Long ago, this fic updated regularly. But everything changed when writer's block attacked.

One year passed, and—

I am so sorry it's been a year. I'll keep my excuses to myself and just thank everyone who's followed and favorited the story, and hope you aren't too mad about the wait lol. Even if I take a while, I still promise that I'm not going to abandon this story. ;) I'm halfway done with the next chapter too so that will be going up soon!

~cosette141

It was just as Sokka predicted.

Weird.

The shock of not having been killed by the assassin's attack quickly spiraled into a completely different kind of shock for Zuko. Because for all the time Zuko spent thinking and worrying about how to convince Aang and the others to accept him… he never thought about what it'd be like if it actually worked.

And it did.

He was now on the same side as the Avatar.

He was fighting alongside the same person he once threatened to capture. Tried to capture. Believed was his destiny to capture.

Somehow this didn't feel like a victory. It was the same way it felt whenever he received the smallest sense of approval from his father; the stakes had risen, and now he had to make sure he didn't lose that approval. It meant he was far more aware that a wrong move was fatal, in that case, metaphorically or physically. One wrong move, one wrong choice, and he would have no more second chances from anyone.

He suddenly felt like he was going to be as ill as he had been when he set Aang's bison free.

But more than anything, Zuko still simply couldn't believe he did it.

Despite Katara's clear disapproval of him, Zuko had managed to be accepted into the Avatar's group.

Aang.

Into Aang's group.

That… was going to take some getting used to.

All of it was going to take some getting used to.

Zuko hadn't exactly thought about what would happen after he joined their group. The process of thought always halted at if.

Yet, here they were, peacefully. Not fighting.

Peacefully.

On the same side.

"Do you think, in another world, we could have been friends?"

The Av—Aang had always been kind to him. Always. And thinking back, as hard as he could, the young airbender never, not once, hurt, threatened or attacked him unless he did first. And that day he rescued Aang from Zhao, Aang could have left him behind. So easily. He had no reason to save him. Zuko had given Aang every reason to even purposefully leave him to Zhao's fate.

But he didn't.

He saved him, and even then, offered to accept him as a friend.

It was strange, seeing it from the other side, like he'd been looking at the world through distorted, dirty glass and now it was all as clear as a reflection off still water.

He was in the A—in Aang's group now.

This was where he made up for all his mistakes in the past. As much as he could make up for his mistakes.

They arrived at the Temple not long ago. The sizzle of awkward tension the whole trip could have set the entire region on fire with one flame from his finger. Both Aang and Sokka had gone between attempting casual conversation and allowing companionable silence, and Toph was stone quiet the entire time. Zuko hadn't known her long, but even he knew it was out of character for the young girl.

So, when they arrived at the Temple and Sokka went to do something he didn't preface, Aang announced he needed to check on Appa and even Toph had gone off somewhere in the Temple without a word, Zuko had quickly found himself alone once again, and he breathed out in relief.

Now that he wasn't actively trying to convince the group of his goodness, Zuko suddenly felt the need to convince himself of the exact same. Each mistake he's made—every opportunity he had to make the right choice, how easily he slipped back into the temptation of settling for the easier life at his father's control…

Why was he so bad at being good?

"I've changed," whispered Zuko to himself. Something inside his chest shifted, like perhaps his heart agreed. He was good now. No matter what, he wasn't going back home (that was no longer even the semblance of an option either way), though he quickly felt the relief at the notion that even if it was possible, he wouldn't go back. Even if he made the wrong decision back in Ba Sing Se, he had known it was the wrong decision. He'd grown from making the wrong choices without knowing they were wrong, to knowingly making them.

Now was different.

Now… he was making good choices.

He was good.

He was going to be Aang's firebending teacher, and help him take down his father once and for all.

Zuko looked out over the abyss, wondering what his past-self would have thought of him now.

From desperately doing anything and everything to gain back his honor and his place in his family, to defying his father and joining his once-enemy.

Zuko felt himself sigh.

It was time to finally give up that goal, and realize with a heavy heart that he would never regain the honor he lost. Perhaps he had never even had it in the first place.

And after everything he's done, everyone he's hurt, he wasn't so sure he deserved honor at all.

Breathing out and straightening, Zuko smiled faintly, knowing that whether or not he got it wasn't important anymore. He was going to spend the rest of his life headed in that direction, righting as many wrongs as he could, and proving to Aang and the others that he was good now.

"Prince Zuko!"

Zuko startled from his daze at the unfamiliar voice. He turned quickly, knowing anyone who says his name in that tone of voice-something between anger and fear-that it meant trouble.

Three boys were suddenly in the room with him. Zuko very briefly realized they were the tagalongs that were suddenly travelling with the—with Aang and the others.

Seems proving himself had come faster and more literal than he had thought.

Zuko felt himself groan inwardly.

All three boys were looking at him with surprise that quickly turned into something between wariness and heated anger. The oldest stood in the middle, hair down to his shoulders, and he quickly put his hands out in front of him, body positioned in a way that screamed earthbender. The boy to his left looked very young and small, and Zuko wondered how such a young kid got wrapped up in this. But the look in his eyes was that of a hunter, making Zuko plenty wary. On the older boy's left was the third boy; a teenager in some strange wheelchair contraption.

All three boys quickly armed themselves; the small boy with a sharpened staff, the teenager holding a ball-shaped object that Zuko did not recognize, and the earthbender at the ready, endless miles of stone and earth at his disposal.

Zuko quickly raised his hands in a show of surrender, but it was a mistake. The moment he moved, they anticipated an attack, and the earthbender stomped a foot into the ground, and earth suddenly encased his ankles like Toph had done to Sokka just that morning. It made Zuko lose balance and he fell forward. The moment his hands hit the ground, stone crawled up his wrists all the way to his elbows.

Heart beating fast, Zuko said, "Wait! Stop," he gasped.

The older boy walked up to him, standing a few feet before him, arms still out as if he was expecting Zuko to attack him. He coughed a laugh that held no humor, just heartbreak and loneliness. "How many people have begged you, firebender?" He spat. "You're not capturing the Avatar, Prince. You'll have to go through all three of us, and we would honorably give our lives to protect his."

Zuko winced, not knowing if the boy knew just how much of an open wound the word honor was for him, but he tried to shake off the sting. Guilt and self-loathing was becoming as painful as the earth pinning him to the ground, mistreating injuries Combustion Man had inflicted just a few hours ago.

"I'm not here to hurt the-to capture Aang," said Zuko quickly, noting that his use of Aang's name made each boy pause for half a second, but they quickly shifted back to their glares. "I'm not here to hurt him, or any of you!" stressed Zuko. The earth suddenly grew to his shoulders, and Zuko's heart pounded. "I'm here to help him—I've decided to join his—your—side and teach the Avatar firebending, and... he's accepted me." he said, though the disbelief on each of their faces made him sweat.

"You expect us to believe that?" asked the boy in the wheelchair.

Does he really have to give the "I've changed" speech again? Zuko sighed, opening his mouth to try, when suddenly the earth surrounding him receded back into the ground, freeing him. The earthbender's eyes widened in surprise, obviously not having done it himself, but the shout from across the room made them all turn.

"Don't hurt him!"

Aang stood at the other end of the room, Appa behind him. Aang looked relieved to see Zuko unhurt, and quickly spun his glider, swooping in quickly between the three boys and Zuko.

He smiled an almost sheepish smile at the three boys, who looked like they weren't sure if Aang had visited Lake Laogai recently.

"It's true," said Aang, "Zuko's telling you the truth. He's… going to be traveling with us."

Slowly, Zuko pulled himself to his feet, wincing as the aches and pains from being thrown around all morning made themselves known. His ribs twinged rather painfully, and he pressed a hand to them, trying to ignore it.

"Zuko," said Aang, turning to him. He gestured to the earthbender. "This is Haru," then to the teenaged boy in the wheelchair, "Teo," and then to the young boy, "and The Duke."

The earthbender, Haru, looked at Aang with clear disbelief. "You're letting the son of the Fire Lord join you? He tried to capture you and he—he even tried to kill you!"

"How do you know it's not a Fire Nation trap?" asked Teo. "His father could have sent him!"

Aang sighed as Zuko felt more and more salt dump onto the emotional open wounds. Zuko swallowed, saying, "I'm really sorry about all of that. I'm not with the Fire Nation anymore. I'm… I'm trying to make up for it and help you all take down my family."

When the boys' expressions didn't change even a fraction, Aang said firmly, "Zuko was as much a victim of the Fire Nation as the rest of us were. He knows he's made mistakes—" Zuko winced a little. "—but he's fighting with us now. He's here to teach me firebending." When still nothing significantly changed in any of their gazes, Aang added, "He even saved Toph's life this morning, at the risk of his own." That gained a reaction from them, but not enough to erase their wariness. Aang sighed. "Look, you don't have to trust him, but I do. And you trust me, right?" The fact that just this morning, Zuko had less than any of Aang's trust, to having Aang stand up for him like this… was startling to Zuko.

The boys didn't say anything for a moment, just held Aang's gaze.

Then, slowly, they nodded.

And it surprised Zuko the difference in leadership. Here, Aang didn't command respect and loyalty, he genuinely asked for it and he earned it. Less than fondly, Zuko remembered days on Fire Navy ships, terrorizing his crews into respecting him. But only now he knew that they may have feared him, but they did not respect him. These boys in front of him were ready and willing to give their lives, as Haru had said, to protect Aang.

Zuko wondered if any of his soldiers would have given their lives to protect his, and at that, how many would have done it out of wanting to versus feeling obligated to.

He was afraid to think that there were more soldiers who'd want to see him fall than save him.

More and more and more Zuko was seeing how horribly wrong he's been all along, and wondering how he had let himself believe he wasn't for so damn long.

With one last look of wariness toward Zuko, a look promising they wouldn't be trusting him any time soon, if ever, the three boys said something about going hunting and gathering and they left.

When he and Aang were alone again, Zuko felt himself release the breath he didn't know he was holding. "Thank you," said Zuko quietly.

Aang looked at him, that sheepishness back, gesturing toward where the boys left. "They'll… come around," he said awkwardly. "…Probably."

Zuko smiled a smile that held no joy. "It's all right. Considering everything, I don't think I'd trust me if I were them, either. They have every right to feel the way they do. I've made so many mistakes, and hurt so many people." he said quietly, flashes of those horrible things he's done constantly at the front of his mind. And, forcing himself to meet Aang's eyes, he said, "Most specifically… you." He's said it before, apologized to him just last night and again this morning, but it seemed like he owed another apology to Aang, one-on-one. "I truly am sorry for everything I've done and tried to do to you, as well as to your friends."

Aang met his eyes right back, and Zuko was startled—as always—to see such a level of maturity, of seriousness in his eyes. Eyes that held the exhaustion of carrying heavy emotional weight. Something Zuko related well to. In his eyes, Zuko could see the truth when Aang inclined his head. "I forgive you."

Zuko blinked, not having expected those words. Nowhere near feeling like he's earned them. Zuko swallowed the idea that maybe it was just an Air Temple tradition, some "forgiveness and love for all" thing, rather than Aang feeling like Zuko did deserve it. Regardless, Zuko inclined his head as well, saying heavily, "Thank you, but I will do everything I can to deserve your forgiveness."

Aang fidgeted a moment with his glider before saying, "When I learned I was the Avatar... I got scared. I ran away when the world needed the Avatar most. The war started, and… I wasn't there." Aang's eyes darkened, guilt darkening their usual brightness. "I was supposed to be there, to keep the peace and protect the world. And instead, I left it vulnerable because I didn't want the responsibility." Not meeting Zuko's gaze, Aang instead looking out over the abyss like Zuko had only moments ago. "Running away was the biggest mistake of my life. People died, families were destroyed, hope was lost… all because of a mistake I made. All because of me." Zuko blinked, stunned by the sheer familiarity in the way Aang spoke, in the pain in his eyes. His pain. And, again, Zuko felt the burn of self-loathing as he realized how much he treated Aang like a thing, never calling him by his name, never stopping to think he's just a kid.

Aang looked at him, continuing quietly, "Everyone makes mistakes, Zuko. What's important is what we do, not what we've done. I've had to forgive myself for my mistakes in order to control the Avatar State, to reach my full potential as the Avatar. Forgiving yourself isn't just an Avatar thing, though. Everyone needs to forgive themselves.

"I forgive you," said Aang, "but that isn't enough. You have to as well."

The amount of wisdom in his words struck Zuko speechless, not to mention how the younger boy seemed to know exactly, exactly, how he felt. And this was someone Zuko had hurt, had hunted. To offer him this level of kindness… was beyond what Zuko could even fathom.

Zuko wasn't sure he could forgive himself for what he's done, all too aware of how many innocent lives he's disrupted. Purposefully. Knowingly. Just because Zuko knew better now didn't change the fact that he'd hurt people. And he could fathom even less how Aang could forgive him, when Zuko had cost him and hurt him so much.

But, the echo of Aang's words in Zuko's mind, this was a chance to focus on what he could do. A chance to do good, and fix what he broke as well as he could.

Zuko found himself smiling, even when the emotions hurt to say, "You sound like my uncle."

Again, Aang seemed to read his mind. "He'd be really proud of you."

Zuko's gaze found the horizon once again, remembering the day Iroh and he arrived here years ago, one of the first missions looking for the Avatar. He let out a breath that held a million painful emotions, dragging his gaze back to Aang. Somehow feeling like it had all come full circle. "He'll be even more proud when you and I take down my father."

Aang smiled.

Zuko returned it, hoping against hope that his words come to fruition.

a/n: thanks so much for reading! I have not seen Avatar in a while, so I hope that Haru and Teo sound fairly in character, and from what I remember, The Duke didn't speak much and was very quiet. I had always wondered how those three would react to Zuko joining the group lol.

Again, the next chapter is half done so it will not be long!

~cosette141