"Many times I imagined myself here, at the threshold of the palace but I always thought I'd be here as a conqueror, instead we are the earth king's personal guests, here to serve him tea. Destiny is a funny thing." Iroh said, standing in front of the Earth Kingdom palace.

"It sure is, uncle." Zuko replied with a pure happy smile and looking at me. It was like after all that, none of it fazed him. We hadn't talked about the fact that he let the Avatar go, or even the bison.

"What's taking so long?" Zuko asked as we waited in a room for the Earth King. We had been waiting for some time and no one had told us anything.

"Maybe the Earth King over slept." Iroh suggested.

I looked around the room, knowing what was about to happen and soon enough the Dai Li all rushed in the room and surrounded us.

"Something's not right." Zuko whispered to Iroh and me, I nodded now ready for anything. (Well almost anything. I didn't have my sword.)

"It's tea time." A cunning familiar voice hummed, walking in the room with a green dress.

"Azula!" Zuko snapped at the sight of his clever sibling.

"Have you met the Dai Li, they're earth benders but they have a killer instinct that's so fire bender. I just love it." Azula clenched her finger and held her head high.

On the other hand, Iroh had his own wheels turning, "Did I ever tell you how I got the name 'the dragon of the west'?" He asked, with a slight smirk.

"I'm not interested in a lengthy antidote, uncle." Azula threw a hand back with her head still high, a bored tone.

"It's more of a demonstration really." As Iroh said that Zuko and I smirked.

Iroh sipped some tea before shooting fire out of his mouth like a dragon. Zuko and I were against his back while the whole room went up in flames. We ran out and made a left turn, barely missing Dai Li hand cuffs that they threw.

Iroh burst a hole in the wall with lightning, Iroh and I jumped down. "C'mon you'll be fine." Iroh yelled from the grass floor, while I got back up.

"No! I'm tired of running. It's time I faced Azula." Zuko turned away and didn't jump down.

"Zuko, No!" I shouted before a sigh. I couldn't go, I didn't have my awesome sword.

———————

"We should have done something!" I scolded myself as we walked through the streets of the upper ring. I had already got my sword, so I felt comfortable.

"There was nothing we could have done. Ah, here we are." Iroh said pointing at a house, holding a Dai Le agent with a scar. Iroh knocked on the door and I could hear gasps from the other side.

"Glad to see you're okay." Toph opened the door with a warm smile, while everyone looked horrified.

"We need your help." They showed it even more by gasping, except for Toph.

"You guys know each other?!" Aang asked, pointing at them.

"I met him in the woods once and knocked him down, then he gave me tea and very good advice. Oh yeah and she's Zuko's girlfriend." Toph added at the end with a fast tone.

I tried to hide a laugh, so blunt. "Mmm. I ain't gonna argue."

"May we come in?" Iroh asked with his hands in his sleeves.

She nodded, not caring about what Aang and Sokka had to say.

"Where Kyo?" I asked, looking around seeing my brother was no where to he seen.

"He's captured, along with my sister."

I wanted to ask more but then I knew what happened. "Princess Azula is here in Ba Sing Se." I replied.

"She must have Katara and Kyo." Aang said in thought.

"My nephew as well."

Aang seemed uneasy when he said nephew.

"Aang, I know it's rough with Zuko on your tail but he got you out of a four wall fortress, and he rescued your bison." I said touching Aang's shoulder, he looked deep in thought.

"Then we'll work together to defeat Azula. And save Katara, Kyo, and Zuko." Aang lifted his gray eyes at Iroh and me.

"Wow there, you lost me at Zuko." Sokka walked over to Aang and pointed at his chest with a frown.

"I know how you must feel about my nephew, but believe when I tell you there is good inside him." Iroh almost shook Sokka's shoulders.

"Good inside him isn't enough. Why don't you come back when it's outside him too, okay?" Sokka broke off of him and cleaned himself like the conversation was over.

"She's your sister right? And Kyo's my brother. If we work together we can get them all back." I suggested with my arms folded.

"She's right. Katara's in trouble, all of Ba Sing Se is in trouble, working together is our best chance." Aang directed at Sokka, he sighed and then followed Aang's lead.

"We brought someone along who might be able to help us." Iroh calmly said talking about the Dai Li agent.

Toph made a barrier all around his body and he already looked frightened.

Sokka took off the gag Iroh put on him, he was sweating and had a scar on his eye. "Azula and Long Fang are plotting a coup they going to overthrow the earth king." He suddenly spilt, with a fear in his eyes.

"My sister, where are they keeping Katara?!" Sokka interacted holding out his boomerang.

"In the crystal catacombs, of Ba Sing Se deep beneath the palace."

We ran as fast as we could to Appa as we heard this.

———————

"Well what do you know there is an ancient city down there. But it's deep." Toph said, letting go of the ground she just knelt on.

"We should split up, Aang you go with Iroh and Mia to look for Katara, Kyo and the angry jerk, no offense." Sokka pointed at Iroh and me.

"None taken."

"None taken." We said over each other.

"And I'll go with Toph to warn the earth king of Azula's coup." Sokka held his chin like he was so wise.

"So Toph thinks you give pretty good advice, and great tea." Aang said as Iroh held out a fireball to light the way.

"The key to both is proper aging, what's on your mind?" Iroh replied with a finger pointing up.

"Well I met with this guru who was suppose to teach me how to use this great power but to do it I had to let go of someone I love and I just couldn't." Aang started looking at the ground before moving the rock in front of them.

"Perfection and power are overrated. I think you are very wise to choose happiness and love."

I saw this was comforting for Aang. "What happens if can't beat Azula, without the avatar state what if I'm not powerful enough?" He replied, he felt less without the avatar state and all of us knew Azula was one of the best.

"I don't know the answer. Sometimes life is like this dark tunnel; you can't always see the light at the end of the tunnel but if you just keep moving you will come to a better place." As Iroh said this, Aang blasted the last part of the tunnel, it was bright green with crystals.

Aang felt the ground to see where they were. "This way." Aang said, running up to a wall, he stood back and took a breath before blasting a hole in the wall.

"Being the avatar must come in handy a lot." I remarked, Aang gave me the little smile before we ran in.

"Aang!" Katara shouted, running up to hug him. "I knew you'd come for me." Katara said, while me and Iroh hugged Zuko.

Aang and Zuko glared at each when they got the chance, they still didn't trust each other. "What are you doing with the avatar?!" He almost shouted.

"Saving you, that's what!" Aang added with a bitter tone.

Zuko almost lashed out at him but Iroh and I held him back. "Zuko, it's time we really talked." Iroh said.

"Where's Kyo?" I asked Zuko and Katara.

"We don't know." She replied.

My mind started to go in different places, what if they killed him?! Where could he be? I couldn't lose my big brother here!

"Go help your other friends, we'll catch up with you." Iroh said to Aang and Katara.

"I'm going with you." I added, and it wasn't a question. I had to find Kyo fast.

"We've gotta find Sokka, Kyo, and Toph!" Katara said as we ran as fast as we could to the exit.

A huge blue flame almost hit near our backs, turning around we found it was Azula. The three of us stood against her, ready for a fight.

If I had changed anything remained to be seen. Two things were in my head; where my brother was, and if Zuko would still betray us. "Where is he?!" I snarled as I kept my hand on the hilt of my sword.

She just smirked. She had him no doubt.

Just then another fire blast hit the floor in between us and Azula, my heart was pounding, it wasn't our time to make a move. Zuko held his stance at Aang then Azula, then Aang. The boy he had chased his whole teenage life or his distant sister? A girl he might have a future with, or his old girlfriend Mai.

"Zuko, please!" I pleaded, fear platted my eyes, my brother was no where to be seen and it was freaking me out.

Zuko looked at me, he seemed to see my pain and soon flicked his eyes at Azula and repeatedly shot fire balls at her with fury.

A wide smile ran across my face, I had just changed things.

"Mia, The Earth King has invited you to Lake Laogai." Azula smirked, landing back on her feet.

"I am honored to except his invitation." She had me. I could no longer control myself and swung at Zuko!

He dodged one attack but I kept swinging. I couldn't stop, even though I was trying. Trying with everything I had, it couldn't happen again!

"Mia, please. I don't want to fight you!" I could hear him yet he sounded far away, like I couldn't reach it. I tried but all I found myself doing was attacking him. The guy I never thought I could have, the guy I might have a chance with. I was trying to kill him.

"Mia, stop it now!" He ordered, nothing changed and he still sounded so far away. "Please, stop!" He said, as he rolled away from a hit to the gut.

It actually cut him, I tried even harder to get out of this state, but my actions were useless.

"Remember who you are, Mia. And remember who youryou're attacking!" I wanted to cry, but I couldn't. He shouldn't have to beg like that. I was going to get Azula for this, and for capturing my brother.

I swung at his feet, he had to defend himself. So he threw a weak fire ball at me. Somehow I knocked him down and was about to finish him but Zuko grabbed my arms. "Mia, I never told you this... the first time I saw you I thought you were amazing. And when I got to know you, it's like you have a hold on me. I'm... I-I'm trying to tell you that... I don't hate you. I never have, I just acted like I did." As Zuko finished I had to stop this.

That was his way of saying I moved him, I couldn't kill him. No matter the block, I forced through it.

"Come back." He almost whispered and it sounded like an echo. That was all I needed.

I pushed through my block and I found myself back in control. Tears immediately covered my checks, I dropped my sword and collapsed on Zuko. He wrapped his arms around me, and I felt warm and safe, like nothing could ever hurt me.

My tears landed on Zuko's face, he cleaned them all off and I felt like I could see clearly then. I could see he was content, and I'd beg to differ, but he looked happy.

"I don't hate you either." I let out a a small hard laugh and he gave me a tight smile.

We were both knocked out of our moment to see Dai Li all around us. We stood up and stood ready to fight them, when a glow rose from a cave of crystal.

Aang went into the Avatar State. He flew up on top of the room in the Avatar State with full focus. But right when he was about to make a move, lightning hit him from the back. The waves went threw him as Azula still held her stance with pride.

He fell, Katara saw this and tears started to stream down her face. She turned her octopus into a wave and it knocked everyone down as she tried to catch Aang's falling body.

She caught him just in time, but Azula was right there. We got back up from the wave and ran to Aang's body.

Zuko threw a fire blast at her, and another only it was Iroh. "You've got to get out of here! I'll hold them off as long as I can." Iroh shouted, at us.

"Uncle!" Zuko protested.

"No! Go!" He shouted again.

"Come on." I ate my own words, I didn't want to leave without Kyo. But he couldn't die, he probably had everything planned out.

Katara had already made water around herself and flew up. Zuko grabbed me and looked back at Iroh before lifting off with fire bending.

On Appa, Zuko, Sokka, Toph, me, and the Earth King watched Katara heal Aang. She held water to his wound, a blue light flowed through his tattoos and a gasp. Katara held Aang tight with relief.

"The Earth Kingdom has fallen!" The king said, looking at the lost city.

But not all was lost, Zuko was here, and that had to count for something.