"Alright Twinkles what's your deal? You've been moping around since we got here! What gives?"

Aang turned towards the tiny earth bender and watched Katara move to stand beside her.

"Toph's right Aang, we've all been worrying about you…you haven't been yourself lately. Even Sokka's noticed it."

Sokka looked up from his dinner a shocked look on his face.

"You say that like it's a surprise!"

"It is meathead!"

Toph shot back with an exasperated sigh. Katara glared at them and turned back to Aang, a worried look on her face.

"Please Aang, we care about you. We just want what's best for you."

The young Air bender stood up, scowling as he faced his friends.

"No Katara, you guys want what's best for everybody else. You're all concerned about me because if anything ever were to happen to me then the chances of ending this war would be over. There has only ever been one person who cared about me as just Aang and not the Avatar and they're not exactly here right now."

With a flick of his wrist he called his glider to him and leaped into the sky.

"Aang wait!"

Aang allowed the wind to drown out Katara's voice as he soared up into the clouds. Perhaps he was being selfish, but was wanting someone to care about him simply because such a wrong thing? His sister had been selfless in her love for him, even when most people would have hated him, she remained unchanged in her affections. "Aang wait up!"

The small monk had been running tears streaming down his face away from the festival. Soleil caught up to him panting from the excursion.

"Where ya going? The party is in the other direction!"

Soliel reached out and turned her little brother around.

"You're crying!"

Aang glared at her for stating the obvious.

"What so now I can't cry cause I'm some sort of spiritual leader?"

"Aang, just because you're the Avatar doesn't mean you can't cry. It's some pretty scary stuff you're dealing with; all that responsibility."

"I don't want your pity!" Aang snapped.

"You're just going to end up hating me like everybody else I just know it!"

The boy began sobbing burying his face in his hands. Soliel didn't say anything but simply reached out and pulled Aang into her arms, hushing him and holding him tightly.

"Aang I want you to listen to me very carefully ok?"

Once she felt him nod against her she continued.

"I couldn't care less if you were the Avatar or a badger mole. You are first and foremost my brother and nothing in this world or the Spirit World can ever change that. We're family and that is the only thing that matters."

"You aren't mad that I'm the Avatar?"

"Oh Aang, I've known you were the Avatar since you were born."

"What? How? Why didn't you tell me?"

"You weren't ready yet you goof. Agni told me. He said that you were going to need a lot protection and it was my job as your big sister to care for you. I might not be as strong as I can be yet, but one day I'll be the greatest fire bender this world has ever seen. And if anyone is stupid enough to mess with my brother they'll have to deal with me and all the Sun Nation too!"

"I can't do it Soliel. I can't be the Avatar, I can't."

"No Aang you can't."

Aang turned wide eyed toward his sister, shocked by her response.

"You can't be the Avatar Aang. You can't do it, but we can." Soliel's smile was soft as she took hold of the young boy by his forearms.

"You're not alone Aang. There are hundreds of people that will come along side of you to help you be the Avatar. You'll have teachers, trainers, companions, and past lives alongside you every step of the way. And you'll have me no matter what."

Aang had returned to the Air Temple that day filled with new hope amidst his fears; he had realized something incredible–"I'm not alone."

The tears were streaming down the young airbender's face. Soliel had been right, he did have his teachers and friends alongside him. But she had also been wrong–"you're not with me Soliel."

"What does he mean we don't care about him? We've followed him all around the world risking our lives! After all we've been through together how can he just act like none of it mattered? 'Only one person ever cared.' That's what he said! Who the heck is he talking about? Who could possibly care about him as much as I, we, do!"

Katara was pacing like a mad woman the water in the cooking pot sloshing dangerously with each step she took. Toph and Sokka sat and watched her try to make sense of everything.

"You need to calm down Katara! This isn't going to solve anything."

"How can I calm down Toph? How? He's just thrown away our friendships as if we mean nothing to him!"

Sokka stood up and embraced his sister, effectively stopping her pacing.

"No he hasn't. Listen Katara, I know you're hurt but he's a 12 year old boy who fell asleep as a normal kid and woke up 100 years later as the savior of humanity. How would you react? He's got a weight on his shoulders we can't really understand."

Katara held onto her brother tightly burying her face in his shoulder.

"Sokka I know that. We all do, but that doesn't change the fact that we're friends and he's acting like it's dependent on his being the Avatar."

She stood back looking at Toph and Sokka,

"Can't he see we love him for who he is?"

"You said it earlier Sugar Queen, we've followed this kid all over the world risking our tails at every turn. I'd like to say that I would have gone with Twinkle Toes regardless of him being the Avatar, but I don't know if I can really say that. None of us would have ever met if he was just a normal kid. The fact is the Airhead's right. We do care what happens to him because he's the Avatar, but we also care about him because he's our friend. He's just forgotten that part."

"Which means", interjected Sokka, "We need to do a better job of showing him."

Katara looked at Toph and Sokka through watery eyes. It was hard to admit it but what her brother and the little earth bender said was true. They had all been so caught up in Aang saving the world they forgot that sometimes, he just needed to be Aang.

Soliel paced the room at a frantic pace. Only a little bit longer now and she would meet the Prince. She had barely caught a glimpse of his form in the throne room, but she had been too focussed on remaining standing to pay him much head. She could hardly keep her eyes on the Fire Lord and he had been right in front of her. Ugh I should have looked more closely! If I hadn't fainted I might have been able to catch his reaction or at least known what he looks like! She was wreck her mind flying in one direction than another, her anxiety spiking to dangerous levels causing the burning pain in her abdomen to increase as well. Finally a faint knock sounded through the room. Stopping abruptly Soliel slowly moved away from the door. She waited a moment hoping it would stop. Whoever was at the door knocked again, a little bit louder. Soliel took a deep breath and forced herself to speak,

"Come in?" Her voice was timid and shaky. Damn it I sound like a scared little girl. Well, aren't you? Her subconscious added snidely.

"My Lady?"

"Linus?"

Soliel had never been so relieved. She moved forward without thinking and embraced the surprised attendant.

"By Agni I've never been so happy to see you in my life! Please tell me the Prince isn't coming!"

"Well he isn't coming to eat dinner with you , but I'm afraid you will be seeing him tonight."

Soliel bit her bottom lip, her face a mirror to her emotions.

"You're sure he won't be tired or umm busy or something? I mean there's really no rush right? It's his first night back isn't it? We could wait."

"I wish I could give you some assurances my Lady, but you will seeing Prince Zuko in a couple of hours. The Princess has been talking of nothing else since his Highness arrived. She is most eager to put both you and her brother in this situation."

Soliel sank defeated onto a nearby chair. Heavens knew she wasn't going to sit on the bed.

"What am I going to do Linus?"

"I'd rather not say my Lady, I don't think it would be very appropriate." Soliel's head snapped up at the comment, her eyes glaring dangerously at him.

"Linus!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I just thought you could use a little laugh, but I guess I should leave the joke making to the royal jester, huh? Soliel, please don't over think this. Prince Zuko is the nicest of the Royal family, besides his Uncle General Iroh. You will be well taken care of."

Soliel however wasn't listening, her mind whirling with ways to stop the inevitable.

"Could you put a sedative in his tea or wine? Please just for this first night until I can come up with something else."

"And then what my Lady? You'll wish me to do it again and again. First off its treason and secondly putting it off won't change the fact that it will happen."

Soliel crossed her arms and let out an exasperate sigh, looking very much like a child who was told they had to go to bed without supper. Linus had a hard time looking at her for more than a few moments. The blue get up she was wearing left little to the imagination. He had nearly had a heart attack when she had pressed her scantly clad body against his own to hug him and now standing with her arms crossed her already ample cleavage gained another couple inches.

"Please my Lady try to accept it."

"You sound like Fate," Soliel muttered under her breath, not at all happy that Linus wasn't willing to help her out.

"Who?"

"Oh nothing just a friend of mine," Soliel quipped, "Don't worry I won't ask you to commit treason for me. I was only half joking really, although I would be forever in debt if you did."

"I'm sorry but I can't help you there. Stop worrying. Tell you what though, I'll bring you some very potent wine and then before everything goes down you can get marvelously drunk so you won't remember any of it."

"I don't know whether to thank you or hit you," Soliel said with a half smile.

"I'll take the former." Linus smiled at her and turned to leave the room.

"The next knock will be mine and then I don't need to tell you whose will be next. Don't give up hope my Lady." Sitting up she gave Linus a weak smile as he excited the room.

Soliel's smile faded after Linus left. She got up and began to walk around the room more slowly than before. The room had been cleaned from top to bottom earlier that day and filled with candles and fine silks. The large four poster bed that dominated the center of the room, was surrounded with sheer red curtains and the comforter looked as soft as a red and gold cloud. Against her better judgment Soliel brushed aside the curtains and gently laid down on the bed. The level of comfort was incredible. For the past month she had been sleeping on the duvet wrapped in shabby blankets while this bed made of clouds was simply sitting there unused. Suddenly all of the fatigue from her training and stress of the prince's return caught up with her. She shut her eyes for what she told herself was only a moment. Within a matter of seconds she was fast asleep.

Linus knocked gently at the door and then let himself in. When he saw Soliel fast asleep on Prince Zuko's bed he couldn't help but slap his palm to his face. Is she trying to seduce Zuko? All he needs to do is come home to find a gorgeous half naked woman sprawled on his bed and all his hesitation in having a concubine will be forgotten. Good Lord! However promiscuous she looked, Linus couldn't bring himself to wake her. She looked so peaceful lying there as the breeze blew the sheer red curtains too and fro. If he woke her up she'd only panic again. No, he would let her sleep and allow the Prince to handle her. They were both going to have to meet sooner or later and maybe this would save some awkwardness. He set down the bottles of wine and quietly snuck out of the room. He couldn't help snickering a little bit. She's going to livid tomorrow when she finds out I didn't wake her up.