"So have you ever redirected lightning before?" Aang asked.

"Once, against my father," I replied.

"What did it feel like?" I stopped. I paused to remember. "It felt...exhilarating, but also terrifying. You feel powerful holding that much energy inside of your body, but you know if you make the wrong move, it's over."

"Well, not over over," Aang said, still doing the motion I showed him. "Katara can help with that with a little bit of her Spirit Water. Right Katara?"

"Actually, I used it all when Azula shot you," she explained.

"Oh..."

"You'll have to take the Fire Lord's life before he takes yours," I warned.

"Yeah, I'll do that," Aang said.

A little while later, Sokka came over. "Still doing this Firebending?" he asked. "Whoa, what's that? I've never seen that in Firebending before."

"Apparently, its for redirecting lightning," Aang replied.

"It looks like Waterbending," Sokka observed.

"Great observation, genius," I replied. "It was created by my uncle when he watched Waterbenders."

"Huh." He paused. "Oh yeah! I wanted you guys to meet me on the rocky cliffs when you're done. I got a battle plan I want to test."

"All right," Aang said. "Zuko said I have five more minutes."

"Great, meet you then."

I hope Aang can stop Father. Its the only choice if we want to protect the world. If we want a world to save. I looked at Katara. She is still watching Aang. "Katara?" I asked. She stopped slurping her watermelon and looked at me. "Hm?"

"Uh, I notice you watch all our Firebending lessons. Is there a reason for that?"

"Well, um..." she paused. "Well, the first time Aang used Firebending, he burned my hands. I mean, I know he wasn't trying to." So that's what he was talking about when I told him that he could hurt people he doesn't want to. He seemed to understand what I was talking about.

"And the only other kind of Firebending I've seen was yours but yours seemed..."

"Angry?" I checked.

"Yeah," Katara agreed. "Yours was angry. I haven't seen Firebending used like this before. Its...pretty. Its almost like a dance itself. It reminds me of Waterbending."

"Waterbending is more graceful," I said. "Firebending is more of being fierce."

"Its still pretty," Katara said. "I've never seen Firebending used like that before." I looked at Aang. "Time's up."

"Phew, thank goodness," he sighed. "My arms were getting tired."

"Let's go meet up with Sokka," Katara said. "He's waiting with Toph."

We met Sokka on the cliff he was talking about before. "Gather around everyone!" he called. He put a melon with a carved face on a scarecrow. "In order to take out the Fire Lord-"

"Melon Lord," Toph said.

"Yeah, Melon Lord, we need a perfect plan," Sokka continued. Sokka knelt down and drew a line to the picture of the...Melon Lord. "First, Suki and I will draw open fire on him. Then Katara and Zuko charge in with liquidy hot offense, and while Melon Lord is distracted, Aang swoops in and BAM!" He crossed out the symbol with a line. "He delivers the final blow."

"Uh...what about me?" Toph asked.

"For now, you get to be the Melon Lord's forces," Sokka explained.

"So I get to chuck flaming rocks at you?" she asked, excited.

"Whatever makes training feel realistic," Sokka replied.

"Sweet!"

"Places everyone!" Sokka called. Katara and I walked into a corner while Toph climbed up the rocks and stood in front of Melon Lord. "Mwa-ha-ha-ha-ha!" Toph laughed. Sokka signaled for him and Suki to head up the cliff. They dodge Toph's flaming rocks and knocks over the scarecrows, which Sokka explained were supposed to be Fire Nation soldiers.

Toph knocked Sokka down with a rock, which, thankfully, wasn't on fire. "Watch it, Toph!" Sokka called. Toph raised her arms into the air. "I am not Toph! I am Melon Lord! Mwha ha ha!" She gets into character well, maybe a little too well. Toph threw a flaming rock at Katara and I. We both dodged but became surrounded by a circle of scarecrows. "Now, Aang!" Sokka called.

Aang flew up with his glider to the Melon Lord. He stopped right before he hit it. "What's the matter? Take him out!" I exclaimed.

"I can't," Aang mumbled.

"You can't hesitate!" Sokka explained. "If this was the real deal, he would've shot you with lightning by now."

"I'm sorry," Aang apologized, shaking his head. "I just didn't feel like myself, taking him out like that."

"But, Aang, it's just-" Katara said.

"I'm sorry, I just can't do it." Aang began to walk away. Sokka destroyed the Melon Lord with his sword. "There, that's how it's done." If Aang can't take out my father, the world would end as we know it. The world will be on their knees, begging for mercy, but, Father won't give them any. Aang is too kind. He needs to learn what's right and when to do it. Aang needs to learn that forgiveness isn't always the answer. He needs to push past his boundaries he set up for himself and do what's best for everyone else.

Suki made dinner when night came. Katara came running, happy about something. "Hey, guys! Look at what I found!" she exclaimed cheerfully, holding up a scroll.

"I knew it!" Toph said. "You did have a thing with Haru!" Everyone looked at her. Haru? That Earthbending guy? Really? I don't think Katara is into him. "Uh...no," Katara said, giving Toph a strange look. "Nothing even near that."

"Oh okay," Toph said.

"I was looking for some cooking pots in the attic and found this." She opened the scroll to reveal a picture of Father when he was a baby. Its a picture of Father playing on the beach of Ember Island. "Look at baby Zuko! Isn't he cute?" She thinks that's me? He doesn't even look like me!

Everyone laughed. "Oh lighten up, Zuko," Katara said. "I was just teasing."

"That's not me," I explained. "That's Father." Katara rolled up the scroll. "But he looks so sweet and innocent!" Suki said, shocked.

"Well, that sweet little kid grew up to be a monster and the worst father of all fathers," I remarked.

"But he's still a human," Aang said.

"You're going to defend him?" I asked.

"No, I agree with you," Aang said. "Fire Lord Ozai is a horrible person. The world will be better without him but...he's still a person." He paused. "There has to be another way."

"Like what?" I asked.

"I don't know!" Aang cried, throwing his arms up. "Maybe we can make big pots of glue and I can use gluebending to glue his arms and legs together so he can't bend anymore!"

"Yeah, then you can show him his baby pictures to remind him of what a sweet kid he once was and bring back his happy memories and make him good again," I replied sarcastically.

"Do you think that would work?" Aang asked.