They made camp in one of the numerous uninhabited islands scattered in Fire Nation territory after making sure they were a distance away from the Western Air Temple. Tents were set up and a fire was made as the afternoon sun slowly disappeared in the horizon.

"Where are you going?" Zuko asked Chiyo as she stood up to follow Suki.

She wondered why there was a hint of urgency in his voice, but she pushed the question to the back of her mind. "Oh, I'm going to help them make dinner."

He scratched the back of his head and looked away. "I... I was wondering... If I could talk to you for a while."

She smiled at his sudden shyness and sat back down next to him. "Sure, Lee. What's up?"

"Where do I begin?" His thoughts were in a big jumble as he tried to figure out where to start. "Well... I... uh... First of all, my name isn't Lee... It's Zuko." He looked into her eyes, hoping to see a spark of recognition as he said his name.

Chiyo repeated the name. "Zuko... Zuko..." The name was so familiar to her; the way it rolled off her tongue was effortless, like she had said it a million times before. "You do look more like a Zuko than a Lee..." She laughed and tucked her hair behind her ear as the wind blew from the east. "And I feel like I've known you before... before I lost my memories. I'm sorry that I don't remember much, yet."

"I can help you!" He eagerly said as he took both her hands in his. "We met when we were young. It was during my sister's birthday, when you made your debut as an apprentice of Lady Suiren—" He stopped when he saw Chiyo bow her head, trying to hide her tears. "I-I'm sorry, what's wrong?"

She sighed heavily and bit her lip. "Lady Suiren... is dead..." She felt him reach up and wipe away her tears with the tips of his fingers. "She died... to save me from the Fire Lord..."

His fingers froze and his blood ran cold. "What happened?"

She took a deep breath. It was the first time she would open up everything that she had been holding inside for so long. "I... I was supposed to marry the Fire Lord—"

"WHAT?!"

His outburst caught the attention of the others around the campfire but he couldn't care less. Chiyo cringed slightly, but continued. "The Fire Sages, the council of elders, even the war ministers have forced me and Lady Suiren to comply. They told me that I was to become the wife of the Phoenix King."

Zuko's fists were clenched so hard his knuckles turned white; his face was painted with anger and pain as everything suddenly clicked together. "The bride... after that war meeting...was Chiyo..."

"Lady Suiren thought of a plan to stop it. She planned to kill the Fire Lord during the Day of Black Sun. I was to disarm the guards outside while she did it, but somehow, the plan failed and she was sent out of the Fire Lord's bunker..."

It was then his turn to flinch. It was somehow his fault that the Lady Suiren was forcefully dragged out of the bunker.

"We failed... And the Fire Lord was about to kill me w-when—" She choked on her tears and brought a hand to her mouth to muffle the sob threatening to tear though her. "W-when... she jumped in front of the lightning..."

He said nothing as he moved closer to Chiyo, pulling her towards his chest. She rested her head on his shoulder as silent tears fell endlessly. "I... I should've been the one who died..."

Zuko held her tighter. "No... don't say that..."

"It was all my fault."

"It wasn't, Chiyo. It was my father's fault."

"F-father?" She looked up at him, finally seeing that they have the same golden eyes. "Y-your father... is Fire Lord Ozai? Y-you're the p-prince?"

"I was." Zuko ran his fingers through her hair, hoping to calm her down. "I have turned my father and his plans away. I'm now helping the Avatar defeat him and end this war once and for all."

Relief flooded Chiyo, chasing away the sudden fear brought on by learning of Zuko's father. Bouts of silence passed before she spoke. "Now that I see it... You're very different..."

"Oh? How so?"

"You're warm... and you're good..."

That small smile of Chiyo's made his breath hitch and his heart beat faster. It was the same one that he had given him the first time that they have met, back in the grand ballroom of the palace. "Thank you..."

She felt much better, lighter even, after opening up to Zuko. "No, thank you for listening to me."

"It's hard not to." A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. "You have a very beautiful voice."

His sudden compliment brought color to her cheeks as she pulled away and straightened her back. "I... Umm... So! Um... Prince Zuko-"

"Just call me Zuko. 'Prince Zuko' is too long."

"Just call me Zuko. 'Prince Zuko' is too long."

"I can't! The Fire Lord will have my head! Worse, Lady Suiren will have me gutted first and skinned alive!"

Zuko threw his head back and laughed at the flustered Chiyo. They reached the gardens where the turtleduck pond was at and three girls were already there.

She gasped as a memory resurfaced, her amber eyes wide as she looked up at Zuko. "Turtleducks..."

"You remembered something?"

Chiyo nodded and smiled fondly at the memory. "You showed me the turtleducks... and you and your sister had a competition... and I fell asleep..."

Zuko laughed, the first time in a long time that he did so. He remembered a turtleduck had even made a nest on her hair as she slept by the pond.

"Back then... you didn't have this..." She reached up and touched the edges of his scar, the rough skin felt foreign under her fingertips. "What happened?"

"Father happened." He closed his eyes, focusing on the feeling of her soft touch. "I was challenged to an Agni Kai. My loss cost me my banishment and exile."

"An Agni Kai..." She voice trembled, horrified at the thought of a young boy facing the Fire Lord in a duel. "That monster..."

He wrapped her hand in his. "It was fate in disguise actually. If he hadn't burned me and tossed me away, I wouldn't have found my destiny. So I guess, in a way, I am glad."

"Dinner!"

Chiyo squeezed his hand once before standing up and letting go. "Let me go help them."

Zuko reluctantly released her hand, letting himself be content as he watched her pour soup into bowls and hand them to Toph and Aang.

The scene was so surreal. He was so used to seeing her in elaborate kimonos, adorned with precious jewellery, dancing with golden fans, spinning to music. Now here she was, still dressed in the tattered uniform of prisoners from the Boiling Rock, no accessories, no makeup.

And she was still breathtaking.

"Here you go." He didn't notice that she had approached and was handing him a bowl of soup.

His hands brushed against hers as he took the bowl gratefully. "Thank you, Chiyo. Sit next to me."

"I will—"

"So did you guys straighten out the whole Chiyo-Lily and Zuko-Lee debacle yet?" Sokka chuckled as he took the spot next to Zuko, the latter giving him a deathly glare that he failed to notice.

"We already did." The prince gritted his teeth as he moved away to make room for Chiyo.

"That's great! So who's who?"

Chiyo giggled as she sat down. "I'm Chiyo, he's Zuko, and you're funny!"

"No, he's not, he's leaving."

"Hey! The name's Sokka!"

"Camping... It really seems like old times again, doesn't it?" Aang looked around at the group, grateful that their numbers had grown, and enemies reconciled.

"If you really want it to feel like old times..." Zuko started as he broke a piece of bread. "I could... chase you around and try to capture you."

Everyone laughed heartily, except Katara who responded with a dry, sarcastic laugh.

Sokka raised his cup. "To Zuko! Who knew after all those times he tried to snuff us out today he'd be our hero!"

"Here, here!"

Chiyo turned to Zuko, an eyebrow raised. "You tried to snuff them out?"

"Long story." He grimaced and laughed awkwardly.

"Don't worry. We've got plenty of time in the world."

Her words gave him courage, gave him hope that perhaps it wasn't too late for everything. "Yes, we do." He looked back at the faces around the camp fire and thanked them. "I'm touched. I don't deserve this—"

"Yeah, no kidding." Katara stood up and left the group, her food and drink barely touched.

Sokka stared as his sister walked away. "What's with her?"

"I wish I knew."

Chiyo nudged Zuko's arm. "You should follow her."

"Why? What for?"

"She looks troubled, and anyone could see that it has something to do with you." She smiled. "An old person once said that you can breathe easier knowing that no one bears grudges behind your back."

Zuko sighed and stood up. "Yeah, that sounds like something my uncle would say. I'll be back, alright?"

She waved him off with a smile and resumed eating her share of the food.

"You and prince hothead huh, old geezer?" Toph teased from across the camp fire.

Chiyo thanked the heavens that she couldn't see the blush on her cheeks. "I told you to stop calling me 'old geezer'..."

"Still blind. Still don't care. Plus, I can feel your heart hammering from all the way here!"

"That's just my stomach grumbling."

The earthbender raised her hands. "Whatever you say, old—"

"Don't say it!"

Everyone retired for the evening, but Zuko was still a bit unsettled after Katara's outburst. He decided to ask the person who would most likely know a solution.

He was about to go into Sokka's tent when he accidentally bumped into Suki. "O-Oops! Wrong tent!"

"Sorry, do you need to talk to Sokka too?"

"Nope! Nope! Not me." She hurried away and back into her shared tent with Chiyo.

Zuko shrugged and went into Sokka's tent.

To say that he was surprised was an understatement. There were candles and roses everywhere. Where he got them, no one knows. Sokka lay on the ground, holding a rose in his mouth. He turned his head, expecting Suki.

"Well, hello~-" He had inhaled the rose when he saw Zuko and immediately choked it out, sitting back up and composing himself. "Zuko! Yes! Why would I be expecting anyone different?" Once he was all straightened out, he folded his legs beneath him and crossed his arms over his chest. "So what's on your mind?"

Zuko sat down at the rug. "Your sister... she hates me, and I don't know why! But I do care what she thinks of me."

"Nah, she doesn't hate you. Katara doesn't hate anyone. Except maybe some people from the Fire Nation." Sokka realized what he just said and quickly corrected himself. "No! I mean uh, not people who are good but used to be bad. I mean bad people. Fire Nation people who are still bad, who have never been good and probably won't ever be good—"

"Stop!" If Zuko hadn't stopped him, Sokka would've probably rambled on for a few more minutes. "Okay, listen. I know this may seem out of nowhere, but... I want you to tell me what happened to your mother."

"Suki? You're back early from your walk." Chiyo remarked as she tried to tame her hair with a brush she had borrowed. "What happened?"

"Oh? Me? Uh... Yeah! Too cold outside!" Suki laid back down on her cot and pulled the blanket over her head to hide her flustered expression.

Chiyo giggled, knowing full well what was going on. She had already known that she and Sokka were a pair ever since the Serpent's Pass fiasco. She swore she was going to tell her, but watching her sneak around was fun.

Fun. She never thought she could ever have fun again, after everything that has happened and after everything she had been through. But here she was, having a bit of fun with her new friends.

She couldn't help the smile that made its way to her lips as she thought of the memory that she had remembered a while ago. She remembered Zuko trying to best his sister at firebending, going as far as to setting the flowers and the apples on fire.

"Goodnight, Suki..." She said teasingly as she pulled the blanket over her.

"Yes! Of course, goodnight! Gonna sleep! Goodnight, Chiyo!"

Katara was surprised when she saw Zuko out of her tent the next morning, head bowed, looking restless. She crossed her arms over her chest. "You look terrible."

"I waited out here all night."

"What do you want?"

He thought it better to cut to the chase. It was the only way to settle her anger that was directed at him. "I know who killed your mother. I'll help you find him." Zuko told her everything about the Southern Raiders, Fire Nation Navy soldiers who bore the banners of sea ravens.

She had listened intently to his every word and made up her mind. She went back to her tent and gathered some supplies before going to Aang.

He was outside with Chiyo, telling her all about Appa and all their adventures. "—And there was this one time when Appa was shedding so much that I made a wig and beard out of—"

"I need to borrow Appa."

Aang turned his head and saw her, supplies in hand, Zuko behind her. "Why? Your turn to take a field trip with Zuko?"

"Yes. It is."

"What's going on?"

"We're going to find the man who took my mother away from me."

Zuko backed her up. "Sokka told me what happened. I know who did it, and I know how to find him."

"Um..." Aang hesitated, giving Appa another handful of hay. "What exactly do you think this will accomplish?"

Katara chuckled darkly and started walking away. "I knew you wouldn't understand."

"Wait! Stop! I do understand! You're feeling unbelievable pain and rage. How do you think I felt about the sandbenders stealing Appa? How do you think I felt about the Fire Nation when I found out what happened to my people?"

"She needs this Aang," Zuko stepped in. "This is about getting closure, and justice."

"I don't think so. I think it's about getting revenge."

"And what's wrong with revenge?" Chiyo couldn't look at them, choosing instead to smooth out the arrow on Appa's head. "What's wrong with wanting to hurt the people who hurt you first?"

"See?! Even Chiyo gets me! They took my mother away from me! They hurt me! Why can't I hurt them back?!"

"Katara, you sound just like Jet."

"It's not the same!" She had tears in her eyes as she tried to make Aang see her point. "Jet attacked the innocent. This man, he's a monster!"

He was silent throughout the exchange, but he finally decided to speak out. "Katara, she was my mother, too. But I think Aang might be right."

She turned to her brother with tear-filled eyes. "Then you didn't love her the way I did."

"Katara..."

Aang stepped closer towards her, saddened that she chose to move away. "The monks used to say that revenge is like a two-headed rat-viper. While you watch your enemy go down, you're being poisoned yourself."

"Aang, now that I know he's out there and we could find him, I have no choice."

"You do have a choice." He countered her. "Forgiveness."

"That's the same as doing nothing!"

"No, it's not. It's easy to do nothing, but it's hard to forgive."

"It's not hard." Chiyo finally looked at them, and they saw the anger in her eyes. "It's impossible."