Chapter 46: Choose Wisely

(Third Person POV)

Katara and Sokka stood in the midst of the Water Tribe camp, their hearts elated as they took in the familiar faces of men, young and old, from their tribe. When they had first landed and said their goodbyes to Aang, they approached the site with uncertainty. Katara had mentioned that she was nervous about seeing their dad after so many years. Sokka muttered that he was more nervous about how their dad would react to them leaving Amara with the Fire Nation prince. Katara immediately agreed. However, she had come to trust Zuko and hoped he would take care of Amara while they were gone. Sokka knew she was right. He had come to trust Zuko too.

When they got to camp, it was just evening, so many of the warriors were gathered around small fires for dinner. The camp was situated by the bay, so you could hear the waves in the distance crashing on the shore. As the two stepped across the sand further into camp, the Water Tribe warriors recognized them. Everyone immediately jumped up to greet the children of their chief.

"Sokka! Katara! What are you doing here?!" One man named Tano exclaimed with delight. "I thought you were traveling with the Avatar?"

Other men started to ask questions too, and hugged Katara and Sokka with delight.

"Woah! Everyone give them some space!" A familiar voice ordered.

Katara and Sokka grinned when the crowd parted and they saw their good friend Bato. Katara rushed over first and hugged him with delight. He hugged her back as well, so glad to see she was okay. Sokka came over and hugged him next.

"Katara… Sokka… it's so good to see you both again. You've grown more since we parted. I told your father how proud I was the day I saw you two at the abbey." Bato looked between them with elation. "I'm certain you've had quite a journey since then."

Katara jumped right in and exclaimed, "Bato! You're going to love this! We've met our cousin Amara since we last saw you. She is amazing!"

Bato was stunned. His delight turned as his heart ached at the thought of Kala. His eyes watered as he pictured the daughter of the woman he had never stopped loving.

He asked softly. "Amara… is… is she still with the Fire Nation?"

Sokka frowned. "No… I mean… she's not with the Fire Nation. She is with Prince Zuko though. He actually switched sides. He's been helping us out these last few days."

Bato's jaw dropped. "What? The Fire Nation Prince… switched sides?"

Katara nodded. "Yeah… turns out he's the Great-Grandson of Avatar Roku. Crazy! I know! But… I actually think Amara had a lot to do with his change of heart. He cares a lot about her and wants to keep her safe."

Bato was still stunned to hear about the enemy's prince switching sides. However, he was especially stunned to hear about Amara's influence on him. "Are they… together?"

Sokka misunderstood his question. "They're still in Ba Sing Se. They offered to stay and discuss plans about the invasion we're working on so we could come see dad."

Bato was still stunned. He went to ask again, but Katara interrupted.

"Speaking of dad, is he here?"

Bato gave a nod. He gestured for them to follow him across camp to the largest tent at the head of the site. When they got to the tent, Bato spoke through the flap, "Chief Hakoda… there's someone here to see you."

A voice that filled Sokka and Katara's hearts with joy spoke on the other side. "What's with the formality? Come in."

Bato grabbed the flap and pulled it to the side to let Katara and Sokka into the tent. Hakoda looked up from a scroll he was reading while he sat on some furs in the tent. As they entered, his eyes widened when he recognized them in the lantern light. He dropped the scroll and jumped up to his feet, his eyes filling with tears.

Katara and Sokka noted as they took in their father's appearance that he didn't look all that different. Apart from a longer braid in his brown hair kept together by a bead, and a small scar on his chin, their father still had the same blue eyes and tan skin. His chiefly demeanor changed as his children who he hadn't seen in almost three years stepped into the tent.

"Sokka… Katara… my children." Tears fell down his face as he rushed forward and put an arm around each of them. They hugged him back, crying as well as they were reunited. "I can't believe you're here." He pulled away to place a hand on Sokka's shoulder and cup his daughter's cheek. "You both have grown so much. I heard about your quest with the Avatar. I am so proud."

Bato had entered behind them. His mind was still only on one thing. "Hakoda… they found her… Kala's daughter."

Hakoda was stunned by Bato's reveal. He looked back at his children with confusion. "Is she here with you?"

Sokka shook his head. "No… she volunteered to stay in Ba Sing Se to help plan for an invasion on the day of the solar eclipse." He frowned. "I think she was scared of how our people would react to her… being part Fire Nation and all."

Hakoda frowned. "I want to hear everything. Let's get you both settled and grab some dinner. We'll talk more in a moment."

Half an hour later, they were seated around the fire with a few other warriors. Everyone wanted to hear their story and learn about the Avatar. As Sokka and Katara took turns telling all that they had seen and experienced, Chief Hakoda listened with pride. He was so proud of how strong and brave his children had become.

"And then after Aang stopped the Fire Nation fleet, Prince Zuko brought Amara to us. She was injured and Katara was able to heal her," Sokka spoke.

"What happened to her?" Hakoda asked.

Katara answered. "Her brother Zhao… he burned her and then dragged her into the canal. She almost drowned, but Aang managed to pull her out while he was in the Avatar State. When she woke up the next day she was really confused and scared, but we managed to calm her down. She's come so far since then… she was so fragile when we first met her. Scared of everything. But she's gotten so much happier and stronger since she journeyed with us. And she's absolutely beautiful! She has a lot of similarity to mom, despite her black hair and lighter skin."

Bato shut his eyes as he pictured the girl he had only briefly heard of. "And she's a firebender, you said?"

Sokka and Katara glanced over at one another and smiled. Sokka answered, "And a waterbender."

The men in the circle stopped eating upon his answer. Their father asked, "So… she's both?"

Katara nodded. "Yes. She's amazing! She's still learning, but she can do unbelievable things. She can combine her bending and make hot water! It's incredible!"

Bato was bewildered. "Did Kala know?"

Sokka answered. "Yeah… but she encouraged Amara not to use her bending when they were still prisoners… Amara told us she was scared to reveal her abilities when she was first freed, but Prince Zuko and his uncle helped teach her how to use her bending. Then Katara started teaching her waterbending too."

"Speaking of Prince Zuko again," Bato said. "You told me earlier that they're together… do you mean they… are in a relationship?"

Katara was stunned by the sudden question. She answered though, giving a small nod. "Amara and Zuko developed some strong feelings for one another during the time they were together. When we got back to the Earth Kingdom after leaving the North Pole, Amara ended up going back with Zuko and Iroh for a few weeks. She managed to convince Zuko to change sides while she was with them. Zuko helped us find Appa, and is providing information to the Earth King about how to break into the Fire Nation capital. He cares about Amara and wants to make this world a safe place for her."

Hakoda was uncertain. "The Fire Nation prince… changing sides… are you sure you can trust him?"

Sokka answered. "We didn't want to at first… but I've seen a side of Zuko that I never knew was possible. The way he looks at Amara… the way he takes care of her… he'd do anything for her. Those two love each other… I can see it. Plus, Zuko helped us find Appa and get to the Earth King. I've come to believe his heart is in the right place… I really believe he wants to help us."

Katara added, "He apologized to us for all those months of chasing us across the Earth Kingdom. He was so sincere… I truly believe he's seen the light and wants to do the right thing. I didn't at first, but he's given me no reason to doubt him in the last few days. He seems like he wants to end this war as much as the rest of us."

"I just can't believe… Kala's daughter… after everything the Fire Nation did to them…" Bato scowled. "Why would she fall in love with someone from the Fire Nation?"

Katara frowned. "There's one thing we all need to remember…" She looked around the circle of men with resolve. "No matter what… Amara is part Fire Nation. That won't ever change." She took in a heavy breath. "And… Zuko was her savior, Bato. He rescued her from sixteen years of abuse and imprisonment. He brought her to Sokka and I… Amara is free because of him. We met her because of Zuko and his Uncle. As much as I once believed there was no good to be found in the Fire Nation, knowing these facts has made me realize that not everyone in the Fire Nation is bad. We've even met a firebending man named Jeong Jeong who turned against his people because he didn't believe in the war… What I'm trying to say is… Zuko has a good heart… He loves Amara and wants to protect her. She loves him. You and dad used to say all the time that love works in mysterious ways. The way you felt for Aunt Kala… that's how Zuko feels for Amara. He'd give up everything to protect her. I strongly believe that."

Everyone was astonished by Katara's words. Sokka nodded in agreement. Hakoda gave a small smile. "You are a wise young waterbender, my daughter. If what you say is true about Prince Zuko, then I believe you."

Bato let out a heavy breath. "It's hard for me to understand… but then again… it was hard for me to believe that you two were traveling across the world to help the Avatar end a hundred year war…"

"Yeah," Sokka spoke. "We were nuts following that kid around. But Aang is one incredible Avatar."

Hakoda sighed. "I am so proud of you both. Not only for helping the Avatar, but for helping to take care of your cousin. Your mother would be so happy to know a part of Kala still exists." He stared at the fire between them with sadness. "We were all fools for not trying to break into the Fire Nation and search for her. We gave up too quickly. Your Aunt Kala suffered because her people let her down. We won't make the same mistake twice. When you see Amara again, let her know that she is one of us. As Kya's niece, she is my niece. Therefore, she is one of my children as well. She may be part Fire Nation, but she is also part Water Tribe. We will accept her just for being Kala's daughter."

Katara nodded. "We told her that dad… but we'll definitely tell her again. I think the next time we plan to see you, she'll be okay. I think she was mostly worried about leaving Zuko alone. She really loves him… those two are inseparable."

Bato sighed. "I suppose her heart is much like her mother's was… tender… caring…" He shut his eyes. "I can't wait to meet her… to see Kala through her… that would bring me so much joy."

Katara, who was sitting beside Bato, placed a hand over his to offer him comfort. "You'll meet her… and when you do… you will all love her. I just know it."

(Amara POV)

Twenty-four hours had passed since we said goodbye to the others. After the group had left, Toph, Zuko, and I had gone to the meeting with the Council of Five to discuss invasion plans with the Earth King's generals. General How took everything Zuko said with great attention. He asked Zuko questions about the Fire Nation's defenses, writing down everything Zuko said. He had Zuko point on a map of the Fire Nation capital where the best entry points were, and what places to avoid. The meeting took a good three hours, and Toph and I sat at the war table and listened to everything with intrigue. Yuna napped in my lap while Momo napped in Toph's.

Once the meeting was over, we spent the rest of the day visiting Iroh at his teashop, and then going to our rooms at the palace to rest. Toph planned on going to see her mom early in the morning, and Zuko and I offered to drop her off before going to our next planned meeting with the Council of Five.

After we dropped Toph off near the house her mom was staying at earlier in the morning, we stopped for tea at Iroh's again since we had some time before the next war meeting. Iroh took a break from serving his customers and joined us at the table, petting Momo as he did who enjoyed the attention. As he sat with us to drink tea, he asked me, "When did your family say they'd be back?"

I let my finger run around the rim of my tea. Yuna was perched on the table beside me, eating some fish that Iroh had gotten her. Zuko was on my other side, sipping tea while writing more plans for General How on a scroll.

I answered Iroh finally. "They said they'd be gone for a day or two, so if not by tomorrow I assume the day after. Aang's at the Eastern Air Temple, so they're waiting for him to finish up with the Guru."

Iroh nodded. "I was surprised when you said you would stay here rather than go to where the Water Tribe warriors were. I thought you'd be excited to meet your mother's people?"

I frowned. "I… just didn't know how they'd react to me. And I didn't want to leave Zuko alone. I'll meet them one day. It just wasn't time."

"You didn't have to stay because of me, Amara," Zuko said, looking up from his parchment with a frown. "You know I would've been fine… I mean… I'm glad you're here. But I also don't want to be the reason you aren't with your family."

I shrugged. "I know you'd have been fine… but… it just didn't feel… like the right time. You know?"

Iroh sighed. "I suppose... But you know you can't avoid them forever. I'm certain they are all dying to meet you. You're part of them, Amara."

I nodded. "I know… I'll meet them one day. I promise."

He gave a small smile. "I will tell you this… I have heard wonderful things about Chief Hakoda from my connections. When you do meet him and others of the Southern Water Tribe, I can reassure you that they will love you. You are an amazing young woman, Amara."

I gave a small smile. "Thanks, Iroh…"

He sighed. "By the way, Amara… I've been wanting to tell you for some time. If you want to… you can call me uncle."

I flinched. An image of Uncle Xi flashed through my mind. "No… I… prefer Iroh… if that's okay."

Understanding flashed across his expression. He smiled again. "Of course… Whatever you are most comfortable with." He then glanced out the window shutters near us. "I believe it's about time for you all to head to the meeting by the way. We don't want you to be late."

I nodded. "Yeah… We should probably go."

Zuko rolled up the scroll he was writing in, and stood with agreement. "Yes. Don't want to keep them waiting. We're finalizing plans today, so this will probably be a long meeting. We'll stop by on our way to the palace after."

Iroh nodded. "I look forward to it. Actually, I will walk you all back to the palace. I've been asked to personally serve the Earth King tea this evening."

I was stunned. "Really?!"

He smiled. "Quite an honor, isn't it?"

Zuko was impressed. "Definitely! Seems like our talk to him about your amazing tea really intrigued him. We'll have to join you and King Kuei."

We eventually left Iroh's tea shop and headed to the war meeting. Yuna perched on my shoulder while Momo hung out on Zuko's. We walked to the meeting holding hands, and I could suddenly feel Zuko's hand shake.

I asked with concern, "Zuko… You okay?"

He flinched. He let out a heavy breath. "Yeah… I just… I still can't believe I'm doing this. Helping the Earth Kingdom invade the Fire Nation… it's definitely the ultimate act of treachery."

I gave his hand a squeeze. "You're not doing this to hurt the Fire Nation though. You're doing it to save them too. The Fire Lord is controlling and manipulating his people. He's sending sons and daughters off to fight a war just so he can hold more power over the world. He doesn't care about you, or his people, or his family for that matter. All he wants is to conquer and destroy. He needs to be stopped, Zuko… You need to save your people. Be the leader they deserve."

He smiled over at me. "You always know what I need to hear, Amara… Thanks."

I blushed. "I just don't like you beating yourself up. You've come really far since I met you."

He scoffed. "Look who's talking. You took out a whole group of Dai Li agents the other day."

I shrugged and muttered, "They deserved it after putting Appa in that terrible place under the lake. Their lucky boiling water is all they got."

Yuna gave a "Mew-Hoo" to agree. Momo chattered in agreement as well.

We eventually arrived at the large building where the Council of Five had their meetings. After climbing up the many stairs, we arrived in the open war room where General How, and the other generals– who I did not know the names of– were waiting. We took our seats at the war table, and General How started the meeting. As Zuko handed over the scroll he'd been writing on that morning to General How, and started to discuss battle tactics with the men in the room, I pet Yuna while Momo chased a fly behind us. I really had no clue what they were talking about in these meetings, but Zuko enjoyed the topic and seemed invested, so I decided to pretend to be entertained too.

After some lunch, the meeting continued. The table before us was a long wooden map of the four nations, and there were wooden figure pieces that symbolized Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation forces. As the generals and Zuko continued to discuss different attack strategies, I grabbed an Earth Kingdom figure not in use and moved it around the small part of the map in front of me. Momo chased after it while I moved it in my hand, and Yuna watched with curiosity.

General How and the others had turned to the map again. I continued to run my figurine from Momo, only slightly paying attention.

"I can see our conversation has been interesting to Amara," General How suddenly spoke.

Zuko had stepped back over to me without me noticing, and watched my imaginary battle with Momo in amusement. "She's strategizing, clearly."

I dropped the figure with embarrassment and flinched. "Sorry… I'm listening."

General How chuckled, but continued. "General Fong's base will serve as the launching point for the attack. In exactly two months, the army and navy will invade the Fire Nation on the Day of Black Sun."

Momo jumped into the center of the map this time and knocked over more figurines. I smiled slightly in amusement. "We could just send Momo in. He seems determined."

Zuko coughed a laugh. General How gave a small smile. The rest of the generals were not amused. I stopped messing around, and sat straight in my chair again to let them know I was listening.

General How spoke again. "All we need is the Earth King's seal in order to execute the plan." He placed two scrolls on the table and used earthbending to shoot them over to Zuko and I.

Zuko took the scrolls and gave a nod. "We'll get these scrolls to him right away. Thank you, General How."

He nodded. "I would strongly recommend the lemur plan as a backup. I'm sure Momo could do some damage, but let's hold off on that unless necessary."

Momo returned to Zuko's shoulder at this point. Zuko pet him with his free hand as he said to General How, "If we let Amara plan this invasion, she'll just grab every animal in the Earth Kingdom to be reinforcements."

General How laughed. "I believe that."

I blushed at the attention I was getting, called Yuna to my shoulder, and walked away. Zuko chuckled behind me because of my reaction, and I heard him follow a moment later.

Once we got down the steps, he said, "We're messing with you, silly. Your interaction with Momo was cute."

I felt my cheeks were still red. I defended myself. "The other generals didn't think so..."

He argued. "They're stiff. All about war and protocol. General How was amused."

I glanced over at the scrolls in his hand. "Do you… think the Earth King will approve of the plans?"

Zuko nodded. "Yeah. Definitely. We go with this plan and there's no way we can lose on the day of the eclipse. We have a chance to defeat my father."

I let out a heavy breath. "Two months just seems so close…"

Zuko grabbed my hand with the one not carrying the scrolls. He gave it a squeeze to comfort me. "We've got this, Amara. I'll teach Aang and you firebending in the meantime. We're going to be ready. And we're going to win."

A few minutes later we arrived back at Iroh's shop. Iroh offered us some tea, and then we explained to him what we had discussed at the meeting earlier. When Zuko told Iroh about me and Momo's mini battle, Iroh chuckled and said he wished he could have witnessed it. I pouted and told Zuko to stop talking about it. He just kissed me on the cheek and said he enjoyed seeing me have fun.

Finally, it was evening and time to head to the palace. Iroh closed his shop early, and carried a tray of tea out to the carriage that was waiting to take us to the palace gate. We rode in the carriage with anticipation. Zuko gripped the scrolls tightly, nervous about how the King would feel about the plans. Iroh reassured him that things would work out, and to not look so worried.

When we got to the palace, we arrived at the front gate where some Earth Kingdom guards opened the doors for us. We headed across the courtyard, and up the many stairs to the palace. I was amused by Iroh's ability to carry the tray of tea with so much balance. When we got inside the throne room a few moments later, Iroh reheated the tea in the teapot with firebending, and then we all got on our knees to wait for King Kuei. An Earth Kingdom guard left the room to go retrieve the King.

Iroh spoke as we waited. "Who thought when we came to this city as refugees, that I'd end up owning my own tea shop and serving the Earth King? Follow your passion, Zuko and Amara, and life will reward you."

"I'm so happy for you, Uncle," Zuko said sincerely. "You deserve this."

Iroh nodded. "Many times I imagined myself here, at the threshold of the palace." He shut his eyes. "But I always thought I would be here as a conqueror. Instead, I am the Earth King's personal guest, here to serve him tea. Destiny is a funny thing."

Zuko nodded. "It sure is, Uncle… I never imagined in all my years I would be working on the other side of this war to help stop my father."

Iroh glanced over at Zuko, and then at me where I sat on the other side of Zuko. "When I saw the relationship building between you and Amara, I had a feeling you would one day be changing paths. I'm proud of you, nephew. Your mother and Great-Grandfather Roku would be too."

We sat for a few more minutes, waiting for King Kuei to come in. I started to get a sudden discomfort in my stomach. Yuna was getting restless on my shoulder. Momo was also chattering more than usual.

"I… think something's wrong… this just feels… weird," I spoke softly.

Zuko nodded. "I know what you mean." He stared down at the scrolls in his hand. "What's taking so long?"

Iroh pondered over this as well. "Maybe the Earth King overslept from his nap."

The door to the room suddenly opened again. I was shocked when I saw Dai Li agents come in and begin to form a circle around us. I knew then we were in trouble. The Dai Li had not been around much since Long Feng was arrested. It appeared they were all back, and had replaced the Earth King's guards. My heart started to pound quickly as I felt anxious.

Zuko voiced my own thoughts as the three of us looked around. "Something's not right."

A coldness suddenly fell over the room as a familiar Fire Nation princess walked in and stopped in front of us. Her gold eyes were as cruel as ever. She stood between two of the Dai Li agents with a sick grin. She was wearing a green outfit with the Dai Li symbol on her shirt.

I was horrified. What was she doing here? Where was Earth King Kuei and the Kyoshi Warriors? How did she get into Ba Sing Se? Why were the Dai Li with her?

She grinned madly. "It's tea time!"

The three of us stood quickly.

"Azula!" Zuko snapped. "How did you get in here?!"

She laughed. "I was welcomed as a guest. It's funny what a stolen Kyoshi Warrior disguise can get you. I have Amara's cousin Sokka to thank for it all. His vouch for the Kyoshi Warriors was our way in."

I was horrified. "The Kyoshi Warriors… What did you do to them?!"

She met my gaze and shrugged. "Carted them away to a prison somewhere. They'll rot for the rest of their lives. For the best. They were terrible fighters."

My heart ached for Suki and her friends. I did not know her, but I knew Sokka cared about her. "You monster!"

She chuckled. "Me the monster? I heard what you did to most of the Dai Li the other day. Boiled them and left many of them with permanent scars I believe. Now… How am I the monster, dualbender?"

Zuko growled. "Shut up, Azula! Those agents deserved what they got!"

Azula's lips stayed up as she smiled mockingly at us. "How do you like my new allies, the Dai Li? They're earthbenders, but they have a killer instinct that's so firebender. I just love it."

Zuko tightened his fist around the scrolls. "What did you do with the Earth King?!"

She laughed. "That oaf? He's locked up in the dungeon where he belongs. Ty Lee and Mai are hanging out with his filthy bear in the meantime." She looked at the three of us with victory. "I'll be locking you all up as well. But first, hand me the plans! I'm aware you all are plotting something. I heard a rumor circling around." Her eyes stared at the scrolls in Zuko's hands to indicate what she was asking for.

I grabbed the plans from Zuko, thinking quickly. There was information about the eclipse on it, and the last thing we needed was the Fire Nation learning about the day they would be most vulnerable. With a quick flame, I caught the parchment on fire and it turned to ash in my grip.

Azula scowled when she saw my actions. "I see you're still loyal to the Water Tribe, you little freak!"

Zuko stepped up and put an arm in front of me. "Don't call her that!"

Azula calmed her fury towards me, and rolled her eyes at her brother's defense. "Oh, yes… I heard all about your love for the half-breed. I'm aware she's the reason you have officially turned into a traitor. You don't want to hurt her, so you're willing to betray your own people for her… how sweet." She looked at me with narrowed eyes. "Tell me, Amara… what would it take to get you to come to your senses and join the Fire Nation? You can't really expect that the Water Tribe will protect you, right? To those peasants, you're nothing more to them than a Fire Nation pest. Come back to where you belong. Join the Fire Nation… help us win this war… and you will get to live in peace for the rest of your days."

Yuna, who was on my shoulder, hissed at her. Azula sneered at the cat-owl and snapped, "Silence, creature!"

I defended her, stroking Yuna's wing as I snapped. "Don't talk to her like that!" Then I answered, "I will never join you! My desire is to help my Water Tribe family stop this war once and for all! I will not betray them!"

She feigned a yawn. "How boring… playing on the losing side. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised though… I'm certain you've never been loyal to the Fire Nation. If you were, your father and his family wouldn't have treated you so harshly."

I argued. "You're wrong! That had nothing to do with it! They were just heartless monsters! Don't talk like you know me!"

She smirked upon hearing the fire in me. "I see… I have much to learn about you it seems, Amara…" She glanced back over at Zuko and Iroh. "As for you two. Uncle… Zuzu… I'm about to offer you a chance to change your ways. Surrender your allegiance back over to the Fire Nation, tell us what these plans were, and you will both be welcomed back as the Retired General and Fire Nation Prince you once were."

Iroh spoke up for the first time since Azula made her presence known. "How thoughtful… when last time you attempted to welcome us home you planned to imprison us. Not to mention, you tried to kill me. I feel like I can trust you so much."

She waved his sarcasm off. "All in the past, Uncle. I'm willing to put my differences aside and let you both come back with me. Help me conquer this city… help me bring victory to father by finally taking over the Earth Kingdom once and for all… then you will have restored your honor and your place in our family."

I felt my breathing hitch. Momo, who had been watching everything with edge, jumped onto my other shoulder to offer me comfort.

Azula noticed. "Unless of course you want to stay with the animal girl for the rest of your life."

Zuko glanced over at me, and then back at Azula. "She's not the only reason I chose to switch sides, Azula… You should know too. Maybe it will convince you that you're also on the wrong side of the war."

Azula cackled. "Me? On the wrong side of the war?! Do tell me dear brother… How is this so?"

Zuko answered. "There is more than just one path for us, Azula. Our great-grandfather on our mom's side was Avatar Roku. He wanted peace. He wanted to stop our Great-Grandfather Sozin from starting this war. If we want to honor our mom and great-grandfather, then stopping the Fire Lord is the right path."

She was amazed by his reveal. For a moment, she looked like she didn't know what to say. However, she was clearly as crazy as my brother, so she was not deterred. She quickly found the words to say after she scoffed.

"You think this fact about our mother's lineage is going to change my mind. Mother is gone. Roku is dead. I think I'll pick sides with someone who's still breathing. Avatar Roku's values got him nowhere. They will get you nowhere too." She stepped forward, tightening her fists. "Think about it, brother… The Fire Nation is the strongest force this world knows. You side with the other nations, and you will be destroyed along with them. Come back to your senses. Come home, Zuko."

Zuko stepped back and took my hand in his. He squeezed it to let me know that he would not abandon me. I felt relief flood through me.

Azula noticed. "Fine… I was trying to be nice and give you a chance."

Iroh spoke up again. He moved over so he was standing in front of Zuko and I. "Did I ever tell you how I got the nickname 'The Dragon of the West'?"

Azula looked at her nails. "I'm not interested in a lengthy anecdote, Uncle."

Iroh smirked, then crouched down and picked up a cup of tea. "It's more of a demonstration, really." He looked over at Zuko with a smile as he took a swig of the tea. Zuko nodded, and he pulled me, Yuna, and Momo behind Iroh. The next thing I knew, I saw fire erupt in my vision. Zuko made me move as we went around in a circle to avoid Iroh's blast that he was shooting from his mouth. The Dai Li were knocked back, and Azula was forced to block. As they were distracted, Iroh shot another blast of fire at the wall behind us and an opening appeared into the hall outside.

I looked at Momo and Yuna with concern for them. I pointed to the hole in the wall. "Go!"

Yuna and Momo did just that, flying out of the room and through the opening in the wall. Iroh took off after them, and Zuko and I went to follow behind. We made it into the corridor, and we ran down the hall towards another wall where Yuna and Momo had stopped. Dai Li agents were running behind us, and I heard the sound of rocks crunching as they sent some stone gloves towards us to grab us. I turned, grabbing water from my pouch and shooting it at the stone. My force knocked the stone gloves back at the Dai Li, who were forced to dodge both my water and their element.

Iroh shot a blast of lightning at the wall a moment later, and the stone broke away revealing the outside world. Iroh, Yuna, and Momo quickly jumped down. I heard the rustle of a bush as Iroh landed below.

A stone wrapped around my arm and jerked me back, making me gasp. I looked back to see the same Dai Li agents had recovered and they both shot their earth gloves again, managing to get a grip on me.

Zuko, who had reached the edge of where the hole was, looked back at me with worry when he heard my sound. When he saw that I was being dragged back by a literal stone grip, he was horrified. "Amara!"

I turned and tried to use my free hand to shoot water at the two men again. The other Dai Li agent shot another gloved hand at me, restraining my other arm too and making me drop my water.

"Zuko! What's wrong?! Get Amara and jump! You'll be fine!" I heard Iroh shout outside.

"Uncle! Go! Amara's in trouble! See if you can send word to Aang and the others! Tell them the Earth Palace has been infiltrated!"

Zuko turned back towards me after ordering Iroh to go and giving his message. He raced back over to me and shot fire at the two Dai Li agents. They quickly released me from the stone grips so that they could throw a wall up to block his attacks. As they were distracted, Zuko took my hand to leave. We turned, and were horrified to see Azula standing in our path.

She clapped her hands slowly as she stood in front of the exit. "My… That was quite impressive. A pity you didn't escape."

Zuko scowled. He pulled me behind him and got into a stance ready to fight. "Fine! Let's go, Azula! You and me!"

Azula rolled her eyes. "You're so dramatic. What? Are you going to challenge me to an Agni Kai?"

Zuko snapped, "Yes! I challenge you!"

My eyes widened in horror. I knew what an Agni Kai entailed. I didn't want Zuko to get hurt.

However, Azula waved him off. "No thanks."

Zuko hollered in rage and shot a fire blast towards her. However, two Dai Li agents appeared beside her and intervened. They pulled up a section of the floor, making a wall to block the attack. They stepped around the wall then and shot some rock gloves at Zuko's feet, making him lose his balance. He put his right hand down, but another rock glove trapped that one.

"No!" I cried. I shot a blast of fire at the two men, but more Dai Li showed up behind us and I was immediately locked to the ground by stone around my feet. Stone gloves grabbed my wrists and pulled them behind me, cuffing me. I dropped to my knees as I lost my balance too.

Azula walked over to us as we were both restrained. She walked past Zuko and stopped in front of me. Zuko was being grabbed by the two Dai Li agents at this point, and his hands were cuffed behind him as well.

"Azula! Don't touch her!"

Azula rolled her eyes at her brother's order as she crouched in front of me. She smirked when she saw my glare. "Amara… my pretty little dualbender… I heard stories about what your dear brother Zhao did to you. Tell me what I want to know, and my treatment will be so much easier on you." She grabbed my chin so I could stare directly into her heartless golden gaze. "Don't tell me, and it will be far worse."

I felt my body tremble as memories of my brother and uncle shot through me. I tried to stay strong for my family though. "Go on," I whispered. My voice shook, but I kept my glare. "I've been on the brink of death before. Nothing you do to me can be any worse. I won't betray my family."

She released my chin and stood. She grinned down at me, while Zuko struggled in the background trying to get free so he could protect me. "Such a brave little dualbender you are… I think we'll have a lot of fun together on our way back to the Fire Nation."

She turned and started to walk away. She stopped though as she passed by Zuko. "My offer still stands, brother. Tell me what I want to know, and I will tell father that you helped me conquer Ba Sing Se. Until then, you and the dualbending freak can hang out together in your nice little stone prison."

As Azula walked away, Zuko and I were jerked out of the hallway towards where our prison would be. As we went, I prayed that Iroh had gotten out of the palace okay with Yuna and Momo. If they were free, there was hope that we could get out of this.