How To Save (Seduce!) Your Villain A Guide By Avatar Aang

by Nazaki-Sama

"Shitty author, shitty novel! Prince Zuko deserves justice!" Aang's famous last words as he took his last breath, and then he found himself waking up in the novel he died cursing. Feeling anger and indignation for the way his favorite character died unjustly, Aang vowed to give Prince Zuko the happy ending he deserved, even if he was the Villain! Inspired By SVSSS.

4. Chapter 4

…How To Save (Seduce!) Your Villain In A Few Easy Steps; A Guide By Avatar Aang…

/Warnings: This chapter contains:- cursing, maybe a little bit of sadness, humor, a little bit of violence, a little bit of mental breakdown, fluff, Katara's fangirl side strike, and Aang being savage! All reviews are appreciated.

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Chapter 4

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Katara was acting weird… Aang could only think as he steered the soup, humming softly as he sent looks toward the creepy girl from the corner of his eye, wondering what the hell was wrong with the little girl or if something had happened to her in the past few days on the road after they left Omashu… or you know what? Maybe she was always like this and the longer they were away from her home, the creepier she got…

Katara was acting weird… Aang raised the ladle filled with soup, blowing a bit and tasting the final product, giving a hum… It needed a pinch of salt… Was the final conclusion as he put the wanted salt and returned to steering; glancing toward the girl every now and then, not knowing what to do when Aang was subjected to looks that were fitter for a predatory stalking prey than a little girl of twelve… a girl who was hiding behind a sleeping Appa and watching Aang creepily with sparkly eyes filled with something that made Aang sigh tiredly wondering what the hell was wrong with that girl.

Katara was acting weird… well weirder… Aang could only think, cross-referencing her attitude before Omashu, to the one after Omashu, and Aang could only frown a bit when he realized that the weirdness had started after they left Kyoshi Island… what happened there? Aang could only wonder; thinking and rethinking about Kyoshi Island and what happened there and if there was something that was the catalyst that made her turn into this creepier version of herself… well more bizarre, but that was a study for another time…

Why was she this weird? …Aang could only sigh, watching Katara watching him with those sparkly eyes, and then he turned to Sokka hoping the boy would know what was wrong with his sister… Sokka was watching his sister with horrified and confused eyes, and that told Aang this was a hopeless quest from the start….

Aang really should have called the child protection services when he had time, maybe then it wouldn't have turned out like this; Katara slowly losing her mind and poor, poor Sokka looking at his sister like she was going to bite his head off… but that wasn't important right now, Aang finally decided after an internal debate; what's important was the soup, and Aang was going to finish it now and return to the Katara-shape problem later. Who knows? Maybe the girl would get back to her senses in the end and would stop bothering Aang and acting all weird around him from now on… or at least that's what Aang hoped…

Katara was weird in a way… but then again, all teenagers were weird in one way or another, and would grow out of this weird phase soon enough… I hope… Aang could only plea, turning toward Sokka who was inching away from his sister and sending the girl, looks, that informed Aang, that Sokka thought Katara was lost beyond salvation. Aang could only blink, returning his attention to the soup, and steered…

Yeah, just a phase they would snap out of soon… Aang concluded (Begging whatever high being out there) as he steered the vegetable soup, taste-testing another spoonful, and nodded his head in satisfaction at the taste. Aang couldn't help but wonder if he was this weird when he was a teenager; thinking about it for a few seconds and then thinking about the circumstances he lived in before his adoption, and later. Aang let out a sigh, shaking his head, taking the bowls from the bags, and preparing to pour the soup… Aang was worse, but he was never creepy-weird like Katara…

The System was floating not that far away from Aang; going on and on about today's weather, the plot, or anything that caught its attention (Which at the moment was an Earth Kingdom village, a few hours away… the System… Aang had noticed, usually started by these suggestions, and out of nowhere, Aang would be once more robbed into following the plot… Aang was seriously thinking of sending complaints to the Main System for being forced to follow such a stupid plotline when he already disabled the OOC Function… but well, after striking another deal with the System to help Bumi out of his dilemma Aang needed to suck it up and follow the plot around for now). Momo was sitting on Appa's head not that far away, munching on a bug or God knows what, looking too content for a Lemur/Cat/Freeloader that continued to annoy Aang by being clingy and follow him wherever he went.

"Lunch is ready," Aang called out, finally pouring the soup into bowls, turning toward the kids and all but sighing when he saw the two of them were still lost in their world (Katara creepy staring and Sokka frightened look as he refused to remove his eyes from his sister as if she was a snake ready to pounce on him), not paying attention to Aang, nor to the fact that he called them out for food. "Brats!" Aang shouted, finally snapping the kids out of their daze, pointing to their bowls, and raising his eyebrow.

That was all it needed in the end, as the teenagers finally moved from their places and started walking toward their food; Sokka with caution as he looked at Katara every now and then, and Katara with enthusiasm unseen before… Yeah… It was creepy… Aang wondered if this was Omashu and Bumi's fault… You know what? It was definitely Bumi's fault! …Aang could only think in irritation, but nevertheless, worried about his friend who he had left in Omashu… not for the lack of trying, Bumi sure as hell tried to come with Aang in the hope of surviving future events; but the System had other ideas, and it ended with Bumi only having 20 A-Points or so before realizing that 'Nope!' He wasn't allowed to leave Omashu if he wanted to avoid death… to which, Bumi had all but started bawling and begging Aang to solve his problems like he always does…

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God above… that was a nightmare…

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…(It all started when they went to Omashu… actually they didn't go willingly, but that annoying System had dared to lead them there and disregard Aang's wishes of not being involved with the plot any further. Honest to God! Aang was this close to hitting the System with the Air Bending Manual and getting this over with because hadn't he explicitly told the System after what happened on Kyoshi Island that he didn't want to follow the plot and if so, the System would be punished?!

Lo and behold! Not two weeks after saying these words, the System had dared to strike and had led them to Omashu! Looking so happy and chirpy as it announced to him that 'The Mad King Of Omashu's quest had started and that if a quest started, then Aang was forced to complete it to get A-Points…

The beating the System suffered for saying this… let's just say that the damned thing was behaving after Aang was done with it. But that wasn't the problem! The problem was that Aang was forced to be in Omashu, and was going to be forced to impression/kill/overthrow the King's government when he didn't want any hand in such annoying subplots!

So, here Aang was, marching toward Omashu with two moody teenagers in tow (Katara had been acting weird, Aang had noted, but he didn't know why. He tried to ask Sokka why his sister looked like she was in a daze most of the time, always having a frown on her face, crossing her arms over her chest, and looking lost in deep thought; Sokka didn't know what was wrong with his sister, and shrugged it off… Aang, on the other hand, could only gaze at Katara, long and hard, wondering if she was… maturing… and that Aang needed to find some elderly woman to talk with her about what her body was going to go through from now on… Aang was definitely not panicking about this! He definitely wasn't! He was so not going to call the CPS on the Water Tribes or anything… and Oh My God! Aang wasn't going to be forced to give the Birds and Bees talk, was he?!). Planning on finishing this subplot fast enough and then getting back on the road, trying to reach the north where he would dump the two kids there and be on his way.

So, here Aang was, his face twisting into a grimace when he saw the guards bullying a poor cabbage merchant, ignoring his cries of despair when they threw his precious crop over this rocky walkway and down to the rocky valley below. Aang could only let out a sigh through his nose, sending the System a harsh glare, enjoying the way that annoying and pesky thing flinched and went hiding behind Sokka.

Aang walked toward the guards with his back straight and his head held high; proudly walking toward the people while wearing his Air Monk's robes, and tattoos out to everyone who wanted to see (Having refused vehemently to hide them even when the kids went on and on about this being a bad idea and that Aang needed to disguise himself, so no one would know he was the Avatar… Like hell, he would do that!), offering a neutral look and a placid smile as the guards turned toward him.

Aang's smile could only fall when the Earth Bender stepped to the front and raised a boulder out of the ground, levitating it above Aang's head; glaring at him aggressively while shouting. "State your business!" Ignoring how Aang's eye was twitching dangerously.

Aang moved quickly from underneath the boulder and toward the guard (Thank you, Air Bending for making him a runner and a winner in every marathon!) before halting right in front of the surprised man.

"My business is my business, young man," Aang sneered, looking the man down with his infamous glare of death (That Bumi used to complain about being terrifying and would make even the strongest men run away screaming in fear), watching the traces of confusion and some weariness in the man's eyes. "… And is none of yours." The sound of a boulder slamming into the ground behind told Aang that he had succeeded in scaring the man a little to the point he lost his concentration. "I have it up to here, and I am this close to saying fuck it and slam you with a lawsuit from the court that would leave you in jail for the rest of your pathetic life." Hearing the word 'Court', the man's face paled and then he started to stutter and look at his companions whose faces were ashen… Aang knew this was because of how mad the King was and how corrupt the justice system in Omashu was, so he knew that any mention of court, judges, or jury, would make them lose their minds.

"Settle down, sir, no need to be hasty now!" The guard choked out, looking terrified out of his mind. "Just tell me who you are, and we are going to let you through." The man gulped when Aang raised an eyebrow at that, but nonetheless, Aang sighed,

"The name's Aang Tenzin." Aang stated, watching how the guards looked at one another and then at Katara and Sokka behind. "…And these are my… kids." Aang ended up saying after a while, watching how Sokka and Katara gave awkward smiles and waved to the men near the gates.

"A-ah! Looks like nice kids…" The guard offered a shaky smile to Aang, getting out of his way and allowing Aang to go through. "Enjoy Omashu!" The guard choked out, and Aang could only wonder how Omashu remained standing for a hundred years if the men guarding the gates were intimidated by someone's glare.

Sokka looked at Aang with wide eyes, before he and Katara followed him toward the gates; a skip was seen in Sokka's walk, and Katara only waved to the guards and offered a smile while saying. "We will!" Ignoring how the guards looked at one another with confusion and fear.

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【My Liege is such a perfect villain!】

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The System, which remained silent until then, started to squeal like a schoolgirl, making Aang all but facepalm as he saw fireworks and hearts on the System's screen. "Come on kids, let's get you some food." Aang sighed, walking deeper into Omashu and wondering what was his next step going to be and how he was going to handle the Mad King living in the palace.

Aang thought, and thought, and thought some more about how to handle the problem that was the King of Omashu. While part of him didn't want to get involved with this stupid plot and go against an ancient man who had lost his marbles a long time ago, another part (That annoying System!) forced him to stay in this place and complete this stupid quest that was defeating and imprisoning the King and be done with it.

So, Aang wondered if he should go incognito in the middle of the night and do the deed, or maybe he should start a civil war and end this; but thinking about it, both options would take long and Aang doesn't have that much time to begin with… and hell if Aang was going to do the same stupid thing Avatar Aang did when coming to Omashu and cause property damage just to have face to face meeting with the stupid King who had his crown crooked.

"Ok, kids! You are staying here, while I go finish some unfinished business." Aang stated, giving his bag and some money to the kids and telling them to stay in the room he rented after feeding and watering them; Aang's brilliant plan? A direct confrontation with the King, and if that didn't work then a full-blown assassination using Air Bending… But well… Aang was a pacifist (He was not, but that didn't mean he was ok with killing! Aang may have a grey morality most of the time, but even he had lines he didn't want to cross!), and he liked to think that all lives were precious (That was a lie, he didn't, and his job as a lawyer had confirmed and disillusioned him about that concept a long time ago), so maybe terrify the idiot with Air Bending or something and use his Avatar position to bring him back to the light (If that didn't work, then Aang wouldn't mind using his fists, and then Air Bend him to space or something). But to do so, Aang didn't need any distraction in the form of bratty kids that would endanger themselves and refuse to listen to orders; so, Aang was going to leave them in this inn for a while.

Aang walked toward the Palace of Omashu, head held high and a look that told all who were gazing at him that he was prepared for war. His mind was already going through different routes, thinking of all the possible actions taken, and what the King's retaliation would be. Aang could only raise his eyebrow when no one from the guards or the servants or anyone really dared to stop him when he walked inside the palace, then walked through the hallways, then went to the throne room… you know what, this was creepy, and Aang may have been stupid and walked right into danger with his own two legs, but hey! Aang was no quitter and he was sure he could handle this when he was going to meet the King and have a long and nice chat with him.

It was the muttering and dying screeches that were heard from the throne room that made Aang look around, wondering what the hell was going on around here; Aang could only see the guards' pale faces as they looked anywhere but the door pretending that what was happening in the throne room was not happening at all… you know what… Aang might have fucked up a bit by coming here… But! Aang was nothing if he wasn't a dedicated person who would finish what he started one way or another!

So, Aang thrust the door open and went inside, planning on starting his speech and ordering the King of Omashu to step down… what Aang received for his offer was a shriek so loud it almost pierced his eardrums, before the old man inside the room (And God he looked ancient! Like any sudden move or a breeze of air would turn him to dust, ancient) hid behind his throne, screaming. "Death! Death is here! I am still too young to die! HHHHHHHHHEEEEEEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLLLLPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP!" To which Aang stood frozen in the doorway, opening and closing his mouth and not knowing what to say or do when facing such a situation. "I swear I am innocent! I am innocent! It wasn't me! I swear! WWWWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" The old man then started sobbing, and Aang could only turn to the guards waiting outside who were inching away from the throne room, looking frantic and a step away from suffering a mental breakdown then and there.

Aang looked at the old man inside the empty throne room, and then he looked at the guards who were trying to make their escape slowly; sending Aang pleading looks not to tattle on them while they went on to make their own escape. Aang let out a tired sigh, and took a step inside the room, causing the old man hiding behind the throne to screech as if his life depended on it (And God above! Aang didn't know that people as old as this man could make so much noise!).

"Please, don't kill me! I am innocent! I-!" The man choked on his saliva before coughing so hard, that Aang could only wince, wondering if the King would drop dead then and there. "I…" The King coughed, and Aang felt a little bad, and maybe guilty as he looked at the elderly who was a step away from having a heart attack and saying goodbye to the world.

"Do you… want me to get you some water? Your heart medicine? …Anything?" Aang inquired softly as he saw the man finally stop choking to death; Aang couldn't help looking around and raising his eyebrow when he saw no attendants, guards, servants, or really anyone here with the King… Shouldn't people take care of ancient men like this or what? Why was the chamber empty?

"N-no… no… I will be…" The elderly man coughed one final time before looking at Aang and freezing. "W-wait a minute… you don't look twelve… you look like… BOSS?!" The old man screeched, scrambling from behind the throne and rushing toward Aang with a manic look in his eyes, that all but made Aang punch him in the face, but held back because he didn't want to kill the elderly man who all but throw himself at Aang, falling to his knees and hugging his waist. "Boss! Boss! It's me! It's me, Bumi!" The older man then started sobbing, and Aang could only stay frozen in his place not knowing what the hell was going on and how he found himself in this mess.

"Wait, what? Bumi?!" Aang screeched when the elderly man's words finally slammed into him in a way that made sense, and his eyes widened with horror and confusion. "Bumi? As in my Bumi? The hell?" Aang screeched, pushing the man away, and gazing at the man like he lost his marbles, but really, Aang could only feel horror as he saw his friend. "System!" Aang screeched, turning toward the hack System that was floating toward the door looking a step away from bolting. "Is what he says is true?!" Aang snarled, glaring at the System with a look that dared it to lie to him and suffer pains unimaginable if it did.

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【W-w-w-w-w-w-well… This a transmigrator! B-b-b-b-but I swear I d-d-didn't know who he was until now!】

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That was the System's reply, and Aang could only return his eyes to gaze at his best friend and partner in crime with horror, not knowing what the hell had happened and why his friend had transmigrated into an old man who had one foot in his grave. "Bumi… what happened to you?!" Aang could only ask, pulling his friend up and helping him to the throne, not knowing what to feel or think as his friend sobbed and sobbed and babbled about what happened to him since Aang had gone and died on him.

To make the long story short, Bumi died… his idiotic best friend had gone and died not even two months after Aang said goodbye to the world. All because that annoying pup he was raising ran a red light, and Bumi went to save that devil in disguise; getting hit by a truck and transmigrating into this world.

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"I knew that evil creature would be the end of you! I knew it and I told you to get rid of it, but you didn't listen!"

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"Hey! It wasn't Flappsy's fault! It was that damned Truck-Kun!"

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"The Fuck is that?!"

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So, Bumi transmigrated into this world as the Mad King of Omashu who would end up defeated by the Avatar and imprisoned for the rest of his (Very short) life. But that was not the problem, oh, no! The problem was that the King in question was a one hundred and twenty-four-year-old man who was going to crook and die any day now!

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"And you didn't object? Didn't read the terms and conditions? Didn't do anything?!"

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"I just died, Aang! Why the fuck would I think about the terms and conditions?! As a matter of fact, who the hell even reads the terms and conditions?!"

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"We do, Bumi! That's our fucking job! We read the fine print and we sue people -or creatures in this case- when they break it!"

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"Aang! I am not a hardcore badass like you who managed to shake death and strike a deal with the devil and win! I just died!"

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"Yeah, and you turned into a dead man walking! Did you even look at yourself in the mirror, lately?!"

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Then Katara and Sokka showed up out of nowhere, led in cuffs by the guards who saw them sneaking inside the palace… really? Really? This was the only thing the guards of Omashu were capable of? Arresting children and leading them to the King when they dared to sneak in, but when it was Aang, they pretended to not be there, and ran away?!

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"What the fuck are you two doing here? Didn't I tell you to wait at the inn?"

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"You did, but we were worried!"

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"Oh, for God's sake! Why do you never listen?!"

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And Aang scolded them, feeling so tired and angry that these brats always ignored his orders and jumped straight into danger without thinking things through! If Aang had any hair left on his head it would have all turned grey by now because these kids were going to be the end of him one way or another!

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"…Aang… isn't she… I don't know… a little too young for you…?"

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"What the fuck? Bumi! That's disgusting! How could you even think of that?!"

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"What?! Why are you giving me these looks?! This is how the book is going to end!"

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"Fuck this shitty book! And fuck that shitty end! Where did your brain go, Bumi? Did it go with old age? Do you think I will allow that ending to take place after taking over? Hell no! I will give Prince Zuko justice even if I let you die!"

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"Hey! That's mean, you ass! I am your BFF! You can't do that! Also, don't dare insult my intelligence! I am a genius!"

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"Huh… genius? Bumi. The bar was so low it was practically a tripping hazard in Hell, yet here you are, limbo-dancing with the devil."

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Aang hissed, pointing at the System as he said that; implying how stupid Bumi was all along, and how his stupidity had allowed the System to get into his head and make him dance to its tunes, without a care or even thinking about reading the fine print and helping himself out of this problem. Aang ignored the squawk Bumi let out at the insult, and walked away; not wanting to listen to Bumi and how he pleaded with him to get back and help get him out of the problem he was an idiot to throw himself into.

Bumi Refused to let Aang go after he threw himself at him; wailing and demanding that Aang help get out of this problem by using his scary power and make these creatures comply (Almost choking the hell out of him, and killing him on the spot, which Aang retaliated, by elbowing the man hard, in the stomach, and slap the back of his head, telling him to behave, which as expected from Bumi, he didn't). one thing led to another, and Bumi being the ass he was refused to behave and throw himself at Aang once more, refusing to let go… it ended with Aang losing his temper, and hitting the man with his Air Bending Manual like he was a misbehaving creature, glaring at him and telling him to behave.

In the end, it was only after Sokka and Katara went to sleep that night, that Aang had time to talk with Bumi and the System about helping Bumi in his dilemma, without endangering themselves, via 'Identity Reveal'… Aang was so going to kill Bumi after this… a lawyer of no use who couldn't even get his ass out of the problem he threw himself into and needed another to help… genius his ass!

On the bright side, Aang managed to strike a deal with the Main System (Via, threatening and intimidating the Main System to comply with his demands) that would help Bumi in the long run. After the plot was over, and Aang finished Fire Lord Ozai once and for all; the Mad King of Omashu would die, and in his place, his grandson, King Bumi the Second would come and rule the City of Omashu. Neat right?

The catch? Aang would need to go through as many arcs as he could and follow the plot somewhat (As if he hadn't been doing that before!). But for the sake of saving Bumi from death and bringing him back to his youth, Aang would lower himself just this once to help his idiotic friend… Bumi better appreciate this or else…

So, Aang helped Bumi, and he stayed in Omashu for a while, helping his stupid friend get that shitty place under control; rewriting the laws of the city, punishing the corrupted people, banishing criminals, compensating innocent people, and doing everything that should have been done… Which really, the only reason that happened so fast, was because Aang used his ultimate power as the Avatar to do so (And scared the people to death to achieve such fate)… and goddamn it, Aang wasn't envying Bumi who was stuck in Omashu getting that shitty place back into order, which would take years to do, but Bumi would be forced to do it in a few short months or else suffer before the plot even ended.

Hearing the life, he would be forced into, made Bumi cry, rebel, and all but have a mental breakdown (As if that would work… Aang was the Avatar and he didn't want to be the shitty Avatar! He would have ended up following this damn plot and killed Prince Zuko! Do you think Aang didn't rebel and turn the System's life into hell because of that? He did! But he was still the Avatar!), all the while begging Aang to stay and help him manage this scary place, or if he didn't want to, then take Bumi with him!

Aang feeling a bit sad (And a little vindictive) could only inform his poor friend that he needed to stay in Omashu or their deal with the System would be over, and Bumi would die like how it was written… during Sozin's Comet Arc as an ancient old man… Which as expected, made his friend panic and cry and finally accept his fate.

In the end, Aang needed to leave and follow the plot to his next destination (For, stupid, stupid Bumi!), feeling embarrassed and a little angry about how Bumi hugged Aang tightly and wailed at the top of his lungs. Uncaring about the people who were looking at them, and pointing out how their King was losing it and crying his heart out, soaking Aang's robes with tears, spit, and snot… Disgusting…

"Bumi… don't make me kill you…" Aang threatened his friend, feeling so embarrassed, when Bumi all but hugged his waist and wailed at the top of his lungs begging Aang to take him with him and not leave him alone; people pointed at the two of them, and Aang could only close his eyes and take deep breaths trying to calm down before doing something stupid. "The deal." Aang threatened, and Bumi finally managed to let go, still sobbing his eyes out but at least he stood up and stopped this embarrassing display.

"Why me?!" Bumi wailed once more, looking like his soul was going to leave his body. "You were always the scary one who got the job done! Why me?! I will be eaten alive, Aang! I will be eaten alive!" Bumi complained, sniffling as he motioned with his hands for the guards to come, some carrying chests, others carrying craters, and some baskets. "I so want to go with you, I don't want to stay here." Bumi sniffled some more. "You have to take me on an adventure when you win this war, you so have to or I swear to God I will get another Floppsy and give it to you!" Aang's face couldn't stop grimacing as he heard that.

"Noted," Aang stated, letting out an annoying sigh as his eyes turned toward the chests, baskets, and craters. "And what are those?" Aang eyed the chests and the craters put in front of him before looking at his friend.

"Food." Bumi pointed at the baskets. "Money." At the chests. "And anything you could possibly need on your journey to the north to learn Water Bending." Bumi pointed to the rest of the craters, making Aang give his friend of over sixteen years a deadpan look.

"Bumi… I really think old age started to get to you…" Aang sighed, facepalming and looking at his friend with sympathetic eyes. "I am traveling on a ten-ton beast that couldn't carry all of this…" Aang pointed at the stuff stacked near him. "Nor will it be safe for me or the kids if the Fire Nation soldiers saw us and started something." Aang then leaned toward his friend. "And hell, if the System's storage would be able to handle this! It won't!" Aang hissed, to which his friend blinked in confusion as if he hadn't considered this at all, and knowing his friend, the man probably didn't with the whole 'Died and come back to life as an old man that was going to die soon enough' thing.

"Well… at least you could take some money?" Bumi offered, making Aang sigh and shake his head a little, feeling a killer headache making itself known. But you know what? Just to appease Bumi's worries, Aang agreed to take the smallest chest of gold out there (Also, the food because Sokka looked at him like a kicked puppy, as he pointed at the baskets), and then head out with the kids.

Aang promised Bumi to finish the Northern Water Tribe Arc fast and come back to Omashu where Bumi would teach him how to Earth Bend (After that idiot taught himself how Because guess what? In Bumi's panic about the dark fate he would suffer under Avatar Aang's hands, his idiot friend had skipped his 'Training Arc'… something that Aang all but blew at his friend for doing, and had to order the Bumi's System -Who had been a terrified tiny slip of thing, stuttering and apologizing from the moment Aang saw it- to teach Bumi Earth Bending from scratch and make it hurt! Making Bumi weep and wail while hearing this, and the System responsible for Bumi, swore it would do what Aang ordered), hopefully, by then, Aang would have managed to get Prince Zuko on his side and have the Prince teach him how to Fire Bend (Aang was not fantasying about experiencing 'The Fire Bending Masters' plot with Prince Zuko! He was definitely not! … Maybe a little…) before facing Ozai…

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With that, Aang left Omashu with the kids…)…

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Aang let out a tired sigh as he sat on the ground, behind him was the village of the day he was going to save from whatever monster (Spirit, or human) that was going to attack it that day. Aang let out another sigh as he glanced down at the acorn in his hand, wondering about his life choices and the reason he found himself here… For Bumi… Do it for Bumi, Aang… you don't want your friend to die as an ancient old man when he was still just twenty-four years old, do you? …Aang tried to cheer himself up, remembering the deal he had struck with the System and how his friend would get back to him after Aang finished as many subchapters and plot as he could before killing Ozai and ending all this madness…

That asshole, better appreciate it! …Aang could only growl softly, once again his eyes rising toward the sun that was going to sit any minute now… Fighting the Spirits… the Spirits… I must be insane for agreeing to this… well… at least the book mentioned that Hei Bai was a panda… he would be cute if nothing else, right? …Aang could only think, unaware of the System beside him that all but flinched and started inching away to save its life from the beating it would get.

Aang was tired, and he was annoyed, and most of all, he was so done with this shitty plot and was one step away from doing something stupid. To think this was how Aang's life would end like; taking care of two children and going around the world on a ten-ton flying beast to save the world from the Fire Nation and its Lord… Aang didn't sign up for this when he became a lawyer, he didn't sign for any of this shit when he read that stupid novel too!

But Aang could admit that their last trip was tame in comparison to what Aang expected; freeing an Earth Kingdom's village from the Fire Nation's camps wasn't all that to crack about. Aang thought it would end with being chased by pitch-forks and burned at the stake, but surprisingly, it only needed a bit of gentle… headbutting… to convince the Fire Nation to leave Haru's village and his family

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…("Please!" Aang could only sigh, facepalming when Katara hugged his waist and wailed as loudly as she could, looking at Aang with a face full of tears and snot. "It was my fault this happened, and the Fire Nation captured Haru. I need to save him, please, help me!" Katara sobbed and sobbed and sobbed some more until Aang cursed until he was out of breath… really, why did he accept being the caretaker of such troublemaking brats? He left for five minutes to buy some supplies, how the fuck did this happen?!

"Fine! Fine!" Aang snapped back, pushing Katara away from him, and taking a handkerchief from his bag; grumbling all the way as he cleaned the girl's messy face, and wondering to himself why the Gods hated him this much that they sent him these brats from hell to turn his life into a living nightmare. "But you are going to do it my way; none of that stupid idea I know is running through your head." Aang hissed, remembering the plot of this subchapter, and how Katara had pretended to be an Earth Bender to be able to sneak into the Fire Nation's camp and free the prisoners.

Katara had nodded eagerly, looking so happy and over the moon; Sokka too had looked hopeful, and he seemed to have been preparing to be Katara's backup in convincing Aang to help the stupid little girl correct her mistake.

Aang, a pacifist and a peace-loving individual (A lie!) decided to do the right thing, and instead of just 'Attacking and blasting that camp into ashes' as Sokka put it; Aang was going to act like a mature lawyer and represent these people like how things were in his world. You know, fair trial and all.

So Aang went to the camp, and he made sure to make his presence known by knocking on the metal doors; demanding to see the person in charge. Talk this like the adults they were and end this madness once and for all; Aang was hopeful and when the person in charge came, he offered his winning smile and tried talking reason with him… the results? The door was slammed shut in Aang's face.

Finally losing his patience, Aang slammed the doors open using his Air Bending, causing the soldiers to squeak and look at him with confusion. However, Aang didn't care, marching toward the person in charge with fury painting his face. "You know… this is passive-aggressive and I don't appreciate that because…" Aang loomed over the man who stuttered and shook, looking at Aang like he was death approaching to take him. "I'm just aggressive, not passive." With that, Aang headbutted the man… hard… to the point he passed out and his nose broke and started gushing blood.

…After that, it didn't take long for the Fire Nation soldiers to listen to his demands and free the Earth Benders (It took some convincing from his right and left fists, but well…). It also took some convincing to have the Earth Benders finally stand up to themselves and protect their village (it took three hours of lecture, as Aang scolded them to death for allowing themselves to fall this low and be captured when they could have escaped any time they wanted. They literally could bend the earth they walked on! How in the name of everything holy did they allow the Fire Nation to win?!) before Aang was finally satisfied they would be able to handle themselves if Aang left.

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If Aang punished Katara by doing handstands for involving him in this shitty plot…

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…No one cared enough to object…)…

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…And now here Aang was, lamenting every choice he took that led him here; sitting on the ground and waiting for the Spirit of a panda to show up so he could give it an acorn and promise it that the order would be restored soon. All because Katara and Sokka saw that burning forest down below and all but started crying and demanding Aang do something. Like hell would Aang be able to do something! Do you see him having the ability or power to grow trees?! This wasn't in the job application and hell if Aang was going out of his way to do so, even if he had the ability! He wasn't paid enough to do this! Hell, the siblings' grandma wasn't even paying him for the babysitting he was doing, so why should Aang get out of his way to do the impossible?!

But Katara had sniffled as she sat on the ground in the middle of the burning forest, and Sokka had sat beside her; the both of them looked at what was left of a place so beautiful before it was burned and Aang could only sigh, going to search the ashes for the acorns he knew where waiting here.

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"Look at this. These acorns are everywhere, you little brats. That means the forest will grow back. Someday, every one of these will be a tall oak tree, and all the birds and animals that lived here will come back."

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Aang remembered telling the kids, watching their faces shine with wonder and happiness as he placed the acorns in their hands. After that, a few minutes passed before an old man came running to them, introduced himself as 'Kay-Fon', and then begged them for Aang's help in appeasing this, Hei Bai Spirit.

So here Aang was, sitting in front of the village's entrance and waiting for Hei Bai Spirit to come so they could have a nice chat before he sent the animal on its way and by that saving the villagers trapped in the Spirit's World… Ah… life was hard… Aang could only think, blinking when he heard a rustling sound not that far from him. Aang raised his head and smiled, thinking that Hei Bai had finally shown up and that Aang could convince the cute panda to leave this village alone…

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【QAQ】

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What in the name of every predator movie was that thing?! …Aang shrieked inside his head, watching that… creature… walking toward the village, stopping in front of Aang and tilting its head as if studying him before roaring in his face spitting, saliva, lights, and whatever in Aang's face. Aang's face stiffened with his smile present, his body was frozen like a wooden plank, and his heart all but stopped then and there.

"System… I will destroy you…" Aang finally choked out after what felt like decades of being frozen in his place, finally managing to control himself enough to raise his shaky hand and wipe the spit off his face, ignoring the crying System in the corner that was begging Aang to forgive it. "You must be Hei Bai, the Spirit of this forest." Aang cleared his throat and called out to the Spirit, making it still before once more roaring, spit flying, and landing on Aang's face. "My name is…" Another roar followed by Aang being drenched in spit once more, and Aang twitched, his hand inching toward the Air Bending Manual. "…Is Aang, and I am…" Another snarl, and another shower of spit; Aang had had enough.

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【QAQ】

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Aang, finally reaching his wit's end and feeling his anger spiked dangerously to the point of overshadowing his fear; Aang stood from his sitting position so fast, and with all of his strength, he slapped that creature on the muzzle with the Air Bending Manual (Something always kept on hand because the System needed to be punished for being bad).

"Bad Beast! Bad Beast! Down! Now!" Aang snarled, hitting the beast a few more times, and looking at the creature that started to let out whimpering noises and clutching its muzzle. "Down!" Aang growled, watching the beast comply and sit down on the ground, looking at Aang and then the manual in his hand. "I have had enough of disobedient creatures to last me a lifetime, and this is enough!" Aang hissed, walking toward the creature, watching how it let out a confused whine and tried to stand up, but Aang raised the manual threateningly, daring it to move.

…The creature wisely did not dare to move, staying on the ground and watching Aang standing over it… The only smart thing that the creature had dared to do ever since showing its face to Aang and drenching him in stink and filth that not even Appa had dared to do so and Appa had licked and drenched him in spit ever since Aang made acquaintance with that animal.

"Beast!" Aang growled, glaring at what could have been the Predator's ancestors or something, his anger powering him in a way that not even a sliver of fear was felt inside. "Now, I understand that you are angry and upset because your home was burned down. However, that did not give you the right to kidnap and hurt innocent people who did nothing wrong!" Aang huffed, crossing his arms over his chest and glaring at the Spirit. "You are angry, you are sad, and you are hurt; I understand that! How do you think I feel being forced to be the Avatar without my consent and having my life destroyed before my very own eyes?!" Here, Hei Bai let out a noise, tilting its head, and removing its hands from its muzzle, letting out another questioning noise. "Yeah, I am furious… but I don't go around, and punish people for it… most of the time…" Aang grumbled the last part to himself. "I saw the forest, I saw the scar, and I know it hurt." Aang sighed, opening his hand to show an acorn and leaving it near the beast's face. "But the forest would grow back; it will prevail over the challenges it faced and will grow stronger. That's how nature is." Aang tried to comfort, watching the Spirit look at the acorn on the ground.

The Spirit tilted its head, picked up the acorn, and before Aang's eyes, the Spirit reverted to that of a panda, looking so happy and content before leaning down to give Aang a lick, causing him to curse when he was once more drenched in saliva. In the end, Aang could only sigh, raising his hand to pat the creature's muzzle before wiping the spit away from his face; watching how the Spirit walked away, with its departure, bamboo branches grew from the ground, and from them, the missing villagers emerged.

"Aang!" Katara and Sokka's voices resonated from behind, causing Aang to turn toward the kids only to let out a 'Wah!' sound when the two jumped at him and hugged him tightly. "Spirits above! That was so awesome!" Sokka's cheerful voice resonated in the village as he pulled back looking at Aang with sparkling eyes. "You just! And then-! And were like-! It was so awesome!" Sokka laughed, looking so amazed, followed by the villagers who came and thanked him over and over again… Aang could only force a smile on his face…

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He hoped no one noticed his shaky legs…

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…(In and out, in and out… Zuko tried to calm his heart, feeling like he was going to fain any minute now, terror and hysteria all but took over him, but Zuko tried to push it down and calm himself… In and out, in and out… Zuko tried to push everything down and focus, trying to save his uncle from whoever took him before it was too late.

In and out, in and out… Zuko told himself as he followed his uncle's advice by breathing deeply and calming the panic that all but took over when Zuko realized that his uncle had been kidnapped… I shouldn't have left him alone; this is my fault…. Zuko could only blame himself, his heart in his throat as he followed the trail left by his uncle; begging every God he knew of that the older man would be fine and that Zuko was going to find him soon… In and out, in and out…

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Zuko begged Agni it wasn't too late…)…

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"You stay here, I will be back soon," Aang remembered ordering Sokka and Katara to stay put in their camp that night after finishing with Hei Bai's problem; glaring at the brats long and hard until they finally complied with his orders and prepared their sleeping bags.

Aang by then, just wanted to go into the forest for a few precious minutes; planning on having the panic attack that he had procrastinated until then in peace. His muscles were jelly, and his heart was still suffering from arrhythmia after coming face to face with that creature of darkness that all but stole Aang's soul away from his body.

A panda, Avatar Aang said! A fucking panda, that shitty book said! A Panda! Everyone and their mothers in his world believed when reading the book! …That fucking thing Aang saw didn't qualify as a fucking panda not one a bit! …The hysterical part of Aang screeched, and Aang could only trap his screams of fear and terror deep down until he was far away from the kids and any living human being at that, giving him a better chance of losing it and panicking in peace… if all of the Spirits were like this Hei Bai… Aang was done! He was done! He was quieting! Done he says, done!

Aang when he finally flew as far away from the camp as he could, let out a sigh as he landed on a mountain not that far away; putting his hands on his waist, and straightening his back, Aang took a deep breath before… "Jesus Fucking Christ on a motorbike! Fuck, *BEEP, *Beep, *Beep, *BBBBBBBBEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEPPPPPPP*!" Aang cursed as if his life depended on it only calming down when he felt the terror that had taken hold of him had finally left his body.

Aang breathed out, raising his hands to dry-wash his face, looking at the night sky with a dazed look, feeling like he had lost his soul in the process… "Gods above… why me? Why is it always me who manage to be in the middle of this crazy shit?!" Aang groaned, letting out a tired sigh as he leaned on his staff; finally managing to calm his rabbeting heart after that crazy event with Hei Bai… Aang begged every God out there that whatever beast or creature he would meet next wouldn't be as dangerous as that scary Hei Bai, Aang had to deal with.

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【M-My Liege?】

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The System's screen floated beside him, and Aang only turned his head slightly to say. "If you know what's good for you, you won't come any closer." To which the System let out a fearful squeak and floated away, not daring to come near Aang in fear of the man doing as promised. Aang remained in his place for a few more minutes, letting out soft hums and sighs before furrowing his eyebrow when he saw something below him. "System, come here and zoom in," Aang ordered, motioning to the System and pointing toward the struggle not that far away.

Aang furrowed his eyebrow as he gazed at the System's screen, his eyes widening a bit when he saw General Iroh (Naked? Was the man naked?!) chained and tied up and being led by people who were wearing Earth Bender robes. "The Fuck…?" Aang could only mumble, watching how the General struggled to escape and then rolled down the hill. "Oh, fuck!" Aang could only squeak, finally snapping his glider open and flying fast toward the man using his Air Bending.

Wanting to reach the man faster and prevent him from getting injured or dying (How in the name of everything holy was General Iroh caught? How did this even happen?! Shouldn't General Iroh and Prince Zuko be on their ship? Sailing God knows where? Why was he here?!) by these assholes who didn't respect the elderly and humiliated General Iroh by dragging him naked and chain through the forest.

Thankfully, Aang managed to catch the elderly man and fly away before one of the soldiers hit him with a rockslide; his heart was pounding in his throat as he clutched the chains around General Iroh with one hand while trying to steer the glider by the other, and hoping that the two of them weren't going to drop to their death because Aang couldn't steer the glider well.

"Wah!" The General's surprised noise was heard, followed by shouts and angry cries from the people below as Aang got farther and farther away. "Young… Avatar…?" General Iroh's questioning tone made Aang glance at the man for a bit and offer a comforting smile before returning his focus to steering the glider.

"Aang is fine, General Iroh; now hang on, this is going to be a bumpy ride" Aang directed the glider toward the camp, making sure to land a few paces away, so as to not startle the kids (And not scare them to death by showing with a naked man who barely had anything to cover him). Aang could only let out a sigh of relief when he found even ground where General Iroh could finally land without breaking his hips (Aang was grateful he managed to carry the older man's weight… even when his left arm was screaming for mercy… he was so grateful, he promised not to skip his daily training and stretches ever again!). "Here we go." Aang let out a sigh as he finally landed, wincing a bit as he stretched his left arm and turned to glance at the General who was watching Aang cautiously before offering Aang a smile when he noticed the Avatar's attention on him.

"What a surprise…. Thank you for saving me, Young Avatar, you didn't have to, I had everything under control." The older man smiled, and Aang could only look up and down at the state the elderly man was in.

"I… see…" Aang smiled, looking unconvinced before clearing his throat. "Well then, if you promised not to cause problems, I promise to get you out of your shackles, what do you say?" General Iroh blinked in surprise, looking at Aang with furrowed eyebrows looking lost in thoughts.

"A fair trade, I will say." Iroh finally said, offering his shackled hands toward Aang, pulling the chains taught. Aang glanced at the man one last time making sure he didn't do anything before walking toward the man, getting out a pin from his robes, and making sure to pick the locks. "Oh? That's a handy trick to learn." General Iroh mumbled to himself, massaging his wrists and glancing at Aang who put back the pin in its place.

"It is. Helped me win our game too." Aang smirked as he said that, his words made the elderly man's lips twitch into an amused smile. "Sir, I don't mean to be rude, but…" Aang cleared his throat and took his outer robe, offering it to the man. "Would you please put on some clothes; I have kids with me, and I don't think they would appreciate…" Aang let his words hang in the air, watching how the man blinked before it finally seemed to register that he was naked.

"Ah," The older man smiled, taking the outer robe out of Aang's hand. "Thank you, young man. If you will excuse me, I will be there changing." Before walking to one of the trees not that far from Aang.

Aang, on the other hand, could only shrug, and lean on the tree behind him; waiting to see if the General would take this chance to escape and return back to his crew (Not that Aang was going to stop him or anything) or if he would stay for a bit before leaving in the morning.

To Aang's surprise, the General didn't take this chance to escape and after a few minutes the Elder came back; a content smile on his face. "Young Avatar, I don't want to be presumptuous but… will you invite me for a cup of tea?" A request that when Aang heard he could only blink, and an amused smile twitched on his lips against his will.

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"This way…"

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…("Where is he?!" Zuko was not losing it, he was not losing it, he was not-! Zuko took hold of the Earth Bending Captain and slammed him on the tree behind, all but choking him and ignoring the way the man flailed around. "Where is he? Where is General Iroh?" Zuko growled, his hands tightening dangerously around the man's neck, daring him to not answer.

Zuko was terrified, he was scared, and part of him was losing it to hysteria… he knew he was losing it, just as he knew that if his uncle was here, the man would have told him to take deep breaths and calm himself down… calm his Chi down before he did something that he would regret… But his uncle was not there, and Zuko had spent the night searching for him only to find nothing… nothing but these kidnappers who took his uncle away from him.

Now Zuko knew his uncle could handle himself, the same as he knew that Iroh may have escaped on his own and was now waiting for Zuko on the ship. But Zuko couldn't even think straight anymore, he was tired, he was terrified, and Zuko had combed the mountain for his uncle and found nothing at all other than his uncle's slipper and these assholes who took him away.

"D-d-don't know!" The Captain choked out, hands taking hold of Zuko's arms, trying to push them away. "W-we really don't know!" The Captain screeched, looking frantically at his unconscious comrades; defeated, and knocked down when Zuko descended on them from the top of the trees like a wraith seeking blood. "Someone took him away! Flew with him, a-!" Hearing that last sentence, Zuko froze a bit, a growl left his throat before he punched the man in the stomach and slammed his head into the tree behind knocking him out…

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Zuko knew where his uncle was…

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Zuko swore he would make the Avatar pay if he harmed his uncle…)…

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It was morning when they were preparing to leave; Prince Zuko finally showed up… and well… let's just say that Aang would have preferred they had met differently… in a way that didn't involve the Prince dropping on Aang from one of the trees like he was a monkey and trapping Aang under his body; looking the picture of a deranged serial killer planning on offing Aang this second (But really that was not what made Aang freeze in his place, it was the embarrassing position, of Zuko sitting on his lap and refusing to allow Aang to move an inch that made him stiffen and not dare to move).

"Where is he?!" Zuko snarled, uncaring about the kids who squeaked in fear (Sokka ran to his boomerang while Katara dropped her backpack in shock). "Where is my uncle?!" The Prince repeated, shaking Aang by his robes and ignoring how his action was making Aang dizzy (But at least it snapped him out of his shock). Aang could only blink once, twice, three times, before pointing with his index finger toward one of the trees far away, where General Iroh had gone to relieve himself after drinking what amounted to three kettles full of tea.

"P-Princess Zu-! I mean Prince Zuko!" Katara's voice squeaked, and she pointed at the Prince with a shaky hand, her words making all the men around let out a dumb 'Huh?!' and turn toward Katara whose face was red as she looked between Aang and Zuko; her eyes were wide filled with shock (And something else that made the fine hair on Aang's body raise on its ends). "Kiss Aang ba-! I mean give Aang back!" Silence… complete and utter silence took over the clearing… before…

"Y-y-y-y-y-you!" Prince Zuko's screech made the birds fly in terror as he whirled on Aang with a look that promised him a painful death. "What the fuck you are teaching these kids?!" The Prince shook Aang, looking a touch hysteric, and mad to the point that Aang knew he would end up dead if he didn't do anything to de-escalate the situation.

Aang tried to give Zuko the 'I am innocent, don't look at me!' look before saying. "Believe me, Sunshine, she was always this crazy…" Hoping that Zuko would believe him and not think that Katara's crazy and deranged words were because of Aang teaching her such things (Aang wasn't! He swore to God he wasn't! The only thing Aang even allowed himself to teach these kids was how to fight -Boxing and Wing Chun in Sokka's case, and using the Water Bending scroll the System gave him in Katara's- and homeschooling them in a way fit for their travel!) "Probably why her grandma foisted her to me in a forced adoption…" Aang mumbled to himself in annoyance, turning to the girl and glaring at Katara who was still looking at him and Prince Zuko. "Katara, I swear to God!" Aang hissed angrily pointing toward Sokka who was frozen stiff beside Appa. "Go stand beside your brother!" Katara looked like she was going to protest, and Aang's glare only intensified. "Now, or you are going to do handstands for the next three hours!" That seemed to do the trick, as Katara let out a squeak and ran toward her brother, probably afraid of the punishment waiting for her for the shitty situation she throw Aang in (And oh my God! Prince Zuko was probably thinking he was a deranged criminal or something who teach young girls this stuff!). "Anyway, General Iroh is just behind that tree relieving himself." Aang returned his attention to Prince Zuko who paused hearing this.

Aang could see the mental gymnastics taking place in the Prince's head, and he could only offer a smile that he hoped would look innocent and inviting and wouldn't make the Prince attack when Aang was under his mercy (Literally under him too). "You helped him?" Prince Zuko finally questioned looking conflicted when Aang nodded his head. "Why?" The Prince's hands tightened on Aang's robes as he narrowed his eyes.

"Do I need a reason to help him?" Aang inquired, watching how the Prince's face scrunched and a frown took over his face, Aang not being able to help but tease the Prince (Having learned how to make the Prince let go). "He is my Little Sun's Uncle, of course, I will help." Words that when Prince Zuko heard, the man let out a screech and he jumped off Aang, looking so spooked and a touch hysteric (Aang grinned and threw a wink Zuko's way, knowing his plan had worked and now the Prince was off him).

"Zuko?" General Iroh's voice caught Prince Zuko's attention, and Aang seeing the Prince distracted, motioned to Sokka to take Katara and the rest of their luggage toward Appa and fly away. Sokka, the only dependable one among the two siblings seemed to understand and nodded his head before picking up their luggage and pulling Katara away by the back of her dress.

"Uncle? Uncle! Are you alright, did the Avatar do something? Did-?!" Prince Zuko rushed toward the elderly man, looking so concerned and afraid, but nonetheless relieved to see his uncle presented before him; Aang used this distraction as his chance, picking up his staff and preparing for the fight that would come any minute now.

"Nephew, it's fine, everything is fine, nothing happened." General Iroh looked cheerful as he said this, patting his nephew on the shoulder (Personally, Aang found it sweet how Prince Zuko had his priorities straight that once he saw his uncle, he abandoned Aang and the kids and went to check on the elderly without even giving caring how Katara, Sokka, and a ten-ton flying beast had just flown past him). "Avatar Aang was kind enough to save me; he even brought me to his camp, and served me tea." Iroh laughed, not even looking concerned about yesterday's event nor about the fact that the General was forced to spend the night in his enemy's camp (Not that they were enemies, far from it, after the blast that General Iroh had with the kids last night, Aang was content to call the man an acquaintance of some sort).

Aang saw how Prince Zuko frowned while hearing this, looking at his uncle from head to toe (Watching how the older man was wearing one of the robes Bumi stashed in the supplies he gave, but was oversized), before turning to Aang with a glare. "Just this once, Avatar…" Prince Zuko spat after a while, looking so furious, but was holding himself back. "I will let you go, just this once, for saving my uncle." The Prince pouted, looking away from General Iroh (Who had a surprised and delighted look on his face) and Aang (Who almost cooed when he saw that cute pout).

"Thank you…" Aang nodded his head, feeling over the moon for getting a free pass from Prince Zuko for doing something good (Hopefully, now that Prince Zuko saw how Aang saved his uncle, he would forget all about Katara's blunder and how she called him 'Princess' and said… some stuff). "Well then, it was nice getting to know you, General Iroh." Aang opened his glider, preparing to take off, but unable to help it, a mischievous smile painted his face as he winked. "See you soon, Little Sun; bye~!" Before taking off, letting out a cackle when he heard the sputtering coming from General Iroh and the deafening screech Prince Zuko let out when hearing these words.

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You know what?

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Prince Zuko was cute when he was angry…

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…("Order! Order!" a man's voice resonated in the dining hall; his voice, even when was loud went unnoticed, as people around continued to talk to one another. Hysteria was clear on every face, and some of the crew were even sitting in the corner, having a mental breakdown or an existential crisis. The man frowned harshly, looking at fourteen or so men and women who were still talking and not shutting up and paying attention to the important meeting that would decide not only their nation's fate but also their Prince's future.

"Oh, for Agni's sake." The woman beside him, Li, huffed, a scowl on her face as she cleared her throat before. "Either you shut the fuck up or I will stick you with my needles!" The woman snarled, making the people squeak in fear, and a sweet merciful silence finally descended on the dining hall; the people stopped shouting too terrified angering the woman, fearing that the healer would do as she threatened and stick them with her needles. "Fucking finally!" Li grumbled, crossing her arms. "Jee, the floor is yours." Li nodded to the man, making Jee sigh.

"Thank you, Li." Lieutenant Jee, nodded his thanks to the woman before turning to the men and women who shut up and went to sit in their chairs, finally paying attention like they should have all along. "Now, everyone." The man cleared his throat, standing on the crater that he had previously put in the middle of the dining hall with a straight posture and arms crossed behind his back. "We have gathered here today to discuss something with the utmost importance that involved the future of our nation and our Prince." Lieutenant Jee started, wanting to prepare the soldiers mentally before dropping the big bomb.

"Oh, Lord…" Healer Li groaned before she gripped him from the back of his uniform and pulled him down, ignoring his squeak as he all but fell face-first to the ground. "Sweetie, stay here, let me handle this." Before she climbed the crater and cleared her throat. "Everyone, we are here because the Avatar proposed to Prince Zuko! Yes! You heard right; the Avatar proposed to Prince Zuko." Once more, panic and hysteria spread around as people looked at one another; disbelief, worry, and even bafflement colored every face. "So, we…" She pointed at herself and then at Lieutenant Jee. "…Decide to host the first meeting of many where we discuss this marriage, and how we could contribute when the Avatar comes to General Iroh to ask for Prince Zuko's hand," Li stated, her words made everyone's jaw fall a little, and Jee saw from the corner of his eye how Yao choked on the drink he was in the middle of sipping and started coughing like his live depended on it.

"Wait, what?!" Yao screeched, looking at Li and then at Jee like the two of them had lost their minds, his eyes almost bulging out of his eye sockets as he continued to look at them like their crowns were crooked. "You are joking, right?" Hysteria colored Yao's voice, and Jee could almost sympathize with the man, but this was serious, and Jee and his wife were serious too. "You do realize that the Avatar is our enemy, right? You also do realize that we have spent the last seven years on this damn ship, searching for the Avatar, planning on capturing him and dragging him to Caldera to be imprisoned or I don't know, killed?! What the fuck do you mean by the Avatar coming and asking for Prince Zuko's hand?!" Yao choked out, looking hysteric and overwhelmed at the news that was just imparted to him, his hysteria made many look at one another before they too started shouting and demanding answers.

"Bitch! Either you are blind or you are stupid!" Li snapped, putting her hands on her waist, and glared at Yao like her life depended on it. "This is the Avatar we are all talking about… scratch that… This is a crazy ass man we are dealing with who didn't hesitate to use his bending to all but kill you on the spot! Remember the 'The Avatar bent the air out of your lungs and tried to kill you via asphyxiation'?" Yao had all but slid down his chair, his face flushing red with embarrassment at the reminder of how the Avatar had all but finished him on the spot and made him almost meet his maker but in the last second, the Avatar didn't deliver the finishing blow. "This Avatar may be an Air Monk, dressed like an Air Monk, and has tattoos like Air Monk. But believe me, that's not an Air Monk at all!" Jee's lips twitched down, remembering the man who was all sharp edges and blazing eyes, looking at Jee like he was so far below him before punching the daylight out of him. "That man used violence and he used his Air Bending not to evade and escape, but to attack until he incapacitated a whole ship on his own like it was a walk in the garden for him!" The men blush the hardest, remembering how the Avatar had kicked them where it hurt the most and then left like it was nothing.

Lieutenant Jee sighed, raising his hand and ruffling his hair. "Now, now. I know Air Benders had been extinct for a hundred years, but we searched for the Avatar for seven years and devoured everything related to the Air Nomads' culture leaving no crumbs." Jee took over, and started talking; he decided to give his wife a chance to cool down without blowing again. "So, as Li said… that man, even when he was an Air Monk… he didn't hesitate to use violence, nor did he hesitate to use manipulation and wordplay; the deal that was not a deal had proved it to anyone in a way no other could." Here many scrunched their noses, remembering the deal painted as a game to everyone around. "That man was sharp, calculated, cold, and didn't hesitate to use violence in all of its forms when in time of need; are you telling me that a man like this who on both occasions we met did nothing but toy with us and didn't break any sweat, would lose to the Fire Nation?" Here, many looked around, doubt clear in their eyes, and some (The men who had the misfortune of meeting the Avatar or were his target) had reached their own conclusion.

"…But… why propose to the Prince?" Fang, the helmsman questioned, looking so confused and a little bit out of it. "I mean Prince Zuko is the son of his enemy, right? By the end of the war, the Avatar will have to kill the Fire Lord, so why propose to his son? Is it a political move? A spur-of-the-moment thing? Or something more sinister?!" Fang questioned, looking hysteric when the last thought left his mouth, causing panic to spread all around.

"If it is a political move then it would be in our advantage, not the Avatar." Yan, a scholar, and Li's childhood friend stated with a frown on her face. "If we delivered deep into the 'After War' politics after the Avatar won; it would be chaos, and our nation would be a target to everyone out there who wanted to get even. Death would follow, and a backlash so strong that not even the Avatar could stop; a hundred years of resentment don't go just like that." Yan snapped her fingers, and everyone could only press their lips into a thin line, no one even pointing out that Yan said 'After' not 'If'. "But a marriage between the Avatar and the Fire Nation's Prince and future Lord… this could grant us the Avatar's protection; people wouldn't dare to step on the Avatar's honor and attack his spouse's people, not if they didn't want the Avatar to retaliate…" That made many look at one another, looking so scared and unsure. "So really, we are the benefited party in all of this, not the other way around; after all, Prince Zuko is a man, and as a man, he can't give the Avatar children to continue the Air Nomads' culture." Yan frowned harshly, raising her hand and putting her finger on her chin, losing herself in deep thought.

"Wait!" Someone squeaked and Jee couldn't see who he was before. "Doesn't that mean the Avatar would end up marrying a bunch of women to revive his culture?!" To which panic (At the future implication of what this could cause to their Prince) and disgust (From those who found this tradition of marriage; originated from the Earth Kingdom, Ba Sing Se, and its nobles, to be more accurate; the most abhorrent thing they had the misfortune of hearing about) descended on the room, and people once more started shouting, looking hysteric and even angry on their Prince's behalf if this would end up being the case.

"The fuck you say?!" Yao snarled, looking so incensed as he sprinted out of his chair and whirled around, trying to find the one who said these words. "That dog had dared to propose to our Prince! The last Air Bender or not, I will castrate him if he did so! That dog should give our Prince the respect and loyalty he deserves; he was the one proposing, not the Prince!" Jee blinked, gazing at Yao with wonder and a bit of shock; for as long as Jee knew Yao, Jee knew that old man Yao was rough around the edges and always loved to criticize the Prince in any way or shape to the point many thought the man hated the Prince for getting him banished… but with such words said, Jee wondered if old man Yao had grown soft and became attached to the Prince but tried to play it down with harsh words and criticism.

"Again, this is the 'After war' politics, and what we have now is a single Air Bender who is now the 'Lord' of his lands so to speak. Someone who became a King, the heir to his culture, and the single owner of all the treasury, knowledge, and everything that used to belong to the Air Nomads' before the Fire Nation seized it… when we lose, we are going to be forced to give everything back in addition to compensation and interest that accumulated for the past one hundred years to the Air Nation and other nations; plummeting us into an economic crisis unseen before." Yan stated, looking a bit worried and nervous. "So, this… the Prince's marriage… is our only silver lining and what's going to save our nation from death and chaos when we lose… want it or not, we have no say in what's going to take place after their marriage, and any objection could reflect badly on our nation, and we are on thin ice already; we will not be able to stop or prevent the Avatar from taking a wife to continue his bloodline or another husband if he so desired, not if we don't want to make our Prince a target in a harem politics." Yan raised her hands and massaged her temples, cursing softly and looking like she aged a hundred years or so in the span of a few seconds.

"That's why Jee and I decided to act," Li stated, straightening her back and looking at her fellow crewmen and women. "General Iroh and Prince Zuko had done so much for us in the past seven years…" Li said, and Jee couldn't help but remember all the events they had gone through in the past seven years.

Sixty-one soldiers, that was their number when they were banished from the Fire Nation and sent on this impossible quest. Sixty-one, and they traveled all around the world to search for someone everyone believed dead. Sixty-one… and many wanted to move on with their lives, settle somewhere else, or some had fallen in love and didn't want this nomadic lifestyle and wanted security and homes to go to by the end of the day, and not spend the rest of their lives on this ship wasting away… sixty-one… and General Iroh (And Prince Zuko… especially, Prince Zuko… but the boy would deny this until death and try to change the subject even when everyone knew it was the Prince who told his uncle to let them go and help them settle in their new lives) helped them in any way they could. Be it buying houses for them in the Earth Kingdom's villages to live there anonymously; helping with the bridal price, or dowery when some of them got married even when there was not enough money to go around (But it was Prince Zuko who always came back with enough money; it was Prince Zuko who always gave the money to his uncle in secrecy to give it to them… it was Prince Zuko… and they never knew where or how Prince Zuko managed to get the money when he was banished and cut off from his rightful inheritance… it was always Prince Zuko… and damn it all they would do the impossible to pay him back!)…

Sixty-one, and now, what was left of them was less than sixteen individuals… sixteen individuals who refused to leave this ship, when Prince Zuko had gathered them a year ago, and given them the choice to leave. Leave and live the rest of their lives away from this fruitless search and this monotone life that drained the bright-eyed boy until his bright fires were nothing but cold coals. Leave and he would pay them compensation for all the years they spent with him on this ship, even when the Prince and his uncle had already given them everything generously and without expectations, to the point they could never pay them back even if they wished.

Sixty-one, now sixteen soldiers on this ship… After years and years of pain, humiliation, and always getting laughed at and bullied whenever they stopped near their ports in the Earth Kingdom; they had finally found the Avatar… an Avatar who was a strange one at that, but he seemed to have taken a liking to their Prince to the point of proposing marriage in front of everyone then and there, even saving General Iroh and telling him of his intentions (Part of Jee wondered if the Avatar had taken a look at their Prince and saw how good, kind, and honorable he was, even when he hid behind the mask of anger and arrogance to protect what was left of his bruised heart).

So, here they were… after Li and Jee spent days discussing the events that took place on Kyoshi Island, and later when General Iroh was captured and saved by the Avatar, and how the Avatar had proposed to the Prince; the two of them agreed that it was better and more rewarding for their Prince to marry the Avatar. In the case, that the Avatar won (And want it or not, Li and Jee believed wholeheartedly the Avatar would win this war one way or another… hundred wars had taken place before, and in all of them; the Avatar always came as the winner in the end) then this marriage would be Prince Zuko's ticket for a safe life and a way to grant him protection from the other nations whom no doubt wanted him dead for being the Fire Nation's Prince and the son of Ozai.

Protection, safety, and a good life… this was all they ever wanted for their Prince… it hurt their hearts that there couldn't possibly be any love involved… but as long as the Prince remained safe and protected from any harm dished by the people from the other nations, then they would be content, even when they knew they could be possibly punished with the rest of the Fire Nation soldiers for being part of this war.

So, now, while the Avatar proposed and seemed to favor the Prince, they needed to move fast and secure this marriage for their Prince. They needed to secure everything and make the Avatar sign a marriage contract with their Prince before his fancy strayed away and they lost the only chance to protect Prince Zuko when everything went up in flames and the Avatar won this war (The two of them never entertained the thought of the Fire Nation winning, they never did because they saw how corrupted everything had become in Ozai's reign and how the Fire Nation had deviated from their God's will and laws. The Avatar would win, and the Fire Nation would lose… they could feel it in their bones).

There were many beauties out there that could snag the Avatar's attention and their position within their nations would be far more favorable than their Prince at any given chance. As much as it made a bitter taste coat their tongues just thinking about it. They knew their Prince had no chance when compared to the rest of the royalty from the other nations; a banished Prince who had everything stripped away from him couldn't even compete with the Princess of the Northern Water Tribes who was said to be a breathtaking beauty blessed by the Moon and Ocean Spirits, nor was he a match for the cousin of the King of Ba Sing Se, whose position and power was unmatched, or any of the women out there who could give the Avatar an heir to carry on his bloodline…

Even if the Avatar wasn't interested in women and was more into men, they knew that by the end, it was all a game of politics that their Prince had no chance, nor the even ground to be able to win; not when everyone around him had the advantage their Prince didn't have after the Prince was stripped away from everything by that bastard Ozai who made sure their Prince's life was going to be hell from start to finish. From burning the poor boy's face and disfiguring him in the eyes of everyone out there (Oh, how furious they were! To always see how their Prince tried to hide in his room, and rarely left the ship when they docked, all because those annoying pests looked at his burned face… whispering… pointing… always making the Prince's self-esteem plummet to the ground to the point of being sensitive and angry when someone dared to look at his face a second too long) to banishing him and stripping him from his title, position, honor, and inheritance… and in the end, sending him on an impossible quest where he would spend the rest of his life wasting away in this ship without being able to achieve…

But against everyone's expectation, the Prince succeeded, and he found the Avatar when people before him had failed and given up. The Prince found the Avatar… and the Avatar in return looked at him and declared that he had fallen for him and that he wanted him as his wife… They found the Avatar… Jee and his wife were not stupid to not realize the implications that would follow and the political nightmare that would take place after the Avatar won and killed Ozai and the Fire Nation's royalty… they knew what would happen, they spent years with the Prince on this ship, traveling and getting to know the other cultures, studying the Air Nomads' culture and studying everything related to the Avatar… they knew what would happen… and damn it all if they were going to allow Prince Zuko and General Iroh to be harmed in the crossfires without doing something to protect them.

This marriage needed to go through now instead of later, not only because of what Yan said about the suffering the Fire Nation would go through when the Avatar won and punished their nation for the mistakes of Sozin, Azulon, and Ozai; but the crisis the Fire Nation would go through because the other nations no doubt would attack and take revenge.

Right now, the Avatar had his eyes on their Prince, giving Prince Zuko the advantage needed to win him over and secure his favor and love (As fickle as the love of someone akin to a God could be), before the Avatar's eyes strayed away to those whose position was more secured than their Prince, and weren't involved with the people who wiped out his entire race from the face of this realm.

This marriage needed to go through, but they knew that their Prince, with his delicate mental state, wouldn't see things their way, and would try everything in his capability to capture the Avatar and bring him to the Fire Nation, so he would finally go home. The Prince's mental state wasn't too great after seven years on the sea and how everyone from the old or young, from their nation or not, always looked at him and whispered behind his back. The other nations mocked and laughed at his plight, while their nation shook their heads in disappointment and sent their Prince their Holier-Than-Thou sneers…

…No one was truly aware of the truth and how the Prince was in this state because he tried to defend his people and save the 41st Division soldiers from the Fire Nation's mad plans, and lost everything in return… his honor, his dignity, his home, position… and everything…

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Prince Zuko sacrificed everything for them…

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And now… now it was their turn…

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"…So now we need to pay them back." Li gazed at all the faces of the people in the dining hall, watching how determination started shining in their eyes. "The Avatar had already proposed to the Prince… and made his intention known when saving General Iroh…" Li shook her head and let out an annoyed sigh, remembering this. "So, when he comes to the ship later on to formally ask General Iroh for Prince Zuko's hand, we must be ready." This made many looks at one another, knowing what Li meant by being ready.

So far, from the start; the Avatar had been flirting with their Prince, and even went as far as to propose marriage in the Fire Nation's way. The Avatar's words, actions, and motive were plain and clear to all who saw, because the Avatar made his action plain and clear to Prince Zuko from the start, using the Fire Nation's culture to get closer and not the Air Nomad's ways of courting and proposing to their people. From the start, the Avatar made his intention to Prince Zuko known when he called him 'Sunshine', when he stated how his fires were 'Bright' and recognized him as the best Fire Bending Master seen in this generation, and when he called him his 'Sun' in a backhanded way of calling their Prince his 'Wife'.

From start to finish, the Avatar was using their culture to communicate his desires to their Prince; so, it was not that far-fetched that the Avatar would also use the Fire Nation's culture and ask for Prince Zuko's hand in marriage, following their traditions and culture. If that happened, then they needed to prepare, and preparing in this case also involved Prince Zuko's dowery when the time came.

"…But how?" Yingying raised her hand and question, worry clear on her face as she started playing with her hands nervously. "I mean… Prince Zuko is… he is a Prince! Princes and Princesses' doweries are like… enormous! …But… Prince Zuko is banished, and I don't think Ozai would help pay the dowery as is traditioned." Yingying stuttered nervously, looking a second away from panicking. "And like… if the Avatar indeed decided to marry women to continue the Air Nomads' culture, then Prince Zuko's…" Yingying stuttered some more, taking deep breaths and trying to calm down, but only managed to do so when Fang put his hand on her shoulder

"A person's dowery is their protection in their husband's household, not only that, it showed their high position and their Clan's favor. Prince Zuko's dowery would be his protection from the other women and their nations that would use this as their chance to harm and undermine his authority of being the First Husband. Normally, if we were not in a time of war, and Ozai…" Yan stated, her voice getting darker when she spat 'Ozai's name. "Didn't banish the Prince; then Prince Zuko's dowery would involve lands, islands, and even businesses, not to forget his share of the inheritance. With that securing his position as the First Husband, his protection, his future, and showed everyone his high position and how he was favored and backed by his Clan. But as a banished Prince…" Yan's face twisted at the reminder, and she could only let out a harsh breath from her nose, with it expelling smoke as her control of her fires slipped for a bit.

"We know it wouldn't be much." Jee sighed, feeling so tired and just thinking about the difficulties they would face. "We sent letters to the rest of the crew and they offered to help in any way they could." Some were happy to see that the Prince was going to marry; some were weary, wondering how to help when Jee and Li told them the 'Husband' in question was of a 'Very High Position' (They didn't dare to disclose who), and some only felt anger and fury that Ozai didn't care about his child to pay the dowery as was traditioned.

"Lieutenant Jee, even if we combined all of our money, and the money the crew would send; what we would be left with wouldn't amount to a thing," Yao growled, looking so angry as he thought about it. "Yes, the money would be enough to change the lives of commoners for sure, and maybe even people in a higher position in the Fire Nation would allow such a thing; but nobles and royalty? That's practically an insult! This would show anyone out there that Prince Zuko had no Clan backing him, and if knowledge about his father refusing to pay the dowery spread, then it would show anyone out there that the Prince was without protection and, thus, an easy target!" That made many mumble, looking worried and concerned about the situation.

"It's true that the Air Nomads do not care about material possessions and would often marry for love… But this is the Avatar we are talking about, and the world is going to watch his every move, and knowing Prince Zuko's situation, they will take advantage of that." Yan tapped her fingers on the table, looking agitated. "We can't count on the Avatar's fancy nor his 'Love' to provide Prince Zuko with the protection needed from the other nations… we need to do something." Yan's voice was sharp and cutting, and the frown that dominated her face told them how serious everything was.

"And we will." Jee's voice held determination in it, and he looked at his crew with soft eyes and a straight back. "This is why we are holding this meeting, and this is why we are here. The war is coming to an end soon, and I don't think that Prince Zuko realizes that nor does he realize the consequences that would take place if the Fire Nation won or lost… he is just a tired boy who wants to go home, not knowing what's waiting there… so it's up to us, the adults, to make sure he remained protected and safe from the consequences caused by Ozai and his predecessors' mistakes, no matter what." Everyone looked at the other before they turned to Lieutenant Jee with fire in their eyes and nodded their heads.

"Now," Li called out, a smile on her face as she looked at every face in the room. "Let's think of some ideas that would help us collect the dowery. Anything would be appreciated, no matter how silly the idea might be." Li assured, her posture relaxing when she saw a few raise their hands and offering a solution after a solution to the problem.

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Soon… they promised to repay Prince Zuko for his kindness… soon…)…

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So, what do you think?

Finally, an update!

An unhinged chapter for sure, but the only thing that remains true, is that the true Avatar in all of this is the Air Bending Manual who defeated the King of Omashu and Hei Bai and made them see the light. Katara's fangirl side had struck! It won't be the first, nor the last time either! And our lovely Zuko is a mess through and through…. At least we saw a savage Aang in his natural habitat.

Some bonding moments with the 41st Division (My darlings spent seven years on the sea, and after the third year they knew of Prince Zuko's sacrifice; they are protective of their Prince and would do anything to protect General Iroh and Prince Zuko), they are a found family and deserve to have some screen time, and I am planning on doing so in future chapters!

Oh, I am so waiting to start writing the Blue Spirit chapter! It would be either the next chapter (If I decided to skip Jet Arc… which I doubt) or the one after it… so excited!

Read and Review

And tell me what you think…

Nazaki-Sama