As Zuko watched the mask drown beneath the waters of the lake, he watched his past drown as well. His hands shook, he felt tears stinging in his eyes as he tried to let go of the things that haunted him. He watched his father, his sister, his title all sink down. Swallowing hard, he hoped that he could let them go. He hoped that he could find his own destiny as Uncle had told him. Iroh was always right, and he had always been wise in what he had told Zuko, but Zuko was too weak. It wasn't pride, it wasn't anything else that held Zuko back except weakness.
Zuko had never tried to let go of his drive for honor. But, Zuko was afraid of failure. He was afraid that if he tried to let go of his past and start over, that it would come back to haunt him. It always seemed to, anyway. How would it be that he could start over and not be haunted? He would try, and he would try not to give into temptation. It would be hard, and as Zuko watched the mask disappear beneath the blue waters, he found there was one thing he couldn't let go of.
Sokka. He had opened up to the other teenager and let him in. He had let the warrior see his feelings towards him, and Sokka had denied him. The anger and rage still shook inside of his heart, but sadness and hurt set in too. Throughout his life, Zuko had never felt a compassion or a need for someone the way he had felt it for Sokka. Sure, he had tried to make excuses for his feelings and push them out of his head, but the more he did that, the stronger they came back. Nights before, he had had sex with the other boy, something he had never done before. He had give Sokka his body and himself, and although that night was not one of strong emotion, but of animal need, there had been something more to the touching and kissing. The next encounter that he had with Sokka had been Zuko at his weakest. He had let Sokka see that he had feelings. And Sokka didn't let him in. His…love (was it love?) for the other boy had too been a failure, just like everything else.
Zuko would try to forget about everything, but Sokka was something he wasn't going to forgive and forget and move on. Sokka would haunt him longer than anything else.