"Aang, there's something important I have to tell you."

"What is it?" Aang asked, sitting on an airball. He was meditating, and seemed more upbeat than usual.

"I think partial reason of why Zuko is coming here offering to help you is because he wants to get away from his father."

"Why? wasn't he bent on being the favorite?" Aang asked, confused.

"Yeah," I said sadly, "but he did find out that, Ozai? He isn't his dad."

"Wow." Aang's airball disappeared and he stood up. "Bad timing. How come you guys just figured out all this stuff being there?"

He was referring to me finding out about my mom, and Zuko's situation.

"Azula," I scoffed, shifting my weight on my right leg and crossing my arms over my chest. "She's a b—" A loud boom cut me off. "What was that?" I asked, my heart slipping.

"Um, it sounds a lot like Combustion Man," Toph stated, confused. "Wasn't he after you? And didn't we get rid of him?"

"I figured you must've, or Zuko must've taken it back or something."

Boom!

I was almost rocked off my feet, but Toph steadied us all with rock grips around our ankles.

Crap, crap, crap.

"Zuko might've sent him after us to get rid of Aang. But that was ages ago," I quickly said. Katara's face contorted into a look of rage.

"I knew he wasn't a good guy. There is no way we can trust him"

"Um, guys," Sokka tapped our shoulders. "I think we should—"

"DUCK!" I yelled, waterbending a giant waved that pushed them all away as Combustion Man went boom! and the ground exploded where we were just standing.

"Hell, no," I muttered, standing up. "What did I do to deserve this?" Suddenly, I saw a small person from far away, jump in front of Combustion Man. "Is that Zuko?" I wondered out loud, and my question was confirmed when he starting waving his arms around and yelling, "Stop! I'll pay you to stop!"

I wanted to smile and laugh at him, but I resisted the helpless urge. I was supposed to be mad at him. So instead, a slowly moved my arms, a steady stream of water circling around me. With one hand holding up the ring, I used the other hand to shoot sharp ice shards at Combustion Man, flicking my wrist fast enough for the ice to travel far and hit their mark quick.

Combustion Man paid no heed to the icicles slamming into his chest. Instead, he focused on Zuko. He was about to take him down, but the earth exploded from underneath him and tossed him off the cliff. The four of us turned towards Toph.

"How . . . " I trailed off, in surprise.

"I can hear them. I'm not deaf."

"Guys, get out of the way," Aang said, lifting himself up with this huge tornado, and shooting rocks at Combustion Man. The wind whipped through my hair and I was blinded as a lock of it smacked me in the eye. I staggered, shooting fire from my fists in all directions blindly to protect myself.

"Ayame! You almost hit me!" Sokka yelled.

"Sorry!" I apolgized, blinking rapidly as my vision cleared. It looked like Combustion Man was ready to blow again.

I rolled to the right, ducking behind a giant pillar, one of the few still intact. To my right, Sokka threw his boomerang, missing terribly and Katara opened her waterskin and waited for the right chance to whip his behind.

And then Zuko was pushed down the cliff.

" Oh, no," was all I could say, my voice getting caught in my throat. I ran towards the edge and looked over, just when Sokka pushed me to the side yelling, "Look out!" The ground exploded.

"Sokka, your boomerang!" Aang yelled. "It's gonna hit Toph!"

Sokka scrambled to his feet and ran for his life, trying to take the hit instead of Toph, but Katara handled it and froze It midair, watching it crash to the floor. That gave me a chance to call Zuko's name and see if he'd fallen to a painless death or caught on to something on the way down, making me want to slap myself for forcing him away right before he died. Something exploded next to me and I waved my hands, making a protective ice shield over me and whoever stood closeby. I flinched as a giant rock slammed into my shield, pushing me back, my heels digging into the ground for support. As my ice shield shattered, I glanced at the cliff Zuko'd fallen from.

Suddenly, a hand appeared at the bottom, climbing up to the top like a hero's. Zuko returned, tackling Combustion Man as Sokka got a good angle on him and threw his boomerang, which hit him right in his third eye. He staggered, knocking Zuko off the edge again. But he hung on to the ledge with all his strength, his feet dangling off dangerously.

Combustion Man aimed right at me. Me, because Zuko gave him my possession all that time ago. He took a deep breath . . . and Zuko's eyes met mine. I knew what he was going to do. No. Don't you dare—

And then Combustion Man was yanked down. Zuko was falling, pulling the devil down with him. And I was screaming his name. My heart slipped in my chest. I reached out as if to grab him, but of course, he was too far away.

"Zuko!" I fell to my knees. I was about to give up all hope, until I heard a snap, and a whoosh of air the had my hair flying all over the place.

Aang was flying downward on his airbender staff, disappearing into the clouds. I got to my feet, leaning against a giant piece of a pillar that once stood tall.

I felt someone behind me. Sokka. I turned to face him, but his face was expressionless.

And then, almost like an explosion, Aang flew out of the mist, holding Zuko. I teared up out of relief, and then scolded myself for it.

🔥🔥🔥

I heard Aang through the window. "You can stay if my friends say it's okay." But his friends—Katara, Sokka, and Toph—only wanted what Aang wanted. And then Sokka asked me.

I took one look at Zuko, but found that I actually couldn't. With difficulty, I looked up. Zuko's eyes met mine against through the glass-less window.

"Whatever Aang wants," I mumbled, ducking under and hiding on my bed. I groaned, stretching my legs from the previous and deadly encounter with Combustion Man.

And when the decision was made, there was a knock on my door and even though, even though I knew who it was, I opened the door. And Zuko pulled me into a hug, and I willed myself not to hug him back, but I had to. I couldn't handle it anymore.

I breathed in the scent of rain and just a tiny tinge of smoke, and smiled into his shoulder, although I wasn't going to show him. He held me close for a very long time, he arms around my shoulders causing me to smash against him.

"Zuko, I can't breathe," I whispered hoarsely after a few painful seconds of suffocation.

"I'm so, so sorry," he said as he pulled away, taking a few steps back.

"You don't have to be that sorry for a hug," I said, taking offense tucking a loose lock of hair behind my ear.

"I mean," he raised his hands, trying to explain himself, "I'm sorry for what I did. I want to start all over. I'm so sorry."

I stared at his face, and I knew my feelings were giving in. I had to forgive him. I had to. So I stretched out my right hand, which he stared at blankly.

"Why are you doing that?"

"We're starting over, Zuko," I said with a smile. "Hi, my name is Ayame. I'm from the Northern Water Tribe, but I can bend two elements. I've come to seek the Avatar's help, and to help him. What's your name?"

But instead of saying anything, he leaned in and kissed me, catching me completely off guard. I rocked back on my heels.

Oh. My. God.

Now this one was genuine and not full of pain from finding out his father wasn't his real one. I gripped the back of his shirt, when suddenly he pulled back as someone cleared their voice in the doorway. I covered my cheeks with my hands to hide the angry blush.

Sokka's eyes seemed to burn lasers into Zuko's. "Hey. I don't want to see any of my sisters doing that again. Understood?"

I started laughing. "Get out, Sokka."

"Hey, just putting it out there," he said, backing out of the doorway.

Would I ever look at Zuko straight in the eyes again?

I seriously doubted it.