NOTE: Yes, this is the REAL Chapter 13 of this story, and not that annoying author's note of mine...I hope you guys enjoy, and don't forget to review!

Chapter 13: Words of Wisdom

Clasping her hand together, Katara walked into the captain's room and down the stairs that led her back to her cold, dank room. Opening the door, the sound of the metal rubbing against the metal created an uncanny sound through out the whole ship. By now though, she was used to harsh sound of the metal but at the same time wished for the sound of the ocean. As she walked down the dimly lighted hallway, her memories went racing back to her. She remembered the ocean and how the sound and the smell of the salty mist reminded her of home. There were no sounds of laughing children and her Gran-Gran telling them constantly to settle down and go to bed. Ever since she had left home, she missed the familiar feel of the animal tarps and the briskness of the crisp air. Here memories were soon disrupted as soon as she realized she had come to her door. Placing her hand on the handle she opened the door, while struggling for she only had one arm to open the door with. The sudden jolt of the door opening sent a jolt of pain all through out her shoulder as she grabbed on to rid the pain away. Letting her hand away for just a few seconds, she closed the door as she slowly slid to the ground.

She let out a rather large sigh as she examined the room once again. It was the same; dark, cold and anything but comfortable. The white cloth still lay before her, and she wondered how much longer her already tired body could take the hardness of the ship's floor. Suddenly something out of the corner of her eye caught her attention. Just like when she had first awoken on his ship, she spotted the red box that was sitting on the small table in the corner. Unlike the room, it was brightly colored with a deep red with a gold boarder around the edges. Getting up from the ground, she stepped towards the small table. Kneeling down with the box now in her hands, the golden clasp is opened by the upward motion of her finger.

"Pictures?" she questioned herself. Sliding herself over by the window for some more light, she took out the pictures and placed them in her lap while setting the red box by her side. Picking up one of the pictures, her eyes studied it carefully. The first picture was of a young boy and a built man, whose face seemed to cut off at the top by some torn ridges. The face on the small boy looked serene and happy; almost as if the war wasn't even happening. She looked into the golden eyes of the young boy and realized who it was. It was Zuko and for the first time, she saw him with a smile. He looks so different, she thought. And it was true; he did look different. Unlike now he didn't have the whole world on his shoulders, at least that's what she believed from the information she had heard Zula state. He looked relaxed and almost as if there were no other cares in the world. It was then and there that she realized that Zuko must have had to mature quickly just she had; because for a teenager, he had ambitious goals. Picking through the pile once more, another picture caught her eye. It was a portrait of a beautiful woman. She had gorgeous brown hair that was pulled into a fancy bun in the back of her head, along with a head piece that resembled a crown. It's Zuko's mother…

Unexpectedly, Katara is cut short when she heard someone coming into her room. Quickly pushing the pictures to her side so no one could see she crossed her legs and acted as if she knew nothing.

"Miss Katara?" said a familiar voice.

"Oh, General Iroh" she responded quickly as she got up from her sitting position.

"Please, call me Iroh" he said as he put his hands into his sleeves and bowed his head. "I've come here to tell you that Zuko has requested that you stay in another room. We have an extra room upstairs that I'm sure you'll find more comfortable. He has also commanded that you have dinner".

"Wait, Zuko wants me to have a nicer room? And have dinner with you?"

"Yes, but he will not be joining us tonight since he says that he needs rest. Now come with me, for I have picked up some wonderful food from the market that I'm sure you will enjoy. After all, you haven't had a real meal in days, am I correct"

"That would be great; thank you so much" she responded as she stored the picture of Zuko's mother inside her dress. Scrambling to put away the other pictures, she picked them up from the ground in a rushed manner and placed them back inside of the red box. Quickly pacing, she placed the box back onto the small table and walked towards Iroh, while picking up her former bed from the ground.

Following the old man down the hall, she folded the piece of cloth until it was a manageable size to carry. She placed it under her arm as she placed her hands in front of her to fiddle with her fingers. Thoughts of uncertainty began to run through her mind as she walked down the empty corridors. Just few hours ago, Zuko had treated her like she didn't even matter and now here he was giving her a brand new room. To her, these actions he had performed just didn't agree with reality.

They had finally reached the stairs as they both walked up them slowly with the accompaniment of their feet hitting the metal floor. The smell of the food became great as they made their way up the steps. Trying desperately, Katara carried her tired body up each and every step that came in her way. To her it felt like she was carrying a hundred pounds for there was barely any energy left in within her body. But the smell of the food kept her going for she knew it would restore her energy and hopefully her spirit. The events of the day had tired her greatly. The things Zula had said to his own brother and how she had learned how ruthless the Fire Nation can be. She never thought that they could be emotionally damaging to their own people. Wait, what am I thinking? She thought. He's a firebender…I can't have sympathy for those who killed my people, my mother, and Aang's entire race…this just isn't right. But is it wrong to not care? Or is it wrong to care?

"Is something troubling y0u?" Iroh asked in a kind tone.

"No…nothing at all" she quietly responded while looking at the ground. Iroh turned his head to the side to see the expression on Katara's face. It was abandoned and in despair. He knew she was lying.

"I see you've been injured" he stated, trying to change the subject as he opened the door to the main hallway.

"Oh it's nothing…I was just being kind of clumsy, that's all"

"You're a horrible liar Miss Katara. My son used to lie all the time when he wanted to get away without telling the truth"

Katara put down her head shamefully. She couldn't believe that she thought she would actually get away with lying to a former General of the Fire Nation. Things before them fell silent, since she avoided any conversation with him. Well, at least until they arrived at the dinner table. But what had really caught her attention was when Iroh mentioned his son. What did he mean by "used to lie"? Is he not here anymore? Does the Fire Nation really understand what it's like to lose someone? How can they understand death, when they could care less about the acts they do towards others…they don't even realize the great amount of damage they do to families. They tear us apart and they don't even realize that we must grow up with this terrifying memory. It will forever stick with me. She thought as they further approached the dining area.

The smells from the room that was approaching them were invigorating. Taking in a whiff of the smells, she could tell it was seafood smothered in butter with a hint of oregano and thyme. The entering of the smells made her stomach grumble with great intensity for it could be heard miles away, along with a small chuckle coming out of Iroh. Embarrassed, Katara is flushed as she continued to walk down the hall. Finally coming to stop, Iroh opened the door to reveal what seemed like paradise. The room was brightly lit with candles all around, and moonlight was seeping through the large windows of the room. The floor was covered by an elaborate rug with an intricate design consisting of dragons and their fire breathing. Covering the center design of the rug was a beautiful table that was leveled with the ground. Its slight hint of red was luminous. It reminded Katara of Sokka because the table was made of Cherry wood…Sokka's favorite. She remembered him always carving things out of cherry wood whenever her father would come back from traveling to the Earth Kingdom. It made him so happy.

"Take a seat, Miss Katara" Insisted Iroh as he pointed to a fluffy embroidered pillow that was placed on the floor.

"Thank you" she responded as she took her seat a store at the food in front of her. It was almost breathtaking to see the food that was presented before her. For months, she and the gang had been eating nothing but berries, nuts, and other foreign objects. The obligation to have fish was rare since Sokka was so horrible at catching anything, and insisted that he do all the hunting. Sill Sokka, she thought as she gazed at the red snapper.

Quickly removing her fork and knife from the napkin she attacks the fish viciously while her hunger takes over her. Savoring each and every bite that came her way, she noticed a silence in the room. Lifting her head a rather surprised Iroh is sitting across staring at a full mouthed Katara.

"Sorry…I guess you were right. I am starving" she said after swallowing.

"It's quite alright. You need your strength to eat as much as you want! Besides, I can't afford to gain any more weight" he responded as he chuckled while placing a hand on his rather round belly.

"Do you mind if I ask you something?" asked Katara before taking a sip on ginseng tea.

"What is it?"

"I feel like I'm violating you or something, but I was wondering about your son. You acted as if he's not alive anymore"

"Hmm. I see. Well, you seem like a mature young woman and I suppose you could use some conversation rather than just arguing with my nephew"

"I'm sorry if it's too personal and you don't have to tell me if you don't want to" she insisted quickly.

"No, it's quite alright. It's been such a long time since I've talked about my son, and his loss was great. I shall never forget that day"

Katara store at the elderly man that sat across from her; his face went from being cheerful to almost lifeless. It was as if the thought and memories of his son made him lifeless. Like his soul had been taken out of him. Setting down her fork and knife, she watched as he set down his tea and placed his hands into his sleeves.

"It all happened when my son was 26 years old. Of course the world had still been going on like it is today, only things back then weren't has barbaric. When he was only in his teens, he had fallen madly in love with a young woman he had met at the market. Ever since he met her, they were inseparable. Nothing could tear them apart, not even the tides of war. He knew that when he met her, that they were meant to be. She was the one whom she would marry and live the rest of his life with. But that was all wishful thinking. Her village had been cut short of supplies and the soil was not good for growing any sort of crops except for corn and wheat for bread and the water was far from sanitary. My son traveled everyday to her village so she could receive the proper nutrition for her health. But when she came down with a deadly disease all else failed. Within just a few days of hearing the news, she passed away. Let's just say my son died the very same day when heard the news. His heart had torn into thousands of little pieces…he was mortified. That's when he came to me for help. He knew that I could contact the spirit world, so he asked me to transfer him there so he could visit his long lost love. I said that I could transfer him there, but from there on he would be by himself. Then a look of disappointment came across his face. I can never forget that look, which is why I told him about Koh --"

"The Face Stealer…" Katara finished.

"Yes, the Face Stealer; but he is a face stealer that knows everything about the spirit world which is why I thought he could help. I warned my son about Koh and how he steals your face when you show any emotion. If Koh senses the slightest emotion your face will be gone. Unfortunately someone as strong as my son couldn't handle the wrath of Koh. After I had transferred him to the spirit world I left him in his room so no one could bother him. Just a few hours later I had returned to see that my son had no face. I will never forgive myself for what I had done"

"Iroh…I'm sorry"

"Until this day I carry the burden that I am the reason my son is no longer in this world"

"You can't blame yourself! Koh is a scary spirit, I should know. Aang told me everything about him when he met him in the Spirit world. Hearing those words come out of a twelve year old was disturbing. I'm so sorry for you loss"

"You are very wise, young waterbender" he responded quietly as he looked up at Katara who was now kneeling beside him.

"And you are not like all firebenders at all. You're different I can tell. You have sympathy and compassion. But is having this compassion and sympathy rare when it comes to firebenders?"

"It really depends. I haven't lived for a hundred years but I know that the way the Fire Nation is now, is now how it used to be. So many innocent people have lost their lives and many have to suffer with the losses. It's a chain affect that's never ending; you kill one person and that just affects another person"

"Does Zuko have the same views as you do?" she asked curiously.

"That's something that I don't even know"

Katara tilted her head to the side. She was surprised how Zuko's own Uncle didn't even know of his true motives. Taking a stray piece of hair and putting it behind her ear she watched as Iroh took yet another sip of his tea. It was then, that he looked like as if he had regained his strength and the mourning of his son had been overcome. It seemed as if the talking really helped Iroh.

"Zula came by today…" she whispered.

"Zula? We haven't heard from Zula ever since, uh, well when we left to look for the Avatar" Iroh responded quickly, trying to cover his nephews reasons for leaving.

"Don't worry; I already know about Zuko. He was banished right?"

"I'm guessing Zula told you all the details?" he asked worriedly.

"Not really. She didn't mention about him being banished and how his father wants him to capture Aang because that's the only way he'd restore his honor. It was the most terrifying experience I had ever seen. I've never seen such an uncaring family before. And things only got worse. That's why I have this wound upon my shoulder. Zula said something that really infuriated Zuko so he got up and attempted to attack her and she insisted that she couldn't be beaten. Then she threatened me…it's all such blur and it was happening all so fast. The last thing I truly remember is Zuko being blasted by one of the most powerful blasts I have ever seen, and watching Zuko hit the ground. She stole our map and I attempted to get it back because I knew it contained all of our upcoming locations. Then she blasted me"

"Why would Zula even leave her home?"

"This may not be something that you want to hear but…Fire Lord Ozai sent her out to capture the Avatar and from the looks of things right now, to eliminate Zuko's crew as well"

"Where is she now?" Iroh asked frantically.

"I don't know. She didn't exactly say where she was staying or anything. All in know is that she's out to capture Aang and eliminate this entire crew" stated Katara she looked down at her hands, which were nervously fiddling with each other.

"General Iroh, I'm afraid we have a storm coming!" announced Jee as he came rushing through the door. "I think that it's best that we stay here"

"That will not do. We have the Fire Nation Princess coming after us, and we are not safe if we stay in this area. Head for the next city which is only 70-85 miles away from here" demanded Iroh.

"But Zula will know that we're there!" stated Katara as she arose from the ground.

"True, but she doesn't expect us to leave right now though, does she? For all she knows we could be going somewhere else, but right now it's best that we get a move on as quickly as possible"

"Yes sir! So we're heading for Xiao-Ling?" asked Jee.

"That is right, now go get started right now!" yelled Iroh as he pointed Jee out the door. "Katara you stay here with me, since it's safer in here. You have no way of defending yourself with your injured shoulder and with Zula out there somewhere, we can't take any chances" he said as he watched the young waterbender sit back down on the floor.

"There's just one more thing that I need to ask" she said as she watched Iroh sit back down beside her. "Who is this?" she asked as she pulled the picture out from her dress.

"That is Xiu…Zuko's mother" he responded quietly, turning away.

"She's very beautiful" Katara stated.

"Yes she is. That's the reason her parents named her Xiu since it means elegant or beautiful. She really was a wonderful and loving lady. She would make anyone in the room smile even if they were having the worst day ever. She always knew how to motivate people when they were down. It was almost like having a ray of sunlight with you even in your darkest moments. You remind me so much of her."

"What happened?"

"Now you must understand that there are two things that I must never speak of. And that's about Xiu and Zuko's banishment…if you want to know about those particular things, then you have to ask him yourself; although, that will take much bravery. But I do warn you that ever since the death of his mother and his banishment, my nephew hasn't been known to show any emotion towards those topics."

"That may be true, but I believe there is hope for Zuko"

Oathkeeper: So I hope you guys enjoyed that chapter! It took me a couple of hours to write since I had to rewrite the whole thing all over again. Even though my story is outlined it doesn't mean that I remember every detail. Actually I'm kinda glad that it was erased by the virus since I to write the rest of this fic in past tense...since I do enjoy that better than present. The only reason that I was writing in present was because my teachers told me to work on it, but I don't like it, which is a good enough reason for me to NOT write this is present tense...thank god.

Boylessgirl52941 -- Thanks for such a sweet compliment! I'm so glad you're enjoying my story as much as you are right now, it makes me so pleased to hear those words come out of your mouth! I love playing around with Zuko's character since he's mean for moment and then the next he's acting all sly and nice towards Katara when he's the Blue Spirit...he's so sexy. Well, in my mind at least.

wilderness-writer -- OMG you are like the sweetest person I know! Thanks so much for making me feel better about that stupid reviewer...but what still annoys me is that they don't even bother to tell me their penname and that just ticks me off. I loved reading your emails of inspiration as well as your story. It's like, just by reading anything you write makes me inspired. It's amazing, and I hope you've received my super long review for "Dangerous Ground". Oh, and I WILL be persevere!

don'tbreakme -- Don't worry, the Zutara fluff is coming, it's just that I don't want them all over each other when this is mereley the beginning of this fic...it just wouldn't make sense when it comes to reality and I don't want Katara to seem like some skank since she was kinda all over Haru in the very first chapters and then for her to be all over Zuko would just be too much, since I can't stand those types of people in real life. I figured that if I make it more realistic then the moments in this story between Zuko and Katara would seem even more special.

Atalla&Poppydoodle -- I'm sorry...I shouldn't have pointed you guys out like that. I just in a really bad mood and that was totally uncalled for...wow, was that so unlike me. I'm such a jerk. Atalla, it's ok to be lazy since I'm lazy all the time (ie: updating this story) but now that I actually have to re-write these chapters I really have to get with the program. And yes I sort of made a Spiderman/Phantom of the Opera reference since those are some of my all time favorite movies. Next to everything else of course! Poppydoodle, your review was such a pleasure to read, especially after receiving one of the MOST nitpicky flaming reviews ever! I swear it's the worst review you could ever receive but reading yours and others, has made me feel so much better. I'm glad you're enjoying Zula and Zhao paired up as a team since some are complaining that it's too much evil...but really, how can you have too much evil? Besides, good almost always conquers over evil. You really should submit something on this site! I was brave enough to do it, so you should too!

Rebirth of the Phoenix -- Yes, fluff is excellent and it just the right amount of fluff...well, at least for the stage Katara and Zuko are in. I must say, by the way, that your new story is amazing! I can't wait for updates for "Didn't See That Coming" and "Lotus Lake".

Caeria-- Yes I should ignore the obnoxious reviewers...oh and I like past tense better than present as well.

Spleefmistress -- Change of name? I like it a lot! You rock on!

Inuyashas lover alway -- I can't wait to read your Zutara fic!

ZukosFlame -- Yay I'm on BOTH favorites list! You just made my day! Awsomeness! I'm so glad you like the way I'm bringing Katara and Zuko together since others find that it's too slow...well, too bad! Haha...anyway, can't wait to read your upcoming Zutara!

UnicaSophia -- Love the new penname!

Arya Svit-kona -- I'm glad you're enjoying the twists!

airgirl555 -- I can tell you're enoying! I hope you liked this chapter!

Blonde-Existentialist -- Yeah, having viruses, midterms, and quizzes all in the same week suck. Plus I have to do this drawing project that I still need to finish...ahh the stress! Can't handle this anymore...

Oathkeeper: Wow, I've never received so many reviews before! You guys rock, and I just can't explain how much your kind words mean to me. Going to Florida and then reading your nice comments when I came back was just what I needed to refresh. Thanks you guys, and be on the look out for the upcoming chapter possibly this weekend or later in the week (since I have midterms this week, so I'll be really busy)!

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Avatar.