"I'm just glad we're finally getting to do something," Chit-Zang was carrying his things over to Appa's saddle.

Katara was annoyed at his comment but she chose to ignore him and try to get off the subject before her emotions got the best of her, "Sokka where did you hide Appa all this time?"

"I just told him to stay hidden in the trees, and I guess Momo just stayed with him," Sokka was on Appa's back loading everybody's things onto the saddle.

Ty Lee had all of her bags on the ground just looking at them, "Hmm, I don't think all of my stuff is gonna fit."

"You don't need all of it, just take some clothes and another bag of something you want and you should be fine," Mai dully commented.

"Hmm, I don't know. I might not see these things again."

"We're going to the fire nation; we could just buy it again once we get there."

Momo kept flying overhead dropping leechi nuts into a pouch on the saddle, eventually he tried out and landed on Appa's head. Appa didn't bother to try and get him off.

Sokka looked over at him, "I think that's enough Momo, we should last until we get there."

Wu and Satou came running up the path with their things in hand. Wu looked over the others who were just staring, "You guys are gonna need more enthusiasm for the fire nation."

Satou quickly commented, "You really think they need any enthusiasm? They've been doing this longer than we have and they seemed to be doing it quite fine."

"It wouldn't hurt," Sokka shrugged his shoulders.

"Yes it would, if we were all too juiced to fight then we would die easily once we got the fire nation capitol," Zuko quickly corrected.

"Looks like someone's a little grumpy," Toph teased.

Zuko grunted and threw his things onto the saddle, "We need to start moving before my sister has too much time to hide Aang."

"Hide him?" Katara eyes widened a little.

"Azula knows we're coming, which means my father will know, and they will do their best to make sure we don't find him."

"Alright, we should go then," Sokka took the rains and opened his mouth but was cut off.

Wu was sitting next to him, "I wanna do it, what do you say to get him up?"

Sokka looked at him and let out a bit of a laugh before saying, "Yip yip."

Appa took to the skies, upon hearing the words.

"Awwww man."

"Better luck next time sport," Sokka patted his back.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Azula made it to the port and guards escorted her to the palace.

"Your father is expecting you," a guard stationed outside the throne room briefed the princess.

Azula walked in and was carrying the avatar around her shoulders. She made it to the throne room and sat Aang beside her.

"At last he is here," Ozai's joy is nothing but recognizable.

"His body is, but he is somewhere else."

"Azula, I'm aware of the Spirit World, and I know that he's there. I plan to kill him while he is there."

"Kill him!?" Azula was shocked, she had no idea of her father's intentions with Aang, she wanted Aang to stay alive, she didn't know why but she did. She tried not to show her concern, "I thought you meant to imprison him so we wouldn't have to search for the next avatar."

"I did, but while he is in the avatar state and he is killed, then the avatar's spirit is killed and can't be reborn. It is the same while he's in the spirit world, if his body is killed, then his spirit is trapped in the spirit world with no physical form to return to. It would be an agonizing boredom to watch your friends and family and have no way to talk to them."

In a moment's notice, Ozai jumped in the air and showed his ferocity with the fire bursts the emitted from his mouth and fists. When he landed he looked for a dead avatar, but what he saw was his daughter standing in the way. She saved the avatar, she disobeyed him.

Nobody saw Aang beginning to regain consciousness, he saw the scene before him and he wanted to see how it would play out so he acted as if he was exhausted and had fallen asleep.

Ozai nor Azula had noticed the absence of the glow, the burning fore was enough to replace it, "How dare you spare your enemy, he tried to kill me!"

"No, he didn't, he told me about how he was going to and then he tried to spare you. He told me that when he failed, you tried to end his life without the mercy he showed you."

"Azula, get out of the way."

"No, the avatar will be shown the mercy he deserves."

"Submit!"

"No."

Ozai was surprised that Azula was willing to stand up for his enemy; he repeated his words, "Submit!"

She didn't move, when Ozai let out a few more bursts of red hot fire, she stayed her ground and blocked his attack.

"Are we really going to do this father?"

"Don't be a traitor Azula, don't be like Zuko. Treason is punishable by death."

"Aang is worthy of the fire nation's mercy, he showed you his and now it's time for you to show him yours," Azula stood in her stance not moving a muscle.

"Aang? You're a first name basis with the Avatar? He will not be shown mercy. He is turning you against me," Ozai's ferocity showed through his eyes.

"If he would've turned me then why would I come back?"

"To kill me and take my throne."

"If you want a fight, then you've got one," Azula threw her sapphire fists at him leashing her power with it.

Ozai was quick to act, and with a sweep of his feet, Azula was on her back. She recovered quickly to look around and see her father nowhere in sight. She closed her eyes and listened, she heard a sound moving towards. She opened her eyes and launched a stream of lightning in the direction. She saw orange speeding toward her and tried to move quickly, she succeeded and saw her father looking in shock. She took advantage of the moment and went for the final move; she swept her feet but her father counter with a split of fire toward her, separating the stream of sapphire that was coming to him. He looked around, and didn't see her. He decided to lash out and throw fire everywhere he thought she could hide. When there was no result, he realized that the avatar was now venerable, why was he chasing her? He looked at the avatar's body, the glow was gone. Had he been killed in the fight? Had he been defeated?

As he stepped forward to examine the situation, he felt a piercing pain in the back of his legs and fell to the ground, Azula held two fingers to his temple and mocked him, "Submit."

"Never, I will kill the avatar."

He felt the tips of her nails get warmer and realized that his life was in danger, "Are you sure father?"

"Hmm," Ozai thought for a moment, feeling the heat near his head. He saw the avatar rise and saw him exhale and then fall again, passed out from exhaustion. He missed his chance, "I submit."

Azula pulled her hand away and released he father, but eyed him cautiously, "I thought so, I'll be taking the avatar with me."

Ozai looked at her and opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out, he had been beaten by his own daughter. He would not forget this.

As Azula was walking off with Aang over her shoulder she heard a small thank you from him and she allowed a gentle smile.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

An anonymous cloud rolled onto the shore of the fire nation that seemed to whisper a bit.

The cloud dropped and Appa emerged, "You guys really need to learn to keep quiet while we're doing that," Sokka hopped off and slumped next to a rock.

"Yea yea, clouds don't talk we know," Toph followed and handed Sokka his bag.

The rest of the gang took their time and got settled for the morning, Sokka dug through his bag and pulled out a map, "Ok we can rest a for a minute but in a few hours we'll need to be on the move again, preferably at noon."

"Why, do we have to wait until then?" Katara took a bite from an apple.

"During the day, the fire nation has guards posted here, here, and here." He pointed to the three entrances of the city capitol."

Suki looked confused, "How do you know that."

"Zuko told me. Him being the prince I figured he would know the security arrangement."

Zuko looked up from his dull mood, "It was a long time ago, they could have changed the posts."

"Well, I'm going by what we have. It's not like we have anything else to use."

Satou finally spoke, "I've spent my fair share in fire nation cities like this one, and guards will be posted everywhere, but the civilians will be there to help us blend in."

"Good then we should have a good chance of sneaking in and finding Aang."

Zuko stood up, "Oh I can tell you where Aang is, Aang will be kept in the fire nation dungeon beneath the palace in the middle of the city. I f he's not there then he is being personally guarded by my father or my sister."

Sokka put his hand to his chin, "Hmm, I suppose there's no way we can be sure. Aang and Azula spent a lot of time together when we were on the island so maybe she'll keep Aang in her room."

"How did you come to that?" Chit-Zang cut in the conversation, he had been sitting in silence for a moment think about why he with this group of kids.

"Well, Aang can be rather persuasive and he was trying to Azula to change sides, so I figure that he grew a soft spot for her, and she might have done the same."

"My sister is remorseless and has no emotions; all she cares about is power and dominance. She probably played Aang into this and had a plan from the beginning."

Katara responded with a soft tone, "You speak so harshly about her, she may be evil but she is your sister."

"You don't know her like I do; she wouldn't pass up the opportunity to make someone feel embarrassed or unworthy. She likes to have others fear her presence. She is insane, and if you're not worried about her then you are too."

Sokka looked to Zuko, "Do you know where Azula's room might be?"

"Yes, it's right next to my old room, at least it was last time I was there."

"We're going to check there first no matter what anyone thinks about it, and my instincts are telling me that Aang is there."

Wu spoke softly obviously exhausted from the trip, "Well we know what we have to do and where to go, so can we get some sleep now?"

Toph looked in Wu's direction, "I know what you need, a good back massage."

"If you're talking about stones beating my back them you're out of your mind."

Toph giggled and made an earth tent that she laid down in.

Sokka put his map back in his bag, "We probably should get some rest, if we're going into the palace then the fire lord will be there and really only Aang could beat him."

The gang followed Toph's lead but instead of earth tents they got their sleeping bags off Appa's saddle and Sokka led Appa into a black cave before he laid down to get his needed rest. He looked up at the volcano before he put his sleeping bag down, and thought about what he was about to do. He also looked to Ty Lee and Mai and wondered where their allegiances would lie when the time came.

Oooooooooooooooooo

Azula sat Aang down in the corner of her bedroom; he was still exhausted and breathing heavily. He didn't have the energy to stand yet so he sat in the exact position he was placed.

"Thanks," was all he the energy to say, he looked at her and then relaxed his neck and let his head fall on his shoulder.

Azula looked at him and thought about what she had just done, she stood up against her father, the one who had controlled her all this time. The only person she wished to please, but why did she do it so the avatar could live. Was it what he said to her? Or was it something else? Would she do it again if she had too? Azula thought on this and sat on her crossed her legs and stared at the avatar. He was definitely attractive, and he had been in the same position before she was just a moment ago. He had the chance to kill her father. It was an honorable thing not too, but it also meant that Aang had more power than her father did. She knew that he was better than she was or he wouldn't have captured her. She looked at arms, his chest, and face; admiring his physical features as she sat. Then she thought about her father, how would he react to what she had done? Would he be mad? Or would he let it go? Surely father wouldn't be so foolish as to forget about what just happened. She would stand against him again if she needed to, she liked it anyways. It gave her a new sense of pride and power. But she still had one question to answer, why would she do it for the avatar?

She saw Aang open his eyes and sat staring at him, "Could you get me some water," his voice was scratchy.

Azula got up and went into the kitchen of her rooms, she got a cup and water. "Here," She casually handed him the glass of water and sat back down on her bed.

"Why did you bring me here?"

"I saw an opportunity and I took it, I was greedy," she sounded somewhat proud but now she was worried about why she resisted her father in order to protect the avatar.

He looked at the glass and sat in silence, he was too tired to think rationally so he decided not to speak.

"What did you do to me?" Her voice slightly more intimidating

He looked at her with the most confused expression possible, "What do you mean?"

"I just stood up to my father for you; I would have never done that before you took me to Ember Island. So what did you do to me?"

He was shocked, "I didn't do anything to you Azula. What you did was your own decision."

"No, you did something and I want to know what."

"You were being protective, it's an emotion that lets you know you care about someone."

Emotion and Caring? She was turning into a new person? "Hmmm, and why would I care about you? It was my sole purpose to hunt you down."

"You just answered your own question, when someone shows you that you can be better and do more than you already have. They go through a metamorphosis and begin to change."

"Hmmm, so I would protect you from my father?"

Aang nodded and there was a long silence.

"Would you protect me?" Azula's voice was actually sincere with the words that came from her mouth.

Aang had a regained some for his strength so he stood up for what he was about to say, "Azula, I saved you from getting killed by a blockade and stopped my friends from trying to kill you in your sleep. I have already protected you, and I would do it again."

Aang let the words sink in, and after a while Azula smiled.

Author's Note: Sorry for the wait, this chapter has an emotional twist in it so I hope that helps. Please don't forget to review.