Team Avatar realized that the night in Krozhny led to some possibilities. Instead of trying to fall asleep, they could begin their work as spies. Toph focused on the feeling of servants walking around. There still were a lot of them, but after a little while, the majority of the giants gathered in areas to clean the palace. This gave the friends a chance to escape their chambers. Carefully, Team Avatar left the room and started following Toph. If they wanted to know what the king and queen were planning, there was no better way to learn this than from the royals themselves. Toph could feel the pair in their room. They were walking around, so she knew that they were awake. She and the others just needed to get close enough to find out what they were up to.

"It's been too long," they heard Vadim say.

The tiny group got closer, pressing into a wall when Toph sensed a servant on the way. Without noticing the team, the giant kept going by. The friends could breathe again and pushed their ears against the door.

"At least we have options," Tatia commented. "We could start with the Northeast."

There was a brief pause, then Vadim spoke again. "That doesn't seem extreme enough. If we attack the villages, the West will come to their defense."

The friends heard excitement in the queen's voice next. "We do enjoy an extreme display. Attacking the West prevents them from aiding anyone else. There'll be no one to protect the villagers."

"Exactly. It's more efficient if we attack this way."

"Then it's decided."

"The only question remaining is when."

Frowns covered Team Avatar's faces and they stayed by the door until a little before the giants retired. Quickly, the friends went back to their room and through the hole in the wall. They would still need to sleep as well, but for the time being, there was one more task to do. The group returned to the abandoned building on the outskirts of the town. They kept going before finally reaching their destination. The rebels were there waiting for them. An earthbender rose some of the ground for the team to be higher up.

"What did you learn?" Yeva asked.

"You were right about them wanting to expand," Aang said.

"They're planning on targeting the other kingdom, then attacking the villages," Katara added.

The prince's face clouded over in concern. "Did they say when?"

"They still don't know," Zuko informed them. "They want to make sure everything is ready before that happens."

"It's probably because of us," Sokka suggested. "If we weren't here, they might have attacked sooner, but now, they don't know what kind of effect we'll have on the kingdom."

"Apparently, they're evil, but they aren't careless," Toph said unhappily.

Yeva still was appearing thoughtful, mind racing with ideas for how to thwart the royals' plans. "Thanks for finding that out for us. You should probably go back for now, so they don't suspect anything strange."

"What about you?" Suki asked. "I sort of thought we'd just see the subjects here instead of you too."

"They don't really notice if I'm there or not," the prince admitted. "I'll be back in the morning so that no one in the palace thinks it's strange, but for the evenings, I can stay here without worrying about being missed."

Sadness hit Katara as she heard that. Yeva saw this and offered a reassuring smile.

"I don't mind," he insisted. "I'm just looking forward to having this kingdom be a safe place at last."

"We're looking forward to that too," Aang said. "We'll do whatever we can, Yeva."

Yeva's smile became appreciative. "If you think that you're being compromised, let me know. I don't want anyone in the rebellion getting killed. That includes you."

"We'll let you know," Katara promised.

Despite wanting to stay away from the palace as long as possible, the friends also did not want to put their mission in jeopardy. Reluctantly, they bid farewell to the rebels and returned. They were able to get an hour of undisturbed sleep before Toph started frowning. There was a buzzing sound. It was extremely loud and caused their igloo to rattle.

"What is that?" Zuko asked.

"Something that needs to be quiet," Toph complained.

In agreement, Katara melted the igloo. Just as she started to put the liquid into a bowl, her eyes widened. In front of the team were giant insects with sharp stingers. They were not the only creatures nearby. Large, flat-bodied creatures were crawling on the ceiling and there were monsters with eight legs and just as many eyes that were climbing up the bed. Sokka woke up when Suki shook his shoulder.

"What's going–ah!"

The boy yelped when he saw the strange animals. Quickly, he grabbed his boomerang, pointing it at them.

"What are they?"

One of the stinged insects lunged at Aang, forcing the Avatar to blast air at it.

"These over here are like the buzzard wasps, but worse! I don't know where they came from."

Despite the one animal being hit against the wall, the others were not dissuaded from attacking. An eight-legged beast brought its fangs closer to the group, getting whipped with water by Katara. Zuko burned another one that started creeping from the right. Above the friends, the flat monsters began expelling a foul odor.

"Did something just die?" Toph asked, covering her face.

"We're about to because of that smell" Sokka said, gagging. "It's those weird things on the ceiling." His face started to light up with an idea. "Smell Crawlers! We can call them that."

"I don't think naming them is important right now," Zuko grumbled, frying another critter. "They just keep coming."

The friends surrounded Toph to her dismay. She disliked not being able to help fight, but standing on the bed instead of the earth and with most of the opponents in the air, she was at a major disadvantage.

"I really hate it here," she mumbled.

Katara trapped several of the stinger insects in water, but that did not stop the flat-bodied creatures. When one flew forward, Suki punched it and Aang darted over to the bell. He rang it several times, startling the creatures and alerting the servants in the process. Soon, the giants approached the room. They tried to open the door, but the handle was stuck. Yeva was returning to the palace around this time. Hearing the commotion caused by the servants, he joined them near the team's room.

"Something's wrong, Prince Yeva," a servant stated, looking worried.

Yeva's eyes moved to the door, trying to turn the doorknob. It was locked. With a frown, the prince went and found a pin to pick the lock. Speedily, the door was opened again. The giants' faces revealed their surprise when they saw the creatures everywhere. Immediately, they began squishing the intruders.

"Thanks," Katara said, turning her nose up at the goo which was formerly the animals. "What were those?"

"Wasps, spiders, and stink bugs it seems," Yeva answered, frowning.

"Oh, stink bugs," Sokka commented. "Gotta say, I'm still partial to Smell Crawlers."

"They should not have been in here, though," Yeva added. "There are people with the sole task of ensuring that they remain out of the palace."

"Our deepest apologies," another giant said, head low. "I am among those servants. I swear that I did not see any creature enter. I'm not sure how they got in here."

Yeva put a hand on the subject's shoulder. "I'm not blaming you. I'm just curious about what caused this." He frowned at the door. "And how that got locked. It isn't supposed to be."

"It was locked?" Sokka asked.

"That's what took us so long to get in here."

The friends were momentarily quiet, all thinking of a certain giant who might have played a part in their misfortune.

"I guess there are just a lot of mysteries for one morning," Aang said lightly.

Yeva understood what he was doing and nodded.

"It's probably for the best that you're up now," one of the servants stated. "The king and queen would like another performance."

"Of course they would," Toph said, sighing.

"We'll bring in the new outfits for you," a servant informed the group.

More giants left to go retrieve the items, and Yeva sent a meaningful glance to the others before leaving as well. It was difficult to have the rebellion when even some of the people of Krozhny could not be trusted. A troubled look crossed Yeva's face, but he changed it to a calmer expression before going to the throne room. Naum was there, amusement barely hidden in his eyes.

"Is everything alright, my prince?" he asked. "Their Majesties were going to send me to see what was causing so much of a disturbance."

Yeva met his gaze with indifference. "There was just a problem with our guests' chamber door. Most likely, one of the servants locked it by accident."

The couple seemed satisfied with that explanation.

"They can never do anything right," Vadim stated. "I'm not surprised they don't know how to close a door properly either."

"Without us, I doubt they'd be able to survive," Tatia commented, shaking her head in disappointment. Her focus moved back to the prince. "Did you come here to tell us that?"

"I did not. I actually was hoping you'd be willing to spend a portion of your time discussing a matter with me."

This intrigued the pair, and Vadim lifted an eyebrow.

"What's it about?"

"The good of the kingdom."

"Are you really qualified to talk about that? You don't know what it takes to lead a group of kitchen hands, let alone a kingdom."

"I do not, which is why I was hoping to learn from you both."

Hearing this, arrogant smiles spread over the royals' faces.

"Oh, in that case, you may approach," Vadim said, gesturing for Yeva to come closer. The king then turned to the jester. "Servants shouldn't worry themselves with these matters, Naum. Go and prepare a new routine for tonight. We'll have Yeva retrieve you when we're done here."

Naum bowed his head. "Yes, Your Majesty."

He might have been annoyed with this if not for the chance it gave him to check on the tiny group. Surely, they were injured or horribly spooked by their encounter with the insects, bugs, and arachnids. Maybe they would be too shaken to perform for the king and queen. That would taint the fun image of the strangers. Naum almost smiled at the thought, but it strategically fell when he approached the room. He cracked open the door and saw the friends rehearsing as though nothing at all had happened. His eyes widened when they turned to him.

"Hi, Naum," Aang greeted. "Are the king and queen ready for us?"

"Not yet," the man answered quickly. "I was coming by to inform you that the prince is speaking with them, so you have more time to rehearse than usual. I will return when it is time for you to perform."

The jester closed the door again and frowned. Those little strangers were harder to rattle than he expected. A new thought came to mind, and he began piecing together the elements of how he could make this plan work. As he did, Yeva was still in the throne room.

"I've heard of rulers from the past who created systems where they could listen to the grievances of subjects," the prince said.

Tatia let out a scoff. "Then you also heard about how they lost their power."

"Is there no time when the subjects should be listened to?"

"Why would there be?" Vadim asked. "What would they have to say that's worth listening to?"

"I wasn't sure. I suppose I was just curious."

"Well, don't be curious about that," Tatia stated. "All that rulers need to worry about is how they'll lead the kingdom."

"And if there are issues? What then?"

"Any problem can be traced back to someone," Vadim informed him. "Find the source and remove it. Then balance is restored."

"Would that always be the solution?"

"You're a fool to imply there's an alternative."

Yeva was quiet for a moment. That was all he needed to know. This was the final requirement to put his mind at ease. It was clear that the royals would not change. If they could not even accept that change was necessary, they would not do it for the betterment of the kingdom. In their eyes, everything was already perfect. The king was right. There was no alternative. They could not be reasoned with. Yeva just had to remove the source of the problem. He bowed his head to the royals.

"Thank you for sharing this with me."

"I doubt you'll be able to use it correctly," the father said, turning away from him. "I'm still unsure how such a weak person came from the two of us."

"Maybe I'll surprise you one day."

"I wouldn't count on that." Bored, Vadim leaned back in the chair and gestured to the door. "Go tell Naum that he can bring the tiny guests here. I hope their performance will be more interesting than this conversation was."

The prince turned and exited the room to find Naum. While he tended to these matters, the sun started to rise over the tiny lands. Azula's thoughts had not moved far from her former allies. If she was going to be in charge of this kingdom, then she needed to be sure that the people were loyal. She could not have more of her subjects betraying her. After getting ready for the day, the firebender shot a blast of lightning into the sky. Instantly, she saw tiny people responding to her beckon. They bowed their heads respectfully.

"We are going to be around one another for a while," Azula said, "so, I want to be sure that you're trustworthy. Prove your loyalty to me."

"How can we do that?" Durnaz asked.

"A test," the larger princess answered plainly. "You will find a jewel for me to wear as a royal ring and bring it to the palace."

There was a pause that concerned the people. This was far too simple.

"Of course, that on its own wouldn't prove much about your loyalty," Azula continued. "So, you'll have to bring it during a lightning storm. If you survive the way to the castle and haven't let the jewel get damaged, then the test will be passed."

"How many of us have to do this?" Megat asked.

"You can decide."

"I volunteer," Buraid stated. "I can find the jewel and bring it back for you."

"I'll go as well," the president added, causing the prince to regard him in surprise.

"You don't have to do that," Buraid said. "It could be deadly."

"I know, which is why it would be safer to go as a team."

"Maybe more of us should go," Durnaz suggested.

Azula rolled her eyes at the group. "It's too late to change it now that those two said they'd go. They'll take the test, so there's no point in talking about it anymore. You don't have time to either. This test has a deadline. By sundown, I expect to be wearing my new jewel."

To prove her point about time being limited, Azula blasted more lightning into the sky. Bolts came dangerously close to the ground. Hurrying, most of the tiny people went to hide in their homes. Just being outside caused their hair to stand on end as many individuals were shocked on their way to shelter. Buraid and Megat did not pay much attention to Azula's cruel smile as she created this perilous environment. Instead, they focused on going to Rhijaj.

"There are some gemstones in the mountain area," Buraid explained.

Nodding, Megat followed him to the other side of the land. They kept dodging the electricity, and it became difficult to hear each other over the crackling of lightning. Rather than use words, they began using hand gestures to communicate. Buraid pointed to the ground when they finally reached the mountains. He saw a glimmer of green appearing from near the base of one. Seeing where the prince was gesturing, Megat used his earthbending to move part of the mountain away from a large gem. Buraid reached for it, then pulled back as a larger bolt of lightning nearly hit him. Soon, it was not just right near the jewel. It seemed like the duo was trapped in a cage of lightning from all sides. Megat manipulated the earth so that it went around them, acting as a barrier. Keeping it secure against the powerful lightning was more of a challenge than he expected, and bits started to break apart.

Before the lightning could strike the pair, Buraid quickly grabbed the jewel. Sharing a look with Megat, he started blasting fire around them. It reduced their visibility for Azula. She could not see them through the flames, so she stalled in her lightning assault. As soon as she did, she saw that the earth barrier had been destroyed, but the people were nowhere to be seen. Megat was having them travel beneath the earth. They ran as quickly as they could to get back to the palace before the giant found a way to set another trap for them. Azula realized what they were doing and had her lightning target the ground. It made the tunnel's ceiling shake for the duo. In spite of that, they kept going forward. The team had to dodge as one bolt of lightning went through the earth and appeared in front of them. Speeding up even more, they continued going until they were underneath the palace. Speedily, Megat made an opening in the ground again.

"Here," Buraid said, holding out the green gem to Azula.

The giant firebender sneered down at him. What fun was it if they both survived?

"Green? Do I look like an earthbender to you?"

"You didn't say what color you wanted," Megat commented.

Azula frowned at him, realizing that he was right. "You still should have known better than to give me green instead of red." The crease in her forehead deepened and she turned away from them. "To help you learn more about my style, I'll have some of you make my royal robes. Red royal robes to be specific, since you can't infer from how I dress what colors I usually wear."

"Should we put this back?" Buraid asked, ready to throw away the pointless stone.

The giant hesitated, then snatched the item. "I'll use this until you find one that better suits me."

Irritated, Azula reentered the palace, thinking of how she could order the subjects to make an elaborate outfit in retaliation for the duo's oversight. Megat and Buraid frowned after the giant, then glanced at each other.

"We worked better together than I expected," the prince admitted.

"I can say the same."

"Too bad it doesn't help anything."

"Well, no one died. Now, we just need to find a way to keep some supplies after we're done making those new clothes for her."

"Durnaz and our mother should have some ideas."

Promptly, the pair started going to find their other teammates. The rest of the day was spent working on preparations for Azula's ensemble. It brought the tiny people to the night, and they were far from the only people trying to plan. Team Avatar was about to leave the palace again to meet up with the rebels. They waited until the giants were far from their door and crept out of the hole. Cautiously, they made their way into the town. It was so quiet compared to the palace. Everyone seemed to be asleep. It made vibrations in the ground very noticeable when new ones were felt. Toph stopped and her eyes widened.

"What's wrong?" Katara asked.

"There's something big," the earthbender answered. "It's like that weird bear the Earth King has."

"What?" Sokka asked, looking around in horror. "One of those out here? It'll devour us whole!"

"So, let's not wait for it to find us," Suki said, squinting at the large buildings to see where the creature was coming from.

"It's coming from between those shops," Toph stated, pointing. "It's speeding up."

Quickly, she opened up the ground beneath herself and her friends. She brought earth over top of them to provide a cover. They were quiet as they felt the thuds of the creature walking. Slowly, they continued walking towards the rebel's base. The bear did not stop following them. Every step they took, they could still feel the rumbling of the giant creature above their heads. Suddenly, a giant paw clawed away at the ground near them. A snout entered the new hole and Team Avatar saw bared fangs. The largest bear the friends had ever seen was snarling at them with a special look in its eyes: one of hunger.