“Zuko, I am proud of you for choosing to go on this journey, but you cannot do it alone.” Iroh paced softly in front of the new Fire Lord’s desk.

Zuko pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. Being Fire Lord was too tough a job for a sixteen, almost seventeen, year old boy to handle on his own. He was overwhelmingly grateful his uncle had decided to put his dream of building a chain of famous tea shops aside and help him rule for a little while.

“You said so yourself I have to go, but there is no one else who could possibly come with me.”

Iroh silently jerked his head to the ink picture of Zuko and Mai hanging in his maroon walled office. Zuko shook his head no.

Mai. That was so much more complicated than what he could handle right now. He knew she had turned her back on Azula for him, he was moved beyond words by that. But he had given up everything, everything he had thought he had ever wanted to join the Avatar. As it turned out he really hadn’t needed or wanted any of it. He had felt terrible about betraying her love in him, but other than that he felt nothing. When she had returned after the comet he was relieved to see she was okay, but something felt off. The way she kissed him she obviously loved him deeply and the fact that he couldn’t return that kiss troubled him immeasurably. Iroh sighed but continued slyly,

“Then perhaps the one person who you journeyed with twice before, the only person besides me?”

Zuko’s good eye widened, he had forgotten about Katara, almost. He realized his uncle was right, she had been a powerful ally and friend when they attacked the Southern Raider’s and defeated Azula. In fact, Katara was actually the one who took his sister down. He had never been struck by lightning before and it was excruciatingly painful, but he would do it all over again if meant saving her. Zuko had been so relieved and happy when they had renewed the bond of understanding and trust they had formed in the crystal caves under Ba Sing Se. He now knew she was the only one he could trust to help him find his mother, just as she had trusted him to help her find her mother’s killer. Suddenly, as if Iroh had realized exactly what Zuko was thinking,

“You know Zuko, destiny is a funny thing.”

--

Katara twisted her hair nervously, they had been staying in a very nice house in Ba Sing Se and she was enjoying the luxuries and comforts of it, but something was already starting to nag at the corners of her heart. She had kissed Aang, she knew he deserved it, after all he did save the world, and she clearly understood how he felt about her. In that moment she believed she could return those feelings, but as it turns out they ran deeper than a crush. She knew most water tribe girls got engaged around fourteen to about sixteen, but she was not ready for that kind of commitment yet. Aang, on the other hand, had made his intentions very clear, although he was only twelve, he had pretty much asked her father for her hand in the future, and that bothered her greatly. Not to mention the fact that he had become increasingly possessive. She had tried to go off with Toph and Suki out of Ba Sing Se for a quick vacation but Aang had protested, not wanting her to be away from his side for more than a day or so. She still wanted to have her own adventures, she was young and a strong waterbending master, there were so many things she still wanted to be before she decided to settle down and have a family. Even so this made her seriously wonder if she stayed with him, would she have to travel the world forever, never being able to have a home and a family that she eventually wanted. Aang was the Avatar, she thought that after he defeated Ozai and restored balance he would have matured and realized what being the Avatar really meant to the world. But instead he had left all the peace keeping and the negotiating of treaties between nations to an overworked Zuko. And he had, instead, played with the animals in the zoo outside Ba Sing Se.

Toph walked out onto the balcony beside her, she knew something had been up with Katara for several days now, ever since Aang had thrown a fit about Toph and Suki taking Katara on a little vacation together. Her vibrations where more troubled and confused than Toph had ever seen them, and that was saying something for the very emotional waterbender.

“What’s up Sugar Queen?’

Katara hadn’t felt the small earthbender walk up beside her and she stiffened. She realized Toph could tell she was lying, but she said it any way,

“Nothing really, just little things.”

“Uh huh, if by little things you mean something the size of a lionturtle. Spill it Sweetness, you know you want to.”

Katara sighed, she was so used to being the one offering support and advice, but it felt good to actually have some one listen to her problems instead,

“I don’t know it’s just, well there’s just so much more I want to do before, well before I decide to have a family. And Aang, he seems so impatient right now and he doesn’t understand that I still need some time to be me, and maybe,”

But Katara stopped, she couldn’t bear to say what had been nagging at her heart all along. Toph on other hand had no such qualms,

“Maybe you don’t love Twinkletoes quite the way he loves you.”

Katara bit her lip, she loved Toph dearly for being able to say that when even she felt too guilty to acknowledge it. When Katara nodded slowly Toph continued,

“So maybe the play wasn’t that far off reality as everyone pretended.”

Katara jerked back to face Toph and almost shouted,

“That stupid play on Ember Island?! Everyone agreed it was awful! I mean I’m not nearly that whiny and melodramatic, and Sokka isn’t that stupid, some of his ideas are actually brilliant, Aang is most certainly not a woman and you are not a man, and Zuko, well Zuko didn’t die when he fought Azula because I was there.”

Toph shook her head,

“Some of the things may have been a little strange or silly, but overall it nailed all of us and our true intentions and selves.”

“Well I certainly don’t have a thing for Zuko! That was so stupid.”

Toph tried really hard not to snort, because she was sure even Katara didn’t realize that when she said his name her heart rate spiked. But instead of bringing that up, and teasing the troubled waterbender, Toph actually got serious,

“Yes, but in the play your character made it very clear she only saw Aang as a little brother, that you loved him dearly, like family, but not as a romantic interest.”

Katara couldn’t help but gulp, that part had turned out to be painfully true, what else in that ridiculous play would come to pass?

“Well, I’m still not sure, I mean about Aang. I just need some time to think it over, without him clinging and hovering all day, or protesting when ever I want to get away for a few days.”

Toph nodded and couldn’t help but grin,

“Maybe your opportunity to get away is coming sooner than you think.”

Katara watched as the earthbender threw her arms behind her head and walked away grinning wickedly, back into the house. What Katara didn’t know was Toph had sensed the vibrations of a certain scarred firebender outside the gates of their plush home in the upper rim.

Katara looked out over all of Ba Sing Se from their balcony for a few more minutes before she decided to make her way into the house to see what was for dinner in an hour. She stopped dead in her green clad tracks when she saw Zuko taking off his rice hat in the entry way. What was he doing back here? Was something wrong, did he need their help again? Her feet rushing forward, almost of their own accord, she froze when his bright golden eyes met her liquid blue ones. There was something there reflected in them that she really didn’t understand. To both their embarrassment neither said anything at first, then they both talked at once,

“I’m here to ask,"

“Zuko! Is something,”

But both of them stopped and Katara spoke first this time,

“Zuko, is something wrong? Why are you back here so soon, and by yourself?”

He found he couldn’t look into her worried eyes. He had somehow forgotten how those eyes reflected him in a bright blue world.

“I’m actually here to ask a big favor.”

Katara raised an eyebrow and said, her concern melting,

“Well, whatever it is Zuko I’m sure we’ll do everything we can to help.”

“Well actually,"

He began but was stopped when Toph latched on to his arm and then punched him playfully,

“Hey! Missed you Sparky, what’s up that the Fire Lord himself made another personal visit to our humble abode?”

Zuko wasn’t sure how to respond to her playful hug, so he ruffled her hair like her had Lee’s when he had been without his uncle in the Earth Kingdom. Toph grunted and blew her hair back into place before smiling up at him. Zuko felt a soft spot in his heart for the free spirited earthbender, she was the first person to befriend him in the group when he had joined them.

“I guess the reason I came can wait till after dinner.”

Toph shrugged and looked at Katara,

“What are we having Sugar Queen?”

“I don’t know. I was actually on my way to check when I saw Zuko.”

“Then why don’t you go find out, Sparky and I have some catching up to do.” Toph said punching Zuko in the arm again.

Katara just shrugged and smiled at Toph’s obvious happiness Zuko was back. The two were actually a lot like brother and sister and Katara could tell both of them really got along, so she left them alone.

“So spill it Sparky, why are you here?”

“It’s kind of a long story, I should probably just wait until after dinner to explain.”

Toph grunted and said,

“I’m all ears Sparky cause I don’t have eyes so let’s hear it. Long story or not, it’s important, otherwise you wouldn’t be here neglecting your important Fire Nation duties.”

Zuko shifted uncomfortably, he knew she could sense if he was lying so he told her the truth,

“I’ve come to ask Katara for a favor.”

This caught Toph’s attention and her eyebrows shot up,

“Now I really want to hear this!”

Zuko flushed and was actually glad she couldn’t see him blushing,

“Uh not like that. What I need is for someone I trust to come with me when I go on the search for my mother. Ozai has given me a general direction but she left almost six years ago, she could be anywhere by now.”

Toph understood completely,

“So you want Sweetness to come with you because you helped her look for closure with her Mommy issues and you want it reciprocated? Not to mention she saved your butt from getting blasted in to the spirit world by your psycho sister. In other words she’s the only one you’d want to go with you right?”

Zuko felt a little bad because he heard some of the hurt in Toph’s voice, she had finally wanted to have her adventure with him, but that would probably never happen. So he nodded and realized she couldn’t see it so he stumbled,

“Yes. I mean, she was the first person that came to mind, not to mention she probably is much better suited to the terrain than I am.”

Toph raised an eyebrow and said,

“Where exactly are you going to start looking?”

Zuko's expression darkened and he said in a low voice,

“My Father banished her to the farthest reaches of the Earth Kingdom, to the Northern Shu Rin Mountains, they are the coldest point just South of the North Pole.”

Toph whistled deeply,

“Wow. When your dad banishes someone he doesn’t mess around.”

She immediately felt guilty for saying that, she had forgotten Zuko had been banished as well. When Toph tired to say something Zuko raised his hand to stop her,

“Don’t worry about it. Banishing me was actually the nicest thing he ever did for me. It started me on the path to becoming who I am.”

Toph smiled,

“I’ve always known who I am, it’s just I was never able to fully express it until Aang took me with him to teach him earthbending. Then I no longer had to play the helpless blind girl for half the day. Now I‘m all Toph all the time”

Zuko smiled, he understood what one life changing event could do to a person’s course of destiny. Banishment had been the first major event that had changed him, and now it seemed like so many important things had happened he couldn’t quite remember how he got to be himself. They shared a companionable silence until Katara returned to the room.

“The cook just made a few adjustments so he’ll be serving some Fire Nation cuisine as well because of our guest.” She said smiling at Zuko.

This couldn’t help but make Toph grin, she loved being in the same room with these two. They where both so oblivious to how their hearts jumped around like rabaroos in their chests when they were around each other. Oh well. They’d figure it out eventually and when they did Toph would be the first in line to say, “Like you didn’t see that coming?”

--

Katara was getting progressively more nervous and excited, she was wondering exactly what Zuko had meant by a favor. What could be so important he would come here himself to ask it instead of just sending a messenger hawk. She was also getting nervous because it was almost time to eat and Aang still wasn’t home yet. She didn’t know what he did in that zoo all day or flying over the city on his glider that distracted him so much, but he was always late in coming home lately. Suddenly Momo burst through the window and was followed by a quick gust of wind as Aang glided in after him,

“Sorry I’m late guys, hey what’s Zuko doing here?’

Zuko smiled ruefully at the young airbender,

“It’s good to see you too Aang.”

Aang grinned sheepishly,

“That’s what I meant. I mean, it’s kind of surprising to see you here, I thought you were really busy?”

Zuko cleared his throat,

“I actually have something really important I need to ask of you, but it can wait till after dinner, I think.”

Aang nodded seriously and sat next to Katara, absent mindedly placing his hand over hers. This did not escape Zuko’s attention and Toph couldn’t help but giggle lightly at his shocked reaction. Dinner was actually a rice dish from the Earth Kingdom and then some spicy hogchicken that tasted very Fire Nation. The four of them enjoyed the meal in slightly tense silence. Katara was nervous because of Aang’s affection towards her, Aang was anxious because he wanted to know why Zuko had come all the way here, and Zuko was nervous because he wasn’t sure how the Avatar would take him asking Aang if could take his girlfriend with him on a journey across the world, a journey in which they might not come back from for several months. When the final plates of dinner were cleared away Toph sat reclining, her feet against the low table, grinning widely, she was giddy. The show was about to begin.

Aang was the first to speak,

“So what are you doing here Zuko? What’s so important you couldn’t send a messenger hawk instead?”

Zuko cleared his throat, building his courage up one final time,

“I have a very important favor to ask. Ever since I became Fire Lord there was once thing I felt I still must do to put an end to all of the things that happened to me during the war. I need to go find my mother.”

Katara gasped at this, she had forgotten that Zuko’s mother had been banished just as he had, and that she might still be out there in the world. She realized in the caves under Ba Sing Se that they had both been close and had loved their mothers dearly. She knew that if it was her in Zuko’s position she would scour every inch of the globe trying to find Kaya. She understood perfectly.

“That’s good that you need to take this journey, but what does that have to do with us? How can we help?” Aang said concerned.

Zuko continued seriously,

“Actually I’ve only come here to ask one of you for help."

Katara’s breath caught in her chest, she knew exactly what he was going to say next. She also cringed inwardly because she knew how Aang would react.

“I wanted to ask Katara if she would come with me to help me look for my mother. It will be a hard journey. The first place we would search would be the Shu Rin mountains, which, because they’re covered in ice and snow, would be ideal terrain for you to help me look. But we might have to continue else where from there, it’s been six years, she could be any where. So this search might take some months, but you’re the only one I could ask to do this with me. What do you say?”

“Absolutely not!” Aang said slamming his fist down angrily on the table, sending Momo skittering through the air towards Katara’s shoulder’s.

Zuko looked surprised but didn’t say anything at his outburst.

“Aang!” Katara said placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.

“But you can’t leave me and Toph too, all alone! I mean Sokka and Suki already returned to Kyoshi island so it’s just us. Plus you don’t know how long it will take or even if you’ll come back! Katara this could be really dangerous and I don’t want you,”

“What about what I want Aang!” She hadn’t meant to scream it, but all of the emotions and confusion she had been keeping bottled up finally burst out.

Aang looked shocked she had yelled at him and when she tried to speak again he cut her off,

“Katara isn’t going anywhere. I’m sorry Zuko but you’ll have to do this on your own.”

Katara looked at him flabbergasted as he stormed out of the room and onto the balcony with a sense of finality. Zuko shifted nervously in his seat and avoided looking at her face mumbling,

“You don’t have to give me an answer until tomorrow.”

Katara looked at him painfully as he left to go to the guest bedroom. Katara felt so empty and alone right now, she needed to talk to Aang. So after giving him a few minutes to calm down she left Toph and Momo alone in the brightly lit dining room.

The moon was waxing large and was three fourths full in the sky. Katara relaxed as she felt it’s gentle pull wash over her senses. Firebenders used candles to meditate but all she had to do to calm down and gain full control over her surroundings and herself was to think of the full moon, feel it’s heavy push and pull and soft silver glow. With the stability she gained from the moon she approached Aang warily.

“Aang.”

He seemed so small in the pale glow the moon cast on the balcony.

“You can’t leave me.”

“Oh Aang.” She said pulling him in to an embrace, he held her back lightly, not meeting her eyes.

“Aang, this is really important to Zuko, he needs a friend he can count on to help him with this. Besides he’s right, I would be much better at searching the surroundings because I’ve spent almost my entire life surrounded by ice and snow. So he needs me to help him with this.’

“But I need you too!” Aang said clinging tighter to her.

Katara sighed and said slowly,

“You only need me when you think I’m going to leave.”

Aang looked up at her face, his gray eyes darkening,

“What?”

“You run around Ba Sing Se all day having fun and playing and I sit here around the house with Toph, both of us bored out of our minds. And when we want to take one three day trip to relax and have fun together you freak out and won’t let me go anywhere with out you. Aang I can’t keep doing this.”

Aang's eyes went wide in panic,

“But Katara, you said we would be together, and we kiss and I hold your hand and, and you’re my girlfriend! No. More than that, Katara do you want to know why I’ve been gone until really late every day?”

She shied away from his intense gaze, she wasn’t sure she wanted the answer now.

Aang took her hand in his and turned it palm side up, then he placed something soft and cool in it. Katara’s eyes widened because the shape was so familiar, she knew exactly what it was without having to look at it. Slowly, she dropped her eyes to her palm. In it sat a necklace. It was made up of brown orange beads and in the center was a roughly carved piece of deep blue stone, darker than her mother’s necklace, only this one had the Air Nation symbol carved carefully into it’s center. All the color drained from her face as she whispered,

“Aang, do you know what this means?”

He looked at her with confusion knitting his brow,

“Of course I know what it means! I wouldn’t have spent so long carving it if it didn’t mean anything to me.”

Katara felt her knees start to give out, she wasn’t ready for this. Stumbling slightly as she said,

“Aang, I’m not ready for this. I mean we’re both so young.”

“That’s why it’s just a promise, it doesn’t mean we have to get married yet, but it means we intend to someday.”

Katara still felt terribly uncomfortable at the thought of wearing the necklace he had obviously spent so much love and time carving. She was young and so was he, she hated to admit it because she knew it would hurt Aang, but she wasn’t sure he was the one she wanted to spend the rest of her life with.

“Aang I can’t wear this.”

“What do you mean!? Don’t you love me Katara?”

Flinching at the question she had been dreading most she fumbled onward,

“Aang I do love you, I love you deeply, but I’m not ready to make this kind of commitment yet. We’re both so young and I’m just not sure of anything yet.”

“But Katara I’m sure! I don’t want anyone other than you ever! I thought you felt the same way!”

“Aang, I feel like we’re rushing into something neither of us fully understands. Please take the necklace back and maybe give it to me in a few more years.”

Aang was trying to hold back tears as he roared,

“Maybe!? Katara we’re meant to be together forever, what difference is a few years going to make unless you really don’t feel the way I do!”

She cringed at his anger and hurt,

“Please. I just need more time, now just doesn’t feel like the right time.”

The air around them whipped up as Aang yelled again,

“That’s what you said when I confronted you about this at Ember Island! Fine, when is the right time Katara? Tell me so I can stop this pain in my chest, please!”

She couldn’t look him in his suffering eyes.

“That’s what I thought.” He said coldly.

She reached out for him but he slapped the necklace from her hand, sending it flying over the side of balcony. She cried out for him but he flew away into inky black air, saying darkly,

“Go with Zuko, maybe you’ll be happier that way.”

When she had finally gone hoarse from calling after Aang, Katara dissolved in to messy tears against the cold stone railing of their balcony.

--

Zuko’s room had been the one directly to the left of the stone balcony, he had heard the entire exchange. He had also heard her sobbing desperately after Aang had left her all alone. Zuko felt an overpowering urge to go out there and comfort her, pulling her shaking fame into a soothing warm embrace, but he knew he was not the one she wanted drying her tears right now. Feeling like he was some how to blame, Zuko’s nightmares, that he hadn’t had since he had joined the Avatar, had inexplicably returned. He tossed and turned fitfully all night long, trying not to cry out in fear and pain like he had done almost every night a year ago on his Fire Navy ship.

--

Katara couldn’t sleep as well. She knew she had hurt Aang deeply, maybe even irreparably. But everything she had said to him had been true to herself, true to what she really wanted. Aang had been pushing his feelings on her and she was slowly drowning under them. She hated herself for it, but after her fight with Aang she felt like she could breathe again. She knew it would wound Aang even more, but she also realized she needed to take this journey with Zuko. First of all he had helped her find the man who had killed her mother, the least she could do was return the favor. Second she needed to get out of Ba Sing Se, she was going stir crazy and she wanted to be able to be by her element again, fountain water only went so far in easing that ache inside her. And third, to her shame, she wanted to get away from the situation with Aang. She knew it was childish to run away, but at the moment it seemed like the best option for her if she wanted any peace.

The next morning Katara woke up and wound a ribbon of water expertly through her hair, washing it thoroughly without ever stepping foot outside her room. She got dressed and went carefully out to the dining room. She found Toph alone, eating a large plate of eggs and chickenhog bacon. Toph stopped momentarily scarffing down food and said,

“If you’re wondering where Twinkletoes and Sparky are, they appear to be having a little bit of a sparing match in the courtyard.”

It was then Katara noticed a massive jet of flame blaze across the windows in the front of the house.

In one deft movement she grabbed her water skins and pulled a large whip of water from a potted plant by the door way, causing it to whither instantly. Katara flung open the door to see Aang angrily sending jets and fire balls at Zuko mercilessly. Zuko wasn’t returning the storm of fire and was merely avoiding it, and redirecting it. Katara realized this fight was probably started by Aang who needed to vent his anger from last night on someone, and had picked Zuko as his target. Zuko stood his ground and chopped his arm through a wall of flame that came barreling at him. When Aang formed a pent-a-pus made out of tendrils of flames, even Zuko had a hard time holding back the multiple whips as they raged and hissed towards his exposed chest. Aang used airbending to rocket into the air and started to rain large orbs of fire down on Zuko. When he could barely deflect them with his rapidly swirling fists that trailed wide strips of fire, Katara decided this had gone of for long enough. Quickly, she bent a solid dome of water over Zuko and used Aang’s surprise to grab both his ankles with whips of water attached to her arms and freeze his feet as soon as they struck the ground. When she saw he was going to try to melt the ice she called out warningly and made a prison of ice shards, expertly pinning his hands out at his sides. She then released the dome over Zuko to reveal him staring at it with an expression of admiration.

“This has gone far enough! You could have hurt each other, this wasn’t just a sparring match.”

“If we could have hurt each other, then why am I the one you still have imprisoned, you let him go!” Aang yelled.

“Because you where the one attacking him a little too forcefully!” Katara shouted back.

Carefully regaining her composure she said calmly,

“Aang, don’t take you anger out on him, if you need to fight anyone you and I can spar now. He has nothing to do with this.”

“Yes he does! He’s the one who’s taking you away from me!”

Both Zuko and Katara knew what he meant but they still flushed slightly, Katara continued,

“Aang, no one’s taking me away from you! I’m just going on a trip for a few months, tops. I promise I’ll come back to you, safe and unharmed. I need to do this, for myself.”

Aang looked at her close to tears, his gray eyes defeated,

“Fine.” He said as he floated shakily into the air and vanished into the house.

She was relived he had agreed, but she still didn’t feel any less guilty. Just then she felt a warm hand on her shoulder. Turning her wide blue eyes to meet sharp gold ones, she saw Zuko looking at her seriously,

“Thank you. I’m glad you decided to come and help me.”

Katara shrugged away from his touch and said turning away from those fierce eyes,

“I wanted to help, but in all honesty I’m doing this for myself.”

Zuko didn’t look away from her and just nodded,

“Whatever the reason, I’m still really grateful.”

With that he left to clean up and pack his things, leaving a stunned silent Katara in the courtyard.

She had finally finished packing all the necessities: hair brush, sleeping bag, underwear, trail mix, her water skins of course, and several pairs of light and heavy clothes, which to her chagrin, included the same dark ninja-like outfit she had worn to the attack on the Southern Raider's ship with Zuko. It actually felt familiar and good to have all of her worldly possessions packed in a water resistant rucksack again. Attaching her bedroll to the loop on top of her pack Katara slung it over he shoulder and entered the living room to find everyone was waiting on her. Slightly embarrassed she had made them wait, she walked over quickly to the entry way where they were standing.

“I’ll miss having you around to tease Sweetness, although Twinkletoes is pretty good sport as well.” Toph said punching Katara affectionately and then hugging her quickly.

Katara smiled ruefully and said,

“I’ll miss you too Toph, just not you love punches.”

Toph grinned and went to say goodbye to Zuko, Katara didn’t hear what she whispered in his ear but Zuko turned bright red and tried to protest before she punched him in the arm as well and said,

“Just kidding Sparky, you need to lighten up.”

The Katara turned back to gaze uncertainly at Aang. He appeared deflated and not his normally bubbly self. When he looked up at her she felt a pang in her heart, his eyes were red rimmed from crying.

“I’ll miss you.”

Katara smiled sadly and hugged him,

“I’ll miss you too Aang.”

But when he pulled away and tried to kiss her she backed away slightly. A look of agony crossed his normally bright face, but he said nothing. Instead he took her hand and placed the necklace in it.

“Take it, to remember me by okay?”

All Katara could do was nod before she stepped away from his broken form and put the necklace inside her breast band. She caught Toph’s shoulder on the way out and squeezed it hard before whispering,

“Take care of him for me okay?”

Toph’s normally playful look clouded momentarily and she nodded hard. This satisfied Katara’s worry wart slightly as she exited the house to follow Zuko to an ostrichhorse that was saddled and waiting by the gate. Zuko mounted first and secured her pack on the back of the saddle before he offered her his hand to help her up. Taking it, she was surprised with the ease he hoisted her onto the ostrichhorse. And she was even more surprised to find herself sitting in front of him, his warm broad back and his legs pressed on both sides of her. She had been expecting to sit behind him and hold on that way, not this. Trying not to shift too much against him she said, in a voice that sounded even small to her,

“So what did Toph whisper to you?”

She immediately felt him stiffen behind her as he said evasively,

“Nothing important.”

Katara shrugged and slowly relaxed against his chest, this wasn’t all that bad.

“So how long is it going to take us to reach the Shu Rin mountains?”

She heard him sigh behind her and wasn’t sure she liked not being able to see his face,

“From here it should take about a week, maybe more if the snow is really heavy.”

Katara snorted and said proudly,

“You happen to be traveling with a master waterbender, no amount of rain or snow can put a damper on my travel plans. I’ll just bend the snow out of the way if I have to.”

She could swear she felt this eyes narrow in the way his voice said,

“Yes, but can you bend all the snow on the mountain when it’s coming down in a shifting sheet and there’s barely a foot of visibility?”

She cleared her throat and said,

“I could do it, just not for very long, and not without getting exhausted.”

She heard slight triumph in his voice and it sent a bolt of anger through her,

“Then even you are at the mercy of these mountains, it’s like that there almost everyday in the winter. We’ll have to move slowly if we don’t want to freeze to death.”

Zuko didn’t have to tell her about the horrors of frostbite and hypothermia. She had lived in the South Pole for fourteen years of her life, she knew that sometimes snow and ice were far deadlier than any form of fire. She didn’t feel like bringing this up and instead just nodded, she realized that before they would have fought and argued. But after the Southern Raider’s incident they had come to terms with the darkest parts of each other and that had changed their hatred and frustration into friendship.

They rode on into the night and Katara was actually nodding off to sleep when they finally stopped to make camp. She practically rolled off the ostrichhorse but felt Zuko’s strong hand steady her before she slammed into the ground. Clumsily pushing away his hand she grumbled,

“I’m fine. Don’t need your help.”

He shrugged, but his bight amber eyes continued to watch her carefully as she unhooked her pack and bed roll. Snuggling down in to it she fell asleep instantly.

Zuko took a little longer, he watched her sleep silently. Making sure she was okay, before curling up in his own sleeping bag on the other side of the ostrichhorse he had tethered to a nearby tree, trying in vain to let restful sleep take him.

--

Wow. The Avatar Finale was great! The only part that felt strange and out of place was the shipping at the very end ( alot like the epilouge of Harry Potter 7). So this is my story of what really happens after the last scene of Avatar. I will be updating this everyday before San Diego Comic Con this Thursday. And after I get back of course! By the way if any one is wondering what Ashita means, it's Japanese for tomorrow, but the Kanji actually means, bright day or a bright future. So the title of this story means "maybe tomorrow" or depending on how you want to interperet it "maybe a bright future."