The tapping of Zuko's fingers against the armrest of the Fire Lord's chair was the only sound heard in the throne room for several, long moments. The eight generals sitting around the council table, including Shinu and Ichiro, sat in silence as they gazed at the young Fire Lord in front of them. Their meeting had already gone on for several hours, and while they had touched on a variety issues, from military and governing matters to commerce and delegating positions, the whole ordeal was becoming a rigorous test between Zuko and his generals. It was as if each side were trying to see how far they could push the other, while still remaining loyal. The generals had protested and balked at nearly every mandate that Zuko had issued, stubbornly resisting the changes that he was trying to make for his nation's future. He was trying to be fair and just, and listen to his council's advice, but their stubborn and egotistical mindsets were severely straining Zuko's limited patience, and he already had to raise his voice at them a few times. The generals, as a whole, were walking a thin line between what they deemed as necessary actions of loyalty to him, and open defiance.

When Zuko finally spoke, he tried to keep his voice calm, yet assertive. "We are not going to be calling back every single soldier from the Fire Nation colonies. I merely want to pull the extra forces in those areas back to the capital. Each colony will still retain a skeleton force to help keep order in the area, for now."

"And what will we do with all those extra troops once they're back here?" General Shinu didn't try to hide the skepticism in his words. He had been the loudest and most critical voice against Zuko's ideas so far, and he had shown an open dislike of Zuko that nearly bordered on disrespect. It was a very thin line indeed. "If you let them loose in the city with nothing to do, they're going to start brawls and riots within the city, creating more problems."

Zuko was just about to speak when General Ichiro politely inclined his head. "Fire Lord Zuko, if I may?"

Ichiro was proving to be the one exception to the rule. Though he had voiced a few mild disagreements and opinions occasionally, for the most part Ichiro had been supportive of the measures that Zuko was trying to implement. It was the change Zuko saw in Ichiro that gave him the hope that eventually, the other generals would come around as well.

Zuko nodded. "Go ahead, General Ichiro."

"Thank you." Ichiro directed a sharp look at Shinu before continuing. "Those extra troops could be used for extra security, or be put to work here at the capital. With the rebuilding and restoration projects that Fire Lord Zuko has commissioned for the city and harbor, they could be used to bolster the labor work force and speed up production."

Shinu directed a sneer at Ichiro from across the table. "You want our soldiers, the pride and backbone of our military, to take up carpentry and manual labor? You might as well strip them of their rank while you're at it."

"Once again, Shinu, your lack of understanding of your own soldiers simply amazes me." The contempt that Ichiro displayed towards his opponent equaled, if not surpassed, Shinu's own disposition. "Pride only exists for those who have the luxury to afford it, and most of our troops do not possess your vast sums of land or wealth. If offered a decent job and a steady pay, they will take that over the promise of nothing."

For what seemed like the umpteenth time that morning, the two generals engaged in a staring match, their loathing for each other clearly written on their faces. Off to Zuko's right, Kenshin nervously cleared his throat, in attempt to get their attention.

"General Shinu, I mean no disrespect, but I believe General Ichiro's assessment is accurate. You yourself had raised concerns, when the restoration was initially discussed, that we would not have the personnel to complete such tasks. This would no longer be an issue if we bring some of the troops back home and offer them the jobs."

Shinu finally broke off his gaze from Ichiro, only to redirect his contempt at the small man. "If I wanted your opinion, peasant, I would have asked for it. Seeing as how I didn't-"

"-Enough, Shinu." Zuko's voice resounded throughout large room, effectively cutting off the other man's words. When Shinu turned his focus on him, he continued. "Not only is Kenshin the First Secretary, but he is also my personal assistant, and a valued member of my council. If you ever disrespect him in such a blatant manner again, I will strip you of your rank and title."

Shinu's face paled in anger, but even he must have realized that he was in danger of crossing that line, and so remained silent. Suddenly standing up from his chair, Zuko descended the steps down to the table below, causing a few of the generals to shift nervously in their places. He swept his gaze around the table, and once he had met every one of their gazes in return, he began to speak.

"Each one of you men served under my father for many years, and by now you've come to realize just how different I am from him. I am the youngest Fire Lord in our nation's history, and that is why I value your experience and will listen to your advice. However, I will not tolerate the bigotry and prejudice that was present under my father's reign, nor will I tolerate any insubordination from my council. If you cannot follow my orders, then you will be replaced." Zuko paused to let his words sink in, and then continued. "We've covered enough for today's meeting. You are dismissed."

The men before him immediately stood up and gave their bows to him, and began to file out of the room one by one. Masato, who had been posted up by the door since the last part of the meeting, made sure to survey each of the generals as they left, until his steely gaze rested on Ichiro. The general hadn't moved since Zuko dismissed them, and when only he, Masato, Kenshin, and Zuko remained, he spoke up.

"There is one more matter I wished to speak to you about before I left, Your Highness."

"Why didn't you bring it up during the meeting?" Zuko asked him curiously as Masato and Kenshin came up and stood on either side of him. Ichiro, however, did his best to ignore the other two.

"As this was a very sensitive topic, I thought it best to bring it up in private."

"Alright, what is it about?"

Ichiro's face showed no emotion as he relayed his news. "Earlier during the meeting, you had mentioned that High General Bujing and his men were still missing, and that finding them was a top priority. I have just recently come across some information on where they are hiding out."

This took Zuko completely by surprise. "You know where he is?"

"We've been looking for the last couple of days and hadn't heard a single thing." Masato made no attempt to hide his suspicion as he glared at the general. "How is it that you just happened to come across this information?"

Ichiro's gaze narrowed slightly as he finally acknowledged the other man. "…Masato, is it? You'll have to forgive me. It's proven quite a task to remember the names of so many new faces." Despite his polite and somewhat apologetic words, there was no mistaking his condescending tone. "You've been in your position, for what… a few days now? What with all the events that have taken place here recently, I doubt that you've had the time or the resources to conduct a thorough search of the city and the surrounding areas for Bujing. I, on the other hand, have been in my position for many, many years and so have obtained numerous ways to gain information, especially in my own city."

"You're talking about spies, of course." Masato leaned forward menacingly. "So tell me… why does a general of the Fire Nation army feel the need to keep a network of spies within the capital itself?"

"If you had any knowledge or experience in such matters, you would know that anyone of political or financial importance within the caldera has their own informants within the city." He sneered. "Since you are so new to this, I'll forgive your ignorance and veiled accusations…this time."

Zuko had to put a stop to this before it got out of hand. He put a hand on Masato's arm, forestalling anything else that the large man was about to say. "Masato didn't mean any disrespect, Ichiro. We've all just been a little on edge lately, due to the security threats. Now, you said you knew where General Bujing and his men are?"

In a flash, Ichiro was once again cool and collected as he addressed his Fire Lord. "Yes, Your Highness. When Bujing left a little more than a week ago, he gathered some of the men that had been directly under his command and left in secret during the night. He and his men left on some of the airships stationed in our hangers. I had heard that you were looking for Bujing, so I decided to conduct my own search. My informants only just brought the new to me this morning." Ichiro then moved closer to the western end of the map inlaid on the table, towards the Fire Nation. "Unfortunately for Bujing, a couple of his men decided to drink excessively before they left that night, and let slip the name of their destination to some of the locals here. Their corroborated information points to the mountain ranges located just north of here."

Zuko took a closer look at where he was pointing. "You're talking about where the Western Air Temple is located?"

"Yes, very close to that location."

"That's at least a half-day's journey, by airship or navy fleet," Kenshin pointed out, "if not more."

Zuko's thoughts became laced with frustration. Sorting out this mess with Bujing could take several days…time that I can't afford to be away from the city. I have to stay here and keep searching for the Sons of Sozin. Finding them is my top priority. But thoughts of the Sons inevitably lead his mind to Katara, and the anxiety and fear of what today could bring. He quickly shut off that train of thought and made himself focus on the immediate problem in front of him.

Glancing back at the map, Zuko directed his question at the general. "Do we know how many men are with him?"

"As quick as he left, and with only taking three airships, I would say no more than fifty to sixty men."

"A relatively small force," Masato commented as he joined Zuko in his analysis of the map, "but still large enough that we can't afford to ignore him."

Zuko saw Ichiro's expression sour as he glanced at Masato, but thankfully he kept any remarks to himself. "A force will need to be taken up north to apprehend Bujing and his men. With your permission, Fire Lord Zuko, I could take the remaining airships and some of my men to capture him and bring him back to city."

While part of him liked Ichiro's plan, there was still a part of Zuko that found it hard to completely trust the general. "You would willingly go against your former superior officer, even if it came down to using force?"

"Yes, Your Highness. Bujing's actions can only be described as mutinous, and as such, he is to be considered a traitor. He must be dealt with."

It only took one good look into Ichiro's cold, hard eyes to know that the man was telling the truth. I've been saying how I want to give people second chances…a chance to prove themselves. It has to start sometime.

"Alright, Ichiro, you will lead a force to the north to capture General Bujing. How soon could you leave?"

"If we start preparing immediately, I could leave before the night is out."

Zuko nodded. "Good. See that it happens."

Ichiro bowed. "Thank you, Fire Lord Zuko. It will be done."

When the general left the room, Zuko let out a small sigh. "I hope I did the right thing."

Kenshin quickly spoke up. "I believe you did, Your Highness. Ichiro is a very honorable man, and he has been your strongest ally on the council so far. I think he was the best one for the job."

"I don't like it." Masato's face became even stonier, if possible. "More specifically, I don't like him. He's up to something. I just know it."

"That's ridiculous, Masato," the small man protested, "Ichiro has done nothing to warrant any suspect. You are merely letting your prejudices against the man affect your judgment."

"Do you have any proof?" Zuko asked the large man, but he shook his head.

"No, I don't. It's just a feeling. But when you've been around as many criminals as I have, you learn to trust that feeling."

Zuko frowned. "I'm sorry, Masato, but I can't make a decision that will affect a man's entire life on just a 'feeling'. Unless you come across some solid proof, the matter needs to be dropped."

Masato gave a slight bow of his head. "Yes, Your Highness. I understand." He glanced at the doors. "I'd better get back to the palace sweeps. I told the kid that I wouldn't be gone long."

Zuko knew he was talking about helping Toph, so he nodded, and Masato promptly headed out.

"He's a little rough around the edges," Kenshin glanced sideways at Zuko, "but I know that he means well."

"Who, Masato?" Zuko had already been swept up in his own thoughts, and it took a moment to catch up to what the small man had said. "I know he does." But how many more can I really trust? That's what I have to find out.

Kenshin followed Zuko out of the throne room, and they were quickly joined by two of the guards that had been posted on either side of the door. Masato had informed him that he was to have at least two guards with him at all times, both inside and outside of the palace, for as long as the Sons remained a direct threat. Zuko had rejected the idea at first, but Masato had refused to back down on the point, and even Toph and Kenshin had voiced their agreement on the idea. It wasn't until Toph threatened to shadow his every single move, though, that he finally gave in. He supposed it was one more thing he would have to get used to as being the new Fire Lord.

"Fire Lord Zuko?" Kenshin spoke up next to him, bringing Zuko out of his thoughts.

"Yes, Kenshin?"

"I need to continue going through Daichi's records now, unless you had something else for me?..."

Zuko shook his head. "No, Kenshin, that will be all for now."

The small man bowed. "Yes, Your Highness." He started to turn, but then stopped. "Oh…I also wanted to thank you…for what you said to General Shinu in my defense." Kenshin blushed slightly. "It meant a lot to me. I just wanted you to know that."

"You're welcome," Zuko quietly replied, which made Kenshin smile before he turned to walk away. His assistant's departure reminded Zuko of what he still needed to do, though the very thought made his stomach twist with anxiety. Regardless, he knew he couldn't put it off any longer.

Taking a deep breath, Zuko gathered his resolve and started off down the corridor, this time heading to the guest quarters, and more specifically, Katara's room. Every step he took towards his destination seemed to feel heavier than the last, but he made himself push forward. When he got to her room, the door from the hallway was wide open, which immediately made him suspicious. He slowly walked through the doorway and quietly entered the room, preparing himself for the possibility of an intruder. Soon, however, he heard Hakoda's and Sokka's voice drift in from further in the room, so he relaxed. When he came into the sitting room, he saw Hakoda, Sokka, and Suki standing in the middle room, with Hakoda and Sokka engaged in some kind of argument. Katara was nowhere to be seen, which made Zuko frown.

"Zuko!" Suki looked a little surprised. "We were told you were in a council meeting."

"We just finished." He glanced at Hakoda and Sokka, who had refocused their attention on him. "Where is Katara?"

"We're not sure actually," Sokka sheepishly replied. "Katara came by my room a little while ago. She said she was feeling a lot better, so she wanted to do another healing session on my leg. I didn't know that she didn't know about all of us leaving for the Earth Kingdom today, so when I told her about it, she kinda freaked. And then when I told her that we all expecting her to come with us, she got pretty angry and stormed out of the room."

He glared at the other boy. "You didn't follow her?"

"Are you kidding me?" Sokka's tone was incredulous. "As mad as she was, she probably would have frozen me to the side of the door if I had tried to follow her. You should know better than most how she gets when she's in one of her scary-angry moods."

"I need to talk to her, regardless."

"We already searched all the rooms in this part of the palace," Hakoda explained, "We were just debating whether or not to go out into the city to look for her."

Zuko shook his head. "The guards would have let me know if she had left the palace. She's still here…and I think I might know where she is." He caught Hakoda's gaze, and he saw what was unspoken in the other man's eyes. With a curt nod, he turned and headed back out to the hallway once more. As his steadily made his way through the twists and turns of the palace, Katara's face kept flashing in his mind's eye…but it was Ozai's words about the Sons that clung to his every thought. They won't stop until they've finished their task. You can ask all the questions you want, and search day and night for them, but it won't change the inevitable…

The midday sun's light glinted and sparkled off of the several large streams of water Katara had spun around herself from the nearby courtyard fountain. As she moved her arms, making the streams spin around faster and tighter, a part of her noted the enjoyment she felt at guiding the water droplets, to give them a shape and a purpose. If felt good to control its movements, perhaps because it countered the frustration and lingering anger she harbored since the conversation with her brother.

Her gaze narrowed at the memory, and suddenly she changed her movements, transitioning seamlessly into a new form. The swirling water instantly shifted around her and raced forward as she thrust her arms outward. Even as the mass of water surged forward it was solidifying, so by the time it was halfway to its intended target it already transformed into a shower of ice shards. In a matter of seconds, the life-size dummy that stood at the end of the training grounds turned into an enormous pincushion, covered from head to toe in ice shards several inches long.

Katara let out a hard, forced breath. She wasn't sure what had brought her out to this particular part of the palace, but once she had seen the training area she had decided to get some practice in. Blowing off some steam had seemed a good idea at the time, though it hadn't done much to lighten her mood.

She had just decided to go back inside and turned to go, when she saw him. Zuko was standing a few feet away, still dressed in his formal robes. His golden eyes had been taking in her whole appearance, and when they refocused on her face, there seemed to be a hint of remorse in them. She could guess what he was thinking right then, but he was going to find out just how stubborn she could be when she set her mind to something. Katara quickly closed the distance between them, stopping an arm's-length away. "How did you know where I was?"

"Just a guess." He took a deep breath. "Katara, we need to talk."

"Yes, we do." A trickle of anger seeped into her voice. "I already told you that I was staying, Zuko. So why did you and Dad suddenly decide, on your own, that I need to leave?"

"Did Sokka tell you that we got a letter from Iroh and the Order of the White Lotus?"

"Yes, he told me about needing to find the Earth King and bring him back to Ba Sing Se, but what does that have to do with me?"

"It means things have changed, Katara." His tone was patient, but insistent. "It's very important that Kuei is found quickly, and that Aang is there in Ba Sing Se to ensure a peaceful transition to Kuei's rule. But he's going to need help to do both."

"Sokka, Suki, and Toph can go with Aang. They'll be able to handle it by themselves."

"Toph will remain here in the city, which only leaves you, Sokka, and Suki."

Katara was surprised, and more than a little hurt, at hearing that he wanted someone else to stay behind with him. "But why Toph?"

"Because she can use her skills here to help track down anyone connected to the Sons of Sozin." His eyes narrowed. "And, most importantly, she's not being specifically targeted by assassins. You are."

"So are you," Katara immediately protested, "so why aren't you leaving?"

"I don't have a choice in the matter. I can't leave my country now after I just took over. You, however, have a choice."

"Any decision that pulls us apart isn't a choice in my eyes," she quietly answered as she stepped closer to him. "I know that you're worried about me, Zuko, and you're afraid that something might happen to me, but sending me away isn't the answer. We're a team, remember? I'm not going to let you fight this alone."

He shook his head. She saw the resolve in his eyes become mingled with fear. "This isn't your fight, Katara, and I'm not going to let you get hurt again, or worse, because of it."

"Zuko, I'm not going to run off to find some goofy ruler and his pet bear while a whole group of assassins is plotting to kill you. If the Sons of Sozin attack again-"

"Not if, but when. Your staying here will only provide them with another target for them to focus on, and…I can't allow that."

Detecting the slight tremble in his voice, Katara immediately reached her hand up to caress his face. Right before she could complete the action, his hand suddenly came up and grabbed her wrist, holding it firmly in place. The movement baffled her. "Zuko-?"

He let got of her wrist. "We both have responsibilities now that we can't afford to ignore." When Katara opened her mouth to protest, he cut her off. "-And I'm not just talking about finding the Earth King. Aang is the Avatar, and while he is wiser than us in many ways, the fact is he's still just a kid. He needs a strong hand to guide him, someone to help give advice, and to make sure that he stays on track." For a moment, she almost thought she saw a flash of jealousy cross his face, along with the sadness. "You can do that for him."

Katara felt like something was constricting her throat, and it took a moment to find her voice. "But that's not what I want."

"It doesn't matter. It's what needs to be done."

"How can you say that?" She took a ragged breath. "I know that, deep down, you want me to stay just as badly as I do."

Zuko's expression was grim as he looked away, and he waited a few moments before he spoke again. "I spent my whole life looking forward to the day when I would become the Fire Lord. I used to think that being a ruler was about having power and respect. I'm beginning to realize though, that it was only a very small part of the picture. Being a leader also means having a responsibility, or an obligation, to those that have placed their trust solely on you. I have to start looking beyond myself, and thinking about what's best for my country and its future." When he met her gaze again, his voice was firm. "That means that every decision, and every action, that I make from now on has to be as the Fire Lord, and not just as Zuko."

"What exactly do you mean?"

Katara had grown used to seeing the warmth and slight vulnerability in his eyes. Now, however, when she stared into the depths of his golden eyes, all she saw was cold, hard determination. "I can't let you stay here, and needlessly risk your life, when others need your help, Katara. That is why, as the Fire Lord, I am ordering you to leave the city today, and I will see it done…with, or without, your cooperation."

"You can't make me leave." She tried to make it seem like a demand, but even to her own ears, it sounded more like a desperate plea.

He spoke his next words slowly and precisely as his cold eyes watched her face. "I can, and I will…even if I have to slip something in your drink to do it."

Her eyes widened in shock. "You wouldn't dare."

"Yes, I would. One way or another, you will leave today with the others, and go with them to the Earth Kingdom. I will make sure of it."

A cold, nauseous sensation had started to form in the pit of her stomach, and now it was slowly starting to spread throughout the rest of her body. "Just last night, you told me that I could stay here with you…that we would be together."

"And we also agreed to take it one day at a time. You knew from the start, just like I did, that this might not work out. The situation has changed, and now we have to go our separate ways."

With a growing sense of horror, Katara realized that Zuko meant every single word of it. Moisture began to gather at the edges of her eyes. She could hardly get her next words out. "So that's it then?"

Zuko briefly closed his eyes. "It is." He took another deep breath, and when he opened them again, his gaze was hard and unwavering. "I need your guarantee that you'll leave with the others today."

It took Katara a moment to process his words. Her vision was becoming blurry, and her mind felt as if it was in a daze. Her entire being felt cold and numb, down to her very core.

"Katara…"

His golden eyes seemed to burn into hers, forcing her to answer him. When she finally found the words, she felt as if someone else was speaking for her. "I will."

Something flickered across his face in response, twisting his features, but it quickly disappeared. His voice was soft, but carefully controlled. "Good. You'll need to start packing right away. Aang and the others should be ready to leave soon."

She nodded mechanically. His lips parted, as if to speak, but then they pressed together again, and without another word, he abruptly turned away. Katara felt as if it was someone standing there, staring at him walking away, even after he was long gone. She felt numb, empty, lost.

Somehow, Katara made herself start walking, and it wasn't until she was in the guest quarters of the palace that she realized that she was heading to her room. It took her a few tries to open her door, due to the trembling in her hands, but once she was inside, a part of her felt relieved. It was only her and her own thoughts now as she made her way to her bedroom. Sitting down on her bed, the numbness finally faded away, and the pain came crashing in, pulling her under.

It would be a while before she surfaced again.

Suki walked into Sokka's bedroom, to find him, Aang, and his father all bent around a large map that was sprawled across a large table. Sokka looked deep in thought, and so didn't notice right away when Suki entered the room. Aang, however, saw her coming towards them and offered her a small smile.

"Hey, Suki."

She returned the smile, happy to find him in better spirits. "Hey, Aang." Walking around the table, she strode up to Sokka. By now he had refocused his attention on her, and leaned forward to give her a quick kiss.

"Is everything ready?" He asked her, to which she nodded. "All the supplies are packed now and ready to go. Did you find where we need to go?"

"Yeah, we did." Sokka pointed to the map, at a spot that was a good distance south of Ba Sing Se. "Iroh's letter said that the last time anyone saw or heard anything about Kuei was around a village called Wuhan, in the south-central part of the Earth Kingdom. I think it's best if we start there, to see if we can ask around and pick up any new leads."

"I think so too." Suki glanced at their destination on their map, and then looked backed at the current location. "That's quite a bit away from here."

"It is." Aang chimed in. "Even riding on Appa, it's going to take a little over a week to reach it."

Hakoda looked up from the map and met Suki's gaze. "That's why it's important that you leave immediately. We don't know how long it will take to find the Earth King." He then directed a regretful look at his son. "Though I don't enjoy having to split up again so soon…"

"We know, Dad." Sokka put a hand on his father's shoulder, and a look of understanding passed between the two of them. "But I know we'll see each other again, soon."

"Yes, we will." Hakoda briefly clasped his son's hand before letting it go. He cleared his throat, and looked at Suki. "Are you sure that you have everything for the trip?"

"We should." She paused. "I may have overlooked it, but I don't remember seeing Katara's stuff on Appa yet."

"Have any of you talked to her lately?" Hakoda asked. He appeared worried about something, which only furthered Suki's suspicions.

"Not since this morning," Sokka answered, and Hakoda's frown deepened.

"Someone needs to go check on her."

"I'll do it." Suki instantly volunteered, which produced slight looks of relief on the guys' faces. After giving Sokka a quick peck on the cheek, Suki left his rooms and walked down the hallway. When she reached Katara's guest room, she raised her arm and knocked loudly on the door. She waited, but didn't hear an answer right away, so after a moment, she knocked again. Still nothing. Now Suki quietly stepped closer to the door and put her ear against it. She didn't hear any noise right away, and she was just about to give up, when she heard some rustling from the other room. Soon enough, it was followed by footsteps coming towards the door, so she hastily straightened up.

The door opened to reveal Katara, who was once again wearing one of her water tribe outfits, and her blue necklace. Though her friend kept her expression blank when she greeted her, Suki could tell by the redness around her eyes that Katara had been recently upset.

"Hey Suki. What's going on?"

"Appa's all loaded up and ready to go. We were wondering if you were ready to go."

Katara gave a slight wince at her words, but she took a deep breath and then nodded. "I am. I just need to grab my things."

"Alright."

The other girl quickly turned and headed back into the room, leaving Suki out in the corridor by herself. But it didn't take long before Katara was back, with her bag slung across her back. As Katara walked out into the hallway, Suki noticed that she was holding something tightly in her one hand. It had to be something very small, because the only thing Suki could see was a small section of cord, like for a necklace. "What's that?"

"What's what?" Katara looked genuinely confused, until Suki pointed at her hand. A slightly panicked look appeared on her face, and she quickly looked away. "Oh, it's nothing." As soon as Katara said that, however, she looked back down at her clenched fist with an unreadable expression. As she stood there, staring down at whatever lay clutched in her hand, it almost seemed to Suki that Katara was torn, and unsure. Her friend's actions were starting to worry Suki a little.

"Katara, is everything okay?"

Her words seemed to startle the other girl, as if she had forgotten that Suki was even there. "Oh! I..." Katara hesitated. "I just…" She glanced back down at her hand, and then suddenly her mind seemed made up. When she met Suki's gaze, her hesitation was gone. "I have to do something first…before we go." When Suki opened her mouth to ask her about it, Katara interrupted her. "I'll be right back, I promise." Without waiting for an answer, she strode past Suki, and headed down the hallway.

"Okay..." Suki answered, mostly to herself. Now her curiosity was definitely piqued, but unfortunately, there wasn't anything to do about it at the moment. She stopped by Sokka's room again, and after informing the guys that Katara would be coming shortly, they made their way out to the courtyard, where Appa was waiting for them to leave. Some of their other friends were already there to tell them goodbye, for most of them would be leaving in the next couple of days with Hakoda's group. Toph was there as well, and Suki found it especially hard to say goodbye to her. She was definitely going to miss the diminutive earthbender.

Toph crossed her arms. "Alright, so I'm just going to say it. I don't really do goodbyes, especially with all the mushy stuff." The corner of her mouth curled up into a hint of a smile. "But I am going to miss you guys. So, just try to keep yourselves in one piece while you're off by yourselves, okay? Especially you, Snoozles."

Sokka quickly spoke up. "What exactly do you mean by that?—Ow!" Sokka yelped as Toph slugged him in the arm. "Aghh! What the hell was that for!"

Toph grinned. "And you still whine like a little girl." She then looked to Suki. "You're going to have to toughen him up or something…geez." Suki had to struggle to suppress a grin at Sokka's expense.

While Sokka was still grumbling and rubbing his arm, Suki looked over to see Zuko stiffly walking towards them. Suki could immediately tell that something was bothering him. There was a deep frown on his face, making his expression even more grim than usual.

When Zuko came up to the three of them, he went straight to business. "Did you guys get enough supplies for the trip? Wuhan is quite a long journey from here."

"Yeah, we should be just fine," Suki answered.

"Good," he answered, almost mechanically. He glanced at Sokka. "You should have found a large map in your rooms. You're more than welcome to keep it for your journey."

Sokka smirked. "Way ahead of you there, pal. It's already packed in my bags."

Toph snorted. "Yeah, there was no way Snoozles was going to leave here unless he had a thorough map of the entire countryside."

"Or enough food to feed an entire army," Suki teased her boyfriend, which made everyone smile. Everyone but Zuko that is, though his expression did lighten somewhat.

Sokka shrugged. "It's not like Zuko is hurting for food over here, so I thought I'd take a little for the road. You know, like our own little parting gift."

"Whatever helps," Zuko nonchalantly replied. "If you need anything else while you're at Wuhan or Ba Sing Se, just write me, and I'll send what assistance I can."

Suki spoke up. "We will, Zuko." Zuko nodded at her response, but then his gaze abruptly shifted to something behind her. He suddenly sucked in a sharp breath and became very still. Suki turned around to see what had caught his attention, and noticed that Katara had just entered the courtyard. Katara scanned the crowd around them, but stopped when she saw their group, her eyes widening as she noticed Zuko among them.

A flash of pain crossed Katara's features, and both she and Zuko seemed to forget everyone and everything around them as they continued to hold each other's gazes. Slowly, a new emotion appeared in Katara's expression, something that Suki could only describe as perhaps hope, or yearning. When Suki snuck a glance at Zuko, she thought, just for a moment, that she had seen the same desire burning in his golden eyes before they suddenly hardened. His lips became pressed into a firm line as he turned away, breaking their contact. Katara bit her lip and blinked several times before her hands curled into tight fists, and the hurt apparent in her features became replaced with anger. Suki felt both helpless, and confused, as she watched her friend head straight for Appa. She, however, hadn't been the only one who noticed what had just transpired.

Toph took a step in front of him. "Zuko, you can't-"

"Don't, Toph." Zuko refused to let her finish her sentence. "You've already said what's on your mind, and I've given you my answer. It's not going to change."

"If you stopped being so idiotic and stubborn-headed for just a moment-"

"No." His eyes narrowed in anger. "My decision is final. If you don't like it, no one's forcing you to stay."

They continued to stare at each other, until Toph finally gave in with a huff. "I already told you, Sparky. You're not getting rid of me that easy, even if you are being the world's biggest jerk right now." She uncrossed her arms. "I'm going to find Aang."

Sokka directed a bewildered look towards Zuko. "Um…did I just miss something?"

"It's nothing," Zuko quickly replied, and though his expression revealed nothing, Suki could still hear the slightest hint of a tremble in his voice. He was spared any further explanation, however, as Ty-Lee and the other Kyoshi warriors finally arrived to say their farewells.

After several more goodbyes, including a very long and heartfelt one to Hakoda, they were ready to go. Once Suki, Sokka, Katara, Aang-and Momo, of course-were all on Appa, they lifted off. Suki turned around to get one last view of the magnificent palace, and she saw Sokka and Aang do the same. Katara never even gave it a second glance.

Suki started to say something to her friend, in an effort to find out what was going on, but something stopped her. There was a certain quality to her eyes…at how they stared out into the open air without really seeing, that told Suki it was too soon. Sighing, she settled down next to Sokka. A somber mood had settled on their small group, and the quiet continued long after the palace was out of sight.

Zuko forced himself to walk at a measured pace as he headed towards his own rooms, but knew his self control was starting to slip. He could tell it by the way the palace staff took one look at his face and quickly backed away from him, or even stumbled in their haste to distance themselves. At this point, however, he couldn't bring himself to care.

He tried to focus his mind on the Sons of Sozin, and what he was going to do about them. They were a safer topic. It was much easier to deal with the anger inside of him, instead of the pain. His hands tightened into fists. The Weeping Merchant Inn would only be the first step. I will find and hunt down every last one of the Sons of Sozin, even if I have to spend my every waking hour doing it...

When he entered his room, a small part of him felt relief at finally being truly alone. In here, he didn't have to control his emotions, or hide behind a mask. He removed the crown from his topknot, but instead of placing it on his dresser right away, he just stood there and stared at it. It was strange, how light it actually was, when compared to the heavy responsibility it symbolized. Snatches of his conversation with Katara started to worm their way into his mind again, and with a sharp intake of breath, he quickly put the crown down. He frantically tried to fight off the sea of dark thoughts, and try to remember his one ray of hope. The Sons can't harm her anymore. She's far away, and she'll be safe. That's what's important…and it's the only thing that matters.

Zuko suddenly felt very hot and lightheaded, so he immediately went to his bedroom and took off his formal robes. Once he was just in his tunic, he took a few deep breaths, and tried to steady himself. When he opened his eyes, something on his bed caught his gaze. As he walked over to it, he realized what it was: it was the same bronze sun pendant that Katara had worn at the dance, the one that had been given to her by Hina.

At the sight of it, all the hurt and pain Zuko had been desperately trying to keep in check broke free, and he sunk to his knees. Katara, will you ever forgive me? Will I ever forgive myself?

He slowly reached out and picked up the necklace, holding it as if it was the most precious thing in the world to him. Zuko swallowed back the moan that tried to escape his throat. This was hers…she left it for me…

The image of her beautiful face, marred by the hurt and pain that he had placed there, kept appearing before him, and it made no difference if his eyes were closed or not. The muscles in his arms began to tremble, but as much as he tried, he couldn't get the shaking to stop. He was lost now, in the tempest raging deep within him…and centered around a pair of blue, haunted eyes.

Author's Note: Oh, what to say...this chapter is a scary one to post. It's crazy because I love this chapter so much and have re-read it a zillion times, yet I know that some of my readers will not be very happy with me for it. When I wrote this part about six years or so ago, this was my first fanfic and by the time I got to this point in the story, I wanted to shake things up and try my hand at some angst. That being said, I didn't put angst in here just for the sake of angst-the decisions and choices that Zuko and Katara make here and in the next few chapters will have some direct effects on key events in later chapters. I've always been one to plan out the plots of my stories way in advance, so even when I wrote this chapter I could see how it was going to change other people and events later down the road. There will be a lot of plot development in the upcoming chapters, and important growth for both Zuko and Katara.

I will humbly ask for my readers to have a little patience... I have about 23 chapters written at this point and should still be able to post very regular, so I hope you will keep hanging in there. The fact that I have so many people still reading this Zutara story is pretty awesome. I appreciate everyone for taking the time to read my story, and a special thanks to those who have posted reviews-it really is great motivation, not just for finishing this story but already to other stories that I dream of writing :-) Thanks!