Early morning sunlight streamed across Xiaodan's face and she scrunched up nose, opening her eyes slowly then raising her hand to block the sunlight with a soft groan. The dualbender pushed herself up onto one elbow and blearily looked around, taking in her sleeping friends and comrades before looking over to where Aang was snoozing peacefully on Appa's foreleg.

Covering her mouth with her hand as she yawned, Xiaodan sat up all the way then sluggishly got to her feet, ruffling her already sleep-rumbled hair. She shuffled quietly past the others, heading over towards the fountain where she splashed some of the water on her face before she began combing her wet fingers through her tangled hair. Several birds fluttered around the fountain, splashing in the water, and she watched them quietly, enjoying the rays of sun that penetrated the thick morning fog that layered the canyon and sky. Carefully, she stretched one hand out and smiled when one of the birds landed on her fingers.

Behind her, Aang woke slowly, contentedly, opening his eyes and yawning widely as he stretched. He rubbed his eyes as he sat up, smiling after he let his hands drop into his lap and he saw his sister standing beside the fountain, haloed by the sunlight and stroking the chest feathers of the bird perched on her finger. He called out a soft good morning to her and she turned look at him, smiling sweetly in greeting as the bird flew off to join its friends in frolicking in the water.

"Morning." Xiaodan whispered in reply as she approached him, leaning against Appa's leg.

Suddenly a loud humming filled the air and the birds all took off, chirping loudly in distress. The two Air Nomads looked towards the fountain in surprise as something flew through the geyser that erupted from the broken fountain, heading straight towards them.

Immediately Aang leapt into action, snatching his staff up from beside him and jumping off Appa's leg. He twirled his glider, airbending the object back off the cliff where it exploded.

"We're under attack!" Xiaodan shouted as more of the bombs hurled through the air towards the pagoda from the low hanging clouds in the canyon. She thrust her hands forward, blowing another bomb back into the canyon with a small air vortex. She saw her brother running towards the edge of the courtyard and she cursed, running after him. "Aang!"

Xiaodan skidded to a stop, staring in disbelief and shock alongside her brother as three Fire Nation airships rose up from the clouds. A canon fired from one and Xiaodan instinctively ducked away as the blast destroyed a bridge connecting the group's pagoda to the one on the left. She grabbed Aang's arm and hauled him back towards the sleeping area where the others were already waiting for them, "Come on!"

The two dove inside the chamber as more bombs were hurled at them and Aang quickly twirled his staff, airbending the doors closed to protect them. The bombs exploded against the doors, shaking the very foundation of the room and Xiaodan glanced up, staring at the ceiling as it shook and began to crack.

Another bomb blast caused a piece of the ceiling to dislodge and Zuko dove forward suddenly, "Watch out!"

He tackled Katara out of the way, the two rolling away just as the piece of ceiling landed in the space where Katara had been standing moments before.

"What are you doing?!" Katara demanded angrily, glaring up at Zuko from over her shoulder.

"Keeping rocks from crushing you." Zuko replied drily.

"Okay, I'm not crushed." Katara spat sarcastically. Yeah things between her and Xiaodan were doing much better since their talk a couple days ago, but that didn't mean she still didn't trust the former prince or had to act nice to him. "You can let me go now!"

She shoved his arm off her and stood up, rushing over to the others. Zuko rolled his eyes and muttered, "I'll take that as a thank you."

"Good, 'cause that's probably all you're gonna get." Xiaodan quipped as she stopped beside him, grabbing his arm and helping him to his feet, having run over as soon as she saw him push Katara out of the way of the falling debris. "C'mon, the others are over here."

At the back of the room, Haru and Toph earthbended a tunnel into the wall and the blind girl turned towards the others, pointing towards the path as she call out, "Come on, we can get out through here!"

Xiaodan let go of Zuko's arm as she ran over to where Aang was trying to pull Appa towards the tunnel, grabbing the reins and trying to help him while the others stood at the tunnel's entrance. Aang caught sight of Zuko standing by Appa's tail, facing the closed doors.

"What are you doing?!" The young Avatar shouted in shock, catching Xiaodan's attention and she looked over at Zuko, her eyes widening.

"Go ahead, I'll hold them off." Zuko stated, glancing over his shoulder at the two Air Nomads. His eyes met Xiaodan's briefly before he faced the broken doors again with a determined expression, "I think this is a family visit." He started running towards the doors.

"Zuko, no!" Aang shouted in stunned disbelief as the older boy jumped through the hole in the doors.

"Oh for the love of- I'm gonna kill that idiot!" Xiaodan growled, instantly dropping the reins and making to rush after the former prince only for Sokka to grab her arm while Katara grabbed Aang's shoulder to keep them from following Zuko.

"C'mon!" The Water Tribe teen said urgently, tugging the dualbender's arm insistently, "We gotta get out of here."

Gritting her teeth, Xiaodan reluctantly began helping the other three pull on Appa reins, trying to get the sky bison into the tunnel created by Toph and Haru. The sky bison resisted, growling and roaring with agitation.

Zuko landed on the ground outside the temple's broken doors just as a bomb flew through the air and exploded in front of him, sending a massive cloud of black smoke up into the air. Unharmed, Zuko burst from the cloud of smoke and began firebending, hitting the underside of the middle airship.

He stepped back as the observation stand of another airship rose up through the clouds, Azula looking down from the stand with a crazy smile on her face.

"What are you doing here?" Zuko shouted, a snarl curling his lips as he glared up at his younger sister.

"You mean it's not obvious?" Azula cackled and spread her arms out to encompass the other attacking zeppelins. She grabbed the railing and smiled maniacally, "I'm about to celebrate becoming an onlychild!" She flipped over the railing and firebended at Zuko with her feet then flipped back onto the observation stand, still grinning crazily.

The area Zuko was standing in exploded with a thunderous sound, the space becoming covered in black smoke and Azula's grin widened with satisfaction.

Behind the smoke, Zuko had run away from the explosion, moving away just in time to avoid being hit by the blue flames. The impact shook the ground and Zuko stumbled, grunting painfully as he hit the ground and slid across the floor.

More bombs bombarded the pagoda, steadily destroying it. Cracks and fissures began rapidly appearing in the floor and the pillars began to crumble and break apart. Grunting and gritting his teeth with determination, Zuko pushed himself to his feet and ran across the broken floor, dodging falling debris, canon blasts, and bombs.

He ran up a pillar that was tipping precariously over the edge of what was left of the courtyard, running up it as it began to slowly fall. He launched himself from the top, firebending at his sister as he sailed through the air.

The first two attacks missed but the third connected with the observation, forcing Azula to from it before it made contact and she landed in a crouch on top of the airship.

Zuko hit the side of the airship, struggling to grab onto the Fire Nation symbol welded into it as he fell. As he fell through the clouds, he heard the sound of Xiaodan screaming his name pierce the air. Smirking as she stood up from her crouch, Azula looked away from where her brother had disappeared towards the direction of the scream.

"Xia, no!" Sokka shouted, dropping Appa's reins to grab the dualbender before she charged out of the room. "You can't go out there!"

"Let me go!" Xiaodan shouted, struggling fiercely against the teen's grip, her eyes blazing as they locked onto Azula's silhouette perched atop of the airship. Sokka held onto her grimly until her struggles stopped and she collapsed to her knees with a cry of distress, anger, frustration.

Aang, who had continued tugging on Appa's reins with Katara, dropped the lines and went to his sister, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. He looked up at Sokka and shook his head, before nodding towards his sky bison, "It's no use, Sokka. I can't get him to in the tunnel. Appa hates tunnels."

"Aang." Katara grunted, her arms trembling as she still continued to try and pull the sky bison towards the tunnel, her brother joining her while Aang comforted his sister, "There's no way we can fly out of here."

"We'll have to find a way." Aang replied, keeping a tight grip on his sister as he helped her to her feet.

Sokka looked between his friends and the others waiting in the tunnel then he took a deep breath and set his face into an expression of grim acceptance. "We have to split up." He stated then ran to the others, instructing them urgently, "Take the tunnel to where the stolen airship is and take it."

"No!" Katara protested, having turned her head to watch her brother. She let go for of the reins completely and walked quickly towards her father, staring up at him defiantly. She refused to let the Fire Nation pull her family apart again, not after the last time. "The Fire Nation can't separate our family. Not again."

Hakoda put his hands on her shoulders and smiled reassuringly, "It'll be okay, it's not forever."

Biting her lip, Katara nodded her head reluctantly in agreement and lunged at her father, wrapping her arms around his waist in a tight embrace then she ran back towards Appa. Hakoda watched his daughter climb into the sky bison's saddle where Xiaodan was already sitting then he turned towards his son, squeezing his arm and hugging him briefly as he whispered, "Keep each other safe."

Sokka nodded once and grabbed Suki's arm, pulling her after him as he ran towards Appa with Toph running after them. Hakoda watched him for a moment then turned and ran down the tunnel with Teo, The Duke, Chit Sang, and Haru. By Appa, Sokka helped Suki up and Katara grabbed her hand, pulling the other girl into the saddle.

The blind Earthbender placed her hand against a pile of rubble and stated loudly so as to be heard over the bombs, "I can clear this away and we can fly out through here."

"Do it." Aang said as he climbed onto Appa's head, grabbing the reins as Toph used earthbending to launch herself into Appa's saddle just as Sokka climbed in.

"Um..." Suki stuttered nervously, "There's an awful lot of fire in that general direction."

"Don't worry." Xiaodan grunted, standing up abruptly and glowering in the direction they were going to go in, her fists smoking with her anger. "We'll be fine." She stepped out of Appa's saddle and stood on his back, pressing her own against the saddle rim.

"Right, we'll get through. Let's go." Aang agreed with a worried glance at his sister's back then he faced forward again and snapped the reins, "Appa, yip-yip!"

The sky bison roared and slapped his tail against the ground.

Azula watched with glee as the Western Air Temple crumbled and fell before her eyes. Her eyes narrowed when a pile of rocks and debris were suddenly thrown apart, the Avatar's sky bison flying out with a shield of rocks covering its face.

The sky bison soared towards her and she quickly firebended, the blue fireball striking the earth shield, but not breaking it apart. Azula ducked and turned on her heel as the bison flew over her and fired another blast at it's retreating form, only for the white-haired girl she recognized from the Ba Sing Se to negate her attack with a blast of white fire.

Xiaodan's eyes narrowed and she thrust her fist forward again, hurling another fire blast at Azula's form as Appa flew farther away, Toph breaking apart the shield of rocks protecting his face.

Azula side-flipped out of the way of the white-haired girl's fire blast, smiling sadistically before the soft humming sound of another airship caught her attention. She cocked a brow and turned, narrowing her eyes in annoyance when she saw her brother standing atop one of her airships. Zuko stared back at his sister with determination.

On Appa, the group in the saddle gawked and Sokka squeaked, "Is that...Zuko?"

Xiaodan gripped the back of the saddle, relief making her knees weak. The relief was short-lived and soon replace by anger and she growled, "Oh he is so dead..."

"Aang," Sokka shouted, crawling over to the front of the saddle, "We have to go back! Zuko's okay and we have to get him!"

"What?" Aang shouted back in shock, quickly standing up on Appa's head and looking back. He squinted for a few moments then threw his arm up with a cheer, "Alright!" He quickly directed Appa back towards the airships.

Still staring his sister down, Zuko clenched his jaw and began running across the airship then he jumped, flying through the air between the two zeppelins. Azula smirked and firebended at her brother, launching a blast at him from her fist.

Zuko spun mid-air and dispersed her blast with a kick then he firebended back at her, forcing Azula to back-flip out of the way. Zuko landed in a crouch and flipped towards his sister, firebending at her as soon as he was upright.

Azula spun nimbly to the side, the fire blast soaring harmlessly past her shoulder to hit the supports of the observational stand. She dispersed another of Zuko's fire blast with a swipe of her leg then twisted and kicked her other leg out, sending an arc of blue fire at her brother.

Zuko easily dissipated the flames with a swipe his of him and sent a blast at her before charging at her.

Xiaodan grunted as she used airbending to dissolve one of the many fire blasts being launched at Appa as he flew above the clouds around the airships that just kept appearing from beneath them. Standing beside her in the saddle, Katara bended a large globule of water around them to keep the fireballs that Xiaodan hadn't caught from hitting the sky bison.

"Whoa!" Aang shouted, yanking Appa reins upward to avoid the airship that had appeared in front of them with a handful of Firebenders standing at the edge, who had proceeded to firebend at them. Appa roared as he banked upward, the fire passing underneath him as he flew over the airship, Aang struggling to direct him with the reins.

Azula scowled fiercely as she was forced to defend herself from her brother's attacks, swiping his fire away with her hands as she backed up. Refusing to back away anymore, the princess began firing her own blasts at Zuko.

Zuko, his gold eyes narrowed, kicked the flames away easily, steadily moving closer and closer to his sister as she continued to firebend at him and he continued to disperse the blue flames. Azula's eyes widened when she saw how close he had gotten then they narrowed and she grinned maniacally, punching at him with a fist covered in blue flames.

The former prince swiped flames of her previous attack away with his right hand and brought his flame-covered left fist forward, punching towards his sister. Their fire covered fists collided, the impact causing a huge explosion that threw them both back.

Azula grunted as she skidded across the airship on her back before getting flipped onto her stomach, her hands scrabbling to hold on but unable to find purchase as she was thrown off the airship. Across from her, Zuko tumbled across the airship's smooth surface, his eyes widening with fear as he found himself falling through the air again, his sister falling not to far from him.

His eyes widened further, this time in relief, when he saw Appa soaring towards him and he twisted around, reaching out his arm. Katara, having moved to the front of the saddle, grasped his arm and yanked him into the safety of the saddle where he was immediately accosted by Xiaodan. Zuko grunted in surprise as the dualbender threw her arms around him, but he immediately wrapped his own arms around her tightly, relief at actually surviving surging through him as he held her.

"You scared the life outta me, you idiot!" The dualbender hissed as she abruptly pulled away and punched him in the shoulder. "Don't ever do something like that again!"

Zuko laughed weakly at the glower she was giving him and nodded once, before his attention was pulled to his sister, who was still falling through the clouds, her arms and legs flailing. He stared at Azula, unsure how he should feel as he rasped, "She's...not gonna make it."

The group watched as blue fire erupted from Azula's feet, the force propelling her back towards the nearby cliff. She back-flipped through the air and slammed into the cliff face as she dug what they all assumed was her hair pin into the rock, since her hair was falling loosely around her. She slid to a stop and looked towards them, a satisfied smirk on her lips.

"Of course she did." Zuko sighed, looking away as Xiaodan muttered something decidedly uncomplimentary about his sister.

After several hours of flying, Aang finally landed Appa on a rocky hill on small island that was similar to the Black Cliffs where the group had stayed a few days before the invasion on the Fire Nation capital. Xiaodan was the last to climb down from the saddle and as soon as she did, she walked right up to Zuko and punched him the shoulder. Hard.

The other stopped what they were doing, staring at the two oldest teens strangely.

The former prince swore and clutched his shoulder, his arm going numb from the force of the blow. He glowered at the dualbender and demanded harshly, "What was that for?!"

"For being an idiot!" Xiaodan sassed back in annoyance, cocking her hip and placing her hand on it as she pointed at him with her other one. "You just couldn't resist going after Azula all by yourself like some idiot tough-guy, could you?!"

"I don't know what the problem is!" Zuko retorted, flinging his arm out towards the others who were still staring at them, "I was trying to give you guys time to escape!"

"You almost died, that's the problem!" Xiaodan shouted and she threw her hands in the air then covered her face, her shoulders trembling slightly as that realization really settled in. Zuko had almost fallen to his death twice. If he hadn't landed on that airship or if Katara hadn't grabbed him in time, she would have never seen him again. And now she was freaking out a little bit about that.

Comprehension filled Zuko and he sighed softly, "Xia..." He reached out to touch her shoulder, but she flapped a hand at him and turned away, still hiding her face with her other hand. He sighed again and looked at the others, silently asking them for some privacy.

"Uh...We're just gonna..." Sokka cleared his throat awkwardly and pointed at spot a few yards away lamely, "Go over there...yeah." He cleared his throat again and walked away stiffly, Suki and Toph following him silently. Aang glanced warily between his sister and Zuko then locked eyes with the former prince, his features hardening and a warning look coming into his usually cheerful gray eyes. The two stared at each other silently for several moments then Aang nodded once and followed after Sokka, Toph, and Suki, with Appa lumbering after him and leaving only Katara, Xiaodan, and Zuko.

Katara glared at Zuko, her blue eyes narrowed angrily on him then she looked over at Xiaodan, who still had her back turned, her shoulders trembling as she took soft, yet still audible breaths, and her gaze softened. She didn't want to leave, as she still didn't trust Zuko around her friend, but she knew that whatever was between the former prince and Xiaodan needed to be resolved. She didn't have to like or be happy about it, but she would try to accept it, so without a word, or even another look in Zuko's direction, she walked after her brother and friends, leaving them alone. For the time being.

Zuko waited a few seconds, staring after the five as they began setting up camp before he turned towards Xia. He took a moment to observe her; her shoulders were hunched slightly and trembled every few seconds, and her hands were still raised to her face.

"Xia?" He tried tentatively, approaching her the way one would a cornered, injured animal.

"Go away." She muttered, her voice strained and she closed her eyes behind her hands. She removed one hand from her face and waved it in the general direction she'd heard the others go in, "Go help set up camp or something."

"I will once you talk to me." He replied stubbornly, folding his arms over his chest. She threw her hands in the air and turned to face him, a scowl on her tattooed face. Zuko's brows furrowed in concern when he saw her eyes were glassy and slightly red-rimmed and he took a step forward, concern coloring his expression.

"What do you want me to say?" She demanded with frustration as she began to pace in front of him, "That I felt my heart stop when I saw you fall the first time? That watching you fall through the air again terrified me almost as much as watching Azula hit Aang with lightning?" She stopped pacing and hung her head, her hands clenched at her sides.

"I'm fine though." Zuko pointed out carefully, uncrossing his arms and gesturing towards himself, "I'm fine, everyone is fine."

"Don't you think I know that!?" She exploded, glaring at him with red-rimmed eyes. "But I-" Her voice cracked and she closed her eyes tightly, "I thought...I thought I lost you."

In a heartbeat, Zuko was closing the distance between them and wrapping his arms around her, holding her close as she gave a choked sob. He winced and closed his eyes when he felt the warm wetness of tears soaking the front of his tunic, her hands clutching at the back of his shirt as she shuddered against him. He hadn't thought about how his earlier actions at the temple might have effected her. Honestly, he hadn't even thought they would have effected her, at least not to this extent.

It surprised him that she would be so upset at the thought of him almost dying. Zuko hadn't realized that she cared about him so much, having thought he'd effectively ruined any chance, despite attempts to fix things with her, back in Ba Sing Se, especially since she had been keeping him at arms-length ever since their return from the visit to Sun Warriors.

"I'm sorry." Zuko apologized softly, "I just wanted you and the others to get away safely. I didn't think."

Xiaodan sniffled and pulled away from him, wiping the tears off her cheeks as she gave him a reproachful look, "Yeah, I know. You're kind of an idiot, Firebug."

Zuko rolled his eyes, but a smile tugged at his mouth as they stared at each other, both seemingly unaware of the way they were inching closer.

"What's taking so long?" Katara muttered, glancing over at were Zuko and Xiaodan were standing several yards away. She squinted her eyes suspiciously. She wasn't sure if it was just because it was getting darker, but she could swear that Zuko and Xia appeared a lot closer to each other than they had before. "And what are they even doing?

"Oh leave 'em alone, Katara." Sokka stated with a dismissive wave of his left hand, his right propping him up as he lounged comfortable in front of the fire he'd built. "I'm sure they're just talking about their feelings and making smoochy faces at each other. Mushy stuff like that."

"You know, I remember you mentioning them liking each other." Suki commented, craning her neck to get a look at the older teens in the distance then she looked over at Sokka with raised brows, "But I didn't really believe it until I saw the way they acted around each other."

"They were actually a couple for a while in Ba Sing Se." Aang said idly, handing Katara some vegetables to put in the pot hanging above the fire, "Before, y'know, everything happened and all."

"Really?" Suki asked, her eyes widening in surprise and she looked over at Sokka with slight accusation, "You didn't tell me that."

The teen raised his hands defensively, "Hey, I was a little too busy dealing with other stuff to be gossiping about Xia and Zuko's love life."

"And Xia doesn't like talking about it." Katara muttered with just a small amount of bitterness. She and Xiaodan may have patched up their relationship, but it still stung a little bit when she thought about how she was the last to know about her and Zuko. "Because he betrayed her and everything."

"Oh, right..." Suki mumbled, shifting awkwardly beside Sokka. She glanced over at Zuko and Xia's shadowy silhouttes, "Well, they seem to have gotten past that at least..."

Katara glanced at her sharply then looked back at the pot without a word. She really hoped that Suki was wrong because as much as she loved Xiaodan and had come to accept her feelings for the former prince, Katara would still prefer if the older girl didn't care about him as much as she obviously did, as was demonstrated when they had all thought he'd fallen to his death.

Aang, oblivious to Katara's tension, grinned and nodded eagerly, "I hope so. Even though she tries not to show it, he makes her happy. And Xia deserves to be happy."

"Ain't that the truth." Toph quipped with a smirk, speaking up for the first time. "You should hear her heartbeat when he's around." She fluttered her hands like wings mockingly, "Like a little hummingbird. It's hilarious."

"Dinner's ready." Katara said loudly, cutting through the laughter that had followed Toph's statement. She stood up and dusted her pants off, "I'm going to got get them."

Aang frowned slightly and tilted his head in confusion, watching as Katara seemed to storm over to where Zuko and Xiaodan were still standing. He looked around at the others, "What's up with her?"

Sokka made an 'I don't know' noise and shrugged before getting up and beginning to dish out the soup.

"Dinner's ready."

Zuko and Xiaodan jumped, the dualbender jerking away from Zuko as if he was on fire. Her face burned with embarrassment and she cleared her throat, staring determinedly at the ground as she answered Katara's statement.

"Thanks, Katara. We'll be right there."

Katara hesitated, looking between the two narrowly. She wanted to say something but decided to hold her tongue until she could talk to Xiaodan alone, so with a curt nod, she walked back towards the campfire.

"Xia," Zuko rasped, his mind still reeling from the almost kiss they had shared, and he took a step towards her, reaching out to take her hand.

Xiaodan avoided his touch, her eyes still firmly locked onto the ground. She spoke tightly, "We should get back to camp." She side-stepped him and moved to start walking, but Zuko grabbed her arm before she could completely pass him. Xiaodan stared at the hand locked around her wrist and whispered, "Zuko, please."

"No." He shook his head stubbornly and gestured between them with his free hand, "Not until we talk about this. Us." Zuko ducked his head slightly so he could meet her eyes, holding her gaze despite her attempts to avoid it, "Do you care about me?"

"I-" Xiaodan swallowed thickly, willing herself to look away, but unable to tear her gaze away from the intensity in his golden orbs. Finally, she closed her eyes and sighed in either defeat or acceptance, neither was sure which one. "Yeah." She snapped her eyes open and hurried to continue when she saw the satisfied look on his face, "But that doesn't mean I want to be with your or anything."

"You tried to kiss me." Zuko pointed out smugly.

"I was caught up in the moment." Xiaodan retorted with forced nonchalance, "Totally doesn't mean anything."

"Does too."

"Does not."

He grinned slightly, "Does too."

Xiaodan stared at him incredulously, "What are you? Five?"

"You like me." Zuko continued as if she hadn't spoke and she huffed, "And you want to kiss me."

"Yeah with my fist maybe."

Zuko just smirked at her, tugging her closer and leaning down so they were practically nose to nose. Stunned, Xiaodan's breath hitched and her eyes widened dramatically as all thoughts of punching him in the mouth fled from her mind like cavehoppers fleeing from Momo. She was frozen in place, unable to move even an inch as she waited for him to do something, but he just continued to stare at her, his eyes darting between hers as if searching for something.

He found it apparently, because after what felt like hours, but was realistically less than two minutes, Zuko took a step back from her and nodded decisively. He released her wrist slowly, his hand sliding down to brush against her fingers before he turned and walked towards the others without a word, leaving Xiaodan to gape at his back and wonder what exactly had just happened. Whatever it had been, Xiaodan wasn't sure if she liked it or not.

He stopped a few feet ahead of her, glancing over his shoulder and Xiaodan caught him smirking in the light of the rising moon. He called out sarcastically, "Are you just gonna stand there or are you coming?"

"You-you-" Xiaodan sputtered as he started walking again then she growled to herself and stormed after him, shouting at his back, "You are such a monkey-feathering jerk, Firebug!"

His answering laughter made her curse at him colorfully while the others just looked at them in confusion, and in Aang's case, mild horror at the things coming from his sister's mouth. She had obviously picked up some not so good language during her time away from him that he hadn't been aware of until now.

"Wow, camping." Aang mused idly in amusement as everyone began to finish their dinner. He laughed slightly and shook his head, "It really seems like old times again, doesn't it?"

"If you really want it to feel like old times," Zuko drawled blandly as he broke his biscuit in half and gestured with one half vaguely, a small smirk tugging at his mouth, "I could, uhh...chase you around a while and try to capture you."

"Go for it." Xiaodan quipped back, hiding a sly grin behind her teacup. She was still unsure about what exactly had happened between her and Zuko earlier, but she decided to just act as if it hadn't happened. "As long as you don't try to make your prisoner again."

"But, we had such a great time though, remember?" Zuko shot back sarcastically, smirking in her direction. He grunted when the dualbender's biscuit pinged him in the forehead in response, causing the others to laugh even harder.

"Ha. Ha." Katara grumbled from where she was sitting beside Xiaodan and across the fire from Zuko, her blue eyes glowering at the flames. Xiaodan looked at her worriedly, but the younger girl didn't move or make another sound.

Still laughing slightly, Sokka raised his cup with a wide grin, "To Zuko. Who knew after all those times he tried to snuff us out, today, he'd be our hero."

Toph, Aang, Suki, and, after a moment of hesitation, Xiaodan all raised their cups and chorused, "Here, here!"

Aang and Toph, sitting on either side of Zuko, nudged him playfully with their elbows and grinned at him. Zuko smiled warmly at them all, his gaze lingering on Xiaodan for a moment before he addressed everyone, "I'm touched. I don't deserve this."

"Yeah, no kidding." Katara muttered caustically, her eyes flickering up to glare at him. The group stared at her in surprise as she stood up and stalked away.

"What's up with her?" Sokka questioned, quirking a brow at his sister's retreating form.

Xiaodan bit her lip and made to stand up, but Zuko was quicker. He placed his hand on her shoulder and shook his head before talking to Sokka, "I wish I knew."

Sokka, Suki, and Aang watched him walk after Katara quizzically, while Xiaodan stared after them with a frown, her brows pinched with worry.

"What's with him?" Sokka asked, jerking his thumb in the direction Zuko had gone in and looking over at Xiaodan questioningly.

The dualbender shrugged and raised her cup to her lips, her eyes downcast.

Katara kneeled in front of a flat rock near the ledge they had originally landed on when they arrived on the small island, her head bowed and eyes closed solemly. Soft footsteps reached her ears and she turned her head slightly, expecting to see Xiaodan. Her eyes narrowed in surprise and annoyance and she curled her lip slightly when she saw Zuko standing behind her instead and she immediately got to her feet, stalking away from him.

"This isn't fair." Zuko stated firmly, throwing his arms out to the side slightly in frustration, "Everyone else seems to trust me now. What is it with you?"

"Oh, everyone trusts you now?" Katara turned around and snapped at him. She put her hand on her chest and spat, "I trusted you first, before I knew about you and Xia. Remember? Back in Ba Sing Se?" She swung her arm out and jabbed a finger at the ocean, "And then you turned around and betrayed both of us." She flung her arms out for emphasis as Zuko looked down guiltily, "Betrayed all of us."

Zuko looked up and asked softly, "What can I do to make it up to you?"

"You really want to know?" Katara demanded as she walked towards him, "Hmm, maybe you could re-conquer Ba Sing Se in the name of the Earth King. Or," She leaned closer to him and Zuko stepped back, staring at her in speechless silence, "I know! You could bring my mother back!"

She shoulder-checked him as she stormed past him angrily, leaving him to stare after her in, completely floored.. He sighed and turned around, walking over to sit at the edge of the small cliff where he stared out at the ocean in thought.

Xiaodan was sitting on the ground beside the tent that belonged to Katara, her eyes closed in light meditation. She opened her eyes slowly when she heard the sound of someone walking angrily in her direction, sighing softly when she saw it was Katara.

"I don't want to talk about it." The younger girl growled as she flung the tent flap open violently and slipped inside.

"Alright." Xiaodan didn't bat an eyelash as she stood and followed Katara inside, plopping down near the entrance and crossing her legs. She rested her elbow on her thigh and cupped her chin, observing the Waterbender as she fussed with her sleeping roll.

"Argh!" Katara growled finally, flinging the sleeping roll at the tent wall. Xiaodan quirked a brow and continued to silently watch the younger girl as she glared at the ground. Her patience payed off and Katara began ranting after only a few more minutes of silence, "I can't even believe him! He thinks that just because he went on a couple 'field trips' with you, Sokka, and Aang that I should just trust him!? As if that makes up for everything else? Is he serious?"

Xiaodan bit her cheek to keep from replying, just letting Katara rant about all the reasons she didn't trust Zuko and why she never would. Only when it appeared that the younger girl had run out of steam, did the dualbender speak, "Katara, are you sure it's Zuko you're really angry at?"

Katara whirled around to face the older girl, looking a little wild-eyed as she replied fiercely, "Yes! All the bad things that have happened to us have been his fault!"

"Now we both know that's not really true." Xiaodan gently refuted. She sighed and got to her feet when Katara crossed her arms and set her jaw stubbornly. She approached the younger girl and put her hands on her shoulders, "Katara-"

"Do you trust him?" Katara demanded, cutting the older girl off, and staring into her eyes intensely.

Xiaodan hesitated, thinking carefully about her answer. Did she trust Zuko? Truly trust him like she had before Ba Sing Se? She thought back to what had happened at the temple and what had almosthappened when they had arrived on the little island and sighed when she got her answer. She knew Katara wasn't going to like it, but staring into her eyes, she answered honestly, "Yes, I trust him."

Katara closed her eyes and clenched her teeth, shaking her head in disbelief. She asked tightly, "Even after what happened in Ba Sing Se? Have you forgiven him?"

"Yes." Xiaodan answered simply, this time with absolutely no hesitation. Because it was the truth, she wasn't sure when it had happened, but she had forgiven Zuko for what had happened in Ba Sing Se. Not that she was going to tell him that. He had already gotten too smug after that kiss they almost shared and she wasn't about to encourage him. Plus, he still hadn't told her anything about the relationship he'd had with Mai and Xiaodan wasn't going to even complate starting something with him without getting an explanation for that first.

Katara slumped, her head falling forward to rest against Xiaodan's shoulder. The dualbender easily adjusted to the new position, wrapping her arms around the younger girl and resting her cheek against the side of her head. She held her just like she used to hold Aang when he was upset.

"He really has changed, Katara." Xiaodan said softly, not pushing, just stating a fact as she knew it. "He wants so badly to do right by us, by you. Just give him a chance."

"I don't know if I can." Katara muttered against her shoulder.

"Give it time." Xiaodan stroked her hair for second then pulled away, playfully nudging the younger girl's chin with a crooked finger, "Now, we've had an eventful day, why don't you get some rest? I'll see you in the morning."

Katara smiled weakly then lurched forward, hugging the dualbender tightly, "Thanks for understanding, Xia."

"It's what I do." Xiaodan replied in amusement, patting the girl's back then nudging her away, "Now, sleep. Goodnight."

"Night." Katara returned, turning to fetch her sleeping roll from the other side of the tent as Xiaodan slipped out of it.

The dualbender looked around for Zuko, but when she didn't see him she shrugged and headed over to Appa, where Aang was already curled up fast asleep. Xiaodan sprawled out beside her sleeping brother on the sky bison, closing her eyes and drifting off with a small sigh.

Peering out of her tent, Suki stepped outside and hurrying towards Sokka's tent, warily looking around and biting her lip with excitement. Glancing over her shoulder, Suki was just about to slip past the large rock that rested a litte bit in front of Sokka's tent when she bumped into someone. She jumped and jerked her head around, staring at Zuko in surprise.

The former prince stared back at her in equal surprise, his brow lifted in confusion.

"Oops." The warrior-girl squeaked, raising her arms and blushing brightly in embarrassment. She giggled nervously, "Wrong tent."

"Sorry." Zuko apologized as she began backing away and he pointed at Sokka's tent, "Do you need to talk to Sokka too?"

"Nope." Suki replied, her voice still an embarrassed squeak and her cheeks still burning as she waved her arms in a negative gesture, "Not me."

Zuko furrowed his brows as she hurried away then he shook his head, deciding that girls were way to confusing to try and figure out when he already had so much on his mind. He finished his journey to Sokka's tent and stepped inside, his expression falling at what he saw. There are some things he will never be able to unsee and Sokka lying on his stomach, surrounded by candles was definitely one of them.

"Well, hellooo..." Sokka cooed around the rose in his mouth, turning his head towards the entrance only for his his eyes to widened when he saw the last person he was expecting to and he ended up sucking the rose into his mouth in his surprise, "Zuko!"

He choked around the rose and hurriedly pushed himself up from lying on his stomach, clearing his throat as Zuko sat in front of him, the exasperated expression still on his face. Sokka chewed the rose and spoke in a strained voice, "Uh, yeah, why would I be expecting anyone else?" He swallowed the flower with a pained expression and turned his head to the side, coughing out some flower petals. Rubbing his sore throat, he turned back towards Zuko and asked, "So, what's on your mind, buddy?"

"Your sister, she hates me and I don't know why!" Zuko exclaimed in frustrated exasperation, throwing his hands up slightly before letting them drop, his shoulders slumping slightly. "But I do care what she thinks of me. I want her to trust me."

"Nah, Katara doesn't hate you. She doesn't hateanyone really." Sokka stated with a wave his hand, "Except for maybe some people in the Fire Nation." He faltered and his eyes widened as he hurried to amend his statement, "No, I mean, uh, not people who are good but used to be bad. I mean, bad people. Fire Nation people who are very bad, who have never been good," Sokka crossed his arms in an 'x' over his chest then flung them outwards for emphasis, "And probably never will be!"

"Stop." Zuko rolled his eyes, unsure if he should be amused or exasperated with the other teen. Shaking his head, he continued with his original line of thought, his expression serious. "Listen, I know this may seem out of no where, but I want you tell me what happened to your mother."

Sokka froze, stunned into immobility. All he could do was stare at the former prince in disbelief for several tense minutes before he managed to choke out, "What? Why would you want to know that?"

"Katara mentioned it before when we were imprisoned together in Ba Sing Se." Zuko explained quietly, "Then again just now when she was yelling at me. I think...I think somehow, she's connected her anger about that to her anger at me."

"It's not..." Sokka looked off to the side sadly and rubbed his knees, "It's not a day I like to remember."

Zuko gave him a look of understanding, so with a deep breath, Sokka began, the memory replaying in his mind as he spoke.

'A young Sokka lifted his head and looked around his snow fort warily, searching for enemies. He yelped in surprise when a snowball smacked into the side of his head, sticking to the left side of his face. He looked to his left and narrowed his eyes when he saw his sister, her arm still raised from throwing the snowball. Katara began to giggle, her eyes closing happily as her older brother waddled over his fort with a massive snowball in his arms. Sokka lifted the snowball, preparing to throw it at his sister, but black snowflakes catch his attention and he looks up, dropping the snowball.

Katara looked up as well and made a distressed noise, looking over at her brother with fearful eyes as she said, "I'm going to find Mom."

Sokka nodded as she ran past him towards their house then he ran in the other direction.

"Many of the warriors had seen the black snow before and they knew what it meant. A Fire Nation raid."

Sokka ran with the older men of his tribe, all of them carrying clubs and other weapons. He reached a snowdrift outside the city, peeking over it as the Fire Nation soldiers gave a battle cry and dropped from their ships, charging towards the line of Water Tribe men, who answered their battle cry with one of their own...'

"We were badly outnumbered. But we still managed to drive them off somehow." Sokka explained as he remembered throwing snow on one Fire Nation soldier before they all began to retreat. He remembered picking up a boomerang from the snow and throwing it as the soldiers disappeared into their ships. He brought his knees to his chest and looked down at them, "They left as quickly as they came. I was so relieved when it was over but...That was because I didn't know what had happened yet."

He lowered his head further and took a deep breath to compose himself. "I didn't know we lost our Mother."

Zuko was silent, allowing the other teen to take a moment before a thought struck him. "Wait." Zuko said, his tone becoming urgent as he looked at Sokka, "Can you remember any details about the soldiers who raided your village? Like what the lead ship looked like?"

"Yeah..." Sokka replied with a frowning, remembering the three red Fire Nation flags with stylized sea ravens on them. "Sea ravens. The main ship had flags with sea ravens on them."

"The symbol of the Southern Raiders." Zuko muttered then he stood up, "Thanks, Sokka."

"No problem." Sokka replied easily as he stood up as well and put his arm around Zuko's shoulder, pushing the tent flap aside and shoving the older teen out, "Thanks for stopping by." He let the tent flap close and sighed in relief, muttering to himself, "I thought he'd never leave."

He grinned eagerly and rubbed his hands together before opening the slightly and peeking out, whispering loudly, "Suki!" He froze when he saw Zuko still standing beside his tent, his brow raised questioningly. Clearing his throat, Sokka whistled innocently as he retreated back into the tent.

Shaking his head, Zuko stalked away from Sokka's tent. He paused halfway across the camp and glanced towards Appa, where he knew Xiaodan and Aang were sleeping. He debated waking her up and discussing the plan that was forming in his mind on how to get Katara to trust him, but ultimately decided against it, continuing on his way to the Waterbender's tent.

He took a seat on a flat rock outside the tent and closed his eyes, settling in for a long night.

Zuko jerked out of the light doze he'd settled in when something poked the side of his head, his hand lashing out to wrap around whatever it was before he'd even completely opened his eyes.

"Hey!"

He looked over at Xiaodan in surprise, his brow furrowing in annoyance when he realized she had been the one poking his head. He let go of her wrist and the dualbender crossed her arms, frowning at him. He yawned slightly and looked at the sky, noting that it was early in the morning then he glanced at Katara's tent, but it appeared that she hadn't woken up yet.

A tanned and tattooed hand suddenly waved around in front of his face and he looked up at Xiaodan in exasperation.

"Don't give me that look." Xiaodan snarked as she refolded her arms over her chest and cocked a hip out to the side, "What are you doing?"

"Waiting for Katara to wake up."

Xiaodan quirked a brow and drawled out, "Yeah, I can see that. Why?"

Zuko looked away and closed his eyes, "I have something to tell her."

Xiaodan stared at him expectantly, but when he didn't elaborate she rolled her eyes with a huff. "Alright, fine. Just don't do anything stupid. And do not drag Katara into anything stupid, because so help me, like you or not, I will hurt you."

Zuko opened his eyes and turned in his seat, watching the dualbender sauntering towards the burning embers of the campfire to start on preparing breakfast. Shaking his head and trying to surpress a smile, he turned back around to face Katara's tent and closed his eyes, resting his chin against his chest as he went back to dozing.

It wasn't long after that, that Katara stepped out of her tent, busily adjusting her gloves so she didn't notice Zuko sitting on the rock in front of her tent. When she did, she frowned in annoyance and shook her head. Zuko lifted his head and blinked, clearing the sleep from his eyes.

"You look terrible." Katara muttered as she stalked past him towards her pack, which she began rummaging through, looking for her comb.

"I waited out here all night." Zuko replied as he stood up and rubbed his eyes while Katara began combing her hair.

Yanking the comb through her hair with more force than was probably necessary, she demanded waspishly, "What do you want?"

"I know who killed your mother." Zuko replied bluntly from behind her. Katara's hand froze and her eyes widened, staring unseeingly in front of her as he continued, "And I'm going to help you find him."

"Nice flower necklace." Xiaodan commented lightly, amusement coloring her tone as she hopped up onto the rock Sokka was leaning against. "Did Suki give it to you?"

"No!" Sokka gave an embarrassed laugh, his cheeks darkening with a blush as he tried to hide the necklace from the older girl's view, "Don't be ridiculous, Xia. I was, uh, just, um...bored! Yeah, I was bored and made it myself."

Xiaodan smirked knowingly at him, "Uh huh, suuureyou did, Sokka. Sure you did." She tried to snatch it from him, but he held it away from her, swatting at her indignantly.

"What are you guys doing?" Aang asked in bemusement as he walked past the two and towards Appa, a pile of hay in his arms.

"Nothing!" The two teens chorused, Sokka in an embarrassed high pitched tone and Xiaodan in a laughing one. Aang shook his head at them in amusement and went back to feeding his sky bison. Once his back was turned, Sokka scowled and shoved Xiaodan away from him. The older girl yelped as she tumbled from the rock, landing on her back to Sokka left.

"Ha!" Sokka laughed, pointing at the dualbender, who scowled and lunged at him, tackling him to the ground. She wrestled him onto his front and pinned his arm behind his back, causing him to yelp. "Ow!"

"I need to borrow Appa."

Aang, who'd taken one glance over at Sokka and Xiaodan and shook his head in amusement then gone back to feeding Appa, looked over his shoulder at Katara after she'd spoken. He glanced over at Zuko standing behind her with a bag slung over his shoulder and chuckled slightly as he turned to feed the rest of the hay he held to the sky bison.

"Why? Is it your turn to take a little fieldtrip with Zuko?"

"Yes, it is." Katara replied curtly and Xiaodan stopped dangling the flower chain she'd snatched from Sokka's hand in front of his face to look at the younger girl in surprise.

"Why does that sound like a bad thing?" Xiaodan sighed, jumping off Sokka's back and walking closer to the other three after dropping the flower chain beside the other teen.

Aang looked between Zuko and Katara in surprise and asked warily, "Uh, what's going on?"

"We're going to find the man who took my Mother from me." Katara stated, her face set with angry determination.

Sokka, who sat up and snatched up his flower chain, looked up at her statement. He stared at his sister in surprise then gently set the flower necklace aside and stood up, walking over to stand beside Xiaodan, who had her arms crossed and was staring at Katara and Zuko narrowly.

"Sokka told me the story about what happened." Zuko said firmly from behind Katara, keeping his gaze on Aang as he spoke, "I know who did it. And I know how to find him."

"Um..." Aang frowned at the two, "And what exactly do you think that would accomplish?"

Xiaodan sighed and covered her eyes with hand, shaking her head slowly, "Katara, when I said give Zuko a chance, I didn't mean do something like this."

Katara scoffed and shook her head with a humorless smirk, "I knew you two wouldn't understand."

"Wait, stop." Aang called out pleadingly, hurrying after Katara when she began walking away, "I do understand." He gestured between him and Xiaodan when she walked up beside him, "We both do. You're feeling unbelievable pain and rage. How do you think I felt about the Sandbenders when they stole Appa? Or the Fire Nation when I found out what happened to our people?"

"Or I how felt when Azula hurt Aang?" Xiaodan added softly and she moved to stand behind Katara, placing her hand on her shoulder, "We get it. It hurts so much inside and all you want to do is make the people responsible hurt just as badly, but Katara, are you sure this is something you want to do?"

Katara tensed and it was Zuko who answered, Xiaodan looking over at him sharply.

"She needs this you two. This is about getting closure and justice."

"I don't think so." Aang stated, shaking his head and narrowed his eyes slightly on the older teen, "I think it's about getting revenge."

"Fine!" Katara exploded, shrugging Xiaodan's hand from her shoulder and taking a few steps forward, keeping her back to the others, "Maybe it is. Maybe that's what I need. Maybe that's what he deserves."

"You sound like Jet, Katara." Aang said softly, exchanging worried looks with Sokka and Xiaodan.

Katara spun around to glare at him defensively, "It's not the same! Jet attacked the innocent." She swung her arm out as she ranted, "This man, he's a monster."

Sokka, who had remained quiet so far, stepped forward then and stared at his sister pleadingly, "Katara, she was my mother too. But I think Aang and Xia are right. This," he gestured between his sister and Zuko, "This doesn't seem right."

"Then you didn't love her like I did!"

"Katara!" Xiaodan said sharply, jerking her chin up and glowering at the younger girl sternly, "How can you say something like that?"

"It's true!" The Waterbender spat, crossing her arms defensively over her chest and scowling, "If he did, he would want to find the monster that took our mother from us!"

Speechless, Sokka just stared at his sister in disbelief, "Katara..."

Xiaodan turned her eyes on Zuko and gave him a look that clearly said she was blaming him for this incident. Zuko just stared back unflinchingly, firmly believing that he was right about what Katara needed to do. He wasn't going to back down just because it made Xiaodan unhappy with him.

"The monks used to say that revenge is like a two-headed rat-viper." Aang spoke quietly, pulling everyone's attention to him, "While you watch your enemy go down, you're being poisoned yourself."

"That's cute." Zuko drawled sarcastically with an eye roll, "But this isn't air temple pre-school. It's the real world."

"Oh, you did not just say that." Xiaodan muttered indignantly under her breath, crossing her arms and scowling at the former prince.

Katara shook her head at Aang and looked away, clenching her fists tightly at her side. "Now that I know he's out there, now that I know we could find him, I feel like I have no choice."

"Katara, you do have a choice." Aang replied sagely, "Forgiveness."

"That's the same as doing nothing." Zuko retorted sharply

"No, it's not." Xiaodan snapped just as sharply, glowering at him, "Trust me, doing nothing is a loteasier. So is being angry. But forgiveness? That can be one of the hardest things to give." She eyed Zuko until he looked away.

"Please, Katara..." Aang pleaded softly, staring at the Waterbender with desperate gray eyes.

"Forgiving isn't just hard." Katara stated darkly, turning her back on the others and beginning to walk away, "It's impossible."

Xiaodan frowned, folding her arms more tightly across her chest as she watched Zuko follow after Katara with Aang and Sokka. Pursing her lips, she spoke lowly, "She's not going to give up. They're going to try to leave again."

Sokka heaved a sigh and nodded in agreement, "Probably tonight while the rest of us are sleeping."

Aang rubbed at his face tiredly and looked up his sister and friend, "Guess that means we're not going to be sleeping then, huh?"

"No." Xiaodan replied, still staring after Zuko and Katara's retreating figures grimly. She couldn't say she disagreed with either of them, seeing as how she had yet to forgive Azula and if the opportunity to take out the Princess arose, Xiaodan couldn't say for sure if she wouldn't seek revenge for the harm she caused Aang. But at the same time, she didn't want Katara to have to do something that she might regret later in life. The two opposing opinions warred inside her and Xiaodan sighed, gesturing for the boys to follow her as she turned, "C'mon, might as well act like we don't know their gonna attempt to sneak away."

Nodding, the two boys followed her back into camp to go about their day as if nothing was out of the ordinary.

When night rolled around and the others had gone to sleep, Katara slipped out of her tent and met up with Zuko near his own tent. The former prince silently handed her a dark robe and mask for her to wear over her clothes, already wearing a similar one with his mask hanging around his neck.

Taking the robes and holding them tightly, Katara looked at Zuko grim-faced and whispered lowly, "Let's go."

Zuko nodded once and hefted up the bag of supplies he'd packed earlier, following the Waterbender over to where Appa was sleeping just outside the circle of tents. He crouched and began checking the supplies inside the bag while Katara slipped the robes on over her clothes.

"Slipping away in the night seems to be habit of yours, Firebug."

Katara and Zuko jumped slightly in surprise, both jerking their heads up to stare at Xiaodan as she peered down at them from the saddle, her arms crossed over the rim and her chin resting on her arms. She quirked a brow at the two then directed her gaze on Zuko, "This'll be the third time now. I'm starting to become concerned."

Zuko rolled his eyes and went back to looking over their supplies while Katara went back to tying her mask around her neck.

"If this is your attempt at stopping us, it's not going to work." She said drily as she finished with the mask and began working on tying her hair back.

"Now why would I do a silly thing like that?" Xiaodan asked, flipping over the saddle and landing in a crouch beside Katara. She straightened and crossed her arms, casually leaning against Appa's foremost leg. "Stopping you is obviously pointless. Even if I tied you up and sat on you, I bet you'd still find away to get free and do this." She looked over at the rock and called out sardonically, "You guys can come out now, you know."

Aang and Sokka peeked over the rock then jumped over it. Aang stalked forward and demanded in an annoyed tone that sounded genuine, but really wasn't. "So you were just gonna take Appa anyway?"

Katara finished tying her hair and said darkly, "Yes."

"It's okay, because I forgive you." Aang replied, closing his eyes and smiling serenely. He opened his eyes and looked at Katara hopefully, "That give you any ideas?"

"Subtle, little brother, real subtle." Xiaodan murmured sarcastically, still leaning against Appa and looking down at her feet with her arms crossed.

"Don't try to stop us." Katara stated firmly, keeping her back to Aang and her brother.

"I wasn't planning to. None of us were." Aang responded and he stared at Katara seriously, "This is a journey you need to take. You need to face this man." Katara looked over at him and nodded gratefully before climbing onto Appa's head using his horns. Aang stepped forward and peered up at her, "But when you do, please don't chose revenge. Let your anger out and then let it go. Forgive him."

Zuko threw his bag into the saddle and looked over at Aang with a disdainful expression as he quipped flatly, "Okay, we'll be sure to do that guru-goody-goody."

Xiaodan straightened from her slouch and, without batting an eyelash, flicked the former prince's temple. "Don't call him that." She quirked a brow at him as he scowled at her and rubbed the side of his head, "Remember, he's better at practicing the monks ideals than I am." She turned her attention towards Katara and smiled softly at the younger girl, stretching her arm out towards her while Zuko climbed into the saddle, muttering under his breath about how irritating she was.

Katara leaned forward and grasped her hand and Xiaodan squeezed it, speaking softly, "Whatever you decided to do, make sure it feels right here." She put her free hand over her own heart then squeezed Katara's hand one more time before letting go and stepping back.

Katara straightened and looked down at both Xiaodan and Aang, who had come to stand beside his sister, "Thank you for understanding, you guys." Facing forward again, Katara flicked the reins and commanded, "Yip-yip."

Appa rumbled lowly, smacking his tail against the ground as he took off. Sokka, Aang, and Xiaodan watched trepidatiously as the sky bison flew farther and farther away from them.

"I hope she knows what she's doing." Sokka sighed, having remained quiet and allowed the two Air Nomads to talk to his sister. He looked away from the rapidly disappearing sky bison and over at Aang with an impressed look, "You know, for a kid, you're pretty wise."

"Thanks, Sokka." Aang replied with a small smile.

"Usually it's just annoying, but right now, I'm pretty impressed." Sokka continued flippantly, looking over at Xiaodan, "Same with you, Xia."

"Gee, thanks." The dualbender deadpanned, giving the Water Tribe teen a flat look over her brother's head.

Aang glanced at Sokka from the corner of his narrowed eyes and said in the same tone as his sister, "Yeah, I appreciate that."

"So..." Sokka drawled out, rocking back and forth slightly on his heels as he asked, "Can I borrow Momo for a week?"

"What?" Aang jerked his head towards Sokka and stared at him incredulously, "Why do you need Momo?"

Xiaodan snorted when Sokka shrugged and made an 'I don't know' noise, shaking her head and walking back to the camp as Aang began pestering the older teen about why he needed the lemur. Deciding that she might as well try and get some sleep, she slipped into Katara's newly unoccupied tent, since Appa was otherwise unable to act as hers or her brother's bed for the forseeable future.

Laying down on her stomach, Xiaodan folded her arms and rested her head, closing her eyes with a sigh. She prayed that Katara would find what she was looking for, whether it be closure or revenge. And she prayed that the younger girl she saw as a sister wouldn't be too changed when she and Zuko came back.

"We need to find the Fire Navy communication tower." Zuko explained from where he was leaning against the front of the saddle rim, "All the navy's movements are coordinated by messenger hawk. And every tower has to be up to date on where everyone is deployed."

"So once we find the communication tower, we bust in and take the information we need." Katara stated determinedly, clutching Appa's reins so tightly her knuckles turned white.

"Uh, not exactly." Zuko replied then gave her directions after consulting the map he'd brought with him. When she redirected Appa, he continued his explanation, "We need to be stealthy and make sure no one spots us. Otherwise, they'll warn the Southern Raiders long before we reach them."

Katara nodded grimly, directing Appa fly lower and closer to the water when Zuko said they were getting closer. When they reached the tower, she landed Appa on a small patch of sandy land beside the small rocky outcropping the tower had been built on. Slipping their masks over their mouths and noses, Zuko and Katara ran around the rock in the middle of the sand patch, Katara bending the water between their landing spot and the tower into a ice raft.

They jumped onto the ice raft and Katara used waterbending to move the raft across the stretch of ocean that rested between her and her destination. When they reached the massive rock that the tower was built on, Katara bended a wave up underneath the raft and then they jumped, using the airborn ice raft as a spring board jump over the rock and onto the tower.

They quickly ran down the open corridor with Zuko leading the way. He stopped them at a corner, holding his arm out as the door to the building they needed to get into was opened and two guards stepped out. He waited until they'd disappeared down an adjacent corridor then stealthily ran towards the open door with Katara right behind him.

When they came across a grate leading to the vents in the ceiling, Zuko pointed at it, hoisting Katara up onto his shoulders when she nodded in understanding. The Waterbender quickly and quietly slid the grate away and climbed into the vent then helped Zuko up, sliding the grate silently back into place just as a guard walked down the hall.

Zuko gestured with his hand in the direction they needed to go and began crawling quickly and quietly through the vent, Katara following him just as quietly and quickly. When he saw a female guard sitting at a desk, marking the patrol map lying on the desk, he held up his hand and pointed.

Katara narrowed her eyes and raised her hand, bending the ink from the dish onto the woman's hands and parchment.

"Ugh!" The female guard grunted, grimacing as she stared at her hands and the map. Shaking her head in consternation, she stood up and walked out of the room.

Once the door closed behind the guard, Zuko slid the grate aside and dropped down, hurrying over to the shelves of scrolls. Katara dropped down from the vent right after him, standing behind him and watching the door as he looked.

"Okay, Southern Raiders..." He muttered then grabbed the scroll and turned towards the desk, opening the map and pointing, "Bam. On patrol near Whaletail Island."

"Whaletail Island, here we come." Katara muttered as Zuko rolled up the scroll and put it back. The two quickly jumped back into the vents and snuck out of the communication tower the same way they snuck in.

"Where do you think they are?" Aang asked, pacing worriedly behind his sister as she focused on cooking breakfast.

"I don't know." Xiaodan replied patiently. It was easy, seeing as how her brother had been pretty much asking the same questions since he'd woken up just before the sun rose and found his sister, just as unable to sleep as he was, sitting beside the fire and drinking a cup of tea.

"Do you think they found him yet?" Aang asked, seemingly oblivious to his sister's reply as he had been every time he asked and she answered.

"I don't know."

Aang began biting his nails as he paced. He stopped abruptly and stared straighted ahead with wide eyes as a new question popped out of his mouth, "Do you think Katara will make the right choice?"

"I don't think there's a right or wrong choice for her to make." Xiaodan replied mildly, gaze still focused on the simmering liquid in the pot. She frowned and reached over to the satchel resting beside her, digging out small bag of spices.

"How can you say that?" Aang asked, staring at his sister's back with wide eyes as she sprinkled some spices into the pot. He moved over to her and dropped down beside her, "The monks taught us-"

"Exactly, Aang." The dualbender cut him off gently, stirring the spices into the pot before taking a taste. Humming in approval she set the spoon aside, leaving the broth to simmer as she turned towards her brother. "The monks taught us. Not Katara, not Zuko, or Sokka, or Suki. Us."

"But-"

"Aang," Xiaodan sighed and reached out to take his hands in hers, looking into his eyes earnestly, "I know this is hard and it conflicts with what Monk Gyatso and the others taught us, well," She smiled and rolled her eyes playfully, "Taught you and tried to teach me."

They shared a soft laugh, but sobered when Xiaodan spoke again.

"Katara has had this burden for years and she's finally able to let it go, she's going to need our support, not matter what her decision is. Even if we don't necessarily agree with the whatever decision she decides to make."

Aang looked down at their joined hands silently for several seconds then sighed and looked up at her with weary acceptance, "You're right."

"Of course I am." Xiaodan smirked and winked at him. "I'm always right, you know." When Aang opened his mouth to refute her claim, she let one of his hands go and pointed him sternly, "Don't you dare say anything."

Aang closed his mouth and grinned at her, raising his eyebrows teasingly. Xiaodan rolled her eyes and let go of his other hand, turning back to the pot. She flapped a dismissive hand in his direction and ordered with mock exasperation, "Oh be quiet. Breakfast is almost ready, so go get the others or something."

"You got it." Aang chirped, feeling much more at ease about the situation with Katara, and he bounced to his feet, heading off to round up the others for breakfast.

When he was out of earshot, Xiaodan exhaled heavily and frowned at the pot, letting the worry she felt for Katara show now that her brother wasn't around to see it. Aang's concerns might have been eased, but she wouldn't stop worrying until Katara and Zuko had returned.

Zuko blinked awake then pushed himself up onto his elbow, peering over at Katara, who was wide awake. Concern colored his features and he spoke softly, "You should get some rest. We'll be there in a few hours. You'll need your strength."

"Don't you worry about my strength." Katara stated ominously as she glared at the rising sun, the bags under her eyes becoming more pronounced when the light touched her face, "I'm not the helpless little girl I was when they came..."

'A young Katara looked up at the falling black snow then turned her fearful gaze to her older brother.

"I'm going to find Mom." She said fearfully, rushing past her brother and towards their family's house as the tribe's warriors ran towards the wall while the other tribe members ran deeper into the village. When she reached her house, she pushed aside the curtain and called out for her mother, "Mom!"

Katara froze and stared up at the large man in a red uniform and spiked helmet. The Fire Nation soldier turned slightly and looked down at her, his brown eyes glinting cruelly inside his helmet. Tears gathering in her eyes, Katara jerked her gaze away from the man and stared at her mother, who was practically on her knees in front of the man.

"Mommy?"

Kya looked at her daughter then stared up at the Fire Nation soldier pleadingly, "Just let her go and I'll give you the information you want."

The soldier glared down at Katara and growled, "You heard your mother, get out of here!"

Huddling in on herself, Katara looked at her mother fearfully and whispered, "Mom, I'm scared..."

"Go find you Dad, sweetie." Kya instructed, smiling reassuringly at her daughter though her eyes were tearing up, "I'll handle this."

Reluctantly, Katara turned her gaze up to the soldier and whimpered when she saw his brown eyes staring down at her fiercely. Backing away from the man, she spun on her heel and shoved the curtain aside, rushing out of the house, calling for her father as she ran.

"I ran as fast as I could..."

"Dad! Dad!" Katara screamed when she saw her father fighting another man in a red uniform. She reached him just as he threw the soldier into the snow and she exclaimed in a panic, "Please! I think Mom's in trouble! There's a man in our house!"

Hakoda looked up the Fire Nation soldier he'd disabled and let him go, "Kya!"

Katara closed her eyes and brought her knees up to her chest as she remember running back to the house with her father. "But we were too late. When we got there, the man was gone." Her voice cracked and she bit back tears, "And so was she."

Zuko stared at the younger girl's back, his gaze sorrowful. He understood her pain, having lost his own mother when he was just a child. He didn't offer sympathy, knowing that she wouldn't want it, but he did say softly, "You're mother was a brave woman."

Katara looked down and touched the engagement necklace her mother had given her, "I know."

"Hey, Sokka," Suki said quietly as leaned against a rock near the campfire, their shoulders pressed together, "Remember when were stuck on the prison gondola? Who was the girl that helped us? Zuko seemed to know her."

"Oh, uh..." Sokka faltered and rubbed the back of his head, looking around quickly for Xiaodan before he answered. He wasn't sure if he wanted the dualbender to know that they had been saved by the former prince's ex-girlfriend. "That was, uh, Mai. Zuko's girlfriend. Er, ex-girlfriend."

Suki's eyes widened, her mouth falling opening in a little 'o' of surprise. "You're kidding? I thought he and Xia were, you know." She gestured vaguely with her hands, "Together or something."

"It's complicated." Sokka replied with a shrug and began to explain how after Toph had joined the group they had been chased by Azula and her two friends Ty Lee and Mai inside some kind of tank that prevented them from stopping and resting for the night and how their lack of rest caused them to fight. "After Toph left, we washed Appa to keep him from shedding any more then split up. Xia went to find Toph, me and Katara took Appa, and Aang laid out a false trail for that crazy chick to follow."

Suki listened with rapt attention as he explained how Azula and her friends also split up, the princess following Aang, while Ty Lee and Mai followed him and his sister. He told her how they managed to defeat the two girls then went to find Aang, who had been fighting Azula and Zuko in an abandoned town.

"Katara and I got there just as Azula cornered Aang, after of couse, she managed to kick Zuko's butt." Sokka told her with a small laugh. "Toph and Xia joined us soon after that and we managed to corner Azula with Zuko and his uncle, Iroh, I think. Well, Azula managed to injure him, we attacked her, but she managed to get away."

Sokka flapped his hand slightly, "Katara offered to heal Iroh, but Zuko was still an angry jerk, so he yelled at her and we left. Or at least we tried to. See, Xia was actually Zuko's prisoner for a while and she got to know Iroh, enough that she decided to stay and help despite everything."

"Wow, she must really like this Iroh." Suki commented, remembering that Sokka and Katara had vaguely explained this to her when she met them on at Moon Bay for the ferry and she had noticed Xia wasn't with them. She asked Sokka curiously, "So, Xia traveled with Zuko and Iroh? For how long?"

Sokka shrugged, "A long time. They went all the way to Ba Sing Se and were there practically the whole time we were. She was so close and we didn't even know it." He frowned, thinking that if maybe they had found Xiaodan in Ba Sing Se sooner, than she wouldn't have been so hurt by Zuko's betrayal. Shaking those thoughts from his head, he continued, "Anyway, I guess they became a thing while they were there, of course that pretty much ended when he helped Azula almost kill Aang."

"Yeah." Suki muttered, her head spinning slightly with all the information she'd just learned, "No kidding."

"I guess he hooked up with Mai when he went back to the Fire Nation and when he left, he broke up with her."

"Ouch." Suki winced, almost feeling sympathetic for the other girl. Of course she felt more sympathy for Xiaodan, but still, she couldn't help but feel for Mai a little bit too. Her brows rose and she blinked as a thought came to her, "Zuko must have been surprised to see her at the prison."

Sokka snorted then outright laughed, "I think he was more than surprised, Suki."

"I imagine he was pretty terrified."

Both Suki and Sokka jumped, turning around and peering, wide-eyed, over the rock they were leaning against. Xiaodan back at them with an unreadable expression, her arms crossed over her chest.

"Oh, uh, h-hey, Xia." Sokka laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his head as he asked, "How, uh, how much of that did you hear?" He had a feeling she heard more than Zuko probably wanted her to have heard. Her eyes narrowed and Sokka winced.

"Enough." She replied stiffly and walked around the rock to stand in front of the two other teens, "You and Zuko clearly left some details of your escape out of your story. Please, enlighten me."

"Uh..." He hesitated then grunted when Suki elbowed him, giving him a look that clearly said she was on Xiaodan's side and that he should tell her about Mai.

Shoulders slumping, Sokka groaned and hung his head in defeat, reluctantly acquiescing to the dualbender's polite demand. Zuko was sooo going to kill him when he found out.

Zuko, sitting on Appa's head after insisting that Katara get some rest before they reached their destination, straightened when he noticed a ship sailing through the dark waters. He quickly lifted the telescope he had placed in his lap up to his eye and focused on the ship's flag. Sea ravens.

"There!" He exclaimed, lowering the telescope and looking over his shoulder at Katara, who had popped up from the saddle almost instantly and he tossed her the telescope, "See those sea raven flags? It's the Southern Raiders."

Katara brough the telescope and her eyes narrowed when she saw the sea raven emblazened on the red flags. She lowered the telescope and said dangerously, "Let's do this."

Moving onto Appa's head, she stood firmly as Zuko directed the sky bison down to the water. Just before the sky bison dove into the ocean, she bended some water up around his head in a bubble to allow them to breath, her eyes narrowing as he swam closer and clsoer to the ship.

Completely unaware of the danger, several of the Raiders stood on deck and gossiped idly.

"So there I was and I was like, you know, you could-Ahhh!" The Raider who was talking cut off with a scream as a coil of water wrapped around his waist and yanked him over the side of the ship into the water, leaving the other soldiers to stare in shocked disbelief as they ran to peer over the edge.

Appa swam under the ship to the other side then rose up, Katara breaking the surface first before being followed by Zuko and Appa shortly after. Her expression hard beneath her mask, Katara lifted her arms up and waterbended two huge waves on either side of Appa, before sending them towards the ship as one massive wave.

A soldier, noticing the noise, looked over his shoulder and his jaw dropped. He reached over and grabbed the shoulder of his fellow Raider, turning him around as the massive wave closed in. Drawn by the noise, the other Southern Raiders turned around just as the wave it and they screamed as they were thrown violently into the ocean.

Appa rumbled as he emerged fully from the water and landed on the ship's deck, Zuko and Katara jumping off his head. A lone soldier that managed to stay aboard the ship by clutching onto the side, stood up and turned towards the noise Appa made while landing. His eyes widened and he prepared to firebend, but Katara charged forward, blasting the man off the ship with a jet of water.

Ignoring the tears brimming in her eyes, Katara rushed to the command tower and opened the door after coating her arms with water then she raced into the metal corridor of the tower with Zuko right behind her.

A door suddenly opened just as Katara ran passed and a soldier welding a broad sword stepped out, only for Zuko to grab his arm and the sword then shove him back into the room with his hip. Katara stopped and looked back, her brow furrowing as Zuko closed the doors and slid the sword between the handles, locking the soldier inside.

Katara eyed Zuko for a moment, realizing that he had just saved her life then she turned and continued, heading further into the command tower. They reached the command deck within minutes, each of them taking out several more soldiers as they went.

"This is it, Katara." Zuko stated, his voice slightly muffled by his mask as they stood in front of the closed metal door that led to the command deck. "Are you ready to face him?"

Uncovering her hand, Katara reached up and pulled down her mask then she twisted around and thrust her arms forward with a wordless cry of angry. The water around her arms surged towards the metal door and blasted it off its hinges.

Xiaodan sat in front of the fire, staring blankly at the flames and poking at the embers with a stick. The others had long gone to sleep, but she found herself unable to join them, her thoughts to busy clamoring for attention inside her head. At the forefront of her mind was why Zuko had decided not to mention Mai's involvement in their escape from the Fire Nation prison.

Narrowing her eyes, Xiaodan decided that she and Zuko were going to have a very long chat when he and Zuko returned. Whether he wanted to or not.

Flames shot forward as soon as the door burst open and Zuko leapt into the room in front of Katara, dissipating the flames easily. The Captain of the Southern Raiders shot more fire at him, but Zuko easily dispersed it then fired his own blast at the captain's feet, forcing him to jump back.

"Who are you?" the Captain demanded, glaring at the Katara and Zuko.

"You don't remember her?" Zuko shot back without shifting from his bending stance as Katara stood behind him, staring at the captain venemously. "You will soon. Trust me."

Zuko firebended at the captain again, forcing him to side step then break apart the flames. The captain brought his arm back, preparing to firebend, but the fire that had gathered around his fist petered out as his arm began to tremble uncontrollably.

"What?! What's h-happening to me?!" The Captain gasped as his arm jerked around, completely out of his control. Using his other hand, he struggled to control his arm, but was unable to and let out a groan of pain as his left arm was forced to the floor, forcing him into a kneeling position.

Across the room in her bloodbending stance, Katara smirked grimly and lowered her arms slowly, forcing the captain's body to floor completely. Zuko stared at the Waterbender in shock then he narrowed his eyes and looked over at the trembling Captain of the Southern Raiders.

"Think back." he demanded sharply, "Think back to your last raid on the Southern Water Tribe.'

"I don't know what you're talking about." The Captain cried out, huddling on the floor and unable to move his body, "Please, I don't know!"

"Don't lie!" Zuko spat, coming to kneel beside the captain's prone form. He punched the ground and growled then pointed at Katara, "You look her in the eye and you tell me you don't remember what you did!"

Katara lifted her arms, raising the captain to his knees and glared down at him coldly. Sweating and close to tears, the captain stared into her fierce blue eyes, his light brown eyes wide with terror. Her eyes widening, Katara's expression dropped in realization.

"He's not the man." She rasped, closing her eyes and releasing him from her control.

"What?!" Zuko exclaimed in disbelief as the captain collapsed behind him, "What do you mean he's not? He's the leader of the Southern Raiders! He has to be the guy!" Katara shook her head in denial, turning and walking towards the door. Growling under his breath, Zuko turned back to the captain as he began to stir, grabbing his arm and yanking him to his feet then he shoved the man against window, holding his arm behind his back, "If you're not the man we're looking for, who is?"

Groaning as his face was pressed against the glass, the captain gasped out hurriedly, "You must be looking for Yon Rha. He retired four years ago! I can tell you where he is!"

Zuko glanced over his shoulder at Katara, who stood in the doorway with her back to him. Clenching her jaw, Katara glared down the corridor with determination as angry tears burned her eyes. Looking back at the man, Zuko leaned in close and growled threateningly, "Tell me where he is."

"Yon Rha!" A plump, elderly woman with a giant mole near her left eyebrow yelled as she stood in front of the back door of hte house she shared with her son. "You lazy piece of work, I need something."

Yon Rha sighed and stopped loosening the soil of his garden with his hand-hoe, speaking in a placating tone, "Yes mother, what is it?"

"The tomato-carrots from your garden are too hard on my gums." The woman spat with discontent, "I need something soft and juicy."

"Would you like something else from the garden?" Yon Rha asked as he turned towards his mother with a small smile, "I would be happy to-"

"Forget your stupid garden!" The old woman shrieked, shaking her clenched fists at her son angrily, "Get your grimy hind to the market and buy some real food! Now!"

Wincing and hanging his head in defeat, Yon Rha rose to his and exited his garden, heading towards the town to do as his mother demanded with the basket he'd left on the porch. The overcast and gloomy sky reflecting his dour mood, he walked to one of the stalls and picked up a couple vegetables, placing them in his basket.

The wind caused the chimes hanging from the eaves of hte house next to door to ring and he glanced over his shoulder, his brow furrowing at the feeling of being watched. Tentatively, he called out, "Hello?" When no one answered, he looked over at the merchant behind the stall, "Did you see someone?"

The stall owner shook his head and Yon Rha frowned harder as he payed the man then walked back down the path, heading back home. Still feeling as if he was being watched, Yon Rha glanced around as he walked down the steps that lead up to the town on the hill.

He stopped and looked up, calling out again, "Hello? Is someone there?"

When there was once again no answer, he continued on his way, his shoulders tense and hunched slightly as the back of his neck itched with the persistant feeling that he was being watched.

Peering over the rocks they were hiding behind, Katara's eyes narrowed hatefully on the man and she hissed quietly, "That was him. That was the monster."

Remaining silent, Zuko touched her shoulder then led the way down the cliff, the two stealthily stalking Yon Rha as he continued walking further and further from the village.

Still edgy, Yon Rha continued down the path even as the gray clouds finally opened up and rain began to fall. Still feeling like there were eyes on his back, he whirled around quickly, scanning the area with nervous eyes, but there was nothing. Swallowing thickly, he walked on.

He slowed to a stop when he heard what sounded like a stick breaking over the rain, glancing over his shoulder slightly.

"Nobody sneaks up on me," Yon Rha snapped as he dropped his basket and whirled around, firebending at the bush he believed the noise had originated from. The bush burst into flames, blazing fiercely for a few moments before the rain dampened it. After staring at the bush suspiciously, Yon Rha slowly loosened his stance before bending down to pick up his fallen produce.

Once his purchases were secure in the basket once more, her turned to start walking again, glancing over his shoulder. Since he was looking in the wrong direction, he didn't notice the trip wire stretched out across the pathway until he tripped over it. He grunted as he hit the ground, mud splashing on his face and his groceries flying from his hands. He lifted his head and gasped, recoiling as quickly as he could when fire burst in front of his face. Fearfully, he looked up and stared wide-eyed.

Zuko stood in front of the man with his fist extended threateningly and he deadpanned, "We weren't behind the bush." He took a menacing step forward and threatened, "And I wouldn't try firebending again."

Cowering on the muddy ground, Yon Rha lowered the arm he'd used to shield his face and whimpered, "Whoever you are, take my money. Take whatever you want, I'll cooperate."

"That's nice." Zuko stated darkly as Katara walked up behind him, "But I'm not the one calling the shots."

Pulling down her mask, Katara stared the man down and demanded quietly, dangerously, "Do you know who I am?"

"No," Yon Rha answered immediately, his eyes widened in fear when Zuko growled in wordless threat and he quickly amended his statement, "I mean, I-I'm not sure."

"Oh you better remember me like your life depends on it!" Katara shouted, leaning forward when Yon Rha raised his arm to shield his face again. She barked sharply, "Why don't you take a closer look."

Trembling, Yon Rha lowered his arm and stared at her, his dark brown eyes flickering across her face. Realization dawned on him and along with it horror and he rasped, "Yes, yes. I remember you now. You're the little Water Tribe girl."

'"Just let her go and I'll give you the information you want." The Water Tribe woman pleaded and Yon Rha glanced at her before looking back at the little girl cowering in front of him as he spat.

"You heard your mother, get out of here!"

The little girl jumped and looked towards her mother for reassurance as she whimpered, "Mom, I'm scared."

The woman gave a weak, but reassuring smile and instructed her daughter gently, "Go find your Dad, sweetie. I'll handle this."

Yon Rha watched distastefully as the young girl bolted from the house then he turned towards teh woman and smirked cruelly, "Now, tell me. Who is it? Who's the Waterbender?"

"There are no Waterbenders." The woman replied, looking up at him defiantly before looking away, "The Fire Nation took them all away a long time ago."

"You're lying." Yon Rha spat harshly, "My source says there's one Waterbender left in the Southern Water Tribe." He stalked closer to the one and leaned down to growl menacingly, "And we're not leaving until we find the Waterbender."

The woman stared at him, her blue eyes wide with fear."If I tell you, do you promise," She paused to swallow thickly and close her eyes, "Do you promise to leave the rest of the village alone?"

Yon Rha canted his head and eyed the woman before humming in agreement, "Hmm...alright."

"It's me." The woman whispered as she looked up at him, tears glistening in her blue eyes, "Take me as your prisoner."

Yon Rha smiled cruelly at her and said softly, "I'm afraid I'm not taking prisoners today."'

Yon Rha gulped as he stared into the eyes of the young girl who resembled the woman he beleived to be the last Waterbender in the Southern Water Tribe. Lightning flashed across the sky and Katara spoke flatly.

"She lied to you." Katara looked down and closed her eyes sadly, "She was protecting the last Waterbender."

"What?" Yon Rha gasped in surprise, unable to believe that he hadn't taken care of the last Waterbender, "Who?"

Katara snapped her eyes and screamed furiously in his face, "ME!"

She bent her knees and brought her arms close to her chest then straightened and held them out straight from her body, suspending the raindrops in the air immediately. Yon Rha could do nothing but stare at her in dumbfounded silence as she began bending the rain.

Zuko looked up and pulled down his mask as Katara used her bending to accumlate the raindrops into a large dome over their heads. Staring Yon Rha straight in the eye, Katara brought her arms around above her head fluidly, waterbending the dome into a huge sphere then she let out a wordless cry of rage, pain, and sadness as she flung her arms towards Yon Rha.

The water surged towards the man, turning into spikes of ice as they flew through the air and Yon Rha let out a terrified cry, bringing his arms up to shield face as he prepared for the inevitable. When he didn't feel any of the ice spikes touch him, he tentatively lowered his arms and stared with wide eyes at the spikes hovering in the air mere inches from him.

Breathing heavily, Katara lowered her arms and the ice spikes turned to water, falling to the ground harmlessly. She couldn't do it. She thought she could, but she couldn't. Her heart wouldn't let her, because it was wrong.

Trembling with terror, Yon Rha shifted to his knees and dropped forward in a low bow as he rambled, "I did a bad thing. I know I did and you deserve revenge. So why don't you take my mother? That would be fair."

"I always wondered what kind of person could do such a thing." Katara said softly, ignoring the man's whimpers as she stared down at him pityingly. "But now that I see you, I think I understand." She stalked forward and spoke flatly, "There's just nothing inside you. Nothing at all. You're pathetic and sad andempty."

Yon Rha looked up at her and begged, "Please spare me."

Katara ignored him, glaring angrily into his eyes as she continued, "But as much as I hate you..." She swallowed thickly and bit back the tears that were threatening to fall, "I just can't do it." She closed her eyes and turned away in an attempt to get her emotions back under control.

Yon Rha slumped forward and smiled weakly in relief as Katara walked off. Zuko watched her go then looked back at Yon Rha, who lowered his head in shame. Shaking his head in disgust at the man, he turned and walked after Katara, leaving Yon Rha shivering with fear and cold in the rain.

Katara sat on the pier attached the beach Zuko's family's beach house was located on Ember Island, the tips of her toes barely skimming the ocean water. After her confrontation with the man who'd taken hers and Sokka's mother from them, he had ushered back to Appa, helping her into the saddle when her knees had suddenly become to weak to support her.

He had decided to take her to his family's beach house on Ember Island because it was closer to the island Yon Rha lived on and it was a perfect place for the group to hide out since his family hadn't been to the house in many years, with the exception of the brief visit when he'd been on Ember Island with his sister, Ty Lee, and Mai. Then he'd taken Appa to go get the others.

The sun was setting now and Katara watched as it approached the ocean, turning the blue warm golden. She closed her eyes, basking in the glow of the setting sun, and didn't bother to open them even when she heard Appa's loud grumble as he flew towards the beach. She felt the sky bison pass over her head, ruffling her hair slightly and she opened her eyes, staring into the distance sadly.

"Katara!" Aang exclaimed as he ran down the pier towards the young girl with Xiaodan, Zuko trailing after them at a slower pace. "Are you okay?"

"I'm doing fine." Katara replied, sincere despite the how flat her voice sounded.

Xiaodan crouched down next to her, slipping her arm around the younger girl's shoulders, and Katara leaned against her, tilting her head so it rested on the dualbender's shoulder.

"Zuko told us what you did." Aang said without moving closer then he rubbed his head and corrected himself, "Or...what you didn't do, I guess." He smiled at her back, "I'm proud of you."

Katara straightened and spoke flatly, "I wanted to do it. I wanted to take out all my anger at hum, but I couldn't." She closed her eyes sadly and whispered, "I don't know if it's because I'm too weak to do it or if it's because I'm strong enough not to." She put her hand over her heart, "I just know my heart said it was wrong."

"Strong, I should think." Xiaodan mused thoughtfully, her gaze focusing on the horizon, "You chose to spare his life, if for no other reason than because deep down, you knew that if you didn't, you would be just like him." She cast a sidelong glance at Katara and murmured, "Either way, strong or weak, you are a much stronger person than I am." She looked back at the setting sun as she continued in a low voice that was meant only for Katara, "I don't think I could have stopped myself."

Katara shuddered and leaned against her once more, reaching over to grasp the older girl's free hand and clutch it tightly. Xiaodan squeezed her hand reassuringly, comfortingly.

"I'm glad you chose not to do it." Aang said after a moment of silence, stopping himself before he said he was glad she chose to do the right thing, because like Xiaodan had said the day before, what was right or wrong depended on Katara. "Forgiveness is the first step you have to take to begin healing."

Squeezing Xiaodan's hand one more time, Katara carefully slipped her out from under arm and stood up, walking towards Aang, an angry frown marring her face. "But I didn't forgive him. I'll never forgive him." She looked over at Zuko standing a few steps behind Aang and ehr expression softened, "But I'm ready to forgive you."

Xiaodan stood up and moved to stand beside Aang, both of them watching with small smiles as Katara walked up to Zuko and stood in front of him for a second before throwing her arms around him in a tight hug. Zuko blinked in suprise, looking over at Xiaodan questioningly, but the dualbender merely quirked a brow, so he returned the Waterbender's embrace. Pulling away after a few moments, Katara placed her hand on Zuko's shoulder in thanks then walked down the pier towards the beach, where her brother was waiting beside Appa with Suki and Toph.

Zuko turned to watch her go and addressed Aang quietly, "You were right about what Katara needed. Violence wasn't the answer."

Aang smiled slightly and nodded his head, "It never is."

"Then I have a question for you." Zuko turned to look at the two Air Nomads solemnly, "What are you going to do about my father?"

Aang's smile fell and he looked to the side, unsure and confused. Xiaodan placed a gentle hand on his shoulder and lifted her chin when he looked up at her, proclaiming with much more confidence than she actually felt, "We'll figure something out."

She tilted her head and smirked at her brother, squeezing his shoulder reassuringly, "We always do."

"Yeah." Aang agreed, still unsure, but feeling more confident. They would figure something out, because like Xiaodan said, they always did. Giving his sister a small smile which he returned, he walked back to shore, leaving Xiaodan and Zuko alone on the pier.

Moving to stand beside Zuko as they watched him walk over to the others, Xiaodan glanced up at him and spoke flatly, "We need to talk."

Zuko looked down at her, somehow knowing what she wanted to talk about even without her saying it. He sighed when he saw the stubborn tilt of her jaw, confirming his suspicions, and he agreed quietly, "Yeah, we do."

Xiaodan turned back around and sat down at the edge of the pier, Zuko joining her a moment later. Keeping her gaze locked on the slowly sinking sun as she requested, "Tell me about Mai."

His gaze also fixated on the horizon, Zuko took a deep breath and began