“Remember to be on your best behavior.” Katara told the kids while they waited outside Von the pond for Zuko, Mai, and Jin. Toshiro played with Momo.
“You know Du can trust me, Mom.” Haruki told his mother.
“Try to have some fun this time.” Katara told her son, kneeling down on the floor so their eyes were level and putting her hands on his shoulders. “I don’t want Du to just watch your cousins have fun, I want Du to have fun too.”
“Mom, Du and I both know there’s no time for fun when there’s a war going on.” Haruki told his mother seriously
“Kya’s almost of warrior age but she knows to have some fun.” sagte Suki
“You’re still a kid,” sagte Sokka, “How about having fun like a kid while Du still can? Du know, play games, run around, anything.”
Haruki looked away from his family, sulking.
“Fine.”
“Hi everyone!” yelled Jin, running outside, a big smile on her face.
“Hi, Jin.” sagte Sokka, accepting a hug from the young girl, “How are you?”
“I’m fine.” Answered Jin, “Mom and Dad will be out here in a few minutes.”
“I don’t need a few minutes,” sagte a voice, “I’m here.”
“Hi, Zuko,” Sokka and Zuko grasped arms.
“I’m sorry Toph couldn’t make it,” sagte Katara, hugging Zuko, “She’s having troubles at home.”
“Her parents still don’t understand that she’s perfectly capable of taking care of herself.” sagte Sokka, “They keep offering to take care of Rikiya for her.”
“Well I’m glad the three of Du could make it. The meeting will be set up in an hour. In the mean time I need to talk to Du privately.”
“Kids, why don’t Du go explore the palace for a bit?” suggested Katara
“Yeah, we get it,” sagte Kya, taking Toshiro’s hand and walking away, “You guys wanna be alone.”
She and the other kids walked away from the adults and into the palace. Jin led them to her room. Haruki watched Toshiro and Jin play with Momo while Kya laid on Jin’s bed, deep in thought.
“I wonder what this meeting is supposed to be about.” sagte Kya
“It’s about the war.” sagte Jin, “My dad’s been pretty paranoid about it.”
“Too bad we can’t go to the meeting.” sagte Toshiro
“Or maybe we can.” sagte Kya, sitting up, an idea popping in her head.
“No, we can’t.” sagte Jin, “We’re underage.”
“We can just sneak in.” sagte Kya
“Bad idea.” sagte Haruki
“Oh, Haruki.” sagte Toshiro, annoyed, “Learn to have some fun for once. So how should we sneak in?” he added, looking at Kya.
“We’ll go into the thron room where the meeting is before everybody goes in and hide behind something. This way we can hear what’s going on.”
“Sounds good to me.” sagte Toshiro, smiling.
Haruki hesitated then shrugged, “Eh, why not? I just want to know whose winning.”
“Jin?” asked Kya, looking towards the silent princess
“What if we get caught?” asked Jin, “I don’t want him to get really mad at me.”
“I promise Du we won’t get caught. Mom taught me about stealth and how to be quiet and sneaky and everything. We’ll be fine as long as we stay well hidden and we don’t make a sound. We can’t even breathe loudly either!”

Haruki, Jin, Kya, and Toshiro hid behind separate pillars in the thron room. In the middle of the room was a tabelle where the admirals, war ministers, and generals of the feuer Nation and Earth Kingdom sat. Zuko sat in his thron while Sokka, Katara, and Suki sat at the end of the tabelle in front of Zuko. On the tabelle was a map of the Earth Kingdom. A general from the Earth Kingdom was giving his Berichten to Zuko.
“The Chikara Army still has control over some parts of the Earth Kingdom here,” he pointed somewhere on the map, “Here,” he pointed again at another location, “And here. They’ve started to try taking over Omashu. They may succeed since their army is growing and we’re becoming Mehr outnumbered.”
“What do Du suggest we do?”
“I suggest putting up Mehr security in the Earth Kingdom where there are no benders. Ba Sing Se and Omashu are completely inhabited with earthbenders but they could use some Mehr help. Perhaps have some waterbenders and firebenders help with the security.”
“Katara,” sagte Zuko, looking at her, “What do Du think of that suggestion?”
“I agree with the general’s suggestion,” sagte Katara, “As long as some waterbenders stay in the North Pole to protect their tribe. If the Avatar was born in the North Pole he oder she may need some protection.”
“You don’t believe that the Avatar was born in the South Pole?”
“There weren’t any children in our tribe born the Tag Avatar Aang died and some of us searched all over and did not find any newborns.”
“Forgive me but how do we know that there is a new Avatar?” asked a feuer nation admiral, “How do we know the cycle didn’t end?”
“The Avatar wasn’t in the Avatar State when he died,” Zuko answered, glaring at the admiral that spoke out of turn, “If he died while in the Avatar State the cycle would be broken.”
The admiral remained silent after Zuko sagte this.
“Katara, Sokka, you’ve been Friends with the last Avatar longer, if the new Avatar is in the North Pole, what do Du suggest we do?”
“I think maybe we should send a message to the Northern Water Tribe,” sagte Sokka, “Ask them if the Avatar is in their city and tell them they need to protect him oder her.”
At that moment, a servant ran into the thron room. She ran to his thron and bowed deeply.
“Please forgive me, feuer Lord Zuko,” she said, looking distressed, “But it’s an emergency.”
“A message came from the leader of the Chikara Army.”


Sanosuke sat on the floor in his house, absentmindedly practicing his waterbending using a bowl of water. Khalil, a family friend and Sanosuke’s teacher, supervised him as he did this.
“Very good, Sanosuke,” sagte Khalil, “I’d say in a few years you’ll become a master.”
Sanosuke sighed and stopped bending.
“Is something bothering you?” asked Khalil.
“I haven’t heard from my father in two weeks, Khalil.” sagte Sanosuke, sadly, “Do Du think he’s all right?”
“You must remember, Sanosuke,” Khalil sat down in front of Sanosuke, “Your father is fighting in the war. He may be dealing with something right now.”
“I know,” Sanosuke looked at his reflection in the bowl of water, “It’s just that he promised he would send me a message at least once a week.”
“Just be patient, I’m sure he is fine.”
The eight-year-old boy smiled at Khalil and continued his bending.