Yeva still was in a state of shock as he looked at the group of tiny people. A thousand thoughts went through his mind. They were so small–so easy to crush. How much could it take for them to crack under the pressure of the king and queen? Would they tell the royals what they saw at the abandoned building?

"Calm down," Toph told him. "I can sense your heart racing faster than Twinkletoes and the giant airbending master."

Unsurely, the prince approached the table. "I…didn't expect you to be here."

"We can say the same," Aang said, smiling. "We're really happy you are here, though."

"Why's that?"

One of the other giants turned to Yeva with a happy twinkle in her eyes. "My prince, these small friends want to oppose Vadim and Tatia."

Yeva turned to Team Avatar in shock. "You do?"

"Oh yeah," Sokka assured him. "We've been looking for someone who's a giant and willing to stand up to them. Seems like you fit into both categories."

The prince's expression turned unreadable. He analyzed the friends closely, wanting to see clues in their behavior that might indicate their strength of will.

"What exactly are you hoping to do?"

"We want them to be dethroned," Katara stated, certainty in her voice.

"It won't be easy. People fear them and have a good reason to."

The Gaang paused, surprised a little by Yeva's tone. It was becoming icy.

"Even for those who are the same size, the king and queen are serious threats," the prince continued. "They'll kill whoever gets in their way and whoever's death would lead to the most fun. A single bolt of lightning from the king could kill all of you simultaneously. One swipe of the queen's hand during a full moon could control the blood in all of your bodies."

"We know the risks," Suki said. "That doesn't change how we feel."

"That's what you're saying now, but those two might not even want you to die." Yeva looked at the group. "Their imaginations are demented. I'm sure the mere fact that you exist only led to more questions and creativity from them."

"Are you trying to convince us not to help?" Zuko asked, frustrated.

"No," Yeva said calmly. "I'm trying to make sure you know the reality of this situation. I've been fighting against the king and queen since before I was a teenager. I've seen countless die for nothing more than entertainment. That's coming to an end. We're finally going to be successful in protecting Krozhny from them and have a team who knows what they're up against. Despite the huge risks, these people still want to be here. So, I hear you say that you want to help, but I need to know that you'll be loyal to us."

"We will be," Aang stated.

The giant looked at the friends, seeing determination on all their faces. Slowly, he began to smile.

"In that case, welcome to the rebellion."

Team Avatar smiled at his acceptance. Suki glanced around them.

"Is this everyone?"

"It is," the prince confirmed. "So far, we've been able to get some people out of trouble before the arrests could happen. We've even infiltrated the guards on a small scale."

Sokka's eyes widened. "Nice job."

"That's not enough, though," Yeva commented, frowning at the ground. "We've been trying to think of a way to dethrone the royals. Charging into the palace is too foolish since we'd be outnumbered and outmatched, but I'm not sure how many options we have outside of that or something more subtle."

"More subtle?" Katara asked.

"Through some of the servants," Yeva answered. "They might be able to use toxins, but we'd have to find a way to get them to do that without knowing it. Otherwise, they'd never try. They're terrified of any backlash."

Zuko had a thoughtful frown as he looked into the small crowd. "Are there any firebenders here?"

"We have several. Why?"

"Because if they know how to redirect lightning, then one of Vadim's major advantages will be lost."

Yeva's eyes widened and a gasp went through the group.

"You know how to do that?" the prince asked.

Zuko and Aang nodded.

"We could teach you," the Avatar offered.

"Please do. The king never misses with his lightning attacks. Finding a way to avoid them has been an issue we haven't overcome." Yeva tapped his chin, eyes brightening with an idea. "I'm guessing that no one knows you're here?"

"You'd be right about that guess," Toph told him. "There was no way we were going to stay cooped up in that room."

"So, you can travel without being noticed," the prince mentioned quietly. He looked back up at the group. "Could you act as our spies? The rulers are suspicious of me. They won't tell me anything, but they'll underestimate you. And if they don't even know you're there, you might be able to hear plans they're forming. From the bits and pieces I've heard, I think they want to expand again."

Team Avatar paused, horrified at the thought of Vadim and Tatia gaining control over more lives.

"How large is this land?" Aang asked. "Someone else mentioned wars and your military."

"Krozhny isn't the only kingdom in this area. It's just the most powerful."

Yeva gestured for one of the other giants to come forward. The man proved himself to be an earthbender when he built a map in the ground. Yeva pointed to the right.

"Northeast of here, there are some small villages outside of our jurisdiction. Then to the west, there's another kingdom which protects the villages by occasionally sending troops there. The king and queen hate that. It's only a matter of time before there's an attack. Krozhny used to not contain any of the land south of this point," he added, gesturing again with his hand. "We'll keep expanding until all the land is ours, but we don't need to. I'd rather keep what we have and make it a safe place."

"We can help," Katara said. "If you need some spies, then you've just gotten six."

Yeva and the other giants smiled gratefully after they heard this. At long last, they were making some real progress. While the group discussed plans, word of the execution had reached the farmers and merchants. It seemed like as soon as someone heard of this, they were going around to spread the news. Several other farmers spoke of the execution as they hauled water and crops back and forth. The first time Alexei heard them, his chest tightened. The sixth time, he just felt numb. He stayed out to tend to the crops longer than he usually did. He just did not want to go back home and accept what had happened. If he remained on the farm, the sandbender could act like everything was the same as the previous day. His friend was a prisoner, but still alive. To some, that was preferable. Of course, Alexei never heard from those who had personal experience with the dungeon. He supposed at this rate, he never would. The sun began to set when he hauled a portion of the crops over to his friend's family. He did not see either the mother or child this time. The home had not been repaired. Instead, the entire area was abandoned. After a moment, Alexei took the crops back home. The walk back felt slow. It was pitch black out when he finally arrived. He saw that Levka had prepared a meal, but it had been cold hours before he even started eating. Tiredly, Alexei sat down at the table and picked up a spoon.

"Did you know what he'd done?"

Alexei let out a soft sigh and turned. Levka was sitting in a chair a few steps away from the table. The husband was not sure if he only missed her because it was dark or if he was that exhausted. He gave a small nod of his head.

"Did you do anything?"

"I told him to find a way to give the necklace back."

Levka got quiet, but her eyes narrowed. Even without seeing this, Alexei could feel the coldness coming off her.

"What?" he asked. "Did you want me to suggest he keep an item that would get him killed?"

"Of course not."

"Then what's wrong?"

"I never said something was."

"I've known you for nearly two decades, Levka. You don't have to say anything for me to know something's bothering you."

The metalbender closed her eyes and sighed. "It's nothing."

"It's something," Alexei pressed. "If you didn't want me to tell him to keep it or lose it, what did you want me to do?"

"I want you to have some fight in you," she said, looking at him.

Levka stood up from her chair and went over to the man. She touched the side of his face. Alexei looked into eyes which contained fire–the same ones he had fallen in love with all those years ago.

"You did once," Levka stated. "What happened, Alexei?"

The farmer shut his eyes. "We formed a family. It extinguished any fires in me. It's just not worth it anymore…not when there's so much to lose."

Levka moved her hand away and turned towards a wall. On the other side of it was Masha's room.

"That's what I've been thinking for a while too, but with there being worlds so different from ours, I'm beginning to wonder about things. Maybe there are less limits than we thought." She glanced back at Alexei. "What if there's so much more to gain by fighting for our home?"

Lacking an answer for her, Alexei was quiet and continued eating. Levka left him to retire for the evening. She went past Masha's room, oblivious to what was going on inside. The girl was not asleep as she should have been. She could not sleep. She could barely even sit still after hearing about the fate of the poor farmer. Masha had never met the man personally, but she imagined he was just like her father. The thought of someone like that being killed caused her heart to ache with a pain that was not quickly soothed. It made new thoughts come to mind. Masha stood, eyes focused on the earth beneath her. Slowly, she extended her arm and began making a section of the ground hot. It turned red as it transformed into lava. The girl's face lit up as she saw the result of her effort.

Masha jumped when she heard her mother walking by the door. If Levka knew what her daughter was doing, she would be upset, but that did not mean that the lavabender could stop. Who was to say when the next person from around her would be taken? If her parents were ever in that position, she needed to be able to protect them. No one could save the imprisoned farmer, but she would save her parents if that became necessary. Masha only hoped that it never would be. The night brought many troubled thoughts with it. Even powerful people were not immune. Azula realized this as she walked through the halls of her palace. It was so large–so perfect. It was a shame that no one was there to enjoy it with her. There was a time when she would have had people who would have been overjoyed with her success. One would have cartwheeled through the entire castle, seeing how many places she could go whereas the other would have quietly found hidden passageways. Both would have been supportive. Beyond that, both would have been loyal.

Betrayal was an ugly word in the princess's mind, but there was nothing which fit what Mai and Ty Lee did more. Azula had known them for years. They had grown up together. Apparently, that meant nothing. Again, Zuko was the cause. In hindsight, Mai should not have been a shock. Azula had always known that the girl was fond of her brother. Many times, it even was a source of amusement for the princess. Well, she no longer found it funny. Her stoic friend had turned traitor and been thrown in a cell all for a banished prince. Azula had thought more highly of her selected teammate than that. Ty Lee was the real shock, though. Azula never expected such a cheerful, yet subtly timid girl to have that type of rebellion in her. The princess believed that Ty Lee had feared her since the moment they met. Such fear was warranted. Even if Ty Lee was a noble, Azula was the princess. In addition to this, Azula was a firebending prodigy whereas Ty Lee was a nonbender. Of course, the girl would fear her. Both so-called allies did. Mai just knew how to hide her fear better. Years of being trained to hold in emotions could do that to a person, but that was training Ty Lee never received. So, she should have lacked the confidence to oppose Azula. Alas, she did not. It all went downhill from there.

Azula glared at the empty halls. She hated them–the halls and the two people. Her elite team had been nothing more than self-sabotage. She could have selected anyone from the Fire Nation, and she chose those who betrayed her. It had been difficult to return home and implicitly admit defeat. Ozai never questioned her about this. She never had to say that she was betrayed, but she knew her father was aware of the new prisoners in the Boiling Rock. He seemed to know everything. He knew all her strengths…it was unfortunate that he had to learn about her weaknesses as well.

The princess walked to the throne room again and sat down. This was better than the last time. She felt like she was in more control than she did back then. Before, her father might not have been proud to see her. She wondered if he would be proud of her in the tiny lands. Even though she had lost before, he had as well. Maybe experiencing the same would lessen his disappointment. Azula suddenly wished that she had gone to find the former fire lord. No, he was not the former leader. He was the fire lord because to imply anything less was to accept that Zuko was in the throne, and that was something Azula realized she would not do anymore. It might have been necessary as she rotted in that cell. Thinking it was her father's doing would only cause pain, but it was easy to accept that her despised brother had locked her away for good. Now that she was free, she would only accept that the true ruler of the Fire Nation was her father. If she had brought him along, they could have led the tiny lands together. It would have been just as she dreamt for the Fire Nation–only smaller.

Azula resented Zuko for the fact that Ozai lived. She resented him for the fact that she did as well. Even though life led to hope for something better, it also led to suffering. The princess would have preferred to die in battle than be dishonored by losing her status and rotting away in that prison. She was certain her father felt the same. Better to die than to live in misery. Azula glared as she considered this. How could Zuko view himself as in the right when he allowed such treatment? The princess wondered what the conditions were for Ozai. Was his food as disgusting as hers? Was the cell hardly large enough to take two steps in the same direction? She would have to ask him one day. When Azula learned how to master the dimensions, she would travel back and get him. They would be all the family each other needed. That was how it always had been. They were against the world. Such a thing should not change even if the world itself did.

The young ruler kept these thoughts plaguing her as it became night in Krozhny. To prevent the servants or royals from noticing their absence, Team Avatar returned to their chambers. They remained there for a short while until Toph sensed a giant approaching. She let out a heavy sigh.

"Naum's coming back."

"Guess it's been too long without another performance. Lucky us," Sokka said sarcastically.

The friends looked less than thrilled to see the jester who entered. At the same time, he was not the most concerned about friendliness either.

"Here," Naum said, placing down new clothes. "His and Her Majesties want a desert story. You'll all act as explorers. Here is your script."

The scroll was placed on the bed and the giant turned to go, then stopped.

"As a fair warning, Their Royal Highnesses dislike it when performers seem forced. They appreciate the nuances of a subtle performance."

"Thanks for letting us know," Aang said.

The jester nodded his head. "I'll return when you ring the bell."

After the giant was gone, the friends regarded the clothes.

"How bad are they this time?" Toph asked.

Sokka lifted up a long, sandy-colored tunic. "Um, it's very fitting for the desert."

Zuko grumbled as he grabbed a thin scarf to wrap around his face. The friends put on beige cloaks, then went through the scroll. Sokka lifted an eyebrow at an odd, mossy outfit.

"They assigned roles this time," Suki said, drawing the group's attention to the scroll. "Apparently, they're making me and Katara sisters who got lost exploring."

When Aang peeked at the scroll, his jaw dropped. "Zuko and I are supposed to be sand bandits?"

"It looks like it," the Kyoshi Warrior confirmed.

Next, Sokka slid over to look. "Any chance I'm a dashing explorer who saves the sisters, falling madly in love with the red-haired one?"

"No," Katara told him, eyeing the script. "You'll be the desert monster."

"What?" he asked, discouraged. "Shouldn't that be Toph? I'm not even a bender."

"Yeah!" Toph agreed. "I was born for this role. It'll be even better than my Melon Lord character."

Katara shrugged. "I guess Sokka just fits the role better to Vadim and Tatia."

The earthbender frowned and crossed her arms. "Then what role do I have?"

Her friend got quiet after she read this part. The hesitation made Toph concerned.

"What role did they give me this time?"

"Well…"

"Katara."

The waterbender cringed as she spoke. "You're going to be our assistant who'll carry the luggage."

Toph's eyes widened. "This place hates me!" she exclaimed, arms raised.

With nearly the entire team disgruntled because of their roles, they kept going through the script. When they were done, Katara rang the bell. Naum returned and carried Team Avatar out to the throne room. Already, the ground was covered in sand. Vadim and Tatia sat on their thrones, eyes cold yet intrigued with the thought of what they would soon witness.

"Are the scripts memorized this time?" the king asked, sending a meaningful look to Aang.

The Avatar sheepishly chuckled. "Yeah, I think we're ready."

"For all your sake, I hope so," Tatia stated.

Naum set the group down on the sand. With a swift motion of her hand, the queen started to draw water out of the air. Immediately, the team noticed how dry everything around them felt to their skin. To add heat, Vadim lit a flame, firing it over the group's heads. It got dangerously close and they ducked to avoid being burned.

"Now, the stage is set," Vadim stated. "Begin."

The friends each took a breath and did as instructed, going off in their groups.

"I'm worried, Sister," Katara said. "It looks like we're lost."

Suki nodded. "We've been walking around for hours and still haven't found the treasure."

The girls stopped, glancing at Toph to await her line. After a sigh, she spoke, but it sounded like each word hurt her.

"But, my ladies, isn't your sisterhood the greatest treasure of all?"

The royals chuckled at the unhappiness on Toph's face. They looked excited when the two bandits rushed over to the trio.

"Hand over any valuables," Zuko ordered.

"Or else," Aang added, trying to make it less obvious that his heart was not in it.

"Oh no!" Katara cried. "Bandits. What'll we do now?"

The friends heard a choking sound as Sokka emerged from under some sand.

"Worst hiding place ever," he said quietly, choking more.

Seeing him, Naum started to smirk. This would either be the role that made the royals love or hate the show. Despite what he had told the friends, he knew that the king and queen adored dramatic acting. If they were determined to keep the tiny friends around, Naum could not directly challenge them. All he could do was sabotage the friends.

"I am the monster of the desert!" Sokka declared, theatrically flailing around.

Naum's eyes widened in shock. What was the tiny person doing? Had he completely ignored the advice?

"All who come before me will be devoured in the sand dunes!"

The dramatic acting pleased the royals who smiled in spite of their feelings towards the performers. Team Avatar might not have been people who Vadim and Tatia trusted, but they could still be amusing. The play proceeded for some minutes longer as the royals grinned all the while. Unlike the last time, the team did not feel like their lives were in danger at any point. When the performance concluded, they bowed and were brought back to their chambers. Relief washed over the friends.

"Naum tried to set us up," Toph said, frowning. "His heart even started racing when Sokka didn't underplay his role."

"At least we know for a fact that he's not on our side," Suki stated.

"True, but that's alright," Aang commented. "With our new ally and as long as we do well with these plays, we'll be able to keep the royals' trust and stop them from hurting anyone else."