A/N; So funny thing. For any of you who follow my account and not just this story, you probably know that I tested positive around ten days ago now, so I've been living in my bedroom basically so I don't give it to my parents. You'd think the upside would be an increased motivation to write, right? 

NOPE LOL.

Imagine having the motivation to write and upload on a consistent schedule (couldn't possibly have been me a few months ago, no way).

Nah but fr sorry this one took way longer than expected. I've got a lot more ideas for the next one than I did for this, so hopefully I can get that out in under two weeks. Geez what happened to my weekly upload schedule, I just blew it to hell in the past month.

Anyways, as per fricken usual, hope y'all enjoy this one.

Sokka P.o.V.

"I missed you more than you'll ever know, buddy," Aang sighed into the bison's fur.

Appa responded happily by licking Aang from head to toe, the airbender just laughing the whole while. The last few hours had been intense, but after escaping the Dai Li's headquarters, they'd finally managed to reunite with the bison and kick Long Feng's ass. Or rather, Appa did - he'd bitten the man's leg pretty hard before skipping him like a stone across the surface of Lake Laogai.

If he recalled correctly, Appa had managed over seven bounces before the man had finally begun to sink.

In the meantime, Sokka's brain started working overtime as he thought over their possible courses of action. One obvious choice was to leave the city behind them, for good. Go back to traveling in the wilderness, so Aang could finally master earth and firebending and they could attack by themselves on the day of the solstice. It was risky, but to be fair it was their original plan - and between Katara, Toph and Azami, Aang had all the teachers he needed.

But they had a new opportunity. They'd only been kept quiet in the city so long as Appa could be used against them. Now... that wasn't a threat anymore. Long Feng had nothing to use against them. So in theory, there was nothing standing between them and the King - meaning a proper invasion was still a possibility.

And this was what he had now spent the past twenty minutes trying to convince the others of.

"Look, we escaped from the Dai Li," he explained for the dozenth time. "We got Appa back - I'm telling you, we should go to the Earth King now and tell him our plan. We're on a roll!"

Katara frowned at him, clearly unimpressed. "One good hour after weeks of travel isn't much of a roll."

"We can build on it!" he insisted. "If we want to invade the Fire Nation when the eclipse happens, we need the Earth King's support."

Toph sighed loudly from where she was brooding on the ground. "What makes you think we'll get it? I don't know if you've noticed, but things don't usually go that smoothly for our little gang."

"Guys, I'm with Sokka on this one," Azami announced as she walked up next to him. "Look, what's the worst case scenario? The King doesn't believe us and tries to have us thrown in jail? Realistically, I think we can get out of that pretty easily. No offense to his earthbenders or the Dai Li, but I think between the five of us and Appa, they're the ones who are outmatched."

Aang flew in next, a smile spreading across his face. "And now that we have Appa back, there's nothing stopping us from telling the Earth King the truth! About the conspiracy and the war!"

"See? Aang and Azami are with me," Sokka pointed out, grinning as he wrapped an arm around each of them to pull them into a group hug. "But seriously - it's why we came here in the first place. We have to try."

Katara smirked. "Okay, well first off - Azami doesn't count. She's your girlfriend, of course she's on your side." At that, the firebender scoffed before crossing her arms, glaring away at the lake. "But... I guess if the Earth King knew the truth, things could change."

"I don't trust the new positive Sokka," Toph muttered skeptically, before pointing a finger straight at him. "Long Feng brainwashed you, didn't he!"

It was a playful remark, nothing serious - but Sokka's mood instantly soured as she reminded him of that whole affair. He still couldn't believe that Jet was... dead. His feelings towards the boy were so conflicting - one part of him still hating him for what he did to Azami months ago, the other grateful that he saved her life down there...

Wait a minute. Azami.

Sokka's eyes widened as he realized that he'd never actually been able to resolve his concerns from yesterday - and now more than ever, he was becoming convinced that something more had happened between her and the Dai Li than she'd let on.

"Speaking of which," Azami's voice instantly cut through his thoughts, seemingly in response to Toph's remarks. "The King aside, Long Feng needs to pay for what he's done." Her gaze was focused on a fleet of boats that were still tiny, but noticeable out on the lake. "And that's probably the Dai Li looking for us. Let's fly."

The others all nodded grimly, preparing their gear to ride on Appa once again. Sokka started panicking slightly - if they went after the King and Long Feng right now, and Azami actually was brainwashed against them - they couldn't afford to find out later. They had to know, now.

"Wait," he called out to everyone. He was still unsure, but after seeing what had happened to Jet... he couldn't shake his conviction that something was still wrong about all of this. He wasn't taking any chances again - he had to know for sure. "Before we go, there's something I need to tell all of you."

Everyone looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to continue. He met all their gazes - gray, blue, and finally settling on amber, before steeling himself for what might happen. "I think Long Feng may have brainwashed Azami, too."

Azami P.o.V.

The firebender's jaw dropped, unable to believe what she had just heard. She was entirely too stunned to respond - the claim seemed so outlandish, there was no way that could've happened to her... right?

Katara's eyes were wide with disbelief. "That's... that's impossible, Sokka," she insisted, voicing everyone else's thoughts. "She's been with us the entire time we've been in the city, she still knows about the war and everything-"

"Just think about it for a second," he argued, cutting her off with a hint of desperation in his tone. "Jet was dragged off by the Dai Li, none of his friends knew where he was taken, and the next time he randomly shows up he doesn't think anything bad happened. Well..." his voice trailed off as he stood before Azami, who was still reeling from the shock of his claim, and gently placing his hands over hers. "That's sort of like what happened to you last month, and it's been bothering me for a while."

"But, Sokka - I do remember what happened," the firebender argued, and it was the truth - the memories were still pretty clear in her mind. "I told you all what happened, as soon as I came back. Yes, the Dai Li ambushed me, but after being dragged around for a bit while blindfolded, I had a short meeting with Long Feng, then-"

He closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath to cut her off. "I remember, you said you had a meeting with the Earth King's generals, but something about that just felt... off. That shouldn't have taken you as long as you did."

"Are you..." Azami hesitated, a horrible doubt twisting in her gut. "Are you saying you don't trust me?"

Sokka shook his head, rubbing his thumbs over her hand softly. "Of course I do," he insisted, his gaze meeting hers firmly to prove his honesty. "If it ever came down to it, I'd trust you with my life, but I just... I've got a really bad feeling about this. It wasn't just Jet's free will that was messed with, but his memories too, and... look, can we at least check? Please, for me. I couldn't live with myself if..."

His voice trailed off, but he didn't need to finish his statement - they were all still in shock from the freedom fighter's sacrifice, and if the pleading tone in his voice didn't say enough, his eyes certainly did. There was a desperate look in them now, and Azami could tell how much this meant to him - and, to be fair, she would probably feel the same if the roles were reversed. Her heart racing, she lowered her head in defeat - if only to be safe, she knew they absolutely had to be sure. Considering that they were about to go up against Long Feng again, it would be insane to go in as blind as they just had - that mistake had cost Jet's life.

For Azami, though, she was feeling conflicted for a different reason - as much as she hated admitting it, even if only to herself, the prospect of what Sokka was suggesting terrified her. It was bad enough when she'd seen what the Dai Li were doing to all the Joo Dee's, or to Jet, but the idea that it had happened to her? And worse, that she couldn't even remember it? The one thing she was always sure of - no matter what - was the sanctity of her own mind. If she didn't have that anymore... she didn't even want to consider the consequences.

Reluctantly, she nodded - as much as she hated even thinking about this, she knew Sokka was right. "Alright... for you," she agreed, before another thought struck her. "But how do we even find out? And... what happens if you're right?"

A low silence filled the space between them, as it seemed he didn't have an answer - and she didn't either. She barely even remembered the words used to activate Long Feng's brainwashing, since they'd been immediately followed up by a fight for her life, but assuming it was even there in the first place, what if she then hurt the others? Jet had been dangerous enough with his swords, and what if she used her bending against the gaang? She'd never forgive herself if one of them got hurt.

"I think I have an idea," Aang suddenly announced, and the two both looked over at him in surprise. "I'm not a hundred percent sure, but I think I remember what Long Feng said to Jet before he... you know, turned on us. And we know that he was able to break through the brainwashing when we reminded him who he was, so I'm sure we can all find a way to bring you back."

Hestinatly, Azami looked around at everyone else. "Are you all sure about this?" she asked, and when they all nodded in agreement, she knew they had to do it. "In that case, then... I want you all to promise me one thing. If Sokka turns out to be right on this, don't be afraid to use your bending to keep me in check. I'd rather know you guys are safe at my expense than accidentally hurting any of you."

Sokka's eyes darkened. "Absolutely not," he argued. "We're not going to attack you, we'll find another way-"

Leaning up, she planted a quick kiss on his lips to shut him up - and, luckily, it worked. "If we're really doing this, we have no choice," she insisted, keeping her gaze fixed on his. "Promise me, Sokka." He definitely spent a while struggling with himself - almost too long, she thought, considering they were still on a time constraint - but thankfully, he eventually nodded in agreement.

Taking in a shaky breath, she pulled back from him, moving to stand in the center of a ring formed by the others. While none of them seemed thrilled about this, the other benders all got into their fighting stances while Sokka merely scowled, slowly pulling out his boomerang - clearly, he wasn't happy with how this was going, but he knew it was necessary.

"Everyone ready?" the firebender asked, and they all nodded in response. Hesitantly, she turned to face Aang, trying to control the slight tremble of fear that ran through her. One way or another, if Long Feng had actually brainwashed her, they'd figure this out. She just had to trust them. Meeting the Avatar's eyes firmly, she nodded, letting him know she was ready.

Aang sighed, looking extremely uncomfortable, yet determined nonetheless. "Alright, here we go," he muttered to himself, before standing straight and holding the firebender's gaze.

"Princess Azami. The Earth King has invited you to Lake Laogai."

The words echoed in her ears, and she waited, holding her breath to see if anything happened.

None of them moved a muscle, the tension in the air palpable as the seconds slowly ticked past at an agonizing pace. The silence in particular became even more pronounced, with the only sounds in the area being the whistle of the wind and the waves of Lake Laogai washing up on shore. 

Everyone was clearly waiting for something to go wrong, as it always did for them... but as the seconds lengthened into a minute, it slowly became apparent that nothing had. 

Warily, she looked around at the others for any signs of a change, but none of them seemed to have reacted either. Lowering her stance, Toph's body slowly relaxed as her expression cleared up. "Seems okay to me," she affirmed, and everyone sighed in relief.

Azami's body instantly sagged as the tension drained from her, and she couldn't help feeling a profound sense of relief. Unless there was some other obscure way to activate it, Aang had just quoted Long Feng word for word - and her thoughts were still her own. Almost immediately, Sokka ran up to hug her tightly, and she leaed into his embrace as she tried to calm herself down.

"I'm sorry," he immediately apologized, running a hand along the back of her head. "I just... after Jet, I had to be sure."

The firebender nodded, pulling away from him slightly so she could look at him. "I know, but don't scare me like that again," she weakly accused him, and he let out a small laugh before hugging her closer to him again. At least that's over, she sighed, leaning back into his warmth.

"Well, if the lovebirds are done," Toph announced, tapping her foot rather impatiently. The two blushed as they broke apart, still a little new to being so open with their emotions around the others like this. One quick glance over, and Azami could tell the blind earthbender was trying to suppress her amusement. "I do believe we have a King to go see?"

Shaking her head slightly, the firebender quickly pulled herself together as she felt her confidence coming back - one thing Sokka was absolutely right about, it was time for things to start going their way. "Let's do this," she agreed eagerly.

Azami P.o.V.

"Ow! A little warning next time?"

Azami couldn't help the soft laugh that left her as Sokka rubbed the back of his head. To be fair, Aang had kind of blasted him into those doors without warning, but oh well. Details.

It had taken them a little while, and quite a hectic fight with the King's forces as well, but the gaang had finally breached the palace. Azami definitely regretted some of the bending she and the others would have to use - no doubt, there would be at least a few in the infirmary cursing her name for weeks to come - but at least they hadn't killed anyone. And, hopefully, no one was too seriously injured either.

Now the gaang stood before two massive doors that had been blown straight off their hinges, lying on the floor before them. Blasting them open with airbending wasn't exactly something Azami would call a formal entrance, but hey, she had to give it to Aang - it definitely was dramatic. 

Returning their focus to the task at hand, the gaang all surged into the throne room, each standing ready to fight the line of Dai Li who were all between them and King Kuei, who so far had said nothing of their arrival - but it didn't go unnoticed by Azami that Long Feng was standing right next to him.

"We need to talk to you," Aang declared. "We're on your side, and are here to help. You have to trust us."

Long Feng scoffed, extending an arm out as if to say 'see? I told you so' to the King. "They're here to overthrow you!"

"My advisor is quite right," the King snapped as he rose to his feet. "You invade my palace, lay waste to all of my guards, break down my fancy door! And you expect me to trust you?!"

The gaang all looked around nervously - this was not off to a good start for them. "He has a good point," Toph whispered, echoing all their thoughts.

"If you're on my side, then drop your weapons and stand down," the King ordered.

Obviously, since they were, they did exactly that. Due to the nature of her bending, Azami hadn't actually summoned hers in the throne room, but for the others they all dropped their elements at once, Sokka returning his boomerang back into its holster. It wasn't much, but hopefully it was enough of a concession for the King.

Alas, they were the gaang. Which meant that no, of course it wasn't. Long Feng had them all detained almost immediately, and he would've had them all dragged out to rot in jail if not for his slip on Aang being the Avatar - which, naturally, grabbed the King's attention. And after his pet bear, Bosco, came up and licked Aang, they got the official seal of approval to plead their case.

Wonderful, Azami thought bitterly. She was starting to seriously rethink Sokka's plan for today.

"Well sir, there's a war going on right now," Aang started as he stepped forward. "For the past hundred years, in fact. The Dai Li has kept it a secret from you. It's a conspiracy to control the city, and to control you."

The King's eyes were narrowed, clearly skeptical. "A secret war? That's crazy."

"Completely," Long Feng agreed, playing on the King's doubts.

Fortunately, Aang didn't give up. "Long Feng didn't want us to tell you, so he stole our sky bison to blackmail us. And that's the least of his crimes - he brainwashed our friend!"

"All lies," the Dai Li leader insisted. "I've never even seen a sky bison, your majesty. Frankly, I thought they were extinct."

Azami smirked, recognizing the opportunity he'd just given them. "Oh, is that so?" she asked, walking up next to Aang. "Then care to explain to us why the sky bison are extinct? And the air benders?"

Long Feng's eyes narrowed. "They've been hunted for years, everyone knows-"

"Really? Hunted by whom, exactly?" the firebender snapped. "The sky bison and the airbenders are one of the four nations on earth, it would take a massive force to even cause a moderate amount of damage to them. And now you admit they're extinct? Only another entire nation would have that kind of power."

Hesitantly, the man glanced back at the king, clearly growing a little nervous. "You cannot assume-"

"So that leaves only three possibilities," Azami pressed, cutting him off. "One is that the water tribes decided to attack. How would that work? Did they just magically float up a thousand barrels of water to the air temples? All four are completely landlocked, so I highly doubt that's what happened. The second, of course, is that you yourselves have annihilated the Air Nomads." She paused for a second, turning her gaze on the king. "Now, correct me if I'm wrong, your majesty, but the Earth Kingdom has never declared war on the Air Nomads, correct?"

King Kuei seemed to be getting increasingly uncomfortable, but he nodded anyways. "Not under my reign, no," he agreed. "And I'm certain I would have known if one of my predecessors committed such an act."

"Exactly my thoughts," the firebender eagerly replied. "So that really leaves only one option - the Fire Nation. Who, I might add, have also exterminated all but one of the waterbenders from the Southern Water Tribe, nearly destroyed the North, have now taken Omashu and over half the Earth Kingdom for themselves - spirits, they even attempted to drill-"

Long Feng's face was turning beet red as he finally exploded. "ENOUGH!" he shouted, nearly losing composure entirely in his anger. "I will admit, your majesty, that it was my error to permit a firebender within the city walls. Clearly, she is here to deceive you-"

"What's wrong with me being a firebender, hm?" Azami asked him, trying to act as innocently as possible. "I thought you weren't at war with the Fire Nation? So why does it matter to you?"

Everyone's eyes were jumping back and forth between the exiled Fire Nation princess, and the Dai Li's leader, almost as if they were watching a tennis match. And right now, Long Feng was losing hard. "There. Is. No. War," the man hissed. "After all, as his majesty so rightly put - how could it ever be kept a secret for a hundred years?"

If the Earth King had looked uncomfortable before, that was nothing compared to now. He sat back down on his throne, his chin resting on his crossed hands as he thought over both sides. "You do raise good points," he admitted. "But even coming from the Avatar and you, it's still very difficult to believe."

"These hooligans are part of an anarchist cell that my agents have been tracking for weeks," Long Feng insisted, leaning down next to the king. "If you listen to them, you're playing right into your own destruction."

The king sighed, rising back up to make his statement. "Do you by any chance have any proof of these claims?" he asked them.

Azami raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "That would depend on how far outside the palace you're willing to go, your majesty. But yes, we do."

Long Feng grinned sadistically as he stood by the king. "You see? They come bearing lies to lure you beyond the safety of the palace walls. This is why I have always insisted that you stay here, your majesty - for your own protection."

"I... I'm afraid I have to trust my advisor," King Kuei nodded, and several Dai Li agents ran up to grab Azami and Aang, dragging them back to the others. "Dai Li, I want you to have them all stand trial-"

"Wait!" Sokka interrupted. "I can prove he's lying, and you don't even have to leave this room! Long Feng said he's never seen a sky bison. Ask him to lift his robe!"

The Dai Li leader suddenly looked scandalized - as if he didn't know what he was hiding. "What?!" he demanded. "I am not disrobing."

King Kuei seemed equally skeptical, but one quick nod between Sokka and Aang, and a massive gust of wind had suddenly blown Long Feng's robes up, revealing a line of giant teeth marks. "Right there!" Aang cried triumphantly. "Appa bit him!"

"Never met a sky bison, huh?" Sokka asked slyly.

Long Feng scowled as he fought to lower his robe. "That happens to be a large birth mark. Thanks for showing everyone."

"Well, I suppose there's no way to prove where those marks came from..." Kuei reasoned.

Azami rolled her eyes - seriously? This guy had absolutely zero imagination. "Of course there is," she nearly snapped, but still managed to keep her tone in check. Antagonising the king right now wasn't exactly the best idea. "We'll just bring Appa in, and then we can prove it right here, right now."

The king rose a brow in confusion. "Who's Appa?"

Sokka P.o.V.

"AhhHhhHhhhhHHHHHHHHH!"

Sokka smirked as he looked back at the sad excuse for a King behind him, his cloak and braid flowing in the wind as he screamed in fear. "First time flying?" Toph asked him, a teasing tone in her voice.

"It's both thrilling... and terrifying," he admitted.

The blind earthbender smiled. "Yeah, I hate it too."

Becoming a little more serious, the King straightened his hat - was that supposed to be a crown? Anyways - he straightened his posture too, taking on a more 'stately' look. "I have to be honest with you," he started. "Part of me really hopes that what you're telling me about this war... i-isn't true."

"I wish it wasn't," Aang muttered, voicing everyone else's thoughts.

Glancing beside him, Sokka noticed that Azami was starting to look more downcast again - the way she always was when the topic came up. He knew that she claimed to be moving past it, but honestly... he knew that she was still struggling with the guilt of it. He gently wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer to him for warmth.

Her eyes fleetingly met his, a sadder look glazing over them. "You know I'm here for you, right?" he whispered, and she nodded, leaning her head against his shoulder. Reaching out, he intertwined his hand with hers, the small gesture earning a soft smile from her.

It was almost an hour before they all finally arrived at the outer wall, where to Sokka's enormous relief, the drill still remained. The outer defences had erected a sizeable earth wall around it both inside and out of the city limits, but that did nothing to cover the massive sludge pile around it - or, more importantly, the Fire Nation logo on top.

"Yes!" Aang cried, pointing to it as he flew them down. "It's still there!"

The Earth King's eyes widened in horror as he saw the wreckage. "What is that?"

"It's a drill," Sokka explained, recalling their last encounter with the Fire Nation. "A giant drill made by the Fire Nation to break through your walls."

As soon as they got off Appa on top of the wall, the King wasted no time leaning over the edge to get a proper view. "I... I can't believe I never knew," he muttered, despair lacing his tone.

Sokka definitely felt for the guy. He couldn't imagine what it would be like to find out about the war in the first place after knowing nothing, let alone dealing with the prospect of failing to lead your people to victory in your ignorance. That certainly was a hard pill to swallow, no two ways about it.

Nearby, there was a sound of earth sliding, and Sokka glanced over to see Long Feng rising out of the wall with four Dai Li agents behind him. For some unknown reason, he'd decided this would be a good time to show up and continue lying to his ruler. Brilliant fellow, Sokka remarked, but held his tongue. For now, at least.

"I can explain this, your majesty," the Dai Li's leader offered with a fake smile. "This is nothing more, than... a construction project."

Beside him, Sokka heard Azami scoff before marching up closer to the man. "Oh, really?" she spat. "Then would you care to explain why your 'construction project' has a Fire Nation insignia on it?"

"Well... it's imported, of course," Long Feng replied awkwardly, backing away slightly from the angry firebender. "You should've known about this project - after all, it is from your nation - and of course we can't trust our own domestic machinery."

Everybody just stared him down with a scathing disbelief, including the King and his guards - and it seemed like he noticed this as his eyes widened in fear. "Surely you don't believe these children, instead of your most loyal attendant?" he pleaded.

Azami and the others all looked back to the King, who was staring down at his feet in thought. The tension in the air was immense as they all waited for his judgment - the gaang all knew that this was the moment of truth. If the King turned against them, the invasion plan - their whole purpose in coming all this way - would be for nothing.

Suddenly, the King's face darkened, taking on a much more serious tone than Sokka had seen so far. "Dai Li. Arrest Long Feng. I want him to stand trial for crimes against the Earth Kingdom."

Everyone's mouth dropped in shock as the agents did as instructed, punching out with their earthen fists to cuff their leader and drag him back. Restraining him by the shoulders and forearms, they began to drag him back to the tunnel in the side of the wall. "You can't arrest me!" the man exclaimed. "You all need me more than you know!"

Sokka couldn't help laughing as he saw the pathetic man be dragged off, still muttering nonsense about the gaang being liars and whatnot. "Looks like Long Feng... is Long Gone!" he exclaimed happily, laughing to himself as he wiped the tears from his eyes. "Oh, man, I have been waiting to use that one."

"Ever the master of humor, Sokka," Azami sighed, shaking her head slightly.

"I want to thank you, young heroes," the King offered as he returned to his throne. They'd returned shortly after Long Feng's arrest, everyone in exponentially higher spirits. Finally - things were going their way. "You opened my eyes... all this time, what I thought was a great metropolis was merely a city of fools. And that makes me the king fool."

At his feet, his pet bear Bosco groaned in sympathy. "We are at war... with the Fire Nation," the King sighed, rubbing his eyes with his hands for a moment before looking to Azami. "I don't suppose you have the ability to change the Firelord's mind on all this?"

The firebender snorted, her skepticism obvious. "Believe me, your majesty, that bridge was burned a long time ago. You see, we may not look it... but Aang and I are actually from before the war even started. It's a long story, but everyone I had a connection with in the Fire Nation is long since dead now."

"I see," he replied with a frown. "I don't suppose you have any intel that could be of use to us?"

Azami shrugged. "Everything I knew about the place is over a century old now, so I doubt it. Even if I did, though, I already had a meeting with your generals on our second day here actually. One thing that Long Feng got right, I suppose."

The King sighed again, leaning his head back as he suddenly looked far more weary. "I still can't believe I let that man manipulate me for so long... my people have been suffering, looking to me for help, and I was blindly stumbling around like a child."

"Your Majesty... that's actually why we're here," Sokka offered as he stepped forward, feeling everyone's eyes on him. For once, though, he actually didn't feel nervous - he felt motivated, encouraged by it. The stage was his, and he planned to use it. "See, we think you can help us end the war."

"We don't have much time," Aang piped in. "There's a comet coming this summer. It's energy... it'll give the firebenders unbelievable strength. They'll be unstoppable, like they were when they started the war."

Sokka nodded, taking over again to press the point. "But there is hope," he insisted. "Before the comet comes, we have a window of opportunity. A solar eclipse is coming. The sun will be entirely blocked by the moon, and the firebenders will be helpless."

"What are you suggesting, Sokka?" the King asked nervously.

"That's the day we need to invade the Fire Nation," he explained, and the King expectedly winced at the proposal. "The day of Black Sun."

King Kuei's expression fell, looking off to the side to avoid Sokka's gaze. "I... I don't know," he admitted. "That would require moving troops out of Ba Sing Se. We'd be completely vulnerable!"

"You're already vulnerable," he reminded the king, recalling the drill they'd defeated only a month prior. "The Fire Nation won't stop until Ba Sing Se falls. You can either sit back, and wait for it to happen... or take the offensive, and give yourself a fighting chance."

Sokka felt like he was sweating as he waited for the King's response, every second passing at an agonizing pace. Why did today have to be so stressful? He felt like everything he'd been dreading and hoping for had come to fruition in the past twenty four hours, and now all he could do was await the choice that decided their fate. Again.

After an agonizingly long fifteen seconds or so - during which time Sokka had managed to convince himself that he'd both succeeded and failed to get the King on their side multiple times over - King Kuei smiled, nodding to himself. "Very well," he agreed. "You have my support."

A dramatic sigh of relief echoed from the gaang, and Sokka instantly turned back to see Azami racing to jump towards him, wrapping her arms around his neck as she hugged him tightly. He allowed himself to relax, folding his arms around her back. "You were brilliant," she whispered, and he couldn't help blushing slightly - he'd just done what needed to be done, that was all.

"Your Majesty," a voice echoed from the doorway, and the two split apart to see a middle-aged man in armor enter the throne room.

Azami bowed her head slightly as the man approached the gaang. "General How," she greeted.

"Your Highness," he bowed back, smiling slightly. He then turned to approach the King, lowering himself onto both knees and placing his head on the floor in a gesture of respect. "I apologize for the interruption, Your Majesty, but we searched Long Feng's office... and we found something that I think will interest everybody."

Katara P.o.V.

"There are secret files on everyone in Ba Sing Se," General How explained in the familiar green-lit library. "Including you kids."

King Kuei searched through the chest of files before pulling out a scroll, bringing it closer so he could read the writing on the exterior. "Toph Beifong," he announced, handing it to the blind earthbender - who then immediately passed it to Katara for reading it.

Unraveling it, the waterbender slowly started reading from the top, almost gasping in shock when she realized what it was. "It's a letter from your mom," she told the young girl. "Your mom's here in the city... and she wants to see you!"

"Long Feng intercepted out letters from home?" Toph questioned, shaking her head in disappointment. "That's just sad."

Admittedly, Katara couldn't help feeling a slight pang of jealousy... what she wouldn't give to see her mom again. Obviously, she knew Toph's relationship with her parents was completely different, but still...

"Aang?" the King offered, holding out another scroll.

As the Avatar took it, General How started explaining how it got there. "That scroll was attached to the horn of your bison, when the Dai Li captured it."

Looking through it quickly, Aang's face split into a smile. "It's from the Eastern Air Temple."

Eagerly, Katara leaned forward slightly, a fragile hope growing in her. "Is... there a letter for me and Sokka, by any chance?"

"I'm afraid not," the King sighed, closing the chest again.

The two siblings looked to each other, a somber feeling passing through both of them. "Oh... okay," Sokka muttered sadly.

Just as she felt herself giving up any hope, General How pulled out a scroll of his own. "There is, however, an intelligence report that might interest you."

Katara gently took it in hand, unraveling it with utmost delicacy - she had to admit, she was almost afraid of what it would say. What if it was just more disappointment for her? Hesitantly, she started reading the report, which was only a few lines above a map of the mid-western Earth Kingdom. "A small fleet of water tribe ships?" she read in disbelief, her eyes widening.

"What?" Sokka breathed in awe, looking over her shoulder to read it. "That could be dad!"

She kept reading, elation slowly filling her. "Protecting the mouth of chameleon bay... led by Hakoda!" she nearly squealed in excitement. "It is dad!"

"I can't believe we know where our dad is now," Sokka breathed in awe as he held the report in his hand. "It's been years..."

Toph nodded. "I know what you mean. Not the being apart for years stuff, but - my mom's in the city? And from her letter, it sounds like she finally understands me."

"This is all such big news," Azami agreed. She was the only one who hadn't received anything, but from what Katara could tell, she wasn't too bothered by it - which was nice to see. "Where do we even start?"

"Well, one thing's for sure," Sokka grinned as he wrapped an arm around the firebender. "You have to come meet dad and the tribe, they'll love you! Plus..." his voice trailed off as his face flushed, lowering his voice to a whisper - although everyone could still hear him. "A lot of the men thought I'd never actually be able to get a girlfriend, so you have to come so I can prove them wrong."

Azami laughed at the admission. "Really? You mean they didn't trust the mighty Sokka's dating skills? For shame."

Katara sighed, already knowing the answer - they didn't have forever. Hakoda could move at any point, and so could Toph's mom... and the sooner Aang mastered the Avatar State, the better. "I hate to admit it guys, but... we have to split up."

"Split up?" Aang exclaimed, and everyone looked at her with disappointment. "We just found Appa and got the family back together! Now you want us to seperate?"

The waterbender nodded, closing her eyes in acceptance. "You have to meet this guru, Aang," she insisted. "If we're going to invade the Fire Nation, you need to be ready."

"Speaking of which, we should probably get started on your firebending training after we get back," Azami piped in. "Especially given what happened last time... we'll need the remaining months before the invasion for you to get the hang of it."

Aang glanced down at his lap, lost in thought. "Well... if you think we should," he sighed.

"I know the whole point of the eclipse is to block firebending, but keep in mind it only lasts eight minutes," the firebender reminded him. "Even one more person helping me deal with blocking their attacks would really go a long way."

The young Avatar grimaced, clearly still uneasy with the prospect of firebending. "I guess... but in the meantime, if I'm going to the Eastern Air Temple, Appa and I could drop the three of you off with the Southern Tribe. It wouldn't be too far out of the way."

"As much as I want that to happen, it won't work," Sokka sighed. "Someone has to stay behind with the Earth King and help him plan for the invasion. And to make sure Long Feng doesn't try to pull anything again. I guess that's-"

"No," Azami cut in firmly. "No way are you not going to see your dad." He looked at her in shock, but she seemed pretty firm on this. "Look, this isn't hard. You two haven't seen your father in years. Toph, your mother came to the city just to see you - and clearly, you want to see her as well. Aang obviously has to meet the Guru - I'm the only one who doesn't have anywhere else to be. I'm the one staying here."

Sokka shook his head as he gripped her shoulders rather firmly. "Do you remember what happened the last time you were alone here with the Dai Li?" he insisted. "Or with those thugs in the lower ring? The only person who isn't safe in this city is you, so there's absolutely no way I'm leaving you alone here. Besides, you already met with the generals to give them all the intel you had on the Fire Nation, so there's no more value in you staying than any of us."

Azami opened her mouth to protest, but he was clearly unwilling to change his mind on this. "If you're staying here, then so am I, and you can't change my mind on that," he declared.

The whole time they were arguing, Katara couldn't help feeling like she was watching a game of airball like Aang had shown her back at the Southern Temple. The two just kept countering each others arguments, and the whole time the others were just watching in disbelief. Katara, meanwhile, had looked down at her lap as she got lost in her thoughts.

She could stay behind instead of Azami. That would offer a solution for them, even if it meant she lost out on yet another chance... she was definitely feeling conflicted here. Deep down, though, she knew she'd been closer with her mom, while Sokka had been closer with their dad. As much as she wanted to see him again, she knew her brother needed it far more than she did.

Plus, the more she thought about seeing him - she actually felt a knot of anger forming in her. Sure, it had been over two years since she'd last seen him - but that wasn't exactly because he'd been taken or anything, like her mom had. She'd never really thought about it before - and she knew he had still been torn over losing his wife - but he'd basically abandoned the two of them so he could run off and fight in a war which he had a slim chance of surviving.

The obvious solution presented itself to her soon enough, and she knew immediately what she was going to do next, even if it hurt. "Enough," Katara cut in, shutting them both up. Taking a deep breath to steady herself, she stood, emphasizing her point. "Sokka, I know how badly you want to see dad, and I don't want the two of you to have to split up so soon. I'll stay here with the King."

"Katara, are you sure?" Azami asked nervously, while Sokka was already starting to tear up slightly. "I don't want to come between you and your family."

"I'm sure," the waterbender affirmed only seconds before she was suddenly tackled into a hug by her brother, doing all she could not to topple over from the impact of it.

Sokka was squeezing her pretty tightly, and Katara thought she would almost pass out from it. "You - are - the - nicest - sister - ever!" he exclaimed, kissing her cheek.

"Stop, can't... breathe..." she wheezed out, and he quickly released her as he jumped back, still dancing on his toes slightly. As she recovered pretty quickly, she couldn't help grinning rather smugly over at the couple. "Easy there, big brother - though you're right, I am."

Azami looked like she was still uncertain, so Katara immediately glared at her hard enough for her to shut up before she even said anything. "You aren't changing my mind on this, so you might as well go along with it," she insisted before smirking. "Besides, you gotta meet the in-laws at some point, right? Why not now?"

The firebender's face instantly flushed a brighter red than Katara had ever seen, and she couldn't help laughing at the older girl. "I - um... I don't..." Azami spluttered, trying to regain any sense of composure and failing miserably.

Aang and Toph both giggled from where they were sitting. "Seems like sparky's lost her fire," the earthbender grinned.

Rolling his eyes slightly, Sokka pulled his girlfrined towards him, allowing her to bury her face in his chest to hide. "Alright, guys, she gets the point," he muttered, before grinning over at Katara. "Thank you," he mouthed silently, and she nodded.

Katara knew it would suck, having to wait even longer to see her dad, but she knew it was the right choice. After the mess they two had gone through over the past few months, she didn't want to be the one who took that away from them within a few days. Besides, with any luck, she'd hopefully be able to go see her dad soon after the others came back anyways.

Finally, after months of disappointment, things were looking up once again.

A/N; So yep, Azami is going to meet Hakoda next chapter :D

MAN it feels good to be looking forward to writing an entire chapter. Like I actually know exactly what I want to do with it n stuff, I just need to actually - ykno - write it. With any luck that one will be out before May, but I'm not promising that anymore. Sorry :/

Also yeah sorry again for how long this chapter took, I really have no excuse other than lack of motivation for a lot of it. I'm kinda getting tired of just watching episodes and then porting over a lot of the same stuff, so I'm looking to make book 3 a little more unique than the first two. Hopefully that pans out, but it's still probably months off, so we'll see.

Either way, WOOHOO BACK TO LATE NIGHT UPLOADS. It's like 12 something am my time, so not quite as bad as the classic 4am uploads in book one, but still pretty up there lol.

Oh and word count pre-A/Ns is something like 7.2k if anyone cares. Which is technically shorter than last chapter soo yay progress.

Later simps ;)