Authors note: Alright, this chapter will center mainly on how they are getting ready to fight the Fire Lord. Seeing as he's Zuko's father…there could be trouble. Just a character building chap. After this one, it will probably get more intense. Please read and review.

Chapter Thirty-Six

Honor or Love

"We're here…" Aang announced as every looked up, "This is where we will stay until the Day of Black Sun. When the eclipse starts we'll meet up with the rest of our help that Hokada rounded up."

"So what do we do while we wait?" Suki questioned.

"Practice I guess, I mean the eclipse is in two days."

Suki shrugged before jumping off Appa. She shoved Ty Lee in the process who just rolled her eyes. The two had gone to not even talking; at least it was better than killing each other.

"Alright then…Aang, firebending stance."

Instantly the Avatar jumped into position as Iroh began to shoot rages of fire at him. Aang blocked in just seconds before it hit him.

"Wow, Aang has gotten really good…" Katara murmured.

She waterbended out of her canteen and shot it straight through a rock. The rock slowly split in half.

Suki brought out a fan as Sokka brought out his sword. The two exercised blocking and sneak attacks. Ty Lee just watched from the sidelines, seeing as her leg wasn't ready yet.

Zuko looked at the scene from Appa as did Toph.

"Kinda cool, isn't it?" she remarked.

"What?" he questioned back.

"Them…"

Zuko looked at the Avatar and all his companions and shrugged.

"I suppose so…"

"You don't get it, do you?"

"Get what, Toph?"

She gave a sly grin, "I didn't either, until they told me. Katara over there, she's the only waterbender from the southern water tribe in her whole generation. Sokka didn't have any master until some moons ago, now look at him."

Zuko glanced for a moment but turned back.

"Suki, the girl who keeps fighting with Ty Lee, is practicing the ancient art Avatar Kyoshi practiced herself. Then there's Aang…well, you know his story."

Zuko looked away as Toph sighed.

"I used to tell myself I was probably the most amazing bender, no, the most amazing fighter there ever was. Look how much I was proved wrong…"

"None of them are blind…"

Zuko sat next to Toph and she nodded with a sly grin.

"That, you have right…you got a lot things right, Firehead. Maybe you're just another person to prove me wrong."

The prince smiled for a moment before Aang approached him.

"Your uncle says he's done training. He says you should train me now."

Zuko shook his head, "I can't."

"Why not?"

"I just can't, okay?"

Aang frowned but airbended back down to his uncle. When he told him a scowl came upon the retired general's face.

"What's wrong, Zuko?" Toph asked, "Why can't you train Aang?"

"I just don't want to!"

"Why not?!"

"I will not train the person who took my honor away!"

"What kind of reason is that?"

Zuko turned from Toph and walked away from the entire group. He disappeared into a cluster of trees.

"You wouldn't even know…"

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"What are you doing, Zuko?"

"I'm doing nothing…"

"Zuko, why are you trying to fight peace?"

"Peace or honor? I've always wanted honor…"

"Zuko…I should have never left you. I should have stayed and fought but I was scared…I was scared of dying. I didn't want you to die, I didn't want to die. So I left, it was probably the biggest mistake of my life."

"…I hated it without you."

"I know and every day I worried. When I saw your banishment papers I…"

"Why is honor so hard to obtain?"

"It isn't…only honor you were never meant to have is."

"What do you mean?"

"Zuko, your father never wanted to give you honor…he never will. I'll never know what happened to him, what changed, but I know you have to move on."

"But mother, I have nothing else…"

"Yes you do, you have people who care about you. Your uncle, he treated you like a son. He loves you. Don't you even notice that?"

"I do but-"

"The Avatar and his friends, they went past everything you had done and cared for you. Haven't you noticed that?"

"I have…"

"Ty Lee, she might be a little more than you want but she needs. And Mai…Zuko you have to find her, she needs and you need her."

Zuko didn't answer back as she finished.

"I care about you…so many people care about you. They love you…does honor compare to love?"

"I don't know…"

"Which is more important, Zuko?"

"I don't know!"

"You do know, tell me, which is more important?"

"Please!"

"Tell me!"

"…Love!"

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Zuko woke up in a sweat as he looked around him. He was in the dark of the forest as night had overcome day.

"Love…" he whispered.

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Authors note: Well then, we finally see Zuko getting more into him self. I'm trying to move him more towards choosing his father or his friends. Okay, I'll try to update soon.