I winced when Sokka coughs loudly and when Katara sniffled beside me. Sokka had caught a cold from the stormy weather the other day. So far, it had been coughing, sneezing and a fever but it had elevated to delusions about things and Sokka saying weird things. While Katara on the other hand was weak, and sniffed here and there. I didn't catch a cold, and Aang wasn't feeling sick either but it had to be in a matter of time.

" Here, this might bring down the fever." I said, putting the semi-wet rag on Sokka's forehead, feeling how hot he was under my finger tips. He stared up at me blankly before a smile cracking on his lips, " You know what I love about Appa the most?" He said, as I raised an eyebrow, " His sense of humor." Appa tilts his head at the mention of his name and his deep brown eyes focused on us.

" That's nice. I like that about him too." I replied as Sokka grins happily at me. Appa groans and Sokka giggled, " Haha, classic Appa."

" Ugh.." Katara groans beside me, I quickly shift to look at her as she lays against Appa as well. I could see sweat drip down her forehead and her eyes a bit glazed as she stared at me. " What? I'm fine, don't worry about me." She said, trying to get off Appa's leg but couldn't, she tried again but she was too weak and laid against the large animal. " Or not.."

" You're sick too," I said, as I laid her down, and pulled my jacket off myself, the long winter one and wrapped it up before putting it under her head to rest on top of it." Katara, just rest, I got you two for now." I said, she watched with a frown but made no movement to get up again. Sliding down onto the floor, I began soaking another piece of cloth for Katara's forehead.

" How are they?" I nearly drop the cloth and glanced to Aang who walked over cautiously. " Honestly? Sokka isn't doing too good, and Katara might have just caught it from him. Being out from that storm really did a number on them." I said, ringing out the cloth just a bit and turn towards Aang. " Did you find the ginger root for the tea?" He had left this morning to find ginger roots for a tea that we used at the South pole, it would help us after big hunting trips in winter storms and most of the men would come back sicker than a wolf.

" Nope." Aang said, before pulling out a folded up piece of paper. " But I did bring a map. There's an herbalist institute on the top of that mountain. We could probably find a cure for Sokka and Katara there." Aang said as he rolled out the map on the ground. I shook my head, the two were not in great condition to travel without the risk of being captured easily or them getting worst.

" Aang, sorry to break it to you, but they can't leave without the risk of getting sicker." I said, making my way onto Appa's leg once more and pressed the cloth against Katara's forehead and felt over it. Warm, that's not good but at least her body is fighting it off..

" Yeah, I think we'll be better by tomorrow.." Katara said, giving a smile to Aang until she began coughing, I moved back a bit and Katara covered the bottom of her face with her hand as she coughs. Yup, she'll soon see and say dumb things like Sokka.

" That's how Sokka started out yesterday!" Aang pointed out, staring at Katara worridly, his gaze changed to Sokka. " Now look at him! He thinks he's an earthbender!" I turn to Sokka who sat up in his sleeping bag, swinging his hands a bit.

" Take that you rock!"

I shake my head, lightly pushing the non-bender down with my hand and Sokka groans at the touch, before I could remove my hand, he snuggles against it with a happy hum. I turn to face Aang who watched Sokka snuggle against my hand with his innocent face. " Maybe you should head to the Herbalist, I can watch them until you get back." I said, watching Aang who picks up his staff to use on his way out. " Please be careful, you never know what's or whos lurking around."

" I will, don't worry." Aang said, about to fly off but lighting strikes making me grimacing just a bit. " Uh, maybe it's safer if I go on foot." He said, closing his staff and leans it against the doorway of our little camp.

" It would be wise." I replied, Appa groans under us and Momo chirps from above Appa's head.

" HAHA!" Sokka snorts, " You guys are killing me."

" Please hurry." I added, watching Aang leap out of the campsite and down the to the ground. Once he was gone, I tried to remove my hand from Sokka but he groans and grips my wrist tightly. " Sokka, I have to get Katara comfortable." I said and Sokka grunts, letting go of my hand. I slide back down Appa's leg and opened the packed sleeping bag and help Katara lay in it, Katara weakly curls up into the fluffy sleeping bag and kept using my coat as a pillow. I sat back into my spot in between them and laid there.

" Mirza, I'm cold." Sokka said, sniffing, he turns his head towards me and whimpered like a child. " I can use some of your warmth, please, please, please-" I rolled my eyes at his begging but I moved my arm and pulled Sokka close against me. I can feel himself shift a bit in my hold and pressed his face against the side of my chest. He was still up but just wanted my heat. I stared at the cracked ceiling, wondering when Aang was gonna come back with whatever medicine the herbalist gave him. Or tea, tea is good.

" Mirza?" Katara rasped to my right, I turn my head to look at her, her eyes watery but she wasn't crying, it was from getting sick. " Can I lay my head next to you too?" She asked, sweat dripping down her forehead. I opened my other arm and pulled her closer towards me. She sighs and pressed her head against my other side. I couldn't tell if she went to sleep or not but her breathing was slow and calm.

Them wanting heat from me wasn't something new to me or them. I was always the hot one, quite literally. Back at home as children, they would get sick, usually Sokka whom insisted it was okay to play in the snow in his Pajamas and get scolded by Kya afterwards. The next day, Sokka would get sick and Kya use to make me watch him as she cooked Sea prune soup. Sokka enjoyed having me coddle him when he was sick, making me do his chores, make me get him things like seal jerky or cooked fish that Gran Gran hid from us a lot or occasionally made me read him stories that we came up with. After hours of making me do stuff for him, Sokka would insist after dinner that we cuddle so he could have my heat for the night. If I refused? He would beg, beg and beg until I laid beside him in his sleeping bag.

When Kya died, Gran Gran and I took over helping Katara and Sokka's health. I'm a year older than them, so it was natural that I watched over them. It was usually Sokka getting sick, but on the rare occasion that it was Katara. I made Sea Prune soup for them, often letting it cook by itself as I did laundry, checked up on the Sokka or Katara, hang laundry, check on soup, did a round in the South Pole to make sure there weren't any wild or harmful animals around, check on the soup, check on the sick person, replace the wet rag, and it repeated.

I didn't mind a single time when I became the source of their warmth or the homemaker as Sokka likes to put it sometimes to annoy me.

Though, I hope Aang doesn't get sick too.. I thought as I glanced at the lighting that strikes again outside and sigh, I can feel Sokka and Katara sleeping against my sides and I too, slowly shut my eyes.

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I groan as I laid in my sleeping bag, my stomach grumbling unhappily and I felt like I was frozen in a block of ice. I gotten sick yesterday morning from staying out with Hakoda for a hunt, he gotten an earful from Kya and Gran Gran when we came back home. My skin was cold as ice and my stomach was grumbling unhappily all that morning. Kya was making me some Sea Prune soup for my tummy and to make my temperature better.

Katara and Sokka were outside playing in the snow and Hakoda was working with some other men on the walls. Gran Gran was out doing chores as usual and Kya had been laying with me in my sleeping bag, trying her best to keep me warm. Much to Katara's annoyance, since she wanted to lay with her mommy all day. She left with a pout but it disappeared as soon as Sokka threw a snow ball in her face.

" You're going to feel all better as soon as you get some soup in you." Kya said, sitting beside the large pot that cooked on top of burning wood and fat that was left over from the hunt yesterday. I laid a few feet away from her in my sleeping bag, using my hands as a pillow. My glazed eyes watching the soup cook from where I laid. The smell made my stomach grumble for food. She turns to look at me and gave me a weak smile, she pulled out the little wooden box and made her way to me. " Roll over, I need to give you some more paste." She instructed gently and I groan, moving on my back and she pulled my shirt down a bit, with the pinkish paste on her fingers, she gently rubbed it against my chest. At first it burned for a moment, in my nose, the smell but it went away quickly and my shirt pulled back up.

" I hate the smell, Kya." I whine and resumed my position I was in before.

" You're not suppose to like the smell, Mirza, it's suppose to help you feel better." Kya smiled as she talked, she moved back to the food after wiping her hands. I watched her, even with my bad eye, I could make out her figure by the fire.

" When can I go outside and play?" I asked, as Kya turns her head towards me with a thoughtful look on her face. " Later?"

" More like, tomorrow, little one." Kya said, as she stirred the soup, smile on her face. I groan loudly at that, " Though, since Gran Gran will be finished with the chores, I'll come out and play with you, Katara and Sokka." She said, and I beam at her happily from my spot. Excited that we will get to play with her, since Kya was always busy with chores or helping Hakoda with the village.

" You promise?" I asked, eyes gleaming at the woman who smiles, giving a laugh in response.

" I prom-"

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I grunted when something landed on my face, opening my eyes, I see Momo holding a dead rat in his hands. I scream and smacked the rat away, Momo chattering nervously behind my head and I glared at the lemur who stared back innocently. " Why you-"

" It's not his fault." Katara's voice made me snapped to her instantly, she was in her coat and stared at me with a frown. " I asked him for water and he came back with that..." She glanced to the dead rat and to me.

" Still, ugh.." I rubbed my cheek away from the possible diseases that thing had. I glanced at the sky and noticed it gotten dark-ish and no Aang in sight. " How about I go get us some water?" I offered, sliding down, Sokka whining from his spot and opened his eyes. I pulled Katara's extra water-skin from the pack as I walked to the open window.

" Where are you going Fire Lord?" He asked sleepily, " Come back with the fire."

" Ignore him, he's been going on about fire in his sleep." Katara said.

I shake my head a bit, of course he is. " I'll be back soon with some water and hopefully see Aang down there. You guys.." I glanced at the others, seeing Sokka trying to earthbend again, momo chattering on top of Appa who was asleep and then to Katara who was almost falling alseep. " Be good." I looked down the broken steps and began making my way down, almost slipping a few times but made it to the ground. I swore, when we flew over, there was a pond or lake that I can use water from. As I made my way down the dirt road.

I can feel it would rain in minutes, the air shifting around me and the smell of rain coming into my senses. Hopefully Aang found something for them, I spot the river and smiled just a bit. I'll get them water, boil it until it's clean and give it to them. Though, if I find some pepper berries and use the rest of the blubber from my food sack, I could make Kya's special paste for us. That always made us feel better.

Walking to the river, I opened Katara's waterskin and dip it into the water but stop when I heard the wizzing of an arrow. I stopped, gotten on my stomach but nothing landed near me or on me, much to my surprise.

" Hgh!"

There was grunting a few feet away from me, and I looked up and saw a figure in orange and yellow ahead. Aang! He's not alone either!

There were archers in the water, Fire Nation ones. They trapped Aang with arrows pinning both wrist and then a net. I looked to the archers and there were about six of them in the water, their bows drawn for more shots. They waited for a minute and nothing happens, but then two archers gather Aang in the net, the airbender squirming in it for a moment but a rough kick to the back of the head made me wince too. Aang groans, but stopped his squirming as the archers began making off with the Avatar. They were leaving quick too.

I glanced at the waterskin for a moment before filling it up, and closed it, having it under my arm like a purse and quickly hurried behind them, making sure not to get too close though seeing they were trained in hunting, possibly tracking too. I left enough space, a huge gap so they couldn't see me from behind them or the corner of their eyes. Though, their footsteps were light and the marks of their feet's were little to none, like they wanted no one to find them at all.

Luckily, I'm a tracker too.

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Like I predicted, they tried to cover their tracks, and I was almost lost a few times but I found their place, their little iron castle, I would like to put. It had high walls, some watch towers and some guards lingering around on the top of them. They dragged Aang in there, and the walls snapped and locked tightly after him. I was in the bushes, watching the guards made their rounds, and carts coming and going of supplies, a guard would check to see if there were possible intruders then walk away with an all clear. My plan was to sneak into the check point cart then somehow, magically rescue Aang by myself.

Maybe I should've brought Appa? Heck, even Momo could be of use..

A hand smacked against my mouth, and in response, I smack the back of my head against the possible guard. My mind racing at I turned, fist shooting forwards and their sword drawn towards my neck. I haven't shot fire yet and they haven't sliced my neck open yet, I finally narrowed my eyes at the guard and saw it wasn't one here. It was a possible guy wearing a blue demon mask, he had two swords but one was pressed against my neck. I stared at him and he stared back.

" I'm here to free the Avatar." I said, he didn't say a thing. " He was taken away, and my friends are sick. Are you apart of this Fire Nation mess?"

He kept the sword against my neck but removed it after a minute as I put my fist down. He offered me a hand and slowly, I took it. His hands were rough and a bit warm, he kept a hold of my hand as he walked us further into the brush as another supply cart drives by, I watched it from our spot. Though, I didn't understand this person, or their motives, why are they even here? Did they heard about Aang and decide to want the prize for himself? Maybe some conversation would help.

" You're not much of a talker, ar-" He snapped his head towards me, without saying a thing and pressed his finger against my lips. Oh, he wants me to shut up? Understandable. He removed his finger and we turn to the cart. It passed us and the demon mask guy, hurries off, forward without me, and I stared at the open back of the cart, there weren't any guards and I took my chance, speed-walking behind the cart, and lifted myself inside it. I was light, and my movement barely made any noise. I glanced around the crates and saw an open one, I open the lid of it and saw pepper berries. Taking a deep breath, I hop in and closed the top over me as the smell of the spicy berries filled my nose. After another few minutes, the cart stops and I could hear muffled talking and then the cart started moving once more. There was a loud metal sound of gates opening up and closing then the cart stopped moving. I opened the crate top and shake the berries off myself and exhale, steam coming from my lips. I also snatched a few berries from the crate but my hand was yanked.

The demon guy made it too, and he held my hand as we sneaked off the cart and behind some crates. There were a lot of guards, lots of firebenders and lots of spears. My nerves on end a bit, but tried to keep a calm head as we soon ran towards the open door of the tower, no guards were coming down the stairs which was great for us. We hurried up and two guards were facing away from us and listening to someone speak. I couldn't make out who but they sounded familiar. I kept my head down as we hurried down the pathway of the metal gate, they were too busy speaking about the Fire Nation and cheering, they didn't notice us as we sneaked down. The guy throws the rope down the metal wall, and climbs down. I slid down it, ignoring the burn on my hands. This guy seems to know what to do..maybe he robs from the rich and give to the needy.

We entered the sewer bars, ignoring the feeling of my boots getting wet, I follow him through the metal bars and down the sewer line. It was getting harder to see, and I lift my hand up and lit a small fire in my palm. We kept walking in the muck, waiting for an opening on top. I glanced at the guy who kept walking ahead of me, maybe it had something to do with some sort of rebellion team? " So..you don't talk alot..huh? I mean, usually, I'm more introverted..but I guess I can't afford to be at the moment. Aang is probably up there, scared out of his wits." I said, he didn't say a thing, but I saw him side eye me a bit with the mask like he was listening. " Anyway, I wanted to say thank you..for like helping me save Aang..unless you're here to kill him." He shakes his head and kept pushing forwards and I walked behind him. " I'm Mirza."

" I know." I heard his deep reply, my eyes narrowed a bit at him, it sounded familiar but muffled. Maybe I met him before or something. He stops and pointed up, I glanced to see bars separating us, he jumps up and catches the bar, sliding passed them with ease. I stared up and he bends down, offering me a hand and I take it. He lifts me up and I slide through the bars with ease. We both pressed each other against the wall as some guards passed by us. The guy went down the hallway they came from and I followed right behind him. But as we turned, into another hallway, a guard came out, bumping into us. The demon guy, just swung his fist upwards, giving the guard an upper cut and the guy was down for the count. His helmet in the air for a moment and landed into my arms. " Cool."

We began walking, the guy had to have worked here or something. He knew every way towards where they were holding Aang. Then he stops, " What now?" I asked, and he takes the helmet from my grasp and slides it down the corner. " Back up." He ushers me and I took a few feet back, quietly he prepares himself and when a guard came around the corner, the demon guy blocked his attack with his forearm and slammed him against the wall before hanging him up with the lantern chain. The guy struggles in the air for a moment and then gave up, he hanged limp in the air. I heard clacking of the boots coming closer, I reached for my whip but saw it gone. " Must've left it.." I grunted, when I took my coat off, it must've fell at the hideout.

They turned and walked forwards, as I stood there innocently, I didn't see where the guy went so I assumed, I was alone. " Who are you?" The guard snapped, his hands ready to bend fire.

" A guy." I replied, just as chain came down, wrapping around the guards hands and hanged him up. The demon guy came down, and wrapped the other side of the chain around the shock guards feet. Both hang in the air, squirming and I smiled. " There you are," He shook his head and glanced around the corner a bit, and held a finger up. One more solider, might as well put this to use..

He began running down the hallway and me behind him, unclasping Katara's waterskin. The guard almost alerted the others but the demon guy throws a knife, hitting the horn out of the guards hands. He goes into a fire bending position, but I hurried passed the demon guy, squirting the water at him when the guard tried to shoot fire out at us. The guard tried to throw a punch but, grasping his hand, I yanked him forwards, used my other hand and grasped the back of his neck and throw him on the floor, the demon guy who probably watched the whole ordeal kicked him in the face. Guard out cold. " Thanks." I said, as I open the door to see Aang, who in turn brightens up.

" Mirza! You came!" Aang exclaimed happily, and I shut the door behind us. " With..a friend?"

The demon guy didn't say anything as usual, but I lean back when he takes the swords out, swinging them around as he made his way towards Aang. Aang screams in fear, eyes clenched shut but instead of killing him like Aang thought he would, the guy slices through the metal chains. " Yeah, he almost killed me too. But, he's pretty good." I said, the guy slices the chain cuffs and the leg cuffs before hurrying back to me. I opened the door, and we all walked out. We headed towards the end of the hallway, hoping we could go back the way we came. I look to Aang but saw he didn't follow, and rushed back to see Aang picking up frogs? Ugh.

" Aang! Come on, before they notice you left!" I said, grasping his shirt and yanked him towards the hallway. " No! Mirza! they need to suck on the frogs, the herbalist said that they'll be fine once they suck them." Aang sputters, trying to leave my grasp but I pulled harder.

" Aang, we'll get some more!" I said, following behind the guy again. " Right now, let's focus on getting back." Aang whines but says nothing as we enter the sewer, the guy pokes his head up and gestures for us to follow him. He gets out first, I climb up behind him and Aang behind me. We pressed ourselves against the shadows and avoided the guards as quickly and quietly as we could. Once we saw the rope, we made a dash towards it, first Aang, then me and the guy behind me. We were so close to the top but then bells ring loudly around us.

" There!" A guard cries out, pointing at us, " On the wall!"

The guards above turn to look at us and cut the rope, we began falling but Aang blows air around us and our landing was a lot softer. I landed on my feet and the guy pointed towards the gate opening that was surrounded by guards. " Aang, stay behind me." I told the young airbender, it would be better for me to get struck by an arrow then the Avatar. " bu-" I shake my head, my hands eating up and took deep breaths as the guy pulled his swords out. " No arugments. Just do it." I said, hurrying after the guy who takes the lead. Just in and out, you're not use to fighting with fire but just a good shots and you're home!

" The Avatar has escaped!" I heard Zhao said, and glanced a bit to see him there above with someone else who looked blurry to me. " Close all the gates Immediately!"

" The gates are closing!" I gasped, watching them slowly close. Aang rush passed me, much to my surprise, " Stay close to me!" He said, hurrying pass the guy too, Aang hurried forwards as guards line up with spears to stop us but Aang blows air towards them making them scatter around like flower petals in the wind. Aang rushed forwards as I did too, but then I turned a bit to see the guy was surrounded by the guards, all with spears in hand, fighting them up but by himself. I stopped and turned, and the guards noticed quickly too. I blocked a speak about to smack me in the face and burned it, fire eating up the wood quickly. I moved on as the guard dropped the spear, creating an arch of fire towards the guards clothes and the fire began eating them up and the guards dropping their weapons to they could put the fire out. I turned only to see the guy's back. I kept my back towards his as more spears came, he turns a bit and slices the one spear coming towards my face. "Thanks." I muttered, kicking out fire at a guards weapon.

Before we could fight together, air quickly blows the guards away and Aang held a broken spear. " Hold on." He said, and the guy wrapped his arm around my waist, making me yelp and yelp again when Aang blows us onto the top of the wall. " Thanks, again." I said, as we were surrounding again but before the guy could let me go, Aang picked us up, his legs wrapping around the guy's chest and I held onto him. Aang groans as he tried carrying us over to the next wall top. Spears were thrown at us, but the guy, using one hand with a sword in it, sliced them or kicked them away as I shot flames at them, they burn and fall to the ground. " Keep going Aang, we're almost-"I started to say, but Aang's legs gave out along with his grasp on the broken spear, we three land roughly on the stone floor of the wall. My chin throbbing a bit, I bit my upper lip a bit and tasted copper. " There.." I sit up, and saw guards coming at us. " Why are there so many stupid guards?! This is really getting annoying!" I cried out, as the guy hurried towards a guard, disarming him and threw him off the wall. I quickly take my stance, blocking any sword swings with my forearms like Zuko and Iroh taught me and quickly kicked the guard like the guy did. If he did it, then it meant it was okay to do it too.

We kept hurling guards off the wall, then I noticed movement below. " Guys! They have bamboo ladders." I warn as they began climbing up them, the closet one to me had the guard on to and tried to stab me but the guy came cutting in, blocked the sword and began fighting with him. Aang was holding his own with the ladders and the fourth one, I punched the guard who grunts and shoved him off, he went down and took one guard with him but the rest kept coming, " Sorry!" I said, and shot fire at the ladder that began to burn quickly. The guards cried out in alarm and jumped off the ladder.

" Mirza, jump on his back!" Aang orders, and I turn to see him carry the ladder and I nod, understanding what he had in mind. I turn towards the guy, jumping on his back and legs curled around him, he grabbed the other ladder too and Aang using the ladder goes forwards on the ground, " Jump my back." He orders the guy who leaps to his back with the ladder in hand. I held on tight to the demon guy and Aang used the other ladder in his hands, and we went forwards. The plan seemed so simple, and we were so close, we made it to the last ladder. I looked down to see the awestruck and amazed guards watching us, until water went through the ladder, cutting it in half. A waterbender is here?! No way! I just saw water cut through the ladder! Impossible!

" Hang on!"

Aang kicks air behind us and we barely grazed the wall, the guy tried hanging on and I tried too but both of our grips fail and we went down on the ground. I landed on the guy so my fall wasn't as bad but I was probably heavy to the guy. I stood up, helping them up as guards surround us. My eyes glanced around for dark skin and blue eyes but all I saw were guards dressed in red and pink. " Looks like we're trapped." I announced as Aang shakes off the dirt beside me, for a twelve year old kid, he was tough.

I looked to the guards only to see fire being fired at us, gasping, I pulled Aang beside me and in a swift motion pulled my own fire around us like a shield, directing the fire around us, hitting the wall but not the three of us. " How are you doing this? I only seen waterbenders do this with water." Aang gasped, as he watched my fire protect us. " I don't know, maybe I watched you and Katara practice too much and I picked up." I said, my hands hot as I kept the ball together.

" Enough!" Zhao's voice rings out. The guards fire stop as I dropped my hands, both red and steaming. " The Avatar must be captured alive." He announced, and his eyes narrowed as he saw me. " But the peasant can be taken dead!"

" Ack!"

I turn towards Aang to see the guy's swords were around his neck, very close to slicing him up. " What are you do-" His dark gaze snapped to me and stared, then gestures his head a bit to Aang for a moment. We stared at each other for a moment, and the gate's open behind us. " Oh." I whispered, they wanted Aang alive so that the Fire Lord could finish him off without mercy. Gah, what a creep.

We began walking backwards, my eyes darting once more for the waterbender that was apparently working for the Fire Nation or at least Zhao. No one. I kept moving backwards with the two, eyes darting around for any more spears, or such. " I can't believe we actually done this." I smile a bit, and turn towards Aang who gave me a meek smile in return, still sweaty as the swords were still around his neck. I turn forwards just as an arrow came shooting towards us, hitting the guy directly in the face and another one, came shooting towards the guy, but I moved forwards out of instinct, arrow piercing my shoulder.

" FUCK!" I snapped, Aang bugged-eye looked to us before gathering the dirt floor around us into mist. We were covered but I heard the feet of guards rushing towards us. I looked over the guy who helped us only see the mask had slipped a bit and poking out was pale skin and dark pinkish skin. " No. He wouldn't..Zuko wouldn't have come to save us..how would he know?" i muttered, Aang beside me, trying to help me up but I reached forwards and gently pluck the mask off. There laid Zuko, unconscious but breathing. The mask was made out of metal so the arrow bounced off.

The footsteps were coming closer, and I gulped, pushing through the pain and blood soaking my shirt a bit. " Aang, we can't leave him here. He saved us." I said, Aang stared at Zuko for a moment, before nodding. He helped Zuko off the ground, while I painfully collected his swords and mask before we slip into the brush and bushes of the forest. We began walking back to where Aang was captured, painful grunts coming from me.

" Are you sure you don't want to stop?" Aang asked, glancing at me as he piggybacked Zuko. " You look like you're in pain."

" I'm fine, the sooner we're far, the sooner I can remove the arrow." I said, wincing as a branch touched the arrow piece, " It went through, it would be an easy fix." Aang gave me a worried glance, " Hey, better me than you."

" I guess, but I don't like it." Aang said, as we walked over a log, I wincing as I fell on the floor. taking a deep breath, I sit up just as Aang laid Zuko down on a pile of leaves, I moved sitting beside Zuko and looked over him. Aang went to sit on a tree root, frown on his lips as he stared at Zuko. Probably wondering why he did it. So do I, but I'm not mad that he did it, I mean, I wouldn't be able to get Aang at all without him..maybe he isn't that much of a bad guy after all..

We were quiet for the next two hours, I was attempting to pull out the arrow but I couldn't the mere twinge of pain and I pulled my hand away. Aang kept staring down at Zuko, watching him sleep but had offered to help me but I couldn't. My own eyes flickering over Zuko once in a while, he looked so peaceful sleeping, so handsome and non-violent.

Wait, handsome?! He is, but spirits, this man's father killed most of the Southern Waterbenders, Kya and has taken over most of the world. He tried to capture Aang, Katara and Sokka multiple times! He isn't handsome! bad brain!

I groan a bit, shaking my head only to wince when pain came from the shoulder. I looked over to him only to see him slowly open his eyes, they flickered at me then to Aang.

" you know what the worst part about being born over hundred years ago is?" He asked no one, " I miss all the friends I used to hang out with. Before the war started, O used to always visit my friend, Kuzon." he smiles, like he was remebering the fire nation boy, "The two of us, we'd get in and out of so much trouble together.." He turns his head, but I saw his eyes were getting a bit misty.

" He was one of the best friends I ever had.." He turns back and the misty look gone but tear stains on his cheeks. " And he was from the Fire Nation, just like you...if we knew each other back then, do you think we could have been friends, too?" His gaze turns to Zuko who stared up at him blankly but listening. It was quiet and then Zuko shoots up, firing a fist full of fire at Aang who leaps into the trees. He stops and stares at me, waiting, " I'll be there soon! Just give them the frogs!" Aang stares back at me and leaps again.

I looked to Zuko, smiling a bit. " I see you're good enough to shoot fire at the Avatar." I said, standing up only to cringe as pain came back and kneel on the floor.

" Mirza, you're shoulder." Zuko said, turning to me and bends down, looking over it. " I have to take it out."

" No! I ca-" I tried to stop him but I yelled out in pain, groaning as Zuko yanks the arrow out, and looked to the wound with a frown. Blood came out and drip onto the leaves, it stung a bit too.

" It's gonna get infected if you leave it in." Zuko explained, he moved, ripping off the sleeve from his black clothes and wrapped it around my shoulder. I winced as he tighten it up, and he pulled back when he was finished.

" Thanks." I said, standing up, it hurts but not as bad as it was. " Uh..I have to go..my friends are sick." I said, before handing him his mask. " Thanks.."

" Stop thanking me." Zuko said, as he took the mask and then his swords from the ground. " go to your friends, I'm letting you off easy..don't think I won't capture him next time." He said, as I rolled my eyes.

" Yeah, Yeah, nice seeing you too..just..take it easy. You took a hit in the head." I told him, he didn't respond as he began leaving the other way. I watched him go, frown on my lips.

" Goodbye Zuko." I said, and his figure slowly disappear. I smiled a bit, before moving back towards the hideout on my own, he did save us..maybe he isn't that bad..

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" I promise!" She gives me a smile, and I gave one back to her. Kya beams when the flaps of the tent open and turns only for her beaming face to fall. I looked over to see a solider, a Fire Nation solider stand there at the tent entrance. Dread and fear filling me. Fire Nation, they're here to take Katara!

" Where's the Water bender?" He asked, his voice cold and I shivered a bit. His eyes glanced to me and began walking forwards towards us. Kya inhaled deeply, she moved, spilling the soup on the floor of the tent and kept herself in front of me, arm stretched out. " Move, Savage." The man snarled. " Is it him?"

" No! No, it isn't him or anybody." Kya said, trying to keep a leveled voice and gaze stern. I curled the blanket around me more, shaking a bit as the man kept looking at me with his dark brown eyes. An evil man.

" That's not-"

" Mom?" A tiny voice pipped up and there stood Katara, the child they were after.