I have a new chappie for you people. Isn't it wonderful? I've been getting them out quicker lately, haven't I? Well, onto the story. I know some people have been waiting for more angst, and there will be a bit more…just be patient. Okay, here goes!

Chapter Eighteen

Katara woke up in Zuko's arms. Again. Had everything that happened the night before really happen? Or was she simply trying to fill the gaps? Suddenly, a noise brought her mind to focus and she jumped up, recognizing her brother's angry voice.

With the toe of her boot, she gently prodded Zuko's shoulder. "Wake up," she hissed.

Zuko groaned and opened his eyes in time to see Katara dashing from the courtyard. Confused, he opened his mouth to call her back but then he, too, heard the voices coming closer to their retreat.

"…my sister, I'll kill him!"

"Miss Katara likely was sidetracked by the sad beauty of the temple and fell asleep."

Zuko smiled as he scrambled up. That was his uncle, always throwing people off with what was the closest thing to the truth.

"Yeah, Sokka. Zuko probably got lost without Katara and decided to find someplace warm."

"If only…"

Without a second glance, Zuko ran from the courtyard, going in the opposite direction of Katara, not wanting her to have her brother yell at her. As he ran through the winding halls, Zuko thought of his own sibling, his own family. Azula, as always, never cared about him. She only wanted more power, to become the most powerful being in the world. It seemed she held the same madness in her that held his father.

He shook his head. But how could he go against his family? And that was what he was preparing to do.

"Uncle is your only family now."

"But I can't ignore blood, can't ignore that they are my family. I can't go against them, but I can't go against Uncle again."

"Then what can you do?"

Zuko frowned. He didn't know. He loved his uncle, and he was beginning to care deeply for Katara, but…He couldn't do it. He couldn't betray his family, no matter that they had betrayed him.

And Katara…she treated him in a way that he didn't recognize. She surprised him with her kindness and her spirit. She didn't define him by his family or his scar. To her, she was another person, without a deformity of any kind. But that's not who he was. People were defined by their blood; that was what the Fire Nation had always believed. Once, Ozai had accused Zuko of being as weak as his mother. He had been angry then, angry that his father had called him weak, angry that his father had called his mother weak.

He stopped for a moment and rested against a wall. He was deep in the temple, but he didn't notice the dark. He sighed. Since his mother died, since he had received his scar, his world had been falling apart. Now that there was a chance for him to start life anew, he was afraid. He was afraid that he could not be the person everyone thought he could be.

"I don't know what to do," he whispered.

"Don't worry, young one," said a soft voice beside him. Zuko jumped and instantly dropped into a fighting stance. The woman smiled at him, a bit of laughter in her golden eyes. "Forgive me, my dear, for startling you. I am afraid that I am not so very used to people. Please, relax. I am not an enemy."

Zuko straightened, staring at the beautiful young woman before him. She appeared no older than twenty and, though she appeared kind enough, Zuko knew instinctively that she was a firebender.

"Who are you?"

The woman sighed and began to move deeper into the temple. Zuko followed. "My name is not important, young one. I have come because you need guidance."

"What do you mean?" he asked angrily. "Shouldn't you be helping the Avatar?"

She laughed and glanced over her shoulder. "The Avatar has others to help him." She turned. "Besides, he is not as conflicted as you seem to be, young one."

"Why are you calling me 'young one'?"

Another laugh. "Because, to me, you are very, very young," she replied. "Now hurry along."

Zuko fell into silence, confused by her words, but as she led him deeper and deeper into the temple, he asked, "Where are you taking me?"

"To where we can speak."

"I have to get back to the others…"

"You will return in good time. They will know nothing is wrong."

"But my Uncle…"

"He knows," the woman stated simply.

They continued in silence for a good while and then the woman stopped suddenly before a large door. There seemed to be an odd lock on the thing but the door opened before Zuko had a chance to really examine it.

Zuko followed her into the dark chamber, confusion running through his mind. "What is this place?" he asked, calling a flame to his hand. He quickly found a few torches along the wall and lit them, letting the flame go.

"An ancient place," came her reply.

"It doesn't look too old." And it didn't. The room looked as if it had been well kept, as if someone were living there. But that was impossible…wasn't it?

"This place is kept…ready for those who wish to use it."

"But what is it?"

Another laugh sounded and Zuko turned quickly. The woman was standing behind him, her golden eyes shining. "It is a haven for those who have lost themselves." She turned away from him and began to walk around the chamber. "No one is here at the moment."

Zuko shook his head and began to back out of the room. "Why did you bring me here?"

"So that you could remember. For when your heart becomes lost."

"What?" Zuko asked faintly. The world was becoming black. He felt dizzy and…faint.

The woman looked back at him and smiled once more. "This is a secret place, Prince Zuko, one which you will find quite useful very soon. But for now, you will forget. Forgive me."

Abruptly, Zuko found himself back in the courtyard, as if he had never moved. But now, his Uncle was sitting beside the pond, sipping a cup of tea.

"It is good that you are awake, Nephew," the old general said softly.

Zuko sat up, holding his still spinning head. "Wha…?"

Iroh chuckled. "Young Sokka stormed past this courtyard in his search for his sister, but I managed to spot you. I called to you several times, Prince Zuko, but when you did not wake, I decided to stay and watch over you."

Zuko frowned. "Why did you stay, Uncle? If I didn't wake, why didn't you find Katara?"

Iroh took another sip of his tea and then his gaze found Zuko's. "Because I recognize when someone has entered the Spirit World, Nephew, and I couldn't simply leave you to wake confused and all alone."

The young man blinked. "T-thank you, Uncle."

Iroh said nothing, merely began humming a jovial tune beneath his breath.

"W—what about Katara?"

"Miss Katara, I believe, is still hiding from her brother; you weren't gone too long."

"Oh." Zuko looked down at the grass, plucking at the green blades. "Uncle?"

"Yes, Nephew?"

Zuko sighed as his courage failed him. "Do you have any more tea?"

Iroh paused to stare at his nephew and then a sly grin stole over his face. With a flourish, he produced several packs of tea from his sleeves, along with a small teakettle and a cup. "Always."

Katara laughed as she heard the muttered curses of her brother. But he was closing in. Spotting a partly hidden alcove, Katara ducked into it, hoping it would lead somewhere. Unfortunately, it didn't. Sokka found her a moment later, his face red with rage.

"Katara!" he yelled, coming closer. "There you are! Where were you! If Zuko…"

Katara quickly composed herself and gave her brother a smile. "Stop with the Zuko thing, Sokka. As to where I was, I got separated from Zuko and found a really pretty little room. I was tired so I decided to rest for a bit." She gave him a sheepish look. "I guess I slept a bit too long."

Sokka began to wave his arms about, but he looked a bit less enraged. "Why didn't you come back to the meeting place when you woke up?" he asked.

Katara shrugged. "I got lost. Now, come on. I want to see how Aang's lessons are going."

Knowing that his sister wouldn't say anything else, Sokka's shoulders fell. "Okay. You can make breakfast, too."

Katara hit him on the back of his head. "Pig," she spat, marching off.

"Wait, Katara! You'll get lost again!"

Jet smiled as he left the small Earth Kingdom village. Apparently, the Avatar disappeared for a little while, but his flying bison had been spotted quite recently, flying west. But that wasn't all. Princess Azula and her gang had been spotted following only a day or two behind. While it might be difficult to track the flying bison later on, tracking the Fire Nation Princess wouldn't be too hard.

"I'm coming to help, Katara," he whispered to the wind. "I won't let the Fire Nation get you."

A bit confused? Me too, but it's okay. Jet's getting closer! But so is Azula... Oh, I made a little change to my last chapter. I just changed the name of the ancient lovers. I changed the names to properly represent who they are. The girl's name is now Savitri (Indian name meaning, "relating to the sun") and the guy's is Nilam (Indian meaning "sapphire"). Oh, and you can expect to see them more often in the story from now on. Well, did you like this chapter? Please review, even if it's criticism.