It was the same night that Sokka and Zuko returned from the Boiling Rock. Zuko was lying in his bed, trying to sleep, but he was unable to shake an uneasy feeling. He didn't know what it was, but it was bothering him. He decided to get up and began to walk towards the edge of the temple platform.
"Hey, Sparky. What are you doing up?" Toph asked having been woken up by the sudden vibrations.
"Something doesn't feel right." He replied, staring out into the abyss. Their brief conversation woke the rest of the group up. Katara was about to start complaining, but was stopped by Zuko speaking one word, "Run". At that moment a bolt of blue lightning struck him, however, he was able to redirect it back out into the darkness. "Someone else is here. I can feel them." The blind earth bender shouted at the group to get up and move because she was right, someone else was there and the unknown intruder emerged into the light.
"Father", Zuko's voice was shaking, he didn't know what his father was doing there, and he knew that Aang was not yet ready to face him. Zuko had since moved in front of the group encase the Fire Lord attacked again. "My son" Ozai's voice was cold causing a chill to run up the spines of everyone present, "It appears you are still nothing more than an embarrassment. I had thought that on the day of the black sun you had grown a spine, but it seems that you are still weak." With this Ozai, attacked again with fire, which his son quickly dispelled. "I figured that I should come and deal with you myself, seeing as your sister keeps failing." Sokka was standing behind his fire bending friend and noticed that his hands were trembling. "You aren't alone, we can all face him together." Placing a hand on his shoulder, Zuko took a deep breath and relaxed his muscles. "I don't fear you anymore. You no longer hold any power over me." His father chuckled before attacking again.
The fire travelled quickly towards the group before a wall of earth appeared, stopping the fire in its tracks. Toph took a step forward smirking, "You heard him. And just like Snoozles over there said, he isn't alone." Ozai glared at the blind girl and then returned his icy gaze back to his son. Zuko took another deep breath and took a step forward. "I meant what I said. For so long I have been afraid of you. I had even convinced myself that everything you did to me was justified because you said that I had to be strong. But now I see the truth," he scowled at his father "What you did to me was nothing more than abuse. And no matter how much I tried to make you proud, nothing was ever good enough. You never cared for me, and I doubt that you even truly care for Azula. A father is supposed to protect his children and help them grow to be the best they can be. All you teach is cruelty and hate!"
"I see you have not learnt your lesson about respect, boy!" he was furious, "Shall I teach you another?" Hearing this Zuko clenched his fists and took another step forward. He began to go through the forms that would create lightning. He was finally able to do it; he was no longer going to take his father's abuse.
"Looks like you are capable of something after all, but make sure not to miss." Ozai smirked at his son. "As I told you before father, it is the Avatar's destiny to defeat you, not mine," With this Zuko shot lighting at the floor in front of the Fire Lord, causing the temple floor to crack and collapse, Ozai falling with it. There was silence before Sokka broke it, "Remind me never to piss you off." Zuko merely smiled at the comment his friend had made and said, "I think we should leave now."