Returning home

In the morning Irma and Sokka were sleeping peacefully in the grass, when Taranee walked up to them. She shook Irma.

"Hey, hey, wake up," She said.

Irma opened her eyes and screamed, jumping into Sokka's arms waking him up. They both screamed while Taranee tried to calm them down.

"It's okay, relax it's just me!" Taranee cried.

Irma and Sokka stopped screaming.

"Don't you ever do that again! Fire benders!" Irma cried. Then she noticed that she was in Sokka's laps with her arms around his neck and his around her waist. They quickly stood up, blushing.

"Have either of you seen Zuko?" Taranee asked.

"We thought he was with you," Sokka said.

"Well he was, but now I can't find him," Taranee explained. "You you seen him?"

Then they heard laughter and looked up to see Hay Lin and Aang in the trees above them.

"You won't find Zuko here," Hay Lin called.

Aang nodded. "The king has returned."

Taranee's jaw dropped. "I don't believe he's gone back!"

"Gone back? What' going on?" Irma asked. Then she looked up, but Hay Lin and Aang were gone. "Who were the air benders?"

"Zuko's gone back to challenge Ozai," Taranee explained.

"Who?" Sokka asked.

"Ozai, the king," Taranee said.

"The king is Ozai?" Irma asked.

"No, no, no it's his uncle," Taranee explained.

"The kids were his uncles'?" Sokka asked.

"No! Zuko's gone back to challenge his uncle to take his place as king of the fire nation," Taranee said.

"Oooh," Irma and Sokka said in unison.

During the day Zuko ran all the way back to the fire nation. When he reached home he stood on a cliff and looked in shock at what was once a grand city, but was now a barren wasteland, with rundown buildings, and not a soul in sight. He frowned knowing that this was the work of Ozai.

"Zuko!"

Zuko turned and saw Taranee running up to him.

"It's awful isn't it?" She asked.

"I didn't want to believe you, Taranee," Zuko said.

"What made you come back?" Taranee asked.

Zuko smiled. "I finally got some sense knocked into me and I got the bump to prove it," He said rubbing his head, where Aang had hit him. "Besides this is my kingdom. If I don't fight for it, who will?"

"I will," Taranee said, taking his hand.

"It's gonna be dangerous," Zuko told her smiling.

Taranee smirked. "Danger? Ha! I laugh in the face of danger, ha, ha!" She said, reciting the words Zuko had spoken years ago in the bison graveyard.

"I don't see anything funny about this," Irma said, as she and Sokka came up to them.

"Irma? Sokka? What are you two doing here?" Zuko asked.

"At your service my liege," Sokka said bowing.

Irma raised an eyebrow at the wasteland. "So we're fighting your uncle for this?" She asked.

Zuko nodded. "Yes, Irma. This is my home."

"Whoa, talk about your fixer-upper," Irma said. "Well Zuko if it's that important, Sokka and I are with you to the end!" She promised. Sokka put his hands on both of Irma's shoulders and nodded.

Taranee smiled. "You know Irma, you and Sokka look good together, just to let you know."

Irma and Sokka blushed. "What are you talking about?" Irma asked.

"Oh, aren't you two a couple? I thought that by the way you two act around each other, I figured you were together. Sorry," Taranee said.

Irma and Sokka blushed harder. Zuko raised an eyebrow at his girlfriend. Then he looked at Sokka.

"Sokka, I think that now would be a good time to tell her," He said, as he and Taranee walked off.

Sokka and Irma looked at each other and smiled. Then Irma threw her arms around Sokka's neck and kissed him. After they separated they went to catch up with Zuko and Taranee.

The four silently slipped along a wall and hid behind a boulder. They all looked at the numerous amount of rogue fire benders outside the courtyard.

"Fire benders," Sokka groaned. "I hate fire benders."

"So what's the plan to sneak past these guys?" Irma asked Zuko.

"Live bait," Zuko replied.

Irma nodded. "Good idea." Then she realized something. "Hey!"

"Come on Irma! We need you to create a distraction," Zuko said.

"What do you want me to do? Dress in a drag and do the hula?" Irma asked.

Zuko and Taranee looked at each other then at Taranee smirking.

Irma face fell. "My and big mouth," She whimpered.

A few minutes later Irma stood wearing a hula skirt with flowers around her neck and one in her hair. Sokka was lying on the ground with an apple in his mouth.

Irma: Luau!

If you're hungry for a hunk of fat juicy meat

Eat my buddy Sokka here, because he is a treat

Come on down and dine

On this tasty warrior

All you have to do is wait in line

All the rouge fire bender came closer to the two friends.

Irma: Aaaare you aching?

Sokka: Yup, yup, yup

Irma: For some meat?

Sokka: Yup, yup, yup

Taranee and Zuko crept behind the rouge fire benders while Irma and Sokka kept singing.

Irma: He's a big guy

Sokka: Yup, yup, yup

Irma: You could be a big guy too

Irma and Sokka: Oy!

Then Irma and Sokka ran off screaming as the fire benders chased after them.

Zuko and Taranee arrived in the courtyard. Zuko turned to Taranee.

"Taranee you find my mother and rally together the other good fire benders. I'll look for Ozai," He said.

Taranee nodded, gave Zuko a kiss and ran off.

Then Ozai appeared on a platform. "URSA!!" He yelled. Zuko stopped in his tracks, as he saw his mother walking toward Ozai. The rogues mockingly threw small fireballs at the former queen's feet. She just walked with her head held high.

"Yes Ozai, "She asked calmly coming up to him.

"Where is your hunting party?" Ozai demanded. "They're not doing their jobs!"

"Ozai there is no food," Ursa replied calmly.

Ozai shook his head. "No! You're just not looking hard enough!"

"It's over. There is nothing left. We have only one choice: We must leave the fire nation," Ursa said.

"No we're not going anywhere!" Ozai cried.

"Then you have sentenced us to death!" Ursa cried.

"Then so be it!" Ozai shot back.

"You can't do that!" Ursa cried.

"I'm the king I can do whatever I want!" Ozai said.

Ursa clenched her fists. "If you were have the king that Iroh was-!"

"I'm ten times the king that Iroh was!" Ozai yelled, knocking Ursa to the ground.

Zuko growled and ran into the courtyard. Ozai gasped, mistaking Zuko for a young Iroh.

"Iroh, no you're dead!" Ozai said, shaking.

Zuko knelt down next to Ursa and helped her sit up. Ursa gasped, mistaking Zuko for Iroh.

"Iroh?" She asked.

"No mom it's me," Zuko said.

"Zuko! You're alive! But how can that be?" Ursa asked.

"It's doesn't matter I'm home," Zuko said hugging his mother.

"Zuko?" Ozai asked in shock. "Zuko, I'm a little surprised to see you, alive!" He added, glaring at Azua, Miranda, and Ty Lee, who gulped and backed away.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't rip you apart!" Zuko snarled, walking over to Ozai.

Ozai backed into a wall. "Oh, Zuko you must understand, the pressures of ruling a kingdom-"

"Are no longer yours," Zuko finished. "Step down, Ozai!"

"Oh, oh, well I would, but you see them?" Ozai asked pointing toward the rogue fire benders. "They think I'm king."

"Well we don't!" Taranee said, as she and good fire benders walked over. "Zuko is the rightful king!"

"The choice is yours Ozai, either step down or fight," Zuko said.

"Oh, must it all end in violence. I would hate to be responsible for the death of a family member," Ozai said. Then he turned to Zuko with a slight smirk. "Wouldn't you agree, Zuko?"

"That's not gonna work, Ozai! I've put it behind me!" Zuko cried. Behind him, Ursa and Taranee exchanged confused looks.

"But what about your faithful subjects? Have they put it behind them?" Ozai asked.

"Zuko, what on earth is he talking about?" Taranee asked her lover.

"Ah, so you haven't told them. Well Zuko, now's your chance. Tell them who is responsible for Iroh's death!" Ozai said.

Ursa and Taranee's eyes widened and they looked at Zuko, worriedly.

Zuko sighed. "I am," He said.

The good fire benders gasped, Taranee covered her moth with her hands, and Ursa walked over to her son.

"It's not true. Tell me it's not true!" Ursa pleaded.

"It's true," Zuko said reluctantly.

"You see he admits it!" Ozai cried. "Murder!"

"No! It was an accident!" Zuko cried.

"If it wasn't for you Iroh would still be alive! It's your fault he's dead! Do you deny it?" Ozai asked.

"No," Zuko replied.

"Then your guilty!" Ozai yelled. Then he shot a fire ball out of his hand and shot it at Zuko's face. Taranee and Ursa looked away in horror as Zuko's scream of pain filled the air. When they looked up Zuko was holding the side of his face and when he removed his hand there was large red scar.

Ozai sneered. "Oh, Zuko you're in trouble again. But this time daddy isn't here to save you! And now everyone knows why!"

Then Ozai knocked Zuko over the ledge of a cliff. Lightning struck the ground under Zuko, starting a huge fire.

"Zuko!" Taranee screamed.

Ozai leaned over the edge and looked down at Zuko. "Now this looks familiar. Ah yes I remember this is just how your father looked before he died." Then he grabbed Zuko's wrists. "And here's my little secret. I killed the king," Ozai whispered.

Zuko's eyes widened as he remembered that fateful day.

"NOOOOOOO!" Zuko yelled jumped up and pinning Ozai to the ground, his hands around his uncle's neck. "MURDERER!!" He roared.

"No, Zuko please!" Ozai pleaded.

"Tell them the truth!" Zuko ordered beginning to choke Ozai.

"Alright, alright! I did it!" Ozai whispered.

"So they can hear you!" Zuko snarled.

"I killed Iroh!" Ozai shouted.

Taranee charged forward as the rouge fire benders attacked her lover. She and Zuko stood back to back fighting off the fire benders with the help of the other fire benders. A fire bender was about to attack Zuko when suddenly a staff hit the fire bender in the head. Zuko looked up and saw Hay Lin and Aang. He smiled and continued to fight.

Hay Lin and Aang jumped into the fight. Then they did crazy karate moves knocking several fire benders out. A fire bender came up behind Hay Lin.

"YOW!" Hay Lin yelled punching him in the face, never turning around. (I always crack up at this!)

Irma meanwhile ran into Ozai's throne room toward Cornelia's cage, with Miranda, Azula, and Ty Lee hot on her heels.

"Let me out! Let me out!" The blonde cried.

"Let me in! Let me in!" Irma cried squeezing in between the bars and standing next to Cornelia.

Miranda, Azula, and Ty Lee laughed.

"Please don't eat me!" Irma begged.

"Problem?" Sokka asked appearing at the door.

"Hey who's the ponytail guy?" Azula asked.

"Are you talking to me?" Sokka asked.

"Uh oh they called him Ponytail guy," Irma said.

"Are you talking to me!?" Sokka cried.

"Now they're in for it!" Irma said.

"THEY CALL ME BOOMERANG GUY!!!" Sokka yelled. Then he pulled out boomerang and threw it. Azula, Miranda, and Ty Lee ran out of the room to avoid the attack. Irma then broke the cage she and Cornelia were in and they three friends ran out of the room, just as Sokka caught boomerang.

"And that is how it's done, ladies!" Sokka said proudly.

Irma and Cornelia laughed.

Back in the courtyard, Zuko looked up and saw Ozai running up the cliff side. He snarled and ran after him. It was time to take care of Ozai once and for all!