I ventured out into the forest that night, once again looking for Cyra. She found me first.

"I have your next mission, Z," she said, handing me an envelope with a black wax seal. I gingerly took it and removed the wax, sliding the pale paper out. As usual, there was a single word inscribed in black ink.

Azula.

"This mission I will gladly accept. Azula is definitely not an innocent person." Cyra nodded. "That's what I thought you would say. I agree."

"This will not be easy. I have seen her fight. I will have to use every skill possible if this is to work." She placed a hand on my shoulder.

"You can do it, Z."

"I hope so." She left. I began to think. Koda had always despised Azula and the way she treated people. Maybe there was hope for me to continue being a ninja after all.

I returned to the cave around midnight, silently so I wouldn't disturb Zuko's much-needed sleep. I had deeper thoughts about my mission. What would Zuko think if I said I was to kill his sister? From what I had gathered, there was no amity between them, but they were related. As far as I knew, I was an only child. I couldn't possibly imagine what it would be like to lose a sibling. And it wasn't as if I could say, 'Zuko, I just got a do-or-die mission, can I kill your sister? Thanks.' This mission would especially be different from any other. It was a chance at redemption: since I didn't kill Zuko, his sister would be the next best, if not better, choice.

"Zuko!" shouted one of the soldiers. It abruptly awakened him. Figures.

"What is it?" he asked groggily.

"Sorry to wake you, sir, but we have just received important news. Princess Azula will be arriving tomorrow. Lord Ozai wishes to welcome you home!" Zuko's eyes widened, while mine narrowed. This seemed suspicious. Ozai and Azula were certainly not forgiving or loving people. Their objective was power, and by any means necessary. It had to be a plot.

Unfortunately, Zuko was too overjoyed to notice.

"Is this true, Commander?"

"Every word, sir." Zuko nodded, dismissing the man. As soon as he was gone, I crept out of the shadows.

"I do not believe it."
"Why not? This is fantastic news! My father wants me to return, even without the Avatar." I suppressed a sigh. Was it not obvious to him?

"If possible, may I monitor the situation? I sense she is up to something."

"If you want to. I'm going home. That's all that matters." He went back to sleep. At least his dreams would be pleasant before Azula sprung her little trap on him. Well, she would if I didn't get there first. But I didn't expect that to happen.

The next day, around mid-morning, Zuko, Iroh, and the crew left to meet Azula's ship. I followed in the trees, melding with shadows whenever they grew too sparsely. I resisted using Airbending to run to the meeting point; walking took so much longer. But I felt a need to watch over Zuko. After all, I couldn't let all the hard work of saving his life go to waste.

Two lines of soldiers stood on either side of the stone dock. A ramp led the way up to the ship. Azula stood at the top of it, every bit the princess she knew she was. There was no trace of deception on her face, but her eyes showed everything. She was definitely planning something.

"Brother! Uncle! Welcome," she called lightly. Zuko and Iroh bowed. Iroh glanced out of the corner of his eye at the soldiers, all wearing face masks. He could tell something was wrong as well.

"Set a course for home."

"You heard the princess! We're taking the prisoners home-" I knew it. I took out half of the soldiers, trusting Iroh to handle the rest.

"You lied to me!" shouted Zuko angrily. Azula smirked with malice and hatred.
"Like I haven't done that before." Zuko attacked the two guards in front of him, confronting Azula with twin daggers of fire. I remained hidden in the few shadows on the boat.

Hard as he tried, Zuko could not even land a blow on Azula. She deflected each attack as though fighting a child, as well as scratching his forehead. She began preparing an advanced fire attack, one I had seen before. Koda had mastered it. I prepared to stop her, but Iroh grabbed her arm and redirected the lightning to strike a tanned cliff nearby. Azula was too shocked to respond immediately, and Zuko and Iroh took their chance. They ran down the ramp and back into the forest. The few remaining soldiers made no attempt to follow them.

I had to make a decision once again. Remain and kill Azula, or help Zuko and find Azula another day.

I had had enough of running. My choice was clear.

I threw three shuriken at her. Just before they hit, she turned and dodged them, seemingly unfazed. The look of temporary fear disintegrated into a face of smirking contempt.

"Guards! Arrest-" I didn't let her finish. I flew at her with the katana aimed at her heart, if she had one. She prepared to blast me with blue lightning. I dug the tip of the sword into the ship's deck and vaulted over her, flipping in midair and slicing her across the back before she had time to realize what was going on. She fell forward onto the deck, a look of sheer amazement in her eyes, which quickly faded into a dull, golden brown. The strange thing was that her eyes did not close. She had to be dead.

The guards had surrounded me by now. I leapt over there heads and vanished into the forest. As I ran, I felt the same feeling of inexplicable guilt overtake me. 'Azula was a terrible person,' I thought to myself. 'You did the right thing.' Strangely enough, though, it did not feel right. Though I had initially attacked her from the front, the fatal wound was in her back. It was the coward's way.

My head was pounding. I would have to rest now and think about this later. Being in the light so much was giving me a headache.

When I awoke it was nightfall. Clouds covered the moon and blocked its light. The scent of rain was everywhere, as was the feel of electricity. It would be a fierce storm, lulled for now by night's allure. I found Zuko and Iroh camped out by a stream, not far from the cave. A small fire rested between them. Iroh looked sad enough, but Zuko looked betrayed and defeated. I approached them, drawing almost no reaction from either of them.

"Go ahead," Zuko said dejectedly. "Tell me all about how you were right and I was wrong."

"No, Zuko. It is not your fault. Azula lied; it is what she does best."

"And I listened to her." He looked away, tears beginning to fall. Now I felt worse than ever. There was no way I could tell him what I'd done, even if she had been the cause of his pain.

"What will you do now?" I asked quietly. Hopefully his answer would have nothing to do with Azula.

"We will travel anywhere we please. Now that we are not required to return to the Fire Nation, I think I would like to open my own tea shop," said Iroh with a smile that Zuko didn't return. The young Firebender could not look at either of us.

"This does not please you, Zuko?"

"We are not required to return to the Fire Nation, and going there might bring us imprisonment- or worse." He sighed deeply before continuing. "I will never be able to go home."