It didn't take long for the others to return. Lin, who just happened to be the helmsman, set out in the direction Zuko had taken at a double speed. Rie looked anxiously for any sign that the Fire Prince was there.

It was dawn before Rie had any hint, and it didn't come in the form of a visible sign. Rie fell into a trance.

Roku was, of course, waiting for her. "I was beginning to wonder if I'd ever see you again, Sensei," Rie remarked offhandedly.

"Come again?"

"You heard. Avatar Roku, Koru Ratava. I'm blonde, not dumb. You were training me for this whole expedition, weren't you?"

Roku smiled and nodded. "Yes. Now, I need you to see something. I'm not going to transport you, just show you something." Roku held his right hand out and a small looking-glass portal opened.

It was showing a scene Rie assumed was happening right now. It showed Zuko and Iroh on one side of a clearing, with Aang and Sokka on the other. Katara was off to the side. It was evident the she was torn. Zuko was blasting at Sokka and Aang, the latter who just stopped the attacks with Earthbending.

"Wow, that was fast," Rie remarked. "He mastered Earthbending already."

"He knew that faster he mastered it, the faster he could get Katara back," Roku explained.

Rie nodded and listened as Sokka said, "Let my sister go and we won't hurt you or the old guy, Prince Zuko."

Iroh looked as if to say he wasn't old, then decided against it.

"You? Hurt me? That's a laugh," Zuko said in that hoarse whisper of his. "I'd like to see you try."

Rie watched as Aang blasted at Zuko, who just stopped all but the flying rock attack. "I need to find them before Zuko does something stupid! Where are they?"

"In the clearing on the shore just ahead."

Rie bowed her thanks, then awoke from the trance. "Lin! STOP THE SHIP!"

The crew was jostled as Lin obeyed. "Everyone, stay aboard," Rie ordered. "Don't let anyone on unless I say so, got it?"

The whole crew was funny looks, but they obeyed. As Rie left the ship, she didn't catch her reflection.

Her hair was turning blonde.

Rie found the clearing without trouble. Zuko was still fighting off the attacks, finally stopping when Aang and Sokka did. "Had enough?"

The two others ignored him. Sokka turned to his sister. "Katara, why on Earth did you stay with this guy? Wait, don't answer that. You love him, don't you?"

As Rie hid behind a tree, Katara made no comment.

"Do you really think that a Firebender is capable of any emotions at all?" Sokka asked. "They killed Mom! And his dad was behind it," he added, pointing to Zuko. "His people are monsters!"

He should not have done that, Rie winced. She watched as Zuko, deaf to both Katara and Iroh, grabbed Sokka. He looked ready to kill him when Rie spoke up.

"Zuko, drop him."

It was the shock of Rie's voice that caused Zuko to obey, not the command. "I thought you were kidnapped," Zuko said.

"The idiots tied me up with rope!" Rie exclaimed. "It was easy to burn my way out. Anyway, that's not the point. The point is, you are trying to kill someone in cold blood."

"You heard what he called me, Madam Rie."

"And others have called you the same thing," Rie pointed out. "But did you hurt them? For cryin' out loud, you fell in love with Katara."

That was news to Sokka, who just kinda went limp. "What! You're kidding!"

"I'm a Seer. I don't kid," Rie replied.

"Ha! Told ya so, Sokka," Aang cried.

"No," retorted the warrior. "You said she was connected to the Spirit World."

Iroh, who had been watching Rie closely, gasped. "He was right. Look." He pointed a shaky finger at Rie. Everyone looked.

"What?" Rie looked around her. "Do I look funny? Is there something in my hair?"

Aang was the only one not gaping. "It is your hair, miss."

"What?" Rie pulled a few strands to her eyes. Totally unconcerned, she shrugged and remarked. "So it's going back to blonde." It took a second to register. "Holy cow! I'm a blonde again!"

"Again?" Iroh asked incredulously. "You mean, your hair is not naturally black?"

Rie shook her head, now fully returned to its former golden hue. "Nuh-uh. It changed when I passed through the, um, never mind!"

Aang supplied the rest. "Portal. You passed through a portal to the Spirit World from your own, right, Rie?"

"Are you sayin' that or is Roku?" Rie laughed. "He's the one who sent me on this wild quest!"

All fights were temporarily forgotten. "Huh?" Sokka said, summing up what everyone was thinking.

Rie looked around for some sign she should tell them. Roku's face popped up and nodded. Taking a deep breath, Rie told all of what had happened from leaving the Martial Arts building to waking up on the ship. "And, while I was in the Spirit World, Roku told me that the only way Aang was gonna win the war was if I got those two to fall in love," Rie finished, pointing to Zuko and Katara. "Now I think he just needed me to speed things up a bit, however."

"So it's your fault my sister's in love with a monster!" Sokka accused, pointing his boomerang at her.

"Did I say that?" Rie asked, pushing the weapon away. "I said I helped Zuko and Katara fall in love, not Katara and a monster.And, somehow, I don't think anyone but Zuko and Katara did anything. Which brings me back to the point at hand," she said, turning back to Zuko. "Killing Sokka, idiot though he be, is not going to help anyone. If anything, it's going to hurt one of the perhaps…two people from this world that care for you," Rie said, giving Katara, still standing silently to the side, a glance.

Iroh nodded. "The flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all."

"What?"

Rie recognized the proverb and intoned with the general, "You don't meet a girl like that dynasty!"

Sokka butted in. "Okay, so you're from another world, my sister is in love with the Fire Prince, and Aang only needs to master Firebending before he can go kick the Fire Lord's butt."

"Which he will do. There's no question about it," Rie interrupted. "Sorry, General." Iroh just nodded.

"Yeah, anyway," Sokka continued, "what about me? Don't I need to give my permission on this whole relationship thing?"

Aang gave Sokka a look. "Hasn't she done what she wants, with or without your permission, Sokka?" The teen thought about it, then nodded.

Katara hugged Sokka, thanked him for some unknown reason, and then went to Zuko. Rie shot the others a glance, and they all turned away for a minute.

While Rie was looking away and giving Katara and Zuko privacy, Avatar Roku appeared. "You can go home now, Rie."

"I thought you said I was stuck here until the war was over," Rie pointed out.

"After this, Iroh will consent to teach Aang in exchange for Aang going with Zuko to Ozai. Aang will use that to fight Ozai, and, of course, will win. The war is virtually over."

Rie was happy to go home to where things made sense, but it was a bittersweet parting. Roku saw this and smiled. "You will be allowed to visit after the war, of course."

Rie smiled and looked once more at the crowd of people around her. Katara was in Zuko's arms, Aang and the others still giving them privacy. "I can't wait," Rie said with a smile.

Iroh's proverb is from Disney's Mulan, which I don't own.