Here it is :)

I'll try to keep the chapters coming as regularly as I can. This one's a little longer. Enjoy.

oooooooooo

Chapter 4

Azula clenched her fists, but managed to contain herself from saying anything else as manic laughter filled the room.

"Still, after so many years, you come crying to Daddy when there's something you can't quite figure out…" Ozai grinned at the celling.

"I thought you might care that our nation is at war with itself." Azula said.

"Is that what Zuko's been filling your head with? Sentiment? I couldn't care less if your incompetent brother leads our nation into the abyss."

"So that's it? You'd rather see your kingdom burn than let someone else have it?"

"Think, Azula." he looked straight into her eyes for the first time since she walked in.

"You do know something, but you want something in return."

"Correct. My father passed down this knowledge to me. And before you start arranging a trip to the Spirit World, no, my brother didn't get the same lesson. The Fire Lord chose me as worthy, and only me."

Azula was relieved, at least that should be easy. Bribing a man who has nothing left.

"I can't set you free." she said, "I could get you transferred to a nicer cell, get you clothes, furniture, better food… We can work it out right now."

"No. I desire only one thing," he interrupted her, "Your son. Zari. I want to meet him, alone."

"Out of the question." she snapped.

"Those are my terms."

"Pick something else! You're living like a dog, there has to be something you'd want!" Azula go visibly upset which only let Ozai know he was on the right track.

"I think one conversation with my grandson isn't too much to ask. I hear I'm a great-grandfather now too… Anyway, how much damage can I realistically do in that time?"

"How do I know you even have any information for me? Prove your words and then we'll see."

"I will only share what I know with Zari, no one else. And since you seem to care so much you have no choice, but to agree."

oooooooooo

After hearing what they wanted of him, Zari immediately said he wasn't afraid. He was given a choice and he chose to help. He didn't think he'd be in any danger. Then came the warnings from his mother and uncle which honestly made him feel a bit uneasy. After that his mother led him through underground tunnels underneath Republic City filled with guards, which made him wonder why all that was necessary for an old non-bender.

"They're not to keep him from getting out, but to keep other people from getting in to free him." Azula explained, like she read his mind just now, "Some people can't seem to let go of our nation's past, even in Republic City."

When they were in front of the heavy metal door, Zari hesitated for a second. He wasn't thinking of giving up, but he definitely wasn't as confident as he would have liked to be at that moment. He didn't say anything, it was just a moment of pause in his actions, but Azula saw it. She gently cupped his face and moved the hair out of the way before planting a kiss on his forehead.

"Knock on the door when you're done." she gave him that last instruction and let him go in there alone. Her renowned instincts, her entire mind was screaming at her not to allow this, but they were running out of options fast.

"So you're Zari?" Ozai was sitting next to the bars peacefully, since he'd been expecting this visit, "No wonder your mother tried to hide you from me, you're clearly one half a Water Tribe peasant."

Zari realized his blue eyes were the ones to give him away, since in general he looked quite average for the Fire Nation.

"Do you have the spark?" Ozai asked, to which Zari put out his hand and fired up a small blue flame.

"At least something." a tiny, malicious smirk took over the older man's face.

"Just give me the information." Zari finally spoke up.

"Wait, dear boy, we've scarcely begun. I want to know exactly how your mother came to the idea of mixing blood with the enemy. And to think I had her marriage all but arranged… Was it a hostage situation?"

"No… You have it all wrong." Zari said gently. When Ozai looked up at the young man in front of him, he saw sadness in his eyes, rather than the anger he expected. Zari slowly walked closer to the bars and sat down opposite his grandfather. He reached under his shirt and pulled out a wooden necklace he'd been wearing underneath.

"This was my father's. He wore it on the day he married my mother and every day since." Zari's face was overcome with sorrow, "Every day, that is, until the day he died to protect the two of us. And if you'd met him, you would have seen how much he loved your daughter."

Zari was sure if he laid it all out there, if he opened his heart that his grandfather would listen. He prepared all the things he wanted to say in his head, but now that he was really here, he'd skipped over most of them. When he finally fell quiet and looked to see Ozai's reaction, he was met only with mocking laughter.

"Love? What a childish concept in a childish story, by an innocent cub that's strayed too far from his mama…" Ozai kept smirking, "How old are you now anyway? Twenty? And there isn't a discernable manly quality about you!"

Zari couldn't believe what he was hearing. He felt frozen for a few seconds, unable to speak up, and Ozai took the opportunity to keep talking.

"I had a son, who was a bitter disappointment, but he's a traitor, at least that took courage. I pity your mother for ending up with such a pathetic man-child." Ozai paused to see if Zari wanted to say anything to that, "But what was she expecting, rolling around with those pigs. Of all the pitiful so-called nations on this planet I always hated your kind the most! So sad for my Azula to stoop so low, whoring around with the likes of-"

"Stop!" Zari stood up and pointed his fist at Ozai, "Don't talk about her!"

"Or what? I know your kind! You have all the power in this situation and still you refuse to use it. You are weak! I just don't know if it's because your daddy was offed too early or because it's simply in your people's blood."

Zari shook in frustration as tears begun collecting in his eyes. He had the man who caused so much pain in his range. The man who caused specifically his family irreparable damage. Ozai was still smirking mockingly, taunting him. No one would miss this man, no one would mourn. Maybe his mother could finally sleep if he eradicated him from existence.

"You want this." Zari lowered his fist and took a deep breath to calm down, "You knew… You want me to kill you."

"Well, I have tried to do it myself over and over again, but they have made it rather difficult. Forgive me from trying to make a man out of you in the process…"

"Well, your little plan has failed." Zari whipped his tears and sat back down opposite him, "I want the information you promised now."

oooooooooo

As soon as the metal door closed after Zari, he ran forward and hugged his mother.

"Why is he like that?" he asked into her shoulder.

"He's not that different from me." Azula said.

"That's just not true!"

"If a few things had gone differently, that would have been me… Tiny prison cell, talking to myself. But I got lucky."

"He doesn't even care about what happens to his kids."

Azula purposely held back through the years while talking to Zari about how she was brought up, not wanting to unnecessarily burden the child. Maybe that was a mistake. Maybe he would have been better prepared if he knew exactly what kind of monster he was dealing with.

"Did he tell you anything useful?" she asked.

"Yeah, he told me everything he knew and where to find more."

"Save it for when you'll explain it to everyone at the Island." Azula wanted to walk away, but Zari didn't follow.

"Mom? I'm sorry you had to, you know, live with that guy…" he seemed to have a hard time forming words.

"Oh, love, that's not your fault. It's foolish to feel guilty over something you had no control over. Actually, the whole concept of guilt never agreed with me. What's passed should be left in the past. That man can do nothing to us now."

"Whenever I asked, you just said you had a really high-pressure childhood… You never mentioned how he talks to you."

"It wasn't always like that. There was a time, a long time actually, when I would have given anything to be like him. I thought he was the greatest man in the world, I just wanted him to be proud of me. I wanted to live up to his greatness…" she laughed, "What a joke that was. It was only when I had you that I learned you're supposed to love your children even when you don't approve of their choices."

"Is that supposed to be aimed at my new position?"

"Don't listen to me. I know you're honoring your dad by commanding your own crew."

"It's actually not about dad all that much. It's about you. I'm the son of the great Princess Azula and what have I done with my life? I thought if I put myself out there on that ship something profound would happen. When you were my age you had already conquered the Earth Kingdom all by yourself."

"And had a breakdown and was captured and imprisoned. I'm the last person you should aspire to be like. You hear me? You need to spend your time figuring out what you want to do, not copying me."

"Then after all this is done, could I maybe stay at the palace for a while? I know I just got my position, but I forgot how much I loved living with the family. I miss all of you."

"If you do, we'll have to do something about that hair." Azula ran her hand through the unbraided part of his hair.

"Mom, quit it."

oooooooooo

When Azula and Zari made it back to Air Temple Island they were surprised to find out that the majority of the United Forces army that left with Aang weeks ago had returned. The entire house was full of military men, while Aang was laying in the middle of the living room, Katara and several more healers all working on him at the same time.

"I take it we didn't win." Azula walked to Zuko from behind.

"Why would you say that?"

"Your face. What happened? What did they say?"

"Alright," he sighed, "While we were here regrouping, our enemies were recruiting and passing along their technique. Our men were up against a force much larger than we predicted and Aang decided it was time to go into the Avatar state. While he was fighting one of the enemies managed to grab hold of him and start draining his power."

"Wait, they drained Aang too?"

"Yes, but the man exploded before he could do any serious damage. It did knock Aang out and cause a retreat."

"If he exploded that means there's a limit to how much energy they can absorb and reuse. Maybe there's even a time limit. This is good stuff, Zuzu."

"It's useless since it can't be tested. Except if I round up a couple of them for your testing."

"Hey, I'm willing if you are…" she smirked, "Zari and I were successful in draining information from our father."

"Everyone else is fine, right?" Zari asked and Zuko nodded.

"Nice of you to join us, Snoozles." Toph greeted Lin, who slept through everyone's return and was just now emerging from her room. Spirits, something really felt off about her system.

"You're back? Is it done?" Lin asked before seeing Aang was hurt.

"It would have been, but Glowy Eyes decided to take a little power nap in the middle of battle."

"Toph!" Katara scolded.

"What? A guy tried to kill the Avatar and got blown to bits for his troubles… We just won't take Aang next time. You, me, Lin and Kya we take them down, no problem."

Lin wasn't really listening to her mother since she noticed Tenzin standing in the room. It must have been horrid seeing his dad go down like that.

"Tenzin, I'm-" she was interrupted by him hugging her tightly.

"Did you convince the King? Turns out this is going to be a world problem." he wasn't letting go of her.

"We did." Lin pulled away from the hug to look into his eyes before kissing him.

Unlike Mai, Aang was up and moving around in just a few hours. Guess, being the Avatar came with a lot of advantages. After Katara made sure the attack left no lasting mark, Aang called a big meeting again, this time to hear everything Zari and Azula managed to collect on their enemies.

Most of the adults around the table expected Azula to present the findings, so they were all surprised to see fifteen-year-old Zari stand in front of them with a bunch of books and scrolls. Since they all were whispering amongst themselves too much for Zari to start, Azula fired up a decent sized lightning strike through the window. The thunder made everyone quiet so the Fire Prince could finally begin.

"I spoke to former Fire Lord Ozai and he instructed me to look into the writings of ancient firebending master Akal. Of course, the text we need isn't visible until you shine a light source underneath the paper." the boy demonstrated, revealing hidden words on the old scroll, "Ozai also explained what he knew about the technique to me personally. Simplified, all the moves come to the same thing…"

In just a few seconds Zari had the whole room silent and paying attention. For a relatively shy kid, he knew how to deal with a crowd. But his mother already knew that. His shyness dissipated the second he was put on a stage.

Su on the other hand was the exact opposite. She was always a talkative and social kid. But presentations were a nightmare even for her. That's why she was so impressed when she saw Zari preforming.

"Fire is life. And firebending can nurture it or snuff it out just as easily," he demonstrated by lighting a flame in his hand and then extinguishing it.

"So you're saying they've learned to snuff the life out of someone?" one of the generals interrupted.

"Well, in the poetic sense, yes. This technique was developed long ago, by firebenders who were forced to live in exile underground. Without the sun to give them strength, their bending became weak. So they found a new source: the heat coming from inside the planet. And soon some of them figured their source could be any heat, be it from a fire, another person's firebending or another person's body. The story ends there since it is said that most of those colonies of firebenders ended up killing each other. But the knowledge remained."

"Are you telling me, my father was aware of this and didn't use it to fight in the war?" Zuko asked.

"I find that hard to believe." Katara backed him.

"I asked him the same thing," Zari started, "He confessed he tried to do it multiple times, but couldn't. It is a rare ability, it's possible he just wasn't one of those who could master it. And there also is a down side to using it… Ozai said this type of bending once learned becomes the only way that person firebends. I checked it in the texts and they all say the same thing. It's like an addiction. Once a person willingly starts using heat to fuel their firebending, they can never go back to how they were before. They keep craving more and more heat, producing more and more powerful fire blasts until they…"

"Take on too much." Sokka filled him in, "And then they blow, like the guy that came at you, Aang."

"So how do we fight them, then?" the Avatar asked.

"We know what they're using, we can fight fire with fire now. Literally." Azula stepped in front of everyone, next to her son, "Worry, not. The Fire Lord and I will get on this issue immediately. The two of us will master this new technique and take down the usurpers."

"What about me and Izumi, mother?" Zari asked after the meeting ended, "We can master it too."

"Out of the question."

"So you're just saying no, you won't even let us try?" Izumi cut in.

"Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying. Isn't that right, Zuko?" Azula turned to her brother.

"I think we should let them try. Your plan of the two of us talking down an entire army is rather unrealistic." he said.

"Didn't you hear when Zari said? It's addictive and deadly just to use this technique, not even taking into account how dangerous war is. No! I am not our father, I will not send our children to fight our war!"

"Alright. You're not wrong." Zuko agreed and turned to his nephew, "Your mother and I will be the only ones attempting this. It's for your own good."

oooooooooo

After the meeting Zuko decided to check on his wife and fill her in on the new developments. Surely, she wasn't going to be happy with how much danger he will be putting himself in, but he had a duty towards his nation.

"Mai, I've got news, Azula and Zari did it…" he walked in and found her sitting at a table, instead of lying down, while trying to pick up one of her throwing knives. He was just about to start complaining about how she needed to rest when he saw tears draining from her eyes.

"Don't look at me." she faced away from him.

"What's wrong?" he sat next to her and gently wiped the tears from one of her cheeks. She responded by attempting to pick up her knife with her hurt hand. Her right hand was moving now, however slowly, but it was trembling uncontrollably. However hard Mai tried she couldn't close a fist around her knife. She couldn't even hold the hand up for longer than a few seconds.

"Katara said it will get better." Zuko said.

"I know I'm making a big deal out of it!" she continued through tears, "I know I should be grateful for surviving this, grateful that you and our daughter and her son are all safe here, but I just can't! I've been at this for a week and this is as far as I've gotten!"

She tried to get a hold of the knife again, but failed.

"I get it."

"No, don't just say that because you love me and you have to! I know I'm being selfish and ungrateful! I just can't help it… You don't understand. This is something I was the best at. Something I've worked at my whole life. And even if this thing ever does heal, I'll still never be as good as I was. Not with this hand, not with my left. Never! Looks like it'll even leave a huge scar!"

"Well," he started sarcastically, "I should just stop trying since there is no way I could ever know how it feels to have a giant scar. I can relate to many things, but definitely not to being hurt by firebender in a way that marks you forever…"

Mai couldn't help, but let a little desperate giggle through her tears. A giggle that suddenly turned into full on laughter.

"I'm sorry, I…"

"It's alright. I just wanted you to realize that you didn't love me any less after my father did this to me and no one will think any less of you after this."

She smiled at him and slowly tried to put her hand on his scar. She was having trouble and trembling a lot so he just helped her make it with his hand.

"I do get it." Zuko said feeling her shaking fingers on the side of his face.

"Now we're both damaged goods." she smiled through the tears.

oooooooooo

Azula wasted no time, but immediately read through the texts her father pointed them to and got to work on figuring out this new technique. She actually found it both irritating and exciting that there was some part of firebending she didn't have mastery over yet.

Her first step was to find herself a calming and secluded place. This was hard all on its own as Air Temple Island was getting pretty crowded since everyone returned. She ended up settling on a pier turned away from the city.

She was sitting at the pier's end in her meditation pose when she heard footsteps behind her.

"Why is it so cold here?" Sokka asked from behind her.

"I'm sucking the heat out of the air." she said listlessly.

"So it's working?" he asked and she nodded. There was almost a minute of silence after that, while Sokka sat down next to her and joined her in staring at the horizon. There really was something special in watching the waves move. But if you looked far enough there was a storm coming towards them.

"Sokka." she interrupted his thoughts.

"Azula."

"How are you?"

"I'm fine, why?"

"I just wanted to try small talk. That's what people do when there's an awkward silence, correct?"

"Well, usually we-"

"Please, stop. I hate it already. It's not for me." she turned to him, "Why are you here?"

Well, that was the direct and to the point Azula they all knew and loved.

"I brought you a fruit tart." he presented her with a little plate with the desert.

"Am I expected to eat that with my bare hands? I'm a princess and a bit more refined..." she rolled her eyes.

"Alright, more for me…" he was getting ready to take a bite before she snatched it out of his hands. They sat like that for a few more seconds before he spoke up.

"We're not going to talk about how you kissed me?"

"I didn't kiss you." she didn't even divert her look from the horizon.

"Yes, you did."

"No, I mean, I didn't kiss you."

"You lost me…"

"You were teaching me how to use a sword. That's something my husband Wen tried to talk me into for as long as I knew him. I always said we had time." she chuckled at the irony of that, "So I got a little lost in my memories and you were there, a Southern Water Tribe male and… When I kissed you, I wasn't kissing you."

"You were kissing Wen?" he looked over to her and got a nod, "Phew! That's great! Well, it's not great that he's dead, obviously…"

"Is even the thought of me so repulsive?"

"No! No. I was just afraid me turning you down would mean we'd stop being friends."

"Mhm…"

"No, really. I was in there rocking my brain, thinking of what to say to not hurt your feelings. Cause you're like my best friend."

Azula chuckled so hard at that she almost spit out her tart, "Of all the ridiculous things that come out of your mouth that has got to be the worst!"

"I'm serious!" he tried, but she still didn't seem convinced, "It used to be Toph, but we're raising a kid together now and that kind of changes things."

"Alright, I'll play along… How about Aang or my brother?"

"I love them, but each of them has the perfect marriage and the perfect kids and they all just get along so well… And it just doesn't feel like they understand. You on the other hand, our children are almost the same age, they both come from complicated homes… You, I can bitch to about Su, Lin and Toph with zero judgement." he smiled at her, "Plus, you laugh at my jokes."

"That actually… Sounded sincere."

"I'm so glad we can go back to things being normal now… If you can keep your hands off me." he teased.

"I'll try and control my womanly urges." she said as sarcastically and over the top as humanly possible.

"I better leave you to it then," he stood up, "We wouldn't want you distracted by my perfect body just inches away."

"I was just gonna suggest. I mean, those muscles were just staring at me…"

They both broke out laughing and he slowly started walking away.

"Your hair looks nice like that." he said, serious this time. She recently went back to the hairstyle she wore during the war.

"What?"

"Small talk. That's how you do it."

"Oh," she turned, "I liked it that time."

oooooooooo

"Ma-ma."

Bumi turned to the other side of the bed. Only a few unconnected syllables later did her realize Iroh was calling for him. He opened his eyes and realized Izumi wasn't in the bed anymore. He was alone in the room with Iroh trying to speak from the crib.

"Ma-ma." the kid repeated himself, louder.

"Yeah, my Prince. We have to find mama." Bumi picked him up from the crib and looked around some more. She was there when they fell asleep.

Bumi searched the hall as Iroh kept fussing.

"Come on, little soldier, we're on a mission to find the beautiful princess."

"Ma-ma."

"Yeah, she's your mama… Where could she-" Bumi stopped as he peeked into a room and saw Izumi kneeling on the floor reaching out her hand into a fireplace, "Izumi!"

He ran to push her hand out of the way. Now all three of them were sitting on the floor.

"I'm fine! I was trying that new firebending technique. And it's working…" Izumi smirked, showing him her unburned hand.

"Didn't you catch the part where they said it's dangerous? Not to mention you got a direct order not to pursue it!"

"I can't just do nothing! Contrary to everyone's belief, becoming a mother didn't make me useless…"

"What's that Iroh?" Bumi lifted the infant to his ear, "He says it's a bad idea… Well, that's a little harsh… I can't believe… The mouth on this guy…"

Izumi chuckled.

"Ma-ma." Iroh reached out for his mother with both hands and she took him into her arms.

"Bumi." she said softly, "He's not crying."

"Should he be?"

"No, I… He hadn't stopped for the last week. Every time I held him he would scream and scream…" she sat Iroh down in her lap and took his little hands into hers.

This is what it should feel like, she knew it. She felt like this was the first time she looked at her son.

"I think I remember my mother saying something about how babies can pick up on stress in their mothers. I think she was explaining it to Toph about Su."

Izumi didn't really look like she was listening. She lit a fire ball in her palm and every time Iroh tried to reach it she would make it disappear. The little Prince laughed hysterically.

"I'm sorry, baby." she kissed the top of Iroh's head, "All this time you were just upset because I couldn't let go of things."

Izumi smiled as tears filled her eyes. She let Iroh stand and wobble over to Bumi.

"What exactly couldn't you let go of?'"

"You, mostly. Being with Rei, a little part of me always wondered what it would be like if I forgave you. So I'm done pretending! I'm done with the way people started treating me after I had this baby. I'm done pretending I'm not one of the best firebenders to help with this war. Done pretending my marriage wasn't a lie. And done pretending I don't love you." she leaned forward and kissed him.

"Ahem." Zari announced his presence form the hall, "I came to apologize."

Bumi stood up to listen.

"I realize now my behavior was inappropriate." the Prince started, "I shouldn't have gotten involved with things that weren't me business. You two are both adults, as opposed to me, and I have no say in what you do or don't do together. I'm sorry."

"Thank you, Zari. That was really mature." Izumi stood up and tapped his shoulder. Then they both turned to Bumi.

"I guess, I would have done the same if some douchebag tried to put the moves on Kya… You're alright." Bumi smirked.

"Good, now that we got all that sorted out we have work to do, Zari." Izumi cut in.

"We do?"

"I think I can get that heat technique you talked about even without the scrolls. I want you to practice with me."

"On the down low…" Bumi added in case it wasn't clear.

"But what about our parents?" the Prince asked.

"They have to stop treating us like children." Izumi said.

Zari wasn't hard to get on board. They agreed on a place to have their training and stuck Bumi with babysitting.

"Come on, Prince Iroh." he placed Iroh on the floor of Izumi's room and dug out some old, wooden blocks to play with him. Bumi stacked high towers while Iroh tore them down laughing like he was having the time of his life.

"You look like your mama, you know that?"

"Ma-ma!"

"Yeah, you do. I mean I guess you could look like Rei too, for all I know. You're just the most Fire Nation looking baby ever." Bumi watched as Iroh chewed on one of the blocks.

"If a few things have gone a little different, I could have been your dad." Bumi couldn't believe he said those words aloud, "I'm not sure if that would have been such a win for you, though. I would probably blow it epically… But you can call me Uncle Bumi! And I happen to know from experience that a fun uncle comes in handy if your dad can't, you know, be there all the time…"

oooooooooo

When Chief Sokka called for another big meeting there were a lot of questions, but he just rejected them all. He came into the room carrying a big world map that he pinned up for demonstration.

"We've just received a radio call. I won't take the credit since Suyin is the one that caught it." he pointed to his daughter who waved awkwardly. She would never admit it was while trying to catch the latest episode of this one radio drama she loved.

"It was from General Kiyi, the Fire Lord's half-sister." he continued.

"You spoke to Kiyi?" Zuko seemed quite upset.

"Was she captured?" Azula asked.

"Yes, she was, but she got away for long enough to get critical information to us. Your enemies have been recruiting by promising people to go back to the time the Fire Nation ran the world. They've been forcing soldiers to try this new heatbending technique, or whatever you wanna call it, and locking up those that couldn't master it." Sokka explained.

"Did she sound alright?" Zuko asked.

"She said we should protect the Northern Water Tribe, since that is where they plan to strike next."

"Alright," Azula stepped forward to the map, "If the intel is good we can do this. We get there, establish a good enough position and then me and the Fire Lord take them out."

"You can't really expect the two of you-" Aang was interrupted.

"That's just it, with this new technique the less people you have the more of the energy you get for yourself." Azula said.

"If you don't blow up." Sokka moved closer to the map.

"Izumi, strike me!" Azula yelled.

"With firebending?" the Princess seemed confused.

"Yes! Do it now!" Azula commanded and got her wish when the younger woman shot a fire stream at her. The fire swerved around Azula a few times before being absorbed into her body. Azula smirked and fired a stream of her own almost taking over the entire room. She was really careful not to hurt anyone in her demonstration, but for most of them firebending of this caliber was too reminiscent of Sozin's comet.

"As you can see, Avatar, our training is on schedule. We'll be ready for them."

"I think I have an alternate plan that doesn't include any of us practicing dangerous and unpredictable techniques." Sokka started, "We go to the pole first and we warn the villages. Then we help them move deeper inland, leaving no one behind."

"You want us to retreat?" Azula asked.

"In a way. If we go inland they'll be forced to follow us into the icy tundra. Something Fire Nation people aren't really used to. But here's the catch! You say these people are addicted to heat. I say let's take it away! When they're stranded in the tundra alone, what will be their only heat source?"

"Each other. That's brilliant, Sokka!" Azula smirked, "They'll be forced to kill each other if we evade them long enough."

"See? If you have a good plan, you don't need bending at all…"

oooooooooo

We should be almost half way done by now, I think I'll go for eight chapters this time.

OK, what you might or might not have picked up on (depending on your level of obsession with other shows and movies) is that I tend to use quotes from other shows in my fanfics. Sometimes I change them a little bit, but sometimes I just think they fit and I go for it. So if you think you've heard something before, you're probably right …

I don't know why, but when I remember a quote I find it impossible to phrase that thought any other way. And if I try it just sounds wrong… It might come from my long fandom memes making career.

And, yes… I know I kind of left Linzin out of this chapter, but it was getting kind of long so I moved it to the next one. I did warn about the tone of characters in one place. More than I can handle…

But I did finally explain my extra strong firebending the bad guys have… As a future engineer, the lack of scientific background appalls me, but let's not think about it. I did think about it a lot, I was even dragged into a debate with one of my fellow students about whether when someone drained the energy out of you it would burn or be cold. (I'm still team cold)

I did give it a giant downside of being addictive, because it'd just be too powerful. So I'm not completely irresponsible…

Anyway, comments will be appreciated and I'll be back in a few days :)