Zuko stared at his sister, who was braced for battle. The Avatar and Waterbender glanced nervously between the Fire Nation Royals, unsure just where Zuko's loyalties lie.

Bracing himself, Zuko released a massive fire blast at the Avatar, sending him flying across the room and smashing into the hard stone wall. The Waterbender gasped, but had little time to reacted before Azula attacked her, confident now that her brother had been reigned in.

And that was just the opening that Zuko needed. Turning from the fallen Avatar, who was already picking himself under and preparing to blast with his own air, Zuko braced himself once more.

"Azula!" he yelled, not about to dishonor his self by attacking while his foe's back was turned.

Both the Waterbender and his sister turned at the harsh sound of his voice. Shocked hung in the air, heavy and thick, like a fur blanket thrown on in summer.

"Zuko, what are you doing? Kill the Avatar!"

"No," Zuko's voice held the authority of the Prince he was born to be, causing everyone in the catacombs to turn to him. "You may leave now, or you may face me."

"Zuzu," Azula's voice turned that sickening sweetness that she'd always used when they were children. "I don't want to fight you, I want us to reign strong, together."

Zuko said nothing, simply wanted for the sneak attack that he knew she would launch when she didn't get her way.

"Fine, you want to fight, fight!" The words were thrown his way, coupled with two hot blasts of lightning.

Zuko easily redirected both, sending them harmlessly to shatter in crystals above his sisters head.

Distress stole over her face as she dived out of the way, just barely missing the jaggedly sharp pieces that came flying at her head.

Zuko turned to the Avatar and Waterbender, who were both staring in disbelieve at the sight before them. "Go!" he roared, bracing himself for the fire blast Azula shot his way, just barely managing to catch it and return in to her in time to avoided serious injury.

"So you chose dishonor over family? You would become a traitor for them?" Azula hurled insults as well as blazing hot fire balls, one after another, trying to throw him off balance.

"I choose my own destiny," he yelled back at her, his fire blasts becoming brighter and brighter as the hate and discontent with in him rose to the surface. All the years of never being good enough for his father, all the years of torment from his sister, all the years of loneliness and pain; all surged through him, making him stronger and stronger, until the very blood in his veins were boiling with power.

Azula noticed and knew instantly that she would never be able to beat her brother in such a state. Cutting a glance to the side, she saw the Avatar and Waterbender battling the Dai Li, who had came to help their new mistress.

A nasty smirk spread across her face as she fired three shots at her brother, before twisting and shooting three more at the exposed back of the Avatar and Waterbender.

"No!" Zuko yelled, knowing that he would never be able to reach them in time. He watched, helpless, as the Avatar fell, catching all three fire blasts in the back. The Waterbender turned, screaming "Aang!" as the boy crumpled to the ground, unmoving.

Azula threw one last lightning blast at Zuko, who barely redirected it in time, before she turned and vanished up one of the many vast tunnels with the Dai Li.

Zuko started to run after her, but hearing the cries from the Waterbender, he was unable to leave them, unprotected, should Azula mount another strike against them. Rushing to the fallen boy, Zuko fell to the ground, watching helplessly as the girl cradled his bald head. Tears streamed down her face, falling to the Avatar and coating him with their salty, sweetness. Her long brown hair, which had come lose in her fight with Azula, flowed around her like a shield, hiding her grief from the world.

"Zuko!"

Looking up, the Fire Nation Prince and the Last Southern Water Bender were both slightly shocked to see Iroh running toward them.

"Uncle, the Avatar… Azula…" Zuko couldn't quite bring his self to say the words.

"He's name is Aang," the Waterbender softly supplied, still holding tight to the boy.

"We must go. Azula is returning, with more Dai Li and Ty Lee. And Mai.," the last was said with a slight cutting look toward Zuko.

Nodding, Zuko reached for the boy, only to have the girl lean away, uncertainty written in every line of her young face.

"We have to go." Zuko repeated, holding his hands out and waiting for the girl to understand that he was here to help, not hurt. Not anymore.

Looking from the General to Zuko, the girl finally nodded, handing Aang over to Zuko, who quickly stood, looking around for an escape route.

"Here," the girl said, pulling the prince by the shelve toward the water pool in the middle of the cave. Iroh followed behind.

Walking behind him, the girl wrapped her hands around his waist. Zuko tensed, uncomfortable with someone at his back, let alone with their arms wrapped securely around him.

"You'll have to hold on tight," this was said to Iroh, who nodded and walked behind the girl, wrapping her and Zuko into a tight hug.

Without warming, the girl bent the water, making it surge up and out, blasting through the earth and to safety. They landed softly beside the Avatar's bison, who startled in surprise and turned, ready to charge, until he noticed the boy in Zuko arms and the girl at his back. The girl stepped from between the two Fire Nation men, walking toward the great beast.

"Wait," Zuko hissed, unsure if the bison would receive her, when his master lay still and unresponsive.

"Appa won't hurt me," was all she replied, climbing on the massive head. Leaning down, she held her arms out for the Avatar.

Iroh and Zuko shared an uncertain look before both stepped forward. The bison growled, but a gentle word from the girl and he calmed, allowing them to come closer. "Hand him to me, then climb up."

Shock stained both the men's faces. The girl, noticing this, simply said, "I can't leave you here, they'll kill you."

Turning, Zuko handed the boy to his uncle, before climbing carefully onto the bison's back. Reaching down, he took the boy while he's uncle joined him. The girl looked from one to the other, before yelling "Hold tight! Appa, yip-yip!"

The great beast took to the sky, flying to where a tiny Earth Bender and a Water Tribe boy were fighting a massive force of Dai Li. Passing the lifeless boy to his Uncle, Zuko braced himself as best he could with the bison rolling and pitching in the wind, and shot a steady stream of fire at the fighting Dai Li, sending them scattering. Zuko maintained the stream, while the girl yelled to the two fighters, "Sokka, Toph, lets go!"

There was a slight hesitation, as if the two couldn't understand why the Dagon of the West and the Crown Prince of the Fire Nation were aboard Appa.

"Now!" the girl yelled again, loud and with more authority. The boy and girl jumped aboard, holding tight to the bison as he once more took to the skies.

The boy, who looked like the Waterbender, made his way toward her, throwing uncertain glances at Zuko and Iroh. The girl embraced him, before turning to Zuko, who still held the Avatar. Reaching for him, Zuko helped to lay him down, so that the Waterbender could see the burnt hole in his back. Reaching into her robes, she pulled the Oasis's water out. She looked to Zuko before pouring it from the container into her hands. The water glowed brightly as she applied it to the boys back.

At first, nothing happened. The girl let out a tiny cry, pulling the Avatar into a tight hug, while tears rolled down her checks.

Then, as if in slow motion, the boy started to move, his arm coming up and wrapping around her in kind. A low pitched moan worked its way from his throat, causing the girl to gasp and pull back.

"Aang?" her voice was filled with wonder and joy, both emotions mixing together and blooming across her face.

"Katara," the boys voice was shaky and gravelly, as if he'd been asleep for years and his body had forgotten how to speak.

Zuko watched the joy and love shinning in her face as the boy realized he was among the land of the living once more. Something in his chest tightened, causing him to turn away from such a sight of obvious love and trust.

"Katara," the boy mumbled once more, "I feel… So weak…"

"I know, Aang," she murmured softly, laying the boy on his side. "Sleep. And when you wake, you'll feel better."

The boy, who obviously trusted her, nodded and lay down quietly, holding tight to her hand as sleep stole him way.

Katara raised tear soaked eyes to Zuko's scarred face. "Thank you," was all she said.

Zuko nodded, not sure what to say.

"Um, I hate to be the one to break this shining moment between you, but just why are there two Fire Nation guys on Appa?"

Everyone turned to Sokka, who was staring holes into his sister.

"Fire Nation? What? Who all is on here?" the little Earth Bender asked, turning her head this way and that. Zuko noticed, for the first time, that her eyes were pale, pale blue, and sightless.

"They're friends." Katara answered, smiling to both Iroh and Zuko.

And just like that, Zuko felt the missing half of his heart lock into place.

He was finally home.