Note: Well here it is, Chapter Twenty-One. WARNING: the emotional capicity is a little overboard, proceed with caution. lol. And I realize that some people are a bit confused. If you have any questions, email me; But if you read on to the future chapters you'll better understand the story. Also, I am not the best at charactizing Sokka, but I hope you like it! And PLEASE review!

Chapter Twenty-One: Remorse

The scarred, angry man fell down to the earth once again and tried clearing his head, but it all raced back to him. Staring into the dirt he somehow heard a faint whisper in his ear. 'Don't worry, my love. This will all turn out okay. She'll come back, I promise.' That soft, unforgettable voice; he suddenly shot his eyes up from the dust.

Hesitating, he almost inaudibly let out, "Mom?" Her soothing voice echoed in his mind. 'It will all turn out okay…' she finished. Desperately gazing around, Zuko found no trace of her. Rising up he added in panic, "Wait." He didn't want to lose her, not after so many years, why wouldn't she answer? Still glimpsing through the dusty plains, there was no one. He was alone. Bowing his head, he felt too much pain and regret. She was gone. Emotions seemed to uncontrollably bubble inside him. He tried to calm himself, but he was too caught up in her soft words. 'Please come back,' the boy begged in his deep thoughts, but no answer or response came.

Not again; he felt them flowing from his eyes again as Zuko knelt down into the dust, trying to conceal his pain. And yet somehow he finally let go of hiding it, of hiding any emotions, and let them run down his face. No one was around to notice, they were all enjoying the prosperous, joyful festival. The Sun now hid just beyond the horizon and the smooth full moon became visible. It seemed to glow with a new light this night.

Meanwhile, Aang, Katara, Toph, Karon, and even Iroh watched silently as a skilled waterbending team preformed a beautiful dance. Chloe had been watching also, that is until she noticed Sokka, he seemed depressed. Pacing up to the outer border of the town, where a small fence stood she rested against it, next to the young boy and glanced at him surprisingly. She had never seen him so, sad.

"Hey," the girl whispered calmly, then added in concerned, "Are you okay?"

Sokka only continued gazing up at the full moon in remorse, but replied blankly, "Yea." His voice was unusually rough, the tone you almost never heard him speak, except when sorrow or regret seemed to shadow him. There had to be something wrong.

"Sokka, what's wrong?" Chloe asked gently, trying not to pry.

Painfully glancing away from her gleaming presence and the young girl he mumbled, "It's nothing."

Determined to help him, she pulled the boy to face her and stared directly in his eyes. "Sokka," Chloe let out forcefully. Placing her hands sympathetically on his shoulders she whispered sincerely. "What is it?"

Glaring back at her overshadowing, yet loving light, the man finally gave out the words he fought to keep inside. "I, I just miss her so much." Chloe gazed up at him as he stared into the full moon.

"Who?" she asked softly, being as caring as she could.

"When Aang, Katara and I went to the North Pole, I met this girl, Princess Yue. She was so beautiful and kind; just as I was reaching the point of telling her how I felt, she announced that she was engaged; engaged to this arrogant, cocky man, Hahn." Sokka stopped and glimpsed down at Chloe with anguished eyes. She kept silent, listening to his words completely and waited for him to continue on. Sighing, the boy again explained how the woman he seemed to love was taken from him. "When Yue was born, her eyes were shut and she was silent, like she was sleeping. She was going to die if her father, Chief Arnook, hadn't begged the spirits to save her. Surprisingly the mortal form of the Moon Spirit passed some of its powers onto her, turning Yue's hair white.

Her father always knew asking the spirits for such help would have its consequences. While we were at the North Pole, during the Fire Nation's attempt at siege, the moon spirit was killed. It seemed all hope was gone, when-," Sokka let out, but stopped to take a deep breath, easing his emotions and looked back up at the moon. "Yue, she gave her life so that the moon spirit could live. Yue is the moon spirit. She gave the world back its balance. But I tried to stop her, tell her she didn't have to do this; and she refused. It was her destiny, to become the moon spirit."

Speechless, Chloe sat there motionless peering up at the simple southern water tribe warrior who had already gone through so much. Somehow releasing a slight curve into her face the young girl watched his pain as he again glanced down at her. "They took away the one woman I ever truly loved. And I can't go on without her. Every time I look up at the moon, I see her in it. I can't live without her here, with me." His eyes slanted down into the dust.

The small girl took his chin, and made him glimpse back up at her, letting her words out in sincerity and empathy. "Sokka, I'm sure that she is always here, with you, watching over you. Even when our souls leave the mortal world, we will always find our way back into the hearts of the ones we love." Pressing her hand up against his chest she finished, "Yue will always be with you, in your heart." They both stared directly into each other's eyes for a few moments, before Sokka seemed to grin somewhat relieved. Chloe smiled happily back at him, so glad to see his pain being washed away by what could have been the moon's soothing tides. She rested her arms around his shoulders and hugged him compassionately. The boy's troubles seemed to wear away in the smooth moonlight. -

Ambling through the deserted streets as the festival still thrived on, Chloe searched for the young man she sought. He was no where to be found; she felt after that moment, after Sokka's renewal, she had to find him, she had to give it another chance. As she reached the edge of Chong Jui's legacy of a town, she almost gave up hope, until the dark figure still resting among that cliff caught her eye. His presence reflected in the loved princess's light; she seemed to glisten even stronger now. Almost as if out of the heavens, a small gathering of clouds appeared over the two old acquaintances and rejoice of peace in the aging town.

Chloe silently paced up to Zuko, her steps soft and well-taken. The man still felt these feelings that he'd kept in for so long flowing uncontrollably. He sensed his old friend walking up. As she rested next to him he solemnly glimpsed away, hiding the tears from her.

Her eyes remained softened by the past moments, and warm for feeling another chance to do something right for this. Raising her hand up to his shoulder she softly, simply rested it on his shoulder, trying to give him some kind of relief. "Zuko," Chloe whispered, attempting to begin what could be the second chance to let them be real friends as they seemed once.

Suddenly she stopped. As his face turned away from her, it seemed her eyes beheld the vision as a simple droplet fell from his chin. Pulling back in disbelief, confusion, and yet some kind of empathy Chloe again whispered out to him. "Zuko," she let out as her hand reached his jaw and turned him towards her. She felt some kind of pain, or repression. Tilting her head in silence she raised another hand and placed it upon his face, feeling the warm liquid braid through her fingers.

He held back, searching for something to say, something to do. This couldn't be happening; he would never let anyone see this happening, and yet now it did. Breathing in, ready to speak he began to let out shaded words, but he saw her look, her expression. It couldn't really be explained by inspiring words and insightful adjectives, only the vision of this one look her face recoiled. It seemed that she could hear his thoughts, and he heard hers completely.

"What is the matter, Zuko?" Chloe asked smoothly still warming his pain with her soft hands and even more mesmerizing gaze. Those eyes, finally he could recognize their gleam once more.

Turning his glare into the growing clouds, the boy removed her hands from his face. "It was nothing."

"I know it is something Zuko, something too meaningful and painful for you to keep it in. Please, look beyond the past and just tell me what's on your mind," the woman flowed certainly, without any hesitation or fear of rage this time, with tranquility, empathy. She didn't care about the chance of another heartbreaking argument, not this time; because she saw the true pain in his eyes.

"Ever since the night my mother left, the night my life changed, I've always believed that she was really here with me. But after nearly six years, I lost hope, I lost faith. She was the only one who ever showed me love and made my life worth living, that is until Uncle returned home. But after she was gone," his voice spoke before pausing in depression. Glaring coldly into the dark distance he continued on, "I felt completely alone. My father became Fire Lord, Azula followed after his every step, and I was the outcast, the one that just didn't belong anymore. Banishment or not, my father and I were never meant to be close, to really ever show care or empathy," Zuko commented, pouring out sixteen years of confusion and anger. Sighing he glanced off into the dusty distance. "So I believed my mother was still there, watching over me. But after all this, it seemed that was just a stupid myth."

Clenching his eyes shut, trying to elude the pain he then explained. "When you left earlier, I, well I- I heard her voice again. She told me everything would turn out okay. She said you would come back." Opening his eyes the boy sighed once again and felt a small mist begin to fall from the mystical clouds hovering above them. "But she stopped and her voice vanished. I begged her to come back, but she was gone." Clasping his golden whites shut once again and clenching his teeth, the flowing came back. "I need her. I've always felt that she was maybe by my side, guiding me through this, but once her whispers disappeared, I felt all it come back. Everything that has happened in these past three years caught up with me. I need her," Zuko finished, his voice shook weakly.

Running her gentle hand into his pure, reflective black hair she gazed at him, deeply into the eyes feeling tears of her own coming. "Zuko," her lips released, letting her words crumble in this emotion, not pain or anger, not regret or confusion. Paving her hands across his chest, around his back, and grasping him caringly she held on endlessly. The mist heightened into deep rain as it washed away his misery, his remorse and Chloe hung onto him, aiding in his release. Their past and present pains, feelings, and regrets ran from their eyes without hesitance. Their remorse washed away.