"I'm sorry.

Yuck. That was awful. How do people say that all the time? To have to form the words in their little mouths and say them. Nah, don't think it's for me, but let's give it another go.

I'm so sorry.

That just sounds depressing. Someone's trying too hard. Third time's the charm?

I am genuinely sorry.

Mh. I think even if I did say that people wouldn't believe me. When has Toph apologized for anything? Never! Never is the answer.

I shouldn't have to apologize. I'm young, I make mistakes. We all know this. And most of the time, you gotta admit, I think I'm right.

Well…so obviously the baby thing really blew up in my face, but I stand by the rest of my choices!

Sparky says I should get better at admitting when I'm at fault.

I mean, I'm not here because he said I should. Sometimes, Sparky can shove his opinions where the sun don't shine, and I mean that in the nicest possible way.

I'm here because I decided to be, don't get it twisted, Twinkle Toes. Me. I'm here because I chose it.

I don't have to really commit to it. I'm just tryin' it out, seeing how it is.

Sokka told me I should practice having conversations - apologies - with animals. He didn't phrase it in the way Zuko did. Sokka understands, you see. He gets me.

I tried with Momo, but that little lemur kept looking at me. And I know it was looking at me because I could feel it. I got one of those shivers down my spine. I only get it when something ain't right with someone's stare. Like a sixth sense.

Aang, I gotta be honest, something is off with that flying rat.

I tried with Appa, but he wasn't very interested.

Heh, so is a comatose teen better? Dunno! The vote's still out on that one.

But at least I can sort of pretend that it's real.

I'm sure you'd loooove for me to be doing this. I mean, I know you're the good kind who doesn't lord things over people's heads, but I think you'd bring it up at times when I'm pointing out I'm not that sort of person. You'd go, 'No Toph, remember, you aced apologies when I was practically dead to the world.'

Lucky there's probably nothin' going on up there right now.

Don't get me wrong. I really hope you wake up. Seriously. It's just more boring without your goody-two-shoes perspectives, and I didn't think that would happen, but it has. And the world sorta needs your help.

So yeah, I do hope you wake up.

But I'm not picking up anything.

You don't feel like a person that's alive. But you don't feel like a corpse; somewhere in between.

So, I keep it to myself when they ask. Iroh would be crushed. I don't wanna hurt him.

But Aang...I don't think you're going to wake up.

No, I'm not crying. I just got some dust in my eye.

Means you'll be a perfect practice for apologies until we decide what to do with you.

So, let's try this- Aang, I'm sorry, because I am 100% sure that I think you're gunna be like this forever."

XXX

The thing that shocked Katara the most about the Air Temple was the size.

Growing up, whenever she'd heard about it, she always imagined it to be similar to the Southern Water Tribe. Just a little collection of people in a few houses, and that's all. What she forgot was that there was much more land outside of her hut. Similarly, while the temples themselves were modest and had people stacked on top of each other with zero privacy, the land surrounding the temples was massive.

It was easy to forget the land was floating, and one wrong move could have you falling off the side of the earth. It seemed to go on forever, stretching long past her vision in lush forests and soft foliage and moss as light as clouds.

On this account? Thank Tui.

It was the only way to get any sort of alone time, with more and more refugees arriving each day, that either actively wanted to punch Azula in the face or were just fleeing from certain death. There were discussions that, despite the attempts to keep the couples separated for reasons Katara was still trying to figure out, they might soon be forced to bunk together to find extra bed space.

Most had seemed to realize that you needed to venture into the wilderness if you didn't want a conversation to be heard by the entire Temple, or if you just wanted to get some hormones out with the guy or girl you liked. Katara went alone sometimes just to hear her own thoughts cleanly, able to be drawn from the muddiness by the constant chatter of thousands of people.

Some might be rejoicing that there were so many of them still alive that wanted to fight, who wasn't just accepting Azula's reign. Katara was glad too...that wasn't the issue.

The frustration stemmed from the fact that she hardly had a moment of silence before someone was walking, talking, or yelling across her meandering thoughts.

Today, however, she had urged Zuko away before dinner, just for their 'quick walk'.

He'd been cheery by all accounts. Too cheery.

She didn't trust it. No one could kill their dad, find out their sister was crazy, survive what they both thought was the honest-to-Agni end, and then...just be able to smile? Zuko jokingly claimed that family betrayals were the norm, and this actually felt more realistic than how nice his sister had been to him recently or how weird his dad had been acting. A relief, he tried to claim, because at least it wasn't too far out of the blue when all was said and done.

Yeah. Katara thought it was utter bullshit.

But did she press it today, or did she tackle it tomorrow? As it was, she knew that there was something more pressing that she really had to decide.

Katara knew she had a bad track record personally of not making choices when she really needed to make choices, but she really needed to make a choice about this water. And she also wanted to kiss her boyfriend a bit without Sokka making gagging sounds or Toph commentating it like it was a sporting event or Ty Lee 'awww-ing' and sighing like it was her favorite romance novel.

So walking they went.

After Katara dutifully wrapped an arm in a makeshift cast without complaint, reminding herself that she was important (as much as she didn't seem so), and after Zuko managed to wrangle himself away from the endless discussion in the main meeting room, they met on the edge of camp.

The camp itself needed no barricades. The land that the temples were on had been cut nicely and pruned by workers for the arrival of others. But as soon as you stepped away from that, you found yourself on a path with large leaves, huge gnarly roots that dug into the soil and never let go, even against harsh winds, and a strangely eerie forest that felt like something out of a dream.

They walked in silence for a short while, fingers intertwined.

"So, uh, how's the medicine hut?" Zuko finally asked in an effort to find something to talk about. Because if it wasn't short, casual, and non-important things like this, it would be serious things that neither were ready to broach.

"Oh, you know. A broken bone here. A few thorns there." She paused, then snorted, "Sokka came with a few bites on his hand. He wouldn't tell me what happened."

"I heard him saying he was going to go crazy without some meat. Maybe he went hunting and nature won?"

"Oh, Sokka," Katara sighed. She loved meat herself and yeah, it was a bit sad to no longer have it in her diet, but what did Sokka expect? Firstly, eating meat here would be a total middle finger to Aang and his practice, which they were so lucky to fall back on for safety. Secondly, Sokka sometimes became a bit stupid when he was off doing things like this. Thirdly, flying lemurs were still endangered, even though Momo wasn't the only one anymore, as Aang had thought. This might be the only place they existed...and though those little flying demons were literally everywhere, their numbers still paled to other species that had free roam over much bigger patches of land.

"I think he imagined it would be easy. No natural predators for them in over 100 years."

"In my experience, things don't like being killed."

Zuko snorted "Sure don't. In fact, most things will fight hard until the bitter end." He trailed off, and Katara sensed that they'd slid into one of those heavy topics. But now it couldn't be taken away.

Was it the bitter end? Were they the animals fighting endlessly and stupidly against a better predator? Were they in their last days, as much as everyone pretended they weren't?

Katara knew what would turn their tide.

She pulled out the vial from her shirt, letting it rest in her palms.

"I can't decide. If I…" She swallowed hard. "I promised it to you."

Zuko startled, "What?"

"Remember? Way back...I said I could maybe...fix your face."

Zuko's fingers traced his scar, scratching it lightly. "Yeah, but like...in the face of the survival of the entire world, I don't…" He trailed off.

"It's stupid, I know it is. But I offered it to you and I…" Katara's throat clogged. She didn't know why she was crying about this.

They'd reached a small waterfall. The noise drowned out conversations for anyone that happened to pass by, so it was a common location to walk to.

Zuko motioned for them to sit on the banks, near the light spray fizzling off from the falls.

"Katara, you know I'd tell you to use it on Aang. I can't help but think it's a cover for something else," he logically stated. Katara hadn't admitted this to her own mind, but hearing him say it...well, he was right, wasn't he?

"Fine. It's not just you. It's anyone. This is a one-in-a-lifeline." She held it up to the bright, unrelenting sun that hit so hard on the Air Temples, already causing quite a few sunburns to pass through her medicine tent. "And Aang is the Avatar. What if he wakes up without it? What if it does practically nothing, and I've wasted it for someone who won't survive without it?" She felt tears prickle. "We almost died. This could have saved us. We're reincarnations, true, but utterly mortal. Aang is a spirit...he's more resilient. I can't lose anyone else," she blubbered, "And feel stupid knowing I could have. That guilt would kill me."

Zuko dipped his legs into the stream, rolling up his work pants. He was wearing a rather plain outfit of dark red clothes, nothing fancy like she'd become used to at the Palace.

"Death seems to follow us wherever we go," he agreed, "And I think it's natural to want to defy it."

"Exactly." Katara relaxed, knowing that Zuko would understand her, that he'd get why she was feeling like she'd have to say no.

"But...it's Aang. What if he doesn't wake up? What if this is it?" Zuko asked. "He's my...my brother. He's family. He's blood - literally, but after all the shit we went through? Katara, he is part of my tribe." He sort of stumbled over the analogy, but Katara felt ashamed. Even though she really liked Aang, she had never formed the sort of bond with him that Zuko had.

She forgot that they'd been partners in crime, keeping each other's secrets for years before Zuko ever knew who she was. He was his brother in every sense of the way that mattered. They were connected.

And she knew that losing Aang would absolutely shatter him.

Not after Lu Ten. Not after Ozai. Not after even his sister, who was so far gone that she might as well be dead.

"I'm sorry."

Katara made a strange sound. "Wait, why are you sorry?"

"Because it's not my place. It's not my magical water nor is it my choice to make. And I think I just...swayed you."

Katara sighed. "Zuko, I want your opinions. That's why I asked. I need other points of view sometimes. I can really talk myself into a corner."

"Still," Zuko tilted his head, "I...you should be comfortable in your decision, not because of me. It's a big deal. It really is."

Katara hummed, knowing this was true. As much as she knew all the reasons she should do it, not just for the sake of the world but for the sake of her whole world - Zuko - she had to come to terms that this miracle would not come about again.

She would have to deal with the fact that if Sokka, or Toph, her parents, or Yue were inches from death, she had used up her single failsafe and could do no more than any other healing waterbender.

Zuko looked at the sun, shielding his eyes from it, and he frowned.

"Hey, do you need sleep?" he asked. The unspoken plan was to take a nap before dinner. The unrelenting heat made a tiny siesta the norm amongst many here. Katara was enjoying this different culture and had become accustomed to the moments everyone curled up and just sighed and let their stress go into their dreams.

"Huh?"

"I mean...we should...we don't have a lot of time left."

"Before dinner?" Katara finished his thought. "I guess...I'm up with the moon. I never sleep. Why?" She had an idea of where he was going but wanted to hear it herself.

"So we can...just get more time…" Zuko trailed off.

Katara grinned playfully. "Doing what?"

"You know…" Zuko made an unspecified motion with his hand, "Erm, talking...and kissing...and…"

"Just kissing?"

"Well...If the spirits move us...perhaps…" She knew that Zuko wanted more, just as she did. But she could have some fun at his expense. His awkwardness was something she found endless endearing and would never tire of.

"Oh, the spirits," Katara raised her eyebrows dramatically, "Shall I do a prayer to properly 'move' them? Animal sacrifice? Offer my firstborn child."

"Our firstborn, wouldn't that be?" Zuko said, and now it was Katara who found her face hot. For as awkward as he was, sometimes, just sometimes, he managed to get the drop on her.

"Either way," Katara coughed a bit, her voice not as perfect as she'd hoped. "What do we need to do to get the spirits a'moving?"

"It's an expression, Katara," Zuko groaned, regretting his phrasing. "Point being, I think we should plan a date, I suppose. A proper date; more than this."

"We are engaged." Katara did agree. "It would make sense for us to go on a date. But, won't Ty or Sokka or Toph notice?"

"Do you care?" Zuko asked, "Because I don't. We're adults. We know what we're doing. They're probably doing the same; at least Toph and Sokka are."

Katara made an 'I guess so' sound, and she realized she wasn't sure why her roommates knowing was a small thorn in the side of their plan, a mild itch she couldn't quite shake.

"So? Because we're totally going to be interrupted for dinner in...oh, about fifty seconds or so," Zuko pointed out.

"We could just miss."

"Yeah, and my uncle or mother wouldn't send a search party out for us. For me," Zuko clarified, rolling his eyes. "I feel like I'm ten again. No independence."

Before Katara could reply, there was yelling from down the path.

"Katara! Zuko!"

"See? Dinnertime," Zuko sighed, starting to stand.

"No, that tone...it's something else," Katara stood, jogging a bit down the path. She came face to face with Cillia, panting and waving frantically.

"Dinner?" Zuko asked uncertainly.

"Yes, but no, you two…" Cillia was trying to catch her breath. "You need to come with me. Someone from the palace is here."

XXX

"I'm so sorry to come in here...like this Aang. You don't deserve this.

You don't…I should just...breathe in. Let it go.

You don't- oh, Agni, I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

You're over here dying and I'm sobbing here.

I'm using your room as a hiding place. Only Ty Lee might pop in here, I'd think, but I know she's talking with Pakku about your prognosis right now. So I'm safe.

So I have a few moments to spare.

So I can...just let go. And just cry. By myself. Here, for a few seconds.

I hope that's alright.

Everyone keeps telling me, 'Oh, Aiga, you're so strong!' My boyfriend betrayed me and I hardly even flinched. It's like I don't care at all.

Aang, I do care. I'm not like Katara. I'm not unbreakable like she is. Or Toph, who can brush off anything. Or Ty Lee, who is endlessly happy. I'm not even like Mai, who uses her steadiness in her emotions as a shield.

I'm just me.

I'm just a little palace handmaid, who feels like sometimes she's in far too much over her head.

I thought, when I signed up, when Iroh plucked me from the streets and promised me security and a stable job, that at most I'd just ferry information. I think in my heart I wanted something more, something exciting, but now that I've gotten it…

I loved Tahoe. Aang, I loved him. I did and I was so utterly blind and I hate myself for it. I missed it all until it was far too late.

And now Ozai is dead. And Lu Ten. And so many others.

And Azula is Queen.

But even with all that guilt, it's not as deep as Tahoe's betrayal.

I'm not strong, I'm not. It's killing me. I will just be working and I'll feel this ache, this anger, this fury. I feel duped, I feel fooled. I didn't know what to say after it happened...there was no time for tears. None. And then after a while, it just seemed...I dunno.

So I'm going to sit here, Aang, if that's alright with you. And just cry for a second.

Because I really need to.

...Wait, what's all that yelling outside about?"

XXX

The entire temple was elbowing and fighting to see who the mysterious person was. Cillia could not answer any of Zuko's questions. Not because she was choosing not to, but because she did not know the answer to any of them. He'd asked the usual ones he could imagine - why are they here, who are they, is this a trick - but Cilila just kept saying that they'd find out soon enough.

The three of them sprinted back, keeping up a quick pace. As they moved through the throng of survivors, Zuko couldn't figure out anything from the gossip and chatter. All he knew was that Ty Lee brought someone back on Appa and that she wasn't sure of their loyalties.

Zuko saw his uncle ushering people to the main meeting room and keeping others out. He saw Zuko and motioned for him to hurry. Zuko grabbed Katara's arm to bring her inside too; not that he thought she wouldn't have been wanted, but being invited was a touchy subject for her, and it was better it was clear from the start she had a place at this meeting.

Those that were invited were few. The Lotus-the likes of Bumi, Jeong-Jeong, Iroh, and Aunt Wu to name a few-, along with Aiga, Ty Lee, Sokka, Toph, Zuko, and Katara were the only ones inside. Even Cillia nodded her respect to Iroh before vanishing back into the crowd, trying to push everyone away, and reminding them that dinner was occurring.

Zuko turned to see who Ty Lee was so unsure about, and he understood why.

The person was a Fire National. Not that they weren't taking in people from the Fire Nation, but usually it was pretty clear they were an Airbender or had an Airbender family member. Or, they were vetted and vouched for by others.

It was a Fire National that he recognized, though his brain was slow to think it through. He came to the conclusion at the same time that Aiga did.

"Aren't you someone who worked for the Ember Daily?" Aiga questioned, referring to the newspaper serial. The person, a boy of maybe Katara's age but not much older, was wringing his hands.

"Yeah, I saw you with Ru once or twice," Zuko added.

"Mhh." The boy nodded quickly.

Everyone instinctively looked at Toph. She gave a long sigh.

"My powers are legendary, we all know that, and I'm never wrong. But let's be serious; it's not infallible. People are fantastic liars. Have you ever heard Azula lie? There's not much I like about her, but damn, can she make me question my own awesomeness. And she-"

"Toph," Iroh interrupted with a hint of frustration. He made a noise and motioned to their prisoner.

"Far as I can tell, no lies yet," Toph said. "I just don't want all of you screaming at me if he's been taught well."

"We'll keep that in mind," Iroh promised. "Let's begin with your name, son?" he asked gently.

Zuko kept a careful eye on the kid. Even if he knew Ru, that didn't mean they had any sort of kinship towards each other.

"Ari," The boy said, voice shaking.

"Okay, Ari, why are you here?"

There was a light scoff from Shen in the back of the room. He thought Iroh was being too soft, too. Though Zuko would fight anyone who had a bad word to say about his Uncle, he didn't disagree. These were heavy times, and this man was currently a suspect.

"Ru sent me. He knew that he was needed back home and couldn't risk it, but he told me to come to find you."

Iroh raised an eyebrow and made a motion to gather everyone into a tight circle apart from Ari. Lee stayed by Ari's side to keep him in place.

"Do we buy this?" Sokka asked.

"He thinks he's telling the truth. Or he is," Toph interjected, "He's nervous, but not about lying."

"Nervous about what?"

"I just report the facts, I don't analyze 'em," Toph grumped.

"If Ru did have an inside man, why now? In terms of the war...it's early." Sokka asked, "Wouldn't it be better to have him collect data for months and then send him? Because…" He trailed off.

"We can't send Ari back," Zuko finished with a long sigh. Even if he was honest, they didn't know him. No one who had come here had wanted to leave, so it hadn't really been a bit of debate, but even Zuko knew that they couldn't trust someone that had seen where they were hiding out. And even though it hadn't been an issue yet, with how stern Iroh was being with outside correspondence, Zuko had a feeling all of them were stuck in the temples, unable to leave of free will at this moment in the war.

"I didn't know what to do!" Ty Lee buried her head in her hands. "Should I have left him in the forest?"

"No, no. At least he's up here," Iroh raised a palm, calming her, "But Zuko is correct. He has to stay with us now. Maybe not as a prisoner, but he is not allowed to return."

"So why? It seems stupid to send someone this early," Sokka repeated meaningfully, frustrated by a problem he could not yet solve. "Ru has to know this. He doesn't seem like an idiot."

"He isn't," Zuko clarified, "He's brilliant."

"So then...why?" Bumi mused, stroking his beard. Everyone looked back at Ari altogether, trying to suss out his motives or reasons.

"How do we even know Ru sent him?" Katara said, then turned back.

"How can we know it's Ru who sent you here?" she asked Ari directly.

"Can I have my hands free?" he asked. Lee shrugged behind him at Iroh, who nodded slowly. Once Ari's hands had motion again, he dug in his bag and pulled out a long, expensive-looking feathered quill.

"I gave that to him. When I hired him for the Choice," Zuko said, recognizing the quill at once. "He coulda stole it off Ru's desk, though," he added with a hint of suspicion. He was suspicious of everyone these days.

"And so anything he tells us could be Azula, trying to get one step ahead of us. Give us false leads," Katara finished.

"Give me a crack at 'em. With enough time, I can always find the truth," Toph offered, cracking her knuckles.

"So we're doing violent interrogations, then?" Aiga asked, a bit disgusted. Zuko turned to see Katara nodding in agreement. Suddenly, lines were being drawn in the sand between their own members, and people were taking moral sides.

"This is a war," Shen said sharply, "And none of us are playing with our kiddie gloves on. Especially not Azula." He clicked his tongue.

"I'm not gunna kill him!" Toph said. "I'm just going to make his mind show me the truth. Unless he's been brainwashed, eventually, the best lies are cracked. And if he is brainwashed, I'll be able to figure that out too. I don't need my fists- that was just for show - I just need time."

The huddled group exchanged expressions. After a long moment, Iroh nodded.

"I trust that Miss Bei Fong will not use unnecessary, traumatizing force. That she will do what we need to figure out the truth. We're missing dinner. Let's let her do her work and we'll return to see how she is fairing after we've filled our stomachs. I will remain behind to assure that no harm befalls the young Ari," he added, which eased everyone's worries.

Zuko turned to leave begrudgingly, unsure how far he still trusted Toph. He had thought that his feelings toward her had been mended, but he found himself unwilling to budge, not until his mother tugged him away.

"Toph has grown. I believe her," she whispered quietly, "And you need food, my son."

It was her fretting that made him want to scream.

Zuko understood it, but it frustrated him. Her husband was dead. Her nephew was dead. Her daughter was crazy. She had no one left to take care of other than Iroh and Zuko, and between the two, it was easier to treat Zuko like a child again.

Some part of him felt like it should ease him. That it should feel comfortable to fall back into her embrace, to let her, but all he felt was indignation.

He had been steps away from being crowned the Fire Lord! His mother didn't need to treat him like he didn't know his left foot from his right.

He clenched his fists, locking his jaw as he told himself to calm down.

Katara glanced at him with a worried expression and he faked a rough smile back at her. She didn't seem soothed - no doubt she could feel how warm his body had suddenly flushed.

He felt so much anger these days that it was overwhelming. It felt like that dark dragon that curled around his mind and whispered terrible things was getting louder and louder.

He felt so lost, so out of reach of anything he could control. Zuko did not do well with a loss of control.

Perhaps he and Azula were alike in this way.

He felt angry that Lu Ten was dead.

He felt angry that he was stuck here.

He felt angry on Katara's behalf, that she was so left in the dark, and he was angry that there was nothing he could tell her if he wanted because they had accomplished nothing in those closed meetings.

He felt angry he couldn't offer the likes of Mai or Suki or Cillia a better apology for bringing them here with no prospects in sight for any of them.

He was angry that Aang wasn't waking up.

He was angry he'd…

He shook his head, cutting his own thoughts off.

That last one...that last one was a locked box, and no, he wasn't going to open it here. Not now, not ever...possibly.

He hardly ate more than three bites of his meal. It was a delicious curry. He knew it was delicious because he'd taken those three bites, but he thought if he ate anything more, he'd have to actually focus on the food, and he couldn't stew on his racing thoughts.

"Eat," Katara nudged him. He glanced at her own bowl and saw she'd had hardly more than he.

"If you do," he said, giving a wry smile.

Katara slowly lifted a spoonful to her mouth and he mirrored her.

Time with her felt strange. It's almost like they were in a game of chicken with each other, where they were egging each other on to keep the other alive and healthy, but unwilling to take those steps by themselves.

He had considered that he'd be a useless mess if Katara wasn't around, and part of him was grateful for this little game.

And it was so...them. So much so that he wanted to laugh out loud sometimes.

They were both so incredibly stubborn and would always take care of themselves last, but would go to the ends of the earth for someone else, someone they loved.

It was just lucky, he supposed, that in the names of people they were interested in keeping alive, they were each at the top of each other's list.

In the end, they both finished around half the bowl, handing their rations off to Arrluck and Hahn, who were always hungry. He would have given it to Sokka, whose hunger rivaled a wild moose-boar, but he realized he was gone. He was probably with Toph, or as close as Iroh was letting him be for this interrogation.

After realizing Sokka's absence, Zuko watched everything. So he was very aware of when members of the Lotus stood suddenly. He took it as a sign some sort of decision had been made.

"C'mon," he whispered to Katara, tilting his head towards the meeting center.

Katara wiped her lips and waved to Arrluck as she passed, and nodded to a few of the girls from his former Choice, doing a quick check.

Iroh was waiting for them.

"He's genuine," he said simply, "We can trust him with whatever intel he has."

"Do you know what it is?"

"I do not. I only know that he is truly who Ru sent, and it is not a trick. Come. Let's hear what he has to say. I will brew us all some tea."

Zuko wasn't sure if he was relieved or a bit annoyed to walk into the room to see Ari looking in good health. Katara let out a sigh of relief. Zuko wished to be soothed with her, but some part of him was unsure they'd really done all necessary to dig out a rat.

He noticed Shen looked equally as unsure as Zuko, but no one was going to question Iroh.

As Iroh brewed a pot of simple green tea, everyone sat in front of Ari. It was like they were children attending a courtyard show, waiting eagerly for their performer to wow them all.

"Ari, what news do you bring us?" Aunt Wu asked quietly, nodding comfortingly.

They'd asked Aunt Wu early on why she could not just divine the future for them, let them know where Azula would be and how they could win. Aunt Wu had looked at Zuko, who had asked the question, with such sorrowful pity. It had made him feel like a child as if he'd asked a rather stupid question to his school tutor.

"The spirits must be in accordance to read bones and leaves," Wu had explained, "And they too feel the distress of the world. My predictions would be thin at best, terribly misunderstood at most. Besides, it is difficult to throw out a net and hope for fish when the seas of change are always churning. What I predict tonight may be entirely rewritten tomorrow."

Zuko still hadn't understood it, but he doubted Iroh wouldn't be ignoring her if he thought there was a chance she could help. Perhaps there was truth to what she spoke.

"I bring this," Ari said, digging out some papers, "Fresh from the presses. They'll be plastered everywhere...well, surely by now."

Slowly, he spread out the wanted posters.

Zuko felt bile rise in his throat as he caught the drawings of each of them - of Katara, Aang, himself, Sokka, Iroh, Aiga, Toph, his mother - and so many others.

And then he silently read the words that chilled his spine: Dead or Alive. If dead, only make sure we can see their face. Will accept decapitations.

"Oh!" Ursa gasped quietly, touching her cheeks as a few tears dropped.

It was by command of Azula.

The prices for him, Katara, and Aang were the highest. It was almost an absurd and obscene amount of money, that would make someone more than wealthy for the rest of their lives and the lives of two generations down. Enough to make a previously moral person question their own compass of good vs bad actions. Enough to make the desperate do anything to find them. Enough to make everyone that they didn't trust 110% the most dangerous enemy.

Azula was wasting no time telling the public exactly what they should think of Zuko and Katara. The words on the poster were crude, nasty, and inflammatory. Some Zuko didn't even want to think in his mind. He wanted to burn the poster so that Katara didn't have to see herself referred to as such things.

"Well, this is a declaration of war," Sokka whispered quietly, bitterly, sardonically.

"Can someone tell me what it is? Everyone just got super quiet and all I hear is paper." Toph sighed. "Blind girl here?" she reminded.

Katara broke away from Zuko to explain what was happening. He could only hear low whispers and then Toph's loud, "That absolute bitch!"

"Yes," Shen said, gathering the papers with a deep frown, "We know that she is certainly not making this easy, not that we assumed she would. This also means it is even more important that certain members remain here."

"Oh, so Swamp 2.0?" Toph snorted. "At least here I can see."

"Great," Zuko huffed. How soon would it be before a guard was posted at his or Katara's side anywhere they went, making it impossible to sneak away for any reason? Or just to have any modicum of privacy?

"Is that all?" Bumi asked, rubbing his chin and tilting his head, "Seems like we would have figured this out ourselves with little time if she's publicizing this as you say."

"Well, I'll admit, I don't understand it. But Ru said it was imperative I leave right away to find you all. Right after the wedding."

"Wait, back up. What wedding?" Ty Lee tilted her head. Zuko was genuinely wracking his brain to figure out which wedding would be so important Ari would assume they knew, and coming up dry.

Ari gave a half nervous laugh. "The wedding of the Phoenix Queen, of course."

"Hold up. Azula?" Sokka's incredulous choking was pretty on par with how Zuko was feeling. With a lot more disgust.

He looked to his mother to see her eyes misty, her expression far away. "My baby is...married?" she asked quietly, pained.

Ari nodded. "I guess you wouldn't...know." He adjusted his collar, gulping. "She, uh, married. To secure the family line."

Sokka made an over-dramatic gagging sound. Next to him, Toph was laughing so hard she was only letting out silent wheezes.

"To who?" Toph managed, clutching her chest. "Who in their right mind would marry that absolutely insane ball of dysfunction?"

"Anyone who wanted power and riches," Jeong-Jeong, Zuko's former guard, muttered. "So, far more than you might imagine."

"It was Chan. That's who she married," Ari piped up.

Zuko squinted. "Chan? Beach Chan? You remember him, don't you, Katara?" he asked.

He turned to see Katara pale, still trying to process this information.

"Azula had a crush on him. It was the most I'd seen her actually feeling...human again," Ty Lee gasped.

"So she married him for love?" Ursa asked, almost too hopefully.

Zuko let out an angry, furious, rickety laugh. "Are you joking? Azula doesn't know what love is. She never has. The only emotion she feels is the emotional need to cause others pain. She didn't know it when we were kids, and she sure hasn't figured it out now. She can't feel that, obviously." He knew his words were harsh, and the tone behind them was crueler. "She's a psychopath," he finished in a cold tone, like ice breaking on the tundra.

There was a long beat of silence, and no one spoke.

"This is quite interesting information, indeed." Iroh rubbed his beard. "I would have never taken Azula for someone to marry, though I suppose I have been proven wrong by many things before."

"That's not what the news was," Ari reminded them, "It's what Ru overheard them say after. They left for their honeymoon and for some reason he really, really wanted me to tell you where they're going."

"Finally!" Toph actually jumped up and down. "So we can go and smash her face in, right?"

"Well, do tell," Shen said, and everyone leaned in.

"I don't know where it is exactly! I think Ru knew, but maybe not. It was unclear," Ari said, and there was more than one groan of utter frustration, proving that Toph wasn't the only one who had probably very violent fantasies of finishing this war early.

"Hey!" Ty Lee said, and though her voice itself wasn't loud, its anger and the way it pierced through the room got everyone quiet. "He risked his life to come here to tell us whatever this is! Maybe it's not the golden scroll we all hoped for, but we at least can have the decency to think we might be smart enough to figure it out!" she said. Zuko saw some sheepish looks.

One day, Zuko thought to himself, if she and Aang ever had kids...she'd be a great mom.

"She was very insistent," Ari said, "About where they were going. Chan had a few choices, but she said no to them all. It seemed like a strange location, but it was Azula. She's not exactly…" He coughed, and then switched his thoughts. "Either way, erm, she said something about a desert. And an owl."

"What?" Katara whispered, tilting her head.

Zuko was just as much at a loss...and it seemed, everyone else.

"Son, repeat that again?" Shen demanded, not out of an 'aha' moment, but probably thinking that something was lost in the summarization of it.

But there wasn't.

This was all they had.

Sand and birds.

Yeah, this rebellion was starting off just great.

Next chapter drops on May 13th!