Hey, so I gave up on "The Journey of a Lifetime" because I had a serious case of writer's block, and I thought if I tried to rewrite it and tweak it so it's a bit better of a read, I could get on with my life and continue writing fanfiction like I don't have writer's block. I'm accepting offers for a beta, but until I get one, this story will go unbeta'd. Hope you enjoy!

-Symphonic Madness

"Zuko, my love, I am so sorry," my mother says as she appears in front of me.

"Why did you leave me, Mom?" I ask her. "I'm so broken without you. I need your help."

"I know, honey," she says. "But I did what I did to protect you."

"But why?" I ask through tears.

I'm on my knees in front of her, and I can't stop the tsunami of tears rolling down my cheeks.

She puts her fingers under my chin and makes me look up at her. "You'll see in time, my baby. You are my son. And you'll always be in my heart."

I wake up and I can't control my sobbing. I never would've thought I, Fire Lord Zuko, would be bawling like a small child over just a dream. But I can't seem to stop.

"Zuko?" I hear Katara say.

I look at her. She is barefoot and dressed in a simple red nightgown and robe.

"I heard you from my room, and thought I should check on you. You were crying in your sleep," she says. "Did you have another dream about your mom?"

This wasn't the first time I'd had a nightmare about my mother. But every time I did, Katara, who sleeps in the room beside my own, aka the former Fire Lady's chambers, would come into my room and hug me and comfort me until I have enough dignity to stop crying.

I still sleep in my room from childhood, much to the dismay of my advisors. I refuse to sleep in the room my father once slept in until I get married and bear children of my own, and then they will sleep in this room.

Katara has been living in the palace with me ever since she decided she couldn't be in the air twenty-four seven with Aang, which was about a year and a half after the war's end, and a year ago from now. Plus, she wanted to find her own destiny. Her destiny led her here, and I appointed her as my most trusted advisor and friend. I always had a small crush on Katara, so that was in her favor when it came to living and working here and having a legitimate reason for it. So when Mai broke up with me, I didn't see much of a problem, seeing as Katara was the one I really wanted (and still want, of course). Because of the crush I had on her, her comfort worked better than it would with anyone else.

"Yeah," I say as she hugs me tighter.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asks.

"Not really. She just appeared in front of me, and told me she was sorry," I tell Katara.

"What could Lady Ursa be sorry about?" Katara asks.

"I don't know," I say.

"Have you thought about finding her?" she asks.

"Thousands of times," I say. "But I have no idea where she is. She could be dead for all I know."

"Zuko, in my studies of Fire Nation culture, I came upon something that might interest you," Katara tells me. "I found out where most Fire Nation citizens go if they are banished, which, according to records and files that I came into contact with, happened to your mother."

"Where is this place?" I ask, looking at her in amazement at what she is saying.

"It's a town called Akuto, and it's a town located a few miles outside of Ba Sing Se in the Earth Kingdom. It was founded by refugees who were banished from the Fire Nation. That's where a lot of them go," Katara says. "There's a high likelyhood that your mother is there."

"If I can get my uncle to fill in for me, we can go!" I exclaim. "We can get Aang, Sokka, Suki, and Toph to come, too! It'd be faster by sky bison anyway."

Toph and Aang got together about a year ago, seeing as she didn't mind traveling as much as Katara did. Sokka and Suki are still together, and are engaged.

"Let's send out letters and see who all can come," Katara says.

"It's a little early," I say. "It's probably dawn by now. And with the majority of the inhabitants of the palace being firebenders, we propbably won't have that much trouble getting some letters out right away."

Katara chuckles. "Probably not."