Uzume watched her honorary little brother stress at Zuko's words, "Why didn't you tell me about your dad's crazy plan sooner?"

Uzume placed a comforting hand on Aang's shoulders as she watched the way his forehead wrinkled with stress.

"I didn't think I had to. I assumed that you were still going to fight him before the comet. No one told me you decided to wait!" Zuko defended himself, irritated at the group for leaving him out. Uzume watched the two boys with concern in her eyes as she held onto Aang.

"This is bad." Aang cried out in despair, "This is really, really bad." Aang covered his face with his hands. Uzume stepped away from Aang, allowing Katara to comfort the Avatar.

"Aang, you don't have to do this alone." The girl spoke softly to her soulmate. Uzume felt Zuko wrap his arm around her as people gathered around Aang.

"Yeah. If we all fight the Fire Lord together, we got a shot at taking him down." Toph said smugly. Uzume nodded along with the short earthbender, "I won't let you do this alone." Uzume spoke firmly.

"Alright!" Sokka shouted, "Team Avatar is back! Air," Sokka pointed to Uzume and Aang, who looked at him unamused, "Water," Katara looked at her brother annoyed with her arms crossed, "Earth," Toph looked forward blankly, "Fire," Zuko also mimicked Uzume's unamused face, "Fans and sword!" He threw his arm around Suki, holding a large palm leaf in his hand, which he pointed towards Uzume.

Aang perked up into a better mood at everyones words as they looked at him endearingly, "Fighting the Fire Lord is going to be the hardest thing we've ever done together. But I wouldn't want to do it any other way." Uzume laughed and pulled him into a tight hug, followed by the others.

Uzume raised her head from Aang's shoulder and extended her arm to her boyfriend, "Get over here, Zuko. Being part of the group also means being part of group hugs." Zuko looked at his girlfriend hesitantly before joining the group in her arms. The hug was interrupted by Appa when he suddenly tackled them all to the ground, leaving them on the floor in a fit of giggles.

Uzume stood up with a soft smile on her face as she lowered her hand to Zuko. He took her hand and a moment, they stared into each other's eyes in content. Suddenly, Uzume felt a weight on her back.

"Alright, lovers, it's time for us to get to training." Toph exclaimed from Uzume's back, making the girl giggle as she twirled with the blinde girl on her back.

"Zuko, take a moment to train Aang some more, I have a feeling Sokka's gonna need help setting something stupid up." Uzume patted Zuko's cheek lovingly as she followed Suki and Sokka out of the courtyard with Toph on her back.

-

"Gather round Team Avatar." Sokka brought their attention to his strategically placed melon warriors, "In order to take out the Fire Lord, or in this case, the Melon Lord, our timing has to be perfect." Uzume tossed him a stick as he knelt down to draw diagrams in the dirt, "First, Suki and I will draw his fire. Then, Katara and Zuko charge in with some liquidy hot offence and while the "Melon Lord" is distracted, Aang swoops in and BAM! He delivers the final blow." Sokka drew a finishing line through his drawing, signifying the death of Ozai.

"Err... what about us?" Toph motioned between her and Uzume. Uzume nodded along, "Just cause she's blind and I'm new to this bending thing, doesn't mean we're useless."

Sokka pointed his stick at Uzume, "You guys are the opposite of useless, I just need you to be Azula and her friends." Uzume raised an unimpressed eyebrow at the boy, "They're my friends too."

Sokka waved his hand, "They're crazy," He then motioned to Toph, "For now, you're the Melon Lord's forces."

"So I get to chuck flaming rocks at all of you?" Toph jumped excitedly.

Sokka shrugged his shoulders, "Whatever makes the training feel more realistic."

Toph smiled deviously in the direction she assumed Uzume was in, "Sweetness."

Uzume took in a deep breath and closed her eyes as she readied herself in her position. She found herself taking a moment to actually consider what Azula would do in this moment. She then opened her eyes quickly and narrowed them, raising her fans in front of her.

She watched as Suki and Sokka took out 'soldiers' and decided to advance on them. She hopped lightly on her feet and landed by Suki softly just as she kicked a rock soldier. Uzume focused the movements of her fans on the fire around them from Toph's rocks and fanned them, making a flame grow stronger and whip at Suki.

"Holy crap, Uzume!" Suki looked at her bewildered.

"Sorry Su, Sokka wanted me to be Azula." Uzume shouted as she fanned the fire around her more.

"Watch it, Toph!" Sokka shouted from beside them as Toph almost crushed him.

Toph laughed evilly, "I am not Toph, I am Melon Lord!"

"Now, Aang!" Sokka shouted when he noticed an opening for the young boy. Aang propelled himself towards the fake Firelord and raised his staff to strike, only for him to lower his stance.

Uzume blew out the fire around the group waiting for Aang to strike. Zuko stood impatiently and frustrated at the boy, "What are you waiting for? Take him out!" Aang slowly shook his head and stared at the melon, "I can't."

Sokka trudged up the slope, angry, "What's wrong with you? If this was the real deal, you'd be shot full of lightning right now." Sokka pointed at the boy accusingly.

Aang shook his head, "I'm sorry, but it just didn't feel right. I didn't feel like myself." Sokka unsheathed his sword and swung it at the watermelon, making Aang close his eyes and grimace.

"There. That's how it's done." Sokka looked at the boy disapprovingly as he began to walk away, followed by everyone except Uzume and Zuko. Uzume sighed deeply and approached the beaten down boy.

"Aang, you know what needs to be done." Aang flinched under her hand and lowered his head, "I just can't do it. If we kill him, we just continue the cycle of hate." Uzume brought the boy into a tight hug.

"You'll figure something out, you always do." Uzume pulled back from the boy and walked back to Zuko.

"Aang's pretty wise for a 12 year old." Zuko looped his arm through Uzume's.

"Zuko, he's the Avatar, he kinda has the wisdom of hundreds of people." Uzume laughed dryly at the boy. Zuko blushed and looked away.

"Yeah I knew that..." He mumbled, embarrassed.

Later that night, everyone sat in the courtyard eating joyfully. Suki and Uzume sat on the steps, recalling their favorite stories from the past year.

"Woah? You died and met Avatar Kyoshi?" Suki shouted with wide eyes and disbelief. Zuko turned quickly from his conversation with Sokka.

"You DIED?"

Uzume chuckled amused at her boyfriend, "Don't be so dramatic, it was for like 10 minutes."

"Dramatic? I just found out you died." Zuko looked at her astounded. Their conversation was cut short when Katara walked outside with a scroll in her hands.

"I have a surprise for everyone!" She announced gleefully.

Toph paused her eating and raised a chopstick at Katara, "I knew it! You did have a secret thing with Haru!" Everyone went silent and stared at Katara questioningly.

"Er, no. I was looking for cooking pots in the attic and I found this." Katara unrolled the scroll in her hand, "Look at baby Zuko! Isn't he cute?" Uzume looked at the picture unamused. She had seen pictures of him and baby Azula, and that most definitely wasn't him. She looked over at the firebender who had his eyes closed.

"Oh lighten up, I was just teasing." Zuko opened his eyes, "That's not me. It's my Father." Uzume nodded as she ate. Katara quickly dropped the scroll in her hand as if it burned her.

"But he looked so sweet and innocent." Suki picked up the scroll and examined it.

"Well that sweet little kid grew up to be a monster. And the worst Father in the history of Fathers." Uzume placed a hand on Zuko's shoulder when Aang cut in.

"But he is still a human being." Uzume looked at Aang in disbelief. "You're going to defend him?" Zuko snapped. "Aang, he's horrible. The way he treated Azula and-" Uzume started.

"No, I agree with you." Aang cut her off, "Fire Lord Ozai is a horrible person and the World will probably be better off without him. There's gotta be another way." Aang stressed his words.

Zuko crossed his arms, "Like what?"

Aang shrugged, "I don't know. Maybe we can make some big pots of glue and then I can use gluebending to stick his arms and legs together so he can't bend anymore." Uzume giggled to herself as she imagined the guy stuck in glue.

Zuko smiled sarcastically, "Yeah. Then you can show him his baby pictures and all those happy memories will make him good again."

Aang looked at Zuko doe eyed, "Do you really think that would work?"

"No!" Zuko yelled sternly. Aang dropped his head in defeat and sighed. He began to pace as the group watched him, "This goes against everything I learned from the monks. I can't just go around wiping out people I don't like..."

Sokka shrugged jokingly, "Sure, you can. You're the Avatar. If it's in the name of keeping balance, I'm pretty sure the Universe will forgive you."

Aang turned to shout at the boy, "This isn't a joke, Sokka! None of you understands the position I'm in!"

Uzume quickly lost her temper and snapped back at him, "Aang, that's completely unfair! Some of us are getting rid of people we grew up with! But we have to because it's for the greater good. How do you even know you've never taken someones life from your Avatar state?" Uzume's voice cracked painfully as tears gathered in her eyes. She stood tall in front of the boy who refused to make eye contact with her.

"You don't get it." Aang muttered.

"Aang, we do understand. It's just..." Katara began to reassure the boy.

"Just what, Katara?! What?" Aang shouted at the girl, who looked at him annoyed, "We're trying to help."

"Then when you," He pointed aggressively at Katara, " figure out a way for me to beat the Fire Lord without taking his life, I love to hear it!" He finished with a shout and marched away from them. Uzume's eyes followed his body, annoyed.

"Aang, don't walk away from this." She shouted. Uzume crossed her arms and shook her head in disgust, "Let him go. He needs time to sort it out by himself." Uzume rushed away from the courtyard and to her temporary room, followed by Zuko.

"Zume," Zuko raced after her before she shut the door on him, "What's wrong?" He looked down at her with eyes filled with love, eyes that told her he'd fight the moon for her.

Uzume sniffled before bursting into tears, "It's scary Zuko... it's so scary. If Aang doesn't do what he needs to do, this could possibly never end," She sobbed, "And at the same time... we're attacking people who we grew up with. Mai, Ty Lee," Uzume paused, "I can't face Azula."

Zuko sighed to himself and wrapped his arms around the girl, calming her down as he stroked her hair.

"It's gonna work out, my turtleduck."