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Chapter 41

"Gather round Team Avatar," Sokka said. We walked over to him and sat down in circle. He was standing in front of a melon with a face carved in it, propped up on some wooden sticks with a red cloth covering it. "In order to take out the Fire Lord, or in this case, the "Melon Lord", our timing has to be perfect." He kneeled down and began drawing 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" 

"Err... what about me?" Toph asked. 

"Yeah and me?" 

"For now, you two are the Melon Lord's forces," Sokka said. 

"So I get to chuck flaming rocks at all of you?"

"And I get to help?" 

"Whatever makes the training feel more realistic." Sokka shrugged. 

"Sweetness." She grinned. 

Everyone else walked away while Toph and I set the area up. Toph stood in front of the melon lord and did an evil laugh. The 'game' I guess you would call it, started. I lit one of the boulders on fire and Toph launched it out. 

It landed and Suki jumped over it. "Watch it, Toph!" Sokka yelled shaking his fist at us. 

"I am not Toph, I am 'Melon Lord'! Muahahahahaha!" I giggled and lit another boulder. She launched it towards Zuko and Katara who dodged it. A ring of rock soldiers surround them, their hands on fire courtesy of me. They destroyed them and continued forward. 

"Now, Aang!" Sokka yelled as he dodged the various flaming rocks being thrown at him. 

Aang jumped forward heading for the melon. Right before he hit it, he suddenly stopped. "I can't," he said, shaking his head. 

"What's wrong with you?" Sokka pointed at Aang. "If this was the real deal, you'd be shot full of lightning right now." He made a beheading gesture. 

"I'm sorry, but it just didn't feel right. I didn't feel like myself," Aang said. 

Sokka stepped forward and cut the head of Melon Lord. Aang grimaced, closing his eyes and turning away. "There. That's how it's done." Momo began eating the remains. Kinda seemed grim when you forget it's just a melon.

We walked back to the house and sat around eating dinner. Except for Aang. "I have a surprise for everyone!" Katara said, holding a scroll in her hands. 

"I knew it! You did have a secret thing with Haru!" Toph said, smiling. We all stopped and stared at Katara. 

"Er, no." We continued eating. "I was looking for cooking pots in the attic and I found this." She unrolled a scroll, revealing a smiling baby. "Look at baby Zuko! Isn't he cute?" We all cooed at it. Except for Zuko. "Oh lighten up, I was just teasing." 

"That's not me. It's my Father," Zuko said. Katara quickly rolled up the scroll. 

"But he looked so sweet and innocent," Sokka said. 

"Well that sweet little kid grew up to be a monster. And the worst Father in the history of Fathers." 

"But he is still a human being," Aang said. We all looked at him. 

"You're going to defend him?" Zuko asked. 

"No, I agree with you." He stood up facing everyone. "Fire Lord Ozai is a horrible person and the World will probably be better off without him. There's gotta be another way." 

"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."