*Am already into next chapter. Cant tell you how long you'll wait. I just really wanted to end on a cliffhanger, so this chapter is short T_T. Thats right. :P Wacha gonna do about it!? Mwahahah! 3 Love you all!

[More thanks to Lawliness for the review… If you're still reading, you'll see why. :]

-=6=-

The way he moved, you'd have no idea that his hands were still tied. Behind him, no less, and yet it was obvious that those cuffs had never restrained him in the slightest. The Fire Prince was flipping through the air weightlessly, effortlessly evading every icy shard, every blow sent his way, all the while sending jet after jet of flame careening into the unprepared assailants, his eyes gleaming an brilliant gold in the dull sunlight. Who could have known that a spinning kick could produce so much heat, so much destruction? Firebenders did not traverse these waters. Not for ten years or more. Even the most talented waterbenders had grown complacent after so long in the South; only the true soldiers who had battled in the north and western fire kingdom knew how to effectively fight a firebender. But even so, this was no ordinary firebender. No ordinary firebender could send the nearest boat up in a cloud of heat and smoke within seconds. Alarmed, the remaining attackers changed their tactics, more than half of them moving to defend themselves from the scorching flame released from the smooth, fluid motions Zuko performed, to no avail. Each of Zuko's blasts was accompanied by a dozen darting shards of ice, piercing whatever feeble shield a defender had managed to erect around themselves. Slowly, methodically, almost all of the remaining attackers were wiped out entirely, save for a small group of eight or nine spurred on by the deaths of their comrades. With a short bark from one of them presumably the most senior, three quickly build up a looming wall of ice as a shield, while the other four took a stance, preparing an array of jagged and crude missiles to launch at their enemy, their intention obviously a last ditch, desperate attempt at salvation.

It didn't matter. One by one, the remnants of the once imposing attack force collapsed, oddly silent, to the deck of their boat, lifeless. Startled, eyes wide in fear, the final three benders shoved their hands upwards, impaling their allies on spears of ice, shot up through the deck of the boat and through their still bodies. Another two, the last of the force, fumbled for their belts, slitting their own throats with hunting knives.

Zuko's feet touched the deck, as he broke step and ended his assault, the fiery dance no longer needed to control the situation. To his left, Katara, a dark light in her blue eyes, an expressionless face clouding her features, coming out of her own stance.

For a moment, there was silence, only the gentle lap of waves against the hull pervading the atmosphere. Even the water seeping into the boat from the small, circular punctures left by the attackers didn't warrant a comment, at least not from the waterbenders. Zuko felt differently, but he said nothing nonetheless. Only stared as the bodies sunk into the waves, while the other boats wafted over the waves.

o-o-o

Iroh grimaced from atop the ridge. Another unfavourable result. He should've taken the boy into account, no doubt. This failure was his fault. Of course, he could always send a lightning strike at the nuisance of waterbenders, but at this distance, there was no guarantee of a hit, let alone any permanent damage. More pressingly, a failure would result in greater patrols; the Southern Tribe would scour the pole and make sure that their security was not so threatened as it had been over the past week. Besides, Iroh wanted them alive, not dead. Katara, he needed. Zuko too, if possible, but he was a bit more expendable. Even so, it wouldn't hurt to have the heir to the Fire Nation within his grasp. But today was not the day. Gazing down at the sparkling ocean, he murmured a prayer for the lost. His fault. Thiry-six men and women. Eight of them had families. Iroh could recite each and every one of their names. His fault.

o-o-o

A circus. How… predictable. Azula scowled - she couldn't stand happiness and joy in this vast quantity. The entire crowd laughed hysterically, and at what? The entire show had been more depressing than funny. Needless to say, she was here with a purpose. It hadn't taken long to track down Ty Lee. Half the country knew her name. Half the country, as in every single male. She had a reputation, a way with people - namely, men - which had made Azula so jealous in earlier years. Growing up had finally allowed Azula to understand why Ty Lee stood out so much, why she seemed to attract a group of drooling admirers whenever she stepped out in public. Understand it, yes, but acceptance took a great deal longer. In any event, Azula had no right to jealousy. Crown Princess had its perks too, once she'd figured out how to use them.

Enduring the next hour of trapeze artists, flying acrobats, and animal tricks took the utmost of Azula's patience. Several times, she had to consciously clench her fist and put it behind her back, just in time to prevent herself from releasing the firebending tension building up in her hands. Somehow, she managed it, and the second the applause died down she sprung out of her seat and stalked to the stands behind the stage, hosting the actors and acrobats, and all the other props or animals used in the show. Even then, in the dead of night, with only torches and firelight illuminating the figures of the laughing directors and fools, Ty Lee stood out.

Azula approached her slowly. "It's been a while." she called.

Ty Lee turned, her mouth opening in a small "o" of surprise, but when Azula heard the voice, it didn't come from Ty Lee's mouth.

"You're right. It has."

Azula didn't reply. She couldn't.

Not with the knife pressing so close against her throat.