The chamber selected for the meeting of representatives was large, with a podium for speakers to take their turn in the centre, surrounded by chairs where everyone sat, except Azula, who had her own seating area at one end of the chamber, accompanied by a few guards and some of her ministers, who had come to attend the meeting. The meeting concerned the peace settlement and the issues related to the colonies; though she knew she would have to deal with the Earth Kingdom's grievances, more important to her, and far more urgent, was hearing the concerns of the public.

Her father had ruled with impunity, but had the implicit and sometimes explicit support of the nation's elites, bureaucrats and military class. That was due to his continuation of the status quo that had existed under the long reign of her grandfather, Fire Lord Azulon. Nothing much changed in terms of military and public policy, and this appeased most that benefited from it. That did not mean that there was no public opposition to the war; though most supported the war in some form, knowing that it was necessary to prevent the Earth Kingdom from trying to attack them in return, but she and her father had discussed in the past that many, even high ranking officers, did not support continuing the war in the manner they had been pursuing it.

Especially once Ba Sing Se was under their rule, the war in the Earth Kingdom had quickly shifted from active combat along frontlines, to an occupation of the country in its entirety. Though they had spent over a hundred years ruling parts of the Earth Kingdom, it wasn't until the campaigns of her uncle, and then the achievements during her father's reign, that most of the Earth Kingdom came under direct rule of the Fire Nation, and the Earth Kingdom government lost all credibility outside of Ba Sing Se.

With that came the expected rebellions; soldiers could be ordered to move, withdraw, hold, and advance, but without a central command structure, chaos bloomed like a weed infestation. This was already becoming a serious issue, and was her father's primary motivation for taking his airships to the Earth Kingdom, hoping to break the resolve of any remaining forces or rebels that had risen up in the months following the occupation of Ba Sing Se. However, now, Ba Sing Se was free, the Earth Kingdom nominally united under their king, and the Fire Nation restrained from making any actions on the threat of the Avatar removing her bending and deposing her.

The people would be understandably angry with this turn of events, making the previous decades of fighting seem almost pointless. However it was just true that many might have been relieved and happy to see peace, even if it was not due to their nation's glorious victory. Peace gave them an opportunity to focus on things that would otherwise be dismissed in a time of conflict; public goods and infrastructure, trade with the other nations, and a scaling back of the costly military budget would all benefit the people of the Fire Nation, even the elites who otherwise supported the policies of her father and grandfather.

The speakers who had taken their turns spoke of the benefits of peace and cooperation, despite their patriotic vigour and desire to make the Fire Nation even stronger. Azula was forced to follow this mindset, even though she barely agreed with it. Others were less enthused about peace, and warned that she should close the Fire Nation off from the other nations to prevent them from catching up with them militarily and economically. The speeches were wide and varied in terms of topic and tone, but Azula heard one thing throughout: she needed to make sure that the Fire Nation's position was secure, especially in the colonies.

So when Azula got up to the podium herself, after hearing the various members of the public voice their concerns and grievances, she decided she would keep the speech short and to the point. She had already realised she was proficient when it came to making intimidating or commanding speeches, which she expected would help her when she ruled the Fire Nation. However, that skill did not help her when she was trying to appease and calm the fears of her people; she could have tried to work with those fears and weaponise them, but with the Avatar's cronies watching her every move, she only had so much leeway.

"People of the Fire Nation, I have listened to your words, and I know the way to solve this crisis." she declared, immediately making her own self-confidence clear, "And it is a crisis, in case those of you who want to live with your heads in the sand still refuse to see it as such." she denounced those who refused to see reason; there were a few ways that could be interpreted, but she only hoped her former captors would see it in a way that they liked.

After a few moments of silence, her eyes scanning over the crowd, though she refused to draw her attention to those foreigners present, "The war is over, that much is obvious to everyone, and I know that it will be a time-consuming and arduous task to ensure that the Four Nations do not find themselves at war again. Everyone in the Fire Nation will have their opinions on whether it is wise to accept peace, and not on our terms, as we have always sought before, but I must make things clear here and now." she prefaced what she was to say; she had to appease both sides, but her people were the ones she needed the support of, not the outsiders who wanted to enforce their ideal of peace onto her nation.

"I will not rest until our nation is secure from all threats, and the rights of our people are respected by the other nations." she declared, earning some cheers from the crowd that surrounded her, "The people of the colonies are not simply pawns to me- they are loyal citizens of the Fire Nation, who must be treated as fairly as any person from the home islands would be." she began, knowing that the position of the colonies was perhaps the most important issue for the Fire Nation, given how much of their economic success was tied up in their existence.

"The Earth Kingdom would like to see us remove all our colonies, and send all the people there back to the homeland, where they supposedly belong. But, who would bear the costs of this transfer, and the housing of all these people who have no homes to return to?" she asked, before raising a finger, "You. The people of the Fire Nation... who pay their taxes in exchange for the services and protection the government provides you. That is not justice, but simply forcing you all to suffer for the decisions of a few."

That roused the crowd up even more, and they began to chant, "The colonies are the Fire Nation!"

Azula smirked, before hardening her glare; she was not just there to make a political statement, "The interests of our people must be respected, and when I have to negotiate with our enemies, I will make sure they understand this. The resources, cities, and industries of the colonies are ours, and if the Earth Kingdom wants to partake in our prosperity, they will be allowed, on our terms." she assured the crowd, and they cheered once more, Azula raising her hands up, "We have built up their land for the benefit of not just our citizens, but those people who already lived there. How can they claim that they are trying to better their nation, if we have done more for them than their King ever has? Would they even want the colonists to leave... and all the wealth to go with them?" she gave some hypothetical questions, though like herself, those present probably had an idea of the answer.

"I do not speak for them, and won't claim to, but if their voices are not heard as equally as those in the rest of the Earth Kingdom, then how can they claim to have a right to the land and to rule those people?" she asked out, and the crowd seemed to agree, "If they want us to respect them, then that respect must go all ways."

She turned her eyes to the guests from the other nations, her former captors, who looked aghast and concerned at the reception she was receiving; Azula let herself smile, and put her hands behind her back.

"I have said everything I have to remind you that I am your Fire Lord. I am the ruler and servant of the people... and if I failed in my duties, I would not be worthy of the headpiece that now sits upon my head." she stressed, taking a more humble stance, knowing that the people would love that; she didn't really think that she was their servant or equal, but the fact was it was her duty to do everything to benefit them.

Her father might have been obsessed with building his own power and stroking his ego, but he always had his priorities straight. He was not just Ozai, the man, who wanted what he wanted, and would do anything to seize his destiny, but he served his nation dutifully. He wanted to make sure his people were safe, and that the Fire Nation's glory was spread to every corner of the earth. The other nations would think him a maniac or evil for wanting that, but it was his duty as Fire Lord. She could not attain such lofty aspirations with the Avatar breathing down her neck, but she would do her duties nonetheless.

"I will make sure that our nation's prosperity will not be compromised by this new peace... and more than that, I will make sure our en- former enemies know that working with us is the best path ahead, just as Fire Lord Sozin intended." she explained her intentions, and earned herself cheers from the crowd, "We have built a great nation. Wealth and technology like ours has never been seen before." she acknowledged the feats of the Fire Nation, besides their conquest; she knew what she would have to say, and how it would wedge her opponents.

"Those achievements cannot be ignored by the other nations, no matter how much they might mistrust us after the war. If they wish to share in our great progress, then they shall. A trade deal will be orchestrated with the peace settlement, and those people who might disdain us now will only look on our technology and markets as an opportunity for their own future success." she explained her plan, and that actually seemed to quieten the crowd, "This is the peace I offer, and it will keep our people safe. Our colonies, our industries, our hard work... will continue to prosper, and the world will share in that, so that they know that our cooperation is far preferable to our fury."

The crowd didn't cheer at those words, but nobody seemed that angry; most seemed confused or intrigued by her words, and her gaze turned over to the foreigners present. They were aghast, confused, and even a few seemed actually interested in what she had to say. Perhaps they had thought that she had only war on her mind, and wanted nothing but to prepare the Fire Nation for the inevitable. Even if she too thought it was inevitable that the Earth Kingdom would attack when she refused their demands, she wanted her people to know that their enemies would be to blame. When the colonies were on fire, and colonists pleading for her aid, she would bring the whole strength of her nation to bear.

She did not think she could defeat the Avatar, but force him to stand by while she won the war on her own terms- that might have been possible. She could not be certain at that moment, but she had enough hope to hold onto. Azula was usually not the optimistic type, but usually, she was not relying on the decisions of a single person to determine how she might react to a massive political issue. The only person who ever held that kind of power over her was her father, and even then, she was never given too much authority or power, but simply that which she needed to fulfil his will. Now, she had all the responsibility, and potential for blame, if things didn't go the way she wanted them to.

"That is all I have to say." Azula added, before turning away from the podium, returning to her seat.

She was accompanied by a pair of guards, who stood beside her as she had been speaking; nobody would dare to try anything against her while they stood by her side. She wasn't seated upon a throne, but it was specifically designed to be larger and more ornate than the rest of the seating.

After she sat down, the host of the event, who was a spokesperson for the Ministry of Public Affairs, rose up and addressed the crowd, "I thank you all for attending this public forum, and hope that you all can attend future discussions and provide feedback to the Ministry. We will be listening to the public for the purposes of aiding our peace negotiations with the Earth Kingdom." he explained once more the reason for the forum and the general purpose of the discussions; the frankness of the spokesperson was not a surprise, given that it would be foolish for him to try and cover up the dire situation the Fire Nation was facing.

Lying to the public was a common occurrence in politics, which she had realised quickly enough once she became Crown Princess. They lied about what happened at Ba Sing Se, what happened to her brother, how specific campaigns were faring, and the general conditions of the colonies. That was all to serve the purpose of appeasing the public and ensuring their support for the war effort. Azula was not opposed to such underhanded measures, but knew that continuing them was a mistake. Not for any altruistic desire to give the masses the truth, but because the truth would motivate them politically to support a hardline approach against the Earth Kingdom, and ensure that they knew that she was in the right if a new conflict began.

The crowd shuffled around and out of the chamber, and Azula could see the Avatar's lackeys approaching; the boy himself wasn't there, having flown east to try and bring the Earth Kingdom to the table for the peace settlement. She expected him to have some success there, though she doubted he would get what he wanted; the two nations had very different ideas of peace, and though Azula was forced to accommodate his demands, she doubted the Earth Kingdom would be so willing to compromise.

They were led by Sokka, Hakoda, and a few of the other leaders that had been imprisoned in the capital; the boy amongst men stepped forward first, with a suspicious look on his face.

"What was that, exactly?" he questioned her, "Your majesty." he added, though his words sounded less deferential and more mocking her ability to rule.

She felt inclined to attack him then and there for the insult, but knew it wouldn't go well with the blind girl right behind him. During the eclipse she learned quickly enough that she was a force not to be trifled with; if given the right opportunity, she could easily defeat the Fire Lord and her personal guard.

"I made my positions clear to the people, and have given them the promises they would expect me to." she explained her actions; she did not mince her words, but wasn't going out of her way to insult or aggravate the foreigners anymore than she already had.

"A trade deal?" one of the Earth Kingdom fighters asked her, "I find it hard to believe that you'd be willing to negotiate that when you've been forced to make peace with us."

"It is exactly because we have peace that a trade deal is necessary." she retorted, crossing her arms, "Trade Minister Cai. Please tell our guests the benefits of such an arrangement."

The Minister, who had been seated behind her along with the other few ministers she'd permitted to attend, stepped forward and began to explain.

"The Fire Nation's wealth outweighs that of all the other nations combined, despite the resources and landmass of the Earth Kingdom. However, your nation could greatly benefit from trade with our nation, and the consequential development that will come from it. If this trade deal was not negotiated, our nations would have no reason to remain at peace, and the Earth Kingdom would be forced to recover by itself. The Fire Nation already has tariffs and taxes in place to ensure our local industries will never be outcompeted by foreign importers." he explained, though those guests present didn't seem to understand; at least, most of them did, presumably because they lacked the education and knowledge to comprehend the value of trade between the two nations.

"I don't see why that's important." the fighter retorted, crossing his arms, though another man stepped forward, a middle aged man with a receding hairline, messy hairstyle and singed eyebrows, spoke up.

"No, the Minister is being frank. The Fire Nation's tariffs and taxes will be a great cost on the Earth Kingdom as we try to recover after the war. We lack the industrial base to rebuild on our own, at least with any reasonable speed. I do not want to see us spend a decade or two suffering because we lacked the resources and material to rebuild our ravaged country." he explained his own thoughts, which were well thought and reasonable; Azula was glad there was somebody with half a brain in front of her, instead of a bunch of stupid peasants.

"And this trade deal, what exactly would it do? Stop them from taxing goods coming into the Earth Kingdom?" another fighter asked, and he nodded.

"That is correct. It will incentivise Fire Nation businesses to invest in the Earth Kingdom... they would have to pay the same tariffs as a merchant from our country." he explained, and Azula nodded.

"That is correct." she confirmed what he was assuming, "The colonies are the only area in... what you might call the Earth Kingdom, that we lack external tariffs. That was one of their original purposes. To ensure free trade with the Earth Kingdom and the development of industries to benefit our nations."

"Then why did the Fire Nation start the war?" the Water Tribe man beside Sokka asked; she assumed that was his father, the one she had released from the Boiling Rock to ensure her freedom.

"Because the Earth Kingdom wanted the colonies back... just as they do now. That is why we must settle that matter quickly, because I doubt the Council of Five will tolerate their existence for very long." she warned them, before rising from her seat, "Now, if you'd excuse me, I have other matters to attend to back at the palace. I assume you'll have your people accompany me."

The Earth Kingdom fighter who'd first addressed her nodded, and whistled out, "The Fire Lord's leaving. Make sure she goes straight back to the palace... and in one piece."

Azula narrowed her eyes, and turned her gaze back to the Ministers, "Make sure preparations are made to deal with public inquiries and petitions. I will not ignore what they have to say."

They all bowed to their Fire Lord, and were escorted out at once by some Imperial Firebenders, though most remained by her side, waiting for her to depart the chamber. She was approached by Toph and Sokka, who looked confused.

"What was that? You're seeming awfully receptive to criticism today." the blind girl observed, and the Fire Lord just huffed, amused that she lacked any knowledge of politics, "That's coming from the girl who used the Earth Kingdom's secret police to take over Ba Sing Se."

"They are my people. If I didn't listen to them, I wouldn't expect to rule my nation for very long."

"So, it's just the foreigners you don't listen to." Sokka deduced, "How unsurprising." he added with a tone of displeasure, before turning his heels, "Let's get going, I wanna get lunch."

"Sure, I'm starving." she heard the elder Water Tribesman agree with him, and Azula noticed that behind them stood a girl, who was wearing decent looking Fire Nation robes, which she recognised as they were usually worn by guests to the palace.

She hadn't seen her in the palace before, and was unsure who she was, though her death stare keyed her in.

"So, I assume you two are enjoying being out of prison." she addressed the girl, who she recalled as Suki, leader of the Kyoshi Warrior, and the man, Sokka's father, Hakoda.

"It's truly wonderful here." the girl sarcastically agreed with her, before grabbing Sokka by her wrist and dragging him along as she headed for the exit.

"I wouldn't piss her off if I were you." the blind girl warned her, before following the pair.

Most of the other leaders from the various Earth Kingdom groups had left, barring the leader of the warriors who were guarding her or containing her, depending upon one's perspective on the situation. Hakoda remained, however, and was eyeing her with suspicion.

"You're good at speeches, Fire Lord Azula." he addressed her by name, which was a bit forward, but not surprising; he was the father of the two uppity Water Tribe teens, so a lack of decorum was more than expected, "You don't think that you can fool the Earth Kingdom into just playing along to your demands, do you?"

"I don't need the whole Earth Kingdom." she argued, before turning to the rebel leader as she paced towards the exit, "How do you like the idea of bringing more business and jobs to your villages?"

"It would be better than Fire Nation occupation... but not much better." he gave his own opinion, crossing his arms; he was massive, towering over her, but Azula was not intimidated, knowing her own power well, "You don't understand how much we hate you."

"Hatred is powerful... but it makes people do idiotic things." she argued, narrowing her eyes as she thought about her brother's choice, "You should not hold onto those feelings if you hope for anything more than ashes for your people."


Sweat dripped from Zuko's forehead, and part of him regretted deciding to try honest work over petty thievery; it was hard, draining work, but at the very least, he felt like he had retained his dignity. The peasant brothers Chu and Kuang didn't pay terribly well, mostly just offering him a place to sleep, some free food and water, and some a few spare coins so he could at least go down to the tavern after he was done with work for the day. They probably had expected him to spend his money or alcohol or fancy food, but he wasn't going to foolishly spend every coin he earned. The day prior, he had spent his meagre allowance on a cheap, but hearty meal, and some tea, knowing that would keep his spirits up, at least for a short time.

Back on the ship, he had people make food for him, and it wasn't bad food; his uncle was right, after all- their cook was wonderful, so much so that he noticed barely any difference between the meals on the ship compared to when he lived back in the palace. A little less diversity in the ingredients, but the cooking was truly something a man could kill for. Zuko had only realised that after being forced to eat scraps for weeks.

Peasant food didn't taste bad, and if he got the right things, they'd fill his stomach, but it was never really that nice. However, the taverns had better food than what the brothers were offering; their elder sister, Yong, and mother, Chang, were the ones who cooked for their household, and though he wouldn't say they were bad cooks, the food was barely edible, due to the bland and dry ingredients.

He wiped the dirt from his hands, and looked at the bundles of weeds he'd gathered, all piled up in the corner of the field. His hard work had paid off, and the field was almost clear, ready to be sown with plants that could be eaten, instead of the various weeds that had sprouted in it. He guessed they hadn't been using the two fields for quite some time. He paced ahead, and pulled more weeds into the basket he had strapped to his back, continued along; Zuko knew he just had to gather up a few more weeds and then he could retire for the day.

He ripped out some more weeds from the ground, bundled them up, and tossed them behind himself into the basket; he repeated this a few more times before eyeing the ground behind him. The field aws almost done, but the sun was low in the sky, and he knew one of the brothers would call him for dinner. He was staying in their barn, which gave him enough space to sleep, and even train when he had the spare time. He had his blades, which were enough; he knew that trying to practise firebending in front of Earth Kingdom peasants was a terrible idea, even if they believed he was from the colonies.

Once the basket was full, he turned around, paced over to his pile of weeds, emptying the basket onto it. The weeds would dry out as they died, and he guessed that the farmers would use it in their hearth. He didn't need to worry about kindling for a fire, for obvious reasons. Once Zuko took the basket off and laid it down by the stone fence that demarcated the field, he rested on the fence itself, sitting down on the rounded rocks that lined the top.

Zuko was about to go and call out to the brothers when he heard some feet brushing through the grass nearby, telling him that somebody was coming around from the house; he turned his head, and was disappointed to see that it wasn't either of the brothers, nor Yong or Chang. The women were friendly enough, but preferred to stay away from him and do their own work around the farm, tending to the livestock they had or repairing the various tools and infrastructure that they needed to maintain their farm.

It was a young woman, and though he didn't immediately recognise her, he realised that she was the girl they'd passed by the other day while walking back to the farm from Hen's house. He scrunched his lips, trying to recall her name, knowing it was rude to not remember somebody's name, especially if they were coming to help. He knew she was there because Chu and Kuang were concerned about his burns, bruises, and cuts, which had mostly healed already, but still caused him aches and irritations.

"You're Lee, right?" she asked, and he nodded, remembering that was the pseudonym he'd chosen for himself, "I told Chu and Kuang I'd look at your injuries."

"Yeah, I remember." he nodded, before standing up from the fence, "Uh, do you want to do that out here?" he asked, and she glanced up at the horizon.

"The sun is low. Maybe we can go to the barn over there?" she gestured to where he'd been staying, and Zuko nodded, leading her along.

He didn't bother picking up the basket, knowing he could go back for it later, and if it wasn't going to rain, then there was no harm leaving it out in the field for him to grab again. Zuko opened the old wooden doors into the barn, the pig-chickens getting a little restless from his arrival, but he hushed them, like Chu had told him to, and they didn't make any more noises. Zuko sat himself down on a bench, and the girl picked up a lantern that was hung up by the entrance, lighting it before she placed it down beside him.

"My name's Song, by the way." she reminded him of her name, and Zuko was relieved that she wasn't just going to assume he remembered it.

He had done a lot of hard work that afternoon, and had no intention of focusing on some random conversation that became relevant when she appeared in the field.

"Could you pull up your sleeves?" she asked, and he complied.

She eyed the cuts and burns on his arms, some of which he had received when fighting Zhao's personal guard though they were no Imperial Firebenders, he struggled against them for long enough that they got a few good hits on him.

"These are pretty bad. What kind of scuffle did you get yourself in?" she asked, and Zuko narrowed his eyes.

"I never said I was in a fight." he retorted, and she cringed.

"Sorry for assuming. You just-"

"I look like I'd get in a fight." he concluded, and Zuko turned his eyes away, "Yeah, I've got that a lot." he admitted, and she hummed in thought, before pulling out some burn ointment from the bag she had brought with her.

He recognised it because it looked the same as the kind of stuff he'd use after training on the ship; though he preferred to keep burns to a minimum when training, when a firebender was as powerful as himself, it was hard to avoid accidents like that, especially given his own guards were skilled firebenders in their own right, not to mention his uncle, who he had a few friendly spars with from time to time, whenever his uncle had the energy or mood for it.

He cringed from the cold sensation the ointment caused, but kept a straight face, letting her apply the burn ointment to his arms. Once she was done with that, she leaned closer, checking the cuts. She seemed to not think much was wrong, as she didn't reach for any other supplies from her bag.

"You cuts seem... well, fine. Did you clean the wounds yourself?"

"You mean-" he began, before realising he had to play dumb, "Uh... yes, I used a hot knife." he clarified, though that was a lie.

He had actually used his firebending to very quickly burn the flesh and stop any infection from taking hold. That treatment was something he learnt from his uncle, who had had to use it during the war to save the lives of his soldiers; he had used the same technique to help tend to some of the refugees that he had protected from bandits, and they were most appreciative, even if the burns were painful.

"That must have hurt." she guessed, and Zuko shrugged.

"Only for a moment. That's better than getting sick." he argued his rationale for having done something that might have seemed painful and avoidable to any ordinary person.

"What about the burns on your face?" she asked, and he narrowed his eyes.

"Which ones?"

"The new ones." she clarified, and he touched the skin around his neck and jaw, which was peeling because of the burns he'd received when fighting Zhao's men.

"They're a little irritated." he conceded, and she applied some more ointment to her fingers.

He was a little uneasy about somebody touching his neck, and Song seemed to realise that.

"Sorry... Do you want to put it on yourself?" she asked, and Zuko's eyes averted from her own.

"Go ahead." he allowed, knowing she had already put it on her fingers; it would be a waste to have her not use it.

She applied the ointment, which felt uncomfortable around his neck and jaw, which was a rather vulnerable area; after all his training, he knew what parts of the body he had to keep protected, and other than his head and chest, his neck was the most important area, and more fragile than the other two.

"Why did you come here?" she asked Zuko bluntly, and he kept his mouth shut; he wasn't going to tell her the truth, no matter how friendly she was acting.

Even his lies would not necessarily bring him any favour, given that his Blue Spirit alter ego was a wanted criminal for freeing the Avatar, and if Azula hadn't kept tongues tied, then also for the death of Admiral Zhao. He was just relieved that people weren't looking for Zuko, because his face was more than recognisable with the splotch of scarred skin covering half his face.

"Family problems." he told the truth in the vaguest way he could, "I need to feed myself."

"So, you came to work here." she realised, "Chu and Kuang are nice enough. I'm sure they'll take care of you."

"I don't need to be taken care of." he argued, "Do you see me falling over in the street, begging to be helped?" he asked her, though her uneasy face told him that he was probably speaking with a bit too much aggression, "I've survived worse than an empty stomach." he added, wanting to make clear that he was confident in his ability to survive; the only reason he chose to help the farmers was because he preferred to maintain his dignity instead of becoming a petty thief, which was something he was wholly capable of.

"I- I can see that." she nodded cautiously, "You know, I understand why you're running. My family were refugees once too."

"I'm-" he began, about to clarify he wasn't a refugee, but then he realised that a refugee and an exile were basically the same thing.

Song gestured to his back, "I can check your back as well."

"Uh... alright." he cautiously nodded, pulling his shirt off; he hunched over so she could get a better look at his back, turning it towards the light of the lantern.

"Your- when did this happen?" she asked, and Zuko sighed.

"A few weeks ago. I got in- well, you can guess." he left his words and the burns up to interpretation; Song sighed, clearly seeming disheartened.

"Did you get into a fight?" she asked, and Zuko shook his head.

"Not that time." he clarified, "I was attacked." he added, and Song remained silent as she began to apply some of the ointment to the burns on his back.

"The Fire Nation hurt you." she mumbled, observing what happened to him; that was somewhat accurate, but not the full story, "More than once."

"Some of the times were my fault." he corrected her, before scrunching his lips, "I'd really prefer not to talk about it."

"I've been hurt too." she added, and he narrowed his eyes; when he turned around, she gestured to her leg, pulling up the pantleg to reveal a sprawling burn scar, which were more common than not on some of the peasants he'd seen on his journey so far.

"When... when did that happen?" he asked, "I thought the Fire Nation wasn't here."

"They aren't." she shook her head, "When I was little they attacked my village, and took all the men. When my mother and I were trying to escape, they burnt me." she explained, and Zuko felt his heart sink in his chest.

He knew that the Fire Nation had conquered many places in the Earth Kingdom, but he had it in his head that those conquests mostly consisted of them defeating the local military forces and taking over settlements to turn them into colonies. Wiping out the male population of a village was more than an extreme measure to take.

"That's..." he mumbled, unsure what to say to it, "Why would they do that?"

"I don't know. That was the last time I saw my father." she added with a grimace, and Zuko's eyes turned down.

"I haven't seen my father in years." he acknowledged, not knowing what Ozai would think of him then and there, but he'd probably be disgusted by how low his son had fallen.

He had tried and failed to complete his mission, and had lost hope. His uncle had tried to help him, and guide him to become a better Prince, but after all that, Iroh was dead, and Zuko was forced to hide. Nothing just had come of it all, and the Avatar roamed free, not that he really cared about that anymore. It was Azula's problem, after all.

"Is he fighting in the war?" she asked, and Zuko sighed.

"Yeah, he is." he confirmed, though it certainly wasn't in the way Song was imagining.

"What are you going to do after you finish working here?" she asked him, and Zuko didn't respond immediately; he had no plans, other than to survive.

He hadn't thought much further than that, but knew that he had to stop running around at some point; he had no reason to run, not while nobody was looking for him. As long as he was far enough away from the Fire Nation authorities and people that could recognise him for who he truly was, that was good enough. Zuko didn't want to stay any place too long, feeling that he would just get himself into trouble. However, the more he considered it, the more he realised he could just stay some place. The village he found himself in wasn't terrible, and the people weren't assuming the worst of him.

"I don't know." he bluntly admitted, "I have nowhere to go."

"You could stay in our village." Song suggested, "I don't know you, but you seem down on your luck. Maybe staying here could do everyone some good."

"Why do you think that?" he asked her, wondering if she, like that barkeep, had already figured out that he was the Blue Spirit.

"I don't know." she mumbled, before shrugging, "I guess I can just tell."

"Tell what? Who I am?" he pressed her, rising to his feet, "I don't think you have the first idea who I am."

"Not who you are." she corrected him, "I mean what kind of person you are."

"I doubt it." he narrowed his eyes, "People can't understand each other." he gave his own stance, "You've always got something to hide, something you'd betray someone for."

That didn't seem to put her off, or offend her, which surprised him; perhaps she was really just that kind. It was strange, and unnerving. Zuko had mostly been dealing with sycophants, straight edge soldiers, or arrogant aspirants for his entire life. When people actually seemed to empathise with him, and didn't just want something, that was unusual.

"I think that's just one way of seeing things." she responded calmly, and stood up, putting the ointment back in her bag, "You're interesting, Lee."

"What, is everyone in your village always happy and optimistic?"

"No, it's really the opposite most of the time." she conceded with a disappointed look, "You're seen a lot, but you keep going."

"How can you tell?"

"I mean, you just showed me all those burns." she reminded him, "You're tough."

"Not tough enough." he mumbled, knowing that if he had been stronger, more astute, and faster, he might have been able to save his uncle's life, "Thank you for helping with my burns, but I need to go check with the farmers about dinner." he excused himself, and she smiled, stepping over to the door out of the barn.

"Fair enough. You must be hungry after all that work." she acknowledged, "If you ever need more work, I'm sure my mother would be able to pay you." she added, making him raise a brow.

"Another job?" he asked, and she shook her head.

"No, it's just her and me in our house. She could use some help around the house. I'm at the hospital more often than not." she explained, and Zuko nodded.

"Thank you." he quietly responded, before stepping past Song as he headed back in the direction of the farmhouse, "I don't know what to do besides say that." he admitted his feelings, and she chuckled.

"A thank you is fine."


After all that had been said by Fire Lord Azula about the armistice between the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom, Aang preferred to think she was lying, trying to trick him into supporting her nation's colonial agenda. He didn't want to aid the Fire Nation any more than was absolutely necessary; harming innocents and displacing them from their homes was not something he wanted to do, but he understood from his discussions with his friends that there was little choice he had in the matter. If peace was going to last between the two nations on the continent, the colonies would have been drawn back.

He would prefer that the colonies were removed entirely, so the two nations remained separated by the Mo Ce Sea, but he knew that was wishful thinking. The reactions the Fire Lord had given, and even what the more cooperative ministers had told him, indicated that the colonies being removed entirely would effectively start a civil war in the Fire Nation. If he intervened in that, there would be no hope of peace, because he would have to side with one part of the conflict, making the other side despise him. He didn't want to be hunted down, and the lives of his friends to be threatened again; it was already bad enough when he had to run from Zuko, Zhao, and then Azula herself.

So, he knew he had to keep the peace between the two nations for the meantime while the Fire Nation government formed their own propositions for the peace settlement. He knew that the Earth Kingdom wouldn't like whatever they had to offer, but he was hoping that the offer of lasting peace outweighed their desires to completely expel the Fire Nation from their lands. The reactions he'd received from the fighters back in the Fire Nation Capital were surprisingly positive, though perhaps that was because they weren't very optimistic to begin with, and after all the fighting and suffering they'd gone through, just the hope of the Fire Nation leaving them alone would be enough.

That was sad, and frustrating, as Aang knew that a lot of people had very genuine grievances with the Fire Nation that wouldn't just stop because the fighting was over. Katara, for one, was vocal in her desire to have her tribe rebuilt, and the Fire Nation's treasury was an obvious source of funds. He thought that might be called stealing, though once she explained how it was simply them paying back for the destruction they had wrought, and the waterbenders they stole, then they'd have their peace.

That was a nicer solution than the one that was suggested by Hama; Aang was a little worried if once the Southerners found out about her, which they would, they would want to follow in her footsteps. The worst bit was, despite his own anathema towards vengeance, he knew they'd feel completely justified acting as she had. How Katara spoke about the people responsible for her mother's death told him that she and the crazy old lady weren't as different as she might have claimed.

So, as they flew towards an Earth Kingdom military base, located just east of the Fire Nation colonies, he felt uneasy, knowing that he would not have an easy time persuading either side to keep the peace. They had just flown over a colonial town, which was swarmed with Fire Nation troops, and he had seen carts moving down the road, with people apparently fleeing west out of fear of retribution from the Earth Kingdom. East of that town lay a Fire Nation base, located right at the bottom of a narrow valley with steep edges, a spot that they could more easily defend from attacks.

Beyond that valley lay more flat land, where Aang could see signs of earlier fighting; some of it must have been very old, as he could see almost completely rotted campsites and earthbent defences, but some of the damage was much newer, and on the other side of the plain lay another base, this one an Earth Kingdom one. They had been directed there by General Fong, who knew of the army there and its commanding officer, a man by the name of General Zhang. He had been leading Earth Kingdom forces in the western half of the Earth Kingdom since the fall of Ba Sing Se, and had supposedly made an attack simultaneously with theirs on the Fire Nation capital during the eclipse.

He could see the guards at the edge of the base hailing them down, directing Aang to land Appa in the yard inside. He turned the flying bison around, making sure he got down softly; as soon as they approached the ground, dozens of soldiers swarmed them with awe.

"The Avatar!" they exclaimed, and cheered for him and Katara as they climbed off of Appa's saddle.

"Did you really do it? You defeated the Fire Lord?" one soldier asked with an excited look, and Aang cautiously nodded.

"Yes, I defeated the Fire Lord." he confirmed, unsure if they were thinking about Azula or Ozai.

The crowd cheered louder, and Aang turned to face Katara with an awkward smile, "Huh, so this is what winning feels like."

"Yes, it is." she smiled back at him, before grabbing him by the hand, "Let's go."

The two of them moved through the crowd, which parted for them, allowing them to reach the gates. The soldiers there saluted them, and allowed them through; inside he could see a few people assembling out. From their clothes, he could tell that a few of them were soldiers, but others seemed to be nobles and public officials, presumably from around the region. Aang approached them cautiously, and when he got close enough, he bowed to them.

"I'm happy we can meet." he addressed them, and General Zhang, who identified himself with his more ornate armour, stepped forward.

"Avatar Aang, we should go sit down to discuss the matters at hand." he suggested, gesturing to a table that was covered by a tarpaulin, blocking out the midday sun.

He nodded, and he followed the others to the table, sitting at one head, Katara taking the seat beside him. The General sat himself down, and snapped a finger; a pair of servants came around and began pouring everyone some tea to drink.

"Tea?" one of them asked him, and he nodded, deciding that he'd go along with the pleasantries; he didn't mind it, though he was more concerned about actually getting down to business.

Aang was no expert in politics, but he knew that he had a lot of persuading to do. To even get the Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation representatives in a room together was going to be a lot of work.

Once the tea was poured, the General cleared his throat, and gestured down the table, "I welcome you, Avatar Aang, to my base of operations. I have heard that you have pacified the Fire Nation government, and forced them to make an armistice, which has been of great relief to me and my people."

"I did." he nodded, "I know that everyone here is probably afraid the Fire Nation might attack again, but I assure you, they won't."

"And where did you gain this confidence, might I ask?" one of the people on the table, an older man wearing long flowing robes, asked him; Aang guessed he might have been a governor, mayor, or perhaps simply a notable from a nearby settlement.

"I forced the Fire Lord and her ministers to make peace, and promise to come to a proper settlement with the Earth Kingdom." he explained, "I beat Ozai and Azula, and destroyed their fleet of airships. They won't be able to attack you with them any more."

"Can't they make more?" General Zhang asked him, "Unless you've already destroyed their factories."

"N-no... I didn't." he conceded, "But I made sure the minister ordered those responsible to stop building anymore of them."

"These airships, we've heard rumours of them here in the Earth Kingdom. Supposedly they were flying above the Wulong Forest during the passing of the Comet." another person on the table explained, clearly an officer from his attire, who wore spectacles and had a trim goatee, "These machines could be a danger as long as the Fire Nation has them. They were trying to burn our country to the ground, were they not?"

"Yes." Katara confirmed his suspicions, "But I think I already know a solution to that problem."

"And that is?" Zhang pressed, the Water Tribe girl raising her hands.

"We can give the Earth Kingdom the technology. It was invented by the Mechanist after all, so it's only fair that you should be able to build them yourselves."

"The Mechanist?" Zhang raised a brow, "Is that the man who made those tanks Fong mentioned in his letter?" he asked, and Aang nodded.

"Yes, he is. He's an inventor from the Earth Kingdom. The Fire Nation were forcing him to make weapons for them." Aang explained, before grimacing, "He's very sorry for all the pain his work caused."

"I imagine he would be." another person on the table, an older woman who had the attire of a bureaucrat acknowledged, "His work has caused misery for many innocents across the Earth Kingdom. I have no doubt he played a part in that drill that was used against the walls of Ba Sing Se."

"He didn't say anything about it." Aang admitted, not knowing if he had played a role in its construction, or at the very least, the basic designs; he sipped from his cup of tea to excuse himself from answering any more questions about that, not wanting to accidentally say something that would turn the table against the Mechanist.

"That's not really what we're here to talk about." Katara redirected the conversation topic, "The point is, the Mechanist can definitely make you some airships."

"I'm sure his majesty will be appreciative of any assistance he can provide." General Zhang acknowledged with a smile, "The Council of Five are making plans to reorganise the military as we speak, as has been commanded by his majesty."

"The more important thing to discuss here is the peace settlement." the Water Tribe girl acknowledged, and everyone at the table nodded along.

"Precisely." General Zhang agreed, "So, what is the time table for the withdrawal of the colonies and occupation forces from the Earth Kingdom?" he asked, and Aang grimaced.

"Uh..." he mumbled, unsure what to say; he wanted to promise that the colonies would be removed along with all the Fire Nation soldiers that were occupying their land, but he couldn't be sure that would be achieved.

He sipped from his cup of tea, giving himself a chance to think over the matter. Everything Fire Lord Azula had told him so far had indicated that it would be politically untenable for the Fire Nation to do so, as they would face open revolt in the colonies, as well as within the ranks of the military. Though he trusted the Fire Lord to bring the military to heel, given her desire for power and control over her nation, the public was another matter entirely.

Aang knew that there must have been distaste amongst the public of the Fire Nation towards the war, especially among those that had directly experienced it as soldiers or sailors, unless they were consuming and believing the propaganda the government spouted without a thought. He didn't take the average citizen to be that clueless, but he didn't want the propaganda to be proven right. His thoughts were with that school that he had unintentionally attended, and knowing that if everyone learned what they did there, that they would wholeheartedly support Azula in 'protecting' the Fire Nation from Earth Kingdom advances.

"What is it?" the older woman pressed him, "Has the Fire Lord refused to negotiate a settlement?"

"No, that's not the issue." he clarified, "The issue is that the Fire Nation public probably won't accept the peace you want. The soldiers might leave, but the colonies, that's probably not going to be easy."

"You can force the Fire Lord to comply, can you not? Force the withdrawal of the colonists."

"What Aang's trying to say is that the people in the Fire Nation won't accept that, even if we could force the Fire Lord to do it." she emphasised his point, "That's why we need to make a settlement, and soon. I know that you're going to try and force the Fire Nation soldiers to leave."

"We will. They're on our land." one of the dignitaries spoke up, and Aang sighed.

"I have a- well, a temporary solution for that."

"Okay, let us hear it." Zhang requested, and the Avatar obliged him.

"I can go to the nearest bases and settlements, and tell them that they need to leave. The newer colonists might go back home, but others won't. If I tell the Fire Lord that she needs to remove everyone who will go willingly, maybe that will- well, I mean, that's what you want, isn't it?"

"Yes, that is what we want." Zhang confirmed, "That won't get us all our land back, however." he noted, raising his hands to his chin, "Now, I want to avoid a conflict as much as the next officer. We've all been fighting for so long that it's all we've ever known, and the war does need to come to an end. With Fire Lord Ozai out of the picture, and the Fire Nation on the back foot, we can achieve peace, on our terms. You have the Fire Lord, make her comply."

"We can't control the Fire Lord as much as you think we can." Katara warned him, "I'd prefer to depose her as well, but that will end badly. The Fire Nation needs a leader, and she's the only one we can negotiate with. She'll do some of the things you want, because she doesn't want the war to restart either."

"So, you will tell her what we want done." Zhang realised, "Do this, and we'll hold off forcing anyone to leave. We could... well, suggest strongly, but I doubt this will go over well with the Fire Nation military leadership."

"No, it won't." Aang acknowledged, "I feel that if she's the one to do it, they'll be more willing."

"We will tell her what needs to be done." Katara assured the General, "I'm sure she will understand that some of the colonies have to be removed, even if she refuses to remove them all." she argued, though she didn't sound too confident.

"Please, just don't start anything with the Fire Nation soldiers." Aang requested, "They are just following orders to uphold the armistice, so they won't move. If they attack you, then... well, I can't stop you." he acknowledged, and the General crossed his arms.

"Here on the frontier, the people are angry. They have been forced to cower and hide from the Fire Nation, relying on the army to come to their aid. We haven't always been able to." he explained the situation there, "They might not comply with your requests... I will try and relay them to the local communities, but that will not stop vigilantism."

"I will go to the colonists. Some might listen." he acknowledged, "There's a colony just through the valley back there." he gestured the way they had come from, "Do you think the people would try and force them out?"

"There's a military base in the way, so probably not. Other colonial towns, villages that have settlers in them, they'll be far easier targets. Those are the places I would go to first if I was to remove them." he explained his own line of thought, making Aang grimace; he had said he wouldn't try and force the colonists to leave, but he didn't feel he could trust his word.

Most people he'd dealt with in the course of his journey to master the elements had some ulterior motives; they all wanted what was best for them, or what they thought was best for their community and their country. Jet thought he was right, and he tried to wipe out a village. General Fong thought he was right, and threatened the lives of Sokka and Katara to try and make him master the Avatar State. The people of Chin thought they were right, and tried to execute Aang for the crimes of his past life. Even the Kyoshi Warriors, a group he would certainly trust to do the right thing, had threatened the lives of Aang and his friends because they trespassed on their island.

Now, he was dealing with General Zhang and the rest of the Earth Kingdom military establishment; even if they were the 'good guys' defending their country, he imagined just like the Fire Nation, they'd be willing to do terrible, unfair things for the sake of achieving their goal of peace.

"I know that you hate the Fire Nation, and want them gone, but peace means we need to coexist with each other. Everyone, Fire Nation, Earth Kingdom, Water Tribes, and... me." he explained his own point of view, hoping that Zhang and the others would understand, "The Fire Nation has done a lot of bad things to your country. Forced people from their homes, sent them to prisons, and... killed them. I will make sure that never happens again, and that all those people who lost their homes can get them back."

"That is admirable, Avatar." one of the people at the table acknowledged, a younger man who seemed to be an officer under the General, "But violence was what got the Fire Nation their colonies in the first place. I don't imagine anything but violence will get them to leave."

"Well, I might be able to persuade the Fire Lord to- uh, pay people to leave. Offer them other places to live, new jobs." he suggested an idea, and the table seemed to approve.

"That would cost us nothing and get us what we want." the General noted with an approving smile, "In any case, I hope you can make these people understand that their position is untenable. Once the Earth Kingdom army has reorganised itself, we will have no choice but to take action if the Fire Lord does not. We will not try to fight their soldiers... it is simply a matter of our rights."

"I hope it doesn't come to that." Katara spoke her mind, before sighing, "If it does, the Water Tribes will stand by the Earth Kingdom." she made a promise that Aang was unsure if she even had the ability to make; the Northern Water Tribe was barely involved the war and had tried to avoid confronting the Fire Nation, though he did imagine that Chief Hakoda and the other leaders from the South would help the Earth Kingdom if it came to another conflict.

"And what of you, Avatar?"

"My- uh, duty, is to balance and peace. It was hard to get the Fire Nation just to stop fighting... I don't want to do it again." he gave his stance.

"I do not envy you." Zhang acknowledged with a pitying look, "For all our sakes, I hope the Fire Lord can make her subjects comply."

Katara placed a hand on the table as she stood up, "We won't let all our work be for nothing. Right, Aang?"

He nodded, and stood up to follow suit. Aang didn't know what to say, only knowing that he was obliged to make sure that peace between the nations was maintained. He didn't want to make the mistake Roku had, but even then, he knew that favouring one nation or the other would not work well either. He had to strike a balance, and he just hoped that his friends would be able to help him achieve it; he could not say he trusted the Fire Lord, and he knew that the Earth King, despite any good intentions, had little experience ruling his country. He preferred a kind man to a despot, but if the conflict was to be between the two rulers, he certainly knew who would win.

"I will not let another war happen. Never." he declared with as much confidence as he could muster, "I am the Avatar, and I won't mess up again."


"Lee! I think that's enough for now."

Zuko's eyes turned up from the field, and he wiped the sweat from his brow; he had been silently hoping that after they came to work alongside him, the two brothers would call it quits and give him a chance for a break. They had been sowing some millet and wheat, laying the seeds in the field, which he had tilled for them, though he had the aid of a bull pig, which pulled a plough over the field. However, getting the beast to actually do the job was the bigger challenge. It took him two days to get the ploughing done; he asked if they had any way of getting more help on the farm, but they said they didn't want to pay more than one person to do a job that only needed one person.

Once he was done with that, Chu and Kuang came out and began working on laying seeds. Their sister Yong joined them, and all four of them were able to get the work done quite fast. However making sure the seeds were laid properly, and then watered, that was the most time intensive part of the job. Once Chu called out to him, that was when he knew that they'd be taking a break. He had already gotten a decent amount of pay, and knew that if he did a week or so more of farm work, he would have enough money for some new clothes and gear that he would need to survive by himself. He only had the bare essentials, and was relying on the brother's goodwill to use the facilities they provided.

"How about you join us for lunch, Lee?" Kuang asked him, and he nodded cautiously; he didn't want to be too eager, but the chance to get out of the sun and have a proper meal was enticing.

He took the water bucket he had in hand, slung it over his shoulder, and followed after both brothers as they walked back towards their home; Zuko followed them through the fields, and then past the stone fences to where their home lay. The building itself was old and in need of repairs, but it was relatively clean and homely looking. The garden by the rear of the house made it look a little nicer with all the various herbs and vegetables growing there. The walls and eaves had been recently painted, which made it look newer than it otherwise would have.

When he got to the entrance, Chu gestured inside, "Come on in, I'm sure you're hungry."

"Thank you." he acknowledged him with a bow, before placing the bucket down beside the door, knowing he'd need to use it again to water the seeds.

He followed Chu and Kuang inside, and noticed that Yong had been preparing some lunch for them with their mother; she greeted them with a smile, and gestured to the table.

"Please, sit down. We'll have some noodles ready to eat in a moment." she explained, her words presumably for Zuko, who hadn't come inside for lunch before; usually he'd just be given a bowl of food by Chu or Kuang while he was working, and eat it out in the field.

He sat down with the brothers, and felt a bit awkward just sitting there at the table; it was big enough for everyone to sit there, though that fact told him that Chang's husband must have passed. He didn't expect they'd just leave an extra seat if he had run off and abandoned them. Zuko decided to say something, the first thing that he could think of.

"Do you usually let labourers come in and eat with you?"

"Well, we don't usually hire that many people." Chu acknowledged, "We haven't had the best few harvests, so we haven't had the savings to pay for hired help for some time."

"So, no, but it's only you, and you've been pretty helpful." Kuang added, before grimacing, "But there's only so much work for you to do."

"I know." he nodded, "Thank you for paying me." he added, feeling that he owed them his thanks given that they didn't seem to be that well off.

"You're doing more work than either of us... it'd be unfair if we didn't give you what you're owed." Chu argued, before patting him on the shoulder, "So, is farming new to you, Lee?"

"Uh... I guess." he mumbled, unsure what to say; he was a prince by birth, and manual labour was a foreign concept to him until he was forced to undertake it for his own survival, "I only started working recently." he acknowledged; his words were truthful, but didn't go into any detail about his past before that.

"I am curious." he heard Yong speak up, pacing over with some bowls of noodles, "What is a boy like you doing out here? You're not exactly peasant material."

"Wh-what?" he raised a brow, "I mean no offence, I'm just confused, that's all."

"You can read." she clarified, "I noticed you had some scrolls among your belongings."

He grimaced, hoping she didn't know how to; the scrolls were all he could scavenge from the ship, some documents that were manuals on firebending techniques and forms. They weren't visually based, but were rather detailed instructions meant for more advanced learners, like himself. He was relieved he hadn't taken any ones with visual depictions of firebending on them, as it would have outed him as a firebender to anyone who got a glance at them.

"Uh... yes. I learned from my- uh, my father." he lied, knowing that reading and writing was something he was instructed in from a young age by his tutors.

"Is he a bureaucrat or something?" Chu asked, and Zuko nodded.

"Yes, he is." he confirmed; that wasn't even technically a lie, given one could call the Fire Lord the most powerful public servant in the world.

"So, is it as hard to learn as I've heard?" Yong questioned him, and Zuko shrugged his shoulders.

"I didn't find it that hard, but that's just me." he admitted quietly, not wanting to brag about something as inconsequential as the speed at which he learned to read and write.

However, as he thought about it, he realised that was a very important skill, especially for someone like himself; to be raised a Prince, he needed to be well educated and skilled in many fields, suitable to be given a wide variety of duties. His uncle was lucky that he chose to be a soldier, and only really had to learn the art of strategy and war; then, he had the rest of his time to learn about other things, which might have been of little use to him as a Prince, but of value to him personally. Tea was what came to mind.

Now that it was in his head, he struggled to get it out, and as he ate the lunch, he tried to think of a way to say something without coming off as weird or servile. He knew to make somebody tea was a sign of respect, but to offer to make tea to people who spent their days working a farm made it sound as if they weren't capable of doing it themselves, or that he was their lesser. They might have been providing him with work, but he didn't want to make himself seem like a servant.

"Uh, I was wondering..." he began, forcing the words out of his mouth, and the three siblings turned their eyes to him.

"Yes?" Kuang prodded him, "Did you need something, Lee?"

"No, I wanted to ask if you wanted tea." he admitted his thoughts, and gave the implicit offer.

"How kind." Yong commented with a smile, "If you'd like to make some, feel free."

He nodded, knowing that his uncle had instructed him a few times; he felt that if he did it, it might make him feel better about his circumstances. Tea washed away people's sorrows and gave them something to bond over, that was what his uncle had once told him. He had a number of proverbs about tea, most of which Zuko had ignored. In hindsight, he felt terrible for just ignoring the things he said, focusing solely on his mission. It wasn't just tea, but everything his uncle could teach him; a veteran of the war, and a master firebender, he knew so much about the world and life, the kinds of things he wished he had asked about now that he was forced to give up his duties. A Prince with no title, servants, or duties was merely a man.

He ate a little more of the noodles, which weren't bad by any measure, though he would have preferred something from the tavern; there they had food with spices, how Zuko liked it. When he felt like he had no choice, their eyes on him, he got up, and paced to the end of the table.

"Where is your tea?" he asked, and Chang gestured to a cupboard behind her in the kitchen.

"Just in there. The teapot is already on the stove." she explained, and he nodded, pacing over to the cupboard and pulling out a rack of small boxes that contained tea leaves; the brew that he wanted was jasmine tea, and he was relieved to see that they had the leaves for it.

He picked the little box, and took it over to the stove; he noticed that the teapot was empty, but the stove was already burning; that relieved him, mostly because he didn't want to firebend secretly to start the fire. That was a disaster waiting to happen, and he'd prefer to avoid bending unless it was absolutely necessary. He saw that there was a bucket of water sitting by the side of the stove. With a ladle, he picked up some of the water, and poured it into the pot. He had to do that a few times before it was sufficiently filled, and then put the tea leaves inside.

Once he had the pot over the stove, the water began to warm, and the leaves diffused their aroma into it. Soon enough, he could smell it, and it made him smile. The smell was all too familiar to Zuko, and he struggled to keep a straight face. He missed his uncle, and was still so angry about what had happened; Zhao's destruction had not lessened the weight of his death. He knew that it wouldn't, but the anger had lessened, and that was better than nothing. Now he knew he wouldn't go around and murder anyone who got in his way.

He did not regret what happened with the pirates, and only regretted not stealing the gold they had on them; Zhao must have paid them a fortune to go after someone as high-ranking as himself, and he knew that they had a substantial horde of loot. The best things he had gotten were the dao he now wielded, pulled from the body of the scrawny and annoying sounding pirate he had slain.

The teapot boiled quickly enough with Zuko engrossed in his thoughts, and he took the pot over to the table, picking up a few cups from the benchtop between him and the table. He placed them down, giving everyone a cup, and poured tea into each, before sitting back down in the seat he had taken earlier. Once Zuko was seated, he picked up his own cup, and tried to smile for the table.

"That's it." he acknowledged that the task was complete; they looked at him with perplexed faces, but all took a sip from the cups.

"It's- uh, a bit strong." Chu admitted with a cringed expression, "Thank you." he added, as if that made him feel any better; messing it up wasn't hurting his pride, but making him feel as if he couldn't at least enjoy another cup of tea with his uncle.

Iroh wasn't there, but he felt like if he just had some tea like he would make it, that would make him feel better. Not good, but simply less miserable about the whole situation. Zuko sipped from his own cup, and felt that Chu was right; he must have put the tea leaves in too early.

"Sorry, I'm not very experienced with tea making." he apologised for his mistake, and Chang waved off his words.

"Don't fuss about it, boy. The effort was kind enough." she assured him, and took a sip from the teacup, "Strong tea isn't bad. It will give you boys the energy you need to keep it up out in the fields."

Zuko nodded, and continued drinking the tea. Alongside it, he ate more of the noodles, finishing off the bowl quickly enough; the hard work made him hungry, and he knew he needed to eat if he wanted to maintain his strength. Though Zuko wasn't expecting to have to fight, he wanted to be able to continue training his firebending. It seemed less useful when he was no longer commanding a ship and hunting down the Avatar, but he knew that to waste his potential would be a foolish decision. Once he finished his cup of tea, he reached for the pot, deciding he might as well have another, even if he didn't enjoy the taste of it as much as he would have liked.

As he picked up the pot, however, his attention was drawn by a distant scream; that would always be concerning, but given he was unarmed and among civilians, it was even more concerning that it might otherwise be. His grip on the pot's handle tensed, remembering how he had gotten into the fight with the bandits who had targeted the colonists. He was minding his business, until he wasn't.

"Did you hear that?" Chu asked his brother and sister, before rising to his feet.

Another scream followed, a little louder than the last, and that was followed by distant but clearly noticeable shouts. Zuko put the pot down, and didn't know what to do; to react overtly with the intention to fight would only arouse suspicion. He didn't want to fight, preferring to avoid going into a blind, bloody rage again; he was angry back then, and even at that point, he still felt it simmering beneath the surface.

"Is it the Fire Nation?" Chang asked, though none of them had the answer to that question; Zuko paced over to the nearest window, peering through the blinds.

He couldn't see any large smokestacks, which would be there if the Fire Nation was attacking; their element led to destruction, and fire burned things. The smoke was not there, so he had to deduce the only reasonable possibility; the village was being attacked by bandits, raiders, or some other group that lacked firebenders.

Given they were in the outer colonies, to have a standing guard would be a threat to the Fire Nation's supposed authority over the place, so the village didn't have anyone ready to protect it. He already figured that out when he first arrived, even if nobody had explained it to him. He imagined that the Fire Nation authorities might send some soldiers over to expel bandits if they started causing a fuss, but Earth Kingdom peasants were more than expendable in the eyes of the authorities. If their own soldiers were expendable, then foreign civilians were even more so; by the time anyone arrived, the damage would already be done.

"Somebody's attacking." he told them what he'd deduced, "I- uh, should lock up the barn, right?" he asked them; the two brothers nodded, and Kuang tossed Zuko some keys.

"Keep it safe. The pig-cows are worth a bit of money... having some bandits steal them would definitely ruin my day." he acknowledged, and his brother scoffed.

"More like it'd ruin our year." he retorted, and Zuko paced past the table.

"I'll make sure they don't touch them." he assured them, knowing he could do that, even without being in the barn to protect the livestock.

He got to the door, pulled it open, and closed it behind himself, before he broke into a sprint; Zuko didn't want to waste any time he could otherwise spend doing something to get rid of the bandits. He held no great love for some random peasants he didn't know, but more than a few of them had shown him kindness. To not repay that in kind would be dishonourable, and Zuko, above all things, did not want any more dishonour to his name.

He reached the barn quickly enough, and pulled the doors shut, locking them with the keys. He then put them somewhere safe, before he reached into his bag. He pulled out his mask, and tied it to his face, before taking the black robes he usually wore as the Blue Spirit, donning them over his loose tunic that he was wearing in the field. He tightened his waistband, and then bound his forearms with fabric cuffs, reminiscent of the style he used to wear when he donned his armour as a Prince. With his disguise fully formed, Zuko did not waste a moment, slinging the dao over his back, before he lunged out a window, and dashed towards the centre of the village.

Zuko did not want to risk his identity being revealed, as being known as the Blue Spirit would only risk the Fire Nation sending men after him. Even if Azula was tolerating his actions against Zhao, the military would still have a bounty out for him, given that they all knew about what happened at Pohuai Fortress, even if the connection between himself and the Blue Spirit hadn't been drawn yet. When he rushed out onto the road, he could see that there were a few villagers running his way frantically, and further beyond, he could see a number of bandits, mounted on komodo rhinos, wielding a variety of weapons.

When the villagers noticed him, they were afraid, but got out of his way as he ran towards the bandits. He wasn't going to have his chance of making a decent living be ruined by their desire for bounty and destruction. They had chosen to make a life out of theft, but Zuko had chosen better; he might have had the moral high ground, but he wasn't there to slaughter them. Not again, he told himself.

When Zuko reached them, he drew out his dao, and pointed them at the bandits, not saying a word; one of them had a guandao, and pointed it back at Zuko, "Are you really him?" he asked, "The insane bastard who freed the Avatar from prison."

Zuko just got into a fighting stance, not wanting to waste any more time than he already had; he decided to lower his voice and make his position clear.

"How about you find out?"


With a spicy komodo rhino skewer in one hand, and fire flakes in another, Toph was confident she would be sated for quite some time. The Fire Nation had a lot of things wrong with it, but she couldn't argue that the cuisine was one of them. Sokka had even more snacks than her, and seemed to be enjoying himself, sharing some with Suki as they walked through the Fire Nation Capital. The city was bustling with activity, given that it was the middle of the day, when it was arguably too hot for anyone to do work, so they went to get food, drinks, and spend some time relaxing.

The weather was a bit of a nuisance, but she had adjusted since they arrived. The people seemed a little cautious around them, but weren't impolite. They were able to get their lunch with no issue, and the stall owner thanked them for their patronage. The other fighters were getting food as well, but they went off on their own, following some path that Sokka found out about, leading them through some public gardens. It wasn't of as much interest to Toph, though she enjoyed getting her feet in the dirt.

She was following the couple as they walked through the gardens, presumably looking at the various sculptures that were dotted around. As they were made of stone, she was able to appreciate them, though she found them a little crude, or simply abstract; she didn't know what the artists were intending with a lot of them, though she could sense that many of them were in the shape of various kinds of people and animals.

There were statues of soldiers, nobles, Fire Sages, past Fire Lords, and what must have been some ancient historical figures, who were dressed in clothing that didn't fit her preconception of the Fire Nation. The animals were a little more varied, but there were a large number of dragons. That amused her, mostly because, from what she had heard, the Fire Nation wiped out dragons by hunting them to extinction.

They were the symbols of pure firebending, like how badger moles were for earthbending, and sky bison for airbending. The fact that they were wiped out by the people practising their element was tragic and a little amusing for Toph, who felt the stupidity of the Fire Nation to be astounding at times. With dragons, they might have been able to conquer her people far quicker; she much preferred that they hadn't, but the fact they could have, but actively chose to undermine their own power instead, left her almost pitying them, both dragons and firebenders.

Sokka and Suki sat themselves down by a pond, and kept eating their food, Toph sitting nearby on the ground, crossing her legs and biting from her skewer. The Water Tribe boy was pointing towards the pond itself, and made a little chuckle.

"It's just like in the palace gardens." he noted, "Turtleducks."

"They're adorable." Suki commented, her tone sounding a little different than usual; she realised that Suki and Soka were together, and had since the Serpent's Pass, but back then, she had been the epitome of calm and finesse.

Now she just seemed like any other teenage girl, which was a little disappointing, though more so a relief; Toph struggled to act all serious and cool, and was glad that Suki wasn't beating her out in that regard. She had no doubt in her skill, but Toph was always a little too boisterous, and she realised this, trying to back it up with the power she wielded.

"Do you think that meeting went well?" she asked the pair, who looked at each other, before Sokka spoke.

"I mean, it could have gone better. At least the Fire Lord seems to be holding up her end of the bargain." he acknowledged, "She loves trying to stir things up." he added, sounding frustrated, "Hopefully the Earth Kingdom listens to Aang... and things don't go as badly as she says they will."

"She has the power to draw back all the Fire Nation troops." Suki observed, "If she doesn't make the effort to make peace, then the Earth Kingdom should just force her to."

"I mean... whether we like it or not, she's trying." Toph conceded, knowing that even if she didn't trust the Fire Lord, she had been actively trying to promote the idea of peace within her nation, and was at the very least going to participate in a peace settlement with the Earth Kingdom.

The fact that she even tolerated them staying in the capital while things were still being planned was proof enough. If she didn't want them intervening or overseeing her plans, then she would have found an excuse to expel them from the capital.

"Trying to screw us over." Sokka corrected her, "I mean, she's smart. There's no denying it. She knows she can't beat Aang, so she's trying to do everything she can to force the situation to be in her favour. She won't make the Fire Nation fight, but she isn't giving an inch. A trade deal benefits both nations, and gives her an excuse to hold onto the colonies." he gave his own analysis of what she was doing, "The only good thing about this is that nobody's going to get hurt... at least not in battle."

"People are hurting out in the Earth Kingdom all the time." Suki argued, "I've seen the desolation... it's made the lives of so many terrible. The war has forced the Earth Kingdom to tax the people to near starvation... and conscript men to go fight simply to die or become slaves to the Fire Nation." she acknowledged, and turned away, "The fighters in the palace. I've heard their stories... it's the same everywhere."

"But most of that sounds like a problem with the Earth Kingdom, not the war." Toph realised, before cringing, "I mean, I guess things could definitely be improved."

"You were there in Ba Sing Se." Sokka reminded her, "They'll need to do more than improve. At the very least, the Earth King knows about what's going on out there. He's been travelling... seeing what we've seen."

"That's assuming he cares." Suki added, "I've never met the Earth King, but if he's anything like the rest of the people who are in charge... he probably won't get much done."

"It's not him doing the work anyway." Toph argued, "It's all the other leaders... the people who've been protecting the Earth Kingdom for all this time."

"Yeah, like King Bumi." Sokka recalled one of the people they knew, "He's a bit weird, but I think he'll be able to do a good job rebuilding his part of the country."

"It just doesn't feel over." Suki spoke her mind, "All of that fighting, just for Aang to beat the Fire Lord and a new one to take his place." she acknowledged what had transpired, "It doesn't feel like a real victory."

"The victory was scaring the Fire Lord into doing what we wanted." Sokka argued, "I think Aang did a pretty good job of that, even if he didn't like doing it."

"I guess you're right." she agreed, before standing up, "We should probably head back to the palace. Your dad said he wanted to have a meeting with the rest of the representatives from the Earth Kingdom."

"Yeah." Sokka nodded, glancing over Toph's way, "Hopefully we'll hear from Aang and Katara soon."

"They might have the Fire Lord's authority to go use the army's messenger hawks, but those things must take a while to fly. If we hear something bad's happened in the colonies, then we'll know they screwed up."

"That might have nothing to do with them." Suki argued, "There are rebels everywhere. They might take things into their own hands."

"Yeah, like Jet and his Freedom Fighters." Sokka recalled.

Toph had only met the leader once when they were in Ba Sing Se, and didn't find him to be as callous as Katara claimed him to be, trying to reform for the sake of the future of him and his friends. His friends, Pipsqueak and The Duke, joined them in the invasion, and she liked them, though perhaps it was because like her, they were unruly youths. She could not blame them for their anger against the Fire Nation, for she was frustrated with their actions as well, though unlike her, they had been affected in a far more personal way.

That was what distinguished her from those around her; Toph had lived a life of luxury and learned to live as a noble, yet she rejected that to become the Avatar's master and pursue her passion for earthbending. That was unlike someone like Katara, who had suffered, losing her mother, and forced to toil for her tribe while the men were away, and then, to help guide Aang after he got out of the iceberg. She had every reason to hate the Fire Nation, and act callously and ruthlessly towards them, yet she seemed to be restrained; Sokka did as well, given they shared the same family and past, though he seemed to have a surprisingly cordial view of the Fire Nation.

"I mean, they have a reason to hate the Fire Nation." Toph argued, before crossing her arms, "You do too."

Sokka seemed a little hurt by her words, but he sighed, and turned to face her, "No... you're right Toph, but that doesn't justify... well, just being a terrible person."

"No, it doesn't." she agreed with the sentiment, and sensed him getting up to his feet.

"Come on." he told her, "There's no reason to just sit around here. What if the Dai Li's watching?" he prodded her with what was clearly a joke about the Fire Lord's control of the Dai Li, though it wasn't really a joke.

"They might be." she agreed with his suggestion, even though it had been a joke, rising to her feet; she decided to answer his question, hammering her foot down into the ground.

She could sense all around them, and deep below to what she knew to be the city's catacombs; the tunnels criss-crossed the city, they had even entered them during the eclipse, though they went even deeper, reaching Fire Lord Ozai's secret compound beneath the palace. She didn't, however, sense any Dai Li lurking about; they might have still been hiding, but she couldn't notice anyone in the catacombs specifically, nor lurking around nearby corners in alleyways. The streets, however, were full, and for all she knew, the Dai Li could be disguised, hiding among them.

"There's nothing there." she assured them, though she didn't know if she could fully trust her senses; the further away people were the harder it was to detect them, though she could not feel anyone in the catacombs in their general vicinity, "They could be hiding among the locals." she added her own opinion, Sokka making a sheepish laugh.

"Yeah... uh, they could be." he acknowledged her words, "I hope she wasn't lying about the Dai Li stuff."

"I'd say she might have been, but she doesn't want to piss us off." she gave her judgement on the matter; she didn't trust the Fire Lord, but she certainly trusted her to remain well-behaved, not because she was trying to be servile and a toe-kisser, but because she knew Aang would beat her in a fight, and he had reason to remove her bending in that scenario.

Toph didn't know the Fire Lord, but she understood what kind of person she was; a noble raised as an elite bender, respected by their nation and their peers, seeking only to further their strength and improve their abilities. To lose her bending would be a horrific blow; if Toph could not earthbend, she would be as people saw her, a helpless blind girl, though she certainly knew enough about the world that she wouldn't be completely useless without her bending. The same could be said about the Fire Lord, and that made her sympathise with her position, if only a little. She had hunted them down and tried to kill them multiple times, so her sympathy was short and open to change if she decided to go back on her word.

"No, she wouldn't." Suki agreed, "You'd kick her butt if she tried anything." she argued, and Toph shook her head.

"I don't know... she actually went toe-to-toe with us without her bending on the eclipse. I feel that in a proper fight, she might actually win." Toph gave her honest opinion; because of what she knew, she wasn't afraid of facing Azula down, but that didn't make her ignorant of the Fire Lord's own prowess, "I would definitely try to wipe the floor with her face." she decided, before scrunching her face, "I was gonna say stupid face, but I feel that she doesn't have a stupid face."

"No, not really." Sokka agreed with her, and Suki jabbed him in the side, seeming annoyed by his comment.

"What? I didn't call her pretty or anything." he defended his words, "She's not stupid, and she doesn't look it."

"Yeah, yeah, we believe you, Sokka." Toph assured him, though she made sure her words were heard as sarcasm; she actually did believe him, but stirring shit was an opportunity she wouldn't pass up.

"I'm feeling targeted." he mumbled, before shaking his head, "Whatever, let's get going."

"Alright, your highness, whatever you say." she agreed to his request, her entitlement of him not going down well.

"I know I said I was kind of a prince that one time, but why are you bringing it up?" he asked her, "I'm just Sokka."

"You were the one who said it." Toph reminded him, though she felt a little awkward remembering the context.

He was explaining the story about Princess Yue, who he had briefly courted when he was in the North Pole, and claimed that because his father was supposedly the most important chief in the Southern Water Tribe, that made him like a prince. The reason that was awkward was that he had had that relationship with Yue, who had died to revive the Moon Spirit, and now, he was with Suki. She guessed that the girl knew about Yue, but since Sokka didn't like to talk about it, she didn't know how much she knew.

"You can act princely at times." Suki prodded him, before taking back her comment, "No, chiefly."

"Well, I wanna be Chief someday, so that's what you should think. Is she right, Toph?" he prodded her back, presuming she would insult him.

"No comment." she refused, mostly because she didn't want to actually compliment him; that would just be awkward- he was the leader of their group, and even if she did give him grief at times, she did respect all the work he'd done to get them to where they were at that moment.

Mostly because she didn't want to say that in front of Suki; the girl probably had a neutral opinion of her at that moment. She didn't want to send it cratering down because it made her sound like she had a thing for Sokka.

"Oh... that means she agrees." Sokka decided what to think of her lack of an actual answer, "If she didn't agree, she'd make fun of me. Call me a stinky idiot who spends too much time sleeping in."

"You do." Toph argued, "But I can't complain. I like my rest time as well."

She didn't say anything else, and paced out of the gardens, returning to a city street; the street was more lively than it had been before, and she could hear shouting in the distance.

"Ooh... is there a fight?" she mumbled to herself, sensing over to realise that that wasn't what was going on.

The structure and organisation of a mass of people was easy to notice, and given they were in the middle of the Fire Nation Capital during a ceasefire, it couldn't be soldiers. She deduced they had to be protestors, which wasn't a surprise; after Azula's meeting, people probably wanted to speak their mind, and probably not in the way that the young ruler wanted them to. Unless she was trying to aggravate her own population so she could lay the blame at the feet of the foreigners; Toph knew that would be very Fire Nation of her.

"What's going on?" Suki asked her, and Toph gestured down the street.

"A protest, I think." she gave her deduction, "I think we should probably steer clear of that." she decided, and Sokka pat her on the shoulder.

"Nah, I wanna get a closer look."

"And get a brick thrown at you by an angry Fire Nation commoner?" she asked, knowing something like that was bound to happen with luck like Sokka's.

"No... just to get a feel for it. Know one's enemy and all that."

"I wouldn't call random protestors our enemies." Suki gave her own opinion, "For all we know, they could be supporting peace."

"I'm doubtful." Sokka admitted, before chuckling, "It would be a nice surprise if that were the case."

She heard more shouting, and cringed, stepping back, "Okay, fine, but find somewhere to look from instead of walking towards them. Even the locals are getting out of their way." she gestured to the pedestrians around them, who were cautious, if not alert, about the presence of the protestors, and by the time they moved off to climb a staircase for Sokka to get a better look, the pedestrians had dispersed almost entirely, making a clear path for the mass of protesters.

"No more talk!" she heard them chant, again and again, before chanting out, "Keep our citizens safe!"

"I wonder who's paying them to be out here." Sokka mumbled, his words probably in jest, though Toph knew that somebody might be working behind the scenes to cause a protest like the one before them.

It was like that in Ba Sing Se, with the Dai Li lurking behind every wall, and not just literally; they were actively manipulating every layer of society to their advantage, ensuring their aims were achieved. All there needed to be was a concerted effort within a few parts of the Fire Nation government, and the people could be riled up easily enough to try and kick them out of the capital.

"Maybe we should get out of here." Suki suggested, sounding almost fearful, "I don't want to have to confront these people."

"Why, 'cause you'd kick their butts?" Sokka asked, and she didn't laugh.

"Yes, that's exactly why. And then they'll get even madder." she argued, before grabbing him by the wrist, forcing him to come down from the stairs.

Toph led them over to an alleyway, where she sensed a few of the fighters from the Earth Kingdom, approaching them with cautious stances.

"Toph, what's going on out there?" their leader, a soldier whose name she couldn't remember, asked her.

"They're protesting the peace deal... I think." she explained, "I wouldn't try and get involved if I were you." she warned them, and the soldiers didn't heed her words; they continued out of the alleyway and out onto the street, and moved into earthbending stances as the protestors approached.

"Uh... guys?" Suki asked out, realising that they basically just ignored what Toph had said.

She grit her teeth and sighed, "Idiots." she defamed them, before grabbing the other two with each of her hands, "We need to leave."

They paced down the alleyway, and she could hear the shouting becoming more unintelligible in the distance; then, she could sense it- the soldiers began earthbending, and quickly enough, things got violent. The protesters rushed at them, and more fighters approached the commotion, heading down the neighbouring streets. When Toph reached the next major thoroughfare, she pointed down it.

"We need to get back to the palace."

"What about them?" Suki asked, and she sighed.

"They're screwing things up themselves." she declared, "Let's just stay clear of-" she began, before Sokka suddenly shoved her; she didn't realise why until she sensed heat above them.

"Ash-makers." Sokka grumbled under his breath, still standing over her, as if his body would do any good against a fire stream.

"Stop playing hero." she warned him, raising up some walls of earth as she sensed up the street; some angry citizens were coming at them, associating them with the fighting that was going on the street over.

"Leave our city!" she heard one of them shout, "You're not welcome here!"

Toph grit her teeth and decided to teach them a lesson, grabbing as many feet as she could with her earthbending, sticking them into the ground.

"That should hold them for a bit." she told the others, before beginning to run up the street.

Suki and Sokka followed after, running just as fast, and when they reached the next crossroads, she sensed some fighters coming across, presumably to deal confront the protesters.

She raised a finger, "Stop!" she demanded, recognising that the fighters were the Foggy Swamp Tribe fighters who had been caught during the Day of the Black Sun, "Trying to fight them will just make things worse." she warned them, and one of the swampbenders stepped forward.

"Alright, girly, whatcha sayin' we should do?"

"You're waterbenders right, so you can heal." she observed, "Heal anyone you can find who's hurt and try and put out some fires. Fighting the protesters just gets the Fire Lord what she wants." she argued, and they nodded.

"Sounds like a good plan." one of them admitted, "Fightin's overrated, if y'ask me."

The man who'd addressed her waved his hand and led them down the crossing street, "Let's get a move on. I'm sure there's gon' be a lot of hurt fellas." he told them, and with that, they continued on down the street.

Toph continued walking in the direction of the palace, which she could sense off in the distance, and noticed some more people walking down the street, though they weren't fighters; it was the local guards, and they were cautiously approaching, though as they saw the trio, they stopped.

"What's going on? We're hearing that there's fighting down by the market." the leading officer asked them, and Sokka stepped forward.

"A protest." he told them, "I'd say you should break up the fighting, but you might just get involved."

"We need to try and do something. If it turns into a riot, then we've failed in our duties." the officer declared, "Men, spread out and take a street at a time, try and get people to return to their homes."

They paced past the group, and Toph frowned, frustrated by the turn of events, "We need to find out if she's behind this."

"I dislike her as much as the next person, but couldn't this just be the locals being fed up with us being here?" Suki asked, "I mean, if I had Fire Nation people walking around on Kyoshi Island, I'd be more than a little mad."

"But we haven't hurt anyone." Sokka argued, "It seems like an overreaction to start getting all rowdy and asking us to leave."

"Now people are getting hurt." Toph realised, "The only person who wins here is the Fire Lord. Now she's got an excuse to kick us out."

"She won't." the Water Tribesman spoke up, arms crossed, "She needs the peace settlement as much as the Earth Kingdom does. If we're gone, the war will start again." he argued, and she clenched her fists.

"So, we better do our part." she decided, before raising up another wall of earth behind them, "That'll stop them for a bit."

"Who's gonna clean that up?" Suki asked, and she just snickered.

"I'm trying to stop them from attacking each other... if the Fire Lord wants it cleaned up, she can send her little Dai Li agents to sweep up the streets."

Sokka's heartbeat spiked, and he grasped her by the shoulders.

"Please Toph, don't give her any ideas."