Somewhere near the battle...

Zuko, Ty Lee, Mai, Ryoske and Shang-Yo finally found one of the vacant houses. This vacant house was meant for Ryoske, Shang-Yo and Kugo to eat dinner and sleep for the night. They had placed the canoe and the paddles beside the house. Now, they took a look at the house.

This Ember Island house had beige walls with a brown door and two windows. The roof was golden yellow.

"Whoa," Shang-Yo reacted. You could see Ty Lee moving her right hand above her eyes. Its side was close to getting in contact with her eyebrows. "That sure is a simple house, but that's okay," Shang-Yo continued. Then, he turned to Ryoske with a friendly smile. "I'm sure it will fit all three of us."

Ryoske turned to Shang-Yo with a friendly smile. "Yeah. Maybe so. We'll see if this house can fit us when we get inside."

Just as Zuko, Mai, Ty Lee, Ryoske and Shang-Yo were about to step inside the house, an explosion occurred in a far distance behind them. They turned to see smoke erupting in the area far from them.

Once they saw it, Zuko's eyebrows furrowed. "Azula. What is she doing with Kugo?"

"I dunno, but I know there's something between Azula and Kugo," Shang-Yo said. "We better check it out."

Ryoske and Zuko nodded. "Right," they said in unison.

With that, Zuko, Ryoske and Shang-Yo ran to where the explosion came from. As they disappeared in sight, Ty Lee called out to them. "Mai and I will just stay here and guard this place!"

"This is going to be a long night," Mai said as she pulled out one of her throwing knives and played around with it.

-------------------

Later on...

Zuko, Ryoske and Shang-Yo finally made it to where the explosion came from. Their faces were held with extreme shock as they were face-to-face with Azula and Kugo fighting each other.

Zuko, Ryoske and Shang-Yo saw Kugo and Azula blasting at each other with their firebending. When one was taken down, he or she would always get back up and continue to fight.

"What's going on?" Zuko asked.

"I don't know..." Ryoske said as an image of Kugo igniting his flames before he left with Shang-Yo, Zuko, Mai and Ty Lee ran through his head. "...but I bet it has something to do with Kugo igniting his flames before we left." He turned to Zuko and Shang-Yo. "We need to find a way to stop this fight and figure out what's going on."

"I agree. Fighting needlessly is not good. If things go too far, we'll stop this fight at all costs," Shang-Yo said.

Zuko nodded. "Yeah, but we have to be careful. I don't know about Kugo, but Azula is much stronger and smarter than you think. She could burn you without realizing it."

"In that case, we'll just have to convince them to stop this fight," Shang-Yo said.

"Yeah, I agree," Ryoske said.

"Same as you, Ryoske," Zuko said, turning to Ryoske. Then, he turned back to the fighting scene.

As Kugo kept blasting his flames at Azula, a question popped into his head. One that he'd been wanting to ask since the moment he knew Zuko and Azula captured Iroh.

"Why, Azula?"

Kugo blasted streams of flames from both his hands and launched them towards Azula. She dodged them and sent a stream of flame from her left hand. Kugo rolled over his body, dodging it.

Kugo let out a few multiple breaths. Then, he asked again. "Why?!"

Kugo pushed himself back on his feet as he heard Azula charging at him. Once he's on his feet, he immediately yelled, "WHY?!?!?!?!"

Kugo sent large streams of flames from both his hands towards Azula. Again, Azula jumped over the flames and sent a fire blade attack on Kugo again. This time, he rolled over his body to his right, dodging it.

Kugo raised his head, looking at Azula with a demanding expression. "Tell me! TELL ME WHY YOU MADE ZUKO CHOOSE YOUR SIDE!!!!!"

Zuko let out a gasp of shock as he heard the last sentence from Kugo, especially when he heard him mentioning his name.

With Azula, she landed on her knees. As she rose to her standing position, she answered with a smirk, "Zuzu chose in his own will. Back then, I told him he was free to choose." She formed her fighting position as her smirk widened. "And he chose me."

Kugo's eyes widened in shock. Then, a few seconds later, it turned into rage. "THAT'S NOT TRUE!!!!!!!! YOU MUST'VE USED YOUR LITTLE TACTICS TO MAKE ZUKO CHOOSE YOUR SIDE!!!!!!!! By the look in your eyes, I can tell you're lying! You're the type of bad guy who manipulates people into doing wrong things!"

-------------------

[Flashback]

Spring 97 AG
Plains Village, Earth Kingdom
Nidoria (13 years old)
Kugo (7 years old)

Harutski was seen playing tag with Nidoria out on the streets. Nidoria ran and reached out to her while Harutski ran away with a cocky smile on her face. Sometimes, they almost got caught by men because they've been running out in the streets without considering how busy they were with their work.

"Like that treacherous bully named 'Harutski!' She used to be my big sis' closest childhood friend!" Kugo narrated.

-------------------

A few weeks later...

Harutski was seen "encouraging" Nidoria and Kugo to show off their firebending abilities. Nidoria and Kugo were hesitant at first, but after they heard more compliments from Harutski, they turned to each other, then back at Harutski. They nodded in agreement.

"But one day, Harutski convinced us to show off our firebending. We hesitated at first, but after hearing so many compliments, we agreed," Kugo narrated.

Nidoria and Kugo stood on the streets. Their hands raised as they blasted small streams of flames in the air with confident smiles on their faces.

"But once we showed off our firebending abilities, everyone saw us as outcasts!" Kugo narrated.

The villagers of Plains Village were shouting protests at Nidoria and Kugo. Nidoria and Kugo hugged each other as they closed their eyes tightly and braced themselves for anything the villagers could throw at them. Turns out, they did.

The villagers threw vegetables - mainly cabbages - and stones at them. This showered Kugo and Nidoria with pain.

"They threw stones and vegetables, mainly cabbages, at us! We didn't know what to do, so we braced ourselves!" Kugo narrated.

Kugo and Nidoria opened their eyes to take a glance at Harutski. Once they did, they gasped as they saw her throwing the stone up and down with a victorious smirk on her face.

"But then... when we saw Harutski's face, we knew she betrayed us! That she manipulated us into showing off our firebending, so that people can view us as outcasts!" Kugo narrated. "It's as she was saying, 'I did it. I made it work.' Harutski is a manipulator! A liar! Just like you, Azula!"

-------------------

[End of Flashback]

Present Day

Kugo rose on his feet and formed his previous fighting position. "Your eyes even remind me of Harutski!!!!! SEEING YOUR FACE MAKES ME WANT YOU TO DISAPPEAR!!!!!"

At that moment, Shang-Yo knew Kugo went too far. With that, he called out to Kugo, "Kugo, stop this!"

"Yeah! You're going too far!" Ryoske called out.

Unfortunately, Kugo didn't hear Shang-Yo nor Ryoske. His mind was clouded and all he could focus on was the fight between himself and Azula.

Azula let out a battle cry as she launched another stream of flame at Kugo. He evaded it by moving towards his left.

"If you think your little tactics will work on me, YOU BETTER THINK AGAIN!!!!" Kugo exclaimed.

Then, in a nick of time, a fireball was successfully sent towards Kugo. This sent him flying further backwards. His body tumbled until he landed on his left side of the body.

Seeing this, Zuko Ryoske and Shang-Yo immediately ran towards Kugo. As they got closer, they could hear sobs from Kugo. Their eyes widened.

He's crying, Shang-Yo thought. He needs help.

I wonder what's going on with him? He seems out of his mind, Ryoske thought.

I wonder what I have to do to help Kugo figure out his problems and help him get through it, Zuko thought. At that moment, his eyes widened more. Speaking of, I have many problems, too. And they're rising in me. At this moment, I need someone to help me get through my problems.

Once they got to Kugo, Ryoske and Shang-Yo gave him some space. Zuko, on the other hand, ran closer to Kugo.

Once his feet were close enough to Kugo, Zuko reached out his hand to him. As he did, he could hear him sobbing.

"Hey, are you alright?" he asked in concern.

Kugo turned and glared at Zuko. His cheeks were full of tears. "LISTEN TO ME, ZUKO!!!"

Zuko gasped as he slightly took a step back. Unknowingly, he laid down his hand that was held out for Kugo to take. He listened as Kugo continued speaking.

"All I ever wanted... was to make my big sister, Nidoria, happy," Kugo said.

-------------------

[Flashback]

Spring 97 AG
Plains Village, Earth Kingdom

Nidoria stood in front of the crying Kugo. Her skin trembled in worry and fear as she was face-to-face with Harutski and her two friends, who were looking forward to picking on Kugo.

"S... St-Stop being so mean, Harutski. Y-You're hurting... m-m-my lil' brother," Nidoria said with a worried expression. Then, she got into her fighting position. "If you lay a hand on him, then... then..." She attempted to show her determined expression, but all she could show was a worried close-eyed desperation to stop the Harutski and her friends from bullying Kugo. "...I have no choice but to stop you!"

Harutski scoffed as she and the two boys got into their fighting positions. Her lips widened to an evil smirk. "You wanna pretend to be a hero, Dori? Well, no one's gonna fall for that." She paused.

Harutski's left fist made contact with her right palm. Her right hand enclosed her left fist, then she cracked her knuckles on her left hand. After that, her hands switched positions. Then, she cracked her knuckles on her right hand. "After all, you're a firebender." She paused again. "And firebenders..." Her head shifted to Nidoria. "...threat people's lives."

Nidoria freaked out a bit. She witnessed Harutski and her friends charging towards her. Because Morizhito taught her a little bit of martial arts, Nidoria attempted to apply his teachings and use the martial arts techniques against them, but whenever she tried to punch and kick, she ended up being blocked and hit.

Kugo witnessed how Nidoria attempted to defend herself against Harutski and her friends. He watched in worry and fear as Nidoria kept being beaten up. Tears began to fill his eyes.

"I remember... the time... when Nidoria tried to protect me... but she got beaten up instead! I was... so worried... I... couldn't move," Kugo narrated in between sobs. "I felt... so guilty... about... not doing anything... especially after she got taken down!"

-------------------

[End of Flashback]

Present Day

"When... her former best childhood friend... and current bully... Harutski... and her friends left... I ran to her... and asked her if she was okay! She said... she's fine... and... I ran to get help!" Kugo said.

Shang-Yo, Ryoske and especially Zuko were completely shocked by the whole story. Up until now, they didn't know what Nidoria and Kugo had gone through to face someone like Harutski.

"At that... very moment... I knew... I had to be stronger... in order for Nidoria not to get hurt again!" Kugo said as he slowly pushed himself on his feet. "And so... I trained martial arts... with my parents... just so... I can... take down bullies myself... and not have Nidoria get hurt again!"

-------------------

[Flashback]

Spring 98 AG
Plains Village, Earth Kingdom
Nidoria (14 years old)
Kugo (8 years old)

"One time... Nidoria and I... were faced by the thugs... on the way home!" Kugo narrated.

"Aagh!" Young Kugo reacted as he was pushed down by the lead thug.

Each thug had tan skin and black straight hair. Their clothes contained pale green shirts, green pants and brown sandals.

Kugo rubbed his butt because the pain he received was there. Tears filled his eyes.

"The... lead thug... pushed me onto the ground!" Kugo narrated. "It was... hurt... but I... refused to cry!"

Kugo struggled to hold his tears in. Every time he tried, tears rolled down his cheeks. He wiped every tear that escaped his eyes whenever he felt it roll down his cheeks.

Behind him, Nidoria took a step forward as she was about to glare at him. Then, a surprised expression appeared on her face as she saw Kugo rising on his feet. This also surprised the thugs.

"What?!" the lead thug reacted. "You can stand?!"

"Y-Yeah!" Kugo said. You could see more of his tears streaming down his cheeks. He wiped them with his right forearm as he glared at the thugs. "Come on and fight me... if you can."

Nidoria gasped in shock. "Kugo, are you sure you want to-?"

"Yes. I'm sure," Kugo answered.

Nidoria became more surprised.

"That way, you won't get hurt again," Kugo said.

Tears of worry and concern filled Nidoria's eyes. "Kugo..."

"I tried... fighting against the thugs... but they were too strong!" Kugo narrated.

-------------------

[End of flashback]

Present Day

"Even so... I got back up again... and fought. It went... on and on... until I felt sick," Kugo said.

At that moment, Kugo was finally on his feet. He finally raised his voice. "All I want is to make Nidoria happy! To be safe from harm!" he exclaimed, still sobbing. "I don't want her to get hurt in any way, whether it's physical, mental or emotional!

"I care about Nidoria! Really, I do! It's obvious because she's my sister, but it's not the only reason! Nidoria looks up to you, Zuko! You're her favorite! She sees the good in you! You inspire her to be the Protector! I remember... my dad saying to her..."

-----

"I can see in your eyes that you believe Zuko will be on the good side," Morizhito said with a smile.

"That's what he said to Nidoria," Kugo narrated.

-----

"I WANNA BELIEVE THAT, TOO!" Kugo continued. "THAT'S WHY I WANNA EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE AND THANK YOU FOR INSPIRING HER TO BE THE PROTECTOR!!!!

"But when I heard that you and Azula captured your uncle, Iroh, I was completely losing it! It's like I saw Nidoria crying every time I think about you siding with evil! I tried thinking about what to do properly, BUT I CAN STILL IMAGINE NIDORIA CRYING!!!!! I CAN'T GET IT OUT OF MY HEAD, ZUKO!!!!! I was so angry! SO ANGRY AT AZULA FOR MAKING NIDORIA SAD!!!!! That's why I challenged her to a fight, so that I would stop losing it and make Nidoria happy!

"I DON'T WANT NIDORIA TO GET HURT AGAIN BY TELLING HER WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU!!!! THAT WOULD RUIN MY PURPOSE OF BEING THE PROTECTOR, BESIDES HELPING THE AVATAR!!!!!

"Sh... she admires you so much, Zuko. I HAD TO DO SOMETHING TO SAVE YOU!!!!! WHAT ELSE AM I SUPPOSED TO DO, ZUKO?!?!?!?! TELL ME!!!! TELL ME WHAT ELSE I AM SUPPOSED TO DOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!"

As he said that last word, Kugo broke down in tears.

Zuko was completely shocked. No word came out of his mouth. Tears field his eyes, but none rolled down his cheeks. At that moment, empathy grew in him.

He believed in me, too? All this time? Zuko thought. And he brought up the burden to save me like Nidoria tried to do to me back in the Crystal Catacombs? At this moment, while I was listening to him, I thought I was overthinking things, but now...

Zuko launched towards Kugo and slid on his knees. Immediately after that, he pulled Kugo to a comforting hug. Hearing this... broke my heart, Zuo thought.

"I'm sorry, Kugo," he said as tears filled his eyes. He closed them and tears rolled down his cheeks. As he did, he tightened the hug a bit. "I didn't know you've gone through so much just to not let Dori get hurt. I also didn't know how switching to Azula's side affected you so much, not only Dori and your parents."

Kugo buried his head in Zuko's chest. He continued sobbing as Zuko's shirt became wet with tears. "Dori... is just the nickname... Harutski gave to her. Her... real given name... is Nidoria," he said in between sobs.

Zuko's eyes widened. Then, he became concerned. "Is calling her 'Dori' an insult?" he asked, glancing at Kugo.

"Yes," Kugo said.

Zuko glanced on the ground with guilt. Up until now, he thought "Dori" was her real name. That's why he called her that. He tightened his embrace a bit more as his right hand stroked Kugo's back. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine," Kugo replied.

Shang-Yo and Ryoske stood by, watching the whole scene in shock. Hearing those words from Kugo made them think back to when they were eating at Cheng's Noodles with their friends. As they did, an image of Nidoria answering why she wanted to be the Protector ran through their heads.

-----

Nidoria's cheeks heated up. "I was... inspired by someone."

-----

At that moment, Shang-Yo and Ryoske gasped as they realized.

Could it be... Shang-Yo thought.

...that Zuko is the boy who inspired her to be the Protector? Shang-Yo and Ryoske thought in unison.

Nothing else occurred in Ryoske, Shang-Yo, Kugo and Zuko until they heard someone clapping slowly. Zuko and Kugo pulled away from the hug as everyone turned to see Azula, clapping with a smirk. As soon as they saw her, she stopped clapping.

"Well, are you gonna forfeit, Kugo?" Azula asked.

Kugo's eyes widened. Then, it turned to a glare. He stood on his feet, stepped in front of Zuko and ignited his flames.

"I'm not done yet," Kugo said.

Just as Kugo was about to lunge forward and let out a battle cry, a familiar, elderly male voice intervened. "That's enough."

Everyone jolted to Kugo's right to see Water Whipper. He had a stern look on his face. He stepped towards Kugo as the flames died down.

Water Whipper, Kugo thought. How did he find us?

Once Water Whipper got close enough to Kugo, he came to a stop. "Avagham-" He glanced at Shang-Yo. "-Waveman One-" He glanced at Ryoske "-Waveman Two." He glanced back at Kugo. "Come with me. Now," he finished in a stern tone.

Kugo, Ryoske and Shang-Yo bowed sadly at Water Whipper. Then, they walked towards him. As they began to leave, a reminder popped in Kugo's head. He stopped.

Seeing this, Water Whipper, Ryoske and Shang-Yo stopped as well.

Kugo turned around and ran towards Zuko. This confused Zuko, considering that Kugo had to leave with Ryoske, Shang-Yo and Water Whipper immediately.

Once Kugo got to him, he told to Zuko in a low voice only the latter could hear, "Hey, Zuko."

Zuko's eyes widened.

"If you ever want to apologize to Nidoria... go to the island in the middle of the largest ocean. There, you will find and meet her again," Kugo said. "And when you do, promise me to never tell anyone about that place." Then, he leaned back to his standing position.

In reply, Zuko leaned over and whispered to Kugo with a smile, "I will. Thank you, Kugo."

Zuko leaned back. Kugo gave him a thumbs up as he replied with a grin and a voice only Zuko could hear. "No prob."

Zuko's smile widened. Kugo smiled at him in reply.

Kugo bowed at him respectfully. "I'll see you around, okay?"

"Yeah," Zuko said. He stood and bowed respectfully in return. "See you around."

Kugo and Zuko rose to their standing positions and smiled at each other.

With that, Kugo turned his body behind him and walked towards Water Whipper, Ryoske and Shang-Yo. After that, they left.

As Zuko watched Kugo, Water Whipper, Ryoske and Shang-Yo disappearing in his sight, he heard footsteps approaching him. He knew for sure Azula was the one approaching him since she's the only one other than Kugo, Shang-Yo, Ryoske and Water Whipper in the scene.

"Let's go, Zuko," he heard Azula say.

With that, Azula left. Zuko stared ahead for a few seconds before he turned his body behind him and left with Azula.

-------------------

Later on...
Water Whipper's Ship
On the way back to Protector-Training Island...

The ship Ryoske, Shang-Yo, Kugo and Water Whipper were riding were medium. Its colors were shades of brown and gold. The large post was made to hang two dusty white sails. One was big and another was slightly small. The steering wheel was located behind the sails upstairs.

The lower deck contained the dining room, the kitchen and several cabins. The cabins were bedrooms inside the ship.

Ryoske, Shang-Yo and Kugo stood in front of Water Whipper. All were terrified of his deadly stern face, especially Kugo. Because Water Whipper's stern face was staring at him.

"What happened, Kugo? Why did you fight someone recklessly?" Water Whipper asked.

Ryoske, Shang-Yo and Kugo were spooked out by Water Whipper's stern voice. Their skins shook for a few seconds. Then, they let out a breath to calm themselves.

Once they calmed themselves, Kugo's eyes furrowed as anger and hatred towards Azula rose in him. "Azula. She's the reason why Zuko switched to her side. She made him betray his uncle, Iroh," he explained. "Nidoria looks up to Zuko. She admires him. He's the reason why she wants to become the Protector in the first place.

"Every time I think about Zuko being on the evil side, I always imagine Nidoria crying. I was completely losing it, even though I tried to think about what I should do properly. I don't want that to happen to her. That's why I challenged Azula to a fight, so that I'll stop losing it and make Nidoria happy when I win. And when I win, that means Zuko is saved."

Water Whipper was stunned by Kugo's words. Up until now, he didn't know Nidoria was one of the few people who wanted to become Protectors for a different reason. Most Protectors-in-training wanted to become Protectors because they wanted to help the Avatar.

A few seconds later, Water Whipper's eyes softened. Empathy grew in him. And so, he stepped towards him, knelt to his height and laid a hand on his shoulder.

"I know you want to save Prince Zuko because you want Young Nidoria to be happy," Water Whipper said.

Kugo looked up at him, surprised.

"But you cannot allow yourself to give in to rage and vengeance," Water Whipper continued. "That's what made you want to fight Azula, isn't it?"

Kugo let out a gasp after he heard Water Whipper's first sentence. Tears filled his eyes. A few seconds after he heard the last sentence, his head lowered and a few tears rolled down his cheeks. "Y... Yes," he said in between sobs. "I'm... sorry, Water Whipper. I didn't know... what got into me."

Water Whipper's lips curled up to a kind smile. "It's alright, Young Kugo." He pulled him to a hug. "You're still learning."

Kugo immediately hugged Water Whipper back. At that moment, he broke down in tears as his head buried in Water Whipper's left shoulder. Soon after, part of Water Whipper's clothes were full of tears.

Several weeks later, Kugo, Ryoske, Shang-Yo and Water Whipper arrived in Protector-Training Island. They reunited with their friends and family. Kugo even had a tearful reunion with Nidoria.

When Kugo explained everything that happened to Nidoria, she was extremely shocked. After a few moments, she smiled and said, "Don't worry, Young Kugo. I know you tried your best to save Young Zuko."

-------------------

Meanwhile...

After Zuko's encounter with Kugo, Ryoske and Shang-Yo back in Ember Island, he went through ups and downs in his life. In the end, he left the Fire Nation and joined Avatar Aang and his friends - Sokka, Toph, Katara, the lemur named "Momo" and the sky bison named "Appa" - in defeating Fire Lord Ozai.

Zuko reconciled with Team Avatar, which consisted of Aang and his friends. He went on a life-changing fieldtrip with each member - except for Toph and Momo. During his fieldtrip with Sokka on the Boiling Rock, they rescued two people. One was Sokka's dad named "Hakoda." Another was Suki, the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors and Sokka's girlfriend. After the rescue, Suki became part of Team Avatar.

Zuko's fieldtrip with Katara was not easy. That's because Katara didn't trust Zuko immediately. He went with her to find a man who was responsible for the death of Katara's mother. When they found the man, Katara couldn't kill him after finding out what really happened. In the end, when they came back from the fieldtrip, Katara forgave Zuko for all that he'd done for the past few years.

-------------------

White Lotus Camp, Agrarian Zone, Ba Sing Se, Earth Kingdom

Soon after, Zuko tearfully reconciled with Iroh. It started with him entering White Lotus Camp with Team Avatar - except Aang and Momo because they went missing at that time - and a few elders. Zuko went to face Iroh in one of the tents, but fear held him back. Katara assured him that Iroh will forgive him. After that, Zuko entered the tent. The following morning, when Iroh woke up, Zuko apologized while tears rolled down his cheeks. Iroh hugged him and forgave him. Iroh was also proud that Zuko found his way to the right path and to him.

A few seconds after his reconciliation with Iroh, a reminder popped into Zuko's head again.

-----

"If you ever want to apologize to Nidoria... go to the island in the middle of the largest ocean. There, you will find and meet her again," Kugo whispered. "And when you do, promise me to never tell anyone about that place."

-----

Guilt and sadness took over Zuko. He slightly turned away and sighed.

Iroh heard Zuko's sigh. His happiness turned into concern. A few moments later, he pulled away from the hug. "You seem troubled, Prince Zuko," he said.

"Yes," Zuko said. "Right after Azula and I took over Ba Sing Se, your best friend, his wife and their daughter, Nidoria came to us in the throne room. They were surprised. Your best friend asked where you were. Azula told him we captured you right-handed. I saw the shocked look on their faces, especially Nidoria's."

"My best friend's name is Morizhito," Iroh said with a kind smile. "It's been a long time since I talked about him." He chuckled. "I'm surprised I never told you about him."

Zuko chuckled. "Yes, uncle. Anyways..."

Tears filled Zuko's eyes as he continued with a croaky voice, "I... wanted to explain things to Nidoria. I wanted to assure her that I'm not on the wrong side..." Zuko's tears rolled down his cheeks. He attempted to wipe them with his left forearm, but more kept rolling down his cheeks. His voice was weaker due to his sobbing. "...but I can't.

"Not... long after this, Azula challenged either Morizhito or Nidoria to a fight. A fight where if Nidoria or Morizhito wins, they can save you from prison and me from the darkness. Nidoria volunteered to fight. She and Azula fought back in the Catacombs.

"During the fight..." Zuko continued sobbing. "...she gave it her all... to fight her. I was... guilty at that time. I found out... that she gave herself the codename 'Yili' because... I gave her the dagger you gave to me... as a token to become the Protector. The inscription on the dagger... proved her point. Soon after... Nidoria... accidentally shot her fire... at the part of the pillar beside me. The rocks were falling on me. I was gonna die. But then... Nidoria did something that made a huge impact on me."

Zuko turned to Iroh with a grateful smile. His cheeks were stained with tears. "She saved me."

Iroh's eyes widened in surprise.

"She pushed me out of the rocks' way... and sacrificed herself to save my life. I... didn't know what to say. After this, Morizhito and his wife freed Nidoria from the rocks. They left with her.

"I guess... my conflicted feelings are because I betrayed her. I wanted to cheer Nidoria on and root for her to become the Protector... but I stabbed her in the back. I didn't know what to do.

"Soon, I met Nidoria's younger brother, Kugo, and his friends, Ryoske and Shang-Yo, in Ember Island, along with Azula, Mai and Ty Lee. Kugo challenged Azula to a fight. I saw how they fought. I didn't know why at first, but... later on, I learned that he challenged Azula to a fight because he wanted to save me after he wins. He cared for Nidoria so much... he wanted to do everything in his power to make her happy. That includes trying to save me and help me be on the right path. He even told me how much Nidoria looks up to me and how I inspired her to become the Protector.

"Hearing Kugo's words made an even bigger impact on me. Up until that time, I didn't know how my betrayal affected not only Morizhito, his wife and Nidoria, but also Kugo.

"Soon, an elderly man stopped the fight and he took Kugo, Ryoske and Shang-Yo to wherever they're going... but... not before Kugo told me that if I ever wanted to apologize to Nidoria, I have to go to the island in the middle of the largest ocean. I wanted to do that, but I couldn't find the right time.

"Every time I reconcile with someone, I'm reminded of how I want to reconcile with Nidoria and her family. I reconciled with Kugo back in Ember Island, but I feel like I should reconcile with the rest of his family. I want to open up about my reconciliation with Nidoria and her family, but I can't find the right time to do so. Until now."

A pause occurred in the air.

"So, please... tell me, uncle," Zuko said. "How can I find the right time to reconcile with Nidoria? How can I face her after all that had happened?"

"Prince Zuko, finding the right time to reconcile with someone who looks up to you is difficult, especially when lots of things are happening in this world. I suggest that after we win this war, you will reconcile with Nidoria and her family," Iroh said. "Take courage, Prince Zuko. Once you face Nidoria, I'm sure she will forgive you for all you have done."

As Iroh said the last part, Zuko wiped the remaining tears on his cheeks. Then, he smiled gratefully at him. "Thank you, uncle. Thank you so much."

Iroh smiled at Zuko in return. "My pleasure, Prince Zuko. It's nice to finally talk about my best friend's family after a very long time."

-------------------

And so, Iroh, Sokka, Toph, Suki, Katara, Zuko and the elders planned to take down Ozai and his army while giving Aang space and time to defeat Ozai. Soon after, they executed the plan and it worked.

While executing the plan, Zuko fought Azula in an Agni Kai for the throne. Zuko was having the upper hand, but when Azula launched her lightning attack on Katara - who was watching from the sidelines - Zuko jumped in and saved her. This caused Zuko to be attacked by lightning instead of Katara. This left Katara, dealing with Azula.

Soon after, Azula was tied in chains. Katara rushed towards Zuko and healed him with her waterbending. Once Zuko was healed, he thanked her. Katara replied that she should be the one thanking him.

A few moments later, Zuko and Katara witnessed Azula having a mental breakdown. Then, they departed to the Fire Nation Capital to continue executing the plan.

Eventually, Aang defeated Ozai by removing his firebending. Ozai was sent to prison. Zuko reunited with his girlfriend, Mai, and he was crowned as the new Fire Lord. Not long after, he planned the Harmony Restoration Movement with Aang and some others.

Later that night, Zuko rode on Appa with Aang, Sokka, Suki, Katara and Toph. During that, Zuko looked concerned. Aang tried to cheer Zuko up, but to no avail. A few moments later, Zuko asked Aang to promise him that if he would ever turn out to be like his father, Aang would end him. Aang was reluctant at first, but after some reassurances from Katara, he agreed.

-------------------

A few months after Aang agreed to Zuko's promise...

Zuko took action on the Harmony Restoration Movement. In the middle of his duties, Zuko couldn't help but think about reconciling with Nidoria and her family. He remembered the last time he saw the dagger he gave to Nidoria. The dagger was in Azula's hands.

Zuko walked into Azula's bedroom to search for the dagger.

Azula's bedroom contained a large royal bed with a blared blanket, a red mattress and a white cylinder-shaped pillow laid on the upper part of her bed. The bed board was like any bed of any rich royal. Colors of gold, silver and red were applied to it. Attached to the wall on the left was a brown, long, rectangular cabinet with drawers on it. Ontop of the cabinet was a gold teapot with a small gold vase. The walls, floor and ceiling were full of brown and orange shades. The windows on the left had diamond patterns on it.

Zuko searched the cabinet via the drawers. After opening the center of the drawer, he finally found it.

Zuko let out a sigh in relief. His hand reached for the dagger and retrieved it. He closed the drawer and took the time to admire it. He remembered the time Iroh gave Zuko the dagger along with the letter and the doll for Azula. He also remembered the time Zuko gave the dagger to Nidoria after asking him if anyone could be a Protector for different reasons other than helping the Avatar.

Zuko smiled warmly as he relived the last memory. At that point, he felt his cheeks burn up. Once he noticed, he shook his head, snapping himself back to reality. No. I can't let myself do that. I'm already dating Mai, he thought.

Zuko took one look at the dagger. This time, sadness appeared on his face. He remembered the advice Iroh gave to him back in White Lotus Camp.

At that point, Zuko decided to go to the island Kugo told him about to reconcile with Nidoria and her family. He left Azula's room with the dagger in his hands.

-------------------

Later on...

Zuko had confided in Mai about his intention to go out of the Fire Nation, to find Nidoria and her family, and reconcile with them. Mai was surprised and skeptical at first, but she became relieved when he told her that she's just a friend to him. After that, he informed Aang, Sokka, Toph and Katara about his reconciliation with Nidoria and her family. Aang and the others wanted to come with Zuko, but he kept silent, leaving them concerned for him.

In the end, Zuko rode with Aang, Momo, Sokka, Toph and Katara on Appa to the island in the middle of the largest ocean. Aang held the ropes that were attached to Appa while the rest sat and relaxed in the saddle. Well, all except Toph, who was laying down with her hands on her head. While travelling to the island, they conversed about random topics here and there. One of those topics was started by Toph.

"So, what's it like on the island?"

"I don't know yet. Kugo never told me the name," Zuko said, looking at the view. "He also told me to never tell anyone about that place." He turned to Aang and the others. "I'm the only one who kept that secret, but now, this secret is among us and Mai. I asked Mai to keep it between us. I want you guys to promise me to do the same."

Aang, Katara, Toph and Sokka smiled at Zuko.

"We will," Aang said.

Appa let out a low roar. That's when everyone - except Zuko - laughed.

"I think Appa will, too," Aang said.

Zuko smiled in return.

With that, Team Avatar, including Zuko, travelled further to the island Kugo told Zuko about.

-------------------

Later on...

"Look, guys!" Katara said, pointing at the island surrounded by a large sea. Everyone else glanced at the island. "That must be the island Kugo told you about, right, Zuko?"

"I think so," Zuko said. "Let's check it out."

Aang turned straight ahead. He held the ropes and moved it up and down. "Appa, yip-yip!" he said with a smile.

Aang drove Appa to the island. Once they arrived, Appa landed on the sandy ground.

Everyone hopped off Appa. Then, they looked around in wonder. Well, all except Toph, who's trying to feel its lands with her feet. Momo hopped on Aang's right shoulder.

"This place looks simple and basic, but I can't tell if this is the place Zuko is going to," Sokka said.

Katara turned to Sokka. "It may look simple and basic, Sokka, but as you go further, you'll see something you've never seen before. You never know what's on this island."

Sokka shrugged. "Yeah. Maybe you're right, Katara."

Toph stayed silent as she continued to feel the island with her earthbending.

Aang took a few steps forward as he looked around. He came to a stop and turned to Zuko, who was beside him on his right. "Let's hope it really is the place."

Zuko nodded. "Yeah. I agree."

As everyone else gathered around, Zuko, Aang, Sokka, Katara, Momo and Toph looked up to see the gates of the island. They saw a sign and read out loud.

"Protector-Training Island."

"This is definitely the place," Zuko said. He turned to Team Avatar - more specifically Aang - for encouragement.

Aang sent him a determined smile. "You can do this, Zuko."

Sokka let out a laugh. "Yeah, you can!"

"Go kick the fear's butt, Zuko!" Toph said with a grin. Then, her right fist made contact with her left palm. "If something ever happens to you, go back here and call us!"

Zuko nodded. "I will. Thanks."

"We'll wait for you here, Zuko. When you go in and face Nidoria and her parents, talk to them. That way, they'll forgive you like we did before," Katara said with an encouraging friendly smile.

Zuko gave Katara a friendly smile. "Thank you, Katara."

Katara's friendly smile widened. "You're welcome."

With that, Zuko turned to the gates. A few moments later, he walked through it.

-------------------

Later on...
Intensive Training Area, Protector-Training Island

"What?!" Morizhito, Huaiying, Kugo, Bokio, Gianso, Shang-Yo, Ryoske, Liyah, Izugail, Khelsi and Zeno reacted in unison as they stood in front of Zuko in shock. Additionally, different expressions were mixed with their shocked expressions. Morizhito was in disbelief. Huaiying, Izugail, Khelsi and Liyah were surprised. Kugo was amazed and excited. Bokio, Gianso, Shang-Yo, Zeno and Ryoske were confused.

"Zuko is here?! In Protector-Training Island?! How did he know this place?!" Zeno asked.

Kugo jumped while raising his right fist in the air. "Yeah! Haha! I knew you would come here, Zuko!"

Izugail turned to Kugo. "How did you know he'd be coming?"

"Well..." Kugo scratched his nape with a sheepish smile. "I kinda told him that-"

As soon as everyone else - except Zuko - heard the word "told," they turned to him in shock. "What?!"

"Are you serious?!" Gianso asked.

"Why did you tell him?!" Zeno asked.

Kugo laid his hand down. "Zuko wanted to know where Nidoria is. I think he wants to look for her to apologize to her, so I gave him the location. I even told him to promise me not to tell anyone."

Everyone else's shock died down. "Oh. I see that now," they said in unison. Then, they turned to Zuko.

"Is this true, Prince Zuko? That you came here to reconcile with my daughter, Nidoria?" Morizhito asked.

"Not just Nidoria," Zuko said. He turned to Morizhito. "I want to reconcile with you-" He turned to Huaiying. "- and your wife, too." He turned back to Morizhito. "Kugo and I made amends back in Ember Island, but I feel like I should reconcile with the rest of his family. That's why I came here. To make amends with you, Nidoria and..."

"Huaiying," Huaiying said with a smile.

"Yeah. Right." Zuko chuckled nervously. "Huaiying."

Zuko laid his right fist under his left hand. "I'm sorry for everything I've done to you." He bowed apologetically. "I promise I'll do anything to make it up to you."

Everyone else was surprised. After a few moments, Huaiying's lips stretched out a gentle and kind smile. "It's alright, Zuko."

Zuko rose to his standing position and looked at Huaiying.

"Nidoria requested most of us to go out of Protector-Training Island to find you and save you for her," Huaiying said.

Zuko was surprised. "She did?"

"Yes, but the host of this island, Mr. Kon-Li, doesn't allow Protectors-in-training to go out of Protector-Training Island unless it's for Internships and Work-studies," Huaiying answered. "In the end, I went out and tried to look for you while the others trained under Morizhito. Unfortunately, I couldn't find you. Instead, I found Azula. I ended up battling her in the Agni Kai and I lost, which led me to go out of the Fire Nation and never step into that place ever again until Fire Lord Ozai stepped down as its ruler."

Zuko's eyes widened in shock, especially when he heard the words "Azula" and "Agni Kai."

"Where did she burn you?" he asked.

"My left stomach," Huaiying said. "It was severe, but I'm okay now. Anyways..." She smiled at Zuko caringly. "...we're glad you switched to the good side."

Zuko smiled caringly at Huaiying in return.

"If Huaiying forgives you, then I do," Morizhito said with a smile.

Everyone else nodded.

Zuko's caring smile widened. "Thank you, everyone."

Words like "You are welcome," "You're welcome," "No prob!", "Sure" and "No problem" were heard.

Silence occurred in the air. Then, something popped into Zuko's head, which made him concerned.

"What about Nidoria?" he asked. "She asked you guys to save me for her, right? Is she okay?"

"Yes. She's fine. She's just recovering in the hospital here in Protector-Training Island," Huaiying said. "Her recovery has been in process for months."

Zuko's concern turned into shock and worry. Nidoria's in the hospital? And she's been recovering for months? I wonder... he thought. Then, he spoke. "What room is she in?"

"Room three-one-two in the third floor," Morizhito answered. "Huaiying, Kugo and I can lead you to her if you want."

Immediately, Zuko nodded with determination. "Yes. I want to see her... and make amends with her."

Morizhito nodded with a smile. "Very well."

With that, Morizhito, Kugo and Huaiying led Zuko to the room in the Hospital Building where Nidoria was.

-------------------

Later on...
In front of Room 312, 3rd Floor of the Hospital Building

The walls in the hallway were stone gray. The doors on the hallways were white. On the upper center of each door was a small gold horizontal rectangle with numbers on it.

Right now, Zuko stood in front of the door with number 312 on the golden rectangle. Morizhito, Kugo and Huaiying stood behind Zuko.

Zuko stared at the door in concern. Part of him wished to go inside. To apologize to Nidoria and reconcile with her. But another part of him held him back. He was too nervous. He began thinking many thoughts on what would happen if Nidoria sees his face for the first time since she, Morizhito and Huaiying came to the Earth Kingdom Royal Palace in Ba Sing Se.

Zuko lowered his head and started thinking.

Morizhito, Huaiying and Kugo took notice of this. Morizhito was the first to step towards Zuko. He laid his hand on his right shoulder.

"Something's troubling you, Prince Zuko," Morizhito said.

"Part of me wishes to reconcile with Nidoria. To let her know that I'm good again," Zuko said sadly. "But... another part of me wishes to back away. What if Nidoria gets angry when she sees me?"

"She won't," Morizhito said.

Zuko turned to Morizhito.

"Because from the moment I saw the look in her eyes, I know that she'll forgive you. She sees the good inside you, even when you've gone through bad times," Morizhito said.

"Are you sure? Do you believe that?" Zuko asked.

Morizhito gave Zuko an encouraging smile. "I am sure. And I do believe that."

Zuko's lips stretched out a smile. His eyes closed as he slightly turned his head away and chuckled. "You remind me of my uncle," he said, turning back to Morizhito. "You've both been there for me and you give me wise advice. I wish you were with me from the beginning."

Morizhito chuckled. "Your uncle and I are best friends. It's natural that we exchange wise advice with each other. I wasn't there because we moved to the Earth Kingdom when Nidoria was thirteen."

"I see," Zuko said. Then, he turned to Huaiying and Kugo.

Kugo grinned as he gave Zuko a thumbs up. "Go get 'em, Zuko!"

"We'll be here with you if you need us," Huaiying said with a kind smile.

Zuko nodded. "Thanks."

With that, Zuko turned to the door and walked towards it. Once he got close enough to it, he came to a stop. He took a deep breath and exhaled calmly. He reached his right fist to the door and knocked it twice.

"Come in!" he heard Nidoria yelling.

Zuko was surprised that he heard her response that quickly. Then, his surprised expression turned into a determined one.

I can do this, Zuko thought. There's no turning back.

With that, Zuko reached for the door knob and opened it.

Once he did, there sat Nidoria on her bed.

With Nidoria, once the door opened, a completely shocked look appeared on her face. Tears filled her eyes and no word came out of her mouth. Before her eyes was Zuko himself.

Nidoria had no time to examine his expression as the first gut-feeling she felt when she saw Zuko grew inside her.

Nidoria attempted to push herself out of bed, but pain prevented her from doing so. This prompted her to lean back to her sitting position.

I... Nidoria thought. I want to...

But then, she stopped herself. I have to hear what Zuko has to say first, she thought. Nidoria turned to Zuko, ready to listen to him. She attempted to hold in the tears that kept filling in her eyes, but few rolled down her cheeks.

Seeing tears in Nidoria's eyes made Zuko want to tear up in guilt and desperation. And that's exactly what happened.

"Dor- I mean... Nidoria," he spoke.

Nidoria's eyes widened in surprise. Zuko... called me my real name? How did he know my real name?

"I'm..." Zuko said weakly as tears streamed down his cheeks. Then, a few seconds later, he walked close enough to Nidoria and knelt in front of her. "I'm so sorry, Nidoria."

Nidoria gasped softly. She wanted to say something, but her words got stuck on her throat. An overwhelming feeling of desperation grew in her as she continued listening to him. More tears filled her eyes. She struggled, but several more of them streamed down her cheeks.

"So so sorry," Zuko said. Then, he broke down in tears.

At that moment, all of Nidoria's tears streamed down her cheeks. She let out a few soft gasps. "Zuko..." she muttered.

"I'm so sorry for what I did to you and your family. I wanted to find a way to make it up to you, but I couldn't find any," Zuko said. He raised his head and his pleading eyes stared into Nidoria's desperate ones. "Please, Nidoria! Tell me what I have to do to make it up to you! I promise I'll make things right!"

Silence occurred in the air.

Then a few moments later, Nidoria managed to speak. "Can I... have a hug?" she asked weakly, but it was enough for Zuko to hear.

Zuko was surprised when he heard Nidoria's request.

"I want... to hug you, Zuko," Nidoria said. "That's... the first instinct I felt... when I saw your face again... after months... of not seeing you."

Zuko continued to be surprised. After a few moments, he nodded with a smile. "Yes. Of course."

With that, Zuko rose up a bit and opened his arms to ready himself to wrap his arms around Nidoria. But just as he was about to do so, Nidoria grabbed Zuko's shirt and pulled him to a hug.

This surprised Zuko, but he became concerned when he heard Nidoria sobbing in his left chest. Part of his shirt became wet because of Nidoria's tears.

Zuko wrapped his arms around Nidoria and tightened the hug a bit as he closed his eyes. He stroke her back to give her extra comfort.

"It's okay, Nidoria. I'm here," Zuko said.

"Zuko..." Nidoria spoke.

Zuko opened his eyes and glanced at her.

"...it's... not your fault. I'm... sorry I shot... fire... at something... that would... fall... on you. I... didn't even... know... rocks were... falling on you... until I saw it," Nidoria said in between sobs. "I was... so focused... on fighting Azula... that I didn't think straight. I... had to save you... to make it up to you."

"It's okay, Nidoria," Zuko said with a reassuring smile. "It was an accident." His smile turned into sadness as more tears rolled down his cheeks. "If anything... this was my fault."

"Don't... say that, Zuko," Nidoria said. "You've... been through... so much."

"We all have our ups and downs, Nidoria," Zuko said. "We make mistakes. We learn from them and grow to become better people."

Nidoria let out a soft chuckle in between sobs. "That's... what my best friend, Izugail, said to me," Nidoria said.

Zuko chuckled.

Silence occurred in the air.

"I... want to save you... I want to go out there to save you and help you find the right path..." Nidoria spoke in between sobs. "...but I had to stay to let my body recover. For so long... I've been holding the feeling of saving you inside of me. I also tried to comfort myself by reading a book series called 'A Red Haired Beauty.'"

Confusion appeared in Zuko's eyes. A Red-Haired Beauty?

"But... when I saw your face again... I couldn't take it anymore," Nidoria continued. "I admire you so much, Zuko. I want... to return the favor... by becoming... someone who saves people... and stands up for herself... and others. I want... to do something... to save you from the darkness... but I can't... because... I had to... stay in bed... to recover. I... don't know... what else to do. That's why... I asked my mom... and my friends... to save you for me."

Zuko was completely shocked and speechless. Listening to her words sent a heartwarming feeling in his chest. If Nidoria were to be fully recovered several months ago, she would've gone through so much trouble to get through to him and help him find the right path. If she had succeeded, he would've been reconciling with his uncle and Team Avatar sooner. If she were to stick by his side no matter what... he would've finally found someone to talk to and confide in before he joined Team Avatar.

Even though all this never happened, Zuko felt grateful for Nidoria to have faith in him and his journey no matter what.

Zuko smiled at Nidoria. "I am saved." He pulled away from the hug and wiped Nidoria's tears with the thumb. "You just didn't know it."

"Who saved you from the darkness, Zuko?" Nidoria asked.

Zuko chuckled. "My uncle, your brother Kugo... and you."

Nidoria let out a gasp of shock. Then, she smiled warmly at him. "Really?"

Zuko nodded, smiling at her back. "Really.

"When I heard how much you admire me from Kugo and how he wanted to save me for your sake, I was shocked. I didn't know how much siding with Azula affected not only you and your parents, but also Kugo. At that time, I reconciled with him.

"When I heard that you named yourself 'Yili' because you never give up without a fight like the dagger said, I was also shocked. At that moment, I wondered if I should root for you instead of Azula.

"And worst of all... I betrayed my uncle. I was guilty... not just because of this, but because I betrayed you and your family, too. And all the guilt I felt inside of me made me realize my destiny. To join the Avatar and defeat my father, Ozai."

Zuko placed his hands on Nidoria's shoulders. "I admire you, too, Nidoria."

Nidoria became completely shocked when she heard this. Then, as she continued listening to Zuko, her shock became a heartwarming smile.

"You understood me and you wanted to help me find the right path, whether it's directly or indirectly. I'll never forget that, Nidoria. Thank you," Zuko said.

Nidoria's smile widened. "You're welcome... Zuko."

Zuko warmly smiled at Nidoria back. A few moments later, a reminder popped into my head. "Oh, I almost forgot."

Confusion appeared in Nidoria's eyes. She saw Zuko pulling out an item from the inside of his shirt and handed it to her with a smile. "Here."

A big smile appeared on Nidoria's face. "My dagger." She retrieved it from Zuko. She looked at it for a moment, then she turned back to Zuko. "How did you find it?"

"I found it when I was searching for it in Azula's bedroom," Zuko answered. "I thought of giving it back to you because you still need it. And also... I wanted to give it back to you... in remembrance of me."

Nidoria gasped in surprise.

"So that whenever you have problems or you need encouragement, you'll look at the dagger... and remember that I'm here for you," Zuko said.

Nidoria smiled genuinely at him. A soft blush appeared on her cheeks. "Thanks, Zuko. I'm glad you're on the good side."

Zuko chuckled. "You're welcome, Nidoria. And... I'm glad to be on the good side, too."

"Also, you can call me 'Dori' if you wish," Nidoria said.

Zuko was surprised. "You don't mind?"

Nidoria shook her head with a smile.

"But I heard from Kugo that calling you 'Dori' is an insult," Zuko said.

Nidoria let out a laugh. "The only thing that counts as an insult is when my former friend and current bully, Harutski, calls me 'Dori' while she's bullying me.

"When I first heard Harutski calling me 'Dori,' I thought it was cute, but when she started bullying me, calling me that nickname became menacing."

A blush appeared on Nidoria's cheeks. "But when I heard you calling me 'Dori,' all I could feel was overwhelming joy and warmth. It felt like my life was turned upside down. That's why I don't mind you calling me 'Dori.'"

Zuko was surprised at first. Then, he smiled caringly and warmly at her. "Okay. I'll call you 'Dori.'"

Nidoria giggled as she gave Zuko a close-eyed smile. "Sure."

Zuko was surprised again. Then, he relaxed as he continued smiling at her. "So... do you want us to catch up?"

Nidoria opened her eyes as she answered, "Sure."

With that, Zuko and Nidoria talked about what's been going on with their lives.

End of Book 1