The quiet that hung over the capital seemed too good to be true. Ty Lee knew that the war was meant to be over, and that things were going to change, but the silence, and lack of any public outcry was what surprised her; perhaps it was because there was limited access to news on what had been going on at the frontlines, and only the declarations made by the Council of Ministers.

She had spent the past two weeks trying to remain home, hiding there in the hopes that Azula wouldn't send the Dai Li after her. But they never came, and she understood why; what she had guessed had come to pass- the Avatar thrashed her, and Azula's will was bent and broken. The Council had ruled in her name, or perhaps, they had only been ruling in name; the Avatar and his group had seized the palace and freed the prisoners who had been taken after their failed attack on the capital. She only knew that because the Council declared it so, as to ensure the public or Home Guard didn't attack the now freed foreigners who were roaming their city.

Azula was what was really on her mind, however, and not the fact that the Avatar and his allies had control of the capital; she was cooped up in the palace, without her. She had been by her side until they heard about Ozai, and she felt a tinge of regret over it all. She could have remained, yet she had been unable to persuade Azula to do anything but stand to fight the Avatar. Ba Sing Se was different, that was obvious enough, and the Avatar defeated Ozai, the most powerful firebender alive, in single combat. If that didn't make Azula give up, nothing would.

She was all alone in that palace, even if she had servants and guards to serve her will; the Dai Li might have been hiding around, doing her bidding, but they were not her friends. They were tools, not people she could seek counsel from. Ty Lee did not think herself well versed in politics, but she was certainly well versed with the Princess, now Fire Lord. She would not remain silent, and would do everything she could to undermine the Avatar's peace plans. She did not know what they would involve, but given his association with the Earth Kingdom and Water Tribes, the plans could not bode well for their nation.

That was part of the reason she was walking through the capital streets, making sure to travel late in the day, when it was busy with people coming from their workplaces to go eat dinner or do their final things for the day. Though she doubted her own importance, she wouldn't put it past Azula to send the Dai Li to watch her, so losing their trail was part of her plan, even if she couldn't see them. Her destination was a relatively small manor house close by the edge of the caldera; that was where Mai and her family lived.

Mai had been apart from Azula and Ty Lee since their return from the capital, and probably was still dealing with the aftermath of her father's deposition in New Ozai. The last thing she heard was that Governor Ukano had returned to the capital, and was waiting for the Fire Lord's support on a campaign to retake his city. Ty Lee didn't miss the humour in the city named after him falling despite the victory of the Fire Nation against the invaders during the eclipse.

She hadn't spoken much with Mai since their return, only visiting a single time, to be rebuffed by Mai's parents, who held issue with her due to her fleeing the capital and joining the circus; they must have thought her a bad influence. That irritated her, as Mai was certainly independent-minded herself, and didn't need Ty Lee advising her on anything. Now, with so much having happened, she wouldn't take no for an answer, Ukano and Michi's opinions of her be damned.

When she arrived at the gates of their property, she knocked upon it, and was quickly greeted by a maid, who recognised her; Ty Lee recalled her name to be Min, and gave her a wave, not wanting to jump the gates and climb up to Mai's window, which she had done a few times when she was younger. The scoldings Mai received afterwards made her unwilling to annoy her friend's parents like that again, for the stoic girl's sake, so she restrained her desire to show off her acrobatic prowess.

"Good day, Lady Ty Lee." Min addressed her, "Are you here for Lady Mai? I didn't recall her having an outing scheduled."

"Uh... there's no outing. I- uh, want to go inside." she explained her reason for being there, "I want to talk with her."

"Oh... Lady Michi told me that I had to inform her if you came here." she explained, before gesturing to the door, "Please, follow me." she requested, using her other hand to unlock the gate.

Ty Lee pushed it open, and followed after Min, making her way through the front door, and into the foyer of the house; the maidservant paced ahead towards the staircase, and gestured up them towards the hallway.

"Lady Mai is in her room. I'll inform her of your arrival." she explained her intent, pacing up the stairs and down the hallway, leaving Ty Lee there by her lonesome.

She glanced around, noticing a painting of Mai and her parents, dated when she was around five or six years old; even back then, she was so serious and stoic. Their lives had changed so much since then, but there were things that remained the same; Azula was demanding and cocky, Mai was dour and calm, while Ty Lee had taken all the eagerness and positivity the other two lacked. She imagined that after her friend's defeat, and new status as the Fire Lord, things would be different, perhaps even more so than they were after Ty Lee left for the circus.

She glanced around, and noticed another painting of the family, much more recent with Mai's baby brother in the frame; her parents looked far more cheery in that painting, and even Mai herself seemed to be in a better mood, standing beside her father while her mother was seated holding baby Tom-Tom.

She knew that Mai had the weight of her parents' expectations over her her entire life, a stark contrast to the distant relationship she had with her own parents, competing with her sisters for their attention. With the birth of her baby brother, their attention had turned elsewhere, and she had presumably felt more open to expressing herself and even disobeying her parents. Getting to leave New Ozai with Azula might have been frustrating due to the girl's overbearing nature, but she was presumably an improvement from her parents and the boring, foreign Earth Kingdom city.

"Ty Lee." she heard Mai's voice, her expression lighting up as she turned around.

Her friend was dressed down somewhat, in loose robes and without the long sleeves and cloak that would cover the knives and stiletto launchers she liked to carry around with her. She stood beside Min, who quickly paced down the stairs, eyeing Ty Lee intently.

"I will inform Lady Michi of your arrival." she clarified, before pacing away to another hallway on the ground floor.

Once Min was gone, her friend's gaze narrowed upon her, as her hands remained steady on the railing above, "Why are you here?"

"I- uh, well, I missed you." she admitted, though that hadn't really been the most pressing motivation, "But... Azula. That's the other reason."

"Fire Lord Azula." she seemingly corrected her, something she wasn't expecting her to do; when they weren't in her presence, it was a bit weird to refer to her by any formal title, given their familiarity with the girl, "And what is there to talk about? Do you think she needs our help ruling the Fire Nation?" she bluntly asked her, and Ty Lee's lip stiffened, her eyes averting from Mai's.

"Maybe." she mumbled, not knowing if it was the right decision to try and aid her friend; she didn't know what kinds of plans she was fermenting, and what she really thought about them given their absence in her hour of need, "I wasn't there." she admitted, Mai gesturing for her to come closer.

"Let's go to my room. I feel like my mother forcing you to stand there in the foyer." she acknowledged her own feelings, something that wasn't commonplace, but evident of her continued trust in Ty Lee; that made her smile, if only for a moment, before she paced up the stairs and followed her back to her room.

Lady Michi would likely have questions for her; if anything, it might have been for Ukano's sake, given that they would presume she was in contact with Azula. With his position as a government bureaucrat and former governor of a Fire Nation colony, he would want to wring as much information from her as he could. She didn't know much more than he would, and even then, given he was still going into the office, she imagined he might actually have a better idea than she did.

She paced up the staircase, and followed Mai up to the bedroom, where her friend waited at the door; she cautiously stepped inside, and stood between her desk and her bed, in the centre of the room. The stoic girl closed the door, and her eyes met Ty Lee's.

"What happened? I mean, I've heard the official statements by the Council of Ministers... everyone should have." Mai asked her frankly, which was exactly what she had expected.

"I was with Azula, who seemed... not as happy as I would have expected." she recalled, knowing that her friend ought to have been ecstatic that her father had granted her the title of Fire Lord, though it meant a lot less when he was proclaiming himself Phoenix King, the supreme ruler of the world.

"About being the Fire Lord?" she asked, Ty Lee nodding, "A hollow victory isn't a victory at all."

"She kept up her appearances... giving the ministers orders, preparing them for the new world that her father was making. Emphasis on was." she explained what happened, remembering Azula's exact reaction to Ozai's defeat.

She was silent at first, and then she seemed amused, which was disconcerting, before she let the rage take over her fully; Azula usually didn't get angry, not even with Ty Lee and Mai, who were more questioning than the servants and soldiers she was usually ordering around. At most she would be displeased, and give them the cold shoulder and her icy glare, reminding them that she held all the Pai Sho pieces in their relationship. That didn't mean that Ty Lee didn't care for her friend; to the contrary, that was why she was so concerned when she lost all control, ordering the Imperial Firebenders to assemble and prepare for the Avatar's arrival, without considering the news for what they truly foretold: their doom.

"When she learned about her father... that the Avatar had actually beaten him, she first didn't believe it, but when she did, she didn't lose her resolve; all that displeasure became rage, directly solely at the boy." she explained what had happened, before grimacing, "I knew as soon as I heard that she wouldn't stand a chance. Ozai had gone out with a fleet of airships and still lost... and I didn't even know how."

"Did it matter?" Mai asked, sounding slightly annoyed, "Did Azula bother to listen?"

"No, of course not." she conceded, herself feeling annoyed by the fact; if she had, then perhaps she wouldn't have been forced to bend to the Avatar's will, and let him control the Fire Nation's fate.

Ty Lee was not a very political individual, but she knew Azula, and trusted in her; if she was going to be the Fire Lord, she would never accept being subordinate to an outsider, especially the Avatar.

"I told her what was going to happen, and pleaded for her to take the Dai Li and try to find another way. Escape... then she could have built a new plan, and then defeated the Avatar without facing him head on. She was being foolhardy... it reminded me..." she trailed off, not wanting to utter the name of the person she was thinking of.

"Of Zuko. They are brother and sister, after all." Mai observed, with her expression hardening upon saying his name; she hadn't seen him in over three years, and for what they had heard, he was presumed dead.

Ty Lee had reasons to doubt that, given how freely Azula had spoken of him, as if were still living; she didn't dare question her about it, as there was no benefit to her if she did. She didn't know him well, and even if Mai knew him better, she would have had the same fears. She imagined that was part of the reason she refused to be around Azula once they returned from Ba Sing Se; after all that time, she refused to tell them what had happened when she was sent to find Zuko, and catch her uncle's killer.

"And Azula just let you leave?" she asked, and Ty Lee nodded.

"Well, it was either that or me chi-blocking her Imperial Firebenders. She let me go... though I could tell she was mad at me."

"Not mad enough to force you to stay, though." Mai noted, raising a finger to her chin, "So, what can either of us do about anything? Azula is a prisoner in her palace, and I doubt she'll want to hear our advice... if what you've already told me is indicative of her mood."

"I just... I feel that I should try and be there for her." Ty Lee admitted her feelings; even if she knew that Azula wasn't the kindest friend or most approachable person, she had helped her in the past, and Ty Lee her.

All that time they had spent together as children had to count for something; the weight on her heart was not overbearing, but she found it hard to ignore. Azula's father was thrown in some cell, and for all they knew, she might be forbidden from ever speaking with him again; Zuko was gone, and whether he was dead was irrelevant. Mai and Ty Lee were all she had, and that fact obligated her to do something. If she was kicked out of the palace and forbidden to return, she'd accept it, but she had to try first.

"You can try that." Mai responded, not sounding very hopeful, though like usual, her voice was dry and barely showing any emotion, "She might not want your support... but you're right, she probably needs it."

"She's human like the rest of us. People need people... and I mean, the servants and guards are people, but none of them know Azula as a person, and she doesn't know them." she explained her thoughts, before cupping her face in her hands, "I don't want to be a burden... but I- we're her friends. We're meant to be there for her."

"I think you should ask... maybe send a letter in or something. Just don't run in there... I imagine she's got a lot of work to do."

"Y-yeah..." she nodded, before pursing her lips, "Run, no... but what about the catacombs?"

"Do you want to get captured by the Dai Li? That's a pretty easy way to do it."

"Heh... well, I'd still get to Azula either way." she suggested, and Mai rolled her eyes.

"You're not listening. Just... go about it cautiously. If there's anything you should avoid, it's annoying her more than you might have already." she warned her, before her eyes turned to the door; Ty Lee noticed some footsteps, and a few moments later, the door opened wide, revealing Lady Michi, Mai's mother.

She had a pleased look on her face, though she couldn't be sure if that was simply what she wanted Ty Lee to see, and not representative of her actual emotions. She and Mai were similar in that sense, able to mask their emotions with their faces, though Mai clearly preferred to show nothing rather than a lie.

"Ty Lee." she addressed her calmly, "It is good to see you."

Those words rang hollow after their most recent interaction, but she didn't want to start a spat with the woman; she was trying to look out for her daughter, and that wasn't something she could get mad about.

"Hi." she raised a hand to wave, before clearing her throat, recalling what Min had said, "Did you have anything to ask me?"

"Why in fact, I do." she nodded, stepping closer; that seemed to annoy Mai, who clenched her hand on the back of the chair she was sitting on, though her face remained as calm as ever, "You have spent more time with her majesty recently than my daughter... Can you tell me what is going on? We are simply... worried for the state of our country."

"I'm sorry, but I haven't been back to the palace since the Comet. I left when I learned the Avatar was coming." she told her the truth, which made Michi sigh, turning her eyes away.

"I wished otherwise... Ukano has not been told much by his own superiors, and he was Governor of New Ozai. It's like they want to hide what is going on." she explained her own thoughts, which didn't surprise her.

She was suspicious of the Avatar and the Council of Ministers which were supposedly ruling in Azula's name; nameless bureaucrats and demanding foreigners ruling their country was a bad look, especially after a century of fighting said foreigners and subordinating said bureaucrats to the will of the Fire Lord. Ty Lee didn't know what to think about the state of affairs, but it was better than a civil war, or worse, Azula dying at the hands of the Avatar.

"Well, they're probably trying to make sure things don't go out of control. There's supposed to be an armistice right now." she explained her own thoughts, knowing from the public announcements that an armistice had been declared only a day after Azula's defeat; that meant that nobody could fight, whether that be the Fire Nation attacking the Earth Kingdom or the other way around.

"I doubt that will last for long. The Fire Nation has won the war." Michi spoke up, before glancing at her daughter, "Could you go and speak with her majesty?"

"If they'd let me into the palace." she warned her, before narrowing her eyes, "And what's to say I'd do that."

Her mother "She's your friend."

"She's a liar." she retorted, before raising a finger, "If she tells me where her brother is, then I'll have a reason to believe anything she says."

"Prince Zuko is dead." Michi retorted, her tone sounding more solemn than stern, "Do you need her to tell you that?"

"No, he isn't. It was never confirmed." Mai snapped back, "Tell her, Ty Lee. What did Azula say?"

"That... uh, he was gone. Not dead. She never once said 'Zuko is dead'."


Azula's eyes fell upon her brother, who was curled up by the rear wall of his cell; he had only been there two days, and had refused to say all that much to her, other than to request food, water, and other essentials. He hadn't asked for new clothes, which amused her, making her wonder if he wanted to try and run away looking as he did, ragged and destitute. His eyes rose up to meet her own, his left eye's permanent scowl making him look angry, though it was hard to gauge his emotions; he looked to be waiting, either for her to tell him something, or to find a chance to make his escape.

Now, at the very least, she had something to prod him with; she knew his suspicions, and understood that they were well founded. Admiral Zhao had most likely paid the pirates to kill Zuko, who was getting in the way of his own plans to capture the Avatar; the pirates had dated gold that could have only reasonably come from Zhao or someone of comparable station, and the fact that her brother was the Blue Spirit only confirmed his motivations. He had freed the Avatar from Pohuai fortress, presumably so he could capture him himself and take him back to his ship; he failed, and then, when Zhao figured out what she had, the Admiral made a foolish choice.

"Brother... I have news." she addressed him, placing her hands on the bars of the cell, "Admiral Zhao's invasion of the North Pole was a complete and utter failure."

"Hah." he mumbled, sounding pleased with the result, ignorant of the massive casualties their nation's navy had just taken; if she told him that, his mood would likely shift.

She decided not to, knowing that there was something far more relevant to discuss, "He was able to escape on his battleship, which is badly damaged and in port for essential repairs and resupply. He will likely be gone by the day's end." she warned, knowing that he would need to sail further west to one of the colonial shipyards to have his battleship repaired properly.

That caught her brother's attention; they locked eyes, and when she did not respond, Zuko rose to his feet.

"You already suspect him." he observed, before he raised an accusing finger, "He has committed high treason. He had Uncle killed." he stated what he believed, his slow speech and rising volume indicative of his rage; that was what made him useful to her, and to their father.

"There is plausible deniability... even if I believe it. Those pirates he hired, what happened to them, might I ask?" she pressed, the Prince's eyes widening.

"No." he gasped, his hands rising to head, "Shit, shit, shit." he muttered under his breath, "I got a confession... but I- shit!" his voice rose, throwing his hand around to punch down into the bed beside him, "I'm an idiot!"

"No, Brother, there was nothing idiotic about that." she tried to reassure him; if anything had given her confidence in her brother's abilities, it was that report she heard about the destruction of the pirates, "Those men had committed a grievous crime. They would have been condemned to death if their involvement was discovered... you simply, accelerated the judicial process."

That seemed to amuse her brother, although his eyes remained cold and sharp, "If you don't have a confession, then you can't do anything."

"I do not have a charge to arrest him with. I mean, as Crown Princess, I have express authority to detain anyone I please, but I don't think the courts will agree when it comes down to a trial." she explained her ability to act, "However, I could arrest you for your treasonous little stunt at Pohuai Fortress."

"Is that a threat?" he scoffed, "I'm already in a cell. You could have already done that. You have the mask, you have the swords... you could even interrogate those colonists for evidence."

Azula pursed her lips, pleased that her brother was at least aware of the dire circumstances he was placed in; however, she wasn't there to arrest her brother, even if she was fully capable of throwing all the blame on him for letting the Avatar out of Pohuai Fortress, and thus allowing him to destroy Zhao's fleet at the North Pole. In fact, she admired his grit and determination; it was perhaps the only thing she could say she liked about her brother.

"Then again, I cannot blame you for what you did, Zuzu. If I was in your shoes then, I would have killed Zhao right there for trying to upstage me." she acknowledged what she might have done in those circumstances; she imagined that if he had the guts for it, he would have done the same- of course, now he had no shortage of guts, but that was far too late to prevent what had befallen their uncle.

"You-" he mumbled, before hammering his fist into the bed once more, "I should have just gotten on one of those ships. He'd already be dead."

"That's probably true." she agreed, before crossing her arms, "And it would have prevented the deaths of hundreds of sailors, and the capture of thousands of soldiers."

"Wh-what..." he murmured, turning around to face her, "How many people died?"

"The reports cannot be confirmed for some time... but Zhao has the blood of thousands on his hands, that is obvious enough. The Avatar was able to merge with the Ocean Spirit, and destroyed the invasion force."

"The Avatar?" he gasped, "But... the boy is-" he murmured, "He's a pacifist."

"That is clear, but I doubt the spirits give any consideration to human lives." she acknowledged, pointing towards Zuko, "I don't want to hear you step around it any longer: Are you the Blue Spirit?"

His face showed the anguish he felt, the guilt that came from knowing what he could have prevented, but he mustered only a stare, "Does it even matter what I say? You'll just tell Father whatever you like."

"Forget about Father. This is about Zhao. He is a traitor, and you want your justice, don't you?"

"Why are you asking me this? You already said the courts will just let him go." he argued, and Azula let out a sigh.

"Yes, but that does not stop anyone from taking... unilateral actions."

His eyes widened and he stepped forward, understanding what she meant with that euphemism, "You're going to let me take him?"

"Let you?" she raised a brow, before laughing, "No, I won't do this without a price."

"A price?" he scoffed, "You want the throne? Take it for all I care... I want justice." he declared, and the Princess raised a finger.

"You have but two choices, Zuko. You remain in this cell, and I will tell Father... something. Whatever will help us all save face, and you will return to your rightful station as Prince of the Fire Nation. You will come with me, and we will capture the Avatar. Then Father will allow you to return home, as he promised." she gave her brother the first option; though she expected some kind of positive reaction, his cold eyes told her that he wanted the second option.

"Go on." he told her, his stern tone reminding her more of their father than the boy she knew.

"Or... you were able to escape this cell, and you disappeared. Whatever happens to Zhao... that is not on me, it is on you... but you will stay away. Remain 'dead', as you were, and I will never send a soul after you. I will make sure you can have your peace: no expectations, no exile, even. You could go live in the homeland under a new name, for all I care." she gave him a possibility she thought he might like, even if she would prefer he take the first option; however, the opportunity to have Zuko do what she wanted, and get out of her way, was too valuable to pass up.

"I know... I know what you want." he mumbled with a sour look.

"Well, of course, the throne." she confirmed his suspicions, "The throne is mine." she stressed, tapping her brother on the chest through the bars; he stepped back, and looked up to the roof.

"You're a terrible sister, you know that, right?"

"Oh, but I didn't start this little feud, Brother." she retorted, "Mother did."

"And why does that matter? She's been gone for years."

"It doesn't. I want what is mine, and you want your justice." she reminded him, "Our past disputes... well, they shouldn't interfere with your decision."

He huffed, before he dropped down to a cross-legged position, seating himself on the floor, "Fine. Let me go, and I'll... well, Prince Zuko will be gone."

"And the Blue Spirit remains." she joked, though her words were a true observation of what would occur, "I cannot say I envy your position here."

"You have put me in it... but I- I am tired, Azula. I will not continue playing this stupid game with the Avatar. It has only brought me pain." he acknowledged, before raising a hand towards her, "So, how will it go?"

"I open the cell... you get... hmmm..." she trailed off, wondering how she ought to let her brother take a single victory, "I will allow a single free hit. You'll have your chance, but publicly, I cannot let you escape. So, use the chance." she warned him, "If you are caught by Zhao's men, well... you will face whatever comes to you."

"I accept that." he nodded, before she leaned over to the door, twisting the key in its lock to open it.

She pushed it slightly, making it swing open slowly, and stepped inside the cell, eyeing up her brother as he rose to his feet, "Any last words, Brother? I don't expect to see you again."

"I wish things could have been different between us... but you're right, Mother and Father got in the way of that. We wanted to please them both, and only one could get what they wanted." he acknowledged the circumstances of their childhood; she was amused by his self-awareness, but it pinched at her heart, reminding her that she had never really gotten what she wanted- her mother's love.

"Is that it? Are you just trying to make me feel bad?"

"No, I wanted you to know, because I'm sure you feel the same, even if you'll never admit it." he admitted, before placing a hand on her shoulder; the calloused, burn-marked hands contrasted starkly with her own, "You think being Crown Princess is better... but I knew Uncle. I knew what all that responsibility did to him. Just remember that when you finally have everything you want."

"He failed, Brother. I cannot." she argued, and he looked ready to laugh, before he threw his head forward, headbutting her in the nose, making her grunt and cry out as she was thrown back, slamming into the wall; before she could even react, her brother kicked her square in the gut, winding her immediately.

"Ah..." she gasped out, struggling for air as she slumped down, both furious and impressed that her brother had dealt with her so easily, "That was two." he mumbled, her brother just shrugging.

"You didn't get this." he gestured to his burn-covered eye, "Consider yourself lucky."

As her brother dashed away, her mind turned to the reasons she had justified for allowing him to pull such a stunt. She wanted him gone, but then again, she could have just thrown him into the Boiling Rock and forgotten about him. However, whatever sentiment remained in her for her brother, it tugged on her, telling her to just let him run rampant. Perhaps it was just because she wanted to see the beast that lived within the boy, and make a fine end to the now disastrous career of Admiral Zhao.

Her mind refused to turn to her uncle; she did not want to feel bad for the dead, and she could only really pity her brother, who had to deal with the loss far more bluntly than she had. Iroh had wanted to serve 'the heir' so dutifully, and it had gotten him killed; despite her pain, she couldn't help but laugh at the idea that he had gone to all that trouble to try and guide Zuko, when all his work was now for naught. Zuko was so consumed by revenge that he probably hadn't even considered that he was acting exactly as she imagined their father would; not that he would care, but neither did their father.

"You died for him, but he's still Ozai's son."


The catacombs were dark and smelt of ash, the only light being from the torch that was held by the Dai Li agent in front of her; his name was Guang, and he was the Dai Li's messenger boy, the one they trusted to contact her while they were hiding from the Avatar and his cronies. That didn't mean that he was young, naive, and stupid; to the contrary, he was one of the calmest and stealthy of the lot, chosen because of those very traits. The agents had quickly learnt not to annoy the Princess and get straight to the point, and that was exactly what Guang did.

"A coded message came to the messenger hawk coop. This was a message that only could have been encoded and deciphered by a Dai Li agent." he prefaced himself, Azula raising a finger and flicking it, telling the agent to just get on with it.

She could not disappear from the palace for very long without somebody taking notice, especially the blind girl, whose senses were attuned and ready to spot something unusual like her going into the catacombs.

"It was a report detailing the assault on Ba Sing Se... thorough descriptions were made of the enemies who our agents faced." he clarified, "I will not bore you with all of them, as most could not be identified as anyone of note to the Dai Li. However, there were three that would be of interest to you, your majesty."

"Who?" she pressed, the agent pulling out some sketches that looked rather rushed, drawn onto some spare sheets of paper.

He pulled up one and handed it to her, "Admiral Jeong Jeong, deserter from the Fire Navy. He has a bounty of a fifty thousand ban." he named the man, whose face she hadn't recognised, though he seemed rather gruff and serious, with messy hair, a scar lining the side of his face, and a small goatee and moustache.

"That traitor finally reared his head to aid our enemies... that doesn't surprise me." she admitted, and he turned over to the next sketch.

"Major Piandao, former commander and swordsmanship instructor in the Fire Nation Army. He had a bounty in the Earth Kingdom equivalent to ten thousand ban... when he was an active serviceman." he identified the next individual, whose face was rather plain and unassuming, with thick eyebrows and a trim moustache and goatee.

She had heard of the man, as he had been the one to instruct her brother in swordsmanship when he was young. She recalled that he had left the army after refusing to fight, and forces were sent to impress him back into the Army. She did not know why they stopped after fighting him, though she guessed her uncle might have had something to do with it, given he was a stickler for 'honourable' men like the swordmaster.

Knowing that, she wasn't surprised when she saw the next face, "Prince Zuko, your elder brother. Presumed dead until he was identified by our agents." he named him.

He looked quite different to what he had when she last saw him; he looked trim and proper, with a full head of hair, bangs obscuring his scar. She could not forget his eyes, however, and did not doubt it for a second.

He seemed to realise her lack of surprise was indicative of her knowledge, "You knew he was alive."

"I did." she nodded, before stiffening her lip, realising that she might have been a bit too overconfident, "Well, I presumed he hadn't run off and gotten himself killed in the wilds by a wild animal or some bandits."

She turned her eyes away from the agent, actually then considering what he was saying; her brother had made himself a traitor, and not in any weak sense that Admiral Zhao might have called him. Her brother had aided enemies of the Fire Nation in taking Ba Sing Se from the hands of the Fire Nation. His treason was unsurprising as his sudden appearance, given his sentimental attitudes; he did not hold the Fire Nation's interests at heart, as she did, but only his own personal sensibilities, like their uncle before him.

She could have demanded a bounty on his head for that, and she would be justified, but that would also involve making his status public knowledge. That would make him a very obvious tool for her enemies to use against her. Though she did not want to dwell on it, the news was hard to ignore; Guang had come to her knowing that fact, and presumably had tried to lessen the blow by discussing the other two traitors first.

"Did you require us to do anything about them?"

"Jeong Jeong I doubt you could find... the Fire Nation hasn't." she considered the first of the lot, before narrowing her eyes, "Piandao is... well, I will have the Intelligence Service look into him and his movements." she decided, knowing that it would be a scandal to declare the man a traitor when he was well renowned in the Fire Nation, despite his refusal to fight again in the Army.

Her brother was the most problematic of the lot, and she didn't know what she could do, especially given that he would have made himself scarce from Ba Sing Se as quickly as he appeared; her brother had not revealed himself at any prior point, and she could not deal with the massive scandal that would come from his treason being public, especially because of how it would endear him to her detractors.

She doubted he wanted anything to do with the throne, as his prior actions had told her he only cared for his own wellbeing and principles. How he could justify aiding their enemies in taking Ba Sing Se, she could not understand, at least without interrogating him.

"And your brother?"

"If you tried to arrest him, he would kill a dozen of you before you shackled him." she warned him bluntly, knowing her brother's abilities were not to be underestimated, "Not that I want him in my custody. If he makes himself known in the homeland, then you have my express permission to do just that... but not otherwise. We have an accord."

"Would conquering a city from you break that accord?"

"Not when it isn't public knowledge." she stressed, "You know because you have eyes everywhere... the general public is unawares, and will remain so." she stated her intent as clearly as she could, before turning her eyes back, wondering if the blind girl could sense her at that very moment.

Azula hated lacking control, and though she was keeping up her appearances, remaining cool and collected in front of the agent, she knew that she was more afraid than he was; if found, he might get thrown in a cell, but he would be extradited back to the Earth Kingdom. If she was found by her ever-watchful enemies, she could be thrown in a cell in her own home, and have the reins of the Fire Nation taken from her and granted to a council of self-interested ministers who could claim all the authority they desired, if they only did the Avatar's bidding.

"Cowards." she snarled under her breath, Guang clearing his throat.

"Who, your majesty?"

"The Council. If they had any guts, they would have had the Intelligence Service assassinate the Avatar and his cronies as soon as they got comfortable."

"That would have cost them their lives... and restarted the war." he reminded her, and Azula held back a laugh.

"Exactly... they're cowards." she emphasised her point, before scrunching her lips; by that same definition, she could call herself a coward, even if she would never admit such a thing.

The war was over, and though she hated to admit it, especially when she wasn't being interrogated by her captors, she knew there was no other path ahead. Killing each other would only lead to more chaos, more suffering, more pointless conflict that would not be in the interest of the Fire Nation. The path of progress had faltered, her father's defeat made that clear enough. Whether he was really acting in the interest of progress was another question, but it had been her idea, after all; she had thought the Avatar would fall, that the Earth Kingdom would have bent to their might, and they would have had peace.

"But there is no other option than to cooperate." Azula admitted the truth, "For now, at least. If your countrymen decide to take matters into their own hands, then I will not be so cooperative." she warned Guang, whose eyes darted about, telling her that he was thinking about that coming conflict.

"Our cooperation was meant to end the war." he told her what the Dai Li had done; though they had acted out of self-interest, a well-intentioned patriot could have supported their actions- the war was already over by that point, and it was just a matter of making the people of Ba Sing Se realise that, "What should I tell my comrades back in the Crystal Catacombs?"

"To watch, and be patient." Azula decided, "The situation must be tense there... It is only a matter of time before the people begin to feud amongst themselves. They lost the war, after all... and someone has to take the blame." she gave her thoughts, Guang nodding with a small smirk; he seemed to understand her reasoning.

The Dai Li hid the war, but they did not lose it. The Earth Kingdom's military was sorely outmatched, and it was only the Avatar and his cronies stopping the drill that had stopped her from seizing the city directly. That fact would not have changed after the eclipse, nor after the failures during the comet. So, when the time came for the people to make their choices, which they would, with their government basically dismantled and their military proven ineffectual, she did not think they would simply choose to restore a useless King and the Council of Five.

The Order of the White Lotus might try to restore the status quo, but she had seen the city for all its warts and sores; the Fire Nation had simply subsumed the original power structure, with the Dai Li at the top, and the nobles doing their bidding, so they could hoard their wealth and reign from their palatial manors in the Inner Ring. That could not last forever, and she knew the divide could be abused terrifically to her advantage.

"I will give the word, your majesty."

"Good. I will await any further news... use the servants. Speaking directly like this is dangerous for all of us." she warned him, and Guang bowed, before pacing off into the darkness.

"Wait." she raised a hand, and lit a flame in it.

He turned around, his face dimly lit by her blue flames, "What is it?"

"I will need you to keep an eye on the Ministers. The Intelligence Service does not directly report to me, but the minister. He cannot be trusted at this time... so, I want the Dai Li eyeing in their stead. Weekly reports on their activities, who they meet with, where they shop, eat, party. I want everything... every dirty secret, every little lie they might try to tell me. Understood?"

"Crystal clear." Guang nodded, before bowing once more.

"Go. Someone will have noticed my absence by now." she warned, and turned around, hastily making her way back to the staircase, and strode up it, before opening the secret door in front of her.

Once it slid open, she found herself back in her quarters, inside the closet. It was the safest way into the catacombs, which might have seemed to the senses of the blind girl just an annex, a small storage space or cleaning closet where the servants might have gone, and not the labyrinth that it truly was. The structure was complex and winding, and each end may have just looked like a basement to somebody unfamiliar with it. She certainly hoped that the girl hadn't grown interested in the tunnels, given that as an earthbender, and a blind one at that, she must have held some affinity for caves and all their ilk.

Once she opened her door back into her room, she strode over to her desk and sat down, continuing the reading she had been doing before the agent's arrival. She had requested books on the earlier conflicts between the Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation, written prior to the earlier passing of Sozin's Comet, and the destruction of the Air Nomads. What she had received was useful, though not as much as she would have hoped, given the texts were primarily written for propaganda purposes to justify her great-grandfather's policies.

The earlier conflicts had been localised to the western Earth Kingdom, and were primarily concerned with conflicts between the Fire Nation and the various warlords that ruled the provinces. The wars were framed as being defensive of the trade interests of the Fire Nation, which she knew was farcical; the Fire Nation wanted to secure their power over the colonies, which could only be assured with the proportional weakening of the Earth Kingdom. At least, that was what she believed; the texts framed things differently, stating the colonies to be a byproduct of the wars, not their end goal. Viewing their nation's achievements as accidents was amusing, but not helpful when she had to justify their existence at peace negotiations.

She glanced back down at the sketches that Guang had handed her, eyeing the crude depiction of her brother, "Fool." she derided him and all he had done.

He had made things worse by aiding their enemies, and all she could wonder was what drove him to act so foolishly. She knew he had his sensibilities, his moral compass, which would drive him to make irrational decisions, but Zuko had always struck her as the patriotic type. He had received his damning scar because he stood for the lives of soldiers who were in line to be sacrificed in the name of a greater victory. She could call her brother stupid for saying that in front of their father, but she wouldn't dare to deny his patriotism.

She had expected that eventually his patriotism and loyalty would force their father to rescind his banishment; it wasn't because that was comparable to fulfilling the demand of his exile, but because someone would leak the reason for Zuko's banishment to the soldiery, rumours would spread, and the hundreds of thousands of men and women fighting for their nation would make a case for his instalment as Fire Lord over the indifferent and unpatriotic Fire Lord Ozai.

She had agreed with her father's actions at the time, believing her brother to be weak and disloyal for criticising the war council, but even she hadn't known the whole reason behind the Agni Kai. When she learned about the 'sacrificial division', as it came to be known, she was not surprised, but frustrated that her father had used such a flimsy, morally questionable justification to scar Zuko and exile him. She would have much preferred that he was exiled for something tangible, that could truly be declared an action against their nation, so that it couldn't eventually come back as a weapon for her father's critics. Now, she realised that even if he wasn't consistent, given his support for their enemies, Zuko could still be touted as a far more palatable option for the throne.

If the truth behind the Agni Kai came out, and the truth about her brother's involvement with the White Lotus, then she'd have to worry about two sides coming to depose her. There were those that saw her as her father's successor, and henceforth somebody who would not protect their soldiers and citizens, unlike her honourable brother. There were then those that saw Zuko as an advocate for peace between the Four Nations, who would ensure that the war would be over for good, with the world brought finally to an age of peace and prosperity. She could not be palatable for both sides at the same time, nor the general public, who might have become exhausted with the war, given their defeats during the comet. Nobody would want to continue the war, but many would desire their government to stand for something, whether that was a lasting peace, or the solidification of their gains, earned with blood, ash, and sweat.

She heard a knock upon her door, and raised her head up, realising she was far too immersed in hypotheticals; her brother might never return to the Fire Nation, let alone the palace, and everything he had done didn't tell her that he was seeking the throne. She imagined he would have joined forces with the Avatar publicly if that were the case; it was possible that he disagreed with the specific methods they were using, though that would be contradicted by the fact he aided their enemies in taking Ba Sing Se.

"What is it?" she called out, and after a few moments of silence, she heard the timid voice of a servant.

"Y-your highness." a young woman addressed her before quickly correcting herself, "I mean, your majesty... the Avatar had requested your presence in the tearoom." she explained her reasoning, and Azula let out a sigh.

She imagined that the boy would want to try and coax her into changing her stance on the peace settlement; it would never work, but at the very least, she had to entertain him, and give a little hope of more compromise, so she could get some more concessions, and better than dealing with the Earth Kingdom delegates that would eventually arrive, she could try and sway the boy himself to a more nuanced position. He had little reason to trust her, and she had no intention of lying to his face; trust was something hard to earn, and now that she was wearing the other shoes, she loathed it.

"I will be out in just a moment." she spoke back to the servant, and she could hear her footsteps pattering away; she was probably going to go tell Aang that she would join him, leaving Azula to make her own way.

That was, of course, under the direct supervision of the Earth Kingdom fighters that were stationed outside and within her quarters; she was just lucky that they didn't go into her room other than to make checks for signs of interlopers. They had never gone into her catacomb entrance, so they wouldn't find the evidence they so desired.

She quickly adjusted her robes, making sure she was trim and proper when stepping outside, before she approached the doors, and knocked upon them. A few moments later, the doors opened slightly, revealing a middle-aged Earth Kingdom man, whose glare was cold and uncaring; her guards wore face-covering helmets, so she could never easily discern their emotions. The foreigners, however, were more than willing to make their feelings clear.

"Are you wanting to be escorted to the Avatar?" he asked her, and she tilted her head, amused that he'd even ask that.

"What, am I meant to believe you'd let me go on my own?" she questioned him back, and he raised his chin.

"Well then." he didn't answer her question, but told her all she needed to know; they would be escorting her everywhere she needed to go inside the palace, unless that place was within her own quarters, "Do you need anything?" he gestured inside, and she shook her head, "Good, let's get moving."

As she stepped out, she decided to press them on what they knew about Aang's request, "And do you know why the Avatar wants to speak with me?"

"Because he's still willing to talk you out of your plans." another fighter answered her question, implicitly telling her they'd prefer violence.

"Don't think things will go so easily just because my father was defeated." she warned them, "I too would prefer to talk."

"Because you think you'll win, ay?" the first fighter asked her, his suggestion that the Fire Nation would win in a conventional conflict amusing her.

"Oh, well, I don't know exactly who the Avatar will side with if you attack us first." she prodded them, her sarcasm a poor imitation of innocence; they were meant to see through it, and they did.

"Shut up, girl." the fighter warned her, and Azula might have usually been offended by his attitude, but she much preferred an argument to silence.

"I'd say make me... but then you'd go and shackle me to the floor again." she prodded them, before chuckling as she paced ahead of the fighters, "If you can make a reasonable argument for why I should even consider being afraid of your paltry army, then I'll zip my lips shut until we get to the tearoom."

The silence was telling.


The guard that lay on the ground in front of Zuko reminded him that there was no taking back his decision; he looked down at the mask in his hands, which he had retrieved from the armoury of the ship, where he expected to find it, alongside his dao. All his decisions had led up to that moment, and all he could feel was rage; not at Zhao, who was responsible for the pirates, and his uncle's demise, but at himself.

He was the Blue Spirit; he had tried to deny it, again and again, when his sister pressed him, but the choice to don the mask and sneak into Pohuai Fortress was something he didn't regret at the time, but he would have done things differently, now knowing what all his bluster had gotten him. Perhaps, he could have tried to seize the ship that would have taken the Avatar to the homeland, but that would have just gotten him in a far more direct confrontation with Zhao.

The inevitability of the clash made him feel less angry towards himself, but the guilt would never falter; his uncle, the man he trusted more than anyone else, was dead, all for his own stupid spat with Zhao. He realised that his first mistake was letting him live, when he could have burned his face off back in that yard; Zuko would never make that mistake again.

He fastened the mask to his head, and rushed down the hallway, knowing he wouldn't have long before Azula would have to try and recapture him; she could try to let him go, at least for long enough to kill Zhao, but he doubted she would give him anymore than that. Azula had never been one to lose face intentionally. The pattering of metal beneath his feet reminded him of his ship, which lay at the bottom of some bay he didn't know the name of.

He didn't know where his crew had gone, but if Azula had been truthful about Zhao's invasion, it was likely that many of them had died in his bluster; that in and of itself was enough reason for the man to die, but Zuko could not deny the personal grudge he held. He had tried to be the better man, to be honourable and dignified.

"There is no honour in being a pawn." he muttered under his breath, assuring himself that he was acting of his own accord.

As he rushed out onto the deck of the ship, the Imperial Firebenders who occupied the ship rose to fight him; they were presumably stationed there to guard from outsiders, but that didn't make them any less prepared to fight him.

"He's out!" he heard one of them exclaim, and Zuko grit his teeth, his screams muffled by the mask.

He held no ill will towards the men, but they would not stand in his way; flames coursed from his palms, allowing him to launch up into the air, before he spun around, flames charging at his sole. The fire from his foot blasted one Imperial Firebender off his feet, and nearly right past the railing; he was just lucky he hit the deck first, and not the water. Zuko ran right past him, leaping onto the gangway, and ran down it with haste, drawing out his dao as he saw a pair of non-bender soldiers stationed on the pier.

"What in the-" one of them gasped out, only to be pulled out of the way by his comrade, avoiding Zuko's flaming kick as he leapt from the gangway.

He didn't bother attacking either soldier, and rushed down the pier, already having spotted Zhao's badly damaged battleship by the end of it. He knew he might have to swim away, but Zuko knew how to; that would be enough, and without armour to weigh him down, he was certain he wouldn't die as undignified a death as drowning.

He had almost drowned when his ship was attacked, his heavy armour weighing him down; he would have sunk into the bay if he hadn't cut his bindings off and got rid of it before he ran out of air. The thought of experiencing that again scared him, so he wouldn't wear armour, even if it might have helped him disguise himself and get into Zhao's ship.

As he dashed down the pier, a few guards came off one of the ships, rushed down a gangway to stop him; they drew out their pikes, and aimed them at him, but Zuko just dropped down, skidding on along the ground between them, before he shot them in the back with a flurry of fireballs. They stumbled, and gave Zuko the time he needed to escape, running down the pier.

A group of firebending soldiers rushed down a boarding gangway, and moved into form in his path; they were innocent, at least of killing his uncle and threatening his own life, but he knew that they would kill him if he didn't fight back. That was what they were trained to do- to them, he would have just seemed like any other crazed assassin, so he had to play the part, if only for his own sense of dignity. The old him was dead, and something else had to rise up to replace the coward he didn't want to be; that boy could come back one day, even if his sister denied it, but for that moment, he needed to let out all his rage.

"Stop him!" the commanding officer ordered his fellow firebenders, the group stepping forward, aiming their left hands towards Zuko while they charged flames in their other hands.

He grit his teeth, and spun his dao around, before setting them alight. They seemed a little intimidated, but the blades alone would not repel their attacks. When they shot out six fire streams, all aimed at his torso, he drew the blades in front of himself, using them to direct the firebending to either side as he ducked his head behind them, hoping his training would be enough. The blades quickly heated up, but the flames parted out of his way, allowing him to continue his rush.

Then he screamed, letting out his visceral rage, imagining each of them to be just like the pirates he slew; each of them had screamed, shouted, and cried for mercy, but Zuko was never that kind. If his sister really thought they were so different, he was going to prove her wrong in the span of a few minutes. He swung each dao across the masks of the firebenders closest to him, setting them alight, before he slashed their shins, forcing them to the ground.

More replaced them, throwing their fists towards him, hoping they could set his own garbs alight. He slashed up their arms, and stabbed each in their calves as he stepped past them, before he spun himself around, bending the flames away from his swords and onto the remaining soldiers. They cried and shouted, raising their hands to try and defend themselves, but he had gotten the victory he needed. He did not relent to continue running, and approached Zhao's battleship quickly enough; the firebenders ran after him, but in their heavy armour, they could not hope to catch up, at least before he had already gotten on the ship.

Zhao's own guards had come down to confront him, presumably having heard the commotion down the pier, but Zuko ignored them, instead leaping from the pier onto the rear of the ship, which was far lower than the main deck, being where the ship would lower its steamers or landing crafts. There were a few sailors right there, but they ran from him in terror rather than attempting to stop him. Zuko stepped over to the open door, and eyed down the hallway into the dark interior.

"He'll be up there." he muttered under his breath, momentarily glancing up at the superstructure before he ran inside.

The hallway was straight and narrow, and led him to a fork, where he spotted the stairwell; some officers were standing there, covered with bandages and armed only with what he knew to be ceremonial jian swords; their eyes turned to Zuko, and upon seeing the mask of the Dark Water Spirit, they must have realised why he was there, even if they had no idea that Zuko and the Blue Spirit were one and the same.

"It's him!" one of them gasped in fear, grabbing the other officer and shoving him down the hallway before he broke into a sprint.

Zuko might have laughed, but he did not find any humour in his circumstances. As he ran up the stairwell, his mind turned to the bandits he had slain a week prior; they had nothing to do with his uncle, but he killed them anyway. They had threatened the lives of innocents; the bandits might have been deserters, who had given up on their fight against the Fire Nation, but that did not make them any less his enemy.

They wanted to slaughter the colonists for their meagre belongings, and if Zuko had not been there, they would have. If he had killed Zhao back in Pohuai, then he would not have invaded the North Pole and needlessly sacrificed the lives of countless sailors and soldiers, and his uncle would still live. If men could only bring evil into the world, then evil had to be destroyed at its source.

He kept that mantra in his mind as he reached the floor where he knew Zhao would be. He could see the doors into the meeting chamber, and then, further along, a hallway leading to Zhao's quarters. A pair of guards came from down that hallway, wearing the garbs of firebenders but without their usual helmets, and readied their stances against him.

"You will not go any further, criminal!"

"No, he will not." Zuko declared, speaking in his normal voice, not bothering to keep up some kind of facade; there was no point in that any longer, and they would not see his face.

He decided the dao weren't going to be as useful against two skilled firebenders, and put them back in their sheaths as the guards approached him, the two of them shooting out flurries of fireballs at him. Zuko spun around, spinning his hands to redirect the flames around, which set alight two banners that hung on the walls beside him. The Fire Nation's sigil burned away, and the Prince charged flames in his own hands, waiting for the pair to attack again.

They tried to disable his attack with a fire whip each, but he was able to strike both of them in their guts with his bolts of fire; they grunted, stumbled back, and both raised walls of fire to try and stop him. Zuko sighed, and reached his hands forward to bend at their flames; he might have not been the best trained firebender, nor the most studious pupil to his uncle's training, but he knew how to turn other's firebending against them. The explosion was far easier than what two guards could muster, he thought to himself.

He reached forward and drew the flames into his palms, charging his own attack with their bending, making them waste their own energy to empower him. From his studies, he imagined it was how waterbenders fought each other; firebending was always so direct, focusing on the offence, rather than considering the easy work around of using their enemy's power against them.

Once he felt he had enough power in his hands, he shot out each fire bolt, aiming for where he guessed each firebender was standing. He struck them squarely in the head each, and the wall of flames dissipated; they had slumped over unconscious, falling to the floor. That revealed the open door, where Zhao stood, his hair dishevelled and his armour worn, looking far worse for wear than he had been after his own beating at the hands of Azula's guards.

The Admiral's eyes were filled with shock, "Y-You're alive... How?" he asked, and Zuko just let out a scoff.

"Willpower." he declared, before shooting him with another firebolt, square in the gut, making him fall to one knee, "I will not let you smear my honour for another minute." he warned him as he filled his right hand with flames.

He knew what he was doing, and though those images of his father ran through his mind, he did not falter; it didn't matter what had happened to Zuko before, all that mattered was the justice he desired. Zhao threw a hand up, shooting a firebolt at his mask, making it spark alight. He threw it off his face, letting the Admiral see his eyes; before he could try and attack against Zuko kicked his right hand, and stomped down hard on it, breaking his fingers audibly.

"Argh!" he cried out in pain, before trying to attack with his left hand, which he caught with his flame covered palm, setting Zhao's whole forearm alight; his screaming got even louder, and Zuko punched him square in the face with his left hand to shut him up.

He drew the flames off of Zhao's arm, making sure all his attention was on his flaming palm, "You were there, weren't you?"

His eyes widened with fear, his face showing everything he knew to be true; he was a coward, and he wanted nothing more than to escape, to avoid what was coming. He kept his eyes so transfixed on his hand that he didn't even notice Zuko drawing out his dagger with his left hand; the flames caught his ear and sideburns as he clasped on his head, slashing his dagger across Zhao's legs to stop him from moving. The flames set his head and hair alight, and Zuko did not turn away, keeping his eyes set on Zhao's, before he thrust the dagger right into his chest.

He let out a grunt, and Zuko leaned in close as he let the flames dissipate from his skin, "The Fire Lord sends his regards." he whispered, knowing those words would bite harder than anything; they mightn't have been wholly true, but he had delivered the justice that his sister was expected to enact.

He pulled the dagger out and picked up his mask, pulling it back over his face; it was tarred black from Zhao's attack, but it would still obscure his identity, allowing him to fulfil his part of the bargain. As the guards reached the top of the staircase, ready to face Zuko, he drew out his dao once more, and readied his stance. All he had to do now was make it out; after that came deciding what to make of his life now that he had made sure he was dead in the eyes of all but a few.

"Kill him!" one of the guards shouted, and Zuko just turned his eyes back to Zhao, whose blood had begun pouring over the floor, his eyes still transfixed on the Prince; his half-burnt face was now a mirror image of his own, but he would not live long enough to find disgust in his own appearance.

"Treason is treason."


The Royal Palace still felt foreign to Katara; it wasn't a place anyone like her had ever been before, and she felt it by the looks. The servants and guards eyed all of them with suspicion, though none of them vocalised their feelings. She knew they had to play nice; it was a condition of them working together, and for Azula and the council to make peace. They were deferential to Aang, and impartial to the rest of them, allowing them to go around the palace as they pleased.

That was how Toph was able to find some interesting things in the armoury; she had gone in there, looking for some armour to put on the training dummies in the yard, bored and slightly offended by the fact they were all dressed as Earth Kingdom palace guards. The guards let them right in, not willing to refuse them, allowing Toph to scour the place for some armour to put on the dummies.

Katara was rather bored there, but she didn't want to complain and annoy Toph. She decided to help expedite the process by looking around for some armour that would work well; she found a few pieces of armour she'd seen Fire Nation soldiers wearing, as well as the underclothes that they must have worn beneath. She showed it to Toph, who seemed unimpressed as she laid her hand on it.

"I want something cooler." she argued, "This isn't going to be that tough against my earthbending. I can feel the metal is not that good a quality."

"Alright." she mumbled, turning around, deciding to look for something else.

She found some metal crates that were closed and held down with locks, and pointed them out to Toph; she stepped over and grabbed each of the locks, breaking them with a simple tense of her hand, bending the metal out of shape. Katara flipped the crates open, and found something better than what she'd shown Toph before; there were sets of armour, the first looking like the ones the Imperial Firebenders, the guards that protected the palace, wore. The quality of them was worse, with the armour being worn and dirty, though she guessed they were just a spare set. The second crate had a set of armour that was black with golden trimmings, looking fancier than anything she'd seen in the palace so far.

"What are these?" she asked Toph, who reached over to touch the armour's chestplate; her milky eyes widened and she smirked.

"Hers." she spoke up, "That's what she was wearing when me, Sokka, and Aang found her beneath the palace."

"Huh." she murmured, surprised that her armour was being stored with all the other armour and weapons in the palace; it made sense that it was locked in a crate rather than being freely accessible, given she was the Fire Lord, and formerly, the Crown Princess, "Do you think she'll mind if we take it?"

Toph scoffed and began to cackle, "Yeah she will!" she exclaimed, "That's why I want to batter it up a little. She'll hop into it and get all confused why it doesn't fit properly."

"That might make her think she's getting fat or something." Katara realised, before snickering at the thought of her reaction.

She put the armour back down, and moved to open the next crate; when she pushed on it, it made a clunk, telling her something was sitting behind it. The Water Tribe girl furrowed a brow, and reached down behind, grabbing a piece of fabric; she pulled it up, and her eyes widened as she immediately recognised it- a Dai Li robe. She tossed it over to Toph, whose expression immediately shifted.

"Well... there's some evidence." she murmured, before raising her voice, "I thought it was a bit odd that they all went missing between the eclipse and when we got here." she spoke her mind, "These aren't dusty, are they?"

Katara shook her head, "They are clean. I think they were put there recently."

"Maybe one of them's in disguise right now, walking around as a servant." she suggested, before clenching her fists, "Well, I've got something more interesting to do instead of training now." she decided, the implication clear to Katara; she wanted to go find out if the Dai Li were really still present, and hound the Fire Lord for it.

She was looking forward to that last part, feeling that the girl had gotten far too comfortable out of her cell, thinking that they were just going to let her get away with using the Dai Li. They were traitors to the Earth Kingdom; even if the Fire Nation couldn't be punished for their crimes, the Dai Li were meant to be under the purview of the Earth King. She imagined he had some punishments in mind for them, after their continued treasonous activities. They had kidnapped Appa, and later, her, all for their ambitions to control Ba Sing Se, even working with Azula and the Fire Nation to achieve that insidious aim.

She followed Toph to the exit, which she knocked on, directing the guard outside to open it up; as soon as he did, the earthbender grabbed him by the wrist, and stepped closer, "I have a question for you."

"Uh..." he mumbled, seeming confused rather than unnerved by her sudden attention, "What is it?"

"When was the last time you saw the Dai Li?" she asked him, and the man pulled his hand free.

"The night you arrived here. They were pretty scared about the Avatar." he told her, and she crossed her arms; she turned to face Katara, seeming disappointed.

"He's not lying." she told her what she guessed; the Water Tribe girl sighed, and decided on another question.

"Who has access to the armoury?"

"The guards, and the ranking servants... the Dai Li weren't allowed in there." he clarified, before glancing at the door, "Why are you asking?"

"No reason." Toph refused to give him a proper answer, before turning her heels and making her way down the hallway.

Katara paced after her, and once she caught up, she had a question in mind, "Where exactly are we going? Straight to the Fire Lord?"

"Not just yet." she corrected her, "I need more evidence."

"You like being a detective?" she asked her, curious if she actually liked sleuthing about.

"Yeah, it's pretty fun, actually." she confirmed, and Katara chuckled.

"Sokka likes doing it too. Maybe you and him should go look around to figure out what else the Fire Lord's been up to." she suggested, and Toph nodded eagerly.

"That sounds like a good idea... but I can do this bit myself." she assured her, turning a corner as they began to head towards the Fire Lord's quarters; Katara was unsure who exactly she wanted to interrogate, but she had some ideas.

When they reached the doors into the Fire Lord's quarters, which sprawled over a reasonable portion of the palace, Toph crossed her arms, facing the doors instead of the guards stationed by them.

"Is there something you want?" one of them pressed her, and the earthbender raised a hand.

"When was the last time you saw Dai Li agents in the palace?" she asked them, before dropping all but her index finger, "And before you try to lie... trust me, it won't work."

The two guards looked at each other, and shook their heads; the one who had spoken first stepped towards Toph, "Not since you got here. They were pretty secretive anyway... I think I only saw them a dozen times since they came here from Ba Sing Se."

"That makes sense." Katara mumbled, "Do you know where they were working from?"

"Uh..." the other guard mumbled, "Are we even allowed to say?"

"You know what will happen if you don't." Toph warned them, and he let out a sigh.

"They were given an office inside the palace, and some quarters to stay in the city." he told them, and Toph nodded along, telling her that he was speaking the truth, "The office- well, I think they haven't been there since the Phoenix King left to destroy the Earth Kingdom." he clarified, and gestured down the hallway, "I'm sure if you go ask the Minister of Internal Affairs, he can give you a rundown of where their quarters are, if you're looking for them, that is."

"Not exactly." Katara conceded, before she turned to Toph, "Why don't we just ask her?"

"They haven't been lying so far." she admitted, "Let us in. I have to ask some more people about this." she directed the guards, who opened the doors.

The first one who had spoken stepped closer once the doors were open, and though she couldn't see his face, she could tell that he wasn't happy, "I am warning you, we are obliged to protect her majesty."

"And we aren't going to fight her." Toph stressed, "I know you can't trust us... being outsiders, foreigners, or whatever, but we're here to negotiate peace, not make you all our prisoners." she made her case; the guards seemed to believe her, and let them pass.

Katara couldn't tell if she was being truthful, though she doubted that she was ready to immediately throw the Fire Lord in a cell; that would certainly ruin any progress they'd made thus far in trying to get her to cooperate. She followed Toph into the expansive quarters, eyeing around for some servants; she guessed that they might have more knowledge than the guards, given they were in constant contact with the Fire Lord, and were frequently moving around her personal quarters. She had a little hunch that was where they could most safely meet with the Fire Lord.

She had forgotten about the earthbender guards that were put up at the Fire Lord's room, and took note of them sitting outside the door of her bedroom; Haru was amongst them, and gave the pair a smile and wave, Katara waving back. Toph mustn't have noticed him, or paid much attention, so she elbowed her friend, who reflexively gave a quick wave before they continued around the quarters. When they reached one of the lounge areas, Katara spotted a few servants preparing some tea and cleaning the room, presumably in preparation for the Fire Lord.

When the servants saw them, their postures straightened, and all turned to face them; Toph approached an older woman, presumably the head servant, and pointed at her, "Are you the boss around here?"

"Uh... if you mean head servant, then yes." she confirmed her suspicions, "I attend to all of the duties in this section of the palace."

"Good." Toph pursed her lips, Katara stepping up beside her as the earthbender cornered the woman, despite her clearly being taller and otherwise more physically imposing than the short and snappy girl, "We have some questions." she addressed her calmly, though her posture was anything but.

"Y-yes, of course." she acknowledged her request with a bow, "What is it that you need to know?"

"When was the last time you saw the Dai Li?" she asked her, and the woman seemed taken aback.

"S-sorry?" she asked, "I am confused why you're asking me. The Dai Li are a security matter. That's under the purview of the Interior Minister; he should be able to tell you what they're doing." she tried to deflect any responsibility, and Toph shook her finger at her.

"No, no, I want to hear what you've seen." she stressed, "You... or whatever you've heard from your underlings."

"The Fire Lord will not be pleased." she warned her with grit teeth and a whisper, not wanting to attract too much attention.

"We know." Katara assured her; they were well aware of what they were doing, but they would go ahead nonetheless.

The servant sighed, and pointed to the door out of the room; the other servants quickly vacated the room, leaving it to just the servant, Toph, and Katara.

"I have been ordered to remain silent on these matters." she admitted, "I cannot tell you anything else... it was by her majesty's command."

"So, you have seen things." Katara realised, "You can tell us, because we're going to ask her next."

"Do you take me for an idiot?" she asked her, "I'd like to keep my job, and the pension that will come with it."

"That's fair." Toph nodded, crossing her arms, "What you have said has been incriminating enough."

"Sorry?" she raised a brow, "I didn't-"

"You can't say anything... therefore something's happened." she deduced, "I mean, you didn't technically disobey the Fire Lord."

The servant clenched her fists and grit her teeth, "You stupid girls." she decried them, before pacing away, "I don't want you interrogating me, or any of the other servants. We serve our Fire Lord with honour." she warned them, though it didn't seem that there was any way for her words to be backed up.

Toph shrugged her shoulders as the woman left the room, and turned to face Katara, "So, to the Fire Lord?"

"Yeah, she has some questions to answer. And unlike that servant, she has a good reason to tell us the truth."

She followed after Toph as she left the room, pacing back towards the Fire Lord's bedroom; when they turned the corner, they caught the earthbenders' attention, and they stepped forward to greet them; Haru, being most familiar with them, was the first to speak.

"Hey, are you going to speak with the Fire Lord?" he asked, and both girls nodded; Toph gestured to the door.

"I can sense she's just sitting at her desk. So, can we just go in?" she asked, and one of the earthbenders stepped closer to the door, pushing it ajar.

"Katara and Toph are here to speak with you." he told her; and after a few moments, he turned back to face them and nodded.

The fighters opened the doors for them, and Toph and Katara stepped inside; the Fire Lord was exactly where she said she'd be, sitting at her desk, reading over some document.

"What do you want?" she asked them bluntly, staring at them until one of them spoke.

Toph was first, placing her hands on her hips, "Some answers. Won't take too long, trust me." she assured her, or warned her, depending on one's perspective.

"Ah, another interrogation, brilliant." she sarcastically acknowledged the situation, before turning back to her reading, waving her left hand in their direction.

"What are you doing with the Dai Li?" Katara gave the most direct question she could think of, and the Fire Lord snickered, seeming more amused than anything.

"Why do you care? Are you wanting them arrested for committing treason against the Earth Kingdom?" she asked them, and Toph stepped closer.

"That can wait. We're talking about in the palace. We know they've been around."

"And?" she countered, seeming unfazed by the declarations; she must have guessed they would come to her eventually, though why she wasn't trying to make an argument remained unclear.

"Why aren't you... mad? Defending yourself? I expected more." Katara admitted her thoughts, and Azula shrugged her shoulders.

"I know you can't tell if I am lying... but I am not going to bother forcing you to investigate when you'll come to the exact same conclusion you already have." she explained her thoughts, placing her hands together on the desk, "So let me ask you something, are you going to throw me in a cell again?"

"Maybe." Toph opened the possibility, "It really depends on what you say next."

"The Dai Li have been outside of the palace since your arrival. They aren't spying on you, if that's what you were worried about." she provided them with an assurance, though Katara found that hard to believe when there was a Dai Li uniform hiding in the armoury and a servant unwilling to say anything about the Dai Li.

"No, that's not true." Toph shook her head, "There's a uniform in the armoury. It might have been put there before we got here, but why would have they left it there? We've dealt with undercover Dai Li agents before in Ba Sing Se. I can tell you, if I have to, I'll ask every single servant and guard if they're a Dai Li agent until I find a heartbeat that gives me the right answer." she threatened, and Azula just laughed.

"Ha! You're really desperate to throw me in a cell again, aren't you?"

"Nah, I just don't like being treated like an idiot." she retorted, before she pointed at the Fire Lord, "So, tell us what you're doing, or you'll get to enjoy that dirty cell again."

She didn't seem intimidated by Toph, but her straight face faltered after a few moments; she must have realised that she wasn't bluffing. They had every reason to distrust her, and putting her back in a cell and making sure she couldn't communicate with her allies in the Dai Li would solve their present issue, even if it would anger Azula greatly.

"The Dai Li provide me with intelligence... I am not spying on you. I mean, I already know what's happening in the palace because the guards and servants tell me." she stressed, her words sounding truthful, before she opened her palms, "What do you want me to do?"

"Stop using the Dai Li." Katara demanded, and the Fire Lord just laughed.

"Using them? So, you really want me to send them all back to the Earth Kingdom?"

"Not yet." Toph clarified, "They'd cause a lot of problems in Ba Sing Se. More than they probably already are."

"I agree." Azula nodded, "Do you want me to make them stand out in public? Because, if they do that, they will continue to swear their allegiance to me. Going home will only have them imprisoned or executed." she suggested, and Toph shook her head.

"No, that isn't enough. They're still your tools. We can't trust you'll make them abide by any agreements we come to."

"Fine." she grumbled, clearly frustrated with them now, "I can order them to cooperate with you... the Avatar I mean. You're just his lackeys." she suggested, the insult biting, mostly because it was partly true; their authority derived from Aang, and no one else; they had the support of many groups in the Water Tribes and Earth Kingdom, but that was dependent on Aang being the Avatar, somebody who could protect them and end the war.

"That means they have to follow our orders." Katara realised, raising a finger to her chin, "So, if we tell them to go home, will they?"

"If they resign and disappear, will you complain to me then?" she asked her rhetorically, and the Water Tribe girl sighed; she knew that Azula was right- the Dai Li had no reason to remain in public if they were going to be sent home to be punished for their crimes, "If you can promise them amnesty in the peace negotiations, then I think they'd be amenable to your demands."

"Deal." Toph decided, "I mean, I hate the guys, but if that's what it will take to stop you using them as spies, then we'll do it."

"Those in Ba Sing Se will not be as cooperative as those who are here with me. They cannot stand out in public with the Earth King in charge." she warned them, "I think you understand that."

"Well, tell them to stay in hiding until we have our peace talks. I think the Crystal Catacombs are big enough for them." Katara suggested, Azula smirking at her as she realised she was still thinking about her time imprisoned there, "Don't even dare."

"I wasn't going to say anything... but, you're aware of the depth and size of the place. Even if you tell the Council of Five about the Dai Li's base there, do you really think they can root them out?" she asked her, and the Water Tribe girl turned away.

She knew that the Dai Li would have to face justice, but telling the Earth King to send his best soldiers and guards down into the city beneath the city would only bring them suffering. The Dai Li were an elite force, and it would cost them too much to destroy them, even if they were justified to do so."

"It would cost them a lot... too much." she conceded, "We'll go tell Aang about this. I think he can agree to your offer."

"Offer? Sorry, was I not being threatened with imprisonment?" she questioned them, and Toph chuckled, tapping her hand on the desk beside the Fire Lord.

"Oh, yeah, you're right. It's not an offer, it's a demand. You have accepted ours, so you get to keep this nice room for now." she acknowledged the situation for what it was, and turned around, "Hopefully we don't have to do this again."

"We won't." she assured her, though Katara was unsure if she was telling them her true feelings; she must have been afraid, even if she was unwilling to express it, "But I just have one question for you."

"About our plans?" the Water Tribe girl asked, and Azula shook her head.

"No, nothing about that. I want to know, did he tell you to keep his involvement secret?" she asked her, Katara's eyes narrowing; she had no idea who she was referring to.

"Who?" she pressed her, and the Fire Lord shrugged.

"So you really don't know." she mumbled, "You can see yourselves out."

Toph seemed ready to ask her another question, even if she couldn't gauge if she was lying; Katara placed a hand on her friend's shoulder, knowing that it was pointless to keep pressing the girl, who would eventually get sick of them and force them to leave.

When they stepped out the doors, the fighters closed them for them, and Katara turned to face her friend, "Who do you think she was talking about?"

"Maybe she's thinking about somebody who aided us in fighting the Fire Nation. Piandao was there in Ba Sing Se, maybe he's wanted by the Fire Nation for treason."

"Huh." she mumbled, recalling what her brother said about his swordmaster's past, "Sokka said they left him alone."

"He didn't aid the enemies of the Fire Nation before." Toph warned her, "It could have been Jeong Jeong... but he already was known as a deserter, wasn't he?"

"Yeah, there were posters of his face all over the colonies."

"Sorry, what's the issue?" Haru asked them, before they had a chance to walk off to find Aang.

"The Fire Lord was asking us about somebody involved... well, with us. We can't figure out who." Katara explained, and he furrowed a brow.

"Weren't there a few people who betrayed the Fire Nation in the White Lotus?"

"Yeah, that's what we were thinking." she nodded, before raising a finger to her chin, "I wonder if she's ordering the Dai Li to hunt them down."

"Then why don't we go back in and ask her?" Toph pressed her, and the Water Tribe girl sighed.

"I mean, they're not in Ba Sing Se anymore. Everyone would have gone home... so, does it even matter?"

"Those are our allies. You're the one who told me that we need to look out for each other."

She was right, and Katara felt frustrated by that fact; she knew that the Fire Lord was scheming, but she didn't know if she ought to press her any further. She was already clearly annoyed with them, and the question felt oddly personal. She didn't want to agitate her, even if she was very much afraid of Aang and what he might do to her if she lashed out.

"Do you want her to attack you?" she asked Toph, who shrugged her shoulders.

"Eh, I'm pretty good at keeping myself... unburnt."