Katara woke up when she heard a loud crash. She sat pin straight, and her baby blue eyes popped open. She was greeted by a panic-stricken person.

"Sorry!" Zuko said. "Did I wake you?" Katara sighed, "No I like springing from the bed. It's a nice way to wake up." Though her voice was practically wet with sarcasm, Zuko smiled. "I'm sorry, but I've been getting our things together." Katara rubbed her groggy eyes. "Things? Where are we going?" Zuko looked more confused than her. "The Greenhouse, remember? To look for my mom."

It all began to come back to Katara. "Right, but I thought we were gonna have breakfast first." "We'll have breakfast on the boat. The sooner we get there, the sooner we can see if there is anything that would give us a hint to where she could be - or better yet, if she's there."

Katara unrolled the covers, and got out of bed. "Okay," she said. "Then let's get going." Zuko handed her her sack, and smiled, "Come on, we have to hurry. It's already eight hours after the highest moon."

…

When Katara and Zuko arrived at the dock, Zuko went up to the counter to request a rental boat for the rest of the day. He came back shortly, and motioned for Katara to follow him, and they both walked to the boat marked with a number "23."

"I think this one is it." Zuko said. Katara nodded she overheard the vendor say "Boat Number 23." He helped Katara step into the small boat, and climbed in himself.

"Alright, so, you can take the right paddle, and I the left?" he offered. Katara looked at Zuko like he was dropped on the head as a child.

"Zuko," she began. "I'm a waterbender. Remember?" Zuko shyly looked to the ground, and turned a rosy pink. "Oh right," he said, clearly embarrassed at his ignorance. "So I guess, you... er..."

Katara smiled lightly, walked to the middle of the boat, and began waving her hands in backwards circles. Before he knew it, Zuko and Katara were speeding off into the sea, much faster than if they had used paddles.

This speedy shortcut had cut the boat ride in half, and they were there in fifteen minutes. The island that Zuko had talked about looked a lot bigger, than Katara had pictured. It was a circular shape, and very mountainous.

When they got to the shore, Katara helped Zuko tie the small canoe to a tree, so that it wouldn't float away.

Katara looked up into vast mountains, and turned to Zuko. "Let me guess: the greenhouse is at the top of one of these mountains?" Zuko nodded his reply, and Katara groaned.

"In that case," she began. "I think we outta stop, and eat. Bending burns a lot of calories, and if we're gonna climb this mountain, I'll need all the energy I can get."

"I was just gonna suggest that," Zuko smiled, already pulling the berries, leechi nuts, and seal jerky from his bag. He piled it in the middle, and they both began to dig in.

…

When breakfast was over, Katara stared high into the vast mountaintops.
"Ready?" Zuko asked her. She nodded, but was still worried about this whole adventure. "Then lets go," he said, and started for the bottom of the mountain.

"If it's anything like I remember the climb is only about an hour or so," Zuko began. "We'll make it up there with plenty of daylight left, but that's why we had to leave early: to get a head start."

Zuko disappeared into the deep forest before Katara permeated through the boundary. The mountain looked even taller from this angle. "Come on," Zuko called, already at least 10 feet up the side of the mountain. "I'm coming!" Katara yelled back, and she ran to catch up with him.

…

Zuko had been wrong. The hike was much longer than an hour. Katara could tell by how much the sun had moved that it was already noon; and if that wasn't a sure sign, Katara's stomach began to growl uncontrollably. "Zuko, I think we should stop. We both need energy if we're gonna go much further."

"We're almost there now," he replied. Katara sighed, but said under her breath, "You said that a mile ago."

"I heard that," he joked with her, trying to lighten the atmosphere. "And I only said that so that you would have more willpower. This time, we really are almost there."

"Prove it," she teased, knowing there really was no way. "Okay," Zuko said, confidently. "Go through this canopy." Katara stared ahead at where the sheltering trees looked like a magnificent curtain, waiting to be drawn. Skeptical, she wasn't expecting anything to be behind it, but when she stepped through the branches and leaves, she was greeted by a wondrous transparent building. Already, Katara could smell the dozens of herbs growing there.

"My mother used to wake me up very early in the morning whenever she'd want to come here. We'd take the paddle boat - and actually paddle," he added with a laugh. "Then we'd hike up and have lunch right up here." He paused for a moment here, reaching into his bag. "Which is exactly what we are going to do here," he announced holding a tasty looking dish, piled high with assorted cheeses and fruits. Katara smiled at the thoughtful gesture. "Come on," he smiled, and grasped Katara's hand, leading them into the greenhouse.

When they were both seated and began to eat, Katara asked Zuko something that had been bugging her all day.

"Zuko?"

"Yea?"

"Er, last night you, er, said... something..."

Zuko was caught off guard by what she was talking about, and turned a rosy shade as the blood rushed to his cheeks.

"Oh, that?"

"Well... when you first said it, I was kind of shocked, so I just, well, kept quiet, but I've been thinking about it all day, and I realized something." She paused here, scared of what she was about to say; more than that, scared of how Zuko would react.

"I love you, too," she said, smiling.

Zuko looked at the pink, smiling Katara, and kissed her, on impulse. He didn't even think about; he just knew that he needed to do it. He was in love with the most amazing girl, and what's more, she loved him back. And her kiss proved it.

Katara looped her fingers around Zuko's neck, allowing him to deepen the kiss. He placed his hands on her small and gentle waist.

They both broke apart at the same time, and their breathing matched the other. Zuko had never been in love with a girl before, but he certainly liked how it felt.

Finishing up her meal, Katara offered, "So do you wanna have a look around?"

Zuko responded by standing up, and helping Katara to her feet. They began with the lavender beds.

…

"Well that was no help," Zuko lamented once they were back on the mainland. Katara felt bad for him. They had just spent an entire afternoon searching for his mother with no hint at all found. "I'm sorry, Zuko," was all she could think to say. "What do you want to do now?"

Zuko shook his head. "Just clear my thoughts. I just... can't deal with this right now." He ran his fingers through his hair, a sure sign that he was fed up. Katara extended her hand closer to Zuko. "Come on," she said. "Let's take the long way back." Zuko grasped her hand, and they began walking along the shops.

Jewelry was being sold on the right and fish on the left. Then they walked a few paces and fire flakes were being sold on the right with vegetables on the left, and so on the lined-up shops went. Zuko and Katara held hands through all of the chaos that surrounded them with the greedy vendors and the cheap consumers. Arguments broke loose, but all Zuko and Katara could do was pout, for the bystanders had no idea just how much the young couple had been through.

Few people looked at Zuko, and those who did, did not recognize him as the Fire Lord without his traditional crown and robes. Just when the shops were ending, something caught Zuko's tired eyes.

Right at the last tent, a hooded man was buying a lot of produce. Zuko looked at him for a while, and realized where he knew that dark cape from.

It was the same man that had seen Zuko so many times before, whose piercingly bright eyes scarred Zuko's cornea from sixty feet away. He couldn't believe he had finally come face to face with him.

"Hey, you!" he shouted. "Stop where you are!" Zuko began to run towards him, but the caped man was fast, and started running away. When it began as a chase, Katara hurried to catch up. "Zuko what do you think you are doing?"

She was clearly confused, but Zuko didn't care. He had never been so close to this thing before, and he had to know who - or what - it was. Finally, the man rounded a corner that Zuko knew led to a dead ended alley.

And sure enough, the man was in shock that he had nowhere left to run to. Catching his breath, Zuko began pestering him with questions.

"Who are you?"

The man was silent.

"How do you keep following me?"

Still no answer.

"Why do you keep following me?"

The man did not even open his mouth beneath his hood.

"Answer me!" Zuko shouted, getting frustrated. His hands immediately lit in flames, and Katara knew to keep her distance.

Zuko noticed the man's head tilt up, and reveal shockingly horrifying gold eyes.

"Zuko," it began, and Zuko was about to ask how it knew his name, but the mysterious creature interrupted him.

"Please, my love, listen to me," the hooded figure began. The voice was soft and sweet, yet, in one way, stern.

That voice.

"Everything I've done, I've done to protect you."

It can't be.

"Remember this, Zuko," the figure - who Zuko could now tell was a woman - said.

Impossible.

"No matter how things may seem to change."

No.

"Never forget who you are."

Zuko's eyes began to tear up, and when he spoke his voice cracked.

"M-mom?"