XVIII

Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN AVATAR FOOS! Italics-her letter bold italics- thought

They sat in Lin's house that night watching her sleep.

"You incompetent children!" The owl hooted angrily. "Why are you just sitting around when Lin needs your help?"

"Look, We're doing the best we can!" Toph yelled. "I'm trying to remember the last ingredient to what my grandmother taught me but I can't!"

"Calm down Toph." Katara told her.

"No! He has no right to treat us like that. We're working our asses off trying to help her and all he does is bitch!" Toph talked as if she had been with them from the beginning, but she was a member of the team too, so she talked as if she was involved from the beginning.

"Toph!" Katara replied warningly. "Calm down. He's just upset because Lin might die." Toph pouted against the wall.

Later that night, Monica noticed a time gate like the one in Sindaine. They gathered around it and went to the future. Before them, a large temple was built out of the Balance Valley Plateaus. A fire pot was in the middle, and four bridges suspended out of the middle. They walked along the bridges as Sokka smelled food.

"Foooooodd..." He drooled. Saliva ran down his chin as he took off running and they followed.

"He's like a hound dog!" Monica laughed as they ran after him. He flung the doors open to a restaurant and ran strait for the counter. A tall, black-haired woman in a kimono with a pair of pandas on the back was facing the kitchen, so she could not see them. But by her height and posture, they saw she was a woman in her early-twenties.

"What do you have here?" Sokka asked. The woman laughed.

"We've got what's on the menu." Sokka looked around until he found the menu board hanging over the front desk.

"I'll have..." He hesitated, thinking over what he wanted. The woman turned from the grill and smiled at them. But her smile faded into a surprise.

"Great great grandmother Toph!?" She gasped.

"I'm sorry?" Toph replied, raising an eyebrow.

"no, I'm sorry. I forgot my manners. I'm your great great granddaughter." Toph didn't believe it, but Monica did.

"It's possible.This is 100 years in the future. She could very well be your great great granddaughter."

"It was my great grandmother who taught me the Miracle Dumpling recipe, and she learned it from her grandmother, and she learned it from great great grandmother Toph."

"What are Miracle Dumplings?" Zuko asked, crossing his arms.

"A dish that heals all ailments." Toph's great great granddaughter told them.

"We can use that to cure Lin!" Katara cheered. "Can you make it for us?" Toph's great great granddaughter was silent.

"Actually..no I can't. The recipe needs a Panda Lily to work like it is supposed to, but they are exinct."

"Panda lily!" Toph shouted. "I remember now!"

"How convenient." Zuko smugly replied.

They went in search of the Panda Lily in the present (Their present), and finding a whole bunch of them growing behind Lin's house. Katara was inside Lin's house telling the owl that they had found a way to cure her, and that it was almost done, while the others were out side getting the panda lilies. Once found; they were taken back to Toph's great great granddaughter and she made the miracle dumplings.

"I'm sorry we haven't much money to pay you." Monica apologized; but she just shook her head.

"No need! Your the ones who will win back the past. That is more than enough payment. Go on now and help that poor girl." They all bowed in thanks, and returned to their present with the dumplings. After feeding them to Lin, she rose out of the bed and was completely confused.

"Who are you all?" She asked softly; looking around at them. They all introduced themselves to her and watched her smile contently at them. "Nice to meet you all. Um, Mr.Owl? Where is Master Crest? Did he go training without me?"

"L-Lin? You don't remember?" Lin shook her head. "Crest died Lin."

"No.." She breathed. Once she realized it was true, she fell forward in tears. "NOOOO!"

It was a few minutes before Lin calmed down; having wept so hard that it made them feel uncomfortable.

"You don't remember anything?" Mr.Owl asked her; she shook her head. "Well. Crest died, you were with him at the oracle and you came back in tears, and told me everything. You've been bedridden ever since."

"and these nice people..?" Lin asked, facing them.

"Healed you." Mr.Owl filled in.

After going back to the future to get some things, they all split up and went to different future stores with a certain amount of money. Monica went and found a cute new hair clip for herself, Zuko bought some earth kingdom clothes which seemed "Out of date" In the future, but were in style in his time. Aang bought a neat looking hourglass, Katara a waterbending scroll (Updated) and Sokka, a new weapon.

They went back to their own time and Lin greeted them at the time gate.

"Please. Take me to the lighthouse. I want- I hope-"

"That it will bring back some memories?" Monica finished for her. Lin nodded and Monica agreed to take her along. "In the morning. Now we all need rest."

Zuko couldn't sleep; he'd bought those clothes for a reason. So because he couldn't sleep; he went into Lin's house and into the bathroom, where he changed clothes and pulled his hair-tie down. His hair fell in his face and his clothes fit just right. One layer was a baggy green shirt while the next layer was a lighter green long-sleeved shirt that mostly kept from his hands (for his firebending), and his pants hung a bit and covered the boots. He looked completely different than he did before. All of a sudden, he wanted to talk to Monica. He walked back outside to see her sleeping soundly in her sleeping bag.

"Monica." He started softly. Touching her shoulder lightly in hopes it would wake her up. "are you asleep?"

"Nah." She replied; groggily sitting up. "What is i-" She stopped at his new look. "Wow. New look sparky?"

"Kind of. Monica-Can I talk with you?"

"sure."

They walked away from the group; to the entrance of Starlight canyon, where she saw Zuko was confused. "What is it?" When he didn't say anything, she went on. "You know you can say anything to me right? I mean I fight with you a lot but if it's something really serious-"

"I know." He cut her off. "I know. Listen, I didn't want to say anything about it; but I'm scared."

"by what?" Monica asked, moving closer to the newly hot Zuko.

"Everything. I don't know exactly. Maybe it's this quest or maybe it's that I'm suddenly changing attitudes and it's scaring me." He went on; wanting it to stop coming but the words came out, and kept coming like a water fall of words. "I want to be loyal to my father-I want to be loyal to the group-but most of all I don't know what I want."

"Well." She started, crossing her legs. "maybe you should start asking yourself things from the beginning. Now, what you want. Zuko; You've been under the firelord's law and pressure for so long that it's made you into a miniature fire lord. You act like that is what you were born for. But it isn't. You shouldn't be afraid of being disloyal to him, just worry about pleasing yourself. Tell me, what would you rather do?"

"I-I-" He stuttered, trying to think of what he wanted. "I-I-I want-" Then he saw the simplest answer come right to him. "To be happy."

"What do you think you need to do to be happy?" Monica asked; looking him right in his golden eyes. "I know you don't need to fire nation to be happy." He nodded. "What used to make you happy?"

"Mom." He started. Knowing that was a stupid answer. "I don't know really, I just was."

"Well, changing over night isn't possible. You've taken the first step actually with your new look. Can you do something for me?"

"What?"

"Smile." Her answer was plain and simple. He tried to crack a smile, but it didn't work.Not right away anyway. After a bit of forcing; he gave her a wide, forced grin. "See? your cute when you smile. You should try it more often. The world isn't as bleak as you see it Zuko. Feel any better?"

"A bit." He replied; trying to stop smiling. But it felt nice to do something other than frown for once.Monica smiled back at him, grabbed his hand and walked with him back over to the camp site.

"Good. Now, try to get some sleep. We've got a big day tomorrow." Zuko rested in his sleeping bag near Monica, and after some silence, he whispered:

"Thanks. Goodnight." and drifted off into an uneventful sleep.

x.x I'm not looking forward to the season finale of season 2. I'm Aangtara all the way and now it will be ruined. Although I might be getting a head of myself here. So what if they spend some time together? Katara and Aang were MENT to be. They go so well together :D so, until Zuko and Katara admit their undying (and completely stupid and horrible (In my opinion anyway. In others it might not be so evil)) Love for eachother, I will stay optimistic :D

Oh yeah. Sorry it took so long. Writers block ya know? anyway. I love Zuko's new hair! and I wanted to put more fluff in it. Sorry that Zuko was OOC.