"I'm sorry, Chief Hakoda, but Master Katara has not been seen since her Bending session last night," the man said.

Hakoda frowned and looked at the house of his daughter. Katara had been withdrawing herself steadily since Sokka's departure. Her life had become centered on Water Bending. A few of the young girls had shown promise in Bending but Katara was still the only full Water Bender of the Southern Tribe. Hakoda knew the responsibility Katara felt to the Tribe was wearing on her. War or no, her eyes spoke of a life filled with regret--a long life, not one like hers which should still be at its beginning.

"Thank you," he said, "I'd better go check on her," he walked over to the door and knocked, "Katara?"

Inside her house, Katara was staring numbly at the letter in front of her. She had not moved from that position since she had dropped to the ground like a stone when she read the letter. The words had long ago been committed to her memory, how could they not be? It was as though the letter did not carry a message but rather a death sentence. Azula was out. Azula who had shot lightening through the two men Katara had cared about with all her heart. She had almost taken them from her and for that, Katara knew she was unforgivable. Even seeing the Princess's descent into madness had not helped to quell her anger at the other woman.

The knock on her door was a dull sound to her ears. Hakoda entered without his daughter's permission, something he had not done in quite some time. Alarm surged through him as he took in the sight of his daughter sitting, staring at the letter. She seemed to be in some kind of trance, not noticing the water that had crystalized her hair or the lack of a fire in the room. He noticed with alarm that she was wearing only her bending cloths and they too looked stiff, as though they were frozen. Blue rimmed the Water Bending Master's lips and her eyes were even duller than they usually were.

"Katara," Hakoda immediately hurried to forward and started a fire. He grabbed a few of the furs and threw them over his daughter. Katara remained immobile, her eyes locked on the ink that had long since run from the water she had dripped onto the paper, "Katara," he said more firmly, kneeling in front of his daughter and pressing his hands to her shoulders, "Katara."

Finally Katara blinked, as though she was surprised to see him there.

"Father," she looked around, "the letter," she gasped looking down at the smeared ink, "oh no."

"Forget the letter, you're going to freeze," he scolded looking at her.

"I--" Katara looked at her icy cloths. She sighed and waved her hand aside. The water that coated the fabric and her hair flew from to meet her fingertips as she caste it aside, "I'm fine," she said, "I didn't mean to worry you."

"I'm a father, its my job," he said with a shrug, "Katara what happened?"

"I was reading a letter and I--" she trailed off, looking at the smeared ink once more, "a rebel group broke into the mental facility where Azula was being kept and kidnapped her," she kept her eyes on the letter, willing her tears back, "the Fire Lord wants me to go the Capital of the Fire Nation. He wants my help."

Hakoda looked at his daughter with a heavy heart. He had watched the spark Katara used to have fade and dull as her duties took her over. He knew that the disintegration of the family she had made was a painful thing and the subsequent departure of Sokka only made it worse. He understood why his son had left, why they all had gone their separate ways, but it was difficult for anyone to see dreams fade away. It was especially difficult for a parent to watch their children suffer, even more so he imagined for a father to watch his daughter suffer so. He had tried to find a way for Katara to go off, even if it was just on her own adventure but his daughter was a stubborn one and said the Tribe needed a Water Bender and she was the only one for the job. As a Chief he was grateful, as a father he was heartsick.

"I will arrange a ship for you," the words left his mouth before he even thought them.

"What?" she whispered, horror in her eyes.

"You're going Katara," he said.

"But dad--" she jumped to her feet, a thousand protests on her lips. Hakoda stood up, towering over his daughter.

"No," he said firmly, "Katara I cannot watch you do this to yourself any longer. Your students have trained hard, we have some Bending capabilities now. Time will make them stronger. I am grateful for what you have done as your Chief," he laid his hands on her shoulders, "but as your father I cannot bear to see you do this to yourself for one second longer."

"Dad," she sighed looking down. Haokoda hooked two fingers under her chin, guiding her eyes up to his.

"Its time for you to go Katara. Even if this is just the beginning of your next adventure, its time for you to go and explore once again."

"But I can't just abandon the Tribe!" Katara cried, "you need me!"

"Yes," he said, "and I needed your brother as well but the fact is that you two need to find yourselves. You both are an invaluable part of the Southern Water Tribe but anyone with eyes can see you are not happy here, not anymore," she looked down, "that's alright. We all go through periods of unrest. But its time you listened to your heart, go to the Fire Nation, see where this takes you. When its time, I know you and your brother will find your way back here."

"He's probably summoned Sokka," Katara said softly, "and Aang and Toph," she sighed, "seeing them again, its going to be so strange."

It seemed surreal, as thought the impossible had just happened. She had always hoped but never thought that she would see them again--well, Sokka she supposed would return to the Southern Water Tribe eventually but the rest of them, when Toph left it was like the kiss of death. They had all fought against the pulls of their duty, of their responsibility to stay together but after she and Zuko left, after it was just the three of them again it was only a matter of time before they were pulled apart as well. She wondered if they felt the pain of the loss as acutely as she did. She had never really believed what they said when she was the 'mother' of the group until they were gone and she felt as though she had lost her children.

She heard her father leave her house to undoubtedly start preparations for the boat and delegation of guards that would no doubt take her to the Fire Nation. Even if her father wanted her to have her own adventure the fact was that she was going into the territory of a Nation that the world still held a lot of resentment towards. In some places they were outright hostel to the Fire Nation. Though she tried to make her people understand the Fire Nation was not evil, it was hard to convince people who did not see the change, who only saw the masked soldiers coming to take their friends and family away. She remembered when she had been like that as well and felt, well, she felt ashamed at what she had been, how she had acted.

So much had changed. At the end of the War she had still been so wide eyed, so innocent. She had childishly believed that they would be together forever, that friendship would triumph over all. She would be with Aang and they would laugh and dance when her brother married Suki and Zuko finally made Mai grin on their wedding day. But Aang had to lead the world that he had saved, he had to represent the culture of which he was the last of. He couldn't spend his life in the Southern Water Tribe anymore than she could run off with him. She knew she loved him and watching him fly off for the last time had broken her heart.

Mai and Zuko, last she heard of them Mai had been disowned because she said that even if a part of her loved Zuko she wouldn't spend the rest of her life in the political career of her father. She supposed that it made sense Mai did the natural thing and started her own political career. Last Katara heard she was Zuko's main advisor. Ty Lee was with the Kyoshi Warriors along with Suki and, last she heard, Sokka was there as well. She knew Sokka liked the Kyoshi Warriors, probably enough to put up with the occasionally beating from Suki--even if they were not together anymore.

"Alright," Hakoda said stepping in, "you should be ready to go by sunrise tomorrow."

"Alright," Katara said turning around, "thanks dad."

Fire Nation Capital, Royal Palace

Mai walked down the hallways of the Fire Nation Palace, her robes making hardly any sound against the carpeting. Not much had changed in ten years in way of her appearance. She still wore her ebony hair in the same style, she still dressed in robes of blood red and black and her expression had not changed once since she left her rooms to speak to the Fire Lord.

Sunlight streamed through the high arched windows and though Mai knew none of her blades were visible she couldn't help but run a finger across the lining of each sleeve to double check. 'Peace' was a fickle thing and she wouldn't risk her safety or the Fire Lord's to the guards she knew even she could take down. Mai walked to the rooms of the Fire Lord. The two guards standing outside the door stood at attention when she approached before quickly bowing.

"Vizier Mai!" they said respectfully.

"I need to speak to Z--the Fire Lord," she quickly corrected herself. They nodded and stepped aside, allowing her entry, "Zuko," she murmured in greeting.

Zuko stood in front of the window, the light outlining the silhouette of his form, still dressed in the simple sleeping robes he wore. His long ebony hair was pulled back in a simple ponytail instead of its usual topknot. Without any of the finery he looked far more like the Zuko she knew a long time ago, not the Fire Lord he currently was. Well except for the hair, it was still a little strange to see Zuko with all that hair. She remembered when he had a top knot and nothing else. At least the scar kept him from looking too much like his father.

"Have the messages been sent?" he asked, his voice low and hoarse.

"Of course," she said, "did you get any sleep?"

"How could I possibly sleep?" he turned and looked over at her, "they kidnapped my sister."

Mai knew it was not the words he spoke that were important, it was what he did not say. Zuko had been a man torn for as long as she had known him, which was most of both their lives. Inner peace was not something the Fire Lord had, at least, not for long. His sister had always been a torture for him. Every so often he would catch glimpses of the sister he knew, the sister he loved, but they were like flickering flames. One minuet they were there and the next, they were gone replaced either by a person he didn't know or didn't like. On her bad days when all they could hear were the Princesses screams, Zuko could hardly bear to go inside the room she was kept, not that his guards would let him. Now that she was gone, Mai knew Zuko was probably guilt-ridden.

"I know," she stepped forward, coming closer to him, "but Azula's strong--"

"She was," he cut her off, "once."

Mai looked down. As both a Noble and Zuko's advisor, she was concerned for him. As his friend and former lover, she was terrified. She knew Azula always had a serious affect on Zuko, whether he wanted to admit it or not. In some ways, Mai thought that in the end Azula's was the anger that hurt him the most, especially after seeing how Katara and Sokka were so close--or used to be anyway if there was truth in Ty Lee's letters. Now Katara was the Water Bending Master of the Southern Tribe and Sokka was spending his time with the Kyoshi Warriors though, according to Ty Lee's report, Suki could still kick his ass--but then again, Ty Lee seemed to think her commander could kick anyone's ass.

"The messages have been sent," Mai said, "I'm sure that they're on there way."

Zuko gave no response, he remained stationary by the window. Even after ten years, Mai felt the familiar sadness when she saw his expression. He was going to a place where she could not help him. Where she could not follow.

Where she was beginning to think no-one could follow.

"Seeing them will be strange," he said quietly.

"Stranger than the peace meetings with the Earth King?" Mai asked, dry amusement in her voice. Zuko sighed but even she could see the smile he fought down.

"Stranger than that," he said, allowing the barest glimpse of the gesture on his face.

"Fire Lord," someone knocked on the door. Mai frowned and walked over, opening it but making sure that Zuko was still hidden as she took the messages from the guard.

Stamped on the letters were seals from the Earth Kingdom, the Southern Water Tribe and the Air Nomads. Mai walked over to Zuko and offered him the replies to his pleas for help.

Everyone had responded with that they were on their way and would be arriving soon.

Even Toph.