his uncle out of their investigation. Zuko didn't have to see their face to recognise exactly who it was. No one else in the world ever spoke that monotonously.

"What in Ozai's name are you two doing here?"

; ; ;

Sokka squealed in delight when he saw the inside of the house. To one side sat armour racks of southern warrior clothes, and a few weapon stands stacked with swords, clubs, boomerangs, spears, and every other type of weapon Sokka had ever seen in the tribe. The walls was covered in bear skins and bless, there was a jar of seal jerky sitting on a dining table.

"Do you mind if I…" Sokka asked nervously, pointing a wavering finger at the southern delicacy.

Ren laughed. "Of course, young Sokka. Be my guest."

Sokka bounded over to the table and grabbed a massive handful of the stuff, shoving it into his mouth all at once and letting out a small moan of appreciation. "It tastes so gooood," he said, his words muffled by the food.

Ren smiled. "Of course it does. I made it myself. Now once you're done, how about you tell me about the rest of your journey? I'm dying to hear about it."

And so he did. Sokka, after swallowing the jerky in one massive gulp, proceeded to prattle on about the rest of their trip thus far, stopping only when Ren asked a question.

"…and then we came here," Sokka finished, rubbing his hands together, "And I met you. You should come meet the others!"

Ren's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Perhaps that's not a great idea. I believe some of the older generations might harbour some slight… misgivings towards me for leaving the tribe. I can't imagine your friends – Bato and Kirima, you said? – would be too jovial about a reunion."

Sokka frowned and raised an eyebrow. "Why not? You're Water Tribe?"

Ren chuckled nervously. "Not everything is as black and white as you make it sound, dear boy. I have a convoluted past, one which I've tried to escape from."

The room fell into an uncomfortable silence. Something about what Ren was saying and the way he was acting wasn't sitting with Sokka well. He thought back to how intently Ren had listened to his stories, and how interested he'd been to hear about two Southern waterbenders, and how strange Ren had seemed to act when asked about his own past. Before Sokka could ask anything further, though, Ren piped up.

"So, these waterbender friends of yours… are you close to them?" he asked casually, taking a sip from a glass of water.

"Yeah, of course. One of them is my sister, and the other is a close friend. Why?"

Ren stood up out of the chair and walked over to the racks of weapons, brushing his fingers across the hilt of a sword. "That's a shame. I know some people who would have been very interested to meet them." He glanced back at Sokka and smiled. "Tell me, Sokka, do you know why our world has been plunged into war for the past one hundred years?"

Sokka rolled his eyes. "Uh, I dunno. Because the past few Fire Lords have been power-hungry maniacs who want to rule over everyone and everything?"

Ren laughed and turned back to his weapons. "Is that what you have been taught? No, my dear boy, the Fire Nation merely wanted to spread its prosperity with the rest of the world. Technological advancements in agriculture, architecture, education. They were leaps and bounds ahead of everyone else, and they had the generosity to try and spread it with the rest of the world. But other countries were resisting it like savages."

"That's not true at all!" Sokka shouted, slamming his fists on the table. "My best friend is the Avatar. His whole culture was wiped out by Fire Lord Sozin! They were all killed!"

"I take it your friend Aang was part of the Air Nomad army that tried to invade the Fire Nation caldera then? No?" Sokka looked absolutely shocked. "Then listen. The Air Nomads were the most primitive of all the other cultures. No sense of home, no families, they didn't even eat meat for crying out loud! They refused the Fire Nation's way of life, so they tried to attack the Fire Nation and take over."

"How do you even know all of this?" Sokka spluttered desperate to find an answer for Ren's insane ramblings.

Ren shrugged. "History scrolls up in the North," he lied. "The Fire Nation had to bravely fight back against the Air Nomad armies, and luckily for them Sozin's Comet had arrived, imbuing them with the strength of a thousand suns. Once the Air Nomads had been destroyed, the other nations started to fight the Fire Nation as well."

"None of that even makes sense! We saw Aang's mentor, Monk Gyatso, dead at the Southern Air Temple surrounded by hundreds of Fire Nation army soldiers' skeletons. Explain that!"

"Retaliatory attacks against the Air Nomads. So what? The point I'm trying to make here is that the Fire Nation aren't the bad guys in this war. Benders from other nations have been resisting against all this progress, and look what it's done to the world! We're stuck in the middle of a war just because the Water Tribes and Earth Kingdom are too stubborn to accept the help of the Fire Nation!"

Sokka threw an accusing finger at Ren. "Then why were the Fire Nation attacking our village for so long, huh? How come they took my mother? How come Zhao tried to invade the North Water Tribe a few weeks ago?"

Ren sighed, and placed his head in his hand. "To remove the obstacle of waterbenders from progress. Water is the natural enemy of fire. The Fire Nation saw them as the most powerful enemy – I mean, challenge – they would have to face." Ren paused for a moment and looked down into his glass, swirling the water inside around. "You know the Fire Nation will pay a hefty sum for any waterbenders, right?" He turned to Sokka, a cruel smirk creeping across his face.

Sokka's eyes widened. He reached over his hand and pulled his boomerang from its sheath and pointed it dangerously at Ren's head. "Don't you dare go anywhere near Katara or Kirima," he threatened through gritted teeth. Ren just smirked and carried on talking, ignoring Sokka's threat.

"If all the waterbenders are gone, the Fire Nation can more easily spread their successes with the world. Why, your tribe might evolve into an actually functioning society with their help, not a rag-tag group of people roughing it out in the winter and struggling to find food." He sighed, and looked back to Sokka. "I'll give you one chance to turn over your waterbenders now. You'll be paid the reward in full up front, and be granted amnesty from the Fire Nation. If you want to protect those criminals, you'll ojin them in whatever punishment is seen fit."

Sokka could do nothing but stare blankly at him. Here was this man, so clearly Water Tribe with his collection of weapons and furs, yet so clearly not at the same time. The tribes were like families: no one would ever dare betray another in their tight-knit communities. Ren's mind had been twisted by the power of greed, that he had apparently forgotten the values of his heritage.

Finally, Sokka blinked and shook his head. "There's something wrong with you," he muttered, placing his boomerang back in its holster. "I'd never turn over my sister, no matter what. Especially not to the likes of you." And with that, he stormed out of the house, slamming the door behind him as he went.

; ; ;

Zuko was rarely at a loss for words, but seeing Mai for the first time in three years was perhaps one of those few times. "Mai? What… but – why, and how…?" he stuttered, turning around to face her.

Mai just sighed and rolled her eyes. "Yes, I'm doing wonderfully, Zuko. Thanks for asking. Nice to see you too." The corners of her mouth were only slightly upturned in a smile, betraying the boredom in her voice.

Still the same old Mai, Zuko thought to himself while he gave her a quick glance up and down. She'd grown taller, looking to almost be as tall as he, and had grown very slender. Her hair was still pulled up in her quintessential hairstyle, and Zuko couldn't help but think how much more beautiful she looked now compared to when he was exiled. Of course, he'd never say that to her. She'd probably throw up or stick a knife in between his eyes.

Iroh, clearly not bewitched by Mai's looks, nodded his head. "Lady Mai, it is good to meet you again." He gave a quick sideways glance to Zuko and smirked. "You were always a good influence for Zuko. He has missed you very much," he teased. Zuko shot him a withering glare, and Mai's cheeks flushed ever so slightly.

"Uh, yeah, so anyways," Zuko said, calming himself and turning back to Mai. "What's going on down there?"

She glanced back to the compound. "The troops are preparing for an invasion of Ba Sing Se. Azula, Ty Lee and I were just stopping by for a bit to finalise the progress. Azula wants us looking for the Avatar again before coming back to lead the invasion."

Iroh grimaced. "So it is as I feared. An invasion is imminent."

Mai nodded. "We've almost finished building the drill. It won't be long until its ready." She stared straight into Zuko's eyes, and composed herself a bit. "Now it's my turn for questions: what the hell are you two doing here?"

"We were on our way to Ba Sing Se, when we saw the metal of the warehouse," Zuko recounted. "We came to investigate."

"Of course you did," Mai muttered. She groaned, and raked her hand through her hair. "I'm supposed to tell Azula if I see you, you know."

"If Azula finds us, we'll surely be killed," Iroh murmured, stroking his beard.

"And if Azula finds out I let you two go, she'll kill me," Mai tersely replied. She paused a moment to consider the two crouched men on the ground in front of her. One, the boy she had had a crush on ever since she was six, the other, the only member of the royal family that seemed to have some shred of compassion and humility. She couldn't just leave them to die.

She sighed. "I'll give you fifteen minutes to get away. After that, I'll tell Azula that I spotted you two. If you don't manage to get away in time then… not my problem."

Zuko recognised that was as good as they were ever going to get from Mai, and had pushed their luck far enough as it was. He could count himself lucky, he supposed, that it was Mai who had found him rather than Azula, Ty Lee or any of the Fire Nation soldiers standing guard around the perimeter of the encampment.

With a curt nod he hauled himself up onto his feet and offered Iroh his hand to help him up, which he graciously accepted. "You take the horse, Uncle," Zuko ordered. "We need to move fast. No sight-seeing for a while. Understood?"

Iroh raised an eyebrow, clearly questioning Zuko's sudden claim of authority, but didn't argue back. He climbed up onto the ostrich horse's back, trying to settle his large rump into the uncomfortably small saddle. After a moment of wriggling he seemed to make himself comfortable and was ready to leave, turning to Zuko expectantly.

"You go ahead, I can catch up," Zuko said to Iroh, but looking at Mai. Iroh could sense the awkward tension between them and gave a sly grin before digging his heels into the belly of the ostrich horse and tearing off down the hill.

Now that the two of them were alone, Zuko seemed even more lost. He wasn't sure quite where to start with Mai, given their extremely limited contact over the last three years save for a sparse correspondence of letters to one another. Mai looked slightly less confused as Zuko, and looked as if she needed to say something.

"Mai, I-" Zuko started, before Mai cut him off.

"I met the Avatar in Omashu a few weeks ago," she blurted out. She looked very uncomfortable speaking about this for some reason, so Zuko decided to shut his trap and let her speak. She gave him a weak smile before continuing. "I was out on a walk with my family when someone tried to assassinate us. He managed to stop a boulder just before it hit us and told me to run."

Zuko just blinked at her. "O…okay?" Mai shot him a withering look.

"Don't patronise me, Zuko," she scolded. Her face softened and her gaze drifted out beyond the grassy plains surrounding them and to the horizon, where the sun was beginning to dip into the late afternoon sky. "I don't know what to do. Azula wants us to go and capture him but he saved my life. I owe him. And I hate owing people."

"He saved you? Why?"

Mai rolled her eyes. "Why would I know, Zuko? Figure that out for yourself. After all, you're the one obsessed with catching him."

"I'm not obsessed," Zuko said through gritted teeth. Mai raised an eyebrow.

"Whatever you say, Zuko." She glanced back to the compound and sighed. "You should probably go now. It was nice to see you again, but if I'm seen with you it's not going to be good."

"I, uh… it was nice to see you too, Mai," he stuttered awkwardly. He kicked himself internally for sounding like a blubbering idiot, but deemed it as a result of the extremely limited contact he had with girls during his three years of exile. Besides, he wasn't exactly a natural charmer anyhow.

Mai gave him a quick once over before turning down the hill to the compound, waving a hand over her shoulder. "Ten minutes, Zuko," she hummed. "Better get moving."

; ; ;

He watched as the group of five packed their bags and left the village, only feeling the slightest pang of remorse when Sokka threw a disgusted look back towards the town. But he needn't worry. With time, the boy would thank him for what he had done. Waterbenders were a cancer to this earth, and needed to be eradicated.

He hated having to lie to the boy as well. Despite his duty he still loved the Water Tribes, and he perhaps felt a bit saddened by the necessity for misleading Sokka. He could have been a promising apprentice, with his quick wit, cunning, and affinity for warriorship. But once again, the evil nature of waterbenders had corrupted another good man's heart.

He didn't leave the house until nightfall, once Sokka and his camp had long since left and the town had gone to sleep. Silently, he walked down towards the beach near the south of the town, a small lantern feebly lighting his way. He wore a long shawl with a hood, held together with a clasp emblazoned with a Fire Nation insignia. With him he also carried a small knife, tucked into his belt, and a scroll sealed tight with a wax stamp.

Three more figures were already on the beach, each illuminated not by a lamp but by a small ball of flame held in their hands. The men on the left and right wore Fire Nation army uniforms, while the man in the middle wore no helmet and had his long brown hair tied into a top knot.

He stopped about two metres away from the men, lifting off his hood when he stopped. "Admiral Chan," he said while bowing in greeting, "thank you for coming. I would not have contacted your Eastern fleet unless I believed it to be urgent."

Chan's face did not waver. "You're positive that there were two waterbenders? From the South?"

"I have never been more certain."

"Hmmm," Chan murmured, scratching his chin. He turned to one of the soldiers stationed beside him. "Whoever is leading the Southern Raiders is to be fired, effective immediately. Clearly, they do not know how to do their job," he ordered.

Chan extended his hand out in front of him. "The scroll?" he asked impatiently.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out the manuscript, placing it in Chan's hand. But before Chan was able to grab a hold of it, he snatched it back quickly. "I'm coming with you," he commanded. Chan frowned. "I want the waterbenders gone just as much as you, and I know where they are headed. Besides there is a boy travelling with them who shows… promise." He paused for a moment. "I believe there is a chance we can use him."

Chan stood silently, frowning, tossing over his options in his head. After what seemed like only a minute however, his face broke out into a menacing grin and nodded his head. "I'm sure you'd like to join us on one last mission." He grabbed the scroll from Ren's hand. "And who knows, we might even cross paths with your son by chance. I heard rumours that he'd left the North Pole."

His mouth contorted into a stiff line. "I disowned that wretched boy years ago. He is no longer my son."

"Of course you don't," Chan admitted. He abruptly turned around and marched off to a small rowing boat docked onto the beach. "I want to be back at the ship by dawn," he commanded to his men, who both scampered off right after towards the boat to prepare the oars.

Chan took one last look back at the man standing on the sand, and beckoned him forth with his hand. His eyes narrowed, and another cruel smirk settled its way onto his face.

"Come along, Usama. We've got waterbenders to catch."

Usama nodded, and set out on one last mission.

; ; ;

Finally! Usama is actually in the story and not just as a flashback! For those of you who didn't quite understand, Usama used Ren as a pseudonym so that he wouldn't reveal his true identity. Also I know that the Air Noamds didn't have a military (as confirmed in S3E02) but clearly this a) wasn't common knowledge to most people or b) didn't matter to Usama.