This is the last chapter of the story- and epilogue of sorts. Thanks for reading this series! This was the first fanfiction story I've ever written, so I'm glad there were people who liked it. Although I've since realized many mistakes in it. I hope you enjoy this finial chapter to the story.

The Return

Zuko stood, leaning on the porch railing, and watching Toph train Aang in earthbending- from a distance, after he previously learned how dangerous it was to be too close.

He was bored; back when they were camping at the air temple, and on the field, there had been a lot of camp chores to be taken care of such as hunting, cooking, cleaning, making the camp fire, setting up and taking down tents, settling the daily arguments, and many others.

Around his family's house, it was just buying food, and cooking- and cleaning when it came to dishes.

It was a little ironic though, that he should have these thoughts, considering he never once thought about any of those things until his banishment- and then still not most of them until after he and his uncle became fugitives.

He was watching the earthbending in relative quiet -except for the earthbending itself- when Sokka and Suki showed up on the other side of the large porch, and started walking in his direction. He groaned as he started hearing small pieces of their conversation. Sokka was feeding nuts out of a small bag to himself and Aang's lemur on his shoulder while telling in great detail and expressions just how he defeated Zuko in the sword match for the hundredth time- and like all the ones before it, he had completely changed what happened.

As he came closer, Zuko could clearly hear, "-And then he was on the ground, looking up at me with this terrified look in his eyes!" he laughed. "But the best part of it, was when he begged my forgiveness for hurting my leg slightly," He laughed harder.

"Ha.." Suki said hesitantly, noticing Zuko as they got closer; meanwhile, her oblivious boyfriend noticed no such thing as he wiped a tear from his eye in mirth. "Are you.. are you sure that's how it happened?" she asked while looking at Zuko as they neared, almost at comfortable talking distance.

"Hm.." Sokka pondered. "I can't say for sure, but.. it can't be too far off from that, right?"

"Yes," Zuko said, butting in their conversation. "Yes, it can, and it was."

"Eep!" Sokka screeched, jumping a step back. He recovered, and in a overly formal voice, said, "I am sure you are mistaken, Zuko," Zuko's eye twitched. "I'm sure I remember accurately."

"Is that so?" Zuko asked softly- threateningly.

Sokka missed his undertone, and replied confidently. "It is so, isn't Momo?" He scratched behind the lemur's ear.

'That's enough," Zuko growled- he was frustrated, annoyed, and bored, so his already limited self restraint was now missing completely. He'd worry about finding it again later. "Lets have a rematch now then; we both have our weapons, and there's not much for either of us to do." Zuko said.

The nut that Sokka was in the process of putting in his mouth dropped from his fingers, and was quickly snatched and eaten by the lemur. "Well, uh.." Sokka mumbled, scratching the back of his neck. "Oh, I'd like to, but.. I have Suki with me right now, and it would be rude; how about tomorrow?" he asked.

'So you have enough time to plan something out and adopt Toph's help? No.' "I'm sure Suki would love to see you act out your story."

"Ah.. but no two fights are the same," Sokka stumbled. "And.. yeah."

"Even better; it would be boring boring if she already new exactly how it would go." He turned to her. "What do you think?"

"I think it's a great idea," she said with a mischievous smile. "After all, he already beat you once before, I'm sure he could do again. He is a man after all, and no man would ever turned down a manly challenge from another man.. right Sokka?"

"But.." he said, weakly pointing at the lemur happily indulging itself in the bag of nuts. "Momo would be in danger."

"Suki can take Momo." Zuko said smiling at her.

"I can take Momo," Suki agreed, picking the lemur off her depressed boyfriend.

Zuko smiled at Sokka's completely dejected look as he turned to his girlfriend. "You never go easy on me, do you?" he muttered at Suki.

"Of course not." she answered, giving him a light peck on the cheek, before walking away and leaning her back against the wall of the house, watching them.

Sokka sighed loudly in a response, then turned to Zuko. "And you, prince-I'm-a-jerk, are becoming more like your manipulative sister every day." he glared accusingly at him.

Zuko stared back, unperturbed by Sokka's jab. "Alright, lets get started." He withdrew his twin blades from their shared scabbard.

Sokka took a step back. "Hold on, right here, right now?" he asked, the pitch of his voice raised slightly.

Zuko nodded.

"You wont give me anytime at all to plan, will you?"

Zuko shook his head.

Sokka sighed. "Right, sneaky blue spirit persona. Fine." he muttered. Then Sokka also drew his sword, and they faced each other.

Zuko made the first attack, swiftly going for the legs with his right blade, and an upward body cut with his left. Sokka blocked, and dodged both quickly, returning with a thrust that was parried to the side.

Zuko lunged in, slashing with both swords, but Sokka also stepped in close, blocking and shoving Zuko back off balance. "Ha," Sokka said, swinging his blade repetitively, and keeping Zuko stumbling backwards. "It looks like I've improved!"

Right before he was about to fall backwards, Zuko stuck his back leg out, widening his stance considerably, and gained his footing back. He feinted a sideways strike at Sokka's head, who ducked it, coming straight into the path of his second blade that stopped just at Sokka's ear.

They both froze a second, then Zuko felt pain- a lot of pain in his forward right foot. He looked down to see the black blade inside his foot.

Cursing, he droped his twin blades, and shoved Sokka back, who took his sword with him. Then he sat down heavily, clenching his injury. He glared up at a dazed Sokka furiously. "You. Stabbed. All the way. Through. My. Foot!"

Sokka blinked, and stared down at him. "I'm sorry!" he said. "I was ducking your sword anyway, and I saw that your foot was unguarded, so I stuck, and.. um.. sorry?"

"You sacrificed your head for my foot?!" Zuko shouted, hoping it would force some sense into the skull that clearly was empty of it.

Meanwhile, Suki and run off, leaving Momo left behind, and as Zuko glared up at Sokka, and Sokka continued making defenses for himself, Suki came back with Katara.

"Zuko!" she exclaimed, running then kneeling next to him. She glared up at Sokka.

"Oh, not you too!" he complained. "I already apologized!"

Katara dutifully ignored him, as she spoke to Zuko. "I'm going to need to take your shoe off," she said. He nodded, and bent forward, but as he started pulling at his boot, he gasped in pain, and his vision blurred. "I said that I will need to take it off!" Then she did, after instructing Suki to hold his shoulders down, and Sokka his other leg. Then she quickly pulled it off, causing his vision to turn red, then black for a moment, before slowly returning to normal as he saw Katara's glowing hands on his bleeding foot.

Soon, the pain was all but a soreness. He sat up, glared at Sokka once more. Then thanked Katara, and stood up slowly.

"Be careful," Katara said. "I don't think you should be walking around much for the next day, both because of your foot itself, and that you're a little low on blood now." He nodded briefly to her.

Then he turned to Sokka and Suki, who had joined hands. "Well," he started with a smirk, his mood improved along with his foot. "I guess I win."

Sokka looked down dejected. Suki laughed lightly. "Even so, I think Sokka looked very.. manly out there with you." she said, resting her head on Sokka's shoulder.

Soka perked up instantly, though the smile that he gave Zuko was still a little subdued. "Yeah.. sorry about your foot Zuko- seriously."

Zuko started to glare in response, but hesitated, then sighed instead. "It's fine, I probably deserved it after your leg."

Sokka nodded agreeably which irritated Zuko. "Yeah, but still.. friends aren't supposed to hurt and maim each other- at least, I'm pretty sure that's not how it works. But then, you could ask Toph..."

"No." Zuko answered.

Sokka nodded. "No." he agreed.

Then Sokka sighed. "Well, I guess I lost this swordbending match."

Zuko nodded. "But you're still a much better swordbender than you used to be."

Sokka's eyes grew huge.

"What?" Zuko asked confused.

Suki snickered.

"What did you say I was?" Sokka asked in amazement.

"A better swordben-" Zuko's eyes widened. "A better.. a better swordsman?.." he finished weakly.

"I don't think so," Sokka said gleefully. He cleared his throat, then dramatically, "I might have lost the battle of swords, but-"

"Don't you dare finish that sentence." Zuko interrupted, glaring murderously.

Sokka's smile faded slightly. "I.. won the.. battle of words!" he finished in a hurry before taking off running away.

Zuko didn't give chase. He looked at Suki. "He is.. really annoying."

"I know." she replied. "And I love him for it."

Notes: I hoped you liked it. If so, maybe let me know? Or not. Your choice. Thank you to any of you who do. And I hope that all of you who read this, enjoyed the final chapter. If you liked this story, then maybe look at some of my others- because I have those now. :P