Avatar: The Legend of Azula, Book 1: Air

Kuei

Kuei gave a sigh. He easily lifted Cheng up and tossed him over the wall. Kuei quickly climbed up and jumped over too.

"Yes you could, but I'd rather you hadn't. It's dangerous to earthbend right now. Oh and Cheng, this may not be exactly the proper time to bring this up, but I don't know if I'll have time to say this later. I approve of your relationship, but let me make one thing clear: if I ever catch you doing anything inappropriate with Toph, I will cut your head off and mount it on my wall." the Prince said, giving a cheerful smile.

He started to silently walk over to the palace before Cheng could reply. No guards could be seen. However, several figures could be made out in the distance laying on the ground. All motionless, with a pool of blood surrounding them.

Ursa

"All I know is that it's late. Now, off to bed you two. An old woman needs her sleep, as should you two. We can talk again in the morning." Ursa said. Zuko nodded at their mother and began to walk out.

Cheng grunted as he landed on the other side of the wall. Luckily, he landed on his feet. He gulped, however, at Kuei's threat as well as the dead bodies he spotted at a distance, obviously Kuei's handiwork. He made a mental note not to anger the Prince as he followed him and Toph.

Toph smirked at Kuei's threat. It was kind of entertaining to know that he was making a useless threat. Cheng would never do anything like that. She quickly followed Kuei, not missing the bodies without heartbeats ahead.

~-~

Azula agreed with her mother and followed Zuko out. They had had a long day. She then began to wonder what everyone else was doing while they had been talking.

Cheng raised an eyebrow at Toph's smirk. He murmured to her with a small smile, "Glad my getting bodily harmed amuses you, Princess."

Kuei

Kuei led the two further toward the Palace. He held up a hand to halt. They were now at the side of the massive building. Still no guards could be seen. Kuei looked both ways, then knelt. He put a hand up to the wall, then concentrated. A few moments later the wall opened up. It was large, but was slowly shrinking.

"Inside, quickly."

Cheng nodded and entered through the opening before it could be closed. He grinned a little in excitement. Few Earth Kingdom soldiers could have entered this place and most of them were probably prisoners.

Toph strode after Kuei. "I was simple smirking at the empty threat." She said teasingly. She marveled at the wall. It was a great work of earthbending and no one had probably gotten this far into the palace. She was impressed.

Kuei

Kuei put his hand back on the wall and it sealed itself up. He motioned for the two to keep quiet, and carefully picked a corridor and started to walk. No palace servants were in sight, yet. Neither were any guards. For now, it seemed fate was on their side.

"Keep quite. We don't want to attract attention. Based on old maps of the new palace I managed to acquire, I believe I can locate where the Avatar is."

Cheng nodded in obedience. This was finally it. They were going to capture the Avatar and Toph would finally be able to go home. He smiled as he followed Kuei.

Everything was going to smoothly. There had to be some booby trap they were going to trip over, some catch of some sort. "Keep your guard up, Cheng, we don't have her yet." Toph could feel his heartbeat relax.

Cheng nodded. He shook his head. Sometimes, he wished she couldn't read his heartbeat. For one thing, it gave her too much ammunition for when she was teasing him. He spoke, "How close are we to her?"

Kuei

Before Toph could answer, Kuei suddenly pulled the two into the closest room. Kuei shut the door and kept quiet. Footsteps could soon be heard, likely a guard or servant coming through. As soon as the noise disappeared Kuei opened the door and walked out.

"Sorry for that, but I'd rather not get captured. Now Toph, can you sense where the Avatar is? How far away we are from her?"

Toph crouched down on the ground and put a hand to the floor. She moved her hand across the floor to get more vibrations. She stood and smiled. '"Right down the hall."

Cheng grinned. He had to admit that sometimes, Toph's unique abilities were rather useful.

Zuko

"It's been great to see mom again 'Zula." Zuko commented as he and his sister walked down the hallway.

Kuei

"Ah, good. I--back in the room, now!" Kuei suddenly said. He pulled them all into the room again before either Cheng or Toph could protest. Voices were now heard, of the Avatar and her brother.

"This next part will be difficult. Cheng, I slipped a sedative needle into your pocket earlier. On my command, jump out and stab the boy with the sedative. Toph, quickly seal the Avatar in earth. You both understand?"

Yue

Yue yawned and decided to call it a night. She put up her bow and walked back into the palace. She navigated the hallways to find her room--which she seemed to have a hard time of doing. Yue turned down another hallway to see an open door with the candles still lit. She went over to investigate, to see On Ji and Aang inside it. The former just now tripping over her robes, then pulling herself back up.

"Oh, hello Aang and On Ji." Yue said. Aang must have been reading the scrolls Fire Lord Iroh gave him. What was On Ji doing here with Aang, then? Were they...no of course not, that was idiotic to think of.

Aang

Aang looked up to see On Ji had somehow tripped, and then Yue was there. "Hi Yue, hi On Ji," Aang said. "Are you ok?" He set the scroll down and walked over to the girl.

Cheng nodded and reached into his pocket to grip the needle. It somewhat disturbed him how Kuei was able to slip in his pocket. The man was still good at what he did. He waited for the Prince's command, his eyes on the boy.

Toph prepared herself, her heart racing. "Whenever you're ready." She whispered.

~*~

"Ya it has been." Azula agreed. "She must be a little lonely. I mean she has Uncle Iroh and stuff, but no close family."

On Ji turned from Aang to Yue and smiled.

"Hello Yue. I was just seeing what Aang was doing," she said, clearing up any idea the girl had. "What are you doing here? Bored too prehaps?"

Kuei

"Now!" Kuei commanded. This was it, the capture of the Avatar. The greatest enemy of the Earth Empire would be stopped once and for all.

Cheng nodded and emerged from his hiding place and stabbed at the Avatar's brother's neck, determined to do his part in capturing the Avatar.

Toph jumped out behind Cheng and made a tight box around her. But yet again this was too easy. She was tempted to turn around to Kuei and ask when the guards came out and chased them the whole way back without the Avatar.

(Crud I didn't see that mstm posted with Aang.)

On Ji looked up at Aang and shook her head.

"I'm ok. Just clumsy."

Kuei

At once Zuko crumbled to the ground, unconscious. Kuei walked outside the room to see that Toph had already encased the Avatar in a box of earth. Only her head was visible. She seemed to be struggling, but it was al useless.

"Good work Toph. Now we have the Avatar."