I stopped in my camp again. If I can't convince them, the Avatar will never fulfill his destiny. I'll never fulfill my destiny. I kicked a rock in anger. It flew out the ground and hit a tree. The nearby badgerfrogs jumped away. I flopped down.

How am I going to get past them? It seems impossible with the grudge they're holding. This seems impossible. "How am I going to convince them?" I cried. The badgerfrogs croaked in the surrounding trees. "I told them I sent an assassin after them! I can't believe I said that! Why didn't I just tell them that Azula sent the assassin! Why did I even have to mention it?" The badgerfrogs croaked gently.

"Yeah, yeah. I should calm down," I said. "I just can't! They don't want to trust me! How can I teach the Avatar Firebending if he doesn't want me to join?" I asked the badgerfrogs in the trees.

I sighed. "It's getting late, I'll try again later." I rolled up in my blanket. If I can't teach the Avatar Firebending, who's going to defeat my Father?

I woke up to the sound of a rustle. "Who's there?" I asked. There came no response. "Show yourself!" I demanded. A figure emerged from the bushes. I couldn't see who it was but that didn't matter. Whoever they were, they weren't answering. "Answer me!" I demanded while swinging a line of fire from my foot. "Oof!" It sounded like a female's voice.

"You burned me!" they cried. I recognized the voice! It was one of the Avatar's friends! "Why did you burn me?" she asked.

"I'm sorry! It was an accident!" I apologized.

"Why did you burn me?" she cried, crawling away in the bushes.

"I'm sorry! Wait! Don't go!"

She crawled away in the bushes before I could follow her. Now they really aren't going to trust me! What have I done? Why didn't I just make a fire small enough for light? Why did I have to lose my temper? "Why am I so bad at being good?" I cried as I flopped on the floor.

Morning came. I did want to try again, but last time failed. I was running out of options. I wasn't sure what to do anymore. But, I had to go back. I needed to help the Avatar. He needs to learn Firebending. I had to go back.

I had myself a small breakfast. Then, I went back to the group. What am I going to say to convince them? How am I going to do it? On my way there, I stopped to see the assassin I hired, aiming towards the Avatar. I pushed him out of the way, causing his eye beam to blast a different direction. "Hey!" I called to him since he still shot his beam. He looked at me. "I don't want you to hunt the Avatar anymore."

He ignored me and turned again. He shot another eye beam before I got to do anything. Thankfully, the Water Tribe girl used a water shield and blocked with the water. "I said stop!" I tried to Firebend at him. He grabbed my arm, stopping me. "Okay! I'll pay you double to stop!" I tried. He pushed me farther from him. Geez, this guy's stubborn.

He aimed again, so I kicked him. This time, he shot the wall near the sword guy. He got mad at me and took aim at me. I created a fire wall to block the fire, however, it was too powerful. The impact of the fire and his beam pushed me over the cliff. Thankfully, there was a vine nearby, somehow strong enough to hold my weight.

I used the vine to climb back up the ledge. I hide behind the wall so he can't see me. There's gotta be a way to take this guy down. But what is it? I duck as water is blasted towards me. It hits the wall. I Glance down to where the Avatar and his group are at. Except this time, I don't see them. Where did they go? I examine the ground below. Then, the sword guy peeks around the wall and throws something.

It misses the assassin. He turns to face at him and then the thing comes back. Ah! It must have been a boomerang! It hits the assassin in the back of his head. Then it falls. That looked like the boomerang he hit me with before. He tries aiming again. Sparks lit by his third eye and exploded in front of him. I duck back behind the wall.

I heard the loudest explosion and a crash. Dust flew up next to me and rocks tumbled to the ground below. His metal arm flew off somewhere, off the Air Temples. I guess that's the end of him. So much for 'The Assassin who's Never Been Beaten'. I watch the rocks fall, just to be sure he isn't going to appear out of nowhere, which he doesn't.

I go back down to the group, to see if I can convince them this time. They have to work with me now, I just saved their lives…after I hired him to end them. Maybe this'll be harder than I thought.

"Thanks, Zuko," the Avatar said.

"What about me? I did the boomerang thing!" the sword guy asked, grabbing his boomerang from the rubble.

"I know I didn't explain myself very well yesterday. It's just, it has been a little hard in the past. I had only wanted to capture you to restore my honor but, I found out that I had to restore it myself. Something, or someone, cannot restore my honor for me. I was trying to fulfill the destiny put there for me instead of creating my own. My destiny is to help you restore balance to the world, to end this war."

I look at the bun girl. She is sitting on a rock, giving me a strange look. "I'm sorry," I said, bowing. "I wasn't trying to hurt you. Fire can be dangerous; you need to have good control over it."

The girl smiled at me. "I think you are supposed to be my Fire Bending teacher," the Avatar said, shock in his voice. "Last time I tried Fire Bending, I burnt Katara and I never wanted to Firebend again. You know how it feels to hurt someone you care for." He paused. "I would like you to teach me, Zuko," he bowed.

I bowed in return. "Thank you, for accepting me to your group," I said. The Avatar glanced at me for a second. "Hold up, I still have to ask my friends." I made it. I got through the Avatar. Now the only thing holding me back is his group of friends, more specifically, the Water Tribe. "Toph? You're the one who got burnt. What do you say?" he asked the bun girl. Toph. So she's the blind girl who tricked the dealer. "Let him join," she said, smiling. "I can get back at him for burning my feet."

"Sokka?" the Avatar asked, turning to the sword guy. The guy I met in town was him! I knew he wasn't from the Fire Nation! "Sure," he accepted. "All I want is to defeat the Fire Lord and if he's our only bet, then why not?"

Great, that's two. One more. "Katara?" the Avatar asked. She glared at me for a second. Her glare felt like she was burning a hole through my head. "Fine, but only because you agree," she finally said. Phew! That's all of them. Now I can help the Avatar learn Firebending and he can defeat my father.

I walk up to the group. "Great! I won't let you down!" I cheer. That was harder than I thought but, they finally accepted me. The sword guy-err, Sokka, led me to my room. It's near the camp they have set up, near the bison. "This is your room," he said. "You can unpack, I guess? Lunch will be soon. Join us if you want." As he began to leave, I glanced backwards at him. "Thanks," I said.

"For what?" he asked.

"For…accepting me. I know that it must be hard for you guys to get used to me, especially since I, you know, chased you down and all. So…thank you."

"Uh, no problem," Sokka said awkwardly before he left.

Out of the bag, I pull out a painting of Uncle. I put it on the bedside table. I smiled as I remembered when Uncle told me about destiny. He said that destiny never works the way you plan. Oh, Uncle. If only you could see me now.

I turn to leave but stop when Katara stares at me. She has her arms crossed. "You might have everyone else buying this sudden change, but not me," she said. "Let me tell you," she walked up close to me, "if you do anything to hurt anyone, or even Aang, I will end you and your destiny then and there, no questions asked. Permanently. You got that?" She walked out before I got to say anything. The door slammed shut behind her. It's going to take more than I have to convince her. She's holding a grudge against me. Who can blame her? It's just going to be tough getting through her.