Chapter 3 Bad news…

Zuko woke up alarmed in the middle of the night by the high pitched terror filled wailing from across the hall, mixed with the sound of harsh sounds only fighting could create. Eye's wide as his hand patted across the empty space his wife usually slept, he reacted instinctually as he took off towards the noise, fear clinging deep to his heart as he entered his sweet Azuna's room. The sight he was greeted by both filled him with a mixture of deep horror and respect for his lover. The horror was because soaking on the floor at his beautiful Mai's bare feet was a growing pool of blood, he stood there staring for a moment as he looked over every inch of hers and his daughter's body who was still screaming, though Mai's clam hands seemed to sooth the almost two year old child some. Molten gold eyes met fiercely lit similar ones as he looked to the love of his life for reassurance she and Azuna were alright. The initial shock wore off slowly as her eye's softened and he realized the crimson liquid wasn't hers but coming from a few feet across from her; where a black robed and masked man's prone form lay. Tow of Mai's throwing daggers lodged in his neck, and chest.

Azuna's room was a disaster, there were star blades imbedded in random patterns along the walls, Her crib was trashed, and the glass window overlooking the palace gardens was shattered, glass covered a lot of the floor in a pattern suggesting it had been how the intruder entered. Guards had noticed the noise and finally joined the small panicked family making the situation appear even grimmer as Zuko held his silently shaking wife and terrified daughter against his chest. His eyes were a blazing fire as he stared at the lifeless would-be assassin's form being carted out of the room by guards. "Who could have such an audacity to want to kill a child? A little girl… Not even old enough to speak in full sentences?" He muttered under his breath. Mai just shook her head, unsure of what to say with the mixture of emotions that ran through her body, though her face as always was a complete mask, only showing the utter rage she felt for the bastard and those that sent him.

"Da..…" Azuna's sweetly innocent golden eye's looked to her father's strong features for comfort. "Da…da… bad…bad bad bad…yus dada?" Her voice was cherubic like tingling bells, with the features to match as she looked up through a mess of long bangs. For almost being two, the girl had a full head of long black gleaming hair, much like her mothers, though her bangs were tangled and grown out. She was in a small blue gown that had been a gift for her first birthday from Sokka. "It's ok sweetie. It's going to be alright… Daddy promises to never let a bad man like that ever scare you again!" He said as he took her quivering form into his own arms, pulling her close and thanking all the spirits that protected her for keeping her safe. She and his Wife were his entire world, nothing mattered more to him then these two stunningly beautiful women he called his family. "We need to warn Aang… if someone is after Azuna everyone needs to know what their flying into… " Mai paused her voice filling a little more with emotion as she looked up into her tired husbands eyes. "It would not be so bad to have them here right now… even if I hate when the palace is crowded…" Zuko would usually smile at this rare admittance of feeling but his mind was filing over all the information about recent threats on his family he had dealt with.

"Sir, we have no idea who the masked assassin was, no one recognizes him and he has no possessions that could possibly help lead to his identity… However, Major Kunma has doubled security around the palace, we will protect your highness at all costs and there haven't been any other's like our intruder found or reported…" Lieutenant Owa stood beside Zuko and stopped speaking as he realized the Fire Lord wasn't listening. "You're Highness?" Zuko looked up from gazing at his daughters sleeping face as she was tucked safely in his arms, he pushed himself off the wall he had been leaning against for the better part of an hour as he had overseen the window being fixed and the room cleaned. "Huh? What… oh… thank you for your report Owa, Tell Major Kunma and his men I appreciate all of their efforts in protecting my family. We must find out about whatever organization out there…" He looked out the once broken window towards the sky darkened city beyond the castle grounds. "Sent their friend to assassinate Princess Azuna. So that we can show them just how stupid a mistake it is to piss off the Fire Lord." His eyes were blazing infernos again as steam trickled out of his nose though the rest of his body remained in perfect composure.

Mai walked back in, her body fully covered in her royal red night robe as she presented the parchment she had between her hands to Lieutenant Owa. "Send a messenger hawk immediately to the Avatar and our friends with this letter…" Her voice held only the blank tones of boredom as Owa's eyes grew wide. "But it's the middle of the night…" Her eyes narrowed, He froze as he realized his grave mistake. "Make that bird Sokka's personal messenger hawk, Hawky's been roosting here sense we received their conformation to attend Azuna's birthday two weeks from now." Owa nodded frightened to the core of her steely gaze as he quickly took off to the palaces personal messenger hawk tower, the letter clutched tightly in his shaking hands. "What did you write to them?" Zuko asked as he took a deep calming breath filled with his lovers sent as she leaned up to kiss him and then took their sound asleep daughter into her arms.
"I said…"


"Dear friends, Yeah this letter will probably wake you up. But my daughter's life is much more important to me then your sleep. Tonight the palace was invaded by an assassin that attempted to kill Azuna as we all slept, It was a pathetic attempt that I intercepted but it was an attempt regardless. Now I know you said that you would be coming in a week in a half, but it might be more beneficial if you came sooner. I don't care about how long it will take you; your rooms will be ready for your immediate arrival.
-Mai"

"Well doesn't she have a warm way of saying, 'Hey we need your help.' "Sokka griped irritably as he took another bite of his chicken-bacon. "Yeah, she really hasn't changed much has she?" Said Toph, her feet propped up on the table with her plate in her lap. Katara had taken the initiative to make breakfast in order to allow Suki to just relax, so it was mostly chicken-bacon, steamed rice, and fruit. The Kyoshi warrior was oddly quiet as she nibbled lightly on her own breakfast of rice and fruit. Though she knew her stomach wasn't going to attack her again, it was still sensitive and had her slightly upset. She didn't understand why after so long she would get sick so randomly but she had given up on figuring it out shortly after breakfast was being cooked, and had just been absorbed in her thoughts of her own unborn child, and the fear of finding someone trying to kill him or her at such a helpless age, let alone ever. "Why would someone attack Azuna, and not Zuko or Mai? I don't get this, she's just a defenseless fire-brat…"

Toph used her pet name she had given Azuna lovingly, the name had come about last year when during the child's first birthday she had set the earth benders sleeve on fire in anger when she had been denied the chance to play with Toph's 'space rock'. This had also been the moment when everyone realized she had bending abilities. 'lucky me…' Toph had said in irritation. Now however the name was only meant in a semblance of affection, as the little girl had managed to worm her way into even Toph's stony heart. This news had upset the entire gang all together, but they all still turned to look at Aang for his thoughts, as the reason's they had come to the temple closest to the Fire nation was to search for traces of his thought to be lost races deepest kept secret.

Aang read over the letter again before setting it down to eat another piece from his bowl of fruits, unaware that everyone was watching his reaction. "We will just have to pick up the library hunt after we figure out who attacked Zuko's daughter…" He said before popping a cherry-grape into his mouth. Katara gave him a soft sad smile, knowing what he was giving up so suddenly just for the sake of his friends, she took his hand under the table and stroked it with her fingers comfortingly. "You know Aang, we don't have to leave just yet, we can spend another day or so looking up more information, we all know how strong Zuko is, let alone Mai, or the entire imperial fire army for that matter, all of which they have at their disposal… I'm sure no one would be stupid enough to attack so soon after this failed attempt anyway; it wouldn't hurt to try and get a little more information…" Sokka said, being ever the goal oriented one he knew this was going to offset everything they had just barely started to learn.

Aang blinked in shock at his friend, taking note that no one was protesting him. "The duty of the Avatar must come before my personal quests… Even if finding my people is part of my avatar duties… Azuna is as much our family as we all are to one another, even more so… the daughter of the Fire Lord and heir to the throne. Whoever attacked her was out to start a fierce rebellion and upset the peace we've all fought so hard for. It's a far more pressing matter then my people's possibly hidden location." He squeezed Katara's hand under the table for personal assurance as she spoke up. "Well then it's settled. We will all head out after we finish eating and get cleaned up, everyone alright with this?" Everyone nodded.

Suki was following Sokka out towards Appa, a frustrated look in her eyes as her hand stroked Momo's form around her neck. "I'm not broken Sokka, I'm pregnant. I can still lift small stuff!" "Nope! I'm not taking any chances." He confidently stated back before tossing up the belongings onto the Air-bison's saddle. "Hey buddy!" He said with a smile as he patted fur. "Arrrum!" Appa greeted back cheerfully. He had been enjoying his time wondering around the old Bison stables, reflecting on memories of his colt-hood, though he was just as excited to be off on their next adventure. Suki smiled up at the large beast before giving him a hug. "You have some fun out here?" She grinned when he nodded his large head, his eyes left hers and looked to his bonded companion's as Aang wondered out with his and Katara's stuff on his back. "Aang should I grab those…-" "-Na… we don't need any more… we will be at the Fire Palace by night fall…" Katara rolled her eyes. "Yeah but you can never have to many clean robes…" Aang shrugged with a smile as he air-bended their stuff into the saddle. Toph grunted as one of the bags landed on her.

"Twinkletoes watch where you bend things! I was sitting here first!" "Oups! Sorry Toph!" Aang gave a sheepish look up at the part of the saddle where Toph was, though he couldn't see her over its high ridge. Katara had a hand on his back as she leaned into him. He smiled at her as he looked back at the temples grounds around them. "Don't worry Aang, we will come back soon…" He just kissed her in response, Pulling her tight against him and then leaping up with the help of his bending onto the saddle. "UGH! I DON'T NEED TO SEE THAT!" Sokka shouted, covering his eye's as Suki just laughed from beside him. "See what?" Toph asked, earning another giggle from Suki as The water bender and Air nomad remained connected by their lips for a few more seconds, completely lost in one another's embrace. Aang blush as he pulled back to see his friends, minus Sokka laughing at them. With a hand behind his head he grinned as he and Katara perched themselves on the Airbison's head. "Let's go Appa! Yip Yip!"

Well... It's 1 review for three chapters... now... hopefully I get a few more, I will say that my DeviantArt seems to be getting far more hits... Regardless I will keep posting. Thanks to those that added me to your Author Updates! And thanks to bowwow08 for being my first reviewer. I have to say that I've heard Sakka's name spelled differently several times... I think Your right but I haven't decided yet if I'mma go back and change that yet... XD I'm quite busy with work, as of now I'm totally breaking my writing limit and staying up later then I wanted too tonight.

Well hopefully I'll have another chapter up here tomorrow... I'mma try to put as many up as I can when I can but don't expect it daily... it might flux a bit... 3

Thanks for reading,

Surf-