The next morning, Shizue came to the group as they sat around the remnants of a cooking fire. She insisted that they leave for the island that day. Zuko was startled into choking on his breakfast. Aang hadn't even been awake for a full day. Then there was the issue of how they were going to get to the island. Shizue wanted to go on Appa, as the place was far and flying would cut out days of travel.

"Appa won't be able to carry all of us," Sokka pointed out. "Not for this."

"Sokka's right," Aang said. "Sure, we could all squeeze on the saddle, but the weight would be too much for Appa. He'd be slower and we'd have to stop a lot so he can rest."

Appa gave a low rumble.

"Aw, don't worry, buddy." Aang petted him on his furry face. "We're not judging. You're still the best bison ever."

He got a slobbery lick for that.

Shizue folded her arms across her chest. "Then Prince Zuko, the Avatar, and I will go."

Katara stiffened. "Just the three of you?"

"Why not? It will be faster and safer."

"Safer how?" Zuko asked, narrowing his eyes. He still didn't trust her. "You haven't explained much about the island except that spirits inhabit it."

Her jaw tightened. "I told you that place is cursed. It plays on your heart and fears, turns you against each other."

"You mean it messes with your mind," Mai concluded.

Shizue nodded. "The more people, the more chances something will go wrong."

"I'm sure we can handle it," Sokka said between a mouthful of food. "Can't be any worse than the swamp, and we survived that."

"This place is different. Trust me on that."

Iroh stroked his beard and glanced at Shizue. "You said the island is in the southwest, correct?"

"Yes."

"Then I'm not sure it would be a good idea to travel on Appa. Heading in that direction will take you close to the Fire Nation, and the bison is easy to spot. You'll likely find yourself with a fleet of Fire Nation ships on your tail."

"That's true," Zuko said, frowning at his bowl of leftovers. "Appa is the main reason I was able to find you all those times back when I was, uh …"

"Trying to capture me?" Aang supplied.

"Yeah. That."

"And the Fire Nation needs a win," Iroh said. "Many were lost in the battle for Ba Sing Se. Those in charge will need to redeem themselves in Ozai's eyes. They will not let you move around so easily."

Toph leaned back on her palms and wriggled her toes, dislodging some of the dirt stuck between them. "So, what do we do?"

"What does the chameleon-mouse do when the owl-cat goes hunting?"

"Er … stay in its hole?" Aang guessed.

Zuko pressed his palm to his forehead. "Uncle, no weird animal metaphors. Just get to the point."

"Camouflage," Sokka murmured. "The chameleon-mouse camouflages itself." He shot to his feet. "I know what to do! Wait here!"

Zuko frowned at his uncle while the others watched Sokka run off towards Hakoda's tent. "Does everything have to be a teaching moment with you?" he muttered to Iroh. "You could have just said what you were thinking."

"I could have, but is it not a good thing to help others exercise their mind? After all, give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach him to fish and he'll eat for a lifetime."

Zuko groaned. "Never mind. I don't know why I bother."

Iroh smiled and went back to sipping his tea. Eventually, Sokka returned with Hakoda. The plan was soon divulged: they'd use a Fire Nation ship to get away from the bay and slip past any blockades. It was the perfect cover.

"The Fire Nation won't suspect us if we look like one of their own," Sokka explained. "Plus, we won't have to split up again and Appa won't get tired from having to travel all that long distance while carrying us."

No one had any real complaints, though Mai did ask how they planned to steal a Fire Nation ship. Sokka smiled and said he and his dad had it all figured out, but they were going to need Katara's help.

"Mine?" she said in surprise.

Hakoda raised his eyebrows. "You're a master waterbender, aren't you?"

She stared at him for a breath and then her lips curved upwards. "Yeah. I am."

"Then we'll be counting on you."

Her smile widened. Zuko was glad for her. He'd known there had been some tension between her and Hakoda, but it seemed like they were on their way to resolving their issues.

Aang cleared his throat. "Hey, if you need another waterbender, I can—"

"No, Aang," Katara said, placing her hand on his shoulder. "It's best if you rest for now."

"But I—"

"You're still recovering." She smiled warmly at him. "Don't worry, I've got this."

He lowered his gaze.

Hakoda clapped his hands together. "Well, I guess that's that. Leave the ship to the Water Tribe. We'll make sure the job gets done."

"And when can we expect this ship?" Shizue asked, arching her eyebrow.

"If all goes well, we'll have it tonight."

This satisfied Shizue and also brought the impromptu meeting to end. Katara went off with her brother and father to go discuss strategies with the other warriors. Zuko seized his chance to pull Aang aside.

"Sorry about this," Zuko said. "I didn't mean for it all to get shoved on you after you just woke up, but—"

"It's fine." Aang grinned at him. "I really want to help you find your mum. Besides, you're worried about her, right?"

"Yeah."

"Then that's all there is to it."

Zuko swallowed against the sudden tightness in his throat. "Thanks, Aang. Really."

"Hey, don't mention it. That's what friends are for." Aang glanced the other way and his voice became a bit more sombre. "Honestly, I'm just glad I can be of use. I haven't felt like much of an Avatar of late …"

Both boys were quiet for a moment.

"There's no point beating yourself up over what happened," Zuko said gently. "You know that, right?"

"Yeah …"

He gripped Aang's shoulder. "You know, maybe you should take this chance to rest. Katara is right that you need it."

"I've been resting for two weeks."

"You've been in a coma. That's different."

Aang sighed. "I don't want to sleep, and I … I don't want to be alone. I've had enough of that."

"Well, I was going to see how Jee and the others are going. Want to join?"

It was like a beam of sunlight touched Aang's expression. "Sure. I'd like that."

oOo

The cell was so tiny. Azula sat on the bed, glaring at the stone walls that kept her caged. By now, a letter would have been sent to the Fire Nation to inform her father that the army had been defeated and she had been taken prisoner. Just the thought made her chest tighten and her mouth dry.

"I can fix this," she muttered feverishly. "I can fix this. It's just a minor setback. Father will—"

No, no, no. She couldn't hope for Father to understand. He wouldn't. He never had been sympathetic towards mistakes, no matter how insignificant. Everything had to be perfect with him. She had to be perfect.

But she had lost.

Azula swallowed and dug her nails into her thighs. She had a mad urge to scratch and scratch and scratch, to peel off this skin of failure from which she couldn't seem to escape. If only she could get out of this cell. Then she could—

Could what? Try to take over Ba Sing Se again? Try to capture the Avatar?

Her nails dug in deeper. She didn't even care about the stupid city. She didn't care about that bald brat either. Everything she had done had been for her father.

"You could look for me," her mother's voice whispered. "Isn't that what you really want?"

Azula gritted her teeth so hard it felt like they'd shatter.

"You're angry that Zuko left you behind. You wanted to go with him, didn't you? You want to see me again."

"I want to see you so I can tell you how much I despise you," she hissed. "You treated me like I was a monster."

"No. I loved you. I still do."

"Liar! You were scared of me even though it was Zuko who was supposedly so unnatural and needed to be watched! You were scared of me, your own child!"

Silence.

"Mother?" Azula stood up. "Mother? Answer me!"

"I was not scared of you, Azula. I was worried." Her voice softened. "You could have been more than this. You still can."

Azula screamed and threw a ball of flames at the wall. All four were already a blackened mess. She breathed heavily and willed the stinging in her eyes to go away.

oOo

The sun was setting, turning the sky a streaky blend of orange and pink. Sokka found Mai training on the beach a bit farther from camp. She was using an old bit of driftwood as a target for her knives. Her ability to hit the same spot every time was freakishly accurate.

"What are you doing all the way out here?" he asked.

"Could ask you the same."

"I'm scouting."

Mai collected her knives from the piece of wood. "I wanted some time alone."

"Right. You don't really do the people thing."

She ignored this comment.

He shoved his hands in his pockets and scuffed his boot at the sand. "So, what do you reckon this island adventure to save Zuko's mum is going to be like?"

"Long." She began throwing the knives again.

His brow creased. "Something wrong? You seem, uh, pricklier than usual."

Mai heaved a sigh and turned to face him. "Do I look like a boy?"

"W-what?"

Out of all the responses, that was the one he had least expected.

She touched her hair. It had grown a bit longer and was beginning to sneak down her forehead and around her ears and neck. Her hair had used to be so sleek and straight, but the uneven shortness of it now made it seem fluffy—dare he say cute—though saying as much to her would probably end with him resembling a pincushion.

"Your dad," she muttered, not meeting his gaze, "he thought I was a boy. So did the other warriors. So did Jin. Even the Dai Li did."

"Mai," he said with a tremor of a laugh, "is that all that's bothering you?"

Faint colour dusted her cheeks and she looked the other way. "It's not funny."

"Sorry." He held his hands up in an appeasing gesture. "I didn't mean it like that. It's just you really don't look like a boy."

Sure, she was on the taller side and a bit flat-chested. Her face was angular and often looked sharper because of her reluctance to show any emotion except boredom, but there was a definite feminine edge to her—the soft lips, the long, thick eyelashes. Mai wasn't boyish at all.

"Honest," he said, perceiving her doubt. "You don't look like a boy."

"Then why does everyone keep assuming I am one?" Her tone was flat and her eyes narrowed, but there was a hint of vulnerability in the way she touched her hair again. "Is it the hair?"

Sokka stepped closer and played with the strand she had touched. "Your hair is fine and you're fine. Trust me. If people are thinking you're a boy, they must be thinking you're a very pretty, girly looking boy."

Her eyes widened a fraction. "Did you just … call me pretty?"

"Uh." He coughed to clear his throat. "I guess I did."

Mai stared at him for a moment and then let out a snort. "I'd say I'm flattered, but you think seal jerky deserves its own food group and you don't even know how to clean your socks."

"Hey!"

Her mouth twitched, but she said nothing more and went back to throwing her knives. Sokka watched her for a moment before breaking the silence.

"So, is causing pointy pain to people your only specialty?"

A faint crease formed on her brow. "What?"

"Well, you only ever use knives and stuff, right?"

"Your point?"

"It just got me wondering. I mean, you're really good at what you do. Really good. But there's only a limited amount of knives you can carry."

Mai raised her eyebrow. "The idea is not to let people get that close."

"Right, right, but don't you ever worry? I know you've ended up with only one knife during battle before. What do you do when you run out?"

"I do know hand-to-hand combat," she said dryly. "I'd have to be an idiot not to know how to defend myself without a weapon."

"I see …" He grinned. "So, you any good?"

"Good enough to take you down."

Sokka's smile widened. "That so? Then how about a little match? Just you and me."

"You want to fight me?"

"Why not? Still got to kill some time before the big mission tonight."

She turned away. "Pass."

"Aw, c'mon, Mai. It'll be fun."

"Still going to pass."

He folded his arms across his chest. "Oh, I get it. You're afraid I'm going to beat you."

"No."

"It's okay, it's okay. I understand. I mean, aside from my natural talent as a warrior, Shizue did train me and—"

"Ugh. Alright." The knives vanished in an instant. "I'll fight you if it means you'll shut up."

Sokka grinned even wider and took up a fighting stance opposite her. "No weapons."

"No weapons," she agreed, albeit mockingly.

She closed in like lightning. Her fists blurred before his eyes, and he stepped back with a lurch of his heart and brought up his arms to block.

"Fast," he observed.

Mai's tiny smile flickered into play and then she was coming at him again. The style was similar to Shizue's—ruthless, quick and with little room for mistakes on his part. Both went straight for his vitals with a string of rapid blows, though Mai favoured her elbows and straight punches, intermixed with sneaky low kicks and knee jabs to knock him off balance. He was glad for all the training he'd received.

Sokka caught her wrist and pulled it up behind her back, trapping her against him with an arm around her stomach. "I have to admit," he panted, "I had no idea you could fight like this."

She struggled against his hold. "Like I said, I'd have to be stupid not to know how to fight without a weapon. There's no saying what will happen in a battle."

"Right, but in this case I've got you pinned. Might as well surrender now."

She relaxed all of a sudden before kicking him hard in the shin. He yelped and released her on instinct, only to find himself tumbling onto his back as she got her foot around his and tugged. In a second she was on top of him. They rolled and grappled, sand getting everywhere.

"Not the groin, not the groin!" he exclaimed, just avoiding her knee.

"Ugh, stay still," she grunted in frustration.

"No way!"

They continued to wrestle with each other until Sokka managed to get on top of her, pinning her down with his legs and trapping her arms against the sand. Both were panting. Her cheeks were flushed and her tunic had loosened a little during the struggle, baring one shoulder and the red cloth of her breast bindings. All intention of crowing about his win vanished from his mind. Instead, his pulse quickened and his mouth went dry. It was just a bit of skin, but it was a bit of skin he had never seen before. Not on her.

Sokka swallowed and met her eyes. Her lips parted, drawing attention to the softness. A charged moment, a held breath.

"Get off," Mai snapped.

He released her and rolled off without question. She got to her feet, fixing up her tunic and grumbling about all the sand that had got in her clothes and hair. He was much slower to stand.

"Well, I hope you're satisfied," she said.

"Huh?"

"About my hand-to-hand fighting skills."

"Oh. Right. You're good."

Mai flicked more sand out of her hair. "Ugh. Why did I agree to fight you? I hate sand."

His mouth twitched at all her faces of disgust. It was like every grain of sand was a personal insult and she wanted to curse the whole beach into oblivion. Her hair was even more of a mess.

A rustling noise came from the trees bordering the beach. They both froze.

"What was that?" he murmured.

Knives flashed between her fingers. "Let's find out."

They drew closer to the trees as the rustling got louder. There was a drumming sound. No, footsteps. Someone was running. Or was it more than one person? The beat sounded uneven. Sokka tightened his grip on his club.

A boy broke through the trees with a girl hot on his heels. Her auburn hair blazed in the afternoon sun. Sokka's eyes widened as he watched her pounce on the boy and shove him face-first into the sand.

"Got you!" she announced, though she seemed more irritated than pleased.

Sokka stepped forward. "Suki?!"

She raised her head and her jaw dropped. "Sokka?"

"It is you!"

She smiled. "You wouldn't happen to have anything to tie up a firebender, would you? He burned my rope."

Mai stepped forward. "Stand him up against the tree."

Suki didn't question the odd instruction. In seconds, the dark-haired boy was pinned to the trunk by knives.

"Nice," Suki observed.

Mai flicked a bit of sand from her sleeve.

Sokka was still in a daze. He couldn't stop staring at Suki. "I can't believe you're here! What's going on? Who's this guy? Where are the other Kyoshi Warri—mmph."

His words were cut short as she grabbed him by the collar and pulled him down into a kiss. "You talk too much," she murmured.

Sokka blinked. He stared at her face—the big blue eyes and confident smile. She was familiar and beautiful, but in that moment he just felt confused. Almost like he'd done something wrong.

"Right," Mai said in her driest tone. "Well, I'll give you two some privacy."

He had an odd urge to go after her as she marched down the beach, but he didn't. He didn't move or say a word.

"Who was that boy?" Suki asked curiously. "I don't remember him travelling with you before."

"That's Mai, and she's not a boy. Why does everyone always think that? Isn't it obvious she's female?"

Suki raised her eyebrows. "Sorry, I didn't know."

He realised he had got too defensive and quickly forced a smile. "Ah, sorry. Mai's a friend. She's been through a lot, so do me a favour and don't let her know you assumed she was a boy. It'll just make her grumpy."

"Got it."

He let out a breath. "But, wow, you're really here. What happened? I thought you were helping refugees cross to Ba Sing Se."

"I was." She jerked her thumb at her captive. "Then I ran into this one."

Sokka peered at the firebender. He looked to be in his mid to late teens and had skin brown enough to be Water Tribe. He was also dressed in casual Earth Kingdom attire.

"He doesn't look like a soldier," Sokka observed. "Is he a colonial?"

"Don't know, but he's a slippery one. Caught him stealing important documents. We locked him up for questioning, but he escaped and ended up leading me on this chase."

Sokka frowned. "Well, let's see what he has to say now. There's no way he's getting free of those knives."

She nodded and approached the boy. "Hey, I've got some questions for you."

He raised his head. This time it was Sokka's jaw that dropped. Those eyes. They were the same.

"Pale gold," Sokka murmured. "Your eyes are pale gold."

Something flickered in the boy's expression. "So? It's just a colour."

"No." Sokka stepped closer. "I know that's not a common colour. You're one of them, aren't you?"

"Don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh, I think you do."

Suki scrunched her nose. "One of what? Sokka? Do you know him?"

"I'll explain later. For now, we need to get this one back to camp." Sokka held the boy's gaze. "There's someone he needs to meet."

oOo

The boy's name was Yuzo. He didn't say much, but Zuko noticed the way those pale gold eyes followed him everywhere. That was the look of a person who knew about fire healers. The question was why Yuzo still refused to speak when he had obviously recognised that he and Zuko were the same.

"Give me a moment alone with him and I'll get him talking," Shizue said, shooting Yuzo a dark look.

"Like I'm really going to leave you alone with him," Zuko muttered.

"You don't need to sound so suspicious. I'll just loosen his tongue a bit."

"Or we could leave torture out of this."

"He's a fire healer."

"So am I!"

There was a tense pause.

Shizue grabbed Zuko's arm and pulled him away from the others. "Listen to me," she said in a low voice so no one else could hear. "There are only two reasons why this boy would be here. The first is he's like you—a free walker, someone who was never taken by the Silencers."

"Silencers?"

"Those who keep the secrets. Those who will do anything to ensure the Children of the Undying Fire remain a buried truth."

"You mean people like you," he concluded.

She ignored this comment and stared at Yuzo through narrowed eyes. "The second is that he never needed to be found in the first place."

"Right. And that's bad because …"

"It means someone let him go." Her fingers dug into his arm. "That is not a good thing, Prince Zuko. Fire healers never get released. Never."

Zuko wrenched his arm free. "Are you even hearing yourself? You talk about making fire healers not exist and keeping them locked away, and you expect me to listen to anything you have to say?" His voice harshened into a hiss. "I'd trust him more than I trust you right now."

He stomped back to where Yuzo was trapped in a mass of rock, courtesy of Toph, and being guarded by Iroh and Suki. Sokka had left with Katara and the other warriors to carry out the ship commandeering mission. Just because they'd found a fire healer didn't mean they could put their plans on hold.

"Can you give us a bit of privacy?" Zuko asked Iroh and Suki.

Iroh nodded, but Suki took a moment to glare at Yuzo and make a gesture with her hands to warn she'd be watching. It seemed he'd got on her bad side while forcing her to chase him all over the bay area.

Zuko waited until they were both out of earshot before he turned to Yuzo. "I know you're a fire healer," he said bluntly. "I know you know I am as well."

Yuzo said nothing.

Zuko sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Look, you're the first fire healer I've met. I don't know anything about this, about myself, and that woman"—he nodded to where Shizue was watching them—"she could probably tell me everything, but I can't trust a thing she says."

"She's a Silencer," Yuzo observed.

"Right. Wait, you know about that?"

"You start to get a sense for them after a while. It's the way they look at you."

Zuko thought of the intense looks Shizue had given him before her memories had been restored. Even when he was a child, she had always watched him. A shadow waiting.

"You're right not to trust her," Yuzo murmured. "Silencers don't give a damn about us. All they care about is keeping secrets." He tilted his head to the side. "Why are you even letting her travel with you?"

"She's the only one who knows anything about the island where my mother is trapped."

"Ah."

Zuko looked at him more closely. It seemed like this guy knew his stuff. "These secrets you mentioned, do you know what they are? Do you know what the Silencers are trying to hide?"

A faint smile curved Yuzo's mouth. "Sorry, can't help you there. I don't have a death wish."

"But you do know."

"Maybe. Maybe not. Get me out of this rock and ensure your Silencer can't slit my throat and maybe then I'll feel like talking."

Zuko glanced over his shoulder to where Shizue had been standing, but she was gone. He turned back to Yuzo. "She won't hurt you. Not if I ask her not to."

"Yeah, I'm not buying that. You admitted yourself that you don't trust her."

Zuko lowered his gaze, knowing it was true.

"This is all on you, my friend. You know my terms. I'm not saying a word while she's here."

"I just can't get rid of her."

"Then I guess you don't really want to hear what I have to say."

Zuko frowned at the hawkish-faced boy. "You're kind of annoying, you know that?"

"People do tell me that sometimes." Yuzo relaxed as much as he was able to while trapped up to his neck in rock. "If you see that little earthbender, can you tell her to make my prison more habitable? Maybe a chair?"

Zuko rolled his eyes and walked over to join Iroh and Suki.

"Well?" Iroh prompted.

"Nothing. He knows things, but he's not going to talk."

Suki folded her arms across her chest. "Figures. He wouldn't even say what he was doing with the documents he stole."

"What were they?" Zuko asked. "You never said."

"A list of all the refugees who travelled by ferry to Ba Sing Se over the past three months."

Zuko's brow creased. "Why would Yuzo care about that?"

"Beats me."

Iroh stroked his beard. "A mysterious new friend indeed."

"Mysterious maybe," Suki allowed, "but friend? I wouldn't trust him as far as I could throw him. The guy is a liar and a thief."

Zuko's frown deepened. She was probably right, but then where did that leave him? He had finally found another fire healer. He had found someone who could give him answers. Now he had a choice: trust Shizue, the woman who had inferred she was a Silencer, or trust this boy he didn't even know. Either way, it seemed he had to take a risk.