It was another evening in the western air temple, I felt a lot better after all that the other day. Yet I still couldn't believe I broke down in front of Zuko like that.

Right then Zuko was serving tea he made.

Jet was doing better, in fact he was well enough to walk again so he was there with us around the campfire.

"No one can make tea like uncle. But hopefully I learned a thing or two. Would you like to hear uncle's favorite tea joke?" He asked, making everyone agree but Sokka. "Okay, well I can't remember how it starts but the punch line is, 'leaf me alone, I'm bushed.'" Zuko said, trying to put on an accent leaving everyone speechless, but me I had to hide a laugh.

Making everyone look at me, except Zuko who gave me a smile. 'Mm, worth it.' I grinned.

"That was a joke for the ages, Zuko." Jet mocked, I could tell he still hated that he was there.

"Well it's funnier when uncle tells it." Zuko replied as he sat next to me and poured me a cup.

"Right, maybe that's because he remembers the whole thing." Katara added with a bitter tone, everyone laughed except me but Zuko gave off a light smile even if it was to make fun of him.

"Geez, give him a brake people, Zuko rarely tells jokes." I squinted, a lazy hand gesture.

"It's nice to get a chance to relax a little. It hardly ever happens." Toph smiled, before Sokka and Zuko left to go talk.

"Remind me why he's here again?" Jet snarled, leaning over to me.

"Because I need a fire bending teacher." I replied with a causally sigh.

"And become an ash maker." Jet growled in his cup before drink his tea, however, immediately spitting it out and threw the cup at the fire. It was no doubt because Zuko made it, not because the tea tasted bad, cause that tea tasted good.

"Whatever you have against the art of fire bending keep to yourself. I need to be a fully realized avatar." I stated with a little harsh tone.

"Did you forget what he did?!" Jet whisper yelled back.

I looked over to the Gaang who should have known better than to tell him all about Zuko.

"Yeah, Aang told me about how he tried to capture you, how could you trust him??!" Jet yelled standing up with clenched fists, poor Aang I can imagine Jet roughing him up until he told him.

"Zuko was confused and lost! Now he knows that his own father is evil! He has done nothing but help since the invasion!!" I yelled back as I stood up.

Jet looked at me like we were about to fight before we saw Zuko standing at the fire. "Gyawa, can I talk to you?" The Prince asked, with a unsettled tone.

"Yeah?" I answered, as my mind thought of ways of asking if I had just did something wrong.

"It's okay if they don't want me here, it doesn't matter. You don't have to defend me." He replied, folding his arms comfortably as we stood in the dark.

"Zuko, I want them to respect you, not treat you like dirt." I shook my head.

"But what's the point? As long as I train you that's all that matters. To be honest, I don't believe they will ever trust me." Zuko looked over to the Gaang sitting around the camp fire, I could tell he still wanted their approval not just mine.

I gave a slight smile and put a hand on his left shoulder. "Zuko, you're the most trustworthy, good looking, skilled, good personality, most honorable person I know. They should. They just need to except you won't leave." His face lightened up with a wide smile I hadn't really seen before.

"You mean that?" He asked.

"Oh yeah." I sighed, with an unknowing smile and head tilt.

"You're pretty great too." He simply stated making my heart stop beating.

I literally froze, I couldn't believe he just said that! My fingers tighter around his shoulder and my smiled turned to a jaw drop as my mind stopped.

"Why does it look like you were hit by a ghost?" He asked looking at me side to side.

"It does?" I immediately asked, back snapping out of it.

"So... why were you and Sokka talking?" I stumbled trying to change the subject, letting go of his shoulder and looking away.

"Oh... huh we were just discussing the... weather." Zuko muttered trying to lie, which he was very bad at.

"Mm, hiding something?" I grinned looking at him from the corner of my eye.

"No, no, I wouldn't hide anything from you." Zuko held his hands back with a panicked expression.

"Okay." I chuckled.

"What's so funny?" He asked making me stop.

"Nothing. so, what's it like living in the Fire Nation?" I casually asked making conversation.

"Well I don't really know. I lived in the palace, it's completely different." He replied sitting next to me on the stone.

"Oh, do you miss anyone?" I asked, fishing for him to say if he had a girlfriend.

"No..." he immediately answered, a little too fast like he was waiting for the question.

I looked over at him, he had to miss someone, I was just waiting for him to say Mai. "Well, no. My mother died when I was little and my sister isn't exactly friendly and well you know about my father." He continued in a more serious Zukoish tone.

"Sorry about your mom."

"She was the only one who actually cared about me." He said in a soft voice.

"I'm sure your other family members care about you, they just don't show it. If they don't they're fools." I smirked with a scoff at the end, he didn't say anything just kept looking at the far fall.

"No, I doubt they do. My mother on the other hand... I think she would like you." He lightened up looking back at me with a tight smile.

I just lightly chuckled back, finding my eyes on my shoes. "I remember one time me and a... friend of mine were hiding in the gardens from Azula, my mom found us and thought it was cute. I hated it at the time and got mad but all she said was 'it's okay Zuko, everyone has to lean on someone sometimes.' Exactly what you said." As he finished I silently laughed, that was a little creepy we said the same thing. All though I knew which friend he was talking about.

"So who were you hiding with?" I asked, wondering if he was going to lie.

"Mai." He almost whispered.

"So ya'll are a thing?..." I asked moving my hand around.

"No!" He immediately defended, "That ended a long time ago." He finished more quietly.

"Oh well good," I accidentally said out loud. Immediately freezing. "I'm swamped, well goodnight." I yawned getting up on the ledge.

"Goodnight." Zuko said, watching me walk away.

                                      ~*~

That night I opened my left eye to hear "Not up to anything huh?" Zuko asked and Sokka fall over. I immediately but quietly got up.

"Not hiding anything from me either huh?" I asked, walking up making them both jump.

"...Gyawa...!" Zuko scratched his head.

"Fine you caught me. I'm gonna rescue I'm dad. You happy now?" Sokka whispered as he put all his stuff back in his bag.

"I'm never happy." Zuko replied.

Making me go: "Awe."

"Look I have to do this, the invasion plan was my idea it was my decision to stay when things were going wrong it was my mistake and it's my job to fix it. I have to regain my honor. You can't stop me." Sokka directed at both of us.

"You need to regain your honor, believe me I get it. I'm going with you." Zuko stated.

"No! I have to do this alone." Sokka quietly yelled back.

"How are you going to get there? On Appa? Last time I checked prisons don't have bison daycares." Zuko sarcastically replied, "We'll take my war balloon."

"I'm going too." I whispered.

"No!" They whisper yelled in unisons.

"What? You can't go alone, and I'm gonna help you rescue your dad. I'm not asking." I stated putting a hand on Sokka's shoulder.

"Alright."

"Are you crazy?! If you get caught, it will be the end!" Zuko said, with wide eyes and worry in them.

"Don't be so dramatic, I won't let that happen." I smiled as we all began to walk to the war ballon.

                                      ~*~

We traveled for a whole day, Sokka and Zuko had that, "That's rough buddy." Conversation except Zuko didn't mention Mai.

"There it is." Zuko stated making me and Sokka wake up and look at the boiling rock.

"There's plenty of steam to keep us covered. As long as we're quite we should be able to navigate through it without being caught." Zuko said, before we began to crash land.

"We're going down. The balloons not working anymore." Zuko whispered in confusion.

"The air outside is just as hot as the air inside so it can't fly." Sokka stated as we kept going down.

"So what are we supposed to do?!" Zuko asked trying to bend more fire.

"I don't know, crash landing?" Sokka defeated.

"Hold on me." I whooped before they both grabbed my arms. "I'm gonna air bend so you got to get on safer." I said, making them get on my back. I groaned from the weight before air bending off the ballon. I fell as we landed on the rock of an island.

"How are we going to get off the island if the ballon won't work?" Zuko asked in a whisper.

"We'll figure something out, I suspected it would be a one way ticket." Sokka replied as I looked around for guards.

"You knew this would happen and you wanted to come anyway?" Zuko asked trying not to yell.

"My dad might be here! I had to come and see." Sokka defended as we watched the air ballon sink in the boiling water.

"Uncle alway said I never thought things through but this... this is just crazy." Zuko exclaimed in frustration.

"It doesn't matter, we're here now we need to fine Hakoda!" I bluntly stated kneeling on one knee.

We snuck in and went straight to the armory where we got the uniforms. "I hope these disguises work." Zuko asked, as I tried to cover my back arrow with a shirt rapped around my stomach. That wasn't it, I had bandages around my wrists and hands, and a bandanna on.

"Not if you say that out loud again." I scoffed, still trying to fix the bandages.

"We just need to lay low and find my dad as soon as possible." Sokka said, before a bunch of guards ran by the hallway.

"Guards! There's a scuffle in the yard, come on!" One said so we had to follow.

"I didn't do anything!" The big odd voiced man said to a guard. The guard made a fire whip and threw it near him.

Zuko was about to move up and stop it but me and Sokka stopped him. "We can't blow our cover." Sokka whispered before we watched a injustice happening, batman would have a hay day.

"What did I do?" The prisoner asked.

"He wants to know what he did, isn't that cute?" The guard nagged at Zuko.

"Huh very cute, sir." Zuko hesitated.

"*laugh* unbelievably cute." I nudged with a huge smile, trying to sound like the woman guards there.

"Super cute." Sokka added.

The guard threw a fire whip at him, before he defended himself and was put on the cooler for it. The guard chose Sokka to help him take the big guy away.

"Meet back here in an hour." He whispered before splitting.

                                      ~*~

"Hey new guys, I know it's the rule to wear your helmet at all times but this is the lounge. Relax." A soldier said as we were in the lounge getting food.

"But what if there's an incident? If I'm not prepared someone can strike me on the head." Zuko replied making them laugh, even more he was so funny when he tried to make up things. Only down fall was I got a dead glare from him.

"Give it a week, he'll loosen up." The woman guard shrugged.

"And what about her? Mind taking off your helmet?" Another guard asked with a grin.

I slowly reached for my helmet before Zuko stopped me by walking in front of me. It was pretty obvious he didn't want that helmet off.

"Can a new guy ask you veterans a question about the prison?" He asked, sitting where I was going to sit.

"No. You can't date the female guards." The woman responded.

"His with me." I grinned pointing at myself.

"Oohhh. Protective girl." The guy said, with a smile. I looked over to see Zuko, under that helmet he was extremely blushing.

"Why would you want to date this girl when you got this one?" Another joked.

"And Trust me, you don't want to." The woman hit him with a smile.

"No that's not it, the boiling rock it holds the fire nations most dangerous prisoners right?" They all got serious and shook heads. "So what about war prisoners."

                                      ~*~

"Hey there fellow guard. How goes it?" Zuko said to Sokka, as we met at the sight he told us to.

"Zuko?" Sokka said seeing it was me.

"Shh, listen we asked around the lounge. There are no water tribe prisoners. I'm afraid your father's not here." Zuko stated, making Sokka's eyes grow large.

"What? Are you sure did you double check?" He asks looking over to me.

"Yeah, nothing." I shook my head.

"No." He whispered away. "No!" He yelled hitting the wall.

"I'm really sorry, Sokka." Zuko said.

"So we came all this way for nothing?! I failed. Again." Sokka sighed dropping to sit down.

"Huh what would uncle say?" Zuko asked himself.

"Sokka it's going to be fine. We just need to think of a way to get off this rock now." I said trying not to sound like I knew what would happen next.

"Maybe we haven't failed after all." Sokka smiled as he looked at the yard below.

"That's the spirit." Zuko commented with a smile.

"Look! It's Suki." Sokka squealed as he radiated off love eyes.

                                     ~*~

Later Sokka went to speak to her and we watched outside. I didn't like it, I knew what was about to happen, there had to be someway I wouldn't get caught.

To calm my nerves I started humming the mission impossible theme.

"Stop it." Zuko bickered making me huff.

"Excuse me, I need to get into that cell." A guard said out of nowhere, making me jump.

"No you can't go in there!" Zuko almost yelled.

"The prisoner is under lockdown." I spat out hoping it would work, I would get caught. I didn't want to think what they'd do to me.

"Step aside, fool." She sighed before Zuko grabbed her arm and pulled her away.

"Hey, hey, what are you doing?!" She asked as I put her helmet down so she couldn't see. Zuko twisted her arm and I grabbed her neck.

"Guard help! I think they're imposters. Arrest them!" She yelled as she heard Sokka walking away.

I was in the right position to snap her neck, there was nothing actually stopping me, if I didn't I would be caught and who knows what would happen then.

But I didn't want to kill her, I had never done something like that before, and now wasn't the time. She was just doing her job, when the war is over she would probably be a normal person.

"Get her off me and arrest her!" She yelled before I felt Sokka pull me away.

"You're under arrest!" He stated as she grabbed Zuko.

"Don't worry I'll figure it out." Sokka whispered in my ear.

"You fool!" I hissed back, they were definitely going to find out.

And sure enough they did, as soon as they took the shirt off my back they saw the tattoos. Then they took off the bandanna and if was confirmed I was the avatar. They tied me up in chains and put me in a dark prison cell with two guards.

"Well well well, if it isn't the avatar herself." The warden smirked as he walked in with more guards. There was absolutely no way to escape.

"Hey warden, I can't take it. The walls are closing in. Bla bla bla." I mocked rolling my eyes at him.

"Oh that won't last very long, not when I'm done with you." He threatened making sure I looked him in the eye.

"Bullsh*t." I grinned with a scoff. "Why don't you just tell the Fire Lord and be done with this?" I asked as I saw the guards were holding clubs.

"Oh in due time believe me, but for now the Fire Lord doesn't need to know." He grinned as the guards closed the doors after he walked out, they walked towards me ready to hit me with the clubs they played with in their hands.

I began to panic, there was nothing I could do but except the pain that was about to happen. The first one have a wide yellow smile before socking me in the gut and knocking the wind off of me. It was going to be a long day.

                                     ~*~

That night after they made my chains tighter and left me bruised, fighting for breath, tired and beaten I heard my cell door open.

I looked up to see it was Sokka and Zuko. "Gyawa!" Zuko yelled running up to me with worry in his eyes.

I didn't say anything, just hoped my long hair would cover up my bloody swollen face. "What did they do to you?" He asked as he looked at all my bruises.

"So what's up?" I asked, through breaths.

"We made an escape plan, we're leaving now. But there's one more thing, my dad might come here tomorrow." Sokka explained as Zuko looked at me like a worried mother. It was getting really annoying.

"Have they given you any water?" He asked.

"They're afraid I'll bend it." I grinned back.

"We need to get her out of here." He stated looking back at Sokka.

"Wow there Zuko, I haven't heard the whole story yet. Sokka you want to stay?" I asked trying to pull my arms from hanging.

"I don't know. Is it right for me to risk Suki's freedom, all of our freedom on the slime chance that my dad is going to show up?" He asks looking around and finally to me.

"Yes, your father would do the same. Don't get me out till you get your father too." I replied making Zuko look at me with frustration.

"But Gyawa, if you stay in here you'll die." He warned with wide eyes.

"No I won't, I promise, just go." I said trying not to show I was breathing so heavy.

As they were leaving Zuko looked back at me, he moved his lips to say something but no words came out. He just looked at me with a deep concern before slowly following Sokka out the door.

"I hope we haven't just made a huge mistake." I heard Sokka sigh before he closed the door and I caught a look at Zuko one last time.

                             ~Zuko POV~

As I sat in my cell, all I could think of was Gyawa. If she was okay, if we had made the worst mistake in our lives.

She was hurt pretty bad even if she didn't want to admit it, I hated the thought of them just beating her up for the hell of it. I looked up at the door as Sokka walked in.

"I just got done talking with my dad. We came up with a plan-" he was explaining before two guards walking up.

"What are you doing here?" One asked.

"I was just telling this dirty low life what I think of him!" Sokka replied pointing at me.

"Well you'll have to do that later, he's coming with us." The other stated with a bored aditude.

"Why?" He asked, trying not to show his concern.

"Because we have orders straight from the warden that's why." He replied.

"Can I just get ten more seconds to rough him up a bit." Sokka asked before they nodded.

"Fine ten seconds." She answered, Sokka closed the door and threw me a pillow.

I held it as he it hit saying; "Take that and this." And I faked groaning in pain. "We have a new plan but it's going to take a big distraction be at the yard in one hour." He whispered right before the guards opened the doors.

I immediately threw the pillow and Sokka charged me and acted like this was what he was doing. "Alright that's a enough." The girl said before they grabbed me and dragged me down the hallway.

"What's going on?! Where are you taking me?!" I asked, but got no response.

"I didn't do anything wrong!" I yelled as I got shoved in a room.

"Come on, Zuko we both know that's a lie." I heard a familiar voice, I turned and my thoughts were confirmed, it was Mai.

"How did you know I was here?" I asked ready for Azula to pop out.

"Because I know you so well." She replied folding her arms, I just glared at her from the corner of my eye. "The Wardens my uncle, you idiot." She rolled her eyes. "The truth is, I guess I don't know you. I get nothing? You could have at least looked me in the eyes when you ripped out my heart and joined that girl!" She stayed making it clear what this was about.

"This isn't about you! It's about the Fire Nation." I replied, I had no intention of getting back with Mai.

"Thanks Zuko that makes me feel all better." She sarcastically scoffed throwing a hand up.

"Mai, I never wanted to hurt you, but I have to do this to save my country." I tried to explain but I knew she wouldn't understand. Even though I was in a room with my once girlfriend, all I could think of was if Sokka was getting Gyawa out. If she was still okay, not like how I saw her the other day.

Getting Gyawa away from Azula.

"Save it? You're betraying your country!" She yelled back, I was a little stunned she said that.

"That's not how I see it." I replied looking at the wall.

"Oh no? I can't believe you'd leave me for your honor prize!" She yelled, making me stand up and getting ready to yell at her.

How dare she call Gyawa my prize! I never saw her that way and now that I knew her there was no way I could let her get away with that. "That's not what she is, Mai!" I shouted with fist clenched.

"Oh no? Then what is she, Zuko??!" She asked, with a scoff.

"She's..." I was about to say something but I didn't know really what. She was my friend, but yet more than a friend but I couldn't call her that because... well I didn't know if she felt that way about me.

                          ~Gyawa POV~

"Oh, well here you are." I heard a certain cunning voice say as the door opened.

"Azula." I groaned as I lifted my head to see her look all perfect at me.

"I have you, your all mine." She grinned, an odd looking suit was being rolled up. It was a straight jacket with locks and a mask to stop me from bending with my mouth.

This was going to be fun.

                             ~Zuko POV~

I managed to get free from the room when a guard walked in. I made my way to the yard we're a huge riot was going on.

"Zuko, good you're here, now all we need to do is grab the Warden and get to the gondolas, but Azula is taking Gyawa away to the gondola." Sokka stated making me snap.

"Where?!" I asked looking around, I wouldn't let Azula take her, not now.

"I just said the gondola." He replied before I took off to the gondola.

I made speed so I could jump up on a ledge and used momentum to get to the other. I did the same a few more times before I was on the right level. Then I just ran through the fight and a few guards.

Azula, Ty Lee, and a few guards were walking to the gondola as I ran up and shot a huge burst of fire at the guards. Azula turned to see it was me and sighed.

I punched five fast blast at the guards again knocking them out and running in between Gyawa and Azula.

"Back off Azula." I warned as I kept stance at her.

"Oh Zuzu, so romantic. But I'm not going anywhere." She snarled back taking position.

"Zuko, get me out of here!" Gyawa growled.

"I don't know how." I replied glancing at the straight suit.

"Oh boy this is gonna hurt." I heard her sigh as Azula threw a swirling blue fire ball at me. I ducked and dodged it. But then I saw that Gyawa's suit was on fire.

I immediately took it out and tore it off. She collapsed to the ground and gasped. As I was about to see if she was okay she threw an earth slide at Ty Lee who I didn't even see running up. She stumbled to get to her feet as we stood side by side.

                           ~Gyawa POV~

I threw a chunk of earth at Azula's flame. She hopped over it and kicked more bursts are me. I broke through it and kicked air with a boulder.

I looked over to see Zuko wasn't doing too good with Ty Lee. I caught her feet in earth, she gasped as she tried to get free, I then took earth and used it to pull her arms down and lock those two.

Zuko shot a smile at me before a slice of fire hit in between us. I punched three fire blast and one kick.

She dodged all of them and kicked blue fire at Zuko. He blocked it and shot back.

Sokka, Suki, Hakoda and the Warden and yeah and that dude all ran up. I made a huge wall of earth to block Azula to give us time.

"Everyone in!" Suki ordered as we ran in the gondola. As quick as Zuko could he jammed the ropes and ran in.

"Way to think ahead." Sokka complimented him.

"We're on our way." Suki sighed.

We all looked out the window to see Azula fly up using fire then using cuffs to hook on the lines and once again used fire bending to move.

Meanwhile Ty Lee ran it. "This is a rematch I've been waiting for." Suki commented.

"Me to." Zuko added.

"It be cheesy to say me three." I also added.

We all got the roof of the gondola and got ready to fight them. All fear of heights had to say bye bye today.

Azula landed and kicked fire at all of us before landing on her hands and kicked more and landing right.

I broke through all of it and punched air at her. She moved to the side, Sokka ran up and almost got her in a jab. Zuko kicked a burst at her, she easily blocked it.

I slid air from my feet, but she jumped up at the right moment.

I then remembered there was steam all around us, I made pure water and threw a water whip at her. She didn't see it coming but fire blasted through it.

Not before long the Warden got free, "Cut the line!" He yelled out the window.

It wasn't a while before they began to cut.

"They're about to cut the line!" Ty Lee warned.

"Then it's time to leave." Azula stated as she saw another cart was coming in. "Goodbye, Zuko." She said as she fire bended herself off onto the other cart.

We all immediately jumped back in the cart. "They're cutting the line!" I forgot who said.

"I get it! I get it! They're cutting the line!" I yelled in frustration that they were all saying it.

"I hope this thing floats." Hakoda stated, with a sigh. As we looked out the window we saw that Mai was taking out all the guards.

"Who is that?" Sokka asked.

"It's Mai." Zuko almost whispered as he stared at the image. She still did it, it's kind of sad but I was never more glad.

"Sorry Warden your Record is officially broken." Hakoda smiled as we left him there.

"Yeah! suck it!" I smiled giving him the finger, he deserved it for beating me up.

"Well we made it out now what?" Suki asked, looking around.

"Zuko, what are you doing?" Sokka asked as he stopped.

"My sister was on that island." He thought out loud.

"Yeah and she's probably right behind us, so let's not stop." Sokka replied.

"What I mean is she must have come here somehow." We all followed him as he ran to a hill.

"There. That's our way out of here." He said pointing at an air ship.

                              ~Zuko POV~

After we got rid of the pilot it was smooth sailing to go to the western air temple, I walked in the meeting room where Gyawa was sitting wrapped in blankets, drinking tea.

"Are you alright?" I asked, she turned and gave him a slight smile, her face still badly bruised or small cut.

"I'm good, you?" She asked as I sat next to me.

"What do you mean?" I asked back.

"I saw your face when Mai saved us. You fine?" She replied looking at her cup.

"Oh... yeah. I'm just surprised she did that." I slowly answered, I didn't quite know what to say.

"Yeah I understand." She said not looking at me.

"Umm, Gyawa..." I stumbled to say, going through all that made me realize I should stop fooling around and tell her how I feel.

But yet I had to remember who we were. I was the prince of the Fire Nation, and she was the avatar. Two people with destinies but I wasn't sure if they were meant to be put together.

"Yeah?" She turned and leaned over to me with her grey eyes staring at mine. A cut on her left eyebrow made her no less beautiful.

"I huh..." I wasn't even sure if I should have been saying this, what if I was about to make a huge mistake.

In that cave we kissed, and it was one of the best feelings, but I had to remember who this was. I wasn't meant for her, and yet she was all I wanted. My mind was fighting once again but not over sides but over a girl. Not just any girl, the avatar.

She would have duties to the world and so would I, this would just get in the way. I couldn't tell her, I just couldn't.

Nonetheless, I knew if I didn't I would regret it. I felt more confused then ever about Gyawa. I had my mind made up a minute ago and now my head was going in circles.

"Zuko?" She asked, looking at me with no idea of what I was going to say.

"I got to go." I said under my breath trying not to show I was shaking in fear that I was ruining it.

Making my way down the hallway. I felt like such an idiot. I just ended the conversation like that and I didn't tell her, it was the perfect moment.

"Stupid!" I found myself yelling out loud and hit the metal hallway leaving a dent.

I sighed in frustration at the other voice in my head saying not to tell her.

I held my heart and slowly fell to the hallway floor and hit my head against the wall a few times. I was such an idiot. I should have told her.