Intro

Water

Earth

Fire

Air

Long ago the four nations lived in harmony, then everything changed when the fire nation attacked. Only the avatar master of all the four elements could stop them. But when the world needed him most he vanished. A hundred years past and my brother and I found the new avatar. A young air master named Aang. And although his airbendings are great he has a lot to learn before he can save anyone. But I believe that Aang can save the world.

Book 3 fire

Chapter 3: the painted lady.

Kuei tried to hide from the rest of the group. He failed miserably. Considering they were on the back of a giant flying bison that was understandable. "It all was my fault. If I just kept close to the camp then we could have fled on time. And now I come to think of it, this whole war is my fault. If I had been a better King then I might have defeated the fire nation a long time ago. It's entirely my fault." He was so upset with himself he didn't noticed that Aang was awakening.

Aang could feel by the air running over his face that they were flying, why were they flying they hadn't a specific goal yet. And why did his head hurt so much? Then the memories returned "Oowh no please tell me that it all was just a nightmare." He asked beyond better judgement.

"It wasn't, and I'm sorry I knocked you out." Toph answered, her voice was filled with an unusual level of empathy.

"Is, is is Sss sss Sokka" but he couldn't bring himself to finish that question.

"He isn't he was very lucky only two blast actually hit him. But that is still far too many, Katara is still healing him."

"Have I truly killed those men?"

"Yes you did I'm sorry." She couldn't stand the look in Aang's eyes. "But it wasn't your fault, you weren't in control."

"Yea well he should have been!!! And why didn't you enter Avatar State earlier!!! Then Sokka would have been alright!!!" Katara finally wasn't fully focusing on Sokka now, and she let out a bit of her anger, all of it on Aang. "And what about those soldiers you killed all of them, even their lives were valuable!!!"

Aang turned his face away, he couldn't bare Katara's gaze. With a weak voice he said "I'm sorry."

"Oowh you're sorry!!! Well that makes everything alright again doesn't it!!! That's going to save my brother!!" She didn't care this wasn't fair, she didn't care that Aang was crying, she needed to yell at him. "And that's going to bring those soldiers back to life!!!!"

"Katara!! Stop it! Aang feels just as bad as you do, probably even more. And don't you think he did everything he could to prevent this! Or he would do everything to undo it!" Toph yelled back. It wasn't like her but she couldn't stop herself from hugging Aang in order to comfort him.

The fact that Toph was there for him, standing out for him and trying to comfort him. It meant more to Aang then he could describe.

"Well it's still all his fault!!!" and with that she continued fully focussing on Sokka again.

No one said anything for the rest of the journey.

XXX

The last three days had been different then all other days Zuko ever had had. He was worried about Azula looking for a chance to kill him, worried about his uncle and ashamed he betrayed him. Yet he was happier then he was in the last three years. He had someone to talk to, someone to share his worries and even his shame for betraying his uncle. It meant the world for him that Mai was there for him. It meant even more that he could just talk with her laughing sharing some very rare nice memories. It was kind a like being with his uncle but also not like being with his uncle. Zuko never had a true friend so he couldn't compare Mai with one but this must be what a friend was. He wondered how Mai changed so much, or was she always has been like this with him. He didn't know. After his banishment he only saw her a few times with Azula, of course she couldn't be like this in those cases. Yet he was curious. "Ey Mai can I ask you something" He asked when he just couldn't hold it anymore.

"Sure" she said cheerfully. Three days ago Mai sounding cheerfully would have been alerting for Zuko but not anymore.

"Why are you like this?"

"You mean emotional caring?" her voice had become almost as cold as it used to be.

"Eeuhm yeah." He now realized too late that this wasn't a nice question to ask. And he tried to sound apologizing.

"I have feelings too you know, just like everybody else does." Her voice became less cold when she heard that Zuko tried to apologize in his own way. "But when I'm around Azula I try to hide them so see can't use them to hurt me. You know she likes to hurt people just for fun. I don't want to be emotionally hurt by Azula, I can take the physically pain but I don't think I can take the emotionally pain. So I just act I don't have any feeling at all so Azula won't try to hurt my feelings." There was so much pain in her voice that Zuko didn't know what to say for a moment.

"It must be hard to live like that." He finally said with a soft voice

"It is." There was an awkward silence for a moment. Then Mai finally broke it. "Do you want to come with me?" Mai said

"Where do you want to go?" Zuko asked relieved the silence was gone.

"Somewhere private I want to show you something and I don't want Azula to find out."

"Why can't you show it here?"

"There is still a huge hole in your door of Azula's fire blast."

"You've got a point there stupid question."

"You ask those a lot don't you" she joked.

"Haha very funny. So where do you want to go, your room?"

"No that isn't save either Azula doesn't trust me any more. I think she might have made some spy holes in the walls."

"Why doesn't Azula trust you anymore?" he asked curiously.

"Cause I spend so much time with you." She said with a matter of fact voice.

"You really shouldn't putt yourself at risk just you can spend time with me." He replied seriously. "I'm not worth it, I'm a traitor." he tried to avoid her eyes, but Mai wouldn't let him.

"Are you? Zuko it's not your mistakes which decides if you're a traitor, it's the way how you try to correct them." This sounded very much like something Ihro could have said and it made Zuko feel better.

"Thanks." He hoped what she said was true, but he didn't want to talk about his treachery against his uncle. "But where do you want to go then?" trying to change the subject.

"I know a good place. Just follow me."

She let him trough almost the entire palace, he never realised how big it was until now. After almost walking for ten minutes they finally arrived at the palace basement, were the food was stocked. "What are we doing here?" he asked with slight irritation in his voice.

Mai was irritated just as well, but she was irritated by Zuko's impatience. "Stop nagging and grow some patience." She was ticking on the barrels filled with wine lying against the wall, but one of them wasn't filled with anything at all. She could hear witch one. "Aha, here we are." She said while she opened the barrel and revealed a large, dark passage.

Zuko was impressed but he didn't want to show it. "Not very earth bending style." He said with what he thought was an uninterested voice.

Amused by Zuko's terrible attempt to hide his interest, she replied "Well you might be shocked but the earth King can't bend. So this passage was created so he could flee the city in times of emergencies. But it also is very useful if you want some privacy"

"So you said you wanted to show you something?"

"Yes, I know you want to wait for the ship arrives so Azula will give you your mother's necklace and then somehow free you Uncle."

Zuko interrupted her. "I never said I wanted to free my uncle!!"

Mai rolled her eyes. "What about how sorry you feel for betraying him, please Zuko you and I both know you want to free your uncle."

He realized she was right, but still. It meant betraying the Fire Nation. And again he wondered if he was ready for that. "Yea I guess you're right." He finally ended the inner conflict.

"But that not the point, the point is that that's just what Azula is expecting. So I just thought I might give you something else to remember your mother." Her voiced softened when she said. "You shouldn't forget about her cause she was a great person."

Zuko's eyes went wide from shock, was she saying what he thought she was saying? "What do you mean with was, and why do you think she was so great." His voiced grow harder while hers grew softer.

"Azula told me this so it may not be true, but she usually didn't lied to Ty Lee and me." She answered with the softest voice you could imagine.

"What did she told you" Zuko demanded he didn't meant to sound angry with her, but he couldn't stop his anger to get in his voice.

She was afraid by Zuko's anger, yet she kept talking "Do you remember that your Father asked your Grand Father to make him heir to the throne instead of you're uncle because Lu Then died and with him you're Uncles bloodline was doomed." It sounded like she thought that when she told him this with a very soft voice then it might hurt him less.

He saw that Mai was afraid, he didn't want to hurt her so he controlled his anger with a simple. "Yes"

Relieved that Zuko wasn't angry anymore, but still worried about the pain this would cause him "Well your Grand Father was really upset about this and to punish your Father he commanded him to kill you. So your Father would know what pain it is to lose you're only son."

Zuko realized with a shock that Azula told him this before. "So when Azula said my Father was going to kill me, she she was speaking the truth." He stuttered.

"Yes, I believe she was" seeing the pain in Zuko's eyes she added a soft "I'm sorry."

"So why didn't my Father didn't killed me, was it out of love?" He couldn't stop himself from sounding hopeful.

"Do you really want to know the answer? It's not a pleasant one and I know I wouldn't want to hear it." Mai asked seriously with a last attempt to save Zuko's feeling.

Afraid for what the answer might be but needing to know the truth Zuko answered. "Yes"

She knew she shouldn't allow herself to feel sorry for Zuko. But she couldn't stop herself for it when she answered him. "Your Father didn't spared you're live out of love for you. He spared your live because your Mother begged him to do so, to kill her instead of you. Your Grand Father agreed and said that the pain of losing his wife would be enough to teach your Father."

"So my Father killed my Mother" Zuko said with a trembling voice, now wishing he hadn't asked for the answer.

"Yes, I believe he did." She realized that an 'I'm sorry' wasn't going to ease Zuko's pain.

Zuko let him fall himself to the ground and allowed himself to silently cry. Mai came sitting down next to him. Zuko let his head fall on her chest and Mai let it rest there.

XXX

They finally decided (Appa just couldn't fly any further) that they had put enough space between them and the fire nation. Kuei still tried to hide himself for the rest of group and Katara was still mad and healing Sokka. Just when it looked like nobody would speak for the entire day Toph asked "Ey Aang ready for some earth bending practice."

"No sorry Toph but I really don't feel for it." He replied with a very unusual depressed voice.

Hurt by 'seeing' Aang so sad she said "No nos allowed you're going, you need some distraction."

When she was sure that the rest of the group couldn't hear them anymore she said. "You know Katara really doesn't mean what she said, she's just angry."

"No she was right I'm the Avatar I should have prevented it all, I should have prevented this entire war." It was incredible that a 12 year old boy could have so much pain, guilt and responsibility in his voice.

"Don't be so harsh on yourself. You're just a kid you shouldn't have this much responsibility, and you didn't planned to stick in that iceberg for 100 years did you?" trying to lighten his mood.

"Thanks Toph." He sounded a bit more cheerful.

Feeling that Aang was lightening up and with that herself to, she carefully asked "So you want to talk about the problem you've had with the Avatar State."

"No not really I'm sorry." He replied sounding almost as sad again.

"Don't be, it's okay if you don't want to talk about. Just know that I'll be there when you need a listening ear." She was shocked by her own sensitivity. Was she being so nice to Aang because he needed that or was she because she wanted to be? She wasn't sure.

XXX

Zuko finally felt better and was just slightly ashamed of himself for crying. But he was also very happy he had someone where he could cry. "So, you've said you wanted to give me something to remember my Mother." He finally said.

Mai said nothing but reached for her pocket, and she took a small locket out of it. She opened it revealing a painted lady. It took Zuko's breath away. "That's that's m-my Mother" he stuttered.

"No I don't think so. It belonged to her so I think it's your Grand Mother. I hoped since she looks just like her, it would be enough for you to remember her."

"How did you get this" Zuko said wit a voice full of wonder.

Mai's voice became full of regret and pain when she said; "Azula has always been really evil, even when she was young. The day that your Mother was gone she told us we we're going to sneak into her room and take some interesting stuff. That's when I found that locket I didn't told Azula about it. I'm sorry I broke into her room."

"Why did you give me this?" trying not to sound ungrateful

"I told you before, I care about you" she said, and then she began to blush. "I even lov" but she didn't get the chance to finish that sentence as Zuko interrupted her.

"Come with me." Not wanting Mai to finish that sentence. It would be different after that perhaps better. But he didn't want to take that chance at least not yet.

"Were to?" Mai asked.

"Freeing my uncle, and then getting the hell out of here."

XXX

Katara finally did everything she could on Sokka, he was sleeping now. She believed that he would be just fine afterwards. But now she hadn't Sokka's live danger to distract her and she started t feel incredible guilty for the way she treated Aang. So she decided to join Toph and Aang who were still earth bending.

"Ey Aang."

When he saw Katara was cheerful again he lightened up. "Katara you don't have to say it, I now you didn't mean it." He had regained his usual cheerful voice.

She was glad Aang was so forgiving but she still felt guilty. "Well I believe I do have to say it. I'm sorry for the way I yelled at you it wasn't fair." She exchanged a genuine 'I'm sorry / thank you for forgiving me' with a look of her eyes.

Toph however couldn't see this look, and she wasn't planning to let Katara of the hook so easily. "Yea well sugar queen but next time think for a second before you're hurting someone's feeling like that." She wished she could have cheered Aang up so easily. "Twinkle toes your earth bending practice is over, you've did well." She finished.

Confused about how Toph meaninglessly stood out for him, even more about the rare compliment she'd gave him he couldn't let out more then. "Eeeuhm thanks Toph"

"So what's with Toph?" Katara said also very confused when Toph had walked away.

"I don't know but I'm happy with it." Aang answered

XXX

She was sure she had misunderstood Zuko, this was so reckless. "You want to free your Uncle now?" she said.

He was shocked by himself for being so spontaneous. But the more he thought about it the less need there was for proper preparation. "Now is as good a time as ever. I'm confident we can take the guards, and if we go now we've the element of surprise and an escaping route." He replied trying to sound confident.

Still confused about Zuko's spontaneous outburst she asked "Which escaping route?"

"This passage of course, you said it went under all of the walls of the city. It's perfect."

"Of course, stupid question." She replied sounding embarrassed.

"You asked those a lot don't you." He joked

"Haha are you trying to get even with last time?"

Not wanting to admit he was he asked "Will you come with me?"

She looked him in the eyes wondering what he was thinking. "I'll will, but don't you think we need a plan." She needed some time to report to Azula.

"For what taken out some medium skilled earth benders who don't know where there loyalties should be. I don't think they are going to be much of a challenge surely not if we free my Uncle so he can fight too. The only thing we might have to worry about is Azula. But if we free my Uncle before we face her, it would be three against one." He was now sounding enthusiastic.

She hid her disappointment for not getting any time to report when she said. "Okay, I guess you're right."

As they where walking to the prison cells. Zuko was astonished about how much his lived changed in the last two weeks. He had freed the Avatars bison, become a different person, betrayed his Uncle for honour and glory and now he was going to free his Uncle and with that choosing to become an enemy of the Fire Nation again with someone he now 'loved?' but was an enemy only a few days ago. Live indeed was full of surprises as his Uncle often told him.

"Halt. No one is allowed to visit any of the prisoners." One of the guards said when they arrived at the prison cells.

Trying to sound as arrogant as Azula he said. "Do you've any idea about who I'm"

The guard was not impressed by this arrogant teenager "Yes you're the banished Prince Zuko, and Princess Azula specifically ordered not to let you visit your Uncle anymore."

Disappointed by the fact that his arrogance hadn't worked Zuko replied. "Well fortunately we're not visiting my Uncle, but busting him out!" And he knocked the guard out with a fire blast. Other guards emerged but Zuko kept shooting fire blast while he was walking forward. He hoped his uncle was still in the same cell, it would become incredible difficult if he wasn't.

"Azula put him in another cell we need to take a left here" Mai said while she took down a rather big guard with one of her daggers.

"How do you know?" trying not sounding suspicious.

"I was with Azula when she went to question him for any valuable information." She replied.

"That should have been a waste of time." He said laughingly

She wondered why Zuko was laughing, this wasn't actually the time to do so. "Yes he didn't want to tell us anything, Azula was quit mad about it." She said sounding confused.

"No not that, but we've lived her for on month, and practically the only thing we've did so far was serving tea." Zuko replied

A warm and familiar voice said. "You've only served the tea. I've prepared it too." He sounded a little bit insulted.

"Uncle!!" Zuko yelled with more happiness in his voice then many ever heard form him.

"Give up now you've nowhere to go." A voice said. It was the captain of the guard. He was right Ihro's cell was the death ending of this corridor.

"Zuko you've got to get me out of this cell so I can join the fight." Ihro ordered

"I can't, I don't have the key." He said

Sounding as calm as he always did Ihro replied "Zuko this door is too thick to cut true with regular fire bending, but I think lighting would do the trick."

"I can't bend lighting, you know I failed to learn it from you." He sounded a little embarrassed

"You failed because there was a turmoil inside you. Which I believe now is gone. Now try it." Ihro ordered.

Zuko realized his Uncle was right. He no longer felt ashamed about how his Father thought of him, his Father was the one who should feel ashamed. Zuko concentrated harder then he ever did in his live. He felt the two different energies in his body and separating them.

It was almost like the captain of the guard planned to say this at the moment it would be most distracting. "Okay you've had your chance to surrender, now prepare to die."

"I'll fight them off for a minute so you free your uncle" Mai said and she let arrows fly from out of her sleeves while she dogged the stone fists.

Zuko again concentrated on separating Ying and Yang. A complete vacuum in his mind was the result not thinking about anything. Then he felt the energies clashing together while lighting shoot out of his fingertips. He guided it around the doors lock cutting it out of the door.

"You've did it!! I'm so proud on you Zuko" Ihro said when Zuko opened the door.

Zuko couldn't stop himself from smiling. "You've taught me well" he replied while he cut the chains holding his Uncles hand a feet together in a humiliation position.

"I also see you've made a new friend, or is she more then that." Ihro teased.

He wondered if he was blushing while he said. "Now is not the time Uncle we need to get out of the city." "Mai! It's time to get out!" Mai just used her last dagger on the captain of the guard who blocked it with an earth wall, while every guard in the prison complex was coming for them.

They were running through the palace to the passage. And Ihro was surprised by the lack of resistance but someone spoke before he could say something about it.

"Well, well, well my little Zuzu a traitor after all. I should have killed you directly after I've gained control of the city. And Mai I always knew you had a soft spot for my brother but to betray me for him, that's disappoints me." her voice was both mocking and cruel.

"That is enough Azula, I challenge you to Aknai Cai, and this time there is no backing of." He knew it was a bit too dramatic but he couldn't stop himself. "Mai take my Uncle out of here I'll try to follow you but don't wait to long for me."

"What makes you think I'm going to let Mai and Uncle go?" Azula said curiously.

"What makes you think you can stop us?" Ihro replied with a matter of fact voice

"Uncle Ihro follow me." Mai said, she didn't knew how to call him differently Zuko's Uncle would have sound weird and somehow calling him just Ihro sounded disrespectful.

"Do you really think you stand a chance against me, I've always been a better bender then you" Azula said still with her mocking voice when Mai and Ihro had run away. She was thinking if she was going to kill him or not.

"I've improved" he replied.

She didn't really need him anymore, Ihro would probably take Mai with him when he went to the Avatar. He probably trusted her already. And if he didn't Mai could certainly make easy trusting Ihro to trust her. It would be a piece of cake compared with making paranoia Zuko trusting her. So there was really no need to let Zuko live.

Zuko was in doubt, could he really kill her. He never killed someone before. Azula was cruel, evil and dangerous but still a living human. Would he be able to kill her? Then the battle started.

Azula threw blue fire balls which Zuko easily deflected them with fire whips and used them to hit Azula. Azula was shocked when she felt the heat of the whips she could just barley counter them. "You're right you've improved, but you're still no match for me." For the fist time she wasn't mocking Zuko. While she made huge blue flames to surround her blocking all of Zuko's fire blasts. She needed this protection while she did her lighting form. She aimed for Zuko's heart. This battle would be over. She was right but not in the way she thought she was. Zuko saw the lighting coming.

through the arm.

into the stomach, he ignored the pain.

out the arm.

He redirected it on her but aiming for her shoulder. Her eyes went big of shock. She had just enough time to think this wasn't possible. Then it went black.

Zuko was standing over his sister one hand at his hart the other aiming at her heart, but he couldn't. He might have been able to kill her in battle, but killing her now would have been plain murder. He turned away sprinting to the passage hoping Mai and his Uncle would still be there.

XXX

Katara finally permitted herself to get some sleep since things were going well with Sokka. And Kuei was still excluding himself out of the group because of his guilt and because playing with Bosco was more fun anyway.

But Aang had finally decided that he needed to talk about someone about the Avatar State. But to his surprise he wasn't planning to go to Katara but to Toph. This seemed plain suicide knowing Toph she would probably call him a big sissy, but somehow he trusted her she wouldn't. And she had said she would be there for him if he needed a listening ear.

"Ey Toph can I talk you about something?" now believing this wasn't a good idea.

"Is it about the Avatar State?" she asked

"How do you know?" was it that obvious what was bothering him?

"You're blood pressure is way higher then normally. That means it's something you're very nervous of, so I figured it's about the Avatar State or your crush on sugar queen." She said with her usual uninterested voice.

Aangs eyes went wide from shock. "You know about that!!"

"It's really quite obvious if you can feel someone's heart beat, your's goes like a woodpecker when you're near her."

Still shocked and now a little embarrassed Aang replied with. "yeawellbutwelleeeum"

"Don't worry I won't tell her about it. But you wanted to talk about the Avatar State?" it was just embarrassing to 'see' Aang like this so she changed the subject.

"Eeueh yea thanks." He was still embarrassed but also thankful that Toph was changing the subject so he put it behind. "Do you know about chakras?" he asked

"You mean those pools of flowing energy in our bodies?"

"How do you know about those?"

"My father was very focussed about education me about things which were no good in live, because I was so 'helpless' I wouldn't use the things which had a purpose anyway." She replied with lots of irritation in her voice.

"That was wrong of him" Aangs voice made it clear he was feeling sorry for her.

She looked away trying and succeeding to look as tough as always. "It doesn't matter anymore. But back to the point what about your chakras."

"Well I need to open them all to go into the Avatar State, but last time I couldn't open my earth chakra." He replied, still feeling sorry for Toph.

"Were you scarred." She wanted to call him a sissy but even she realized this wasn't the time for that.

Aang couldn't get more out of himself then a simple and embarrassed. "Yes."

"What about last time. Katara said you entered the Avatar State when you fought Azula and Zuko." Her voice was now actually sweet and caring.

"Yea well last time I was stricken down by lightening." Aang replied he didn't noticed Toph's voice.

"Is that what you're afraid of." Aang didn't answer but he didn't need to, Toph knew the answer already. "Aang it's only natural your afraid, but don't worry we'll solve this somehow."

XXX

Mao was very tired, he had track the Avatar al day. And boy that was a damm hard job considering he travelled on a flying bison. It also appeared that they had flown for a long time. But Mao wasn't a quitter he forced himself and his horstrich to keep on travelling, tomorrow he would have cached up with the Avatar.

( Horstrich horse / ostrich)

Authors note.

Please review. Positive or Negative, nice or rude, short or long. I don't care much every type of review is appreciated. Except for flamers who don't give me a chance to discuss what's wrong

Anyway thanks for reading.