Our true destinies

The trade

'So this is it. The famous firelord zuko. Pathetic.'

I sat tied up in a chair, scratched and bruised, with three people in front of me. They work for Ukano, mais dad. 'What do you want?' I asked.

All three of them laughed. 'You mean you don't know? Ukano sent us to capture you and make sure your not firelord anymore. Even if it means-'

'You know you guys are really bad guards.' I said as the burned ropes fell off me and fire bent at them. One of them tried lightning at me but I redirected it at the ceiling above him and made it come crashing down onto him. Another one took swords out and made a cut on my leg. I cringed at the pain. He almost stabbed me in the stomach when I snatched it out of his hands and swung it so it made a cut in his stomach. Now, it was just me and the firebender.

Break his root. That's what uncle iroh said when me and admiral zhao had an Agni Kai. I kicked his leg hard and he fell back. But not before he firebent at me and burned my shoulder. I threw all the fire I could until I knew he wouldn't get back up.

I limped outside and looked around. I was still in republic city, thank god, but there were more attackers coming at me. I was in no condition to fight. I shot fire at one person and made him fall back but there were too many.

Just as one was about to firebend, something wrapped around his foot and pulled him back. The same with a few others. I looked around and saw toph and her police force surrounding them and using their cables, they rounded them up and put them in their vehicles.

Toph ran up to me. 'Sparky! Are you okay?'

I panted. 'Enough with the nicknames toph.' And smiled. 

'Come on. Let's get you cleaned up.'

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The police force surrounded me in the middle of the street just as the sun went down. Further away, I saw a hooded figure holding Sokka by the arm.

'We have the firelord! Let Sokka go!' Toph yelled.

The hooded figure shoved Sokka forward and he started walking towards us. Toph told me to walk to the hooded figure. 'She won't hurt you. If she does then I have-' she whispered in my ear but stopped when the cloaked person raised her arm and from the roofs of nearby buildings, metalbenders floated down.

'You really should keep your nose out of other people business.' She said as she brought them down to the ground next to toph. 'Now give me the firelord and I'll be on my way.'

'How do I know you won't hurt him?' Toph said.

'I won't hurt him.' She said. Toph nodded and motioned that I walk towards her. Once I was next to her, she took my shoulder and walked inside the building.

'Who are you?' I asked. She just stood there. 'Why are you doing this?' Still no answer.

'Talk!'

'I'm not here to hurt you. But I heard that you were taken by loyalists. So I did whatever it took to set you free.' She finally said.

'But why? Why would you want to save me? And with bloodbending? How and why?'

She took in a deep breath. 'I know it was wrong. And yes, I'm a monster. So I'm letting you go.' She moved her hands to take something off her neck, balled it up, put it in my hand and curled my fingers. Her touch felt cold and....familiar.

'And I know I don't deserve this.' I opened my palm and looked down. My eyes widened. It was a necklace. But not just any necklace. It was the one I gave to katara.

I looked up and she was nowhere to be seen. Just like that.

I walked out of the building and toph was still there. 'Zuko! What happened?!' I stuffed the necklace in my pocket. 'I don't know but, I don't think we'll ever see her again.'