Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender.

Chapter 11: Toph and Zuko

"I think that the Boulder will win back his belt at earth rumble six" says one of the guys that had just come out of the earthbending academy.

"This is just going to be a bunch of guys chucking rocks at each other isn't it?" asks Katara as she looks at Aang and me.

"That's what I paid for" … "NOOOO, he lost" says Sokka as soon as the boulder lost.

"I will fight her" says Aang as he walks up to the fighting platform. He dodges several strikes and knocks her out of the rind with airbending.

I relaxed with Akemi and Keru working on the basics of earthbending. Aang, Sokka and Katara all went to search for the Blind Bandit.

"Well that went well" says Sokka as they approached where we had stopped to make camp.

"Have fun" I ask them.

"No, we got kicked out before we could convince her" says Aang.

"Why don't you just go visit the home as a guest. Most people want a visit from the avatar use that to convince the guards to let you in to see her parents" says Keru offhandedly.

We walk up to the gate and Aang asks to see the family and when they ask he says that we are the Avatars.

We sit at dinner and talk about different topics.

"Could I get some raw meat for Kali and Haki to eat" I ask after we finish dinner.

"Sure, they have to eat it outside though" says Loa Beifong.

"I will make sure they do" I say.

I was out sitting on the roof with Kali when Toph and Aang approached I waved and went back to watching the stars.

"Hi Kitty" I hear Aang say after I wave.

I tune out their conversation and only pay attention when I hear the word ambush. I jump down and follow them but we are all trapped in metal cages before we can get far.

Toph was yelling at the men who had us in the hanging metal cages. Aang tried to use airbending to get out. I opened my water skins and froze the hinges on Aang's cage I froze then liquefied the water over and over breaking the hinge a little bit more each time.

After about half an hour the Beifong family and our friends approached. The men gave Toph back but said they were going to turn Aang and me into the fire lord and claim the reward. The hinge on Aang's cage groaned and he jumped over to Katara and Sokka. Now to free myself, I could hear Katara begging Toph for help. I used a mixture of sharp air currents and ice blades to weaken the metal but even after being hit several times it was barely any easier to break out of and I was starting to panic. I could hear Toph fighting the other earthbenders and Aang trying to break the chain keeping the cage suspended. I felt the cage start to drop rapidly and when it reached the ground I felt the impact as my teeth clicked together and my head hit the side of the metal box.

"Hang on Kitty we will have you out in just a few seconds" I hear Katara say as I try to clear my head. Kali was safe I had managed to move to where I wouldn't crush her when we hit the ground. I got out of the metal box from hell as soon as they had released the latch. I watched as Toph beat the last man and toss him onto a pile of already defeated others.

We had all made it back safe and the Beifongs had kicked us out. We were beneath a tall tree on a hill and just finishing organizing. Aang and Toph were going to start training. Akemi was going to spar with Katara to help her be better able to fight firebenders. Sokka and Keru were helping the other advance their skills.

I needed to go and find one of the sword smiths in the earth kingdom I had heard about. The town was somewhat out of the way but I needed to replace my naginata replaced. I flew to the town the man Gansu was said to be an excellent sword maker.

I landed near the pond at the back of the property. I walked up to the house and knocked, a young boy.

"Is Gansu in?" I ask the boy.

"He is on the roof, I'll go get him" he replies before he runs off.

A few minutes later an older gentleman approached.

"Can I help you?" he asks

"Could you craft me a pair of swords? They need to be lightweight and durable. One also has to be dark for night fights" I ask.

"Yeah it will probably only take a day. I have the materials in the shop. Could you help the young man on the roof fix the roof of the barn?" I nod as I walk to where he pointed.

As I got to the roof I see Zuko. "Hey, nice seeing you again"

He looks up and narrows his eyes at me. I just grab a tile and start patching the roof.

"Why are you here" he asks accusingly.

"I am only here to get Swords made to replace my naginata. You?"

"The young boy offered to feed my ostrich-horse since I didn't rat him out to the earth nation bullies that are running this town"

"That's nice of you." After I check and make sure no one is in hearing distance I ask "why do you wish to return to your father so badly? He was the one who banished you and from what I heard from Zhao he did it to get you and your uncle out of his way." He just sits there and looks depressed. "It is okay to want your father to be a good man but you need to look at the facts. He banished you and made it so your sister was next in line for the throne."

"What am I supposed to do if I don't capture the avatar and return my honor?"

"You should do what makes you happy, whether it is helping people out or training people in firebending. Do what makes you happy."

He looks to be deep in thought and I continue working on the roof in silence. We finished the roof just at dusk and we were called in to eat.

"What is your story" asks the young boy.

"It is a story that will take a long time and will upset your parents probably" I reply

"Could you share it" asks the boy.

"Only if your parents say it is ok" I say. I pet Kali as I wait for them to make the decision, Gansu nods and I start "well first there are two facts you should know first I am an avatar and second I was frozen in an iceberg for 100 years. When I was 10 I was out camping with my brother and waterbending teacher. My teacher, Shi, had gotten captured and severely injured by some earth nation rogues. I held off the rogues while my brother took Shi and went to get help. Shi had been gravely injured and could not fight. I managed to hold them back for a while but eventually I was outmatched and captured. A week later I was found by some fire nation soldiers and taken back to the air temple." I watch their reactions throughout the story and they are all stunned even Zuko. I continue petting Kali and say "Some of the men who tortured were forced to by the leader. He had threatened their families if they refused their family would die. I believe this is true also of the fire nation soldiers now. If they don't fight they will be charged with treason and killed."

They seem to think about the truth of my words. Finally Gansu asks "Do you hate the earth nation as a whole or just those who harmed you?"

"I hated those that hurt me. For a while I was wary to even be near any earthbender but as time went on I realized I did not have to be wary because they were not the ones that hurt me. I then started to judge based on actions instead of assumptions." I say I rubbed the left side of my rib cage unconsciously.

"Your swords will be finished tomorrow evening so you can stay the night" Gansu says. I nod and head off to the lake I left Kokurai at. I leaned back against him and drifted. Several hours later Zuko approached and sat watching me.

"Something you need" I ask not even bothering to open my eyes.

"Why do you fight?"

"I fight for those who cannot fight for themselves. Where is your uncle by the way?" I ask as I open my eyes to observe him.

"We split up a while back."

"Do you think he could have followed you just to make sure you were safe?"

"I don't know but I have realized that I really messed things up with him"

"He will forgive you." I watch and gesture next to me and say "if your cold you can come closer it's really warm next to Kokurai."

{Next day- around noon}

The earth nations bullies approach and tell Gansu about his sons capture and start to pick a fight but Zuko and I intervene and they leave. Gansu handed me my completed Swords.

"I am going to the front lines to look for my son" Gansu says before heads off.

"I better get leaving too. I have a long trip ahead of me." I say.

I rest at a clearing not far from the village to refill my water skins before I head out. Suddenly Selah comes racing up on an ostrich horse "please help they have taken Lee" I nod and head back. In the village center Lee is tied up and the bullies surrounding him.

"Why don't you leave the kid alone and pick on someone your own size Zuko says as I glare at the leader.

"Who would that be? You?" the leader laughs as though that was funny

"Yes me" Zuko replies.

Working quickly and effectively Zuko knocked out the others until only the leader was left. He started using earthbending. Eventually he was thrown into the side of a building

"Who are you?" he asks fearfully.

"I am Zuko Prince of the Fire Nation"

"The only prince was banished" one villager yelled.

"The prince of the Fire Nation stood up for his beliefs and fought an honor duel against his father. You really should judge based on actions, instead of being bigots" I say as I push off the building I was leaning against. "These people were oppressing you and Zuko took away their power over you."

"And just who are you? Another Fire Nation scum?" sneers another villager.

"Me? Well I'm just Kitty. Twin to Aang and second Avatar" I say as I tilt my head slightly to the side.

"Why would you side with Fire Nation then?" the first villager asks.

"I don't side with fire nation, I'm siding with who is right on this topic. I could side with fire nation if I wanted to be a bigot. When I was 10 I was captured and tortured by earth nation rogues, Fire Nation soldiers saved me. If I went by that alone I should side with the fire nation no matter that the ones who hurt me were rogues. I choose to judge based on what a person has done rather than to stereotype people."