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Kidah's POV

When we finally got to the Western Air Temple, I sat down with my back against a fountain. Grief and shame filled me. I was trying so hard to keep it together, masking my emotions.

Teo's voice carries from one of the entrances to a bridge between buildings, "It's so different from the Northern Air Temple. I wonder if there are any secret rooms."

Haru follows after him, "Let's go check it out." The Duke enthusiastically makes his leave with them.

Aang runs after the other boys, but is stopped by Katara who blocks him with his staff. "You guys go…" Aang grabs his glider, and she lays a hand on his shoulder. "I think we need to talk about some things."

Aang looks at Katara with disappointment, "Why can't I go?"

Her voice has a serious tone, "We need to decide what we're gonna do now. And since you're the Avatar, maybe you should be a part of this."

Aang bends himself down to sit by me and crosses his arms. "Fair enough. So, what's the new plan?"

Everyone gathers around to discuss strategy. Sokka goes first, "Well, if you ask me, the new plan is the old plan. You just need to master all four elements, and confront the Fire Lord before the comet comes."

Pure sarcasm drips from Aang's voice, "Oh, yeah, that's great." He picks up a pebble and tosses it into the air nonchalantly. "No problem, I'll just do that." He continues to fidget, so I place a hand on his knee reassuringly.

"Aang," Katara sighs, "no one said it's gonna be easy."

Aang continues to get more frustrated, "Well, it's not even gonna be possible. Where am I supposed to get a firebending teacher?" I sigh and pat his leg again to try and calm him.

"We could look for Jeong Jeong," Katara suggests.

"Yeah right, like we'll ever run into Jeong Jeong again."

Toph cocks her head to the side, confused. "Who's-" She crosses her arms, annoyed. "Oh, never mind. If it's important, I'll find out."

Aang stands and grabs his glider. "Oh well, guess we can't come up with anybody. Why don't we just take a nice tour around the temple?" He runs and launches himself in the air. Momo follows him as they swirl in between the buildings.

"What's up with him?" Sokka asks.

I sigh, "He's been through a lot over the past 24 hours… We all have." A pang in my chest forms thinking about my people in a Fire Nation prison.

Sokka taps his chin thoughtfully, "There's got to be someone who can teach him firebending."

I stand to get some movement out of my body. My brain was swarming, and I needed an outlet. I started stretching out my sore muscles, walking around in circles. Sokka, Katara and Toph all talk about Aang and his future. I couldn't help, but just wish they'd let him have this moment. Just let him be a kid for a minute. Aang comes flying back down to rejoin the others who are discussing his future. Irritation runs through me, but a voice interrupts my thought process.

"Hello, Zuko here." My stomach drops. My heart stops. I turn around so quickly, I see spots. "Hey, I heard you guys flying around down there, so I just thought I'd meet you up here."

My feet carry me towards him. I pull my left arm back and punch him as hard as I can. My fist connects with his cheekbone, and I hear a satisfying cry of pain emit from him. "Princess Kidah… nice to see you," he says as he cradles his cheek.

"How dare you…" My voice is low and dark. I'd never heard such rage from myself before. "Why are you here?!"

Zuko stretches his jaw carefully, "I know you must be surprised to see me here."

My eyes never leave him. I hear Sokka behind me. "Not really, since you've followed us all over the world."

"Right…" He has the decency to look embarrassed. "Well, uh... anyway, what I wanted to tell you about is that I've changed, and I uh… I'm good now. And, well, I think I should join your group. Oh, and I can teach firebending... to you." He points at Aang. "See, I uh…"

Water droplets form in the air around me, "Oh, you're good now? You've had a major life changing epiphany? You expect me to believe that bullshit?!" The droplets turn to ice.

His face looks so sad and broken. I let the ice melt and fall around us. I step closer to him, my face inches from his. "You betrayed me, Zuko." Tears trail down my cheeks. "You promised you'd never hurt me. You hurt me in the worst way possible." He takes a breath to defend himself, "No… You don't get to say anything. You were going to let your sister kill me, Zuko. I didn't want to believe it, but I know its true. You chose, and you chose wrong."

"Kidah, I-"

Katara cuts him off, "You can't possibly think that any of us would trust you, can you?" I stare into his molten, golden eyes, not moving away from him. They still burn through my soul. She continues, "I mean, how stupid do you think we are?"

"Yeah, all you've ever done is try to hunt us down and capture Aang." Sokka chimes in.

Zuko's face changes from that of apprehension to defensiveness. "I've done some good things." He steps away from me and walks towards Appa. "I mean, I could've stolen your bison in Ba Sing Se, but I set him free." He thrusts both arms out towards the fluffy beast to prove his point. "That's something." Appa licks Zuko's back to his surprise.

"Appa does seem to like him," Toph defends him.

Sokka is defiant. "He probably just covered himself in honey or something so that Appa would lick him. I'm not buying it."

"I can understand why you wouldn't trust me, and I know I've made some mistakes in the past." The shame on his features makes the hole in my heart ache violently. "Look, I admit I've done some awful things. I was wrong to try to capture you, and I'm sorry that I attacked the Water Tribe. I shouldn't have betrayed Kidah's trust. And I never should've sent that Fire Nation assassin after you. But, I promise, I'm gonna try to stop him."

My eyes roll, and I throw my hands up in the air. "Of course, that was you," I say sarcastically.

Sokka steps forward with his boomerang in hand, "Wait, you sent Combustion Man after us?"

Zuko begins to panic, "Well, that's not his name, but…"

"Oh, sorry." His voice is full of contempt. "I didn't mean to insult your friend."

Zuko raises his voice, beginning to lose his temper. I naturally start to walk towards him to comfort him, but stop myself. "He's not my friend!"

Toph slaps her hand on the rock she was sitting on, "That guy locked me and Katara in jail and tried to blow us all up."

The firebender turns to Aang for help, "Why aren't you saying anything? You once said you thought we could be friends. You know I have good in me."

Aang finally looks towards the rest of us. "There's no way we can trust you after everything you've done. We'll never let you join us."

I tear my eyes from his form and start to walk away, "You should leave."

He takes a step forward, "I'm trying to explain that I'm not that person anymore."

I hear Sokka behind me, "Either you leave, or we attack." I stare at the wall.

"If you won't accept me as a friend, then maybe you'll take me as a prisoner."

Katara loses her temper, "No, we won't!" I hear the water hit him, and he coughs. "Get out of here and don't come back. And if we ever see you again...Well, we'd better not see you again!"

I hear his footsteps recede. The Sun is starting to set, and the inside of the temple glows slightly orange. I rub fiercely at my cheeks, removing any evidence of my emotional ties to that man.

Katara comes to stand beside me and places a hand on my shoulder. I brush it off. "Why would he try to fool us like that?" She asks.

"Obviously, he wants to lead us into some kind of trap." Sokka responds.

"This is just like when we were in prison together in Ba Sing Se. He starts talking about his mother, and making it seem like he's an actual human being with feelings." My head turns to look at her. Jealousy fills me, just making the rage stronger.

"He wants you to trust him and feel sorry for him, so you let your guard down, then he strikes." Because the sun had begun to set, everyone was setting out their sleeping bags. I stayed silent in the corner, refusing to move. I was scared of what I'd do.

"The thing is, it worked. I did feel sorry for him. I felt like he was really confused and hurt. But obviously when the time came, he made his choice, and we paid the price. We can't trust him."

Aang speaks up, "I kind of have a confession to make." I drag my eyes from Katara to the Avatar. "Remember when you two were sick and I got captured by Zhao?"

"And you made us suck on frozen frogs?" Sokka yells angrily. "How could I forget? I had a wart on the flap that hangs down from the back of my throat for a month!" He takes a step towards Aang as he opens his mouth and points a finger towards it.

Katara rolls her eyes at her brother, "Sokka, I looked at it and told you there was nothing there."

"I could feel it! It's my 'throatal' flap."

"Would you just shut the fuck up, Sokka?" I glare at him. "Let Aang finish."

Aang continues, "Anyway, when Zhao had me chained up, it was Zuko who came in and got me out… He risked his life to save me."

"No way," Katara crosses her arms. "I'm sure he only did it so he could capture you himself."

"Yeah," Sokka agrees, " face it, Aang. You're nothing but a big prize to him."

Aang looks at the ground. "You're probably right." I fall against the temple's wall, wishing to make everything stop. My head pounds.

Katara continues her rant, "And what was all that crazy stuff about setting Appa free? What a liar."

"Actually," Toph leans against the wall next to me, "he wasn't lying."

"Oh, hooray," Sokka cheers ironically, "In a lifetime of evil, at least he didn't add animal cruelty to the list."

Toph shrugs, "I'm just saying that considering his messed-up family, and how he was raised, he could've turned out a lot worse." I look at her blank face. She sounds empathetic, and it makes my heart ache once more. I agreed, but I didn't dare say a word.

Katara throws her hands up in the air, "You're right, Toph, let's go find him and give him a medal. The 'not as much of a jerk as you could have been' award."

"All I know is that while he was talking to us, he was sincere." Toph's shoulder lightly brushes mine, "Maybe you're all just letting your hurt feelings keep you from thinking clearly."

Katar stands her ground, "Easy for you to say, you weren't there when he had us attacked by pirates."

Sokka points in the direction Zuko walked, "Or when he burned down Kyoshi Island."

Aang steps toward us, "Or when he tried to capture me at the fire temple."

"Why would you even try to defend him?" Katara seethes.

"Because Katara, you're all ignoring one crucial fact." Toph points at the Avatar, "Aang needs a firebending teacher. We can't think of a single person in the world to do the job. Now, one shows up on a silver platter," she stomps her foot in annoyance, "and you," she points an accusing finger to Katara, "won't even think about it?"

We all look to Aang for his decision, "I'm not having Zuko as my teacher." Toph scoffs in surprise at my side.

Sokka pats him on the back, "You're darn right, you're not, buddy."

"Well," Katara crosses her arm, "I guess that's settled."

Toph turns to me and her white eyes burn through my skin, "I'm beginning to wonder who's really the blind one around here." Shame tries to sneak in, but I press it away.

I touch my crown to try and reassure myself of my decision. He doesn't deserve another chance. As everyone else settles down for the night, I take the time to roam the halls of the Western Air Temple. I find myself on a ledge towards the top of one of the buildings. For the first time in months, I didn't talk to Yue. I just stared at the stars, wishing to numb the emotions bubbling up inside of me.

Zuko's POV

The sun set by the time I got to my camp. I groan loudly, "I can't believe how stupid I am." I start walking back and forth anxiously, "I mean, what was I thinking?" My head falls, full of sheer despair and utter horror. "Telling them I sent an assassin after them? Why didn't I just say Azula did that? They would've believed that." I hit myself in the head. "Stupid!"

A badger frog sits on a log in front of me and stares knowingly. It croaks, echoing my own disdain. I slouch forward.

My jaw aches and her words burn through me, 'you hurt me in the worst way possible…' My knees buckle, and I land in the dirt, sighing in frustration. I murmur to myself, "what have I done? Kidah will never forgive me for what I've done…" The moon is starting to rise. "Yue… You may be mad at me, as well… I understand, truly. Can you help me? Point me in the right direction? I know she hates me; I don't blame her…"

Trying to calm myself, I decide to try again tomorrow. I had gone through so much to get here. How was I going to get them to trust me? Would Kidah ever forgive me for what I've done? I feel lost and confused. Uncle would know what to do. I hope he's okay...

I set up a fire and get ready for the night, hoping to sort through my thoughts. Shortly after I lay down and drift off, I hear a rustling in the woods. Fear runs through me, thinking the Fire Nation has somehow found my camp.

"Who's there?!" I yell as I sweep an arc of fire with my arm, "Stay back!"

Earth shoots from the ground as a rock pillar forms. I hear a young girl's voice yell from behind it, "It's me!" She yells in pain as my flames go around her rock protection, "Ow!"

I step around to see who I had just accidentally burned. Toph sits on the ground with the soles of her feet visibly red and raw.

"You burned my feet!" Tears pool in her eyes.

Panic fills me, "I'm sorry, it was a mistake!" I try to run to her and help.

She pulls away from me in agony, "Get away from me!" Toph begins flinging rocks in my direction. I dodge the chunks deftly and continue to try and reach her.

"Let me help you," I plead. She chunks more stone at me, "I'm sorry."

I finally reach her and place an arm on her shoulder. She screams, pushing me away, "Get off me, get off me!"

Toph forms a slab of rock that hits me in the chest and propels me away. I land on my back with an audible groan. I try to sit up, but wince. "I didn't know it was you. Come back!" Toph disappears into the darkness. I lie down and roar in frustration. My hands come to my head in despair. Bending my knees into myself, I roll onto my side, "Why am I so bad at being good?"