Author's apologies at the end


On board Appa the mood was somewhere between sombre and outright distress, they were out of immediate danger as Katara looked back, first to the sky behind them, to see just one glider coming out of the clouds behind them, she felt a wave of relief when she recognised it as Aang's but felt an instant sting of guilt, knowing that Teo had not made it, she then looked into saddle, to see her brother nursing his mortally wounded lover. "Zuko, please take the reigns!" she yelled.

Zuko gave a look of hesitancy, never having sat at the reigns of the sky bison before but decided the situation called for him to learn on the go.

Katara jumped to were Sokka was sitting with Suki in his arms, she examined her terrible wound and opened her water skin, although she knew there was practically no point to it.

Suki tried to raise her head and feel her abdomen but Sokka kept holding her back; "It looks worse than it is, trust me, you'll be fine."

Toph began to cry sensing Sokka's lie and he silently cursed her for not being able to contain herself but quickly pulled back this emotion, understanding that beneath the tough shell, Toph was really just a twelve year old thrust into a situation children shouldn't find themselves in, just like everyone else onboard.

Suki looked Sokka in the eyes, "I regret nothing. Last night was the happiest night of my life." She let tears shed, "I don't want you to blame yourself, I could have died in that prison just as easily, at least now I got to die free... With the man that I love."

Sokka couldn't contain himself any longer, he had been crying before but now it broke down into full on bawling, and he kissed her on the forehead and lifted her higher to embrace her.

"Could you hold on, Suki?" Sokka asked her softly, as he raised his head and yelled at the top of his lungs into the wind, "AANG, PLEASE COME QUICK!"

Hardly had Sokka got the words out when Aang had landed, "You are an ordained monk, right?"

Aang looked confused as he began to answer the question, "Technically yes, as an Air bending mast-"

"Marry us!" Sokka interrupted.

Aang looked at Suki, who managed a smile and nodded. "Okay..." was all he could say in response.

"And make it quick!" ordered Sokka.

Aang started, "Okay... So... Dearly beloved, we are gath-"

Sokka shot an annoyed look at Aang who got the message to expedite the process.

"Do you, Sokka, son of Hakoda, take this woman as your lawfully wedded wife?"

"I do."

Aang continued, "And do you Suki, daughter of-"

"Kyoshi!" she managed to exclaim,

Aang nodded affirmatively before continuing, "Do you Suki, Captain of the Order of Kyoshi, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

"I do." said Suki looking into Sokka's eyes with warmth.

"As they say, you may kiss the bride." Aang added clumsily.

And Suki met Sokka's lips and she raised her hand to caress his cheek for one last time. As they broke their kiss, Suki's hand fell limp onto his chest and with her last strength, Suki closed her eyes, the picture of a sleeping beauty. Sokka caressed her cheek and watched her chest rise and fall a few more times and then suddenly Toph began to cry again.

She was gone.

Sokka gently put down Suki and stood up. He took a deep breath as if stoically accepting his loss but couldn't contain himself and he began screaming incoherently.

Katara and Aang stood up and embraced him soon joined in by Toph, pulling him back down into the saddle as they sat in a group hug Aang suddenly tapped Sokka on the shoulder, Sokka opened his tear filled eyes to look at Aang who nodded upwards. To his stunned amazement he could see Suki's spirit floating in front of him, she called out to him, "We'll meet again, my love." and then faded.

Katara had followed her brother's gaze but had seen nothing and felt somewhat confused over the situation, "What was that?"

Sokka wiped his eyes before he spoke, "Nothing… Just know, I love you guys." He then embraced them all again.

The silent moment only broken by Zuko's cry, "Uhm, guys, I really hate to do this but your Bison is really agitated and I don't know if I can maintain control."

"You're being too rough with him." replied Aang as he got up and slid down Appa's neck to take the reigns.

After a few seconds Aang had to concede, "Appa does seem pretty agitated, what's wrong buddy, they didn't hit you did they?"

"I think I know what's the issue!" Katara yelled with a hint of anger. "We have a stowaway." She pointed at Appa's tail where Azula was hanging by one hand to a piece of grenade shrapnel to the bison's tail and with her other hand to Appa's fur, she was desperately mouthing for help but couldn't make a sound audible enough in the draft.

"What is it?" asked Toph.

"Azula..." said Zuko almost coldly but as he looked down into his little sister's eyes he was filled with sympathy and knew what he had to do.

"Well toss her off, she is of no more use to us!" Sokka said angrily.

"Whatever her sins, she is still my sister!" Zuko replied raising his voice to meet Sokka's.

Sokka grabbed Zuko by the collar and tackled him to the ground, he looked Zuko in the eye before he sneered out, "If it weren't for her, Suki would still be alive!" He tried punching Zuko in the face who raised his head enough for Sokka to miss his chin and hit him the forehead, which hurt but it hurt Sokka more than him, "If it wasn't for your damn country, Yue would still be alive!" Sokka screamed while nursing his fist.

As Zuko balled his own fist to hit Sokka, but was stopped from following through when he suddenly felt pain on his wrist as another fist came crashing down on his face. "If it wasn't for your country, our mother would still be alive!" Katara had joined her sibling in the melee and it would have continued if Aang hadn't pushed them off him with an Air blast. "Everyone calm down or everyone is taking a cooling sky dive!"

Toph raised her hands in surrender "I didn't do anything!"

Zuko got his feet and started climbing out of the saddle to go help his injured sibling, he looked at Sokka with disgust, "I thought she was your prisoner."

"I just freed her!" he said coldly.

"Sokka please, I know you're extremely hurt but don't take it out on Zuko and Azula!" Pleaded Aang.

Sokka gestured defeat and climbed with one leg out of the saddle to help, Zuko. "I'm sorry..." Sokka extended Zuko and Zuko nodded in silence.

Zuko grabbed Sokka's hand as he pulled Azula further up Appa's tail and into the saddle.

"She is hurt bad!" Zuko said to Katara, and pulled out a knife sized piece of shrapnel from Azula's side, Azula looked her brother in the eyes and mouthed two words, which could be interpreted as two things in Zuko's mind and this once, he figured it was probably "Thank you".

Katara started treating Azula's wound, while Sokka went to attend Suki, he caressed her cheek once and then walked to the back to fetch a blanket to cover her in.

It was then he noticed the Airship rapidly climbing to through the clouds to intercept them.

"Aang! We have company!" Sokka yelled out as he began to hastily tie down Suki's body to the saddle, knowing how bumpy the rides could get.

Aang banked Appa slightly to get a view at their pursuers.

The Airship was so close that you could read the name on the bow, it was the Warspite, the ship that had chased them from the Fire Nation Capital, and she was fast.

"Why aren't they firing?" Aang yelled out.

"We're not in the firing arc yet!" responded Zuko, "Once they are at roughly the same altitude they will start firing and at this range I don't think we have much chance of evading."

Aang looked downwards and saw that they were travelling over water. "I think I have an idea! Katara, will you help me with some water bending! We're going for a swim."

Zuko looked horrified, "No, no, don't! Those airship bombs work just as well under water as on land, if not better! Water transmits explosive shocks better than air."

"How do you know this?" Asked Sokka angrily.

Zuko grunted in frustration,"Well if you have to know, my father took me to a demonstration of these things, one bomb was dropped on a parallel course with an old decommissioned battleship and even though it landed nowhere close it still broke the ships keel."

Zuko watched nervously as the airship climbed. "Aang, climb as fast as you can!"

Sokka turned to Zuko, and calmly said "Climbing will slow us down, you know."

"I'm counting on it." he raised his voice so Aang could hear. "We need to stay out of the firing arc! How high can we go?"

Aang looked up into the dark blue sky, "I don't actually know? The Monks said if we ever started to feel euphoric for some reason, we were too high!"

"Why?!" Zuko asked confused.

"Something to do with the thin air!"

"Then go as euphoric as you can get above the airship dive straight down!" Zuko yelled out.

"Won't they just follow us?" asked Katara concerned.

"No, once they've gained altitude, they can't crash dive, they have to descend slowly and controlled, else they could bend their frame and crash, once we're on below cloud cover again, we can escape." Explained Zuko.

Aang looked up at the sky, "This might take a while!".

As they climbed and the airship drew ever nearer Sokka spoke, "I do believe we're getting high enough, because I know I'm miserable and cold... But I feel great"

"I'm feeling pretty happy too." said Katara.

Zuko frowned "I am never happy." and suddenly smiled and started laughing followed by Toph and Sokka. The only one with a serious expression on his face was Aang as he climbed and climbed until he noticed how eerily silent it was, he looked back and saw that his friends had passed out, which presented a problem. There was no way he could do an all out dive with his friends unable to hold on. He leapt back and grabbed onto Momo's tail and stuffed him into his robe before he went to find some rope when he started feeling light headed and happy, he rummaged through the supplies and found some rope, completely oblivious to what he was about to use it for, until he saw his friend passed out and gathered himself enough to start binding them together but when it came to securing the rope to the saddle, but how hard he tried, he just couldn't tie a knot.

He felt good as darkness began to take him when a thought occurred to him and he pulled in as much air as he could into his lungs, he was bending so much air into his lungs that his ribcage was hurting, and so he the world began to clear, he secured his friends, and took Appa's reigns.

The Bison too had passed out and had begun a slow ascent. Aang knew he had to steer Appa through bending alone, and despite the bison being great air benders, they weren't the most aerodynamic creatures, Aang couldn't help but think the two issues were somehow related, why work with the air if you can control the air.

The airship was about a mile behind in the horizontal and about a quarter so in the vertical, Aang knew it would be a tough glide and he could already feel the bison accelerate downwards ever faster but he had the advantage of the airship moving towards them.

Their ballistic arc would be taking them just forward of the ship's bow. Perfect Aang thought, using smalls puffs to keep Appa steady.

Suddenly a beam of blinding light flew across Aang's head and he ducked down and let he bison descend almost vertically for a moment. He looked at in the direction of where the beam came from, a large man was standing on the forecastle of the airship, he could see a flash and knew instinctively to create a giant updraft which made the mystery bender miss.

They dove passed the bow, and Aang could just about make out the face of the man, it was the man who had killed Suki. Aang created a wind blast to blow the man on his back just before he steered the unconscious Appa straight down and they fell for what seemed like an eternity, somewhere during the journey Appa regained consciousness for a brief second tried to brake the descent, until Aang could assure him that he knew what he was doing.

A thick fog had formed above the sea and once under it Aang changed course Northeast.


Azka had climbed onto the figurehead and watched as the Avatar and the bison had disappeared into the fog.

One of the ship's officers had climbed onto the roof of the ship and carefully made his way to Azka who was now hanging by one hand by the figurehead, desperately scanning for any sign of the bison.

"Sir, what are your orders?" asked the Officer.

Azka thought for a moment as he composed himself, "Bring us under the cloud cover, if we reacquire the Avatar, rig the ship for high speed pursuit, otherwise..." Azka sighed, "Return to port."


The Gaang had landed on a grassy, wind beaten isle on the North Western frontier of the Earth Kingdom. They had gathered around the oblong trench that was to be Suki's grave.

Sokka was shedding single tears at a time while holding back a torrent of emotions, "Suki wasn't just my wife, she was my teacher and above all my friend and a comrade in arms. It was my honour as a warrior to fight along side her and my privilege as a man to call her mine."

Katara placed her hand on her Brother's shoulders.

Azula looked on from her brother's side, despite the feelings of jealousy she had felt towards the Kyoshi warrior this wasn't the way he had hoped to best her, in her mind she had wanted to seduce Sokka away from her and in turn revel at her anger and jealousy, besting her in both battle and love, she looked down into the grave, where Suki was wrapped in a grey wool blanket, she decided to act and stepped forward.

She took a deep breath before she spoke that in and of itself caught everyone's attention, "I only knew Suki as enemy on the battlefield and as a prisoner, but she fought as bravely as a soldier could be expected to against overwhelming odds, even as she could have retreated, she stood her ground and fought and even as a prisoner continued showing the same bravery. In another time, another life, I would have been honoured to call her, Friend."

She raised her face to meet the gaze of the others who looked at her with mixed emotions in their eyes, as she met Sokka's eyes that were maelstrom of anger, grief and the slightest glint of gratitude, she couldn't help but raise the corners of her lips ever so slightly in a friendly smile of sympathy before she turned her face back down and stepped back.

Toph stepped forward and mouthed the words "You're good." as she raised her hand ever so slightly, pointing at Azula, as if calling her a liar in a roundabout way. "Suki was my friend, I don't need to tell any of you how she saved my life at the Serpent's pass." She began.

The eulogies would continue well into the sunset, with every member of the Gaang paying their individual respects, Aang ended the service with the words, "From Earth you've come and to the Earth you have been returned." according to Earth Kingdom rituals, and with that, Toph closed the grave.


Azka walked up the stairs to the Royal palace, he was nervous and stopped once to take a deep breath and a look at the sun, wondering if this would be last time he was seeing it as a free man. He had heard that the Fire Lord was one if not the most powerful Fire bender alive, and though he was coping in his mind that it was probably just propaganda, he doubted if he could fight his way through the imperial guard, that was of course, if he didn't chose to stand and take his failure as a man and an officer of the Fire nation.

As he entered the building and was escorted to the throne room by a couple of guardsmen he made up the decision that whatever was the Fire lord's judgement, he was going to do just that.

"Major Azka, Royal Pioneers." called out the Sergeant of the Guard as they entered the throne room.

Azka was awestruck by the sight, the throne behind a wall of flame, signifying the divide between the royals and their subjects.

"I understand you failed to capture the Avatar." the Fire Lord called out while the men were walking down the hall.

Azka bent the knee and bowed his head.

"Affirmative, no excuses, Sir."

There was a moment of deafening silence.

The Fire Lord let out a grunt, "Well, at least explain yourself then!"

Azka raised his head slightly. "I made an error in judgement and assumed our intelligence on the Avatar was completely accurate."

The Fire Lord stroked his goatee. "Oh? ...Continue."

"I believe the Avatar has either recruited or had training from…" Azka shook his head. "Forgive me, Fire Lord, this sounds preposterous, but I-"

"Spit it out, boy!" the Fire Lord ordered.

"A metal bender!" Azka said hesitantly.

The Fire Lord paused for a minute. "Humour me, but let's say you're right, who is responsible for this failure of intelligence?"

Azka shock his head; "I wouldn't know, sir, the intelligence briefing was held by a Commander Saiken, but I made the final decisions out in the field."

The Fire Lord raised his finger to his lips, "Hush boy, what if I told you Commander Saiken is a drunken, womanising fool who's been spending the last year hunting a ghost?"

Azka swallowed, "It is not my place, sir."

"Some new information has been brought to my attention, dear boy, which has made this whole exercise futile."

Azka looked up at the Fire Lord.

"I must say this is most surprising."

"Your executive officer's preliminary report confirmed my biases." The fire lord opened up a messenger hawk scroll, "In it he states, the doors of the complex shot open and two airborne figures shot out at tremendous speed, the Commanding Officer, with speed and precision, downed one of the gliders and took its aviator prisoner."

"Sounds accurate as far as I recall."

The Fire Lord put away the scroll. "Two gliders, one shot down, piloted by a crippled boy who says he was with the Avatar, how convenient that you shot down him and not the Avatar? A disposable asset, you might say."

"It was a toss of the coin, my lord." Azka said nervously as he saw the Fire Lord stand up.

"Son, I know you're a clever boy, figure it out for yourself." The Fire Lord said almost reassuringly as he stepped through the flames and walked downwards towards Azka.

Azka took a second to ponder his answer,"That the Avatar wasn't on one the gliders."

The Fire Lord stroked his goatee again. "Exactly, I have suspected for a while now that the return of the Avatar might have been nothing more than an elaborate hoax conceived by my traitor brother."

Azka once again paused to mull over his answer, "I see… But in the the Earth Kingdom-"

The Fire Lord interrupted him, "I don't know all the details, but in due time I am sure everything will come to light. Our enemy's deception to be revealed as nothing more than smoke and mirrors."

The Fire Lord walked around Azka. "Even so, I was impressed with the speed in which you carried out your mission, truly you have earned the title of-" Ozai paused as he looked down at Azka, "Son."

Azka glanced up as far as he could with his head still bowed to his Fire Lord.

"Yes, your mother and I were lovers in our youth, but because of her lineage… Well, my father would never have allowed such a union." Ozai paused dramatically, "I am your father."

Azka continued looking down with his head bowed "It- It's imp-… Actually it makes perfect sense..."

Ozai gave a hearty chuckle, "I know, it's surprising you hadn't figured it out by looking in the mirror."

Azka stood up and walked towards Ozai.

They embraced and then Azka pulled back and looked into his Father's eyes smiling; "Father, there is something I've always felt compelled to do."

Ozai smiled "Yes son!"

Suddenly Ozai felt a jolt as if he had been struck in the head by lightning and before he knew it he was on the floor looking up Azka who was nursing his fist.

"I hope you understand that I did not strike the Fire Lord, only the man who dishonoured my mother and left me a bastard as I swore by the spirits I would do." Azka then extended his hand to his father.

"I'll pardon that this once but I'll have you know, striking your Fire Lord is a capital offence." Ozai said venomously as he grabbed his son's hand.

As he was helped to his feet he embraced his son once more, before he spoke again, "I've had you promoted to the rank of Brigadier and I have a very important mission for you."

Ozai turned to leave the throne room.

"Come dine with me this evening, I am entertaining a couple of young ladies tonight, a task made infinitely easier by the presence of a dashing young prince."

"I'd be honoured, Father" Azka said with a smile as he began to follow his father out of the throne room.


Another day had passed on the island, time spent in atomised quiet contemplation and sorrow, each attending to different duties, it wasn't until dusk had started to fall that everyone had gathered together at camp.

Azula sat and looked at the campfire, looking around she could see everyone else doing much the same, with the exception of Toph of course, fire had that strange effect on the mind, watching the flames dancing untiringly in the waning twilight that never seemed to end. She looked at Zuko who sat to her right with his chin leaning into his hand as if in sad contemplation.

She wondered if this had been the first time he had witnessed a person suffer a violent death throughout his travels as she contemplated just how sheltered she had been from the war, despite being groomed as a weapon for it, she had always viewed it as a game, as the family business, but actually bearing witness to the consequences hit her harder than she had expected, and it frustrated her to no end. She felt so weak and more naked now than when she had lost her bending. Even if she managed through will and determination to get her bending back, she knew she would always have a hesitancy to kill, even if just slight, a hesitancy that could cost her her life.

She hung her head as she thought about her cousin's death and how she had hardly known him, she had simply been too little to really remember him and it hadn't really moved her then and it would have been a lie to say it stirred her now, but what she did feel, was for her uncle, how awful he must have felt.

Her frustration over her emotional turmoil started boiling over into anger, the thought that in death, Suki had defeated her. She lifted her head and looked at her brother again.

Part of her wanted to tell Zuko it was his fault that the girl had died, he should have known better than to tell Sokka about the Boiling Rock and then to have gone with him on the foolhardy rescue mission, putting himself in danger in the process, the war was practically over anyway, what harm would another couple of months have done next to this. She sighed to herself knowing that whatever accusations she could level on Zuko would ultimately be levelled on her by whatever chain of logic her companions chose to go down.

"What?" asked Zuko catching his sister's stare.

Azula shook her head and turned back to the fire "Nothing..."

Katara was sitting holding her brother's hand and she lifted her eyes to shoot a glare at Azula as if she was cursing her and hidden in it there was something so poisonous that it went straight into Azula's heart, breaking even her defences and as she began to cry.

"I didn't want her to die, I'm sorry!" she cried apologetically.

Katara couldn't contain herself any longer, she might not have been directly responsible for Suki's death, but Katara had not forgotten, "But you did want Aang dead, didn't you?"

Aang lifted his head at the mention of his name, "Huh?"

Azula felt a jolt go through her and she tried to compose herself for a lie. "I- I didn't me-"

"You shot a bolt of lightning into him!" Katara spat venomously.

"I didn't know it-" Azula replied hesitantly.

"What did you think would happen, you stupid bi-" Katara interrupted, raising her voice and looked as if she was ready to spring up at Azula and strangle her but was cut off by her brother in turn, raising his hand in gesture for silence.

"War is war..." he put his hand down and raised his face looking at the siblings sitting across from him. "You've wanted to kill Aang, I've wanted to kill you, you've wanted to kill me, the spirits know, I yearned to cave in your brother's skull with my club at one point or another and hopefully bring this war to a quick decisive end." He sank his gaze to the fire again. "I'm not better than either of you." he said to his sister's fury.

Katara slapped him over the head, "Our tribe didn't start this war!" She stood up and looked at Zuko and Azula, "You and your family are the reason why we've grown up without a mother and for the pasts few years have hardly seen our father!" Katara turned heel and walked away.

Aang got up to go after her, "Katara wait!"

Aang reached Katara and began to speak with her in the darkness, inaudible due to the strong wind on the island.

Sokka continued staring into the fire as he spoke, "I'm sorry for wanting to throw you overboard, Azula."

Azula smiled slightly, she hadn't voiced her concern before, and with a piece of shrapnel in her lung it had been impossible, but she had been hurt at what she felt as even more rejection.

"Sorry to you too Zuko." he sighed before continuing, "All I can say now with a full stomach and temporarily emptied of tears... Is that Suki is gone, and we can beat up ourselves and each other over it all we want-" Sokka took a deep sigh and his voice trembled slightly, "...And believe me now, I'm going to, but in the end, it won't bring her back… It won't bring anyone back."

Katara and Aang came back and sat down.

Sokka forced a slight laugh, "I don't think I have the strength to repeat myself."

"Oh I heard it, very enlightened." said Aang "I just don't think Toph did" he gestured towards the Earth bender who had fallen asleep.

Azula bent forward and looked at Katara, "You said your mother was taken by the fire nation."

"Killed!" Katara corrected not bothering to look in the direction of Azula.

Azula took her brother's hand and looked at him, "Me and Zuko grew up without a mother as well. S-she disappeared the night our grandfather died."

"Saved you from witnessing her smouldering body, I suppose!" Katara spat venomously.

Azula contemplated if she should push further. "So she was killed by a Fire bender?"

Katara looked dumbstruck as if Azula had asked the dumbest question, and screamed out "YES!"

Zuko lifted his hand between his sister and Katara's line of sight as though to protect her from a curse spat at Azula. "Please, she didn't mean nothing by it!"

Katara turned her eyes and ire towards Zuko. "Are her stupid questions going to bring back my mother? And don't think I've forgotten your complicity either!"

Azula and Zuko turned to look at each other and Azula was the first to speak. "What if we could help you avenge your mother?"

"Do you remember anything about the fire bender that killed her?" Zuko asked in turn.

Katara's facial expression turned to shock, Zuko and Azula couldn't tell if she was insulted by the offer or not.

"Sea ravens." Answered Sokka, he lifted his head to look at Zuko and Azula, then to Katara. "The lead ship flew an ensign with Sea Ravens on it."

"In a circle?" Asked Azula and Sokka nodded in reply.

"The Southern Raiders" replied Zuko in a half whisper.

"And how would we find them?" asked Katara coldly.

Zuko turned to look Azula in the eyes and she nodded affirmatively. He turned back to Katara. "I'll help you."

Katara bolted up and ran for her tent, Sokka and Aang were shocked and yelled after her, "KATARA?!"

Katara quickly came back carrying, her water skin and cloak. "Aang, I'm taking Appa. Zuko, we're leaving." She turned her gaze to Zuko. "NOW!" Zuko bolted to his feet and he began following Katara.

Aang was slightly annoyed at Katara's commanding tone; "So you think it's okay to just take my companion and go on a mission of vengeance? Don't you think we have bigger fish to fry?"

Azula let out a scoff, "Everyone can see your girlfriend has demons that need exorcising."

Katara nodded towards Azula with a look of hesitant gratitude that shocked Azula for some reason, Aang in turn turned to Azula with annoyance and anger in his eyes..

"Don't try and stop me, Aang, and you don't even eat fish!" Katara exclaimed before she started towards the field were Appa was grazing. Zuko soon followed after having retrieved his cloak.

Sokka and Aang began to follow intending to talk her down.

Azula figured it was best not to upset the Water bender witch any further by provoking her with her presence but listened keenly to the developing argument but couldn't make anything out in the wind.

"THEN OBVIOUSLY YOU DIDN'T LOVE HER AS MUCH AS I DID!" She heard Katara scream, presumably to her brother.

Toph stirred in her sleep but didn't wake, Azula felt a little envious of the young Earth bender, when it came to sleep, Azula was most definitely a Princess, though she would never admit to such a weakness, she could hardly get a shut eye unless she was in a soft, warm bed surrounded by cool air and the darkness and silence of the night, she had somewhat managed in her cell because most of her conditions had been met but this was totally beyond something she could imagine, damp grass, open windy air and people arguing.

Sokka and Aang came back to the fire head's hung in defeat.

"I take it you couldn't talk her down?" Azula asked rhetorically.

Sokka and Aang actually let out a chuckle and said almost in harmonic unison, "No, she's pretty stubborn."

Sokka looked at Azula smiling, "Looks like you're stuck with us for another week or so, I'm afraid."

Azula rolled her eyes coyly and sarcastically said, "How will I manage?"

"I guess you can always swim to the mainland." Aang said jokingly pointing towards the east, where the rising sun was silhouetting mountains.

Azula raised her head and Sokka turned to look at the beautiful sight at the edge of the Horizon, they had been up all night.

"I think I can manage." Azula said, emphasising the Can part.

She then sighed deeply and looked into the dying embers.

"The thing is… I have no where else to go..." Azula said with a sad voice.

Sokka and Aang looked at her in surprise. "Hey, I'm doing the time, so might as well do the crime, right?" Azula said giggling but her eyes betrayed a deep sadness.

Sokka saw it and suspected why. "You love your father..."

Azula laughed halfheartedly, "Yes…" She looked Sokka in the eye, "Zuzu was always a mama's boy and well, I was always daddy's girl…" She then looked down sighed, "...I worshipped him... If Zuko ever received affection from him, I felt like was being robbed, it was my driver, to be the best." her voice was already shaky when she began to cry silently. "...Because when I succeeded, he would be so proud of me, his eyes would radiate with warmth... It was the best feeling in the world."

Sokka found himself uncomfortably sympathetic to Azula's plight, the sinister thought that but for the grace of provenance, there went he, a mirror of what he might have looked like if his father had been a ruthless tyrant and despot, like the Raider Chieftains of old.

Azula's voice broke as she continued "And then he goes and declares me a traitor, he didn't even try to hear me out..." She covered her face in her hands. "I tried to tell myself that if I could only see him, I could explain but those men were out to kill me, they didn't even give me a chance to surrender, not in reality. They just wanted me to make myself an easy target."

Aang and Sokka approached her in unison and flanked her on both sides to comfort her. Despite both of them throwing an arm over her, Azula leaned in on Sokka and cried into his shoulder. "Everything I did, I did to make him proud, so he would love me…"

"It's okay." Aang and Sokka took turns whispering the mantra to her.

Throughout the early dawn Azula vented about the abuse she had suffered throughout her childhood, even though she wouldn't have called it that by name, how her mother had thought her a monster while she Zuko was her little angel. In the end, the trio fell asleep in each other's arms after what had undoubtedly been one their roughest days.


So, for those of you that dislike that I killed off Suki, I apologise, nothing against her and I do like the canonical pairing, but still, I enjoy the thought of Sokkla more, and she was an obstacle for the progress of the story, I thought about writing around it somehow but since I'm not going to write War and Peace here, I made up my mind on the cheap and dirty solution, although that doesn't mean it was easy to write.

But it served its purpose and what's done is done.