The painted lady and the blue spirit

The western air temple

'You wanna what?' 

'We have to follow them.' Zuko repeated.

'I'm not coming.' I said firmly. I couldn't. Not after my brother and his friends sent an invasion here.

'Why?' He asked. I turned my back to him.

'Katara. Please. Talk to me.' I let it all out. Tears escapes my eyes.

'You really want to know? Fine. I literally had to see my mother burning to her death, my father and brother have completely given up on my when the fire nation took me away. And now I don't know what's right and what's wrong, who's good and who's bad. A minute ago, my brother and father were attacking us and now you, of all people, are saying that we have to get ourselves on our side?!?!' I shouted.

He walked next to me and wrapped me in a hug.

'No one said life was easy. What about me? My father and my sister want me dead, my mother is gone, I'm a scarred and banished prince with no idea how to regain my honor. So, we're kinda on the Sam page here. We both suffered. But we're both fighters. And as long as we have each other, we'll make it.'

'Thanks zuko'

^^^^^^^^^^^^

I put more fire into the balloon to make it go higher.

Katara suddenly yelled, 'Over there! Look! They landed!'

I leaned over the edge to see the avatar and his friends walking toward the cliff side.

'Let's land too.' I said.

We landed the war balloon in a forest near the western air temple. I knew because I came here with my uncle years ago, looking for the avatar. Memories flashed through my head of me being the hotheaded prince towards my uncle, who has always been there for me. 

'Okay zuko. Now we have to discuss on what your going to say to them. I'll pretend to be them.' Katara said.

I took a deep breath. 'Okay...hello, Zuko here, but I guess you probably already know me, sort of. Uhhh ... so, the thing is I have a lot of firebending experience, and I'm considered to be pretty good at it. Well, you've seen me, you know, when I was attacking you. Uhhh ... yeah, I guess I should apologize for that. But anyway, I'm good now. I mean, I thought I was good before, but I realize I was bad, but anyway, I think it's time I joined your group and taught the Avatar firebending......what'd you think they would say?' I smiled sheepishly.

'How about "your terrible at talking"?' She giggled. Man, I loved when she did that. 

'Well, how am I supposed to convince these people that I'm on their side?' I asked desperately. 'Maybe you can talk for me?'

'Nope! You chased them around the world, making their lives miserable. I'm not apologizing for you like I used to when we were kids.' Katara said sternly but couldn't help but smile.

'Ugh fine!'

^^^^^^^^^^^

'Hello, zuko here...'

The avatar and his friends took their fighting stances.

'I saw you guys flying by so I thought I would wait here!' He continued. I face-palmed from behind a pillar.

Suddenly, from underneath me, the ground burst up and went flying onto zuko. I landed on top of him and tried getting up. He stared into my eyes. Of course I didn't want the moment to end but I stood up anyways, dusting off my fire nation clothes.

'Katara?' Sokka said. 'What are you doing here?'

'Oh, you know. Helping zuko persuade you guys to let us join your group so he can teach the avatar firebending until something happened and the next thing I know is that I'm flying up the the moon.' I replied nonchalantly.