A/N

I feel cheap. And late. Cheap and late. Oh my god. I'm a horrible date!

Note: Sokka is not yet over his "I hate Zuko" angst from the Aftermath. Keep that in mind.

The following characters (except for King Wu- who was coincidentally named, so just be quiet) belong to Avatar the Last Airbender, Nickelodeon Studios.

xxx

"Pull your elbows in."

"I can't. I've got to keep my elbows out for balance."

"The point is to not need to use your elbows for balance. Pull them in."

"I can't!"

"If you don't want me to teach you, then just say so and I'll stop. I can think of better things to do than stand here and argue with you."

"Okay! My elbows are in!" Katara snapped, wriggling on her one foot like a worm pulled from the earth.

Zuko cocked his head, studying her form. His lips tugged into a grin. "You look like you're in pain."

"Hurry up! I'll fall!"

Zuko moved closer, standing at her back and beginning to chuckle. "This was your idea, you know." He took her shoulders and rolled them back to a more relaxed position, and then he moved away. "Alright, now watch me one last time, and try and copy it."

He stood on one leg, pulling his other up to his hip and thrust his heel outward, jetting a flame to his side.

"Minus the fire part, I think I got it…" Katara said, swaying a bit as she almost lost balance. Her leg was already pulled up to her hip, and she slowly extended it.

"No, no." Zuko pushed her leg back into place, holding her arm so she wouldn't tip over. "You're still thinking in gradual, slow motions. Everything in firebending is quick and forceful. Here," he held an empty palm in front of his chest. "Drop your form and punch my hand."

"Punch it?" Katara put her left foot back onto the ground and staring in disbelief at her boyfriend.

"As hard as you can,"

"Do it for me, sis!" Sokka called from across the arena.

She threw him a mocking face before focusing back on Zuko. She pulled back her arm and hit his palm with her fist with as much might as she could muster. He barely moved.

"Imagine that amount of force in every move," Zuko smiled down at her.

She sighed. "Let's break for a bit. Sound good?"

"That's fine." Zuko agreed, taking her hand and walking with her to his uncle and the young Avatar.

Aang was beginning his firebending instruction, even though his earthbending training wasn't completely finished. He had the basics down, but he wasn't quite good enough yet. He had lost his patience with the instructors that the king had offered him, however. Iroh had started to teach him proper breathing the day prior, and Aang had been pointedly reminded by Sokka that he shouldn't shirk on any part of the instruction because of 'what happened last time'.

Sokka hadn't fully embraced Aang's firebending yet. It was always a shock to remember that a fourth of his friend was firebender. Now, as Iroh taught Aang, Sokka sat cross-legged, watching carefully. His reasoning was that if he knew how firebenders performed their bending, he could better disarm them the next time he went up against them in combat.

Katara and Zuko sat next to Sokka on the ground.

"How's he doing?" Katara leaned across Zuko to her brother.

"He's done with his breathing exercises. Apparently, what Jeong Jeong taught him was enough for him to remember."

Zuko flinched at the name. "How long was he under his instruction?"

"Only a day or so." Katara answered. "Zhao came before he could get into any real teaching."

"You know…" Sokka scratched his chin. "I kinda miss the ol' geezer. It was nice to have some 'bad guy' to beat up without any trouble."

"I prefer no bad guy to beat up at all." Katara chimed. "It's been nice lately… Peaceful…"

"Which makes me worried," Zuko frowned. "Trouble always seems to find us, and it hasn't for awhile."

"Leave the worrying to me." Sokka smirked. "That's my job. Your job is to be the sulking one in the group. You're pretty good at that."

"Not lately." Katara smiled, taking Zuko's hand.

Sokka gagged. "Please… Not in front of me."

"Sh!" Aang called. "I'm trying to conjure some fire here!"

"Sorry!" Katara answered.

"I think I'm bored." Sokka said, flicking dirt from under his fingernails with his hunting knife. "Who wants to spar with me?"

Katara groaned. "Do we have to?"

"I'll do it." Zuko said, pushing himself to his feet and added to Katara's glare, "I'll make sure and go easy on him."

"You think you're so good?" Sokka sneered. "Let's see how you do without your bending. Strictly hand to hand combat-."

"Hel-lo!" Aang exclaimed. "Come on! Either be quiet or go up to the apartment!"

"Yes," Zuko sighed. "O mighty Avatar, we'll be quiet for your sake."

"Come on." Sokka said, punching Zuko's shoulder. "Let's go, moody."

Zuko raised an eyebrow. "Do you want to get hurt?"

Sokka held his fists out in front of his chest and bounced on his feet around Zuko. "I think you're mistaken if you think I'm the one who's going to get hurt, here, Zuzu. You've been sitting on your rear for a few months now."

"And you've been… What? Training?" Zuko asked.

"I've been mentally preparing myself. You've had your eyes glued to Katara's."

Zuko smiled, taking a stance. "Do I have to lower your ego again?"

"Try it!"

"I have a girlfriend, which leaves you with…"

"Oh, shut up." Sokka barked, swinging at Zuko's head.

Zuko ducked and thrust his fist into Sokka's stomach, causing the other to groan and stumble back a step.

"That was low… You… pompous…"

Zuko swung his leg around to connect with Sokka's temple, but Sokka was prepared this time, and he caught the free-flying foot, twisting it and Zuko's body along with it. The firebender landed face first in the arena dirt. As soon as he dislodged the earth from his mouth, he began to retort when a guard entering the arena interrupted him.

"Avatar Aang," the guard bowed respectfully, "I have a message from the king."

Aang sighed. He supposed he'd never get any good training in. "Yes?"

"I…" The man glanced at the rest of the company. "bring tidings for the avatar alone…"

Aang followed his gaze and shook his head. "You can relay the message."

"Ah… very well… The king wishes to see you about a very pressing matter, Avatar Aang, and he urges you to be prompt."

"Okay," Aang kicked his staff from the ground, palming it expertly. "Let's go."

The guard nodded sharply and began to lead him away, but he froze when the others followed. He looked skeptically to his young charge. "The king informed me strictly to bring only you, Avatar."

"I will answer to any protests," Aang answered, grinning politely at him.

The guard shrugged and continued on his way, muttering under his breath, "And this is the pup that will save us…"

xxx

The king was cradling his head in one pale, jeweled hand when Aang his companions entered the expansive hall. He raised his eyes, meeting the young avatar with a sarcastic smirk.

"Ah… Thank you ever so much for gracing my presence, Avatar…"

Aang, usually oblivious to this kind of insult, bowed accordingly and beamed back at the older man. "I understand you require something from me, your majesty?"

Iroh cast his eyes to the floor, trying to remain out of sight. He shuffled behind his nephew and mumbled, "This doesn't sound good."

"Don't worry." Katara said soothingly. "I'm sure it's-."

"Please read this," the king handed Aang a rich scroll, and the other took it eagerly.

"Is this word from Chief Arnook?" Aang asked excitedly. "I've been expecting-."

"It is hardly something I should hope you would have expected, young Avatar." The man said, dropping each syllable dangerously close to a threat.

Aang tossed a worried glance over his shoulder at his friends before unfurling the scroll to read the sharp, black print inside. His back stiffened, and it wasn't until well after he was done reading the inscription several times over that he raised his head and uttered, "Azula found us."

The king's hands writhed in the air. "When you say 'found us', do you mean to say that she has been searching for you? You have led this abomination into my city to threaten my people?"

Aang didn't tear his eyes from the paper. "I… didn't think…"

"No!" The king exclaimed. "You didn't think! What will I do now? What choice do I have?"

Sokka gingerly took the paper from Aang's petrified fists and ran over it himself. "But Sire, it doesn't really say that she has the troops… just that she's willing to use them…"

"She does have them." Zuko whispered. "We saw the soldier report; remember, Sokka?"

Sokka grimaced. "Oh… those troops…"

"And what's this about fugitives?" The king continued, his voice becoming weaker and more apt to whine. "I don't harbor fugitives! My city is a clean and stable city!..." He sighed. "I have sent out men to look for any suspicious-looking persons… At least we can turn them over to the princess."

Zuko and Iroh involuntarily took a step backwards.

"Sire…" Aang started cautiously. "We'd be willing to help-."

"Fine. Turn yourself in." The king snapped. "Spare me and my people a most certain death!"

"There's no guarantee she'd back off, even if you did turn him in!" Zuko blurted. "You don't know her ways…"

"And you do, do you?" The king glared. "Who are you, anyway?"

Katara put a warning hand on Zuko's arm, but he shrugged it off.

"My name is Zuko."

Aang cringed and attempted to distract the king. "Majesty, please, let us help you defend your city-."

"I don't want to defend it! I am on the offense!" He slammed a fist into his chair. "Ba Sing Se will never back down, do you understand that, Avatar?"

"I'm not asking you to back down." Aang tried to pacify him. "We have suffered an invasion before-."

The king stood abruptly. "What do you expect to do, hm? What do you expect to do, Avatar?"

"He has the company of more experience than you'll ever need," Iroh said quietly.

"No," Katara muttered. "Iroh…"

"I am the former General Iroh," he introduced himself with a bow at the waist. "And I have been on the opposite side of this situation, and I can help you out of it."

King Wu suddenly stilled, and slowly his face burned crimson. "Avatar," he growled. "Did you know this?"

Aang tapped his staff nervously on the tiled floor. "Yes, Majesty."

"And you neglected to tell me… because?"

"Because it was irrelevant. I trust both Iroh and Zuko with my life, and my life is something I think we can agree that has a high value right now… Please…" Aang took an unsteady breath. "Please listen to what General Iroh has to say. We can save this city."

The king slumped in his throne, and his eyes trailed lamely over his hall. "I have no other choice, do I?"
"Azula will not compromise." Zuko said firmly. "She wants the Avatar, and she wants us."

"Not to mention that this city has been on the Fire Nation's wanted list for quite some time, Sire." Iroh added quietly. "Azula is a powerful force to reckon with."

"You do have a choice," Aang announced. "You can let the princess have us and risk losing your city… or you can believe that we can help."

"Sir, if I may…" a general stirred at the king's side. "Perhaps it would be best to allow the General Iroh to assess the situation. If he can do nothing, we can release him to the Fire Nation."

King Wu sat up abruptly and dismounted from his throne, crossing the silent room until he stood before Iroh. His cheek twitched irritably. "Why have you left the Fire Nation?"

"I refused to see the Moon spirit murdered." Iroh answered evenly. "At the North Pole… I became a traitor to the Fire Nation."

"You've heard the story, Majesty?" Katara asked quietly.

He jerked his head in the affirmative, but his eyes failed to leave Iroh's. "And how is it you came into the Avatar's company?" Wu's wrinkled face tightened suspiciously.

"Sir… Time is not on our side…" the scribe muttered.

"If you don't trust him," Aang cut in, "then don't. But if you give him to the Fire Nation, then I'll go with him."

"And me with them," Katara agreed.

The king pursed his lips. "The general will lead you to our war chamber. There you will look at the situation and advise us…" He turned to Aang. "If you fail, and my city falls-."

"It won't." Aang replied sternly.

A soldier ushered them down a corridor off of the hall, and the party cautiously left the king's gaze, slipping after the escort as if the king might have them executed from behind as they marched.

Sokka sighed heavily as soon as they were out of earshot. He caught up to Aang, in the lead, and leaned over to mutter. "This has been the worst decision I've ever had to follow in my life!"

"What?" Aang furrowed his eyebrows. "Do you want to just walk away from the city?"

"I'm not talking about Ba Sing Se." Sokka answered coldly. "I'm talking about being in league with Zuko and Iroh."

Aang halted in his tracks and whirled to face Sokka with a glare. "Don't you ever say that to me again, Sokka."

Sokka's eyes widened. "Well, I think you can agree that Azula wouldn't be knocking at these gates if they weren't here."

"Sokka," Aang said lowly and stepped closer, nostrils flaring. "You've done nothing but complain about them since we picked them up at Nishe. I'm sick of it! They haven't done anything to deserve your scorn other than their former nationality, and both of them have revoked their citizenship to the Fire Nation, so move on!" He waited for Sokka to protest, and when he didn't, he continued stalking down the hall.

Sokka watched him leave with a mixture of disbelief and anger.

"Something wrong?" Zuko asked as he and the others came up on him.

Sokka shot him a withering stare. "No. Nothing's wrong." He followed Aang in a huff.

Katara sighed. "It won't ever end."

xxx

"Ba Sing Se is literally surrounded." The general explained wearily. "I'm not sure how she did it without our knowledge, but she managed."

"Is that all to account for?" Iroh asked, fingering his beard. "What about the lake? Is there any threat there?"

"There are a few ships, but nothing that could harm us now."

"You forgot something." Sokka said distantly, staring out the window, back to the table.

"What's that?" Aang asked.

He pointed into the sky. "They have balloons."

xxx

A/N

Yeah.

Oh snap.

I still feel cheap! Curse you cheezily-written fanfiction!