Note: Thank you for all the reviews and I'm sorry that some of my words are misspelled and there is no excuse for that considering that the computer I use has spell check. Well I was going to have this chapter be longer than my last but I don't think its going to be which makes me sad because I really wanted to reach my climax but there is no doubt that the next chapter will be long and full of action.

Disclaimer: I don't any of the Avatar: Last Airbender characters or the story line.

Chapter Eleven

"What do you mean killed?" he could barely get the words out; they were clinging to his throat for he knew what she would say next.

"Everyone on this island with the exception of you and your friend are dead," she said more clearly.

He was on his feet now, the information echoing inside his head, and leaking slowly throughout his body; if everyone on this island is dead then that means, he couldn't even allow himself to finish the thought as the realizations set in.

"Don't give me that look Zuko," she said as a small smile stretched across her ruby lips, "Death happens, it is apart of war and it is apart of life."

"Yeah but," then another realization set in, a realization that made his legs become weak, "Wait what do you mean everyone the fire lord has killed comes here? Does that mean…?"

She nodded her head.

"I don't understand," his mind and heart were now in a panic, which seemed at that moment to be out of control. If what she is saying is true, then Grandfather must have, there was another thought that he couldn't seem to allow himself to finish. The sound of thunder crackled across the sky, "What happened to you? Why did Grandfather-"

She stopped him once again, "Listen to me we don't have time for this particular talk."

"What are you talking about? We have plenty of time to-"

"No we don't; you and your friend are in trouble."

"She's not my friend," he corrected her.

She continued on ignoring his correction as the smell of rain filled the air making it feel even more damp in the cave, "The spirit of this island plans to kill you and use the water bender, Katara I believe was her name, to break the curse of this island."

"What curse?"

"We are all ghosts," she explained, "That means we are all restless, a restlessness that can't be cured. We all desire for our souls to be put to rest but the island's curse will not allow it, so we linger. We are neither fully dead and yet we are the farthest thing from life. We can neither eat nor sleep or do other earthly things that we did in our earthly life. It is a horrible way to exist and we all yearn to be free of it."

"What does it have to do with us?"

"When Shi and her lover created this island, they, through their pain made it this way by mistake, realizing her error Shi found away to undo the curse, or at least that is the myth."

Zuko was now back on the ground, listening intensely to what his mother was telling him.

"Most of us on this island believe this myth is nothing but myth, but…"

"But what?"

"It is believed that when two enemies came to this island with hate in their hearts, they will break the curse."

"How?"

"It is believed that the male of the two enemies must willingly sacrifice himself into the volcano for the female, and in return the female must cry."

"Why does she have to cry?" he seemed shock by the why the curse had to be broken, "And why do the two people have to be enemies?"

"Because," she continued as the rain pelted the ground outside, "Shi believed that love conquered all including hate, and the female must cry because it proves that she loved the male sacrifice. Her tears are believed to purify the volcano or at least that's what the legend says."

"What does that have to do with me and the water bender?" he didn't like where this conversation was going either.

"The spirit of the island believes that the two of you will break the curse."

"That's insane," his voice was low and his head was bent down in a way that made dark shadows cast over his face; they or at least he would need a fire soon; the sky outside the cave was growing darker and the rain was falling harder.

"The spirit's belief or you and her in love?" in her voice he could sense a bit of curiosity as well as something else, something that made him believe that she knew something he didn't.

"Both," he answered, he began to sweat some from his nerves; his stomach felt as if someone had ripped it out of his body, tied it into knots, and then shoved it back down his throat.

She smiled at him and once again he had the feeling that she knew something that he didn't, "Perhaps your right about the spirit's belief however he will still come for you as well as her."

He said nothing.

"You have to go to her."

Still he said nothing.

"Zuko, you have to protect her; he might become desperate and kill her."

"She has Caine to look out for her she doesn't need me."

"Caine?" the way she had asked made him look up to find that her eyes were wide in shock, "She's with Caine?"

"Yes," he hesitated some at her reaction, "After Laia healed her he took her to his hut, why?"

"Laia? Jade's mother?" she looked even more shocked.

It was his turn to be surprised, "Laia is Jade's mother?"

His mother was now on her feet, "What did Laia say to you?"

"I don't-something about the spirit and something about Jade clinging to me all the time," he answered bewildered.

"Jade clung to you?"

He nodded his head, "But what does that have to do with anything?"

"Did he let you pick him up?" her voice was urgent.

"Yes, in fact, he didn't even want me to put him down, but what does that have to do with anything?"

She released a heavy sigh, "This changes everything."

"What? How does it change anything? What does it change?"

"Laia must know too, and Caine as well," she mumbled.

"Know what?"

"This isn't good," she continued to mumble darkly.

"What isn't good?" he asked impatiently.

"Jade is a very special boy," she began, "He isn't like the rest of us."

The wind started howling outside the cave, and Zuko could hear the sounds of snapping branches.

"What's so special about him?"

"He is a very special boy," she repeated, and then added, "You must get to Katara as soon as the rain stops."

"But I don't understand," he stated.

"I think," she said ignoring him, "It would be better if you go tonight."

"Tonight?"

"Yes."

"But I just got to see you again after so long," he really didn't want to leave her; the little boy inside him cried out not to afraid she would leave once more, only this time he would never see her again.

"This has become larger than just you and me, Zuko," she said to him in her motherly tone, "Katara is in danger and you have to save her."

"I don't have to do anything," his anger and fear were both fixing into a solid feeling that made him retaliate against her.

"Zuko listen to me, you have to go get her and bring her back to this cave."

"Why? She's safe with Caine."

"No she isn't."

"Why?"

"Because Caine is the spirit of the island."