A/N: I was able to finish this chapter faster! Yay me! =D Sorry it's not as long though but I had to cut it this way for the next chapter to be better. Anyway, Me have no Beta. =( lol. Seriously though, I would really appreciate a Beta to help me with my grammar/spelling. I always want to improve and challenge myself so anyone offering, I'll accept! I would like to become one when I have more time too. =) Ok, on with the story!

Song: "Lie" by David Cook. (one of my fave American Idols!! lol)

Why?: Cause David Cook is awesome. XD And...the song's lyrics really saids pretty clearly the message I'm trying to send generally for this chapter. Especially in the Aang "perspective."

Chapter 8 ~ Different Perspectives

"Hey! Where do you think your going?!"

Aang followed Zuko out the door as he suddenly whirled around and started walking away.

Zuko kept his answer short and simple to avoid further arguments, "To speak with my sister."

Aang stopped immediately when he said that and watched Zuko go back to his palace, with the hand-full of guards that had followed, trailing behind him. As much as he hated Zuko at the moment, he briefly considered him a brave man.

When Aang stepped back inside the house, Ty Lee was still watching curiously at the path the Fire Lord had taken.

"Hmm...I don't have a good feeling about this. Maybe I should go talk to Mai."

And with that Ty Lee took another path toward the palace to reach her friend before Zuko could.

Aang shook his head after the girl and when he turned back toward his remaining friends, he noticed Sokka, Suki, and Toph had formed a small circle off to the side the room, as if not to include him. Aang grunted visibly and grabbed his gilder before turning to go he said loudly,

"I'm going to go get supplies."

No one responded and Aang ran out the door with an angry gust of wind as he took off with his glider.

Sokka peeked up when he left, "Ok, now that their gone can someone please explain to me why we're talking behind Aang's back!"

Suki placed a hand over her boyfriend's mouth, "Sh! He still might hear you."

Toph shook her head slowly, "As if it wasn't obvious Blubber Brain! Sparky has a crush on Sugar Queen!"

Sokka's eyebrows shot up instantly, "WHAT?"

"Shh!!" Suki smacked her hand on Sokka's mouth harder and glared at the blind Earth-bender, "We don't know that Toph! We shouldn't make assumptions. Maybe he's just...overly concerned."

"Psh!" Toph snorted as loud as before, crossing her arms stubbornly, "Call it whatever you want! I just know if someone was that overly concerned about me, I'd punch him for natural assumptions."

Sokka rose his hand to say something but Suki glared at him knowingly and he put it back down.

"Well, that isn't any of our business anyway. We should just try to keep our opinions low so there's not more...problems. Between Aang and Zuko."

Toph nodded, "Right. But what do you suggest we do while they compete for who can save miss damsel in distress faster? We can't just sit around while Katara is with that freak!"

Suki sadly shook her head, "I don't know. Waiting seems to be the only thing we can do."

Sokka lifted his hand again but the girls ignored him as they kept whispering, "Well I don't know about you, but the Blind Bandit doesn't just 'sit around.' I'm gonna start looking!"

"And where are you going to look Toph? It's not like we have any idea where he took her!"

Sokka rose his hand higher but he was still ignored. "We ask around! There has to be someone who saw them last night."

Suki shook her head again, "That idea is crazy! We should wait here and start training while Zuko finds more information."

"Where's the strategy in that? The more time we waste the less we'll have to attack."

Rolling his eyes, Sokka finally pushed Suki's hand off his mouth and said, "Hey guys, I have an idea!"

Toph grimaced. "Oh, that should save us."

Sokka frowned, "Hey! My ideas are usually pretty good, remember?!"

Suki sighed, "I don't know Sokka, we need something better than good to help us here."

"Just give me the benefit of the doubt, ok! Come on,"

Grabbing both arms of the girls, he pulled them out the door and toward the town.

"Where are we going Blubber Brain?!" Toph protested while being dragged ahead, Sokka smiled,

"You'll see."

Suki sighed and Toph smacked him in the back of the head, "Technically, I can't genius!"

Sokka rubbed his head and scowled, "You know what I mean! Just follow me."

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Zuko was already through the palace doors when he saw Ty Lee not too far behind and he briefly wondered what she was doing here but let down that idea when he had more important things to think about. He quickly went back to his room and changed to look "presentable" before going down to the Fire Nation Prison Cells. He was trying to mentally prepare himself for the meeting with his severely unstable sister. He knew since Azula had lost her mind every encounter he had with her would be from her acting sad and prejudiced to passionate and raging; but one thing was for sure...always difficult.

Once they even had to drug her to put her down. Zuko sighed pitifully, truly not looking forward to this meeting but it was something he knew he had to do, and if he had to do it for Katara he would a hundred times over. Reminding himself of Katara brought another wave of pain. He cringed and suddenly remembered the Avatar's words...and he was right. He hadn't done a good enough job in protecting Katara. And now it was his fault she was suffering.

Zuko hung his head and closed his eyes, trying to calm his inner turmoil. It wouldn't do to add fuel to the fire, quite literally, by thinking this way. Especially when he knew, even in her half-insane mind, Azula could read him like a book. The moment she'd gaze into his eyes...she'd know.

Sternly getting up Zuko placed the crown on his head and walked out the door and into a carriage for the prison cell he had made just for Azula.

As he slammed the carriage door he knew this was going to be a long mental ride.

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Aang let the fierce wind blow over him as much as he could but he did not feel any more calm. Be doubted being a tornado would help sooth his feelings. It was unnerving how he could be so calm and focused in the middle of an invading attack, epic battle, or storm but when it came to the only person he loved he lost his focus on the slightest call. But this was worse than he could have ever imagined...worse than what he ever wanted to imagine. Katara was kidnapped by Azula...the Azula former Assassin...and it was all because of him!

Aang blew a hard breath out of his nose and moved his body swiftly under the glider under the unending winds. Aang didn't know where he was going but he knew he had no intention on shopping for supplies now. The way his friends had excluded him and ignored the fact that he was obviously upset and hurting, even Toph going so far as defending Zuko, made Aang so angry there weren't even words.

Why would they do that?! Now he had their plans to worry about, as if he didn't have enough to deal with. Deep down, Aang knew he really didn't have any right to put all the blame on Zuko for this. As young and naive most people thought he was Aang wasn't blind. He was clearly seeing how, as each day would pass, Katara would get more distant. It seemed like she wasn't talking to him as much as before and keep secrets and worst of all...spending more and more time with Fire Lord Zuko.

Aang swallowed the jealous lump in his throat and tried to block the feeling but he couldn't help it...ever since that play he had felt a slight uneasy feeling when Katara and Zuko were alone together. He knew Zuko had Mai, but what difference did that make? Supposedly Katara had Aang and she was still acting...different. Aang saw all the things Katara was trying to hide from him but he couldn't bring himself to face up to it. Cause the moment he did he would admit to something he didn't want to admit...he would stop lying to himself. And as much as the lies hurt...the truth would destroy him.

Finally slowing down, the young Avatar found himself far out the reaches of the Fire Nation capitol and into some far off country side. He flew down and swiftly landed on the edge of a tall hill and gazed out into the open green fields and ostrich-horses grazing underneath.

If only life was this simple... he thought. But Aang knew from experience...things were never simple.