AN: Once again, thanks for reviewing! Hope you like this chapter, for this is when Zula finally reaches the North Pole, and Aang, Katara, and Sokka have to decide what to do with the firebenders! Of coarse we already know what Sokka's opinion is...

laladoink - yes I suppose it does doesn't it:D

Disclaimer: I don't own nuthin' but me edumucation.

Chapter 5: One Step Closer

"So, Zuko," Sokka started. Zuko looked at him from across the campfire. "Why exactly is it that you're always trying to capture Aang?"

Zuko hesitated a moment. "In case you haven't noticed, nearly every firebender out there is after the Avatar."

"Yes, but you're much more persistant than the others. So, why?" Sokka smirked when he saw Zuko struggling to answer. It was silent for a few minutes before a memory made itself clear in Katara's head.

"Because." She said slowly, Aang and Sokka looked over at her, but Zuko and Iroh kept their eyes downcast. "He needs him to restore something he lost." Zuko looked up to find her gazing intently at him. "You told me that when you had me tied to a tree, after I stole the waterbending scroll from the pirates."

"What could you possibly lose that could send you chasing the Avatar?" Sokka questioned. It was silent a few moments more.

"My honor." Zuko said weakly. Sokka stared at him in disbelief.

"How -?" Aang was interupted by Zuko as the teen regained his tempermental attitude.

"Long story short. I spoke out when I wasn't supposed to, had to duel my father, but I refused to, he banished me, and I'm not allowed to come home until I bring him the Avatar." Zuko shakily stood and stumbled over to his blankets, where he turned his back to them.

Everyone exchanged glances before getting up and going to sleep themselves. Well, almost everyone...

It had to be around midnight, yet Zula still stood on the deck of her ship. Ice and glaciers had made themselves visible.

Won't be long now...

Zuko still wasn't asleep. He couldn't. He wouldn't.

'How could you have been so stupid!' A voice in the back of his head rang out.
The water tribe boy- it was his fault not mine!
'Oh so he was the one who screamed his past to heavens?'
Shut up.
'No. I think you going soft!'
Am not!

Zuko's thoughts were interupted when he heard a rustling sound behind him. He sat up and looked around. The Avatar was walking over to him.

"Yes?" Zuko whispered.

"Well, I was just wondering. I've asked you this before, but you answered me with a blast of fire rather than words, and - " The young Avatar was once again cut off by Zuko.

"Yes." Aang looked at him for a second.
"Huh?"
"The answer is yes."
"But how -" Zuko rolled his eyes.

"It's pretty much the only question you've ever asked. 'If we knew eachother back then, do you think we could have been friends?'. Back then there was no war, therefore I wouldn't have been in the War Chamber. If I wasn't in the War Chamber, I wouldn't have spoken out. If I hadn't spoken out, I wouldn't have had to duel my father. If I hadn't have had to duel my father, I wouldn't have been banished. If I hadn't have been banished, I wouldn't be out here trying to capture you, and if I wasn't trying to capture you, then yes."

Aang had a wide smile spread across his face.

"So then - ?"
"No."
"Huh?"
"The answer is no."
"But I haven't asked yet!"
"I know what you were going to say."
"Oh yeah?"

"You were going to ask if we could be friends now, and I said 'no'. I was in the War Chamber, I did speak out, I was banished, and therefore as soon as my leg is 100 percent, completely healed, we are going right back to our old ways."

"I understand." Aang told him.
"Good." As Aang turned to go back to sleep Zuko stopped him.
"Avatar." Aang turned around.
"Yeah?"
"I do really wish we had know eachother back then." Zuko gave him only a slight smile, but Aang returned it with a broad grin.
"Thanks, and Zuko?"
"Hmm?"
"It's Aang." And he went to sleep.

'You are going soft!' The voice invaded Zuko's thoughts once more. 'I mean at first you were doin' pretty good, but then you had to go and say that..'
Oh shut up! At least I'm honest.
'Bah humbug'

And with that, Zuko fell asleep.

"We have to decide what to do with them."
"Leave them here!"
"No, we can't do that."

The three were arguing over what to do with Zuko and Iroh. It was just before dawn and the firebenders were still asleep.

"Why can't we leave them here?" Sokka groaned.
"Because it's not the right thing to do." Katara told her brother.
"I have an idea." Aang whispered it told them so that just in case Zuko and Iroh were awake they wouldn't hear.
"What!" Sokka screamed after Aang had finished. Zuko had now been awoken by the warrior.

"I like Aang's idea better."

Great. Katara took Aang's side, which means I'm left in the dust.. snow.. Ugh...

"Idea for what?" They all jumped at the sound of Zuko's voice.

"We need to leave today. We are already a day's ride behind. We were trying to decide what to do with you." Sokka said it coldly, but the prince seemed unphased.

"And I'm guessing your idea was to leave us behind?" Sokka grumbled something no body could hear.

"If it is alright with you two," Katara was telling Zuko. "Aang and I thought you could stay with us, until your leg completely heals, then we could go back to the way things were, you trying to capture Aang, ang him trying to master the elements."

Zuko thought on this for a few moments.

If we go with them maybe I could figure out where they're going, so that when my leg heals, it would be easier to capture the Ava - Aang...
' Softie '
I don't have time for this now.

"Alright."
"Then wake your uncle up. We'll leave when we're all packed." Aang told him. Sokka was once again defeated.

"Uncle. Uncle. Uncle!" Zuko said while shaking Iroh awake.
"Is the tea ready?" Iroh replied sleepily.
"Come on, Uncle, we need to get ready to leave." Once Iroh was awake and with tea, Zuko told him of Aang and Katara's plan.

The first time flying for Zuko was very unpleasant. His stomach lurched, his head spun, and all he wished for was to be safely on land. It didn't help that Sokka wouldn't stop bugging him.

"You're afraid of hieghts!" Sokka finally shouted as he came to realization. "The great Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation is afraid of hieghts!"

They flew all night, Aang dozing on Appa's fuzzy head, Katara and Sokka at the front of the sattle, Zuko and Iroh at the back. They slept until dawn, when none of them could shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen.

And they were right.

Zula's ship stopped just out of sight, just as planned. Zula was wearing the baggy black outfit and the red mask. Her firebenders were wearing an icy-blue color. The sun was just a small yellow line on the horizon when they jumped down from the ship. They moved with unmatched speed. Just outside the Northern Water Tribe, there was a small pool of water surrounded by noisy seals.

Once inside the city, Zula dashed through the shadows to the spot she knew he was. Her men followed close behind her.

Master Pakku was training alone. There were no lessons planned for today. As he moved the water around he caught a glimpse of something in the shadows. He took it to be his imagination and continued to weave the water through the air. That is, until he heard that all too familiar voice.

"A little early to be training, isn't it Pakku?"

The man held the water at ready for attack as he spun around to face the masked girl.

"Trying to improve your looks I see, aye Zula?" Pakku told the girl with dry sarcasm. The mask was, however, of a fire dragon, so naturally this infuriated Zula, but she did not let him see this as she removed the mask.

"You've been expecting me I presume?"

"Of coarse, the new of you going off in search of the Avatar has spread quickly." Pakku said it as if any idiot would have known. "But I hate to tell you that he's already left."

"I figured as much. But surely you wouldn't mind telling me where he was off to?"

"You know very well Miss Dragon Goddess that I will die before I tell the likes of you." Zula's temper flared and her hands were soon holding flames, flames threatening to engulf the waterbender any second.

"So be it then." She drew back her hand ready to release the blow when something caught her attention.

"Master Pakku! Master Pakku!" A boy about the age of fifteen walked up, and upon seeing a firebender about to destroy his teacher, his eyes grew wide. Master Pakku grew wide eyed too.

"Run!" He told the boy, but he was rooted with fear. Zula jerked her head and her firebenders grabbed the boy.

"I'll give you one last chance to live Pakku." Zula said with the anger in her voice rising. "Where is the Avatar!"

Pakku held his head high. "You will get nothing out of me, Zula."

"Very well then." She was just about to release the blow that would kill him when the boys voice rang out.

"Wait! The Avatar left six days ago on his way to Omashu to learn earthbending!"

Zula stopped and gave the boy her evil grin. "This information will prove useful to me. Goodbye now Pakku." She ignored the boy's screams of "you're supposed to let him go" and "please no". Master Pakku's scream of pain and agony rang outover the city. Zula turned to the boy.

"You might prove useful. Come, we have to prepare for departure." With that, they all went back to Zula's ship.

One step closer to capturing the Avatar...

AN: Wow, thins one was pretty long. Yes, I killed off Master Pakku, so sad. I didn't origonally plan on her taking the boy back with her, I thought more along the lines of killing him off too, but oh well, I added an OC. I have another fanfic idea but I'm wondering if I can keep two going at once, especially when school starts up again. I really don't like school... Anyways I'd like your opinion!

Preview: Zula is off to Omashu, Sokka still isn't getting along with Zuko, yet Aang is still intent on his friendship for the time being.

P.S. Did I or did I not say this would be a Zutara? Of coarse I did! Yet please indicate that I did use the word eventually...