"...Trust is for fools .." Speaking

'...she was born lucky..' Thoughts

enjoy

They had flown over the net and were now a good distance away when Zuko finally addressed Aang.

"Aang!"

Turning around to face his fire-bending master, he climbed into the saddle to listen more intently.

Putting Azula next to him and elevating her head with some clothes.

"...I know I'm asking a lot here, and you guys have already done so much for me."

"Hey it's no big deal-

"No, we didn't know the Fire Kingdom's plans; we didn't know it would be like this. That's why I want to thank both of you for helping me. Knowing how much danger it was going to be, you still decided to trust me. I couldn't ask for better friends than you guys. That's why I want you to drop Azula and I off at a nearby island." He stopped Aang from continuing and finished his statement, shocking them both.

"What!, Are you crazy!" Toph exclaimed from her spot hanging on the side of the saddle.

"Yeah! What if she wakes up and decides to do who knows what?" Aang grabbed the sides of his head in distress.

"Yeah! She's crazy, and that was before she really turned crazy!"

Zuko had a smile on his face, which was shocking to Aang, as he had never seen Zuko smile so genuinely before.

"I know you guys are concerned about my safety," Zuko said, looking at Azula's sleeping form. "But during my interactions with the group, I noticed the bond between Sokka and Katara. Even though they fought, they always found a way to make up. I'm not asking for Azula and I to have the same type of bond, but what I'm asking is for us to understand each other better... And that's not going to happen with others around us; I want her full attention on me."

"And you think she won't just kill you first chance she gets!" Toph was being adamant that this whole thing was a bad idea.

"It's not that she can't kill me, it's that I think I'm strong enough to stop her- no I know I'm strong enough to stop her"

"But-

"Toph...I think Zuko's right"

"Wha-

"It's his sister Toph; Zuko has to decide what to do, just like all of us. And if he wants to help her, who am I to stand in his way? Just don't die on us, buddy." Aang ended with a broad smile.

"...I still don't like it," Toph said, narrowing her eyes under her bangs.

Zuko could see her emotions playing clear on her face, even if she tried to hide them; he could still see how concerned she was. Moving over to her, he hugged her tightly to reassure her.

"I'll be okay, I promise to return to you." Wrapping her arms around him after finally accepting it, she replied, "You better not die on me; otherwise, I'll have Twinkle Toes drag your soul back just so I can kill you myself. You hear me?" She ended by digging her head deeper into his chest while wrapping her arms even tighter around him.

"Eh, you have my permission," he smiled.

Looking at the two most hard-headed people in the group, sharing a tender moment, almost felt like he was intruding on something.

"and Aang" She snapped him out of his thoughts

"yeah?" he asked curiously

"You ever raised your voice at me again, it won't be the Firelord alone you'll be facing" she said still in the embrace.

"yes sifu, sorry sifu" a look of fear spreaded on his face.

"Good, I'm still raising the load of your training tenfold though"

"Ark" Aang eyes widen in shock

Zuko chuckled in response, while Toph turned her head to face Aang with a wide evil smile on her face.

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"So for how long will you be staying" Aang asked from Appa down at Zuko holding Azula in his arms while Toph laid passed out in Zuko's spot he had sat, it was almost dawn when they finally found a island not far from Ember island, but still a good distance away from it.

"I want you to pick us up in 6 days from today"

"so a week...you sure that's enough time to do what you want to do" Aang nodded and continued.

"I won't know unless I try Aang" Zuko replied

"But... what if it don't work?" Aang questioned

"...Then we'll cross that bridge when we get there" Zuko had a hard expression on his face not liking what he had to do if he didn't succeed.

Ang nodded " Alright we'll see you in a week buddy still, be careful" Aang went to Appa's head to lift them off and take him and Toph home.

"See you guys," Zuko nodded and watched as they lifted off the ground and flew into the distance. He walked to the already-set up camp, which Aang had helped him with. Nothing fancy - just two rock walls leaning against each other with one triangle of rock closing it off on the other side, while leaving the other side completely open. Inside, there was a sleeping bag for Azula already placed.

Gently putting Azula down so that he doesn't wake her up, he left to get them some food incase she wakes up.

...

Slowly fighting through the cobwebs in her head, her eyes began to flutter open. She grimaced as she didn't feel the usual soft covers and bedding under her, which made her finally wake up and reach full consciousness. Sitting up, she looked around and saw she was in a rock-like tent. Was she, the princess of the Fire Nation, really kidnapped like some lowly noblewoman? Whoever did this will surely wish they were never born. A rage burned through her body, ready to burn anyone who stood in her way, and if any indications of the tent she was in meant Earthbenders, then that just made it better. Hearing the sound of wood breaking, she tensed her muscles, ready to face whatever was out there.

Tying her robe tighter around her, she walked to the right wall and leaned against it. Moving forward, she came to the end of it and looked around it. The person she was expecting was definitely not her brother, which made her touch the back of her neck unconsciously. It wasn't a dream; he was really there, and not only that, he had kidnapped her! A snarl appeared on her face; her heart was beating loudly in her ears, as the rage within her boiled over.

Running out of the tent with loud footsteps, she approached him, clenching her smoking fist. Lifting her right fist, she opened her palm and sent a wave of intense blue flames. The sound of her footsteps alerted him, causing him to look up and see the flames approaching.

Quickly rolling to the left and into a crouch, he removed his swords while maintaining his focus on her. He didn't give her another chance to think of another attack; as he leapt forward to attack her. Ducking his backhanded sword swing, she jumped back to dodge a downward swipe.

"Really, Zuzu. Kidnapping? Have those peasants finally installed their beliefs in your head?" No words came from him as he stared at her with an emotionless face. "What? Nothing to say, or was it that you knew that you and that little gang of riffraffs were going to lose the war, so you resorted to kidnapping?" She maliciously smiled at him, still no answer from him, only him tightening his stance, glaring at her. "Fine, No answer, then die!"

Punching a ball of blue flames at him, which he dodged by jumping to the side and running towards her, sheathed his swords, glaring at him full force. She ran at him with two fingers extended at each hand behind her and jumped up to do a mid-air double sweep kick, sending arcs of flames at him. The attack didn't stop him from advancing; heating his hands, he karate chopped up the first and did a butterfly twist over the second one, coming out of the butterfly twist, he punched with his left fist a fireball at her in mid-air, slapping the fireball away, she leaned her head to the side to dodge the jab. Thrusting her right flat hand to stab him in his eyes, which he slapped it away with his left and sent a chop at her neck, which she blocked, blocking a stomach kick from her, he grabbed her foot and twirled with it and threw her to the ground, sending her rolling on the ground. Not done, he punched the ground sending a wave of orange flames at her. Rolling back onto her feet, she quickly made a fire shield to block the attack, which sent her flying back onto the ground again, indicating that the shield was too weak against the force, but strong enough to protect her against the flames.

Panting on her hands and knees, she glared at her brother as he stared down at her with a frown. "Don't you dare look down at me, you miserable failure of a firebending prince!" she shouted at him, enraged with madness. She stood up and sent a barrage of fireballs at him.

Unsheathing his swords, he began slicing the fireballs, dispersing them as they appeared. With each fireball he sliced, he took one step closer to her. He cut one large one in the middle, sending the two halves to the sides of him. Seeing her freeze in disbelief, he quickly threw one sword, hooking the fabric of her robe at her shoulder, the sharp point of the blade cutting into her skin between the shoulder and neck. This caused her to slam into the tree behind her, the blade stuck in it.

Grimacing in pain, she looked at the blade lodged in her left shoulder; a flash of concern appeared in Zuko's eyes as he gazed upon her injury. Snarling through clenched teeth, a deranged expression appeared on her face, and she turned to face him. Grabbing hold of the sword, she said, "It seems like that traitorous trash taught you a few things without my knowledge." Finally getting a response from him, she pulled the sword out and threw it to the side.

The blood began to seep through the cloth as her arm hung limply at her side. She took three steps towards him... "When I'm finished here, I'll have her publicly executed for her actions." Her eyes dilated with madness as she slowly raised her right hand; lightning began to travel around it. It was as if everything was moving in slow motion for her, just as she was about to shoot the lightning bolt at Zuko, he suddenly appeared in front of her with a flaming right hand, which was in a grasping position, aimed at her face. Taking hold of her right hand, he positioned it away from him.

The momentum of their fall brought them both to the floor, with Zuko straddling her. As the lightning went off in the distance, his warm hand came to rest on the left side of her face. Just before he touched her face, he extinguished the flames, leaving only the warmth of his hand to send Azula into a state of panic. She began crying and profusely apologizing.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," it seemed as though she were lost in her own mind. "Azula..." Zuko asked with concern as he gently held her face; tears streamed down to the side, with how her head was turned to the side, her eyes closed. He had never seen her this frightened or scared in his life. "Please, Father, please don't treat me like Zuko. It won't happen again." Gently moving his hand behind her head and lifting it up, he sat up as well, wrapping his arms around her and hugging her in comfort. Letting her cry into his chest.

'Damn you, Ozai!' Zuko cursed his father for how badly he had treated them, placing his head on hers and wrapping his arms tighter around her.

A/N: Another chapter as I promised I hoped you guys enjoyed it, the fight was a little hard to do, because with how different styles fire bending has in the show, so I decided to scrap all that and add a little martial arts in it with a little sword play to even it out. So tell me what you guys thought of it

Anyway, YAMI OUT