A snowflake the size of a baby's palm floated down and landed on Sokka's gloved hand. It lay there in pristine condition, sparkling in the bright sunlight. Sokka had seen countless snowflakes in his life, but this one had an allure that made it the most beautiful thing he had ever remembered seeing. And, somehow, he knew it was more than a delicate sculpture of water; it was possessed with a spirit who loved him. Between this overwhelming feeling and its pure beauty, Sokka wanted to cry. It just felt right and that there was no other possible expression of his own love for it.

He didn't know how long he stood there. Time in the Southern Water Tribe, especially alone on the ice, was difficult to gauge. No matter the length of time he stood there, he remained wholly entranced by the object in his hand.

Harumph.

In the blink of an eye, it turned from spotless white to pure black, and what was once a gentle spirit that lay within was a malevolent entity that struck fear in Sokka's heart. His tears were no longer brought on by love, and the feeling of a thousand icicles traveled up his hand still holding the snowflake. They dug in and froze his arm, stopping him from tipping the black thing from his hand.

Grrumph.

His heart leapt in terror as he realized he would become an unwilling tool to this dark entity, that he would be made to do cruel things until it consumed him and his spirit.

Shaking he hadn't noticed before suddenly became apparent and—

-o-0-

"Ah!" Sokka cried out, trying to reach for Boomerang but his arm was pinned.

"It us!" replied a familiar figure in an urgent tone.

The fuzziness quickly cleared from his mind, and he recognized Katara standing over him. Her brow was knit together with concern. Shifting his weight to release the arm he had been laying on, Sokka felt the familiar pinpricks of feeling run up and down his arm before full, painless feeling returned. "Sorry about that," he said, massaging the lingering tingling away.

Harumph. Appa's tail—Sokka's bedding—moved, not-so-subtly telling him it was time to get off.

"Okay, okay!" he mumbled, running his hands through the bison's coat one more time before rolling off him.

Standing, he noticed Zuko standing there too, a step or so behind Katara. The boys each nodded to the other. "Uh…dreams?" asked Zuko.

A snowflake, darkness and light, trying to escape…something. Snippets of images remained, though the intense feelings of love juxtaposed with fear was the strongest memory even if it seemed like a shadow of what he had felt seconds ago. "Yeah—did I say anything?" he asked, not looking forward to the possible answer.

Both of them shook their heads. "Not when we came up, anyways," answered Katara.

That was something to be thankful for. However, the recollection of his terror still hovered around him like a bad omen. It was just a dream, he told himself, and resolved to think no more of it. Bringing his hands together with a loud clap, he said, "So! You guys done with, well, whatever you were supposed to be doing? Training?" He looked to Zuko, who suddenly found Appa very interesting, then to his sister. "Katara?"

"We were just talking about Ozai."

He waited for her to continue but received nothing further. "Okay? And?"

"With all that's on the line, we need to know for sure that this plan is going to work," she answered.

Raising an eyebrow, he replied, chuckling, "You know our plans never work."

She rolled her eyes, but shifted her weight with the slightest indication of embarrassment. With a huff, she started, "I know—"

"We talked about Aang," interjected Zuko, "about what he might need to do—I know he won't kill the Fire Lord," he said before Sokka could interrupt him, "but I know he's also the only one who would be able to stop the Fire Lord without killing him. But we need a better plan than just hoping he'll know what to do and that things will work out. Okay?"

Sokka smiled and nodded. Zuko finally seemed to be letting go of the whole "killing Ozai" thing which was an improvement. "You got it."

Zuko added, "Win or lose, he needs to stay alive. Like your dad said, he's a symbol of hope, the only person who is a threat to the Fire Lord."

"Let's tell Aang," Katara said, taking a step towards the cave where the distant thuds of earthbending could be heard every now and then.

"Nah, they're fine." Sokka gave a casual sweep of his hand. "We'll tell them when they're done. Toph will pound you into the ground if you interrupt her lesson."

Frowning, Zuko said, apparently not finished, "And he needs to know that we're going to do everything we can to ensure he stays safe." And with that, he turned and began walking toward the mouth of the cave. "I'm going to train."

A thought came to him and he called out, "Actually, hold on." Zuko looked back. "When you're done, do you want to take a look at some of the cities I've marked as potential landing sites for the next few days? You probably know more about the islands than this map could tell me."

Zuko nodded once. "I can do that first, but let me get my daos." Then he started back to the cave.

Turning his attention to Katara, he said, "I'm surprised you got him to talk about Ozai without bursting into flames," he cracked a smile, "or did I sleep through that part?"

She grinned. "You do sleep through a lot but, no, you didn't. I think he just—" she said, smile fading, "I don't know—I guess he's scared and wants us to be scared too. Not in a bad way, though. And…" she hesitated a moment, "and I think he wants us to know what might happen."

Battle. That unspoken word pursued Sokka along with the bloodshed hidden behind it. "Don't you know that we might…?" He thought he could say it, but his confidence failed him. Kill.

"Die," she finished, crossing her arms. Then, letting her head fall a little, she dropped her voice to a whisper: "I know. I just—I don't think I realized that there were worse things." She told him what Zuko had said about avoiding capture, hugging herself as she stood before him.

Dying was a possibility, always was, but like with everything else that loomed before them, he had been so focused on other things in the moment. Dying—they had been avoiding that for months, but what Katara was talking about was danger of a different kind. "Oh," was all he said in reply.

She took a step to leave, her eyes not meeting his. "You know what? I think I'll talk to Aang now."

"It's—" he started automatically, and she looked up at him. He let the reflex take over: "It'll be okay."

"I want to believe that."

"Then believe it." Even if I don't.

She gave him a tight smile and followed Zuko's sandy footsteps to the cave. The firebender was exiting as she entered, and they passed each other. Walking up to Sokka with his two swords strapped to his back, Zuko said, looking over his shoulder and watching Katara, "I thought she was going to wait."

Sokka watched her for a second longer before returning his full attention to Zuko and shrugging. "I don't think she can wait to tell them. That sounds bad." He chuckled. "Well, you know how she is: once she gets something in her head…"

"She'll do it."

He nodded and, giving one last look at the cave, led Zuko to a flat, ocean-smoothed boulder he had been using to study the map. Retrieving it once more from inside his breast pocket, he flattened it out, then folded it so as to keep the focus on the Fire Nation's territory.

Its borders marked in red, the archipelago that made up most of the Fire Nation was surprisingly small for the amount of power and fear it had held for so long. There were a few colonies that had been newly drawn on the Earth Kingdom continent, red scabs on an otherwise unremarkable plain of tan and green. Some cities retained their Earth Kingdom names and others had new Fire Nation names hastily written next to them.

The islands themselves had few descriptors; rather, some of the smaller islands didn't have names at all, and the geography lacked detail as the map drew closer to the Capital. The only major piece of geographical information was the Capital's caldera, but even that did not tell Sokka about the defense he knew was there: the long, winding road up the side of the dead volcano, one that forced any invading army down to a single-file march.

Returning to the problem at hand, Sokka began: "What we usually look for is a place close to water—or not, depending on how Katara's feeling." He cracked a smile, but Zuko ignored his attempts to lighten the mood and looked at him to continue. All business. Okay. "So, water, then we want to be close but not too close to a town. Doesn't have to be big; just needs to have supplies—which we actually need to start checking the quality of them because this last batch has not been good, and, trust me, that's saying something. Finally, we need to have space for Aang to train, so nothing densely populated with people.

"Based on this, I found a few possible places. First off, we're here." He pointed to a small island to the far east that had the words Hachi Maki neatly printed next to it. A half-day's ride east was Crescent Island which was not an option and had them moving in the opposite direction of where they eventually wanted to end up. North had several, much smaller islands than Hachi Maki. Sokka pointed them out. Zuko nodded but didn't reply. Moving on, there were fewer islands to the south and a larger one by the name of Kalek Hui. There wasn't much information about it, but it would have some kind of market available to purchase supplies. Then, west, a larger island labeled Jang Hui had more detailed geography to analyze, and it seemed to harbor a major trading post, though that fact had its own trade-offs.

"So? What do you think?" Sokka asked, looking up from the map.

Zuko's eyes remained fixed on the options in front of him, a thoughtful frown marking his face. After another minute, he broke the silence: "Crescent Island is probably still covered with lava, so that won't work." His sure tone was underlined by the dismissive wave he gave the location. "Something about the name 'Jang Hui' sounds familiar, but I doubt it's a major trading post. Nothing like Lakas and Fen Dalta." He pointed to them on the map. One was near the Capital while the other belonged to one of the Fire Nation colonies. I wish I had something to write with!

"I visited most of the major—and minor—port cities and the like when I was looking for…" Zuko continued, giving the obligatory pause where Aang's name belonged whenever he talked about his past, "and I don't remember Jang Hui being very big at all. As for Kalek Hui, I have never heard it called that before, but it's a well-known Fire Nation Navy island, so…"

"Better avoid that."

"Yeah. I don't expect the Fire Nation is looking for any of us here on foot given, well, you know, but I don't want to increase our chances of getting caught."

"That helps narrow things down. Anything about the islands to the north?"

Zuko shook his head. "I don't know much about the outlying islands. There's a lot of them, more than what's here. I've visited a few of them but they don't take well to outsiders, and the islands are small enough for them to know when there are outsiders. It makes them difficult to control, which is good for us, but I think anonymity is what we really need right now."

"Agreed. Sounds like Jang Hui is our best option."

"Right now. We're so far out from the Caldera—when we get closer, we'll have more places to choose from."

"Did you—" The two boys started, at the sound of Katara's voice only a step or two away. They turned and saw Katara standing there wearing a mischievous grin. "Scared you?"

Zuko stammered a reply, but Sokka said in a tone of mock-scolding, "We were concentrating! We could've had the solution for beating Ozai and lost it because of you!"

"Did you?" she asked, glancing from him to Zuko, her eyes sparkling with humor that Sokka hadn't seen in a while.

"I don't know! My concentration was broken!" Sokka didn't bother trying to reply with a straight face. "Well? What was so important that you had to sneak up on—?"

She laughed. "I didn't sneak!"

"See, I know that isn't true because if you hadn't been, we would have heard you," he said, but Katara scoffed. "Back me up here, Zuko."

He blinked, surprised to be called on. The confidence he had so easily expressed only seconds ago evaporated like morning mist, and he answered seriously: "I didn't hear you. We were figuring out—"

"See?" Sokka interrupted, not wanting the humor to die so quickly. It felt so good to laugh, and to make Katara laugh, even if it was over stupid stuff. "You were sneaking."

"Uh huh. I think you just don't want to admit that I made you jump. What happened to those 'instincts' you supposedly have?"

"My instincts are honed to sense enemies."

Smile fading but never leaving her face, she replied with a playfully dubious yet accepting, "Ah, okay."

A second passed and as did the moment they shared. It was time to get back down to business. "And what were you doing back so quickly? I thought you were going to talk to Aang and Toph."

"I decided to wait. He needs the practice, and I don't want to distract him with more bad news. And," she hesitated a beat, "he's already so stressed out." Her last statement was directed at Zuko.

Sokka looked from Katara to Zuko, then back to Katara. "I get it, wanting to tell Aang, but don't you think it'll just scare him? Being scared, it…it doesn't help anyone."

"It makes us brave."

Sokka adjusted his gaze back to Zuko.

Under both their questioning looks, the firebender explained, "I remember Uncle once said that 'fools accept gifts and the brave accept curses.' "

The foreign phrase worked its way through Sokka's mind. Can't people speak plainly? "Um—what?"

"A fool will accept a curse, thinking it's a gift, while someone brave—or clever or wise—will accept a curse knowing it is one, knowing what's coming. If Aang doesn't know—"

"Here's a thought: don't accept the curse."

Zuko let out a short, frustrated breath. Instead of a biting reply like Sokka expected, he closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'm saying," he opened his eyes again, letting his hand drop to his side, "if Aang doesn't know—" He blinked and waved his hand as if wiping a slate clean. Starting anew, he said, "If you had to fight me, now, how hard would you fight?"

Sokka couldn't help but glance to Katara for a moment before back to the firebender. "What are you saying?"

Zuko shook his head. "Just answer."

"I don't know what you want me to say." He shrugged. "Sure, I'd fight you."

"Would you give it everything you have?"

"I don't—Is this practice? Or life and death? What?"

"Life or death."

"Then, yeah. Of course. I'm fighting for my life. Where are you going with this? Aang knows—"

"What if I told you that the outcome of the fight wasn't just your life but Katara's? And your dad's? How hard would you fight for them?"

The answer was there, but that was not the thought that kept Sokka from replying immediately. Instead, a single question, one that he realized had been quietly plaguing him, entered his mind and made itself known as clearly as if he had said it aloud: What if I'm not good enough? An image filled his mind: seeing himself sprawled out on the ground, bloody and defeated, thinking about all those he failed before he died. There was an appeal to not knowing the full risks, the consequences of losing. He could convince himself that everyone else would be alright if he lost, that his sacrifice would ensure victory, but even then he would know it was a lie.

Zuko was right. It was wrong to keep Aang in the dark about something as vital as the full knowledge of what he was facing. "Okay," he finally replied with resigning sigh. "You're right."

-o-0-

Everyone was acting oddly.

At first it was fine. When dinner had been made and they gathered at the mouth of the cave to eat, Aang started telling them about his training earlier with Toph. That afternoon, she had tried to have him work with sand to trap enemies or create a wall of sand to absorb attacks—which, interestingly enough, acted a lot like waterbending though Toph heartily disagreed.

But Katara, who was usually so attentive to his stories, seemed distracted, and even Sokka seemed less talkative than usual. That's when they tried to tell him about 'the risks,' as they kept referring to their deaths, the death of thousands or tens of thousands of people, the destruction of the Water Tribe, and life as they knew it. "I know," he had replied, which seemed to frustrate Zuko.

"But, Aang," Zuko pushed, "you need to realize—"

Do they think I don't know what could happen? "I know!" Aang stood, his hands clenched into fists. "I'm not a little kid. I know we need to win. I know a lot of people will get hurt—"

"A lot will die, Aang. That's what I'm saying. Even if we win, we'll suffer losses. There's a chance one or all of us could die."

"Zuko…" Katara warned.

"But it's true!" Then, after glancing at her and back to Aang, he softened his tone and continued, "I just want you to know what we know. That's all."

Suspecting his true motives, Aang decided to head Zuko off: "I'm still not going to kill Ozai."

"That's—! I wasn't—! Ugh!" Zuko groaned, rubbing his face with his hand. "This has nothing to do with that!"

"It really isn't, Aang," said Sokka.

"Oh. Okay." He sat down again. "Well, I know the risks. But I also know we'll win. I believe in us." Aang smiled reassuringly but it didn't seem to do much to lift anyone's spirits. Uncomfortable silence followed as they sat in the light cast by the fire, their shadows playing against the cave walls.

Toph, who had been quiet during the prior minutes, spoke up: "No, no, I'm fine. I don't need a Death Talk, I guess."

"I'm sorry," Katara quickly replied, "Do you—"

"I said I don't need one. I've heard enough of this one and I really don't need to go over what's at stake. I know enough: death, death, more death, and—hey, what's this?—oh, yeah, death." Addressing Zuko, she asked, "Are all firebenders as death-obsessed as you or do you just pride yourself in scaring people?"

"I just—"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Whatever. Can we go to sleep now?"

Katara gave a worried but tired smile. "Yes, but are you sure? We can—"

She rolled her eyes. "Yes."

"Right. Now, remember," Sokka said as they all stood, "we leave tomorrow morning." Answering Aang's unspoken question, he added, "We're going to Jang Hui Island. Should take most of the day, but it's far shorter than some of our longer days."

Aang nodded and preceded to move away from the fire, choosing the coarse sand close to the mouth of the cave and near Appa as his bed. The rocky interior where they had built the fire and put the tents to shade from wind and prying eyes no longer felt like he place he wanted to be at the moment.

Soft padding followed him and, turning, he found it was Katara. "Are you okay?" she asked.

Any other time, he would have been happy to see her show such interest, but now her presence was verging on unwelcome. Does she think I can't win? "Yeah," he replied.

She didn't seem to buy it, but, then again, he wasn't doing much to hide his dissatisfaction. "Aang."

"What?" he retorted.

This time, when she said his name, it was less of an encouragement to speak and more of a chastisement: "Aang."

"Why did you, Sokka, and Zuko ask me if I understood what we're fighting? Do you think we're going to lose?"

"No! No, Aang—"

"Then why?"

"Because—!" She looked surprised at her sudden volume and continued quieter: "Because, like Zuko said, there's a real chance that someone we know—whether that be us or someone from the Water Tribe—will get hurt…or worse. We've already seen that happen on the ship. And if something happens and Ozai escapes us… We just really need to get it right the day of the invasion. We need a better plan."

"I know," he insisted, "and we'll come up with a better plan."

"Okay," she accepted, dipping her head. "I just wanted to check if you were okay after our talk."

"I am." He was not a little kid.

Dipping her head again, she replied softly, "Goodnight, then," and left, walking in the direction of the tents Sokka had set up two nights before amongst the rocks and hidden from Aang's sight.

Settling into the sand which was cool now that it was dark, Aang let himself gaze up at the countless stars filling the night sky. I know they mean well but…I wish they… Vague, tired thoughts flitted through his mind, unlike the transfixed stars that forever hung in the sky. There was much to wish for, spirits knew. I just wish we're all safe.

As long as we're together, we can win, was his last thought before he fell to sleep.

-o-0-

The source was unseen, but the indirect light from outside the cave warmed the sand which warmed the air, which warmed—and woke—Zuko from a dreamless sleep. With a final deep breath to bring himself to full awareness, Zuko sat up. Neither Katara nor Sokka stirred in their tents next to his.

The campfire from the night before was smoldering, and it only took a flick of the wrist and some nearby firewood to get it going again.

Chir-ip. Chir-ip. Momo glided down from a small perch he discovered their first morning at the cave. There weren't many trees this close to the beach so this was the closest thing he had to one. Chir-ip-ip, he begged Zuko.

He rubbed the sleep from his eyes. "I just got up. Give me a second. I'll find something." Stumbling to the food knapsack, Zuko opened the top flap and rummaged around for something edible, but before he could withdraw anything, Momo took off and exited the cave. He sighed, "Whatever," and grabbed the dry and rough bit of jerky he spotted near the top.

Tearing off a corner and chewing as he went, he began the process of disassembling his tent. It was a simple design which made it easy to set up and tear down. However, before he did more than remove the tent's few contents, Momo returned and perched on its peak. Chir-ip!

He shook his head. "You missed out. I was going to get you something but you left."

Momo cocked his head and repeated his request for food.

"Maybe later," he conceded then shooed the flying lemur away from the tent.

"Hey, Zuko." It was Aang, staff in hand, and Momo landed and perched on one shoulder.

He nodded, "Aang," and went back to work. Not hearing Aang make a sound, he turned again to find the airbender still there, staring at Zuko with a strange look on his face.

"Do you think we'll win?" Both his question and the tone of it betrayed the boy's worry.

"I think when we meet up with the Water Tribe, we'll be as ready as we'll ever be in a hundred years." By Aang's expression, Zuko knew his dodge had not worked. "I don't know, Aang," he said with a little shrug. "No one does. We can only be prepared and fight with everything we have. I think if you can connect with the Avatars,"—However that works. Zuko still wasn't sure about that part—"that will give us an advantage. And I think if we stop the Fire Lord, we won't need to worry about his army."

"When I connect with the past Avatars," he corrected.

Zuko gave him an encouraging smile. "Exactly." Something as simple as that made Aang's face light up. Really? That worked? But he supposed it was like giving Aang compliments while they were training.

Pointing to the tent, Aang asked, "Do you need help?"

"I'm—" Zuko thought for a moment. "Sure."

They took his tent down quickly and without them saying much more, other than the occasional direction Zuko gave Aang. As they worked, Katara could be heard moving around and getting ready while Sokka's tent remained quiet. After folding up the canvas that acted as the tent's roof and walls, Zuko made a point to thank him. "And if I haven't said it yet," he added, "you're doing well in your training. It's difficult, I know, but you're progressing quickly."

Aang smiled amicably but it faded uncharacteristically fast. "Thank you." Then, catching Zuko off guard, he said under his breath, "I'm not a little kid, you know."

Yes, he was. In a lot of ways. He still probably didn't grasp the true cost of war. Katara and Sokka were right: Aang knew enough to fight as hard as he could and pestering him any more would probably do more harm than good.

With that said, Aang was very much not a little kid. Little kids don't have to face off against the most powerful firebender in the known world, or prevent the destruction of it. None of them, for that matter, should have had to.

"No, you aren't," Zuko agreed.

-o-0-

After three blessed days on the ground, Toph was in the air again, totally blind and powerless. Not that she wasn't blind before, but beyond Appa's strong heart allowing her to perceive everyone seated in the saddle, only the odd sound or smell from the outside caught her attention.

Leaning over the side as if trying to peek at the scenes below, she tried to imagine what it was they were flying over: trees? a city? the ocean? When they flew over the ocean from the mainland, she was surprised by how little it smelled like salt as they flew higher. All she had smelled since crossing was the slightest hint of rotten eggs. It was well-suited for the air belonging to the Fire Nation.

"…town a while back. I'm hoping I'll remember it as we get closer, but I visited so many ports and trading places, I wouldn't be surprised if I don't remember it at all." Zuko's voice was low as he spoke to Katara next to him on Toph's right, but the wind made it possible for his words to fall on Toph's ears as well as Katara's.

"What's the most memorable harbor you've visited?" Katara asked.

Zuko didn't need long to think of his answer. "Probably the one that I was almost blown-up in."

After Katara's initial shock, she replied, "Was this during…when you were trying to capture…?"

"Yeah."

Her voice took on a playful tone: "So you deserved it. Who do I thank?"

A dry chuckle. "I think you already did that. It was Zhao who was also trying to capture…you know, and I wasn't being subtle about my plans. He wanted to stop me from taking credit for finding…people."

"Well, you found him." Toph could hear her smile.

"Yeah, I did…"

Toph stifled a frustrated groan that was swept away from the wind. They liked each other, they knew they liked each other, but they continued to sit around doing nothing! Spirits abound, it was painful to witness! Leaning back against the saddle's raised side, she muttered, "Dunderheads," not-so-quietly.

"What?" Sokka leaned over from where he was sitting to her left. "Did you say something to me?"

"Forget it!" she replied. He shrugged and crawled up Appa's hump to sit with Aang.

The summer heat felt more oppressive. Clouds, when they were there, helped very little against the humidity permeating the air, otherwise the intense heat cooked any exposed skin.

Will the comet throw that much heat? Is that what gives the firebenders their additional power? Recalling her run-ins with Zuko, Azula, and other firebenders, Toph tried imagining the power and destruction Zuko had described the night before. Sense-images of massive fires and unrestrained chaos filled her mind, but they seemed closer to unrealistic nightmares rather than a possible future.

It would be bad, that much she knew. There seemed to be some internal barrier—built herself or because she was not yet old enough to scale it—that kept her heart from receiving the same jolts of fear she had felt in Katara, Sokka, and Zuko when they talked about fighting. Maybe it was fearlessness or stubbornness, instead.

"Should be there in a couple hours!" Sokka called back as he climbed down to the saddle. "We're making good time," he added to Toph when he sat down next to her.

"Good. I'll be happy to get away from that." Not bothering to move her crossed arms, she jutted her chin out toward Zuko and Katara.

"What are they talking about?"

She shook her head. "They've been talking ever since Appa took off."

"So?"

He can't be that thick. He'd work it out eventually, but she would let him squirm a little in the meantime. "I'll let you figure it out."

"Figure what out? Toph!" He pestered and poked her, but she didn't cave. "C'mon!"

Katara turned towards them. "What?"

"Noth—"

"Toph's not telling me something!" Sokka whined dramatically, poking her at every syllable.

"Quit it!" Toph snapped, and he stopped.

"What is it, Toph?" Katara repeated.

She let out a disappointed sigh. Is this how the big reveal would go? No embarrassing moment that had Katara and Zuko desperately try to cover it up? Was she to be her own downfall? "To be fair, you weren't doing much to hide it."

"Hide what?" The siblings asked in unison, sounding genuinely confused by her statement. Spirits, there's two idiots!

However, both Katara's and Zuko's pulses had quickened when she spoke. Toph couldn't help smirking a little at the observation. "My bad," she drawled, "I guess I was wrong."

-o-0-

Curling her hair around a finger, Ty Lee watched Mai watch Azula lounge on one of the seats overlooking the inner garden of the Palace. Mai stared into Azula's back while she chatted, entirely at ease.

"…don't you think?" Azula asked. She had made a comment about the Fire Lord's plans regarding the Avatar and the upcoming "surprise" invasion. Before Ty Lee could reply, Azula dismissively waved one hand. "Though I suppose what we do doesn't really matter if the Avatar dies before he gets here. Wouldn't that be a fun twist?" She got up and leaned against a post, facing the two of them.

Azula thought she was superior, Ty Lee knew. It was like a potent perfume that followed her around. It was in her eyes and the way she carried herself, living there since they were kids. In a lot of ways—birth, bending—she was superior.

Azula's position wasn't anything particularly enviable, though. There were advantages to being less superior, less renowned. There was the anonymity, of course, but, really, it was less pressure on her. Not that there was anything wrong with the pressure of everyone's eyes on you—Ty Lee actually enjoyed that—but having the pressure of people wanting you to fail and wanting it enough to work against you and ensure your failure, that was what she wanted to avoid. On the other hand, Azula seemed to thrive on it.

"Can you think of anything but him?" All good humor gone, Azula was staring back at Mai. "He's dead," she said, her words lashing out and striking her friend.

"Because of you," replied Mai. Her accusation was void of all emotion.

Azula eyed Ty Lee, and she felt herself shrink a little. She hadn't said anything, not explicitly, to Mai when she interrogated her while Azula was unconscious, but there were only so many things she could say without lying. And who did Azula think she could blame? Who else could be responsible? Zuko didn't trip and burn himself.

In contrast to Mai, Azula's words were hot and they rushed out of her: "What else are you supposed to do with a traitor?" she replied. "Just because he was your boyfriend doesn't mean he should avoid the penalty."

For the first time, emotion rose out of Mai. Her voice shook and she cried, "He's your brother!" only to rein herself in and add quietly, "And he's not my boyfriend."

Azula rolled her eyes. "I can't talk to you like this," she said and moved to leave.

But she was quickly interrupted by Mai: "I'm leaving." Azula turned back, looking equal parts concerned and angry, and Mai seemed to reconsider her words but held her ground. "I received a hawk from my Uncle Zak yesterday," she continued. "I was going to say no but maybe it's better if I go."

Azula blinked once before a frown appeared. "What? Days before the invasion?"

"Like I said, I wasn't going to go, but maybe I can oversee the prisoners we captured, those Kyoshi Fighters."

"That was weeks ago."

"We captured them then," Mai argued, still not backing down, "but it takes time to transport them. They might be arriving when I arrive there in two days."

Ty Lee didn't know how long that was or how truthful she was being, and Azula seemed to share her doubt. "I'm no use to you here," said Mai, and, looking from her to Ty Lee, added as a consolation, "It won't be forever."

No, but one of their trio would be missing. Mai would be with family, though; there was that to be happy about. Flashing her a smile, Ty Lee said, "I hope you have fun! And, hey, you might make some friends with those girls. That one girl, their leader—what's her name? Suki?—she seemed nice."

Mai made no mention of it, but her eyes thanked her for the implicit approval. "I don't think she would like me," she replied. "I'm the reason she's there, and I almost hurt her boyfriend." Returning to Azula, she said, "So…?"

But Ty Lee had to butt in: "You hurt her boyfriend? When?"

"The Water Tribe boy. The one with the Avatar." She shrugged, already directing her attention back to Azula.

"Sokka?! He's so cute! I should have known someone would snatch him up. I kind of want to visit her now."

Mai looked back at her, incredulous. "You aren't friends with her."

"I know but we'd have something to talk about." And we'd be together.

"Are you asking for my permission to leave?" Azula stood there, stock still, watching and assessing.

Hesitating first, Mai answered, "I don't need it but, yes, I am asking for it."

Azula's shoulders relaxed, and she approached her friend. In a surprising show of compassion, she held Mai's arms, yet despite that, her tone maintained its air of command: "Then of course you have my permission. Go see your uncle, spend a few days, and return to me. I really do hate seeing you like this. You need to stop thinking about him." At the mention of Zuko, Mai stiffened and her glare returned, if more muted than before. Azula let out a short, irritated sigh and turned away. "You should be happy I can spare you for the battle," she said before leaving the two by themselves.

"I hate her." It was said quickly and quietly, as if whispering a curse.

It kind of is a curse, thought Ty Lee, but she replied automatically, "You don't mean that."

"I do," was Mai's simple reply. "But I can't tell her." After a long pause, she said, "I didn't mean to say any of that. I should stay here," Mai said, watching the doorway where Azula left, her back to Ty Lee.

"But you're helping your uncle—"

Twisting around to face Ty Lee, she said, "I can't fight her…but I don't want to leave you alone with her." Her thin lips pressed hard together, stopping herself from saying more.

"I'll be okay." Ty Lee smiled as bright as ever. Everything would be alright as long as she was able to smile through it.

Mai's lips parted once again. "None of what has happened is okay."

"We're friends," Ty Lee challenged. That wasn't a mistake. That wasn't wrong.

Her friend's expression softened until it threatened to come apart. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

"Don't be."

It was clear a million thoughts crossed Mai's mind only for one to be shared: "I'll be back soon."

"I'll be here—Hey, maybe I'll visit you instead; that would be fun!"

Amusement shone around Mai as more of an aura than anything else. "Only you would find that fun."

Ty Lee laughed.