Book Three: Fire

Author's Note: Hello again! Hope you guys like this chappie. Very lengthy, but very important.

Let's get some more reviews, people. The more, the merrier.

Enjoy!

Sam81609 and ScorpioRed112

Chapter 3: Plans and Plots

Aang, without doubt, was getting better and better each day. Every midnight Katara would tend to his minor wounds and tell him how much stronger he was going to be after this. "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, so what almost kills you will make you invincible."

Aang didn't believe that part. But he loved the attention he was getting. While Toph and Sokka would drift into sweet slumber, he and Katara would speak of little things, smiling at one another as they did, scurrying their eyes as blushes crossed their cheeks. He knew he saw their meetings like this, but he didn't know how Katara saw them.

It was her duty to heal the Avatar, after all. Or so she felt it was.

But it was mid day now, much to Aang's displeasure. He caught glance of Katara from his sleeping bag as she paced back and forth. Today was the day they were making plans. Aang's recovery time was over.

Sokka was in front of a small patch of dirt, his grimy hand holding fast to a long twig. Carefully he drew a diagram of Ba Sing Sei and the world in comparison, adding deep emphasis to the Fire Nation. Toph stood next to him, staring at the floor, her feet filling her body with vibrations of the rigid etches Sokka had made.

"This will never work," Katara mumbled, sighing. "We need armies to defeat the Fire Nation." Her gaze worked its way to Aang's sleeping bag. He closed his eyes. "Aang can't take on the world alone. He can't even..." Her voice trailed off.

"I think I know what I'm doing, Katara," Sokka replied annoyingly at his sister. He hated it when she sided with Aang against him. "Me and Dad talked about this. We have the whole thing worked out. Just don't worry about it."

"Tell Twinkle Toes to come see this," Toph gestured. Katara walked to Aang's sleeping bag and shook him slightly. He sat erect as she helped him up. Carefully they made their way to Sokka's drawing.

"Dad knew a bit more about the Fire Nation than I thought he did," Sokka told them. "That crescent-shaped island was only the beginning. The Fire Nation has a lot of these little islands around this huge continent. They train their troops on the islands, according to Dad..." Sokka picked up a few pebbles and placed them around his rough sketch of the Fire Nation.

"The best way to bring down the Fire Lord is on the Day of Dark Sun ... but the problem is, they're probably expecting us then. Plus, we have no idea where the Fire Lord's palace is, or how to get in."

"This is sounding awfully depressing," Toph commented, crossing her arms. "In short, you have no idea what you're doing."

Sokka frowned. "I haven't gotten to the plan yet," he stated defensively. "Any way, Master Pakku will be more than willing to give us some Waterbenders. And we might be able to see Gran Gran if we take a quick trip back to the South Pole."

Katara smiled, but Aang shook his head. "You know what the Fire Nation is planning to do, don't you Sokka?" Aang took the long twig and circled the North Pole. "Now that Ba Sing Sei is out of the picture, they're going to bring down the Northern Water Tribe. We have to do something about that first. And I'm sure there are troops up there who would be more than happy to join us."

Sokka sat still for a moment, processing this. "I...guess you're right," he stated slowly. "We have to get to the Fire Nation before the Day of Dark Sun," Sokka explained. "No side-tracks then, that's the whole plan. Just like Azula took down Ba Sing Sei from the inside, we'll do it to the Fire Nation. It'll take us about two weeks to get there, then—"

"How do you plan on moving hundreds of troops into the Fire Nation without them noticing?" his sister asked. "What do you expect them to do when they find us? The Fire Nation's huge!"

Sokka sighed and grabbed the long twig from Aang. "Listen to me! I'm the 'Idea Guy', remember? Just calm down." Sokka stood up and whacked the twig against his gloved palm like a general would do before giving orders. "We'll get troops, many of them. It won't be easy. We may have to split up. We'll add the troops together; we'll find some place where we can do this. It'll be simple. Once we do, we'll keep taking them to the Fire Nation. Slowly, sure, but it will work. I'm sure there are Fire Nation spies working for the Earth Kingdom, or at least, who were working for the Earth Kingdom. We can find them; I know they're out there.

"And don't tell me it's impossible. We'll just have to get disguised, maybe use Fire Nation clothes or something. Aang, you're going to have to grow your hair out, all of it."

Aang frowned and felt his shaved head. In the days that Katara had been tending for him, a small brush of hair had begun to grow. He stroked it thoughtfully now, remembering that it had been nearly one hundred years since he had last seen himself with a full head of hair.

"Me and Katara are going to have to change our clothes, maybe cut our hair, something like that," Sokka continued, also feeling his head. "Toph...you might be okay the way you are. If needed, we'll find you some disguise too."

"Great," Toph said sarcastically. "Maybe I'll shave my head and put a huge arrow on it." She rolled her eyes, grinning.

"Once disguised, we'll have to start gathering people from here and there. Then we'll work on the Fire Nation...you know, ways to get in. There won't be any refugee camps. So I guess you were right about the South Pole thing, Aang... If we have to, we'll convince Fire Nation soldiers to leave their division and join us." Sokka swallowed. "I'm sure they can't all be..."

"Bad," Katara finished for him. "No, not all of them are evil. Just an overwhelming majority." Her thoughts drifted to Zuko and her heart filled with guilt. Maybe if she had just convinced him to join them...if she had brought it up. But it was too late now. He was already off with his sister.

The area was silent for a moment as the friends thought about what they were about to do.

"So...this means we're splitting up again?" Aang asked, grimacing. "We can't split Appa into four parts. How are we going to—"

"We won't have to," Toph explained. "We're still very close to Ba Sing Sei. A couple of us can get into the city some how, maybe using the Bay that Sokka and Katara's father was protecting."

"Right," Sokka agreed. "I'm sure people are leaving that place now. They have to be. We can get in and out with the crowds of people and convince them to fight with us."

"They'll all be desperate to end this war," Aang predicted, nodding. "Then two of us can go up to the North Pole. Appa can fly us there, and Ba Sing Sei will have to be done on foot. It can't be a long flight from here, maybe a week tops."

"By that time, we would've formed a little militia," Katara joked, elbowing Aang's side. "And Dad will join in afterwards, right?"

Sokka nodded, again looking at his sketch. "This is going to work out perfectly." He sighed and added, "This war is coming to an end."

"We should start now," Katara told her brother. "We're going to have to do this as soon as possible."

"Once in Ba Sing Sei I can tell Dad how long it will take us to get people from the North Pole. He'll be coming in later, during the Day of Dark Sun. So I guess I'm going to Ba Sing Sei." Sokka wiped a string of sweat rolling down his cheek.

"Sounds logical," Toph added.

"If you're going to Ba Sing Sei, then whose going to the North Pole?" Katara asked. "There's no way Aang can go with you, his arrow is still showing through." She gestured Aang's head.

"I guess he'll have to go to the North Pole then," Sokka stated, rubbing his chin. "And since Toph won't be able to feel her way around up there, she'll have to come with me." Sokka tossed a quick glance at Toph, who smiled slightly.

"No way I'm going to a giant glacier!" she agreed.

Katara blinked in realization. The group was splitting up again, and this time the stakes of danger were much, much higher than before. She looked at Aang. "I guess we're going to the North Pole again," she told him, smiling.

"Well...it's time to do this." Sokka took of his sweat-drenched shirt and threw it on the ground. He was never able to bear hot weather. "First things first, we have to get disguises."

If there was one thing wrong with taking over a city, as Zuko realized, was that the glory didn't last forever.

It had been a total of about five days since the Fire Nation had taken control of Ba Sing Sei, during which Zuko had to deal with the fact that they were still here. Every day he told Azula he wanted to go back home, but she would shake her head and tell him that there was no rush. "If we leave, a rebellion will lash out. I'm not going to lose Ba Sing Sei because you are homesick, Zuzu."

He would complain of how annoying Mai and Ty Lee were, but Azula would tell him to stop acting like a child. He would ask about Uncle, but Azula would tell him that visiting that traitor was by no means necessary. Zuko was beginning to regret what he had done.

Zuko was beginning to miss Uncle.

Through daybreak, he would sit alone in the palace, reading news of millions of refugees leaving Ba Sing Sei. He thought of the heartbreak of those who had been born here. He thought of the children, hungry on refugee ships; he thought of all the awful pains the families were experiencing.

He had stopped Fire Bending since the city had fallen. He saw no use of using it now.

He thought a lot of his father, of the Avatar. He remembered his limp body and his crying friend. How could Azula kill such an important and influential person? How could she have dared? But it was all over now. Everything was over. He would be seeing his father very, very soon.

It was then Zuko remembered how awful his father was, how much he hated him.

But Zuko had been thinking in those five days. In fact, he had been thinking a lot. His plan had finally formulated: he was going back home without Azula. First he would find Uncle, then they would leave. Together they would go back to the Fire Nation, but not as captives.

Zuko was going to overthrow his father, as much as it scared him to do so. After living with Azula again Zuko had realized how annoying the girl could be, just as his father was. The young prince wanted his honor back, and he was going to get it himself, just like Azula had said.

Thanks, Azula, he thought to himself as he entered the lower prisons of the palace. His time here had been very significant. Zuko was now familiar with most of the palace grounds and tunnels. Carefully he looked around. Inside were the prisoners, the five generals that Azula and the Dai Lei had overthrown. They looked at him as he passed by, their eyes flashing with anger and hate.

Zuko looked around, but his uncle was nowhere to be seen. He peered through one of the cell's dark metal windows. "I have a favor to ask of you," Zuko stated. His eyes darted from side to side, weary of guards. "You won't regret listening."

The general, still fat regardless of the awful food, looked up at Zuko and spat. "If I wasn't chained to this floor, I'd kill you." The general tried standing up, but his attempts were futile. The chains held his wrists close to the ground, so he could only squat with his legs crunched beneth him. "I'd kill all of you! Damn filthy Fire Nation scum! Let me go so I can crush your head!" The general thrashed restlessly in the chains.

Zuko was beginning to regret coming down. "If you keep making noise, the Dai Lei will come back and beat the devil out of you." Zuko looked at the general, hardening his stare. "I want to help," he whispered. "But it's not going to work if you get all crazy like that, understand?"

The general had stopped thrashing around in his cell, but he still looked at Zuko with disgust. "Listen here, Fire Nation boy, those Dai Lei don't scare me. In fact, neither do you. This is probably some plan to see if I'll follow you or not. I'm not taking your word!" The general spit again, only this time the wad of saliva just missed Zuko's face. "Go jump in the river!"

"I want to help. I know more about the Fire Nation then you'll ever know, you hear me? I grew up there. I just want to find my Uncle. We have plans of our own."

"Than what do you need me for?" the general asked, licking his dry lips. "Bait? For what? So the Dai Lei can come after me, and you and your uncle can leave?"

Zuko shook his head. "I don't know where my uncle is, and you know Ba Sing Sei more than I do," Zuko told the general, trying to pick the lock. Zuko knew that the man had once protected the Outer Wall. "I know you hate me, and I'm not to fond of you either. But I'm sick of my sister. I'm going to overthrow the Fire Lord." Zuko's voice was shaking with pride and fear. "By God, you're going to help me do it."

"Ha!" The general tried to stand up again. He fell to the floor and began laughing—a deep laugh that made Zuko shiver. "Boy, you don't fool me for a second." The general spit for a third time. "You get me out of here. I'll decide from there if I'll help you or not."

"What? Forget it then!" Zuko spun around angrily. "I may hate my sister and the Fire Lord, but I'm not about to go all soft on you just because you think I'm desperate." Zuko shrugged. "Rot in this hell hole for all I care."

The general was silent for a moment. Zuko heard him move around restlessly and then sigh. "I know where your uncle is," he said. "I know where they took him. I'll help you, but after we get past Ba Sing Sei, we won't be partners anymore. I plan on taking this kingdom back, even if I have to die doing it."

"And your friends?" Zuko looked in each individual cell. The men stared back.

"They'll help us," the general affirmed. "They trust one another. Besides," the general smiled smugly, "if you take us all out, it'll be five on two! Wouldn't the odds be hilarious then, boy?"

"Hmp." Zuko began picking the lock again. For some reason, he didn't feel threatened by the general or his friends. They were all old; they had all been tossed in prison. Plus, Zuko knew they wanted their kingdom back. The door flung open. Zuko began working on the general's chains.

"Hey, you be careful. Boy, you know them Dai Lei have the keys, don't you? Agh! Watch it!" With a few uncomfortable tugs and twists, the general was free. The clenched his fists wildly and pointed at Zuko. "Damn! I don't care were you're from, you have my word on this whole idea of yours!"

Glad that the general was appreciating his new found freedom, Zuko began working on the other locks.

It took some time, but soon all five of the men were free, stretching and smiling at Zuko. He sensed their hollow thoughts and grins, knowing and remembering that they still hated him deep down. "What about my uncle?" Zuko asked now, turning to the Wall general. "Where is he?"

The general pointed to one of the empty cells. In the back, Zuko noticed another door. It was locked up tight, and there were no windows.

"That?" Zuko grumbled. "They're keeping him in that?" In a fit of rage and frustration Zuko ran towards the door and unleashed a treacherous form of a two-legged kick. Both the force of Zuko's feet and the wild flames made the door buckle, and it fell to the floor like an old piece of cardboard. Zuko ran inside.

"Uncle!" he cried when he saw the odd lump of flesh sitting at the furthest corner. Zuko helped Iroh to his feet and embraced him. "I'm sorry Uncle...but I'm going to fix it! We're getting out."

Iroh looked at his nephew with a distraught shine in his eye. "I'm sorry too, Zuko. But I'm not helping you anymore." Iroh's voice was raspy, as if he hadn't used it in a long time. "You choose this path and I'm not going to retrace your steps with you." Iroh sat down on his stained mattress, smoothing his clothing over his knees. "It's time you learned the consequences of your actions."

Zuko was dumbfounded. He stared at his uncle with a mixture of hate and apology. "I...what I did was..."

"It was wrong," Iroh stated. "Very, very wrong."

"Everything was going so fast! You and Azula...the Avatar's friend, and you came down with him next to you! My honor, uncle! You never cared about my honor! I just wanted it...I just wanted it back..." Zuko knelt to his uncle's side. Zuko felt his uncle's sharp stare as he eyed his nephew's new Fire Nation uniform.

"Honor is nothing without love and trust. And that is the Fire Nation's greatest blunder!" Iroh stood up aggressively and pointed to the five generals. "You think you can just march up to Ozai? You think it is this easy?" Iroh was angry now; he turned his attention back to Zuko. "You always think things can happen so quickly! You never think anything through!"

Those words were familiar to Zuko. But he stood up regardless and touched his uncle's shoulder. "I have thought this through, Uncle" Zuko said. "I have thought it through many, many times."

Iroh looked at his nephew as he sighed and crossed his arms. "Are you with or against Azula?"

"Against," his nephew replied. "Uncle...I'm going to overthrow my father. I want you to be there with me. Help me fix this mistake."

Iroh was silent for a moment. Zuko felt terrible inside, as if his whole plan was nothing if his uncle wasn't by his side. But then Iroh quickly embraced Zuko, smiling. "Fine," Iroh said. "This one time. Only because red is not your color."

"Touching," the Wall general stated from the door. "But are we going to get out of here or what?"

"The Dai Lei check on us every so often," another stated, his voice full of worry. "We have to get out now!"

Zuko nodded and took his uncle's hand. They walked towards the exit as slowly and as quietly as possible.

p

"I don't know about this whole thing that Sokka's got planned," Aang was telling Toph. Sokka and Katara had put their hair down and walked to the nearest village for disguises. Toph and Aang stayed behind, Toph because she couldn't see and Aang because he didn't care.

"It'll work," Toph replied in annoyance, stuffing a berry into her mouth. "It has to. To say the truth, it's the first thing that Little Sarcasm has said that makes any sense."

"I'm just afraid there won't be enough troops to fight," Aang said. He was actually afraid of the Fire Lord's enormous glare and fighting power. His daughter had been a worthy opponent.

"That's not what you're afraid of," Toph said as she stretched. "Katara told me about the whole nightmare deal with the Fire Lord. You don't give yourself enough credit." Toph stood up and took a fighting stance. "You were able to toss the Blind Bandit out of the ring, remember? The Fire Lord shouldn't be a problem."

"That was a different story," Aang replied, remembering. "I don't want to get you guys mixed into this war. I'm always afraid that I'm going...that one of us is going to..."

"That one of us is going to die? Well, you already took the fall for us." Toph smiled and added, "You don't give us enough credit, either. You were the one who got shot in that battle."

Aang narrowed his eyes. He hated it when Toph was right. "Yeah, yeah..." He waved her arguments off dismissively.

Katara and Sokka then arrived with bags full of clothes and other accessories. Katara tossed the bags on the floor and glared at her brother, who was stroking his new white beard, deep in thought. "Just because you're obsessed with that thing doesn't mean I should carry all the other stuff!" she argued, ripping the fake piece of hair from her brother's chin. "Of all the useless things in the world..." She threw the beard in the bag.

"Hey!" Sokka rummaged after the beard quickly. "It is not useless," he proclaimed to Katara's back, still looking for the fuzz of hair.

"Okay," Katara started, ignoring her brother. "We spent a good portion of our money on this stuff—"

"Yeah, we spent all of our money on this stuff!" Sokka interrupted.

"Right...anyway, I think they should buy us some time." Katara carefully pulled out three tan and green garments from the first bag. Tan robes with green sashes and black embroidery, authentic Earth Kingdom wear.

The young Waterbender laid the clothes on the ground and pulled out a tan, pointed hat. She grinned and threw the hat to Aang. A perfect fit.

For her and Toph, Katara had bought extravagant head pieces, also in shades of tan, brown, and green. Two pairs of earrings and two necklaces of false jade, as well as many other bracelets and rings, were also part of the entourage.

Sokka had bought himself and Aang some false moustaches and beards, in a total of four different colors. Aang grinned warmly as he tried one on; staring at himself through a small mirror Katara had given him.

"No one will be able to recognize us now," Aang said matter-of-factly.

"I'm going to cut my hair, too," Katara added, twirling a strand with her finger. "And maybe Toph's..."

But Toph frowned in Katara's direction. The Waterbender smiled coyly, a chuckle erupting in her throat. "Toph, I won't cut it if you don't want me to," she stated softly. "It's about time we did something different anyway...and I'm sure we won't be recognizable if we did cut it."

"I don't want you to cut it," Toph retorted in a low tone. "If you want me to do something different, I'll cut it."

"You guys, does it even matter?" The young Avatar was playfully adjusting his hat. "Katara, Toph looks exactly like every other Earth Kingdom person. She'll be fine."

Toph smiled, satisfied with the answer. If there was one thing she despised, it was change.

Sokka cut in, wearing his new black robe with the emerald green sash. He looked like a noble with his nose stuck up in the air. "Guys, this plan is fool proof," he stated as he spun around, modeling his new clothes. "I guess we better get started on part two of the plan."

The friends nodded. They began packing their things.