Azula stood near one of the air nomad statues, after using some of her firebending to get her to land where she wanted to. She had a gentle smile on her face and was getting ready to head back to her campsite when suddenly something shiny caught her eye.
"What in the world?" she turned around focusing her eyes more, there was a man with a metal arm and leg.
Looking closely Azula's eyes widen realizing who it was. She never encountered this man before but she did background researches on all high bidding bounty hunters and hit men. He was great at what he did. But there was one problem, once you gave him a job he would never stop till that person was dead.
"The question is who sent him?" Azula asked herself then reality hit "The Avatar oh shit Katara." She took off with great speed hoping she would make it in time.
-Meanwhile back at the water fountain-
"Aah, that's the stuff. Now I know how the rest of you guys feel. Not being able to see with your feet stinks." Toph said after Sokka and Aang placed her feet in the water.
While the gang was talking among themselves they didn't noticed combustion man was watching them very closely waiting for the moment to strike. He inhales and fires only to end up being hit by Zuko making his blast deflect.
"Stop! I don't want you hunting the Avatar anymore" the young prince said standing in front of the large man "The mission is off. I'm ordering you to stop."
Combustion man ignores Zuko's orders and pushes him out of the way and continues to attack the Avatar and the rest of the gang. While that was going on Azula climbs in through the window of the building next to the where the prince and hit man were fighting.
"That little bastard hired him to hunt down the Avatar. That damn fool." The princess spoke to herself after hearing her brother's confession.
"If you keep attacking, I won't pay you." Zuko said trying to attack only to he grabbed easily by combustion man "Aah. Alright, I'll pay you double to stop."
The third eyed hit man shoots at the group one more time before turning to attack Zuko, who puts up a shield of fire. The force of the explosion blows him off the side of the building. Azula saw this and hid beside the window again.
"Ok so dear Zuzu can't stop him with firebending bet he didn't know this man is a firebender as well." Azula thought to herself hearing the blasting going on outside the building. "Shit this man is going to blow that building off the cliff side. Got to think fast before I lose Katara."
The young warrior looked around the room trying to find anything that would help then she noticed something was being covered by a large blanket.
"Hello what's this?" she walked over to the hidden items and threw the blanket off. There were five massive barrels with the fire nation's symbol on them. She opened one of them and smiled. It was full of blasting gelignite.
"Our troops probably left them here after an attack" she looked around the barrels and found the large ignition fuses. "Time to get to work" Azula moved quickly grabbing each barrel putting four at each corner of the room then placing one in the center. Once that was done she thrust a fuse in each barrel doing a quick check to see if everything was ready.
"Done, once its lights this building will fall if Zuzu doesn't make it from this blast or from that fall that will be less trouble for me." Azula grinned seeing combustion man standing on the same building she was on 'perfect' she thought then quickly ran to the window igniting the fuses at her highest level of firebending then jumping out of the window.
"Yeah, boomerang!" Sokka shouted grabbing it, then looks back up only to see combustion man getting back up "Aww, boomerang."
Combustion Man tires to fire another shot but it doesn't work correctly and sparks come instead. He puts his hand in front of his forehead and the explosion goes off. Right when that happened Azula's homemade bombs go off causing the entire building to blow up and take half of the building with him all that was seen was his metal arm falling down to the never ending ground.
Azula watched for a moment making sure everything was taken care of then she noticed some movement and smirked. What she saw was her brother climbing back up the building he was knocked off from then started heading towards the group. She turned around and started walking back to her campsite.
-Meanwhile back near the fountain-
"I can't believe I'm saying this, but... thanks Zuko." Aang said seeing him walk up to everyone.
"Hey, what about me? I did the boomerang thing." The young warrior said doing a small pose
"Listen. I know I didn't explain myself very well yesterday. I've been through a lot in the past few years, and it's been hard. But I'm realizing that I had to go through all those things to learn the truth. I thought I had lost my honor, and that somehow my father could return it to me. But I know now that no one can give you your honor. It's something you earn for yourself by choosing to do what's right. All I want now is to play my part in ending this war. And I know my destiny is to help you restore balance to the world." Zuko said then he looked and Toph and slightly bowed.
"I'm sorry for what I did to you. It was an accident. Fire can be dangerous and wild. So as a firebender, I need to be more careful and control my bending, so I don't hurt people unintentionally." Zuko explained standing up straight again
"I think you are supposed to be my firebending teacher. When I first tried to learn firebending, I burned Katara, and after that I never wanted to firebend again. But now I know you understand how easy it is to hurt the people you love. I'd like you to teach me." The young Avatar said bowing to his teacher.
Zuko bows as well "Thank you. I'm so happy you've accepted me into your group."
"Not so fast. I still have to ask my friends if it's okay with them. Toph, you're the one that Zuko burned. What do you think?" Aang asked
"Go ahead and let him join. It'll give me plenty of time to get back at him for burning my feet."
"Sokka?"
"Hey, all I want is to defeat the Fire Lord. If you think this is the way to do it, then I'm all for it."
"Katara?" The waterbender looked up glaring at Zuko then looks at Aang "I'll go along with whatever you think is right."
"I won't let you down, I promise." Zuko said watching the gang walk away minutes later Sokka takes Zuko to his new room.
"So, here you go. Home sweet home. I guess, you know, for now. Unpack. Lunch, soon. Uhh. Welcome aboard." Sokka said a bit uncomfortable "Yeah." Then walks away looking at Aang "Okay. This is really, really weird."
Zuko starts to unpack his belongings and carefully sets a picture of his uncle down on top of a small table next to the bed. He hears something then turns seeing Katara as he stands up she speaks.
"You might have everyone else here buying your "transformation", but you and I both know you've struggled with doing the right thing in the past. So let me tell you something right now." Katara said walking up to Zuko
"You make one step backward, one slip up, give me one reason to think you might hurt Aang and you won't have to worry about your destiny anymore. Because I will make sure your destiny ends, right then and there. Permanently." Katara walks away slamming the door closed to Zuko's room.
Later on that night Katara slipped away into the same room again leaving a small candle burning that way Azula knew she was there. It wasn't long till Azula slipped in through the window and smiled.
"Miss me?"
"Hmm I don't know leave again and I'll tell you"
"Damn that's cold princess"
Katara slowly walked up the Azula and wrapped her arms around her lovers neck "I was joking Zula you know I always miss you" she said giving the firebender a kiss.
They were silent for a minute; the young warrior could feel a certain vibe flowing from her beloved waterbender. She could easily read those ocean blue eyes.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing just tired I guess"
"You're a very terrible liar you know that and there's no way you can sneak one by me."
Katara lightly smiled and shrugged "It was worth a shot"
"So what is it?"
"It's your brother Zuko, he's with us now. I'm not really comfortable with him here, I guess you can say it's a trust issue. Not only that but he hit a really sore spot that I will never forget" Katara said gently touching her mother's necklace.
Azula watched her lover's movements noticing the necklace "Ok, we'll talk more about it in a sec let me just more comfortable and we can talk more. Does that sound good?"
"Yes that sounds perfect"
Both young woman changed out of their usual clothes and got more comfortable once that was done Azula got onto the bed resting her back against the wall. Katara joined her as well leaning against her firebender.
"Ok let's start from the top and give me your reason of why you don't like by brother Zuzu." Azula thought for a moment then snaps grabbing both her lover's hands. "Did he hurt you physically in any way? Did he? Because I swear to Agni I will beat his ass right now."
"No, No Azula nothing like" She looked into her lover eyes. Bad mistake "Ok he hurt me once but that was at Northern water tribe. Nothing bad happened he just knocked me out just to take Aang."
"I guess but that does not mean I will let that slip by me. Zuzu will be taught a lesson sooner or later."
"Gee you sure know how to sweet talk a girl"
"Your damn right I do and you love it"
"Yes I do, I just can seem to resist your charms"
"Yup I have it all; I can put any male to shame"
"I'm sure. Now let's stop talking about yourself and get back to why I'm not happy with your brother"
"Alright fine. We can talk about me later then" Azula smiled as Katara lightly slapped her arm.
The two lovers talked about how Katara was feeling about the whole Zuko situation, but once Azula got her comfortable enough to agree that the young princes wouldn't do anything wrong to hurt her or her friends again. Once that was clear they started talking about other things like how life was like at the Southern water tribe and how life was like in the Fire nation.
Then the subject changed and they started talking about Katara's necklace her mother gave her. Azula found out that it was a betrothal necklace and it was tradition in the water tribe. Once that was said the firebending princess was already planning ahead of time.