A/N: I realize that it has been around eight months since I last updated this fic, and I am horrified. There is absolutely no excuse for this, and I wouldn't be surprised if I lost almost all of the readers that were previously interested in this story. So last night I buckled down, and spent around three hours writing this chapter, and meticulously tried to match it up with the rest of the story. So for anyone who might actually still be reading this—I thank you profusely for your extreme gift of patience, and your tolerance with my laziness and procrastination.


Sunlight, spattered with dust, drifted through the scattered holes in the ceiling of the cavern, settling in clouds on the floor around the people attending the tribal meeting.

"Time seems to have spared you your mistakes, Aang," Jinju said sadly, noting his old friend's youth, "But not I. I have grown old into mine and I shall never be able to compensate."

"No, Jinju," Aang shook his head adamantly. "You can still change it. My friends and I are going up against the Fire Lord. Join us. We can take back our life…take back our temples, take back our culture. You can teach your children and grandchildren about what was…and what we must do to go back."

"No," the old man shook his head sadly. "You don't understand, Aang," his voice trembled, "I am past redemption. I am an old man who has led his family into darkness, and now I am too weak to dig them out."

Aang blinked, and suddenly his mind slipped down into haze, trying and failing to imagine what his friend went through after he left.

Remnants of memories long past glittered in Jinju's gray eyes as he gazed solemnly down at Aang.

It was this moment that Akiko took the opportunity to intervene. "What is the meaning of this, Father?"

Jinju stared past her with glazed eyes. "My daughter, I have fooled you…"

The youngster to Akiko's left spoke up suddenly, his eyes blazing. "He's talking nonsense! The prisoner is fooling you, Grandfather. I demand the tribunal be postponed until you are feeling better."

Jinju's eyes cleared, and he stared fiercely at his grandson. "You know not of what you speak, Hachiro," the old man's expression fell into shadow, "This is my doing. I have not led you as our ancestors knew was right."

Akiko's eyes narrowed at her father's expression of self-pity. "I am in agreement with my son, Father," she stated, her voice flat. "That is two thirds of the council, in agreement with our law."

"No…" Jinju whispered hoarsely, but his kin ignored him.

"The council will reconvene at dusk. Take the prisoners back to their cells." Akiko made as if to stand.

"Matriarch!"

Akiko paused, and leveled her piercing gaze at one of the guards standing just behind Aang. "Why do you question my orders, Gorou?"

"I do not question them," Gorou straightened his shoulders, even as Akira glowered at him. "I simply wish to report that the condition of our store caves at ground level have pushed me to inquire something of you."

"Now is not the time or place to speak of tribal matters," Akiko replied coldly.

"I simply wish to request," Gorou went on, aware that he was committing insubordination, but hoping for the best, "Our use of this young windthrower's prison cell," he took Aang's arm and secured his bonds, "As a storage unit."

Across the cave, Katara exchanged a bewildered glance with her brother.

"What is he trying to accomplish?" Sokka whispered.

His sister shrugged, but she had a knowing glint in her eye.

"Where, then, shall we put him?" Akiko questioned.

"In with the others, Matriarch."

Akiko was unfazed. "Request denied. Take him back to his own cell, if we must move some of our supplies, we can find other families willing to share their living space."

Katara's face fell as Akira forced Aang's wrists behind him and toted him off.


"Home sweet home," Toph muttered as she and the water tribe siblings were shoved back into their cell, and the bamboo door locked behind them.

"So much for getting out of here the least painful way," Katara sighed.

The trio clustered together in the back of the cave, and brought their voices to a whisper.

"That Jinju guy could be a great help," Sokka murmured. "We could avoid busting out of the place if we got his help."

"And how are we supposed to do that?" Toph retorted skeptically, "Last time I checked, we were locked up in a cave. Oh wait!" she pressed her palms to her face in mock surprise, "We still are!"

Sokka's eyes narrowed, but he shook off the earthbender's insulting words and buried himself deeper in thought, hoping to further develop the plan that was forming in the recesses of his mind.

Katara placed a hand on her brother's arm to get his attention. "The rest of his tribe obviously thinks that Jinju guy is off his rocker, Sokka," she sighed, "If they wouldn't listen to him this morning, why would they listen to him any other time?"

"If only somehow we turned the tables," Sokka mused, his crystal-blue eyes alight.

Toph blinked at him, her eyebrows twitching in realization. "You have an idea, don't you, Snoozles?"

Sokka's eyes narrowed thoughtfully as he tapped his index finger against his chin. "It will involve some sneaking around and maybe an abduction or two. Think you're up to that, Toph?"

The earthbender cracked her knuckles. "Tell me what to do."

"Can you get to Aang's cell?"

Toph crouched, pressing her palms to the ground.

"Done and done."


After the stressful tribunal, Akiko returned to her personal living quarters, followed at the heels by her teenage son. She stopped just inside the door, glancing around the chamber sadly. Tucked away in the corner of the room was her bed, a simple, woven mat, formed with braided vines. Hanging from the earthen ceiling just above it were her clothes—from her leafy warrior uniform to her everyday tunic to a ceremonial robe.

Her eyes drifted down toward her own neck, where the carved pendant hung, displaying the invisible symbol for wind. Her mother had given it to her, insisting that she keep it safe. Akiko rubbed her thumb thoughtfully over smooth, sanded surface.

Hachiro stepped in the house behind her, his thoughts still whirling with what occurred during the tribunal. He strode to the opposite side of the room, where his mat was, and plopped down dramatically. Brushing a speck of dust off of his green tunic, he glanced up at Akiko.

"Mother, you don't think this kid could possibly be who he says he is, do you?"

The matriarch sighed, regarding Hachiro with solemn gray eyes. "His age is the only thing that doesn't match up. The documents they have, the account of his friends, and their Sky Bison—but he couldn't possibly be the Avatar."

"Grandfather thinks so," Hachiro ventured, curious to see what his mother really felt about Jinju's convictions.

Akiko's eyes were filled with pain. "He is old, son. He is not thinking clearly. The death of your grandmother—" the woman bit her lip and blinked, trying to tie back the grief that tugged at her emotions, "It was very hard on him. It was hard on all of us."

Hachiro's eyes hardened, stirred at the sight of his mother's pain. "It's just a sick Fire Nation trick. They must know somehow—they must being trying to strike him where it hurts the most—" he swallowed angrily, "The Avatar died a long time ago, along with the rest of Grandfather's culture."

Akiko stepped forward, kneeling beside the teen. She put a hand on his shoulder comfortingly, stifling her sadness for the sake of her son. "Fear not, Hachiro. The Fire Nation will find that they cannot toy with us."

With that, she went to her mat and lay down.

After a few moments, Hachiro stood and left their quarters. He needed to meditate. Maybe the wind would lend him its wisdom.


Aang felt her coming long before she arrived. So he scooted to the back of his cell to wait.

When a patch of earth crumbled inward, revealing a hole in the dirt floor, Aang masked the sound of it with a cough.

Akira, who had replaced Gorou for the afternoon shift guarding Aang's cell, turned his head to glare suspiciously at the airbender.

Aang coughed again, trying to make it more authentic-sounding. "Sorry," he muttered, "I inhaled some ash."

Akira's distrustful gaze lingered on him for a moment before turning away. When he did, Aang crawled forward in the dust, peering down into the hole made by his earthbending master.

"Toph…?" he ventured, his voice as quiet as he could manage.

Suddenly, Toph poked her head out of the hole, and Aang jerked back in surprise.

"Shh," the earthbender urged, and in a hushed whisper, she explained, "Sokka sent me to break you out. We're going to talk to your friend."

"What?" Aang was confused. "Jinju?"

"No, the other one," Toph shook her head.

This explanation served only to make Aang more confused. "The other one?" he echoed dumbly.

"No time, Twinkletoes," Toph murmured, pushing herself halfway out of the hole. "Take your vest off."

"What?" Aang blinked, realizing that Toph had taken her own shirt off and had only her wrappings on. Her tasseled headband was also gone.

Sensing his stare, the earthbender glowered sightlessly at him. "I had to make a dummy me so it would look like I was still there, stupid. We have to do the same with you. Hurry up!" she hissed.

Aang wasted no more time in following her instructions, and within minutes, the stone, dummy Aang was up and ready, and they made their escape.


Hachiro inhaled deeply, relishing the feeling of the warm sun on his face and the cool breeze at his back.

Though most of the mountain was covered with dense forest, in the highest altitudes, the vegetation thinned out, and the sky could be clearly seen. There was one particular spot, high on the mountaintop, where a clear, cool stream bubbled from the stones and flowed downhill. Further down the mountain, this stream split into many fresh water tributaries that sprawled out over nearly the entire island. At its head, however, was a collection of smooth, flat boulders, weathered by an endless torrent of spring and summer rainstorms, and bleached by the warmth of the sun.

This is where Hachiro could most often be found, mulling over life's unexpected twists and turns while listening to the subtle spattering of water over stone, his body warmed by the sky's fire and cooled by the air's touch. He felt most at peace here, and even if solutions didn't arise from his musings, he always was comforted by being in this place.

Skirting the sharper rocks gathered at the base of an incline, Hachiro wove his way up the path, stepping over flowers and shrubs as he made his way through the grass. He stopped beside the brook, and climbed to the top of the highest boulder overlooking the landscape. There, on its smooth surface, he sat.

Crossing his legs in a lotus position and pressing his knuckles together, Hachio closed his eyes and cleared his mind.


"So can you at least tell me what we're doing?"

To avoid another of the windthrower's dormitories, Toph forced the earth to crumble to her left, and she moved forward swiftly. Shadowed by Aang, the earthbender clambered up the steep slope she had created. Reaching the top, she replaced the stone in the passageway behind them. Turning back toward the wall of earth before her, she fell into a horse stance and thrust her arms forward and up, bending the stone to her will.

"I told you," the earthbender huffed in reply to her friend's inquiry, "We're going to have a talk with one of these gas-bags, and if he needs a demonstration," the darkness seeped ominously from her tone, "Then we'll give him that, too."