It was simple to tell that morning had come on Kyoshi Island. The newcomers could hear the sounds of snapping and people fighting. Automatically, Sokka jolted awake.

"They found us!" he called out, sleepily looking for Fire Nation soldiers.

Toph just kept her head on a pillow. "Go back to sleep, Sokka. Nobody new is here. Those are the warriors."

The Water Tribe boy's breathing calmed down. He received a frown from Katara who had also begun to panic from his outburst. Sokka offered her a sheepish grin and she started to fold the blankets.

"Well, I won't be falling back to sleep, so I might as well practice some waterbending. Aang, we can do that while Toph's resting."

The Avatar eagerly got up to join her and Toph yawned. "Yeah, you two have fun splashing around until I get up."

Sokka started to lay back down as well, then he stopped.

"What's wrong?" Zuko asked.

"I can go wait for Suki to finish her training."

Quickly, the boy got ready for the day. He followed the noises outside to find the warriors. There seemed to be two groups. One was of the actual fighters and the others were younger trainees like Suki. Those in her group clearly had less experience, but she could keep up with the adults. Sokka was impressed as he watched her. He felt like he could not look away for the entire training session. When it ended, Suki started heading his way. Realizing that he had spent so much time staring, Sokka tried to play it off. He reached both hands upwards.

"Hey, I was just going for a walk and decided to stop here to stretch."

"That's a long time to spend stretching," Suki commented doubtfully.

"Have to be loose while I'm fighting the fire lord. I could be mid-swing with my sword and then get a muscle cramp."

Suki chuckled and gestured for Sokka to follow her. "Let's get started with the training since you're so limber and warmed up now."

Sokka immediately regretted his words, but he was happy to see that the warrior-in-training was going a bit easier on him than the first time. Suki began showing him the basics of the training she had learned in her earlier youth.

"So, the Fire Nation went to the Water Tribes?" she asked, punching at Sokka who was proud to have dodged in time.

"Yeah, I think it was a year ago now. They came to the Southern Water Tribe, but we were able to fight them off. The Fire Nation's problem–aside from having the fire lord in charge–is that it's got a lot of arrogant people. They underestimated us."

Sokka breathed out as he failed to dodge another jab to his side.

"If they come here, the Unagi will eat them."

"Maybe," the boy said, going for a kick.

This caused Suki to frown. "What do you mean 'maybe?' You saw that monster."

"Yeah, and I also saw my friend and his uncle firebend it away. Woosh," he said.

The boy mimicked their bending with his arms. Then he acted as the Unagi by pretending to pass out. Suki's expression did not soften.

"That won't happen. Our home is going to be safe."

Sokka got off the ground and shrugged. "We thought that too. The Fire Nation had already attacked it once, so we didn't think the soldiers would ever come back, but they did. It used to be hard to tell what the Fire Nation would do, but now, I just think the fire lord will do whatever gives him more power. He probably won't leave anywhere unburned."

Suki's upset look became more troubled. "I don't know if we'd have enough warriors to fight the soldiers."

Sokka shook his head. "You don't," he said, causing Suki to look sad, "but you wouldn't have to do it alone. We've been making some allies. After the fire lord is defeated, you'll be able to leave the island and see what's out there in the world."

The boy noticed a flicker of uncertainty in the warrior's eyes.

"It would be weird going somewhere else after only being here. I'm not even really sure how people in other places live. Our island's been separate for so long. We probably wouldn't fit in with other people in the Earth Kingdom."

"That would be okay if you didn't." Sokka puffed up happily. "Since I'm getting to know about the world, I could show you around different places."

"Maybe I wouldn't mind that."

Sokka grinned, but it fell when he also did. Suki had swept under his feet, causing him to go into the ground. She smirked as she offered him a hand.

"I guess we'll have to do a few more of these training days."

The boy accepted her hand, then yanked a bit, causing them both to topple over. Suki found herself chuckling when he was tossing leaves at her.

"What?" he asked. "You said anything could be a weapon."

"Good point. I was just holding back on you."

Sokka felt both excited and worried when he heard this. He and Suki continued to spar against one another. While they did, Aang was beginning to start his earthbending lesson for the day and the firebenders were thoughtfully observing.

"You decided to not kill Father," Zuko commented quietly.

Iroh kept his hands in his sleeves as he watched the benders train. "I have known how to use lightning redirection for some time now. That was the first time I had to use it."

An understanding look was on Zuko's face. "I couldn't watch Azula die. I wouldn't be able to kill her either."

The ex-prince started to frown, thinking of what some of his family would do if given the chance–thinking of what they had already tried. He did not have to wonder if Azula would let him die. She would be the cause of his death. The same could clearly be said for Ozai with Iroh. It was so cruel and yet, maybe that ruthlessness would be necessary to win a war.

"Did we make a mistake?"

Iroh looked at his nephew. "No," he stated, certain. "Siblings should not kill each other. It is no better than a son killing a father."

The boy frowned in mild confusion, unsure if his uncle was referring to the past or the future.

"Once he gets firebending, do you think Aang could win?"

After a moment, the former general spoke. "I do not believe he will win without a knowledge of lightning bending. Ozai will not hesitate to kill him as soon as he gets the opportunity."

Zuko looked back at the Avatar, thinking of his friend's words. "Sokka isn't sure if Aang will be able to kill anyone. It doesn't seem like he's had to so far."

"If he learns to redirect lightning, he might not have to kill Ozai. A severe enough injury would be sufficient in stopping him."

"How did you end up learning lightning redirection anyway?"

A look of fond remembrance crossed Iroh's face. "When I was younger, I did a lot of traveling. It was nice to see so much of the world. There are waterbenders in more places than just the poles. I found some in a swamp and was able to study the way they bent the water." His smile started to fade. "I should have realized back then that there was more potential in learning from other nations than fighting with them. A lot would have been different."

"I don't know," Zuko admitted. "I think that Father would always have tried to find a way to get more power. It might not have mattered if you ended the war or not."

It bothered Iroh to think how this easily could have been true. He might have done everything he could to undo Sozin's war, but it would not have changed Ozai. It probably would not have changed Lu Ten's fate either. Still, it was a difficult reality to come to terms with, that there was nothing to do which might have saved his son's life. The most Iroh could do was prevent anyone else from going through the pain of losing a child. When Toph ended the training with Aang, Iroh approached him.

"Do you have enough energy to begin firebending training?"

The boy nodded his head. "I've always thought my friend, Kuzon, was really good at firebending. I'm looking forward to learning how to do that too."

Iroh smiled and lit a small flame in his hand. "Think of fire as life."

"I've never heard anyone talk about it like that," the boy stated.

"The earliest firebenders–the dragons–demonstrated that. They're worshiped the most by the Sun Warriors. I was fortunate enough to study with them years ago."

Zuko's eyes widened in shock. "You never told me that."

"Not even Lu Ten knew," the man admitted. "The warriors keep to themselves. It would have put their culture in danger if people started talking about them. So many have already hunted the dragons into near extinction." A hopeful look crossed his face. "When this is over, I could see if they're willing to meet you both."

This excited the boys who grinned. Iroh returned to his instruction, having Aang hold out his hands. Gently, the man put a flame in Aang's palms. The Avatar's eyes lit up just as brightly as the fire.

"I'm doing it!" he exclaimed happily.

Iroh smiled at the enthusiasm. Slowly, he had Aang begin to separate his hands so that he could hold the fire in both. It became evident that the boy was a fast learner. This made Iroh's work simpler as they continued to go through the lesson. It seemed like Aang was a natural firebender.

"You are doing very well with this," Iroh complimented as Aang shot out a clean stream of fire through his shoe.

The Avatar grinned up at him. "Thanks!"

He went back to the former general's lesson and worked for a while longer. For the following week, Aang trained with his masters, increasingly becoming more comfortable with each element. Iroh had been watching the progress and considered what his brother's plans would be. Ideally, he could have taught Aang more techniques later to help him have enough time to perfect each one. As he had grown to discover throughout his life, few things were ideal.

"Aang," he called.

This got the boy to stop practicing his fire breaths and approach him. His eyes were full of curiosity for what he would be learning next. Iroh would have felt as much excitement if his reason for this new move were less grave.

"I am going to show you how to bend lightning. Both of you," the firebender said, turning to look at Zuko who had been watching.

Eagerly, the boy went over to them. Iroh lifted his eyes to the sky.

"You must be relaxed as you do this. Even performing this move can be dangerous if it's done improperly." Lightning sparkled on his fingers. "Let it flow through your body. You will feel it like it's a small sphere of warmth inside of you until..."

Iroh pointed his hand upwards, letting out the lightning. It shone brightly as the powerful blast made the rest of the sky seem dark in comparison. A smile was on the man's face when he looked back at his pupils.

"It is one of the most exhilarating moves that can be executed in firebending."

Both boys started repeating what they had seen him do. Nothing happened at first, frustrating them. Then Aang felt a new sensation inside of him.

"I think I'm doing it," he said, surprised.

"Relax as you do this," Iroh advised. "It should be able to channel your energy and be cathartic."

Aang nodded, taking a deep breath and continuing to work with the lightning. He heard crackling and grinned when it appeared on his fingers. Like Iroh had done, he let it out into the sky. Zuko's expression turned to one of disappointment and he tried again, hoping neither of the others were looking at him. The move refused to work for him as well. He could hear no lightning and also saw none. This irritated the firebender who began trying faster. Iroh noticed this and his eyes widened. At the rate the boy was going, he would create an explosion of lightning. His uncle put a hand on his shoulder.

"It's alright if you don't learn to do this today," he assured him.

Zuko was not satisfied with that answer and frowned at the ground before looking at Aang. "How did you do it already?"

The boy shrugged. "Maybe it's an Avatar thing."

"Everyone learns at different rates," Iroh stated. "There's no wrong or right way."

An encouraging smile was on Aang's face, but it did not really make Zuko feel better. He pretended to accept this answer while the rest of the lesson continued. When it neared the end, he began feeling a little hopeful again.

"I also want you to learn how to redirect lightning," Iroh stated. "This move is fluid like waterbending."

The familiarity of waterbending made Aang eager.

"Do not let it pass above your heart," the man instructed. "Catch the lightning with both hands and bring it over your stomach before firing it again as your own attack."

Content, the Avatar began practicing the movements. Zuko did as well, feeling even more determined. He needed to be able to do this. Iroh observed their forms.

"Well done," he complimented.

"Are we going to try now?" Zuko asked.

Iroh's eyes widened. "No," he answered, stunned.

The boy began frowning. "Why not? How are we supposed to learn how to redirect it?"

"You know the proper technique, but I'm not going to shoot lightning at either of you. A mistake could be deadly."

"Not practicing could be too," Zuko insisted, nerves filling him. "They're not going to hesitate to use lightning. We have to know how to deflect it!"

"Practice these movements," Iroh instructed firmly, then his tone took on a joking tone. "If there's a storm, you can try then."

The firebender's small smile fell when he saw how serious Zuko was taking him.

"Hopefully, neither of you will ever need to use this, but if you do, I want you to be prepared."

Zuko still looked upset, but he saw that he was not getting anywhere. He would just practice some more on his own that night. Thoughts of lightning bending stayed with him as the few remaining hours of light ended. It seemed impossible to think of anything else. He had to know how to lightning bend. He also had to learn how to redirect it. Iroh had noticed his air of fury and waited for the others to start eating before he went outside, gesturing to be followed.

"To make lightning," he said, "you need a type of clarity."

"What do you mean?"

The man paused, considering his words. "You must believe you can execute the move as much as you believe in yourself."

This seemed to confuse Zuko. "Believe in myself? So, it's a confidence thing?"

Iroh nodded. "Precisely. Those who are plagued by self doubts struggle with it."

"I don't doubt myself…that much."

Zuko could see that Iroh did not believe him. To his surprise, he saw an empathetic look on the man's face.

"I speak from experience on this matter. When I first learned it, this was the only firebending technique where I struggled."

"Really?" the boy asked.

Zuko was completely shocked by what he heard. He was somehow even more surprised to see Iroh nod his head, as though the boy had been expecting it to just have been a joke.

"I was not sure who I was outside of being in line for the throne," the former general admitted. "Preparation for that consumed so much of my time that there was never a chance to establish another part of my identity. I began to wonder who I was. For a long time, I felt more like an imposter than the crowned prince."

"When did that stop?"

"When I found something that was completely my own, separate from the palace. It allowed me to understand myself more without involving the crown."

"What was that?" Before Zuko got his answer, he regarded his uncle skeptically. "And don't say your love of tea."

"Alright, I won't," Iroh said, chuckling. "But it was nice to finally have something that did not need to be for the entire nation. Making new blends was just something for me and those I wanted to share them with. Once you discover why you have the doubt, you can begin to reverse it."

"I'll try to do that," Zuko promised.

His voice still sounded unsure and he was. He wanted to do this, but he was not certain it would be as easy as that. Maybe he would have better luck clearing his head while he was trying out the new technique. So, when the others fell asleep, he crept out of the building and returned to where they had been earlier. Zuko repeated the motions he had seen Iroh and Aang doing.

"I can do this," he thought, frowning.

Nothing. Warmth started to fill the boy, but it was from anger instead of lightning. He tried again. Nothing like before. After several more tries, he was met by the same amount of success. At this point, the former prince was furious. It took a lot to not yell as he tried to create lightning. Finally, he thought he saw a spark. Too late, he realized it was not well-controlled. He was shot backwards and into the trunk of a tree. An enraged grunt escaped the firebender. Zuko wanted to burn the tree like it had been the one responsible for his failure. Suddenly, he heard a sound behind him and turned, flames on his fists.

"Wait!" Sokka requested, holding up his hands peacefully.

Zuko stopped and lowered his hands with an apologetic look on his face. "I thought you were sleeping."

"I was, but I heard a lot of angry grumbling and the explosion didn't really help."

Zuko sheepishly looked away. "I'm trying to get the hang of lightning."

"Why not wait until your uncle and Aang are working more on it?"

"Because if I can't do it, I'll just be holding back the lesson. Aang basically mastered this already."

"Really? I wonder why he didn't mention it," Sokka mentioned, tapping his chin.

"Probably because I can't and he knows I'm mad about that." Zuko's frown deepened. "Uncle said it's because of doubt."

"Why are you being doubtful? Is it because of us? It won't be easy, but we'll take down your dad."

"No, I guess the biggest problems are caused by uncertainty of who you are. I'm…I still don't really know."

Sokka tilted his head in curiosity. "What do you mean?"

Zuko looked out towards the coast and the Fire Nation. "I don't know if I'm an exiled member of the royal family, a crowned prince who only got that position because of murder, both, or neither of those things. Maybe I'm someone who's too merciful when it comes to family or someone who betrays them for friends without a second thought."

The shorter boy went over to him. "You're my friend who's brave enough to risk his own life to help people who need him. I can't tell you who you are, but I think that's a pretty good start."

A smile appeared on the firebender's face. "Thanks."

Sokka grinned as well, then yawned. "So, can we head back before the Kyoshi Warriors think we're snooping around? I'd hate to wake Suki up to ask her to convince them to not kill us."

Zuko chuckled and followed his friend back to the building. Maybe he would be able to control lightning later. He just needed to figure out a few more answers about himself. For the time being, he would let his mind rest as much as it could. Not everyone could rest as easily as the team did. In Omashu, the soldiers received their order. They were to execute the deposed king in front of his subjects, then kill the rest of them. Some found this unnecessarily cruel. The king was probably harmless. He was just a man whose mind had no doubt withered from old age. Imprisoned below the palace, what could he possibly do to anyone? Still, it was an order and one the soldiers could not oppose without fear of being killed themselves. So, they shoved down their concerns and entered the prison. Bumi smiled at the newcomers.

"Visitors!" he exclaimed in excitement.

There was some snorting laughter which ensued. The faces of the firebenders remained serious.

"Today is the final one for your imprisonment," one soldier said.

"It is?" Bumi asked. "Interesting."

The firebenders hesitated a moment, having expected a more dramatic reaction. Bumi did not seem happy or concerned. He just seemed to take in the information. They almost wondered if it registered in his mind. Whether it had or had not, the guards began to put the prisoner's wooden trap onto a device which allowed them to roll him. The group went through the palace. Bumi saw all the bustling firebenders. His palace had been filled with them. They were starting to gather, heading in the same direction he was being taken. From the sounds outside, it seemed like a lot of the soldiers were there as well. The sun slightly hurt Bumi's eyes after so much time below ground, but he could still clearly see the group in front of him. They were his subjects, on their knees and restrained. The people looked scared–like the last of their hope in their king had been lost the moment he surrendered.

"Your weak king will be executed," one of the soldiers said, once they were on a stage. "His death will be the last thing any of you see."

There were shouts and pleas, but the soldiers were not swayed. One of them lit a fire blade and approached the king. The firebender stopped when he heard a loud rumbling. The ground shook violently and looking out to the right, he saw the earth sink in beneath the soldiers near the subjects. They cried out as they fell. These sounds were abruptly stopped when the earth closed again, trapping them. None of the subjects had moved, but the soldiers below the stage were all dead. Hardly breathing, the firebender with the blade looked back at the king. Bumi had a crazed grin on his face. He sharply turned his head, moving the earth under the stage. It broke to pieces as spikes shot up and into the soldiers. This also flung the ruler high into the air. More earth rose, catching him safely. It resembled hands as it grabbed the edges of his small prison. The trap was peeled open and Bumi emerged, stretching his neck.

"Gets cramped in there," he commented, laughing.

He heard an angry yell and saw more soldiers approaching. With a flick of his wrist, he turned the ground into quicksand. The group immediately sank up to their mouths. Before they could become fully submerged, Bumi went over and crouched down. He put a hand to his beard.

"Since you've got some time to talk, was this execution something you all thought of?"

"N-no, it was from the fire lord," someone answered fearfully.

Bumi shook his head in disappointment. "Rulers like him give the rest of us a bad name."

The king stomped the ground, causing the quicksand to engulf the soldiers entirely. He waited a moment for sounds of anyone else, but there were none. A happy laugh left him as he went down to his subjects, freeing them. They could hardly believe what was going on. Each one felt numb and yet relieved. Nearly all the subjects had expected to die. Word had been traveling through the Earth Kingdom of the Fire Nation's plans. Apparently, all of its attention was being directed at Omashu. Despite this, no one offered any aid. To some places, there was no war at all, so there was nothing to take part in. Unfortunately, denial can lead to being misled. When refugees entered Ba Sing Se, there was no one who would have suspected them as undercover Fire Nation soldiers.