This chapter is a little out of order from the show, but it is a cute one. I hope you enjoy it. Happy New Year!

Chapter 41: Liberation

The night I was reunited with my family was consumed by conversation. After Sokka had gotten me back to the place they were staying, the group sat around me and asked me questions about my journey. I told them about healing Iroh, running into The Rough Rhinos again, arriving at Misty Palms Oasis where some members of The White Lotus were stationed, escaping Master Yu and Xin Fu, and getting on the ferry where I met The Freedom Fighters.

The group was astounded when I told them about my run in with Jet, Longshot, and Smellerbee. Toph had absolutely no clue who Jet was and quickly asked. Sokka explained to her about how he was a crazy guy who tried to blow up a whole town to rid the area of the Fire Nation. He explained that Katara had been madly in love with him until she froze him to a tree. Katara quickly defended herself and argued that she had no feelings for Jet. Aang seemed pleased with this. When I told them that Jet claimed to have changed from his old ways, my cousins and Aang seemed doubtful. However, Aang finally stated that if Zuko could change then he guessed anyone could change.

I then asked them about their journey. What happened? Who took Appa? How long were they in the desert? They answered all my questions.

Sokka explained how after they left me with Zuko and Iroh they found a safe spot for Aang to start learning earthbending. The element had not come easy to him, and only when Sokka was in danger did he finally form a connection with the earth and move a boulder into the side of a cliff. I scolded Sokka for trying to kill a sabertooth moose-lion cub, and he just shrugged telling me that a guy has to eat. After Aang got a little more earthbending training in, the group made their way to Misty Palms Oasis where they met a man from Ba Sing Se University named Professor Zei. Katara took over at this point and told me about the professor mentioning a secret library in the desert that held all of the world's knowledge. It was called Wan Shi Tong's library.

I cut her off. "Wan Shi Tong?" Her words bewildered me. I thought for a moment, wondering why those words sounded so familiar. "I… I think I've heard of that before."

The group looked over at me with surprise. "Where?" Sokka asked.

I shut my eyes, thinking back to a time long ago.

I sat against the wall of my attic prison, pulling my knees close to me. There was a spot in the attic, where if you sat just right you could hear the voices through the floorboards. It had been five years since they had killed my mother. I had come to find ways to entertain myself in the loneliness when Tu Lan was gone. One way was listening to people in my Uncle's meeting room below me.

"Are you insane?! Why would you do such a foolish thing, Zhao? If your commanding officer learned about your little field trip then you would be punished for defying orders!"

"But Uncle Xi! I found it! It's just what Father said! Wan Shi Tong's library does exist! I found so much information there! Information that can help our men win this war! We can defeat the Northern Water Tribe!"

"What are you talking about?!"

"Just read the parchments! You'll see!"

"Enough, Zhao! No more word of this! If you want to become Captain one day, you can't run off from your fleet and go on secret missions. I swore before your father died I would keep you in line! Don't be a fool!"

Opening my eyes, I said softly, "I didn't understand any of it at the time. Now I do… I was in the attic and heard Zhao and Uncle Xi talking below. Zhao mentioned discovering Wan Shi Tong's library and finding information that would help the Fire Nation defeat the Northern Water Tribe. I realize now what the information probably was… I think he learned about the Ocean and Moon Spirits from there."

The group was stunned. Aang spoke though. "That explains what Wan Shi Tong was talking about then… about that firebender who came to the library a few years ago looking to destroy his enemy."

I nodded. "Yeah… I have a feeling that it was Zhao. The conversation at the time was gibberish to me, but thinking back on it everything makes sense now…"

Katara, who sat beside me, placed a gentle hand on my shoulder. "You wouldn't have understood. You were isolated from everything growing up… It's not your fault."

I shivered, and quickly tried to not think about the past again. "So… You went to Wan Shi Tong… What happened next?"

Sokka went on to explain that they found a room in the library that revealed a solar eclipse would be occurring before Sozin's Comet. They had hoped to give this information to the Earth King and see if they could get reinforcements to invade the Fire Nation that day. The eclipse would take away the ability to firebend which would be a huge advantage. I shivered at the thought. While I still had waterbending, I was definitely much more trained in firebending. The thought of only having one element actually made me uncomfortable for the first time in my life.

Katara continued the story. Wan Shi Tong– who was described as being a giant talking owl– discovered they were using the library to learn how to defeat their enemies and tried to bury them alive. Professor Zei refused to leave and ended up going down with the library. The group escaped though, and got back outside to where Toph had been waiting with Appa. Unfortunately, Toph was not able to keep the library from sinking and save Appa from the sandbenders at the same time. The sandbenders had taken Appa by the time the group was safe from the library, and they were forced to walk through the desert for twenty-four hours. Sokka and Momo drink some cactus juice at this point that made them delusional, and Katara told me she had to do all she could to keep the group together.

They eventually found a sand-sailer and arrived at an area of earth which turned out to be a buzzard-wasp nest. They thought they were goners until Sha Mo and his tribe showed up. Then they learned from Sha Mo's son that Appa had been traded and was being taken to Ba Sing Se. They got out of the desert finally and met some travelers who were headed to Ba Sing Se too. The pregnant woman Ying, her husband Than, and Than's sister lost their passports for the ferry, and Aang agreed to help them across the Serpent's Pass. They got across after avoiding some fireballs from a Fire Navy ship and a crazy sea serpent, and then Ying gave birth. After Katara helped deliver Ying's child, the group moved on again towards the outer wall of Ba Sing Se. They ran into Azula and her friends at that point, who were trying to break through the wall with a giant metal drill. They were able to stop the drill though and save Ba Sing Se.

Our stories met at this point. They were searching for Appa, while waiting to speak with the Earth King about the invasion plan. However, their host Joo Dee was not being helpful and they were told they wouldn't have an audience with the king for six to eight weeks.

I was amazed by everything they had told me. I insisted that they let me ask Iroh if any of his connections could get us in to see the king sooner. Katara argued against this.

"I don't know…" She said. "I feel like we should leave the eclipse between us right now. I just… I want to make sure we can trust Zuko and his Uncle first before we give away a giant secret like that."

Aang seemed unsure whose side to take. "Well… we don't have to tell Zuko or his uncle why we need to speak with the king. We could just mention that we are trying to speak with him about the war. That's not giving away anything."

I added, "The only concern I have with this is the Dai Li… from what Iroh's friend Kyro told us, the Dai Li don't want the Earth King to know about the war."

Toph's ears perked at this. "Wait! Do you all think that's why we have to wait so long? They're just stalling us?"

Sokka huffed. "Wouldn't surprise me. After the reaction people had towards that Joo Dee lady today, I'm starting to think there's a lot of shady stuff going on in Ba Sing Se."

Aang jumped up. "So we look for Appa and a way to get in to see the king sooner! I didn't come to Ba Sing Se just to sit around and do nothing! We're finding Appa and telling the Earth King about the eclipse, and we're not letting anyone stop us!"

Toph grinned, jumping up too. "I like your confidence, Twinkletoes!"

At dawn the next day, we made our way through the Upper Ring back to The Jasmine Dragon. Yuna sat on my shoulder, while Momo was on Aang's. It felt just like old times being back with the group, especially since I was back in my Water Tribe clothing. Zuko was waiting at the entrance to the tea shop when we arrived, and I could see he was still nervous about being with the group. I really hoped as the day went on everyone would start to relax

Aang seemed just fine though. He grinned and waved as we walked towards Zuko. "Hey, Lee!"

I breathed a sigh of relief. I had asked my family to call him Lee in public, just in case someone recognized the name Zuko. They had also agreed that they would call Iroh by his fake name Mushi as well.

Zuko gave a small smile at Aang, acknowledging his greeting. "Hi… Aang."

He stepped over to meet us, and I rushed forward to give him a hug. Yuna got the picture and hopped off my shoulder so she didn't get squished. As I put my arms around him, he quickly hugged me back. I knew he had missed me like I had missed him.

I spoke to him softly. "Good morning… Did you sleep well?"

He pulled away slightly to smile down at me. "Better than I have in a while actually."

I smiled back. "I'm glad."

"So…" Katara began, sounding a bit nervous herself about spending time with someone she once saw as her enemy. "This is your uncle's new tea shop?"

Zuko nodded, pulling from me but taking my hand in his. He was shaking a bit, so I could definitely sense he was nervous. Yuna returned to my shoulder seeing our embrace was over. "Yes. Uncle has had his staff set up a table for us. Come on in."

Zuko turned and started to lead the way. I heard the group follow behind us. The shop had just opened for the day, so there was only one couple drinking tea so far in the whole place.

Sokka whistled as we walked through the seating area. "Finest tea shop I've ever been in."

Katara scoffed. "It's the only tea shop you've ever been in."

"Well then, it's the top of my list."

I smiled slightly at Sokka's comment. Zuko seemed to not be paying much attention, and I could tell it was because he was distracted by his worries. He wanted the group to like him and accept him, and I could sense he was concerned they would not. I squeezed his hand to reassure him, and he tightened his hold as well in gratitude.

We finally reached a table near the back of the shop where a lantern was lit. We sat down around the table, and an awkward silence fell over us. I tried to break it. "So… where should we start the search today?"

Aang spoke. "I thought of that actually. There's a zoo in the Lower Ring. They hold some exotic animals there. It's possible Appa may be there. It's a good place to start."

His words surprised me. "A zoo…" My eyes widened. I gasped. "Lingdao! I wonder if he and the other komodo-rhinos are there?! I was told they were sent to Ba Sing Se! I almost forgot! We have to go!"

Katara and Sokka were shocked by my excitement. Aang laughed. Toph looked super confused. Zuko sighed and shook his head with disbelief.

"I don't know if I like the idea of taking Amara to a zoo," Zuko muttered. "She might adopt every animal there."

Sokka glanced over at Zuko, and I was surprised to see him smirk. "Glad I'm not the only one."

Katara argued. "We can't all go… some of us need to distract Joo Dee… I don't trust her, and having her follow us around will get us no results."

Toph nodded. "Sugarqueen has a point there. I say we split. Three of us stay and search in the Upper Ring to distract Joo Dee while the other three go to the Lower Ring."

Aang jumped up and down with excitement in his chair. "Yeah! Sokka and Katara can hang with you, Toph, and I'll go with Amara and—"

Katara snapped, "Absolutely not!"

Toph groaned. "Seriously, Katara… I get you don't trust our new pal, but I think Aang can handle himself."

"I know he can. But I still don't like him going off alone with a guy that was once his enemy."

Her words hurt me a little. "Katara… I'm going too. He won't be alone."

She looked over at me, and then let out a heavy breath. "I know… I just…" Her gaze shot over to Zuko. "You have to get why I'm nervous about leaving you alone with Aang, right?"

Zuko grimaced. "I know… But I'm being honest, Katara… You can trust me. I'm not going to hurt Aang, or any of you. I want to help you. I'm on your side."

She stared at him a few seconds longer, and then let out another heavy breath. "Fine… But if you all aren't back by dusk then I'm going to assume something has happened."

Sokka shrugged. "What trouble could they get in at a zoo?"

Footsteps came towards our table then. Iroh stood before us, smiling widely as he held a tray of tea and pastries. "Welcome young heroes. It's an honor to have you all here." He placed the tray on the table. "I hope you all like Ginseng tea."

Zuko stood to help pass out everything. He was nervous, but trying to keep himself together. Sokka and Katara were bewildered to see Zuko assisting Iroh. Zuko spoke as he helped pass out the drinks and pastries, "Thanks, Uncle."

Iroh nodded to Zuko, who had taken his seat again. "Of course, Nephew. I'm happy to have your new friends here." Then he looked over at Aang. "Avatar Aang… We've met in the past many times, but I've never gotten to thank you for what you did for Amara so long ago. If you hadn't been there to save her from Zhao's hire that day in the woods she would've been forced back to a terrible life."

My heart tightened at the memory. That was the day Tu Lan was severely hurt. No matter how many days passed, I always worried for my friend.

Aang was surprised by Iroh's gratitude. He looked over at me, and then back at Iroh. He gave a smile though, and I was relieved to see he was accepting Iroh too. "No need to thank me. I'm the Avatar. It's my job to save people."

Iroh glanced over at Zuko, and then back at Aang. "Yes… You have definitely done that well these last few months."

A male server walked over then with two plates of fish and some fruit. Momo chirped and Yuna flapped her wings with excitement. The server placed the plates on the floor, and Yuna and Momo hopped down to eat their meals. The server left to return to his other duties.

Iroh chuckled at the enthusiasm from Yuna and Momo over their meals. "Of course I could not forget about our small friends this morning." He looked around the table. "I have passed word to my connections that you are trying to speak with the Earth King. Zuko informed me last night and I was only too eager to help. I received some news that may be of interest to you. While it is not a formal meeting with the King, I have managed to get you all invitations to a party the King is throwing for his pet bear in three days. You may be able to speak with him if you attend. The invitations will be delivered to you the morning of the event with further information."

Sokka was bewildered. "Really?! How'd you manage all that in one night?!"

Iroh smiled and put his arms together so it looked like his sleeves were connected. "There are many mysteries to this world, Sokka." He stepped back. "I will leave you all to your search. Let me know if there is anything else I can assist you with." He then looked over at me. "Amara… I do like the blue on you. It brings out your eyes."

I blushed from his compliment towards my clothing . "Thanks… And thanks for breakfast…"

He nodded. "You and your friends are welcome any time, dear. On the house." He turned and walked away.

Once Iroh was gone, silence fell over the table again. Katara was surprisingly the one to break it after she took a sip of the tea. She had lowered the cup and stared at it with wide eyes. "Woah. Your uncle is good! This is delicious!"

Zuko smiled slightly. "Yeah… His tea was the one thing that comforted me in these last three years. At least until I met Amara."

My heart fluttered from his comment. I nodded in agreement to the first part of his statement. "Iroh's tea is definitely one of a kind."

After we finished our tea and pastries, we went our separate ways. Katara, Sokka, and Toph headed back to the place they were staying. Momo and Yuna went with them just in case the other animals at the zoo made them restless. The rest of us started to make our way through the Upper Ring. As Zuko, Aang, and I walked across the street from Iroh's tea shop, a carriage pulled by an ostrich-horse stopped in front of us. The same man who had given Zuko and I a ride two days ago, waved from the driver's seat and said, "Kyro sent me. He heard you needed a lift to the Lower Ring."

Aang's jaw dropped. "Man! Your uncle is good! He delivered that message fast!"

Zuko was also stunned. "Yeah… he can do pretty unbelievable things."

We got in the carriage and started our journey to the Lower Ring. As we sat in the carriage, there was an awkward silence once again that fell over us. Aang was quiet and fidgeted with his staff which was resting across his lap. Zuko had his arms crossed, and his eyes were staring out the window. I tried to think of a way to break the silence.

I was relieved when Aang finally spoke though. "So… The reason you were after me all these months was because your father banished you?"

Zuko looked over at Aang, and then let out a heavy breath. He dropped his head. "Yeah… All I wanted for so long was to go home. The whole time I chased you, I was blinded by the thought that capturing you would earn back my father's love and my chance to return to the Fire Nation. I didn't care that you were just a kid… or that you were actually trying to save the world. All I cared about was myself. I was so confused back then. My heart had been so hardened. I regret so much. I wish I could take back the things I've done. The people I've hurt…"

Aang frowned. "I have a lot of regrets too… When I found out I was the Avatar over a hundred years ago, I ran away. I was afraid to take the right path, and I ended up losing the people I loved. I wasn't there to save the Air Nation when Fire Lord Sozin sent his men to attack. I blame myself so much for what happened to the airbenders. But… we can't change the past… we can only work towards a better future." Aang gave a small smile. "To be honest, Zuko… I always could sense there was good in you. From the first day I met you, there was something about you that gave me hope. I believed you were different from the Fire Lord. Now, I understand why. Avatar Roku was a good man, and I can see him in you."

Zuko smiled at Aang with gratitude. "Thanks… for giving me a chance."

Aang shook his head. "I should be thanking you, Zuko… It takes a lot of courage to make the choice you did. Once we win this war, your people are going to need a wise and brave leader. I believe you're just the man for the job."

Zuko nodded. "I'm ready to fix what my family has broken. I'm going to make Avatar Roku proud, and unite our people with the rest of the world. The fighting needs to come to an end."

We rode the carriage for a good thirty minutes. Finally, the ostrich-horse was brought to a stop and our door was opened. The driver spoke as we got out, "The zoo's down this path and through the first stone arch you see. I'll return by mid-day to give you a ride back. Just meet at this spot again. Good luck." He got back on the carriage then and headed away.

I sighed. "Okay… so we have about four hours to search. We should get started then..."

Aang nodded. "Yeah… It's not that big of a place from what I saw on the map." He frowned. "I just… hope we find him…"

Zuko tried to encourage the both of us. "If he's not here then it doesn't mean he isn't in Ba Sing Se… We'll keep searching as long as we need to. I promised I'd help you find your bison… I'm going to keep that promise."

Aang smiled over at him. "Thanks, Zuko."

We made our way along the stone path then to an area that was right on the edge of some buildings. A stone arch was there, just as the carriage driver said, and stone steps led down past the arch. There was an area that looked like a man-made trench that the steps dropped into, and in the area were a ton of cages built into the sides of the trench or hanging from some poles. A man was in the area below, sweeping at the dirt, not seeming to have anything else to do. As we headed down the steps into the small zoo area, I frowned at the very cramped and dark living spaces. The caged inhabitants looked broken and alone.

The scene reminded me of the life I once knew…

I faltered in my step, stopping at the first cage we came to. A creature that I knew from one of the books Zuko had given me long ago, backed up to the dark part of its cage when it saw me approach. There were two others with it and they were frightened. I recalled that they were hog-monkeys. I frowned when I saw their fear.

Aang and Zuko noticed I had stopped and walked over. Aang asked, "Amara… you okay?"

"This is just… so sad," I spoke softly. "There's no room… they're all trapped…"

Aang sighed. "Yeah… You would think with all the space outside the Lower Ring they could make a better place for these creatures."

Zuko frowned. "I have to admit… This is not what I was expecting. We have a zoo in the Fire Nation, and it is much larger and more cared for than this one."

We walked on to another enclosure. This one was just like the last, except there was a tigerdillo inside. Aang knelt by the cage and held his hand out through the bars. "Hey there, fella. You look hungry."

The creature roared at him. The three of us jumped back in shock. The tigerdillo curled up into a ball and rolled away to the back of its cage to hide.

The man sweeping had heard what Aang said. "Hm! They are hungry. The Dai Li won't give me any money because the kids stopped coming. And the kids won't come because my zoo's nasty and broke."

Zuko asked, "If it's your zoo then you would know: Did you acquire a flying sky-bison in the last week or so?"

The man was stunned. "No. Thought they were extinct."

I frowned. "He's the last of his kind…"

The zookeeper shook his head. "Sorry, kids. Nothing like that here. Probably wouldn't have room to fit him anyway."

Aang had moved to another cage now, looking downhearted that Appa wasn't found. I walked over to him and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "It's like Zuko said… this is only our first stop. We'll keep looking."

Aang let out a heavy sigh and nodded. Then he looked up and his face turned curious. He asked the zookeeper, "What kind of animal is that?"

I noticed a very large brown animal with long ears. It stood on two very big feet, and had small front paws. It had a long tail that dragged behind it. The creature looked so sad in its dark cell, just like the rest.

The man answered. "Oh, that's a rabaroo. I wish I could get her a big open prairie like she likes. I'd let her hop her way to happiness."

I frowned. "Yeah… I wish we could give all of these animals better space."

Zuko sighed. "Well… Since he's not here we need to move on. We should use the time we have left to ask around the area and see if anyone has heard anything about a sky-bison."

Aang argued. "No! Wait! Amara's right! Let's do it!"

Zuko was stunned. Even the zookeeper nearby was confused.

I asked with uncertainty, "Do what?"

Aang turned to the three of us with a grin. "There's a big open space right outside the walls of the city! We'll make the zoo out there! I can use my earthbending to create pens!"

The zookeeper was the first to ask. "But how are you gonna transport all these wild critters?"

Aang waved him off. "Don't worry. I'm great with animals." He turned to Zuko. "What do you say?! You with me?!"

Zuko was bewildered. "You want to move all of these animals out of the city?! That's impossible!"

"No it's not! I handled Canyon-Crawlers in the past! This will be a piece of cake!"

Zuko argued again. "We don't have time to be messing around. Getting side-tracked will get us nowhere!"

Aang shrugged. "We do this all the time. You just have to learn to live a little."

I turned to Zuko with a pleading gaze. "Please… They all look so sad. I think we can do this if we work together."

Zuko groaned. "The closest gate is half a mile through the city. I don't think the people of Ba Sing Se want a bunch of predators and wild monkeys running around the streets."

"Biggest concern you'll have are those komodo-rhinos. They won't let me near them, so I doubt they'll let you," the Zookeeper muttered.

My excitement rose. "Komodo-rhinos! Where are they?"

He pointed towards the end of the passage we were in. There was a larger cage that was built into the side of the wall of earth. I walked over and reached the iron cage door. When I saw the five familiar komodo-rhinos, I was thrilled. Lingdao grunted when he saw me, and stood from where he had been sitting in the small enclosure near some hay. He walked over and stuck his horned nose through the bars. He had immediately recognized me. I smiled and brushed my hand on the side of his face. "Hey boy… It's been a while."

Zuko and Aang had approached at this point. Zuko was astonished. "Lingdao… Wow… I never thought I'd see him again." He walked over and placed his hand on Lingdao's neck. Lingdao grunted, glad to see his old master.

I frowned. "When they told me that the komodo-rhinos would be living peacefully in Ba Sing Se, this isn't what I pictured… I didn't realize this would be their living situation. They look like prisoners…"

"Well then, it's a good thing we're setting them free," Aang exclaimed.

Zuko let out a heavy breath. "I can't believe I'm letting you both convince me to do this… but fine. I can't leave them like this. Let's move these animals outside the wall."

Aang grinned. "That's the spirit!"

The zookeeper was still listening to us. "But… how are you going to get all of these animals to follow you?"

Aang answered. "You may not have realized this, but I'm the Avatar! These animals will follow me no problem!"

The man was bewildered. "The Avatar! What an honor to have you visit my zoo!"

Zuko whispered over to me, "Does he just announce that to everyone?"

I gave a small smile. "Depends on the situation."

The zookeeper spoke again. "My name is Kenji. Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help."

Aang nodded. "I actually need you to convince the guards to open the gate, Kenji!" He then turned back to the two of us. "You two handle the komodo-rhinos! I'll handle the rest no problem!" He turned to Kenji again. "Let's open these cages! It's time to give these animals a better home!"

Aang's plan was great in my head. However, the actual task was much more difficult and chaotic than we predicted. As soon as the animals were set free, and Aang took the lead trying to urge the rabaroo to follow him, we lost control… Of everything.

Zuko and I were on Lingdao's back, and the other komodo-rhinos were following obediently. However, the howler-monkeys were running rampant around the street, swinging on signs and jumping on roofs. An elephant-mandrill was stomping through the streets making people scream and run for their lives. The tigerdillo was rolling around forcing people to dodge it, while a platypus-bear was swiping at a group of people who were running away. The rabaroo that Aang was guiding had gone over to a cabbage merchant stall and started eating the produce. The stall owner was horrified and cried, "My Cab—" Then his face turned sour and he sulked away, snapping, "Oh! Forget it!"

Zuko, who was using a rope to steer Lingdao, moved us over to Aang who was standing in the center of the street horrified. I was holding on to Zuko's waist so I didn't fall off. Zuko snapped, "Aang! This is a mess! Do something!"

Aang looked over at us with disbelief. "This was so much easier in my head!" Then his eyes widened. "Wait! I have an idea!"

He pulled out what I recognized to be Appa's bison whistle. I was confused. "Will that really work?!"

He shrugged. "It's worth a try!" He blew into the whistle and the animals came to a halt around us. They turned their heads to look at Aang. I was amazed that the strange device was having an effect on them.

The animals all started to move back towards us.

Zuko was stunned. "I can't believe that's actually working."

Aang grinned, pulling the whistle away. "Best purchase ever!" He blew on the whistle again, and then hopped on a ball of air. "Come on!" He started to ride his ball of air down the street. The other animals started to follow him. Zuko steered Lingdao to follow him as well. The people who were once being chased and terrorized by the animals we had set free, were now watching with bewilderment as we herded the animals further through the city. Aang kept blowing the whistle to keep the animals following us.

As we got closer to the gate, which was being opened by a terrified guard standing by the horrified zookeeper named Kenji, I caught sight of a turtle-seal falling behind the group. I quickly told Zuko to stop Lingdao. He did so with confusion. I slid off and rushed over to the turtle-seal, then grabbed some water from a trough nearby. I moved the water under the creature and froze the liquid to create a large ice platform. Then I lifted the turtle-seal and started to carry it out of the city. It seemed shocked at first as it was lifted from the ground, but then it calmed and let my platform move it along at a faster pace than it was going.

Zuko was amazed as I passed him. He shook his head in disbelief and kept moving Lingdao and the other komodo-rhinos forward. "This has turned into a weird day," I heard him say as I walked beside him. The turtle-seal who hovered in front of me, barked in response.

We finally made it out of the city, and reached a large expanse of field. I saw Aang was already using his earthbending to create very large pens for each animal species. He rounded up a herd of gemsbok-bulls into one pen, created a large stone tower with openings for the dragonflies, made another large pen for the tigerdillo, an enclosure for the hog-monkeys with some trees already planted for them to swing on. He found a great spot for the rabaroo too. He made an area for the turtle-seal that I was still carrying, and then one for the komodo-rhinos.

Once Aang finished with the pens, he looked back at me. I had just placed the turtle-seal in its new home. Zuko, who had gotten Lingdao and the other four Komodo-rhinos in their new enclosure, was standing beside me, his mouth open in shock at everything Aang had created in the short time we'd been out of the city.

"I'm going to make some areas for drinking water in each pen. I could really use a waterbender's help to fill them up," Aang stated.

I nodded. There was a large body of water right outside the enclosure. It took a few trips, especially since I couldn't carry as much as Katara probably would've been able to, but I was finally able to fill each pen with some water to drink. Once we were done, we stood by the enclosure to the rabaroo and took in all we had accomplished.

"Wow… We actually did it," Zuko said with bewilderment. He looked over at Aang. "And you are an amazing earthbender."

Aang shrugged. "I'm still learning. I haven't had a ton of time to train since Appa was taken."

I frowned again. "I… really wish he had been here though. I'm so worried about him."

Zuko pulled me into a hug to offer me some comfort. "We're going to find him. We can't give up."

I nodded against him. "I know."

"At least we still got to see some old friends today," Zuko reassured.

I smiled. "Yeah… I'm glad Lingdao and the others can be comfortable now. They deserve a good home."

Chatter suddenly sounded in the distance. We turned to see a crowd of Ba Sing Se citizens had left the city and were coming to see the new zoo. Men, women, and children all scattered around with delight as they took in the new enclosures and saw the liberated animals that were once locked up and depressed. A young girl and her mom stepped over to the enclosure we were beside and the little girl exclaimed, "Look mommy! Babies!"

I followed her gaze to see that inside a pouch on the rabaroo's stomach, three heads stuck out. My heart warmed as I saw the baby rabaroos that had been too frightened to show themselves before.

The zookeeper, Kenji, approached us. "Thank you so much, Avatar and friends. I haven't seen so much life at my zoo in years. The animals look so happy now! And so do the visitors! You have done a great service to Ba Sing Se today. In return, I will listen out for word of your sky-bison and send a message if I hear anything."

Aang smiled over at him. "Thanks. I appreciate that."

We hung around the zoo for a few more minutes, taking in the new sights and excited animals. The hog-monkeys were in their new large trees, swinging from branch to branch. The turtle-seal was floating in its new pond, enjoying its freedom to move around. Lingdao, Yi, Er, San, and Si were running around their new enclosure enjoying the open space. Seeing each animals' spirit being lifted filled me with joy.

"They're all so happy," I spoke. "We did good today."

Zuko let out a heavy breath. "Are all of your adventures like this one?"

Aang grinned. "Only the best ones!"

Zuko rolled his eyes. He took my hand and gave it a squeeze. "Come on. We should head back to the meetup spot. It's almost time for our ride back."

As Zuko took the lead to head out of the zoo, I looked back at Lingdao and the other komodo-rhinos with a smile. They had once been images of war… Now they were a picture of peace.

The carriage ride back was filled with conversation. Aang told Zuko about his crazy adventures with other animals of the past. He talked about riding the elephant koi and the unagi at Kyoshi Island. Zuko muttered that he was well aware of the unagi because it had drenched him and his men. This made Aang laugh at the memory. Aang then told Zuko about the canyon-crawlers, the spirit named Hei-Bei who was a giant panda, the badger-moles, buzzard-wasps, and so many crazy adventures he had in the past. I listened to it all, glad to see Aang and Zuko were getting along so well.

Zuko even shared some of his stories. Before I'd met him, he and his men were chased by a polar bear dog during their first search at the South Pole. They ran into a swarm of scorpion-bees in the Earth Kingdom that gave his men some nasty stings. He also said he and Iroh ran into their own share of wolf-bats during their travels.

The conversation was a breath of fresh air. Not only was I learning about animals I'd never heard of, but I was also seeing Aang and Zuko become closer. I could tell they were starting to become friends, and this gave me hope that the others would soon become friends with him as well.

We finally got back to the house in the Upper Ring, and headed up the steps to the door. Sokka opened it before we were halfway across the porch, and said, "Thank goodness you are back. Katara's having a fit, coming up with a thousand ways that Zuko could capture Aang and take him to the Fire Nation."

Zuko rubbed the back of his neck. "After seeing what Aang can do today, that's not happening."

I smiled slightly. "He was pretty incredible today."

Aang shrugged. "It was nothing."

Sokka stepped aside as we came in. "Something happened? Did it have to do with Appa?"

We went across the foyer and up the steps to the lounge area. I plopped down on a cushion, suddenly exhausted. Yuna quickly hopped over to me and plopped in my lap. Zuko sat on the cushion beside me, also exhausted. Aang sat against the wall, and Momo came over sniffing his outfit. I was certain we all smelled like animals to him.

Toph, who sat on a cushion also, said, "You all act like you fought a battle today."

Aang shook his head. "No. Just went to the zoo."

Katara stated the obvious, her voice soft with dismay. "I'm guessing you didn't find anything…"

Aang and I frowned. I answered, "No Appa."

Katara sighed. "Yeah… We got no information on our end too. Although, that could be because that lady Joo Dee followed us around again."

Aang tried to perk everyone up. "Well… we may not have found Appa today… But we did do something amazing! And it was all thanks to Zuko's help! He really is a great asset to the team!"

Sokka, who sat between Katara and Toph, was puzzled. "What happened?"

Zuko covered his face in disbelief. "Let's just say, that is the last time I ever let those two go to a zoo again…"

Toph smirked. "Can't handle Kitten and Twinkletoes, eh, Sparky?"

Zuko blinked at her nicknames. He quickly shook it off and answered, "We created an animal stampede through the Lower Ring! I'm surprised we weren't arrested or thrown out of the city!"

Aang laughed. "It was a blast!"

"It was crazy!" Zuko snapped. "We're lucky no one got eaten!"

I gave a small smile. "But… we freed them, Zuko. We gave all of those animals a better life today. They were so much happier out in the open like that, under the blue sky." I dropped my gaze to Yuna who was in my lap. "It made me think of my very first time seeing blue sky when I was freed from Zhao. Everything was so light… so bright… I was so happy. Those animals today got to feel that too. When you're caged like that, with no room to move around and enjoy the sun, you lose hope and forget how to live. We taught those animals how to live again though. We gave them a place to call home."

Zuko let out a heavy breath. "I guess… I mean… It did feel good to see Lingdao and the others looking content. I owed those guys a lot for being trapped on a ship for three years."

Toph smirked. "Just admit it, Sparky: You had fun."

Zuko was surprised by Toph's comment. Then he gave a small smile. "Yeah… I… did have fun. It kind of felt like… I was a kid again for a minute."

"Aang can have that effect on you," Sokka said. "He's a giant goofball most of the time."

Katara was not amused. "I'm just glad none of you were hurt! What you did was dangerous!"

"It proves one thing though," Aang started.

Sokka looked at him with confusion. "What's that?"

Aang looked over at me, then at Zuko, and back to the rest of the group. "Zuko has changed. He really wants to help us. We can trust him."

Katara was shocked. "You got all that from him helping you liberate some animals?"

"Yeah," Aang said. "He could've refused to help and walk away, but his heart told him it was the right thing to do. He cares, and that shows me he has changed… a lot."

Sokka scoffed. "That doesn't tell me that. That just tells me that he's an animal lover."

Zuko's cheeks were red from the attention being on him. "I just felt helping was the right thing to do. Plus, I was worried Amara and Aang wouldn't take no for an answer."

Katara sighed. "Well… you brought them both back in one piece… I guess this earns a little trust today. But I'm still keeping an eye on you."

Zuko gave a small smile, glad Katara was starting to not hate him.

"So…" Toph began. "We gonna get the details or are you all going to keep this wild tale to yourself?"

Aang grinned. He quickly started to tell the group all about the events that played out today. As he did, I leaned against Zuko's shoulder. He put an arm around me.

"Thanks… for helping today," I whispered.

"I promised I'd help any way I can," he whispered back. "I meant that… no matter how crazy things get. Plus, I haven't had that much fun since my mom left. I was both scared and excited... It was a great feeling."

"You'll have that a lot," I promised. "This group is all about the crazy."

He chuckled. "I look forward to it."

We fell silent again as we tuned back in on Aang describing the chaos that ensued on the streets of Ba Sing Se. The others listened with a mixture of horror and amusement.

Zuko's first official day with the group had been an adventure, but one that gave me hope. I believed the more my family, Aang, and Toph got to know Zuko, the more they would accept him for who he truly was: a prince with a good heart.