Two weeks passed on Kyoshi Island. During that time, Sokka and Aang enjoyed their training. The Water Tribe Boy still could not consider himself a master of hand-to-hand combat, but he could tell that he was getting better. Aang was also improving at a steady rate. Even though he had not been given the chance to redirect lightning, he could produce it very well. It was evening when Sokka watched more of the pale light getting shot up into the sky.

"I think we should start heading back into the Fire Nation," he said.

The others turned to him. That question of when they would return had been hanging in the air for a while. It was one that few of them wanted to tackle first.

"Already?" Katara asked. "It seems like we just got here."

Sokka nodded. "It's only going to get worse out there. We're too cut off from the rest of the world. We need to know what's going on and we can't as long as we stay." He let out a soft sigh. "I'll miss this place, though."

"You'll miss her to be specific," Zuko said, a joking twinkle in his eyes.

Katara's jaw dropped as she poked her brother's shoulder. "I knew you liked Suki!"

"I never said that! Zuko did!"

"So, you don't?"

"I'll know if you're lying," Toph taunted, laughing.

Sokka felt himself flush and turned to Iroh. "Can you help me with this?"

The man chuckled. "Even if Sokka does like the young lady, he's right that we should leave. We might draw the Fire Nation here as it searches for us. It would be safer if we left."

A nervous expression crossed Aang's face. "But I have to fight the fire lord now? I feel like I need to learn more."

"Nah," Toph said. "You're a good earthbender, Twinkle Toes. Don't get used to me saying that, but there's not much else I need to teach you. As loud as all that lightning crackling is, it seems like you're good at firebending too."

"You really are," Zuko assured him. "I don't think there's a lot left for you to learn."

The former prince saw fear in the airbender's eyes. He could recognize the look.

"My father can be terrifying," he admitted.

"That doesn't really make me feel better," Aang said.

"But," Zuko added, "no one's unstoppable. He only knows firebending and you actually know more about that than he does now. You can redirect lightning."

This made the younger boy feel slightly less anxious. Katara went over to him and put a hand on his shoulder.

"And the fight doesn't need to be right away."

Sokka shook his head. "It really shouldn't even be. We're going to need some backup because of all the soldiers. We've been able to handle them where we've gone, but there'll probably be a lot more around the fire lord." The boy's face lit up with a smile. "Luckily, we've been making friends all over the world, so I don't think it'll be a problem."

"Where should we go then?" Toph asked. "We can't just show up on the fire lord's doorstep and say, 'Hey, we're gonna wait to get word back from some allies. Mind if we sleep here until then?'"

Iroh stroked his beard thoughtfully. "There's a city called Shu Jin. It's not very big and is mostly peaceful. Few soldiers ever came from the lands. It would be safer to wait there for confirmation that the allies Sokka mentioned will be able to help us when we call on them."

After a moment, Aang sighed and nodded. "Okay, I'll get Appa ready for the trip."

The Avatar left his friends and they started to gather their belongings so that they would be able to leave soon. Sokka did not waste time in going to look for his new friend. He went towards the warriors' training area, but Suki was not there. Disappointed, Sokka started returning to the village. He did not get very far before he had to duck, narrowly avoiding a fan to the head. Spinning, he saw Suki with a smile on her face. This faded some when she saw his expression.

"What's wrong?"

"We're going to be leaving."

"So soon?"

"Yeah, we can't stay too long or we won't know what's going on. I'm already a little worried about what the rest of the world is going to look like when we enter it again." Sokka began to appear curious. "But I have a question for you. Think that the Kyoshi Warriors would be willing to come help us fight?"

Suki tapped her chin in thought. "We'd still have to get past the Unagi, but we probably could figure something out. You said that it doesn't like fire, so if we used torches, maybe we could keep it away."

"I like the sound of that!"

"I can't promise that the warriors would help, though. We've gone the whole war without being involved. They might not want to change that now either."

The light in Sokkka's eyes faded, but he could understand where the girl was coming from. It was a lot to ask of anyone to join the war, especially when the clear victors had been the Fire Nation for so long. He did not blame anyone for wanting to stay hidden. Still, he hoped that they would change their minds.

"I get if they want to stay here, but if they surprise us…"

"We'll come find you. Where are you going?"

"Shu Jin in the Fire Nation. If we end up going somewhere else, we can try to get word to you."

Sokka held out his hand, offering a map. Suki regarded it in mild confusion.

"Why are you giving me this?"

"We've got plenty from this one guy we met a while back. Your maps here are probably really outdated. So now, you'll be able to find us."

The girl looked down at the scrolls with intrigue, but a sad look quickly crossed her face as she thought more about what this all meant. To make her feel better, Sokka gave her a grin.

"I didn't forget what I said. When the war's over, you'll get that world tour."

The warrior-in-training started to smile, then she looked doubtful. "You haven't even seen the whole world."

"Not yet, but who knows how much I'll have seen by the time there's peace?"

Suki chuckled. "Fair point. Well, don't stay gone too long. Good luck, Sokka."

She went over and quickly gave him a kiss on the cheek. Then she hurried off to try to find the warriors. Sokka put a hand on his cheek and nearly melted into a puddle. He managed to stay in a solid form so that he could get back to the others. He found Zuko and leaned heavily on his back.

"Let's go before I want to stay forever," he said dreamily.

Zuko half-dragged his friend onto the sky bison and was soon joined by the others. Aang went to the reins, giving one final glance to the island.

"Appa, yip yip."

The animal flicked his tail, pushing the group up into the sky. During the trip, the friends considered their allies.

"We definitely need to reach out to the poles," Katara said. "Chief Arnook said he'd help us if we ever asked."

"And then we have the fighters in Gaoling," Toph added. "The Boulder will never let me hear the end of it if we have this giant battle and don't invite him. He's not a professionally trained soldier or anything, but he's strong."

"Good point," Zuko commented. "They'd all be really helpful in the fight. Earth isn't an easy element for fire to bend against, so they could be some of the most helpful fighters."

Toph began to have a devious smile. "Are you admitting that earth is better than fire?"

"No," her friend assured her. "I'm saying that it's hard to burn rocks and do a lot of damage to them."

"Same thing."

Toph smiled proudly and Zuko frowned at her. Aang chuckled at them.

"We also need to save Bumi after this is over."

Iroh's eyebrow lifted slightly. "You know the king of Omashu?"

"Oh yeah, he used to be one of my best friends." Aang smiled hopefully. "Maybe we'll find out some about him too while we're in the Fire Nation. They have to know what's going on in the places they target."

The friends continued speaking of their plans for the battle as Appa flew more. Finally, the land of Shu Jin came into view. They found a secluded area and were able to land without anyone seeing them. Sokka quickly got off Appa's saddle and peeked around.

"Hmm, it does seem like a pretty quiet city at least. The less questions they ask, the better."

Suddenly, the boy gasped.

"What's wrong?" Zuko asked.

Sokka's face turned to a pout. "I got us those Earth Kingdom outfits, but we can't even use them here."

"Uncle and I can get some clothes for you all to camouflage." The firebender paused, looking at Aang's tattoos. "I guess a hat would work?"

"And a high collar," the airbender added, pointing to the back of his neck. "These go all around."

"Also, make sure you find something nice," Sokka requested.

Zuko squinted at him. "Why does that matter?"

"We'll still stand out in red clothes if we look weird. You're royalty. You should appreciate the finer things in life."

The former prince rolled his eyes and turned. "We'll find red clothes that hopefully fit and you'll be happy. See you when we get back."

"Someone's in a bossy mood," Sokka stated, crossing his arms.

Zuko ignored his friend's complaint as he and Iroh started walking. Before he got too far, his uncle put a cloak over his head and shoulders.

"What's this for?"

Iroh put one over himself as well. "We might be dressed to fit in, but word has no doubt spread by now. It would not be wise for us to go in completely undisguised. We could be recognized."

The boy's eyes widened in remembrance. "Right, they'd probably try to capture us and bring us back to the palace."

Sadness suddenly hit the former prince. He did not have many opportunities in the past to travel into the various cities of the nation. It was something he had always wanted to do, but it was always deemed improper for a person of royal blood to mingle with the common folk. Despite this, he had planned on sneaking out one day. Zuko just had not expected it to be under these conditions. At worst, he expected to be punished for getting caught, not killed. Iroh sensed fear in the boy and put a hand on his shoulder. This calmed him down slightly. The two of them went into the city, looking around. It was nothing like Zuko had expected.

Shu Jin was small, but it was more than that. It was rundown, nearly barren. There were people at an inn and clearly empty homes. Zuko did not need to personally witness the change in population to know that this was because of his father's rule. It almost seemed like the cloaks were not needed. No one might have noticed the fugitives anyway. They had tired looks in their eyes and walked with their heads low. It was disheartening to see. The uncle and nephew found a merchant and approached her. She turned to them with a bored expression.

"Hello stranger," she said to Iroh, then glanced down at the boy. "And little stranger."

"Hello, Miss. We were hoping to buy some clothes from you," Iroh said.

The merchant gestured to a table. "Pick what you want. They've been here for a while. There's nobody to buy them."

"Why not?" Zuko asked.

"Too many of us were drafted into the military. Not many of the original residents are left." The woman pointed behind them. "Those folks there, they're tourists. I don't know where they're from–just that they're not from here. Some say all these visitors are from the fancy cities, but I bet they're really trying to hide from the commanding officers, so they don't have to join the war too."

"Were people drafted recently?" Iroh asked.

"Real recently. That cursed attack in Omashu didn't help."

"What do you mean?"

The merchant's brow rose. "What I mean is that the king of Omashu killed our soldiers like it was nothing. Or at least that's what rumors have been saying. You know how it gets when no word comes from a colony for a while. Last thing I heard was that we were going to kill everyone, then suddenly no one heard from the soldiers–not even the newcomers over there." A huff came out of the citizen. "It's all the fault of the royals. If I ever see one…I guess I probably wouldn't do anything. They'd kill me for even daring to breathe the same air."

A heavy sigh escaped the seller before she brought her attention back to the clothes that Zuko had been putting in a pile. The boy had wanted to offer a slight distraction for himself so that he would not think of how quickly he and Iroh would be killed if anyone in Shu Jin was given the chance. He glanced up as something caught his attention. It was a mask with blue and white. It was also incredibly familiar.

"You like that?" the merchant asked.

"I do. Where did you get it?"

"I didn't. Someone found it in the sea and brought it to me. Looks nice, but no one's bought it. I guess theater masks aren't as popular as they used to be. I'll throw it in for an extra copper piece."

"We'll get that as well," Iroh said, putting it in the pile.

Although the woman did not really understand why there was interest in the item, she was happy to make the transaction. She collected the payment and the duo left with their new belongings. Zuko held the mask in his hands, looking at it with nostalgia.

"This looks like the one Mom had."

"It very well could be the same." A warm smile came to Iroh's face. "Maybe this is a sign that she is with you in this."

Zuko grinned at the thought, but this could not last for long. He stopped when he saw another familiar sight in front of him. It was a poster of himself stuck to the door of a building.

"Formerly Prince Zuko," it read, "wanted dead or alive."

There was a gold reward guaranteed to whoever could accomplish this. Zuko stared at it for a moment before putting the mask on. It was slightly too big, but it would not take him long to grow into the costume. He and Iroh kept going until they reached the others. The rest of the group accepted the new clothes.

"What's with the mask?" Sokka asked, eyebrows lifted.

"They have posters of me in the market," Zuko explained. "I'll have to use more stealth when I go out."

"But we also found out some promising information," Iroh added optimistically. "It sounds like the king of Omashu escaped."

"Great!" Aang exclaimed, eyes twinkling. "He's always been great at earthbending. We should contact him too then when we need help."

Sokka nodded. "The only problem now is trying to find something to carry the messages. It would take too long to travel to all those places."

"We have hawks in the Fire Nation," Zuko informed him. "They'd have to be trained, but they could potentially head to different places for us."

"And I can name them Hawky!"

"All of them?"

"We'll have a numbering system."

Sokka started more plans for the birds and the others began getting settled in at the new base. While they did, the two weeks had allowed spies in Ba Sing Se to infiltrate the soldiers there. It was a simple matter. Hardly any time in the city passed before a fact was made abundantly clear: people feared guards named the Dai Li. That and apparently, there was no war. The spies did not know how this rumor was kept alive, but it was. This detail was important to remember so that no suspicious glances would be gained in regular conversation. It was even useful for the plans. The Fire Nation knew fear and manipulation well. Its soldiers also knew from past failures how it could be blinding. So, if they expected nothing from the Water Tribes, maybe the Dai Li would expect nothing from those they perceived to be civilians. The spies were right. Dressing in Earth Kingdom clothing and keeping their heads low was perfect for drawing little attention, but they were paying attention. The Dai Li had certain paths they took. If noted accurately, it was an easy matter to predict where they would be and when. This is what the spies did for a pair of earthbending soldiers. The Fire Nation citizens looked as pitiful as everyone else the Dai Li agents had seen before in the city. What a surprise they felt when those low heads lifted to reveal bloodthirsty eyes.

Hands were clamped around their mouths, muffling cries of pain when fire wrapped around their heads. This was the only place the fire could go. The outfits had to be protected from flames. It would be unexplainable if there were scorch marks in the city without a war. When the agents were dead, the spies dressed in their uniforms and finished burning the bodies so that no one would find them. They had been watching the Dai Li long enough to know how they behaved. After all, they were spies, so blending in came naturally. They followed more agents back to the base and acted just as anyone would expect from them. The base was underground and they lined up with the real members of the group. Silence filled everyone's ears until a man confidently walked in front of the group.

"Talk of the war has entered my walls," the man said, an icy glare in his eyes. "Who allowed that to happen?"

There was more silence, then one agent hesitantly stepped forward.

"I did, Long Feng," he admitted. "I-I heard someone talking about Omashu, but I thought it was harmless. That king won anyway so–"

The agent stopped abruptly as earth came up to wrap around his neck. Long Feng stood in front of him, controlling the element. The expression on his face was the same as before this confession.

"There is no war in Ba Sing Se," he stated. "It seems like you need a reminder."

"No, Sir! I remember! I won't make that mistake again!"

The trap was moved away from the agent and he was pushed towards the others. He struggled to get away from them, but his attempts were in vain. The spies watched, keeping their faces from revealing how shocked they were. Long Feng looked back at the group.

"Comb through the city. Find who's talking about the war and bring them here."

Quickly, the agents left to fulfill this task. On the way out, the spies went past a room. It was filled with women chanting what the man had said earlier.

"There is no war in Ba Sing Se."

Their eyes were lifeless and their tones were monotone. It sent chills down the spines of the spies, then they picked up their pace. They felt more justified in their mission. If the Earth King was allowed to get away with this, then it was better for the world that the assassination take place.