Chapter 43: Just Amara

My eyes stared down at the drawing before me with disbelief. Yuna perched on the table beside the parchment, her eyes staring down at it with curiosity. Sokka grinned as he finished the last part of his image. Zuko sat beside me, his hand covering his mouth to try and hide his amusement. If there was one thing we had both learned about my cousin today, he definitely was not an artist.

We'd spent the last three days searching for Appa. Iroh informed us when we stopped by to have tea at his shop the other day that he was having difficulty getting information on the Dai Li. He explained that many of his connections were too nervous to delve into the strange group. He promised us that he would keep trying though, and that he would let us know as soon as he heard something. He did however let us know that he knew someone who could help us make posters to put up to find Appa. He wrote down the contact and where they were located. Katara took it with gratitude.

As soon as morning had hit, Katara, Aang, and Momo went to go see about getting the posters made. Sokka argued that he could make his own and we didn't need professional help, so he started to draw his own posters. Zuko, Toph, and I sat around the table as he created his illustrations. Toph had no clue what they looked like, but she would comment every now and then, "You missed a corner," or "That's not how big he is."

Sokka would huff at her and grab another parchment to start over. Zuko coughed a laugh when this happened, unable to believe Sokka was letting the blind girl in the room be his critique. Yuna watched, her wide eyes mesmerized by his constant movements.

I decided I was bored, and I grabbed an ink pen and parchment to draw also. I tried my attempt at Appa, drawing his long tail and large body. I added the two horns at the top of his head. Then I drew his six legs. As I started to form an image of Appa on the parchment, my heart twisted as I worried more about our flying friend. I had a strong suspicion that the Dai Li had something to do with us not finding Appa, and the longer I lingered on the thought the more I hated the Dai Li.

"Amara! Why are you trying to beat me?!"

I looked across the table at Sokka with confusion. "I'm not. I was just drawing."

Zuko laughed this time. "No. You definitely beat him, Amara. His looks like a blob. Yours actually looks like an animal."

Toph snickered. "So he basically drew a picture of himself."

Sokka scowled. Zuko and I laughed though.

The door to the building opened and we turned where we were sitting to see Aang and Katara were back.

Katara held up a pile of posters. "We found the printer to make our poster! Your Uncle was right, Zuko! He really is good!" She held up one of the posters and we saw a beautiful illustration of Appa.

Sokka argued, "I already told you that I would design 'the lost Appa poster' for us. You wasted your time going through that fancy smancy printer. I've been working on mine all day, and Zuko and Amara will agree with me that mine is perfect!"

Aang and Katara got closer to Sokka's drawing. Aang was confused and pointed at the circle shape on the parchment. "Sokka, the arrow is on Appa's head."

Sokka pouted and pointed at the sketch. "This is his head."

Katara smirked, trying not to laugh. She leaned in, grabbed the drawing, and inspected it. She then asked, "Why are feet coming out of it?"

Sokka snatched the poster back and argued, "Those are his horns!" He then put the drawing on the table and muttered, "I haven't seen him awhile, ok?"

Toph shrugged on the other side of Zuko. "It looks just like him to me."

Sokka smiled. "Thank you, I worked really..." He stopped though and crossed his arms in disbelief. "Why do you feel the need to do that?"

Zuko defended Toph. "You seem to make it easy for her."

"Aw! Amara's drawing of Appa is cute!" Aang suddenly exclaimed. He picked up the parchment in front of me to look at it. "Appa's smiling!"

Katara giggled. "Doesn't surprise me she'd go the cute route. And she definitely doesn't share artistic skills like Sokka's." She then held up the professional poster again. "I think we should stick with the professional version though. Just for safe measure."

Sokka ripped his drawing to pieces and huffed. Aang asked to keep mine, and I nodded to let him know he could. Yuna played with the pieces of parchment on the table Sokka had scattered, unfazed by the cranky Water Tribe warrior beside her.

Aang grabbed a pile of posters from Katara and waved them in the air. "Come on! Let's get busy!"

That day, we all split up to go hang posters in the city. Aang used his glider to fly off and drop posters throughout the city, while the rest of us hung up posters in the Upper and Middle Ring. We'd found some paste, and Sokka and Zuko carried the bucket while Katara and I hung them up. Yuna stayed on my shoulder, glad she could come out with me. Momo and Toph had stayed at the house.

Once we were done hanging up posters, we headed back to the house. We had another stack that we planned to hang up the next day. One thing we were all relieved about was that fake Joo Dee had not shown up during our mission. We were concerned that if she heard about us hanging up posters she would stop us from our task.

On our way back to the house, we stopped by Iroh's tea shop to have a snack and refreshment. He took a poster to hang up in his own shop. Before we left, he handed a note to Zuko, telling him to burn it as soon as it was read. When we got back to the house, Zuko read the contents and his eyes widened.

"What?" Sokka asked. "What does it say?"

Zuko balled the note up and let fire consume the material. The small piece of paper turned to ash in his hand.

"It seems the Dai Li has a secret base under a lake. The note said the area is called Lake Laogai."

Sokka quickly pulled his map of Ba Sing Se out to see if he could locate what Zuko was talking about. He scanned around the map for a moment, and then shrugged. "Nothing on here is called that."

"If it's secret, they probably wouldn't advertise it," Zuko commented.

Toph groaned. "Great. So still no answers."

Katara frowned. "This has become a very long search."

I tried to encourage everyone. "We can't give up. Appa needs us. We have to keep looking and save him."

Zuko nodded. "And we will. We'll keep searching. I'll see if Kyro knows anything about where this lake could possibly be. If they're hiding underground, they could have Appa there and that's why we haven't found him."

We all sat and waited for Aang to return then. He had been gone longer than we had, and we started to worry a little. To distract her mind, Katara started playing a card game with Sokka at the table. Zuko sharpened his swords with a stone as he sat against the wall, and I practiced my waterbending from a pot. Yuna chased my water around, making me giggle when she got some on her head and her ears twitched. Toph was sprawled back on a pillow, her eyes shut as she listened to everything around her.

The door opened then, and Aang came inside. Momo, who had been laying next to Toph, ran over and hopped up on his shoulder to greet him. I put my water back in the pot and stood. Yuna returned to my shoulder as I walked over. "You were gone for a while."

"I just finished dropping all the leaflets. I got a little distracted, but I'm back. Has anyone come with news about Appa?"

Katara studied her cards on the table as she answered, "It's only been a day. Just be patient."

A knock sounded on the door. We all became alert, and everyone stood with surprise. We really hadn't expected anyone to come so soon with news.

Aang exclaimed, "Wow! You're right! Patience really pays off!"

He rushed to the door to see who our guest was. As he pulled the door open, we were all bewildered to see a familiar woman on the other side. She smiled widely as she entered the room.

"JOO DEE?!" Aang exclaimed.

The real Joo Dee smiled at us as she spoke. "Hello Aang, and Katara, and Sokka, and Toph, and Amara, and Zuko."

Our jaws dropped. We looked over at Zuko, who was also stunned that Joo Dee knew his name.

I was curious. "How do you know his name's Zuko?"

She only smiled over at me. "No worries. We are aware that he has joined the Avatar to help fight the war."

Katara stepped up to her to interrogate her. "How do you know that? How are you all spying on us?!"

Joo Dee waved her hands in defense. "Goodness gracious! Spying is not what we're doing. We are just looking out for our guests."

Sokka asked, "What happened to you? Did the Dai Li throw you in jail?"

She dismissed his assumption. "What? Jail? Of course not. The Dai Li are the protectors of our cultural heritage."

Toph held her hands up in disbelief. "But you disappeared at the Earth King's party!"

She nodded. "Oh, I simply took a short vacation to Lake Laogai, out in the country. It was quite relaxing."

Yuna growled on my shoulder, and I knew she could sense something was off about the lady like the rest of us.

I decided to try and pry for information. We'd just been informed about this strange location. "Lake Laogai... Where exactly is that?"

Joo Dee only smiled again. "You don't need to go there. It is rather boring. I apologize for making you all worry. I am back now."

Katara asked, "But why did they replace you with some other woman who also said her name was Joo Dee?"

She put a hand on her chest. "I'm Joo Dee."

Zuko spoke up. "Are you really? Or is that what the Dai Li calls all their servants?"

She suddenly looked nervous. "I..." Her eyes went wide. She tried to laugh his question off. "I am no servant, silly. I am just a loyal subject to the Earth King, happy to help the Avatar and his friends any way I can!"

Aang was irritated with her evasion of all our questions. "Okay. Why are you here?"

Joo Dee turned back to Aang. "Dropping flyers and putting up posters isn't permitted within the city. Not without proper clearance."

Sokka argued, "We can't wait around to get permission for everything."

She only continued to grin at all of us. "You are absolutely forbidden by the rules of the city to continue putting up posters."

Aang lost his cool. His face turned a shade red as he shouted at her, "WE DON'T CARE ABOUT THE RULES, AND WE'RE NOT ASKING PERMISSION!" He flailed his arms in fury and Joo Dee backed out the door with alarm. "We're finding Appa on our own and you should just stay out of our way!"

Aang slammed the door in her face, and then turned to all of us still fuming. Momo had jumped away from him when he started yelling, and the little guy's ears drooped down with worry.

Zuko covered his face in disbelief. "That was probably not the best idea, Aang."

Sokka agreed. "Yeah... That might come back to bite us in the blubber."

Aang scowled. "I don't care. From now on we do whatever it takes to find Appa."

Toph grinned. "YEAH! LET'S BREAK SOME RULES!" She suddenly turned and shoved her hands towards the stone wall beside us. Part of the wall was pushed out and crumbled.

My eyes stared at the gaping hole with bewilderment. Sunlight seeped in. Yuna gave a soft 'mew' as she stared at the damage. Katara covered her eyes with disbelief. Zuko stared at Toph with astonishment.

"Well... That's one way to make a statement," Zuko muttered.

Toph nodded. "Got that right, Sparky!" She then turned to the rest of us. "I say we go hang up more posters now! We still got daylight! Who's going to stop us?!"

I argued. "Wait... Shouldn't we find out more information about this Lake Laogai? Clearly there's something about it I think we need to investigate."

"We'll ask around," Aang said. "Let's go! We won't rest until we find Appa!"

Sokka argued. "Can we at least stop for dinner at some point?"

Zuko smirked. "Amara was definitely right about you. You are always thinking about food."

Sokka crossed his arms in defense. "Hey! I need energy! A man's gotta eat!"

That afternoon we headed to the Lower Ring to hang up more posters. When we got to the Lower Ring, Sokka suggested that we split up to cover more ground. He, Aang, Momo, and Toph went one way, while Katara, Zuko, Yuna, and I went another. We started to hang up posters around the area, using the same paste we had used before.

As I went to hand Katara another poster, a voice echoed behind us.

"Katara?"

We turned around with shock, and were bewildered to see Jet standing at the end of the street we were on. Katara gasped and went to attack with water from her pouch. I quickly grabbed her arm to stop her, saying, "Katara! Wait! Let's hear him out before you attack him."

Jet stared at Zuko and I with shock and confusion. "Wait... Lee? Mina? What are you two doing here?"

Katara put her water back, and then glanced over at me. "Mina?"

I grimaced. "It was a cover name."

Jet furrowed his brows in more confusion. "How do you three know each other?"

Katara stepped slightly in front of Zuko and I, her hand still on her water pouch. I could see she still held a lot of bitter feelings towards Jet. "That's not your business! What do you want, Jet?"

Jet held his hands up defensively. I was surprised when I saw him holding a poster. He answered, "I think I can help you. I know you're looking for Appa. I might have some information that could help you out."

Katara scowled. "What makes you think I'd believe anything you say? The last time I saw you all you did was lie to me!"

Jet flinched. "Katara, I've changed! I swear."

She crossed her arms and turned her back to him. "Tell it to some other girl, Jet!"

Zuko stepped over to Katara to try and reason with her. "Hey... Wait. Maybe we should hear him out. If he has news, we need to get any information we can find. This is about finding Appa."

She looked at Zuko with bewilderment. Then she let out a heavy breath. "Fine..." She turned back to Jet, her eyes narrowed. "What is it?"

He stepped closer. "I was out last night on a walk. I overheard two Dai Li agents talking. One of them mentioned that he was tired of taking care of the Avatar's 'beast' at a stable in the Lower Ring. It's not too far from here actually. I listened further, and they mentioned that they were keeping the animal there until they could move him underground so that no one could find him."

My eyes widened. "The Dai Li... They do have Appa..." I looked over at Katara then. "We have to go! See if he's still there! If he's not, then that means they may have moved him to that place... the one called Lake Laogai!"

"Amara... Calm down. We'll look into it... but when the others get here," Katara argued. "I'm not comfortable trusting Jet until Toph gives the okay."

Jet spoke with confusion. "Wait... Amara? I thought your name was Mina?"

We looked back at Jet. I then let out a heavy breath and answered, "No... My name's Amara. That was a lie."

His jaw dropped. He then looked over at Zuko. "Then I take it your name's not really Lee?"

Zuko crossed his arms. "No."

Jet pushed for more. "What is it then?"

"You don't need to know," he answered. "Just keep calling me Lee."

Jet narrowed his eyes. "Are you a criminal or something?" He looked over at Katara. "That's a bit hypocritical judging me when you're hanging out with him."

My fists tightened. "He's not a criminal."

To my surprise, Katara defended him also. "Who he is really isn't your business, Jet. I appreciate the information you gave us, but if you're going to be rude then you can leave."

Jet looked like he wanted to argue, but he let out a heavy breath, realizing there was no point in starting more conflict. "You're right. I'm sorry. I'm being rude."

A rush of footsteps suddenly approached. We glanced over to see Sokka, Aang, and Toph coming our way. We were astonished to see Jet's friends Smellerbee and Longshot were right on their tails.

"Jet!" Smellerbee shouted. "Don't run off like that! We know nothing about this city!"

Jet sighed. "It's all good, Smellerbee." He looked at the rest of the group with curiosity. "How'd you all end up with one another?"

Aang answered, "We ran into one another while hanging up posters. They were looking for you." He glanced over at Katara. "Everything okay?"

Katara sighed. "Yeah... Jet said he has information on Appa. It's just hard to believe him after everything he did in the past."

Jet argued. "You can believe me, Katara. I've changed. I want to help you all find Appa. Let me prove to you that I'm good now. Give me a chance."

She crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. "A chance? You attacked Aang. Lied to us. We almost helped you kill a whole town without realizing your true intentions. You're deceptive and blinded by your hatred towards the Fire Nation. Why would we let you work with us? We're trying to restore peace. Not kill."

He shut his eyes and hung his head. His fists tightened. "I swear... I'm not the same person you met all those months ago. I won't try to hurt innocent people again just because their firebenders. I want to help people. Not hurt people. I promise... My hatred for the Fire Nation no longer clouds my judgment. You have to believe me, Katara."

Toph looked conflicted as she tried to read if he was lying or not. "He seems to be telling the truth... I think..."

Katara still was not convinced. "Fine. You want me to give you a chance, then let's see how you react to this." Katara grabbed my arm and pulled me beside her. Yuna flew off from the sharp movement, and landed on the ground with worry. I looked at Katara with confusion, wondering what she was about to do. "Jet. I'd like to formally introduce you to my cousin, Amara. She is a firebender and a waterbender."

There was a long awkward pause as Jet took this in. His friends were stunned as well. I was shocked by Katara's abrupt action.

Sokka was bewildered as well, and then he snapped, "Katara! What are you doing?"

"I'm getting the truth," Katara stated. "If he's changed, Amara being a firebender won't matter to him."

Jet stared at me with disbelief. "What...? A... a firebender? And... waterbender? How... how is that possible?"

Katara answered, "Her mom was a waterbender, and her dad was a firebender. Is that a problem?"

I pulled from Katara, suddenly anxious. "Katara... stop..."

"He needs to know, Amara," Katara stated. "If he wants to help us then we need to know he won't hurt you for that part of you."

Jet was still in shock from Katara's reveal, "I don't understand! How can she be a firebender if she's your cousin? That's crazy! Why would a waterbender and firebender ever...?" He shook his head. "No way! It's insane!"

My heart started to pound loudly in my chest. I looked at Jet and saw disgust cross his expression. My body felt cold as he reacted to my heritage in such a negative way. Jet clearly hadn't overcome his prejudice like he said.

Sokka stepped in, seeing I was getting uncomfortable. He pulled Katara away from me slightly. "Katara! Why would you go dragging Amara into your personal conflicts? You're out of line right now!"

Katara argued. "If he's going to be with us to search for Appa then he should know the truth! Amara might have to firebend, and I don't want him to be surprised to the point he attacks her!"

Zuko snapped, "If that's the case, tell them I'm a firebender too! At least then Amara's not the only target!"

Jet's jaw dropped. "You're a firebender also?!"

Aang interjected. "Everyone! Calm down! Please!"

Zuko stepped in front of me to block me from Jet. "You have a problem with us being firebenders?"

"Of course I do! Firebenders are evil savages!"

Zuko scowled and stepped forward tightening his fist. I grabbed his arm to stop him. I didn't want him and Jet to get into a fight. I didn't want Zuko to get hurt, or show the angry side of him. I feared he'd lose trust points with my family if he hurt someone.

Sokka came to my defense suddenly. "Not all firebenders are like the ones that killed your parents, Jet! Especially not Amara! She's the kindest soul you'll ever meet."

Jet pointed over at me. "She's Fire Nation! She's just like one of those monsters! If she can firebend then she'll only cause destruction! I don't get why your aunt would be with a firebender and create such a thing?"

His words hit me hard. My heart hurt from his insult. A thing...? Tears formed in my eyes. But the tears were from frustration. What right did he have to call me that? He didn't even know me. "You... you don't know anything about my mother or me... you can't judge me because I'm part Fire Nation."

He held his hands up. He looked like he was losing his senses for a moment as he shouted, "Of course I can! You shouldn't exist! A waterbender... giving birth to a firebender... it's just... it's not natural! It's wrong!"

I scowled. I had stepped beside Zuko at this point to defend myself. "So just because my parents are of two different nations, that makes me unnatural?! I didn't choose to be the daughter of a firebender and a waterbender! But I was born for a reason!"

Jet shook his head. "I just don't understand how this can be? Didn't your mom care that the Fire Nation are the bad guys? Why would she fall in love with one of them?!"

"She didn't! She was a prisoner! My mom didn't have a choice! You have no right to talk about her like you know her!"

Jet was stunned. "A... prisoner? And she still was willing to have you? The spawn of a monster..."

His last comment made me see red. I heard Sokka snap something at Jet, but I couldn't make out what he said. Instead, I lost my temper and just wanted to shut the guy up. I saw a cracked fountain nearby, and I grabbed the water from it with blood pounding in my ears. Then I cried as I shot it towards him, "You're the monster!"

The water hit Jet hard. He went flying back and crashing to the ground.

"Jet!" Smellerbee raced over. "Are you okay?!"

Longshot stood in shock. He was stunned by his leader's actions more than my own it seemed. He looked over at me with concern.

"Why shouldn't I exist?! I've never done anything to hurt anyone but the ones who hurt me! I'm not a monster! I'm not unnatural! I had every right to be born! I'm so tired of people like you treating me like I'm a freak!"

I grabbed more water as Jet was being helped up by Smellerbee. A hand grabbed my arm and the water dropped.

"Amara," Katara spoke with concern. "Stop."

She held onto me to try and calm me down. I was mad at her for putting me on the spot though. I spoke with tension. "Let go."

"Amara... Please calm down. I'm sorry for being rash and putting you in this situation. Attacking Jet isn't the answer though."

"Why can't I?" I looked over at her feeling my frustration continue to pour out of me. "Why do I always have to stand quiet while people treat me so cruelly?! I'm tired of being punished just because my father is a firebender! Or because my mom was a waterbender! Being a firebender... being born of the Fire Nation... that doesn't define someone as bad!" I jerked my arm from her, and turned on my heel to walk away. "I just want to be accepted for being Amara!"

"Amara!" Sokka shouted after me.

I kept walking. I didn't want to lose control in front of everyone, so I knew I needed to be alone for a little bit. I was so angry at Jet, I felt my fists starting to steam. I was upset at Katara for putting me in the middle of her squabble with Jet. I was angry at every person in the past who had treated me like a freak just because of one part of me.

Yuna returned to my shoulder, and I felt her presence did calm me down. My tension simmered as she nuzzled my cheek. I did not stop walking though. As I walked away from the group, I heard Toph snap, "Nice going, Sugarqueen! Next time let's just announce Lee's true identity, why don't we?"

Eventually, I turned the corner and got away from the group just enough to calm my breathing. I heard steps had followed me, and I knew they were Zuko's. I stopped walking finally, and he stopped too. As we stood by ourselves, I shut my eyes as memories rushed through me. Jet had made me rethink all those times in the past Zhao and my uncle had called me a freak... those times I was told I should've never existed... that I was something that should've never been born.

I shook my head. "No," I whispered. "They're all wrong..."

"Amara... Look at me," Zuko spoke. He had moved in front of me and gently caressed my cheek. "Don't let what Jet said upset you... He's the monster for being so cruel." He brushed a tear. "Please... open your eyes."

I opened my eyes slowly. Yuna gave a sad mew when she sensed how upset I was, and rubbed her cheek against my own.

Focusing on Zuko's concerned expression through my blurred vision, I whispered, "It just makes me so... mad... Why does being a firebender and a waterbender make people look at me with so much disgust? I'm still human like everyone else. I didn't pick my parents..." I shut my eyes again. "This... this is why I'm so scared to go to the Southern Water Tribe when all of this ends. I know they hate the Fire Nation, just from the few things I've heard Sokka say. What if my grandma and the rest of the tribe feels the same way about me? What if they only see me for my father and want nothing to do with me? Or they want to kill me...? I just... I hate that I can't just be accepted for being me... I'm not a bad person. I'm–"

Zuko cut me off, kissing me on the lips. I was stunned at first, but then my racing heart calmed as peace fell over me. His gentle touch lingered for a moment as his lips caressed my own. When he pulled away so we could both breathe, he whispered, "No matter what, you will always be Amara to me. You will always be the beautiful dualbender I fell in love with. When you hear people like Jet say things like that about you, just remember... to me, you are perfect just the way you are. Promise me you'll remember that..."

I met his golden gaze which burned into my blue orbs with so much love and adoration. I nodded and then broke into more tears as Zuko's love hit me heavily. Yuna jumped off of me to let Zuko pull me into his arms. He hugged me close to him as I cried against his shirt. "I... I know... I love you, Zuko," I sputtered out.

He pressed a hand to the back of my head and his face to my hair. "I love you too, Amara. Because you're you. That will never change."

Zuko held me for a good minute or two. I felt so much better just being in his arms. We heard steps approach again.

"Amara..." Katara spoke softly. I could hear the regret in her tone. "I'm so sorry... I'm such an idiot. That was wrong. I shouldn't have put you on the spot like that."

Toph added. "Don't listen to that idiot back there, Kitten. You are one of the coolest chicks I know. He's just jealous because he can't bend."

I pulled from Zuko and wiped my eyes to try and get rid of the evidence. Then I turned back to the others. Yuna returned to my shoulder, giving a "mew-hoo" to let me know she accepted me too.

"I... know," I spoke softly. "I just needed to leave before I hurt Jet further."

Katara frowned. "He deserved it... Sokka is explaining stuff to him. Actually, he's more so telling him off for treating you so terribly... Aang's the one explaining things. That's not what's important right now, though. Are you okay?"

I gave a small nod. "I'm fine... he just... he made me remember all the people from my past who treated me wrong because I was born of two different nations. I just want to be accepted for being me... I'm not my father... I'm just... Amara..."

Zuko brushed his thumb on my cheek again. "You definitely are."

Sokka suddenly came around the corner then. He looked at me with worry. "All good?"

I gave a small nod. "Yes... I'm okay..."

He sighed with relief. Then he said, "We're going to follow Jet and see if we can find the stable he's talking about. I don't want you to be uncomfortable, so if you want to head back home with Zuko and Toph, then you can."

I let out a heavy breath. "Yeah... I don't want to be around Jet anymore. We'll head back."

Toph asked, "You sure you don't want me to tag along and make sure he's not lying more?"

Sokka shook his head. "No. We'll handle him. If you all want to help, maybe you can try and do more research on Lake Laogai."

Zuko nodded. "Good idea. We'll see what we can find."

As we turned to get ready to leave, I felt Katara grab my hand again. I met her gaze. "Amara... I really am sorry. What I did was wrong... I shouldn't have used you like that."

I gave a small nod. "I'm not mad at you anymore, Katara. I'm only mad at Jet..." I put my hand over hers. "Don't worry. I just needed to blow off some steam. I'm fine. Be careful."

She nodded. "Okay. We'll be back in a few hours."

A few moments later, we left the Lower Ring to head back to the Upper Ring. As we made our way through the first gate to the Middle Ring, Toph let out a heavy breath.

"Well... That was a mess," she muttered.

Zuko, who held my hand, responded, "I think it's good we didn't go with them. I may have knocked Jet unconscious if he spoke to Amara again."

Toph smirked. "I'd have buried him after."

I gave a small smile. "Thanks... for always having my back... both of you."

Zuko squeezed my hand. "Always."

Toph shrugged. "Someone's got to look out for you, Kitten."

"Mew-Hoo!" Yuna agreed.

The sun was just setting as we got to the Upper Ring. We decided to stop by the tea shop to say hello to Iroh before we headed home. The tea shop was closed for the night, but Iroh was outside sweeping off the porch. As we approached, he gestured for us to follow him into the small home that he and Zuko were staying in. When we got inside, he shut the door and windows to the building so that no one would hear us.

"Uncle? What is it?" Zuko asked. "Why so secret?"

Iroh poured us some tea as we sat at the low table in the room. Toph immediately started drinking hers, always delighted to have some of Iroh's tea.

Iroh answered, "I have news. One of my connections was finally able to infiltrate the Dai Li headquarters. He found information about the Avatar's bison."

My eyes widened. "Appa... what about him?"

Iroh looked over at me with a small smile. "He's alive. And we know where he is. There's a lake in the Agrarian Zone, southeast of the Lower Ring's eastern gate. Lake Laogai..." Iroh slid a parchment on the table. There was a drawing of the lake, and lines that seemed to go across the lake. "There are numerous tunnels beneath." Iroh pointed to one of the tunnels and moved his finger to a dot on the parchment. "An island is here. Appa is being held below it. There is a passage that you can take that will lead you straight to him. If you enter through this spot, it will take you directly to his holding cell. From there, Toph can bend an opening for you all to escape."

My heart skipped as I watched Iroh's finger move across the map. "Appa..." I stood and looked over at Zuko and Toph. Yuna watched from where she was perched on the table. "What are we waiting for! Let's go! Appa needs us!"

Zuko was quiet as he stared at the map. "We may run into Dai Li agents... maybe we should wait for the others to get back first."

"There's no time!" I argued. "The longer we wait, the more alone Appa is. He needs us!"

Toph nodded. "Think about it, Sparky... You being the one to save Appa and return him to the group will be the ultimate sign of trust. The group will have to officially accept you then."

Zuko glanced back and forth between Toph and I with uncertainty. Then he let out a heavy breath. "Fine... We'll leave a note for the others at the house and head out. That way if we're not back by morning they know something went wrong and they can come look for us."

"Sweet!" Toph stated. "Mission with Kitten and Sparky! Let's go save Appa!"

Yuna gave a "Mew-Hoo" in agreement.

Iroh gave a small smile. "I thought you'd say that. I'll deliver the note to the house. You all get going. It's best you sneak in at night."

My once angry and burdened heart was lightened again. All thoughts of Jet faded as I thought about Appa. "Thank you, Iroh! We couldn't have found this out without your help!" I moved around the table and gave Iroh a hug.

He hugged me back with a smile. "Of course... I know how much Appa means to you and your friends. I'll do anything for my sweet dualbender."

His comment filled my heart with peace. Even if Jet couldn't accept me, at least others were willing to.

I pulled away from Iroh and then looked over at Zuko and Toph. "Let's go save Appa... It's time to get our friend back."

Toph nodded, standing up with determination. "Love your spunk, Kitten. Let's go find us our furry pal."

Zuko stood also. He placed a hand on my shoulder. "I'm with you, Amara. Every step of the way."

Yuna moved to my other shoulder. I shut my eyes. "We're coming, Appa... Just hang on a little longer..."

A/N: First, Jet will redeem himself. Second, sorry for the cliff hanger. Third, I don't know when the next chapter will be out because I'm starting classes again tomorrow, but I'll work on it when I can. Finally, thanks for reading. You all keep me writing. ~ Faith