A/N: Let me know if I got any facts wrong. I did this off of memory.

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. All characters go to their respectful owners. I only own this story.

Knight in Melted Armor

It started when I first saw you. I mean when I first really got a look at you. Your face wasn't just one among the crowd, you were right in front of me. You were in my grasp.

The pirates that I had led to the Avatar had you surrounded. Something in me didn't want you to get hurt. But I knew a fight was inevitable, because I saw the light of a warrior in your eyes. I guess that's why I noticed you in the first place. You were the only girl I had ever met who didn't fight because you liked to. No, you fought for a purpose.

And because I didn't want you hurt, I grabbed you. Not in a tight grip—or at least I hope not. I like to think it was more of an embrace. One you might receive from a close friend. But whatever type of hold I had you in, I still promised to protect you from the pirates.

I meant every word I said to you.

But after the Avatar escaped, things just kind of went haywire.

I knew I would have to stay by you to protect you, but I couldn't let the Avatar escape either. Luckily, the pirates were too preoccupied with my crew to notice you still tied to the tree, so I decided it would be all right to make a grab for my ticket home.

I obviously underestimated the lemur's ability to form an escape plan.

When the Avatar and his friend got away on the ship, I looked back to the tree you were tied to, thinking it was a bit strange for them to be leaving a member of their group behind. But when I saw you had escaped with the Avatar, it made sense.

It took me about ten seconds to realize that the pirates had stolen my ship to chase after you. It took me another five to realize I couldn't protect you from the pirates anymore.

It took no time at all for me to hate myself.

Our meetings after that were few and far apart. The next time we really got to have an actual conversation was at the North Pole. You were protecting the Avatar from whoever would want to hurt him while he spoke with the Spirits.

As soon as I showed up, you attacked me. I wasn't angry, just frustrated. Yes, I had showed up intending to steal the Avatar while everyone was recovering from the other attack, when it was least expected. But when I saw it was you protecting him, I realized I had an opportunity to save you from the Fire Nation. You just wouldn't give me enough time to offer an escape route.

So I took the Avatar.

I hadn't intended to knock you out, but it happened anyway. Carrying you would have been too difficult. So I left you, in hopes that if you couldn't fight back, you would be safe. When I took the Avatar, I hoped you would follow me, when you woke up.

And you did.

You just assumed the wrong thing when you caught up to me, and so you attacked. I never had a chance to explain myself to you. I never got the chance to tell you I was protecting you from the Fire Nation. But you got Aang back. And I was left out in the cold.

Or so I thought…

I still haven't figured out how Uncle found me.

After I left Uncle, I found you again. So had Azula.

I knew it was my duty to protect you from her, because your whole group looked exhausted. I figured it would be a bit tricky, though, seeing as how you and your group might view me as the enemy. I suppose I was, but we were on the same side for that battle. Just to make sure you stayed back, I sent some shots at your group. Luckily, you guys seemed to understand, and my battle with my sister was relatively successful.

But then Uncle got hurt, and my world fell apart.

I wasn't in my right mind when I attacked you. I was just distraught. But I know you won't understand that.

It was because of my sister that we met up again in the Earth Kingdom. I had attacked her, and lost. But at least I found you again, right?

You told me a bit about your past, and why you hated the Fire Nation so much. I understood completely.

And then you offered to heal me. I was touched, I really was. But I couldn't let you waste that precious water on something as dumb as a scar I had gotten for being dishonorable.

I was going to offer an escape plan to get us out of that prison, but then the Avatar showed up and stole my thunder. While you embraced him, I was left feeling ashamed that I couldn't make you feel that happy.

I now know why I didn't deserve that happiness.

When I entered the battle between you and the Avatar, and my sister, I debated with myself on whether or not I should join your side, or Azula's. I finally came to the conclusion that if I helped you, I would never have a chance to return home. But I could attack the Avatar to give you the chance to escape.

I had obviously forgotten you had the spirit of a warrior.

Instead of running, like I had hoped you would do, you stayed and fought Azula. So I switched my strategy. I attacked you instead, but I wasn't really fighting as hard as I could have. I hoped that as soon as the Avatar was defeated, we could leave and you would be safe.

But then Aang decided he needed to take matters into his own hands. He felt he needed to enter the Avatar State to protect you. And then Azula struck him down.

I saw your expression after that. It was a look I never wanted to see on your face again.

You hadn't received one scratch from that battle, but Aang was most likely dead, and to you, that thought was more devastating than the thought of being harmed.

It was because of me that you got hurt like that.

I should have joined your side in that fight.

After you allowed me to join your group, I never expected Sokka to accept my offer to help him rescue his father.

I'm so happy he did.

While we were escaping with the prisoners, Azula attacked us. I knew it was my duty to protect your brother and father, even though I had sworn to protect you, first.

I wasn't going to make the same mistake by thinking your friends and family weren't important to you. I had learned my lesson in the Earth Kingdom.

Do you know how lucky you are to have a family that loves you? My family has never cared about me. And the only two people that have, are gone, one probably dead, the other I thought hated me.

I knew you would be devastated if you lost your brother and father to the Fire Nation, so I made them my top priority to protect.

When we returned to the Air Temple, your joy was the best response I could have ever hoped for. I was proud to have been the one to help cause it. Even though it was the sight of your father that was making you so happy.

But you still hated me.

When I asked why, you refused to tell me. So I had to ask Sokka.

I suppose I could have chosen a better time to ask him.

When I finally learned that the Fire Nation had killed your mother, my heart went out to you. I had lost my mother because of the war too.

But that wasn't the worst of it. When I approached you, the look of pain that crossed your face made me realize:

I had failed before I was even given a chance.

So I offered to lead you to the man who had killed your mother, so you could get revenge. Your acceptance was surprising but pleasing.

Together, we set out to find the fleet that had been in charge of raiding the South Pole.

I only wish it had been more successful. That look of disappointment when you saw it wasn't the right man made me feel guilty for leading you astray.

But we found the right man eventually. He was more of a lowlife than I had imagined. And this man was a Firebender? I was sickened. But I had promised to do this for you, not me. I hadn't been able to protect you from losing your mother, but maybe this would redeem myself. The fact that you spared his life made me look at you in a completely different light. I would have killed the man in a heartbeat. But you didn't.

At first I thought you had forgiven him, but when we returned and you told Aang you could never forgive him, I realized how much it must have hurt you to walk away. And I had been powerless to help relieve that pain in the slightest. I could understand your sadness now.

And then you forgave me. I was so happy, and it looked like you were glad to finally have a reason to trust me again.

I didn't feel as bad about failing to protect you from all of that sadness and loss after that.

Then we went to see that play. I'm still on the fence about whether or not I'm glad we went to see it.

I wish we hadn't gone because I made me feel like the worst person on the planet. The play took all of my failures and threw them back in my face again. I got to see every event that I couldn't protect you from.

And then there was that moment where they thought we were a couple. That was the most awkward part of that night. Especially when I saw the look of jealousy that crossed Aang's face.

That was when I realized how important it was that I protected you.

When I saw you walk away from Aang during the intermission, he looked heartbroken. I could only imagine the look of pain that would cross his face if you were hurt, or worse, killed.

If Aang was to defeat my father, I would have to make sure that you didn't get a single scratch.

That's why I accepted the Agni Kai, so you wouldn't get hurt. I couldn't let you get hurt if Aang was fighting my father. He'd hate me if he had saved the world for us and had his destroyed in the process.

But it was my fault you were attacked.

I had taunted Azula into using lightning, so I could end the fight quickly. But I forgot Azula never played fair. She shot the lightning at you because she knew you couldn't redirect it.

I ran in front of the bolt to protect you from death. And I did save you, but I failed too. I couldn't redirect the lightning correctly, and I was rendered useless, leaving you open for attacks.

My apology was hidden in my thanks, when you saved me. Your response told me you understood.

So maybe I don't look like some prince in shining armor that every girl seems to fantasize about. My armor is scarred and broken; my mannerisms not even close to proper. I know I can't always save you.

But at least I can try.

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