I'm currently working on a timeline of events in my fanfic, to get all the weeks and days smoothed out. Eventually, I'll have the dates up along with the where at the beginning of the scene changes. So, for now, if the time doesn't quite add up it will... Eventually...

Omashu-

"Suki?" Aang and Katara looked stunned. "What, what?"

"Miss me?" Suki asked.

"H-how?"

"Chance, really. I arrived here about a month ago. We'd heard rumors of a war in the north pole. My village leader did not know if you were involved or not, so he sent me to find you guys and help protect you. I tracked you from my village to here, Omashu, with my pet Jongo (He's stabled down-town right now). It's my great fortune that you are here! Although..." She looked thoughtful. "Have you guys already been to the north pole? Was there really a war? Is it over?"

"Yeah." Aang replied. "We won... It's a long story."

"We have time!" Suki said joyfully. "I'm just glad you're all safe, except, where's-"

"Where is everyone?" Sokka stepped into the room. "There you guys- SUKI?"

"Sokka!" Suki raced across the room and threw her arms around him. "Oh, oops, sorry." She unraveled herself, looking embarrassed. "I'm a warrior," She silently berated herself.

"Suki, what, what are you doing here?" Hundreds of feelings raced through Sokka as his world turned around.

"Well..."

Stories were exchanged, about Suki and the happenings at the North Pole. After all was told, Suki looked sadly at Sokka.

"I'm sorry about Princess Yue. You, you really love, loved her?" Suki looked pained.

"Yes. Very much..."

Suki abruptly stood up, and calmly walked out of the room. Sokka made no move to follow her. "Sokka!" Katara berated him.

"What?"

"You upset her! Go apologize! You emotionless... Man!"

"It's true though!"

"I don't care! Go!"

"Woman..." Sokka muttered and slouched after her.

"Men." Katara muttered. Aang laughed. "What is so funny?" Katara demanded.

"N-nothing." Aang snorted again. "They act so similar..." Aang thought to himself.

Outside the Palace-

"Hey, Suki?"

"What do you want?"

Sokka went and stood next to her, overlooking the grand city of Omashu. "Suki... I'm sorry." Suki leaned over and planted a kiss on Sokka's lips. He stood passively for a moment, then began to return it, until he could taste salt and paint. Suki was crying. "Suki..."

Suki's warrior's paint began to run off her face because of the tears. "Why? What does this Yue have that I don't? She sacrificed herself, huh? Well, I can do that! I'll go throw myself at Ozai right now!" She began to sob. Sokka looked stunned. This wasn't the warrior that he knew. This was just Suki, a lost little teenager who had fallen for the wrong guy. He wiped the now muddled paint off her face, then grinned. "What?" She demanded.

"I've never seen just your face before. You're very, beautiful."

"Not as pretty as Yue, I bet."

Sokka sighed. "Suki, I loved Yue. But, just as I loved my water village, I also love Omashu. If for some reason my water village was destroyed, I would then love Omashu more, because it is not just memories, it is something substantial."

"Meaning, even if you love Yue more, she is gone, so you'll settle for me?"

"No!" Sokka said, distressed. "That's not what I meant!"

"I'm sorry, I don't want to live in another woman's shadow." Suki turned on her heel and stalked back inside.

"Damn." Sokka muttered. "That's the Suki I know, stubborn and proud. D'oh, I sure botched that one up..." A scream was heard inside. "Shit!" Sokka ran inside, to find himself in the middle of chaos. Smoke filled the chamber, and there were lumps of bodies scattered all over the ground like kindling. "What happened?" Sokka shook the nearest body, Katara, who was coughing on the floor. "Aang! Where's Aang?"

"G-gone. Some insane firebender came and... I couldn't stop..." Katara began to cough violently.

"Damn!" Sokka ran over to the other body, Suki. She wasn't moving. "Suki! Suki! Get up! Please, Suki!" Her eyelids shuddered. "Thank God! What happened?"

"Firebender, just came, I couldn't, my fans..." She gestures to her fans which lay, broken, on the floor.

"Broken? How did a fan of Kyoshi break? Who is this person? How could one blasted firebender take out a warrior, earthbender, and waterbender?"

"Aang! We have to find Aang!" Sokka whirled around to see Katara struggling to her feet, staggering in the direction the firebender had taken Aang.

"No!" Sokka cried. "You're too weak! We lost Aang, I'm sure as hell not losing you. We need a plan!" He looked back at Suki, who was in his arms. She was once again unconscious. "SUKI! Dammit, I need you!"

Zuko's Ship-

thump thump

"Come in." Zuko called.

"Hey." Mat stepped in.

"What do you want?"

"How far from Omashu are we?"

"Two days."

"Ok, cool." Mat hesitated.

"Was there something else?"

"Nah, never mind. Thanks for taking me on."

"You're welcome."

The door clicked shut.

Thump thump

"Come in. Ah, hello, Mat. Did you need something?"

"Hi, Iroh. I've seen you practice with Zuko. Do you think you could spar with me a bit?"

"Well now, that's an interesting question."

"Well, you know, I need to stay sharp." Mat grinned. "I used to do quite a bit of fighting, but lately I've fallen out of practice."

"Mhmm." Iroh mumbled. "Very well, there is nothing better to do, eh?" He wearily got up from his chair. "What is your preferred weapon?"

"Scimitar." Mat replied, drawing her twin scimitars.

"Hmm, scimitar. Let's see, these butterfly swords will be a good match for your scimitars, right?" Mat shrugged. They headed up to the deck. "I must warn you I mostly do firebending, and may not be much of a match with these blades."

"Oh." Mat looked disappointed. "Well, maybe we should just start with hand to hand."

"Make me get these blades for nothing? How rude." Iroh grinned. "Hand to hand it is then." Iroh put the swords out of the way, and they began to do a few simple stretches to warm their muscles up.

"So, what's it like, traveling with a banished prince?" Mat asked, making conversation.

"I assume you know the story of his banishment?" Iroh asked.

"Actually, no. I'm not much into gossip."

"Well, then it is probably not my place to tell you." Iroh said bluntly. "But," He added, seeing the dejected look on her face, "I can tell you a bit about his childhood..."

Below decks-

"What is that damnable thumping?" Zuko groaned. "It's been going on for an hour! I can't put up with this!"

He went up deck to find Mat and his uncle covered in sweat, in the middle of a spar. Iroh had just tripped Mat, and she was flat on her back with her legs in the air. As Iroh prepared to drive his elbow into her, she twisted and he overbalanced. Now he was on his back and she was preparing to finish him. At the last moment, Iroh caught her leg and jumped to his feet, nimble for all his years. Now they exchanged a few punches and kicks, until Iroh suddenly caught one of Mat's arms and whirled it around to her back.

"Yield." He demanded.

"Ack! This is the third time! Will I ever beat you?"

Iroh chuckled. "They don't call me the Dragon of the West for nothing. You are skilled, young Mat. Practice makes perfect." Zuko groaned at those words. "Zuko!" Iroh called, turning to face him. "It turns out Mat here fights with scimitars. Perhaps you would oblige in using those Long Dao Broadswords of yours and spar with her a bit? I am getting quite tired."

Zuko looked interested. As he took out his broadswords and began to stretch, he eyed Mat with a true warrior's eye. "I knew you had daggers on you, I didn't know if you were skilled. I know you have no qualms in murdering people."

"Murdering? What? Oh, you mean that Mary-Sue. That wasn't murder. That was something else entirely."

"Ah." Iroh said wisely. "Yes, killing a Sue has no more murder involved than squishing a bug."

Zuko stood straight, and settled himself into a defensive position. "Shall we?" He invited. Lightning-fast, Mat whirled around Zuko and had him disarmed in three moves flat. "What?" Zuko asked, dumbfounded. Iroh was openmouthed.

"I told you it was my main weapon." Mat looked slightly embarrassed. "Erm... Perhaps we should stick with hand to hand?"

"Yeah..." Zuko said, still a bit dazed with his sudden defeat. They threw down their weapons and took up different poses.

"No fire." Mat said. "I don't think I could handle that yet."

Zuko had his typical one hand raised with palm facing upwards with the other tucked beside his side. Mat had a similar pose, but with the elbows farther out and both palms towards the ground. Circling a few times, Zuko tentatively attacked. Mat blocked, and shot a light jab to his side. Zuko slid around and tried to elbow her in the small of her back. Mat twisted, but the blow still landed on her side. As she was caught off balance, Zuko pursued the attack with another hand chop to the neck. Mat blocked with her right hand, and threw another punch at his ribs.

They were both settling into the rhythm of the fight now. After another hour of light fighting, Mat signaled for a break. Zuko had always had the upper-hand, it was clear she was not anything special in hand-to-hand. But her skill with the scimitars had him disturbed.

"You... Are very good." Mat panted, obviously much more out of shape than Zuko.

"As are you."

"Not as good as you."

"Well, I have been trained by the best." Zuko replied, and they both looked over at Iroh, who was blissfully snoring in his chair. "Where did you learn to fight with those scimitars?" Zuko asked.

"My village. They had a master sword fighter. I was always fascinated with it, but they all claimed since I was a girl I could never be a warrior. He took me in anyway, taught me pretty much everything."

"Why did you leave?" Zuko asked.

Mat sighed. "He went off to the war, got himself killed. My village was a bunch of close-minded pricks, so I just left them."

"I'm sorry." Zuko said, not sure what he should respond with.

"Why? I don't care. They were stupid. I have no regrets." Mat was silent for a moment. "My past isn't nearly as interesting as yours. What happened?"

"Interesting isn't the word I would use." Zuko said, his anger swiftly coming back to him.

"Won't you tell me?"

"What business is it of yours?"

"I told you my past. Albeit not as painful as yours, we have been traveling together for awhile now. I'd like to get to know you better."

Zuko's anger flowed out again, just as swiftly as it had come. "Well..." He related his story, how he had spoken out of turn, how his father had burned him, then banished him until he found the Avatar.

"Wow. So that's why you want the Avatar." Mat and Zuko sat together in companionable silence.

"How are you with a dagger?" Zuko asked suddenly.

"What?"

"A dagger? How are your skills with it?"

"Erm..." Mat started.

"Come on, we've had a go at swords and hand to hand. Let's try daggers." Zuko drew two thin daggers of his own. Mat looked unsure as she drew two typical short hand daggers. After a bit of normal circling, Zuko took a swipe at her. Mat squeaked and jumped back. Zuko whirled around and took another down hand swipe. Mat grunted, and just rolled out of the way, nearly impaling herself on her daggers in the process.

Zuko laughed, or as near to a laugh as Zuko could. "You can't fight with daggers worth squat!"

"Never needed to." Mat said indignantly. "I'm perfectly fine with my scimitars."

"What if you're caught without them, and all you have is your daggers?"

"I'll throw them." Mat said pointedly.

"Not good enough. Come on, I'll teach you."

Mat looked suspiciously at him. "Did your uncle put something in that water we drank?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Zuko demanded.

"Why are you being all nice, offering to teach me?"

"I'm bored." He said darkly. "I need to practice with my daggers a bit anyway. Now, hold them lightly. Stab at me, not down. If you stab down you'll just end up hitting bone and making someone really mad. Try blocking me." He aimed for her stomach. Mat tried to block it, but his dagger slipped past hers and Zuko had to do some fancy footwork to avoid disemboweling her. "God! What's your deal? It's just like fighting with a sword, just shorter."

"That's the problem!" Mat yelled. "They're too short! I try to stab, but they're not long enough to do anything! I try to block, but I always misjudge and end up getting my fingers sliced up, or whatever." Mat was seething. Zuko had finally been acting a bit decent, but the second her weakness showed he was once again treating her as inferior.

"Control yourself, peasant. Come on, let's just start from the beginning..."

A/N-

I've been researching fight scenes to make it flow more smoothly, but I'm not sure how well I succeeded. I've mapped the whole thing out in my head, but getting it down accurately was hard. Dang, wish I could write as well as my fave authors! (I read mostly action/fantasy books.) Working on it though...