Author's Note: Bon soir everybody. I've got a less depressing chapter with lots of stuff to look forward to :3
"Look, we escaped from the Dai Li, we got Appa back. I'm telling you, we should go to the Earth King now and tell him our plan. We're on a roll," Sokka said confidently.
"One good hour after weeks of trouble isn't much of a roll," Katara said critically.
"We can build on it. If we want to invade the Fire Nation when the eclipse happens, we need the Earth King's support."
Kai looked up from her perch over the waters edge, a curious glint in her blue eyes. They had stopped on a small islet in the middle of the lake to take a break and think through their plan before entering Ba Sing Se.
"You're planning an invasion?" she asked curiously.
"Yeah," Sokka said, sitting down beside her. "You see, there's gonna be a day where the moon moves to cover the sun and all of the firebenders loose their bending. So, if Aang wants to face the Fire Lord, he might as well do it when he's weak."
"I suppose that could work," Kai said hesitantly.
"But…" Sokka prompted.
"But there's more security at the palace than just firebenders."
"Wait, you've been to the palace?"
"I grew up there."
"This is perfect!" he said ecstatically, leaping to his feet. "You know the layout of the palace. You can help us infiltrate it!"
"Of course," Kai said with a small smile.
"Who would've thought we'd have Fire Nation nobility on our side?" he commented with a grin, helping Kai to her feet. "This gives me hope that we'll get the king's support now."
"What makes you think we'll get it. I don't know if you've noticed, but things don't usually go that smoothly for our little gang," Toph said skeptically.
"I know, but I've got a good feeling about this. This time will be different," Sokka said.
"Sokka, Long Feng has control of the city. His conspiracy with the Dai Li is too powerful. I think we should just keep flying and leave this horrible place behind us," Katara said, unconvinced.
"I'm with sweetness. I've seen enough of Ba Sing Se," Toph added. "And I can't even see!"
"But now that we have Appa back, there is nothing stopping us from telling the Earth King the truth about the conspiracy and the war," Aang said with renewed hope.
"See, Aang's with me," Sokka said with an easy grin, swinging his arm over Aang's shoulder. "It's the whole reason we came here in the first place, we have to try."
"If you want to infiltrate the Fire Nation, your going to need all the help you can get," Kai added.
"Well, I guess if the Earth King knew the truth, things could change," Katara said thoughtfully.
"I don't trust the new positive Sokka," Toph said suspiciously. She pointed an accusing finger at him. "Long Feng brainwashed you, didn't he!"
"Umm, guys," Aang said, his brown eyes on something in the distance. Everyone looked across the lake to where three Earth Kingdom ships were cutting across the placid water.
"That's probably the Dai Li looking for us. So…" Sokka said, turning toward his sister.
"Let's fly!" Katara exclaimed.
Kai scanned over the large map of the world, her blue eyes calculating as she studied it. It had been a struggle convincing the Earth King to believe them, but after showing off Long Feng's crushed leg and a drill she had no idea was trying to break through the wall, the king had come to his senses and imprisoned Long Feng. During a search through the minister's office, a general had found letters withheld from the Avatar group. Katara and Sokka had gone off to meet their father at Chameleon Bay, Toph had gone to meet her mother in the city, and Aang had taken Appa to go see a guru at the Eastern Air Temple who had claimed that he could help him. Kai had offered to stay behind and help plan out the invasion with the king's Council of Five, hoping that her knowledge of the Fire Nation would be a useful contribution to their strategy.
"General Fong's base will serve as the launching point of the attack. In exactly two months, the army and navy will invade the Fire Nation on the Day of Black Sun," General How announced. A murmur of agreement traveled around the table, but Kai ignored it as she scrutinized the stone markers on the map.
"I think it would be wiser if his base were set up on this island. It's uninhabited and the only island nearby is a prison," she suggested.
"But it's farther away from the capital," General Fong argued.
"Maybe, but you have less of a chance of discovery. Besides, I will be leading the Avatar on the main invasion into the capital. I have the utmost confidence that I can get him to the Fire Lord with little trouble."
"Fine," he grumbled.
General How moved the piece onto the suggested island with a flick of his fingers. "Any other suggestions?" he asked, his expression less annoyed than the older general.
"No, I think the rest will work."
"Now all we need is the Earth King's seal," he said, handing the scroll to her. She nodded and departed from the Council's building, pulling her hood up as she strolled onto the street. Although it had become accepted around the city that she had joined the Avatar, she disliked all of the stares she received and preferred to keep the hood on. Besides, she was still very aware that Zuko was in the city and she didn't want to chance an encounter with him, especially when she was alone.
She reached the palace steps and the door guards gave her nods of greeting as she entered. Her feet carried her to the throne room, where she was expecting the young king to be. Instead, she found three girls dressed in the attire she had seen on Kyoshi. She cleared her throat and the warriors turned, seeming a little surprised at the fourth person in the throne room.
"I have a message for the king from the Council of Five. Is he here?" she asked.
"No, but I'll take that message to him," one of the girls said in a velvety voice Kai instantly recognized. Her blue eyes darted to the other two and she recognized the familiar faces hidden behind the traditional make-up of the Kyoshi warriors.
Without warning, she sent a blast of fire at Azula, hoping to catch her off guard. Unfortunately, the princess was always ready and she easily blocked the attack, a smirk replacing the surprise on her face.
"Well, if it isn't Zuzu's pet. Working for the Earth King now, are you? Well, we don't want to have a traitor helping them with their invasion, now do we girls?"
Kai moved back swiftly as Ty Lee flipped toward her. The girl was an expert martial artist and could block a bender's chi with a few quick punches. Luckily, she had taught Kai a few tricks in their time together in the palace and she could defend herself from the paralyzing attacks.
"Nice to see you again, Ty Lee," Kai said, dodging a punch and dealing her own toward the other girl's stomach.
"I didn't expect to find you here," the girl responded in her chipper tone, blocking Kai's attack and moving lightening fast. She managed to jab Kai's left arm, leaving it useless at her side. The firebender hissed at the sting and moved out of the gymnast's range, only to have a blade whistle by mere inches from her arm. She pulled a katana and deftly sliced another out of the air, her eyes falling on Mai. They narrowed at the melancholy girl and she dodged a blast of fire from Azula before launching herself toward the knife thrower. Unable to keep track of all three, she missed Azula's second attack and landed with a painful thud on the ground, feeling the imprint of the princess's foot already bruising.
"Why don't you be a good girl and just cooperate?" Azula sneered. Kai attempted to get up but stone clamps rose from the floor and held her in place. "There's no use trying to fight. There are more of us than meets the eye."
It was easy to feel claustrophobic in the place they had Kai trapped in. There was nowhere to escape and the stalactites and stalagmites in the crystal cave added a sinister feel to her prison. She wrapped her arms around herself and closed her eyes, trying to escape the miserable place the only way she could. But the pressing thought of being buried alive weighed down on her and she couldn't keep her mind from it long. She got to her feet, restless. The space was large enough to walk around in and she had plenty of room, but just looking at the ceiling made her nauseous. She was trapped with no possible way of escape. And she hated it.
A low rumble grasped her attention and she looked up as a wall was moved aside by a Dai Li agent. She cowered away, afraid they had come for an interrogation. Or worse. Much to her relief, they only shoved another person in.
"Brought you some company," the agent said roughly before closing the wall and trapping her once again. Her eyes fell to the figure picking himself up from the floor and she took an involuntary step back. Zuko's golden eyes found her in the soft glow of the cave.
A/N: Yes, I made things advance a little faster. I didn't want to bore you with the Gaang trying to persuade the Earth King to listen to them, so I skipped ahead to the good stuff. Any who, I enjoy infuriating you with cliffhangers like this. I can just hear you complaining. How's Zuko gonna react now that he found her? Romance? Drama? The answers are in the next chapter, which probably won't be written until Sunday. Enjoy the agony of not knowing! :D R&R!