This is part four of the ongoing story, that I am now rewriting. You don't have to have read the three parts before this one to understand it, but it would help a little. Hope you like it.

The winter and spring had passed since Sokka and Suki's wedding, it was now summer again, this marked the two year anniversary of the end of the hundred year war. There had been no sign of Aang in all this time, it was as if he had vanished again. Most people accepted the fact that he had just come back to end the war, Then had left. His friends knew better, but it didn't make the waiting any essayer.

Zuko was going to be eighteen very soon, this meant he was going to be taking over as fire lord. He had been planning for this for two years, he had it all worked out, he was going to propose to Mai, after he was crowned fir lord.

He was now searching the market in the heart of the capital, for the perfect ring, it was a little early, but he liked to be prepared. The sun was the warmest it had been that year, giving everyone in the capital a boost of energy. It had been this, that had made Zuko realise that he should now start to make plans for what was to come. The ring was the an important part of this, so it made sense to get that first. He had had to sneak out of the palace before he saw Mai, didn't want to have to lie to her about where he was going.

As he walked from stall to stall, he could make himself concentrate on the varies pieces of jewellery and fabric among other thing that where lead out in front of him. The rest of the gang where going to be visiting for hid birthday, and would be arriving in the next few days, as they unfortunately had a lot business as the ambassadors of their nations to go over. He never realised how much he missed his odd extended family till he got to see them again.

He had been searching for almost an hour, when he decide to give up, he had been to early in looking for the ring, and his mind was on other things. As he turned back towards the palace he saw someone he recognised, standing under the canopy of a stall selling what looked like various weapons.

"Katara!" As she turned around to face him, he walked to wards her.

"Sorry, frayed not….sparky" Toph said with a smile growing across her face.

Toph had grown since the last time he had seen her. He had not really seen her at the wedding, as she had avoided him, so he her new height cam as a shock. She was now a tall fifteen year old, well taller. She was dressed in the outfit that Katara had worn to hid in the fire nation during the war, this was why Zuko had thought she was Katara. Her hair was half down half in her trade mark bun.

Toph could feel Zuko's eyes on her, trying to put together what he saw in-front of him "I need new clothes, so Katara gave me some that she had out grown" as she spoke, Toph took the skirt in her hand, and pulled it out at the sides, like she was going to curtsey, which she didn't.

A smile was now on the princes face too "you know that the war is over, you don't have to disguise yourself when you come here"

"I know, I just thought I would make the effort to…."

"its easier to take Katara's old clothes, than to pick them out for yourself. isn't it"

Despite being blind, Toph was very good at sending a look at you that let you know exactly what she was feeling, at times. The most common one was her not one more word. It was a mix of this look and the lesser seen, ok you win, now just shut look that was shout at Zuko now. The look was washed off her face as a very large man pushed past Toph to get to the stall, almost knocking her over. Zuko took a couple of steps to the side of the stall, directing himself and Toph out of the way of the crowed.

"not that I'm not glad to see you" he didn't add, and looking so well "but I thought you weren't coming for a few days"

"I wanted to surprise you guys by coming early. I would have been here earlier, but I had work to do in Omashu"

"While, you are three days early" he was trying to keep her happy, after what had happened the last time they had really seen each other. She was ever really fine, and coping or it was an act, if so he would just have to play along.

"I had planed at least six, but Bumi just had to have a new mail system"

"Bigger"

"Oh yeah bigger" Toph extended her arms out, as far was she could to make her point.

"It is good to see you any way……after last time" the words had just came out, he wasn't sure how much to push her, he would have to tread carefully. He watched her face to see what expression was going to cross it.

"Let's not spoil this lovely moment. Ok" she had been worried about meeting Zuko again, but she was all about facing things head on, and that is what she was going to do "I spoke to Bumi" she didn't really have to say any more. Iroh had told him everything she had said at the wedding. It seemed that she had despite what she said about not dealing with it, had talked to Bumi about it. That had to be a good thing.

"I'm glad"

" is that all you have tri say, that has to be the fourth time you have said your glad" Toph mad her point more forcibly by showing Zuko some affection, her own way.

As he finally moved away from the now crowed stall with Toph falling, he rubbed his arm, Toph had differently not gotten weaker, if anything she had gotten stronger

"so what are you shopping for… a ring" her sing song voice, rang in his head.

He had forgot how good Toph was at seeing right through him, it like she knew "actually, yes"

"about time sparky" the smile that had been on her face while she teased him, was now a total grin. It was nice to see him happy, he deserved it. It also made all that they had gone through seem with it, to know her friends were happy.

"I can't find anything that's right, none of the rings I se are right. I was going to leave it for the day.….Do you what to come back to the palace, Mai would love to see you"

"whatever you say" it was no secret that Toph and Mai hadn't really hit it off.

"while, I know my mother wants to see you again" he was worried how she would take this. Speaking to Bumi, probably about her grandfather, was one thing. Talking to his mother, about the mother that she had never got to know, was something completely different.

She was silent for a moment, as if she was making an important choice "yeah I would like to talk to her too" Toph knew that she was going back on her word, she had said she didn't want to deal with any of it, but she couldn't help herself. This she realised must be what Katara had meant when she said she was a masochist. Just hearing more about the mother she would never know, was going to be hard she knee that yet she would do it any way. Curse her straight forward, facing things head on nature, it really caused a lot of problems, and pain.

They made their way to the palace in a comfortable silence. It was at this point that Zuko noticed, Toph was still wearing the bracelet Aang had given her, two years ago. To most people it was nothing special that she wore it. It was a symbol of her title as grand master eathbender. Zuko knew better, It was the way she played with it that gave it all away. He missed Aang too, and didn't understand how he could stay away for so long like this.

As they got closer to the palace Toph felt that something was not right. The sun seemed cold, yet it was burning down on her, in the heat of the day, and the earth under her feet seemed to ache. A cold wind blew behind them, blowing her long her in her face.

"something doesn't seem right. Can you feel it" she said as she stopped, glued to the spot.

"Mai"

That was all he said. He just ran as fast as he could to the palace.

Toph took a deep breath, before she too run to the palace. Please don't let me be right, not this time.

If she had tried to she could have used the earth to overtake him, but she didn't. she maintained a distance behind him. The closer she got, the clearer it all became, and the surer she was she was right, and she knew Zuko had to lead the way on this. This was only one of the times in her life that she hated, truly hated her form of sight. It let her see to much, to deeply.

The palace was in a eerie silence. The stone, marble and iron that made up the palace all felt like ice to the touch. Zuko knew where he was heading.

The room was almost in total darkness, The only light was from the window. It created a pool of light in the centre of the room. In the light she lay. There was hardly any blood. She just looked as if she was sleeping. She had been killed with her own weapons. There was no sign on a struggle.

Zuko fell to his knees, he wanted to reach out and touch her one last time, but he just couldn't. none of this seemed real. It was all a nightmare, he was going to wake up any minute. The sun out side continued to move, its light now feel on him. The world out side was continuing to move, as it always would, but in this seemed time had stopped. For one person permanently.

He felt a cool hand on his shoulder, it was small yet it brought him crashing back into the world. He turned to her, still on his knees and wrapped his arms around her tiny waist. He didn't trust himself to stand yet. She held on o him, not as tightly as he was holding on to her, she had to be strong for him, so her arms, and body remained rigid.

"I am so sorry" it sounded so hallow, it meant nothing now.