It's me again!! This is officially the last chapter in the story, but don't worry there's an epilogue too!!
Alright, I really don't have anything to say except I don't own Avatar no matter how many times I ask Santa, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, or my parents.
They knelt in front of each other for what seemed like hours. Finally, after not hearing a reply, Katara opened her crying eyes and looked up at Zuko.
He noticed that she had changed her position and looked up also. Her eyes so blue as the sky, yet so wet as the ocean, staring at him. "You're not gonna make a decision, are you?" she asked.
He didn't answer.
She broke eye contact and stood up. She brushed the dirt off of her clothing and looked down at him.
There relationship. It was one that you could not describe on paper. Though it may seemed liked she couldn't and shouldn't care about a mysterious stranger that she hardly knew. But to them both, it was more than just a friendship. They were more than just a friendship. It was that feeling like you could go to them at ANY moment and not be scolded for being dumb or stupid or ignorant. It was this feeling that burned in their stomachs and kept them up at night even though it was very small and very distant. It was something…that neither Katara nor Zuko could fully comprehend.
"Some people will never change," she remarked. "I have to go. Goodbye, Zuko." She said her last statement with hesitation.
But then, she turned around and ran. Zuko watched her go, still in the same position as before. What was he going to do?
Across the battle field laid an item that he had kept with him everywhere he went. It was a mask that was different shades of blue. It had two small, cream colored horns coming out of its mouth. There were eye holes so the person wearing the mask could see.
It was the mask of the Blue Spirit.
It was the mask that Zuko went to, to escape all of his problems.
And, like a thunderstorm that realized that it was nothing without rain, Zuko realized that he couldn't ever escape that penetrating gaze of the material item. He knew that he could go anywhere without the memory of it haunting him, without the memory of her haunting him.
Zuko knew that even if his father won the war, even if, one day, he himself was crowned Fire Lord, he would never have the respect, the dignity, the love that the waterbender had given him.
And he knew at that point he really couldn't live without that mask. That tranquil feeling that he got when he wrapped the straps around the back of his head, that wonderful sensation that he got when he talked to her…he couldn't let that go.
And so, Zuko ran got up and ran after her.
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When her eyes fluttered open, she could feel pain shoot through her body. She groaned and attempted to turn on her side but her body wouldn't follow her demand.
Katara could feel her head move as the bed that Toph was on move slightly. Sleepiness still in her eyes, Katara looked up to find Toph trying to turn on her side. "Toph…?" Katara asked.
She sat up and yawned as the Blind Bandit looked at her. "Sugar Queen?" Katara heard Toph say.
"Toph!" Katara yelped, the sleep finally gone. "Toph, you're okay!"
"Well of course I am," Toph said. "Why would you think—"
Toph cut herself off as the memories of lightning, Twinkle Toes, pain, and the Fire Lord all came rushing back to her. "Twinkle Toes!" she yelled sitting up, despite the pain that had came immediately afterward.
"Toph," Katara said very mother like. "Lay back down and Aang is fine. He won. We beat the Fire Lord. The Fire Lord is dead now. And Azula is in jail and Zuko…turned good."
"I'm sure you liked that," Toph stated simply.
"What do you mean?" Katara asked a slight tint of pink coming to her cheeks.
Toph sighed and looked up at the ceiling. "I know that you talked to him all those nights that you were gone. And then when I was slipping in and out of darkness I heard a boom and felt you look over to him. Your heart sped up."
"But I didn't he was—I wasn't—fine you win," Katara pouted. "Of course I bet you get that way around Aang."
"Pfft, yeah right." Toph looked away hoping to hide her own blush come to her face. Why am I blushing? She thought shyly.
Katara smirked.
"Zuko becoming Fire Lord tonight," Katara changed the subject. "He would like us to come before we leave for the North Pole."
Toph nodded.
"Yeah, okay. I'll go to Hothead's banquet. Just…let me…get up." Toph sat up rather painfully and noticed that she was wearing what seemed to be a nightgown. She could feel cloth wrapped up on her left arm and across her chest.
"You struck by lightning twice, at the same time," Katara explained. "I'm sure all of us would understand if you'd rather rest."
"Nah," Toph replied. "I'm fine. Just a couple scratches, is no big deal." She got up and stood on her feet.
The door opened at the moment to reveal who else but Twinkle Toes. "Toph," Aang said. "You're up!" He ran over to her and hugged her tightly. She winced. He let go abruptly. "I'm sorry. I forgot that you'd still be healing…"
"I'm okay," Toph replied. "I just need to find my clothes and then we can go to this Fire Lord thingy of Hothead's."
Katara giggled. "Actually Toph….You can't wear your clothes. It isn't allowed at this kind of banquet."
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Toph was in a strange place. Where exactly? She wasn't sure.
But it was wonderful and spacious. Under her feet, there were huge mountains that never seemed to end. There were creatures of all kinds: ants, bears, and monkeys…anything and everything that had lived on the earth was here. There were trees that rose very high under her feet. She could feel soft grass and a wonderful breeze that kept her cool from the hot sun above.
"Hello," someone said.
She turned around bluntly, silently cursing herself at gaping at the scenery when she should have been looking for Twinkle Toes.
The person that had greeted her was a woman. Though Toph couldn't see this woman, she had on a wonderful black kimono on. There were giant red flowers at the bottom of it.
Her skin was very pale and her eyes were very dark. Her hair, though usually on top of her head, was flowing long past her shoulders.
"What do you want?" Toph asked.
"I want to tell you that you're in the Spirit World," she waved her hands around slightly in the blind girl's direction.
"What am I doing here?" Toph asked, ready for answers and the location of Aang; she knew that she had to help him.
"When you struck by the lightning that both Princess Azula and Fire Lord Oazi shot at you, you came here after slowly fading into black," the woman explained.
"What does that mean?" Toph asked. "And where am I exactly, and WHO are you?"
The woman smiled. "I am Love the spirit of affection of all kinds. You are in the spirit world because when you were struck, you died."
Toph gasped. Her eyes were very large. "What?" she croaked.
"But since the Avatar loves you," Love continued as if she had never heard Toph. "You are given a chance. You have Ko the Face Stealer. If you go to his home and beg for your life, you might be able to live."
"How do I do it?" was all Toph asked. There wasn't a question whether she was going to live or die. She was definitely going to live. If she didn't…who would be there to poke Aang in the head or make him mad by taking his staff?
Love smiled. "You need to go just down that way." She pointed her left; Toph immediately looked that direction. "And you'll meet with Ko. You have to ask him for your spirit back. But you cannot show ANY emotion at all or he'll steal your face.
"I understand," Toph said.
"Good," Love replied.
Toph walked away as the spirit disappeared. She walked until she was near a very tall tree. She sensed something crawling around in it.
She walked inside.
"Hello?" she asked without any emotion at all.
"Mmm?" there was a deep voice from inside the cave. "Who has come to disturb me?"
"My name is Toph and I'm here to ask you if I can be returned to the world of the living."
"But why would I do that?" Ko asked.
She could feel his presence. He wasn't very far away; in fact he was rather close to her face.
"I would like to be returned to my body so I can with my friends and the Avatar," she explained.
A piercing laugh stopped her from going any farther. "You think I will just LET you go back to the Avatar?" the creature laughed. "He did a horrible thing in his past life, why would I help the girl he loves now?"
Though Toph couldn't see, the spirit was sneering at her. His face was transformed into one of a beautiful woman's. She had long, flowing hair and beautiful eyes, kinda like this girl.
"But Aang is his own person," Toph said her voice very dead. "He has his own life Avatar or not. I will stop bothering you once you send me back. Do it. Now."
The man transformed his face back to it's original form. "Very well. If it'll take you away from here. I'll send you back."
Toph did nothing.
"On one condition."
"And what might that be?" she asked immediately.
"Don't let that boy get too cocky."
Not even a smile.
"Yes," she replied.
And her spirit disappeared and back into the body that it was taken from.
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I already hate this guy. Why do we have to wear this for his Fire Lord—ness, Toph thought wearily as Katara looped another piece of hair up into the many strands of hair that were already looped up into her fancy up do. When Katara said that she couldn't wear her original clothes she wasn't kidding.
After Toph had officially gotten up, they walked down the dressmaker's wing where they were sized, dressed, and put into a world of pain.
"There done!" Katara said smiling. She examined her work. Toph was wearing a deep maroon colored dress with just a few hints of green. Her hair was pinned up and out of her eyes. She looked quite wonderful.
Katara herself had red dress with hints of blue on. The sleeves went down her arms and almost passed her hands. The length of her dress went all the way down to her shoes almost covering her feet.
Her hair was flowing past her shoulders, part up in a top knot while the other half was down.
She heard Toph groan. "Oh come on," Katara said. "It's not that bad! There's gonna be a party afterward! You just gotta last a little while!"
"You girls ready?" they hear Sokka ask outside the door. Katara walked over to it and opened it slightly to see Sokka's hair also in a top knot. He also had red clothing. Suki was right behind him wearing her hair like Katara's and red dripped on her body as well.
"Yeah, we're almost ready," Katara replied looking back at Toph. "I just gotta see if the PRINCESS is ready to go yet."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm ready," they heard Toph say, as she appeared behind Katara. "Let's just get this thing over with."
………………………………………………………………………………………
Sokka and Suki broke apart in time to see a lightning strike upon the roof of the arena. Sokka took Suki by the waist and they started running to safety.
But the four spirits above along with Aang bent the rock out of the way toward the edge of the arena.
Sokka and Suki watched in awe.
And then they saw all the spirits disappear in a flash. They saw the Princess float to the ground and talk to the prince.
"For peace," they heard her say.
"For peace," they heard him reply.
And then she turned around to look at them.
At her sight, Sokka squeezed Suki's hand tighter. She looked up at him and then back at the Princess. Yue smiled.
The beautiful spirit looked back at the Prince, bowed slightly, and disappeared.
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Sokka had gotten ready in a matter of minutes. Despised as he was to wear Fire Nation clothing, he figured it was the right thing to do considering he actually had to TRY to be friends with the Nation's leader.
After a gruesome half hour of trying to figure out which button went where and where all the straps clicked and which set of clothing went on first, he left his room and walked down to Suki's.
Her's was just down the hall. He reached her room and knocked.
In haste she appeared at the door. Even though Sokka had seen her in Kyoshi make up before but not like this.
There wasn't very much on; just a tine layer of powder on her cheeks and on her eyes. But it was reds and maroons on her dress and upper eye lid that caught his eyes.
He held back a smirk.
She glared. "Shut up, and let's go," she said closing the door behind her.
He took her arm and they headed down to Katara and Toph's room.
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He was falling yet gliding. He fell to the ground and into the comforting lap of the waterbender that he thought he really loved at one point.
"Katara," he whispered his voice very hoarse.
She looked down at him slightly shocked that he was awake. She leaned down close to him and asked, "What is it?"
"I remember…"
And he slipped into darkness.
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They walked the long, metal corridors to Aang's room. Being the Avatar, he had been put into a room fit for a special guest, as they all were.
Toph, Katara, Sokka, and Suki walked to his door and knocked.
"Two more minutes!" they heard from the young monk say.
He walked out of his room, like he said, only a couple minutes later. He was wearing a red tie over robe and dark brown pants that went down to his ankles. Dark brown shoes covered his feet.
"You guys ready?" he asked hesitantly.
They nodded.
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The room in which Zuko was standing was a very dark red. The walls were painted red, while the floor was an even darker red, and the curtains were a blood red.
The odd thing was, color that draped Zuko's body was white. The color clashed with the room.
"Uncle," he said quietly. It was so strange. Not three days before he had betrayed his sister and his father to join the side that he never wanted to be on in the first place (except when a certain blue eyed girl changed his mind…sorta) only to become what he wanted in the end.
And here he was, talking to his uncle like things had never changed. Like he hadn't helped end a hundred year war or hadn't been banished in the first place. It almost felt…some what normal.
"Mmm," Iroh said, looking up from his Pai Sho game.
"Do you think I made the right decision?" he asked as he pulled his hair up in a small ponytail. "I mean…about Father and the Avatar and all…"
"You know, soon-to-be Fire Lord Zuko," Iroh replied setting down a Pai Sho piece. "It's okay if you use their names. The Avatar, Aang. The waterbender, Katara. The earthbender, Toph. The buffoon I think they call him, Sokka.
"Those people you were after. Those people helped you. You chose the path that you wanted to choose. There never really was a "right" and a "wrong" path. Of course old story books could beg to differ."
Iroh paused looking out the window that lay on the wall beside him. The day was so beautiful, sun with clear skies. The trees surrounding the palace were green and even a few birds were perched on the branches.
"I believe," the old general continued. "That you made your own path. It was first going left and then you turned right and then you took a sharp turn back left. And now, you're right once more.
"You, Zuko, are the Prince of the Fire Nation, heir to the throne. You are the son of Fire Lord Oazi, now passed, and Lady Ursa. You are going to have to be the greatest Fire Lord these people have ever seen."
"Uncle," Zuko complained his shoulders hunched just a bit. "I just asked a simple question. I didn't need the monologue. I just asked a question. Will you just give me a straight answer for once?"
Iroh looked over to his nephew, who was now, straightening the last of his royal attire and smiled.
After a pregnant pause, "Yes," the old man replied. "I believe you chose the right path. You have finally passed the Crossroads of Destiny."
Zuko turned around a smiled slightly. "Thank you, Uncle."
………………………………………………………………………………………
No one was crying. Tears of pain or sorrow didn't leave any one's eyes as a man in white said the words, "As was your dying wish, you will be exceeded by your son, Fire Lord Zuko."
As the fire burnt for the dead Fire Lord Oazi everyone looked relived (even if it was very little). All the generals that had planned with the Fire Lord, all the soldiers that had to fight for him, all the women who lost their husbands, looked as if a weight had been lifted off their shoulders.
Zuko was sitting on his knees when the crown was placed on his head. There was dead silence. The only sound heard was the crackling of the fire of his dead father behind him.
Dead…
When he was younger, Oazi seemed immortal. That man would live forever, who could EVER kill the wonderful Fire Lord Oazi?
And yet, here Zuko was taking over the throne of the Fire Nation. Yet here he was, going to change and hopefully create peace throughout the Nations.
What was the use for fighting? He thought. People change. People don't want to fight anymore after a war that had changed the world so long ago.
"You are going to have to be the greatest Fire Lord these people have ever seen."
It was true that he was going to have to be strong, and loyal, and giving, and forgiving, and apologetic, to ALL the people whom his Nation, his family had hurt.
There was a steady clap ringing throughout the Nation. People weren't cheering or whooping or hollering like the rebels had back at the Agni Kai Arena. They were just…clapping.
Slightly nervous, he looked back at the people sitting behind him. There was Aang, the Avatar, Toph the earthbender, Sokka the buffoon, Suki the Kyoshi Warrior, and Katara, the waterbender.
He looked at the blue eyed girl sitting there, bowing slightly at the new Fire Lord. The fire that was no more than seven feet away from her reflected off her tanned skin. Her eyes were the brightest blue he had ever seen; the color of the sky dancing in the deep depths. Her clothes had fit her quite nicely.
Yes, Fire Lord Zuko had changed.
And he knew, that even if it was out of his character, even if it was unlike him to be this way, even if he didn't want this in the beginning, he wanted it now.
Because that blue eyed girl was smiling at him. The biggest, reassuring smile that she could conjure up was gleaming at him.
And he smiled back.
Then he stood up. The Avatar and his gang followed suit and then the whole Nation below Zuko stood.
There they were, he thought. There was his mom (shocked but so happy, Zuko was when he had found out she was alive), his Aunt Lien, Uncle, Jet, Song, Haru, his Nation.
He raised his hands up in the air to quiet the people. They did so, not wanting to talk while their new leader was about to say his first words of being Fire Lord.
But instead, he walked off the stage, found Song, pulled her up on stage, and whispered something to her.
The girl smiled at whatever he said and then he looked over to Katara. He motioned for her to come over also while Song bent down and started rolling up one of her pant legs.
Katara hastily rushed over to Zuko's side and whispered, "What are you doing?"
He smirked and, out of one of his pockets, he drew a very small container with the moon as a symbol. "The master who taught you waterbending gave this to me," he explained looking down at the object. "I want you…"
He finished his sentence and Katara nodded taking the small container, which contained water from the Spirit Oasis, and bent down to examine Song's leg.
There it was; the long wrapping scar that twisted on the front and back part of her lower leg. Katara then waterbent the water out of the container and healed the scar as easy as healing any other wound.
Song then rolled down her pant leg and both girls looked over to Zuko expectantly. He then said to the people of his Nation, "For Peace."
And a roar, screams of joy filled the crowd that brought shivers down Zuko's spine.
……………………………………………………………………………….
Quiet music was playing at the royal banquet. Zuko had already danced with eight girls that evening and the party hadn't started twenty minutes earlier.
He now sat on a chair on one of the walls of the ballroom and held onto his foot; one of the previous girls had been a very clumsy dancer to say the least.
Sokka and Aang sat on either side of him. The Buffoon wouldn't look at him; though saving his life, Sokka still didn't trust him that much. Aang though, was sighing, trying to get his attention.
"Bored?" Zuko asked looking away from his swollen foot to the Avatar.
"Not really," Aang replied, relived that someone actually took pity on him and his annoying sighing. "I just…aren't we supposed to do something? Aren't we supposed to dance with…I dunno…girls or something? I mean, I'm the Avatar, you're the Fire Lord, Sokka…is well, Sokka….And Iroh has danced with more women than any of us have put together."
Zuko had to agree with that. His uncle had danced with Aunt Lien, and then Ursa, and then woman senators of the Fire Nation, and then a countless other number of other women. And the funny part about it was, Lien didn't mind. She thought it was respectful!
It made Zuko laugh a bit.
"Maybe we're just unlucky," he remarked, crossing his arms and looking ahead. Three girls on the other side of the room caught his eye. They were wearing extravagant gowns, two were green was the other was blue.
One of the girls was wearing a green gown that went all the way down to her toes. She was rather short, her hair was down, and only half of it was up in a braid. Her eyes were glassed over and her arms were crossed firmly across her chest. She was NOT happy.
The other girl with the green dress on was taller and older. Her chestnut hair, that went down to her shoulder blades was put up in a messy ponytail. She wore a slight coding of make up and her eyes were searching the room, particularly for the young warrior sitting to Zuko's left.
The last girl was wearing a beautiful blue gown. Her hair was put up in loops and braids all on top of her head. The dress she wore had very thin straps and it showed her tanned skin more than it usually did. Her bright blue eyes were also searching the room as she nibbled on some kind of Fire Nation treat she had got a hold of.
"Maybe we should make our own luck," Zuko said his eyes still locked on the waterbending master across the room from him.
Sokka followed his motion and immediately glared. "What do you mean?" the young warrior spit out.
"We should go ask them," he asked nonchalantly leaning back a bit more.
"Katara, Suki, and Toph?" Aang questioned. "Alright, but I'm not going first. You go, Zuko."
Zuko's eyes widened and he turned to the young airbender beside him. "What?" he asked, stuttering a bit, "I—no…you go first, Buffoon."
"Tsk, what are you to afraid of?" he asked looking at them with an all knowing look. "They're just girls. And I'm NOT a buffoon." He added glaring at Zuko.
They still looked at him expectedly, waiting for him to go.
"Fine, fine, I'LL go," he said holding up his hands as if in mercy. "But I'm telling you, if they see me, they're gonna see you two and you'll have some explaining to do. Well you might not Aang, but ZUKO surely will."
And then the man strode off toward Suki leaving the Avatar and the Fire Lord to sit uncomfortably in silence. "Do you think we should…?" Aang started.
"Yeah," Zuko finished and they both took off toward the other side of the room and to the girls in which they had supposedly brought as dates.
……………………………………………………………………………
"Where did they run off to?" Suki asked looking around the ballroom. When they had got to this banquet Zuko, Aang, and Sokka had been drug off to do only the spirits knew where.
And they had left their dates standing by the snack and refreshment table to just eat and wait for them to return. It had been nearly thirty minutes and all three of them had yet to come back.
So, Toph, Katara, and Suki looked like idiots just standing there, waiting for their dates to return. It was very frustrating.
Suddenly, Sokka came running through the crowd of people. He reached the girls and bent over to catch his breath. "Sorry girls, we just got a little busy," he said straitening up again.
"You're lying your butt off," Toph remarked crossing her arms.
Sokka glared.
"Well…maybe I am but still. I'm here now." He grinned.
Suki crossed her arms but smiled also. "Well, then?" she asked. "Are you gonna ask me to dance or what?!"
He smiled again and took her arm and led her out to the dance floor where he wrapped his arms around her waist and she wrapped her's around his neck.
The next woman to go was Toph. Twinkle Toes ran to her. "Sorry Toph!" he said. "I was just…um…I don't know…"
Toph rolled her eyes and waited for him to finish. "So…um, will you…uh, dance with me?" he asked scratching the back of his head nervously.
"Come on, Twinkle Toes," Toph gave in and grabbed his arm.
Katara watched them go, a sad smile spread across her face. Now everyone had someone; Suki had Sokka and Toph had Aang. Who did Katara have? No one—
"May I have this dance?" a voice behind her said.
She turned to her right to find Zuko there, bowing. He straightened up, smiling slightly.
She took his arm and they walked out to the dance floor. "You know," Katara said as the orchestra played a new song. It was soft and very soothing. "Even though the war ended only three days ago, I feel as if we've been this way forever. You and I were friends…you know? It's like the Blue Spirit is like an actual spirit looking out for us. Weird huh?"
"Not that weird," he replied quietly.
She shrugged. "This song is so pretty," she said casually after a while of silence. "I've never heard music like this before…"
"It's typical music of the Fire Nation," Zuko replied. "This song is actually very old. I believe it was composed when my great, great, great grandfather was just a child. It's one of my favorites."
She laughed. Why did she laugh? Zuko thought momentarily before Katara explained, "You're so uptight," she said. "I just said something about the music and you go into so much depth! It was just silly…"
He smiled.
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"So, Suki?" Sokka said after they had danced a while in silence.
From her head resting on his shoulder she asked, "Mmm?"
"What are you gonna do after all this is over with?"
"Well," she replied lifting her head so she could talk to him. "I'm thinking about returning to Kyoshi and starting a school for Kyoshi Warriors; girls and boys. But other than that, I'm not really planning anything."
He nodded.
"What about you?" she asked.
"I'm going to the North Pole with Katara and Aang and whoever else is going to sign a peace treaty with the chief. Then I think we'll go to Omashu and Ba Sing Se and tell them of the wars. After that…I'll probably just go back to the South Pole."
"When will we see each other again?" Suki asked curiously, blushing slightly.
"Not sure," he replied. He made a confused face and smirked at the look on her face. She was serious. She really wanted to know.
"After I come back from Ba Sing Se, I'll go to the South Pole to check on my Grandmother and then I'll go to Kyoshi. Who knows? I might actually help you. I do believe the student passed the teacher after all."
He gave her a cocky grin.
"Yeah right," she replied.
And the silent glaring contest began.
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"Toph," Aang said.
"What?"
"You're not a very fancy dancer, are you?" he asked as they stumbled once more on the tile under their feet.
Toph's eyes widened. "Have you ever thought that maybe YOU'RE the one stumbling and I'm just the victim caught in the middle?" she asked. "I mean"—
And she stopped.
Fancy Dancer?
What's your fight name? The Fancy Dancer?!
"Wait," she said looking slightly upward toward the grinning Avatar. "I never told you that I called you Fancy Dancer when we fought…where did you get that name? The only explanation would be…"
"I remember," Aang finished for her.
Her eyes widened for the second time that night. "Aang…" she mumbled. "That's great."
He smiled and they turned both counting the steps that they took. One, two, three, one, two, three…
And the music slowly died away taking the moment away with it.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
The jail cells of the Fire Nation corridors were even drearier than the ones in Ba Sing Se. Zuko walked down one of the hallways, key in hand, and something on his mind.
He really had no idea what he was doing.
It was the day after the banquet and he had woken up in fright that morning, before the sun was up, covered in sweat and breathing irregularly.
He knew he had to this. There was one door that he was looking for. Ah, there it was. He knocked on the door.
"…Yes?" a groggily voice asked from inside.
"Azula?" Zuko asked. "It's me, Zuko."
"What do you want, Zuzu?" Azula asked her voice very cold and very dead.
"I want to talk to you," he said. "I wanted to say that I've always been jealous of everything that you had done…you were a prodigy before I was even and exceptional firebender. You knew the answer to any pop quiz question that Grandfather Azulon gave us before he even asked the question."
Though Zuko couldn't see it, the fourteen year old princess smiled softly.
"Your point?" she asked.
"I believe that there is good in every heart. I learned that recently in all the events that have happened in my life. And I believe that EVERYONE deserves a second chance."
He pulled out the key from one of his pockets. He put it to the keyhole and turned it.
They both heard it unlock and he saw Azula on her feet ready to fight.
"What are you doing?" she asked harshly.
"I'm letting you go," he simply replied.
"Why?"
"Because I think you deserve a second chance."
Azula's clothes were tattered. Her hair had long fallen out of the top knot she usually had it in and was now down at shoulders length.
She started to walk forward.
She passed Zuko and then headed down a hallway.
Zuko watched her go, guilt lifting off his shoulders.
But she suddenly halted and turned back around. "It's funny," she started. "You said you were always jealous of me?"
Zuko nodded briefly.
"Because I was always jealous of you," she replied smirking. "I wanted to be that kid that got to sit with Mom at the turtle duck pond, that kid she loved so much more. I guess we'll never know, huh?"
She turned around again.
It wasn't until she hit the first left hand turn to leave the jail that Zuko whispered to himself, "Maybe one day, Azula. Maybe one day."
…………………………………………………………………………………………………….
One week later…
"Goodbye, Toph!" Katara cried as she threw her arms around the young girl's shoulders despite the pain that shot up through the young earthbender's arm. "Are you sure you don't want to come with us?" she added as they broke away.
"No," Toph said. "I'm not exactly THRILLED to be back on that furry monster. I'd rather more of the Fire Nation. It's big enough. I'm pretty sure this place has more to offer than just war…"
Toph smiled up at the waterbender.
Sokka and Suki waved from behind her. The Avatar gang started to climb up on Appa leaving Toph behind.
Earlier that day they had said their goodbyes to Zuko and Iroh. They had waved and shook hands. It was only when they got to Katara was when everything dropped a couple of degrees.
They had just said goodbye and they hoped to see each other soon.
And now, they were outside the palace; Zuko wasn't among them, he had a ton of paperwork to do…being Fire Lord and all.
And so, the only one left on the ground, besides Toph, was Aang. He had Momo on his shoulder and was scratching his pet lemur's ear intently. He looked as if he was thinking of something.
"Something wrong, Twinkle Toes?" Toph asked feeling his heart rate race a little.
"No, it's nothing," Aang replied and walked over to her. He scratched the back of his head nervously. "So I guess I'll see you later…"
"Yeah," she replied looking away as well. "I guess I'll see you soon. Maybe you'll come back to the Fire Nation? Who knows? Maybe you'll see me."
He chuckled lightly.
And he held out his hand.
And she grabbed it. They shook hands briefly and Aang turned around, ready to go back to his friends when five words stopped him.
"Don't get cocky, Twinkle Toes," the girl with the ebony hair and the glassed over eyes said smiling.
He turned around replying, "I won't."
And he climbed up on Appa. They waved their goodbyes as the command, "Yip, yip!" was called and the bison shot off into the air.
Toph shook her head smiling.
And then she turned away from the group that she had called a family for so long but yet, it wasn't that long ago.
She started walking.
Everything that she had been through, everything that had happened had changed her. She was more open now, ready to take on the world.
And she only had one person, really, to thank for that.
She smiled.
"Twinkle Toes…"
Okay that's it. It is the end of the story: Defeat the Fire Lord Season 3. I feel like screaming out in excitement and crying because I won't get to hear from you amazing reviewers again…
(Sits at computer and cries.)
But don't go away yet!! I still have to get an epilogue up here!! It's gonna be pretty cool…seven years later.
So, I'll see ya soon, in just a short time…
Bye!!