Hello! For all those reading this right now who have read this story a year ago when I first published this. STOP. I have made some major renovations and changes to the story line that you will not be able to just pick up on. I apologize for the inconvenience. And, once you have done that (or ditched the idea entirely, which is totally your right, but I hope you choose to stick with me) and come back to this point and feel like something is familiar. Well, in fact it is! This and the next chapter are ones that I have previously posted and am also editing. Soon, though I will post a NEW CHAPTER!

If you are reading this story for the first time and get here, ignore the entire first paragraph. :)

In response to Midnight Mustang this chapter is my longest ever. And to any others reading this, suggestions are accepted. Read, review and enjoy. :) ~J

Chapter 10

Aang's POV

"Aang? Aang, wake up. We're here." Toph shook me awake after my little spirit world trip, "Come on Twinkle toes, we're at the palace."

I decided I wanted more sleep, as my dreams weren't exactly peaceful. I was almost back to sleep when I felt a push, air whooshing by, and felt myself hit the ground, "Toph!" I yelled, "You could have killed me! I'm not twelve anymore, you know."

All the response I got was a nonchalant shrug and a look that said, 'get up, you're embarrassing me'.

"Fine," I muttered, yawning.

As we made our way to the front entrance a servant came up to take Appa and out bags. One of the older looking servants came up to us directly and spoke, "Avatar Aang, Master Toph, welcome to the Fire Nation Palace. You are always welcome guests here, but I'm afraid you came at a bad time." He had a worried look on his face that didn't bode well.

"Why?" I asked, frowning. We had never been approached this way before.

"Well, maybe you want to freshen up and take a nap before we have dinner and-" he was suddenly cut off by Toph moving into a fighting stance.

"Tell us now and I won't hurt you, don't and, well," she shrugged, "it's your choice."

"Okay, okay," he said, raising his hands up, "it's the Fire Lord," he said, dropping his hands and his head.

"What about Zuko?" Toph and I said in unison, looking and feeling panicked.

"He's fallen ill," The man said, "He's confined to his chamber and Lady Mai's worried sick. The whole palace is fraying at the edges, working over-time so we haven't really had guests or the ability to take care of them as we wish," he concluded.

We stood there, dumbfounded. We were both thinking the same thing, not again. We both had gone through too much loss to lose someone this early. Simultaneously, as though choreographed, we pushed past the servant and marched through the doors and into the Fire Palace.

We stopped together in front of a random maid, no more than twenty years old, "Where's Zuko?" Toph questioned, grabbing the young woman's collar.

"The-the F-fire Lord's chamber is d-down the hall and u-up the second flight of st-stairs," she stammered. Man, she looked like she was going to relieve herself right there and then. If things had been how they use to be, I would have laughed or hit Toph for being so rude, but fate had not been kind these past few years.

We must have looked pretty scary, as everyone we passed paled and tried their best to squeeze past us without being noticed. Either that or they knew that we weren't just any old people, but the Avatar and the best earthbender since King Bumi and also the woman who discovered metalbending.

As we approached the door we heard talking from the other side. I, not wanting to over react, knocked on the door. Immediately a man opened it, he was tall, robust, with black hair and an Earth Kingdom outfit on. He looked at us ad said, "I'm sorry, but this is a private room. If you need me to take a look at you, I will be down in a minute, old timers."

I looked at Toph, saw how she was about to blow, and restrained her, "Do you have any idea who we are?" she she asked, steel in her voice.

An amused look crossed his face, "No, ma'am, I don't but I am a very busy earthbender, one of high stature and authority and can't be bothered with Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom peasants wanting my autograph." Uh-oh, I thought, he was going to get it.

She straightened in my hold and I let go, thinking she was going to be okay on her own, for now, "My name is Toph Be Fong," she said, "and you, Lee, need to get out of my way."

I smirked as I watched the man's expression go from cocky, to understanding, to horror in less than a second, "Oh, oh! I am so sorry Master Toph! My deepest apologies, I didn't recognize you! I'ts been so long since I've had a lesson." he stumbled over himself, bowing.

"You are forgiven if you get up and get out of my way. Avatar Aang and I need to see our old friends, Zuko and Mai. And no more of this big head business. That's my job."

When she said that, I knew he must be kicking himself; not only had he insulted his hero and teacher, but the Avatar too. Even if he was in trouble before, but the they happened to also be the oldest friends of the Fire Lord and Lady, no one had permission to call them Zuko and Mai, other than their closet friends.

"Yes, Master Toph, my apologies." swiftly and silently he scrambled out of our way. I wasn't sure how he managed to do both, but he did.

As we entered Zuko looked at us and smiled, "Who are you calling old?" he said.

We all laughed, and we all coughed afterwards, the result of laughing, "Okay," he said, "I'm old."

Everyone repeated the cycle after the joke was told, knowing it was only so funny because it was true. I walked over to the aging Fire Lord and looked at him for the first time since I ran, "Flamio, Hotman." I said softly.

"Didn't I tell you I hated that?" He asked, but smiled.

"Yea," I responded, "But you hate everything." I returned the smile. Translation: How are you? I'm not dead yet. I missed you too.

Toph and Mai walked over to us, "Why did you have that pompous jerk trying to fix you?" Toph said.

"That jerk happens to be the best doctor in the entire Earth Kingdom," Mai snapped.

"Exactly," she responded, "where is your waterbender? They can do a much better job than any Earth Kingdom doctor can." Toph said, matter-of-factly.

Zuko looked towards the window, "Since…since she left, there has been no better healer to come from either water tribes, or that's what the chief of the Northern Water Tribe said. Mai told them that we didn't care, but every waterbender that's tried hasn't been able to do anything."

There must have been something great going on out the window, because suddenly no one would look at me.

"So," Mai started a little awkwardly, "What brings you guys here. Toph, I haven't seen you in such a long time."

"Yea. We...Uh, we were coming to…"

"Visit!" I finished quickly, seeing that Toph was about to say what we were really there for, "We wanted to see how you were doing. I guess it's a good thing we did. Zuko, you don't look so good." I said a bit quieter.

"What? That's crazy, I'm fine! Like I keep telling Mai-" He was suddenly cut off by a fit of coughing, as if to prove my point.

"If Katara were here, she would be able to fix you," Mai stated, blunt as ever.

"Mai," Zuko said with a reproachful look.

"I don't care about his feelings!" She yelled, sudden tears rolling down her cheeks. She made an indignant sound as Zuko gave her a pointed look, "I love you, you old fool, but I can't watch you die any more!" and with that she ran from the room.

Zuko sighed, "I'm sorry about that. She's been worrying about me all week, and I'm fine!"

"You're lying," Toph whispered, face to the floor, eyes beginning to water.

Even I could tell he was lying. Every few sentences he would pause to cough, blood sometimes coming up and into his handkerchief, which he tried to hide. Ever since I became a fully realized Avatar I could sense peopled spirits. And his was fading.

Toph, apparently, could feel something similar because she ran to Zuko, told him she loved him and ran from the room in a similar fashion as Mai, "Zuko," I sighed.

"Don't." he said, "I know. I'm dying. I just couldn't tell Mai, I couldn't bring myself to tell my wife I was dying. What really brings you here? The last time I saw you, you were staring at her coffin. And the last time I heard, you were flying the world on Appa like the old days." He watched his somewhat gnarled and liver-spotted hands as he twitted his thumbs.

"I'm sorry. There's something I have to do and things might not go as planned. n any case, I'm preparing for the worst. " I said suddenly, not quite sure why I was telling him the truth, well most of it. Maybe it was because I knew he didn't have much time to do anything with it.

"Sorry for what?"

"For running. For leaving you to bury…to bury Katara. For pushing all of the problems I couldn't face on you. It's my fault you're…you're dying."

"Shut up." He said sternly.

"But-," I was cut off.

"I said shut up. I'm the one who's dying and I'm going to say what I want to. And I want you to hear every word I say, or I'm gonna get out of bed and kick your butt just like I use to."

I just nodded dumbly.

"I know you, Aang. I know you better that you may think. I knew you well enough to know that you didn't just run away and forget what happened, you're wife was murdered. Not just some random person, but Katara. We all loved her and her perkiness, but we all knew…you loved her , that means you've ditched everything you've learned and gotten some revenge scheme planned, and you've dragged Toph into it-,"

"What a second, Toph volunteered-," Again, I was cut off.

"Did I tell you to speak?" he asked, "No? Okay. As I was saying…Oh, yea. I'm here to tell you. You're an idiot."

"What?"

"You're stupid. Katara loved you and she loved life."

"Yea, that's why I have to take it away from the person who took it from her!"

"No. You don't. Katara may have loved life, Aang. But she loved you more. She would want you to stop this crazy revenge notion you've got stuck in your head and live the rest of your life with your family, happy. She would want you to celebrate her life, not mourn her death, Aang. Huhk,"

I was suddenly aware that that noise didn't sound right. I looked up at him and he was wincing, "Zuko!"

"No, Aang. It's…it's my time, I didn't want her to know, but no waterbender could have helped," he tried to smile, but was too out of breath, "Tell…Tell Mai I love her. And Aang?"

"Yes?" I was crying, kneeling at the side of his bed.

"K-Katara says she misses you…" Those were his lat words.

Seconds melted into minutes as I watched myself call for help. I wasn't in charge of my actions, as if I were a third party observer, seeing the world through sepia-colored glass.

I told Toph and Mai, who were together near the turtle duck pond, talking. Mai went into hysterics, and tried to cut off everyone's heads with her blades. Toph just became very, very still.

Hours later I went home. Toph stayed with Mai, she seemed to be the only one who could calm her, oddly enough. But I felt like there was a bug under my skin and the longer I stayed, the more it itched. And, for the second time, I ran from the Fire Nation Palace. Figuratively speaking, I was too old and too exhausted to run.

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I walked through the gate in the front of our property to see the fountain off, which made me sad, there was never a day Katara had turned off the fountain…when she was alive. But she was gone, so it seemed almost fitting that the water that had sounded throughout the front of the house be gone too.

I made my way to the door, dreading how I would find the house. Just like we left it? Covered in dust? Or worse, totally empty.

I opened the door to find…light. Light? Candles were lit all around the room, causing me to do a double take. I didn't even scan the room twice before arms wrapped themselves around my neck and sobbing sounded in my ears, "Dad, you're back."

"Kame," I breathed. Why was she here? Shouldn't she have gone home to her family?

"Dad, why did you go?" she said, starting to get angry, "Why do I suddenly get a letter from the Air Temple telling me you were visiting? You just left! You didn't even say good bye!"

"Sshh, sshh. I'm back Kame, I'm back. I'm back and I'm sorry."

I could tell she was barely holding back tears, "You left, you left and I kept the house warm."

"I know you did, thank you. We need to talk, honey. Can we talk outside?"

She nodded numbly and let me lead her to the yard, where disk was just starting to touch everything with its light, "Kame, do you remember Zuko?"

"Uncle Zuko? I mean Fire Lord Zuko?"

I smiled at her use of 'uncle', "Yes. Sweetie. I'm afraid... I'm afraid he died this afternoon."

I watched as her face fell, and then take up a perplexed look. Then she looked…happy?

"Aren't you sad?" I asker her, confused.

"Of course, dad. But I was just thinking, today is the summer solstice, he died the same day he beat Azula and took the throne back."

I had never though about what day it was, but she was right, it was. It made me smiled at the bitter irony in it.

"Is there anything else you wanted to talk to me about?"

"Yes. I wanted you to know I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what?" she said in a challenging tone, she wanted to hear what I did.

For doing what I'm about to do to your heart, "For acting stupid and then running away from you. I just loved her so…so much." I forced myself to finish.

"I forgive you," she said seriously, watching me with those big grey eyes that reflected mine, "and I love you."

"I love you too. Always," Even, after I do what I'm going to do and you hate me, I'll always love you, "Can you promise me something?"

She nodded, "Anything,"

"Promise me, whatever may happen, that you'll keep going? When I die..." She looked at me suspiciously, "I'm 184 years old, Kame, its gonna happen eventually," I quickly added, "You won't just...Give up?"

"Of course not, daddy, I have a family and friends. I love you, but if you did die, just like mom, I would mourn, but eventually I would have to move on. Just. Like. You're. Doing." She gave me a pointed look, saying with those expressive, stormy eyes, you better be.

I sighed, "I have to go in the morning, but for now, lets just watch the sunset," In the morning I'll be leaving you for the last time, so for now can we just enjoy the last time we watch the sunset together?

As if she could hear my thoughts, she relaxed against me as we watched the last rays of orange touch the mountains through the open doors. But all too soon it was dark and getting cold. I walked down the hall ant to her old room.

"Good night, baba," she yawned. I bit my lip, she hadn't called me that since she was a little girl.

"Good night Kame," I kissed her cheek and closed the door. As I walked down the hallway I noticed I still hadn't shed a tear.

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I woke early, before the sun, and got dressed. After a sparse breakfast and feeding Appa, I left a note for a sleeping Kame. It read:

Dear my beloved Kame,

I'm sorry to leave before you woke, but I must go. The death of your mother had taken a greater toll on me than you can ever know and I have to do what I'm going to do now. Please don't look for me because I will not be back. Tell your sisters I love them, and little Katara that I will always be her friend and when she needs me, just to call out to me.

After I left the Air Temple I realized that I had no greater love in all my lives than your mother and I want to spend the rest of eternity with her, and there's only one way to do that like any normal person. I have to die in the Avatar State. Please don't despair, we will meet again. Remember your promise to me. I love you always, my little girl.

Love, your father.

I rolled the scroll and set it on her dresser as she slept peacefully. I kissed her forehead and slipped out the front door and into the early morning air. I went to the Palace to pick up Toph, but found a problem.

"I can't leave," Toph said quietly, not looking me in the face.

"What?"

"Mai needs me. This whole thing helped me realize that...Well; we shouldn't go out for revenge." She said, rubbing the back of her neck in the discomfort of my stare, which she could obviously feel.

"So you're just gonna sit around here and babysit an old woman instead of taking revenge on someone who murdered your oldest friend? Yea, that sounds like the Toph I know," I said, every word dripping with sarcasm.

She just looked away, "Look, Aang," She finally said, " I was thinking about the times we had together. And every time I tried, I couldn't justify this in her eyes. I felt like she would be disappointed in me, and…I don't want that. She would want both of us to move on like everyone else is. I'm sorry, Aang," She turned from me and bean to walked away, silent tears falling from her unseeing eyes.

"Fine." I called to her, "Then I'll go alone, like I wanted to in the first place." It was a little childish, sure, but I was also a little hurt that she had abandoned me. Abandoned us.

As Appa and I gained speed, I swore to myself I would find who did it. And I would kill them. Though I knew what I was going to do, and I was completely convinced of it, I couldn't help but feel a pang in my half-empty heart. A pang that had Katara's name on it and made me almost regret what I was going to do, but as the hours wore on, so did my resolve, and with that, I was asleep, victim to nightmares once again.