Zuko was drilling Aang pretty hard, trying to toughen him up with a more ferocious style of fire bending so that Aang learned not to hold back. It was noisy and I couldn't get any peace so I'd quit trying to nap in my favourite spot and accepted a drink of watermelon juice Katara had made for everybody before she called out to the boys, asking if they wanted one too. Aang immediately put up his hand to signal he wanted one, but as he started running towards the beach house Zuko grabbed him by the back of his robes. "Hey, your lesson's not over yet! Get back here." Zuko was able to easily hold Aang back and pull him up, making me laugh before I called out.

"Hey Zuko! You finally caught the Avatar!" The others all laughed at my joke, Aang included though Zuko didn't seem to enjoy the humour, frowning in irritation.

"Come on, Zuko. Just take a break. What's the big deal?" Suki reasoned to which Zuko begrudgingly accepted, allowing Aang to go.

"Fine." Running away before Zuko could change his mind, Aang rushed to Katara for a drink of watermelon juice, slurping it up thirtstily. "If you want to lounge around like a bunch of snail-sloths all day, then go ahead!" What's got him all worked up like that? Did he wake up on the wrong side of the bed this morning or something?

"Maybe Zuko's right. Sitting around the house has made us pretty lazy." Sokka mused thoughtfully before a thought came to mind. "But I know just the thing to change that. Beach party!" Whipping off his outer clothes to leave him standing in his undershorts, Sokka raced to the beach with childish laughter and the rest of us all shared a look before following, eager to have some fun in the sand and waves.

"Last one there is a rotten egg!" Aang yelled as all of us cheered and dove into the fun. Katara and I ran straight into the water and jumped, our movements matching as we formed ice surfboards and surfed the waves, making them grow bigger so that we could fell the rush of excitement as we cheered and whooped, playing around like the bunch of kids we were. On the beach Sokka was trying to build a massive sand sculpture, though I didn't even have the slightest idea what it was so I ignored it and challenged Katara to a surf competition, leaning my weight forwards slightly to ride a wave before I shot up into the air and spun, whooping with glee before I landed again.

"Not bad! Check this!" Katara and I continually tried to outdo the other, enjoying being in the water until we suddenly heard a commotion from the shore. There were a couple of booms of sounds, making us both look back to see waves of fire before we quickly turned and surfed back, melting our ice boards in order to run to the others as Sokka was trying to rebuild his sand sculpture. "What happened?"

"Zuko's gone crazy! I made a sand sculpture of Suki and he destroyed it!" Sokka told us as we both just blinked until he then looked up. "Oh, and he's attacking Aang."

"Say that sooner!" I yelled before quickly running with Katara and the others to find out what was going on. We caught sight of Aang and Zuko a couple of times but they were moving too fast, Zuko clearly being the aggressor like he'd totally flipped a switch. I swear I'm going to strangle him once I catch him, what the heck is he thinking?! It was only when Zuko got thrown out of the house by a blast of air that we finally caught up, all of us at a loss as to what was going on. "Zuko! Are you out of your mind?"

"What's wrong with you? You could have hurt Aang." Katara agreed as Zuko staggered to his feet, rubbing his head where he'd been hit.

"What's wrong with me? What's wrong with all of you?! How can you sit around having beach parties when Sozin's Comet is only three days away?!" Oh wait, did we forget to tell him about that? Oops. I relaxed with a sigh as everyone else looked a little guilty before then frowning at Zuko. "Why are you all looking at me like I'm crazy?"

"About Sozin's Comet." Aang began as he took a step towards Zuko, everyone having calmed down now that the boys had stopped fighting. "I was actually going to wait to fight the Fire Lord until after it came."

"After?"

"I'm not ready." Aang informed him honestly, unconfident in his abilities at the moment since he was still learning. "I need more time to master fire bending."

"And frankly, your earth bending could still use some work too." Toph supplied, making the kid look even worse.

"So...you all knew Aang was going to wait?"

"Honestly, if Aang tries to fight the Fire Lord right now, he's gonna lose. No offence." Sokka said to Aang as Katara tried to explain.

"The whole point of fighting the Fire Lord before the comet was to stop the Fire Nation from winning the war, but they pretty much won the war when they took Ba Sing Se. Things can't get any worse." That's what we all figured, but seeing as I knew Zuko so well, I could tell that the look on his face did not mean anything good.

"Why do you look like you're about to tell us the world is going to end Zuko?" I asked him with a groan, rubbing my face and everybody looked at me with alarm.

"You're wrong." Zuko said to Katara, making all of our stomachs drop and knot tightly with worry. "It's about to get worse than you can even imagine." Sometimes, I really hate being right. "The day before the eclipse, my father asked me to attend an important war meeting. It was what I dreamed about and wanted for so many years. My father had finally accepted me back." Zuko began to tell us, starting from the beginning so that we'd understand. "But it wasn't anything like what I expected. My father asked me if transferring more troops to the Earth Kingdom would allow complete victory over the rebellions, and I told him that the people of the Earth Kingdom were a strong and proud people who could endure so long as they had hope."

"There are resistances all over the Earth Kingdom." I affirmed as everybody chewed on their fingers with concern and trepidation. "They're still fighting back and the Water Tribes of the North and South have come back in force to help. I've been keeping tabs on reports from the frontlines, since a lot of ministers and officials come to Ember Island for vacation." Looking at Zuko, I folded my arms with a frown. "But what does this have to do with Sozin's comet? Is something going to happen?"

"The worst. You can't even imagine it." Zuko told me and I felt a chill run down my spine. "After I told the war council that the Earth Kingdom wouldn't give up without a fight, Azula suggested that we just burned everything they had to the ground. That's when my father decided that he was going to use the power of the comet to completely destroy the Earth Kingdom, and burn it to ashes." Everyone reacted with shock, unable to believe what we were hearing. "I wanted to speak out against this horrifying plan, but I'm ashamed to say I didn't." Hanging his head in shame, I went over to Zuko in order to take his hand in mine, wanting to reassure him that it wasn't his fault. "My whole life I struggled to gain my father's love and acceptance, but once I had it, I realised I lost myself getting there. I'd forgotten who I was."

Lowering my head solemnly as Katara fell to her knees from the shock, all of us were horrified to learn that the Fire Lord planned to obliterate everything. "I can't believe this."

"I always knew that the Fire Lord was a bad guy but his plan is just pure evil."

"What am I going to do?" Aang was in the most despair, not knowing how to go forwards from this.

"I know you're scared." Zuko said as he gave my shoulder a squeeze before letting go of my hand in order to walk over to Aang. "And I know that you're not ready to save the world, but if you don't defeat the Fire Lord before the comet comes, there won't be a world to save anymore." Breaking off from the rest of us in order to pace, Aang turned on Zuko with frustrated anger and fear.

"Why didn't you tell me about your dad's crazy plan sooner?"

"I didn't think I had to. I assumed that you were still going to fight him before the comet. No one told me you decided to wait!"

"This is bad. This is really, really bad." Seeing that Aang was beginning to lose himself into a panic, Katara was quick to try and comfort him.

"Aang, you don't have to do this alone." She said as we all walked forwards to stand behind Aang, trying to stay positive and optimistic.

"Yeah. If we all fight the Fire Lord together, we got a shot at taking him down." Toph agreed as I flicked out my hand.

"You're the Avatar, and four of us benders here we pretty much make up another one of you, plus we have Sokka's crazy plans that somehow always work out and Suki to keep him in line and kick butt." I reasoned as Sokka grinned then cheered with enthusiasm.

"Alright! Team Avatar is back!" He started to point at us all, staring with Aang. "Air." He then pointed to Katara and me as we were standing together, both of us confident and smiling at his lovable goofiness. "Water." Then he turned to Toph, pointing to her followed by Zuko. "Earth. Fire." Then seemingly out of nowhere, Sokka grabbed two leaves. One that was long and straight and the other which was rounded to symbolise their weapons, thrusting the latter to Suki. "Fan and sword!" What a goofball. Getting up, Aang looked a little more settled, reassured knowing that all of us were behind him.

"Fighting the Fire Lord is going to be the hardest thing we've ever done together, but I wouldn't want to do it any other way." Naturally coming together for a group hug, my arms went around the others as their arms came around me too, though Zuko had stood still and avoided joining in until Katara called for him.

"Get over here, Zuko. Being part of the group also means being part of group hugs." Zuko looked like there was nothing more he'd rather not do, but came over anyway as Toph and I parted so that he could step into the opening, my other arm around Suki before I grabbed his hand and dragged him in. Suddenly Appa growled affectionately and landed on us, making us all yell as we fell to the ground and became engulfed in a furry mass, making us then break out into laughter.

After we all managed to shake ourselves off, we got to work making plans for Sozin's comet in three days, whilst Zuko showed Aang a technique he was going to need to know in order to face his father, the redirecting lightning technique that Uncle Iroh had taught him. It made me smile nostalgically to see the technique, thinking of Iroh. I wonder where he is right now and what he's doing? Probably drinking tea, knowing him. Perhaps he went back to the White Lotus people for help, they saved us once because of him, and from what I could recall it sounded like he was an important member. I just hope he's safe and sound, and that I'd get to see him again soon.

Sokka took the lead in figuring out a plan for defeating the Fire Lord and once he'd worked everything out, he had all of us gather together in order to listen to his instructions after having set up some kind of obstacle course. "Gather round Team Avatar. In order to take out the Fire Lord, or in this case, the 'Melon Lord', our timing has to be perfect." He said whilst gesturing to the melon which had been giving an evil face to represent the Fire Lord. Trust Sokka to come up with something like that. "First, Suki and I will draw his fire. Then, Katara and Zuko charge in with some liquidy hot offence and while the 'Melon Lord' is distracted, then Kayo will come in from here and freeze the Fire Lord so that he's immobile, Aang swoops in and BAM! He delivers the final blow."

"What about me?" Toph questioned since she hadn't been included yet in the attack plan.

"For now, you're the Melon Lord's forces." Her face lit up instantly.

"So I get to chuck flaming rocks at all of you?"

"Whatever makes the training feel more realistic." Probably not a good idea to give Toph free range to do what she wants, because I have a feeling defeating her was going to be more difficult and terrifying than going up against the actual Fire Lord.

"Sweetness." Her evil smirk gave me chills. Brr.