Wow, loads of reviewers just today. So I decided to update thanks to all you wonderful people!!! SORRY IF IT'S SHORT! But that's just how I roll... erm... I mean... write... Anyway: I digress.

Now I disclaim:

I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING AVATAR, NOT THE CHARACTERS OR THE PLOTLINE, SO DO NOT SUE ME!!! I'm broke anyway ;)

So let's get on with it...

But before I begin, I present to you: AVATAR ON CACTUS JUICE!!!

note: this is during the writing of crossroads of destiny

Writers: WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?!?!?! WE GO ON LUNCH BREAK FOR, LIKE, ONE HOUR AND WE COME BACK AND ALL UNDERWORLD HAS BROKEN LOOSE!
Sokka : Oh, lighten up angry dudes. Here, have some cactus juice. It's the quenchiest.
(One writer to another): Ok, man, that sounded cool when I wrote it, but right now "quenchiest" sounds really stupid.
Non-juiced up Zuko : Well, stupid is as stupid does.
Writer : Oh that does it, smart mouth. You can just forget about ever getting rid of that scar! proceeds to re-write the crossroads of destiny so that no Zutara happens, and so that Zuko's scar doesn't get healed...
Zuko : Ya know, you're gonna peeve a lot of fans off like that.
Writer : shut up or i'll erase your mouth!

Writers: I know! hic Let's totally confuse all the fans as to when the new season will start!!! Won't that be a riot?! hic
Other writer: Won't hic won't that make a lotta fans really hiccup really mad?
1st writer: So what?! It's not like they hiccup know where we live!
2nd writer: Then how do you explain that cherry bomb in our mailbox?
1st writer: Cherry bomb? I thought that the mail was throwing a party!!!
2nd writer: Okaaayyyy... that's enough cactus juice for you!
1st writer: Aww... Oh hey, sokka, when did you get here?!
Sokka : Ok, I have a total bone to pick with you! WHERE'S YUE?! AND SUKI?! WHY DO YOU KEEP KILLING OFF ALL MY GIRLFRIENDS?!?!?!
1st writer (to 2nd writer): Shall we run?
2nd writer: Oh, let's shall!

FIN!

Ok ok, enough. I present to you: DISSAPEAR

Last time on "Finding Honor"

"But… I've lost everyone… everything…"

Zuko looked down. What could he say in answer to that? In the end, he settled on a gentle "I know…"

Aang continued to cry for over an hour. Finally, Zuko looked down and saw that the boy had fallen asleep. He let a small smile cross his face as he gently lay Aang back down on his pallet. "Sleep for now. It's not fair, really, for so much weight to be put on the shoulders of just a kid… Just another casualty of war, I guess…"

Zuko plodded down the hall to his room. Once inside, he pulled off his pant-armor (he had stopped wearing his shoulder plates about a week ago) and changed into one of his softer practice shirts. Then he lay down, staring at the ceiling and giving way to his thoughts.

A knock at the door brought a brooding Zuko out of his reverie. "Enter."

Iroh gently closed the door behind him and padded over to his nephew's bed. Sitting at the edge of the mattress, he looked worriedly at Zuko. "Is everything all right?"

The prince sighed, sitting upright and shaking his head. "No…Nothing is all right uncle. I'm so confused. It seems like I don't even know what I want anymore. I've been thinking a lot since I left the avatar's cell, about my future prospects. And I'm just so… so confused. Will father really welcome me home when I bring him the avatar? Or am I about to sacrifice some helpless kid for nothing?"

Iroh listened intently, taking his time to choose his words before answering. "Zuko, even if my brother does welcome you home, what will your life be like afterwards? Will you be truly happy? What do you seek in life?"

"That's simple, I seek the return of my honor."

Iroh sighed, standing now. "Nephew, listen to me. Honor is not something you are born with. Honor is earned. You never lost your honor, Zuko…" Iroh left the rest of the sentence to hang in the air.

"Agni blame it…. I…. I never had honor to begin with…" As this thought dawned on the banished prince, he felt, not for the first time, completely worthless.

Iroh placed a wrinkled hand on his nephew's shoulder in comfort.

"You have traveled all this time, believing that you were seeking to reclaim your lost honor. But in reality, you have spent these last three years living a different life, and now you are beginning to understand what true honor is. You must find your own path, my nephew, and in doing so, you WILL find your honor."

"So then… what should I do, uncle?"

Iroh shook his head. Did this boy just not get it? "I can't tell you that, Zuko. You must decide that on your own. But whatever your decision, remember I will always love you."

Zuko wrapped his uncle in a warm embrace. "You don't know how much that means to me, uncle" he said as he disentangled himself from the old man. Iroh answered in his mind only: Sadly, my nephew, I believe I do.

The next morning, Aang seemed to finally be getting better. His appetite was back and he had stopped sneezing. Also, his coughs did not come nearly so often or so violent as they had been before. When Zuko felt the monk's forehead briefly, he nodded. "Your fever has finally gone down."

"Yeah… I feel better today, I guess." Aang's voice betrayed him. While it was true that physically he did feel better, emotionally he was just getting worse. His voice today was flat, almost dead, but laced with a hint of worry and sadness.

Zuko shortly sat next to the young airbender and began to eat breakfast, which he had brought with him. After about ten minutes of strained silence, where both parties seemed to concentrate intently on the act of feeding themselves, the wordless meal became too tense to uphold. Surprisingly, it was Zuko who now broke the silence. "Do you wanna tell me what's wrong?"

Aang looked up in confusion. Sure, Zuko had been kind to him these past few days. But a part of Aang's mind refused to accept that the fire prince was truly becoming nice. Maybe he was doing this only because Aang was sick, or else maybe he planned to lull him into a false sense of security. As much as Aang would have liked to believe that Zuko truly wanted to be friends, the idea just didn't seem to be possible. There had to be a catch.

"You know, I don't bite… that's my sister." Zuko remarked quietly.

Aang let a small chuckle escape him before the frown returned to his face. At times like these, thought Zuko, the Avatar seemed so… old. Like he wasn't truly a child. Like he could no longer be a child.

"I'm scared. I'm afraid of what will happen when we get to the Fire Nation. Not just to me either, but what will happen to my friends, and everyone? What's gonna happen to the world?" The boy drew his knees gently to his chest and rested his chin upon them.

"You know, you curl up any tighter and you might just disappear," remarked Zuko, avoiding answering the bald monk's question.

"I wish." Answered the boy dryly.

"I know how you feel… To tell you the truth, I remember being your age and wishing I could disappear."

"You? But why? You were a prince! You had a family… everything…"

"Actually, no. My mother is…. Well she's not there anymore. And my father is far from the loving type, at least not when it comes to me. He likes Azula a lot better. She was a firebending prodigy, and in my father's eyes that made me the failure. Many times in my youth I wished I could just disappear. It wasn't like anyone would miss me, I reasoned. But my uncle would. And I couldn't bear to hurt him."

"But you're really good at firebending!" Aang protested.

Zuko laughed. "Says the kid who has never firebended before."

"Hey! That's not true! I can firebend… a little… But, the thing of it is, when I tried to learn I wound up hurting someone I cared about. So I swore I'd never firebend again. Of course, with the way things are going now it looks like I'll never have to worry about learning to firebend." Aang mumbled dryly. Alas, their conversation had come full circle, ending where it had started. And the question Aang had posed earlier still hung in the air, waiting to be answered. Zuko dreaded answering it.

"I don't know what's going to happen to you. But it won't be good. I wouldn't wish an encounter with my father upon anyone, least of all a kid…."

Just then, one of the soldiers called out from the other side of the bars. "Sir! We should be at the fire nation port by late afternoon tomorrow."

Aang's last hope sunk at this news.

Prince Zuko placed a comforting hand on Aang's shoulder. "I'm sorry, Aang. I really am. But I have to do this."

Aang nodded. "I understand." But the truth was, he didn't. He didn't understand at all.

Zuko looked up at his uncle guiltily. "Look uncle, I have to do whatever it takes to get back into royalty. Once I'm Fire Lord, I can make everything right again. But I can't do that as a banished prince! I just have to do this!"

Well, once again, another chapter. AS IS THE CUSTOM ON MY PLANET: HERE IS MY THANKS, personalized even.

Roy: Hahaha, no. Really, no. Zuko is looking at Aang more as a little brother, NOT a lover. Ewwwww! Ugh, oh and you won't believe what happened this week: I've been sick. No fun!

Kiba: I'm sorry it was too short. But if I hear that again I will scream so loudly that EVERYONE will hear me!

Avatarfan: Don't worry, this is not a yaoi. Ewwww….

Jean: Was it that noticeable that I didn't seem into it? Sniffles I kinda liked the chapter…and again, I write short chapters!!!! Screams

Soda: Now I never said life was better than fanfics, just that it was more important. Sorry, it just is.

Shadow: Ok no cake either. Dude… ever heard of… Ritalin? Or how about just a mild sedative?! Lol. Anyways, thanks for the update and shifty look Here's a cookie, just don't tell anyone. It's oatmeal raisin !

Prega: Thank YOU for reading!

Animebabe: cute?! Ok I'll admit, it is sorta cute :)