1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Avatar The Last Airbender belongs to its creators and Nickelodeon

Chapter 1: Disturbing Memories

A ten-year-old Prince Zuko lay in his bed onboard his small ship, staring at the large pennant of his nation. He did his hardest to fight back the tears that stung threateningly at the corners of his eyes. Gone, everything he'd grown up with was gone. His mother had disappeared only two weeks before. His cousin had died shortly before that. His Grandfather was dead, and no one seemed to know how or why. Finally, his _home_ was gone.

Young Zuko remembered the events of nearly two weeks prior. The morning after Princess Ursa had disappeared he had rushed out into the garden. There, near the pond, stood his father, then Prince Ozai. He'd called out toward his father wanting to know where she was. He'd become overtaken by his emotions at the man's silence and ran at the him, repeating his question. Before he knew what was happening he was on the ground, a bruise forming on his temple from an ornate ring. Tears had pricked his eyes.

"Stop that sniveling!" Ozai had snarled with a glare at the boy. When Zuko failed at stopping the tears, he'd rounded on the boy. He shouted, "You weak failure."

Zuko saw the fiery hand coming at him, and had barely squeezed his eyes shut when a searing pain spread through the left side of his face. He hit the ground biting his lip hard enough to draw blood to keep the gut-wrenching scream from escaping, and earning more punishment. His hands covered the area of bloody, charred carnage that had been his face.

"Ozai, what have you done?" A deep, older male voice shouted.

He'd felt strong arms scoop him up, and felt the movement of the person as they ran with him. The same voice, though now in a soothing, worried tone told him to go ahead and let it out. That there was no shame in crying after what had happened. He knew that voice, and was partially comforted by the very presence of it. It was Uncle Iroh having just returned that morning, but a part of Zuko was saddened that it wasn't his father carrying him to aide.

He'd spent the next hours in the infirmary having healers tend to his face. That night he'd had to dawn his ceremonial funeral clothes and appear with his other family members at the state funeral for his Grandfather Azulon. He'd felt embarrassed as he saw people glance or even stare at the bandages on his face, but tried to keep his head held high for the pride of his family. He looked on in shock as the high sage crowned not his uncle but his father, Fire Lord. After the funeral, his father had grabbed his arm and dragged him to the throne room. Ozai's first act as Fire Lord was to banish his own son for his weakness and disrespect.

Now here he sat, waiting to be delivered to a port in the conquered territory of the Earth Kingdom. He was never to return to the mainland of his nation, the home that he'd been born in, the home of all of his family since the first Fire Lord, Ryu, founder of the empire. Was he to ever to set one foot on its soil again, he would be executed.

Zuko was shaken from his memories, thrown to the floor by a loud explosion and the lurching of the ship. He began to hear voices shouting through the halls, and he rushed from his quarters. He had to find his uncle, find out what was happening. He ran as quickly as he could, shouts and orders flying about him sailors rushing around performing their duties as he hurried toward the deck. When he finally made it he found the deck in chaos. The catapult had been raised, the crew operating it as fast as they could. Another group was trying to put out the fires on the hull from the explosion. He saw Iroh dispensing orders and ran to him.

Iroh scowled at the Earth Kingdom boats attacking them. These weren't actual naval ships, most likely belonging to marauders just looking for a target like this. The ship was small, similar in design to the early iron hulled ships. This class was standardly used as a scout for battle groups so it would generally have more than one of the larger battleships not too far off to protect it. He supposed it was another idea of his younger brother's to degrade the boy.

These marauders had somehow gotten their hands on blasting jelly and were now using it against them. The first volley had hit above the waterline on the port side, lurching the ship and causing some fires to result. The thing that worried him was that the explosion had been relatively close to the engine room. He was giving orders as quickly as he could, but turning he noticed his ten year nephew running to him. Before he could reach him however another violent explosion rocked the ship. He hung on to one of the catapult's legs as he watched with widening eyes as Zuko went tumbling to the other side to hit the rail. He began to sigh in relief, seeing Zuko rise to his feet, when he heard shouts from below deck and the abandon ship signal echoing through the communication pipes. The last hit had damaged the boilers. Soon sailors were bursting out on deck, and finally the ship gave one last lurching groan before the boilers exploded ripping apart the insides of the ship. Iroh was pushed by the explosion's force into the water.

Zuko felt the deck below him shudder, and then thrust up. He was falling through the night. He briefly saw one of the attacking ships with his undamaged eye, and feared how close it was. The cold water of the ocean suddenly clouded his vision, and he lost all sense of direction. He twist and turned, flailing for his life. Which way was up? He had to get back to the surface. His lungs were starting to burn from lack of air. A light, he saw a light. It was from the fire engulfing the ship's remains. He kicked and pulled at the water forcing himself up. At last he broke the surface air rushing into lungs as he gasped.

He was scared out of his wits as someone grabbed the back of his collar. He was ripped from the water by a large hand, and thrown onto a wooden deck. He was still coughing up a bit of water when another pair of hands grabbed him, pulling his arms behind his back. The coarse texture of rope met his wrists, and he began struggling, trying to get away. It was no use though. The person was bigger and stronger, and he was weak from the swim. Soon he was thrown to the side bound at the wrists and ankles, but he wouldn't let that stop him. He pushed himself toward the railing. He had no idea what he was going to do, but he'd do something. He was stopped by a heavy foot on his back.

Zuko turned his head to see an ugly man smirking down at him. He turned back out toward the wreckage, and shouted, "UNCLE!" He was cut off by a hard strike to the back of his head, and he fell into the darkness of unconsciousness.

Iroh thrashed in the water trying to ascertain what was going on. He saw a lifeboat with a few of the sailors, and swam toward it. He was praying to any spirit he could think of for his nephew to be safe, and hopefully among them. The others pulled him into the boat, and his eyes darted about from face to face. No, there wasn't any sign of him. Where was he?

"Have any of you seen Prince Zuko." He asked urgently. "We must find him."

One sailor sadly said, "I think I saw him go over the other side. There was an enemy ship near there. Sir, if he hasn't drowned, I'm afraid he may have been captured or killed."

Iroh closed his eyes, tears sliding down his face. He didn't think he'd ever be able to forgive himself for what had happened in the last five weeks. First his son had died while during his siege on Ba Sing Se, and now he'd let Ursa's son die or be captured. Was this his punishment for some past misdeed?

Iroh gasped as he woke, coming quickly to a sitting position. He gazed about him, and saw, under their own blankets, the three young people he'd come to travel with. He'd been having that same dream about that night too often lately. It had come almost nightly since the group had been at the swamp. He couldn't help but wonder about what he saw among the mists of that place.

A/N: Okay, A few explanations may be necessary for this. I'll explain how Iroh joined the gang in the next chapter, and what he saw in the swamp. As I think you can tell this will begin during 'The Blind Bandit.'


	2. The Journey

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar.

A/N: Alright, before this begins I need to put a few things straight. I changed some of the ages so this worked better. Aang and Iroh are still their same respective ages. Toph will be thirteen because making her any older would hurt the general feeling of her character. Everyone else is about two years older; Zuko is 18, Sokka is 17, Katara id 16, etc. It still the year Sozin's Comet comes but just think of it as everyone was born two years earlier than they did in the show.

Chapter 2: The Journey

Iroh gazed about at the three young people as they went about their daily habits while he waited for the water for his tea to boil. Aang, the twelve year old Avatar, sat over by his bison performing some kind of airbending trick with a couple marbles for the lemur sitting on his head trying to snatch them from midair. Sokka was sitting on the bank of the stream they had stopped by, his fishing line lazily hanging in the water. Finally, his eyes came to Katara, looking over the scrolls from Master Pakku. He'd met few young ladies like her. At the age of sixteen, practically seventeen now, she had compassion nearly beyond measure, but a temper that could rival any firebender's.

They were all fine young people, and he cherished his time among them. However, the dreams he'd been having recently caused him to think back on the events of the past eight years, particularly about that night he'd lost his nephew. After the incident the others and he had gathered all the survivors, provisions, and gear they could, and began a long journey of island hopping in the lifeboats to reach the closest Fire Nation port. One of the things he'd been able to find among the wreckage was his nephew's rucksack, which contained the boy's most prized possessions. The truth was that Iroh still kept those items with him in some slim, almost nonexistent chance that he may yet find out what happened to Zuko. He thought of those items, the pearl dagger, a small pouch of tin Fire Nation soldiers, and a book that his mother's father had given him.

After the survivors had reached the port, Iroh had rest there for a week, and sent word to his brother of what happened. After that he had set out alone into the Earth Kingdom to either find his nephew or die. He'd spent the next few years traveling about the continent before settling in a village with an attractive mature woman who worked as a fortuneteller. He'd run a small teashop there, and spent much of his free time regaling others with stories. He remembered how most of the children would refer to him as Uncle Iroh, the storyteller.

Eventually the Avatar and his friends had come to the village, and he'd tried to cajole the young Water Tribesman, as he grew more flabbergasted by the peoples' belief in the fortuneteller, Aunt Wu. Even he had been rather surprised by Katara's seeming _need_ to know everything about her future. In all the years Iroh had been in the village he'd never gotten his fortune told, often saying that the only mystery left in his life he wanted to keep just that, a mystery. He'd also kept the fact that he was a firebender a secret until the eruption of the volcano. The ditch wasn't enough, and he gotten to the ledge first. With a deep breath and a thrusting out of both arms he'd separated the lava flow and turned it back on itself. After that the villagers seemed to avoid him, some even throwing glares at him. It was Aunt Wu who proposed the idea of Iroh teaching Aang firebending.

He had been with them when they'd met Jeong Jeong. The former admiral had refused their being there, but eventually privately told Iroh Avatar Roku wanted him to teach Aang. Iroh had watched the two, and saw early on that there were problems between them. The man was too used with dealing with disciplined soldiers, or at the very least firebender teens, who were taught discipline with their gift from the first showing of it. He had been off arguing with Jeong Jeong when the boy had accidentally burned Katara, and had been with her and Jeong Jeong when she'd discovered her healing abilities. He hadn't said anything to any of them, but he'd felt a slight surge of irritation at the admiral's detesting words about their own element.

He'd been with them at the North Pole during Zhao's attack. He'd aided Katara in fighting Zhao and his men when they'd come for the moon spirit and attempted to take the Avatar. He had explained that Yue, having a piece of the moon spirit could and had to give it back. After watching the tearful goodbye between she and Sokka, he rushed out of the oasis to see the remains of his people's armada. He stared on with eyes filled with fright as the ocean spirit reached forth from the canals and dragged Zhao down into the dark, frigid depths. While Zhao deserved to be taken down and punished, Iroh still couldn't think of a worst way for a firebender to go. After all, it was the execution method for traitors, weaklings, and cowards deemed unworthy of a death by fire or steel.

He had been with Katara in her disapproval of General Fong's idea to force the Avatar State He didn't know much about the complexities of it, but he knew trifling with the spirits in any form was a bad idea. He'd spent most of the Avatar day sitting outside the bars of the cell, talking and sharing tea with not just Aang but all the prisoners. He'd heard of General Chin before, even studying some of the man's strategies and tactics. The ironic thing he found about that day had been that neither side gave the entire truth of the long dead general. He'd actually united nearly the entire Earth Kingdom into a single nation, rather than the many city-states such as Omashu. Few even realized that the current Earth Kingdom Army was the one he had established.

At Omashu, or rather New Ozai, he'd done his best to keep his niece busy, and allowed Aang to speak with Bumi and the siblings to deal with Azula's friends. He couldn't quite help the smirk at how the statue of his brother had been damaged when had to redirect the girl's lightning. He had accepted the news of the old king's decision the easiest, as the only one in the group to truly understand neutral jin.

Finally, his mind came to the events of the swamp. An unseen force had caused Appa to go down toward the canopy, and then they'd been hit with a small cyclone. Iroh had risen from the moss that he'd fallen into, brushing the offending foliage from his robes. He'd looked about for his young companions, but they were nowhere in site. He'd decided to settle himself down onto a fallen log, remembering an old adage about how if you sit in one place long enough everyone in the world will pass you by. He'd sat there humming for a few minutes when he'd heard faint voices. He'd called out, but got no response. He walked over toward where the voices were, and instantly stopped as he pushed aside the bushes and overly grown grass.

It was as if his memories had taken form in the mists of this place. Before him, against a tree sat Ursa holding a sleeping, year old Azula. She was smiling and softly chuckling as she watched the two people in the clearing. A young man in Fire Nation armor with a three point flame headpiece stood going through his drills, and beside him was a three year old boy trying to imitate everything the other did. This had been a day years ago when his son had just joined the military, and he was going to see Lu Ten off to his first posting. He'd come across this scene then to great joy and amusement, but this time he'd felt remorse for not protecting both of those boys.

He was shocked further when Ursa had disappeared with the baby, and the two boys changed. Zuko was suddenly ten with a bandage over the left side of his face. Lu Ten looked as he had the morning of the battle in which he had died. The scariest part was that they turned and looked straight at him.

"Help me." Zuko said with a pleading look as he slowly vanished from sight.

Lu Ten had given him a sad smile, but as he spoke it turned to concern. He said, "Father, please, there is no need to be so sad about my death. I died with honor in that battle, but he may not be so lucky. Mother and I are content to wait. He's the one that needs you now."

"But where is he?"

Lu Ten smiled mischievously, "Just keep your eyes open." Then he too vanished.


	3. The Blind Bandit and The Fire Nation Kid

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar

Chapter 3: The Blind Bandit and The Fire Nation Kid

"We should be reaching Gaoling in the morning. Perhaps we can find an earthbending teacher for you there, Aang." Katara said as sat down by the fire, looking at the map they'd gotten at the fort. She glanced at Iroh who seemed lost in thought, and asked, "Are you alright?"

His head snapped up, and he gave his embarrassed, goofy grin. He answered, "Oh yes, I'm fine. I guess I just kind of dozed off or something. I've been having a bit off trouble sleeping lately. Perhaps a bit off ginseng before bed would be of help."

She frowned as she came to sit beside him. "I didn't want to say anything, but I don't think you've had a good night sleep since before we ended up in the swamp."

Aang came back into the saddle from Appa's head. "She has a point. Even when you've taken a nap, you've tossed and turned. What did you see in the swamp anyway?"

"Aang!" Katara reprimanded. "He told us then that he didn't want to share what he saw."

"Thank you, Katara." Iroh smiled. "And as I said, Aang, there are some things that are just too private to share."

The next morning they came to the city of Gaoling. The place was bustling as the group made their way through the crowded marketplace. The others were amused, and a little frustrated in Katara's case, by Sokka's overly dramatic show with the bag. They'd gotten a coupon for a lesson at a Master Yu's earthbending school, but that had seemed a waste of time, as Aang hadn't actually gotten to learn anything.

Afterwards, a brief encounter with two boys had led them to an event called the Earth Rumble. They'd been rather hesitant at first, but Aang's enthusiasm to find a teacher had swayed the others rather easily. The event was held in a rather large underground arena, and it wasn't until a boulder had crashed into the forward stands that the three understood why Iroh had taken a seat in the rear rows. After a few bouts a tall muscular man, the one running the event, came out into ring.

Xi Fu announced, "And now ladies and gentlemen, we bring back for your entertainment …the Fire Nation Kid!"

There was an eruption of boos, jeers, and contemptuous shouts from all over the stands, and yet, it appeared as if they were eager perhaps even exited to see this fighter. Katara again had to roll her eyes at her brother's overenthusiastic shouts about the matches. As they watched the gate for competitors was opened, and there stood three men. The two to either side, big powerfully built earthbenders, held chains tightly leading to the third man, connected to shackles on his wrists and ankles.

The man was quite different from the other two. Though while obviously powerfully built in his own way, the man was lean and seemed to show a few signs of malnutrition. He wore merely a pair of red pants used in Agni Kais, and the faceplate from a firebender's helmet was strapped to his face. His long, unkempt black hair was pulled roughly into a messy topknot, and there was scruffy hair along his jaw line and cheeks. Three of the four, minus Sokka of course, took almost horrified note of the signs of previous beatings along he man's exposed upper body, some recent, others years old. He was led out onto the ring, never flinching as spectators threw assorted objects at him.

Xi Fu continued, "That right, it's the beast that everyone loves to hate! As a reminder we'll be putting stone bindings on his arms and legs so that we can stop him if this fire-breathing monster tries to harm the crowd." The metal shackles were removed and stone ones without chains put in their place. "Now, welcome to the ring, the fighter who says he'll take this runt down in a minute flat, Mongo!"

A large, overweight, giants of a man came into the ring to the cheers and applause of the crowd. After waving and playing a bit for the audience, Mongo walked right up to the Kid, and looked down at him with an evil smile. Mongo stood at least another half body over his opponent, yet the Kid barely even acted as if there were someone else near him.

"Let's rumble!" Xi Fu shouted as he jumped out of the ring.

Mongo wasted no time and grabbed the Kid by his topknot, lifting him from the ground. He'd then reared his arm back for a powerful blow to the gut. However, as the large fist came forward, it was as if the Kid awoke. He swung his hand up with a small trace of flame, cutting through the hair, and fell onto his feet in time so the fist only touched singed hair. He lunged forward into the man's sizable gut, driving in with his shoulder. Mongo was sent falling back, causing a loud flopping thud as he hit the ground with the Kid on top of him.

Mongo recovered quickly and used both hands to send the Kid flying off. As he got to his feet he saw his smaller opponent do a back roll into a standing position as he hit the ground. Mongo began to use his bending to pull small boulders up from the ground and launch them. The kid began to move only to find that his feet were stuck. He glanced down to see small stone ropes coming from the ground and into the shackles on his legs. He'd expected this, but not so soon. He lashed out with his flames diverting the boulders paths and speed enough for him to just lean to dodge them. He'd tried to get them all, but one finally got through, hitting his shoulder. This had allowed others to get through, the last one catching him in the gut.

As he fell to his knees, he glanced down to see the small stone ropes release. This was it. He fell onto his hands and knees, gasping for air, and watching the shadow approach him, bigger than usual. Mongo now stood above the Kid with a boulder that was larger than the ones he'd sent flying, ready to slam it down. Suddenly, a blast of fire surged up from the slits in the faceplate. Mongo stumbled back in shock, and felt a warm impact on the side of his legs, tripping him. As he fell, so did the boulder, and it landed on his gut knocked the air out of him so hard he lost consciousness.

Xi fu and the two earthbenders rushed forward, quickly reattaching the metal shackles, and all at once it was as if the fighter in the Kid fell asleep once more. He was led off back through the gate to an exit similar to his entrance. Mongo was quickly taken out in the same direction by another pair of men, and Xi fu came back into the ring.

"Sorry about that folks! I guess he got a bit lucky today, but not to worry because that filth won't stand a chance in the next round when he fights THE BOULDER!" he called out to the crowd, who cheered for the upcoming chance to see the Kid get beaten.

Iroh commented, "I 'd like to be down as close as I can get the next time that young man fights."

Aang asked, "But didn't they say that would be dangerous?"

The old man smiled, "Not to worry, my young friend, they also said they had him bound so he couldn't harm the crowd."

"Are you interested in that fighter because he's Fire Nation?" Katara asked quietly.

"His movements were slow and his strikes were…unusual. It's possible that it was the bindings, but I can't be sure from here" he explained. He silent continued, '_And_ I thought that I saw something. Something only one firebender that age would have.'

The fights continued one after another, and Sokka was loving every minute of it. He had even been trying to get Aang in on it, and worst of all it was working. The boy was hopping right next to him, enjoying the cheering much more than the fights. Katara was trying to hide her face from the looks their group was getting from the people around them. Soon enough the Boulder came back to the ring, and the Fire Nation Kid was again led out.

The four moved down to the front row as the fight was about begin. The Boulder was giving some absurd speech, constantly referring to himself in the third person. The two fighters began out slowly, but quickly increased pace as the Kid started in with a savage assault. He had the Boulder on the defensive, constantly attacking and moving in toward the over muscled fool. At least that is until a point where the Kid just stopped. Iroh had noticed a similar thing in the fight with Mongo. The Kid had just stopped moving and stood there, but now he could see the stone ropes connecting the shackles to ground.

He watched as the Kid did his best to fight off the bigger man, but without being able to move from his spot it was a losing battle. The boulder finally brought up a section behind his opponent knocking him forward. He wouldn't get back up in the fight. The manacles at his wrists were now fused to the ground. The Kid pulled at the bindings trying to get up but it was even more useless then fighting without moving his feet. It was obvious Iroh wasn't the only one to notice as Katara gasped, and was about to pull out her waterskin. He'd put his hand on her arm to stop her. Now was not a time to act, no matter how much even he wanted to. Then Iroh saw it, the Kid's left ear or rather a burnt stub of one.

Iroh watched as he was kicked down flat to the ground, stomped on, had large rocks dropped on him, and punched. All to the deafening cheers of crowd. Yet, even as the blows rained down on him the Kid struggled back up as far as he could get. They watched as small drops of blood dripped from slits that had earlier unleashed a plume of flame. Finally, the Boulder smashed one last rock on his back, and after a short struggle to get up; the Kid's head fell to the ground. Seeing that his opponent wasn't moving, the Boulder let out a victorious shout as he strutted about the ring to the thunderous applause and shouts of appreciation, including Sokka's.

Xi fu and the two men came up to the body. After a quick check over, one of the men nodded to Xi fu, and the crowd watched as the two dragged the young man out through the gate.

Xi fu smiled, "The winner, and moving on to fight the champion, the Boulder!" After the crowd calmed a bit he continued, "I'm actually happy to say the Fire Nation Kid is still alive. Which of course means we get to see him lose again to one of our great earthbenders!" This was met by another round of cheering and laughter. "Now let's get on to the main event. Welcome to the ring, your champion, The Blind Bandit!"

To the group's surprise, a young girl no older than thirteen came jumping out onto the ring. She had a smirk as if she had already won. Her green eyes were unfocused and clouded over, a sure sign that her name was there for a reason. She walked straight up to the Boulder and indicated for him to lean down. They could not tell what she said to him, but there was a look of shock on his face as she turned away. He had started blurting out about her being so much shorter and younger. As it ended out the young girl won within a minute or two.

Aang's face had broken out in a smile upon seeing her. He started pulling at the others, whispering, "That's her! That's the girl I saw in the swamp! I get it now. She's the one who'll teach me earthbending."

When the challenge went out, he jumped out saying that he was going to talk to the blind girl. Before he knew what was happening he was in a match against her, and the only thing saving him was his bending letting him float a few inches off the ground so she couldn't pinpoint him exactly. He'd blown a burst of air at her that had knocked out of the ring, winning him the championship belt. Unfortunately, she had left before they were able to talk to her.

Late afternoon that day found the four on the side of a road in town discussing what they saw, or rather three were. Sokka was a bit more worried about how he looked with the belt and bag. They were talking about the blind girl versus what Aang had seen in the swamp. It had been those boys from earlier that they had told them about the Bei Fong family and its crest.

"Alright then, let's see about getting over there so we can see about getting me an earthbending teacher!" Aang practically shouted in joy.

"I'm afraid I cannot join you on this task, Aang." Iroh said.

The twelve year old turned, "But why not?"

Iroh looked up toward the sky and said in an almost relieved tone, "I have some business with the Fire Nation Kid. You go on and get your teacher, I'll meet up with you later."

With that he began to walk off in another direction until he was stopped by Katara's worried voice. She called out, "Wait, what if it's not safe?"

He smiled over his shoulder, "I promise you that I have nothing to fear from that young man."

She saw the look in his old eyes, and asked, "Would you mind some company?"

"Now what kind of gentleman would I be if I turned down the company of a beautiful young lady?"

Aang turned toward her, his eyes wide in surprise and hurt. He asked, "But Katara, w-what about me, I mean us? What if we need you to help convince this girl to teach me?"

She came up to him, placed a hand on his head, and said, "You'll be fine. You and Sokka can handle this without me. All you have to do is talk to this girl. Iroh though may need some help with this guy. Besides we'll catch up with you afterwards, okay?"

Aang still had a kind of depressed look about him, but said, "Yeah, I guess, but it won't be the same."

"Trust me, you'll be fine." She assured him, and a light, short peck on the top of his head before walking off with Iroh. She missed the frown on his face from being treated like her child or kid brother. He wanted to be so much more.

"Come on, Aang, let's get a move on." Sokka said as he guided the boy down the road.

Iroh and Katara had returned to the arena and started asking questions about where they could find the Fire Nation Kid. It had taken a little bit, but one of the younger men had finally told them what they needed to know. They'd reached the point on the edge of the city. It figured it would be the opposite side than where they'd landed. There was a small shack about twenty yards from a grinding mill. Long wooden poles stuck out from the sides of the stone mill, remnants of grains that had been ground lay in the dirt around its base. An older man sat at a table near the shack, a few pieces of parchment and an abacus before him. From one of the poles hung a chain with a black haired body lying in the dirt at the other end.

Rather than approaching the body, Iroh led them over to the man at the table. He greeted the man with his usual smile, "Ah, hello my good sir. How are you this fine day?"

The man looked up and nodded his head to them. He replied, "I have no real complaints. Is there something you two want?"

Iroh continued, "Well, my young friend here and I are new to this area, just arriving this morning. We took in that delightful competition earlier. The Earth Rumble I believe they called it. We saw that beastly firebender they had there, and we were extremely curious as to how they came about getting him. The only response we could get was to come down here."

The old man indicated the other chairs at the table, and they sat down. He said, "It happened about eight years ago, I think. A friend of the boss's sank a small Fire Nation ship, and took the boy along with any gear they could get."

Katara frowned, "So they were pirates."

The man smiled ruefully, "Lass, I can see that you're from the Water Tribes, and I'm telling you that our people aren't any different. Those Water Tribe boats out there somewhere have been 'pirating' as you say, for years. They attack the enemy, and they see stuff they can use, so they take it."

Iroh patted Katara's hand to calm her and keep her from responding. He coaxed, "Please you were telling us about the firebender, yes?"

He nodded, "Right, right, right, anyway, I got to say I was surprised when they brought him in. He couldn't have been older than ten or eleven, but he kicked, and struggled as hard as any adult I've seen. We used to have a whole group of them here, but it was still strange seeing that kid, maybe half their size chained up among them."

"A whole group?" Iroh inquired.

"About a dozen of them at any given time over the last twenty years, but with the way the war has been going we haven't been able to get anymore. You can see where they're all buried over there." He pointed to a grouping of rocks that each had a name carved on it.

Again Katara spoke up, "You're talking about those people as if they're…pieces of meat!"

He waved off the comment, "Please, those fire rats do the same thing, but they call them prisoners of war. At least we call them what they are, slaves."

"Of course, but can you tell us more about what he's chained to and what's happened these past eight years." Iroh said civilly with a friendly smile. However, Katara could tell from her glance at him that it was forced.

"Sure. What happens is that the local farmers will bring their grain here to be ground for a fee. That was actually what I've been trying to figure out, the schedule for whose grain we're milling for the next week." He said gesturing to his papers. "Anyway, between you and me, I've actually got a bit of a soft spot for the kid. He had a lot of spunk, and I've got to give those guys credit. Their damnable pride and honor was something to see. The first day he was here we had to beat the guy next to him, and he got in the way, saying that if we wanted to hurt the man we had to get through him. And some of our men took him at his word, so there were times I watched the kid, out cold, being dragged by his chains. Then when any of them died they'd never let us touch them. A couple of them would be disconnected from their place on the pole, and burn and bury the body."

Iroh commented, "You said that he _had_ spunk?"

The man sighed, "Yeah, about eight or nine months ago the last one other than him keeled over. After that, well, he just seemed to go numb. In fact the only times he seems to get it back is during the fights."

Katara gasped, "You mean that he's pretty much been alone for almost a year?"

"There is that girl that tends to talk to him between bouts at the rumble, but pretty much, yeah." He answered.

Iroh continued, "About that, how did you all come to use him in the fights?"

He nodded, "That was Xi fu, the boss's, idea about four years ago. The kid was allowed off the pole for an hour a week to practice, and was thrown into the ring against a man twice his size. He never stood a chance."

Iroh stood and walked over to the man, and gave a polite bow. He said, "I wish to thank you for your time, and say that if we ever meet again I'd like to share a pot of tea, perhaps over a game of pai sho. You seem a decent enough man, and I apologize for this." With that his hand lashed out, striking the man a few times, and he fell forward onto the table.

Katara looked at Iroh as she rose from the table. She asked, "Y-you didn't kill him, did you?"

As he was about to respond, the man slumped over onto the table let out a loud, rumbling snore. Iroh smiled, "Well, I guess that answers that. Now, please we must hurry."

He rushed over toward the body as quickly as he could, Katara in his wake. He sank to his knees by the young man's side, and rolled him over. He was wearing a pair of old tattered green pants that only went half way down his lower legs, and the similar shirt was moth eaten and missing a sleeve while the other didn't even reach his elbow. There was some dried blood in the short scruffy beard, and his messy hair was now unbound.

Now Katara saw the harsh red scar that covered the left side of the person's face.

Iroh shook him, "Zuko! Zuko please wake up! You have to wake up now!"

'He knows this guy? No wonder he wants to help him so badly.' She thought as he continued to shake the man now known as Zuko. 'I wonder how though, he's too young to have served under Iroh.'

Finally his eyes fluttered open slightly, and Iroh let go of him. However, as soon as he looked at them, particularly Iroh, he closed them. He muttered, his voice soft and raspy, "Not again. I didn't think they hit me that hard this time."

"Zuko, please, open your eyes." He pleaded.

"You're not real, you're not real. You're just another hallucination." He cracked his good eye open, but then closed it. "The girl's a new touch, but I figured I'd imagine a girl I knew." He let out what they supposed was as close to a laugh as he could get. "As if I'd want to imagine one of her friends."

Iroh grabbed his wrists pulling Zuko so that he was looking at him. He asked earnestly, "If I was a hallucination would you be able to feel me?"

Katara watched as Zuko's eyes widened as his hands moved to Iroh, feeling the man's hands and robes. She saw the water gather in his right eye as he asked, "Y-y-you're real? It's really you this time?" At Iroh's nod she had to step back as the young man wrapped his arms about him, knocking him back into a sitting position. His voice was cracked as he cried, "Uncle! I, I'd given up hope."

She was knocked back another step at that revelation. This young man was Iroh's nephew, but he'd never mentioned him in all the group's time together. He'd mentioned the fact that he'd put himself into a sort of self-imposed exile for doing something unforgivable. Then it came to her, the sunken ship he'd mentioned that once. That was what was unforgivable, losing his nephew that night.

Iroh a hand on his nephew's shoulder and the other on his head, tears in his own eyes said, "I doubt that. If you'd truly given up hope you wouldn't have been having those hallucinations."

She moved forward as she decided that they should get moving. She thought and quickly ran back to the old man at the table, and grabbed the keys that hung at his belt. Soon she was unlocking the shackles binding Zuko to the pole, and gasped at the raw skin underneath. Katara didn't have time to react as she was pulled into a tight embrace with the taller man muttering a thank you. Her face was bright red until she caught his smell and pushed him back.

"Oh La, you stink." She complained.

Now his face went red. He shouted, "You try being chained up for, for…however long I have, and we'll see how good you smell!"

"This is not the time for this. We can deal with my nephew's stench later. But for now we need to get going." Iroh said, pulling the two off in the way he and Katara had come.

"Wait, Uncle, I have to do something first." Zuko said as he pulled away. He ran back toward the graves, and bowed before them on his knees, head almost touching the ground. He spoke to the graves, "Thank you all so much. I wouldn't have made it if it weren't for each of you. I will never forget any of you."

Iroh had come up beside him. Hearing the other's words he, bowed in respect of their fellow countrymen. He said, "I too thank you all for watching out for my nephew. I will always think of you with honor."

With that the three headed out to find the two boys, and possibly the one's new earthbending teacher.

Aang and Sokka weren't having much luck. They had found the mansion belonging to the Bei Fong family, but they had been refused entrance. They had tried a couple of schemes to get past the guards but all had failed. Eventually, it had come down to just climbing over the wall, where they had immediately been captured by the person they sought. But rather than the tough looking earthbender they had seen at the Rumble, she was standing there in the dress her image had worn in the swamp.

The encounter went both good and bad after she had released them. The girl had introduced herself as Toph, but had refused to teach Aang. They'd argued a bit, and finally she had called the guards as one of her parents had come looking for her. To her displeasure, rather than being booted out, when her parents learned that Aang was the Avatar the two were invited to dinner. Throughout that Aang was trying to talk about her being in the Earth Rumble and how good she was, only to be interrupted by some _accident_. Dinner had come to an end when the two had apparently disgusted the parents. The two had snuck back in a second time after being shown out, and again Aang tried to convince her.

"Come on, please, our other friends are going to meet up with us soon." He pleaded as they stood in the gardens of the mansion.

Toph crossed her arms and asked, "Oh and where did they run off to?"

Sokka scoffed, "They're off seeing that stupid Fire Nation brat."

Toph's expression turned curious, "You mean Mopey?"

"Who?" the two boys asked.

"Mopey." She replied. "You know, that firebender at the Rumble. They chain him to the wall between matches, so I started talking to him then. He used to be Sparky, but a while ago he went all depressed. That's why I call him Mopey, but I got to say I'd like to have Sparky back. He was the first to treat me like anybody else."

Before any of them had a chance to say anything more two iron came down on top of Aang and Toph, scooping them up. Sokka ran forward, but was stopped and thrown back by one of the fighters from the Earth Rumble. He looked up to see Xi Fu and a few more of the earthbenders lift the cages and carry them away, leaving only a short ransom note. He took the note to Toph's father, who immediately blamed Aang and Sokka for putting his daughter in peril, and summoned Master Yu.

Sokka ran off to find the others, and nearly ran Katara down in the street in his hurried state. He was quickly explaining the situation until he saw the person standing next to Iroh. He gawked, "This, this isn't who I think it is, is it? Come on, he's a firebender. How could bring him with you?"

Iroh smiled, "Sokka, meet my dear nephew, Zuko. Zuko, this is Sokka, Katara's brother and one of the boys we were telling you about."

"_Nephew_?"

Katara shook her head, "Lets just get going! We have to save Aang and Toph!"

Sokka exclaimed, "Wait a minute, if he's Iroh's nephew, then that means he's…" But he was too late.

The three quickly followed after her, racing through the night toward the underground arena. When they arrived they found Mr. Bei Fong and Master Yu already entering, a servant carrying the box with the ransom. They followed just after the two men, just far enough back as not to be noticed. They came in at the top of the stand and saw the two cages hanging high over the ring. There were bangs and shouts from both of them, but one was distinctly more obscene. It was a mad rush as the four moved forward, Katara and Sokka sending out his boomerang and her water whip toward the latches on the cage bottoms. Iroh and Zuko ran for the lower section and pulled the two men back.

In no time Aang grabbed the back of Toph's shirt as they fell, using his bending to slow their descent. Zuko was already in the ring as they touched ground, glaring at the fighters who had beaten him down in four years of fixed fights. Toph practically threw Aang away, yelling that she didn't need any help, and ran over beside Zuko falling into a fighting stance.

"You get on out of here too, Mopey. I don't need any help from you either to take these idiots down." She said.

"And let you have all the fun?"

"I don't _need _help!"

"I know that, but how about you let a friend fight at your side." He smirked. "Besides I'm only after one of them. You can have the rest."

Now she smirked, "Xi Fu? Forget it, he's mine. I'm going to teach him what it means to mess with me."

"Alright then, first one to him gets to beat the crap out of him."

Toph's smirk grew to a full-fledged devilish grin, "I think I can live with that. You still remember what I used to tell you."

"As if you'd let me forget." He snorted.

"You better believe it. Oh, and it's nice to have you back…Sparky."

Iroh had held the others back guiding them back to the stands as his nephew and the young girl charged forth into the group of fighters. They watched as the two fought through the large men fiercely. Toph was using her bending and making her opponents look like amateurs. She was catching or deflecting their attacks, and was sending them flying, piling them up outside the ring. Zuko was moving far faster than he had during the rumble, now free of the heavy stone or metal bindings. Iroh saw that same reckless, driving method of fighting the young man used, and while there were the fundamentals of modern firebending, but it actually resembled the very old forms that had died out. The forms that had emulated the great dragons that moved forward no matter what obstacle stood in their path.

Finally, he had knocked a man down near the other end of the ring where he saw Xi Fu standing at the entrance of a tunnel. Rising to his feet, Zuko rushed forward at him. Xi Fu had been in charge of the grinding mill as well as these fights. He was the one to truly control those blasted shackles. The one that had made sure he had gotten beaten to a pulp so many times. Xi Fu had personally taken part in beating not just him but all the others tied to that damned wheel. He had seen them as nothing but filth that he could use to make some money. Zuko's fists and flames flew as fast and as hard as he could get them to. He wasn't giving the man any chance to return any of the blows, but his savage left a number of openings. Zuko could feel himself getting tired from this prolonged fight, as by now he'd have been forced down.

Toph could feel the weakening of her friend, and quickly sent the last of her opponents flying onto the hill of bruised and battered bodies she'd made. She turned toward the two just as Zuko came flying back onto the ring, a large outcropping of rock extruding from the ground where he'd been. Xi Fu, with bruises and burns covering him, was stomping forward with boulders each hand.

Toph came up beside Zuko, who was pushing himself to his feet. She said, "You idiot, I told you he was mine. Just stay down, and let me handle this."

"No, not yet" he grunted. "I'm not finished yet."

She raised an eyebrow as if he were crazy, and said, "Yeah, you are."

"No, I'm not." He said as he finally got to his feet.

"Yes you are!"

"No, I'm not!"

"You are!"

"Am not!"

"ARE!"

"NOT!"

"Can I interrupt?" Xi Fu asked as he stood over the arguing teenagers.

"NO!" the two shouted and turned toward him in unison. Immediately they both kicked out, sending out large bursts of each of their elements. The man was sent hurtling into the far wall, sticking for a second before falling to the ground in a heap. The two immediately turned back to each other, "I'm the one that beat him!"

They were stopped from any further arguing by the clapping of an elderly man sitting the stands. Iroh called out with a smile, "Very impressive! A bit childish, but very impressive, both of you!"

After that Toph was forced to return home as her father ranted and raved about how dangerous the world was for her. Zuko had been kept silent by his uncle, as the girl was pretty much pulled away. Katara and Sokka looked on as the girl was taken, bidding goodbye to the prospective addition to their group. Aang was trying to convince Mr. Bei Fong, but he wasn't even paying attention to the boy. Then she was gone, and all that was left was the introductions for the now second oldest member of the group.

Not terribly long later the group was finishing loading their gear into the saddle on Appa's back. Iroh was trying to explain the experience of flight to his somewhat reluctant nephew. Sokka was still trying to figure out why they even bringing Zuko, and Katara was tying down the gear, giggling at the faces the new member was making at his uncle's words. Aang was looking off kind of depressed at having failed at getting an earthbending teacher. They were about to lift off when they heard a voice calling.

"Wait up for me!"

They turned, "Toph!"

"So, is the job opening still free?" she asked.

Aang smiled down from Appa's head, "Of course it is." Then his face grew confused. "What about your parents?"

She shrugged, "It took a little doing, but they finally saw it my way." The others missed the look Iroh and Zuko shared. "Lets get going, and don't worry. I can pay my own way." She held up a moderate sack of coins.

"Where'd you get all that?" Sokka asked.

She scoffed, "You think my parents would let me go without some support?"

"You too, huh?" Zuko smirked, pulling out an even larger sack of coins.

Iroh and some of the others gasped. Iroh asked, "When did you…"

"Back at the arena. Consider it eight years worth of back pay straight from Xi Fu's personal stash." The other's seemed content with that, after all that sack contained more money than they'd ever had on their journey.

That was how the gang gained not just one but two new members.


	4. Of Scars and Energies

Disclaimer: Avatar does not belong to me

A/N: At last, some Zutara interaction. Enjoy!

Chapter 4: Of Scars and Energies

Katara turned back to gaze at the other sleeping occupants in the saddle as she took a break from examining their map. Even in the pale light of the moon she could easily see them. Aang was in his usual place on Appa's head, reclined against the soft fur of his back. Sokka was glaring at one of their newest companions with his club in his hand, while warding off his fatigue but failing. Lying back against the gear tied down at the back of the saddle, her hands folded behind her head, was Toph. The blind girl had been rather boisterous about being removed from her element and truly being blinded, but she had calmed some as she began to doze. Her eyes then settled on the group's two firebenders. Iroh was sleeping peacefully for the first time in weeks, a small smile on his snoring face. Then there was his nephew beside him, surreptitiously hanging onto one of the ropes tied across the gear.

Katara couldn't help the amused smile from pulling at her lips as she saw the look on Zuko's face. His expression was a mix of his own exhaustion from the day's events, the weariness felt at being so high in the sky for the first time, and that Fire Nation pride causing him to try and hide the other two. Really, she wasn't entirely sure how she could tell those through the shaggy hair on his head and face, and briefly wondered what he'd look like with them.

She said. "It's okay, everyone is a bit unnerved their first flight. You'll get used to it in no time."

He replied, trying to keep from looking over the edge of the saddle, "It's so different from the wolf horses or komodo rhinos that I used ride."

"Well there's nothing to worry about. You really should try to get some sleep, and we'll all still be here when you wake up."

As he began to lie down as much as he could he commented, "You should take your own advice, dream girl. You as tired as anyone else."

With that she gave him a curious look, but shrugged it off as she remembered his words about Iroh and she being hallucinations. She shook her head as she lay down against the pommel at the front of the saddle. She gave one last glance at the three in the back of the saddle, Iroh with Toph on his left and Zuko on his right. They almost looked like a small family unto themselves, and this made her think of her father and grandmother. She could hardly wait for the war to be over so she could be with both of them again.

Appa set down not long before sunrise near a small lake fed by a series of pooling streams. They set up their camp in a clearing of the surrounding woods in sight of the lake's shore. Toph had refused any help down, and jumped into the dirt with great joy at being reunited with the ground. Most of the others chuckled and laughed at the earthbender's antics, but they continued setting up their temporary camp.

Katara commented while looking at the supplies, "Well, I suppose we have enough tents if everyone doesn't mind sharing. Aang and Sokka can bunk together, then Iroh and Zuko, and finally me and…"

"Actually, you can sleep by yourself, Sugar Queen." Toph interrupted as she brought up two rock slabs to form an A-frame tent. "See, I told you all that I can take care of myself."

Katara's eye twitched as she asked, "What did you call me?"

Sensing the tension building Iroh chose the better part of valor, and grabbed his nephew's arm. He said, "Come Zuko, as Katara wisely suggested yesterday we shall get you cleaned up. I believe I saw a number of pools where you can bathe." He slung his rucksack over his shoulder and turned to the aforementioned young lady. "Katara, would it be possible for you to come over in say about an hour to see about any wounds."

Instantly she had snapped out of her annoyed state brought on by the new girl, and looked at the two. Remembering the beatings Zuko got at the Earth Rumble, she answered, "Yes, of course, but why so long?"

" Looking at that shaggy mess on his head, I'd say a shave and haircut will take a bit, not to mention how long he'll have to scrub to smell decent again." Iroh smiled innocently.

"UNCLE!" Zuko huffed, crossing his arms and turned away to hide his face as it went as red as the Fire Nation flag.

To save his nephew a little pride, Iroh pushed the boy off in the direction of the pools. When the two were out of sight Katara went back to questioning Toph, but that was going nowhere by the minute. The boys were doing their best to escape the increasing bickering. Sokka was trying to sneak off with his fishing pole, taking long tiptoeing steps. Aang, who had at first wanted to break the argument up, was soon hiding on the other of Appa. He'd like to find out when the younger of the two was going to start teaching him earthbending, but he'd learned a while ago that Katara could be terrifying when angry. He'd figured he could hit her soft spot with a good pouting expression, but that would be of no use against his blind teacher. In the end, he'd settled into Appa's side, stuffing a bit of his fur into his ears to muffle the arguing voices.

An hour later Katara was walking toward the pools, grumbling to herself about a stubborn, self-centered earthbender. She had been arguing with the girl for nearly the entire hour, both voicing their opinions about what they thought on their various topics. At least, that was the polite way she would later refer to the situation. She soon found Iroh sitting on a log with his small teapot on a rock in front of him, a steaming cup in his hand. She'd seen that trick before, where he just used his bending rather than an actual fire to make tea. The strange thing was that she didn't see his nephew anywhere.

"Iroh, where's Zu…" She was interrupted as the object of her inquiry popped out of the water, rising so the water was at his navel.

Iroh smirked, "Right there."

Katara just gazed on in shocked awe at the young man in front of her as he shook the excess water out of his face and hair. When he stopped and looked at her, she began to feel a strange sensation in her core. He was now clean-shaven, his jaw line smooth and angled, and his hair was cut short, standing up a bit on top. Her eyes drifted down of their own accord, and began a slow journey up his lean, scarred, and bruised form. She came to a halt as her cerulean eyes met his amber gold ones, and that sensation flared.

'This is ridiculous! I've seen half naked boys before. I mean, come on, I've been traveling with three males for a few months now.' She thought as she felt heat start rising to her cheeks. 'Of course, one is my brother, the other is as good as, not to mention twelve, and the third is an old man.'

"Alright Zuko, time to get out so Katara can see what she can do to help." Iroh said in good humor.

Zuko's eyes bulged as he turned to the elder man, "But I…I don't…I'm not wearing anything, remember?"

The old man clear his throat as he opened his rucksack, "Ah yes, well we can't have that now, can we? Although, if you were to put on any undergarments they'd just get wet, and you'd have to let them dry before dressing."

Katara glanced at Iroh, "Dressed in what, not the clothes he had on?"

"Those rags? Of course not." He scoffed, "While I had considered asking your brother for the use of any spare clothing, I figured he'd be…reluctant. Besides, looking at the two of them, his clothes wouldn't fit. So I was going to let him use a spare outfit of mine until we reach the next town."

Zuko had sunk down so only his red face was showing over the water. Sitting there naked while two people discussed what he was going to wear as if he wasn't there wasn't what he called enjoyable. He snapped, "Hello, I'm right here! Are we going to do something, or am I just going to sit here naked all day?"

The two turned toward the young man. His uncle smiled, "Alright, alright, no need to get all steamed up. Well, maybe that wasn't such a good choice of words." The steam from the pool had increased, as Zuko had grown more irritated. "Katara, perhaps you could just try and use the pool itself to treat him."

She looked unsure, "I don't know. I've never tried something like that."

He put a hand on her shoulder, and reassured, "I have complete confidence in you."

She then looked over toward Zuko, who gave a short nod and turned so his back faced her. She walked over to the pool slowly, and took a few moments to focus on what she was about to try. Gently, but resolutely, she lowered her hands into the water, finding the warmth of the water comforting in its own right. Concentrating, she moved her chi down through arms, out from her hands into the water, and towards her target. It was surreal, like the water had become part of her, and suddenly she became aware of him.

He saw the water begin to glow, starting from somewhere behind him and spreading out around him until all the water in the pool was aglow. Then he felt something else, something that surprised the living daylights out of him. It felt as if the water was made of hundreds, perhaps thousands, of soft little hands wherever the water touched him. He was further shocked by the fact that the glowing water was rising up his body, and the hands were multiplying, covering his entire body, and actually penetrating any wound. Soon he was entirely covered except for one spot.

Katara forced her eyes open to observe the process, to behold if the sight came anywhere near the sensation. She saw that the one area uncovered by water was the burn scar stretching from his left eye to ear. It was as if it was warding off her attempt at healing. She'd get back to that later. Finally she let the water slide back down, and removed her hands. She was rubbing them gently, trying to calm the sensation still remotely present in her very skin. She couldn't help the blush rushing to her face as she thought of what she'd felt. She had touched men's' arms and legs and even chests, but in this experience, even without truly touching his actual body, she had felt areas much more…intimate.

Zuko was taking a few deep breaths, being shortly cut off from the air by the glowing water. His hands that had been bruised and had split knuckles now showed no signs of damage. He suddenly started turning and twisting, looking at as much of his now nearly unblemished body as he could. He turned toward the young lady who had done this for him with a smile upon his face. She couldn't help but return it as she saw how his eyes lit up.

He quickly got a look as if remembering something important, and stood, performing a traditional Fire Nation bow. He said quickly in a formal voice that belied his joy, "Thank you, um if there's anything I can do to repay you…"

"You might want to start with covering yourself, nephew." Iroh said, a rather sheepish look on his face.

Zuko snapped his head toward the old man, then to Katara, who was blushing furiously and eyes wide. He looked down to see that when he'd stood, the water only came up to mid thigh, and his expression grew horrified. Sounds were emitting from his mouth but they were nothing more than short stuttering gasping noises. Within the mere few seconds since Iroh had spoken, Zuko had plunged into the water completely, steam filling the air from the heat of his embarrassment.

Gazing at the now boiling pool Katara couldn't stop the thought born of the site she had just briefly beheld, 'Not so tiny Zuko.' The elder man rushing to the side of the pool soon knocked her out of her stupor. He was talking to his nephew, trying to persuade the boy up from his huddled over position, but it didn't seem to be working.

He coaxed, "Come now, eventually your not going to be able to keep this heat up, and without you evaporating the water it'll fill up and drown you." He sighed and turned to Katara. He put an arm about her shoulders, leading her back toward camp. "Please try to understand my dear, it's an ingrained taboo among our people. While we may show off basic parts of our bodies, such as legs and upper bodies, in fact at our beaches men often wear shorts and sometimes open jackets while women wear one piece rather conservative swimsuits. Well, there are some young ladies that have taken to wearing the more revealing two piece suits, but married women will always wear the former." At the look she gave him he explained, "It's a status thing, much like the Water Tribe betrothal necklace, but I digress. The point is that we never show our naked forms to a member of the opposite gender except for our spouses. Though like I said it's just an old taboo. I'll talk to him, and this'll blow over in no time. Oh, by the way, it might be best if we keep this between us."

"My lips are sealed." She nodded, and looked over her shoulder toward where Zuko was still hiding. "What about that scar on his face, I still have to try and heal that."

Iroh got an uncertain look for a moment, and replied, "Um, yes of course, but, but later. For now let's give him some privacy to get dressed."

Katara had just returned to the camp, and was pulling out the supplies for breakfast, when Toph asked, from her reclined position against an up thrust she had made, "So are we going to pick up where we left off?"

Katara sighed, "No, I'm willing to let it go for now. If you want to sleep alone that's fine, but I'm still hoping you'll help out around here."

"Yeah, whatever." She waved off, but then turned to blankly stare straight at her with a raised eyebrow. "Oh, by the way, what happened over there with you, Sparky, and Old Man?"

Katara fumbled with the pot that she was filling with water to make stew in. She was so glad the younger girl couldn't see her face as it turned red. This was ridiculous! How many times was she going to blush that day? Sure, back at the pool she had plenty of reasons to blush. It was the first time she had ever seen…_that _part of a male body after all, but why couldn't she control the heat that rushed to her face?

She replied, "I don't know what you're talking about. All I did was get rid of the scars all over him."

Toph smirked, "And why were at least two of you on the verge of heart attacks?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Movement isn't the only thing I can see through my earthbending. I can also sense the heartbeats and such in people's bodies, and judging from what I felt I'm surprised you two don't need serious medical help. So what happened?"

Katara took a deep breath, "I promised I wouldn't say."

"Hmm, well I guess you're alright." Toph said after a few moments silent consideration. "But listen, seriously, Zuko was the first person I ever considered a friend. I met him two years ago when I started sneaking out to fight in the rumble. I'd talk to him when they left him chained to the wall. Heh, we used to get into some good arguments. I even offered to help him escape from the arena a couple times, but he wouldn't leave the others on the wheel. Then when the last one died, he seemed to lose that _fire _in him. Now that he seems to be getting back to how he was I don't want to lose Sparky again. So don't go doing anything to hurt him, got it Sugar Queen?"

Katara looked up from the stew that was now heating over the small fire. Her eyes narrowed in confusion, and irritation at the nickname. She retorted, "And just what is that supposed to mean?"

Toph smirked and for emphasis cracked a few knuckles, "It means that if you do anything to him, you'll find out why I'm the greatest earthbender in the world."

They were interrupted by the footsteps of the group's two firebenders, and then by an uncontrolled laugh coming from the direction of the lakeshore. The truth was that when Katara saw Zuko standing there in a spare outfit of his uncle's she couldn't really control her own laugh. The clothes were as expected baggy, but the sleeves only reached his mid forearm and the pants ended a few inches above his ankles. He was fortunate really that Iroh wore such long shirts.

At the sound of laughing, and feeling Katara's repressed merriment, Toph muttered, "You know, there are times when being blind really can be annoying."

Still laughing Sokka walked up, without any fish, "This, this is almost worth letting him come with us. Although, it would have been hilarious to see what he looked like with that mop of hair."

Zuko scowled at him, and was about to snap when Katara beat him to the punch by jokingly saying, "Just be glad Iroh decided not lend him any of your clothes."

Sokka huffed; crossing his arms, and turned away, "As if I'd let him anywhere near my clothes. You do remember what I told you about who he is, don't you?"

"I think it was rather obvious who he was when we found out he was Iroh's nephew, but that really doesn't matter."

Sokka's eyes went wide, "What do you mean it doesn't matter? He's the Fire Lord's son for crying out loud!"

Katara caught the anger on Zuko's face change to a sad, regretful expression as he turned his head to look away. What was it that he was feeling at the mention of his father? When they had explained they were traveling with the Avatar as they left the grinding mill, he'd been shocked when he discovered that his uncle was considered a traitor to their people, and that they were fighting to overthrow Ozai. He'd begun to speak out, but Iroh had quietly spoken to him, quieting the young man. She still wished she knew what the old man had said.

"Aren't you done arguing yet?" Aang yawned as he came around Appa having fallen asleep while the two girls argued.

Iroh smiled regretfully, "I'm afraid that it's a bit of a new argument my young friend."

Aang sighed, "How are we suppose to end this war if we keep fighting amongst ourselves."

Toph shrugged, "What's the world without a little conflict, Twinkletoes? It'd be just plain boring, that's what it'd be."

Soon breakfast was ready and the group was round the small fire pit, each with a bowl in their hands. As usual she had made the stew with just vegetables, and had cooked a few pieces of dried meat to the side for the others beside Aang to put in their bowls. She watched as Sokka dug into with his usual…vigor. Toph was kind of just using her bowl like a kind of cup, slurping the stew. Aang was talking to her about the weird dream he'd been having as he ate, and Iroh was showing his usual manners that she was still rather thankful for after all the times she'd had to watch her brother's gorging, which had rubbed off a little on her young friend. She glanced over to see Zuko was trying to emulate his uncle's mannerisms, as if trying to remember some forgotten skill.

When breakfast was through Katara, on the fact that he'd offered to repay her for healing him, enlisted Zuko's help in cleaning the dishes. Iroh had said that he would postpone the firebending lesson until they were done, wanting to restart Zuko's training as well as continue Aang's. Even though having spent the last eight years enslaved, Zuko still seemed a few steps ahead of Aang due to the young boy's remaining apprehension of the element.

"I noticed you didn't have a second helping. Was it not very good?" She asked as she scrubbed the pot.

He looked up from drying, but turned to look anywhere but her, remembering the incident from earlier. He quickly replied, "No, it's not like that. It's just that we only got small bowls of gruel or something twice a day, but occasionally they gave a random one of us a scrap piece of meat."

"Well don't worry, if Iroh has anything to say about it, you'll be filled out in no time." She smiled softly, and looked at him. "Listen, I'm sorry about earlier. Like I told your uncle, my lips are sealed about that."

"T-thank you." He said quietly, and they finished the task in silence.

Before he could stand she grabbed wrist, and said, "Hang on, I want to try and see about that last scar first."

He looked at her for a moment, his fingers lightly grazing the bottom edge of his scar. He looked hesitant for a moment, but finally gave her a nod, closing his eyes. She reached down into the lake and withdrew her hand, enshrouded in the glowing water glove. She watched as he flinched slightly as her hand moved close to his face. At last, she made contact with hard, distorted flesh.

Her scream of pain rang out, and it took her a moment to realize that she wasn't the only one screaming. It was like the time she had been burned when Aang lost control while training under Jeong Jeong, and yet completely different. It felt like her hand was burning and it was spreading up _through _her arm. She could feel him squirming his head and trying to pull away, but like her he couldn't separate from her. She felt a hand grab her arm, and she was ripped away from the source of the pain, falling back.

Katara cradled her arm to her chest tightly. The pain was dulling, but not nearly quick enough for her tastes. Someone had come up to her, and helped her into a sitting position, supporting her. She cracked her eyes open to see that she was leaning against Iroh, who was torn between examining her hand and looking toward his nephew. She turned her head to look at where the young man had been to see him writhing on his back with his hands up on the left side of his face.

The others were there within mere seconds. Toph had gone over to Zuko, and was talking to him, seemingly trying to find out what had happened. Aang was on the ground next to her asking if she was all right. Sokka was looking her over, his eyes a mix of concern and fury.

Sokka demanded, "What did he do to you? How did that creep hurt you?"

"He didn't do anything, Sokka. Does it look like he tried to hurt me?" She retorted, nodding toward Zuko, who had Toph prying his hands from his face, and threatening him when he refused.

Aang piped in with a small humorous smile, "He kind of looks like some of the guys you sparred with in the North Pole."

Sokka asked again, "What did he try on you?"

Katara sighed, "Nothing, _I _tried to heal that scar on his face." She looked up to Iroh, and asked, "I felt a burning pain shoot up my arm when I touched it. Why do you think that happened?"

He shook his head, "It appears that the scar didn't want to be healed."

Toph asked, "How does that work?"

Iroh gazed at his nephew, "Some scars run more than skin deep."

Aang and Zuko sat before Iroh in the soft dirt by the lake not long after the dishes were cleaned. Iroh was having them go through meditation exercises to clear their minds and focus their energy. He watched as the two worked, but soon noticed something. Aang was doing fine as meditation had been a prominent part of his airbending training as well. Though he could still feel a bit of apprehension from the boy about what was to come. Zuko was the antsy one. It looked like he was truly trying to concentrate, but was having a hard time sitting still while doing so. He couldn't really figure out why his nephew was having such trouble.

When he'd briefly returned to the palace he'd taken time to speak with the children's firebending teacher, and she'd told him that the boy could handle simple meditation if nothing else. He still felt some resentment at the comments the woman had made about his niece's obvious superiority. They had been ten and eight years old, most firebenders were around the skill level Zuko had been at the time. Zuko and that man at the mill had said that the others on the wheel had tried to talk him through the techniques when he'd been allowed off to practice for the fights. Unfortunately, most techniques are easier to learn when you see how it's done rather than just told.

Iroh asked, "Zuko, have you been able to practice meditating over the years?"

Without opening his eyes, still trying to focus, he answered, "There wasn't much else to do while pushing that wheel."

"So you learned to meditate while walking." Iroh nodded. He groaned a bit when pushing himself to his feet. "Well, I think we can finish this later, so lets get some practical work in."

Aang looked up at him, "Should we work on controlling the flame on the leaf."

Iroh stroked his beard as he thought for a moment. He finally said, "No, I don't think so. Now that we have a young, healthy firebender, who'll be training with you anyway, we can do a lot more combat training. After all I am not as in shape as I once was." He let out a chuckle as he patted his stomach. "Some of the simple pleasures in life do have their consequences."

The boys got to their feet, and took position facing each other from about ten feet apart. Zuko was the first to act, sending a fireball twice the size of a person's head sizzling through the air. With a move of his arms, Aang sent a gust of air through the area that pushed the flame enough to the side to miss him and fizzle out as it hit the lake. A arcing, waist high kick that sent a powerful ribbon of flame at his younger sparring partner immediately followed this. Aang answered by using his airbending to thrust himself up into the air, over the flame.

"Zuko, cut back on the power you're using! This is only practice!" Iroh called out from the side. "Aang, you're supposed to be working on your firebending, stop using your airbending!"

"What are you talking about, Uncle?" Zuko said dropping his stance and turning toward Iroh.

Iroh sighed, "You're putting too much power in your attacks. You have to hold that energy back, or else you'll never last through a fight. Then there's the possibility that if you aren't careful, you could hurt your partner."

Zuko bowed his head, "Yes, uncle."

The rest of practice was spent with the two boys going through the beginning sets of firebending. The two were making good progress, but the differences between them were obvious to anyone that would just watch. Aang was going through the techniques and they would look fine to a random observer. Although to a master firebender, like Iroh, the hesitation and his holding back power was clear. Zuko was putting a lot of effort and power into his movements, but he showed signs of struggling with them as he had as a child. Then there was the matter of the amount of energy he kept putting into his bending.

Iroh decided to try something he hadn't done in years. He closed his eyes, and concentrated on the auras emanating from the two before him. At once he was aware of the difference between the two of them. Aang's aura was calm and stable, almost like an elliptical bubble extending from the bottom of his feet to the top of his head. With every movement that he made that bubble would be stretched out where his limb was. Zuko was again completely different from his young counterpart. The energy springing forth from him was like the fire he controlled, unstable and blazing. It reached out from his body, tendrils lashing out at the air around him. Iroh opened his eyes, and considered what he had seen. There was only one reason for an aura to be so intense.

The group moved out just after lunch, two of the six still rather nervous about their means of transport. Katara would have been amused by their expressions had she been able to bring herself to actually look at Zuko, of course he didn't seem to be able look at her either. That morning it had been seeing more of him than she had thought she ever would, and then it had been the incident with the scar. The two hadn't said anything to the other since then, neither able to think of anything _to _say.

That night after most of the others had settled down for the night, Katara' eyes landed on Iroh, and she quickly became concerned. He was looking out at the star filled sky. His face held an expression of deep thought, one hand stroking his beard. She moved over to him and asked, "What's the matter?"

He sighed, "I looked at Aang and Zuko's aura's today during practice." He saw her about to ask about it, but continued before she could. "There was nothing seriously wrong. In fact, Aang's was perfect, not a single flaw to worry about."

"So what's wrong with Zuko's?"

Iroh shook his head, "Nothing precisely, but he was pushing his spiritual energy too much. I figured it was just for practice, but I've looked a couple more times today. Each time it was the same, even while he's sleeping. It's like he's keeping it pushed to its limit at all times."

"I'm afraid I don't understand."

"You know that the energy traveling through your body is your chi, correct?" At her nod he continued, "Well, your chi consists of two types of energy, life energy and spiritual energy. Everyone has both but a bender has a far higher concentration of spiritual energy than a nonbender that is aligned to a certain element. Now don't be confused, Sokka does indeed use his spiritual energy, but it's used in his physical attacks such as his boomerang." He pulled out the shirt Zuko had worn before his bath, which was now meant for scrap material. "Imagine your spiritual energy as this fabric. As it is, this is where we keep it normally; at a level we can use it but not pushing it. Now when we push ourselves in a fight, it's like just a short occasional stretch of the fabric." He tugged on the fabric a few times letting it return to its standard state. "But in my nephew's case it's like he keeps a constant stretching like this. My fear is that, like the fabric, if it's stretched too much too long it'll tear apart."

Katara began, "So you're saying that…"

"Someday he will tear himself apart unless…" He was silent for a moment, "Unless he is strong enough. If the fabric is strong enough, instead of tearing it will remain stretched out. He'd have a larger amount of energy."

She prodded, "So that's a good thing?"

He turned and looked in her eyes, "Perhaps."


	5. Shopping and Chases

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar The Last Airbender, if I did Season 3 would be a tad different, but that's why fanfiction exists.

A/N: Sorry for not posting earlier, a lot of stuff going on around here. Anyways, when it comes to Zuko's outfit basically just picture the one he wore in the outer ring of Ba Sing Se. Between you and me I hope this next episode, 'The Avatar and the Fire Lord,' will show the war from the Fire Nation's perspective, and show that there was more to it than just Sozin waking up one morning and deciding that he should rule the world.

Chapter 5: Shopping and Chases

The group arrived at a small town a few days later. As was usual in these sorts of places the streets were bustling with people that were trying to sell their goods, children playing, and adults of various ages conversing on a multitude of subjects. The sun was high in the sky as the six people and a lemur walked through the dirt streets of the town. They had left their ten-ton furry friend in a small grove just outside of town, where he had quickly fallen asleep.

Zuko was keeping his head up in a fit of pride as people gawked and pointed at his scar and clothes. He heard their mutterings about him looking ridiculous, and figuring he must be a poor refugee. He mentally smirked at that theory about him. If only they knew the truth about who he truly was, but another more sobering thought came to him. In a way they were correct about him, as he had been forced out of his home.

Iroh walked before the others and said, "Well, while the rest of you see to any business you can find here, Zuko and I are going to find a clothing shop. Come along nephew."

The two walked off down a side street, leaving their younger companions to do as they liked. Toph suggested that they find some place to eat before heading to sure up their supplies since they would have to cross the desert to reach Ba Sing Se. They'd found a small nearly empty restaurant where they had been able to get some lunch, and they had left it with full stomachs. Katara had begun to make a list of what they would need to collect for their journey.

By the time the two men returned to the small group the master waterbender had her brother's and her friend's arms filled with their assorted acquisitions. Toph was walking beside Katara with her hands behind her head, a smirk on her face due to the complaints coming from Sokka following them with Aang. Iroh had signaled for his nephew to keep quiet as they came up behind the four, although both knew that they'd be detected, if they hadn't already, by the young earthbender. Without saying a word they each took about half of what the two boys were carrying, eliciting two shouts of surprise and fright from their younger comrades. Not to mention the laughing from their blind friend.

Katara turned to see her brother shouting at the two firebenders for scaring them like that, though at the same time denying that he had been scared. Her eyes fell upon the eighteen year old, who stood straight, not letting Sokka's words back him down. He was now wearing a green shirt and pants, brown boots and leather armbands, a long brown sleeveless robe with a tall faded gold collar, and a straw coolie hat was tipped low to cover his scar. She couldn't stop the thought that he actually looked rather nice in Earth Kingdom clothing, and briefly wondered what he'd look like in the clothes of her own culture.

"Why does he get swords, he's already a bender? Besides, the last thing he needs is anything that's sharp so he can slit our throats in the night while we sleep." Sokka ranted.

Katara rolled her eyes with some of the others, but now noticed the scabbard containing a set of dual broadswords strapped to his right side. She joked, "You're just mad that he got a new weapon and you didn't. You used to act the same way whenever one of the other boys in the tribe got a piece of jerky between meals."

"I did not, and besides this is completely different." He protested.

Aang chuckled, "Sounds like the same thing to me."

Sokka snorted, "Fine, but you, you remember that I'm keeping my eyes on you." He was signaling with his fingers to emphasize to Zuko that he was doing so.

As the Water Tribe boy continued to do that Zuko started to anger, and finally grabbed his fingers, forcing the offending hand down. He glared at the year younger man, but when his uncle put a hand on his shoulder he finally let go and turned away. He walked over to the other side of the group, trying to put some distance between him and Sokka. Something the other boy was more than happy with, at least until he realized that being on the other side of the group put the young firebender next to his sister. He was not about to allow that!

Aang spoke out before he had a chance, "So does this mean that we're done shopping?"

Katara smiled, "Don't worry, Aang, we can get going now."

"About time." Toph mumbled.

As the group made their way back to the grove in which they had left Appa Katara made her way over to walk beside Zuko, trying to see what he carried. She asked, "So, what kind of clothes did you get?"

He shrugged, "Just what I'm wearing, some extra pants and shirts, and some cough undergarments."

"That should help prevent anymore occurrences like the other day." She said in a teasing manner.

He raised his eyebrow and asked, "I don't know about you, but I was taught not to wear clothes in the bath. Then again, that was when I was growing up in the palace."

Katara nodded understandingly, "Well, privacy is a bit of a hard thing to get around here, and that was just with the four of us. You can't even imagine how that felt as the only girl." She glanced over at Toph, and muttered, "Although I'm not sure from now on is going to be much different."

She got a small pebble to the side of the head and Toph called over, "I heard that, Sugarqueen."

"Will you please stop calling me that?" she complained.

"No." the younger girl answered with a smile.

At Katara's annoyed groan Zuko said, "Don't let her get to you, no matter how good she is at it. The fact that she's kept that nickname for you, means that she likes you."

The group walked into the grove to find the entire ground covered in tufts of white fur. The large bison was lying on his side sleeping, and each snore sent a cloud of fur floating into the air. They went and immediately stowed the supplies among the rest on the saddle, which Aang had airbent off before they'd gone into town.

"Hey guys, take a look!" Aang shouted, and they turned to see him standing there with fur on his face making a beard and mustache.

Sokka laughed and replied, "That's pretty good Aang. Try this one though." He walked up to the boy with a tall cylindrical pile of fur on his head.

Toph came walking up to the two. "Do one of you have a razor, cause my pits are hairy!" She grinned as she lifted her arms to show her sleeves full of the white fur.

Katara shook her head with a hand over her face. They were acting so immaturely, cracking jokes about wearing a bunch of Appa's shed hair when they should have been getting ready to move on. They needed to get a few more hours of travel in before setting up camp. As she was brushing fur from the saddle she heard a deep breath being taken in and released. Zuko was sitting there finishing the knots on the ropes securing the gear, obviously thinking along the same lines as she just had.

He turned toward her and said in a quiet voice, "At least uncle isn't going along with…"

"Do you all think that this could pass for my own hair?" Iroh asked holding some fur onto his balding head.

Zuko sighed, "Never mind." Never the less they both had small smiles at the others' antics.

Toph's face went serious as she said, "What the…? Uh guys, there's something weird coming this way."

"What is it?"

"If I knew, I'd have said what it was."

Iroh pointed in a direction of town. "My guess is that it's Fire Nation forces."

They looked to see a cloud of dark smoke rising into the air. Their eyes widened upon the sight. Katara saw the mix of emotions in Zuko's eyes as the smoke filled his gaze. What was he thinking, feeling? Did he want to return to his people or stay with the group? She knew his uncle would stay, but what about him? Then a new thought occurred to her, why had they left their nation on that boat all those years ago? Why would a ten year old prince his home? She had understood why Aang lad runaway, though she didn't believe he'd given the other airbenders, particularly Gyatso, enough credit when it came to being in his corner.

Aang asked with unveiled concern, "Have they lit the town on fire?"

Iroh shook his head, "No, I think not. There is only one source of smoke, and it's moving. I would hazard a guess that it is a tank train."

Zuko commented, "It can't be. Trains need tracks to run on."

"This is not the time. I will explain later, but right now, we must leave!" Iroh exclaimed.

Aang quickly used his bending to send the saddle flying onto the large bison's back, throwing the two teens landing on the floor of the saddle with Katara on top of Zuko. She had just sat up, in the young man's lap as the others were climbing up over the side of the saddle. Toph didn't really notice, as she couldn't see properly through the wood and fabric of the traveling rig. Aang and Iroh faltered for a moment as they saw the young firebender push himself up into a sitting position, his chest coming flush against Katara's back, his head over her shoulder.

He looked at Aang and grumbled, "A little warning would be nice next time."

Katara giggled as his breath tickled the back of her ear, though she did try to sound reprimanding, "Oh stop it, we need to get out of here. That's worth getting a little shaken up."

"Right, and now you can just get off his lap, and he can get as far away from you as he can. Or we can just throw him off from as high as Appa can fly." Sokka ground out while cracking his knuckles, glaring at the scarred man.

Toph shouted, "Enough! Lets just get going already."

Just before Katara moved off of him she whispered in a playful tone so Zuko was the only one to hear, "And I was rather comfy." She didn't look back to see the young man's face go red.

The large bison soared up into the air at the direction of the young airbender sitting upon its head. They moved through the sky as fast as the bison could push itself. Iroh was giving directions to Aang to try evasive maneuvers such as zigzagging, doubling back, and changing their altitude. Meanwhile, most of the others were in the rear keeping their eyes trained on the smoke rising in the furthering distance.

"Alright uncle, what is this about a 'tank train?'" Zuko asked when the smoke had disappeared on the horizon.

Iroh took a deep breath and closed his eyes, remembering days long gone. He explained, "In my last few weeks before withdrawing from Ba Sing Se and returning home I heard reports and talk of a new transport vehicle in development. It was said that it would be an armored train that could move cross country without tracks."

Aang looked back into the saddle from atop Appa's head and asked, "Trains? I don't remember anything like that when I would visit my friend in the Fire Nation. What are they?"

Iroh smiled, "I am not surprised as they were only developed fifty or sixty years ago. Do you know of the earthbending train system in Ba Sing Se?" He received nods from only Aang and Toph, and continued, "They have a system where two earthbenders will use there bending to propel a stone car down the stone track. Well, our people have developed a similar system where a steam driven engine pushes or pulls a series of cars along metal rails. Eight years ago they had been powerful enough to move three cars full of people and supplies, so I wouldn't be surprised if they've gotten to four or five by now. Zuko, you were there, had they completed anymore of the bridges?"

Zuko nodded, "They had finished connecting the five central islands."

Katara asked, "Did you ever ride on one." To his nod she pressed on. "What was it like?"

He looked up remembering his past. "I always enjoyed riding on it. The royal family had a special car that was real comfortable, but my mother once took me on a regular car. It was rather crowded, but it was kind of enjoyable. It was kind of like riding on this except you're on the ground and have chairs."

It had been an hour since they had lost sight of the smoke before they set down. The group was still rather anxious about who it could have been producing the smoke. Who were they? Were they actually following their little group, or were they just advance forces of the Fire Nation Army moving in from the western portion of the continent?

They had just begun pulling their gear off the saddle when Toph said, "You guys are probably going to hate me but it's back and coming straight for us."

They quickly threw everything back into the saddle, and within minutes they were off into the sky once more. Again they were doing what could to try and lose the mysterious smoke on their trail. They had repeated this same process a few more times through the night until they had been so tired that they hadn't even bothered pulling any thing but their bedrolls out. They had laid them out in a small circle where normally they would make a fire, but the nights weren't so cold. Besides they were too tired to care.

Aang, staring up at the stars, asked, "So, who do you think it could be?"

Sokka half asleep mumbled, "Huh?"

Aang flipped over to look at the others, "The person that's after us."

Katara mused, "Could it be those Rough Rhino guys from a couple weeks back."

Iroh shook his head, "Colonel Mongke would never turn his rhinos in for a tank train, he's too much of a cavalryman. He knows the advantages of using live mounts."

Zuko looked to the old man, "They were that independent unit with all the weapon specialists, weren't they?"

Iroh nodded, but Sokka snorted in disgust, "Just a bunch of angry freaks with ponytails."

Katara smirked at him, "What's wrong with ponytails, Ponytail?"

Sokka shouted, "This is a warrior's wolf tail!"

Toph interrupted, "The real trick is how they keep finding us?"

At his point a thunderous sneeze was heard from Appa, spreading more of the white fur upon the ground.

Aang sat up and said, "Guys, I think I have an idea of how they're doing it."

A little later Katara yelled at Aang, "You are not going out there alone! What if you get caught?"

"Come on, it's the only way! While I spread a fake trail you guys can get away, and I'll meet up with you later."

"It's too dangerous!"

Iroh walked up to them, "I agree with Katara." Her smile lasted until he continued, "While your plan is probably the best, we cannot allow any of us to travel by ourselves. I would suggest that since there are six of us that we separate into three pairs."

Toph exclaimed, "I call dibs on Old Man!"

Sokka grumbled, "Well I don't want to be stuck with scarface, and I'm sure as heck not going to leave him alone with my sister."

Aang retorted, "But Zuko's too heavy, I won't be able to use my glider. I think I should still be able to if Katara goes with me." He had said the last part with a hopeful look in his eyes, but that only last for a moment.

"I can solve that."

They looked at Toph as she stomped on the ground, raising a thick rock cylinder that she knocked over. She then used both hands to thrust forward, forcing another cylinder from its interior out. She turned to them with a big toothy devilish smile, "Here's your ride, get in."

They both protested, "NO WAY, THAT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN."

"AAARRRGGGHHH!" the two unceremonious creams echoed through the air as the tube of rock went careening down the hill with the two inside it, each with a bag of fur to spread. Toph went over to Iroh, clapping some extra dust off her hands and a big satisfied smile on her face.

Katara watched as the object and accompanying screams disappeared into the distance. She felt kind of guilty. Toph had gotten her to strap the two in with ice they could use their bending to escape from when they hit something that would stop the tube. She remembered the look in Zuko's eyes as he looked to his uncle. Ever since they had found the young firebender she'd noticed that he'd never let the old man out of his perceptual range longer than a few minutes. She guessed it was the ten year old in him that had been kidnapped not wanting to lose his family again. There had been fear in both pairs of eyes as they were forced into the tube, but seeing the method of travel she couldn't blame them.

Toph had moved the segment that she had knocked out over to another portion of the ledge. She climbed up and straddled it. She called out, "Come on, Old Man, lets get a move on."

"I'm coming," he answered, but gave the Water Tribe siblings a last look, "Be careful you two." As he walked over to where Toph waited, he took a glance in the direction the two boys went. He quickly shook off his worry, and got on behind his earthbending friend. Two more screams filled the air as Toph kicked off against the ground, one of surprised fright and the other a wild cheer. The two Water Tribe siblings watched them go sledding down the hill at a high speed, leaving only a trail of dust and fur in their wake.

Sokka turned to his sister, "Well, lets get a move on."

They climbed up into Appa's saddle and took off into another direction from the other two pairs. One thought ran about through their minds. This was going to be a long day, and the sun hadn't even risen yet.

The rumbling metal vehicle that was the tank train came to a hissing stop, releasing the built up excess steam. The car trailing behind dropped it ramp down to clang on the ground, exposing the three girls mounted on mongoose dragons. They walked their animals down the ramp slowly. The lead girl, Fire Princess Azula, looked about at the three trails of white fur, her sharp eye taking in the details.

"Well, it appears that our prey has decided to try to present us with a challenge, girls." She smiled cruelly. "Ty Lee, I want you to take the trail to the left. Mai, take the right, and follow that thin groove. I will take the center trail, somehow I have a feeling it will lead me to the Avatar. Now GO!"

The stone cylinder came to a stop as it crashed into the side of a dilapidated building in an abandoned old village. The two quickly bent away their restraints and crawled out of the tube. Both were really dizzy, their faces tinted green, and stumbling as they pulled themselves to their feet. Aang sat on the ground, his tired eyes looking back the way they had come.

Zuko mumbled to the younger boy, "Remind me to kill Toph after we regroup." Before any reply could be made his hand clamped over his mouth and ran off into an alley.

Aang could just make out the nauseating sounds of someone losing any food in their system, and, to be frank, they weren't helping him any. He turned suddenly to the sound of an approaching animal, and turned to see a large lizard with a rider on its back coming up fast to the village. His eyes widened as he recognized the girl that climbed down to the dirt road. Azula swiped a few hairs of her bangs back out of her face before locking her gaze upon the young airbender.

As he got up and pointed his staff at the firebending prodigy she smiled. She quirked an eyebrow and smirked, "Do you really mean that you actually wish to fight me?"

"Yes, I really do." Said a deep voice from a young walking out of an alley, and taking a fighting stance. After a moment his stance faltered as he muttered, "Azula…?"

Azula's eyes narrowed in study until they landed on his scar. She practically gasped, "Zuzu? It can't be."

Aang snorted, "Zuzu?"

Zuko turned and barked out, "Shut it, arrow boy." He turned back to his sister retaking his stance.

She shrugged, "Too bad. It was better to believe you dead than to know that you're a traitor. Just the same, you will suffer the fate of all treacherous fools like you."

He just put up a defense as her blast of blue fire threw him back against a wall, and so the battle begun. The three moved through the ruins of the village throwing attacks, dodging, blocking, and running. Their widespread fight was damaging the village even further, fire lapping at the old dry woods in the crumbling structures. Aang had just escaped from a building, landing in the road, when he turned and saw Zuko come crashing out through a door. He skidded on his back in the dirt, trying a strained attempt to get up before he collapsed on the road.

Azula stood over the prone body of her brother, looking down at him with a look of distaste. His firebending was pathetic, lacking style and intricacy. The only thing it had was a bit of power behind it, and that she could easily overcome. She turned her gaze over toward the Avatar, her cruel smile spreading over her red lips once more. She started walking in his direction, being sure her foot landed on Zuko's chest, and as she moved her speed increased until she was running toward him.

Aang ran into a building thinking he'd be able to lose her after ducking out the back, but the fire from the running battle was taking its toll. A ceiling rafter that couldn't withstand the weight of the rubble gave out, trapping the boy. He turned back to see the sadistic princess come walking through the door, blue fire moving out from the door frame to incase the room turning red as she released it from her control. His eyes widened in fear as she brought her hand up to strike him. The impact never came.

Azula had been pulled back off her feet by a water whip that wrapped about her raised wrist. Aang and Azula both looked up to see Katara regathering her water back into the waterskin on her side. Seeing as her primary target wasn't going anywhere with the debris on his legs, Azula rounded on the waterbender, and went after her. Sokka, moving in after seeing his sister lead the fire princess away down another alley, quickly lifting the burnt wood off his friend.

"Zuko, Zuko, get up." Iroh's voice cut through the darkness in his head. Zuko's eyes carefully fluttered open, coming to focus on the older man. He held out his hand for his nephew to take as he said, "Come, we must hurry."

Sokka and Aang had come running out of the building, heading in the direction that the older boy had seen his sister lead the other girl. They rounded a corner just in time to see Azula be sent flying through the air blocking a large boulder flung by Toph, skidding to a stop in a crouch. Realizing that three benders and that bumbling warrior were outnumbering her, and that they were now on two sides, she decided to fall back. Her devious mind was racing with questions as she sped toward an alley. Where were Mai and Ty Lee? Had these simpletons actually managed to defeat them, but how could that be?

Her thoughts were interrupted as she collided with something that felt like fabric over the flexibility of a portly stomach. She fell back looking up to see her uncle and brother looking down at her. She backed away, trying to find another way to escape. She was back on the street, to turn left was the Avatar and that Water Tribe idiot, and to the right were the waterbender and their new earthbender. She was soon backed into a corner formed by a remnant of a crumbled building, with the six of them in an arc in stances ready to strike. This was ridiculous! How could _she_, the great Fire Princess Azula, the heir to the Fire Nation throne, be outmaneuvered by this rag tag group of soft headed fools?

She straightened, putting her arms up, "Its over. A true princess knows when she's beat." She saw the Avatar and the two Water Tribe fools lower stances, but the other three were more hesitant about that. It appeared they weren't so naïve, but who was the best target. She smirked and thought, 'That one.'

She suddenly lashed out, sending a small concentrated flare of blue flame flying out toward her target, striking Iroh in his left shoulder. Her cruel smile grew as she watched the horrified expression on her brother's face. As quickly as she had attacked the four benders each sent a burst of their respective element, and Sokka throwing his boomerang, at her. Where she stood became a sudden swirling of energy as the four elements met and melded, quickly resulting in an explosion that they each had to shield themselves from. At the explosion Zuko had thrown himself to the ground over top of his uncle's prone body, trying to protect him.

"DARN IT! She got away, but she's not coming back." Toph growled out as she felt the movements of the princess toward her mount and then off into the distance.

They all turned to see Zuko on his knees beside Iroh who lay on the ground, his breaths coming rough and shallow. One look at the younger man's face showed the pure distraught that was consuming him at the paling complexion of his uncle's. Katara's own worry for the old man, and the emotions that flooded her heart at the look on Zuko's face and the tears building in his eye pulled her to Iroh's other side. In a flash her waterskin was uncorked, and she had created a healing glove about her hand.

She moved the healing glove onto the wound, directing her energy down through her arm, through the water, and into the burnt, dying skin. Slowly, ever so slowly the skin was beginning to mend, but wasn't fast enough. If she didn't hurry the damage would likely be permanent. She glanced up when a warm, though slightly trembling, hand moved on top of her gloved one, and saw Zuko give her a short reassuring nod. She brought the rest of her water about her other hand, and placed it down upon the two hands on Iroh's soldiers. She was pushing spiritual energy into the wound, trying to heal the damage as quickly as possible, and then she felt a surge of power, a sudden increase in the spiritual energy. That surge was all it took to close the wound with one final push, and then she began concentrating her energy into the area around the now closed injury.

At last she pulled away, Zuko's hand slipping from hers and came to rest on his uncle's now smooth shoulder. She had to sit back and rest, breathing deeply from the amount of energy she had used. The others had come forward, Aang and Sokka moving to either side of Katara and Toph to examine Iroh's shoulder herself.

"Hmm, nice job, Sugarqueen." She commented, a relieved smile on her face, as she ran her hand over the skin. "He sounds like he's just asleep."

Katara nodded, "He should be fine in the morning, but for now just let him sleep." She let out a big yawn.

Sokka, commented, "Come on, I think we could _all _use some sleep."

That night found the group sheltered in the remains of one of the buildings, everyone spread out against Appa's soft furry coat. Sokka and Zuko had carried Iroh to rest upon the wide, flat tail. Toph was lying back against the front left shoulder, and Aang, with Momo on top of him, had taken roost on the top of Appa's back. The other three were spaced out on the flank, Zuko toward the back so he could get to his uncle quickly if need be.

Katara, her eyes drooping from no sleep the past two days while on the run, turned to her left, and saw Zuko take one last look toward Iroh. As he settled in, he turned, and noticed her look.

He whispered, though loud enough for her to hear, "Thank you."

She just smiled softly in return, and with that they too drifted off to sleep.


	6. Bittersweet Work

A/N: I have to apologize for taking so long, but it's been rather hectic around hear the past few weeks with final exams and the holiday season. Then there was the fact that I was constantly having to revise things. Anyways, about the chapter, I got the idea of the book from the episode from _Beast Wars: Transformers. _I thought the character of Dinobot fit Zuko so well.

Chapter 6: Bittersweet Work

The group spent a day resting at the village, everyone trying to catch up on the sleep they'd been forced out of by Azula's pursuit and giving Iroh some time to recuperate. Most of them were spending their time kind of lazing about, just relaxing. This group had consisted of Aang, Katara, Toph, and Sokka. Iroh had woken for a few minutes in the late morning, but had soon fallen back into slumber. The fact was that the only one not trying to rest anymore was Zuko.

He had risen at dawn, a common practice for firebenders it had appeared. That was to the annoyance of some of the others, mostly Sokka and Toph, who enjoyed sleeping in. For most of the day he had been out going through the firebending sets that his Uncle had taught him and Aang, as well as just basic hand-to-hand combat. He had found an old wooden post that was still sturdy in the ground amongst the debris of the village, and was spending hours striking and kicking it. When Katara had gone to get some water for dinner from a near by spring, she had seen him going through his bending sets. At first she had felt her face tinge pink as he had only his pants on, but that soon changed as she noticed just what he was doing. He would perform a technique and stop right in the middle of it for a number of seconds, his eyes closed the entire time and keeping his breathing steady. He was meditating while he went through the set.

That night when he had come in when they had called him for supper they had noticed, but didn't comment on the torn up, bruised hands. They could tell by the way he was walking that his legs and feet were most likely in a similar condition. He was silent, only speaking with simple monosyllabic answers and very mild conversation when he had brought Iroh's bowl and tea to him. After dinner he had just walked back out with his swords in his hand.

Katara had looked out a window to see the moonlight flash off of the two blades, slashing through the air in quick, fluid motions. She sat back down looking at the burned shirt in front of her, trying to find a way to mend it. Well, it was a long shirt so she figured that she could just take from the bottom. As she worked, her hands absently but adeptly working the scissors, fabric, and thread, her mind wandered back to the day before when she had healed the wound in the flesh that accompanied the wound in the fabric. She thought of the sudden surge of energy that had rushed through her hands. It had been a warm, almost hot, feeling that had seemed to intertwine with the cool sensation of her own energy, filling her with a feeling she'd never experienced before. The only idea that she could come up with was that the young man had pushed some of his own energy into her healing, but how could that be?

Katara remembered Jeong Jeong's words, that fire could only be used to destroy, but if that was true then why had his energy been able to help heal the wound? She had heard of cases in which fire had been used to cauterize an injury, basically using the heat to fuse a wound closed to stem the bleeding. But she wondered, was the feeling that she had felt the combination of water and fire. She pushed the thought aside thinking that it was a one-time thing and would never happen again. Still, from what she had seen of his progress with Aang and Iroh she figured that the two of them could at least spar with each other. It might actually be useful to practice against an actual firebender.

Aang had seen the condition of Zuko's hands, he'd even gone out and tried to get the older boy to stop earlier that day, but his efforts had been fruitless. This had been a thing he had disliked about the Fire Nation in the past, their preoccupation with fighting. He remembered having to try anything he could, usually trying to guilt, Kuzon into going to other events during the festivals he visited during rather than the local fighting competitions. However, speaking with Iroh, in the end he was coming to realize that that in a way was just as prejudice as the idea that fire was the superior element. It was just a cultural difference, and if balance were to be restored he would have to accept all those differences. Although, there had been something else that had been bothering him ever since the firebender had joined the group, a feeling on the edge of his consciousness, but he'd yet to put his finger on it.

The others were all asleep by the time Zuko returned to the shelter, and he was gone before any of them woke up. The others were discussing whether to move on that day or if they would take another day of rest. In the end it had been Iroh who had suggested that they use the day for Aang to truly start his earthbending training, and that he would teach them all a little something. At first they had been somewhat reluctant, eager to get back on the road, but after a few obviously overstressed groans of discomfort about his shoulder they acquiesced.

Toph had dragged her new pupil off spouting about all the hard work she was going to put him through with that big devilish smirk of hers on her face. He looked back at the others with an expression just pleading for help, but only dropped his head when they gave him encouraging smiles or a laugh in Sokka's case. As the two siblings calmed down, Iroh stood looking at the doorway, stroking his beard in thought. He quickly excused himself, grabbing his rucksack, and headed out in the direction of the repetitious thuds of skin on wood.

Sokka had claimed to go off hunting as the rest played around with their fancy little magic tricks. The comment had earned him a quick smack from a water whip to the back of the head when he had walked toward the door. Katara was at a loss for what to do for one of the first times since they had started this whole journey. Before Iroh had joined the group she had been the one to give out all the sage advice, except for a few small tidbits that her brother somehow spouted. Then before both of Aang's new teachers had become part of the group she would be the major one to teach him, as Iroh had wanted to progress rather slow until the boy got some experience with the other elements under his belt. Now, she just didn't know. So she went out to walk, and see how Aang's training was going.

She had found the two going about their work, with Toph barking out her orders at him like some kind of army sergeant. Katara had talked to her younger earthly counterpart about her methods in conjunction with Aang's personality, and had suggested a _gentler_ touch, using more positive reinforcement. The shorter girl had replied, saying that she would give it a try, but Katara had seen her push the twelve year old even harder. This had lead the two into a new argument, but before they could work up to their usual intensity a bolt of lightning cutting through the sky stopped them.

Toph muttered, "That…felt kind of weird. Could one of you tell me what just happened?"

"There was lightning, but…it's a perfectly clear day out." Aang commented. He suddenly grew concerned, "You don't think it could be Azula again, do you?"

Toph shook her head, "Nah, the only people over there are Old Man and Sparky. Hey Sugar Queen, do us a favor and go see what's up while I see if I can get this slacker to actually earthbend at least a grain of sand before sunset."

"Toph." Katara warned.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know. Just get going. I'm beginning to feel that weird…thing again."

As she finished there was a loud explosion accompanied by a plume of smoke on the cliff overlooking the town that the lightning had come from. Katara took off like a shot in the direction, afraid that at least one of the two had ended up getting hurt doing whatever it was that they were doing. She was just running up the path that lead to where they were when another explosion rang through the air, but this time she was close enough to also hear the shout that followed a fraction of a second after. She peaked over a large rock to see Zuko sitting up growling in frustration.

"Argh, why can't I get this? Why does it keep blowing up in my face?" he shouted, more at himself than his uncle, who sat off to the side.

Iroh looked up from the tea in his cup, and explained, "The only reason I can assume is that there is an internal turmoil inside of you. You will have to let go of the shame that is inside of you if are to master lightning."

"What shame?" Zuko retorted in frustration. "I survived eight years as a slave in a town of people who only kept from executing us because they found more pleasure in continuously beating us as we couldn't fight back. They wanted us to suffer slow, humiliating deaths, but we endured. We never let go of our pride, and I'm still as proud as I ever was!"

"Zuko, pride is not the opposite of shame, but its source." Iroh stroked his beard as he thought. "Although, I suppose I should be saying that certain types of pride are its source because the truth is that pride can be a good thing. One can be proud of their people, their heritage, their friends, or…their family. It is when pride of one's self overwhelms a person that it will lead to shame. Only through true humility will you find the antidote to your anger."

Zuko sighed, and looked out over the cliff, toward the horizon, "Well, I guess these past eight years have been rather humbling."

"Perhaps it'll help to find out why you're angry. Tell me, why have you been nearly killing yourself with training yesterday and this morning?"

Zuko didn't look at him as he mumbled, "I have to get stronger."

Iroh raised an eyebrow, "Why do you have to become stronger?"

"Because I have to."

"Why?"

"I told you." He growled out between grit teeth.

Iroh pressed, his voice stern, "_Why_, Zuko?"

Zuko turned toward his uncle, losing control of his temper, "Because I have to protect you! I can't let what happened the other day happened again! I-I-I don't think I can handle losing you again!"

Iroh's expression softened a bit, "What about the others? Do you want to protect them?"

Zuko looked away, "That's not an easy question to answer. I know that I would fight to protect Toph, even though she probably won't need it."

He nodded, "That's understandable. She was your first friend around you age."

"And if that Sokka doesn't _back off _he might have more to fear from me than anyone else." Zuko growled. Iroh had to let out a short chuckle at the irritation his nephew showed for the other boy, knowing that the feelings between the two were mutual. "The Avatar…I don't know. They don't hide and even express pride the fact that he's out to take down my _father_."

"I understand." Iroh nodded, "And what of Katara?"

Zuko missed the short glance he made back toward the rocks near the path leading up to the cliff where they were.

Again Zuko looked out at the horizon. He simply said in a soft voice, "Without hesitation."

"Hmm, now come over here, I have something for you." Iroh said as he sat back down, pulling his rucksack onto his lap. From it he withdrew a smaller sack, handing it to Zuko. "I was able to find these after the attack, and I think it is time that were returned to you."

Zuko untied the drawstring on the mouth of the sack. As he pulled it open, a deep intake of breath moved past his lips. The items he'd not seen for eight years, items that held such memories for him, transfixed his eyes. He gently, as if they would break at his touch, pulled them from the sack, an Earth Kingdom crafted pearl dagger, a small leather pouch filled with small tin Fire Nation soldiers, and a leather bound book that showed years of weathering. These had been his treasures, the only things he had left of his days of being a prince of the Fire Nation.

"You know that you don't have to hide over there, Katara." Iroh called over jovially.

She stood up from her position behind the rock, rubbing the back of her neck and smiling sheepishly at being caught. She walked over to the two, and crouched down next to Zuko so she could see the obviously sentimental possessions in front of the young man. He was staring at them, running his fingers across each of them gently, and she could practically see the flashes of memories behind his golden eyes. Unfortunately, some of those flashes seemed to lead to sadder memories as his eyes would light up for a moment then darken.

She asked, "So these were what were in that bag you'd pull out time to time?"

Iroh nodded, "A thread of hope for me to hang onto, to see my nephew again. Much like the part of him that formed the hallucinations Zuko suffered from."

"What are all of they?" She asked as she turned back to Zuko, lifting the book delicately in her hands. Opening the leather cover, she read a hand written note from the title page. "'My little phoenix, I hope this story will always remind you that real heroes are not necessarily the ones that win the battles, but are the ones that are willing to stand against others for their beliefs and honor.' _Code of Hero_, I've never heard of this before."

Iroh explained, "It's an old Fire Nation novel written a few centuries ago. It's about a warrior that because of his beliefs had joined his enemy, but at a point where he began to think his former allies were going to be victorious he went back to them. Although, his honor soon brought him back to the other side, but there were great tensions after that. Finally, he went to try and redeem himself, and then came the day he came across the top members of the enemy force. They were attacking a village of a primitive tribe in a valley that had no actual defenses because an oracle had said that those people would eventually conquer their own. After sending a messenger hawk to his allies, the warrior moved in, striking against an enemy force of seven that were better supplied, and better armed."

She asked, thoroughly entranced by the story, "What happened to him and the village?"

"He fought, and in the fight he was injured beyond recovery, yet he fought on. His sword was broken and lost, so when he came to his old leader he attacked with nothing more than a stick. However, when the man laughed it off the warrior slammed a rock into it, creating a war hammer, and injured him enough for the leader to retreat when the warrior's allies arrived. Unfortunately, he was too far-gone, but he had saved the lives of the villagers, who would learn from the weapon he'd forged and the way he fought. You know, I think I can still remember his last words…"

Iroh was interrupted by his nephew's soft voice, "'Tell my story to those who ask. Tell it truly, the evil deeds along with the good, and let history be judge me accordingly. The rest is silence.' It was a birthday gift from my grandfather when I turned one."

"You mean the last Fire Lord?"

He shook his head, "No, my mother's father, Grandpa Kuzon. He was once a renowned general, though not as much as Uncle Iroh. However he passed away before I really had a chance to know him, but he was really old. He had been over a hundred years old." Zuko seemed to shake himself out of this reminiscent mood and stood, putting the items back in the sack. "Uncle, I think it's time to get back to work. I'm sure she doesn't want to hear about our family more than she has to."

Iroh looked at him strangely as he walked back toward the ledge once more. He turned to the waterbender, still where she had been, and following the other with her eyes. He apologized, "I'm terribly sorry. You are welcome to stay and observe if you would like."

For the next few minutes Iroh spent his time explaining the four elements to his nephew and Katara. He told them of how air was the element of freedom, water the element of change; earth the element of substance, and fire was the element of power. He told them of the characteristics usually attributed to each element, and the two silently thought of how the members of the group each showed those characteristics. When Zuko asked why he was telling them this stuff and not Aang because it sounded like Avatar stuff, Iroh explained that it was important to learn about the other elements because the technique he was going to teach him was something he made by observing waterbenders. Besides, he had been planning on telling all of them this, but thought that now was as good a time. He would explain this to the others later.

Katara watched as Iroh moved through his technique, immediately recognizing it as the one he used against Azula's lightning in a past encounter, and couldn't resist the small surge pride when she caught the basics of her own bending in the technique. She listened, remembering Pakku's own words, as Iroh described the movement of the energy through the body. It was…unusual hearing these words, so like the ones she had been told and that she had told Aang while practicing waterbending, coming from firebenders, and being used to describe their element. Of course, she just had to let out a giggle at Iroh's antics about letting the energy flow, resembling some sort of dance.

"Alright then, now that I have got the hang of this, I'm ready to try it out on the real thing." Zuko said.

The other two's eyes bulged at his words.

"Are you crazy, nephew, I can't do that."

"What are you thinking?" Katara shouted.

His face grew agitated with confusion, "Why teach me this unless you'd actually let me try it?"

Iroh sighed, "So that you will know it when you may need it, and to demonstrate that we can all learn things from the other elements."

Seeing the still slightly confused look in Zuko's eyes, and sensing an argument about to start spewing from his mouth, Katara spoke up, "Hey listen, I was thinking that you and I could try sparring after I finish Aang's lesson and get warmed up. What do you say to that?"

He shrugged, "Sure, alright."

With that Katara had gone back to the others to see how the earthbending lessons were going, especially considering that they weren't earlier. However she found that Toph just might have taken her advice about the positive reinforcement. Although she was getting Sokka's attitude that he developed when something embarrassing happened to him, and she had yet to figure out how he had gotten so completely covered in dirt and dust. When she had jokingly made a comment about how it looked like the ground had tried to swallow him up, he had just stomped off mumbling about getting cleaned up.

That evening Aang and Katara worked for nearly an hour on their waterbending at a somewhat small pond, that was not much more than a cache in a box canyon nearby. They knew each other's moves well enough that neither were having a major advantage, although being naturally aligned to the element Katara was slightly ahead of her pupil. Seeing him get pushed back a bit by one of her attacks, her mind flashed back to their lessons with Master Pakku. He had more than once spoken of her determination and hard work compared to her twelve year old friend's attitude. She wondered if she would have been as playful and carefree about her bending four years ago when she had been his age if the war hadn't been waged. Finally she shifted through her motions, and in the process froze Aang's feet to the floor of the pond and raised the water's surface into a spike, stopping just short of his neck.

He chuckled with a hand on the back of his head, "Well, looks like you won. How about we head back to the others, and get some sleep. We're going to get back on the road tomorrow."

She released him and smiled, "You go ahead. I'm meeting Zuko here in a little bit."

That got Aang's attention as he was pulling his shirt on. He asked, trying to hide the anxiousness in his voice, "What do you mean?"

She looked up at him from her slow steady movements, trying to cool down a bit before working with Zuko. She replied, "He agreed to come spar with me after your session."

Aang blinked, "You mean _you_ asked _him_?"

"Sure, it should be good practice sparring with a real firebender. Why do you ask?"

He seemed to relax a bit at her answer. She just wanted to get better at fighting firebenders. He shook his head, "It's nothing, just a little surprised he would agree. He's never seemed the type to do things for others."

Katara's brow furrowed in confusion, "What are you talking about? We've only known him for not even a week."

Nervously chuckling a bit, he started backing away, "Oh, I don't know, just the impression I've gotten. Anyways, see you later." He turned and walked away at a good pace. As he was on the path back to the shelter they had housed themselves in he passed the aforementioned firebender. They had nodded to each other as they passed, but Aang had turned and watched him go down the path, his eyes narrowing in suspicion. There was that feeling again, the one just on the edge of his consciousness. Whatever it was, it was helping him to realize that the two were getting too close. Perhaps he would talk to Sokka about this if it got any worse.

Katara was just relaxing, lying back and floating on her back. The sun had set some time before, shortly after she'd begun Aang's lesson, and she was staring up at the moon. She smiled at the large pale globe high above, remembering her friend who had given her life to restore it. She had just closed her eyes listening to soft movement of the water around when the soft footfalls of leather boots on the hard dry dirt. She opened her eyes to see a form of Zuko, looking down at her from the edge of pond with a smirk on his face.

He commented, "You look like you're enjoying yourself."

She smiled as she came to a standing position, and wrung some of the excess water out of her hair. She said, "You might not think it, but I find occasionally just floating in the water and just losing myself really relaxing."

Zuko nodded, "I think I can understand. When I was little, I used to really enjoy riding the dragon horses from the stables. Although, most of the time I was allowed out to ride was during my horsemanship lessons. Still though, I understand."

"Well, it's getting late so let's get started, shall we?" she said, drawing a ball of water up between her hands. "What are you waiting for? Get undressed."

After a slight shock from her words, that had tinged both their cheeks pink, he pulled off his armbands, shirt, and boots. He walked slowly, cautiously into the cool water, wary of when she would attack. After all, he was walking right into her element, his opposite. He quickly fell into a fighting stance, eyes darting around at the water about the two of them. He reviewed all the things he had ever heard about fighting waterbenders in his mind as quickly as he could.

Zuko's head snapped up as he heard the movement of water, and just leaned back as a water whip slashed through the air, less than an inch from his nose. Katara smirked as she watched him step back a few feet, as she readied her next attack. She had surprised him, but she knew that he would push back quickly. As expected he sent a blast of flames at her, to which she easily raised an ice barrier, watching as the flames spread out as they impacted the ice. When they had nearly died she shifted the ice back to water, but before she could lower it a shadow had appeared on the raised liquid. She had just leaned to the side to avoid the punch from the young man passing through the formerly solid barrier.

He let out a shout as he charged her again, his arms with flames swirling about them lashing out toward her. She was having to move as fast as could to keep from getting hit, and he kept pushing toward her, never letting her further than an arm's length from him. She remembered this method from once before. It had been during their time in the North Pole, and it had gone without saying that there had been more than one person who had had a problem with Iroh being there and having free access around the city. It had eventually come down to the point where Master Pakku himself had challenged the old firebender to a match before most, if not all, of the Northern Water Tribe. Iroh had used the same method of combat as he would later explain to the three was because firebending had the advantage at close quarter battle because firebenders produced their element and thus didn't require the same room the other elements did to build up for an attack. However, the match had ended in a draw, which Iroh simply said showed that the two elements were equal.

Katara figured the only thing she could do was to rely on what she had overheard of their lessons with Iroh. He had told the two boys that part of firebending basics was to break their opponent's roots. So, if Zuko could do something based on waterbending then why couldn't she try something based upon firebending? She had to let out an inner chuckle as she thought of how Sokka would feel about that idea. She could just imagine him shouting at her while jumping up and down, looking rather like an angry hog monkey.

This moment of inner revelry would cost her as a fiery fist moved past her face, mere inches from her face, and from the corner of her eye she saw a few singed hairs float down from her long hair that she let free from its braid earlier. He was going to pay for that.

Katara pushed her arms downward, the water from the entire pond following her movements, and that water all came up as she stepped forward and brought her arms up. The rising water took the young man with it, freezing about him in an eight-foot column, only from his chest up exposed.

She smirked up at him, her hands on her hips, "Have you had enough?"

He just smirked right back, "Not hardly." Zuko took a deep breath, and sprouted forth a large plume of flame and smoke down along the column.

Katara brought her arms up in a hope to shield off any of her opponent's flame, but she heard the distinctive splash of a body in the falling, spreading water. She looked around quickly, trying to catch a glimpse of where he would attack from. All she could see was the combined smoke and steam, and there was no sound of him walking through the water. If he wasn't walking through the water than that meant…

She looked down just in time to see a left fist with a fire dagger sprouting forth from it come speeding out of the water. The dagger came to an abrupt stop no more than an inch from her neck, and a triumphant smile spread across his face.

"Now, who's had enough?"

"You tell me." Katara replied with a similar smile.

He grew confused, but followed her eyes as she gestured with them toward her own left arm. His eyes continued down the smooth curves of her arm until he reached her hand, letting out a surprised gasp. As he had come out of the water she had brought some onto her fingertips, freezing them into icy claws, and those claws were now pressed against his neck.

"A stalemate then?" Zuko asked through gritted teeth, trying to force down his anger at himself for letting her get the better of him.

"Lets just say that there's no loser."

They both kept eye contact with each as they straightened into standing positions, not knowing why but not daring to break eye contact. Their hands were staying at each other's necks, their elements dissipating or falling from their hands. Katara found that she couldn't move away, as if his golden eyes had hypnotized her like a rattle cobra did to its pray. Zuko was confused, but there was another emotion bubbling in him, one he'd never felt before. Whatever that feeling was it was filled him with an urge to _touch_ her, nothing inappropriate, just her face. He wanted to touch her face so badly.

Without any hesitation, and without any true realization of what he was doing, Zuko brought his hand up from her neck to the right side of Katara face. His fingers took up positions that were natural, as if he had always known where to place them somewhere buried deep inside him. His thumb attached firmly to her jaw, near her chin, the index and middle finger spread on her cheek, and the last two fingers spread on her temple. That was when he _felt_ her.

Katara felt like something was flowing from his fingertips in through her skin, and was mixing with something inside of her. She was swiftly overcome by the urgent need to touch him, as he was she. Her hand shot up to the unmarred side of his face, her fingers latching on to it in much the same way that his were connected. Now it was as if whatever it was that was flowing into her now had a way of moving back into him, along with something from her. Soon this feeling was passing between the two, moving from one to the other at different speeds. It was like two drummers beating their drums at different rhythms, but they were soon to be perfectly in cadence.

SNAP!

In an instant it was as if there was no telling where one of the two benders stopped and the other began. It was as if, for a brief few moments, they were one and the same. All too soon their arms were falling to their sides, each of them breathing harder than they should have even after a mere sparring match. It was several minutes before either could bring them selves to say anything.

Katara asked, "What do you suppose just happened?"

Zuko shook his head in response, "I haven't got a clue, but…it felt right."

The corner of her mouth quirked up into a half grin, "Well, you're not going to get any argument from me about that. Do you think that we should ask Uncle Iroh about this?"

"No, it felt rather private. Besides since when do you call him _Uncle_ Iroh?"

She blinked, confused for a moment, "I'm not sure. It just popped out, but I have to admit that I don't really feel like sharing what happened. It felt…_special_, like something that's supposed to be just between us." She looked up toward the moon that was shining down on them. "Come on, it's getting late. We need to get back to camp."

And with that the two dried themselves, put the rest of their clothing on, and headed back up the path to rejoin their companions. Neither could imagine just what that single touch would lead to down their intricate paths of fate.

A/N: Listen, I want all of you peoples' opinion on what's going to happen in a future chapter. If I put in the scene I'm considering, the rating will rise to a 'M'. So review and tell me if you want it or not. Note that it won't be the next chapter, more likely in 8.


	7. The Roads to Ba Sing Se

Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own Avatar, but if I did rather than a death threat Katara would have snogged Zuko. Ok, maybe the death threat AND a snogging.

Chapter 7: The Roads to Ba Sing Se

The next few days were spent making up for lost time on the group's journey to the Earth Kingdom's capital city of Ba Sing Se. Within days of departing from the ruins of the abandoned village they were coming upon the southern edge of the great Si Wong dessert. Now that they had a teacher for Aang in all three bending disciplines he had yet to master the young monk was rather content with taking a bit of time out of their schedule to relax. Thus came his idea that they should each choose some form of 'vacation' for the group to spend a day or two on.

The rest of their small group had been reluctant, but agreed just to get him to stop with the flute and prairie dogs. Well, all except Iroh, who was trying to join in by digging through his gear for the sunghi horn that he'd brought with him when he'd left the village. Katara could only send a small smirk in Zuko's direction behind the others' backs, knowing that he'd hidden the instrument after the aggravation of his uncle's previous attempts at getting him to play, but not having the heart to actually discard the old man's favorite instrument.

Zuko and Katara had each kept to their promise, and not spoken to anyone of what had transpired that night when the two had sparred. Neither had come any closer to figuring out what that _had _been, but they silently resolved that in the end it didn't matter. It hadn't hurt either of them, in fact it had been an unbelievable experience. From that time it had become a regular thing for the two to spar after their usual practice sessions with either Aang or Iroh and before bed. The others had even watched the two during their matches, Toph becoming irritated each time they entered the ever shrinking pools of water the closer they got to the dessert as it screwed up her view of the fight.

Aang had led them to a small town that was famous for its large ice feature in the center of it. Unfortunately, his map was a century out of date and the ice feature was now not much more than just a simple puddle. The group was soon called over by Sokka to a billboard bearing a number of posters, but it was two specific one's that caught their attention. The first was older, carrying the full-body drawing of Aang. They'd heard of that one before during their journey, it having been a tool of Zhao's to gain information on the young monk, but none of them had seen it with their own eyes. The other was new having been issued by Azula herself, but still bearing the seal of the Fire Lord. This bore the faces of the two firebenders in their group, and while the first stated for its subject to be alive the second clearly stated _alive or dead_. Zuko just turned away looking off to the west.

They had gone into a small tavern, each getting a kind fruit drink made by a man with a set of swords similar to Zuko's. After talking for a few minutes about who would choose their next little excursion, they were interrupted by a middle aged man with small glasses set low on his nose. The somewhat frail looking man introduced himself as Professor Zei of the University of Ba Sing Se after starting in on examining Aang like a child with a new toy. While the others listened politely, or in rapt interest in Sokka's case, to the professor's words about an ancient lost library, the two newest additions were kind of zoning out. Toph had her head down on her folded arms upon the table, and Zuko was leaning into the corner he'd placed his back to, gazing distantly into the liquid he swirled in his cup.

After some time, and much more discussion with the professor, Sokka had declared that he would decide the next venture, and that his choice was to help Zei. This had caused a bit of dispute among the group, but in the end they were finally swayed to his opinion. Zei and Sokka sat together starting to go over the man's notes and maps in an attempt to ascertain the possible locations of the library, Iroh adding a comment or two once in a while. The others were letting the two have their fun as they all took their time to relax. When it came time for the group to head out they were stopped as two of their number lagged behind.

Sokka motioned for the door, "Come on, we can't find any ancient lost libraries if we don't actually leave the tavern."

Iroh held up his hand to calm the others, and smiled regretfully, "I am quite sorry my young friends, but I don't believe we will be joining you all on this expedition."

Aang asked, "Wait a minute, what do you mean? Are you leaving us?"

"Only for a short time. There's not much room left in Appa's saddle as is, so there doesn't seem to be much point to wasting space with the two of us, who'll be of little value out there upon the dunes. Not to mention the effects that that kind of weather can have on an old man like me." Seeing their expressions, he reassured, "It will not be for long. If my memory serves, there are a number of ferry stations along the river that separates the continent. We will be able to meet up with each other again at the Station." He indicated upon one of the maps.

Toph raised an eyebrow "you know, wandering around in the dessert looking for a bunch of books doesn't sound all that appealing. Reckon you could stand making it a trio?"

Iroh smiled, "Actually, I think it might be better if you were to go with them. You all could use the time to bond. Besides it'll give me time to truly reconnect with my nephew here." He added in a whisper for her, "The truth is that I'm hoping that you'll be able to protect them out there. That dessert is no place for Water Tribesmen or Air Nomads without the aide of a powerful earthbender."

She smirked as she elbowed him, "_The most_ powerful earthbender, but alright have it your way. I'll take care of this lot. You two go enjoy yourselves."

Aang continued on with his questioning, "But how are you going to get there without Appa? You can't just walk across the dessert."

"Ah, you give me too little credit, my young pupil. There are many solutions to many questions in this world." He glanced shortly over to an old man sitting at a Pai Sho board, waiting for anyone to try their hand. "If only one knows where to look. Now then, Zuko why don't you go get our things so our friends can be off on their grand adventure?"

As the six walked out to the large sky bison, who the professor was automatically examining with the same fervor that he'd had with Aang, Iroh proceeded to ask the old man for a friendly game. Zuko was quickly able to gather his uncle's pack and his own, carrying them by their straps in one hand as he climbed down from the saddle. As he was turning back toward the tavern, he found himself face to face with Katara, her blue eyes looking almost moist in the corners. They were somewhat alone, being back near Appa's tail while the others were gathered up in front of the bison's head.

"This will be rather strange, not having you or uncle around. We won't see each other again for at least a week." Katara said.

Zuko ran a hand through his dark hair, thinking of the best thing to say. He finally came up with, "Well it _is_ only a week. It's not like we're not going to see each other for a matter of years."

She gave him a look that she usually only gave Sokka. The one that she used whenever the boy said something that either made no sense or seemed just completely off subject. She shook her head with a small smile tugging at her lips, "Maybe you should have your uncle teach you how to reassure people this week because that stunk." He had reddened and looked away, but his prideful sulking was cut short as a pair of slim arms wrapped around him. She felt him tense up at the contact and pulled away a little, her arms still about him. "What's the matter? You can't tell me that you've never been hugged before."

"Of course I have, but…but you are the first person that hasn't been related to me to do so. I'm also a little confused as to why you're hugging me. Like we said it's only going to be a week before we meet back up."

She smiled, "Lets just consider this a promise that we'll see each other again as soon as possible, ok?"

Before he could reply she was hugging him again, but this time he brought his arms around her as he quietly said, "Yeah, promise." When they released he turned toward where the others were gathered. "Hey Short Stuff!" He smirked as Toph's head popped around the side of the bison's head, eyebrows raised in surprised rage. "You make sure to keep this lot out of trouble."

Now it was her turn to smirk, "Oh please, ask me to _airbend_ while you're at it. Keeping this bunch out of trouble is like keeping the sun from rising, or worse, making Snoozles into a vegetarian."

They heard Sokka shout, "Don't even joke about something like that! Besides we did just fine before we had you, scar boy."

Zuko sent a dirty look in the boy's direction, and asked to Katara, "Seriously though, would it really bother you that much if he were to get…_lost _out there?" At her look he continued, "Just a thought."

Within minutes Zuko found himself standing at the edge of the small outpost town, watching as the large white and brown fur ball rose into the sky. Even from the distance that they'd already made it to he could still see the form of the young lady looking back over the back of the saddle. He stood there until he could no longer distinguish the dot that Appa had become upon the horizon. He threw the two rucksacks over his shoulder and made his way back to the tavern to find his uncle making some kind of pattern on the game board along with the other old guy. While he walked along the dirt streets he missed the two men standing at the billboard that the group had stood at only a short time ago.

The larger man tore down the poster of the two firebenders, and crushed it in his hand in anger. He growled, "All that time, all that time that kid was the Fire Lord's brat. Can you imagine the money I could have made selling tickets to see him beaten knowing that. People probably would have paid five gold pieces a pop to see that, more than that to get to throw things at him on that wheel."

The other man, a rather frail looking one that seemed to care far more for his appearance than his companion, commented, "Perhaps, but it would not have been long before the army came to take and use him for their own reasons. It's likely that they would have conducted a public execution for all the people of the kingdom to feel a form of vengeance."

The larger man, Xin Fu, growled, knowing that the fool beside him was right.

Master Yu stroked his thin beard and continued, "However, our sources have implied that these two as well as young Ms. Bei Fong are traveling together. This could work to our favor. As well as returning her to her parents, we could capture, turn over those two, and collect the reward for them."

Xin Fu looked at the shorter man and a cruel smirk spread across his face.

Zuko sat to the side as he watched the two men weave together their pattern upon the round table. His eyes caught the very center tile, a white lotus tile, and something buzzed in the back of his mind. On more than one occasion he had seen Iroh pull out a small trinket that one night he recognized as a lotus tile from his uncle's favorite game, and would twiddle with it in his fingers. He had a habit of walking the round tile over his fingers that Zuko had tried, to a frustrating lack of success. He was soon becoming irritated by the two men's prattle about flowers and secrets.

Soon the talk was interrupted as two men at the bar argued until the larger stood and approached them. After that was a blur to Zuko as the old man shouted about there being a price being on his uncle's and his heads. That had caused the rest of the bar to rise, and a brawl to break out as men scrambled to get their hands on the two firebenders. Zuko had been about to fight back, likely starting with the old man who had started this, but his uncle's hand on his shoulder stopped him. From there they were lead to a flower shop, where he was not allowed into a meeting in the back room, something about not being skilled in the cryptic arts. Eventually, the flower shop man's assistant aided them in sneaking out of town.

The gang had flown around over the dunes for hours upon hours, searching for any sign of the library. The truth was that from the beginning Toph had been less than thrilled with the whole idea, but within a short time she had become just plain bored, the only real amusement coming from tricking the others that she could see it. However, after so many hours of gazing out at the seemingly endless miles of sand Katara was pretty much right along her earthly friend's side, and even Aang's boundless enthusiasm was starting to fade. The only ones still completely energetic about their quest seemed to be Sokka and Zei.

Eventually, not even the two men could truly retain the same energy they had when they had begun the venture. Everyone's spirits were lifted as they had found the spire coming from the central dome of the ancient Library of Wan Shi Tong, discovering that it had simply been buried for all those years. When they had landed Toph had opted to stay and keep Appa company, as she really wouldn't be of much help with all the books and such.

Upon entering they were confronted by the large old owl that turned out to be the knowledge spirit itself. He had refused to allow entry at first because he hated that humans all used the knowledge they gained from his precious library due destroy each other. However, after a bit of flattery and nagging he finally relented, but there was a price. For them to enter, they would each have to trade a piece of knowledge. They had gone to the section of all the information collected from the Fire Nation only to find that it had all been burned. The spirit had said that it was the action of the last human to have entered the library, a firebender with large sideburns. Though a fragment of parchment still remained within a display case.

'The darkest day of the Fire Nation…' it read.

This had peaked their interest, but it was only Sokka that seemed to become obsessed by it. When Katara suggested that their missing companions could explain it for them her brother had been too impatient to wait the near week till they regrouped. Their search of the tomes had lead them to many unique and unexpected finds, most of which Sokka was discreetly sticking in his bag. The prize find that they came across was a large room that turned out to be a planetarium. From there they discovered that the darkest day involved an eclipse. Sadly, Wan Shi Tong found out about the acquisitions contained within Sokka's bag, and became enraged, intent to keep his treasures of knowledge out of the hands of unworthy humans. Aang and Sokka were able to just find the date of the next eclipse and escape before becoming trapped in the sinking structure with Professor Zei, who willingly and contentedly stayed behind. They would find a terrible surprise awaiting them out upon the burning sands.

At their return to the surface, they were greeted by only the young earthbending expert with a remorseful look gracing her features. She had explained what had happened while they were down below, and the capture of their ten ton friend. For one of the first times they began to see the young air monk truly angry, shouting at his blind teacher, who was uncharacteristically not fighting back. As she was generally apt to do Katara tried to step in, and sooth both sides. This was only the beginning of their long ordeal on the wind swept dunes.

From there Aang was constantly on edge with his anger ready to lash out any of them as he tried to lead them to find Appa. It eventually came to the point that he had left them. Sokka, in an attempt to show that they could in fact survive in the dessert, had drunk the juice from a native cactus. The resulting bout of temporary insanity had concerned the two girls, but would no doubt give them many amusing and embarrassing anecdotes at his expense. They were eventually reunited with Aang outside a buzzard wasp colony, where they were confronted by a number of sandbenders, including the ones who had captured Appa. This had led to the unleashing of the Avatar State that only the pleading look from the warm-hearted waterbender brought him out of. With the help of the elder benders, along with apologies for the acts of their younger members, the group was soon on its way to Ba Sing Se.

In an attempt to throw off any further pursuit by the two earthbenders or anyone besides them it was decided that Zuko And Iroh would each take a different path north. They were each given an ostrich horse and a small map, and told of a man that lived in the town the station resided in who could return the mounts. Iroh, hesitant about the plan, had urged his nephew to avoid any trouble, and Zuko had naturally agreed, waving off the man's concern. The young firebender would have to laugh later at how it seemed, even when did try, he just couldn't keep out of trouble.

He'd been passing through a small village that was apparently being pretty much run by a small group of thugs that had somehow become soldiers. He'd met a boy who had invited him home after not ratting him out and not backing down from the soldiers. The family had been kind, and understanding of a young man's pride, offering an exchange of work for a warm meal and a place to stay for the night. He'd taught the boy a little about the dual swords, although during the time he had been plagued by memories of the time leading up to his banishment. He'd given the dagger to the boy when he'd set out to leave because he had truly begun like the kid, Lee. Within hours the mother had found him near a stream, begging him for help to save her son who'd fought back against the soldiers. When fought the thugs he had had to reveal who and what he was, which lead to Lee and the entire town who had cheered for him to hate him. He supposed he was lucky that they let him leave, but he would never be able to forget their hate filled glares as he rode out. When his uncle had asked if his journey had been eventful after reuniting, he simply responded that the trip had been unremarkable, gazing at the dagger in his possession once more while a demonic blue mask, something he'd felt drawn to while passing through a marketplace, rested within his rucksack.

Unfortunately, the days during the group's expedition to find the ancient library and their subsequent ordeals in the dessert without the aide of their large flying friend made their journey take more time than expected. When they arrived at the ferry station it was already practically two weeks since the separation at the small town. So far their search through the overcrowded station had unveiled no sign of the two comrades. Finally, it was _they_ who were found by an old acquaintance from near the beginning of three of theirs travels, though the recognition was slow.

"Suki!" Sokka had shouted in surprised joy, getting up to hug her.

They explained who this young lady, leader of the Kyoshi Warriors, was after introducing her to Toph. They had briefly described what happened in their journeys since they had left Suki's island all those months ago. Suki was genuinely sympathetic when she heard about what had happened to Appa, but Aang's mood was still lifted by the memory of the sandbender's words. Appa would be in Ba Sing se.

Learning that the Kyoshi Warriors had been working at the ferry station for the last few weeks to help refugees get to Ba Sing Se, Katara had to ask. "Listen, we were actually planning to be here around a week ago, and we have two more people that we meant to meet up with here."

Toph quipped, "Hey yeah! So how bout it, Fan Girl, you seen Sparky and Old Man round here?"

"Uh, what do they look like?" Suki replied.

Toph opened her mouth to reply, but quickly closed it. She crossed her arms as she leaned back in her seat. She grumbled, "I guess that's a question for one of you all."

Before Sokka could jump in and try to draw a picture of the two, Katara answered, "The older man is balding, kind of portly, and has a beard. More than likely he would have had a cup of tea, or was asking where he could get one. The other is eighteen years old, about so tall, has messy black hair, a lean muscular build, gold eyes, and a burn scar on the left side of his face. He was probably carrying a set of dual swords."

Suki just kind of looked at the slightly younger girl for a second, making the others think that she had to think for a moment on the description. Her thoughts were actually more on the differences between Katara's descriptions. If she didn't know any better she'd have said that it sounded like Katara wanted to find the second man more than the first, but it wasn't her nature to just dismiss another person like that. She secretly had to giggle on the inside as a new thought occurred to her, inspired from the look in Katara's eyes.

"Oh, you mean Li and Mushi." Suki finally said, thinking of the two men.

Sokka let out an ungraceful laugh, falling back against the stone pillar. He got out between laughs, "Please, please tell me that the younger one is M-m-mushi!"

She blinked before replying slowly in confusion, "No, that would be Li. Shouldn't you know which one is which? It's not like it's that hard to tell them apart."

As her brother's face sank in lost humor, Katara pushed on with her friend, "So you _did_ see them?"

The fan wielding warrior nodded, "Yeah, they showed up about a week ago. I probably wouldn't have really noticed them if it weren't for Li practically ranting at Mushi about being late, and the girls were a little worried with how he'd skulk around looking for something or someone. It finally came down to the point where I had to threaten to have him arrested, but his uncle helped resolve things. A kind man, but a little strange, he kept offering me a cup of tea."

Toph smirked, "Heh, that's them alright. So where you hiding them?"

Suki harrumphed, "They were here for about three days before I convinced them that they should go ahead into the city. I told them if you all did show up that I would send you along after them. I've actually been holding off going out on our patrol until you showed up. They said that some of Mushi's old acquaintances were arranging jobs for them at a small teashop in the outer ring. However, without Appa…"

"You don't have to remind me." Aang cut in, muttering with a slight edge to his voice. To comfort and soothe him a bit, Katara gently placed her hands on the boy's shoulders.

"Sorry, but without him it'll take months to search the outer ring. Even then there's still little chance that you'll be able to find two people among the thousands around them. It'll be like looking for a needle in a haystack."

"Actually, I can do that pretty well." Toph commented.

They had said their goodbyes, and made their way off toward the ticket booth. While dealing with the obnoxious woman that was completely ignoring Aang and the others words, it was Toph using her family's influence that got them cleared. They were about to board the ferry when they heard the panicking voices of a small family at the ticket counter. A man, his pregnant wife, and younger sister had apparently lost their tickets, and were now unable to board the ferry. The matter ended with the group deciding to help the family to go across the dreaded Serpent's Pass.

Suki had joined them to aide in this short journey, and would rejoin her comrades for their patrol afterwards. They had had to fight the serpent when they had crossed a section of the pass that was sunken, but they had warded it off without casualty. Well, except for a bit of Toph's dignity when she'd kissed Suki's cheek after saving her in the water, thinking it was Sokka. Then they'd had to go through the ordeal of the woman going into labor, and Katara, having helped with births in the South Pole, became by default midwife. A healthy little girl was born, and was named Hope by Aang, who had been having problems the idea and his old lessons at the Southern Air Temple.

Katara could still remember the short talk that she and Suki had had the night out on the pass after everyone else had gone to sleep. Katara had been gazing out over the water, feeling much better here than she had in the dessert, where she had been so parted from her element. Suki had left a sleeping Sokka's side, wiping away some drool from her shoulder, where his head had rested, to sit beside her.

"You know, if there wasn't your brother I think I'd be kind of jealous."

"Huh, what do you mean?"

"Li, as if you didn't know. None of us can deny his looks, and he seemed nice enough when he calmed down a bit. He seemed to have a bit of a short temper and impatient, but on my island we're taught that all men have their little quirks."

Katara smirked, "Like that foaming mouth guy?"

She brought her hand up to rub the bridge of her nose, "Don't even mention that guy. I'm still trying to live that one down with the other girls." She took a cleansing breath, looked back at Katara. "Anyways as I was saying, every man is like a rough piece of wood, their parents shape them into what they'll be, but it's a wife that smoothes the edges. You though, seem to have got your work cut out for you. I'd say you've started sanding while his uncle is still cutting."

Katara's eyebrows shot up, "Just what is that supposed to mean?"

The painted girl smiled knowingly, "In those three days, the two spent nearly all their time at the station. Some of the girls would spend their breaks sitting and talking with them. Well Mushi mostly, Li didn't talk much. He seemed more keen on watching the entrance, probably looking for you." To the confused expression on the younger one's face she elaborated, "When ever Li talked about all of you it was always either 'Katara and the others' or 'Toph and the others.' When they told us about Toph, I figured out that it must have been you that had him wrapped around your little finger."

Katara looked away, her face burning, and replied quickly, "You don't know what you're talking about."

Suki had simply shrugged, "You might be right." But she added silently in her mind, 'in the middle of denial.'

Sadly, upon their arrival to the great walls of the Earth Kingdom's capital city they'd sighted the Fire Nation's latest siege engine, already on its way. The giant drill had turned out to make their battle with the serpent seem like a walk in the park. Aang had once more been confronted by the sadistic princess of fire while the others had to deal with her two friends. They had finally claimed victory, irrevocably disabling the drill, but Azula had noticed that Zuko and Iroh had been conspicuously missing.

Afterward they had gotten on one of the train cars that Iroh had mentioned to them previously. They were soon taken from the outer wall to a station in the middle ring, where they were immediately met by a woman dressed in an official looking Earth Kingdom dress. They couldn't help but notice her almost vacant eyes and over stretched smile. Quite frankly, it was rather creeping them out.

The lady bowed as she introduced herself, "Welcome great Avatar, I am Ju Dee, your guide. Welcome to the Earth Kingdom capital of Ba Sing Se."

A/N: I want to thank you all for your reviews. I've decided to keep it at a 'T' rating because I just don't feel that confident at truly writing the scene, but not to worry. I plan to put in enough to give you plenty of a mental image of what happens. I'm hoping to post the next chapter before Christmas, but I'll make no guarantees. Either way, I wish everyone happy holidays and ask you to keep an eye out for Chapter 8: Burning Reunion.


	8. Burning Reunion

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender

A/N: I am so sorry that it has taken so long but these past couple weeks have been abnormally busy. Then there were the ideas I had about future chapters, and I felt that I needed to start setting up. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this. Happy New Year!

Chapter 8: Burning Reunion

Zuko was growing more and more restless with this life that his uncle and these mysterious people in some secret flower organization had arranged for them. For over a week they had lived as Earth Kingdom refugees working in the small teashop as servers, and as a tea maker in his uncle's case. The old man had tried to teach him _the fine art_,but it just seemed a bit beyond his reach no matter how many times he tried. It almost seemed as if he was trying to get Zuko's mind off of wanting to search for the rest of their group, saying that they would find them with the information he'd given to Suki. That wasn't helping him any.

He was sweeping the front stoop of the shop when he'd thought back on the past two weeks since they had come to the city. They had met a young man about his age on the ferry who had talked about wanting a second chance. Zuko had helped him and his friends to sneak into the captain's mess, and steal away some of the better food for the people on the lower deck. The boy, Jet, had later asked him to join his band of freedom fighters to strike back against the monsters of the Fire Nation. Zuko had been blunt in his refusal, perhaps too blunt. He had somehow discovered that the two were firebenders, and had apparently spent days trying to expose them.

The fool had finally just come into the shop one-night blathering about exposing them, and Zuko had snapped. He had not revealed his bending, fighting the guy with a set of swords he'd taken from a soldier who was with some friends. They'd fought to a stand still until those people with the rock gloves, the Dai Li, arrived and took him away. He was snapped out of his memories as a girl with a pair of braids passed him, walking pass closer than needed, nearly brushing against him. She'd been showing up there day after day at least since the fight with Jet, and she was starting to creep him out. He shuddered a bit at the smiling, half lidded look she gave to him after she walked through the door. Not for the first time, he looked up toward the sky and wondered where the others could be.

Ju Dee had given the group a small tour as she had shown them to the house that they would be residing in for the duration of their time in the great city. Toph had been rather bored, just sulking a bit with her arms crossed as they rode through the streets in the carriage. She explained that the reason that she hated the city was because it was nothing but rules upon rules. People just couldn't do as they pleased there, just the way she preferred to live. They'd been denied immediate access to see the Earth King, and informed they could petition for a chance for an audience in about five to ten months, which only served to frustrate them.

They found out about a banquet that would be held at the palace, and it was decided by Toph that it would only be Katara and she who would go. She frankly told the two boys that there was no way they were going to be able to pass themselves off as high society, but that Katara at least stood a chance. She'd secretly wished that their other two members were with them. Surely, two princes would be capable of blending in with all the nobles and such that would be attending. Besides, although Sparky wasn't the greatest at deception, Old Man seemed to have a quick and sharp mind. Not too mention that she too really wanted her friends back.

To both girls' frustration the boys had decided to sneak in dressed as servers, not trusting the girls to fulfill their mission and protect themselves. After being revealed as the Avatar, Aang took up performing tricks with his bending for the guests. Though when the Earth King was brought in on his pagoda he used his air scooter to skim across the tables, but was cut short as the king was taken away and another man stepped before him. He was Long Feng, leader of the Dai Li, and had taken them to his office, warning them that they would be watched. That they were not to go about spreading talk about the war because there was no war in Ba Sing Se.

In the days following they had all gone out into the city to sightsee and search for their lost companions, Appa, Iroh, and Zuko. Aang had taken to flying about over the streets in pursuit of looking for his large furry friend, but after days of searching had only managed to create a zoo with his earthbending. Sokka had found himself in a small house of artisans coming up with haiku, and when he messed up was thrown out into the dirt. Katara, aggravated by Toph's lack of hygiene, had pretty much had to drag her younger companion to a spa for a day of relaxation. Walking home, particularly after dealing with a few snobby girls, Toph had to admit that it hadn't been too bad of a day. She was also thankful that the activities had gotten both their minds off of their lack of success in locating the firebenders, at least for a day.

Meanwhile in the outer ring, Iroh had taken a day off to go around the district that they were living in. While he was collecting things that he needed for a special occasion, he was enjoying his little interactions with the locals. It almost felt like being back at the village he'd spent so many years in. He had to admit that he was going to miss this rather peaceful life, though he did miss his young friends like his nephew. However he had to admit that the young man was far more restless in his want to reunite with the small band of people from every nation. Of course, that restlessness could be more from wishing to see a certain young lady again.

He sighed at that thought. He had long ago noticed Aang's infatuation with his waterbending instructor, but had also noticed Zuko's own attraction to the young lady. This was an emotional dilemma that even he didn't have much, if any, experience with handling. He smiled softly as he thought how wonderful it would be if his beloved late wife, Ying Fa, were around to help. This was something that she would have found engrossing, always enamored with such affairs of the heart. He remembered the exasperation that he used to feel when they'd been young, and she'd try to play matchmaker for nearly anyone that wasn't attached to another, even if she was pretty good at it. In fact, it had been she that, with his own coerced aide, had gotten his brother, Ozai together with Ursa. He wanted his nephew happy, but was also concerned with the well being of the young boy. Perhaps there was a way to get Zuko's mind away from Katara, and prevent a possible conflict from developing. That pretty girl at the teashop seemed to have been giving the young man rather _appreciative_ looks. He chuckled as he realized just how much Ying Fa had rubbed off on him in their far too short of time together, continued on to the small hill that his son had fallen on after breaching the wall.

Zuko had to use every calming technique that he could remember when he thought of the events of that day. He would very reluctantly, not to mention grudgingly, admit that he'd become paranoid because of that girl with the two braids. He had been sure that she'd been some sort of spy for the authorities, and had figured out that they were Fire Nation. He'd just been about to refuse going out with her that night, but Uncle Iroh had beaten him to the punch, accepting for him. If the old man hadn't finally found the blasted sunghi horn it would have been out the window that afternoon in his frustration.

His uncle had fussed the entire time after they'd gotten off work about his first date, making sure he dressed nice and straitened out his growing hair. He'd met the girl, Jin, on the stoop outside the teashop, where she'd ruffled his hair. They'd gone to dinner where he'd told her some story about being in the circus because even simply saying that he was traveling with the Avatar would lead to revealing what he was. After he basically dragged her from the restaurant, where she'd made him show off his nonexistent juggling skills, she'd led him off toward a fountain. He'd felt a little guilty at not being very nice to her most of the evening. Blast that little voice in the back of his head that sounded too much like his uncle's for his tastes. He'd lit the candles, and given her the gift certificate Iroh had told him to. When the girl had kissed him he'd been surprised, and something in him had pushed him back toward her for a second. At the second touching of lips he pulled back, a look of confusion and shame upon his features as a pair of blue eyes flashed in his mind's eye.

"What's wrong?" Jin asked, confused by his sudden actions.

He shook his head, eyes darting about as if looking for something, "It's complicated. This, this just isn't right."

With that said he had taken off at a run, leaving the girl where she stood, a confused, hurt expression upon her face. He made it back to the apartment in which they were living, ignoring his uncle's questions as he made his way straight to his room. He'd opened the door momentarily simply saying that the night had been nice but wrong. It had been days since then and Iroh hadn't given him a moment of peace while not dealing with customers at work. It had been even worse when Jin had shown up at the teashop once more, and Uncle was pushing him to _make amends_ with her, to which he just pushed back. At the moment all he wanted was to get out of the city, tired of having to hide who he was, tired of always watching out for those Dai Li, and tired of waiting for any sign of Toph and the rest of them. What in the name of the great dragons were they doing, not giving any sign of themselves?

The four had left their house to post the flyers that Aang and Katara had gotten made up for the search for Appa. There'd been a bit of anger on Sokka's part, who'd been busy the entire morning working on pictures of the large creature. He'd been consoled until he remembered that Toph's compliment was hollow. Katara had also gotten a small mention put in at the bottom about their companions under their false identities. She'd wanted to make it more prominent, but Aang had convinced her that any more, such as sketches, would likely end up helping others to identify them as firebenders. Toph had argued about not needing help, but after posting a flyer facing the wall gave into going with Sokka. Aang had taken off on his glider, throwing handfuls of papers out into the streets. Katara had just begun hanging the posters when she was interrupted by a voice that she'd not wanted to hear for a long time, Jet.

Zuko had just left the teashop, and slumped against the outer wall, needing to relax. Some rich guy had come in and had been bidding for his uncle's expertise to run his own teashop in the upper ring, much to the horror of their current employer. Zuko could barely contain the growl brought on by the mixed emotions in him. He was proud that so many were appreciating his uncle's skills, but at the same time a sense of rage flowed through his veins. It would already be hard enough for them to leave when they found the rest of the group. Oh how he wanted to find them. The restlessness had only grown in the last couple weeks, and since the kiss with Jin his dreams had grown more _enthralling._

Just the previous night he had awoken in a sweat, rising to a sitting position so fast and roughly he'd completely thrown himself off balance. He had been home again, walking the halls of the fire palace in the twilight hours, the time when day and night are one. The evening breezes brushed along his skin, covered only by a pair of Agni Kai pants and an open vest. He walked through a set of ornate doors into a large torch lit room with a big silken bed with drapes hanging around it. His eyes were immediately drawn to the only other occupant. Her lithe curvaceous body was draped in an open shear red flowing robe, and on her smooth skin were a blue skirt that seemed nothing more than two rectangles of cloth with the top corners tied about her hips and two triangles of similarly tied cloth about her chest and back. He had approached the young lady and drew her to him, and as their arms worked their way around each other's bodies they fell to the luxurious bed. That was when he had awoken, and went out into the main room, fetching a cup of water to help calm his flustered body. Iroh had come out after hearing the rattling of the cups, but after a few words with his nephew about what was bothering him, he sidled back into his room. That had not been the first, or the last of such dreams, yet the only thing he remembered vividly about the young lady that was the only constant in every dream was the pair of bright blue eyes.

Zuko was interrupted from his thoughts by the shouts of people just on the next street. He looked up from where he'd apparently been gazing at the ground, and his eyes narrowed at the sight of papers falling into the streets. He looked around toward the windows of the buildings standing high above the little teashop, but there was nothing that gave evidence of anyone dispersing them. He quickly snatched one of them into his hand, and soon found himself gazing at the drawing of the bison. He'd soon climbed the side of a nearby building, and stared out at the horizon, the flyer clutched in his hand. They were here.

The group had found Katara with Jet, frozen to a wall with spikes of ice pointed at the grass-chewing boy. They listened to his story, the desire for a second chance and the missing memories. Eventually, they were able to help him remember enough to let figure out that he had been held at Lake Laogai, and if the Dai Li had Appa, that's where he'd be. With Toph's aide they found the entrance, and descended down into the dark depths of the Dai Li's hidden headquarters.

Iroh had been surprised, delighted, and concerned when his nephew had shown him the flyer. In the end he had advised patience and caution, telling the young man to allow their friends to find the bison. This had led to an argument between them with Zuko shouting about how Iroh was just a lazy old man, more concerned with his tea than rejoining their companions. It had ended with Zuko being ordered to his room, which he did so eagerly to get away from all else, and he slammed the door behind him. Pacing in frustration around the room his eyes fell upon the drawer in which that blue mask resided.

The group had made it out of the underground and water dungeon of the 'cultural protectors' of Ba Sing Se. They'd had to leave the three freedom Fighters below, two protecting their fallen leader. As they hit the beach, they'd been trapped as the robed earthbenders raised tall stone barriers in front of and behind them. Long Feng had threatened them, only to be interrupted by the loud roar of a flying bison approaching from the west with the sun to its back. Appa flew in, and attacked the Dai Li as his human companions did the same. The large creature landed before Long Feng, and as he kicked out, caught his foot in his mouth. He brought his head back, flinging the man into the air, and the others watched as another man dressed in black and a blue demonic mask with dual swords strapped to his back jumped up from Appa's back. He performed a spinning roundhouse kick, and just as his foot hit Long Feng's gut there seemed to be a small explosion at the point of contact. They watched as the slick haired leader flew out over the water, and hit so hard that he bounced before sinking.

The masked man landed in the sand, and the others looked at his back uncertainly. Aang had completely ignored all else as he launched himself at Appa, latching on to the massive round head and snuggling into the soft fur.

In the second or two since the retreat of the Dai Li Sokka leaned over, and asked, "Toph, do we know him?"

Her features scrunched in thought, "I'm not sure. The sand is distorting things."

As the man turned, he was met by a big slobbery tongue, leaving him standing there trembling in disgust as the slimy moisture dripped from him. The lick had left his mask askew on his head, revealing the scar on the left side of his face.

He said, "You're late."

"Zuko!""Sparky!" Katara shouted in joy, followed by Toph in a second.

"What, no great welcome for me?" Iroh laughed from the bison's back.

The young earthbender got to Zuko first as the others were distracted by the old man. She gave him a quick hug around his middle and then punched him hard in the gut, landing him on his butt. She shouted, "Where have you two been, you blockhead!?"

He glared back up at her, "Us, and what about you? Were they letting you steer or something?"

Toph's eyes narrowed in anger before letting out a battle cry as she jumped on top of him, tackling him. The others watched and laughed as the two rolled around in the sand throwing insults and punches back and forth. Their laughter increased when they heard Zuko shout about it not being fair to bite. Sokka just plain refused to intervene, finding the whole spectacle too hilarious to stop. It finally came to Katara raising water from the lake over them, neither noticing in their squabbling, and smirked as she dumped it all on the two. When the water finished falling, leaving them and the sand around them drenched, the others couldn't stop laughing again, even Appa and Momo. Toph had him in a headlock on her right side, his left hand clamped in her mouth, and her feet were dangling due to his standing. Zuko's right fist was embedded in the girl's stomach, but both their expressions were sagging as much as their now wet clothes.

After having him put her down, and drying the two with a blast of warm air Toph commented, "Just so you know, Sparky, if she hadn't stopped me I would have won."

Zuko replied, "When pigs fly."

Now she smirked, "Just remember the symbol of my family."

Aang, Sokka, and Toph were sitting around Appa's head, Aang constantly petting, scratching, or hugging his oldest friend, and listened to Iroh's tale of the last month. During this time, Zuko and Katara were off toward the tail end of the massive beast.

She had just secured the mask to the scabbard, making sure it wouldn't fall off, when she asked, "This is rather familiar, isn't it?"

"Like when we split up." He replied. After a moment to work up the nerve, which he thought wasn't really like him, he added, "I missed you."

It was the truth, but he was angry with himself for being hesitant. It made no sense. Why should he be nervous about telling her that, or was it that he was nervous about her reaction to his words? That made no sense to him either. Though in the seconds that he thought about it, he figured that it was because she was his friend, and valued her opinion of him. He'd felt the same about Toph, right?

She smiled, "I missed you too."

The two stood there, awkwardly silent, for a few moments before Zuko asked as he rubbed the back of his head, "So, we hugged as a promise to see each other again, are we supposed to hug again or something now?"

Her smile turned playful, "Or something."

Katara brought her hands up to gently rest on his shoulders and guided him down the few inches required. Her eyes closed as her lips met his, a soft brushing, but soon there was something deep inside her pushing her forward. Zuko seemed to have been affected by the same thing because within seconds it was a flurry of lips, both pushing and pulling. Well, that answered that question. He definitely did not feel the_ same way_ about Toph as about Katara. They were suddenly brought back from their little world by an up thrust of rock hitting Zuko in the bum. They had just separated, ending up just over an arm's length from each other, as Aang led the others around the bison.

"Come on you two, we're going to talk to the Earth King _now_." He said, oblivious to what just occurred.

The group, complete once again, had flown straight from Lake Laogai to the large brown, tan, and green palace where Earth King Kuei resided. Without the saddle they all, except Aang who sat effortlessly upon his friends head and against his shoulders, had to lay down hanging on to tuffs of the shaggy fur. There was one point where Katara lost her grip in the blustering wind whipping about them as the bison moved quickly through the air. Her eyes widened in shock for the instant that she was unrestrained in the air far from the ground, but her fear was alleviated as a strong arm wrapped about her waist, holding her securely. She grabbed another tuft of fur with one hand, and her other found a grip in the black shirt of the one beside her. She looked up with an appreciative smile, and Zuko returned the gesture with a quick nod before tightening his grip on her.

The group had to fight their way through the palace guards that had seemed to know of their coming. Katara, Zuko, and Iroh were bringing up the rear, fending off the guards as they approached. After many wrong doors and Sokka hurting himself as he tried to kick open the large doors, they finally found the Earth King, sitting peacefully upon his throne with Long Feng beside him. It had taken them some time, and a lot of convincing, but at last they had gotten the man to listen to them. Nobody noticed the suspicious look that Iroh gave to the retreating backs of the Dai Li agents that were leading their former leader away to the dungeons.

Soon everyone was gathered in Long Feng's former office, in front of the large fireplace filled with green flames. They received the messages that had been intercepted, the note from Guru Pathik, the letter from Hakoda, and even a letter signed by Toph's mother. That evening the group celebrated their reunion and success at meeting with the Earth King with a dinner with Kuei. Each of them was adorned in Earth Kingdom finery, much to Toph's displeasure. The evening was spent with regaling of stories of their journeys to the overly sheltered monarch, and he loved every minute of it.

The next day they would separate and reunite once more. Sokka would go meet with his and Katara's father at Chameleon Bay while Aang went to learn from the Guru at the Eastern Air Temple. Toph was still undecided as to whether she would meet with her mother, and would help the two firebender's move in the meantime. Zuko had actually taken the responsibility of talking to her later that night, and had gotten her to promise him that she _would_ go see her. After all, he would have given his life just to see his mother for even just a few minutes.

The next day, after seeing the two boys off, the girls aided their companions in moving into the house they shared. The two would be working at the teashop that the noble had offered to Iroh, the old man as the head of the shop and Zuko would be the headwaiter. This would only be temporary, lasting until the launch of the attack on the fire Nation during the eclipse. During that time Katara would be aiding with generals to work out the strategies, and Toph would trail around with them for the couple days before she went to meet her mother.

The next few days were spent with the two men going off to work, and Katara heading off to meet with the generals. After the first day an unofficial routine had been set up. Toph had taken to either relaxing at Jasmine Dragon, usually by messing with the staff's heads, or accompanying Katara to the meetings where she would somehow mock the old soldiers. After the meetings Katara with Momo on her shoulder would always drop by the teashop, to collect the two and take them home. Once home dinner would be prepared, and they would discuss what had happened that day over the meal. Then they would go on to other activities. Iroh had even managed, with the persuasive aide of Katara, to finally wrangle his nephew into playing the sunghi horn for them.

Katara would always think back on those days as being a few of her most content. Even though she missed her brother and Aang, she couldn't help the thoughts of how like a small family the four currently in the house was. She wasn't sure of the other two cultures, but in hers it was typical for multiple generations to live together. Though from the sounds of it the Fire Nation wasn't that different with Iroh telling them once of how he'd known of households with up to four generations under one roof. One night had found Zuko talking to Katara out on the veranda, speaking to how he wished she could have gone to see her father. They'd been sitting right up along side each other, Zuko with his arm around her shoulders, when that sensation returned to the two once more. Zuko had brought his other hand to her waist, her hands moving to his arm and shoulder, and he'd begun leaning her back, their faces only inches apart. Then Uncle Iroh had briskly open the door and come out, talking a little louder than needed, and effectively snapping them back to the world around them.

The next morning Iroh was walking with Toph down the cobblestone street before they each went their separate ways. Katara had left the house earlier to attend her meetings, looking terribly haggard and overheated. Iroh had debated whether or not to get her to stay home, sending word that she was sick, but with Zuko in his condition it would be unwise for her to stay. The young man was currently bound to the floor of the room that he and Iroh had been sharing by rock restraints, and the doors and windows had been sealed with rock locks, courtesy of their blind friend. It had only occurred to the old firebender just a few days prior what was happening to his nephew, and he was cursing fate for its terrible timing.

"So what exactly was the idea behind locking up Sparky back there? Don't get me wrong, when he wakes up he's going to be as mad as a shaken up scorpion hornet nest, and that's just going to be hilarious. The point is, though, why?" Toph asked bluntly.

Iroh hesitated, as if thinking of the proper way to reply, "This is difficult to explain, particularly to an outsider." At the look on her face he continued, "I mean no offense by that, but this is something that affects the people from our nation, practically exclusively. It is something that we are even uncomfortable speaking of among each other, something that a parent only tells the child about once."

Toph let out a barking laugh, "You're talking about sex!"

"Shush!" he quieted her as the people around them turned their heads. "Please, understand that it concerns that, but it is _more_ than that as well. It goes back to the beginnings of our people, controlled entirely by the fire of emotions within each of them. That being even before we had even discovered our bending. Eventually, we found ways of controlling ourselves, and buried those savage, unyielding urges deep down within us. However when one of our people, bender or not, reach their twenties those urges rear up every few years until they're around forty."

Toph stopped in her spot, another laugh threatening to burst out if the twitching of the corners of her mouth were any indication. She asked, "In other words, Sparky has become a sex hound, and will pounce on any woman he can get his hands on?"

He coughed, happy she couldn't see the blush on his face, before continuing. "Not quite. The Burning is accompanied by restlessness, vivid arousing dreams, and the need to be around the one person you've chosen. It is also usually proceeded by an event we call the Touch."

"Is that where they touch each other's face?"

He looked at her quickly, shock written across his face, "How did you…?"

She shrugged, "Sugarqueen became a real head case after we were late meeting up with you, and I finally dragged it out of her. Turns out that sparring wasn't the only thing those two did during that first time. Took forever, but I got her to tell me about the two touching each other's faces. Said she felt something weird, but good. What's that about?"

He sighed, "It's the Touch, and it connects two people before marriage."

"So it's like a betrothal."

"No, it's more than a betrothal although less than a marriage. It's a touching of spirits that synchronizes the two so that they both endure the Burning at the same time, and are drawn toward each other. If what you said is accurate then they are both suffering from the effects. I've talked about strict meditation regiments that he's to follow in order to get through this, but I'm afraid that it will be too late to aide Katara in this case. She is a waterbender though, and that means she just may be sick for a while."

Toph's eyes narrowed as he started muttering, "You're making this sound rather serious, what's up?"

"If one doesn't complete the meditations, or allow themselves to be consumed by their inner fires it is fatal. They will _burn_ themselves out. Katara being a waterbender should protect her from that fate, and Zuko should hopefully be able to complete the meditations."

"Won't this happen all over again in a couple years when this Burning thing happens again? So why not let them do the deed now and get it over with?"

"First, they're only teenagers. What if she becomes pregnant? Second, there is the matter of our young friend Aang. In case you haven't noticed he…"

She cut him off, "Has a thing for Sugarqueen, yeah I know. Come on, even without my bending I could see that. But you know what, he's twelve, he'll get over it."

"Yes, but he is the Avatar, and…"

"Who cares? That's no reason to be giving him a person. Let Katara choose who she wants."

He sighed, "I know that you're right, but I don't want to see him get his heart broken."

Toph faced right at him, "And you would rather see Sparky and Sugarqueen suffer like that?" They had come to the point where they would split up. "Just think about it." And like that she walked off down another street.

"Ms. Katara, are you feeling up to being here?" One of the generals asked. "The truth is that we can manage alone today. There's nothing dealing with the Avatar or your group, only with the details of the specific regiments and such."

Katara, a hand over her eyes, replied, "You know, that doesn't sound so bad. I don't know what I picked up, but I wouldn't want to give it to any of you."

The general smiled, "Of course, now wait here. I'll arrange for a carriage to take you home."

Soon she was dropped off at the house, excusing the driver from seeing her to the door to make sure she got inside all right. She had been feeling this build for days, particularly since reuniting with Zuko and Iroh. She felt hot all over, so much so that she almost considered taking her outer clothes off when she was in the house. After making it inside, she heard the muffled yelling coming from Zuko's room, and immediately ran for the door. Her eyes widened in shock as she found the door sealed shut with rock. Without hesitation she used her bending to cut through the rock as she had through the metal in the drill. Her eyes widened again, and the heat of her body grew as she looked upon the scene before her.

From the floor Zuko was gazing right back up at her. He had been gagged, and he lay shirtless with his hands and feet bound to the floor with rock in a 'T' formation. Upon seeing her, his face was a jumble of emotions, relief that someone had shown up, happiness that it was she, still a hint of anger at being in that position in the first place, and something else neither could recognize. That something both intimidated and excited both of them.

She felt like she was on fire, her clothes feeling tight and uncomfortable. Katara absentminded moved to beside him, her eyes never breaking their contact with his. She lowered herself onto her knees, tucking her legs underneath her, and finally let her eyes roam over his form. Her left hand ran through his dark hair, her fingers tickling the back of his neck as she adeptly untied the gag and removed it. She watched his eyes shut tight and his teeth grind as she traced her hand up his exposed torso, her fingers barely even grazing his flesh. A smile grew across her lips when she heard the near gasping breaths coming from the trapped young man. It could never be denied that Katara had a playful streak to her, though Zuko would likely call it torturous when thinking of that day.

He breathily pleaded, "Please, let me loose."

She replied innocently, running her hand back down his abdomen, "What if I like you better like this?"

His eyes closed at her light touch, "_Please_."

She flicked her hand, sending the water from her pouch at the restraint covering his right wrist. As soon as the rock froze, a sudden burst of fire broke through, and his arm went flying. His hand immediately found its way to the nape of her neck, and he firmly, though not forcefully, guided her down to him. When their lips met it was completely different than that kiss behind Appa or the little pecks that they had given each other when their companions weren't looking. Those had been rather chaste, but this was like a battle in their mouths. Each of their tongues was delving into the other's mouth, exploring, feeling, tasting. Each making silent promises, each that they were sure to stand behind, but this was not a time for thought, only feeling and instinct.

Iroh had closed the shop early, and was briskly walking toward the military headquarters, unable to rid himself of the thoughts plaguing his mind. If Toph was indeed correct about their waterbending companion, then he feared for what might come to pass. Well, fearing the possibility was not quite right. A part of him felt a surge of happiness for his nephew at finding the affections of a young lady, and pride at her being such a strong and compassionate person. However, that other part of him was reaching out the boy studying with the guru at that moment. As the large building came within view he let out a sigh. Perhaps Toph was correct, and in the end it was better this way. Still this was not a proper time for such an occurrence. Maybe in a couple years when the war was over…

He had spent nearly a half an hour searching for Katara to no success. He had just finished asking yet another soldier, who seemed to be completely oblivious to the events surrounding him. He spotted one of the generals from the council of five walking down the hall, heading to his personal office while giving speaking to his assistant. Iroh proceeded to run down the hall in an attempt to catch up to the man.

"General! Excuse me, general sir!" He called out as he jogged up to the pair.

The general turned and nodded to the approaching man, "Ah, Mr. Iroh, what may I ask are doing here?"

"I am in search of Miss Katara."

"Oh, well we allowed her to go home a few hours ago as she seemed under the weather, and we didn't really need her aide in today's strategy meeting." The general stroked his beard in thought. "She seemed awfully overheated and disoriented. The poor girl, probably unaccustomed to Earth Kingdom climates, particularly this time of year."

Iroh nodded, only half listening to the last part, "Yes, yes, that is most likely the case. If you will excuse me now, general, I must be on my way to check up on her."

"Of course. Tell me, is your nephew running the shop today?"

"I'm afraid not, and I had to close early because of it. He…he seems to have come down with the same thing Katara is suffering from."

With that Iroh was on his way, plain out running as soon as he exited the headquarters, and his feet couldn't carry him fast enough for his taste. There was still the chance that he could make it there before anything happened, or, a small part of him whispered, there wasn't. If he could make it he'd be able to help Katara through the meditations to endure and overcome the symptoms. He was exhausted by the time he made it there, but he'd not let it stop him. The sounds he heard upon entering would though.

There were sounds he'd not heard in years being emitted from the room. There were moans, groans, several distinctive sounds of movement, screams of pleasure and need, and he thought he even heard purrs and growls at points. He looked at the door, the stone lock hastily cut through with water, as the stone was still somewhat damp. He couldn't resist his curiosity, and ever slowly, his conscience debating the whole way, poked an eye around the edge of the doorway. He immediately snapped back around, his back to the wall and his eyes wide in shock, and tried to process what he'd seen. He stumbled upon couples in various stages of their relations before when he was in the army and when he'd been in his homeland, but this shocked even him. He sincerely hoped that Katara would be able to heal them both before he and Zuko left for their tea presentation to the Earth King the next day. He remembered being rather rambunctious during his first Burning as well, but these two put Ying Fa and he to shame. He knew that he'd caught sight of numerous nail marks, but he'd swear that he had glimpsed bite marks as well.

He sat at the table after making a rather large pot of tea and decided to wait for them to burn themselves out. After all, there wasn't really anything else he could do. While consumed by the flames of passion people had been known to kill those who had interrupted the couple's union. He remembered something that Zuko's mother, Ursa, had once told him.

While sitting at the edge of the pond in the gardens she had said, "In a way the Burning is one of the purest things there is." She rubbed her hand upon her swollen abdomen that carried what would be her first born. "People say that water is the life giving element, but they're wrong. Water is merely the life-sustaining element, for all life begin in fire. The lava that is the lifeblood of the planet spews forth to create new land, where plants and animals come to live. Our astronomers have even theorized that the world itself began as nothing but a giant ball of flaming material. All these beautiful plants around us require the flames of the sun to grow. Then there are animals, including we humans, that bring life to be through the flames of passion." She had smiled thoughtfully then. "One born of the life giving element and the life sustaining element, what would that person be like, I wonder? Perhaps the world will know someday."

Gazing down into his tea, Iroh murmured, "Ursa, did you know? Did you somehow know that this would come to pass?"

He had begun to doze after being able to finally tune out the sounds coming from the other room, but his dreams were filled with the possible outcomes of that day. In some instances, he saw himself playing with a small mocha skinned, golden eyed boy. The child laughed and squealed with joy as he bounced on the old man's knee, and Iroh glanced over at the gold-eyed prince and his blue-eyed princess standing together both smiling at the sight. Although, in others he envisioned an enraged airbender losing himself to his anger and striking out at the people who'd hurt him. Iroh shook his head to clear his thoughts. Looking out the window he saw that it night had fallen, but Toph had yet to return or send word. He also noticed that the sounds were at last coming to a stop, slowing and softening till the only thing left was rhythmic breathing. It was about time.

The next morning the two teens awoke to find themselves laying intertwined with each other, bodies completely exposed to each other. They quickly separated, covering themselves with anything handy. Katara wrapped a blanket about her while Zuko the forgotten blue robe up, holding it in front of his nether regions. The events of the day before were slowly catching up with the rest of their memories. Neither could truly believe that they done what they'd done, but they could not deny the absolute pleasure that they had felt. They turned to each other, ready, and hesitant, to talk.

Before either had a chance to speak they were interrupted by the man at the door. Iroh said, "Well, good morning to you both. Before anything else, might I suggest that you two get healed and bathe? Remember nephew that we have an appointment at the palace today. We need you looking your finest."

Katara had healed the numerous cuts, bruises, scrapes, scratches, and…bites that she and Zuko had left on each other. Their memories of the previous were foggy, but the haze was lifting with each reminder that they found. Allowing the young man to clean up first so that he was ready for the presentation with the king, she set to quickly cleaning the mess that they had spent hours making. She blushed as she thought of all the things they had done, but she could not, would not; deny that she had been just as enthusiastic in their activities as Zuko had been. At that moment all she wanted to do was just soak in a warm bath.

Unfortunately, Iroh asked, "Katara, might I ask you a favor?"

She looked up with a smile, "Of course, uncle, whatever you need."

He felt a twinge of happiness at how she referred to him, but his concern overrode it. His voice was serious as he said, "I am worried for Toph. She has not returned nor has she sent a message that she would be staying with her mother during the duration of our stay in the city. Would it be possible for you to talk with the Kyoshi warriors, and get their help in finding what's become of her?"

Now sharing his concern she replied, "Of course, I'll talk with them while you two are with the king."

After she had bathed and dressed, the three were on their way toward the palace. Iroh couldn't hide his chuckle as Katara fussed over Zuko's appearance to the young man's frustration. He'd originally had his hair up in a short, stubby knot, but that had been one of the first things she had changed, letting his lengthening hair down. Their trip was over before they knew it, and the two bid the other luck in her search for their friend before proceeding down another corridor.

Iroh commented, "You know, of course that things have changed dramatically now, don't you?"

"Well, I suppose, but not much."

He looked at him, "Nephew, this wasn't some one night stand to you, was it?"

Now Zuko stopped and turned, glaring at his uncle in shock and disgust. He retorted, "Of course it wasn't! I would never do that, particularly to her."

"Good, because such behavior would just be improper. Especially for someone of your position."

"Says the man who flirts with anything in a skirt." Zuko muttered.

"I will not deny that I do enjoy the company of ladies, but I have not bedded a woman other than your dear late aunt. Nor do I have any intention of doing so in the future. But you must now realize that yesterday changed your lives forever. You now have responsibilities to your wife!"

That caused Zuko to stumble over his own feet, nearly dropping the box of tea supplies that he was carrying for his uncle. He turned, eyes wide, and sputtered, "W-w-wife, but we're not…"

"In fact, for all intents and purposes you are. The fact that there was no ceremony or anything is irrelevant. You two consummated the bond you forged that day the you touched souls, and there is no way to undo what has been done." Iroh explained. "We will deal with the repercussions of this later. For now, let us just entertain the Earth King with a wonderful pot of tea."

Katara ran into the large throne room where a few guards had said that she could find the three females from the southern island. She called out to them, speaking of needing help in finding her friend, and that two of her other companions were with the king. She froze upon getting close enough to see the threes' faces. It was the fire princess, Azula, and her two friends, Mai and Ty Lee. As she drew the water from her pouch and began to shout for the guards, Ty Lee lashed out, and Katara found herself unable to move, lying in a pool of the water she was about to bend. She was only able to listen as Azula began dishing out orders to her cohorts and the Dai Li agents now in the room before being carried off.

Zuko and Iroh were shown to a lavish and comfortable room where the Earth King would meet them. They'd sat at the table, and began unloading their supplies. Iroh at once set to work on using his seeming magic to brew a beautifully smelling pot of tea. They looked up when the door slid open and they're eyes widened as Azula walked in front of them. She'd made some speech about how the King was detained and wouldn't be joining them as agents took position around the room. They'd made an escape with the aide of a massive blast of fire breath; a reason Iroh was called 'The dragon of the West.' When Iroh had jumped out the hole they had made in a wall, Zuko had told him that he wouldn't leave without Katara, that he'd rather finish it with Azula then and there.

Zuko was quickly subdued after his sister denied his challenge to an Agni Kai by the Dai Li's earthbending, and was thrown down into a cavern cell. There was someone else there, approaching warily as he raised to his knees. As soon as he raised his head up he was engulfed in the arms of a waterbending master. Katara recounted the tale of what had happened to land her in the cave, and he reciprocated. They were soon discussing matters of escape, each searching along the walls covered in Florissant green crystals.

"Katara, look here!"

She came up beside him, and asked, "You find something?"

He pointed, "Take a look at these cracks in the rock. I remember one of Toph's lessons to Aang. She told him to look for the weak spot and pierce it with one good strike, and this could work for us. If you listen hard, you can hear some water through the cracks."

She put her ear to one of the cracks and listened. As he said, she could faintly hear the sound of rushing water. She hopped back suddenly, startling her companion so that he stumbled back, and began pulling the water toward her. She could feel it even from where she was, the water surged until it rushed at the other side of the wall. It hit with force, but only achieved shooting through the cracks.

Shook her head, "It's no good, I can't get it."

Zuko thought for a moment then asked, "Can you freeze it in the cracks?"

She nodded, doing so, "Of course, but what are you planning on doing?"

He was removing the outer robe when he smiled at her, "It looks like my inabilities just might come in handy. Here, this might not help much but it should protect you from a lot of the dust." He handed the robe to her, now standing in a green sleeveless shirt and pants.

She took the robe slowly as she realized what he had in mind, and gave him a look that conveyed her disapproval of his plan and her concern for his safety. He gave her a reassuring look before turning back to the ice filled cracks as she moved to the opposite side of the cave, putting the robe over herself. Zuko took a deep breath, and went through the movements of the technique. His arms came up separating the energies, he lunged his arm forward, and as he expected there was a large explosion at his fingertips. He was sent hurtling back, colliding with the wall, and sliding down to the ground. Katara rushed over to him, checking him over for any serious harm, but fortunately she wasn't finding anything but scrapes and maybe the beginning of bruises. As the smoke cleared it was revealed that the wall still stood with only a gouge now cut out that exposed that the crystals were laced through the walls.

"Looks like we're going to need an earthbender to get out of here." Zuko said softly before groaning as he moved, sore from hitting the wall.

Katara nodded, "Don't worry, I'm sure that Uncle Iroh will find Toph, or even Aang, and they'll get us out of here in no time."

As she had said this she had clasped her hands at her chest, and immediately gasped in remembrance. Startling him a bit, she reached into the front of her robes and withdrew a necklace with a blue vial at the end. He remembered it vaguely from the previous day among the clothing that they had been strewing about in their zeal, but paid it little notice then. After all, his mind had been focused on the girl wearing it far more than the item that had hung about her neck.

She explained that what she held was water from the spirit oasis located at the North Pole. She had thought of this idea when she had dressed that morning and found the vial among all the other clothes scattered about the room. She had come to the conclusion that the oasis water, with its great healing powers, just might be able to finally rid him of the scar upon his face. Before she tried to do so he asked her wait, because he knew of her curiosity of how he had obtained that mark. With the information that his uncle had given him, that this young woman beside him was now his wife, he figured that she had every right to know about what happened eight years before. So, for the first time, he spoke of the meeting between his grandfather and father, how his mother had come to him in the middle of the night, of the morning that he had been scarred, and of how his father had pulled him into the throne room to proclaim his banishment.

Katara looked on as his face seemed to lose its ability to express emotion, but his eyes shone with all those unexpressed emotions, tears forming in her own eyes. When he was done she told him of the day that she had lost her own mother, feeling a bit regretful that she had so many around her after that to comfort and love her while he had only his uncle. Then he'd been separated from that sole source of family for eight years shortly after those events. As she had spoken he had brought her into his arms, hands rubbing her back as the tears flowed on his shoulder where her head came to rest. He was kind of glad that she couldn't see the guilt filling his eyes as she spoke of his countrymen's final assault upon her tribe. As she rose from their comforting embrace she reached for the stopper, but was stopped by his hands over hers as he came to a similar kneeling position in front of her.

As her blue eyes met his gold ones, he said, "Just a moment, I need to tell you something first. It's something that uncle told me after split up this morning." He took a deep breath. "Katara, you and I are…"

He was interrupted by a loud crash followed by a plume of rock, dust, and dirt. When they looked up from shielding themselves from the debris their eyes fell on two of their companions, Aang and Iroh. The two rose to be met by their friend and uncle, Aang hugging Katara and Iroh wrapping his arms around his nephew. Katara and Iroh missed the glare that Aang shot at the scarred firebender, and the defiant stare that was thrown right back. They soon agreed to get moving, Zuko telling Katara later in a whisper when she looked at him with the vial in her hand. She nodded, looping it back around her neck.

Their exit was cut short as a voice made its way from the tunnel that the two had been thrown down through. They turned to see Azula standing there with a pair of Dai Li agents standing to either side of her. After a few words thrown back and forth, including an attempt to sway her brother to join forces with her that was spat on with a comment about her never learning to tell the truth, Katara surged another torrent into the cave, and split the area in half with an ice barrier. With that temporarily blocking their back trail the four ran down the recently made tunnel to a large chamber filled with those green crystals, and a few waterways.

The fight that followed Azula and even more Dai Li catching up to the small group was intense. The four fought with all they had, but it was as if every time one agent fell another jumped in to take their place. Zuko and Katara had practically taken the job of battling the princess on themselves, but they too had to deal with the occasional Dai Li. They were standing back to back each using their element as a pair of whips, attacking their enemies while protecting each other. It didn't take very long for it to become a matter of numbers, as the four were being pushed back, and they were beginning to realize it. They were all now carrying welts, scrapes, bruises, and a few burns, and Aang watched as the others were overpowered. Iroh had one leg encased in crystal, and Katara was backed into a corner, though still keeping them at bay with her water whips. He watched as Zuko was thrown back into the water as he shielded himself from one of Azula's large blue fire blasts. There was only one choice.

He brought the crystals up around him as he sat at concentrated, letting the cosmic energies flow into him. His eyes and tattoos glowed as he rose into the air, readying to unleash the old power onto those around him, but he was cut short as a shooting pain spread through him. Azula let her trademark sadistic smirk pull at her lips as she watched the Avatar, the greatest threat to the Fire Nation's victory, fall to the ground like a rag doll. Her eyes narrowed as the boy was caught by her idiot of an older brother, but was shortly cut off from attacking as the waterbender traveled on a large wave to her companions. Zuko handed the limp, groaning body to her as he moved between them and Azula, Iroh rushing to his side. The two firebenders fended off the incoming attacks as best they could, blending their bending to deflect Azula's blasts. They slowly made their way towards another tunnel, one from which water was rushing through.

Katara said just loud enough for the two, "I can only take two people with me at a time. One, one of us will have to wait till the rest of us are up there."

Without hesitation Zuko ordered, "Uncle, go with them. I'll cover you."

"Zuko…"

"GO!" he shouted, as he sent out a large blast of flame in a wide arc, forcing their opponents to shield themselves.

He sent the barest of glances back as he heard the water rush up, taking his three comrades with it. He was being pushed back once more, as they all seemed to focus on him. He was caught by surprise as he felt water rush up around him, but didn't have time to savor the knowledge that Katara was pulling him to safety. As he rose he still had to deflect and block attacks. Finally he was up with them, sharing a smile with the young woman next to him. His smile faded as he saw his sister out of the corner of his eye, preparing another lightning attack.

He moved between them, pushing the others further into the tunnel as the bolt came flying at them. He felt it hit his back like as hard as the rocks that had hit him, but it burned like fire and disrupted his control over his own body for moments. For the instant that everything flashed and went black there was someone else there. He felt another's presence, but it was so familiar and natural feeling, as if it belonged there and had always been there, like his arm or his own heart.

A man's voice that he did and didn't know said into his mind, his soul, "You already know what you've got to do."

'What I have to do? Yeah, that's right.' He thought almost tiredly.

He threw his head, thrusting his arms up, and let out a powerful blast. It hit the ceiling of the entrance of the tunnel, and everyone, comrades and enemies alike, watched as the rock cracked and began to crumble. Iroh had to hold Katara back as she watched the crumbling rocks begin to fall around Zuko. She saw him look straight at her, give her a regretful smile, and say something. However, she couldn't hear what it was over the rumbling, but she shouted for him as his eyes drooped and fell back off the ledge. The last she heard before the path was completely blocked off was a splash as Zuko hit the water below. Tears were streaming from her eyes as she groped at the fallen rocks, pulling on them to get through.

Iroh placed a hand on her shoulder, and his own emotions were barely held in check as he said, "Katara, please, we must not let his sacrifice be in vane. There is still the chance that we can save Aang. The others are waiting for us. We must go."

She didn't even nod, just turned and hooked one arm over her shoulders as Iroh did the same. They met up with Toph and Sokka, who had Kuei and Bosco in tow, shortly after exiting the tunnel. She wasn't able to look at either of them when they had asked about what happened down in the caverns, and particularly when asking where 'Sparky' was. They'd heard the sounds of approaching Dai Li, and quickly boarding the flying bison, who'd gotten a new saddle at the temple. As they flew out over the city, Katara used the oasis water on Aang's injury from Azula, and he'd momentarily woken yet fell asleep almost immediately. She'd put him to rest at the back of the saddle, against the hastily stowed gear.

Toph sat beside her, arms crossed in her usual fashion when she was serious. She asked, "Did he go down fighting?"

She sniffed, "Till the end."

Toph nodded, "Good. How about Twinkletoes?"

"He should be fine after he gets plenty of rest." Katara, and paused for a moment. "Zuko said something to me before he fell. I couldn't hear it, but now that I've been thinking about it, I realized what he said from the movement of his lips. He said that he loved me, and, and…" She couldn't hold the quiet sob back any longer. "I never got to tell him how I felt."

Toph raised an eyebrow, "You mean to tell me that after that whole Burning thing you didn't tell each other."

Katara blushed, "Talking wasn't exactly the first thing on our minds. Besides, that doesn't really count. Those things were said in the heat of the moment, but he said that in cold, sober thought."

The younger girl set her hand on her arm, "He may have been kind of dense, but I'm betting that Zuko knew how you felt."

They sat there, and Katara gazed out at the city where she had seen Zuko, the banished prince of the Fire Nation, former slave, and the man she loved, fall in battle.

The two Dai Li agents fished the body from where it had been floating in the waterway in the large cavern of the old city. They plopped it onto the dirt covered ground face up, the wet clothes clinging to the body. One of them removed one of their rock gloves and placed his fingers upon the clammy skin of the throat. He looked up at the young woman standing before them, staring down at him, and gave her a short nod.

A cruel, maniacal smile spread across the face of Fire Princess Azula.


	9. Into the Lands of Fire

Disclaimer: A:TLA belongs to its creators, not to me

A/N: YES! Finally updating at last! Terribly sorry that I haven't done it sooner, but I've been rather busy and suffered from a case of writer's block. However I've got a pretty good idea for what I want to happen from now on. Thank all of you that have been patient enough to bare with me.

Chapter 9: Into the Lands of Fire

It had been two weeks since the fall of the last great stronghold of the Earth Kingdom, the largest city on the planet, Ba Sing Se. The group, at present consisting of Aang, Sokka, Toph Katara, and Iroh, were aboard a Fire Nation ship that had been captured by the warriors of the Southern Water Tribe. They had flown from the city that had unknowingly fallen into the hands of Azula to Chameleon Bay where they had found Hakoda, Bato, and all the others still waiting. From there they'd tricked a searching enemy crew, and stole the boat, leaving the crew tied up upon some forgotten beach.

Katara was out on the forward deck with her head on her folded arms leaning against the railing. She'd gone out there to try to relax her overtaxed mind, hoping that the sounds, smells, and feel of the waves moving along the sides of the hull would soothe her. For the past two weeks she had been trying to preoccupy her self with anything that she could do around the ship. These activities had mostly consisted of caring for Aang's unconscious body, helping with the cooking for the crew, and practicing her bending. She felt that she just couldn't stand being in the quarters that her father had given to her and Toph.

Sitting upon a table in the room was the rucksack that had belonged to Zuko, and just within that resided the sack that contained the young man's three treasures from his youth. There had been nights where she had found herself crying while gazing at the items or holding a shirt to her, his scent lingering in each, and knew that Toph had awoken to her silent tears hitting the metal deck plating. Iroh had insisted that she take possession of them, as it was her right. She had bewilderedly asked what he had meant when he had told her this, and she still remembered the conversation.

_They had been standing near the bow of the ship the first night the iron vessel had become theirs. Iroh had handed her the rucksack with his head bowed._

_She had asked, "Why aren't you keeping these yourself, he was your nephew?"_

_He shook his head, "You were something more. It is your right that you claim his worldly goods."_

"_Wait, does this have to do with what he was trying to tell me in the cave?"_

"_What do you mean?"_

"_Before you and Aang came in, Zuko was trying to tell me something, something that you had told him on your way to your appointment with the king. He said that he and I are, but was interrupted when you two came through the wall. What was he was going to say?"_

He had looked her in the eyes, and said, "You and he are…were married."

_She stuttered, "What, when, how, what do you mean?"_

"_Although there was no formal ceremony or public announcement, the two of you created a bond of body and soul when you succumbed to the Burning. In our tradition that is considered more of a marriage than any words, candle lighting, or wine drinking can ever be. Those are just metaphors, ways of showing others your bond, but the Touch and Burning are all that really matters. So please take these items, and honor his memory…my dear niece." He had said before leaving to go to his quarters._

Katara left the railing to work on dinner down in the galley along with some of the other men, who had had to take up the job while away from their families. She would take a bowl to Aang afterwards as he had finally woken that day and she would tend to the remnant of Azula's strike. She would have to spend time trying to convince him off of this whole redeeming himself idea. It just made no sense to her. Although she had to laugh shortly at the thought that Zuko likely would have understood the whole redemption track of logic just fine. She had to sigh. She would never understand the male mind. Of course there were times she was very grateful for that.

Azula smiled, stretching her arms out as she walked to the railing of the royal flagship that she and her companions were traveling back to the Fire Nation capital upon. She came to a stop, standing next to the person already at the rail, knowing that he wasn't gazing out at setting sun as his face was held in his hands.

"I must say that it feels so good to finally be returning home." When there was no response she continued, "What's wrong, didn't you enjoy your date with Mai the other night?"

"It wasn't a date." He grumbled through his hands.

She playfully pouted, "You weren't mean to her, were you? I mean you're not going to find that many girls that'll put up with such an ugly mug as yours. Not to mention that you're eighteen. I'm only sixteen, and father has been mentioning the subject of me finding a young man recently in his communiqués, but I shouldn't have any trouble there."

He let out a sigh, grinding his palms further into his face, "Just leave me alone."

Her eyes narrowed suspiciously, "Another headache? Do I need to get the Dai Li again?"

He rose, turning to glare at her, and exposed the harsh burn scar covering the left side of his face. He growled at her, "I'm _fine_! I don't want them near me. Why'd you have to bring any of them with you to begin with?"

She casually looked at her fingernails as she replied, "Now Zuzu…"

"Don't call me that!"

"…I found that they could be rather useful, in their own way." She continued, ignoring her aggravated brother. "You should be thankful for their presence. They have been giving you plenty of aide when it comes to those headaches of yours." She watched as he slumped back down upon the railing. "It's been less than a week since you woke from your injuries from our last battle with the Avatar. The healers say that it'll take time for you to get over your wounds."

"And the memory loss?" he mumbled.

She gave a convincing little sigh, "There's no telling. You know I blame myself for what happened to you. I was busy dealing with that treacherous uncle of ours. It still gets to me how the great Dragon of the West could so easily betray the nation he fought for so long ago. But if it wasn't for him I could have prevented that loathsome, evil Avatar from attacking you from behind while you dealt with his waterbending witch. It is fortunate though that I was able to slay him as he was distracted by you. Now our nation will be victorious in this long war." She turned and walked back toward the door. "So cheer up, brother. The world is practically in our hands, and do try harder with Mai."

"SHIP SIGHTED!" yelled two voices on two ships that night.

A number of disguised Water Tribe warriors rushed to the railing toward the stern of their captured vessel. Enlarging on the horizon was the shape of another Fire Nation ship, but this was far different to the ship that they were on. The con tower was shaped more like a stylized building with the Fire Nation emblem mounted at its peak, and the bow spike consisted of three ornamental segments. There would be no outrunning it as the ship was but a few hundred yards off and closing fast. It took but a few minutes for everyone but the disguised warriors to hide below deck.

"AHOY!" Called the captain of the larger vessel. "Reduce speed to five knots, and prepare for en route docking!"

Hakoda clenched his fist, but nodded to Bato, who called out orders to the men. In a matter of minutes the two ships were sailing beside one another and a gangplank was being extended from one deck to the other. Hakoda and Bato welcomed the three men from the flagship as they came aboard, and began their routine about transporting supplies to the eastern fleet. From her position at the top of a stairwell, just out of view but ready to strike if need be, Katara gazed over at the large ship as best she could.

THERE! There she was. Azula was standing now upon the raised portion of the deck, just before the con tower, her disdainful eyes running along the deck of the smaller vessel. Katara's teeth ground as she fought back a growl at the sight of the princess. So concerned with keeping her anger in check, she hadn't noticed Toph and Sokka stopping Aang as he came up the corridor.

However, her anger leaked through as she snapped at the three's arguing, "Will you just stop it, and go back to your room!"

The captain turned his head at the shouted utterance. "Your crew seems to be having trouble following fraternization guidelines." He commented with narrowed eyes. "I'd recommend that you enforce their punishment swiftly and reeducate them in that area."

"Actually, that voice was somewhat familiar." Said a nonchalantly suspicious voice from the gangplank. "I think a search of this vessel is in order, Captain, don't you? After all, it would be entirely unbecoming of a ship of our powerful nation to be carrying stowaways or turning it into a floating brothel." Azula's last words were accompanied by a digging stare at the blue-eyed captain from narrowed eyes.

Azula's captain bowed to her, "Of course, your highness. We will begin at once. Commander, bring a full security detail over, and begin the search immediately."

As the man ran across the gangplank everyone seemed to come to the same conclusion. They had no choice, but to act. Hakoda dove forward pushing the enemy captain down between the ships, but was then thrown back into Bato by a blast of blue flame. Soon though the deck was crowded with Water Tribe warriors, Toph, Katara, Iroh, and Azula with her small entourage. A strip of wall that Toph had bent around him had kept Aang below. It was best to allow the Fire Nation to continue believing him dead.

Katara wasted no time and immobilized the flagship upon a mound of ice, ripping the gangplank from the hull as well. She then turned her attention toward the sadistic princess, as the others were moving onto the deck, Sokka and Toph from below deck and Iroh from the conning tower. Katara sent a whip lashing through the air clamping onto Azula's arm, her mind filled with thoughts of the lightning in the catacombs. She was forming an ice spike around her other hand, her forearm and hand looking like a large skewer, as she began pulling the firebender towards her. Sadly, the whip that connected them was suddenly broken by a fiery swing from a cloaked figure that moved between them.

"Thank you, _brother_." Azula smirked, her last word a jab at the girl before them. The figure pulled back the hood of his cloak to reveal shaggy black hair and a pair of gold eyes, one of which was surrounded by a harsh red scar.

"Zuko." Katara breathed in shock, her eyes widening at the sight before her.

Azula's smirk grew into a cruel smile as she said, "How about you deal with this little pest. I'll help the girls with the rest of these barbarians."

Zuko's eyes began to take on a look of mild confusion, and slight pain was creeping into his features as his gaze caught Katara's. He muttered, "I-I know this person."

Azula's expression turned suspicious, "Of course you do, it's that water witch that fought you in Ba Sing Se."

"No, Zuko, don't listen to her! It's me, Katara!"

"You must listen to Katara, nephew." Iroh said as he moved toward them after forcing back Ty Lee with a few successive blasts of flame. "Azula is using you. You belong with us."

"If it isn't our treacherous uncle." Azula mused, but frowned as she saw Zuko pinch the bridge of his nose as he tried to concentrate. She said, making sure her voice was clear, "Zuko, the Fire Lord is awaiting you in the great palace." Zuko's expression slacked. "Now, destroy the waterbender."

Katara's eyes widened as the young man rushed toward her, flames forming and the same dull expression on his face. Azula darted in toward her uncle, determined to keep the old man from stopping their controlled relative. She kept moving back, dodging the strikes, kicks, and blasts that were sent at her. She brought up a stream of water to use as a shield, dousing any of the flames that he got near her. She had even tried freezing his feet or hands, but he simply used his bending to melt it away and continue onwards. Eventually, she was backed into the bow of the ship by a strong, though surprisingly hesitant, fist to her gut, and sunk to her knees.

Azula called from where she and Iroh were deadlocked in their combat, "Do it, Zuko! Finish her!"

"No! You know that isn't what you want!" Iroh shouted.

"Do it NOW!"

Katara's eyes began tearing as she watched a dagger blade of flame take shape at his hand, watched as he raised it above his head, preparing to swing it down into her.

"Please, Zuko." She pleaded in a whisper.

"K-ka-Katara."

She looked up to see the pain from earlier return to his features and intensify exponentially. The dagger vanished as he brought his hands to either side of his head, gripping it hard and face contorting in agony. He was stumbling back as his squinted eyes looked upon the hands that had lashed out at the young woman before him.

"I-I know her. This, this isn't right, but why? These are the enemy, aren't they?" he groaned through grit teeth. He staggered against the railing, and let out a growl, "What's wrong with me?" He fell to his knees, began shaking, and finally began hitting his head against the side of the rail, repeating his question the whole while.

"Damn it." Azula growled, and jumped away from her uncle. "Girls, we're leaving! One of you grab Zuzu and lets go."

Hearing this, Katara pushed herself up, and rushed toward the young man beating his head against the rail from the pain he was suffering. She was stopped just a few feet short by small knife embedding itself in her leg, causing her to fall with her hand just mere inches from him. She looked up to see a pair of eyes that had only been filled with boredom or antipathy now filled with disdain and hatred glaring down at her. Mai grabbed his arm and slung it around her shoulders. She immediately pulled him over the side, and Katara pulled herself up to watch as she and Ty Lee, who had just jumped overboard, pulled the now incapacitated man through the water towards the flagship. Azula sent out one last large arc of flames at the remaining standing Water Tribe warriors, Toph, Sokka, and Iroh. She made sure to send Katara one of her taunting smirks before she too dived overboard.

Katara watched as they shrank from view, heading for the immobilized vessel that benders were already working on freeing it from its frozen restraint. The warriors on the bridge had obviously ordered for more speed as the wake and wind began to increase about their captured ship. She waved her arms trying to freeze the water around the retreating girls in hopes of stopping them. However, with her equilibrium distorted, as she couldn't stand, her aim was off, and only succeeded in forming small patches of ice near them. Soon though they were too far out, and she slid down into a sitting position on the deck. Anger and sorrow filled her, but there was something else just as powerful, hope. She had lost him again, but he was alive.

"Let's get you cleaned up. I dare say that you'll have your work cut out for you tonight." A voice said from beside her.

She looked up to see Iroh rest a hand on her shoulder as he looked out over the group of warriors that had been either incapacitated or injured. Men were spread around the deck, the ones in better shape doing what they could for the others. Sokka had an arm around his father, the other hanging limp, and was helping him walk over on unsteady legs. He sat the man down beside their female relation, who was working on the hole in her leg.

"I really wish you two didn't have to endure this." Hakoda sighed. "This is something no child should have to deal with."

Katara turned her head toward him with a scowl across her face. She retorted, "We're not children anymore, dad. For La's sake, I'm sixteen, almost seventeen, and Sokka will turn eighteen in a couple weeks. At least now we're actually doing something besides just sitting around in the snow, worrying if you'll ever come home or been killed on some forsaken stretch of land."

"Hey, speak for yourself! I was training a new generation of Water Tribe warriors to defend our village." Sokka shot back.

After the battle Toph had had to release an irate Aang from his place on, or in, as the case may be, the wall. She, Sokka, and Iroh had then had give him a full and detailed report as to what had happened above while keeping him from rushing out to show that the Avatar was back. This idea had earned his feet a place _in_ the floor. Eventually they were able to get him to calm down, but they weren't sure just how long that would last.

That evening Katara came out on deck to try and find solace in the cool breeze and the light of the crescent moon. As she stepped out into fresh night air, she spied Iroh's portly figure standing before the railing. She came up beside him to find his head bowed over a small dish with a couple sticks of incense burning in it. The smoke curled and wafted up, some of it drawn into his nostrils while the rest seemed to frame his face's hard features. He opened his eyes as he turned his head to look at her, and gave a reassuring though sad smile. Immediately she knew that something was wrong, that he was going to do something that would affect them all.

"You're going to do something, aren't you?" She asked.

He smirked, "You know me too well." He took a deep breath. "I'm going to leave the ship, and turn myself over to Azula."

"What, you can't do that!"

"I must. Now that we know that Zuko is alive, I have to do everything in my power to bring him back. For now, that requires me to get as close to him as possible, and the only way to do that is to be their prisoner. I am sure that he will come around to see me, and I can use that time to help him."

"Then I'll go with you." She said without hesitation.

"No." he replied with a shake of his head. "This is a task I must undertake by myself."

"But you said it yourself! That I am his wife." She pleaded angrily. "If that is true then it's my place to get him back from them."

Iroh had to smirk. The two shared such similar forms of determination, and he could hardly wait to see what they were like in their daily lives after reuniting. However, this was a matter that he had to take on personally.

He explained, "I'm afraid that you cannot be the one to go. You are needed to stay with the rest. Now don't give me that look. Deep down you know it as well as I do. Aang will need you and Toph to continue his training so he can have mastered the three other elements before the eclipse. The firebending that I could teach him will be of no use during it." He didn't have the heart to tell her that he didn't believe their invasion would work. He knew his people too well to think that they wouldn't be prepared or that they would give in just because they had no bending. It was common practice for his people to learn to fight with or without bending, and required for military personnel. Besides, he had given his warnings and advice during their planning. "Remember this, just as firebenders need the moon so do waterbenders need the sun. Your powers and that of any other waterbenders that join the invasion will be reduced during the eclipse. There's an old saying; the moon is just as dark on the day of black sun."

Katara sighed as she looked toward the door she had emerged from, the sound of the crew's merriment echoed as they celebrated their seeming victory over Azula in the galley. She realized that he was right when she thought of her friends and family. Zuko was right when he'd once told her that the old man had a, albeit kind of annoying at times, tendency to be right. She turned back toward him.

"Make me two promises?" To his nod she wrapped her arms around him. "You keep safe while you're gone, okay?" Again he nodded, and she continued in a whisper that conveyed all her emotion, "Bring him home."

He smiled, returning the hug, "Just as quick as I can."

She pulled away, "What do you think they did to him."

"It was as if his memory was erased. Probably the doing of the Dai Li." He surmised. But when he saw the look in her eyes quickly continued, "Not to fear though, memories are a tricky thing. They can never be destroyed, only forgotten, and the most precious become part of one's very soul. And remember this, there is always something that can revive them, no matter how deeply they're buried. I think what happened today when he couldn't follow through with Azula's orders was proof enough that he is still in there."

"How do you suppose he survived? They couldn't have used any of the spirit oasis water like we did with Aang."

"As a firebender he'll have a natural tolerance, but mostly it seemed to hit the back of his stomach, which is where energy in the body pools. Almost as soon as it hit him it was as if he transferred it into the blast that he used to take out the tunnel. He gave no real resistance so it wouldn't burn him, and reduce the damage he took."

"When will you be leaving?"

"Just before dawn. I've already spoken with Hakoda about this, and he seemed somewhat glad to hear that I was leaving." He said in a slightly jovial tone. It was no secret that, like at the North Pole, the southern warriors were uncomfortable having the elder firebender around, but they accepted it because of the gang. And as before, Iroh held nothing against them for their attitudes. He continued, "That was actually what I was doing out here, praying for good fortune. For us all."

The head Dai Li agent bowed before Azula as she sat in the ornate chair in her quarter aboard the imperial flagship. He reported, "We have completed resealing the subject's memories, and reinforcing the command suggestions."

She nodded, though a frown still adorned her face. She inquired, "And the reason that he seemed to break down during the fight? I was under the impression that your unit had completely mastered the art of mental manipulation, though now all that seems rather like overconfident boasts."

He became uncomfortable under the sixteen-year-old's penetrating gaze. Those eyes sent shivers up his spine, even though he had dealt unflinchingly with some of the toughest criminals in Ba Sing Se. He explained, "Standardly we are. However, it is not in our practices to allow our subjects to be exposed to so many stimuli from the erased material."

Her frown deepened, "Then you are saying that it is my fault?"

"O-o-of course not, your highness." He stammered. "It was simply an unforeseen consequence that we did not consider, and thus did not warn you about. So, in the end, it is our fault."

She smirked, "Well, I am a forgiving person. So your punishment will be to spend the rest of the trip confined in the brig. Guards?"

Moments later the Dai Li were being led down below toward their cells by the imperial guard in their stylized armor.

A week later found the large vessel completing its docking procedures at the harbor of the capital city of the empire of the Fire Nation. The road winding up the side of the dormant volcano, in which rested the true residential area surrounding the imperial palace was lined with people awaiting the return of the heirs to the monarchy. Soon the bustling of the crowd dimmed down to a murmur and then to silence as the gangplank descended, sailors securing either end. Soldiers of the imperial guard moved down the gangplank, lining up upon both side, and then four figures appeared at the top of the walkway.

Princess Azula led the group to the dock where an open topped carriage drawn by a pair of iguana tigers. Their long orange scaly bodies decorated with black stripes shone in the late morning sunlight, and were a stark difference to their short faces that exposed their sharp fangs as they yawned or growled at the people that got too close. They sat in the cushioned seats, Zuko next to Azula and the other two across from them. The people lining the road bowed as the ornate carriage rolled past, but Zuko's head stayed lowered, having eyes only for his hands folded in his lap.

Soon they were passing though the palace gates, and he looked up to see the tall imposing structure that had stood there for hundreds of years, the home of his family for many, many generations. He was home, and yet something just didn't feel right within him. This feeling had been nagging at him since he'd learned that his uncle had turned himself in after being found seemingly just waiting for them in the middle of their path on the deck of a launch from a warship. Azula had convinced him not to visit the man, and had kept him busy by having him go over what had happened over the last eight years with her, Mai, or Ty Lee.

That had been another source for that blasted nagging. Some of the things they had told him just didn't sound right. Such as that he'd begun the hunt for the Avatar three years prior with their uncle by his side, but when he'd found the boy the old man had turned on him and given him his scar. What really didn't sound right was that the Avatar's waterbender was quite the harlot, once stripping to distract him during a fight. This had not only confused and left him with that nagging feeling, but it had angered him to the point that he'd barely kept himself from lashing out. In the end he'd just returned to his room where he'd dreamt of confusing visions people and places that had become common in his subconscious.

Generally his dreams, or nightmares in some cases, were mostly the same. He would be chained to a pole that he pushed to turn a wheel, and as he made his way around the over trodden circle he'd hear sounds and voices, conversations that seemed oddly familiar. Recently he'd even looked out to see blurry, translucent images, like looking at ghosts. The nightmares would go further, be more vivid, but they also caused far more pain. He'd be on the wheel but rather than pushing by himself he was chained alongside men that were covered in bruises, scars, cuts, and looking generally like the living dead. Then he'd be whisked away to some arena where he'd be tied down and either beaten or shouted at by a number of people. The weird thing was that it was his uncle, the Avatar, and his group. The worst part was that their words were nothing but gibberish, like parts of what they were saying were missing.

For now he would have to prepare for his audience with his father that evening. He couldn't explain the strange feeling of trepidation he felt at the thought of going before his sire, but he'd resolved himself to do one thing. He was going to speak with his uncle.

The gang hadn't felt the same since Iroh had gone off on his self appointed mission, and now that they were in the Fire Nation mainland they wished for his knowledge and guidance. In the end they had to rely upon any stories that the elder man, or even the few short ones that his nephew had shared, and what Aang remembered. Though that was a hundred years out of date, and he was getting some strange looks from some of the people about them as they went about in their stolen clothes.

That night Azula had Zuko dress in a set of ceremonial robes, and led him through the halls of the palace until they reached a room he had never entered. She had a pair of servants open the large doors before them, and he gasped at the look of the room. It was circular with eight ornate pillars, each wrapped around by a gold dragon with their heads looking down upon the center of the room. Along the walls, spaced so they were visible between each of the columns, were six large statues of three past Fire Lords and their wives across from them. Their hands were held out in front of them, as if offering the flames in them to their counterpart across from them. Across from the two monarchs was another set of doors that the two other occupants of the room had to have entered through.

In the middle of the room were Azula's friends, Ty Lee and Mai, the later also wearing a set of ceremonial robes. Ty Lee moved off to the side after whispering something to her gloomy friend. As the other two reached the center Azula too moved to the side, standing next to the pink clad acrobat. Zuko stood in front of Mai, unsure of just what it was that he was to do.

"What's this all about?" He demanded, looking toward Azula.

She smiled in that deceitfully cheerful manner that she did every so often when it helped her achieve her goal. She replied, "It's your betrothal ceremony, my dear brother. You and Mai are going to perform the Touch, and be bound for the rest of your lives."

An almost confused look crossed his features for a few moments, but he shrugged it off. She'd likely have him go into another session with the Dai Li, and he always came out of those feeling so detached, as if a large part of him was missing. He'd begun doing what he could to prevent having to see them. He turned toward the young woman before him to find her already raising her hand toward the left side of his face. He lifted is hand to emulate her action, but the pain return full force and grew the closer her hand got to him.

"NO!" he shouted as his rising hand slapped hers away. With his eyes closed he slowly said, "This isn't right."

Azula ignored Mai's shocked expression as she suggested, "Then perhaps it is Ty Lee you truly wish to be with." Though as she spoke Zuko was already on his way out the doors, not hearing her words, nor seeing the hurt on Mai's face or Ty Lee's blush.

The group had spent a couple days at a town where Aang had the chance to attend a school, and was of constant disappointment as he saw how the ways had changed from before the war. He'd eventually got the others to help him throw a secret party in the cave they had been staying in for the students. Katara had sat to the side on one of the stone benches Toph had created, watching as the kids began to loosen up and enjoy themselves. She'd even laughed as the twelve year old danced shortly with that Onji girl, but he'd soon come over to her. They had danced together, but in her mind and heart the person spinning her around was a young man with a scar on his face.

Then they'd found a village built on a river, a curious sight in a culture of fire wielders, but it was obviously not in a good way. The people were sickly due to a production factory just up the river whose waste was polluting the water. Sokka had been feverently against aiding them because they were Fire Nation and they were on a strict schedule. To Katara's aggravation, he had the other two agreeing with him. She would not let even them stop her from doing what she felt was right, but how? That evening as the others ate, believing she'd gone off to sulk, she had rummaged through her belongings for anything that would help, and came across a blue and white mask that brought a smirk to her face. She remembered Zuko's hesitant confession on using the guise while they were separated, but she didn't feel right about using the same persona. That was when she remembered the legend of the Painted Lady they had heard about.

In the dead of night a cloaked figure walked down a road, and slipped off into the shadows of a darkened alleyway. The person came to a stop as their ears caught the sound of metal hitting against the ground close by in what seemed almost limping footsteps. Without warning a door was broken off of its hinges, slamming onto the ground to reveal a large powerfully built man. Upon his forehead was a tattoo of an eye with chevrons emerging from it, the symbol given to all members of the elite Royal Guard. It was an insignia representing their eternal vigilance to protect the monarchy. According to rumor he had been discharged after losing an arm and leg in the line of duty.

"Are you the one who requested my services?" he growled out.

"Considering that I'm here, I must be." A bored voice said as the person pulled back the hood. The pale skin seemed to glow in the dark area between buildings, but the long black hair looked as though it blended and became part of the shadows about them. The only difference from the person's usual appearance was the eyes. Mai's anger was reflected there was quite evident.

"The pay?"

She threw a bag of gold pieces to him.

He narrowed his eyes, "The job?"

"The Avatar may still be alive, but it's not him that I'm concerned about. He travels with a waterbending tramp in his group. She is your target. _End her_."

Another cloaked figure moved through the night blending with the shadows as it approached its destination. The figure's movements were quick and light as it passed by the two guards that separated, their backs to each other, and made its way into the tower. It slunk unnoticed past the office where the other guards relaxed, and proceeded up a spiraling staircase. Only the light from the lanterns on the walls momentarily exposed the figure's features, but it only took one person one of these moments to recognize them.

"Li?"

Zuko stopped at the nearly familiar name and voice. He couldn't place where he'd heard either, and shrugged it off. Anyways, there were countless people in the world named Li or its variant Lee. He glanced over to see a girl nearly his age with brown hair that hadn't been cleaned in some time and green eyes that looked like they should have been sharper, a pair of warrior's eyes. Her tanned skin was covered with bruises and minor burns, but ointment had obviously been used to reduce any damage. She and the girls with her were likely some of Azula's 'playthings,' so his sister wouldn't do much at first, working gradually to break the person's spirit.

"I'm sorry, you must have me confused for someone else."

She scoffed, "Like there are that many people with a scar like that." When he didn't respond she continued, "What are you doing here? Where are Sokka and the others? How were they after Ba Sing Se?" She watched him look away, and he seemed to hold back a fit of pain. The sudden spark that had lit her features dimmed. "You're not here to free us are you?"

"I have someone that I need to speak with. I…I'm sorry." He said before continuing on his way up the stairs.

He had to stop once, being overcome by another wave of pain that accompanied a collage of blurry images in his mind, and needed to support himself by leaning against the wall. He had made his choice, and nothing would stop him from seeing his uncle, not even his own blasted mind. He pushed himself off the wall and continued up the stairs until he reached the cell occupied by a filthy man wearing the usual raggedy clothes of prisoners.

The man glanced up with his worn, despondent features, but those changed completely as he smirked. He commented, "It's about time you showed up."

Zuko threw back the hood as he approached the bars. He replied, "You knew I was coming."

"I like to think that I understand my family members. But I figure you've got some questions for me."

Zuko hesitated for a few moments, unsure of how to start. He began, "Very little around here has felt right, and I don't know why. I get angry for some reason when any of the others make comments about the Avatar's little group, particularly the earthbender…"

"Toph."

"…the waterbender…"

"Katara."

"…and you." Zuko said through grit teeth. The names had brought on more of the pain, but he was fighting it back just as a voice that seemed to be growing urged him to do. "I've been suffering from these strange dreams, and they've started happening while I'm awake recently."

"Are they what's causing the pain?"

He received a quick nod before Zuko said, "Azula has me go to the Dai Li when it becomes so bad that she notices, but I feel so _detached_ after that, like something was taken away. I've tried hiding it from her but she makes me go through a session once a week."

Iroh sat there for a few moments, thinking on the information he'd just heard. He finally let out a sigh. He looked up with an apologetic expression, and said, "For now, all I can do is give you a few bits of advice. Keep hiding the pain, never let Azula or her accomplices see it. Resist what the Dai Li do to you; please Zuko that is very important to remember. Finally, let the images come and sort themselves out. _They_ are your true self."

The young man looked at him with wide eyes for a second before growling out, "That's IT? I come to you to find out what's happening to me, and you give me the proverbial pat on the head and send me on my way! Why won't you tell me anything? Why…" He seemed to be losing control of himself, and collapsed onto his knees, grasping the bars as tears formed in his good eye. "Why can't I shake those blues eyes that always watching, always there every time that I close my eyes? What's wrong with me?"

Iroh sighed as he reached through the bars, lying what he hoped would be a comforting hand upon his nephew's shoulder. He couldn't begin to understand what he was going through, to have your memory tampered with so you're not sure of anything. He wished he could reverse what they had done to him, but this was something that Zuko had to on his own. _He_ was the one that had to open the door and walk through. However, that didn't mean that Iroh couldn't help him find the door or prepare him for what awaited on the other side.

"Zuko, I will do anything I can to aide you, but for now you should go. It would not be wise for anyone at the palace to find you missing, and even less for them to find out you came to see me."

Zuko nodded, and rose to his feet. He turned to go, but stopped at the doorway. He said over his shoulder, "I completely admit that I don't truly understand my family members, let alone myself, but I have the feeling you've already got an escape plan in the works. So, I have a favor to ask of you. Down a couple of floors is a cell with a few female prisoners in it. They seem to be condemned to be Azula's toys, but we both know how quickly she bores with them once their will is broken. One of them called me, Li, but I don't know why it should mean as much as it feels like it does. Anyway, take them with you, please." With that he threw his hood up over his head, and was off down the stairs.

The time with the group was spent in a bit of a hypocritical way, at least on Sokka's part in one case. He was generally pressing them to move on to reach the rendezvous point, but in one case he stopped them for a few days to train under a sword master. He was taught to use a ken, and had even made one from the black iron they'd collected from a fallen meteorite, some of the remnants being given to Toph. Of course the three found themselves rather board without the young warrior about, several attempts at amusement failing terribly. The large surprise had been when the sword master had given them a Pai Sho tile, a white lotus, and revealed that he belonged to a secret order. Later on their journey they'd been attacked by a man with a metal arm and leg that could fire blasts from him forehead. The strange thing was that he seemed to have been targeting Katara over the others.

Azula had come to the decision that the four needed a vacation to relax, as there was too much tension with them cooped up around the palace. Particularly, as the young man with them had spent almost all of his time since returning home training. So, she had decided that they would travel to and spend a week at Ember Island, courtesy of Azula's twin instructors. Zuko hadn't wanted much of a part in this whole little escapade, but was _requested_ to accompany them by his father. He'd tried to get away as they went to the beach, but had been grabbed and pretty much dragged there. He was finally able to slip away when the girls' attention were on a couple of boys that were inviting Mai and Ty Lee to a party they were throwing.

He crossed a number of hills until he reached the only place that he'd wanted to visit on the entire island, the royal family's vacation home. Every item he found brought back a memory from his youth, memories that had been unaffected. He'd begun to realize that the memory loss started about the time his mother disappeared, but something else hadn't fit either with girls' stories. At least, Azula's and Mai's. Ty Lee had always just spent her time spinning yarns about her time in the circus, and trying to teach him a few tricks. When she had spoken with him of the past, it was back in the time when Zuko still had memories. She seemed to refuse to speak of his life during the missing time. However the one thing that didn't make since with everything the other two had told him was his scar, or rather the feeling in it. Every time he was near his father the scar would begin to take on a burning feeling, but not around anyone else, particularly his uncle.

He walked out into the back garden where he found a large spring that was fed by a short waterfall, and then led off in a small stream toward the ocean. He remembered as a small boy coming out here with some of his family members to enjoy some time in the steaming water, usually getting into a splash fight with his cousin while the grown ups soaked and talked. He quickly stripped the jacket off, and stepped carefully into the clear water. With a quick heated breath, steam was rising up off of the now nearly boiling water, but rather than sitting he laid down and floated on his back, staring up at the large expanse that was the sky. His mind drifted in a similar way that he was allowing body to, except his mind was in a sea of confusion. Little did he know of the two other pairs of eyes, two blue gazing up at the sky as well while their owner floated in a small pond on another island, and two big gray ones watching the young man lay upon the water.

After returning to the capital events began to unfold that told the forgotten past of Fire Lord Sozin and Avatar Roku. Neither Zuko nor Iroh could have guessed that across the sea on another island a twelve year old was receiving another perspective on the tale. A perspective whose teller left out a crucial bit of information, the prince's true lineage.

It was during the events when Toph was using her bending to cheat people out of their money that she and Katara discovered a staggering surprise. They had been in the wooden cell, and Katara had just cut through with her own sweat when Toph caught her foot climbing out and grabbed the other around the middle. When her hands made contact Toph's eyes burst open, but she'd kept her tongue until they had made camp that evening. She'd pulled the waterbender off a distance from the camp because this was a private conversation.

"Listen Katara, I've got something to tell you." She started out, unusually hesitant.

Katara knew this was serious right from the start, as the younger never used their real names otherwise. "What is it? Are you ill?"

"This isn't about me. It's about you." She took a deep breath as if determining the right way to say it. "Lets just say the boys will most likely kill Sparky the next time they see him."

Crossing her arms, Katara retorted, "As if I'd let them." Her expression then grew more concerned as the words' meaning sank in. "Does this have to do with my not having my cycle this month."

Toph quirked an eyebrow, "Tell the truth. You haven't had it since Ba Sing Se." Being blind she missed the flush on the other's face at the memories that elicited. She suddenly smirked, "Then again, we should have expected this more than we have. From what I heard about that whole Burning thing, the two of you were probably going at it like a pair of rabiroos in spring."

Katara fully blushed at that comment, but replied, "That is none of your business."

Toph grew serious again, "What are you going to do about it?"

She rubbed a hand over her abdomen, her face soft and caring before growing determined as she looked up. Her words were firm, "This is my child. I will care for and protect it with everything that I am. But my wish is to bring it into a world without the war."

"And what do we do about the boys?"

"Um, I don't think I want to tell them yet."

"You're going to have to before you get far enough along that you're rounder than Iroh."

"I know, but they'll refuse to let me fight if they know. Besides, I kind of want to have a wedding ceremony with Zuko before we tell Sokka. That should save him a little suffering when my brother gets hold of him."

"Hmm, I know you well enough to not try to keep you from fighting, but let me say this. Keep Sugar Bun safe."

"Sugar Bun?"

Toph shrugged, "I heard pregnancies as being called having 'a bun in the oven.' So, as you're Sugarqueen it's Sugar Bun… for now."

Sometime after that they had encountered an old woman named Hama, who turned out to be the last other waterbender from the Southern Water Tribe. She had seemed extremely pleasant, despite Sokka's constant paranoia. Unfortunately, his infamous instincts were correct about the woman. Years of imprisonment had driven her insane, and that insanity had led her to commit crimes in the name of vengeance. She had taught Katara quite a bit, but she'd had to use the old woman's most powerful and deplorable technique, bloodbending, in order to defeat her. She would continue to be haunted by dreams of Hama and bloodbending for numerous days after that, waking to find most of her comfort in the life she now knew to be growing within her.

After a few, sleepless for Aang, days the group was joined at their little island by the ships of the Southern Water Tribe filled with new inventions and allies from the Earth Kingdom, including the swamp. Soon, now donning the clothes of their own nations, although Aang's was a bit of a mismatch, the group along with the fleet was under way. During a rest point to replenish their air supplies in the subs Aang had approached Katara. After a short spiel about possibly never seeing each other again he had kissed her, on the lips, and sauntered off. She had tried to tell him that she didn't return those same feelings, but he was gone to quickly.

Soon enough, the invasion had begun.

The attack went perfectly to plan, until Aang had found that the throne room, the entire residential city even, was empty. He would return with Toph and Sokka to discover a subterranean facility built into the near dormant volcano. There, they would only find Azula. Meanwhile, Katara while supporting her injured father inwardly smiled at the fact that Iroh had been correct. During the eclipse, though not taken from her, her bending was severely diminished. She barely had enough power for the constant work upon the wound on her father's side.

Zuko had taken the time to write a letter that he addressed to Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee, making sure he had ended with a poignant remark towards his sister. It had something to do with a dead snake-rat and her behind, which when read the other two girls had to fight the laugh or smirk that threatened to emerge. He had then hurried below the palace to where he knew his father would be waiting out the eclipse, and confronted his sire. He had told him of how he now remembered the morning he'd been scarred, and the battle under Ba Sing Se, though a large number of the details and events between the two were still distorted. He told him that he was going to join, or rather rejoin, the Avatar to help end the war. Ozai had stopped him from departing by speaking of his mother, the happenings of the night she disappeared, and that she may yet be alive. Zuko had took his leave before the smoke had cleared from striking near Ozai's feet after redirecting the lightning shot at him.

He rushed to the tower prison to collect his uncle, only to find that not only had his cell been seemingly blasted apart but so had the one with the girls. After quickly questioning the terrified guard he had made his way out to discover the sky full of airships, including the new large battleship type. He ran as fast as he could to the small airship that he'd been working to secretly prepare over the prior few days. He was stopped by a dagger digging into his arm, and looked up into the eyes of Mai. He moved quickly to dodge the flying blades that accentuated the angered words of her questions about why he'd leave and why he didn't choose her. He answered as truthfully as he could, but was thankful when her assault was ended by someone he would never have imagined.

"Why?" He asked with his eyes narrowed in suspicious confusion

Ty Lee smiled apologetically, "I didn't approve of what they did to you, the whole memory thing. When we were young, you were one of the few boys I really had contact with. So I can completely understand how Mai grew a crush on you. I missed you while you were gone." She moved in and quickly gave him a peck on the lips before stepping back, and whispered, "Good luck." She then hefted the unconscious girl over her shoulders and headed off toward the city.

He stood there a few moments, more confused than he had been before. He soon shook it off and continued on toward the airship. He rose into the air as he had learned from the engineers that were building these vessels for the fleet. He had told them that he was planning a trip around the colonies, and wished to know how to work it. High in the air he saw them, the bison covered in some unfamiliar armor. He had to look down to see a larger number of soldiers surround the invaders. He looked back toward the bison, for now he would follow them. He _felt_ deep down that this was the way he should go.

Following the group on the bison he was soon able to realize where they were heading once he compared their direction with a map. He decided that he would easily outrun them when the large creature required rest, and would likely arrive at the Western Air Temple first. He certainly hoped that he didn't get too bad of a reception when they met up.

The group, now consisting of Aang, Katara, Sokka, Toph, Momo, Haru, Teo, and The Duke, walked across a field of grass around their large furry friend. When they had fled, as reluctant as some were about it, Aang had pointed them on the path northward where he claimed they could find shelter. He had told them that they were heading for an Air Temple, but they had yet to see any mountains that were typical of Air Nomad architectural locations. Although it was true that they were at an elevated location, there was just no sign of any temple. That is until they reached a ravine, where the twelve-year-old Avatar stopped and announced they had arrived. To most of the others' skepticism Toph announced that there was in fact a structure, below them. Finally with the use of Appa, the group of seven humans and two animals, three if Sokka's hawk ever returned flew down to behold a series of buildings that were hanging from the underside of the cliff.

As soon as they landed Toph gave a small whistle, and commented, "I'd love to have met the earthbenders that built this place."

Aang turned toward her, "Earthbenders?"

"No one else could have built anything like this, especially back when this was made. You think a bunch of airbenders could get stone to hang like part of the cliff itself?"

Haru spoke up, "I've got to say that I think she's right, but don't worry about it." Added the last part quickly when he saw the look on the boy's face. "Though all the decretive work definitely isn't Earth Kingdom."

Sokka hooked an arm around Aang's shoulders, "Look at it this way, they designed and decorated the place, but they just needed some _help_ to build it."

The young airbender seemed to accept this and smiled up at his friend. He began to tell them about all the different things that were supposed to be at this temple that they could see. After a bit he was flying around on his glider, but was called back in by Katara who started in on how they had to figure out what to do as well as him still needing to master firebending. She was interrupted by the end of a rope falling down over the ledge, and then by a pair of legs belonging to someone climbing down. It was obvious by the boots that it was someone from the Fire Nation; none of them wasted time before falling into a fighting stance. Aang shot out a burst of air, causing the rope and the person on it to wobble through the air, and watched with the others as the person fell. The person had had the rope partially wrapped about his lower leg, but all the shaking and the falling had completed the loop.

"Um, hi everybody." Zuko said as he swung side to side hanging by his ankle, an embarrassed smile on his face. As his eyes darted about, taking in the temple and other people, he asked, "Ok, just for reference, I _am_ upside down, right?"

Katara had formed a water tentacle about either arm and used them to pull him in over onto the platform, holding him there while Sokka undid the rope. They then had to hold off Haru who prepared to attack because the newcomer was Fire Nation, and was therefore an enemy. However, the boys were still quite wary of Zuko's presence, particularly after the incident on the ship when he had aided his sister. He explained that he was sorry for that, but Azula had the Dai Li seal away most of his memories and that quite a few of them were still fragmented. He pleaded to join them, even offering himself as their prisoner, but the Combustion Man tried to snipe them before an answer could be given.

They took cover behind the pillars around the fountain they'd stood by. A couple of the boys who were unfamiliar with Zuko, mostly Haru, claimed that he was a distraction while his troops got into place. Angered by the earthbender's words, Zuko growled out against the accusation and ran out from the cover. Presenting a clear target, Combustion Man let loose another blast at Zuko, only to be flabbergasted as the young man seemed to catch it. He struggled to use his bending to contain the burst of energy in his hand, and finally threw it off into the ravine where it exploded. The confusion from the unprecedented move gave Sokka the time he needed to throw his boomerang at the large man, hitting the tattoo on his head. When he attempted to fire again it was distorted, and caused a large explosion that took out the ledge he was on. The last any of them saw was a metallic arm glinting in the light among the falling debris.

With the threat of the hired assassin now gone, hopefully for good, the group could once again return to the matter of the firebender before them.

Before anyone had the chance to speak Toph walked forward, "Come on Sparky, let's go get your stuff."

"Toph, will you hold on? We haven't even decided whether we're going to let him stay." Haru barked.

She just scoffed, "Oh please, he's one of us, of course he's staying." She then surprised Zuko, and the rest, by yanking him down a bit by his arm and jumping onto his back. "Right, now back up your rope."

He argued, "What do you think you're doing back there?"

Toph playfully looked hurt, "You expect me, a poor little blind girl, to climb a rope over a deep dangerous ravine? What kind of a prince are you?"

"Exactly that, a prince not a horse!" He growled back. "And poor little blind girl my foot, more like tiresome little troll! Now get down from there, Shortstuff!"

Now she wrapped her arms about the young man's neck, choking him a bit. She retorted, "You know I'm betting that I'll be taller than you one of these days."

Despite the arms around his neck Zuko let a content smile spread on his face. He commented, "Just to spite me, I'm sure you will." After she returned her hands to his shoulders, he said, "It'll be too difficult to do this with you on my back anyway. The airship I used may be small, but it's packed full of supplies."

"What kind of supplies?" Teo asked.

"Maps, troop deployment charts, a small assortment of weaponry, tools, and clothing, but mostly food. Stuff like uncooked rice and noodles, some boxes of tea, spices, and dried fruits and meat-"

"What kind of meat?" Sokka asked quickly.

Zuko blinked at the boy leaning forward in eager curiosity, "Uh, well there's hippo-beef, chicken-pork, ox-deer…"

"He's got my vote!" Sokka exclaimed and wiped away his drool.

Aang gave him a look, "You'd vote for Azula if she gave you meat."

"No I wouldn't!" He then mumbled, "I'd just take the meat then not vote for her."

The others rolled their eyes, and Katara asked, "Zuko, isn't Iroh supposed to be with you?"

"He wasn't at the prison when I went to get him. A guard said that he had already escaped, like a one man army." He smiled with softly with pride at the last part. "There was also a group of Earth Kingdom girls that were in another cell. I'm sure he took them with him."

Sokka piped up, "What did these girls look like?"

"I couldn't see all of them too well, but the one that spoke to me had shoulder length brown hair, looked to be a year or two younger than me, green eyes, and kept calling me Li."

"That was the name you went by in Ba Sing Se." Katara said excitedly. "It must have been the Kyoshi Warriors."

"Which means Suki!" Sokka exclaimed. "Where are they now?"

He sighed, "I don't know. I'm sorry, I wish I did."

While the others went on with their discussion, Toph had Zuko take her over to Appa, and then climbed up him into the saddle. Before he could climb up as well the bison had turned its head toward him, and within a second left his front covered in saliva.

He groaned, "Was that really necessary?"

It took only a little while for the two, along with the help of Sokka and Haru, to transfer the supplies from the airship that had been set down and hidden in the woods above to the temple. The others stayed below in order to assess what was already there at the temple, and to figure out which rooms could be used and who should get which. After that they had stripped down the airship to transport it down to the temple so Teo and Sokka would have more materials to experiment with. The afternoon was spent with primarily exploring the temple and cleaning. Dinner was a little bit of a tense affair with having to explain how they knew the firebending prince, and slight paranoia about the food they were ingesting, courtesy of said firebender, on the behalf of the newcomers.

It wasn't until that evening that Katara could get the young man alone. She stood in the doorway of his room, watching as Zuko set about the items that he had brought with him. She smiled as she watched as he placed two paintings on top of the dresser in the corner, one the content face of Uncle Iroh, the other the smiling face of a beautiful woman in Fire Nation finery.

As he rose from a respectful bow to the faces, he turned to see her standing there, leaning against the doorframe. He smiled, "Katara…"

She gave her own smile as she pushed off the doorframe and walked toward him as he did the same. As they came to stand a few feet from each other her expression changed, and she let her fist lash out as hard as she could. The punch hit him so hard that the impact turned him around before he crashed face first on the ground.

She shouted, one hand on her hip the other pointing right at him, "Don't you _dare_ worry me like that again! I thought you were dead, and then you show up not remembering any of us or what _we_ were, ARE, to each other, and then listening to Azula! If you ever do anything to make me or anyone else feel like that again I will end any destiny you may have, right then and there!"

As she ranted at him, Zuko had pushed himself up onto the bed, and sat there waiting for her to finish, guilt evident on his face. Before he had the chance to reply he was tackled by the young woman. After steadying he brought his arms about her, one hand stroking her hair that she now wore rather free.

"I'm so sorry for everything that I put you through. I wish I could undo it all, but I will do whatever I can to make up for it." He soothed. "Truthfully though, I don't think I ever truly forgot about what is between us. I still may not be able to remember every moment that happened with us, but there is no way that I could truly ever lose what we are to each other. It's too much a part of who I am."

She looked up to see the honesty of his words in his eyes, and instantly their lips came together. Unlike the incidents where Aang had kissed her, or Azula had tried to get him to perform the Touch with Mai, this felt right to the two benders. This was the sharing of the feelings of love between a husband and wife.

They had fallen back to lie on the bed before they separated, and she laid her head on his chest. She said, "It's part of who I am too, and there's something I have to tell you."

"What's that?"

"I'm pregnant." She answered. When there was no reply after a few moments she raised her head to look at him. She may as well have decked him again because his head had fallen back when he'd fainted. She just smiled and rested her head on his chest once more. She whispered, "Welcome home."

A/N: There it is, chapter 9. For a bit of a preview as apology for taking so long I'll tell you a few things I plan for next time. Ursa's location will be revealed, We see Iroh once more, and the voice Zuko's been hearing will be explained.


	10. Family

Chapter 10: Family

Disclaimer: I don't own ATLA

A/N: Many apologies for taking so long to get this up. It was originally going to be longer, but I decided to split it into two chapters. I'm still working on that one. Hopefully, it won't take as long get done.

Chapter 10: Family

It was an hour until sunrise, but Zuko was fully awake. His arm was wrapped around Katara who was beside him and had her head resting comfortably on his chest. He reached over with his other hand to touch where he now knew that their child was growing within her. His trembling hand stopped short and he retracted it quickly, turning his head away. A silent tear ran down from his unscarred eye.

Katara had awoken to the heavy pounding of the young man's heart, but had yet to reveal that she was conscious. She had surreptitiously watched as his hand withdrew as his heartbeat increased further. She lifted her head and gazed down at him with her eyes filled with curiosity and concern.

She asked, "Zuko, what's wrong?"

"It's…it's nothing." He sighed. "Sorry for waking you."

Her eyes narrowed, "Oh no you don't. You're not going to get out of this that easy. I can tell that something is bothering you. So what is it?" After a second of thought she continued a look of distress and hurt coming over her features, "It's the baby isn't it? You, you don't want it!"

He grabbed onto her shoulders and replied quickly, "No Katara, that's not it at all! This is _our _child, and although there might have been more convenient times for it to come about I couldn't be happier about it." He could see in her face that she believed him, and thus her curiosity had grown stronger. "It's just that I'm…I'm scared."

She smiled understandingly and hugged him, "It's alright, so am I. I think everyone is when they first become parents."

He pulled away a bit, "It's not just that. What if…" His hand mindlessly ran along the bottom of his scar. "I'm scared that I'll end up becoming like _my_ father and hurt it. I, I don't want that to happen."

She could tell from the shaking of his voice and the forming tears in his eye that this was truly tearing him up inside, the idea of hurting the child terrifying him. She took his hands as they sat up upon the bed, "Zuko, you are not your father. I don't believe you would, or even could, do anything to harm our child."

"You don't understand." He pleaded. "One of the times I visited uncle, he told me that good and evil are always at battle within me."

She looked deep into his eyes, "That's right they are, but they're battling inside of everyone else as well. It's called being human." When she saw him begin to accept her words and relax, she pushed him back down on the bed, "Now lay down. We've got less than an hour until you have go get Aang for lessons and I don't feel like losing my pillow just yet."

He chuckled softly as she reburied her face back into his chest and sighed contentedly at the warmth. He stroked her back until he heard her breathing even out, signaling that she was asleep once more, and moved his hand to her abdomen.

He whispered, "You have no idea how lucky you are to have this woman as your mother, but don't worry I plan to make sure you realize it. Hopefully, she'll be able to keep us both on the right track."

Nearly an hour later Katara awoke again to find that her husbandly pillow was in fact gone, but there were also sounds coming from the hallways. She grudgingly got up off of the bed, leaving its warm softness behind, and stuck her head out the door. She blinked a few times at what she saw. Toph was leaning back against a wall, laughing at what she was obviously feeling through her bending. Teo and Haru had also come out, and both were each chuckling, the later trying to hide it, at the sight before them. Walking down the hallway, grumbling about laziness was Zuko, dragging the end of some cloth. He nodded as he passed her, and she had to catch herself as she almost laughed at the sight of what he was pulling behind him. On top of the blanket that was trailing the ground was Aang, who had the other end wrapped about him and his head burrowed into a pillow. They had soon disappeared from view, but the four were soon overcome by another wave of laughter when they heard a loud splash, followed by an even louder scream of shock.

It was soon determined that neither of the two could firebend, and that they agreed to go look into the origins of firebending. In a short time Aang and Zuko were flying off on Appa, heading out toward the ruins of the city of the Sun Warriors. There they discovered a large carved mural of a man holding a flame in each hand, and a large dragon on either side of him.

Aang asked excitedly, "Do you think this could be a depiction of the Avatar?"

Looking up Zuko replied, not knowing just where he was getting the knowledge, "No, it isn't. It's the first firebender, Ryu."

"Wait, Ryu? Wasn't he?"

"Yeah, the first Fire Lord, my ancestor. Now come on, lets get going."

They avoided the booby traps placed throughout the city, and found a chamber where they needed to perform some ancient forms to reveal a large round gold stone. They were found arguing in the black goop that flowed out to trap them by the remnants of the Sun Warriors. They were forced to stand in judgment by the last two dragons, a red male and blue female. Zuko couldn't help but appreciate the irony of that later on.

After passing the judgment one of the warriors came running up to the chief, the Sun Stone as they called it in his hands and a distressed look upon his face. As the two descended the steps from the alter between the two caves that served as the dragons' dens they could see cracks running down the gold stone. The chief took the stone and stomped over to the two.

He demanded, "What did you do?"

The two were shocked, and Aang was the first to reply, "He's the one that touched it!"

Zuko turned toward his companion in shock and anger, "Yeah but all I did was pick it up."

The chief thrust the stone into his hands, and ordered, "You had to do something, now show us exactly what you did!"

"I didn't do anything to it! It was probably that stupid trap of yours that cracked the blasted thing!" He shouted back angrily, heat coming off of him.

Then the stone glowed to all of their surprise, and then it was as if all the heat the young man holding the gold stone was producing was sucked in to it. Zuko cried out as flames sprung from his hands of their own accord, and it felt as if the stone was draining the energy right out of him. The cracks on the stone began to spread as the flames engulfed the golden object. The chief had tried to take the stone back, but he couldn't get past the flames that had started to swirl about the spectrum, much as the flames from the two dragons had. Finally light began to be emitted from the cracks, and a second later it was as if the stone exploded, throwing Zuko back onto his butt.

As the smoke cleared, and everyone stood from their ducking positions, they looked to see Zuko sitting on the ground with what could only be described as _part_ of the stone still in his hands, and a somewhat dazed look on his face. They were scared out of their confusion by a kind of high-pitched squealing attempt at a roar. They all looked up to see a serpentine creature, no more than two and a half feet long, moving through the air with utter ease. Four little legs lashed out helping to propel it in all sorts of directions, just as much as its tail did. Its long body was white, and a black marking ran down its back, from which stripes extended down.

One of the warriors gasped, "It's a dragon!"

The chief muttered, "The stone was an egg."

The baby dragon's golden eye caught sight of the firebender sitting there with the remains of its egg in his hands. It let out another cry and sped down, wrapping itself around Zuko neck. It didn't squeeze but rather it nuzzled its head into his cheek. At the sound of its last cry the other two dragons emerged from the dens once more, but this time landed on the ground. After a few moments of gazing at the newly born creature they both lowered their heads, their hair brushing against the dirt.

Aang looked confused, "Wait a minute, I thought dragon's had wings, like those other two?"

"Not all." Zuko explained, a hand stroking the dragon's head. "These two are actually considered lesser dragons, but there are tales of another kind. It goes back to the creation of these islands and the first firebender."

"Yes, the great dragons." The chief commented, "It was said that Agni created them and gave them birth down in the lava deep below the surface. That it was their bursting forth that spread the molten material that became our islands, and that they brought life, such as plants and animals, from the rest of the world to prepare it for humans. Legend tells us that they were giants that could fly without wings, much as your bison does, and eventually gave birth to the dragons that we know today. When that happened they retreated to their den, the Fire Caverns, only emerging again to teach the first firebender."

Aang quirked an eyebrow, "Fire Caverns, I've never heard of those before."

Zuko shook his head, "You wouldn't have. The truth is that I've never been there either. It's considered such a sacred place that only the Fire Lord and highest of Fire Sages are allowed to enter. I heard once that it's actually considered blasphemy for the Avatar to enter it."

"That's crazy" Aang shouted. "Shyu, the sage that helped us at Roku's temple, said that the Fire Sages were meant to serve the Avatar. So why can't I go in?"

The chief spoke up, "Actually, that's not technically true. The sages came about like we Sun Warriors did. While we were the military, their purpose was to spiritually serve the people and the dragons. I don't know when they began following the Avatar. Anyway, you can learn all about that when the war is over. You should likely head back to your companions soon. As for you, young prince, that dragon has chosen you. I would suggest that you care for it greatly, for that creature is one of the world's greatest treasures, a gift from Agni."

Thus not only did the two learn more about firebending, the knowledge allowing them to get over their difficulties, but they also gained a new companion. Zuko had decided to name the young dragon, that they'd determined was male, Syaoran. When they returned to the temple late that night, only Katara welcomed them, all the others having gone bed. Syaoran, who had snapped at the young airbender every time he'd tried to handle the dragon, took a sniff or two of the young woman and immediately began nuzzling her cheek. After they each said their good nights, Zuko set up a basin and filled it with coals that he heated just as the Sun Warriors told him. He smiled as the reptilian lay down upon the glowing embers and drifted off to sleep.

He turned and looked about to see that someone had further set up the room. The dresser had been filled with neatly folded clothing, surprisingly nearly half of it was blue and white, and some of it was in Earth Kingdom colors. On a small table that had been brought in were a few pieces of Water Tribe armor that Katara had worn the previous day. In front of and between the two pictures was the headpiece that his uncle had passed on to him at the prison. The bed had been made, set up seemingly for two with two pillows side by side.

He smiled as he heard the door shut behind a couple of footsteps. He said, "I see you've been settling in. Weren't the others suspicious about you moving into my room?"

She smiled as she sat upon the edge of the bed, "I told them that we've traded rooms. You get up before, and usually go to bed after, anyone else so there's no chance of them finding us in here together."

He sat beside her and asked, "So this means that we're not telling them about us."

"Not yet." She sighed as she leaned onto his shoulder. "We'll tell them before I start showing, and before we get married."

"Hold on." He blurted. "I know that my mind is still a jumble, but I thought that we were already married. I doubt you would spend the night in the bed, let alone the arms, of someone that wasn't your husband."

Katara chuckled, "We are, but by some private Fire Nation phenomenon. Uncle Iroh told me that we were married in every way that matters, but that doesn't mean that I can't still want a ceremony to show others how I feel for you and how you feel for me. It's something that prevents anyone in the world from disputing that we are one. Besides, it should reduce the beating that you're going to get."

His eyes went wide, "What beating?"

"From at least my dad and brother, but they'll likely let some of the others join in. After all, you got me pregnant before we were officially married in their minds."

Zuko slid his arm around her, smiling as an idea began to form in his mind. He gently leaned them back so they were lying down. He said, "Then I suppose that I'll just have to accept the consequences, because I don't intend to let anything stand between us again. And I promise you I will do anything that I can to give you the wedding that you want. Unfortunately, I'm not that well versed in Water Tribe customs, so why don't you start telling me all about it."

The two drifted off to sleep with Katara explaining the wedding that she had dreamed of since her Gran-gran had first shown her the dress that both she and Katara's mother had worn at their weddings.

The next day, after putting Aang through an exhausting workout, Zuko sat in the eating hall. He was thinking of ways that he could give Katara what she had described to him while he was feeding Syaoran, tossing small scraps of meat into the air for him to twist and turn to catch. Katara had told him that unlike in the Northern Water Tribe her people required a suitor to present anything as a proposal, and he'd had come up with something that ought to do just fine. The only problem was that he had no idea of how to make it happen. That was when he saw Sokka, oiling the blade of his sword.

A few of the others came running at the sound of sticks clacking against each other. Haru and Teo found the two young men going at each other with a nearly unbelievable vigor, Sokka with one stick, Zuko with two. They were striking and blocking, attacking and dodging, the sparring match ranging all over the fountain area. With a powerful swing Sokka busted through the stick that Zuko had brought up to block, and he just barely shifted out of the way. He moved up onto the fountain's ledge, still fighting, and performed a twisting leap over Sokka's head, and swept his leg out as he hit the ground.

Sokka complained as he drew himself up, "This is a sword fight. You're supposed to use the sword, you knit wit."

Zuko looked at him squarely, already preparing for his next attack, "I'm hoping that that master you trained with didn't tell you that."

Sokka replied as he blocked the other's blow, "Well, no he didn't, but it's kind of implied by the name. You use _swords_ to fight in a _sword_fight."

"Actually, the first rule of swordsmanship I learned was never to rely solely upon the sword. It's nothing more than an expansion of a powerful weapon." Zuko then deflected a downward swing off to the side with his remaining stick sword and brought his other hand up from where it had been at his sash. Everyone stopped and gasped as they saw the dagger's pearl blade stop just short of Sokka's neck. He added, "The second rule was to never think that just because you take an opponent's sword away that they're unarmed."

Haru crossed arms as the prince sheathed the dagger, and the two threw the sticks back onto the woodpile. He said, "That still wasn't fair."

Zuko replied, "In a fight where your life is on the line there's no such thing as being unfair. I can assure you that both Ozai and Azula will use any dirty trick in the book, and plenty that aren't, to win." Turned back toward Sokka. "Now then, you and I need to talk."

The talk was short; Zuko didn't even have to guide the conversation toward the Water Tribe warriors that had been captured. Sokka had brought it up on his own, and Zuko answered his questions as best he could. He knew the look on the blue-eyed young man's face, and explained that he wasn't letting him go without help. They left that night in the war balloon, leaving a note that they were going for meat. In truth, they were headed for the Boiling Rock, The Fire Nation's maximum-security prison.

Disguised as guards the two had made their way through the prison, but had found no trace of any of the Water Tribe Warriors. Instead, their search had found someone neither had expected, Suki.

Smashing Zuko against a wall Sokka growled, "I thought you said she escaped with your uncle."

"I thought she did. Both cells were blasted apart and empty when I went there to help them. I haven't got a clue why she's here." He then gasped, "Do you think they could have been recaptured? I haven't heard any of the guards talk about my uncle, but do you think they could have him here too?"

Sokka released him, shaking his head, "I don't know. We'll have to find out from Suki. Come on."

Zuko stood guard outside the door while Sokka talked with her. She explained that she had been taken from the other prison the night before the day of black sun, and brought there because she was the leader. She was calmed greatly, knowing that Li's, or rather Zuko's, as she now understood; uncle had escaped with her comrades. They were interrupted by a quick knock on the door, the signal that someone was coming. Before long they heard the sounds of struggling in the hall. To keep up their guise after Sokka sneaked out, he'd helped arrest his companion.

That afternoon the prisoners were led out into the courtyard where the warden himself addressed them. He stood up on a balcony a few guards behind him restraining the newest prisoner. Zuko's arms and legs were cuffed, and he was then thrown down onto his knees to be seen by everyone, his shirt torn away by the two guards on either side.

"You will all now see the punishment that awaits anyone that tries to escape the Boiling Rock! And eventually see what happens to traitors to our great nation! I do hope this dissuades the rest of you from being as reckless and foolish as this young man has been!" The warden yelled out to the crowd. He then withdrew a leather flail from his belt and raised it high for all to see.

Sokka watched from his position down by the prisoners with other guards, and as close to Suki as he could get, as the man brought the leather tendrils down upon the other. He had to give his firebending comrade credit for not shouting out as each crack signaled another lash. From where he and Suki stood they could each see smoke or a few sparks escape his mouth and nose when he was hit. After forty resounding cracks without one scream, though the pain was evident in his expression and the tears from his eye, the warden straightened and nodded to his guards on either side of Zuko. They lifted him, for he couldn't stand on his own, and took him down a set of iron steps to a catwalk, where a cylinder with tubes connected was built into the wall. They opened it and steam formed as they did.

"Let this be a lesson to you all! That there is no escaping the Boiling Rock!"

Sokka asked, "What are they doing with a cooler cell out here?"

Suki answered, "I heard that it's used to make examples out of people. It's there so everyone can see it…and remember. Though, I've never heard of anyone being flogged like that before being thrown in."

A large man, Ji Seng, who was lined up behind Suki interrupted, "I've heard of one guy it happened to. Got the warden real angry at him."

Sokka, though annoyed that he'd listened in on them, asked, "What happened when they let him out."

Ji Seng shrugged, "The same thing that happens to all the bodies of prisoners. It got chucked out into the lake."

Suki gasped, "Body? You mean?"

He nodded and ran his thumb across his neck, letting out a slight ripping sound.

Sokka placed a hand on her shoulder, "Don't worry, he'll make it. Right now we have to get ready for the new load of prisoners I heard was arriving tomorrow."

The young Water Tribe warrior was pleasantly surprised the next morning as he stood, disguised, among the guards. The gondola had arrived and the new prisoners stepped out one by one. A few were Fire Nation, but the last five were each from the Water Tribe, Hakoda, and the captains of the four other ships. They were lined up as the warden addressed them, and he cruelly smiled as two of his guards dumped a body before them. Zuko's back was covered in blood that had crystallized in the cooler cell, but the lash marks had looked to have cauterized, eliciting a sneer at the sight from the warden.

The warden said, "Look well. This young man got in here to try to get someone out. He hasn't revealed whom he came for yet, but we will find out. This is what happens to anyone foolish enough to try and escape. I have a perfect record here, and I don't intend to lose it anytime soon."

He was about to continue but was stopped by the looks on his prisoners' faces and the murmurs of the guards around them. He looked at the object of their curiosity to see Zuko pushing himself up onto trembling legs, and raising a defiant glare toward him. The warden growled as he watched the traitor prince force himself to straighten, squaring his shoulders.

The warden turned and ordered, "Take them all to their cells NOW! And you scum remember that we can do to any of you what we did to him anytime we want, particularly if you try to escape." He stalked up to Zuko, but addressed his guards, "This one goes to an interrogation chamber."

They spent over two hours trying to get information from the young man, but nothing of any true relevance came from it. The warden had revealed that he was Mai's uncle, and had even questioned him about why he had refused the knife-throwing girl. Zuko had simply said that he'd already met the woman that he was meant for, and tried to tear his way free of the chair in order attack the man when he'd commented about her likely wanton nature. In the end the two were each left in a rage at the other, though the warden feeling he had the upper hand, and Zuko being practically dragged off by the guards to his cell.

Meanwhile Sokka had made contact and formulated an escape plan with his father. He'd also explained the happenings since the failed invasion and how they were working with a firebender, which left his father a little concerned. They'd shared the details with the other tribesmen, Suki, and Zuko, who was still shackled at his hands and feet. The plan was to cause a prison riot and take the warden as a hostage. It was set to occur the next day.

Hakoda asked, "Will you be able to manage with those?"

Zuko shrugged, "I'll manage." He then continued through his stretches, still stiff after his night in the cooler and time in the chair. As the older man turned back to his companions, he smirked and muttered to himself, "After eight years, I'm rather used to these anyway."

The morning came and Zuko once more found himself brought into the interrogation chamber. Thrown into the chair, although left in his shackles instead of being retrained via the chair, he heard a passive female voice order the guards to leave. He stood and turned to face Mai. She was leaning against the wall.

"So I was right. You left for that Water Tribe whore." She said, her voice icy.

"I returned to my wife," his eyes narrowed, "and don't you ever call her anything like that again."

"Why her? What about me wasn't good enough?"

"The burning occurred before Azula had the Dai Li wipe my memory, and brought me to the Fire Nation."

"You could have left her." She mumbled.

"If you truly believe that than you're more of a fool than Azula thinks that I am." He turned toward the door. "Katara is the part of me that I'd lost somewhere along the way, and now that I've found her" he looked over his shoulder with an expression that carried both sincerity and warning. "I'm not going to lose her again. I think we're done here. So I'll just be off to my cell now."

After that they argued about how he believed that he was doing the right thing for the Fire Nation, which he intended to save it from what it was becoming. The argument grew more heated until Mai actually took a swing at him, and he leaned back to dodge. He grabbed her arm, spun it behind her, and pushed her into the chair. He locked the door behind him, and slunk through the halls to the courtyard, where he found the others. With the help of Ji Seng they started the riot, on the condition that he and his two friends could come. Soon, thanks to Suki, they had the warden and were on the gondola, escaping. Until they saw that Azula and Ty Lee were following after them.

A battle ensued on the roof of the gondola, Suki versus Ty lee and Zuko and Sokka versus Azula. The guards, who were then working to cut the ropes the car traveled on, had stopped the car. Mai, rage very clear on her face, had apparently gotten out, and had just begun up onto the ropes, despite the guards trying to stop her.

Seeing what was happening Sokka shouted down into the car, "Everybody out now! Shimmy up the rope before it's cut!"

While the three held off the girls the others shimmied up the ropes like chameleon sloths, leaving the warden in the gondola. Ji Seng, who'd been in the prison the longest, had joked to the warden that he hoped the thing floated. The three girls saw that the rope was about to break and quickly lunged toward the opposite rope for the second gondola. Seeing that this gave them the opportunity to get to the others, Zuko grabbed Sokka's sword and leapt for the other rope. Before Sokka or Suki could stop him or join him their rope broke and they held on as it swung down. As he hung from the rope he looked up at them, a smirk across his face. Azula was about to unleash a burst of flame, but she was cut short by a few jabs that left her arms limp. Ty Lee gave him a quick nod that he returned, and with a flame blast from his mouth followed immediately by as strong a swipe of the sword as the chain connecting his arms allowed the rope snapped and fell. Ty Lee grabbed the back of Azula's shirt as the three swung back toward the prison's side.

The others had just climbed up onto the ledge of the terminal as they looked to see their accomplice crash against the cliff face, still hanging onto the rope. He carefully stuck the sword in the back of his shirt so it wouldn't fall before he started his trip up. To his surprise as he pushed himself up the craggy wall with his feet and pulled on either hanging end of the rope he was yanked up in jerks as he climbed. He looked up to see not just Sokka but most of the others, including Ji Seng, pulling on the ropes. When he made it to the top Sokka immediately snatched his sword back, and worked at wiping the blade to get rid of any jerk germs as he put it.

Zuko looked up at the bigger escaped prisoner and asked, "Why help me instead of running?"

"You helped us get out of there. Honor demanded that I help you." He smiled mischievously, "Not many people still cling to the old ways."

The prince's eyes widened in realization, but after a moment he smirked and made a gesture with his hands. He said, "But those that do can always find a friend." He then commented to the others about how Azula arrived and they found the large air ship. When they made their way for it he commented to Hakoda and Sokka, "I've got something to talk to you two about later."

The others gasped and prepared for a fight as the large vessel descended into the ravine. Nothing could have prepared them for the sight of Sokka standing there with a huge smile on his face as a gangplank was extended over to the ledge of the temple. Their surprise was furthered when the Kyoshi Warrior and five Water Tribe men exited into the temple. They were a bit hesitant about the three Fire Nation people, who seemed to keep their distance from all the others. However, the small heartfelt reunion nearly blinded the group to the last person to depart from the air ship.

Zuko kept off to the side, not wanting to disturb the emotional scene, and worked his way toward the hallway leading to his room. Well, technically it was his _and Katara's_ room, but they hadn't told anyone about that and he certainly wasn't planning on telling her father. He made it to the other side of the room when a strong hand grabbing the back of his shirt stopped him. He turned to see Toph with a raised eyebrow.

"And where do you think you're going?"

"To take a bath."

"Not yet you're not." She said, never releasing her grip. She turned, "Hey Sugarqueen! Best get your fancy water tricks over here. Sparky needs some healing, and if you DON'T STOP STRUGGLING YOU'LL NEED EVEN MORE!" With her last shouted word she gave one mighty tug and yanked him off his feet so he tumbled back, landing on his back with a wince.

The others stared down at him with wide eyes as they beheld his bruised arms, and his face showed a black eye swollen shut and a fat lip.

"What happened while you all were gone?" Katara asked. Her two male relatives and even a couple of the captains, who were like uncles to her, looked away, a couple even whistling a bit. Casting a glare at them, she hauled the firebender onto his feet, an arm around her shoulders, and led him off toward the fountain.

When they were out of earshot he chuckled, "Well, you did warn me."

"Huh?"

"I told them that I was going to do this, no matter what they said." He answered as they reached the fountain. He dropped onto his knees in front of her, clasping her hands. He looked up straight into her eyes and continued, "I, Zuko son of Ursa, hereby plead for your, Katara daughter of Kaya and Hakoda, hand in marriage. I plead that you accept my offering of my aide in the rescue of your father, tribesmen, and friend, and look upon my proposal with favor."

There were tears in her eyes and a giggle barely contained at the obviously rehearsed recitation. They began to break free as she saw the look in his eyes form when she hadn't replied after about ten seconds. She yanked him up as she laughed, "Like there's anyway I was going to refuse. Who taught you that whole spiel anyway?" She had pulled him in for a kiss, but was interrupted by a timely clearing of a throat.

They turned their heads to see Hakoda standing in the doorway, a warning in his eyes.

Zuko sighed, "He did."

Her father commented as he walked forward, "I also explained there wouldn't be any kissing until you two were married." At her expression he continued, "Don't give me that look. I got that enough from your mother, may she rest in peace. He explained there was some Fire Nation _thing_ that meant you were married, but wouldn't give any details. That doesn't mean he can just put his paws all over you. You'll be properly married before anything like that. But first there's something I have to ask you." He put his hands on her shoulders and looking her straight in the eye. "Does he make you happy, feel safe, cherished…"

She smiled, and answered earnestly, "I love him."

He searched her eyes for a moment and released a breath with a small smile, and then turned toward Zuko. He said, "Treasure her."

Zuko bowed with confidence and respect, "Long beyond the day all the stars burn out."

"Right, I'll hold you to that." He said slowly, not completely understanding the sincerity implied by the old Fire Nation saying, but getting the gist. He turned back to Katara. "Two weeks is too short a time for a betrothal in my opinion but I suppose I can understand it. Wanting to show your feelings before the end of this and anything can happen to either of you. Then there's that whole Fire Nation thing that has married you two, which I still don't understand or appreciate, but I accept now that I spoken with you and seen the looks in both your eyes. So we decided two weeks should be enough time to prepare."

Her eyes widened, "Two weeks?"

"We agreed that it would give us enough time for everything that needs to be done. We'll meet up with them at the isle of Kokomo." Zuko said.

"Meet up with them?" She looked toward the young man beside her, "And just where are they going?"

Hakoda stepped in to save the lad from his daughter. He explained, "You see, Katara, we're going to take the airship the day after tomorrow, and…run a few errands. Meanwhile, you all will use the bison-"

"Appa." She corrected.

"-_Appa_, to head straight for the island in about a week. Anyways, we'll explain the rest when we tell everyone else the plan, and announce your engagement. For now, how about you take care of him, but wait a couple minutes. If your temper is even half of what your mother's was I want to be out of the way when you see everything." As he walked away he turned and smiled, "By the way, the other tribesman, Sokka, and I are all going to be keeping an eye on you two. So remember that there's no kissing or anything."

He was a few steps down the hall when he heard a shout of pain, and then Katara's reprimanding voice. She was yelling at him about something she had told him before about worrying her half to death by disappearing with her brother to go off who knows where. Then she went on about how he came back bruised and battered never minding the fact that some of it had been due to her tribesman. There was a gasp after a rustle of clothing, his shirt without a doubt, and that was followed by a smack and another painful shout. He hurried a bit to be out of earshot as another rant likely followed. Hakoda had to chuckle, remembering his late wife's similar penchant for poking at any of his wounds in an aggravated attempt to get him to avoid such outcomes.

Back at the fountain, after Katara had finished her heated words, she asked quietly, "Did you tell them the rest?"

He quirked an eyebrow, "I'm here, aren't I?"

She giggled softly, "So we're going to wait till after the wedding?"

"Unless you want be a widow," he laughed, "or have a castrated husband. Not that your brother hasn't already threatened me with that already. The terrible thing was that after they beat me up Suki started them on the whole idea of what we should name our children. I must have heard a hundred different possibilities."

Katara wrapped her arms about his shoulders and rest her head next to his. She sighed, "It's not a bad idea though, thinking of names. How about this you think of a name for a boy, and I'll decide on one for a girl."

"Yeah, alright. Umm, how about Kazuma?"

She looked at him, "That was quick. Where'd you come up with that?"

He averted his eyes, "It was the name of my cousin's fox-hound."

"You want to name our son after a pet?" She shouted, as she stood straight. She then gave him a slap on the back of his head.

Later, a freshly healed, though still rather sore and not just from injuries he arrived with, Zuko and an all too content, having vented and once more bathing in the joy of her upcoming nuptials, Katara joined all the others in the dinner hall around the fire. Naturally, the three former Fire Nation prisoners were off to one side, a few of the others sending threatening scowls their direction at times, primarily Haru and The Duke. Well, the boy was sending rather cautious glances, as if afraid they'd attack at any moment. The Water Tribesmen had strategically placed themselves on either side of the erratic circle between the two groups. Toph was reclining in a stone chair she had formed, a slightly annoyed look on her face as she obviously felt Sokka sit right up against Suki. Aang seemed quite tired; probably from all the 'homework' Zuko had left him.

Once everyone had gotten their dinner, Hakoda glanced over at the two. He commented, "So, are you going tell them now?"

They looked between them and nodded. They rose and Zuko announced, "Everyone, we would like to tell you all something very important. W…"

"We're getting married!" Katara interrupted in a squeal.

There was silence for a moment, the only sound was Zuko muttering, "Don't everyone congratulate us all at once."

"Bout time!" Toph laughed. "So, when you two lovebirds tying the knot?"

"Two weeks." She answered.

Almost immediately the two were swarmed, Zuko being reminded of the threats and Katara being congratulated. A few of them were confused, such as the three boys who had not traveled with the group for very long. Teo seemed the most excepting, having not held anything against the prince just for being from the Fire Nation. Haru was sitting there with a little disappointment showing on his face. The Duke just seemed plainly confused, having no experience with such matters. The most drastic reaction however seemed to be from Aang.

He sat there, at first staring wide eyed at the couple, but after seeing the others gathering around them, particularly congratulating them, he looked desperately at the ground. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Katara was going to marry ZUKO _in two week? _ That couldn't be right though, Aang had always assumed that he would marry her from the day that he had first met her. He'd become convinced that she was destined for him after encountering Aunt Wu. True she had told him that one must make their own future come true, but that didn't mean that her prediction of Katara marrying a powerful bender was rubbish. After all he was the Avatar, capable of bending all four elements and summoning the power of his predecessors. Who could be more powerful? However, in this case he did the only thing that he could think of. He fled.

His departure wasn't very discreet, as at least half of the people gathered turned toward retreating form. There were a few murmurs questioning his leaving, primarily from those who hadn't much if any time with the boy. Though there was a silent understanding communicated between the ones who'd traveled together and had seen the obvious affection he'd demonstrated. Katara politely began to excuse herself from the crowd, and when she found Zuko move to accompany her she rested a hand on his chest.

"It would probably be best if I were to do this by myself. He's likely a little sensitive right now, and too many of us approaching would overwhelm him." She explained to him.

He wasn't completely convinced, but after seeing the look in her eyes he sighed in resignation. He quietly replied, "Good luck."

She walked out in the direction that her young friend had disappeared, hoping that the oncoming emotional onslaught would not be as heartrending as she feared. The kiss on the submarine had opened her eyes to just how infatuated with her that he was, and she had been apprehensive to how he and some of the others would react to their announcement. This was just further proof that she had every right to worry, but it was probably better to get this over with. He had to understand and accept that she couldn't and wouldn't love him the way that he wanted.

She found him sitting up on the rafters at one of the open-air balconies near the other end of the temple. In the pale moonlight shining down and reflecting off the canyon walls she could see the small drops of tears falling to the ground. She walked slowly out toward the edge, the moonlight shining down upon her, and she sat upon a bench.

She looked up to where he sulked. She said, "Aang? Aang, come on down here. I think we need to have a talk."

"Why?" came the sniffling reply. "Shouldn't you be with Zuko?"

"I've come to talk with you right now." She answered, ignoring the tone when he said the firebender's name. "So get down here or I'll pull you down with a water whip."

Aang landed softly as he always seemed to, but just stared at her from his spot.

"Listen Aang, I'm sorry if this hurts you, but we need to come to an understanding."

"It's supposed to be us!" He suddenly exclaimed. He rushed to her, grabbing Katara's arms with a desperately hopeful expression on his face. "It's not too late! You can go back and tell him that you've changed your mind. And better yet the wedding can still happen but it can be you and me instead. Think about it, _we_ can be happily married, and we could live in any of the temples that you want. We can travel anywhere we want on Appa. We…"

"Aang, Aang stop!" She pleaded.

Before she could say anything else, he'd pulled her down and pushed his lips to hers. It was much like the time on the submarine, but there was less guilt in her this time as he did this knowing that she was betrothed to another. The one sided kiss lasted all of a couple seconds with him moving his lips over hers and even trying to push his tongue into her lips before she finally squirmed away from his hold.

"STOP IT!" She reprimanded. She stepped back and held up a finger to stop him as he tried to reach for her again. She continued with an earnest tone, "Aang, please this must stop. I do love you, but not in the way you seem to want. You are my best friend. I pray to all the spirits that you always will be, and you'll always have a special place in my heart. However, the love I feel for you is like the love that I feel for Sokka or Toph or even Suki, but what I feel for Zuko is something I've never felt before, like he fills a part of me that I didn't even know was missing."

Aang squeezed his eyes shut and turned his head away. His entire body was tense as he listened to the heart shattering sincerity in her voice. He had to believe it by just listening to her, but there was a soft voice deep down within him that just wouldn't allow it. For now he just gave a quick nod, unable to say anything without his voice betraying how he felt. Katara with watering eyes at the obvious hurt she'd caused hugged him, but he pulled away.

He summoned all his willpower to say, "Listen, give me some time will you? This is going to take a little while." There was a pause before he muttered, "Goodnight."

"Goodnight Aang." She whispered before walking off to her room. She wasn't sure she could handle being around everyone else after breaking the boy's heart.

Toph came out onto the courtyard with the fountain to find her firebending friend lying on a blanket on a stone bench with a pillow under his head. He was gazing up toward the star and moon filled sky, occasionally giving a puff of flame to keep Syaoran warm. The baby great dragon was coiled up asleep on the young man's rising and falling chest, a place usually occupied by a certain waterbender's head at night. He had gone to their usually shared room but had been prevented from entering by one of the solidly built Water Tribesmen, who now stood guard outside. Apparently Hakoda hadn't been kidding when it came to the matter of making sure he didn't try anything before the wedding.

He thought, 'Oh well, one more night shouldn't be too bad. They're leaving tomorrow, and I should be able to get past Sokka without too much trouble. All I'll have to do is throw a chunk of meat down the hall to distract him."

"How you doing Sparky?" She laughed as she felt him jump in surprise. "Oh come on, you're usually better about hearing me coming."

Once resettled he commented, "Subtlety never was your forte."

"Who needs it?" She scoffed. "It'd be better if people just said what they meant."

"So, from your reaction I take it that you already knew about our relationship."

It was not a question.

"Oh please, Iroh told me about the whole Burning thing when we left you strapped to the floor. I even know all about Sugar Bun."

"Sugar what?"

She quickly explained her reasoning, which resulted in him slapping his forehead.

He sighed, "Well, it's a good thing you came out here anyway. I was going to talk to you about this tomorrow, but as you're here…"

"Just spit it out."

"Will you be my best man?"

Now it was her turn to be surprised. She gawked, "M-me, but why? Why not Sokka, or even the Mustache Kid?"

He smiled, "It can't be them. The best man is supposed to be the groom's best friend, last time I checked Sokka is just as willing throw me into the ravine as he is to allow this. As for any of the others, well I just don't know them well enough." He looked up hopefully at her. "So how bout it?"

"Let me think about it." Toph replied, and walked away toward the hall. He looked up when she stopped. Without looking back she said, "I'll do it on one condition. Stop calling me shortstuff."

He laughed as he lay down, "You got it…sis."

For a moment she turned back toward him in shock and confusion. For an instant she had considered that he had just called her a sissy, but immediately she threw that off. She knew him better than to believe that he'd be foolish enough to call her something like that. He knew she'd throw him through a wall if he did. Finally, the true implication of his words rang into her mind, and she smiled.

"Night, Sparky." She called back with a wave. As Toph walked down the hallway in her mind she thought, 'You better take care of my brother Sugarqueen


End file.
