Chapter 47

I LOVE when I can't write so I tell you all that I can't write and I make ANOTHER book, and then I get a bunch of ideas. Sorry!!!

When my eyes fluttered open, I was met with a pair of blue eyes.

Sokka.

"Good morning" he mumbled , a small smile on his lips.

"I love you" I smiled causing Sokka to grin like he just won a life time supply of meat.

His hand grasped mine "I love you too, so much".

I closed my eyes, my smile growing bigger. His words brought a deep joy from within me.

Our fight from last night seemed nonexistent, just a small thing that didn't matter. "I would like to lay here all day, but we should probably get up before the others come looking for us" I sighed, causing Sokka to groan.

"We'll have to do it another time" he sighed before getting up.

My face flushed as I got up, causing me to look down. A small laugh erupted from Sokka as he saw my face. "Let's go" he mumbled before interlacing my hand with his.

Smiling, we walked out of the room to be met with Katara and Aang who looked worried.

"There you guys are." Aang sighed jumping towards us.

"What's the matter?" I asked, feeling something wrong.

"Toph still isn't back yet and we're getting worried" Aang explained, but his mind was clearly focused on where Toph could be.

Suddenly a large rumble goes through the temple before a small blind girl fell out of it.

"Toph!" Katara exclaimed before rushing over to her "What happened?!"

"My feet got burned!" Toph growled, her feet sticking into the air.

"Oh no! What happened?" Katara asked as she looked at Toph's feet. "I just told you! My feet got burned!" Toph spoke again, her voice high.

"I meant, how." Katara clarified.

"Well, I kind of went to see Zuko last night." Toph spoke quietly, causing everyone but me to show a look of shock.

When I saw Zuko, he didn't burn me or even touch me. Honestly, he seemed confused and in pain, and I know the pain.

"You what?!" Aang asked, his mouth open. "Zuko?" Katara asked, her face almost angry. "Uhhh.." Sokka gapped before grasping my hand.

"I thought he could be helpful to us. And if I talked to him, maybe we could work something out." Toph explained as Katara pulled some water out and began to heal Toph's feet.

"So he attacked you?" I asked, surely he wouldn't go from confused to Azula.

"Well, he did, and he didn't. It was sort of an accident." Toph tried to explain but the other shut her down. "But he did firebend at you?" Aang asked, which caused Toph to sigh an unhappy "Yes".

"See? You trusted Zuko, and you got burned. Literally!" Sokka exclaimed, causing me to pinch his side. "Ow! What was that for Mika?!" 

"Not the time Sokka" I spoke. "It's gonna take a while for your feet to get better. I wish I could have worked on them sooner." Katara sighed as she pulled the water away.

"Yeah, me too" Toph groaned as Sokka let go of my hand. He walked forward and helped Aang carry her to the fountain.

As they walked and chatted, thoughts went through my mind. Was Zuko just putting an act up? Was the kindness in Ba Sing Se and yesterday a sham? And he was really as evil as his sister?

No. Azula is just as evil as her father, if not more. We were both marked by them, to forever remember the pain they caused.

Placing a hand onto my scar, I joined Sokka, Katara, Aang and Toph at the fountain, where Aang was pacing.

Just as I arrived, a large explosion went off. Instantly Sokka grabbed Toph and his hand grasped mine before yanking me behind a wall.

"Is that Combustion Man?!" I exclaimed before looking around the corner where Aang and Katara tried to fight the man. Sadly, Aang and Katara join us behind the wall, trapped.

"Yeah!" Aang spoke. Toph on the other hand gripped the ground for dear life "He's going to blast this whole place right off the cliff side!" she exclaimed. 

Moving forward, Katara tried to look around the corner, but was met with an explosion. "I can't step out to waterbend at him without being blown up and I can't get a good enough angle on him from down here." Katara spoke before another explosion went off.

"I know how to get an angle on him!" Sokka spoke stepping next to Katara.

Pulling out his boomerang and watching as another explosion Sokka aimed his weapon. "All right buddy, don't fail me now!" Sokka spoke before throwing the boomerang.

After a few seconds, we all rush out, to see the man had fallen.

"Yeah, boomerang!" Sokka cheered catching it. But sadly Combustion Man rose again, anger painted on his face. "Awww boomerang!" Sokka sighed as we started to run.

But I didn't move, my eyes stayed planted on Combustion Man as he tried to shoot another blast. Whatever the boomerang did, it caused popping noises to come from the man. Then he erupted into an explosion.

My eyes widened as Combustion Man...well combusted.

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After Combustion Man was gone, Zuko walked up to us.

A steady sense of worry and anger went through the group as he approached. 

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but ... thanks, Zuko." Aang spoke is disbelief.

"Hey, what about me? I did the boomerang thing." Sokka grumbled. Turning to him, I planted a kiss to his cheek "Thank you oh mighty boomerang master." I laughed. "Very funny" Sokka spoke before turning back to Zuko.

"Listen, I know I didn't explain myself very well yesterday, I've been through a lot in the last few years and it's been hard. But I'm realizing that I had to go through all those things to learn the truth. I thought I had lost my honor, and that somehow, my father could return it to me. But I know now that no one can give you your honor. It's something you earn for yourself, by choosing to do what's right. All I want to do now is play my part in ending this war, and I know my destiny is to help you restore balance to the world." Zuko explained before turning to Toph.

 "I'm sorry for what I did to you. It was an accident. Fire can be dangerous and wild, so as a firebender, I need to be more careful and control my bending, so I don't hurt people unintentionally." Zuko spoke, causing Aang to widen his eyes.

"I think you are supposed to be my firebending teacher. When I first tried to learn firebending, I burned Katara, and after that, I never wanted to firebend again. But now I know you understand how easy it is to hurt the people you love. I'd like you to teach me" Aang spoke fondly before bowing.

"Thank you. I'm so happy you've accepted me into your group." Zuko spoke, a large grin on his face.

"Not so fast. I still have to ask my friends if it's okay with them. Toph, you're the one that Zuko burned. What do you think?" Aang spoke before turning to the earthbender.

"Go ahead and let him join. It'll give me plenty of time to get back at him for burning my feet." Toph chuckled as she pounded her palm with her fist.

"Sokka?" Aang asked turning to face him.

"Hey, all I want is to defeat the Fire Lord. If you think this is the way to do it, then, I'm all for it." Sokka shrugged before Aang's eyes turned to me.

"Mika?" he asked. "I think Zuko is the right person for this, so let him in" I smiled.

"Katara?" Aang spoke before walking up to her. Before answering, she glared at Zuko " I'll go along with whatever you think is right.

"I won't let you down! I promise!" Zuko cheered, but everyone turned and left, even Toph, who was carried by Sokka.

Walking forward, I embraced Zuko in a hug "Welcome to the group Zuko."