Word spread like wildfire to the far corners of the Earth Kingdom. It echoed from the wall of the august throne room of Ba Sing Se. It reverberated across the fertile farmlands of the Fire Nations. It rang from the hallowed halls of the Air Temples. It crossed whole oceans to the desolate north pole and the south pole.

War.

In Haru's village everyone already knew by the time the magistrate made his announcement. When children ran home to tell their mothers, the women made a brave face and told them it was wonderful news and told the children that all will be well. By the time the news of war had reached Haru's family, they already knew.

"Haru! Haru! Have you heard?" said a young man breathlessly as he ran over to his friend's house. "War! War with the Fire Nation! And we're winning! Some of the soldiers have already sent for their families to live with them in reclaimed land, and they're living like kings! Come on Haru, let's not stay here! Let's go to war!"

Haru glanced at his parents as though he was looking for some sign of approval. He knew how much pressure his father had been under. Even though they have not been raided by bandits and they consider themselves better off than most, everyone in their village had a bad harvest. The coming winter will be harsh. He wanted to stay and help on the farm.

But what his friend said was largely true. During the Great War the military offered men of humble background a way to rise up in society as wealthy gentleman. One great war lord was a commoner who scratched and scraped a living as a mountain woodcutter. One day this woodcutter volunteered into the army as a common soldier. Eventually a general took notice of him and promoted him. Eventually that soldier rose to become general and led his army to great victory, and was awarded land and a title for his loyalty to the emperor and his martial prowess. Being a good and pious son he made sure that his family lived in comfort. Haru could make sure that his parents would never have to work.

But there were other things that crossed Haru's mind. Duty, Honor, Country. Those words were the driving force behind his willingness to defy the invaders from the Fire Nation. And the words that his father lived his life and took up arms for his country.

"I'll go. But first I must say good bye to my parents," Haru said quietly.

"Oh, o-of course," stammered his friend who seemed to have forgotten something to do.

Haru walked up to his parents who were standing by the front door. He kneeled on bended knee before them. "Father, on my knee I beg audience," he said.

"You may," said his father dispassionately. By the tone of his voice, Haru knew that it was not angry nor was it encouraging, his father knew what he was about to say.

"I go to join the war."

"Why, for money? For fame? For glory?" asked his mother.

"My country calls, revere the emperor, help make our country strong, and expel the foreigners."

"Have you thought about what your parents want? What I want? I do not want a soldier, I want my boy," Haru's mother kneeled down and cupped his son's cheeks with both hands.

"Mother, please," Haru wavered.

"Haru," said his father, "If that is what you want to do, then go. You have my blessing."

Haru was momentarily taken aback, he thought it would be harder than this. The moment he steeled himself and then hugged and kissed his mother on the brow. Then he got up and ran away before he changed his mind.

In the Fire Nation Royal Palace, Zuko burst through the doors.

"They're all against me!" Zuko shouted and started pacing the room.

Mai who was seated at her vanity turned to her boyfriend, genuinely concerned. "Whose against you?" she asked.

"Everyone! My ministers, the army, the navy, the nobles! They want me to do what they want, but I won't let them!"

"Zuko, honey, sit down. Tell me what happened."

"Sun Tzu had the nobles sign a petition for my abdication."

Mai's face fell and she averted her eyes as though in contemplation. And then she stood up and walked over to the window sill. "Why would they ask for you abdicate? You're their sovereign."

"They think that I am too young to rule. But if I back down now they would undoubtedly go to war with the Earth Kingdom, I will not allow that to happen."

"Zuko, what if thy're right?" asked Mai but jshe immediately regretted her words as Zuko had a look of betrayal written on his face.

"I will not betray my friends, I will do what I had promised them. Being my girlfriend, I thought that you of all people would understand that."

"But is it the right thing to do? If you continue to standby and watch the Earth Kingdom do whatever they want, they will not respect you."

"Yes, but I would maintain my honor."

"Then what of the Air Nomads? Would you be honorable in their eyes?"

Zuko hung his head and rested his elbows on his knees. It seemed as though the weight of the world were on his shoulders.

Later that night, Zuko tosses and turns in his bed. His eyes shoot open at a noise that wakes him from his sleep. The bags under his eyes tells all that he has not much sleep, in fact his physician had prescribed him sleeping pills to help him his insomnia.

"Who's there?" Zuko gasped. The still night air did not reassure him as he rose from his bed and opened the door to his bed chamber, he was greeted by the sight of the palace guard which reassured him somewhat.

"Your majesty? Is there something wrong?" asked the senior of the two guards.

"Someone's here, I can feel it. Someone is trying to assassinate me."

"Fire Lord please. Go back to sleep. We're in the most secure tower in the entire palace."

"No one will get to you tonight, I can assure you," added the second guard.

"Just like no one got to you last night, or the night before that, or the night before that…" the senior guard trailed off as he became visibly more nervous.

Zuko shot his hand forward and grabbed one of the guards by the collar, "Do not mock me!" he roared. "There have already been five attempts on my life since I took the throne!"

"And that is why we moved you here. Please you have to trust-"

At that moment the two guards were silenced as something big and fast moved through the air and struck them on the head.

Zuko wasted no time in Firebending, "Show yourself!" he shouted illuminating the dim moonlit hallway. But it was literally a shot in the dark. He received an immediate reply.

"Down with the traitor! Down with the Fire Lord who betrays his own people!" an angry feminine voice shouted from behind him.

Zuko turned to face his attacker just in time to dodge a menacing mace pummel where his head would have been.

Zuko immediately countered but the assailant was agile enough to dodge and counter with her ball and chain, aiming to sweep his legs, but Zuko leapt and thought he was clear. But the mace immediately changed direction and struck him the chest, causing him to fall flat on his back. He sat up a little disorientated as he trued to make sense of what had just happened. His attacker hesistated a brief moment, but it was long enough for him to swing his leg to Firebend at her legs, causing to back step. Then he immediately followed up with a fireblast that missed but it instantly heated the iron chain, causing the assailant to discard her weapon from fear of getting burned. He advanced and landed the finishing blow, causing her to hit her head against a stone column. He removed her mask.

Kori looked up at her sovereign with resigned but defiant eyes.

"Convince me not to take your life!" shouted Zuko but she would not be cowed.

"Go ahead!" she dared the young lord. "My family has been loyal to yours for generations. By getting rid of me, you would only simply complete your betrayal."

Zuko hesitated, he had expected young woman who is so pretty, and so passionate to be an assassin. He lowered his arms. "Your family?" he asked in a quiet voice.

"My father is the Mayor of Yu Dao."

"Yu Dao…the first of the Fire Nation colonies."

"Yes, my home! And now you and the Avatar are going to destroy it with your precious Harmony Restoration Movement!" Kori screamed almost hysterically, her raw emotions and outrage now made bare for her sovereign and the world to see and to hear.

"What's your father's name?" Zuko asked his voice now grave.

"I am Morishita Kori. Daughter of Morishita Renji."

"Morishita. You're a nomad…Someone put you up to this, you wouldn't dare put your family and your clan at risk like this, and do you know the price of treason?"

"No one put me up to this."

"Guards!" Zuko shouted and was quickly answered with an onrush of shouts and running feet as he and Kori were surrounded on all sides.

Mao sat opposite of Kori's father, known popularly as Mayor Morishita. His close friends and relations simply call him Renji and he is of Air Nomad descent. Despite his title as mayor, he was appointed by a provincial governor rather than voted into office by the citizenry. Nonetheless, the man is very competent and quite capable in his post. He is well known for his simple common-sense solutions to the city's problems.

"Morishita-sensei are you quite certain in your decision? The more we dither, the closer the Earth Kingdom is marching to your doorstep," asked Mao genuinely concerned. He was also making it point to address the mayor as sensei as it is polite for people to address public servants as such.

"It is not a matter of protection, it is a matter of principle. We are loyal citizens of the Fire Nation, our loyalty is first and foremost to the Fire Lord."

Mao leaned forward, "Are you seriously considering throwing away the hard work and sacrifices of four generations?"

Morishita gazed back at the young man. Before more could be said there was a knock on the door and was opened without waiting for a reply. A middle age woman walked, Mao recognized her as the mayor's wife and Kori's mother.

"Dear, there is an important message for you. It's from the Fire Nation it says-"

"Wait!" Morishita almost shouted and eyed Mao warily. But the young man in question sat stoically in his seat in front of Morishita's desk. The only reaction that Mao betrayed was a blink. "Mao-dono," Morishita said finally with a gentle smile. "If you will excuse me, I must take read this message. We shall meet again some other time."

Mao rose to his feet. "Morishita-sensei, the Harmony Restoration Movement is not in the interests of the people it would bring us disharmony. And though the Earth Kingdom has a strong army it is not invincible. I just hope that more people have the courage to make the right decision and fight for their freedom."

Morishita stood wordlessly as the two stared each other down.

"And unlike the Earth Kingdom, we will not force you to join us," Mao said finally. "But think on this. In your mind and in your tongue you may be Fire Nation by choice. But in your blood, and your in bones, and in your heart you are an Air Nomad. Just say the word and your fellow Air Nomads will come to your aid."

Mao locked eyes with Morishita for a time and then turned away, passing by Mrs. Morishita he stole a glance at an open letter that she held near her breast. He distinctly saw the name "Kori" and the words, "…will safely deliver her back to you…"

"Who was that young man?" asked Mrs. Morishita.

"A young idealist."

As he left the Mayor's mansion he made his way back to the Kanto Embassy, walking by the guards at the front gate who gave him a friendly hello. He walked through the front door and nodded at the secretary who smiled at him. "Hey Kojima," Mao said as he passed by a blank wall, making eye contact with a pair of eyes who looked at him through a wall slit.

He walked over to the intelligence office that was center of all of the Kazekage's intelligence network in the Yu Dao Fire Nation province. After saying hello to a few officers at their desks and a quick word with the station chief, letting him know that Mayor Morishita was not interested in joining ANCO, he made his way to the archives. He filled out a form that made an official request to view a file on a person of interest. The clerk took it, signed it, and stamped it. He then went through a closed door, making Mao wait for ten minutes and came back with a manila envelope.

"Keep this on your person at all times," said the clerk urgently.

Mao restrained himself from rolling his eyes and made his way to the officers' lounge, and ordered large drink of half-lemonade and iced tea. It was a new drink that Iroh had come up with it was catching on. He flipped open the file and propped up a leg over a knee and started reading.

"What's you got there?" asked Azula, her voice almost purring.

God I love hearing that voice, thought Mao while maintaining an air of indifference.

"Intelligence reports on Mayor Morishita," said Mao as he handed her a psychological report on him, prompting Azula to start reading it.

"Why are you interested in Morishita?"

"The Morishita family are Air Nomads, along with a third of Yu Dao."

"An Air Nomad loyal to the Fire Nation and promoted through the ranks of the Fire Nation imperial government. He places duty above personal ambition. A son-in-law to a prominent family who ingratiate themselves to the Fire Nation. He and his family are the symbol of success in the colonies," Azula read aloud.

"A symbol that is in danger of being shattered."

"What happened?" asked Azula.

"Morishita-san's daughter, Kori was captured and is being brought here to Yu Dao. The Fire Lord himself is coming."

Azula fell silent.

"Are you nervous about Zuko?" asked Mao.

"Yes. I'm more afraid of what he'll do. Zuko has always had a chip on the shoulder, you see. He always wanted a chance to prove himself. His greatest strength has been that he had always had to struggle and earn everything that he had gained. To sum it up, he hates losing. He hates losing more than he wants to win. So much so that I believe that he will use force to get what he wants."

"I see, the next few days will be interesting."

"What do you mean?"

"Yu Dao and Kori's fates are intertwined. If Zuko abuses Kori then he will be shunning an ardent patriot. If he lets her go with a slap on the wrist then he would appear weak. Either way the people of Yu Dao would resent him."

"Because of the so-called Harmony Restoration Movement," Azula frowned and cast her eyes down as though in deep thought.

A week later, Zuko's dreadnaught battleship weighed anchor at the docks of Yu Dao. Mao and Azula were cloaked and kept a respectful distance from the ship. They watched as Zuko strutted off of his ship with an armed guard and Kori who was in chains. Waiting until the entourage were out of sight they followed. The entourage stopped in the city square where curious onlookers and passerby stopped and gathered. The streets were crowded with people. Yet they caught a glimpse of Zuko and Kori.

"Bring the mayor of this town!" yelled one of Zuko's lieutenants. "The Fire Lord has come to deliver back his daughter!"

The young Fire Lord clearly has no tact, thought Mao. "It clearly looks Zuko wants to make this public regardless of how unpopular he is already," he commented.

"We'll never get a good view," complained Azula.

"Here let me carry you," said Mao.

"W-Wait, what you are planning to do?" asked Azula her cheeks betraying a hint of pink as Mao swept her off her feet and held her bridal style.

"Mao?" cried Azula her face now becoming beet red but her embarrassment was short lived as they flew straight into the air. The rush of air was frightening and she nearly peed, and she was too terrified to scream, she simply closed her eyes. To her relief they landed softly and Mao set her down, but her shaky legs could not support her.

"Azula?"

Azula slowly rose to her feet and slapped Mao as hard she could. He was fortunate that she had clipped her nails short last night. "Don't you ever do that again!" she growled.

"Sorry," said a guilty Mao.

Azula scoffed and brushed past him and they crept along the roof, just in time to see Morishita's palanquin reach the square where his daughter was being held.

"Stop, stop!" Morishita's voice came from his palanquin and the lorries gently set their load down and he shot out of it to reach his daughter. One of the guards roughly pushed Kori forward. "Kori! Where have you been? Your mother and I were worried sick!"

It was then that Morishita saw the irons on his daughter's wrist. "Wait, who are these men? Why are your hands tied?"

"I went to go see someone about our problem, father."

"Who?"

"Him," Kori nodded towards Zuko who stalked towards to them as a juggernaut.

"F-Fire Lord Zuko," stammered Morshita.

"You must be Mayor Morishita," replied Zuko. "Your daughter snuck into my home and tried to kill me!"

Morishita's face was aghast.

"I acted alone! Someone had to do something!" asserted Kori.

"My sincerest apologies for my daughter's rash behavior, Fire Lord! Have mercy!" Morishita groveled, his forehead pressed against the stone pavement.

"Pathetic," Azula whispered for Mao to hear.

"I should have this whole place burned down!" roared Zuko as it was no idle threat.

"Why bother? The Harmony Restoration Movement will accomplish the same thing without you having to move a finger!" Kori shouted defiantly.

"Why can't you colonials get it through your thick skulls?! The Harmony Restoration Movement is a means to peace!"

Mao glanced at the crowd many of whom were visibly worried. Quite a few of the young men had dark looks in their eyes.

"P-Peace?" Morishita now had newfound courage and rose to his feet and look at his sovereign straight in the eye. "Peace for whom? With all due respect, your majesty, my family have lived on this land for generations! This city was built on our blood and sweat. We have as much right to be here as anyone else." Morishita was now treading on thin ice.

"You're Fire Nation citizens, you should live in the Fire Nation with the rest of my subjects."

"You're right, Fire Lord. We are Fire Nation citizens," Morishita now expressing with his hands. "And I'll tell you this- your father would never have let the Avatar and the Earth King - bully him into something so obviously bad for his own citizens. Or is it simply because we are simple citizens who live in the colonies and not your imperial subjects who live in the homeland?"

"My father…?" Zuko trailed off and then exploded with a massive fireball that threaten to engulf Morishita. Morishita shielded his face from the searing heat, as Zuko lunged through the flames, grabbed the older gentleman by the collar and roughly pressed him against a stone wall. "DO NOT COMPARE ME TO THAT MONSTER!" bellowed Zuko, his face contorted with hysterical almost uncontrollable rage. He balled his free hand into a fist as he continued Firebending with an intense flame dagger.

They stood there for a moment. Stormy grey gazed into searing and unyielding golden eyes. Morishita is the son of the proud and strong Air Nomads; he will not back down from a young tyrant. In that moment his thoughts drifted briefly to another earnest young man about Zuko's age.

"In your mind, and in your tongue you may be Fire Nation by choice. But in your blood, and your in bones, and in your heart you are an Air Nomad."

Azula sensed Mao move, most likely to intervene. She grabbed his wrist. "That won't be necessary. Zuko doesn't have what it takes to take a life," she said.

"No young man. You're not. Fire Lord Ozai had many faults, but he was never a coward. And he never betrayed his country," Morishita said evenly his face now stern like an uncle trying to offer guidance to a troubled nephew.

Zuko glared at Morishita, unclenched his fist and relinquished his grip on the older gentleman's collar. "You'll regret saying that old man." Zuko turned and started walking away. "Guards seize him," he shouted over his shoulder.

"No!" Kori cried out and struggled to get out of the grip of the guards.

And then there was a wall of earth that rose up from the ground, separating the mayor from the armed guards.

Zuko was visibly alarmed and the crowd was a lot bigger and was getting restless. There were shouts and scuffles between the citizens and Zuko's bodyguards. But there was strong feminine voice and her very presence silenced everyone.

"Fire Lord please! Forgive my husband's foolishness! I've told him time and again to control his tongue, but he never does," said Mrs. Morishita.

"You're Morishita's wife? An Earthbender?" asked a surprised Zuko.

"Yes, I am an Earthbender. As is our daughter," Mrs. Morishita raised her arm sharply, willing a spire of earth to rise, bending and breaking a link in Kori's chains. Kori then step forward and reached both her hands out and willed her stone mace and chain to fly back to its mistress.

Zuko and his guards were stunned to see what had just happened.

"I may be an Earthbender, but through my father's imperial bloodline, I am a Fire Nation citizen," declared Kori. "My father taught me to always be loyal to the Fire Nation, to my people. Something you obviously never learned from your father."

"Quiet you!" threatened a guard.

"I will not remain silent. You may have the power to send thugs to beat us, but you will never silence the voice of the people!"

The guard formed a flaming fist and brought it down to bear. Kori had no time to react, she closed her eyes, and braced herself for the fireball. But the blow never came. She opened her eyes in curiosity to see a young man and woman wearing identical clothes as her, standing in between her and the guards.

"Well, this is a spirited afternoon," smirked Azula who appreciated her work as a guard prone writhed at her feet. "And just for the record, this was a stupid idea."

"It is never a stupid idea to stand up to bullies," replied Mao who watched a guard who was sucking on air stagger away from him.

"Mao! Azula!" cried Kori.

Zuko was initially shocked the pair and then fired a fire blast at Azula. Mao stepped in front of the blast and with a flick of a wrist willed the flames to dissipate harmlessly.

"Didn't your mother tell you not to play with fire?" sneered Mao in a monotone voice.

"What are you two doing here?" demanded Zuko. "It was bad enough that I had to deal with your schemes Mao, now you've dragged my sister into this."

"Azula has a mind of her own and she has a say in this," said Mao.

"That's right," said Azula as she stepped forward. "And I suggest that you, dear brother, should stand down and listen to your people. Being a strong and honorable lord is not enough to become king, you must also respect the will of the people."

Zuko stood motionless, his face was mixture of confusion and doubt.

"Would Your Majesty be willing to stay in Yu Dao for a few days? It would be an honor for us to show the Fire Lord our culture," Mrs. Morishita urged gently, Zuko looking at once like a lost child wordlessly took up that offer.

"Should we follow?" asked Azula as Zuko and Kori's parents left the square the onlookers and the passerby that witnessed the drama also started following the path that the Fire Lord was taking.

"No. I don't think that is necessary. Although…Kori, can you make sure that your parents and Zuko go see everything that Yu Dao has to offer?"

"You can count on me," Kori nodded.

"Thanks, you're a big help," Mao smiled and put both hands on her shoulders. Kori started blushing.

"Ahem," coughed Azula. "Kori, aren't you supposed to have a boyfriend already?" Azula snaked an arm through Mao's and started leaning on him. Mao was forced to let Kori go and support Azula. Kori gaped at Azula's boldness.

The look on her face is priceless. And more importantly, I won't lose him to some girl with a pretty face, thought Azula.

"Anyway, Azula and I are going there ahead of you guys to let everyone know that the Fire Lord may be coming," said Mao. He crooked his arm, allowing Azula to wrap her arms around his, as he led her down a different street. "I'm sorry if I made you jealous," he whispered to Azula when they were out of earshot and Kori had left them.

"Just don't play with my heart," Azula whispered back.

Off the coast of the Fire Nation Aang, Sokka, and Katara were escorting a small convoy of ships provided by Zuko to transport colonists back to the Fire Nation. Aang was thoughtful enough to offer the Mayor and her family a ride on his air bison.

"Don't worry, Mayor Nishi, my team and I have helped dozens of Fire Nation colonies move back to your homeland already. They've all loved coming back," said Aang being an eager beaver.

"But those colonies were young. Their people had roots in the Earth Kingdom," said Nishi.

"Things are different in the Fire Nation now, you'll see. Fire Lord Zuko's reintroducing classic Fire Nation culture to his people You'll learn so much about your past by living here. And you'll have fun too! Check it out - this a Fire Nation dance from a hundred years ago!" Aang got up and danced from side-to-side. "How fun is this?"

"Is this some sick joke?" frowned a disgusted dark young woman who had green eyes.

"Lu Xun," admonished Nishi. "Please excuse my daughter-in-law Avatar, you meant well and have honest intentions."

Aang's face fell as he realized that he may have embarrassed himself.

"No, I didn't mean to make fun of you," he said lamely.

"Well you did. I already know about classic Fire Nation culture because I live it everyday. I attended the Touhou University in the Fire Nation Royal Capital. I returned home to help make it better but you come and tell us that it's not possible. And we should leave home to live in the Fire Nation."

"But your home is not in the Fire Nation. You're an Earth Person you should live in the Earth Kingdom."

The young dark woman glared at the young and foolish Avatar. "When I married my husband, I married the Fire Nation. In my blood and in my bones I am Earth Kingdom. But in my heart and in my mind, I am Fire Nation."

Aang did not know how to reply to such a statement. There was no deceit in Lu Xun's unflinching eyes as an uncomfortable silence fell on them for the rest of the short voyage. As they were disembarking Aang was his cheerful self as he helped unload the cargo by levitating them with his Airbending.

Lu Xun did not help with the cargo but settled for helping her in-laws unload the family luggage.

"Stop! Stop unloading!" barked a harsh voice.

Everyone stopped what they were doing.

"You're colonials?" asked a sergeant.

"Yes," replied Nishi anxiously.

"Stop unloading, return to the Earth Kingdom, by order of the Fire Lord!" bellowed the sergeant so that he may be heard.

"What?!" exclaimed Aang incredulously dropping some crates he was levitating with a crash.

"Fire Lord Zuko has officially withdrawn his support of the Harmony Restoration Movement!"

Katara and Sokka were equally as confused and shocked as everyone at the docks, except for Lu Xun who was stoically silent.