The banished prince crept silently into the room. There was Uncle Iroh, his large belly rising and falling beneath the wool blanket as he slept, his mouth hanging open as he snored. The sight was endearing. How many times had he seen Uncle like this and taken it for granted, erroneously thinking of him as lazy or slow? It pained him to remember the person he'd been then. He looks well, Zuko thought with some relief. He pulled back the drapes, letting in the sun.

Iroh turned in his sleep, gave a little grunt against the morning light. As the blur before him came into focus and he saw his nephew's scarred face, tears began to well at the corners of his eyes. "Nephew? Is it really you?"

Zuko nodded, smiling. "It's really me, Uncle."

Seconds later, Zuko was being squeezed almost painfully against him. "I wasn't sure if I'd ever see you again," the older firebender confessed. "Azula told us you were dead -"

"I know," Zuko soothed, "Katara told me. I'm so sorry, Uncle. It was part of the plan to fake my own death, to get Azula out of the way, but I never thought about her trying to use that against you, to make you think I really was dead."

Iroh shook his head. "There is no need for explanations, my nephew. I'm just glad to see you're all right. How is it you came to be here? We were on our way to look for you in Ba Sing Se."

"It's a long story." The scarred youth sat back then and put a consoling hand on Iroh's shoulder. "Uncle, I heard about what happened to Azula. Are you okay?"

The Dragon of the West gave a little nod. "I have made my peace with it. I did what had to be done. To be honest, I've been more concerned about Katara. She hasn't been the same since it happened."

"Why?" His nephew arched his unscarred eyebrow. "What does Katara have to do with Azula being dead?"

"Oh, I see. She didn't tell you." Iroh looked slightly concerned.

"We… didn't really talk last night," Zuko admitted, scratching nervously at the back of his neck as he recalled their passionate kiss.

Iroh's eyes nearly bugged out of his head. "What? Zuko, tell me you didn't -"

"Uncle, no! Of course not," Zuko hastily amended, realizing where his mind had gone. "We just ran into each other and talked for a minute, then both of us were tired, so we went on to bed. Separately," he finished with emphasis. When he saw that Iroh had relaxed, he had to ask, "What didn't she tell me?"

Iroh hesitated a moment, only telling Zuko in the end because he was convinced Katara never would, and he needed to know. "I wasn't the only one fighting Azula that day, at the South Pole. Katara was with me. We had agreed to fight her together, but when Azula said you were dead, it frightened Katara. Her emotions got the best of her. She jumped ahead of me and took on Azula alone - which, of course, was exactly what Azula wanted. Fortunately, I knew my niece's tendency to hide and then attack while her opponent is vulnerable, and I used it against her. I came between her and Katara just in time."

Zuko realized as Iroh concluded his relation of Azula's final duel that he'd been holding his breath. He exhaled shakily. "You saved Katara's life. Uncle… thank you. You don't know what that means to me."

"I may know more than you think. Besides, I like Katara. I haven't known her long, but already she feels like… family." Iroh winked cheekily at his nephew.

"Uncle!" Zuko protested, his pale cheeks flaming scarlet.

"She loves you," Iroh said then, his voice turning serious. "After Azula fell, Katara went unconscious. We were very worried. She came through all right, but only one thought was in her mind as she recovered - finding a way to you. She was willing to leave the Avatar, her brother, her father, her friends and everything she knew behind. She would have even left without me, if I hadn't found her trying to leave me a note to explain where she was going. The thought of living without you nearly broke her heart."

Zuko reached for the middle of his chest, remembering the ache there on the morning he'd been reunited with his mother. Now he understood. Even then, they had been linked so strongly that he'd felt her pain from half the world away. Then his heart had led him here, straight to the place where she was waiting for him. "I love her, Uncle," he admitted aloud for the first time, amazed to hear the words coming out of his mouth unplanned and uncensored.

"Yes, I know, and I am happy that you have found each other again," Iroh nodded warmly. "But what happens now?"

The banished prince sighed heavily. "I have to go back to Ba Sing Se, and finish what I started. She wants to go with me, but I don't want to put her in danger. Or you, Uncle. This is my fight."

His uncle narrowed his wise old eyes. "Maybe. But you won't be fighting it alone. I'm afraid you are stuck with us, my nephew." The hints of a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

"Sounds pretty final." Zuko couldn't help but smirk. "I should warn you, most of the palace servants fled after Azula took over, and the Dai Li are terrible cooks."

Iroh glanced down in dismay at his large belly and gave an annoyed sigh. "I suppose that promise I made of going on a diet finally caught up with me. Oh, the sacrifices I make for you, nephew."

The banished prince grinned, but only for a moment. "Uncle… there's something else I need to tell you."

As he saw his nephew's face fall, Iroh's expression turned to one of panic. "Don't tell me they're out of tea in Ba Sing Se, too!"

"No, Uncle," Zuko denied, shaking his head. "It's Mom. I've seen her."

ooo LL ooo

Haru reclined beside the creek and stared up at the moon, feeling almost content. His muscles relaxed as he lay into the earth, letting the grass dance around the long brown locks of his hair. Today had been a good day, and tomorrow would be even better. He could feel it.

The last few months, the world had been looking brighter. He had his father back, his village and the surrounding towns were free from the Fire Nation, and now they were on their way to join those who had helped them liberate their region - the mysterious Stone Fists - as they journeyed east. There was even word that the Earth Kingdom might regain its freedom after all, thanks to someone called Lord Naga, a former Dai Li agent with a scarred face that he allowed no one to see. This Lord Naga had done what no other could - united the Dai Li and the Earth Kingdom army - and in so doing, began to build the hopes of every man, woman and child in the provinces for a future that was free of Fire Nation tyranny.

He glanced over at his father, Tyro, and smiled. The balding earthbender's wide shoulders were hunched in sleep as he lay on his side with his arms folded, his long white beard folded against his chest. Thank you, Katara, Haru thought for the hundredth time. The look of utter joy and relief on his mother's face when they returned home had been worth more than treasure to Haru, as had every minute spent with his father since. He knew he could never repay the brave-hearted waterbender for what she had done for him and for his family. Occasionally he wondered what had become of Katara of the Water Tribe, but he had realized the day they parted that her destiny was to help the Avatar, not to stay with him. Still, from the bottom of his heart, he genuinely wished her well.

His eyelids were starting to flutter and close with sleep when a loud noise stirred him - an earsplitting rumble like an earthquake, followed by a sudden crash. Haru sat upright and turned from side to side. There was only silence now, but he knew he could not rest until he knew if they were in any danger. He glanced over at his father, whose eyes were wide and wary.

"Dad," Haru murmured, "did you hear that?"

"Yes," Tyro said, clearly awake. "The sound came from over there." He motioned to the top of the hill just beyond the clearing in which they lay.

"One person has less chance of being noticed than two," Haru pointed out. "I'll go check it out."

Tyro nodded, trusting in his son's abilities. "Be careful."

"I will." Haru crept up the slope and peered surreptitiously over the ledge. His intrepid green eyes scanned the rocks, trees, grass and brook behind the incline, but saw nothing suspicious. Motioning to his father to remain, he decided to take a closer look.

Hidden in the cleft behind the arching rock face was a girl, crying and alone, her head bent against her chest as she wept. Haru paused, intrigued. What could she be doing this far away from any town, by herself? Was she lost? Or had the Fire Nation gotten to her family as they had his? He decided to get a little closer, taking care to tiptoe and breathe softly, so as not to startle her. But no matter how careful Haru could have been, no preparation on his part could have prevented what happened next.

In a form executed so fast it caught him completely off guard, the girl leapt to her feet and struck an earthbending pose that had him up to his neck in a dirt stranglehold. A mound of earth enclosed him, resembling a giant anthill. Haru struggled, to no avail. He simply couldn't move.

"Who are you? What do you want?" the girl cried out, and for the first time, Haru saw her eyes - eyes of crystal blue all filmed over with white, eyes that could not look back at him.

She was blind. A blind earthbending girl - and a chillingly powerful one.

"My name is Haru," he replied, trying not to feel terrified against this younger, smaller, and much deadlier opponent, who already had him in her grip. "I'm an earthbender, like you. My father and I were sleeping just over there. We don't mean you any harm."

The girl nodded to herself, then released him as quickly as she'd penned him in. "I believe you. But what are you doing way out here in the middle of nowhere?"

Haru would have liked to ask the same question of her, but having been bound from head to foot only moments earlier, he wisely decided to let her ask the questions for now. "We're on our way east," Haru replied, dusting the dirt from his sleeves, "to help the Stone Fists fight against the Fire Nation."

"Stone Fists," Toph echoed. "They're the ones who work with the Dai Li, right? The ones who work for Lord Naga?"

Haru brightened. "You know of them?"

"I've heard the name." Toph recalled Iroh's mention of them in the Water Tribe Council meeting. He seemed to put trust in them, anyway.

"I'd be surprised if you hadn't. Nearly everyone is talking about them, and about Lord Naga. He's brought hope back to the Earth Kingdom." Haru smiled. "Listen, why don't you come along with me and my father? Just over there, we have a warm fire and some food and -"

"And what? You think I need to be taken care of?" she snapped.

"No," Haru denied, shaking his head, "you just seem like you're a really great earthbender. I think the Stone Fists could use your help."

"Oh. Um… thanks." His vibrations just didn't waver. Toph had to pause as she realized that Haru had been entirely genuine in every word he said. It seemed that being sincere and straightforward was built into his nature. It was a little disconcerting, but refreshing as well. "You really don't mind if I join you?"

"Not at all. Come on. I'll introduce you to my dad."

ooo LL ooo

"You saw Lady Ursa?" At first Iroh looked shocked. "But… how is that possible?"

"I met King Bumi, that's how," Zuko informed him, his voice a little stilted. "He initiated me into the Order of the White Lotus. Then Jeong Jeong the Deserter came and took me to the sanctuary where she's been living in hiding all these years."

Iroh hesitated, knowing how emotional the subject of his mother was for Zuko. "How was she?"

"She was fine," Zuko exhaled noisily. Unconsciously, his hands tightened into fists. "How long have you known, Uncle? How long were you planning to hide it from me?"

The Dragon of the West hung his head; his shoulders sank with a sigh. "Try to understand, Zuko. You were very young when it happened -"

"When what happened?" Zuko demanded, for a moment looking like his former, angry self. "I thought she was dead, Uncle! Father wouldn't even answer me when I tried to ask where she had gone. And you - I trusted you more than anyone in the world! How could you not even tell me she was alive and okay?"

"I have told you before, my nephew; in our family, things are not always what they seem. Perhaps someday, you will be able to understand -"

"No!" Zuko interrupted. "Now, Uncle. Whatever the truth is, I need to know."

"Very well." Iroh's face was grim. "I would have spared you this burden, but… maybe I have been shielding you from the corruption of our family politics for too long. Maybe it is time you knew the truth."

Zuko braced himself. "What truth?"

"The truth about how your father really became Fire Lord," Iroh said brusquely, "and about what your mother did, to protect the son she loved more than life itself."

ooo LL ooo

Toph lay in the grass, enjoying the tickle of the soft green blades between her toes in the night wind. Whenever she'd been traveling with the Avatar, she had always erected an earth tent for herself, wanting her privacy. Tonight, however, she'd foregone the little stone structure and chosen to lie in the open.

The little earthbender wasn't sure why, but she felt a strange sort of kinship to this Haru and his father, even though they'd just met. Just as she had with Iroh, she trusted them instantly, sensing their goodness and honesty from the very beginning. In less than an hour, she had eaten with them, laughed with them, and now slept in their company, feeling even more comfortable with them than she had with her other friends. The feeling was strange, but not unwelcome.

As she lay still, trying to rest, she couldn't help but think of Aang, and the fight they'd had before going their separate ways. Why couldn't they get along so easily? Sugar Queen had been infuriating at times, and now and again Sokka had his moments, but at least she'd been able to get along with them most of the time. It seemed she and Aang sparred more with angry words than they did with rocks. Toph sighed, and tried to put thoughts of the gang out of her head. It wasn't likely she'd be seeing any of them anytime soon, if ever.

The wind picked up a little, and Toph shivered. She scooted closer to the fire, accidentally bumping against Haru. "Sorry," she whispered.

"It's okay," he murmured. "Are you cold? There's a blanket in my pack."

Toph smiled at his thoughtfulness. "Thanks, but… what about you?"

"I'm warm enough," Haru assured her, reaching for his pack and digging out the woollen blanket. He spread it over her gently, then lay back into the earth. "Good night, Toph. I'm glad you're coming with us."

"Me too," Toph replied honestly, noticing an odd, tickly little sensation in her chest as she snuggled into the blanket. "Good night."

ooo LL ooo

Katara had just finished loading the supplies onto the ostrich horses when Zuko and Iroh showed up, carrying their traveling satchels. Oddly, the two seemed almost somber after what should have been a happy reunion. Katara raised an eyebrow in inquiry, but Zuko merely shook his head, and offered her a sad little smile.

"We're all set," she announced uncomfortably, earning only a little nod from Iroh and a pat on her shoulder. "I got enough provisions for four days' travel, and I checked the map. The fastest way to Ba Sing Se is to head northwest. There won't be any villages to stop at for a couple of days if we go that way, but it's warm enough to sleep out in the open."

"Okay, northwest then. Thank you, Katara." As she handed Zuko the reins of his ostrich horse, he cupped his hand over hers for a lingering moment. He was clearly thanking her for more than just supplies and plotting a route. The fiery glow in his eyes spoke more eloquently of his gratitude than words ever could.

"You're welcome." She could tell he was holding something back, something that was hurting him deeply, but she knew better than to press. Now wasn't the time. "We should get going. It's already midday."

Zuko nodded. Without another word, he swung himself into the saddle. Once Katara and his uncle were mounted as well, the three made their way out of the village of Daopeng, and began the long journey back to Ba Sing Se.