She didn't answer for a second. "What do you mean?" she asked. "Of course, she's gone!" Katara sat on a rock. "You're mother isn't here physically, Katara," I tried, "but she is here spiritually, emotionally and...mentally." I was just repeating Uncle's words. He told me that when Lu Ten died. "She can't be here to physically comfort you..."

"But, spiritually..." Katara finished.

"Yeah, you got it," I said.

"Zuko, what happened to your mother?" Katara asked.

"My mother?" I checked. No one asks me what happened to my mother. "My father told me that mother left to protect me. He hasn't given me very much but all I know is that she was protecting me. She was banished from the Fire Nation. Since then, I never heard or saw her."

"Zuko, I'm sorry," Katara said, putting her hand on my shoulder. "She was a brave woman."

"Just like your mother," I said. "Your mother left to protect you."

"Not just me, but the whole tribe," Katara said.

"I bet your mother is proud of you."

"Why?" Katara asked. "I didn't do anything. I didn't avenge her."

"That's why," I said. "She was here, watching you the whole time, watching you to see who you'd become. You have become the most powerful Water Bender I've ever seen. Your mother has to be proud. You also let me help you. Just look at how far you've come, Katara." She didn't say anything. "Zuko, I...I wish my mother was still here. She could have helped me in so many ways. She could have-"

"It's okay, Katara," I said. "It's okay. She's still here. She's just in the Spirit World now."

"Is she though?" Katara asked. She finally looked at me. She started crying. "How do you know that? How do you know she's in the Spirit World? It's not like I just go there and see for myself! It's not like you've been there! The only person who can go is Aang! But he doesn't even know what my mother looks like! How do you know she's there, Zuko! How?"

I paused. She does have a point. Aang is the only one able to enter on command and he doesn't know what her mother looked like. "I...just have a feeling, Katara. I know your mother wouldn't leave you. She loved you too much."

"How do you know that? You weren't there!"

"I know, Katara. I have a feeling. If she left to protect you, why wouldn't she love you? If she didn't, she would've let the Fire Nation take you instead. She loved you too much to loose you, Katara."

She closed her eyes and paused for a moment. When she opened them again, she smiled at me, for the first time. "Thank you, Zuko." She stood up. "Let's go." I followed Katara back to Aapa. I'm glad I could help her. But, she also helped me. She taught me that the Fire Nation was wrong. She taught me that revenge isn't everything, that's it's not a way to fill that empty void. That, it's not a way to feel good. That...it's not what mother would want.

Mother...she wouldn't want me to take revenge on anyone, no matter what Father taught me. She would tell me, to forgive Father, to...to...let it go. To forgive him of all the wrongs he's done. That, it may seem impossible, but...it's not. You just have to let it go and forgive them; forgive and forget.

"Zuko, you're brave," Katara said.

"Hm? What? Why?" I asked. I'm not sure if I missed anything. "Your mother, she's gone, you don't even know if she's dead or alive, but...you keep pressing on. You don't even know where she's at, but, you keep going. I know my mother's dead but, its still hard on me. You have no idea where she is, if she's even alive at all, or really what happened to her. All you know is she's gone and there isn't really anything you could, or could've, done to help her." She stopped. "Sorry that was the long way round. Zuko, you are brave. Much braver than I could ever be. Zuko, I...I appreciate that. That's what I like about you.

"Not knowing your mother's where-abouts, or her status, has to be hard. I bet it builds on you everyday until you just...break. Until you feel like you can't take anymore. Like, you just feel like the world is never going to end. Like, the whole world is bigger than you." Tears began to stream down my face. I covered them. "Zuko, I-are you crying?" she asked.

"No..." I lied. "I just have some dust in my eye."

"Zuko, I'm so sorry!" Katara exclaimed, walking over to me. "i didn't mean to make you cry! It's just-"

"That was the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me," I said, wiping my eyes.

"Zuko," Katara moved my hand away from my face, "I appreciate your bravery. I bet your mother is proud of you." My mother hasn't been mentioned that much before. It makes me remember when we would go to Ember Island. My mother would always be crying. I would come up to her. She would stop crying when she saw me. I've never been sure why she was. I just know that...I made her happy. Just seeing me.

I miss Mother. Katara's right. I don't know if she's alive. But I hope she is. And if she is, I will find her.

We landed after a few miles. "Aapa!" Aang called. "Katara! Zuko! How did it go?" Katara said nothing and walked away. "IS she okay?" Aang asked. "She's fine," I replied, jumping off, "just a little upset, that's all."

"Why? What happened?"

"Katara found him but, she couldn't kill him. She said that she couldn't do it." I paused. "How long has she been able to, uh, you know, control someone's body?"

"Oh, not very long. We met this creepy Water Bending lady named Hama who taught her how to do that."

"What about stopping the rain in mid-air and hurling it at someone as she turns all the raindrops into small icicles?"

"She can do that?" Aang asked. "Woah, cool!" If Aang said that Katara could do that the whole time, how come she didn't kill me? She already didn't like me. I followed Aang to the dock. "You okay, Katara?" he asked.

"Yes, I'm fine," she replied.

"Zuko told me what you didn't do. I'm proud of you."

"I wanted to do it. I wanted to take out all my anger on him but I couldn't. I'm not sure if it was because I'm weak, or that I'm strong enough not to."

"You did a good job . It was the right thing to do." Aang said. "Forgiveness is the first step to take before you can begin healing."

Katara stood up. "But I didn't forgive him, Aang." She walked up to me and smiled. "But I am ready to forgive you." Katara hugged me. I paused for a second. I'm finally good with her? She can finally forgive me? I hug her back. I'm glad I was able to get through to her. Now that's another thing taken off my back. She let go, smiled at me one more time, and walked away.

"You were right about what she needed," I said to Aang. "Violence wasn't the answer."

"It never is," Aang said.

"Then what are you gonna do when you have to face my father?" I asked. If violence isn't the answer as he says, then he has to find another way to handle him, to beat him. "I...don't know," he replied. "But, I'll figure it out."

"Well it better be soon," I told him. "Sozin's Comet is coming soon and my father won't wait."