It had been seven years since he had seen his beloved. Six years, eleven months, and twenty-eight days, to be exact. He hadn't seen her since she vanished two days before the comet. The only way they knew anything about what had happened to Aang was his father. He said that after she had taken away his bending, she had just…disappeared. The bastard had been briefly blinded by the light, and when it was gone, so was Aang. He had had soldiers searching every last inch of the world for any trace of her. Nothing. He had finally given up the search a year ago. He was still offering a reward for her safe return, though.

Zuko sighed and leaned back in his chair. He used his firebending to form the image of the laughing, happy one hundred and twelve year old girl he remembered. She would be almost a hundred and twenty, now. Her birthday was in a few months. He stared at the flames flickering in the palm of his hand. Spirits, he missed her.

"Fire Lord Zuko?" Zuko closed his hand, banishing the image of the lovely Avatar. "I am sorry to disturb you, my Lord. The Sun Warrior Chief has sent you a message." The Sun Warrior Chief? Zuko hadn't heard from him since he and Aang had visited them to learn the secret to Firebending.

"What is the message?" The servant ushered a Sun Warrior into the room. Zuko bowed respectfully. The warrior nodded back.

"The Masters say that you are to be in the Chamber of the Sunstone in fourdays. There you will find that which you seek." That which he sought? Aang! But…how could she be there?

"Thank you. I will be there," Zuko promised. The Sun Warrior nodded.

"I will pass the message onto them, Fire Lord Zuko." When the Sun Warrior had left Zuko sat in stunned silence. In four days he would have his Aang back. Those four days couldn't pass quickly enough for him.

"Uncle! I received news from the Masters. I'm supposed to go there in four days and I'll find Aang."

"That is wonderful news, my nephew." Uncle didn't seem very enthused.

"What's wrong, Uncle?"

"Nothing is wrong, my nephew."

"You don't seem very happy that I'll have Aang back in four days."

"Of course I'm happy, my nephew. I'm just worried that this will turn out to be another false lead, that you'll be hurt again." Uncle had a point. There had been people who claimed to have seen Aang, to actually have her staying with them in an effort to claim the reward. He had always gone personally to investigate-he wanted to see her again as soon as possible-and he'd always been disappointed. But this time was different. He could feel it.

"Will you take care of things here? Tell the others when they arrive that I've taken Appa, and that I'll be back soon." The rest of their little group would be arriving over the next day or so. It was almost the anniversary of Aang's disappearance. Most of the world was celebrating the end of the war. The dawning of peace. The fact that the Avatar had vanished had become little more than a footnote in most people's minds. The only ones who seemed to care the greatest hero of the war was missing were the ones who had met her.

"It is not that long of a journey to the city of the Sun Warriors, Zuko. Surely you can wait a day and greet your friends yourself?" Zuko sighed.

"Why must you always make such a good point?" he grumbled.

"Because I'm your uncle."

"Sparky? Is that you?"

"What, your feet stop working Toph? Of course that's Zuko!" He smiled at Toph and Sokka's good natured bickering. "OK, you might have a point. Who are you and what have you done with the Fire Lord?"

"What are you talking about, Sokka? I am the Fire Lord!"

"You are not. Zuko hasn't smiled in years. Not since Aang vanished." Great Spirits. Had it really been that long?

"He's telling the truth, Snoozles. That or the imposter is an excellent liar."

"So, why are so happy? Don't tell me you've moved on from Aang!" Sokka's blue eyes narrowed slightly at him. "Oh, Spirits. You're not dating Mai again, are you?"

"When I finally have a promising lead on Aang's whereabouts? One that most likely isn't just an attempt to claim the reward? Have you lost little brains you had?"

"Seriously? Where does this lead say she is?"

"The Masters sent a Sun Warrior to tell me to be in the Chamber of the Sunstone in four days. That I'll find Aang then."

"Is that where you and Aang learned that dance of yours?"

"It's a Firebending form, not a dance."

"Sparky! It's a dance and you know it. The sooner you admit it, the better off you'll be. Did the Masters mention why you couldn't just go there and find her seven years ago?"

"No."

"I hope she's there, Sparky. I honestly don't think you could handle it if she wasn't."

"I don't think I could, either, Toph."

Three days later, Zuko was in the Sun Warriors' city, sitting across from the Chief. The man had assured Zuko that Aang would be there later that day. That Zuko would know what to do to bring her home. The chief escorted him to the Chamber of the Sunstone and helped open the door.

"I can marry you two, if you want."

"What?" Zuko was caught completely off guard.

"I can perform the ceremony. She won't be a child anymore, Fire Lord. Anymore than you're a teenager." Zuko blushed. He was tempted, of course. How could he not be? He wanted to marry Aang. He'd wanted to marry her for years. Somehow he'd forgotten that she would be all grown up now.

"My uncle and my mother would both kill me if I got married without them being there." The Chief laughed.

"It's almost time, Fire Lord. Bring your brave Avatar home. She can't come back without you."

"Why not?"

"You're her soul mate, Zuko. And besides, she can't dance the Dragon Dance alone, can she?" He made an excellent point. Zuko nodded and stepped into the Chamber. He remembered the last time they'd been here. Aang had been twelve. He'd still been mooning over Mai, and he couldn't bend. Aang had tackled him, insisted that he dance with her. He didn't know if he'd fallen in love with her then, or if it was some other point during their field trip. Over the years of their separation, he'd narrowed down when he'd fallen in love with her to this field trip. This place. It made sense, really. That he'd have to come back to where he'd first fallen for his soul mate to get her back.

Still smiling from the memories stirred up by being here, Zuko assumed the first stance of the Dragon Dance.