"Agni's eye"

She was mad with the power she was wielding.

After escaping from the prisons of Ba Sing Se, as a result of being captured on the failed invasion of the Day of Black Sun, the Avatar and his friends roamed the Earth Kingdom, witnessing destruction and death every day. Azula herself, Princess of the Fire Nation, was leading an army on one of the last free peoples of the Earth Kingdom – the Northern Air Temple refugees. Mai and Ty Lee were by her side, silent as ever as their friend relished in the tyranny. Her father was ruler of the world – she the Lord of the Fire Nation – the Air Nomads were long gone, the Water Tribes were secluded in their ice, and the Earth Kingdom was ash beneath her feet. No one was able to stop her now, not even the Avatar, who was losing power every day with the growing hopelessness.

However, as always, until his hope was diminished, the Avatar was there to confront her again. Somehow, he was able to maneuver his bison through all the fire blasts up to her position on the warship in the sky, her traitorous brother and Sokka along with him. Mai and Ty Lee prepared for a fight by her side. Azula smirked, lighting up blue flames in her hands as the Avatar approached on his bison.

"Nice to see you again, Avatar! And dear brother, how I missed trying to kill you..." Her fingers were bent crudely as fire roared from her piercing fingernails, intending to clash with the Avatar on his bison. Mai threw a barrage of knives consecutively, but the former was blocked by an equally powerful red blast of fire and the latter was deflected with a slash of Sokka's black sword.

"Zuko, remember – I'll deal with Azula now. You hold off Mai," Aang reminded his friend, his face set on the evil firebender.

"You can't deal with her alone," he said. The Avatar didn't answer. He just leapt from Appa's back, hurling a fireball at Azula as he soared. Their fight had begun. Once Appa was close enough, Zuko and Sokka leapt from their mount and joined the fray against Mai and Ty Lee, respectively.

Mai was able to dodge his blasts of fire with a grim face, hurling knives through the flames with the intent to kill him. Their past love was ignored – Mai still chose to disregard the destruction and side with Azula in her tyranny. She was an enemy.

A sword would not work against the might of Ty Lee, and neither would a club or a machete or a boomerang. She always managed to get around his strikes and disable him quickly. Now, however, with training from his late girlfriend, Suki, Sokka was able to match her hand-to-hand prowess.

"Where's the water wench?" Azula taunted Aang amidst the blasts of fire, air, and water. "Still grieving over the girly-man earthbender? Or her father? Or dear King Bumi?" Aang answered her with a cold blast of air and ice, shooting her out into the sky. With jet-packed blasts of her fire, she propelled herself to the top of one of the other zeppelins. Aang followed.

Katara was far below them with Toph, fighting against Azula's numerous foot soldiers with ice, snow, and rock. It was just the two of them against the whole army as they marched up the mountain – and they were winning. He did not have to worry about them.

"Why are you attacking these people?" Aang asked his enemy, kicking her in the midsection with a ball of fire. She spun and grabbed his foot, diverting the kick while bringing her other hand around to blast him in the face. A torrent of air from his mouth extinguished the fire and thrust her backwards.

"These fools tried to attack the Imperial City, along with you and your other pathetic allies on the Day of Black Sun. Don't think I forgot," she said with a cold, neat grin. She attacked him with a front flip and an arc of blue fire, but he dispelled the attack with a hot blast of flames. "They will die with the rest of you."

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As an island made solely from volcanic activity, the land was born from the ocean over thousands of years instead of the way the Earth Kingdom was formed. A good majority of the small continent was a volcanic field, constantly spewing ash into the sky and lava all over the ground and the water, consistently creating new land and covering the old. As a result, the island was relatively new compared to the rest of the Fire Nation, and the soil was perhaps the most fertile in the world, untouched by the war with the Water Empire.

With volcanoes covering the whole island, the Golden City was safely protected, nestled in the pit of a grand dormant one. Agni himself was said to protect his people from the poisonous fumes of the surrounding giants. The First Dragon blessed them with eternal crops and the light of the sun, keeping the people of the Golden City self-sufficient and safe from the war.

The heat of the sun and the warm air on his face, ruffling his hair and clothes, made Aang grin. He tried to forget the remnants of last night's dream and share in the delight of Azula at the end of their quest to find a firebending master. The Golden City was finally in front of them. Azula, barely able to contain her enthusiasm, used her only outlets to let it all out – Zuko and her firebending. She was incessantly teasing her brother with blasts of fire from her knuckles, trying to scare him into jumping in the ocean.

On the other side of the saddle, Ty Lee was sitting with her knees folded tightly, biting her thumb as she stared blankly ahead of them with wide, grey eyes. Aang adjusted his headband quickly and moved from Appa's head to sit by her side.

"So you're finally going to tell us your secret, aren't you?" Aang asked her. For a moment, she didn't say anything – instead, she continued to stare into space. Finally, she nodded.

"I think – I think it was a mistake coming with you," she said, her voice quavering.

"Don't say that," Aang said, frowning slightly. "You had a great time traveling with us. We enjoy your company."

Zuko finally managed to edge away from Azula, jumping over the boundary of Appa's saddle to sit behind Ty Lee. "Yeah ... I'd even say you're part of our family now."

"Now even I kinda like you," Azula said, crawling over to sit in front of her. The firebender kept her new hairstyle – it was now flying freely in the wind, part of it held in a golden topknot which shined in the sun.

"No matter what happens there, you're always welcome to stay with us, wherever we go," Aang said to the girl. Ty Lee gave them all a wistful smile and her eye began to tear. She hurriedly wiped it away with her palm.

"Thanks, guys," she said. "Really. I don't deserve this." Sabishi the lemur cooed and soared over to Ty Lee's shoulder, licking her face.

"Even Sabi loves you," Zuko said, grinning. Ty Lee sat up and gave a real smile – one of her brightest ones yet. She held out her arms and grabbed Zuko and Azula around the neck, pulling them into a hug.

"You join us too, Aang!" the acrobat said with a winning smile. Aang looked at the three of his friends – Azula was stunned but Zuko had one arm around Ty Lee. Slowly, he extended his arms around Zuko and Azula, completing the circle. Ty Lee squeezed them all happily, bringing memories back to Aang of older hugs with his other family... The thought was making him suddenly sad. Sabishi crawled into the middle of them all.

For a few seconds, they stayed that way. Azula was the first to pull away, followed by Aang and Zuko. "That... was strange. This doesn't leave the saddle, okay?" Azula murmured awkwardly. Ty Lee giggled and Zuko grinned, but Aang said nothing.

Aang still felt Katara's, Sokka's, Toph's, and Zuko's arms embracing him. He felt a dull ache for Momo, even.

Azula left the saddle to grab Appa's reins, while Ty Lee laid down on her stomach and kicked her legs into the air, approaching the Golden City with a happier outlook.

"What's up, Aang?" Zuko asked the younger boy, noticing his depressed look.

"Nothing. I just ... remembered some things," he gave as his only response. Zuko did not seem to accept this, he only crossed his arms, but Aang was saved by a declaration from Azula.

"We're here!"

As Aang, Zuko, and Ty Lee looked over the saddle, they noticed the ocean vanishing and solid ground appearing beneath them. They immediately entered an imposing mountain range, seeing smoke from the volcanic fields on the other side of the island. Everything was grand – easily dwarfing Appa as he weaved between the gigantic, ancient mountains and dormant volcanoes. They even noticed a few that were still active with lava trickling down the sides.

"So where's the city?" Zuko asked for a moment after they were finished being awed by the landscape. Azula's smile vanished.

"It's that way," Ty Lee said, pointing ahead and slightly to their right. "Right behind this mountain."

"You've been here before," Azula stated.

"Yes," Ty Lee confirmed with a quick nod.

"All the better for us." She smirked. Azula directed Appa to fly around the ashen mountain in front of them ... only to reveal another one, slightly larger. However, down in the valley, Aang spotted hundreds of reddish pagoda-like buildings similar to the ones in the rest of the Fire Nation archipelago.

"There!" Aang shouted.

"That's... it?" Azula asked, barely masking her disappointment.

"Nope... that's just the outskirts," Ty Lee said. "Look, did you see that plume of flame? That's our signal. Go down to them."

"A firebender!" Azula exclaimed. Almost directly below them, seeming to cleave the rows of houses in half, was a gigantic, narrow stone bridge. It led into a tunnel. Several figures were standing outside, tiny dots looking up at the flying bison. It was them who shot the signal flame into the air. Appa began to descend.

Ty Lee fidgeted, and then shouted out a high-pitched squeal. She shot toward their luggage behind the saddle and fidgeted in the clothing, losing a shirt or two into the sky. "What are you doing?" Zuko shouted at her, seeing some of his clothes fly away. Ty Lee gave no answer. In another moment, she found what she was looking for and drew out a long, rich red cloak trimmed in gold.

"...Where'd we get that?" Aang wondered aloud. Ty Lee hurriedly put it over her head and drew the hood, concealing her features. "You're not a fugitive here, are you?"

She didn't get a chance to answer as they landed on the neat stone bridge. The stone on the bridge and the roads on either side of them, slightly below, were as elegant, straight, and as neatly cut as Aang remembered in the old Fire Nation capitol.

"Who are you?" said one of the men who unleashed the signal fire. Aang finally examined them ... and shockingly, they looked exactly like the Sun Warriors!

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"The Avatar is traveling to the Golden City for a firebending master."

Admiral Bato let his words sink into the Captains and Lieutenants before him, wearing formal wolf armor and seated around a council table. Bato's hands were neatly folded behind his back as he paced around the table.

"The Fire Nation is strong. They are passionate, willful, and wild. A massive invasion force will be required to topple them," said Bato.

"Then let's get the full Navy and flood their city," said one Captain, clenching a fist.

"No, no," said Bato. "The people of the Fire Nation are powerful. Their very landscape is a vicious enemy – it is all volcanic fields and mountains. Our water would be difficult to wield in that sort of place. There is a reason why they've stood for a hundred years."

"Then what should we do?" asked a thoughtful lieutenant.

"The firebenders seek honorable, head-on fights. We will use that to our advantage ... with a sneak attack in the night. They will not be ready. Very soon, the Fire Nation will fall just like the Air Nomads."

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Though the soldiers and guardians of the city looked exactly like the Sun Warriors, Aang noticed regular civilians on the city's outskirts dressed exactly like noblemen and women of the Fire Nation, each wearing long robes of red, black, and occasionally pink with one or two shoulder spikes. Each person had their hair in a customary topknot or tied back, decorated with a red or gold headpiece. Some even had bald heads with long tails – reminding Aang of a banished Prince Zuko and the Sun Warrior haircut. The civilians were formally bowing in greeting while the Avatar and his friends passed with an escort of guards.

Aang and the others were led into the dark tunnel – large enough to fit Appa – their only source of light being fireballs held in the palms of the soldiers. Aang and Azula quickly mimicked them, which caused the guards to elicit exclamations of surprise at the two firebenders.

"This mountain is so large..." Zuko said, looking at the tunnel walls, splashed with firelight. They were carved with ancient murals of dragons and fire, decorated occasionally with inlaid glittering sunstones. "Is the city underground?"

"No," one of the guards stated. "This mountain used to be a volcano, so the city is situated in the crater. This is the largest volcano in the Fire Nation, and perhaps the world."

"It is known as Agni's Eye," one of the other guards continued. "From above, the circular rim of the volcano and the golden inside makes it look like His great Eye."

"That's amazing," Azula said.

"The island is even shaped like a sun," Ty Lee stated, drawing all attention to her. Her features were still hidden by her hood. The fires in the palms of the firebenders cast a shadow over her face. "It is the ideal place for the grandest city of the Fire Nation."

"Indeed," said the first guard, giving her a sideways glance. Double stone doors appeared out of the darkness, marking the end of the tunnel. They were decorated with two entwined dragons circling a brilliant red sunstone. One of the guards took a step back and thrust a flaming fist into the stone, causing the doors to slowly grind open.

"Welcome ... to the Golden City."

Warm, golden light shined into the tunnel as the doors opened, expanding to present the beautiful city in all of its splendor. The four were nearly blinded by the gold revealed to them. Each building was a piece of artwork, every roof made of pure gold. The roads were delicately tiled and straight and even, inlaid with gold blocks. The white stone was of the best quality, but it paled in comparison to the rest of the city's majesty. The wealth of the metropolis astounded them.

The Avatar, his friends, and their escorts all walked around Appa as delighted rich children poked their heads out at the new arrivals, laughing and playing with each other. Aang, Zuko, and Azula each wished they had several more heads to keep looking at everything around them. Only Ty Lee's head was faced forward – her frame looked smaller than usual under her large cloak.

A grand statue was in the middle of the road before them, raised up on a dais. It was a golden figure of a powerful man with his hands outstretched, streaming constant fire from his hands into the sky. Small twin golden dragons were coiled around his torso, spewing two more streams of fire. This seemed to be the central gathering place of the city – everything seemed to circle around this statue. People were everywhere, but they all gave the bison and his companions a wide berth.

The group was on their way to the Palace, shining like a sun on the other side of the city, visible to all of the inhabitants. There was already talk of a grand festival.

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A Water Tribe camp was set up in the middle of the ocean on the way to the Golden City. Almost a dozen silver ships were gathered for Admiral Bato's plan. First, a small, elite task force would infiltrate the city under the cover of night. The Admiral was the head of the invasion – and thus, he had something planned after they entered the city that no one else knew about. Perhaps, some soldiers theorized, he would take their leader hostage. Afterwards, the rest of the fleet would begin the siege.

Several waterbenders jumped into the water around the ships to create an ice field that served as a temporary camp and the siege's starting point. Bato stood on the deck of his flagship to the north, the direction of the Golden City. They would fall in three days' time.

And Prince Sokka's crew was now under his command for the siege, so that obstacle was out of the way.

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Lady Kanna was worried about her grandson.

He spent hours holed up in his room among his maps, furs, and inventions, brooding and doing whatever else he did. It was unhealthy – he needed sunlight and fresh air. He only came out in the evenings for food and training. Hunting the Avatar had become an obsession for Sokka... and it wasn't improving now that the Avatar was found.

So with a Pai Sho board tucked under her arm and a tray of cookies, Kanna marched through the ship's short hallway and into the Prince's room after briefly knocking on his wooden door.

"I thought my orders were clear," Sokka said plainly. "Don't disturb me."

He was sitting lazily upon his chair, spinning a small wooden contraption in his hands as he stared blankly at the world map pinned to his mahogany table. Thankfully, he allowed sunlight to stream into the room through a window, but besides that there was only a dim lantern to illuminate him. As always, his polar bear furs, arctic hen feathers, and numerous weapons were displayed on his walls.

"What are you doing?" Kanna inquired, closing the door behind her.

"Trying to think of a plan," he replied. "Please leave."

"A plan to do what?"

"Now that my crew has left me for Bato ... I have to infiltrate the Golden City alone."

"What?!" she exclaimed. "No grandson of mine is going into something that dangerous!"

"I have a plan forming, woman," he said scathingly to her. "Just let me think."

"Bato won't let you join the invasion, since you denied being under his command," Kanna said, taking a bite out of one of her cookies. "But the beginnings of his fleet are still nearby. He is watching you."

"Then I will take his eye off of me," he said.

"How?"

"Send out this letter," he said, handing an envelope to his grandmother. Sokka smirked. "I will fake my own death."

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The palace throne room was chillingly similar to the one in the old Fire Nation capitol that Aang remembered. The sight of the monolithic pillars, the flame burning behind the throne, and the cold marble floors brought back horrible memories that Aang never wanted surfaced again. The only difference this time, though, was the man seated on the throne and the people seated at his sides. One of these people Aang recognized – his pure white hair was neater than usual and tied back into a topknot, but the scrutinizing gaze was unmistakable.

Master Jeong Jeong.

Aang, Zuko, Azula, and Ty Lee were led into the throne room where they bowed before the Fire Lord.