Be prepared. I'm tossen in a small surprise now =D the first of I'm sure many many plots I'll have through out this story! 3

Chapter 6 Fears

She darted through the city, the hood of her deep black cloak sliding back from the speeds she was traveling, a slender hand yanked it back down quickly revealing the end of a blue arrow on the back of it. 'Crap! Ahhh! No… not again! Where do they freaking keep coming from?' She dodged a shoot out of rock forced out of the ground as two more assassins jumped off a roof. Running across the wall of a building with a trail of dust and wind behind her, she took note that the street was growing narrower with each passing second, she knew this road would eventually hit a dead end, and she was counting on it, as the buildings continued to close in more and more. The ones following her were a few earth benders currently, being the only other benders who could keep up with such intense speed's, she had realized with a grin as sweat beaded down her face, that they hadn't noticed how fast the dead end was coming, their minds only set on knocking her off balance, as volley after volley of rocks shot past her slender frame, she just barley dodged a pillar that had shot up in front of her. 'Good…keep focusing on me… I'll win this round of chicken!'

Staff in her right hand and cloak clutched in her left, the mysterious young woman sprinted straight up the dead ends wall, not a hint of hesitation as she moved with natural agility. She heard the shouts of panic from the earth benders shortly before hearing and feeling the vibrations of all four slamming into the wooden structure, causing a breathy chuckle fall from her lips. A spear of rock shot past her head as the staff she held flicked open into a green and gold glider, quickly propelling the girl into the star lit skies. "Thank the Spirits its dark! I won't be as easily tracked now!" She sighed in relief as the currents of air flowed freely around her quickly helping her gain altitude. Using her abilities once she was high enough, she flipped allowing her back to lay against the staffs frame, while she stared up at the sky, keeping a constant awareness of where she was, but allowing herself a moment to relax and catch her breath. "Avatar… why is it so hard to reach you? Can't you feel how desperately your own people need you?" Her bright steal green eyes widened as a shooting star crossed her line of vision. 'I wish I may, I wish I might. Have this wish I wish to night…' She begged whatever spirits could hear her that somehow the Avatar would know of her desperate plea. "Were almost gone Master Aang… you're the only one who can protect us now…" she whispered sadly, memories of people she'd never see again in this life flashing through her mind as she angled the winds to guide her back down to hers and her only friends current hiding place.

"Good, you're ok… I was so worried when you didn't make it back before sunset!…" The woman's voice was kind, and full of motherly concern for her younger friend. The Air bending girl gave a grin as she placed the sack full of food on their makeshift table. "It was a good lot of them this time… I lost the fire benders easily but those dang earth bending jerks are quick…" She paused to shift out a moon peach she had bought in the markets that day. "There up to something you know, I just haven't figured out what yet…" The older woman nodded gravely, gasping as she gently stroked her hand along a bloody streak running down the younger woman's cheek. "You're hurt…" "It's nothing… I got clipped a few times when I hit the air by a round of rock pellets… "She flashed a tired smile as she removed the blood stained orange sash that wrapped across from her shoulder to waist. "See, only a few nicks…" She tried to play off the deep gash in her shoulder, as she pulled back her blood covered white shirt. "At least let me clean them!" The girl nodded to the older woman while taking another bite of her snack. She tried not to wince when a cloth was wrapped tightly around her shoulder after having dealt with the pain of each wound being cleaned. "Do you think the increase in their appearances has something to do with my granddaughters near assassination last night?" Green eyes met wise gold as she sighed. "Yes… I think their trying to throw the Avatar off of our trail, trying to give themselves more time to…silence us… like they've been doing this entire time."

Sokka yawned as he flicked Appa's reigns absently, the bison in turn began a slow down words angle towards the flickering lights of the Fire Nation's palace. "Finally…" Toph muttered as she felt the movement that signaled she'd be able to see soon. "Did I ever mention to anyone how much I hate flying?" Suki shrugged with a soft chuckle, she attempted to fasten up what belongings they had pulled out during their all-day journey, eyeing Aang's sleeping form from the corner of her gaze. "I'll wake him in a second…" Katara answered her sister-in-law's unspoken words. Suki gave a small nod as she smiled and went back to fiddling with the tie on one of the bags.

Katara gently stroked the blue arrow line along her boyfriend's scalp, his head nestled in her lap. She smiled as she felt the bit of stubble from where his hair was secretly trying to grow, only to be shaved once again in the morning, amusing over this, her mind wondered to the last time she remembered him letting it actually grow. Her thoughts drifting over those days's they had hid in the fire nation. Her eye's drifted over his strong features slowly, admiring the peacefulness that graced them when he slept. These moments like this, where he was so relaxed, reminded her of the boy he once was, the one she freed from the iceberg years ago, the first words he had uttered where if she would go penguin sledding. The one who's carefree nature had caused her to fall without ever even realizing it, so deeply in love with him. Through the years he had grown out of a lot of those childish antics, along with losing the features of a boy, to make way for the stronger attributes of a man. But he never lost that gentle naiveté in the way he just was, ever kind hearted and looking for the best in the world.

She pressed her head against his, taking just a second longer to enjoy listening to his deep even breaths, before finally planting butterfly kisses along his cheeks and nose. "Mmhmm?" His voice raspy with sleep rumbled as silver eye's flicked open tiredly. He was met with an image that strangely reminded him of the very first time he had seen those beautiful blue eyes. Her features weren't that of the girl he had first seen, but instead of the goddess she had grown into, her face more defined now only ever heightened her beauty. "Morning sunshine" She whispered, planting a gentle kiss on his lips. Just before she could pull away his hand shot out to stop her, holding the back of her head as his lips re-claimed hers. When he finally released her from his version of a good morning kiss she was breathless. "Are we there yet?" He said with his trade mark grin.

She shook her head ignoring his question. "You just love doing that to me…" "Not like you didn't do it to me first!" He retorted, She gave him a look of complete disbelief, to which He replied."Really? How could you think that waking up to the site of your sweet smile wouldn't take my breath away?" She rolled her eyes though her cheeks were tented pink, and he gave a throaty chuckle while pushing himself up into a sitting position. "Dang Twinkletoes it's about time!… And here I was starting to think you had slipped into a coma or something!" Toph spoke up as she absently picked with her toes. "Was I asleep that long?" "You've been out sense like four!" Sokka whined from his place on Appa's head, Aang blushed. "Why didn't anyone wake me?" "Sugarqueen wouldn't let anyone…" Katara glared at the choice nickname. "You were tired Aang, we all got to sleep this morning… you didn't. It was only fair!" Aang gave her one of her favorite smiles, as she had directed the last bit of her words towards the gang. "Thanks." He said against her ear as he leaned in to kiss her cheek.

After stretching out for a moment the airbender finally looked out over the saddle, surprise coloring his words. "We are here!" He blinked somewhat dazed as he took in all the lights. The fire nation was always bathed in blazing fire-light, leaving it with a look of mystical beauty, especially at night. He looked out to the sky, freezing for a moment as his eyes seemed to see something, though whatever it was disappeared quickly back towards the ground. 'weird…' He didn't mention it to anyone, as Appa landed gratefully on the court yard area that had been built just for him. He shook out his fur as Zuko and several guards trotted out of the palace to greet them.

"Good, your hear." Mai spoke up as they all wondered into the main hall and the soldiers left them. She was holding a very much awake Azuna in her arms as they were both draped in red night robes. "UNUN SOKSOK! UNUN SOKSOK!" Squealed the cherubic voice, tiny hand's out stretched towards her favorite Uncle. A hint of a smile crossed Mai's face as Sokka beamed, twirling the girl in his arms. "There's my favorite little fire bender!" "SokSok!" She giggled as he tickled her stomach before pulling her into a strong but gentle hug. "You been good while I've been gone, right?" She gave a beaming smile, revealing a mouth full of baby teeth and nodding her head excitedly. "Good Yas! Mama Good Yas?" She looked to Mai for confirmation of her statement, Mai gave a nod, her eye's reflecting the smile she refused to show on her face.

"So what's the news Zuko?" Aang asked, cutting to the point after watching Azuna for a minute as she continually ran back and forth from her treasure chest to show Sokka and now Toph, all of her new toy's she had accumulated. Everyone except Azuna tuned there attention's to Zuko. "I've had every able bodied soldier out hunting down leads all day… so far we've only gotten that the-" He paused to make sure his daughter wasn't listening, any mention of her intruder the night before would set her into frightened tears. "Man was part of an organization that's apparently been around sense my great grand fathers rule…though I've been unable to find any records on anything yet… the rumors have been worth looking into, So I intend first thing tomorrow to look in the history records we have in the palace." Suki put a reassuring hand on Mai's shoulder as her eye's closely watched the stock woman while everyone else spoke.

For once Mai didn't shrug the hand off as she just looked back at the soon-to-be-mother. Her face was blank but her dark eyes were all Suki needed to see to understand. "We will find them, and make sure nothing like this ever happens again." She whispered to the Fire Lady, Mai didn't say anything at first as she looked back to watch her daughter. "Yes we will…" She whispered back, her tone bored, but matter-of-fact. Toph nodded in agreement to this as well though she wasn't sure if anyone knew she had heard them. She watched Azuna through her earth bending with a smile, taking note of how much the little brat had grown in this past year. She turned to face Zuko, "Someone's coming…" He looked up on impulse just as two soldiers strode in, their faces worry stricken and immediately setting everyone on edge. "What is it?" Zuko asked.

"T-The body…It's…" "Spit it out soldier!" "It's g-gone sir…" Everyone's faces paled as Mai spoke up. "What do you mean, gone?" Her voice was blank, but that to the soldiers was scarier then screaming. "It just is My lady… The guards haven't been harmed, it just… vanished…" "But there aren't any windows in that building… or doors except the one all of you have been charged with guarding." "W-We know… were just as confused…" A shiver went down the Knife throwers neck as she looked at her daughter curled up in Sokka's arms, the frightened look back in her small golden eyes. "I know he's dead… I killed him myself, someone must have snuck him out…" Zuko spoke up following his wife's train of thought. "Who was the last to check on the body?" "It was Otoma and Tikenru, Fire Lord Sir." Both soldiers were sweating bullets at this point in fear. "When were they on watch?" "A-About four hours ago sir…" "Who's watched over it sense?" "We have the log right here Fire Lord Sir!" The one holding the leather bound booklet presented it. Zuko nodded and flipped through the pages. "I want all of those guards questioned… I want every ounce of their watch described in detail. And I want the reports of this in the morning, Understood?" The fire lord said in a calm voice.

"Yes Sir!" Both men presented the fire fist bow, still sweating in fear as they waited to be released. "You've done good men, thank you for informing us. The Avatar's here now, you can sleep at ease tonight knowing he will help us take care of this as soon as possible." Zuko's voice was kind, he hated how deep the fear in his men still ran when all he asked was respect. It had improved in the past few years, but he still had a ways to go. The men left the room, everyone in a deep silence.
"It's just a corpse… what's the big deal? Why would someone take it?" Sokka asked in a calm voice, attempting to soothe the shaking child in his arms with a subconscious rocking motion. "I don't know… maybe to hide any evidence our specialists might of found tomorrow when they went back over the body?" Zuko said in a questioning voice as he rubbed his blood shot eyes. "I think we all need to get some rest, this lack of sleep is doing nothing to help our heads figure this out…" Suki interjected, one hand stroking her stomach in a loving way. Everyone else nodded as Zuko and Mai led them all to where they could sleep.

Katara snuck into Aang's room, feeling ill at ease with the situations they had apparently been put up against. The monk hadn't even noticed her in his chambers yet as he sat on his bed concentrating on his meditation. He was attempting to focus on all the information, thinking of any good reason he could for why a body would be taken from a fully guarded building. The water bender placed a gentle hand on his thick bare shoulder, causing a shiver to run down his spine as his eye's snapped open in surprise. "What's wrong Katara?" He asked as he watched her curl up beside him on the bed. Her silence made him worried as she stared out the open balcony across from his bed for a bit, wind played with the different shades of red silks that lined it sending in calming breezes.

"I just have a weird feeling about all of this… like it's more than just a random assassination attempt… I almost feel like someone wanted us to come here… or distract us or something…" She turned tired but worry filled blue eyes to meet his contemplative storm colored ones. He thought over her words before speaking carefully. "I think your right… but I can't put my finger on it just yet. I have a feeling it has something to do with all the Air nomad leads we've been hearing about, especially of late…" his brows creased as he remembered the odd speck in the sky just before they reached the palace. "I thought…" He turned back to look out at the stars. "I thought I saw someone tonight…" he admitted quietly, Katara's eye's brightened in surprise. "Thought you saw who Aang? When?" He turned a weak smile on his face as he looked at her hands resting in her lap.

"An air bender… I thought I saw one using a glider over the city just before we landed… but I wasn't sure so I didn't say anything… now I'm starting to wonder if my mind was playing tricks or… or not…" His eyes were deep set with tiredness as he rubbed one of them with his fist. "Maybe it was? That's good news isn't it?" Her voice had a hint of cheerfulness as she slowly pulled his tattooed arm towards her and curled up in the blankets. He followed suit willingly. "I guess… but I just have a bad feeling… like something's wrong…" Katara was tired of all the downer talk, she wanted to actually sleep tonight so she spoke up with a grin. "Are your avatar senses getting tingly?" Aang snorted, "You could say that…" He pulled her closer against his chest, her head resting above his heart as he stared at the ceiling. "I'm doing it again aren't I?" "Doing what?" She asked as her fingers traced random patterns on his chest. "Thinking too much before bed… making more problems then I should… over worrying… you name it." She laughed a bit. "It's ok, you wouldn't be my Aang if you didn't worry about everything… but yes, you are." She lifted her head up to look him in the eye's a playful smile on her lips as she leaned in, hovering just above his mouth with her own.

Every time he attempted to reach her lips she'd pull back a bit, teasing him. Then just as she looked to give in, her fingers danced along his sides, hitting every ticklish spot she knew he had. He erupted in surprised laughter as he struggled to get his favorite water benders hands from tormenting him. "ah haha haha!No! Ahha haha Ka…Katara! Ahaha Noo! S-Stop! Haha!" They rolled around the bed laughing for a few more minutes as he managed to free himself and then began assaulting her sides with his own tickle attack. "Evil…Woman!" He laughed as she once again had her head on his chest, both gasping for air. "You love… me!" She said mid breath as she planted a kiss on his chest. He smiled at the touch, then kissed the top of her head. "Yes, yes I do. You know… I've never met someone capable of taking the breath away from an Airbender… but I swear… you do it to me every day." She smiled and hugged him against her. "I love you Aang."

Suki leaned against the railing of hers and Sokka's balcony, one hand resting on her baby bump. Her heart ached for Mai, being in such a high place of power definitely had it's down sides. The Kyoshi warrior wasn't sure she could handle such things as the other woman did. Arm's encircled her waist and she leaned into the masculine scent that followed them, relaxing against the hard chest of her lover's. "What'cha thinking about?" He asked quietly, his blue eyes gazing out at the glowing city beyond the palaces walls. "How strong Mai is…" She said gently, her hand rubbing her stomach with one of her husband's hands covering her own. "Ah… yeah. I don't know how Zuko's able to stay so calm ether…" "I guess when you're in such a place of power, you have no choice but to adjust and keep a cool head…" She said after a bit of comfortable silence. She felt his nod of agreement. "Don't worry Suki, our child will be safe no matter what, just like were protecting Azuna, we have everyone else to help us with things like this… it will be ok." A small smile tugged at the women's lips. "I know, but I still worry… I guess it's just the mothering instincts…"

Sokka grinned. "I'm so lucky to have you as a wife you know that?" She blinked in surprise at the change in topic. "Why do you say that?" "Well…" He turned her around to where her back was against the railing, tilting her chin with his hands he placed a gentle kiss on her lips. "You're strong. Fierce, kind, caring." He kissed her again. "You always know how to comfort me, not matter what." This time he kissed her nose. "You put up with all my crap. Honestly, I think being a mother will be a breeze for you… You've been partially doing that with me as it is!" She laughed a bit as he kissed her forehead, the worry leaving her for a bit as she kissed him back. "Sokka, I've never had to mother you… but thanks for that." He smiled feeling slightly accomplished at cheering her up. "No, you don't get it… You're always so in tuned with everyone's feelings. Especially your own instincts, nothing could possibly happen to our child with you being their mother… so not only am I lucky because you're an amazing wife and woman, but I'm lucky because I can always feel good at know my wife is capable of protecting our children, and caring for them no matter what…" Suki's eye's misted up as she looked at her husband's honest expression. "I love you Sokka." He smiled as he pressed his forehead against hers. "I love you too, Suki."

Toph was surprised slightly when she felt two tiny hands as they climbed up onto her bed, "An Toff…?" Came a quite whispered voice. She blinked as a smile crossed her lips. "Azuna?" "Toff Toff… Zuna Scared… Zuna safe wit An Toff Toff?" A rare look crossed the earth benders face as she pulled the child up into the crook of her arm. "Yes you little fire brat, you can sleep safe with Aunt Toph…" She finally whispered back, her fingers gingerly stroking through the child's hair. Just as she thought the toddler had fallen asleep she jumped at the soft voice. "An Toff… Why Bad Bad man wan hurts Zuna?" Her voice was shaking as Toph was sure she was remembering the frightening events, this filled the young women with a deep rage, as she pulled the girl closer against her chest. "Zuna do som bad? Zuna no take toy's frun bad bad man! Promisss!" Toph could feel the first of a few tears stain her shirt and she rubbed the girls back comfortingly. "Azuna, listen… Sometimes bad men want to hurt people for no good reason… Don't cry about that, You didn't do anything wrong. Aunt Toph promises. Ok?" More tears fell as the little girl nodded her head. "Why An Toff's?" Toph shook her head sadly. "I don't know… I really don't…"

It had been an hour later before Azuna fell asleep, but she did once she had cried herself out. Toph sighed as she continued to play with the child's hair, sleep beginning to claim her as well. "I promise Azuna… I promise we will get that bad man for scaring you… You're my fire brat, I'm the only one who can mess with you… ever. So don't worry, your safe now." She smiled gently as the girl nodded in her sleep, then pulling the blankets up a bit higher over them both she too fell asleep.

Phew! That was a long one for me... XD I've been writing it for the past five hours... hopefully it's not too bad... I'm so greatful to the reviews I've gotten! =D it really means alot to me that people actually like my story.

LOOPY You rock dude! =D And I'm glad you've liked my story so far. =) Hope this chapter isn't a disappointment! 3

ARIZONY =D thank you, That really does mean a lot to me, I've tried hard to keep them in character... I apologize if they slip a 'bit' but I will do my best to keep it close! It is as you said, very hard at times to keep them in character... supose it helps that I'm addicted to the series and watch it religiously then eh? lol =D
Thanks, I'm pretty stoked about the turn out so far for being my first story! =) I'm hoping it continues to interest people... ^.^

NIGHTLIGHTOFHAPPINESS haha! Don't feel bad about that one bit. It makes me happy to know someone really does enjoy my story ;) I'll do my best to keep updates going steady just so that I can keep ya happy k? ^.^

Thank you everyone who has visited my story even if you have yet to review. I've gotten ALOT of hits... I just hope that I might hear from a few more of you with time!

Til' chapter 7! 3

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