Thanks again everyone for being so understanding with these edits. I'm going through them pretty fast now because the writing style has started to finally match my current one. So mainly most of the fixes are punctuation and grammar. Since I'm trapped in my room awaiting Covid results, I may have these edits done by the end of the weekend and start on the chapters I have put off for too long. We'll see. I did want to say once I write the final chapters for this story I will post them in the old story link also since the context won't change. This story version just is a bit more cleaned up now.

-Faithy Waithy

Chapter 28: Hard Topics

Zuko POV

Sitting beside Uncle, I stared at the doorway to the building seeing the sun was rising over the horizon. It had been hours since Uncle was struck by Azula's fire, and I knew the only reason he was alive was because of Crystal. After the Avatar and his giant pet took off yesterday, I'd managed to locate some more water in the town and find some tea leaves while I was rummaging through an abandoned Earth Kingdom home. I looked everywhere for the ostrich-horse I'd come to town on, but it appeared Zan had been scared off by the fighting and was long gone. When I got back to Uncle, I placed my findings in the corner of the room. Then sitting against the wall I drifted into a much needed sleep. When I woke up in the morning, I returned to my Uncle's side, anticipating his return to consciousness.

For the last few hours, I'd done all I could to not think about Crystal. However, having had the rest I desperately needed, I couldn't help but think back on all that had occurred.

Yesterday I was with Crystal, and today she was gone.

Yesterday I shared one last kiss with the girl I loved. Today, she was out of my reach forever.

My heart felt like it was being stabbed by a dagger as reality sunk in. Crystal was gone. She was gone and I probably would never see her again. Shutting my eyes tight, I felt tears build as I pictured her in my mind. We had been through so much together. She had taught me so many things. She had filled my life with a joy I hadn't felt in years.

She was the first person besides my Uncle to actually see past my scar and love me for me.

Why was fate so cruel? Why did the one girl I fall in love with have to be someone I couldn't have?

A tear escaped, and I felt the warm liquid slide down my cheek. I would miss her so much. Having to watch her leave yesterday was the most painful thing in the world. Every ounce of me wanted to stop her. Every part of my being wanted to fight her brother and pull her back into my hold.

However, I stopped myself. I knew I had to let her go…

For the first time in a very long time I took the right path.

If it was the right path though, why did I feel so horrible?

"From that look of great agony on your face, I assume Crystal is gone with her family…"

My Uncle's tired voice made me jump, and I opened my eyes to look down at him with surprise. He was still laying down with the blanket over him, but his eyes were looking over at me with concern.

"Uncle!" I was thrilled he was awake, and another tear escaped, only this time it was relief. "You were unconscious. Azula did this to you… It was a surprise attack…"

"Somehow, I'm not surprised…" Uncle sat up carefully, and the blanket fell from him. He winced at the movement, but he didn't seem to be in excruciating pain. He gazed down at the bandages on his chest, and then knowing filled his gaze. "I'm assuming Crystal is the reason I'm alive."

Nodding, I hung my head and averted my gaze from him. "Yeah… She healed you… Her sister left us some water to get us by. I haven't been able to find food in the area, so I'll head outside the village and look later…" My voice broke off as I felt the absence of the girl I loved.

"That's a good idea… I'm sure you're as hungry as I am." Silence fell over us as we both drifted into our own thoughts. My eyes shut tight as I felt my heart ache again. "This may not ease your burden, but I must say: I'm proud of you, Prince Zuko… I know you don't think so at the moment, but soon you'll see that you did the right thing… You made the right choice."

My Uncle's statement made me grimace. "If I did the right thing, then why do I feel so terrible…?"

He smiled weakly. "There's an old saying my mother used to say to me: Although the right thing may feel like the wrong, the reward in the end will prove the wrong was right."

My Uncle's words spun through my head repeatedly, and as I tried to understand them he began to make sense. I frowned and tightened my fists in denial. "What reward… I've lost the only thing I want…"

"Things that are lost can always be found," Iroh insisted. He seemed confident when he spoke again. "You will see her again, Prince Zuko. I know it. The way you two care about each other… Well that's something fate can't change."

Letting out a heavy breath, I turned my eyes over to the doorway once more. I wanted what my uncle spoke to be true. I wanted to see her again one day.

One thing did comfort my mind though… She was with her family, and she would at least be safe…

I quickly tried to distract myself, and I looked over at my uncle with determination. Thoughts of my sister had been heavy in my mind through the night, just as images of Crystal had hovered as well. Pushing Crystal aside as best as I could, I focused on Azula.

"So uncle, I've been thinking... It's only a matter of time before I run into Azula again. I'm going to need to know more advanced firebending if I want to stand a chance against her… I know what you're going to say: she's my sister and I should be trying to get along with her… But after everything she's done to us, I can't let her defeat me again."

Uncle met my gaze with narrowed eyes. "That's not what I was going to say at all. She's crazy and needs to be taken down." He suddenly stood, although he grunted as his chest hurt from the movement. I stood too, ready to rush over if he fell. He seemed to steady himself, and then straightened with confidence. "You're right… It's time to resume your training."

I smiled with relief. I was ready to continue my training. I needed the distraction. Anything to keep my mind off of Crystal…

She'd be fine anyway… She had her brother and sister now… They would take care of her… She would be happy with them… She'd be safe…

Running a hand through my hair, I tried to shake her out of my mind again. Uncle's familiar hand suddenly grasped my shoulder in reassurance. I didn't look up, but I knew he was right in front of me.

"I know how you feel, nephew… But Crystal wouldn't want you to worry about her like you are. If you want to make her proud, then the best thing to do is focus on the path ahead."

I frowned, knowing he was right. "I'm not worried," I lied. "I'm anxious to start my training."

Iroh didn't push for my emotions any further. He knew from the pain etched in my expression the truth. He pulled away, and then walked past me to the jug of water in the room. "Well then, let's get to it… We have much to learn."

Crystal POV

When Appa finally landed in a quarry after he flew for a good two hours, I was utterly relieved to have the giant flying sky-bison touch solid ground. As soon as he had taken off, I'd shrieked and grabbed onto the side of the saddle. Everyone laughed at my reaction to my first flight ever, and Toph was thrilled she wasn't the only one who wasn't a fan. As soon as we were off the ground, Katara wasted no time in leaping forward and throwing her arms around me. She hugged me tight as if she feared I would be gone again if she let me go. Sokka had to pry her off of me, telling her that she'd smothered me enough.

It was as soon as Katara released me that I met the little ring-tailed flying lemur named Momo. Aang was thrilled to introduce me to the little guy, telling me how they'd found him at the Southern Air Temple. Momo immediately took a liking to me, jumping up on my shoulder and sniffing my cheek. His nose tickled, and I couldn't help but smile.

As Momo chattered in my ear, my thoughts suddenly went to Zan… I hadn't seen the ostrich-horse since I'd run away from Zuko the night before. I hoped he was okay.

As Appa carried us through the air, we could see we were all exhausted from the long day we'd endured, so we didn't converse much during our flight away from the abandoned Earth Kingdom village. Aang insisted we needed to land in a rocky area so Toph could begin teaching him Earth Bending. Sokka pulled out a map to figure out where we should go. Katara took over Appa's reins as Aang, Sokka, and Toph strategized. Momo took a nap on my lap while I stroked his fur absentmindedly. My thoughts were full of nothing but the last few hours that had passed.

The location was soon decided on, and Appa was guided to the quarry where we quickly made camp. We all worked together to roll out sleeping bags, and bring supplies down from Appa's saddle. Once we had camp set up, and ate a quick meal of rice heated over a small flame, we all went to sleep. Since I didn't have a sleeping bag, Katara found an extra blanket that the Northern Water Tribe had gifted them with. The blanket was better than sleeping on the dirt, so I took it with gratitude.

Luckily it didn't take me long to fall asleep. When I woke up in the morning, I found I was the first one to wake up out of the group. The sun was low in the sky, showing that dawn was just breaking. Looking around the campsite, I found Appa was still asleep on the other side of the ashen fire pit. The giant flying sky-bison didn't look any different from the day I'd last seen him. I was glad he had taken good care of everyone over the months.

Looking over at Toph's location, I found she was still asleep in her rocky makeshift tent. From the two-hour flight the day before, I found Toph was an interesting girl. She had some qualities about her that were girly and cute, but on the other hand she seemed to relate more with Sokka and Aang. She was the tomboy of the group it appeared.

Sleeping on the ground near Toph was Aang and Momo. I had noticed last night Aang wasn't sleeping on anything, and quickly had questioned him. He explained that he liked to be close to nature, and therefore he slept on the ground to connect with the earth. I was surprised by his traditional airbender ways, but didn't comment on the matter.

My sister and Sokka were sound asleep beside me, and I saw both of them looked peaceful in their sleep. As I stared over at their two bodies which were consumed inside their sleeping bags, I couldn't help but smile. It felt kind of like I was home again. It felt like so much time had passed since I'd last seen them. They both had grown so much over the last few months.

A familiar cool piece of stone tingled against my chest, and sitting up I grasped the crystal necklace Zuko had given me so long ago. As the charm was encapsulated in my hold, I felt my heart constrict as thoughts went to the two men I'd come to care so much for. I hoped Iroh would wake up and heal fast… I prayed Zuko would be okay…

Waking up without Zuko felt so unfamiliar and strange. Over the last few months we'd been together, I'd grown so reliant on his company. We'd take morning walks, go search for food together, and even share our innermost thoughts…

Now I would probably never see him again…

A yawn sounded beside me, breaking through my reverie, and I jumped at the sound. Looking over at Katara, I saw she was waking up from her sleep. I released the necklace and let it hang back loose on my chest. As she sat up and stretched, I pulled my knees to my chest and stared at the dead firepit before me. The sun was starting to climb higher in the sky, and dawn was reaching its end.

"Oh… You're up…" Katara sounded surprised, and I assumed it was because back at the South Pole I was always the last one to usually wake up. My sleeping habits had changed since I'd been with Zuko. He was an early riser, and I had become one too. "How did you sleep?"

Looking over at her, I saw my sister had turned to face me on her sleeping bag. She was sitting cross-legged, and she ran a hand through her long hair to get the knots out.

"Fine…" I answered. "It was nice to catch up on some shut eye…"

She nodded. "Yeah. You probably got as much sleep as the rest of us the other day. Toph told me you had seemed flustered when she found you in the woods."

"I was glad she did," I admitted. "I'd been pretty distracted… I would've been hopelessly lost if it wasn't for her."

Katara nodded. She began to braid her hair as she spoke on. "I was surprised when she told me about you giving Zuko the slip…" She stopped braiding, her voice fading slightly. She spoke the last few words softer. "Is it true… Did you really develop feelings for Prince Zuko…?"

Her question made me cringe. I'd known she would ask, but I hadn't really expected it to be so soon. My eyes dropped from her, and I hugged my knees tighter to my chest. I wasn't sure what I should say, so I just gave a small nod. Silence fell between us as my sister's suspicions were confirmed.

I knew my sister wasn't sure how to feel about it all. She hated the Fire Nation, and I was certain she wasn't a fan of Zuko. She had always learned from our father that the Fire Nation were heartless monsters who didn't care for anyone but themselves. She probably couldn't fathom why I fell for a man from the very nation our father had drilled us to hate.

"I don't get it…" she finally spoke. "The dude kidnapped you from the South Pole, had his guard knock you out cold, and locked you up below deck… Every time we crossed paths with him, he never once offered to release you… You were nothing but his prisoner…"

Shaking my head, I cut her off. "At first that's how it was… He left me in a cell for days, and showed a hot headed personality. I hated him to begin with… I wanted him to fall into the sea, or get pummeled by Aang… I wanted him to pay for invading my village and going after the Avatar… I thought he was nothing but a monster..." I filled with melancholy as his image filled my mind. "That all changed though… He showed me eventually that he had a heart. He became one of my closest friends on the ship. He took care of me, and he taught me so many things." I looked over at Katara who looked bewildered by what I spoke. "Zuko isn't a monster… Neither is his uncle… I know I can't convince you, but I won't change how I feel. They are two of the kindest and most caring men I have ever met, and I have no regrets for everything I've done to keep them safe. I love them both..."

My sister was livid. All of the frustration inside her could no longer be contained. "The kindest men?!" She jumped to her feet and stepped over to me. At this point the others were waking up. Her voice had brought them out of their dreams. She crossed her arms. "What do you mean the kindest men? They imprisoned you! They tied me to a tree! Your Prince boy has shot more fire at us than anyone else! He kidnapped Aang and dragged him out in the middle of a blizzard!"

Katara had lost her cool, tears of frustration building in her eyes, and I decided the best thing to do was let her finish.

"I need you to wake up, Crystal! I need you to see the truth! I defended you at the North Pole, but part of me didn't want to believe you truly betrayed us because you actually fell in love with the Fire Lord's son." She pressed her finger to her temple, and shut her eyes to try and calm down. "I don't understand how you can fall in love with the enemy… How can you love the same people that scarred your face and killed mom?"

I grimaced, but I understood her feelings and didn't try to take it too personally. However, she was jumping a bit far… I didn't love the Fire Nation… There were certain Fire Nation people I didn't like at all (Azula and Zhao for example). I loved Iroh and Zuko… I cared for the crewmen I had come to know… but I was not in love with the people that scarred my face.

With a heavy sigh, I stood and faced her. We were close in height, so our eyes stared straight into one another. "Katara… Zuko didn't scar my face, and he didn't kill mom... You don't know him like I do…" My eyes burned but I held in the tears. "Underneath it all, he has a heart that is pure. I love him for his true self… That man you saw yesterday, who fell beside his uncle in agony, is the man I love. He has one of the most tender hearts I've ever known… He just puts on a mask to try and make others see a different side to him."

I ran a hand through my hair, knowing I couldn't make her see reason. I continued though, deciding if we were going to get all of this off our chest then it needed to be now.

"I know you and Sokka don't want to believe that your sister has fallen for the enemy. Sometimes I can hardly believe it myself… One thing I've learned over these last few months though, is that fate is strange. You never know where your life is going to take you…"

Crossing my arms, I glanced behind Katara to see Sokka was sitting up on his sleeping bag listening. His fists were clenched as he took in my words. Aang and Toph had stood from their sleeping areas and looked like they were uncomfortable with the conversation.

I continued.

"If you're waiting for me to say I'm sorry for betraying the Northern Water Tribe, then you're going to have to be disappointed. Everything I have done over these last few months has been my choice and nothing else. Coming with you all was a choice I made too. I'm not the same girl you remember from the South Pole… I've seen things, and have been through things that I can't even explain. I may not be an amazing waterbender still, but I have grown stronger than ever before. I'm not afraid anymore to face my past, and I'm not afraid to take risks." My heart felt light as I got everything off my chest. "I'm in charge of my own destiny now. Father and the men of the tribe may have thought they could control me forever, but they were wrong. I have decided for myself who to love, and I have decided for myself who I want to be. My scar is no longer a symbol of the past… It is who I am, and nothing more."

I took a deep breath, and then spoke one last time.

"You should know though, that not a day passed by that I didn't miss you all… One thing I am sorry about through all of this is the time that we have been apart. I wished every day I could be there for you, and I prayed every night to the spirits to keep you safe. I knew you were with the Avatar though, and from the brief time I'd met Aang, I was confident he would take care of you both. But I'm glad to be back with you… No matter how long we've been apart, I've never stopped loving my family."

The whole group fell silent as they took in my words. Katara was wiping her tears as she pondered over everything I had said. Sokka was standing now, and I could see he had his eyes shut tight to hold in his own tears. Aang smiled, glad to see that an argument hadn't broken out between my sister and I. Toph seemed amused by my speech, and curious to what would happen next.

Surprisingly, Katara suddenly ran forward and threw her arms around me. She fell into me and cried into my shirt. She hugged me tightly to her not wanting to let me go. I hugged her back, my own tears falling too as I welcomed her abrupt but familiar embrace.

"I'm sorry…" she cried. "I shouldn't have gotten upset… I know you didn't do any of this to hurt us. I know you can't help loving who you do… I'm sorry I ruined the morning…" She sniffled and added, "I just missed you so much, Crys… I was worried about you every day!"

I sighed, rubbing her back like mom used to when we were young. "I know… I'm sorry I was gone so long…"

"I'm sorry we didn't try harder to get you back..."

I shook my head. "You needed to keep Aang safe. You did the right thing."

Another pair of arms suddenly pulled us into a group hug. Sokka had both of his arms wrapped around Katara and myself. His face pressed into my hair as his own tears fell. "Hey! You two can't share this moment and not invite me," he tried to joke. "Your big brother missed you too."

I smiled, and Katara laughed through her tears. We released one another, and I threw my arms around Sokka. He welcomed my hug with an embrace that told me he didn't want to ever let me go again.

"You're right, Crys." Sokka suddenly said, which took me a little off guard. "You're not some scarred and weak girl from the South Pole. You're my strong and stubborn sister, and that's why I'm so glad to have you back."

A sniffle sounded. "Aw… That's beautiful Sokka," Aang said from somewhere in the background. "You're such a good brother."

Katara and Toph laughed from Aang's sensitive side, and Sokka pulled away from me to glare at Aang. I smiled though, glad to see the worst of this reunion was over. We'd gotten over the hard topics. I knew moving forward we could focus on better things.

That morning for breakfast, we spent hours talking about the time we had been apart. I listened to story after story as Aang, Sokka, and Katara took turns filling me in on everything they had been through in the time we were separated. They told me about the Southern Air Temple; about Kyoshi Island and some fling Sokka had with one of the warrior girls there; Aang mentioned a trip they took to Omashu, and running into one of his friends from a hundred years back named Bumi; Katara brought up their meeting with a boy named Haru, and about how she was imprisoned on a Fire Nation ship to save him and his father. Aang told me then about his attempt to calm an angry forest spirit, and brought up how Sokka had been kidnapped by the spirit and taken to the spirit world for twenty-four hours. I asked Sokka what it was like, and he told me there was bamboo everywhere and no bathroom in sight. This brought laughter from the group.

The story continued. Aang explained that after they calmed the spirit, they headed to the Fire Nation to visit Roku's temple. There they ran into the priests of the temple who were actually crooked and tried to capture them for the Fire Lord. One of the men who was on their side managed to sneak them up to the temple's inner chamber, where Aang was able to communicate with Roku and learn about Sozin's comet. Sokka then explained to me what the comet was, and I was horrified when they told me they had to defeat Fire Lord Ozai by summer's end or the world would be doomed.

Katara decided to bring up a lighter conversation, and continued to tell me about their run in with the exact same pirates I'd run into. I interrupted her to praise her for stealing a stolen scroll. Sokka, Aang, and Katara were astounded that I knew about the scroll, and were amazed that I had run into the exact same pirates they had. They couldn't believe that Zuko had actually let me leave the ship and walk into the market area.

The stories continued on. Aang told me about their trip through the Earth Kingdom forest, how they had to free Momo from some Fire Nation traps, and how they were almost Fire Nation toast until the Freedom Fighters showed up. Sokka butted in to say that Katara had gotten a crush on the leader, which earned a protest from her. She told me how Jet was a big jerk who tried to kill a whole village of people. I assumed he wasn't a friend to the group then.

The Great Divide was their next story, and they all three chipped in as they explained the two crazy groups of people they had met. They told Toph and I that they couldn't remember the names of the groups, but that they had to convince the two to work together in order to get through the vast canyon. When they told me they rode on bugs called Canyon Crawlers to get out of the canyon, I was both bewildered and horrified. Giant bugs didn't have a pretty ring to it. I preferred rock snails if I was going to get stuck with an insect.

Sokka then told me about his job with a grumpy fisherman, and how they almost were killed in a storm. I had a strong feeling the storm he spoke of was the very storm I almost died myself in. Aang then spoke about how my brother and sister got sick after the storm, and he made his way to an herbal healer in the mountains. There he ran into Zhao again, who imprisoned him, but Zuko surprisingly came to his rescue. I understood then where Zuko had disappeared to during the time I was in and out of consciousness.

Katara relayed to me the next tale about their confrontation with a con-artist Fortune Teller who almost killed the village by not warning them about a volcano erupting. She said that the lady was lucky to have the group there to save her people, and also Sokka's instincts had been right for once. I was amazed and laughed.

Then they moved on to all chip in about running into Bato in the middle of the Earth Kingdom, and having to fight off Zuko, Iroh, and the chick I remembered to be named June. As they told that story, I couldn't help but grimace at the mention of Bato. I'd escaped his son and my cousin only over a week ago. No one noticed my discomfort with the tale.

There was then a story about a man named Jeong Jeong, who had once been Zhao's firebending teacher, and who at first refused to teach Aang firebending but then gave in. Aang confessed to having burned my sister, which he was still very upset about. My sister chimed in to tell me that when she was burned, she learned that she too was a healer like me. After they managed to escape Zhao, who showed up abruptly at the campsite of deserter firebenders, they moved on towards the Northern Air Temple. The Northern Air Temple was where they had not only protected a group of nomads, but also made a friend named Teo.

When they got to their story about the North Pole, all three of them spoke about their experiences. Katara at first wasn't allowed to waterbend, but she soon won the Chief and Master Pakku over. Sokka had fallen in love with the princess of the North Pole, named Yue, who I later found turned into the moon after she gave up her life to save the moon-spirit. Aang told me about his training, and about the Fire Nation invading. When he told me Zuko had managed to capture him only briefly, I was surprised. Zuko hadn't told me about that story, although I recalled Katara had yelled something similar to me earlier that morning about a blizzard…

Aang noticed talking about Zuko upset me, and he quickly changed the subject discussing how he went into the Avatar state and was able to take out the whole fleet of Fire Navy ships, winning the battle and restoring peace to the Northern Water Tribe.

After the Northern Water Tribe, they made it to the Earth Kingdom where they ran into a crazy earthbending general, met Chong and his wife Lily, had to escape Azula and her crazy friends, got lost in a creepy swamp with weird swamp people who could waterbend, almost had Aang trapped in jail for life because he was accused of killing some village's general, and then ran into Toph who agreed to teach Aang earthbending. After running into Toph, that was when our two stories came together at last.

"Wow… You all have been through so many wild adventures," I said. My eyes stared down at the campfire as I pictured everything they had been through with a smile. "No wonder you all look stronger and wiser. It's good to know you stuck together through everything… I can't believe you actually fought a volcano too… I'm kind of jealous you got to see so much of the world."

The group fell quiet for a moment, not sure how to respond. Finally, Toph spoke for the first time since the group started their long account of their journey. "Well... what about you, Princess? What happened on your journey?"

Her nickname for me took me a bit off guard. I shook it off though. Shrugging, I answered, "Not much. I was usually one step behind you all so there isn't much to add."

Aang seemed to want to pry. "Come on, Crystal… We've been separated for months. Something exciting had to have happened."

I thought back to everything that had occurred over the last few months. As I did, I couldn't help but grimace as I realized they were nothing but memories now. "Well… I guess I can tell you a few things…"

They all listened as I recounted my adventures with Iroh and Zuko. I tried to avoid any topic of romance, and instead focused on my journeys. I told them about Zhao, and how I knocked him off his feet when he tried to sneak attack Zuko. I told them about the friends I made on the ship, and how I was utterly horrible at the game Pai Sho. I recalled getting to see the Earth Kingdom for the first time, and how excited I was to see so many knew things. I told them about being allergic to peonies, and having to save Iroh from a gang of Earth Kingdom soldiers. I spoke about the storm, and how I almost died but Zuko managed to save me, which earned looks of horror from everyone. I moved on to tell them about meeting June and her pet, but didn't mention that not even an hour later Zuko and I were sharing our first kiss. When I moved on to tell them about Zhao coming on board, and how he paid the pirates to assassinate Zuko, they all were shocked.

"You were in an explosion!" Sokka had jumped up from where he was sitting, grabbing his hair in horror. "How did you survive?!"

I frowned and looked at the ground. "Zuko… He grabbed me and shielded me from the flames. We both crashed through the window, and landed in the water below. I managed to use my waterbending to get Zuko back to land… He almost drowned, but I was able to get the water out of his lungs… That was the day I learned I was a healer. I healed Zuko's burns which were ten times worse than my own."

"What about your burns?" Aang spoke up with worry. "You healed them too, right?"

I smiled weakly. "That wasn't exactly my top priority that day." I ran a hand through my hair. "Most of the burns were on my back anyway, so I wouldn't have been able to reach them." I decided to move away from that part of my tale. "Besides… There were other things to worry about… The three of us decided we needed to get onto Zhao's ship if we were going to get to the North Pole when he did. Zuko disguised himself as a soldier, and Iroh and I went to Zhao to pretend we were in grief over Zuko's death. The man believed us easily, and I was made Zhao's prisoner."

"WHAT?!" All three of them shouted this time. Toph stayed silent, having never met Zhao.

I grimaced at the three shouts, and quickly tried to calm them down. "It's okay! Iroh made sure I was safe. When we got to the North Pole, he had one of the soldiers named Hul help me escape. I used my waterbending to get to shore, and then made it into the Northern Water Tribe. Asok and Pakku made sure I was safe, and Asok even tried to get me to the palace. I wouldn't let him though… I was more worried about the fight, and I wanted to join in. Pakku of course made me leave when the fight got too rough. That's when I ran into Zhao again…"

I let out a heavy sigh.

"I would've been Zhao's prisoner once more if Zuko hadn't come to my rescue. He saved me… we both watched as Aang's Avatar spirit grabbed Zhao and pulled him into the canal. After that, the warriors came to try and capture Zuko… You all know the rest…" I shut my eyes. "I know betraying the Water Tribe probably hurt you all, and I'm sorry for that… But I couldn't let Zuko be captured… I couldn't imagine what they would do to the Fire Lord's son…"

Silence fell over us as everyone took in my words. Aang spoke up a moment later. "You did the right thing, Crystal… The monks once told me that sometimes the hardest decisions are the right ones."

"And besides… If you didn't help Zuko escape, then you probably would've broken him out of prison anyway." Toph added. "So either way, you would've ended up an outlaw."

My brother crossed his arms. "I'm not sure I agree with either of you." He looked at me with hurt. "Do you have any clue how worried I've been…? How do you think Katara and I felt when we learned you were nowhere to be found after the battle? How did you even get out of the North Pole? All of the ships were destroyed."

I grimaced, knowing my brother and sister had been worried sick. "Iroh found a raft… We floated away…" Hanging my head, I crossed my arms for comfort. "I can't say sorry for what happened at the North Pole, but I will apologize for the pain I put you all through. I know I made you worried…"

"It's not just that! The Northern Water Tribe marked you as a traitor! You helped the Fire Lord's brother and son escape! We could've ended this war!"

Sokka's words made me a little irritated. I looked up to meet his gaze feeling defensive. "End the war? Capturing Zuko and Iroh wouldn't have ended this war. Zuko's father doesn't care about either of them. If you want to end this war, then taking down the Fire Lord is the only way."

"Well either way, we could've gotten so much information out of them! We could've found the Fire Lord's weakness!"

I shook my head. "That's exactly why I helped them escape… I knew all you would want to do was torture them. If keeping Iroh and Zuko safe was a mark of my treachery, then I guess I'm a criminal to the Northern Water Tribe."

Sokka went to say something else, but Katara interrupted him. "You're not a criminal… We managed to smooth things over with the Chief. He said that as long as you apologize for your actions then you'll be welcome back to the North Pole. He was going to at first tell dad about your actions, but he changed his mind."

I couldn't help but cringe. "Well that was an effortless cause, because dad knows now. And this time I didn't just betray the North Pole… I betrayed our people too…

Katara was surprised. "What?"

I stood from my spot and turned from the group. "I sort of ran into Kona shortly after we arrived in the Earth Kingdom… He had been headed from Ba Sing Se to rejoin the warriors… He and Jaka kidnapped me from Zuko and Iroh the next morning. I managed to escape them, and when I did I told them to tell dad I was a traitor. I'm sure father has received the message by now."

"Kona and Jaka… As in Bato's son and our cousin…? You ran into Jaka, and you didn't go with him…" Katara was appalled. "Crys… Why did you-"

Turning to my sister, the look I gave her was enough to stop her from talking. My eyes burned with tears, but they were tears of frustration. "I refuse to be dragged to father. I'm not some piece of property to be claimed. If I went with them my freedom would be crushed. I will not be forced into the role that the tribe wants me to be part of."

They were all confused by my words. I realized then they had no clue what I was talking about, because the arranged marriage between Areto and I was never shared among them. They didn't understand why I had been so desperate to escape Kona and Jaka. They didn't understand that by allowing the Southern Water Tribe to take me, I would be forced into a marriage I wasn't ready for. The last arranged marriage in my tribe occurred years before any of us were born. Such a practice has been unheard of, which is why Princess Yue's engagement had surprised them so much when they were at the North Pole.

"What are you talking about? What role?"

Sokka was the one to ask the question, and I could tell he was desperate to understand. With a heavy sigh, I dropped my arms to my side and answered, "The same role your princess had to play… When I turn sixteen, I'm supposed to be married to Bato's youngest son Areto… The arrangement was made by the council a few years before mom died."

Silence fell over the group as they took this in. Sokka was horrified. Katara was stunned. Aang and Toph were both shocked.

Sokka finally broke the silence. "Wh- why didn't anyone tell me? Why didn't you tell me?"

I grimaced. "Father told me not to tell you both. He said he knew you and Katara would argue for me, and he didn't want me to create a ruckus in the village. He told me that I had a duty, and if I didn't respect his wishes then I would be dishonoring him. He seems to think uniting Bato's family with our own will strengthen the tribe, and establish a firm leadership."

"I don't believe it… Even after everything Gran-Gran had gone through with being betrothed to Pakku… Why would father force you into such a thing?" Katara couldn't bear the thought of father doing such a harsh thing to his child. "I mean… Areto's a great guy, but I never pictured the two of you together…"

"This all makes sense though," Sokka suddenly said. "Why Areto was always around when we were kids… I can't believe I didn't pick up on this…" He stood then, and to my surprise, looked determined. "Don't worry, Crys. When we see father again, I'll make sure he gets some sense in his head. Once I tell him about Yue, he'll have to see the error of such a forced union."

I was surprised that Sokka was so willing to help me. I smiled with gratitude at his love and understanding. "Thanks, Sokka."

He nodded, and then added with a smirk, "Besides… If anyone's marrying my sister, they have to go through me first!" He came forward suddenly and put me in a headlock. I shrieked as he rubbed his knuckles against my head. "There's no way my little sister is getting married before me."

I shoved him off and patted my hair down. "I hate it when you do that."

He grinned. "I know."

Katara stood then, stating, "You keep too many secrets from us, Crys. From now on, nothing but the truth." She crossed her arms. "We're family. You need to trust us more with things."

Her words surprised me. I then realized she was still hurt that I hadn't told them about my waterbending. "Sorry… I promise from now on I'll be fully honest."

She smiled. "Good. Glad to hear."

"If that's so," Toph suddenly spoke up. "Then tell the truth. You did at least kiss your prince guy, right? Because if not then that would've been a lame journey for you."

My eyes widened, and I felt my heart pound in my ears. A blush formed heavily on my cheeks. Sokka glared at Toph for bringing up the relationship between Zuko and I, Aang looked curious, and Katara groaned.

"I… Uh… Well…" I fumbled over my words as the memory of Zuko's lips returned.

Toph beamed with victory. "I take that as a yes." She crossed her arms. "You two were alone together on the ship and in the woods after all."

"Toph!" Katara whined.

I blushed harder, promising, "We've just kissed! It's no big deal."

She smirked at my embarrassment. "Not a big deal, eh? Then why does your heart sound like a fluttering butter-bee?"

"Alright! Change of subject!" Sokka tried to divert the conversation elsewhere.

Toph grinned. "You two were wrong about your sister. Looks like Crystal's not so innocent after all." She crossed her arms looking smug. "That's good to know. I was worried we were getting another Katara."

Katara gasped. "Hey! What's that supposed to mean?"

Toph looked away and started to whistle. Aang laughed. Sokka was surprisingly amused by Toph's comment.

"Toph!" Katara snapped. "Answer me!"

She stopped whistling and looked over at me instead. "Warning, Crystal. Katara's the mom of the group."

Katara's jaw dropped. Aang and Sokka broke into laughs in unison.

A smile took over my embarrassment. "Really. Since when did this happen?"

"Since a child came into my life!" Katara pointed a finger at Toph. "If I'm a mom, it's because you're a brat!"

Toph seemed pleased by this title. "Brats have all the fun."

As Katara argued with Toph further, and Aang and Sokka tried to mediate the disagreement that was starting between the two girls, I felt myself relax. It was such a different group than the two men I'd originally been traveling with, but I knew I would get used to it all. There was a lot I didn't know about the whole journeying with the Avatar thing, but I was prepared to give it a shot.

As I thought this, however, I couldn't help but realize that deep down I would never be able to remove Zuko from my heart...

I knew that the way I felt for Zuko would never be understood or accepted by my family, and so I vowed to keep the bond I shared with Zuko to myself…

For now, I just wanted to be with my family…

From now on, I would do what I could to help Aang defeat the Fire Lord.