Zuko led the animal to the small barn around the back of the inn. He walked back out to the front of the building. He looked around the small semi-secluded area. It was in the middle part of Ba Sing Se, not necessarily the best but a far cry from the worst of the city. He took the steps up to the loft room that Katara had managed to talk the inn keep down on price. He had enough money left for the room for another night if it came to that, but he hoped they didn't have to stay more then they needed to. He walked into the room and stopped. Katara was sitting on the floor at the table, with her back facing the door. Her outer shirt was off, leaving only her small undershirt, and she effortlessly pulled the water from her recently washed hair. She must have heard the door open because she turned to look over her shoulder at him as she grabbed her outer shirt. She pulled it over her head and stood up. She turned around and leaned against the wall. She stared at him for a moment then looked down at the ground.

"Are you gonna close the door or are you gonna stand there and gawk all day?" Zuko frowned and shut the door behind him. Katara walked over and set down on the bed. She looked up at him and shook her head. She looked down at her chest and pulled the cloth over just enough to expose the cut. She let out a heavy sigh and looked back up at him with a confused look.

"I've ran the reasoning through my mind over and over, but I cannot possibly think of one thing that could have made that happen unless you cut me yourself." Zuko frowned and set on the edge of the bed next to her. He leaned over and set his elbows on his knees. He thought for a moment and closed his eyes. He touched the tips of his fingers together.

"If I didn't think you would call me crazy, it would be easier to tell you." Katara shook her head and turned to face him. She pulled her legs up and crossed them.

"I already think you are crazy. It can't get much worse." Zuko turned his head and frowned at her. He shook his head and looked back at his fingers.

"Years and years ago, there were a number of things that happened that I regret. One of those things was the loss of someone very close to me. I would have given anything to have her back." He stopped for a moment and seemed to contemplate whether he should continue or not. He took a deep breath and blew out a puff of steam.

"I did do something I will, to the day I die and many past, regret with every ounce of my soul. " He looked at her and stared at her for a moment. He dropped his eyes to let them rest on the cut for a moment then looked back up at her.

"I made a blood pact with the spirit Kuiodio, I shed my blood to quench her thirst so that she would bring my loved one back. I became her pet in a way, but she never followed through on her part." Zuko stopped and looked down at the floor. "So I took back my part, the ounce of blood that she took from me, I took back." He stood up and started pacing.

Katara watched as his mind replayed things that had happened years ago. She stood up and walked over to him. She stopped him as he turned around and grabbed his hands. He looked at her and shook his head.

"She came back into the castle that night, while I slept she came into my room. That's when she left me the scar to remind me. She vowed that I would never forget the betrayal, and she would one day finish what she started one way or another." Katara squeezed his hand and shook her head. She thought for a moment then stepped closer to him. She wrapped his arms around her then wrapped hers around him. She squeezed him tight. She set her head against his chest and listened. He looked down at her and pushed her back a little.

"What are you doing?"

"I was just testing a theory." Zuko cocked his eyebrow and stared at her.

"And what would that be?" She smiled and stepped away from him.

"That you do have a heart." Zuko frowned and crossed his arms over his chest. He turned his back to her and shook his head.

" I tell you something from my past and you get mushy."

"Not mushy, just curious. Now that I know you have a heart, I know that you are human."

"Hmph." She frowned and grabbed a cushion off of the bed and hit him in the back with it. He turned around and glared at her.

"Don't hmph at me." She said and crossed her arms over her chest with the pillow still in hand. He looked at her and cocked his head to the side.

"Hmph." She shook her head and hit him again with the pillow. He grabbed it from her and raised it above her head. She reached up for it, having to stand on her tip toes to even touch it with her finger tips. With a quick movement he grabbed her around the waist with his free hand, and tossed the pillow behind him. He pulled her against him and stared at her. She stared up at him with wide eyes.

"Hmph." He said and let go of her. They both started laughing and he sat down on the edge of the bed. He looked up at her and frowned. She was tracing her fingers along the cut. She sat down on the floor cross-legged in front of him.

"That would explain your scar, but it still doesn't explain my dream." He took a deep breath and thought for a moment.

"She was the spirit of death, reincarnation, and jealousy. That would explain part of it. She found out that you have by crossed paths entered my life. She probably took our relationship in the wrong direction. But since she recognized our relationship as something more then plutonic, she will cast my memories of her into you. I would guess as a means to drive you away. But it also means that whatever pain that she gave me will happen to you as well, even if it is physical."

Katara nodded and then crossed her arms.

"Wait are you telling me that an old spirit girlfriend of yours, thinks that we are together, so she is trying to run me off with your memories of her?" Zuko nodded. He reached his hand out to her and pulled her up to sit next to him.

"Which also means that she will send her minions after you." Katara stared at him. She shook her head.

"Like I said, if it isn't one thing it's another." She stood up and stepped back from her she walked over tot he door and stopped with her hand on the knob.

"I'm going down to the market...do you need anything?" Zuko shook his head and leaned back on the bed.

"No..." Katara nodded and shut the door behind her. She walked down the stairs and stopped at the bottom. She walked around the small town for a while then sat down on a small fountain that was in the center. She looked down into the water and pulled a small orb to her hand. She froze it and gripped both hands around it. She looked at it for a moment then sent it back to the fountain. She looked up at the sky and watched the clouds. How she missed the guys. She wanted to be back in their company and she wanted to see them again. Then on the other hand, she didn't want to leave Zuko. There was something about him that pulled to her. He wasn't as evil as they had thought, but there was something about him that was on the bad side. She wanted everything to be right, but could things be right with Aang, Sokka and Zuko thrown into the mix?