Chapter Ten

Laying the blanket over Azula, Zuko sighed. Where did their relationship go so wrong? He looked down and noticed a folded up parchment tucked into Azula's boot. He frowned, taking it out and opening it. Reading it's contents he gasped softly to himself. There was no way...

_

    Azula woke up in a panic, grabbing Katara who happened to be walking by.

    "I have proof!" Azula shouted, coming out of the dream.

    Katara yelped in surprise, catching Sokka's attention. He sprung into action, throwing his boomerang at the firebender.

    "Get your hands off her!" He shouted.

    Azula blocked the boomerang, glaring at Sokka. She caught her footing and looked around, confused. It took a few seconds for her mind to realize that she was no longer in a dream.

    "Katara-?" Sokka touched his sister's shoulder.

    "I'm okay, she just caught me by surprise." Katara mumbled, watching as Azula reached down inside her boot.

    "The letter!" She uttered. "It's gone!" She looked up to Sokka and Katara, her hands bursting into blue flames. "Where is Zuko?"

_

    Aang and Zuko sat on the edge of a cliff. Aang reading the letter as well. His reaction to it a little less dramatic.

    "It can't be real..." He muttered to Zuko, handing him back the parchment.

    "Doesn't it make sense though? I'm not his son. No wonder he banished me so easily." Zuko reasoned.

    "Well if that's the case, why not just... Get rid of you permanently?" Aang frowned.

    "He almost did at one point. Before my mother left, my grandfather commanded Ozai to take my life as punishment for asking for Iroh's birthright," Zuko looked down at the letter. "And he was going to do it too. He didn't even try to reason with Azulon."

    "But he didn't obviously," Aang reasoned, gesturing to Zuko. "You're still here."

    "My mother must have stopped him somehow..." Zuko pondered, reading the parchment again.

    "I don't know Zuko..." Aang sighed. "It feels like it shouldn't be true."

    "Why? All night I've felt this sense of hope..."

    "Hope?! What are you talking about? If you're not Ozai's son, then you're not the rightful Firelord," Aang exclaimed. "So who is?!"

    "There you are!" Azula interrupted, emerging from the forest path. "She told you to steal that, didn't she?"

    Azula shot balls of blue fire towards the two boys, demanding the return of the letter. Zuko sprang to his feet, blocking Azula's flames with his own shots of fire.

    "Where's Katara and Sokka?!" Aang demanded.

    "She's not going to get away with this!" Azula shrieked, firing a blast at Zuko solely.

    He blocked it quickly, his mind flitting to Sokka. Was he safe? He wanted to make sure.

    "Aang, go check on them, I'll take care of Azula."

    With that, the monk flew off on his glider towards their camp whilst Zuko defended himself. Azula became more and more frantic by the second, her demands for the letter to be returned unsettling Zuko.

    The Firelord dispersed Azula's flames with a move that ended with him crouched on the ground, Azula had sprung into the air and had knocked him to the ground, snatching the letter away from him.

    "You tell her that this is my destiny!" Azula hissed, her eyes wide and angry.

    "No!" Zuko pushed her off him but she sprung up.

    He grabbed her foot, slamming her to the ground. She groaned.

    "From the day you were born, you've put me through so much!" He picked her up by the collar. "Why, Azula? Why did our relationship have to be like this?!"

    "Was this her plan all along?" Azula demanded, ignoring Zuko's question. "Is she whispering in your ear right now?"

    "You're not making sense Azula..." Zuko sighed, pulling her in a bit, away from the edge of the cliff.

    "All my life she's kept me from my true destiny!" Azula frowned, glaring at Zuko.

    "Don't deny it Zuko! She told you to take it from me! She told you to wait until I was-" Azula cut herself off, her expression suddenly going soft. "Wait... You've had the letter all night... Why didn't you burn it?"

    Zuko flinched, putting Azula back on the steady earth. She raised an eyebrow at him, suddenly smug. There was reminisce of the old Azula in her at that moment.

    "It's almost as if you want me to have it." Azula pondered, watching as Zuko walked away.

     "Look, we can either stand here all day, or we can get going." Zuko huffed.

    "Oh Zuzu," Azula sighed. "Are you actually on my side?"

    He flinched again, looking back at her. He sighed, shaking off her smug expression she was directing at him.

    "Let's just go join the others."

_

    They returned to the campsite where Katara and Aang were putting out fires. Zuko immediately settled down at the sight of Sokka appearing to be fine. He turned to look at Aang.

    "Are we ready to leave?" He asked the nomad.

    "Your sister set fire to half the landscape!" Aang exclaimed, looking back at Zuko.

    "Nature hates you!" Sokka snapped at Azula.

    "So...," Aang looked from Zuko to Azula. "You're not fighting anymore?"

    "We've come to an agreement." Zuko replied shortly before climbing up onto Appa.

    "Yeah? That's what you said when this all started, but since then she's tried to kill us like, twelve times!" Sokka protested.

    Zuko's expression softened, looking down at Sokka who was undoubtedly and rightfully so, angry.

    "Come on, let's just get to Hira'a." Zuko sighed, patting the space beside him.

    Sokka frowned but climbed up nonetheless. He plopped down next to Zuko, folding his arms across his chest. However, as soon as they took off, he settled down and yawned, leaning against the saddle behind him. Zuko copied his actions, neither of them had gotten much sleep.

    Katara turned to watch Azula who had taken an interest in the scenery and the two boys drifted into a soft slumber, unconsciously leaning into one another.