Before Ryoske's and Shang-Yo's eyes was a man with tan skin, brown hair tied to a downward ponytail, brown mustache, a decent amount of brown beard and gold eyes. He was wearing a red sleeveless turtleneck shirt with a gray outline at its top and bottom edges. The bottom of the turtleneck was tied with a brown clip. He also had brown, gold and silver bands on each forearms. His brown belt was wrapped around his waist. He also wore brown shorts and brown sandals.

The man stared at Ryoske and Shang-Yo with a concerned look on his face. He held a torch in his right hand.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"We're fine. We're just looking for someplace to eat," Shang-Yo replied.

Right at that moment, Shang-Yo's stomach growled again, causing everyone in the area to look at Shang-Yo's stomach.

The man let out a chuckle. "You two must be hungry. Perhaps, you could stay in my house tonight?" he asked with a kind smile. "I'm sure my wife and daughter won't mind."

Shang-Yo rose onto his standing position. A smile appeared on his face as he raised his right fist. "Yes!"

Ryoske rose to his standing position as well.

Then, Ryoske and Shang-Yo bowed at the man respectfully. While doing so, Shang-Yo spoke. "Oh, thank you! Thank you! Thank you, sir!"

The man chuckled. "You're welcome." Then, he motioned for Ryoske and Shang-Yo to go with him. "Come. My house is not far from here."

Shang-Yo and Ryoske nodded. "Okay."

With that, the man led Ryoske and Shang-Yo towards his house. Once they arrived, they came to a stop in front of the entrance door.

"Here we are," the man said. He turned to Ryoske and Shang-Yo. "By the way, I'm Noren. What's your name?"

Shang-Yo pointed at himself. "I'm Shang-Yo." He gestured to Ryoske. As he did, Ryoske waved his hand. "And this is Ryoske," Shang-Yo continued.

"It is nice to meet you, Sir Noren," Shang-Yo said as he and Ryoske bowed respectfully.

Noren chuckled. "There's no need for formalities. Just Noren is fine."

"Okay, Noren," Shang-Yo said as he and Ryoske rose to their standing positions.

"It's an honor to meet you two," Noren said with a kind smile. His body slightly turned to the door. "I'll knock on the door and tell my wife about your situation."

As he said the last part, Noren turned to the door. He reached his right fist to it and knocked it gently.

It took a few seconds until the door open. It revealed a woman with light tan skin, gold eyes and brown hair tied to a side ponytail. The ponytail was a circle hair clip with pink and magenta circle patterns on it. She wore a pale pink dress with a red outline on its top edges. She wore a slightly pale orange vest with dark orange outlines at all the edges. She was barefooted because her footwear was in front of the entrance door.

A smile appeared on the woman's face upon seeing Noren, but it was quickly replaced by surprise when she saw Ryoske and Shang-Yo.

The woman moved her fingers to her opened mouth. "My goodness. I wasn't aware you brought guests here, Noren."

"They are hungry and tired, Noriko. They wanted a place to eat and stay," Noren said with a smile. He then, gestured to Ryoske and Shang-Yo. "These are the people I met moments ago. Ryoske and Shang-Yo."

"Hi," Shang-Yo said, waving his hand. "Nice to meet you."

"Yeah. Nice to meet you," Ryoske said with a smile.

"It is an honor to meet guests like you, Ryoske and Shang-Yo. Why don't we come in for dinner?" the woman, known as Noriko, asked.

"Yes, please!" Ryoske and Shang-Yo answered with grateful smiles.

With that, Noren, Ryoske and Shang-Yo entered the house. After that, Noriko shut the door behind them and herself.

———————————————————

Back with Kugo...
Hara'a, Fire Nation

Kugo had gone further ahead of the forest. Like what happened earlier, he was slightly limping, but he was able to keep up.

Soon enough, Kugo walked through the town of Hara'a. He didn't bother to look around because he wasn't in a good mood to enjoy sightseeing.

At that point, fatigue started overtaking Kugo, especially his legs. He let out groans as he was on the verge of passing out, but he kept resisting.

Soon, Kugo stopped and he knelt on the ground. He slowly pushed himself up as he urge to keep going ran through his gut. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to get on his feet. Even so, he persevered.

Come on, Kugo. Move, Kugo thought.

After a few minutes, fatigue overtook Kugo completely. He dropped to the ground as everything blacked out in his vision.

Now, Kugo was left lying on the grounds of Hara'a. Little did he know, a shadow enveloped half of his body.

———————————————————

The next day...

Kugo's eyes fluttered open. The first thing he saw was a beige blob. After a few blinks, his vision became clearer.

When Kugo saw a wall before him, he immediately rose to his sitting position. His face was held with shock and fear. He looked at his surroundings.

Kugo found himself wrapped in a red blanket. He was lying on a pink bed with a pale pink pillow. The floor was brown hardwood. The walls were beige and the ceiling was birch brown. On his left was the window. On his right was a brown door.

Where am I? Kugo thought questionably. But then, he closed his eyes tightly and shook his head. No. There's no time to think. Determination was plastered on his face. I'll find a way to get out of here and go to Protector-Training Island. Fast.

Just as Kugo was about to do anything, he suddenly heard the door open.

"Mommy! Daddy! Look!" a high-pitched female voice called out.

Kugo turned to see a young girl. She looked to be younger than him. She had light tan skin, brown eyes and brown hair with bangs that formed a curved letter "V." It was also tied to a small bun. She wore a pink hanfu with peachy pink stripes on all the edges, except for the end of her sleeves. The stripes were surrounded by a red outline. The end of her sleeves contained red stripes. At the back of her shirt, there hung two pale pink circles on the corners of her hanfu. Below the circles were red excess threads. She also wore pale pink pants and a peachy pink bands wrapped around each of her ankles.

The girl was facing what's outside the door as she called out with a bright smile. "Kugo's awake!"

Kugo's eyes widened in complete shock. How did she know my name? he thought.

A few seconds later, the girl skipped inside Kugo's room. She was followed by Noriko and Noren, walking inside the room.

Noren closed the door in front of them. Then, he and Noriko looked at Kugo with kind smiles.

"Good morning," Noren said.

Kugo's eyebrows furrowed. His eyes sent a death glare to the girl, Noren and Noriko. Something in his gut told him that he had to get out of this place now. Hallucinations of people masking themselves with kindness while being treacherous on the inside ran through his mind.

I have to get out. I have to get out before they stab me in the back, Kugo thought.

Seeing Kugo's expression made the girl, Noren and Noriko step back in fear. The girl even tugged Noriko's dress.

"Mommy... I'm scared," the girl said.

Noren stepped forward and raised his hands to calm him down. "Please, we mean no harm."

"You think?" Kugo asked with a gravelly voice. He revealed his right hand and ignited his flames. "You think I can trust you that easily just because you saved me? Well, no chance. You might stab me in the back again."

Surprised expressions appeared on Noren's and Noriko's faces. The girl turned to Kugo in concern.

"Stab you in the back? What are you talking about?" Noriko asked.

"We're not gonna kill you," the girl said.

"Kugo, calm down! I beg of you!" a young male familiar voice said.

Kugo's eyes lit up in surprise. The flames that he ignited in his hand began to die slowly. That voice. He must be...

Kugo saw a familiar figure pushing through the small crowd containing the girl, Noren and Noriko. As he revealed himself, Kugo was shocked to see Shang-Yo standing in front of him. Shang-Yo was followed by Ryoske.

"We're all in the same boat, Kugo. Noren and Noriko took us in," Shang-Yo said.

"It's true," Ryoske said. "Their daughter, Kiyi, carried you here when we saw you lying unconscious from the window. She told her parents that you were heavy, so we had to help her out."

Kugo was surprised at this. He turned away and went into deep thought. Paranoia about Noren, Noriko and the girl, known as Kiyi, stabbing him in the back went crazy in his mind, but seeing Shang-Yo and Ryoske seemed to calm him somehow. Kugo started to reconsider his first thoughts.

After a few moments, Kugo stood and walked towards Noren, Noriko and Kiyi, who was still clinging to Noriko's dress. He bowed respectfully to them. "Thanks. I owe you one."

Noriko and Noren smiled. "You're welcome," they said in unison.

Noren turned to everyone else. "Shall we eat breakfast?"

At that moment, Kiyi slipped her hand away from Noriko's dress. She turned to her father with a smile. And so was everyone else.

"Yes. We shall," Noriko said.

With that, everyone went to the dining room for breakfast.

———————————————————

Dining Room, Kiyi's House, Hara'a, Fire Nation

The dining room contained a brown low rectangular table. No chairs surrounded the table. Instead, the chairs were replaced by green mats. The mats had a brown outline sewed around it.

As Noriko, Noren, Kiyi, Shang-Yo, Ryoske and Kugo ate breakfast, everyone conversed happily about random topics. Well, all except Kugo.

Kugo ate breakfast. In silence. His blank and serious expression was still there. Many thoughts ran through his mind. Why are strangers willing to take me, Ryoske and Shang-Yo in? What is their purpose of doing it? What do they want with us? Are they gonna do the same thing Huobano did to me? Is there a way for me and my friends to escape? What if they took in Nidoria, Zeno and the others? What would they do to us? Are their intentions good or—?

"Earth to Kugo!" Shang-Yo said.

Kugo was snapped back to reality. He turned to everyone else. He saw that all concerned eyes were on him.

"Are you okay, Kugo?" Kiyi asked.

It took a few seconds until Kugo spoke to Kiyi. "I'm fine. Thanks. By the way, how did you know my name?"

"What?" Kiyi asked, confused.

"When I saw you for the first time, I heard you speaking my name. So how did you know my name?" Kugo asked.

"I heard Ryoske and Shang-Yo saying your name when you were unconscious. They know you, right?" Kiyi asked.

"Yeah. Of course. They're my friends," Kugo said.

"Is something bothering you?" Noriko asked.

"Yeah," Kugo answered immediately.

"What happened, Kugo? You've been in deep thought since you started eating," Shang-Yo said.

"I think it's best..." Kugo turned to Ryoske and Shang-Yo. "...if it's just the three of us."

More concern immediately shot through everyone, especially Ryoske and Shang-Yo. Ryoske and Shang-Yo turned to each other. Then, they turned to Noren, Noriko and Kiyi, who were glancing at them. After that, they turned back to Kugo.

"Okay. After breakfast, we'll talk in private," Shang-Yo said.

"We'll try to help you in any way we can," Ryoske said.

Kugo gave Ryoske and Shang-Yo a small smile. "Thanks."

"No problem," Shang-Yo and Ryoske said in unison. They smiled friendly as they said this.

With that, everyone continued eating breakfast.

———————————————————

Later on, in Kugo’s Room...

After breakfast, while Noren, Noriko and Kiyi were cleaning up the tables and washing the dishes, Kugo, Shang-Yo and Ryoske sat around the bed alone in a room where Kugo awoke. They sat with their legs crossed in a circle.

Once they knew it was just the three of them, it was Shang-Yo who spoke up first. "So... what happened?"

Kugo took a deep breath and exhaled through his nose. Then, he proceeded to explain.

"When I was training during my Internships, I thought my mentor, Huobano, would bring a great challenge. An opportunity to experience new things.

"But then, I discovered that the reason why Huobano offered me his Internship as because he worked for Fire Lord Ozai. And Fire Lord Ozai wants me to be part of a collective full of fearful and strong Protectors.

"My purpose of being the Protector was to help the Avatar, not become the strongest and most fearful.

"Fire Lord Ozai offered me to join his collective, but I rejected. He was angry about it. And so, he gave Huobano a choice to choose a punishment for me. And the punishment he chose for me... was to participate in the Agni Kai."

Shang-Yo's and Ryoske's faces were filled with extreme shock. "WHAT?!?!?!"

"IS HE INSANE?!" Shang-Yo asked. "A mentor like Huobano challenging someone like you to an Agni Kai?! That's crazy for him!"

"I agree. The Agni Kai is dangerous to participate, so we never dare to argue," Ryoske said.

"Yeah, I agree. It's dangerous for me to participate in," Kugo said. "Anyways...

"If I win the Agni Kai, I would be free to do whatever I want. That includes leaving Huobano’s Internships. But if I lose, I would stay under his tutelage during my Internships and Work-studies until I graduate.

"During the Agni Kai, I fought the best I could. My only focus is to win the Agni Kai in order to not stay in Huobano’s Internships. Later on, I accidentally burned Huobano's arm. I won, but I didn't feel satisfied.

"After I won, Huobano left, but not before congratulating me for being the strongest and most fearful Protector. I was not happy about it. Not long after that, I left. I went to Protector-Training Island on foot. I didn't want to stop until I get there, but that didn't go as planned. As a result, I got unconscious. And the rest is history."

Shock occurred in Ryoske and Shang-Yo. They didn't know Kugo went through such a crisis like this. They turned to each other as shock turned into concern. After a few minutes, they turned back to Kugo.

"We're sorry, Kugo," Shang-Yo said in a sad tone.

"Yeah. We didn't know you've gone through a similar thing as we did," Ryoske said.

This caught Kugo's attention. "You were offered an Internship for a different reason than your purpose of being Protectors?"

"Yes, Kugo. We were," Ryoske said. "Our mentor, Aguto, taught us the most sinister bending of all. Bloodbending."

Shock in fear overtook Kugo. His eyes widened.

"With the power of bloodbending, you can control anything or anyone like a puppet. We didn't want to learn it, but we had no choice. Soon enough, Aguto made us bloodbend each other. At that time, we couldn't take it anymore, so we called him a traitor," Ryoske explained.

"The reason why Aguto wants to bloodbend is to control people. He wants to control people, so that he'll make them do everything his way," Shang-Yo said. "The reason why he wanted to teach us is because he wants to pass on his work to us."

"We didn't want such a thing. As a result, Aguto bloodbent us and made us fight each other. It took a lot of resistance, but we defeated him. After that, we left to Protector-Training Island, but we got lost along the way. We waited for people to take us in. Soon after, Noren took us in and we stayed here in his house," Ryoske explained.

Kugo was filled with concern, shock and fear. Hearing Ryoske's and Shang-Yo's story made it feel like a spooky ghost story. After a few moments, Kugo took the time to calm himself. After calming himself, the only words he said was "We must be... in the same boat."

"Yes, Kugo," Shang-Yo said. Then, he, Ryoske and Kugo engulfed each other into a group hug. They shared comfort and reassurance with each other. "We're in the same boat," Shang-Yo continued.

———————————————————

Several weeks later...

Several weeks passed since Kugo started staying in Kiyi’s house. Kugo, Ryoske and Shang-Yo became more nourished than they were before encountering Kiyi, Noren and Noriko.

———————————————————

Back with Huaiying...
Throne Room, Earth Kingdom Royal Palace, Upper Ring, Ba Sing Se, Earth Kingdom

Huaiying finally arrived in Ba Sing Se. She waved goodbye to the captain before heading off to the Earth Kingdom Royal Palace to look for Zuko. She was slightly scared for a moment, but she decided to keep pushing in order to save Zuko and make Nidoria happy.

Soon, Huaiying kicked the throne room doors open. She immediately ran across the doors and halted herself. Huaiying formed her fighting position.

Huaiying's fighting position contained her torso turning slightly towards her right. Her right foot was a bit forward with her left foot pointing towards her left. Her left fists drew closer to her side of the body. Her right fist slightly reached out.

Huaiying's face was filled with determination, but was quickly replaced with shock and surprise.

Zuko was not in the throne room. Not even Azula was present.

Instead, Huaiying was met with a woman, standing in front of the stairs that led to the throne. She had a strange smile on her face. She had light tan skin with black hair tied to a small bun. The rest of her long hair was hang loose. She had a gold haircomb placed on her head in front of the bun. Behind the bun was a gray rectangular hair tie with curves at the ends. Attached to each of the hair tie's end was a small hold rope and a green excess thread tied with a gold knot. She also had gray eyes and red lipstick.

She was wearing a yellow-green green dress with gold stripes on the edges and curving patterns near the angles of the dress. Underneath was a pale green dress. She wore a brown belt with a gray circle at the center. She also wore a green cloth that covered her shoulders and the lower part of her neck, with a dark green outline around the edges. It was tied together with a gold clip.

"Well, hello there," the woman said. She closed her eyes as she still smiled strangely. "What can I do for you?"

A few seconds later, Huaiying's shocked and surprise expression turned into a glare. Her fighting position slightly stiffened.

"Where's Zuko?" Huaiying asked.

"Oh, you mean the Prince of the Fire Nation? He left with Princess Azula and the others," the woman answered.

Huaiying's glare turned to a surprised expression. Her fighting position turned back to her proper standing position.

"To where exactly?" Huaiying asked.

"Why, the Fire Nation, of course!" the woman answered.

Huaiying's eyes widened in shock. Her jaw dropped. Many thoughts ran in her head, but they were too crazy for her to elaborate them. Soon enough, her thoughts came together.

Huaiying haven't stepped into the Fire Nation since Morizhito lost an Agni Kai to Ozai.

Before Huaiying and her family moved to the Earth Kingdom, Morizhito were challenged to an Agni Kai by Ozai because what he said in the war meeting was right, but the time to speak up was wrong. And it greatly disrespected him.

Morizhito participated in the Agni Kai, leaving Huaiying watching over her children. When he returned home, he showed her the burn on his right shoulder, mentally telling her he lost. Sometime after that, Morizhito, Huaiying and their children moved to the Earth Kingdom.

After a few moments of silence, Huaiying calmed herself and bowed respectfully to the woman. "Thank you for letting me know."

"No problem," the woman said. "It's the least I could do to help you."

Huaiying rose to her standing position. She turned her body behind her and left the throne room.

———————————————————

Back with Kugo, Ryoske and Shang-Yo...

Kugo’s, Ryoske’s and Shang-Yo’s bags were all packed with their own things. Not only that, but decent amounts of food, water and other miscellaneous needs were in their backpacks. The food, water and other miscellaneous needs were given to them by Noren, Noriko and Kiyi. They gave them the items, so that they’ll be healthy during their journey.

Kugo, Ryoske and Shang-Yo were standing outside Noren’s house in front of Noren, Noriko and Kiyi. Noren and Noriko were standing by the door. Smiles appeared on their faces. As for Kiyi, she was carried in Noriko’s arms. She had a bright smile on her face as she waved her hand.

“Stay strong on your journey, guys!” Kiyi said.

“Be careful out there,” Noriko said.

“May your journey be prosperous,” Noren said.

Smiles appeared on Kugo’s, Shang-Yo’s and Ryoske’s faces.

“We will. Thanks, guys,” Shang-Yo said.

“Yeah. Thanks,” Ryoske said.

Kugo’s smile became more enthusiastic. He raised his right fist in the air as enthusiasm and optimism rushed through his veins. “We’ll overcome obstacles we’d face along the way!” He laid his fist down and turned to Kiyi. “Just wait and see that our journey will be successful, Kiyi!”

Kiyi gave Kugo a close-eyed smile. “I will, Kugo. I believe in you.”

With that, Kugo, Ryoske, and Shang-Yo bid their goodbyes to Kiyi, Noren and Noriko. Then, they left. While leaving, Kugo turned to Kiyi and waved his hand at her with a big smile on his face. Kiyi waved at him back with the same expression as his.

———————————————————

Forest Lands, Fire Nation

Kugo, Shang-Yo and Ryoske walked through the forest lands once again. This time, they walked together and their bags were filled with new and essential needs to keep them going in their journeys. Chatter spread among the group to entertain themselves. Random topics were conversed here and there. One of the topics was started by Kugo.

“So what will you do if you get back in the Internships?” Kugo asked.

“Well, we’ll finally relax and enjoy ourselves. It is summer after all,” Shang-Yo said.

“Yeah. If we keep training during summer, we'll feel too sweaty,” Ryoske said.

“I agree,” Shang-Yo said.

Kugo turned straight ahead as a determined smirk appeared on his face. Confidence and determination rushed through his veins as he ignited his flames in his hands. An aura of intimidation surrounded him. “I’m looking forward to beat Zeno again in kuai ball.”

Seeing this, Shang-Yo and Ryoske were spooked out. He’s doing it again!

It took a few moments before Kugo’s intimidation died down. Now, Kugo was back into his friendly and social self. “Competition is competition. I can have fun trying to beat Zeno’s team again and again.”

Shang-Yo’s and Ryoske’s spooked out expression turned into calm and friendly expressions.

“You’re really enthusiastic here, Kugo,” Shang-Yo said.

“You can be friendly and social, but you also have a competitive spirit,” Ryoske said.

Kugo nudged Ryoske’s forearm. “That’s how I am. I’m friendly, but I can kick people’s butt when needed.”

Everyone laughed at Kugo’s statement.

With that, Kugo, Ryoske and Shang-Yo continued forward.

———————————————————

Several weeks later...
Fire Nation Capital, Fire Nation

Huaiying was seen walking down the streets of the Fire Nation. Her outfit was cloaked under a red cape and a light brown sombrero. Her eyes were sharp, determined and goal-oriented. She turned to her surroundings as her eyes scanned for Zuko. Unfortunately, there was no sign of him.

Eventually, Huaiying was face-to-face with a grand place, located in the near distance. Its large size, the large red banner with a black Fire Nation symbol and colors of red, gold and brown made it a recognizable place.

The royal palace... in the Fire Nation, Huaiying thought.

———————————————————

Royal Palace Gardens, Fire Nation Royal Palace, Fire Nation Capital, Fire Nation

Huaiying had asked the guards if she could have an audience with Zuko. They were about to agree, but Azula intervened. She told Huaiying that she could have an audience with her.

After a few moments of thinking, Huaiying agreed.

Right now, Huaiying and Azula walked across the palace gardens. Several trees, shades of green, the fountain and the turtle duck pond were scattered everywhere. As they walked, Azula spoke with a smirk on her face.

"It's quite surprising to learn that a commoner asked for a visit in the palace. Father has been busy these days, so I decided to have an audience with you, so that I can inform him about what you came here for after your visit."

Azula halted. Huaiying followed. Azula turned her body towards her. "Say, what is your purpose of coming for a visit?"

"I need to speak with your older brother, Prince Zuko," Huaiying answered. "Do you know where he is?"

"Oh, he's busy with other things," Azula said. "Why? What are you going to speak to him about? Is it something... important?"

"Actually, yes," Huaiying said. "And it's personal."

Azula turned back to what's ahead of her. "I see. In that case, let's go to a private place. There, we can talk about the important thing you want to say to Zuko."

With that, Azula walked ahead, with Huaiying following her.

———————————————————

Later on...
Agni Kai Chamber, Fire Nation Royal Palace, Fire Nation Capital, Fire Nation

Azula and Huaiying stood in front of each other in the middle of an Agni Kai chamber. Ahead of Huaiying was a large black poster with a red Fire Nation symbol on it. On the left and right sides were seats, used by audiences if they wanted to watch an Agni Kai. In front of the seats were brown posts. It was hung with red, long, triangular curtains.

After a few moments of silence, Azula spoke with an evil smirk.

"I know who you are, Huaiying," she said as her smirk turned into a frown. "Your voice gave it away."

Huaiying sighed. "Alright. You caught me." She removed her sombrero and her cape. "You know my face, but I don't know how you know my name."

"Your husband has a connection with mine and Zuko's uncle, Iroh. I overheard him talking to him about you. And in one of his stories, you were in it," Azula explained.

Huaiying's eyes widened in shock. Her jaw dropped.

Azula's frown turned back into a smirk. "Let me guess. You came here to save Zuzu, even though you already know he's on my side."

Huaiying's shocked expression turned into determination. A slight glare appeared on her face.

Azula let out an evil chuckle. She formed her usual fighting position. "If you really wanna save Zuzu, there's only one way to do it."

"What's that?" Huaiying asked.

"Agni Kai," Azula said.

Huaiying was shocked again. "An Agni Kai?! I've never participated in one."

"Are you sure? I thought your husband, Morizhito, told you about it," Azula said.

"Yes. Morizhito told me about Agni Kai. I know its rules. But I've never participated in one personally," Huaiying said.

"I see," Azula said. "Well, now's your time to shine. If you win, you can have Zuzu to yourself. If I win, until father stepped down as ruler of the Fire Nation, you'll never step into this place ever again. Do we have a deal?"

Huaiying turned away and closed her eyes. She went into deep thought. After a few moments, she turned to Azula with determination. "Deal," she said.

Azula smirk widened.

———————————————————

Both Azula and Huaiying faced their backs against each other. Then, they kneeled and lowered their heads. Both had determined expressions on their faces as they prepared themselves to fight each other in the mock Agni Kai. You could catch a smirk on Azula's face as excitement rushed through her veins.

A few minutes passed. Soon enough, Azula and Huaiying stood and turned towards each other. Then, they formed their fighting positions. After that, they waited until one of them made their first move while their determined eyes stared at each other.

After about thirty seconds, Azula charged at Huaiying. A few seconds later, she halted and let our a long stream of blue flame at Huaiying. Fortunately for Huaiying, she dodged by jumping towards her left.

Huaiying returned the attack by shooting multiple balls of fire towards Azula. Unfortunately, Azula evaded them with multiple acrobatic moves. Flips, ducks and miscellaneous evades were done by her.

After about one minute, Huaiying blasted streams of flame against Azula. Unfortunately, Azula evaded by moving to her northwest.

Azula returned the attack by blasting her flames against Huaiying. Huaiying raised his hand and swooped it down as he wrote the letter "X" in one second. This extinguished Azula's flames.

A surprised expression appeared on Azula's face. She can block fire, she thought. Her surprised expression turned into rage. As expected of a Protector like her.

Azula launched more flames against Huaiying, but she dodged every last one of them.

I have to keep dodging the flames until I find an opening on Azula. I don't want to get burned and fail this mission, Huaiying thought. Then, an image of a pleading Nidoria lying on her hospital bed ran through his head. I don't want to make Nidoria sad.

Huaiying set that image aside and focused on the Agni Kai. I just have to keep finding an opening.

Suddenly, a huge stream of blue flames struck Huaiying's left stomach.

"AGH!" Huaiying cried out.

Huaiying was sent flying. Soon, she tumbled and landed on her right side of her body.

I can't... give up, Huaiying thought as she pushed herself up with her right forearm.

While doing so, Huaiying took a glance at her left stomach. Her eyes widened in shock as she discovered. No... I got burned. My left stomach got burned.

Huaiying turned to Azula, who looked at her with a victorious smile on her face. "Well, then. A deal is a deal. And you lost."

Huaiying responded with tears filling her eyes. She stood and bowed to Azula in respect. Then, she left the Agni Kai Chamber, then the whole Fire Nation. While doing do, she promised herself not to step inside it again.

Huaiying walked back to Protector-Training Island to look for Morizhito. Along the way, she received multiple burns, and smudges of dirt and leaves were on my skin. After about a month, she finally arrived.

———————————————————

Meanwhile with Morizhito...

With the help of Morizhito, the trainees' progress in training became simple. Not too easy. Not too difficult.

The first part of the intensive training was weapons training. Gianso mastered his weapons skills with ease. It was thanks to his Internship training offered to him by Nuka. For the others, it was quite difficult, but Izugail was the only one to master it quickly.

As for Zeno and Khelsi, they were having difficulty in using the weapons. It took them a few days before they finally got used to the weapons.

The day after that, Liyah fully recovered from hypothermia. She exited Protector-Training Island Hospital and went to the Intensive Training Area to learn ultimate moves. Liyah knew the location because Izugail always gave her updates about her intensive training with Gianso, Zeno and Khelsi.

When Liyah arrived, she asked Morizhito if she could join. He accepted. With that, Liyah started learning and creating ultimate moves she could use to defeat big threats like Azula and her friends.

Liyah tried to master her weaponry skills, but it’s not going well. It took her a few more days until she finally mastered a weapon.

At the end of the first part, all trainees got to pick their own weapons to use. Gianso chose the sword. Khelsi also chose the sword. Zeno chose a club. Izugail preferred to use her fists rather than weapons, but she would use her dagger just in case she had to use a weapon. Liyah chose a lance because it’s the only weapon that suits her. She wants a weapon she could use for self-defense.

The second part of intensive training is blocking and evading gymnastic skills. Majority of the Pro Protectors have not done any gymnastic moves nor any gymnastic attack. As a result, Morizhito had to ask Mr. Kon-Li if he knew of a Pro Protector who can do gymnastics. Fortunately, Mr. Kon-Li knew. It was a female Pro Protector with short black hair, brown eyes and light tan skin. She was wearing a magenta sleeveless shirt with pink pants and magenta flats. Her name is Acro-swing.

Mr. Kon-Li told Morizhito that Acro-swing was too busy searching for Kugo, Ryoske and Shang-Yo. As a result, Morizhito had to improvise.

Izugail, Gianso, Liyah, Zeno and Khelsi started learning the gymnastic skills. They did fairly well, especially Gianso. It took them about two weeks before they finally mastered it. That's whem the second part of the intensive training ended.

In the third part of their intensive training, Izugail, Gianso, Liyah, Zeno and Khelsi were learning how to evade throwing knives. Gianso did it with ease, but the rest were having difficulty. After half a week, Izugail, Liyah, Zeno and Khelsi finally mastered evasion from the throwing knives, with the help of Gianso.

In the end of the third part, Morizhito tested Izugail, Liyah, Zeno and Khelsi in evading throwing knives in every direction. They succeeded in evading all of them. Flips, slides and other evades were done by the trainees.

In the fourth part of their intensive training, Izugail, Liyah, Khelsi, Zeno and Gianso did something that was a bit similar to the third part. Using throwing knives to their advantage. In this one, they’ll grab throwing knives and “keep them in the pocket” for future use. After that, they had to learn how to use them.

Keeping throwing knives in the pocket was simple. It took a few days before the trainees mastered it. However, using throwing knives properly was difficult. Even Gianso had a hard time using them. It took them a month before they finally mastered them.

During that month, Bokio and Flame-Lady finally recovered. They exited the Hospital Building. Bokio bid his goodbyes to Flame-Lady and went to the Intensive Training Area. Bokio knew the location because Gianso had been giving him updates about his intensive training with his friends, like how Izugail updated Liyah. When he arrived, he asked Morizhito if he could join. Morizhito smiled and accepted.

Bokio mastered the ultimate and difficult ones he needed to master in order to defeat big threats like Azula and her friends. It took him a few weeks before he finally mastered them.

Right now, while the rest were still improving their ultimate and difficult moves, Bokio stood before Morizhito. Determination and seriousness appeared on their faces.

Bokio listened intently to Morizhito’s words.

“Bokio, I heard from your best friend, Gianso, that you know how to redirect lightning, correct?” Morizhito asked.

Bokio nodded. “Yes. Of course.”

“In that case…” Morizhito said as he closed his eyes. A few seconds, his eyes opened. “...are you ready to learn to attack… with lightningbending?”

Bokio was surprised. He was sixteen years old and he thought learning lightningbending would be deadly for him, but hearing Morizhito asking him this question made his mind go blank. He slightly lowered his head and went into deep thought. He knew lightningbending would be dangerous if he’s not careful, but he could learn it properly with the help of his right teacher.

Bokio had heard decent amounts of information about Morizhito from Nidoria and Kugo, but neither of them mentioned about him being a lightningbender.

At that moment, Bokio came to his final decision. He turned to Morizhito and nodded. “Yes. I’m ready to learn lightningbending.”

Morizhito smiled. "Very well.

"To master lightningbending, you need to master two things — lightning generation and lightning redirection," Morizhito said. "You have already mastered lightning redirection. Now, it's time for you to generate lightning.

"Lightning generation is the ability to generate and direct lightning. It requires peace of mind and a complete absence of emotion. When you generate lightning, you will attack an enemy. However, it will come with a great cost. The person you'll be attacking will most likely be severely wounded. In extreme cases, he'll die. You must be careful when you generate lightning.

"Certain firebenders are able to generate and manipulate lightning by separating the yin and yang energies. Lightning, also known as 'the cold-blooded fire,' is considered the purest form of firebending and the most powerful and dangerous technique. Only a select few firebending prodigies and masters are able to master it.

"Some experienced firebenders are unable to generate lightning because they do not possess inner peace. If a firebender who harbors inner turmoil tries to generate lightning, it would only cause a miniature explosion. This will take a whole, but I hope you'll bear with me when I teach you lightning generation."

Bokio nodded. "Yes, Sir Morizhito. I'm willing to learn it, even if it takes a long time."

Morizhito nodded with a smile. "Very well. Now, shall we get on the lesson?"

Bokio nodded. "Yes, Sir Morizhito!"

With that, Bokio started learning lightning generation from Morizhito.

So far, Bokio struggled to lightningbend. Every time he did so, he would end up making explosions instead of lightning. The only thing Bokio had to do in order to master lightningbending was to find inner peace. And that's what he did. Right now, he's in the process of finding inner peace.

One day, while Bokio was meditating, Morizhito heard footsteps approaching them.

Morizhito turned to see Huaiying. Once he saw her, his eyes widened in horror.

The beautiful face Morizhito saw was smudged with dirt and leaves. Huaiying's clothes, and the rest of the skin were also full of dirt, leaves and even a couple of burns. Her expression was full of sadness and defeat.

Morizhito walked quickly towards her. "Huaiying."

Once Morizhito got to Huaiying, his hands cupped her face as he looked at her, worried. Feeling the touch from Morizhito made tears fill Huaiying's eyes. Her face slightly lowered as she closed her eyes and tears streamed down her cheeks.

"Huaiying. Baby. What happened?" Morizhito asked. As he said the last sentence, his right thumb wiped Huaiying's tears on her left cheek.

Huaiying opened her eyes a bit

"Baby... I failed."

"Failed? On what?" Morizhito asked.

Huaiying closed her eyes again as more tears streamed down on her cheeks. "I... failed to save Zuko."

Morizhito was shocked in disbelief. "What?" A pause occurred in the air. Then, Morizhito's shocked expression turned into concern. "You failed? But why?"

Huaiying held Morizhito's right hand. "Let's talk about this in private."

"Of course," Morizhito said.

With that, Morizhito and Huaiying left to a private place. This left Bokio meditating alone.

———————————————————

A bit later on...
Near the Intensive Training Area

Morizhito and Huaiying stood in front of each other. Morizhito's concerned face was still there. As for Huaiying, her face was filled with determination as she readied herself to confide in Morizhito and tell him everything.

"So, what happened on your mission?" Morizhito asked.

In response, Huaiying explained everything to him. After that, Morizhito was completely shocked. He heard Huaiying mentioning Zuko's name, but he never heard her say that she saw him or found him. The part that completely shocked him was when Huaiying ended up participating in the Agni Kai for the first time. If he were there, he would've protested and say, "I volunteer to participate." Because he had participated once and he was willing to do it again.

A few moments later, Morizhito's shock turned into concern. "I'm sorry, Huaiying."

"It's alright," Huaiying said. "Hopefully, he'll realize by himself that what he did is wrong."

"Should we tell Nidoria about it?" Morizhito asked.

"No. Not yet," Huaiying answered. "If I tell her right now, she would've pushed herself out of bed and go out of Protector-Training Island to save him herself, even though she's still recovering."

"I see," Morizhito said.

Huaiying's hands reached to Morizhito's. At that moment, their eyes made contact with each other. "When the right time comes, I'll tell her," Huaiying said with a smile.

"Okay," Morizhito said, nodding while smiling at her back.

"In the meantime, I'll clean myself up while you continue training the Protectors-in-training," Huaiying said.

"Of course, baby," Morizhito said. "Of course."

With that, Morizhito's and Huaiying's hands slipped away from each other. Then, they parted ways. Huaiying went to the Breaks Area to clean herself up while Morizhito continued teaching Bokio, Izugail, and a few others the ultimate and difficult moves used to defeat big threats like Azula and her friends.

———————————————————

Later on…
Docks in the Fire Nation

Ships, boats and canoes bounced gently on the burgling waves between the docks. One of the ships was the one Kugo had ridden. Located a few ships towards the right was the ship Ryoske and Shang-Yo were riding on.

Kugo, Shang-Yo and Ryoske stood in front of a group of ships.

“This is it,” Shang-Yo said. “Our way back to our new home.”

The new home Shang-Yo was referring to was Protector-Training Island. He didn’t want to reveal the location’s name because a decent amount of people were roaming around the docks. Plus, there could be people eavesdropping and when they heard the words “Protector-Training Island,” they would become more fascinated and they would most likely invade it after following him, Kugo and Ryoske.

“The problem is we don’t know how to drive a ship,” Ryoske said.

“And I’m too young to drive any transportation,” Kugo said.

Kugo, Ryoske and Shang-Yo looked around. On their left, they saw a brown stall that held a payment counter. It contained a simple table with four legs on it. A man with light tan skin, brown hair tied to a bun, red shirt, red vest, dark red pants and brown shoes stood behind the table, retrieving a few coins from customers willing to take transport.

At that moment, an idea popped into Ryoske’s head. He, Kugo and Shang-Yo turned to each other. “We do have enough for our transport in the canoe. We could pay for it and then, when we ride our canoe, Shang-Yo and I will use waterbending to get back to Protetor-Training Island,” he said in a voice only Shang-Yo and Kugo could hear.

Ryoske said “Protector-Training Island” because his voice was low enough for only Kugo and Shang-Yo to hear.

Shang-Yo responded with a determined smirk and a nod. Kugo responded with his fist in the air, a jump and an enthusiastic smirk. Words like “Yeah!” and “Right” were heard softly.

With that, Kugo, Ryoske and Shang-Yo walked towards the counter to pay for transport in the canoe. After that, they walked towards a group of canoes. Once they arrived, they walked towards the canoe located at the center. They hopped in.

Ryoske sat at the front seat of a canoe. His body faced what’s ahead of him. This was to give it a boost with his waterbending just in case he, Shang-Yo and Kugo needed to make a u-turn. Shang-Yo sat on the other side of the canoe. His body faced the whole docks area. This was to boost the canoe with his waterbending to help it go faster. Kugo sat at the center of the canoe and held two paddles. One on each hand. His and Shang-Yo’s backs faced each other. Kugo sat at the center and held the paddles, so that he could help the canoe stir to the left or right.

Once everything was settled, including their things, Shang-Yo spoke first. “Alright! You ready, guys?”

Kugo nodded. “Yup. All ready.”

Ryoske nodded. “Yeah. We’re ready,” Ryoske said.

“Alright,” Shang-Yo said as he placed his hands in the water. “Then let’s…” He gushed a force of water from his hands and the boat sped up. “...go!”

“Whoooooooooaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!” Kugo and Ryoske exclaimed, feeling the speed of the canoe.

As they felt the canoe’s speed, a strong wind blew past Kugo’s and Ryoske’s faces. The wind was strong, but not towards the point their and Shang-Yo’s things were pushed off the canoe.

It took about thirty seconds until Kugo formed a victorious smirk. “Finally. We’re going to Protector-Training Island. Our new home.”

Hearing this, Ryoske formed a smile. “Yeah.”

Shang-Yo also formed a smile while speeding the boat. “We’re going home.”

With that, Shang-Yo, Kugo and Ryoske continued further to Protector-Training Island.

———————————————————

Later that night…

The canoe finally hit the shores. This made Kugo, Shang-Yo and Ryoske jolt towards what’s ahead of them. When they did, confusion appeared in their eyes. “Huh?”

“That’s not Protector-Training Island. It doesn’t even have the gates,” Kugo complained.

“Yeah. The environment is not what we remembered,” Ryoske said.

“If it’s not Protector-Training Island, then what is that place?” Shang-Yo said.

Before them was a sandy shore. A decent amount of rocks were scattered everywhere, especially those close to the sea. Further ahead of it were a group of trees.

Ryoske, Shang-Yo and Kugo turned to each other.

“Let’s rest here for the night. Then, tomorrow, we leave for Protector-Training Island,” Ryoske suggested.

Kugo and Shang-Yo nodded. “Great idea, Ryoske. The only problem is we don’t have a tent.”

Ryoske let out a sigh. “Right. In that case, we need to carry our canoe, wash it and bring it near a place where we can sleep. That way, no one will steal it from us.”

“Not only that, but we also have to eat dinner,” Kugo said. Then, a grateful smile appeared on his face. “Good thing Noriko gave us a decent amount of food.”

“Yeah. And we’re thankful for that,” Shang-Yo said with a smile.

“Yeah. True,” Ryoske said.

“Okay. Let’s execute the plan and look for a place to sleep,” Shang-Yo said.

“Alright!” Ryoske and Kugo replied.

With that, Shang-Yo, Ryoske and Kugo hopped off the canoe and carried their things out of it. After they wrapped their backpack straps around their shoulders, they washed the canoe. After that, they carried it further in the island. Shang-Yo’s shoulders held the front part of the canoe. Ryoske’s shoulders held the canoe’s back part. As for Kugo, he carried the paddles.

As they continued to walk further, Ryoske, Shang-Yo and Kugo spot a couple of houses among the island. Multiple theories ran through their heads.

“Seems like some people used to live here,” Shang-Yo said. “Maybe those houses were abandoned.”

“I don’t think they are,” Ryoske said. “I could spot the lights going on. Maybe people are living here. We just couldn’t see them.” He turned to Kugo. “Kugo, what do you think?”

Kugo shrugged. “I dunno. Maybe people live here or they’re just enjoying a vacation here.”

“Well, it’s summer, so it’s most likely that your second theory is true,” Ryoske said.

“Yeah. Pretty much,” Kugo said.

With that, Shang-Yo, Kugo and Ryoske continued their walk.

Just then, female laughs were heard from a distance. Kugo, Ryoske and Shang-Yo stopped and turned to see three women and one man walking further in the island. They couldn’t tell, but they looked like they had black and brown hairs and they’re wearing red and pink outfits. Words were heard amongst them, but Kugo, Ryoske and Shang-Yo couldn’t hear them.

Soon enough, three girls and one man stopped. They turned to Ryoske, Shang-Yo and Kugo. After a few seconds of chattery, they started approaching them

As three women and one man got closer to the canoe, Kugo, Ryoske and Shang-Yo saw that those new people were not exactly women and man. In fact, they’re three teenage girls and one teenage boy.

The first teenage girl had light tan skin with amber-gold eyes and black hair tied to a small bun. The excess of her hair was laid up until her mid-back. She was wearing a red top with gold straps on her back arm. She also had a gold necklace wrapped around her neck with dark gold circular patterns on it. She also had a thin gold band wrapped around the middle of her top. At the center of it was a gold circle with patterns on it. She also wore a red cocktail skirt that laid up until her ankles. She wore black flats with a band wrapped across the center of each foot. Her face held a smirk on her face. One that could send intimidating chills own your spine

The second teenage girl had light skin with brown-gray eyes and brown hair tied to a high braid. She wore a maroon top with a pink ribbon at the center of its collar. She also wore a cocktail skirt with a pink belt ontop and a long pink cloth under her skirt. Her footwear was her brown shoes with black soles on it. It was the same type of shoes the first girl had. She also had a red band wrapped around each wrist. Her face held a bright smile.

The third teenage girl had pale skin, tawny eyes and black hair tied to two buns. The excess of her hair was laid in front of her ears. Its length lasted up until her chest. She wore a maroon top with magenta robes that were tied with a gold oval clip. She wore a maroon skirt with red clothing wrapped around the upper part. The rectangular red clothing also extended at the front center of her skirt. It was tied with a gold circular pin with an unidentified symbol on it. Her face held a nonchalant and blunt expression.

The teenage boy had light skin, dark brown hair with bangs on it and amber eyes. The scar on his left face sent familiar chills down Kugo’s spine. He was wearing a red shirt that laid up until his thighs. It has gold stripes on all edges, except for the bottom of the shirt. The gold pattern was also seen at the center of its large “V” collar. The gold belt with a black circle containing a gold fire symbol was wrapped around his waist. He wore maroon pants and a maroon cloth with a gold pattern near the edges was extended under his shirt at the center. He was also barefooted. His face held a normal and serious expression, but no anger rushed through his veins.

Once the three girls and one boy got to them, the second girl was the first to speak. She waved. “Hi. We saw that you’re carrying a canoe. Mind if we help?”

Kugo, Shang-Yo and Ryoske were surprised and confused. A split second later, Shang-Yo was the first to speak up.

“Oh, um… sure.”

“Yeah, you can help,” Ryoske said.

“Great!” the second girl said with a close-eyed smile. Then, the three girls and one boy gathered to help Kugo, Shang-Yo and Ryoske carry their things, while the canoe and paddles were placed down. The boy carried one paddle. The third girl carried another.

As for the canoe, it was carried by the second and first girls. The first girl took Shang-Yo’s position while the second girl took Ryoske’s position.

The three girls and one boy placed the canoe and paddles down, seeing that Ryoske, Shang-Yo and Kugo were not ready to move yet.

Ryoske and Shang-Yo removed their backpacks. They placed them on the ground before massaging their own shoulders. Kugo followed their actions.

Shang-Yo let out a sigh in relief. “Thanks so much! I don’t know what I’d do without you!”

“Yeah. Thanks,” Ryoske said. “Carrying a canoe hurts my shoulders.”

“It’s no problem!” the second girl said. “We’re just glad we came to help!” She approached Ryoske and held out her hand. “I’m Ty Lee! Nice to meet you!”

“Ryoske,” Ryoske said with a smile. His hand reached to Ty Lee’s and shook it. “Nice to meet you, too.”

After Ty Lee’s and Ryoske’s hands slipped away from each other, Ryoske gestured to Kugo and Shang-Yo. “These are my friends, Kugo and Shang-Yo.”

“Ey, yo!” Shang-Yo said. “What’s up, guys?”

“How ya doin’?” Kugo asked, waiving his hand with an enthusiastic smile.

“We’re just doing fine in case you’re wondering,” the first girl said. Then, she narrowed her eyes as she examined Kugo’s, Shang-Yo’s and Ryoske’s clothing. “Judging by your clothes, I suppose you’re new here in the Fire Nation.”

Ryoske nodded. “Yup.”

“We are,” Shang-Yo said.

“Although, I’ve been to the Fire Nation. I was born here, but my family and I moved to the Earth Kingdom when I was little,” Kugo said. “I’ve never been in such place like this before. What’s it called?”

“It’s called ‘Ember Island,’” the third girl said with a blunt tone.

Images of Kugo's times in Ember Island ran through Kugo's head immediately. After that, realization hit him. "Oh. That Ember Island. My family and I used to go here when my sis and I were kids."

"What a coincidence. My family and I have been here, too, since my brother and I were kids," the first girl said.

An enthusiastic gasp escaped Kugo's mouth. "Really?! That's incredible!"

The first girl chuckled.

Ryoske’s and Shang-Yo’s heads tilted in confusion once they heard the words "Ember Island."

After watching the whole conversation between Kugo and the first girl, Ryoske spoke first, "Wow. I could barely picture Ember Island. It's been a long time since I came here."

Shang-Yo took a few steps forward and spoke, "May I ask? What's Ember Island?"

“Ember Island is a place where people can enjoy summer vacation and have fun!” Ty Lee said. "Some people stay here for a few days or even weeks.

"In our case, we went on a vacation here because my friend's father is having a secret meeting. Speaking of friends..."

Ty Lee gestured to the other two girls and a boy. “These are my friends.” She gestured to the first girl. “Azula.” She gestured to the third girl. “Mai.” She gestured to the boy. “And Azula’s sister, Zuko.”

At the mention of Zuko, Kugo’s eyes widened. “Wait. Zuko?” His face lit with excitement. “As in the Prince Zuko? As in the Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation?”

"That's right!" Ty Lee said brightly. As she said this, she gave Kugo a close-eyed smile.

Azula chuckled at Kugo's enthusiasm. “Look at that, Zuko.” She turned to Zuko. “It looks like you’re getting popular.”

Zuko turned away with a frown. “Yeah. I’m the prince of the Fire Nation, so it’s no surprise that I’m popular.”

Kugo shook his head. “No. I didn’t know you for that reason.” He turned to Zuko and smiled enthusiastically at him. “Dad told me and sis about you. He heard everything about you from your uncle, Iroh.”

At the mention of Iroh, Ty Lee’s, Mai’s, and especially Azula’s and Zuko’s eyes widened in shock. They gasped.

“Wait,” Zuko said. He slightly leaned forward and pointed at Kugo. “Your dad knows my uncle?”

Kugo nodded with an enthusiastic smirk. “You bet! He and Iroh were besties! They used to be in the same army! Iroh was the General and my dad is the Co-general! Even after they resigned from their army, they’re still besties! They wrote letters to each other! One of the letters Iroh sent to my dad was about you!”

Zuko was surprised. Hearing this from Kugo sounded quite familiar to him. Zuko wondered if Kugo’s and Nidoria’s dad would actually be one in the same since he heard a similar thing from Nidoria back in Ba Sing Se. Nothing else occurred in him until Azula spoke.

“If that’s so, then I suppose your dad is the same as Yili’s, isn’t it?” Azula asked.

Kugo’s, Shang-Yo’s and Ryoske’s eyes widened in shock. Hearing the name “Yili” brought the image of Nidoria in their heads. After a few seconds of silence, Kugo spoke, “You know my sister?”

“Why of course, I do. Zuzu and I had an encounter with her and your parents back in Ba Sing Se,” Azula said. Her head slightly raised. “Let’s just say… we had complications, then Yili and I fought.”

Kugo’s eyes widened. Then, he slightly squatted and ignited his flames while glaring at Azula. Fear and worry overtook Shang-Yo, Ryoske and Ty Lee while confusion and surprise overtook Zuko and Mai.

“What… did you do to them?” Kugo asked in a dark tone. “What did you do to my sister?!”

Azula laughed. “You wanna know what happened, don't you?” She paused. Then, her eyes glanced at everyone except Kugo. “Leave us alone.”

With that, Ryoske, Shang-Yo, Ty Lee, Mai and Zuko left while carrying the canoe, the paddles, Ryoske’s bag, Shang-Yo’s bag and Kugo’s bag.

Now, Kugo and Azula were left alone. Azula proceeded to explain. “Your parents and Yili barged in the throne room of the Earth Kingdom Royal Palace in Ba Sing Se, where Zuzu and I were. They asked where our uncle, Iroh, is. I told them we captured him right-handed.”

Kugo’s was shocked in disbelief and distraught. Tears filled his eyes. “You and Zuko?”

Azula smirked evilly. “Yes. Then, after I saw your dad’s desperation to save uncle and your sister’s desperation to save Zuko, I challenged them to a one-on-one duel. Yili volunteered and we fought. Long story short, I won. As for Yili…” She paused. Then, an image of Nidoria saving Zuko ran through her head. “...she did something that left her unconscious.”

More tears filled Kugo’s eyes.

“So far, Zuko is still on my side,” Azula said.

No. This can’t be happening, Kugo thought. “Why? Why would Zuko be on your side? Tell me. Who’s behind this betrayal? Was it you… Azula?”

Azula chuckled. “You’re very perceptive, Kugo. So now that you know my story, what are you gonna do about it?”

Kugo lowered his head and closed his eyes. Then, his shocked expression turned into rage. It took a few seconds before Kugo raised his head, opened his eyes and gave Azula a serious death glare. His flames grew bigger as he answered, “I’ll challenge you… to a fight.”

Azula’s eyes widened in surprise. Then, a split second later, she let out a laugh. “How hilarious. A child like you, fighting against a teenage girl like me?” She formed her fighting position and ignited her blue flames as she smirked. “You’re more fascinating than I thought.”

“I’m serious, Azula,” Kugo said. “If you win, you can do whatever you want with Zuko. But if I win, you have to let him go and I’ll help him do what’s right. Let’s settle this fight, Azula. Right here. Right now.”

Azula’s smirk widened. “Bring it on.”

Kugo let out a battle cry as he charged forward. He jumped ahead and unleashed streams of fire from both his hands. He sent them towards Azula. Unfortunately, Azula jumped over the flames and used her right arm to form a flame blade. She flipped forward and attempted to slice Kugo with her fire blade. Kugo rolled his body towards his right, evading the attack.

Kugo ignited his flames again as he let out a grunt. He charged at Azula again and unleashed fireballs at her. Azula evaded them. She moved left and right with her feet and toes. She even got her body in between two fireballs. Once the fire balls were done, Azula unleashed a huge blue stream of flame towards Kugo. Kugo raised his arms and attempted to swoop them down, forming the letter "X." This was supposed to extinguish the flames. Unfortunately, Azula's flames were too big for him to block. Therefore, he was sent flying. He let out a scream.

Kugo's body tumbled over until he landed on his right side of the body. Kugo slowly pushed himself up with his right forearm. He could hear Azula's footsteps approaching him. After a few footsteps, it became dead silent.

A split second later, Kugo heard Azula asking, "Is that all you got? Or are you ready to face my wrath?"

"No," Kugo said in a gravelly tone as he continued pushing himself up. "Not at all."

Kugo's left forearm laid on the ground and pushed himself up. This allowed his right foot to land on the ground. Using his right foot and his arms, he pushed himself back on his feet.

Once he's on his feet, Kugo turned to Azula and formed his new fighting position. His torso turned slightly towards his left. His left fist drew close to the side of his body. His right fist slightly reached out. His right foot was quite forward and his left foot was slightly behind him.

Kugo sent a determined smirk at Azula. "I'm just getting started."

Azula smirked evilly. With that, she and Kugo continued the fight. This time, she initiated her attack.

Azula raised her right leg and kicked the air in Kugo’s direction. This sent fireballs from her left foot at Kugo. Fortunately for Kugo, he dodged every last fireball.

Once Azula finished shooting fireballs from her foot, Kugo charged towards her and jumped ahead. This time, he made a few flips while forming a fire blade.

A surprised expression appeared on Azula's face. Then, it turned into rage. Was he copying my move? she thought questionably.

Kugo caught a glimpse at Azula's face. He briefly looked into her eyes. All he saw was rage and that she was annoyed that someone copied her moves. And that someone was Kugo.

Kugo sliced the blade at Azula. Because Azula was so surprised she zoned out, he succeeded in knocking her down.

Kugo let out multiple breaths as he finally gave Azula the hit. No. I did not copy your move, Azula. I learned that from my mentor, who wanted me for a different purpose.

Kugo saw Azula rising on her feet. I trained and practiced that move. It was hard at first, but soon after... He could spot an enraged expression on Azula's face. ...I got it right.

Azula let out a grunt as she formed her fighting position. Her legs slightly squatted as she ignited her flames in her hands. Anger appeared on her face as her eyes were on Kugo.

Kugo made his fighting position more firm. The fight is not over. This battle will result in whatever fate Zuko will experience.

Kugo and Azula let out battle cries as they charged towards each other. While doing so, Kugo ignited his flames on his fists. Once their fists clashed, the flames exploded.