Fight 57: The rout

Appa still in his armor, and the teens who had escaped on him, were trudging on a rocky and barren land, slouching under the scorching summer heat that weighed on them as heavily as the miserable defeat they had just suffered. As soon as they had gotten out of the forest, the glaring sun had started bearing down on them. Except one, they were all hanging their heads with dejected expressions, many with their eyes closed.

"This is humiliating." Katara spoke.

"Do you mean getting thoroughly spanked by the Fire Nation, or having to walk all the way to the Western Air Temple?" Her brother inquired.

"Both." The waterbender replied crossly.

"Sorry guys, but Appa gets tired carrying all these people." The monk affectionately scratched his bison under the eye.

"There's something called 'the last laugh'. We just need to make sure we'll be the ones to have it, as well as 'payback'. For that, we need to make this defeat count, and think of our next steps." Chenlian alone was standing straight and looking forward as she was leading the group. It was a fact that as a firebender, the heat was affecting her less than the others. Much more than that though, she couldn't waste time moping around and being a burden. They had to switch gears, the faster, the better. Teo wondered how the rest of the troops were.

"They're probably on their way to a prison. Seems like my dad just got out, now he's going back in." Haru answered. The Duke missed Pipsqueak. Sokka missed not having blisters on his feet.

"You lack training. You should ask Toph to toughen you up." Chenlian said.

"Even though you were on your last legs just a bit earlier... what kind of weird pride is that?" Sokka pondered.

"So, how is it that this girl who's only holding up thanks to that weird pride of hers looks the best off than you? If you love the ground so much that you keep staring at it, why don't you stay there? I'll keep walking forward. I won't rely on hunched backs." The firebender smirked back. It didn't matter that they knew she was putting up a front. She had to dispel that gloom and raise their fighting spirit. And for that, putting up a front, provoking them, straining herself or whatever, she would do it. And indeed Sokka and The Duke fell for it. The others smiled at them and straightened their backs. Regardless of the methods, Chenlian had managed to lift their hearts a bit. They indeed knew she was straining herself, and they knew she was doing it for their sake. For others, she spared no effort, and went all out. No matter how weak or wounded she was, she would still stand straight. By showing them that, she meant for them to do the same. And they wanted to answer to her feelings and expectations... and make sure she wouldn't overstrain herself too much for their sake.

"Hey, we're here. I can feel it." Toph suddenly said with a relieved expression. As they looked around and couldn't see anything but the cliff and abysmal chasm ahead, Katara believed Toph's feet needed their eyes checked. But Aang and Chenlian immediately understood, although they could hardly believe it, even when Appa took them down the gorge. It was just too amazing. Titanic, multi-tiered pagodas seemingly hanging upside down off the underside of the ledge of the cliff, giant statues, platforms, buildings carved on the very cliff side... Stairs and causeways had been built to connect the different parts of the temple. The Western Air Temple, just like the Eastern one, used to exclusively house female airbenders. This was also the place where Avatar Yangchen was born and raised. Although all its inhabitants had been hunted down and killed at the beginning of the war, the temple itself had not suffered too much damage.

Zuko slid down a rope, swung himself, jumped off, and landed on a platform. He stood up and looked at the statue of the female Air Acolyte before turning to the mist-filled chasm. He had once come here, three years ago, with his uncle, right after his banishment. Iroh had commented about the stunning view.

"The only view I'm interested in seeing is the Avatar in chains." Zuko had replied curtly. Back then, a large white bandage was covering the scarred side of his face with a cloth strap keeping it secured in place. The old man had tried to remind him that the Avatar hadn't been seen for a hundred years, that the chances of finding him here were very slim... only to be ignored. "First, we'll check each of the Air Temples. Then we'll scour the world, searching even the most remote locations until we find him."

"Prince Zuko, it's only been a week since your banishment. You should take some time to heal and rest." Iroh had worriedly advised.

"What else would I expect to hear from the laziest man in the Fire Nation?!" The prince had snapped back. His uncle had sighed sadly, looking down and closing his eyes. "The only way to regain my honor is to find the Avatar. So I will."

But even though his resolve had been so strong back then, here he was standing now, at the exact same place, firmly determined to help the Avatar defeat his own father, the Fire Lord. It was then he heard a growl and spotted the sky bison. Zuko gasped in surprise and ran off to hide behind a pillar and he ran back up a long flight of stairs built against the cliff side.

Appa landed on a platform in the middle of which was an hour glass shaped fountain. It connected to another room further in. Tall metal bifold doors, currently open, had been installed to act as a wall when closed and protect the inside from storms or outside attacks. Teo noted how this place was so different from the Northern Air Temple and wondered if there were any secret rooms. Haru suggested checking it out. The two went to investingate with The Duke. Aang wanted to go too but Katara blocked him with his staff.

"You guys go... I think we need to talk about some things." She told the three explorers who okayed and went ahead. The disappointed monk protested. "As Chenlian said, we need to decide what we're gonna do now. And since you're the Avatar, maybe you should be part of this."

"Fair enough. So, what's the new plan?" Aang questioned crossly as he, Toph, Chenlian, and the Water Tribe siblings went to sit in a circle on the fallen parts of a broken pillar.

"Well, if you ask me, the new plan is the old plan. You just need to master all four elements, and confront the Fire Lord before the comet comes." Sokka gave his opinion. "Chenlian, you can teach him now, right?"

"Fire is dangerous. In order not to let it go wild and overpower him, the practitioner needs firmness and stability. Toph, as his earthbending teacher, do you think he grew enough in that regard?"

"Frankly, he could do with some more training, but I believe he's gotten solid enough to handle things now."

"You're right... besides, it's not like we'll go straight into advanced techniques. It could be good to take turns teaching him. It's still worrying though that we'll have to skip phases. And while it's no good to lack restraint like he did back then, now he's obviously become too fearful about it. But I guess it can't be helped. Aang, let's-"

"Wh-what are you saying now? If you don't think I'm perfectly ready, then you shouldn't teach me! You said yourself that it's dangerous and we can't rush things or people could get hurt." The monk protested.

"But Aang-"

"That way of doing things is not like you! You're the always careful perfectionist strict with others and with yourself and who doesn't bend her ways and principles. So this time again, consider safety first! On that note, until I AM ready, why don't we tour- I mean patrol the temple?!" And to escape the pressing reality he ran and took off with his glider. He didn't want to learn firebending because he was still afraid of hurting people. But it also hurt him to reject Chenlian like this, using her sense of responsibility against her, all because he couldn't face his fear and obligations... and because of that, he couldn't face her either. Toph wondered what was up with him.

"When my grandfather tried to teach him firebending, Aang got ahead of himself and hurt Katara. Since then, he's been scared stiff of it." Chenlian explained with a sigh. "The mindset is an important factor. He's lacking confidence, and I can't blame him for being so reluctant to let me teach him, given the way I am now. I also lost a great deal of confidence and..." She could tell herself... how cold she had become, and how anger, resentment and sadness were swirling inside her like tempestuous winds, much, much closer to the surface than before. And that was no good as a teacher. She looked at her right hand she balled into a fist and closed her eyes. Although she could compartimentalize, separate reason from emotion, so she could act on reason, and only draw... filter 'power' from emotions... which was why she could still generate and use lightning and firebending as precisely as before... she was still at a danger of losing that self-control, much more so than before. It was like her emotions had a will of their own that she had to keep at bay. And her ability to keep those negative emotions in check had greatly diminished the same way her confidence did. She had believed in Zuko, she had believed in the 'her' that believed in Zuko, in her own judgement... so now, believing in herself was really difficult... "But time won't wait for us. We still have things we must do. Let the world end and all those people die just because we we lacked courage? As if I'd let that happen! I'll convince him. The Avatar must learn all four bending disciplines to be complete. I will teach Aang firebending." She opened her eyes again. Her burning gaze was full of determination. "In any case, please humor Aang for a bit, there's a little something I must take care of."

"Where are you going at this time?"

"Not far, just got something to check out real quick. I'll be back in an hour or so at most." The firebender smiled mysteriously and took off too.

"Hello, Zuko here." Zuko raised his hand in greeting. "But I guess you probably already know me... sort of." He nervously rubbed the back of his head before putting his arm down again. "Uh... so, the thing is, I have a lot of firebending experience, and I'm considered to be pretty good at it. Well, you've seen me... you know, when I was attacking you? Uh, yeah... I guess I should apologize for that. But anyway, I'm good now. I mean, I thought I was good before, but now I realize I was bad..." He started speaking confusedly, and grew really uncomfortable, and finally got to the main point. "Ugh, but anyway... I think it's time I joined your group, and taught the Avatar firebending." He straightened up with a sincere expression. His practice partner, a badger frog sitting on the roots of a large fallen tree, croaked. "Well, what's your answer?!" Zuko yelled, frustrated. The animal ribbited, jumped on his head, and away. The boy slouched again dejectedly. "Yeah, that's what I'd say too." He acknowledged the lameness of his attempts at self-justification and persuasion. "How am I supposed to convince these people I'm on their side?" He threw his arms in the air in despair. Since he couldn't find any solution by himself, he decided to borrow the wisdom of people he knew. He first tried to imitate his uncle...

"Zuko, you have to look within yourself, to save yourself from your other self. Only then will your true self reveal itself." However, although the impersonation was quite good, the meaning of his own sentences still eluded him. Iroh's habit of speaking in riddles was really damning. Next he tried his sister.

"Listen, Avatar, I can join your group or I can do something unspeakably horrible to you and your friends. Your choice." Although Azula would have likely phrased things slightly differently, the basic message was spot on. However, as those imitations didn't help him one bit in his predicament, the prince concluded that he was not that good at impersonations. How did Chenlian do it? She had been so loved and trusted by those people despite being a firebender...

For one, she never attacked them, or betrayed them... she remained fiercely loyal to them all this time...

He violently shook his head, trying to shake off the negative feelings that were filling him, weighting his mind and body like lead dragging him down. Time... she must have 'simply' explained her situation and goal to them in a sincere, straightforward manner, and proven her loyalty to them over and over, helping them in any way she could... but more than her wisdom, fighting abilities, or housekeeping skills, they must have been touched by how deeply and earnestly she cared about others, how much she'd wear herself out for them. Whenever they had been down, she must have smiled at them and encouraged them, lifted them up. The smile of a person who'd still smile and care like this despite everything she had endured was sure radiant, and let you see something beyond the darkness. And because she was strong enough to smile, because her heart was strong, you relied on her. He could tell because it had been the same for him. So he too had no choice but to keep trying and doing his best effort no matter how long it took...

"As usual you do nothing but flail about and struggle pointlessly." A disdainful female voice surprised him. He hadn't sensed anyone coming. And he was all the more shocked and incredulous when he turned to see Chenlian.

It couldn't be! It was another illusion! But before he, or she, knew it, he was already hugging her with all his strength and crying, apologizing over and over, repeating how much he loved her, how much he had missed her, how happy and relieved he was that she was still alive, that he still couldn't believe she was real and not part of a dream or an illusion, and what he had gone through when he had believed her dead, the pain, the emptiness... to the point he was going crazy, completely losing his mind...

"Zuko... I'm so happy. I always believed you'd say that and return to me..." She sounded so sweet, relieved, delighted, that he pulled back so he could look at this radiant smile he had missed so much... only to be filled with dismay when he saw her extremely cold, scornful expression. "... As if..." She placed her dagger against his throat, forcing him to let go and back away. "Did you truly believe I'd be stupid enough to fall for that trick again? You're really underestimating me. Or are men stupid enough to believe that as long as they embrace a woman, she'll be at their beck and call? Do they think that as long as they make a show of sincerely apologizing everything will be forgiven and forgotten? You should know that past a certain point, 'sorry' just can't cut it anymore and even becomes insulting... And saying 'I love you' now is even worse. Or is discarding someone, challenging them to an agni kai, and letting them rot in prison while you enjoy yourself with another girl your way of showing your love?"

"No! That'... I-"

"Well, whatever. Don't come, go back the way you came, there is no place for you here. It is useless no matter what you do. It is too dangerous for us to keep you around. We can't trust you, that's impossible. Ignore my warning and you'll face the dire consequences. That's all I came to say." Chenlian threatened, holding him at sword point before she sheathed her dagger and started leaving.

"So you're saying you won't even let me hold you despite having found out that you're still alive?!" Having recovered from the shock, Zuko grabbed her wrist and turned her back to him.

"...Had it been about just the two of us, I might have waited for you, taken the chance..." She said softly, smiling wistfully, as if fondly gazing at a distant memory that never came to be. "...But... it's not the case." Her expression and voice grew hard and cold again. "I won't make the same mistake. I told you, Zuko, if you won't take my hand before I leave, I'll see you as an enemy. It would have been better for you to keep believing that I'm dead and forget about me. And you must have sensed it, one of the reasons why I chose to leave like this... to completely sever all my ties... because there was nothing left for me in that place... much less an idiot who would destroy everything without being aware of its value or the weight of his decisions..." She continued, smiling derisively, scoffing.

"My uncle... was Iroh aware of it?" He didn't deny her but tightened his grip on her wrist.

"I wanted him to come with me, but he turned me down. It's true that this method would have made it a lot more difficult for us to escape together. Well, we would have thought of something." The girl replied equanimously. She felt him squeeze her wrist even more tightly. "...Will you call me cruel and heartless?" She challenged him.

"...No. It's my fault. I'm the one who closed my eyes and ears, betrayed you and treated you cruelly. I made you harden yourself, in order to protect yourself. That's why from now on, everything I destroyed, I'll rebuilt it... your trust, your heart, our relationship... and... Chenlian! I came here to help the Avatar, to teach him firebending, and help him defeat my father! We can teach him together! Everything will be how it should be! You said many times that it was what you wanted the most, that we should help the Avatar together, end this war, and restore the four nations! Now we can do it! I promise, this time I will-!"

"YOU will?" The female bender looked with disbelief and extreme scorn, shocking him. "Even if you were telling the truth, you can never keep any of your word. We know that already. You can't help or save anyone. You're only good at hurting others. You're not needed here. I don't need you anymore, and Aang doesn't need you either since I'm here. At best, you're useless, at most, always quit whenever there's something you don't like, you can never fully commit yourself to anyone, so you keep going in circles. As proof, you telling the truth would mean that because you've felt some dissatisfaction, you threw the life you'd fought so hard to obtain out the window, broke another girl's heart and left to chase after what you didn't have, just like you had done before. You just can't change. And we just can't rely on a turncoat. Or, if you're not one, then you would have realized that to please your father as you've been desperately trying to do all those years, you had to defeat the Avatar with your own hands... and since you couldn't beat him and his friends in a head-on fight, you would have no choice but to pretend to be his ally..." She sneered with a cynical smile, clearly much more enclined to think of this latter possibility as his likeliest reason for being here... and thus mocking him for his appalling idiocy. To think she would have to spell out all those obvious facts... She recovered her serious, and her hard, grim, cold face. "But that's not gonna work either. There's no way. So tell me again, what did you come here for? How could you even think we'd believe anything you could say at this point?" The girl looked straight at him.

Zuko's breath caught in his throat. He was paralyzed. With painfully cold and indifferent eyes that did not believe, that did not trust, that did not rely on anyone but herself, she looked at him like she was brushing him aside, removing a pebble in her way. He had never felt so keenly the distance between them, like he was on the rim of a frighteningly large, deep, and vertiginous crevice. He could not make a step forward. He could not deny her or say anything to defend himself. Was he too late? His hand trembled as he let go, unable to do anything else. She snorted, truly brushed him off, and turned her back on him. She had rarely seen him so distraught... and while she could recall the time when that expression would have compelled her to comfort him, that felt like another self from an alternate world... Right now, she held no compassion for him. The prince was watching her leave when his eyes suddenly widened.

NO! If I let her go like this again, nothing will ever change! I have changed already! If I don't show it to her, I won't be able to change her heart! He had promised himself that if he could ever hold her hand again, and there was warmth and strength in that hand, then he would never let go again! Zuko grabbed her and pulled her against him in a fierce embrace. It was fine if he fell down to the bottom, he would climb his way back up, like she had always done. It was fine if she no longer extended her hand to him because now he would be the one to reach out to her. It was fine if she hated him and could not forgive him. Compared to her being dead, it was infinitely better. Because she was alive, he could hope, and something could be done. Now, he could not let her go again.

"I... can't let you go again." But then why, even as he held her so strongly in his arms, why did it feel like he still could not reach her?

"You never let me go. You've always discarded me." Chenlian pulled away and looked at him. 'I don't believe', her eyes held that strong yet sad conviction. Prayers and wishes were worthless if they did not bring about miracles. No, from the beginning she was not one to believe in things like miracles, only in things she could achieve with her own hands. She did not need things that she could not get by working hard. She did not need people who would leave her no matter what she would do or say. 'What happened can happen again.' If it did, she could not get up again. That was why she no longer believed, she just couldn't... and her eyes which completely denied him and his existence in her heart felt intensely cold. Then she heaved a weary sigh. "Zuko, I'm sorry for all the pain and confusion I've caused you when I was trying to force you to choose between your family and me. But it's alright now. You don't need to feel so torn or suffer anymore because of me. You're finally free now, so forget all about me." She said softly, causing his eyes to widen in dread. "We must defeat the Fire Lord and most certainly Azula, but we won't fight those who don't block our way. You can't beat us, so return to Mai, take her with you and find some nice place until everything's over. She might fear Azula but I think she loves you more. If you couldn't choose me, then at least choose her and do your best to make her happy."

"No! Don't-"

"That's the best thing you can do now, at least better than risking your life at my or Katara's hands. Because you won't get to Aang by using me."

"I told you that's not-"

"As long as you stay low, we won't hurt you. And with the Avatar and I on the loose again and the preparations for the war, the Fire Lord will certainly have other things to do than hunting you. Leave if you don't want something bad to happen to you. Go back and-"

"Chenlian!" And he kissed her fiercely, deeply, with all the scorching intensity of his love, desperately trying to burn and melt the protections around her heart and rekindle her feelings. She had not listened to a thing he had said! She would not even let him speak anymore! It didn't matter to her what he would do or say because she had already... no, he had to hang on! He had to believe!

The young woman was stunned for a moment. Through the kiss, she felt the fire of his passion, his tender warmth... and her heart wavered as she recalled how they used to burn with love for each other... but then, she remembered their battle in the Crystal Catacombs, and all those nights she had been woken up by the throbbing pain of her back only to see those walls and bars. She remembered all the rage, sadness and bitterness and felt them swelling uncontrollably again, she felt the tears rising... but she couldn't let them out, she couldn't explode now. She couldn't let his words or actions affect her again, or let him think he still had any sort of hold on her. She couldn't lose herself again because of him. She couldn't be defeated by him again. So she struggled to fight everything back.

"Do you really think your kisses can sway me now? You're as arrogant as ever." Chenlian recovered her coldness when he pulled away. "Still, I could have never imagined that you would have the shamelessness and insensitivity to do such a thing now... I was so taken aback I couldn't even reject you. In any case, I'm warning you again. Don't come. Leave now." The girl pushed him away. There was no crack in her mask or voice. She could do it. She had to stay calm and cool until the end. She walked away, leaving the distraught prince. She had to walk to show him, not run or fly away through firebending, as if she were in a hurry to escape. She arrived at the edge of the cliff and finally started breathing again. Luckily, although his camp was in the woods, it wasn't too far. But then she suddenly heard her name.

"Chenlian! Wait!" Zuko yelled behind her, panting. So he had run after her. She gritted her teeth. "Chenlian! I-" But as he reached out to her, and she suddenly turned to glare at him, her eyes seemed to glow gold and her expression turn feral, like she was baring her fangs at him... Fear paralyzed him when he sensed a beast's bloodlust from her, the air around her wavered and while it couldn't have been anything but an illusion caused by the diffraction of the light, he could have sworn he saw a dragon roaring and rushing to devour him. It was like Chenlian had been taken over by the spirit of a real dragon.

"Zuko, this is my final warning. If you care about your life, then don't come." The girl stepped back.

"No, Chenlian!" Zuko ran to her, his eyes wide in horror but it was too late. She fell in the chasm. He fell on his knees on the edge and then saw her fly away with firebending. He balled his fists. That bloodlust could not have been emitted by a human... and especially not by his fundamentally kind and tenderhearted Chenlian... or so he had he thought until now.

He had always taken them for granted; her warm love, her comforting presence at his side, her kindness, her protection. He had always thought that no matter what he did, no matter how long it took, as long as he came back to her and sincerely repented, she would wait for him, forgive him, and welcome him back. That was what she had made him feel. However, he realized now that it was because in a way, he had always doubted Chenlian's love for him, or rather, the extent of it. Chenlian was kind to everyone, loved everyone, forgave them... she believed in equality. But loving equally meant she didn't have a special someone, and that no one in particular could have a hold of heart. A betrayal would hurt her of course, but it couldn't affect her that much. Besides, she was strong. She had that oh so enviable ability to overcome any setback. If it was her, she would be fine. That was the image she gave.

However, while the prince had known and prided himself for being a bit special to her, he had never realized the depth of her love for him, or the depth of the wounds he had inflicted on her... How could he have been so blind? Where had he been looking until now? Even though she had been right at his side! So now he was doubting. Could she have changed this much? Could he have changed her this much? Could that bloodthirst really be from Chenlian herself? He had finally provoked the dragon's wrath. That realization and the guilt were numbing, like he had really killed her back then, like he had really killed the woman he loved when he had chosen to swat her extended hand away that time. He had unknowingly pushed her beyond the limits of what she could endure without breaking. Even when he had started realizing, he had still chosen to avert his eyes, and wasted all the chances she had given him. He really was an idiot and a failure. And now it was too late.

No! If he gave up, then it would truly be over for good! So he couldn't give up no matter what! He had to think! Would she really come here, on her own, to meet him, to talk to him, to warn him, if she had completely deserted him? Hadn't he come to fix everything he had broken? If she couldn't believe anymore, then he would believe for the both of them. If she couldn't fight anymore, then he'd fight all the harder for them, he would endure everything, because that was all he could do! Even if there wasn't much for him to do since the Avatar already had Chenlian as firebending instructor, there should still be something he could do to be of use to them and redeem himself! Because he knew now his destiny was to help them defeat his father and create an era of peace... and more than anything, he wanted to be with Chenlian!

Aang and Momo were flying among the spires, followed by Appa, driven by Sokka. The girls were on the saddle. Chenlian had joined them. Well, the Western Air Temple was exceptionally large. Katara called out to the airbender and hoped they could talk about him learning firebending now. But the child pretended not to hear her because of the wind and instead asked her to check out this loop. And he made some acrobatics. Sokka insisted too, that they should be making some plans about their future. The monk agreed to do that while he would show them the giant Pai Sho table, though he obviously intended to again divert their attention and procrastinate some more as he spoke about the all-day echo chamber they were gonna love.

"Aang, how long do you intend to run away? Will you shirk your duty again like you did 100 years ago, bringing about an even more dreadful tragedy? There are no Air Nomads anymore, the Earth Kingdom has been defeated, and the Water Tribes are on their last legs. Do you still even want to save the world?" The female firebender harshly rebuked the Avatar. Ever since her return from her 'patrol', she had been in an extremely foul mood, and while she had never been one to mince her words much, much less sugarcoat them, in her current state she was more like a slaughtering machine.

"Wha- of course I do! How could you even accuse me of-?!"

"Then did you forget what Avatar Roku said? Sozin's comet will return by the end of this summer and Ozai wants to use its power to destroy everything. We don't have an eternity! If you don't learn firebending and complete your Avatar training by this time, there won't be a world to save anymore! If you understand then stop wasting what precious time we have and get your butt down there already so we can start!" She fumed.

"I-I get it!" Aang finally yielded. He simply couldn't defy Chenlian when she was like that. And her ability of provoking people was really top notch. Besides, she was right. He couldn't keep running away from his responsibilities. They landed near the fountain again and climbed down. However, as Toph said, the lessons were gonna have to wait, they had an even more pressing problem. She pointed behind and Appa moved aside to reveal a person standing there.

"Hello, Zuko here." The scarred young man greeted, raising his arm. The teenagers' expressions changed from surprise to anger and wariness as they took their fighting stance. "Hey, I heard you guys flying around down there, so I just thought I'd wait for you here." He shrugged, trying to act natural. Appa approached the Fire Nation prince, growled, and generously licked him a few times, to Aang's and Chenlian's shock. Zuko wiped the slobber off his face with his arm. "I know you must be surprised to see me here."

"Not really, since you've followed us all over the world." Sokka remarked, his sarcasm more caustic than usual.

"Right... Well, uh... anyway, what I wanted to tell you about is that I've changed, and I uh, I'm good now. I want to apologize for everything I've done. I thought a lot... about what I could do to fix my mistakes. And, well, I think I should join your group. I can help Chenlian teach firebending, to you. I can help you defeat my father and sister. I can serve as fighting power." He offered apprehensively. Confused, touched deep down, Aang slightly lowered his staff. But Katara's disbelief was mixed with anger. "See, I uh..."

"You want to what now?!" Toph cut him off.

"You can't possibly think that any of us would trust you, can you? I mean, how stupid do you think we are?" The waterbender raged.

"Yeah, all you've ever done is try to hunt us down and capture Aang!" Her brother concurred.

"I've done some good things. I mean, I could've stolen your bison in Ba Sing Se, but I set him free." Zuko defended himself, thrusting both arms out towards Appa to prove his point. "That's something." The bison licked the boy's back again. Toph noted Appa did seem to like him.

"Only because Iroh and I pressured you, and because you had no idea on what to do with Appa once you had him. Otherwise you were hell-bent on keeping Appa and using him as bait. You even threatened me, remember? Had you properly thought of a plan, you would have fought me to capture him." Chenlian spoke confidently.

"Yeah! He probably just covered himself in honey or something so that Appa would lick him. I'm not buying it." Sokka insisted.

"I can understand why you wouldn't trust me, and I know I've made some mistakes in the past..."

"Like when you attacked our village?"

"Or when you betrayed Chenlian and locked her in prison?" Katara added.

"Or when you used Katara's mother's necklace to track us down?" Aang continued.

"Or when you sent you sent that assassin after Aang?" Chenlian persisted.

"You sent Combustion Man after us and since he was being too slow, you came to finish things yourself, didn't you?" Sokka unsheathed his boomerang and held it towards Zuko.

"No! Well, that's not his name, but I..."

"Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to insult your friend."

"He's not my friend!"

"That guy locked me and Katara in jail and tried to blow us all up!" Toph pointed an accusatory finger. Zuko closed his eyes.

"Look, I admit I've done some awful things. I was wrong to try to capture you, and I'm sorry that I attacked the Water Tribe. You have no idea how much I regret what I did to Chenlian. And I never should've sent that Fire Nation assassin after you. I'm gonna try to stop him." He turned to Aang. "You once said you thought we could be friends. You know I have good in me." The man who had once donned the Blue Spirit mask to save the Avatar from the Pohuai Stronghold turned to the boy he had saved. Aang looked at his friends and Sokka shook his head at him.

"There's no way we can trust you after everything you've done. We'll never let you join us." The Avatar decreed, to Zuko's surprise. Aang had always believed in the good of the people, regardless of nations or background, and reached out to them. So Zuko had naturally believed that as long as he showed sincerity and goodness, he would be accepted. However, he had done far too much harm. Katara told him to get out of here, now.

"I'm trying to explain that I'm not that person anymore!" The prince raised both arms in frustration and marched towards them but Sokka took a step forward and thrust his boomerang out as a warning, stopping the scarred young man in his tracks.

"Either you leave, or we attack." The Water Tribe warrior menaced. After all, as Chenlian pointed out, there was absolutely no reason to believe him.

"If you won't accept me as a friend..." Aghast, Zuko knelt down, bowed his head and held out his fists for someone to bind them. "Then maybe you'll take me as a prisoner." His words and feelings didn't get through... but he still couldn't back down. His determination wasn't that flimsy. He needed time. And to that end, bowing or being bound in chains, he would do it. If he could stay at their side, he would discard any sort of useless pride. As long as he could be at their side, then they would surely see...

"No, we won't!" Katara yelled angrily, bending a torrent of water that washed over Zuko and hurled him away. The Fire Nation royal was lying facedown on the ground in a puddle of water. "Get out of here and don't come back. And if we ever see you again...Well, we'd better not see you again!"

"However, it could also be dangerous to let him roam free." Chenlian approached Zuko and unsheathed her sword that she pointed at him. "Since we don't know what he could be plotting, it would definitely be safer to make sure he can't harm anyone anymore." She raised her sword, ready to strike. Zuko looked at her with horror. Even though she had warned him so strongly, why did he still come?! She couldn't hesitate anymore. She couldn't be softhearted, because that softheartedness, that weakness of hers had already caused too much damage in Ba Sing Se!

"Chenlian!" Aang yelled. She stopped and looked back at him. "I don't want you dirtying your hands over him." He said firmly, but also caringly... for her. He held out his hand.

"Alright. I just hope that your kindness won't come back to bite us in the rear." The girl sighed, sheathed her sword, and obediently went back and took the avatar's hand. Katara and Sokka stood protectively before her. Water dripping from his hair and clothes, Zuko closed his eyes in defeat, stood up and left slowly with the others glaring at him. The sun was starting to set.

Author's note: fufufu... time to pay up Zuko, plus the interests of course... Since the debt ballooned this much, there's no choice but to pay in several installments, but don't expect any laxness! Hahaha!

By the way, next installment, or chapter is: "Rallying"