AN: Hello and welcome to the next chapter of "Honor". Now, without much further ado, on to the chapter. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Woo hoo! I won the lottery! The first thing I'm buying is Avatar. Let's see here… 'To collect winnings contact the Tooth Fairy." Not funny guys! Well, I'm broke so, no, I don't own.

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"So where are we heading Aang?" A week had passed since the night of the moon's death and rebirth and Sokka, Katara and Aang were once again on Appa's back. Master Pakku had left to the South Pole, the dead were buried and the walls of the city rebuilt. And the city, finally, had something to believe in. The Avatar wasn't some abstract thought anymore, he was real and he had fought along side them. This gave them something they lacked for a long time; hope. Hope that the world could be saved and harmony restored.

"Jeong Jeong said that I need to master water and earth before fire and with you here, Katara, water's covered. So that leaves earth. So, I thought that we'd head south and see Bumi."

Sokka and Katara just stared at him. "Uh, Aang," Katara began. "As nice and… mentally unique as Bumi is, don't you think that a King would have other things to do? Plus, perhaps you shouldn't have a teacher who is so visible. It would only make it that much easier for the Fire Nation to find you."

"I know that. But he would know where we could find a master. And we could stop by and pick up supplies and maybe have a feast."

Sokka's eyes lit up. "I'm sold. Let's get moving Appa! Yip yip."

Katara looked to the two young men and shook her head. "You both are crazy."

Sokka shot her a sly smile before replying. "Aang's crazy. I'm just hungry."

Katara smiled back at him. It's good to see him smile again. This is the first time he's seemed happy since Yue became the moon spirit. Poor Sokka, she sighed, he's got no luck with women. Come to think of it, neither of us have luck with love. For some reason, Zuko flashed into her mind. I wonder what he's doing. He said nothing's changed but he's against the war. I just don't understand him. She pushed all thoughts of the brooding prince to the back of her mind and concentrated on her companions.

The last battle changed them. I've never seen Aang so determined and focused. And Sokka's more than willing to head right to the Fire Nation and face the Fire Lord. She looked at him worriedly. He's so full of anger because of Yue. He needs to get over this of he'll get us all into trouble over his revenge. She closed her eyes and let the wind from Appa's movement remove all her doubts and cares. Until they reached the Earth Kingdom at least.

O.o.o.o.o.O

This time, there was no need to sneak in, no need to hide. They landed Appa right in front of the gate and Aang spoke to the guards. "I am Aang, the Avatar, and I seek an audience with King Bumi."

The two guards bowed deeply, a sign of great respect. "Since your last visit, Avatar, His Majesty has instructed us to allow you free movement within the city. Would you like an escort to the palace?"

Aang gave them a large, lopsided grin, some of his youth slipping free of his mature veneer. "No thanks guys. We can't miss it. It's the huge building in the center of town. But thanks anyways. Appa, yip yip." With an exaggerated wave, they went over the wall and headed for the palace. They circled the building twice before landing in a large, lush garden. Waiting for them was Bumi.

Aang leaped off Appa to hug his friend. "It's good to see you Aang." Bumi looked past him. "Sokka, Katara. As happy as I am, I have a feeling this isn't a social call." Aang shook his head and opened his mouth to speak but Bumi interrupted. "No matter. First we must have a feast." Sokka's stomach grumbled happily and was loud enough for half the city to hear. "Yes, yes. Food first and rest. After that you must tell me your tale." He signaled for a servant. "Takato, take our guests to their rooms please. The newly refurbished ones."

Takato looked at him oddly. "Do you mean the newly done dungeon sir?"

"No, no, no. The rooms we did before that." Bumi turned again to Aang and the others. "Clean up and relax for a bit while I get the feast underway." With that he left, leaving them to trail after Takato.

He led them down hallway after hallway until they came to three doors, two on one side and one on the other. "The two doors on the right are for the gentlemen and the left one is for the lady. That one has a lovely view of the gardens at night. Clean up and rest, I will return when your meal is ready. If you need anything before then, simply send for me." Takato bowed and left.

Both boys looked to Katara; she was the best when it came to proper etiquette. "Let's wash up and take a nap. We'll talk to his majesty during dinner and tell him what has happened and what we think we'll need to do now. After that…" She shrugged.

Each went into his or her room to freshen up. Katara's eyes went wide as she entered. It was huge. Ok, maybe not huge, but definitely far larger then her room at home. It was lovely, dark cherry wood furniture and a mixture of soothing shades of greens. She wandered around, poking her head into every nook and door. "Oh my, this is heaven." She found the bathroom with the large tub filled with steaming water and… sniff… scented oil. Without a second thought she shed her clothes and sunk in. There's nothing more soothing then water. She sighed and let the heat remove the tension from her muscles. At least we're safe here from the Fire Nation. At the back of her mind a small voice spoke up. 'For now.'

O.o.o.o.o.O

As Katara soaked her worries away, two figures in green and brown approached the front gate; an old man and a young one with a hood pulled over his head and a pack slung on his back. The guards stopped their approach. "State your business."

Iroh looked to the men in front of him and gave them a large obsessed smile. "Shopping! My son and I are looking for good tea and we hear you have some of the best. The kind really doesn't matter but ginseng is my favorite. Did you know that tea is almost medicinal in nature? It also calms a person who is hysterical or nervous. And there are so many varieties: Oolong, Green, Darjeeling, Black, Assam, Yerba, Jasmine, Pu-erh, Rooibos then there are the herbal teas."

He took a deep breath to continue his list but the guards scrambled to stop him. "We believe you. Just, please, stop talking. Go inside." They bended the door open and let them pass. "Well nephew, now what do we do?"

"In order for my plan to work, I need to know where the Avatar is headed. To do this, I need to get close to him." They, slowly, headed to the center of the city.

"And how do you intend to find this out? Sneak into the palace?"

Zuko locked eyes with his uncle. "Exactly."

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AN: Hope you liked it. I'm working on the next chapter now so, hopefully, it will be up soon. Review please! Thank you.