The group had gotten back just in time to send the other earth nation people away from the temple. With teary eyes Sokka and Katara said goodbye to their father. He hugged them tightly before speaking to each one individually. Rei and Zuko felt the most out of place because they had known him the least. Regardless, he shook Zuko's hand warmly and pulled Rei into a confining hug.

"Please take care of the Avatar." He whispered into Rei's ear during their short embrace. "He is our greatest hope." The contact was lost and the Water tribe warrior disappeared. Suddenly, Rei felt her eyes moisten and prick. She blinked them quickly and soon felt drops of liquid falling down her face. She gently touched her right cheek and then examined the strange wetness.

"Rei, are you ok?" Aang asked when he looked at her.

"I'm…leaking..." She touched her fingers to her mouth and sampled the liquid. "It's salt water! What's wrong with me?!" She asked in horror, her face contorting into a mask of worry. The group stared at her in utter shock for a few seconds. Then the fire blasts hit. Aang grabbed Rei's hand and air jumped onto Appa, Rei landing on the saddle and Aang landing on Appa's head.

"Yip yip!" They shot through the air and headed for the open sky. While avoiding fire blasts, Zuko decided to confront the attacker.

"This is a family visit." He told them before he skillfully jumped from Appa onto the balloon and began to fight the girl. Rei watched in horror as the Girl's hate filled eyes found Zuko and she began to throw blue flames. Aang was forced to fly away to avoid the fire balls, leaving Zuko on his own.

"Sokka! Katara! Hold onto my legs!" Rei commanded as she shakily stood up. The two water tribe teens complied with a worried look and Rei began to bend. She was throwing streams of darkness at the windows of the air craft to hinder its shooters. She then bended a ribbon of darkness that sliced the tips of the blasting guns off. The balloon suddenly lurched with a fire blast and the group watched as Zuko and Azula fell over the sides in opposite directions. With a hard tug of the reigns, Aang directed Appa over to where Zuko was freefalling. When they got close enough Rei reached out her arms and Zuko took them. With the help of Sokka, Katara, Suki and Toph, Rei was able to quickly pull Zuko back onto the saddle.

"She's not going to make it." Zuko stated blankly as he watched his only sister fall through the air. Suddenly she did a flip and fire bended out of her feet. The fire's energy was enough that she collided with the mountain wall and slowly skidded to a stop. "Of course she did…" With free hair and a look of smugness, Azula watched the group disappear into the sky.

"Are you harmed?" Rei asked Zuko quietly. He closed his eyes and shook his head slightly before he let his head drop, face hidden by his growing hair.

"Rei, are you ok?" Aang repeated, shaking Rei from her daze. She immediately brought her right hand back to her cheek and found it dry.

"What was that?"

"Crying." Aang explained quietly. He knew something about Rei that the others did not, something he had learned during training and had never brought up.

"Crying." Rei repeated, trying out the word for herself. Katara's eyes widened in disbelief. "Why did it stop?"

"Rei…You have never…cried before?" Rei shook her head causing Sokka to drop his jaw.

"You have got to be kidding me." Rei looked around the circle at their shocked faces, even Zuko inclined his head to stare at her.

"Rei, have you ever been…sad?" Rei didn't answer, which shocked them all even more. "Have you ever been angry? Or upset? Or scared?" Rei shook her head slowly. "Have you ever been…happy?"

"Yes!" Rei answered, brightening at once. "I was happy yesterday! And at the market, and at meals and when…" She trailed off when she looked at her friends faces. "Is there something wrong with me?"

"What was your life like in the spirit world? Like, what did you do all day?" Sokka asked loudly.

"My life? It was…life." Rei said. "I would train and meditate, waiting for the time when I would be sent here to aid the Avatar. That was my life."

"Where in the spirit world did you live?" Aang asked. "Did you have parents? Or siblings or friends?"

"I lived alone in the center of the spirit world. I know of every spirit that exists but I have only met a handful in my time there. And I never met my parents, but…I have to have some…right?" She questioned sadly.

"I don't know Rei. Spirits are…different." Aang replied.

"And you've been alone for your entire life?" Toph asked.

"Yes." She answered shortly, "Except…" She trailed off, glancing slightly at Zuko. Their gazes locked and remained steady until Katara spoke again.

"Rei, I still don't understand."

"I don't either. Everything is so…new to me. I wish I could explain this but I…"

"Katara, spirits don't live the same way we do. They don't age or get sick or even die. Most of the spirits have been around since the beginning, like the moon. They don't really do stuff unless they are on earth, so Rei has never experienced emotions. At least not like we have." Aang explained from Appa's head. Silence fell over the group.

"Well Rei, Katara acts motherly enough, so there you go!" Toph said after a few minutes.

"I do not!" Katara argued stubbornly, causing everyone to laugh. Rei simply smiled a bit as she looked down at the water below them.

"Aang, where are we going?" She asked quietly.

"I know of a small island this way, we can camp out there for tonight to rest."

A-A-A-A-A-A-A

The group had pitched their tents with little difficulty. Rei seemed very good at learning quickly and was able to pitch a perfect tent after watching Zuko pitch his. Katara started supper for that night silently while the others laughed and joked. Rei's sadness was quickly forgotten as she played a game with Toph and Sokka.

"Ok, I'm thinking of something green…" Sokka stated proudly, daring the others to guess his thoughts.

"Umm… the grass?" Rei questioned causing Sokka to groan.

"How did you know?!"

"You're staring straight at it Sokka."

"You guys. Dinner's ready!" Katara snapped. They all exchanged glances before sitting around the fire.

"Wow camping, it really seems like old times again, doesn't it!" Aang said happily as he sat on a rock.

"If you really want it to be like old times I could…mmm, chase you around a while and try to capture you." Zuko said causing everyone except Katara to laugh. The water bender just scoffed and took a drink. While the others began to thank Zuko for his help with Azula, Rei noticed the way Katara was reacting. Her mood was very dark.

"I'm touched," Zuko modestly said, "I don't deserve this."

"Yeah, no kidding," Katara snapped, suddenly standing up. She then turned and huffed away, leaving everyone confused.

"What's with her?" Sokka asked aloud as Zuko stood up, a hard expression on his face.

"I wish I knew." He said before following after her.

"What's with him?" Sokka asked again as Zuko attempted to catch up to Katara, who was walking towards the cliff. Aang shrugged before digging into his rice. The others soon fell into conversation, except for Rei who just sat picking her food. He head became clouded with thoughts from the day and she could no longer stay still.

"I'm going to take a walk. Aang, training in the morning please." Rei said as she stood up. She smiled as she heard Aang groan slightly.

"What time?" He asked with a sigh. Rei grinned at him before walking opposite of the cliff.

"I'll wake you!" She assured him as she headed for the tiny wood.

A-A-A-A-A-A

It was very dark before Rei made it back to camp. She believed everyone to be in their tents so she was surprised when she heard Zuko's voice coming from Sokka's tent.

"I want you to tell me what happened to your mother." Zuko's voice requested. Rei would have walked past them with out stopping, but she didn't.

"It's not a day I like to remember…" Sokka's saddened voice started. Rei found herself sneaking over to stand right next to the tent. Although her mind wanted her to leave, her body would not listen. She quickly became enthralled in Sokka's horribly tragic story.

"Suki!" Sokka called out after he had pushed Zuko out of his tent. He then began to awkwardly whistle as Zuko threw him a look. Rei was so focused that she didn't realize the story was over and was caught by surprise when Zuko walked toward her. She quickly bended a shadow that covered her entire body and Zuko walked straight by her. With a sigh of relief Rei released the shadow and quickly scurried to her tent. But sleep would not be easy for her.

Rei woke up to the sound of Aang's prattling. He was standing outside of Rei's tent scratching his cheek awkwardly.

"Umm, Rei? Well it's morning and you didn't wake me and….well, are we gonna train? Because Appa does need a brushing and-"

"No Aang." Rei interrupted groggily, "No training. Go help Appa." She could almost hear Aang grinning as he quickly jumped away. With a groan Rei sat up and rubbed her eyes, knowing that she wouldn't be able to fall asleep again. She stepped out of her tent and took a deep breath. Toph and Suki were not insight so Rei figured that they were still sleeping. Aang was feeding Appa straw a few feet away with Sokka sitting next to them making a flower necklace. Rei walked towards them but slowed her steps once she saw Katara marching in the same direction, Zuko following behind her. Katara's expression was determined and Zuko was carrying a full pack. Rei silently walked towards the group.

"I need to borrow Appa." She demanded in a strong tone.

"Why?" Aang asked as he fed Appa more hay. "Is it your turn to take a little field trip with Zuko?"

"Yes, it is." She replied gravely, shocking the joking Aang. Rei stood across from Sokka and no one looked twice at her.

"Oh… What's going on?"

"We're going to find the man who took my mother from me." She explained. Rei's eyes widened as she realized what they were intending to do. Her heart squeezed with a strange emotion; it was like worry, only worse.

"And I know how to find him…" Zuko finished.

"What do you think that will accomplish?" Rei questioned quietly. Katara glared at her before scoffing.

"You wouldn't understand."

"But I do understand!" Aang argued. He reminded her of when Appa had been stolen and his people had been obliterated.

"She needs this Aang. It's about closure… and justice."

"No," Rei interjected. "This sounds like revenge."

"Maybe it is! What would you know about that?! Maybe this is what he deserves!" Katara challenged. Aang then mentioned Jet, a man who Rei had never heard of. "This man is a monster!" She defended.

"Katara, she was my mother too! But I think Aang and Rei are right."

"Then you didn't love her the way I did!" She snapped at her brother.

"Katara!" He exclaimed, obviously hurt but his sister merely turned from his pain. Rei looked at her incredulous.

"The monks used to say that revenge is like a double headed viper." Aang started.

"While your enemy goes down," Rei continued, having heard the saying before.

"You're being poisoned yourself." The avatar finished.

"This isn't monk preschool. It's the real world," Zuko said causing Rei to wince at his harsh tone.

"Now that I know I can find him, I feel like I don't have a choice."

"But Katara, you do have a choice." Rei tried to reason. "It's choice, not chance that determines your destiny."

"You can choose forgiveness." Aang added.

"That's the same as doing nothing." Zuko said.

"No, it's easy to do nothing, it's hard to forgive." Aang explained softly.

"No…It's impossible." Katara said before turning to walk away. Rei glanced worriedly at Aang before following Katara and Zuko.

"Katara wait!" Rei begged which made them pause. "Please don't do this."

"I wouldn't expect you to understand Rei. This is something I have to do."

"No, it's not. You have the choice Katara."

"How would you know?!" Katara demanded. "You don't even have a mother!" Silence fell after these words were spoken and Rei's eyes widened. Katara slightly flinched when she saw the hurt that she was causing Rei, but she was beyond caring. "And you don't know what love is."

"That's not fair Katara." Rei replied quietly.

"Life isn't fair Rei, get used to it." Katara shot back harshly before walking away. A single tear cascaded over Rei's eye and fell down her cheek. Then her pale eyes became very clear and dry.

"You're right Katara," The white-haired girl said to pause the water bender. "I do not know what it feels like to be so hurt and angry. In fact, I know very little about this world. But something I do know is that what you become is your choice and yours alone. This journey is something that you will have to take, but remember… the choice that you make will change you." Rei turned on her heel and walked away. "Are you prepared for what you will become?" She walked into the wood and did not look back, leaving Katara and Zuko alone.

Rei walked back from the woods once it got dark. She had been meditating all day and had finally returned to the campsite. She arrived just in time to see Katara and Zuko loading Appa for their revenge mission. They stood talking to Sokka and Aang for a few moments before Katara grabbed Appa's reigns. As they took flight Katara saw Rei and gazed at her blankly. Zuko also looked at her with a pained expression.

And then they were gone.

It was a full 3 days before they returned. Rei was talking with Toph when they caught sight of Appa's shadow. To Rei's surprise, Zuko was alone on the giant sky bison.

"Where's Katara?" Aang asked nervously.

"We've found a new place to stay. It's near a fire nation town and close to the Fire Lords palace. And it's an actual house…" They packed up their stuff and got on Appa. Rei was silent as they flew through the sky. She felt Zuko's gaze on her face but didn't look up.

"So…what happened?" Sokka asked; the question on everyone's mind. Taking a deep breath, Zuko began the story.

A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A

They reached a small island when the sun was setting. A broken down house stood atop a small hill, with steps that led down to a lovely beach with a broken dock. Katara was sitting on the edge of the dock. Aang and Zuko walked down to get her but Rei remained near Appa on the land. She watched as Katara spoke to Aang and then turned and embraced Zuko. Katara then walked up the dock and stopped in front of Rei.

"Rei…I'm sorry." She apologized sincerely, "The things I said were terrible and out of line. I am so, so sor-"

"What's past is past Katara." Rei said blankly. Katara closed her eyes in sorrow and then opened them in surprise when she felt arms around her. "Your mother would be proud." With strong tears streaming down her face, Katara hugged Rei back. "You are forgiven."

"Thank you Rei. For everything." With a laugh, the two girls separated and walked up to the house together. Sokka looked on in astonishment while Zuko and a solemn Aang met up with him.

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