Black Flame, Blue Fire Chapter 31, a Naruto + Avatar: Last Airbender Crossover fanfic

AN: So, I deeply underestimated how long this chapter would be, so deepest apologies for the extra days I needed to write and edit. But nonetheless, here we are at the end of this story at long last. A longer and more necessary AN will be at the end of this chapter, with information about the next part and some other stuff.

Chapter 31: Daughter

…

"Any movement out of him?"

"No. None of the guards have heard a peep out of him since yesterday afternoon. Must have slept through the night."

"And all of today too? Azula's getting anxious."

"Ha, just her?"

"Well… I suppose I'm a little worried too. I think everyone is pretty anxious, honestly, since no one really knows… well, how long of a healing process this might be for him."

"You can tell that, that he's healing?"

"Sokka, I don't even need my waterbending to figure that. Look at his face and how the burns have receded, and the gashes on his arms, they've practically sealed themselves."

"Huh, guess I didn't notice that as much. You must have been looking at him awfully closely."

"Oh, shut up. It's bad enough I have Toph on my back about him, I don't need you doing the same."

"Ah, Toph… how's she holding up, the little one girl war machine?"

"She'd… don't mention that around her, Sokka."

"Oh… she taking it hard?"

"Sokka, she killed who knows how many soldiers out there on the frontline. You saw how badly she reacted when Sasuke took out all those natives on the beach, for her to be in a bad enough state to kill so willingly…"

"You're right, I'm sorry."

"You're okay, just be careful around her. But as to your question, she's doing okay, I think. Knowing that Sasuke's recovering is probably doing wonders for her."

"She, uh… she still…?"

"Are you seriously asking that? Of course, she still does."

"Huh. That's the strangest thing, how can she have a crush on him? She can't even see him."

"Are you suggesting that women can't feel attraction or love without being able to see the man?"

"Well, no, I just think it's… I don't know, I'm just trying to wrap my head around what she might have seen—I mean, felt or heard in him that made it click so much for her, you know?"

…

"Katara?"

"Yeah?"

"What about… you?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Well… it's no secret to anyone just how much you hated him when he first showed up. But after he pulled you out of the ship, that attitude has just about vanished. And I've seen how you look at him. I don't know if there's anything going on, but I'm just wondering if—"

"Sokka, you are treading on some very thin ice right now."

…

"I'm sorry."

…

"I'm going to go tell the others. Are you staying with him a while longer?"

"Yeah, I will be. Can you tell Suki I'll be down in about an hour if she still wants to take a walk before dinner?"

"Sure."

…

"Hey, Sasuke."

…

"You've been sleeping for quite a while, and I figured I wanted to come by and say this before you wake up and I can't bring myself to say it anymore."

…

"Here's the thing, Sasuke, I don't want to feel this way. Ever since you came into my life, I haven't really known what to make of you. I know there was a lot of… hate, early on because of what I thought you represented and what I feared you could do. But you've been more than that, and I know it. And I think you know it too. It took some hard moments, but I like to think that we've gotten closer… actually no, I don't want to think that. Oh damn it all, Sasuke, why are you doing this to me? I know we can never be like that with each other, because of what we are, how different we are."

…

"But I wanted to tell you this anyway. I… I wish we could be together. Even just a chance, a day where we could just… walk on a beach, open up. I have so much I could say, and I know you do too, even if you would never admit it. I could probably love you, Sasuke. I just wanted to say that."

…

Sasuke sat upright in bed, trying not to be annoyed at the commotion around him. It had been only a couple minutes since he had awoken and since then, the guest bedroom he had rested in had come alive with noise and energy. It wasn't the same room he had stayed in above Pao's teashop, it was much larger and ornate, half-bedroom and half-sitting room with a large fireplace, decorative velvet couches and sprawling artistic rugs. Above his bed was the mounted head of some monstrous looking animal, something that looked much like a bear, but something that Sasuke was sure likely wasn't, considering the bizarre hybrids that inhabited this world. He had barely managed to ask where it was he had been taken, and a wildly pleased looking Sokka had informed him that he had been set up in a guest room inside the royal palace, before he had simply laid back and allowed the bustling in his room to happen as he sipped at a glass of water that Suki had brought him, doing wonders for his scratchy throat.

Iroh was near the door, trying to calm down Zuko who was loudly fretting about the fact that Azula would see heads roll if she wasn't informed immediately that Sasuke was awake, while Mai assured him that she would know quickly as Ty Lee was on her way to the princess now to inform her. Jin hovered near the side of his bed, clearly looking to ask him something but was finding that difficult with Toph having leapt up on the bed to wrap her arms around his upper body while Aang and Sokka patted him enthusiastically on the shoulder and congratulated him on waking up. Toph had her face buried in the nightshirt he had been placed into and while she made no sound as she hugged him, he could feel the wet warmth seeping through the fabric to tell her that she was crying; he hugged her back with one arm as he sipped at his water. Suki had moved away to stand beside Katara who was arguing with two armored men in the doorway, something about how they weren't planning on whisking Sasuke away and how they should have been glad things weren't more chaotic when they are.

I don't know, Katara, Sasuke thought to himself. Things seem pretty rambunctious in here.

Toph pulled away from him a minute later to sniff and wipe her cheeks on her sleeves before offering him a smile as she climbed off the bed to give him his space, and he felt a small smile pull at his cheeks as well; he reached out and brushed his pointer and middlefinger against her forehead and relished the way her smile doubled in size as a blush came to her cheeks while she settled beside Sokka. Finally, Aang seemed to notice perhaps a slightly agitated look on Sasuke's face and quickly moved about to quiet everyone and everyone for the most part did indeed quiet down, save for the argument between Katara and the soldiers which Sasuke could now clearly hear.

"… I'm sorry, but our orders were not to let anyone in to see him following his awakening; the United Council members—"

"Are a bunch of cowards who have no right to be dictating how things are happening now!" Katara snarled back at them furiously. Sasuke had to blink aside the thought that she truly was quite beautiful in her ire. "They did nothing to organize an evacuation before the invasion, they were nowhere to be found when the attacking began, and then, after victory is declared, then they come crawling out of their rat holes to try and pretend they deserve to be in charge!"

The guards looked at each other nervously, and Sasuke wondered if they knew that everyone in the room had fought in the war. It wouldn't have been readily apparent from the looks of everyone; all of them didn't look as Sasuke had recalled seeing them last, no torn clothes with bodies covered in dirt and blood. Aang, Zuko, and Sokka were all looking clean and crisp in simple but sharp garments that likely had also been granted to them by the palace. Katara, Suki, Mai, Jin and Toph all looked honestly stunning, their hair spectacular and their borrowed robes highlighting their beauty as much as anything could.

Sasuke had to catch himself thinking about this, and wondered just how out of it he still was to be thinking about such things.

"I understand your frustration, but we have our orders," one of the guards replied almost nervously, clearly not interested in provoking Katara's wrath. "And as such, we are going to have to insist that—"

At once, both Katara and the guard were shoved out of the way as Azula came bursting into the room, her eyes wild and expression intense.

"I said I was to be informed the moment he was awake!" she barked angrily and Ty Lee entered behind her, looking nervous and out of breath.

"I got to you as quick as I could," she panted out as she hiked up her robes in annoyance; clearly she was more used to being clothed in her casual acrobat attire, these uppity royal clothes not seeming to rub her the right way.

"And yet, everyone seems to have made it in here before me!" Azula practically howled. As she looked around as though expecting a genuine explanation, Sasuke heard himself speak before he knew it.

"You look pretty with your hair down," he said with a small smile before feeling his heart dive into the pit of his stomach at the fact he had just said that aloud.

Holy shit, my brain has not caught up yet.

His compliment brought the room to a standstill; Zuko's mouth fell open comically as Ty Lee nearly tripped over herself walking further into the room. Mai, Aang and Katara's eyes all bulged as they stared at him while Iroh looked rather like he was trying not to break into a smile. Toph's expression had grown intensely thoughtful as though she were trying to picture Azula with her hair down and Jin's face pulled in discomfort at the awkward layer that settled over the room, all while Sokka did his best to pretend like he wasn't looking around wildly, trying to catch everyone's reaction before Suki elbowed him in the side, her own face looking both nervous and amused.

Sasuke brought his eyes to meet Azula's however; her robes were a deep red like the ones she had worn from her time in the Fire Nation, but these were less ornate, doing nothing more than highlight the frame of her body and doing so in a spectacular fashion. The robe was wrapped around her and tied in such a way to be perhaps a might revealing as it stretched down in a 'V' over her breast and Sasuke could see a good portion of the mark he had laid on her, almost proudly displayed like some tattoo. She was staring at him stunned, clearly speechless on how to respond to such a remark and Sasuke found it rather amusing to see her like this.

"Thank you," she finally managed, her voice coming out in a sense that was almost unnatural, like the idea of thanking someone was something she never wanted to have to do, but saying otherwise to Sasuke was beyond her power.

The room remained stuck in a spell of awkward silence for several more long seconds as Sasuke looked at Azula's flushed face and he began to long for the time not minutes ago when the room had been a cacophony of people talking over one another. The silence here was broken by one of the soldiers, who cleared his throat from the doorway.

"I am indeed sorry to you all, but we have to insist that—"

He was interrupted again here and Sasuke was grateful for that, because he wasn't sure he wanted to see what would happen when the guards tried to tell Azula she couldn't be in the room. The interjection came in the boisterous tone of General Gokan, his voice practically making the floor rumble in its deep bass.

"Oh, insist on nothing, Captain Taris. This young man singlehandedly won us the war, and you're going to deny him the chance to speak with his friends after that?"

"But sir, the United Council's orders were such that—"

"Bah, you let me worry about those pompous fools. I'll stay watch with you and if they come along and get annoyed, you just blame it on me."

The guards looked at one another, but didn't protest and the general gave an approving nod.

"That's better. Now, let's give them all some privacy, shall we?"

"I think I'll step out too," said Iroh, and Sasuke could have sworn he saw something glint in the old man's eye as he did.

Iroh stepped past the guards before Gokan ushered the pair away from the large ornate door and gave Sasuke a respectful nod as he did.

"It's good to see you well, Sasuke," he said and Sasuke returned the nod before Gokan closed the door with a deep thud. Silence once again fell over the room as most everyone surely began trying to think of how to defuse the awkward tension that still hung in the air as a result of Sasuke's compliment. Far from one to wait for something to change things to how he wanted them, Sasuke himself decided to break the quiet as he had quite a few questions of his own. But before he could, Jin's voice sounded out, quiet and tentative, like she was afraid to speak.

"Sasuke… how are you feeling?"

He looked to her and felt something like guilt as she bit her lip nervously at his glance.

Is she really that scared of me now?

Still, the consideration that she made for him was more than enough for him to nod in appreciation towards her as he replied quietly.

"Fine, thank you. My rest has done me well it would seem."

She gave him an almost shaky and abrupt nod in return and Sasuke felt some amusement at the indignant look that crossed Azula's face at the fact that she hadn't been the first to ask about his wellbeing. His amusement faded as he thought to his own predicament, memories of his last consciousness returning dismally as the hopelessness he remembered feeling then came back in spades.

"How long was I out?" he asked, his voice somewhat raspy, indicating to him that his spell of sleep had lasted quite a while. His companions looked around at one another, all clearly surprised to find that he hadn't been brought up to speed on his own condition. Her face brimming with affection and concern, Azula slowly strode over to his bed and sat on the edge of it; Sasuke could see her desperately trying to restrain herself from touching him.

"You returned to that teashop the afternoon the war ended and passed out in the room you had rested in previously," she said softly, and Sasuke was surprised to hear the complete change in her tone that he had never heard her bare around anyone other than him. "You were moved to the palace at the… orders of that damn council."

The venom she put into the word 'orders' was enough to rival that of Katara's earlier contempt and judging by the expressions around him that came at Azula's mention of them, Sasuke could tell that these people were held in no high regard.

"That was the day before yesterday," Toph added quietly and Azula shot her a look as though she had been set on telling Sasuke the whole story herself, but Sasuke could only hone in on what Toph had just said.

"Two days…" he murmured to himself, his eyes drifting out of focus even as he felt everyone watching him carefully. His body had ben so worn out, he had stuck resting for two whole days. For two days, he had been lying there, catching only moments of dialogue here and there, dialogue that was already slipping out of his memory. He had been unconscious, exposed and weak, for two days. The reality of his vulnerability was enough to sicken him to his stomach; at any point, someone could have slipped in and put an end to him then and there.

"Two days," he growled, the words becoming more and more despicable by the moment. His frailty had been all there was of him during that time, as his chakra replenished and healed his body. What weakness he had shown.

"We've visited you often during that time," Mai said, almost cautiously. "You haven't been alone."

She seemed almost embarrassed by her words, as though such caring was something she believed herself beyond, but as Zuko and Katara flicked glances her way, Sasuke saw her staring his way, her head angled down, but eyes fixed on his.

Sasuke knew her words had been an attempt at instilling comfort in him, but in truth, all they did was worsen his anger at his current predicament. Not only had he been completely vulnerable, but he had been seen in such a state by likely every person there.

"Why was I moved?" he asked curtly, intent to steer this conversation away from his weakened state; he found himself wishing quite immediately that he wasn't sitting in bed just then. He wanted not to be half-lying there with a still distantly throbbing body while his companions stood around him, looking as dapper as though they might have belong to the royal family, and looking as healthy as racehorses. He hated the way everyone was looking at him with varying levels of concern, from Azula's deeply worried and wide eyes, to Jin nervously biting at her lower lip, he suddenly very much wished that he was alone.

"The United Council wanted you to be somewhere where they could keep an eye on you," Katara said bitterly. "I guess they thought that someone was going to try and make off with you or something."

"Yeah, not sure how anyone could get that idea…" Sokka muttered before balking immediately at the glares he was suddenly given by about half the room's population.

"I think they more so probably just wanted to make sure they could get a chance to talk to you as quickly as possible when you woke up so that they could talk to you," Aang said quickly, doing what he could to defuse what could have potentially become a nasty spat. "Though I can't imagine why they didn't just assume that— hey, wait, Sasuke, you shouldn't be moving so much—!"

Hardly in the mood to lie around more than he already had and in a single swift movement, Sasuke sat straight up with a grunt and swung his legs over the side of the bed. Azula both recoiled in surprise and reached for him as he did so, while everyone else took a step forward as if to offer him whatever aid they could.

"I'm fine!" Sasuke snapped. "I don't need—"

He couldn't keep himself from cutting off in his aggressive response as his head spun wildly then, pain rushing through his body with an impossibly powerful chill. Sasuke jammed his eyes shut and swallowed down a wave of nausea as his body pitched forward slightly where he sat and several voice were reduced to blurred murmurs in his ears. Slowly, he took deep breaths back to reality and gently opened his eyes, the dim light streaming from behind the blinds in the room seeming almost blindingly bright just then.

Azula had scooted over next to him, her hips against his own as she pressed one hand to his chest and the other against his back to steady him. As he blinked sight back into his eyes, he looked at her, and while he saw concern on her face, there was a ravenous glow in her eyes, something that told him she considered being this close and able to touch him as a colossal victory.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Suki asked. "You were in real bad shape when we found you at Pao's place, and though it looks like you've healed a lot, you're clearly not a hundred percent…"

Sasuke waved her down as she trailed off, doing everything he could to put a relaxed and steady tone forward, which wasn't easy with the pain he was still coming down from.

"I am, I am… my body's just a little sore after being out for a couple days is all."

This was true, but most certainly not even the half of it and certainly not why he had just nearly passed out again in pain in front of everyone. Sasuke knew his body probably wasn't even close to being fully healed and his chakra flow was still in a very delicate place. And based on the looks that he received from his companions and the quick glances they exchanged with one another, no one quite believed his excuse, but fortunately, no one pushed the issue. Eager to move things along, Sasuke asked another question, while he silently hoped Azula would take her hands off him, as he didn't like the looks that were directed their way from Mai, Ty Lee, Katara and Zuko. Even Aang looked a little distressed at the sight of her making contact with him. As he spoke, she took her right hand from his chest, but her left remained resting on his back and he tried not to shiver as she gently, almost imperceptibly, scratched him just where his neck met his back.

"What's happened since I was out?"

Sokka put his hands behind his head and blew out a big breath of air. "Oh gosh, so much, Sasuke. You were moved to the palace about a half hour after you went to sleep, and things just ramped up from there. For the rest of the day, work was done on the wounded and bodies were recovered from the wreckage of the wall and the battlefield. It didn't take as long as you might think but… there were a lot of bodies."

Sasuke noted Toph's lower lip trembling, JIn's deeply sad expression and the sickened look on Aang's face as he added quietly, "One of the airships not destroyed, under a flag of truce, came by the next morning to take all the dead Fire Nation soldiers, or the ones that could be recovered, back to their nation. We had a big service last night, took a procession through the streets; the whole city turned out, to say their goodbyes and pay their respects. Bodies were taken to their families afterwards and that's been the story of most of yesterday and the remainder of the day before."

A melancholy air settled over the room at this as Sasuke thought to just how many men and women he had put down himself, by his blade, by his jutsu, by his summoning of Manda. He wondered just how much these innumerable people would come to haunt him in his future, all slain by his hand or his blessing.

That's war. They came to assault the most valuable land I know of in this world, the last bastion against the Fire Nation. They knew that death was a possibility when they arrived.

But Sasuke knew that this was just himself trying to cope; none of those soldiers would ever had guessed someone akin to an alien would be there to stop their advance and snuff them out by the dozen, just as the soldiers standing guard at Ba Sing Se surely hadn't expected someone like Obito to blow apart the wall that they so entirely put their faith in. They had all been casualties, destroyed by the whims of two aliens.

As Sasuke stared at the ground in reflection of this, Sokka spoke up in a much lighter tone.

"But that's nothing to take away from the incredible thing that happened, thanks to you. After a hundred years, the war is over. It's done. There's actually going to be a big ol' gala of sorts tonight to celebrate in the palace; the streets are going to be crazy with the whole city partying and we're all invited to attend the actual party in the palace itself! It'll be what kicks off the whole rebuilding process; we've spent the past couple days mourning, but now, with this celebration tonight, I think we're going to able to start looking forward."

Sasuke looked up and saw Sokka, Suki, Zuko and Ty Lee all wearing relieved smiles, while Aang and Mai both closed their eyes briefly in apparent reverence to this new reality, one that hadn't been experienced in generations.

Peace.

"The Fire Nation officially surrendered then?" he asked, and Katara nodded.

"A large part of the Earth and Water nation forces pursued Ozai's retreating forces to the ocean where they had docked, and there, the Fire Nation put up a flag of surrender. A delegation will be arriving to discuss the terms of the surrender and to negotiate formalities, concessions, compensation, and things of that nature," she said and Sasuke took a long breath. This wasn't his world or his people, but he still felt a very strange sense of calm and relief at hearing this, to know that the world was no longer in the midst of a hundred year war.

"And it's because of you, Sasuke," Zuko said quietly and Sasuke looked to him in surprise; Zuko's face was pointed towards the ground and while he spoke in a grudging tone, Sasuke could hear the honesty in his voice. "If it hadn't been for you, my father would have taken the city and the world would be ruled by the Fire Nation."

At Sasuke's back, he felt Azula's hand shift slightly as her body tensed at her brother's words. It was clear to him that she perhaps thought such an occurrence wouldn't be such a bad thing.

"If not for my kind, many wouldn't have died," Sasuke replied back bluntly. "Myself and Obito were the cause of most of yesterday's death by far."

"And that has to be something you're willing to come to terms with," Katara said to him, just as bluntly, and he looked up to her to see her arms crossed, her eyes fiery and angry. It struck him again how mature and powerful she seemed when she got this way. "Yes, many people died because of your actions, and Obito's. But without those actions, the war might have continued to rage on, or would have ended in the victory of the Fire Nation, like Zuko said. Like it or not, the war's won and you played the biggest role in that of any one of us. By far."

Sasuke didn't know if her words were supposed to instill reassurance in him, or just make him feel worse, but he chose not to let them mess with his head in such a way and instead asked, "What was done with Ozai?"

The reality of what had become of the Fire Lord had returned to him in recent minutes, and even as he asked it, he wished he had put some more tact to it; Azula took her hand away from him and turned her gaze towards the ground, her eyes a raging display of emotion and Zuko swallowed where he stood, rubbing his arm and looking almost lonely. Sasuke picked up on how Mai, who was standing just behind him, reached for his shoulder for a moment before pulling her hand back while she closed her eyes and turned her head down for the briefest instant, looking quite angry. Though at what, Sasuke wasn't sure.

Beyond Zuko and Azula though, everyone else seemed to have some level of exception with this topic as well, and Sasuke watched as varying levels of discomfort passed over the faces of his allies. No one seemed willing to say anything before Jin of all people began to slowly ask him a question in turn.

"Sasuke… with him… did you-?"

Before she could finish the question, the door banged open and attention turned to it quickly.

Standing in the entryway were two very stern looking people. The first was a shorter and stouter man wearing a very thick moustache, one eye shielded with a monocle. The second was a tall and vain looking woman, with long black hair that flowed down to the small of her back; she could have been anywhere from her late twenties to her early forties for all Sasuke could tell. The man spoke first, and Sasuke had no difficulty assuming he was in his mid-fifties at least.

"So, you're awake," was all the man said in an rumbling, arrogant voice and Sasuke only stared back at him; immediately he had a pretty good idea who these two people were as he caught a glimpse of Iroh and the two guards standing in the hall, the old man looking almost sad, and the two guards deeply nervous. Gokan was the only one who followed the two into the room. Judging by his expression and tone, these were two people who demanded a great deal of respect but for whom the general wasn't exactly happy to give it.

"I believe introductions are in order," he said in a low voice. "Sasuke, this is Governor Piers Bradley of Ba Sing Se and reigning chairman of the United Nations council, and Viceroy Mila Dreyer, and vice director of the aforementioned council. Governor, Viceroy, this is—"

"Yes, yes, Sasuke, the hero, the monster, the impossible man, we've heard plenty of his titles already, general, thank you," Bradly said in a clipped tone. Sasuke blinked at his words.

Is that what I'm being called?

He didn't have much time to ponder it though, as Bradley took a step closer to where he sat on the edge of his bed. Sasuke took stock of the angry expressions on the face of every single one of his companions as Azula stood up to stand beside Katara, perhaps not anything remotely close to friends, but clearly united in their disdain for these people. Sasuke faced the governor alone as he spoke again.

"I trust your conditions are comfortable," Bradley asked, the way he inquired it making it sound like it was a forced formality he took no joy in saying. Sasuke looked around at the anger and scorn only half-disguised on the faces of his allies, with Aang being the only one who was trying to maintain a passive expression, though even the Avatar seemed to be fighting back a look of frustration. As he then flicked his glances to the guards standing behind General Gokan, he decided for no real reason to do a little provoking of his own; if these two stiffnecks were really all that he had been told and that he could all but tell for himself then, they deserved a little ruffling anyway.

"Yeah," he said casually. "For a prison cell, it sure does the trick."

It took a good deal of self-restraint not to smirk as the angry expressions of everyone else in the room became wide-eyed with shock instead as Viceroy Dreyer stiffened and Governor Bradley raised an eyebrow.

"General, you may stay, but close the door if you would."

Gokan heeded the command, and Sasuke caught a last glance of Iroh and the guards before the door closed again. The governor let the ringing thud of the door closing fade away before speaking again.

"Your being confined to this palace was merely a means to ensure that we were able to speak with you promptly upon your awakening," he explained, his voice becoming no more friendly. "But you are certainly free to leave this room, or the palace if you so choose after this."

"But just so long as I stay in the city, is that right?" Sasuke asked and Bradley took a long look at him over his thick moustache. The room was deathly quiet as Sasuke imagined the faces of Aang, Azula and everyone else were frozen in attentiveness at the conversation happening before them, but Sasuke didn't dare take his eyes off the governor for a single second as he waited for a reply.

"Your intuition serves you well," Bradley finally said. "Starting within the next week, we will be holding… shall we call them investigations? Hearings?"

"Call them whatever you want," Sasuke replied coolly. "Just as long as you tell me what they have to do with me."

Dreyer spoke up then and Sasuke listened to her powerful voice roll coldly over the room; Bradley's vocalization was nothing to scoff at, but the viceroy's tone was nothing short of bone-chillingly commanding.

"This war has lasted near a hundred years and is in no way black and white. Upon the beginning of these hearings, we will hear the tales from a great many people whose loyalties, motivations or actions might need to be called into question."

She gestured with a hand into the room, sweeping her long fingers in a direction that passed over Azula, Zuko and Iroh. "These three for example will have to attend obviously; their relationship to Fire Lord Ozai is of course something that will need to be examined and analyzed."

"They turn on the most powerful man in the Fire Nation, one of their family, and risk being killed by both sides in order to fight for his cause and you're going to put them on trial for it?" Sasuke asked brazenly. Bradley looked annoyed at what he surely felt was nothing short of insubordination, but Dreyer smiled at Sasuke, an expression that didn't quite reach her eyes.

"There is much to examine, Sasuke. And it all will be done so thoroughly, which is why you have already guessed no doubt why we're asking you to remain in the city," she said in her cold tone. Sasuke already had indeed guessed as to what she was suggesting, but apparently this was just now news to at least some of the other people in the room. He watched as Mai, Katara, and Sokka all shot angry and stunned looks towards the viceroy as Suki shouted out, "What?!"

Surprised that she of all people would be the first one to cause a scene, Sasuke watched as Suki stomped up in front of Dreyer, her expression livid.

"He fought off an army single-handedly, did everything in his power to protect the city and literally destroyed Sozin's Comet, and you're going to put him on trial?!"

General Gokan too spoke up then, his loud voice carrying brashly through the room.

"Governor, Vicerory, I saw this young man in action myself; I would stake my reputation on his honor, he gave everything he had fighting for us!"

Sasuke looked around quickly, trying to make sure no one else was going to pitch a similar fit; this was something that needed to remain as coolheaded a scene as possible, but as he looked around, he didn't know how easy it was going to be to contain. Katara, Sokka, Mai, Toph and even Aang all looked ready to follow up after Suki's outburst as Ty Lee, Zuko and Jin all looked towards the ground, doing a better job of keeping their emotions in check. It was Azula that Sasuke was the most worried about as he watched her expression; she looked more calm than anyone in the room, but as he watched her slightly narrow her eyes, and out a hand behind her back, he realized with a start that she was just about ready to try and burn a hole through both these council members.

Gotta shut this down.

"The whole reason he's going to be questioned and investigated is because there is so much surrounding his actions two days ago," Dreyer said back to Suki, her expression quite like that of a disdainful mother looking down upon a whining child. "Yes, we have heard a multitude of stories on what he did for the sake of Ba Sing Se, but there are still things that we need to… examine further. The circumstances regarding the fact that he wasn't seen by any military authority prior to the invasion on the city, the fact that he acted on his own accord and without orders, and the fact that things are still quite sketchy regarding how exactly Ba Sing Se's walls were breached."

It was clear what she was implying, but Sasuke barely had time to pull his face in a wince before Aang, Katara, Toph, Sokka, Mai and Suki all flew into an explosion of noise as they shouted their refutes for what the viceroy had just not so subtly suggested. Somehow, Dreyer's cold and lofty spoken tone carried out over all of their yelling as she added another point to her list of potential grievances.

"And then there is of course the fact that he returned to the wall with the burnt corpse of Fire Lord Ozai, who was reported as captured and a prisoner minutes prior, indicating he was murdered post his capture, something that I shouldn't need to mention is a war crime. And that his body was returned by Sasuke here to boot."

She looked to Sasuke then over the heads of his allies and spke directly to him then, her eyes like chips of ice.

"And no one's gotten a chance to ask you, Sasuke: did you kill the Fire Lord as he was a prisoner of war?"

Everyone turned to face him then and Sasuke saw the expressions of his companions, confident in the fact that he was about to deny it and grant credence to their defense of him, but Sasuke didn't answer immediately.

Things were moving very quickly, quicker than he believed any of them realized. He supposed he should have expected something like this following the war's conclusion, but he had been spared no time to consider such a prospect. The United Council, the rabble of cowards that had hidden out rather than direct evacuation or military command or anything of the sort were now looking to likely pin him for a great many things; his unnatural powers were surely grounds for most of their suspicions to arise from and then there was the matter that he was by himself in his alienlike uniqueness.

It was this thought that opened up the bitter, resentful and darkly angry pit within him; Obito and Madara were gone, along with any chance he had of returning home. He was alone in defending these claims and had no one else to suggest as being responsible for the incredible phenomenon that had taken place a couple days prior. Madara's jutsu that had snuffed out Ozai was something he could never get a chance at proving and despite the fact that he knew every one of his allies present in the room would defend the existence of Obito, without him being there, such talk could be considered a measured ploy by Sasuke and his "accomplices" surely they would consider them all. All of them, even Aang could come under fire should a proper defense in his case be employed.

Sasuke slowly looked up from the wooden floor to look towards Bradley and Dreyer and as he did, he caught sight of his belongings resting against the wall by the fireplace, his clothes, his sandals, his kunai and sword. And as he looked at them, he remembered the archstone that he had taken with him from the battlefield as he had scattered the remaining pieces with a spiteful and bitter kick. He somehow knew the stone was still there, resting in a pocket of his clothes and as he looked into the viceroy's eyes, he made a decision.

"Yeah," he said darkly. "They were going to take him in as a prisoner? Hell with that. Ozai was a monster and you should be thanking me for snuffing him out while he begged for his life on that blood-soaked earth."

His words landed on the room with a deeply profound effect. The confident expressions of his allies fell away into stunned looks of despondency and he felt Zuko and Azula turn their gazes slowly towards him then.

Dreyer nodded in something that almost seemed like satisfaction.

"That's what I feared."

She looked at Bradley who gave her a nod and she moved towards the door, brushing aside a gravely dispirited looking General Gokan. Just before they opened the door and strode away down the hall, Governor Bradley offered some last words over his shoulder.

"Make no mistake, if your deeds are of true merit beyond what we've just heard, we will have no qualms with you, Sasuke. But for now, please remain in the city until the hearings begin. You have nothing to fear if you have nothing to hide."

With that, they both left without a glance back, walking past the two guards who snapped to attention and Iroh who gave them a respectful bow that they ignored. Eyes on the ground, Gokan trudged out into the hall as well, putting a hand on Iroh's shoulder and leading him away, no doubt to tell him what had just transpired as the door closed behind them with yet another noisy thud.

Sasuke sighed as he was left alone with the only people he really found that he cared to talk to right about then, but as he looked around, he saw only those same disheartened expressions at his previous admission looking back at him. Aang and Jin even seemed to be having trouble just looking at him while the rest seemed like they were reevaluating him as a person. Sasuke sighed again, resting his head in one of his hands as he tried not to let out a dismal chuckle.

They really believed that, did they?

Ty Lee spoke up, her voice a quiet chirp as he could sense the fear in her tone, but she didn't stutter or hesitate in the slightest.

"Sasuke, is that true? You killed the Fire Lord?"

Sasuke heard the tiredness and impatience in his voice as he snapped back while massaging the bridge of his nose, eyes clenched shut.

"No."

As he continued to try and physically relieve the pain in his head, he felt the surprised responses of everyone in the room rather than heard them.

"Wait," Zuko said, his voice almost seeming to shake. "You didn't kill my father?"

Growling in annoyance, Sasuke pushed himself to his feet and walked to the window, ignoring the protests he heard at his movements as well as the nearly indomitable and nauseating pain that tore through him; the fact that he had even been able to achieve such a movement was something as he took as more than a little encouraging however.

"Of course not," he grunted as he pulled back the blinds. "I just told those slimy honchos what they wanted to hear."

His brow furrowed as he heard several relieved sounds behind him and could very much practically feel the comfort he had just provided by his words and shook his head.

"Not that it makes any sort of difference," he grumbled and Aang spoke up immediately in response.

"Sasuke, it makes all the difference in the world! You didn't murder a helpless man, you didn't commit the crime that they accused you of!"

"No, I didn't…" Sasuke said, growing thoughtful then. He had already all but decided what he had to do, but didn't know just how to go about telling everyone. "But those of you in this room will be the only ones to ever know that."

He looked back in time to see Jin in front of him, a desperate expression on her face; there was still a glimmer of relief there and Sasuke knew that she had been devastated to believe Sasuke had killed someone helpless to defend.

She didn't care that it was Ozai… just the idea that I would do something so ruthless.

"Why not?" she said, her voice nearly a gasp of pain and confusion. "Why didn't you tell them you were innocent, defend yourself! They're clearly out to get you!"

Sasuke didn't know exactly what it was that possessed him to do so just then, but as he looked at her he couldn't quite keep himself from putting a hand on Jin's shoulder as he replied.

"Because they're going to nail me one way or another. They have a fair few things they need to be worrying about right now, if they want to keep in the good faith of their armies and their people."

"What are you talking about?" Toph asked roughly. Sasuke sighed and let his gaze drift upwards, letting his knowledge of the cycle of power guide his assumptions and his analysis; he thought of old stories of the Uchiha clan, the way the politics of Konoha had worked and the power struggle between all the villages he had learned of.

"They expected to lose. Fire Nation breaks through into Ba Sing Se and they surrender when they know it's over and save their own skin. But the Fire Nation lost and so they're coming to grips with how to regain control and establish new world order. First though, they have to hang the war on somebody, give the people someone to hate, to ignore the fact that they did so little to fight back, and just hid."

Sokka looked around angrily, "What does that have to do with you?! You're saying they're going to try and just hang all the grievances of the war on you?!"

Sasuke nodded in affirmative. "Yeah, that's about the sum of it. Hell, they all but just told us that was what they were going to do."

As Mai stepped forward, Sasuke could hear her low and measured voice touching with the smallest bit of panic, like she knew the truth in his words but was doing everything in her power not to accept them.

"They won't be able to," she said, gesturing around. "We all know what it was you really did, they really go and make hearings out of this, we'll testify, all of us will and then everyone'll see that—"

"No," Sasuke snapped, cutting her off abruptly and she stopped talking, swallowing and tightening her lips. He was able to spare her a moment of pity before that pity moved to all of them; he had seen them all nodding in agreement with her words, and there wasn't a part of him that doubted every single person there would probably have gone on record in his defense, but that was not something he could allow.

"None of you can defend me. You'll become easy targets and it'll set them and their agendas on you. They'll see you as accessories, or like accomplices of mine, and no matter what happens to me, it's going to put you in danger in the long run."

"We're not putting you out to dry," Katara said flatly, crossing her arms. "You saved everyone's life, more than once. Ozai would have won if you hadn't been there, and we're not going to let you just…"

Her stoicism faltered and she closed her eyes and gave her head a quick shake as though the reality of what Sasuke was talking about had just caught up with her.

"I mean, what are you planning? Just to let them hang every atrocity of this war on you because you're different and…"

She trailed off there and Sasuke gave a humorless smile at the irony of what she was saying.

"They'll think exactly what you thought of me when we were… spatting."

"I was an idiot!" Katara burst out and there was a level of surprise emanating throughout the room as well as in Sasuke himself at the very idea of her admitting fault. He looked at her with a raised eyebrow but clearly the damage to her pride was enough for her not to want to make eye contact as she growled towards the floor.

"I was an idiot for judging you based on your differences. I didn't think there could be… more to you than just that violence and brutality I saw. But you are more than that, and you deserve better than to be judged like the violent and emotionless freak I tried to convince myself you were."

Sasuke continued to watch her mild bemusement as she seemed to struggle with something else she wanted to say; the expressions on the faces of Sokka, Mai and Azula were about enough to bring a smirk to his lips.

"You didn't blow down the wall, that bastard Obito did. And you said you didn't kill Ozai after he had been captured, and we believe you. You faced down his army and brought down his comet."

Her voice dipped in volume then and Sasuke barely picked up the last of what she said.

"We owe you everything, Sasuke, we're not going to abandon you like that."

Sasuke looked about to see vehement nods from Sokka, Toph, Aang, Suki and Ty Lee. Azula didn't look away from him, her eyes gazing fiercely at him as though daring him to suggest otherwise as Mai narrowed hers at him, looking like she expected the same. Jin kept her gaze away from him, looking off towards the ground as though she didn't want to put herself in a place where she would have to make a similar decision. For a single wild moment, he wanted just to pull her aside and tell her that she had nothing to fear from him, but knew this was not the time or place. Seeing her that way hurt him to see, as he saw none of the positive and affectionate parts of her that she had so willingly offered him when he had awoken in the back of the teashop.

I'm sorry, Jin… you didn't deserve to grow up this fast.

Zuko was the only one who looked unconvinced, or at the very least unsatisfied as he crossed his arms and flicked his eye towards Sasuke.

"So, if you didn't kill father, what happened?"

As though she had been waiting for the subject to be broached, Azula quickly followed up as well, "And what happened to Obito? And your brother? The Avatar said they were with you before he fell unconscious. Are they dead?"

The bluntness of her question was clearly lost on her and while it was somewhat amusing to several sets of eyes flick between her and Sasuke nervously, Sasuke found no part of himself at all offended with her rather words. At the thought of what had happened before, all he could feel was that familiar sense of despair as he considered his failing to return to his world.

Plainly and almost apathetically, he told them what had happened, who had been truly behind his falling into this world and whom had been masquerading as his brother, and what had happened to both him and Obito. He only talked for a few minutes before the story was told, but by the time he was finished, the looks on everyone's faces made it look like he had just finished narrating a two hour epic.

Aang looked the most stunned, as well as a little bit traumatized as he sat down weakly on the side of Sasuke's bed.

"All this time… someone was breaking through the Spirit World… Roku, Kyoshi, none of them told me this was happening!"

Katara sat down next to him and put a hand on his shoulder, her voice soothing, though Sasuke could see that the color was still drained from her face at his revelations.

"They wouldn't have wanted to put that on you; what could you have done to stop him? If what Sasuke says is true, he was stronger than anything even they were ready for."

As though he had just been stung in the rear, Aang jumped to his feet, his face furious.

"They could have warned me! We could have been able to prepare if one of them had just reached out, maybe things could have been different, maybe I could have done something, or maybe—"

"Maybe things could have been worse," Sasuke cut him off candidly. Aang looked at him with eyes wide with surprise at his words and hurt at his fellow Spirit World-wandering counterparts. Sasuke continued, eager to calm Aang down and move things along.

"Someone tells you that Madara is trying to break through, and maybe has succeeded and then what? We spend time worrying about how to prepare for it and it opens us up to Obito, prior to his switch of allegiance, or the Fire Nation."

As he looked into the Avatar's eyes, he could tell that the truth of his words was being heeded, but there was no doubt that this was something Aang was going to have trouble grasping as he turned his head down and jammed his eyes shut. Katara gently rubbed his back and gave Sasuke a somewhat reproachful look that he ignored.

"And… they're gone? You know they are?" Jin asked quietly and he nodded, his bitterness at his own failure bringing the taste of bile to his mouth.

"Right up till the end, Madara had everyone fooled. He fooled me with my own brother and I fell for it. And now, he and Obito are gone and I'm stuck here."

Theere was no way to keep the resentment towards his situation out of his voice, but he could see the uneasy and slightly hurt expressions slipping around the room, indicating that his suggestion that he was stuck there was perhaps not as bad a deal as his anger made it sound like. For that, he felt a touch of affection towards his companions, that they maybe weren't all that unhappy that he was still in their world.

They're going to be real upset then, when they know what I plan to do next.

"If it's alright, I'd like to be alone for a bit," he then said, turning back to the window, not wanting to meet any of their eyes following his request. "I have a lot to think about."

This at the very least, was no lie. There was much on his mind, considering that he had just recently made a decision that would likely forever affect the progression of the nations' rebuilding. But there was a very important detail he had failed to mention, one that he didn't need to air out to anyone just yet.

Behind him, he heard gentle shuffling and he knew that looks were being exchanged, silent questions on whether or not further conversation needed to be sent Sasuke's way, but after several seconds of relative quiet, there came the sound of footsteps moving towards the door. Before it opened, there was another pause before Suki said in a quiet and somewhat choleric tone.

"We're going to fight this, Sasuke. They're not going to hang all this suffering on you."

There were murmurs of assent to her words and Sasuke closed his eyes and inclined his head, hoping that was enough of a gesture to be considered as a response. He was genuinely rather surprised by Suki's furious defense of him, but he thought back to a conversation they had shared on Appa's back where she had told him about the code of the Kyoshi Warriors.

They seek justice and fairness for all. If you're guilty you are condemned, but they fight for those who have been wronged and dishonored immorally. That, or maybe she's just gotten attached to me.

He smiled very softly at the thought, but his insides gave a gentle pang as he considered just how much the others might have grown attached to him after he had grown rather attached to them in turn.

Hell, this might break some hearts.

But he had to do it. He didn't really have a choice now.

The door behind him closed again as everyone filtered out, but he could sense purely by the atmosphere of the room that he wasn't just yet alone. Whoever would have been the last one out had closed the door from the inside, leaving them and Sasuke alone. It took the barest probing of the sense of the room's mood to know who that person was.

"Something I can do for you, Azula?" Sasuke asked as he wearily began to turn, but only made his turn about halfway before she was in front of him, throwing her arms around his neck and jamming her lips against his.

Azula… I can't.

He let her kiss him for a few seconds before he gently reached up to gently push her head with a thumb pressed against the curve of his pointer finger. Sasuke looked at her affectionate expression, as she looked almost overwhelmed at her own emotion and felt the last pang of guilt he allowed himself to experience before he shut off his caring for her; it was a hard thing, but he had no choice in moving along. If he let the fact that he too deep down cared for her, his plan was shot before it began.

"I kill your father and this is the response I get?" he asked mildly, trying to ease into what he knew he had to say.

"I don't need him, I never needed him," she whispered breathlessly as her fingers ran almost desperately through his hair and over his neck, her nails dragging against his skin. "All I need is you, and now I can have that."

Azula went in to kiss him again, but he pressed his hand harder against her cheek, keeping her from closing the distance. As her eyes looked at his questioningly, Sasuke hesitated.

Do it.

"Azula… you don't need me."

She was silent a moment before a nervous and rather deranged giggle spilled from her lips.

"What are you talking about?" she asked. "Of course I do!"

"No, no you don't," Sasuke said in reply, putting a hand on her shoulder and pushing her more sternly away from him. He stopped when she was a few feet ahead of him and tried to ignore the look in her eyes that, despite her frantic smile and hysteric smile, told him that she was becoming very frightened.

"You've convinced yourself that you need something, a single something to go on living, in this case, me."

"But I do need you!" she said, her voice raising in pitch and losing its steadiness. "You're the reason I've gotten this far; without you, I'd be long dead!"

"Maybe," Sasuke said with a cock of his head. "But just because I saved your life doesn't mean that I'm somehow… a part of you now."

He knew as he said the words that it was not at all the best he could have put things, and Azula took a step back from him then, hurt blossoming over her face, though she maintained the smile that told him she was doing everything in her power not to believe what she was hearing.

"You're scared, aren't you?" she asked quietly and at that, Sasuke furrowed his brow, blinking in confusion.

"Scared of what?" he asked and watched as her expression slowly started to become that of a mother talking down to a child who was trying to hide some menial thing that was frightening them. She stepped very slowly towards him, reaching a hand out and brushing it against the side of his face; Sasuke felt her shiver at the thrill she apparently got from touching him.

"It's okay," she whispered. "You don't have to scared of anything, of any of them. That's what this is about, right?"

"I don't—" he started but her question was clearly meant to be rhetorical as she closed the distance further between them.

"The other girls… you're a good man, Sasuke. I know you're a good person, and I'm not. You don't want them to be hurt and I accept and understand that, I haven't forgotten my promise to you; I won't harm them and I won't betray your trust. You're scared I will and might lash out at them, but it's okay."

She slipped her fingers through his and smiled up at him, and for just a moment, Sasuke could see what might have been real, genuine attraction in her eyes that was quickly swallowed up by her obsessiveness.

"We don't have to hide anymore. I love you, and I will do anything for you, as long as you're a part of me."

Again, she moved in close to him, her eyes closing and her lips reaching for his. Sasuke watched her slowly close the distance before a surge of absolute frustration bent through his body. She was out of control, and he needed to shut this down now.

It was the realization that he wasn't sure he wanted to push her away that anger him the most.

He put a hand on Azula's chest and shoved her backwards, hard. She stumbled a couple steps before falling onto her rear and pushing herself to a sitting position, looking up at him with wide eyes. Despite the fear she clearly felt at his constant pushing her away, he could see flash of excitement cross her face and he remembered the affinity for the physical offense he had dealt her, something this Sasuke couldn't remotely condone. Before she could so much as gasp out a word, he clenched the hand that had pushed her into a fist, and he let it all out in his voice.

In his heart, he knew there was affection for Azula, there always had been. Despite her faults, her savagery and cruelty, and her practical lunacy, something about her had always drawn him to her and he knew that. But he couldn't submit to those feelings; he knew they would tear each other down as soon as build one another up. Sasuke knew he was, in a sense, just as emotionally broken as she was and she needed better than him, much better. But to deny her now was a painful thing, and so he turned to his frustrations, Obito and Madara's departure, his being left behind, the way he had been tricked and used, the fact that despite everything he had done, he was going to be tried as a criminal, and his emotional confusion towards not just Azula.

"You don't need me, just like I don't need you!" he shouted, letting the loudness of his voice project his pain. "You're psychotic, murderous and crushed by your own pride and jealousy! I can't love you when you treat a relationship like a trading of possessions!"

Through all this, Azula began to shake her head quickly, showcasing her denial as she babbled at him almost incoherently.

"Sasuke, I… you don't… I would never… I'll be anything you want if you just—"

He stomped over to stand just ahead of her, staring down furiously.

"I don't want you to be anything else! I just want you to leave me alone and stop pretending like we're a couple or something when you don't have any idea how to love, how to really love someone! Fix yourself before you come crawling to me trying to use me as your excuse for your awful behavior because otherwise, I will never be a part of you!"

His words left his mouth and echoed around the room. In truth, he wasn't sure he really had any idea what he was talking about. He didn't know what truly was going in inside Azula's head, just as he didn't understand his feelings towards her. But he remembered peering into her head, seeing the manifestation of her desires, that blood soaked palace and the both of them on the throne. That was enough to ensure him that the cruel worlds he had just hurled at her were necessary. He didn't want to hurt her, but she had to stop pursuing him, it would only end in disaster for both of them.

But as he looked down at Azula's face, she didn't break into tears or resort to begging as he might have expected. She didn't fly into a desperate torrent of taunts to make her strike him, she didn't crawl to him and bow at his feet, she didn't even cry. Instead, he watched as she sat there in front of him, her hands on the ground behind her, propping her up as her eyes stared up at him, wide and almost appearing unseeing, like she was looking through him. She remained there for several seconds while he stared back at her before she slowly pushed herself up to her feet, her eyes drifting to the ground as her hand reached around to grip her other arm in a lonely gesture.

"Never be a part of me…" she whispered so quietly he almost didn't hear it before she looked up to meet his eyes with a stern look and gave him a nod.

"Okay, Sasuke. If that is what you wish."

He could only stare in utter disbelief as she turned then and walked to the door, opening it to follow in the steps of the others.

It was that easy…? I was excepting a lot worse than that, hours maybe of yelling and turning her down, but just like that… she accepts that?

Sasuke supposed stranger things had happened, but after everything that had happened, Azula so willingly giving him up was the last thing he could have expected. He kept his eyes on her back as she pulled the door open and stepped into the hall, waiting for her to stop and drop the act, but she never stopped moving and left him alone in confused silence, closing the door behind her.

He would stand there for many minutes before getting his mind back on track to what he needed to focus on, not because of what Azula had just so openly done, but because of the expression he could have sworn he had seen on her face just before the door closed.

He was almost positive she had been smiling.

Aang stormed about the room that he had been settled in, trying to keep his mind from running too wild and furious with what he had just learned, as he took deep calming breaths, leaning against his window frame. He found himself distantly grateful for the fact that they all had been granted separate rooms around the palace grounds, for he didn't want to hear Katara, or Sokka, or Toph, or whoever else would have surely moved on the fact that he was currently in a furious state of disarray and tried to calm him down. Aang didn't want to be calm just then, he wanted to vent and hit things and yell, things he nearly never did, but he couldn't think of a more suitable time to give into these furious urges.

He had rushed to his room immediately after they had left Sasuke's room, claiming he needed rest; everyone else had been heading towards the direction of the kitchen, looking to scrounge up some lunch and they were all surely there now, talking about Sasuke's revival and what he had said. Aang, however, had raced to his room, closed the door and sat in the center of his room, doing everything he could to try and enter his Avatar State to get ahold of any spirit he could to try and get in touch with Roku, or any of the other spirits who could explain to him why Madara's invasion of the Spirit World had been kept from him, or what was happening there now, what was happening or had happened to both Madara and Obito.

But despite his entering of the Avatar State, he could find no spirits to commune with, not a single one. No matter how hard he had tried to call out or no matter where his spiritual state had flown too, there was nothing to be found. He had soared around calling out for what felt like ages before giving up and awakening back in his room, leading him to where he was now, in an angry and frustrated state of mind.

Though this lack of being able commune or gain information from the spirits surely was the most pressing thing on his mind, there were a fair few other things that were weighing on him as well; the treatment of Sasuke by the United Council members after everything he had done, coupled with the fact that Katara had all but admitted her interest in him not an hour ago, put Aang in a place where he was torn between wanting to defend Sasuke and wanting to kick him to the curb. He had been so grateful to see Sasuke wake up, yet had felt his stomach drop out at Katara's words. Compiling this with his spiritual struggles, and he was all but blasting down the paintings decorating his room with firebending.

Sasuke, why did you… just why?

There was nothing he could even really think to air out as a mental grievance, just everything that Sasuke had done seemed so completely—

"You should stop punching the wall every time you pace to that side of the room, you're going to split something."

At the sudden voice, Aang jumped and froze where he was walking aggressively around his room and turned to see Sasuke standing near the far end of it, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. Even despite the annoyance and anger he should have felt upon seeing Sasuke, and that he still did to a certain extent, Aang's first thoughts were of concern.

"Should you be walking around? You're not fully recovered yet, are you?" he blurted out. Sasuke had redressed in his usual garb, his dark blue pants wrapped by that blue cloth and purple rope belt and his light grey shirt zippered up to just below his neck. When he had been brought in, his clothes had been removed and changed, being as shredded, burnt and dirtied with blood and earth as they had been. Now though, they were on his body again, looking as though they had just been tailored and cleaned, which they had been.

"Who do I have to thank for fixing up my clothes?" he asked, ignoring Aang's question. "I didn't get the chance to ask."

Aang swallowed, trying to get his emotions under control. "Mai and Ty Lee, I think. They spent most of their free time yesterday and this morning cleaning and stitching everything up."

Sasuke nodded. "I'll have to be sure to thank them."

He pushed gently away from the wall and walked over to Aang's window, looking out over what was a very grey day, rain coming down in a gentle mist, rapping ever so gently against the panes.

"I'm still mending, but I can walk around fine now," he finally said and Aang nodded; Sasuke turned then to face him, eyes hard and back to their old 'I'm Sasuke and I'm too tough to care about anything' look, but when he spoke again, his voice was laced with understanding.

"You're trying to get an idea of what's going on in the Spirit World, aren't you?"

In a time where he was less ticked off at the state of things, Aang might have lied and played it off as something else, maybe even confronted Sasuke about a possible romance he had blooming with Katara that Aang so strongly suspected was there, but he was too swamped in his emotions to even really consider lying.

"Yeah," he said in a low, bitter voice and Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

"Not going so well, is it?"

Aang's mouth pulled at the corners in a snarl before he spun away from Sasuke and dug his fingers into his scalp as he resumed pacing.

"No, nothing! I don't know how, I can always usually find at least a few spirits, but it's like they just have shut themselves off from me! I don't know what I did to make them not want to trust me with information like about Madara, but not being able to even just talk to Roku or someone…"

He clenched his fist and let out a sigh towards the floor.

"It's just frustrating. I feel like I could have done something."

There was a soft squeak in the wooden floor behind him as Sasuke gently walked further into the room.

"It's not on you, Aang. Whatever their reason for not telling you, there was nothing you could have done."

I know.

"I know, it's just… frustrating is all."

Even just saying that was somehow a massive relief on his mind, telling someone that he was in as much mental duress.

It's okay though, someone like Sasuke has got to understand what I'm feeling. It's been nothing but stress for him probably as he can never quite get what he's after. I'm not alone in this, he's just as lost as I am.

"But it's alright," Aang said, moving to stand beside the window with Sasuke. "We've gotten through the worst of it, whatever we need to make happen, we can get through it together."

Slowly, he started to feel himself coming down from his anger; something about Sasuke's presence had always made him feel… perhaps if not safe altogether, then a good deal more confident that things could be alright. Their past conversations had shown him a part of Sasuke that he imagined not many other people knew about, and that was enough to make him feel like they had something special, and that he could confide in Sasuke where he couldn't with others.

"It's just so bizarre, you know? The Fire Nation was defeated, but I don't entirely feel like we won. We lost so much and there's still so much we don't know."

Next to him, Sasuke shifted somewhat, murmuring quietly as he did.

"Aang, I—"

For whatever reason, Aang continued to talk past him, the feeling of being able to get his emotions off his chest warranting such rude behavior.

"I know that we're just going to have to move forward though, that's the way it's always been and that's the way it's going to have to be… I'm just glad that despite everything that's happened, we still are going to be able to have you."

"Aang—"

"I know you're probably still not too happy about what happened, I could hear it in your voice earlier and I know that you're hurting, but I just want to tell you how much it means to have you here; and I'm not just talking about me, I mean for all of us, you're more—"

"Aang!"

At a snap from Sasuke who finally seemed he was quite finished with being constantly interrupted, Aang looked over, offering a sheepish smile.

"I'm sorry. I just sometimes feel like I have a lot to get off my chest, and it feels good just to say it. After the talks we've had before… I guess I just feel like I can at least talk to you, even when I can't talk to Katara, or Toph, or Sokka."

He looked up at Sasuke's black orbs, and saw the pull on the edges of them; something was eating at Sasuke, something perhaps he hadn't been willing to say before. It filled Aang with happiness then that Sasuke had been willing to take whatever this problem was to him, whatever it was, clearly it was something that he felt he could trust with him and—

"Aang, I'm leaving."

For a moment, all Aang could do was blink in bemusement at Sasuke as his mind fuzzily tried to rationalize Sasuke's words.

"What?" he finally managed to reply with, looking up at Sasuke's gaze.

"I'm leaving," Sasuke repeated. "I didn't say it earlier, but the archstones Madara stole from the palace numbered more than two. More exist, but there is no information that states where they are, only that they're beyond the reach of the Four Nations, across the oceans, taken to parts unknown."

Aang's stomach dropped to his feet; there was so much happening just then, so many things he had to react to that it took him several long seconds of stuttering before he was able to get out his first rebuttal to what Sasuke said, hoping that reason would be enough to keep this from happening.

"Beyond the reach of the Four Nations?! Sasuke, you know why those oceans haven't been charted, haven't been mapped past?! Because every ship that ever tried to sail any variation of north, south, east or west never came back! For hundreds of years this has been the case, and while there come rumors of monsters and impossible storms, only people out of their mind have gone that way and none have ever returned! If these archstones really were taken away, they're at the bottom of the ocean, or in the stomach of some leviathan the size of a mountain!"

Sasuke shrugged. "Then that's where I'll have to go."

Aang shook his head, looking down desperately; Sasuke wouldn't listen to reason, of course he wouldn't. He was powerful enough that he was surely confident that nothing of mystery towards the people of these lands were of any concern to him. As rain pattered down lightly outside, he desperately tried another angle.

"The people of the Four Nations need you, Sasuke! What if Madara comes back?! What happens if—"

"Madara's gone, and no one needs me," Sasuke replied flatly. Aang winced internally as he remembered just how touchy a subject it was talking about Madara and Obito. "There's no threat that you people can't handle now, with the Fire Nation military force being gravely stunted, and the Earth and Water Nations being allied and very sizable in respect to their armies. No doubt the Fire Nation will be forced to enter a peace agreement of some kind, drawing them into the mix as well. The United Council will work to serve the best interests of all, including the Air Nation as you slowly start to get your people back on your feet."

"The United Council doesn't care about—"

"Me," Sasuke said, cutting off Aang's furious interjection. "They don't care about me. Well, maybe they do, but not in any sense of necessity or gratitude. They think me responsible for much of the carnage of this war, and they're right, to an extent. Whatever their feelings are towards me, I believe they will work towards rebuilding the Four Nations and you will be able to handle any threat or uprising that comes this way."

His words were so final and precise that Aang started to feel proper fear that he wasn't going to be able to talk Sasuke out of this.

He's made up his mind… he wants to leave. He feels he has no choice, I can see that in his eyes and hear it in his voice.

But as he slowly, painfully began to accept the possibility that Sasuke's desire would come to pass, he let out his last argument, likely the thing that would deliver the heaviest blow to Sasuke's resolve. Aang's words came out quietly, converse to the loud, desperate shouting that he had been engaging in moments before.

"What about us, Sasuke?"

Sasuke fidgeted ahead of him, "I just said, the people don't—"

"You know what I'm talking about," Aang snapped. "I'm talking about me. I'm talking about Toph, Azula, Mai, Katara, Jin, Sokka, Suki, Ty Lee and Zuko. Don't you dare try and tell me that you haven't grown to care about us, because we sure as hell have all grown to care about you."

Narrowing his eyes, Sasuke shook his head slowly as he straightened his back and looked down at him.

"Don't try that, Aang."

"Why?!" Aang shouted. "Because you know that it's true?! You know that if you leave, Toph's heart's going to break, you've gone insane if you haven't seen how Mai, or Jin, or…"

He almost couldn't get the name out.

"… Katara look at you either."

Sasuke rolled his eyes, but Aang could see the way his eyes flickered at the mention of their names. "What, you think that just because they're the most constantly watchful of me, that translates to them, what? Crushing on me?"

Trying not to burst with frustration, Aang snapped back, "Maybe not all of them, but you know that even if they don't, they still care about you, right? And… oh, spirits, Sasuke, what about Azula? What do you think comes of that if you leave?"

Aang wasn't sure exactly what, but something else flashed over Sasuke's eyes then as he replied in a halting voice.

"I've… handled that already."

This might have been the most unexpected thing he could have said and Aang blinked at him in confusion.

"You've handled it? Like, she's not going to come after you anymore?"

"Yeah," Sasuke said, scratching the back of his head and clearly doing everything in his power to keep from feeling uncomfortable. For a moment, Aang wondered if he was lying, but he knew that there was no way Sasuke would lie about something like this; the only thing that came to his mind just then was the question 'how?' but he was able to keep himself on track.

"Even still, you're going to give this up? You're going to just leave, right when the world's getting ready to accept you?"

For a good long while of looking at him, Sasuke turned to look out the window again. He spent a good while longer looking out it before speaking, his voice measured, but Aang could hear the regret in it.

"You all might accept me, maybe the general will, and Iroh, but your world isn't meant for someone like me, Aang, and you know it. The United Council, as cold as they're being about it, have every right to question my motives and abilities. I'd honestly be shocked if they didn't. As much as I rather have grown… close to you all, I have a responsibility to the people of this world, about that you're right. But it's not here as a defender, it's going out there and finding a way back to my home, to relieve your world of the presence of people like me."

He flicked a glance at Aang, clasping his hands behind his back.

"I don't think I'd be lying if I said that I wouldn't deep down be glad to stay here and stay with you all… but I have to leave. I was never meant to be here, and I've damaged the journeys of all of you, perhaps irreparably. This is the only way I can fix things."

For several revealing moments, the only sound was the pattering of the lessening rain as Aang's eyes widened.

"You're… you've made up your mind, haven't you? Nothing I can say will be able to sway you."

Sasuke gently shook his head, keeping his black eyes fixed on Aang.

"Nothing."

Stepping away, Aang leaned against his bed, feeling rather lightheaded and stunned into silence; for whatever reason, he had spent the past couple days while Sasuke had been resting just assuming that this would come, but when he had awoken and told them about his failed chance to leave alongside Madara and Obito, a single beam of light had been able to slice through his worrying and anxiety, that Sasuke would be staying with them. Of course, this brought its share of difficulties, but Aang had been willing to accept that, any potential conflict as a result of Sasuke's presence, in regards to political struggles, possible romances he might engage in that could cause trouble, or anything else that Sasuke might have brought about due to his being among them.

And now, Sasuke was leaving. To who knew quite where, possibly into the most deadly sort of conditions their world could generate. Aang was scared for both Sasuke, and everyone of their group, himself included.

But as he rolled back through all his arguments, trying to find some facet he could use to persuade Sasuke otherwise, he found himself feeling strangely at peace with the idea.

I can't force him to be with us on his journey. He has to follow his own path, just like all of us, and if that means him leaving our side, I have to be willing to accept that.

He closed his eyes and tried not to think about Toph's reaction to his news, or what might have happened between Sasuke and Azula to settle things, and let all of his worries about Sasuke slip away.

Alright, Sasuke.

Opening his eyes, he looked over and asked, "When are you leaving?"

Sasuke blinked in surprise as though he had been expecting more of an argument, but his following lack of response told Aang everything he needed to know, and he felt himself starting to get fired up again.

"Oh, no, no, no, you don't get to do that," he growled. "You don't just get to walk out of here without saying goodbye to everyone, and leaving the job of breaking the news to me."

Sighing though his nose, Sasuke inclined his head, expression tired and gently beseeching. "Aang, I can't stay long, the Council will be coming for me within the next couple days, and if I'm gone before then, you all can deny knowing anything and throw me under the bus freely, pin everything on me that they're angsty about. Protect yourselves and shift blame to someone no longer there."

"You can't seriously be asking us to confirm what they're going to be accusing you of…"

"I am," Sasuke said firmly. "Tell them how suspicious you've been of me since we met, that you never knew my true intentions, and that I often took time away from the group. Anything to protect yourselves."

Aang grit his teeth angrily.

"Fine!" he all but shouted. "But you don't leave today. Stay at least for the celebration tonight and then you can leave tomorrow."

He could see exasperation starting to break over Sasuke's face, and he spoke again before he could be shut down.

"Just… give everyone a last night with you. Just pretend for one night like things could be alright for all of us, together. Give Toph a dance, get Jin a drink, anything you need to do to just give them all a last good memory, so when you're… gone in the morning, they'll have that at least."

He waited, expecting Sasuke to shut down his idea, but to his surprise, Sasuke eventually gave a small smile and put a hand on Aang's shoulder.

"You're a good guy, Aang. Fine, I'll stay a last night."

Aang's surprise continued to race through his body, but he nodded past it.

"Good. It'll look suspicious if you go wandering around grabbing supplies for your journey, since I assume you'll be doing that?"

Sasuke nodded. "I had been planning on it, yeah, but I—"

"That's fine," Aang said, cutting him off. "Tomorrow morning, meet me by the south entrance to the city; you try and go anywhere towards the west side of the city where rebuilding efforts and joint work by the militaries will be happening, and you're bound to be seen. I'll find a way to wrangle you up some stuff and I'll meet you at the south side to give you it and see you off."

A couple seconds after hearing this, Sasuke nodded with a small smile.

"Thanks."

Unable to really feel like he could stand there much longer before he would break out into a fresh slew of attempts to convince Sasuke to change his mind, Aang turned away and headed for the door.

"I'm going to go visit Appa and Momo. I'd better see you tonight at the party."

He stopped at the door handle, waiting for an answer.

"You will," Sauske said quietly and Aang gave a short and stern nod before walking out his door and into the hallway, slamming the door behind him without a look back.

He would run into the rest of the group coming back from lunch then, Azula now among their number, looking strangely at peace for both being in something of a social setting and after being turned down by Sasuke, if what he said was true.

It took more willpower than he would have thought imaginable to keep from telling them all that after that night, Sasuke would be gone, and every time he saw Toph's smiling face, he drew blood biting his lips to keep tears from coming to his eyes.

Mai hiked up her dress, cursing herself for not doing a better job of sizing herself prior to the evening's festivities. The wardrobe they had been lent extended to formal and partygoing clothing, and while Mai had personally been quite pleased with how she had looked in green, she clearly had spent more time on makeup and her hair than seeing if the dress she had chosen actually fit her properly. She had just come from had actually been quite the pleasant dance with Zuko, who seemed to have been wiling just as she had to put aside their previous arguments to just remember how much they liked on another's company, but he had been called aside to greet several members of the United Council, a trend that was proving to be recurring that evening; it seemed that despite their futures all being up in the air, many were already beginning to accept the idea that he would be the new ruler of the Fire Nation.

The ballroom was dimly lit as a full scale batch of musicians cranked away at tunes near the massive ornate stairwell that spiraled up to the second floor; both floors were occupied with extremely well dressed people, no doubt the higher class of Ba Sing Se as well as politicians and societal leaders, all celebrating what had rather been entirely too close a call at the end of the war. But it was all over now and they had earned a right to celebrate.

Mai had been informed that morning that her family was safe at the Fire Nation's capital, and though her uncle had been arrested, he too was safe. Things were moving so quickly it was hard to remember what had happened and when, even while a rush of news seemed to come from every angle, informing them that the Fire Nation was being put under temporary martial law, or that the entire fleet had been seized, or that emissaries from all the Nations were pouring to Ba Sing Se to be involved in the peacetime talks and to plead the cases of their towns and cities, ensuring that the appropriate reparations were distributed. Mai was happy just for a night where she could tip drinks down her throat and let the ensuing buzz dull her to the stress of what life had become for her. It had been a while since she had taken any sake, but that night, she couldn't have been more glad that a drink was in her hand.

"Had enough dancing for a bit?"

She looked up to see Ty Lee walking up to her with a smile; her friend was also decked out in a gorgeous outfit, her makeup and hair just as done up as Mai, a drink in her hand as well with a big smile on her face.

"For a little bit, yeah," Mai replied. "Felt I wanted just a little while to relax and just drink my worries away."

As she raised her glass somewhat sarcastically, Ty Lee grinned wider and bumped her glass against Mai's and they both drank. Sitting beside her at the table that Mai had settled at, Ty Lee looked out over the ballroom floor as they both sat in silence, listening to the music and perpetual hum of conversation that permeated every which way around them.

"What have you been up to?" Mai finally asked and Ty Lee gave a sigh, throwing one leg over her opposing knee and resting her elbow against it as she cradled her chin in her hand.

"Dancing, obviously."

Mai rolled her eyes, "Obviously, my bad."

Ty Lee smiled, eyes peering through the relative crowd of people, looking at something Mai couldn't see.

"I was able to take Sokka for a few songs; if Suki isn't careful, I'm going to snatch him up for sure."

Pulling a face, Mai winced. "Don't do that; I don't particularly want to watch you both go at that, since I don't really know who would take the cake in that fight."

Straightening her back, Ty Lee looked over, her expression ripe with a mixture of real and mock hurt.

"What, you don't think I could take her? I think I'd be able to put her on her pretty little ass fairly quickly."

"Whatever you say," Mai replied and smiled as her friend laughed. They both fell silent again for a while as they looked out over the sea of partygoers.

Mai spotted almost every one of their only recently formed group among the older and somewhat reserved guests; Sokka was now dancing with Toph who was laughing, but her cheeks were flushed from something that Mai didn't imagine was alcohol related. Suki looked on, amused and looking not at all worried that Sokka might be in danger of being stolen, either by Toph or by Mai's acrobatic friend. The Avatar had his hands around Katara as they both slowly revolved where they held each other; they had been dancing for quite some time, Aang not seeming like he quite wanted to let her go and while Katara seemed to be extremely amenable and receptive to him, Mai noticed the occasional glances she would flick around, as though she were looking for someone.

"Where's…" she started to ask, and when she realized she was about to ask about Sasuke, she bit her tongue and cut herself off, correcting her course very quickly.

"…Azula?" she finished and hoped that Ty Lee hadn't heard the very brief moment between words that had rather felt like an eternity to Mai.

"Oh, far side of the room, at the table with… with Sasuke," Ty Lee replied, and Mai noted the very clear concern that entered her friend's voice just then. She followed Ty Lee's words and looked to the corner of the room, a good long way away from them, to see Sasuke sitting side by side with Azula. From where she sat, Mai thought that he looked rather tipsy as he sat besides Azula, the princess looking at him intently while he spoke to her, almost looking like he didn't acknowledge she was even there, as he talked on and on about something or other. Mai figured this looked to be the most pleased she had ever seen him to open up and just talk to someone, though perhaps the alcohol he was partaking in was helping. Every minute or so, Azula would nudge his glass over nearer to him and urge him to take another sip.

"He been drinking all night?" Mai asked, feeling somewhat bemused to even see him partaking in the drinking part of the evening; she hadn't seen him hardly at all and wondered just how much he had been given.

"Oh gosh, maybe," Ty Lee said, and again, Mai could hear the worry in her voice as it was present on her face as well. "I never picked him out as they type to get drunk, or even drink."

Mai's bemusement began to shift into what she knew to be both resentment and envy as she glared across the room. To her, it almost looked like Azula was a mother coaxing along her child to drink their milk at dinner, and with Sasuke's rather exaggerated motions and mouth running wild, it seemed even more like an apt comparison. She found herself truly disliking just how Sasuke appeared to be; after so much time seeing him as a powerful and unshakeable figure.

"Azula really thinks getting him drunk is going to be what it takes to push him over the edge for her?" she said in an attempt to sound more offhand than she felt. It was very likely that wasn't enough to keep Ty Lee from noticing her hidden anxiety, but for the most part, her friend had no reaction to her worry.

Ty Lee kept her eyes locked on Sasuke and Azula from across the room, her eyes flickering with nervousness as she peered at them from over her glass.

"You didn't hear, did you?" she asked, and Mai's brow furrowed.

"No, what?"

For a moment, it looked like her friend was regretting having said anything, like what she had just hinted at was information privy to no one else, but eventually, she spoke quietly, barely audible over the din of the party.

"I heard from Toph, who I guess heard from Aang, that Sasuke spoke with Azula alone. Told her they weren't going to be a thing, and that she needed to stop chasing him."

Mai could only stare back at her friend, stunned, a strange buzzing noise in her ears.

"What?" was all she could manage and Ty Lee gave a smirk, the humor of which didn't reach her concerned eyes.

"That's what I said. I don't know, I guess he talked to her sometime this afternoon, and broke it to her."

Looking back to Sasuke and Azula, Mai couldn't even quite bring herself to blink.

"And Azula was okay with that?"

Ty Lee shrugged.

"I guess. I mean, she's not tearing the place to pieces or burning down what's left of the city, so I'd call that a good sign."

Several seconds passed as Mai continued to stare as Azula nudged Sasuke's drink towards him; he briefly looked like he was trying to resist, but eventually he obliged and took another swig of whatever she was urging on him.

"So, what's this then?" she asked at last. "They're… friends now?"

The buzz of her own drink was making considering what was happening in front of her even more unfeasible and it felt rather like something was interfering with reality at how absurd her question even was. Ty Lee clearly found it just as humorous and she giggled.

"I know, right? They're just hanging out and drinking together. Who knows, I don't know what they said to each other. Could have been an hour of them screaming at each other for all I know. But if she agreed to stop pursuing him… hell, that's the best news I've heard since the war ended. He must have said something pretty heavy to level her out though, she looks… better. Better than she has in a while."

Mai had to agree as she watched them a while longer and as she did, she started thinking about that fact that this could possibly be true. If it was, Azula would be able to keep self-searching and find herself truly, no longer caught up in the obsession of her own nation, her search for power, or her utter mania towards Sasuke.

And if she was no longer aiming after Sasuke…

As she allowed herself to consider the possibility, even just for a moment, Mai felt such a surge of happiness that she put her drink down then and there, and pulled Ty Lee to dance as her friend squealed with surprise. Mai ignored the looks they got as they laughed and danced; though it was rather unusual for two people of the same sex to dance, particularly in a more formal setting like this, but her thoughts kept anything from bringing her down just then.

So caught up she was, that she didn't even notice that Sasuke and Azula had disappeared from their table until she happened to glance over that way and saw the table deserted. She hadn't a clue how much more alcohol she consumed, nor how much time had passed before she saw Azula again as she fraternized with Katara, who was less tipsy than her, Ty Lee, who was about as tipsy, and Suki, who was somehow well underway to having a very unfriendly morning with how loud and giggly she was. Mai pushed a sober and very perturbed looking Sokka towards the Kyoshi warrior who was trying very badly to get Toph to dance with her and put an arm around Azula, the princess's scrunched nose and disapproving look enough to make her smile even wider as she asked where Sasuke was.

She didn't think twice about it when Azula informed her that Sasuke had passed out and she had left him in the hands of the guards to his room who had put him to bed, only laughed loudly at the idea of Sasuke drinking himself out before she forgot about both of them and partied well on into the night.

As Sasuke bent over to retrieve his sandals, he groaned quietly as his head throbbed, not for the first time. It was early in the morning, and his head clearly hadn't recovered from last night. He knew he must have partaken in a great deal of drinking and was deeply embarrassed at the idea that someone he knew might have seen him in that state. He was even more embarrassed when he thought to the previous night and could remember just about nothing from it, distant images of the ballroom and memories of music being the only things he could recall.

It hardly mattered at that point, he had kept his first promise to Aang, and was about ready to head out. He had the few things he needed and as the Avatar had told him that he would gather up some sustenance for the early leg of his journey, there was no need to pack a rucksack of any kind. His sword settled in his rope belt behind him, kunai tucked away, and the archstone and his other asset in his pocket, he had everything he needed to set out.

The morning was bright, though Sasuke couldn't see the sun yet from where it rested low in the sky on the other side of the wall. Now would be the best time to make his exit; if any of the United Council members had gotten a look at him last night, or had been otherwise informed, his intoxicated state would have likely lessened their suspicion that he might try and vacate the city, though the guards he had detected that morning outside his door told him that they weren't that comfortable letting their guards down.

One last thing then.

He made several quick hand seals and with a familiar, almost nostalgic poofing sound, an identical copy appeared just in front of him. Sasuke looked at what was almost a perfect reflection of him before sending it to climb into his bed, climbing into the covers and facing away from the door. He wasn't sure just how much time that might buy him if anyone came checking and saw his shadow clone sleeping, but it was worth a shot anyway. Having completed the last of his precautions, he used another jutsu to transform himself into a fly and he slipped underneath the door crack, feeling briefly caught off guard by the size of the soldiers in relation to himself just then, with them towering like mountains, before he buzzed away down the hall, heading towards the south side of the city.

In reality, he had absolutely no necessary reason to appease Aang and see him a last time, but he rather liked the idea of the Avatar collecting him some food for his trip as it saved him the trouble of having to steal some on his way out of the city. That, and he rather had come to like Aang and hopefully he could leave things a little less bitter between them.

Listen to me… caring about how he feels.

It took him a good ten minutes to fly his way from the palace to the south end of the city and as he dipped through an alley, he transformed back into himself, after having seen the streets relatively deserted at that early hour; he rather doubted he would be seen by anyone of consequence, and even if someone like that did, a quick memory erasing jutsu would alleviate such a problem. He had no doubt every entrance to the city was being watched, but he would talk with Aang inside the wall and transform again once he left, likely into a fly again to avoid being spotted.

Shaking feeling back into his human form and giving a small smile at how bizarre that brief transformation into a fly felt after turning back, he scratched the back of his head and walked around the corner of the alley towards the wall near where one of the southern exits lay.

He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw who was before him.

Aang was there all right, in the shadow of the wall, but he was far from alone. Katara, Toph, Mai, Ty Lee, Sokka, Suki, Zuko and Jin all stood beside him, all wearing various angry and disgruntled looks around Aang who looked more pained than anything.

In the time it took Sasuke to remember how to move, Jin caught sight of him. She said nothing, her eyes only etching a sad look on her face as she saw him and one by one, everyone else saw him as well, their eyes locking onto him from where they stood a couple dozen meters away.

There was a brief moment wherein all that passed between them all was silence. Sasuke considered seriously just transforming again or using some other jutsu to vanish himself and avoid this altogether. He remembered his earlier thoughts towards tapping into the powers Obito's eyes had granted him after being infused with his and wondered if now would be a good time to see if he could use Kamui.

But he did none of these things, simply stood there and looked back at them all in silence.

Eventually, he turned his eyes down to Aang who gave him an extremely apologetic and sheepish look before Sasuke sighed and started to walk their way. He cast another quick technique to make sure they were alone and found that no one was without a hundred meters of them, save for the guards soldiers posted beyond the door nested at the bottom of the wall, well beyond earshot.

As he approached them, he sighed again as he spoke out, "I don't suppose you're all planning on telling the soldiers on the other side of this big ol' door that I'm leaving, are you?"

"I have half a mind to do so, and I get the feeling I'm not alone," Mai snapped at him and there were firm looks of angry resolve from Jin, Suki and Katara and Sasuke knew that she wasn't lying.

"Well, I appreciate you not," Sasuke said as he came to stand in front of them. "I don't particularly like the idea of having to—"

As with any movement, he saw it coming a mile away, but for whatever reason, he allowed Katara to rock his world with a vicious slap across his right cheek. His head snapped to the left and he kept his face turned away for a moment while he felt that furious stinging against his skin.

"You know, I don't like how many of you have a thing for hitting me," he remarked finally in a low voice as he turned slowly back to them.

"Maybe if you would just stop doing stupid things, it would stop happening," Katara glowered at him.

Not entirely sure how to proceed, Sasuke decided to give Aang another annoyed look and the Avatar grit his teeth, his eyes still stretched with distress.

"I'm sorry, Sasuke!" he said, his voice almost pleading, but Sasuke could hear the same resentment he saw on everyone else's faces in his eyes. "But… everyone deserved a chance to say goodbye, don't you think? After everything we've been through?"

Sasuke didn't answer, just looked back to Katara, raising an eyebrow as he looked into her fiercely mature and hardened face.

"Somehow, I feel like there's more on everyone's mind than that."

To the right, Jin gave a humored sniff and he looked her way as she said, "You really just see conflict in everything, don't you?"

He gave her a flat look.

"Jin, Katara almost just killed me with that slap."

She only shook her head as Suki spoke up next to her; Sasuke noted how tired and pained the Kyoshi warrior's face was and he wondered if she wasn't maybe feeling the results of last night's celebrating that morning. He didn't get much of a chance to think about it as Suki's accusatory tone hit his ears.

"God, Sasuke, you're so smart about some things, but with people, you're totally hopeless, you know that?"

He gave a soft roll of his eyes.

"And why's that this time?" he asked and her angry expression briefly became almost pitying as she shook her head at him. She didn't seem able to get the reply out and it was Ty Lee who answered him, her voice quieter, but no less fierce.

"Sasuke, we're not here to try and stop you from leaving," she started, and Sasuke noticed both Mai and Toph shift uncomfortably as she did. "Aang told all of us earlier this morning your reasons for doing so and I don't think any of us are in a place to judge you for that or tell you otherwise. But…"

She turned her gaze down and trailed off; after a moment, Katara picked it off where she had left it.

"But you were going to leave and just leave it with Aang. You weren't going to tell any one else, were you?"

There was nothing Sasuke could really say to deny that and so he didn't even try to, just remained silent. Katara nodded matter-of-factly.

"I thought so."

Sokka kicked at the dirt beneath their feet almost awkwardly as he added his voice to the conversation. "Look, Sasuke, I think of everyone here, I'm probably the least angry you went and made this decision…"

As a humorous moment occurred wherein everyone there save for Zuko, Aang and Jin rounded on him, he put his hands up, eyes widening with worry.

"I still am, I still am!" he assured frantically. "It's just that…"

His arms dropped to his side and as his body language reflected the sadness in his voice, he looked up at Sasuke somewhat sheepishly.

"I don't know, I just guess I thought we'd be worth at least a goodbye."

Despite every part of him wanting to avoid getting even the slightest bit emotional, as he heard Sokka's words and realized just why it was that everyone was so sour with him, Sasuke couldn't help but feel a surge of affection as he looked around at all the fiery expressions around him.

"You all are. And I'm sorry."

His apology seemed to catch everyone off guard and this seemed enough to stun everyone there, bringing a smile to his lips.

"I had thought to spare you all from any difficult goodbyes, or maybe I was trying to spare myself. Regardless, I apologize if any of you felt slighted when Aang came to speak to you this morning, that was not my intention."

Katara's surprise faded away the quickest as she retreated back behind her irritation with him.

"Still," she said. "Leaving like this? You can't seriously find this wise."

He shrugged. "I can't think of a better way myself. There surely isn't much time before they come knocking and if I'm to leave without a lot of… fanfare, this has to be how I do it."

Jin stepped towards him, and he could tell by how tightly her arms were crossed in front of her that she was deeply distressed by what was happening.

"They're going to brand you for everything if you leave. You won't be able to defend yourself from their accusations; they'll accuse you of taking down the wall, of killing Ozai while he was helpless and a prisoner, of whatever they want. We'll do all we can to keep that from happening, but with you gone… I don't know what we can say to clear your name."

Sasuke slowly tracked his gaze to Aang who was looking at his feet.

So, there were some things you didn't tell them then.

"Well, that's quite alright, since none of you are going to say a single good thing about me."

He let everyone's confusion hold the quiet for him as he clarified, "You can't let me put you in any danger, which is exactly what would happen if any of you tried defending me during these upcoming hearings."

As what he was asking started to settle, he saw looks of realization pass around him, and Mai was the first person to react, her lips tightened and she raised a pointer finger in his direction.

"Sasuke, don't you dare ask us to do that."

Glad it was understood what he meant, he nodded fervently.

"Throw me under. When I'm gone, it'll look I'm running away as is, so you all need to do everything you can to defend yourself, and if you let everything get pinned on me, it'll keep them from putting suspicion on you as well."

Suki clenched her eyes shut as Ty Lee cried out, "Sasuke!"

He ignored her. "I'm not saying you have to tell them I did it, but you can't deny I did any of what they accused me of either; you tell them too how you never quite were sure what my plans were, that I was distant and didn't tell you much of what I wanted to do. Anything to make it sound like you were just traveling with me, nothing more."

Katara quietly gave a long inhale as Mai turned away, disgust on her face. It was Zuko who stepped forward to Sasuke's mild surprise, his arms crossed.

"No matter the differences any of us have with you, or any feelings that still are still maybe… not so amenable, we still care about you Sasuke, all of us. We're not going to do that to you; you deserve better."

Sasuke noticed the look he flicked Mai's way quickly, but Zuko's eyes were back on Sasuke before Mai returned the glance. Feeling a somewhat sinking feeling at the look, Sasuke pushed past it, shaking his head.

"It's not about what I deserve. It's about you being okay when I leave, since I know what could happen if they label you as co-conspirators or something. The more people they can nail for being responsible for the horror of a couple days ago, the better they're be able to get what they want as far as giving faces to the suffering of the city. When I leave today, say whatever you have to in order to keep them from coming after you, tell them whatever they want to hear. I'm a mystery, I'm dangerous, you felt like you were being used by me, whatever."

Zuko shook his head and looked away, giving no reply. Ty Lee kicked at her feet before she quietly asked, "You're not planning on coming back, are you?"

If possible, it somehow grew quieter in the small area as Sasuke lowered his gaze towards the ground and gave another sigh.

"No. I'm not."

"You're going to try and find another archstone? Use it with the other one that was left?" Sokka asked in a voice that was barely above a whisper.

Before Sasuke could manage an answer, Jin took a step towards him; she trepidation that she had been displaying towards him since the day of the war had vanished, the only emotion in her eyes being something like panic.

"But that means you'd need Aang's blood right?" she asked, her voice trembling. "Madara needed that to open the portal. So, even if you did find one, you'd still need his blood, right? So, you'd have to come back."

Sasuke reached into his pocket and withdrew the other object besides the archstone, holding it up. The red within the vial glinted in the morning light and he gave it a gentle shake.

"I took this on the day it happened," he said. "I've used chakra to put the insides of the vial to near freezing temperatures and as soon as I can master Kamui, I'll be able to keep it there where I can hold it indefinitely until I need it."

Aang looked at him somewhat sadly. "You've been planning this since then?"

Shaking his head, Sasuke put the vial of Aang's blood back in his pocket. "Not really, but I just had a hunch it might come in handy."

There was a tug at his rope belt and he looked down to see Toph standing in front of him; he expected to see her looking angry, or perhaps crying, but all he saw on her face was a reserved desperation, which might have been worse. She tugged him again and gave a short, abrupt gesture towards him and he obeyed it, kneeling down next to her so she could whisper in his ear without being overheard.

"I know some of them are saying they support your decision to leave and are okay with it… but I really, really don't want you to go."

Sasuke closed his eyes; he knew this had been coming but it didn't make it any easier to hear how tired and hurt she sounded. He turned towards her ear, whispering into it in turn and felt her shiver with how near his lips were to her.

"I know you don't. Would you believe me if I said I don't particularly want to do this?"

She reached a small hand out and grabbed the collar of his shirt, squeezing it tightly.

"Then don't," she said through gritted teeth. "Stay."

"You know why I can't," he replied. "This is something I have to do. To try and bring balance to this world."

"I don't care about balance," she hissed. "I just care about you."

"You don't mean that," he said. "And I know you're going to hate me for this. Maybe forever, but I have to go."

"But…" she closed her eyes and shook a little bit. "I still have so much to tell you…"

"Then tell me," he said and his eyes flashed; just behind Toph, an odd, misty looking bubble seemed to materialize around the rest of the group. Sasuke winced at the effort it cost to create the field.

I shouldn't be pushing myself like that. I'm not even close to being fully recovered and I know for a fact that I'm going to feel this later.

As Toph inhaled sharply at no doubt feeling the change in atmosphere around her and her face tightened with worry however, he didn't regret pushing himself in the slightest.

"What did you just do?" she breathed and Sasuke stood up, pushing aside the dizzy feeling that came over him, the first of what would likely be a fair bit of a cost he would pay for using this technique in the state he was in.

"Put everyone else in a time slowing field," he replied. "Not a technique I'm particularly comfortable of familiar with but I've played with it on the soldiers who were guarding me. Don't worry, they're just spending a brief period in a zone where they can't hear and time isn't quite working the same. When I cancel it, they won't perceive that anything has happened since I knelt down next to you. Whatever you need to say, go ahead."

Judging by the look on her face, Toph hadn't anticipated being given such a chance. Sasuke watched her and saw a range of different emotions pass over her face, from fear to anticipation to worry to resolve. Finally, she balled her fists at her side and swallowed before speaking, and he was surprised at how steady her voice was.

"I'm sorry for trying to kiss you a few days ago," she started and Sasuke felt a small smile pull at the corners of his mouth.

"Don't worry about it," he said, but he wasn't even sure she heard his response as she drew in breath and kept talking, as though if she stopped, she wouldn't be able to keep herself going.

"I've been drawn to you since we met. Every time I feel you, it's been unlike anything I've ever felt before. It started with hate, but that became intrigue I guess and curiosity before I realized that… that I'm attracted to you."

The last five words sounded like she was forcing them out through tar, but after she did, she let out a gasp like she had just had a terrible pain relieved from her body. Sasuke watched in something like mild awe as she smiled and put her hands on her hips, grinning at him confidently, even as a single tear slid down her cheek.

"I think I love you, you damn bastard. Every time we're together, all I want to do is be near you, to… touch you and hold you. I don't know if that sounds crazy, but it's true. I know something has collapsed between you and Azula, but I know that maybe Mai, maybe Katara, maybe Jin, or maybe somebody else, I don't have any damn idea probably is going for you too. And I know I'm young and you'd never choose me as I am now. But if this is… if this is really going to be it, I need you to know that. I'd never be able to live with it if you didn't know."

She shrugged and her smile fell into a wince and her lip quivered as Sasuke could tell she was trying not to break into tears. Angrily, she wiped tears from her face.

"Damn it. I told myself I wasn't going to let you make me cry again."

As she gave a wet chuckle, he went to one knee beside her again, ignoring the terrible pain behind his eyes that was pushing a headache on him rapidly.

"I love you," she managed to groan and without urging, he put his arms around her and pulled her into a hug.

"I know," he said quietly into her ear and she gave a sob and wrapped her arms around him tightly, burying her face in his shoulder. For a long while, they hugged each other and Sasuke both found himself embarrassed by this show of emotion he was letting himself show and also felt an urge to never let her go.

"Let me come with you," she tried and he shook his head.

"No. I don't know how dangerous this will be for me, let alone you. The fact that the oceans beyond the borders of the Four Nations have never before been returned from tells me that I don't have any idea what's ahead of me."

"But—"

"And more than that, you're needed here. I don't know much about you benders, but I know you're going to chance the nature of earthbending and you can't do that if you're following me to the corners of the earth."

She said nothing back to this and he could feel her trembling; he took her by the shoulders and held her gently in front of him, wiping her tears form her cheeks.

"Toph, you have to stay."

"I know!" she suddenly shouted at him and it echoed around him off against the side of the massive wall. She took several long breaths to calm herself before she blew out a sigh.

"Can you just… can you do something for me?" she asked, her voice becoming almost frightened in how hesitant it was.

"If it's something within my power to do," he replied reasonably and slowly, not sure if that was a wise thing to promise. Toph took in several long slow breaths before she asked him,

"That mark you gave Azula? The one you put on her chest, I think?"

He knew immediately where this was going and closed his eyes, a saddened gesture that he knew she couldn't see.

"Yes," he replied and she swallowed.

"Do you think… you could give me one too?"

He began to blow out a tired sigh through his nose. "Toph…"

She gripped his forearm desperately, "Sasuke, please!"

He shook his head, "Toph, I will be well far enough away for it to do anything, and—"

"I know, and I don't care! I just… "

Toph cut herself off before finishing in a much quieter tone.

"I just want it to remember you by. I can't see you, I've never been able to see you, but I've been able to feel you. And if I could just have that, that mark on me… I'd be able to feel you, even when you're gone."

Sasuke considered what she was asking for a long while, unsure of how he ought to proceed. On one hand, the idea of marking her body with something that wasn't necessary was something that deeply rubbed him the wrong way. But on the other, if this would be enough to make her okay with him leaving…

"Alright," he said, forcing himself to make a decision in the moment. "Where do you want it?"

Toph somewhat recoiled in surprise and Sasuke watched as her cheeks flushed.

"Really?" she whispered and Sasuke gave a somewhat impatient nod.

"Yes. Where do you want it?"

Several seconds passed as Toph stared at him, mouth slightly ajar as her chest heaved, no doubt deeply stunned.

"On… just on my back?"

Sasuke reached out and gently turned her around by her shoulder; she undid her clothes to the point where she could slide them down over her shoulders, covering herself up while baring her back to him, her cheeks flushing even further. Sasuke gave a last sigh before he went to work. It took him only about a minute to inscribe the mark on her back, roughly the size of his palm; it would have been simple enough just to leave the seal on her back, but for no real reason, he decided to imbue it the same way he had with Azula. It was a deeply personal thing for her to let him do what he was doing, and though she had asked for it, Sasuke understood the gravity of what he was doing. Toph remained perfectly still for him, taking deep breaths until he finished and he pulled her clothes back up over her shoulders as she reclothed appropriately.

Toph turned back to him, wet tracks still on her cheeks but with a small smile on her face.

"Thank you," she said and as Sasuke felt another surge of pain in his head, he pressed his middle and pointer finger to her forehead again.

"Goodbye, Toph," he said and got to his feet, canceling the field around the rest of their companions. She reached out and squeezed his wrist before quietly walking back to the group, a sad smile on her face as two more tears leaked down her face and Sasuke ground his teeth behind his lips as there was a terrible pang in his gut seeing her walk away from him.

As expected, no one noticed anything odd about having been briefly greatly slowed, and there came to be very little else to say. No one seemed like they thought they'd be able to say anything to sway Sasuke and things drew to an almost awkward close as everyone sat in the uncomfortable silence before Suki marched up to him and pulled him into a tight hug. It wasn't like the soft and tender hug he had exchanged with Toph but it was no less emotional as she squeezed him hard enough to make his recovering body ache with pain.

"You're a jerk, Sasuke. And you're stupid to boot. But I'm going to miss you."

He ignored the pain and hugged her back. "I'll miss you too. Thanks… for everything."

Suki released him and gave him a soft punch in the shoulder as she stepped away and no sooner had she, then Sokka pulled him into a bear hug as well.

"Don't get killed; we won't be around to save you next time," he said with some snark to his voice and Sasuke found he didn't have a problem smirking at the joke as they broke apart and Sokka gave him a pat on the shoulder.

Ty Lee walked up slowly in front of him then and Sasuke tried to figure how best to say goodbye to her; in his time knowing her, she had been more than a little rambunctious and excitable in her own time, but she had more or less taken exception to him being there and had become much more serious when he was around. He supposed perhaps a handshake would work and he was in the process of extending his hand when Ty Lee moved forward swiftly and hugged him before he could manage a word. It was a gentle hug which Sasuke wouldn't have assumed would be like her but she only kept her arms around him long enough to murmur in his ear.

"I'm sorry about 'Zula… but thanks for looking after her."

When she pulled away from his arms, she didn't look back to him as she rejoined the group and Sasuke couldn't help but feel a lack of closure at that.

Zuko came forward then and Sasuke found then that he quite wanted to assure Zuko that nothing had happened between him and Mai, but with everyone standing there, it might have done more harm than good. Still, he shook the prince's hand and returned the cordial nod he received, not at all surprised that Zuko didn't say anything to him; he could see much in his eyes, gratitude for saving his sister from their father, resentment for what he was, anger for what he believed had passed between Sasuke and Mai, and perhaps relief too, relief maybe that Sasuke was leaving. It was more than enough and Zuko stepped back to rejoin the group before Katara stepped forward.

Sasuke remembered to how odd the feeling had felt when he had stood before Madara, that feeling of intimidation, a feeling that he hadn't remembered feeling in perhaps his entire life. As he looked at Katara though, he wondered if he might have been wrong about that; as he looked into her eyes that reflected the sight of the most deadly of stormclouds, he found himself impressed yet again by how powerful her presence was on its own.

He waited for her to say something, to step forward and extend a hand, but she did no such thing. Katara simply stared him in the eye for several long seconds, probing him and he wondered what she was thinking. But no words escaped her mouth and she eventually walked back to stand between Sokka and Aang. As she turned away though, Sasuke could have sworn he saw her lower lip quiver.

Sasuke found his eyes drifting to Jin who was standing to the side looking rather miserable, and he took the initiative instead to approach her; he noted the way her back straightened as he did and how her lips tightened in a straight line. As he stopped in front of her, she wouldn't meet his eyes, but he could see her nervously chewing at the inside of her mouth.

"Hey," he said and she flicked her eyes to meet his for a brief second before looking away again.

"I just wanted to thank you for everything you did the past few days," Sasuke said. For whatever reason, he didn't find it all that hard to talk to her, despite the fact that he really did find her rather pretty. "You took care of me when I crashed in the city, and you were as brave as anyone could have been when you became a hostage during the war. Then, you went above and beyond what you ever needed to do as a civilian and helped where you could and did what you could."

His review of her efforts brought perhaps a slight color to her cheeks, but her expression remained still pained and she wouldn't yet look at him.

"But more than that, I wanted to say sorry," Sasuke said, and it was at this that she looked to him with the swiftness of a flying arrow, the muscles in her jaw coming to a halt.

"You were dealt more than anyone in your position should have had to experience. I used you to bait Obito, and I don't deny that, and for that I'm sorry. You saw people hurt and you saw people die, and for that I'm sorry. And… for the fact that I can't stay here and spend the rest of my life trying to make it up to you, I'm sorry."

The words fell out of his mouth and Sasuke found he rather wanted to shrivel up with how disgustingly corny they sounded, but that faded away when she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him. As Sasuke moved past his surprise at her sudden show of affection, he felt a great weight that he hadn't even known was there lifted from his shoulders when she whispered in his ear.

"I forgive you."

She released him quickly and drew back then and Sasuke found he wanted to talk to her more, get a better idea on how she was feeling and if she really was okay. But he knew time was of the essence, and nothing he could say then would do more to express his feelings than what he had just said. With a painful turn, he left her standing there and walked down the line of people to stop in front of Mai.

She had no trouble meeting his eyes and for a second, they just looked at each other and Sasuke found that he likely could have lost himself in her dark eyes.

Don't. Zuko doesn't need to see anything like this.

Hopeful that he might be able to make something of an amend with the prince, he extended a hand and waited to see if Mai would shake it. Her gaze moved down to look at his hand and then back to him, before blowing out a disgusted sound and wrapping him in a tight embrace.

"Take care of yourself, okay?" her low voice sounded in his ear, and though it hid behind a veil of coldness, he could hear the emotion too. "Don't go trying to die for more people who might not all deserve it."

Sasuke heard the self-deprecation in that last statement and he pulled away from her and gave her as warm a smile as he could manage.

"I don't think I've done that yet."

She smiled softly back at him and Sasuke found that he had to force himself to turn away from her.

What is it about her?

He stood finally in front of Aang who still wore an apologetic and guilty expression; as he looked down at the Avatar, a satchel was pulled around the Avatar's legs and was raised to him.

"Here. Packed with a lot of water and food that won't spoil and that is super filling compared to how much space and weight they take up."

Sasuke hefted the pack and threw it over his shoulder.

"Thanks."

He almost found he wasn't able to say it but just managed to force it out. "And Aang… thanks too for telling everyone. I think I probably would have regretted not doing this."

It was true that he knew he was leaving on less than friendly terms with some of them and there was surely resentment present in all their hearts over him leaving and what he had asked them to do, but he found that he meant it. Not saying goodbye might not have been something he considered too much early on, but knowing that he was leaving with the intention of never returning, he knew this was a healthy thing to have done.

"No problem," Aang said with a said smile. "I'm sorry Azula didn't show up… I went to her room but one of the palace's maids said that she saw her leave her room even earlier than when I went to go see her. I couldn't find her before coming down here."

Sasuke had indeed noticed Azula's absence among their number but strangely had found himself rather glad with that. He had found himself more and more willing to accept the fact that she was someone who would always hold a place in his heart, but not having to say goodbye to her was something that he found might actually make leaving easier. He somehow knew he had spent time with her at the festivities last night and was hopeful that they would be enough for her to forgo getting to see him off.

But thinking about her brought back on the memory of the day prior when she had left his room as amenably as he could have asked her to, a smile playing at her lips. After everything she had done, after everything she had said, she had just been willing to let him go like that, and Sasuke didn't know what to make of that.

It honestly made his stomach turn just thinking about it.

"Don't worry about it," he said, waving off Aang's apology. "Maybe better that wasn't something we did."

Aang nodded and Sasuke extended a hand; the Avatar looked at it only a moment and then, just as Mai had, Aang moved forward and hugged him.

"Thank you," was all he said, his voice thick with emotion and Sasuke broke apart from him and offered him a last smile.

"No problem."

He stepped away from the group and looked at all their faces one last time. He saw sadness, regret, resentment, anger there, but he also could see much more positive emotions flowing among them and for that he was grateful. His gaze settled last on Toph who was wearing a small smile and he was happy to see no tears sliding down her face.

This wasn't anything close to a perfect goodbye with the right amount of closure, but Sasuke knew it never could have been anyway as he gave a last wave and transformed; for whatever reason, he chose to turn into a hawk rather than a fly, soaring up the wall and over its side, and turned towards the west, the sun on his back as he transformed back into a human a distance from the wall and started to walk.

He hated how hard it was not to look back.

Azula stood at the highest point in the palace, looking out over all of Ba Sing Se. She imagined Sasuke was long gone by now as the sun rose higher into the sky and she wondered who, if anyone, had gotten to see him off. She had purposefully moved to a deserted part of the palace as to not be found as she said her own personal and silent farewells to the young man who had been so willing to take her for granted.

After yesterday, it was terribly easy.

Letting go of her emotions for him had been something that had happened with relative easy after he had shouted at her. Not because of what he said or what he had done to her, but Azula's newfound plan had been more than enough to keep her going. Then, when it had all worked to perfection, she could do no more than feel malicious satisfaction over what had happened.

She looked down at the maze of streets below and tried to picture Mai's face when Sasuke left, as well as Katara's, and Toph's. That last was the one that gave her the most pleasure in considering; picturing that obnoxious and disgusting earthbender beside herself with grief was enough to bring a wide smile to Azula's face.

But he was leaving, she knew that for certain. He had told her the night before and she had seen it in his eyes even prior to when she started loosening him up with drink to find out his intentions. She couldn't believe how easy it had been to manipulate him like that and wondered just how often Sasuke drank or if perhaps that hadn't been his first time.

But it was over.

Azula had got what she wanted.

The first part of her plan was complete and now she could proceed. This next part would take time, but she knew it would be worth it.

Never be a part of me, hmm? How wrong you are, Sasuke… I could have loved you. We could have been perfect and powerful together. But if this is how I have to make you one with me, then that's how it will have to be.

She felt the sun burning against her neck with a violent and seductive warmth as she gently massaged her stomach, looking out over the city and picturing it one day belonging to her again as she let Sasuke go, throwing her head back and closing her eyes, letting herself feel a last desperate ache for his touch before she let her gaze pass out back over the city as she willed herself to move on.

This too, was somehow terribly easy, after what she had done.

Sasuke's words would come to hold much legitimacy in the coming days.

His decoy fooled his guards for a matter of only a day or so before it came to light that he was gone. The United Council immediately declared him a wanted man and ordered a nationwide search for him, but nothing turned up as a result of it. The manhunt did inspire a spiderweb of rumors to spread across every nation, as men and women and children everywhere were passed the legend of the man only known as Sasuke. As with any legend, the story changed to every person who heard it, as did the prejudice and bias that followed any such story. Some believed Sasuke to evil and having aided Ozai, and some believed him to be a good soul who had helped the fight against the Fire Nation, but no telling of his story ignored the awesome power he had wielded and what the power had done.

This wasn't helped by the hearings and trials that occurred in following days after Sasuke's disappearance. The United Council and high courts immediately opened a case against him, a hearing that drew thousands of hopeful attendants each day it proceeded. Every person who had traveled with him was questioned heavily, and per Sasuke's wishes, not a one of them claimed that he was anything more than a dangerous and mysterious person who used them as much as he would have used anything to achieve his hidden goals. Nor did they have any idea where it was he had gone, despite much intense questioning. After a week or so of accusations and evidence brought forth to lay waste to Sasuke's name, he was declared a wanted criminal, the United Nations' most wanted man, to be brought to justice at the behest of a massive list of crimes, not the least of which were destroying the wall of Ba Sing Se and the murder of Fire Lord Ozai, a prisoner of war. But no one ever could find so much as a trace of him, though many phony claims of sighting the 'Comet Crusher' or the 'Violet God' would pop up frequently as the stories grew and names began to stick. Soldiers who had stood atop the wall the final day of the war were often brought in for questioning on the stories that were being spread, but trying to nail down how the entire city of Ba Sing Se knew about Sasuke transforming into a purple flying giant or being the reason Sozin's Comet disappeared was a rather fruitless task. Sasuke would become a household name as his infamy grew and the United Council would come to begin trying to stifle talk of his very being all while they continued to scour the Four Nations for him.

Following his being labeled as a war criminal and more than that, many more would stand trial, though none attracted as much attention as the absentee trial of the demigod Sasuke, who stories continued to morph and spread throughout the land. Ozai's family was found to have done enough good to avoid a criminal sentence and Prince Zuko returned to the Fire Nation alongside his uncle in order to begin rebuilding a nation twisted and warped by his father. General Ixa was honorably discharged from the Fire Nation military and joined Zuko's cabinet of advisers following his coronation as the new Fire Lord.

The coming months would see much change for the Avatar's world; Aang himself would travel from nation to nation at almost excessive rates, doing all he could to further peace and aid where he could with his immense power. He always kept one eye open for the return of some unknown threat, but could never regain contact with any spirits, despite his numerous attempts to do so. He was joined by Sokka, who was well on his way to becoming a ranking officer in the new United Nations military.

Jin would return to work in Pao's teashop, her heart still aching from what she had experienced, but also fiercely determined to move forward with her life and not let what had happened traumatize her to the point of uselessness. She was overjoyed when Iroh returned to Ba Sing Se to pursue his dream of owning a teashop of his own and she spent a great deal of time with him, learning about teacooking methods and having someone hold her when her memories overtook her and she could do nothing but cry.

Katara departed on her own to advance her tribe and setup a proper waterbending training system for those benders among her people, with some aid from the larger Northern tribe. She would never forgo a meeting with her brother and friends, but it was perhaps Aang who most readily noticed the coldness about her that he hadn't known of her when they met; even when she would smile and laugh with them, there always seemed to be something off about her, even when they finally began seriously dating, Aang never could quite shake the feeling that there was a still a deep mess of emotions that boiled within her, keeping her from every truly opening up to him over the following months.

Ty Lee would accompany Suki back to Kyoshi Island where the latter would indoctrinate the acrobat into their warrior culture wherein Ty Lee found it an excellent way to fill the hole that had always existed inside her since her time at the academy back in the Fire Nation. Suki would cast aside the reserved recruiting methods of the warriors and spent a great deal of time traveling the nations and seeking new young women interested in the life of a warrior and working to establish new Kyoshi warrior posts in several key locations.

Toph returned home and tried to make amends with her parents but found that the life of relative royalty was still not for her. She moved to Ba Sing Se where she began to study earthbending more seriously and spent a great deal of time alone in the wilderness, honing her skills and enjoying the time being by herself. Her friends showed concern during the times they visited and got together, but she would always blow off their concerns that she wasn't particularly social when they weren't around. Toph would never tell them how much she thought about Sasuke or how both happy and said she would become when she felt the mark on her back that no one knew existed. She buried herself in her work and self-reflection, never regretting a minute of it.

Mai returned home to the Fire Nation in time to see her uncle put on trial for his crimes during the war and saw him sentenced to life working under careful watch at the prison facilities in the Earth Nation as a laborer and advisor or sorts. She would reunite with her family and while they filled the empty hole in her life briefly, she soon found herself wanting more than just spending day to day living the life of a noble, just as she had before Azula had come to her that day so long ago. But with Ty Lee traveling with Suki and Zuko so often busy with his new duties as Fire Lord, she found herself lonely often. She would take long walks and think about Zuko, Ty Lee and Azula, trying to banish any thoughts that occasionally would come up when she heard the name 'Sasuke' uttered by some children swapping stories about the man who broke down the wall of Ba Sing Se and destroyed Sozin's Comet with his bare hands.

All these developments took place for a period of about ten months, during which the last member of the Avatar's company up and disappeared into the heart of her nation. Princess Azula, not charged with any war crimes as a result of her cooperation in defeating the previous Fire Lord Ozai, traveled home quickly before leaving just as quickly on a ship. Fire Lord Zuko would find out weeks later that she had gone away to an island hidden in one of the Fire Nation's archipelagos where she intended to spend a great deal of time alone. Zuko passed this along to all those curious of her whereabouts, sharing in the relief of Mai and Ty Lee.

Azula stayed on this island for months however, never making so much as any contact with anyone from beyond the island's borders. Zuko would often write his sister and receive replies instead from the handmaidens that had accompanied Azula to a large ornate house in which she spent all of her time. They assured him that his sister was fine and was just spending time, walking the beaches and resting in her room; Zuko found this quite pleasing when considering that his sister could have instead been causing trouble elsewhere and was more than happy to allow her to isolate herself and do whatever it was that she needed to do to take care of herself.

This continued for months until, one night, there came a great commotion within the walls of the house as a storm whipped about outside, rain coming down in sheets with lightning flashing across the sky above the small island. The few handmaidens on the island scurried about in a panicked rush, doing all they could to ease the consternation of their mistress as they rushed from Azula's bedroom to the kitchen and washroom and then back again. Hours of this passed before finally relief came to the princess who finally, after so much waiting, bore witness to the fruits of her labor. Joy and victory stretched over her sweat ridden face as her damp hair clung to her back, evidence of her very recent endeavor.

Peace came to the house for a brief time before Azula would whip her firebending to life and scorch the life from all seven handmaidens whom had been her only company for the past ten or so months. But they couldn't have been allowed to live after what they had seen.

For after all, could Azula really have expected them not to return to the Fire Nation with her and not gossip in hushed tones about what they had witnessed? After all, it wasn't every day you saw a newborn child coo lovingly in its mother's arms, blue fire spitting absently from one hand, and black flame crackling in the other.

Actual AN: We made it. I really would never have guessed that I would have gotten here, but I could not be more happy that we have. And I say we, because this story would never have happened without you guys; you've made it so easy to want to keep pounding through this and writing this now, I gotta admit, feeling a little emotional.

I know that nothing everything in this story probably worked for everyone, but to all those who stuck with me all the way through, hanging in there with me all the way to this special moment, thank you, thank you, thank you SO much. You're the reason this happened, and I hope you got something good out of my writing, because I know I got a whole lot of good knowing you guys were out there reading. I don't usually try and ask for feedback or whatnot, but as with this being the end to a project that I have sunk a whole lot of time and passion into, I really would love to hear what you guys think of the story as a whole as well as this last chapter. So if you'd be okay dropping a review, I'd love so much to hear what you guys are thinking as we close this bad boy up. Or even if you want to shoot me a PM with any thoughts, or questions, or whatnot, I'd love to chat with you guys too, always enjoy hearing from you.

As for part two, I hope to have the first chapter up and ready pretty soon. This monster of a last chapter really kind of kicked my ass a little bit, but I'm still just as motivated to keep writing, so there won't be any huge delay between this chapter dropping and part two getting started. If you have any questions about that, please let me know and I'll be happy to tell you what I can.

But that's enough of that, so I'll close this story out with a last thank you to everyone who's made it to the end with me. I'm so glad you came along for my personal little experiment here that turned into a lot more than just that. I love you guys a lot and if this was it for you, I'm so thankful that you stopped by and for those of you ready to come along for the next part, all I can say is, can't wait to see you there!