Zuko entered his room while taking off his crown. When he was able to fumble through the hair pin, his long brown hair fell onto his shoulders and he threw the crown on the bed which landed with a dull thud. He didn't care much about anything anymore. He was still furious though he was glad that his temper wasn't as uncontrollable as before. If he had been in the same situation a few years back, he would have had blasted the whole office or the whole palace wing off.

Gnawing his jaw, the handsome Fire Lord sat in front of his dresser and stared at his own reflection. The scar that is forever imprinted on his face did not change nor did the way his eyes squinted due to the wrinkled and damaged skin. However, his features became more prominent and more mature and his golden eyes showed superiority and resolve. He had grown into quite a man, a lonely man perhaps. After losing Mai, he had detached himself from his emotional side and turned his full attention on the matters of the state.

So why is he acting up like this now? Why was he so furious that he could barely control himself?

Perhaps it was because of the fact that Katara was a friend of his, a very well respected woman who had established herself as a Water Bending Master. It was a feat that only a few women can accomplish. Not only that, but she is a very caring person which she had proven when they were still travelling together back in the good old days when his father was still the Fire Lord. Sitting by the edge of the bed, he began reminiscing with a sad smile on his face. He remembered how awed he was when he saw Katara attack the man who had abducted her mother and the way she blood bended the captain of the Southern Raiders. Considering all the things that she had done, even to Zuko, she would be a very dangerous foe. So why in the world was she abducted and treated like that? Was the enemy that strong? Or was she really caught off guard? Or perhaps, was she blackmailed?

Zuko's legs dangled the edge as he leaned back with his hands on the bed and looked up on the ceiling. He was tired, in all aspects, and he just wanted for Katara to get better and for her to tell them what really happened and who were the ones responsible for doing such an act to her. But yet, it wasn't the case. Katara cannot remember anything, she's scared of everyone and her whole body has been weakened. She is considered a mess, a troubled mess, and everyone who knew her story began to pity her. If it was the old Katara, she would be furious.

Sighing for the umpteenth time, Zuko dropped himself on the King Sized Bed and grumbled, placing his hands on the back of his head at the same time. His golden eyes stared into space and he was lost in his thoughts for a long time. Since he had been the Fire Lord, he has been doing that frequently which he didn't know if it was a good thing or not. Staring into space was something that provided him relaxation from all the stresses that he had encountered during the day. And he was alone. Very, very alone.

He began to wonder where Mai is right now. If she's still alive or not, but of course he tries to be optimistic. Besides, Mai is quite the fighter. She wouldn't die that easily…would she?

Would she?

Grumbling under his breath, Zuko turned and shifted to the side. He felt awful and he felt like jumping out of the palace and just roll around the grass without a care in the world. Having that thought, he began imagine himself actually doing that and it made him laugh lightly.

It felt good to laugh. For once.

XxX

Aang sat in the middle of his bed in a mantra like position. He was in a deep meditative state, complete with two candles on the bed side tables and incense by the corner of the room. The whole room was quiet and so was Aang. He was trying to dissipate the morbid thoughts his mind was producing. He felt like there was something more to this situation. Something obvious… but overlooked.

"Aang?" A familiar voice snapped him out of his thoughts and the Avatar turned his head to look at the double doors.

"Zuko?" He inquired at the same time shifting out of the bed and walked across the room. He then opened one of the doors for just a bit, revealing a tired looking Zuko who was still in his fire lord robes but isn't wearing his crown. Raising one of his eyebrows, he opened the door fully to let him in. Zuko stepped inside and waited for Aang to close the doors, before turning towards him with a wry smile on his face.

"I'm sorry to have disturbed your meditation Aang." He said and Aang shook his head with a goofy grin.

"It's alright, I was about to finish anyway." Aang replied and walked back to the bed, patting a chair on the way there. Zuko nodded and sat on the chair, which creaked in response. Aang sat on the bed with his legs off the edge and spared the Fire Lord a worried glance. "What's up Zuko? What's wrong?"

Of course Aang already knew what was up, Zuko's face explained everything. But what bothered him was the added tension in his face. It seems like Zuko knows something…something that he's hesitating to tell Aang. Or maybe he's just paranoid. He's been stressed a lot lately and probably the additional workload is starting to take a toll on him. Besides, Zuko's still very young and ruling over a country is not easy. That is for sure.

"Aang." His voice was hoarse, just like always. Zuko was sitting formally in his chair, a habit that he had grown to adapt over the years. His hands were fiddling atop his lap and Aang was staring down at it with confusion in his features. "I'm sorry about what happened earlier."

"Why are you apologizing? It was beyond your control. Katara reacted that way, it's not like it's your fault why she did."

"I don't know, but I felt like I needed to apologize." Zuko replied with a helpless tone. For a few seconds, the two men were immersed in silence until Aang sighed deeply and buried his face on his hands. Zuko did not speak and watched him with his eyebrows furrowed. Both of them were worried and they were very troubled.

"Katara." He heard Aang murmur, almost in despair. "Katara…"

"She's fine. The bruises are improving luckily. In…probably a week or so she will be able to water bend again." Zuko said to try to console the troubled Avatar. Aang did not respond and once again silence ensued.

"Are there any leads?"

Zuko stiffened for a bit, but luckily Aang did not notice this. "No, not yet." It would be better not to tell Aang, for it will place the whole palace in a dangerous spot. "Uncle Iroh is currently the one leading the investigation and he's doing all that he could do gather more data concerning the matter."

"I see." Aang's voice trailed away and Zuko looked down. "…hey Zuko."

Zuko looked at him questionably as Aang returned his look with the same familiar smile that he had always worn even from before. Even though this was the case, there was a hint of sadness in his smile which confused him greatly but he only waited in silence until Aang spoke again. "Do you think she'll recover from the trauma?"

Zuko was taken aback at his question and abruptly looked away while pondering deeply for an answer. Even if he was the only person Katara interacts with, he wasn't able to see any forms of improvement except for the one syllable words and his name. "She's been here for only a few days Aang, I am not really sure right now."

"Oh." Was all that came out of Aang's mouth.

XxX

After their brief but sentimental conversation, Zuko began to make his way back to his own chambers to get some well needed rest. He was tired beyond compare and his eyes felt like they would drop off anytime soon. Sighing, he ran his right hand through his unkempt brown hair, making him look alluringly disturbed. He did not see any servants as he walked down the halls, probably because they were all resting as of the moment since it was really late. His thoughts were wandering around, from the meeting earlier on, to what he ate during lunch to Katara who was still trying to recuperate.

Katara. How is she doing really?

Even though he was very much enticed to head off to her bedroom quarters to check, Zuko knew that it was very late and it would be very rude for him to do so. He turned on his heels and headed to his own quarters to get some much deserved rest. Besides, he will still see her first thing in the morning since he has to be there to convince her to eat some breakfast.

XxX

The whole room was quiet and incense fogged up the air for a bit. Zuko tossed and turned on his bed, his eyebrows furrowed at his attempt to go to sleep. The moonlight was the only source of light in the room and when he sleepily opened his eyes, he saw a shadow that quickly passed by his window.

He blinked and immediately sat up, his eyes wide in confusion and shock.

'What?'

He was sure he had seen something pass by but then when he rubbed his eyes and blinked a few more times, the figure was gone. His eyebrows met, looking baffled and stricken at the same time. Reaching for the dagger that was hidden underneath his pillow, his hand stayed there while his eyes strained against the darkness to search for any signs of activity. He had a few daggers hidden within his bedroom, as some sort of defense before he will use fire bending. A few minutes passed and there was none, so he considered it as something from his imagination and slid back down to his bed with a frustrated sigh. He really needed some sleep or else he wouldn't be sane enough to go through the day.

As he turned to the side to lay flat on the bed, Zuko's arms and legs were outstretched as he slowly closed his eyes.

Tap.

He did not move, but he pretended to be asleep and reached for the dagger as though he was just stretching. In his peripheral vision, he caught sight of something glinting against the moon light and it caused him to gasp and roll on the other direction.

In a matter of milliseconds, a sword broke through the mattress where he was laying in earlier on. The Fire Lord knelt beside the bed and threw the dagger towards the direction of the assassin and let out a breath of fire to provide some light. Much to his absolute shock, there was no one there and as the fire illuminated the entire room, there was not even a shadow or a flicker. The dagger ended up in a window right opposite to it, where it shook due to the impact.

Standing up, Zuko looked incredibly disturbed as his hands turned into fists. He clenched it so hard that it turned white. He was staring at the sword and took it out from the mattress without effort. It deeply punctured the mattress and it seems that the sharp sword wasn't something out of the ordinary. It looked worn and old and there was nothing special about it. Silently, he continued on examining the weapon and clicked his tongue at the thought that the puncture in the mattress could've been his wound.

"Assassin." Was all that came out of his mouth. With a few flicks of his fingers, he lighted all the candles in the room and sat down on his bed with his hands holding onto the sword. He traced his fingers on the sword, trying to find any abnormalities or anything that could give him a hint of who the culprit was. Since he was installed as the Fire Lord, he had encountered some assassination attempts, but he was able to capture the assassins before they were able to raise their weapons. But this one was so sneaky.

Are his enemies that bent on killing him?

"My Lord?" A soft but masculine voice sounded through his large double doors making Zuko to look up. "Is everything alright?"

"Yes." Was Zuko's instantaneous reply. He did not want to make such a fuss on the matter, but he knew he had to tell Iroh about this. Flipping the sword over and sighing, he wondered why anyone would make such a bold move as to head directly to his bed quarters and attack? Besides, how did the assassin even get through the royal guards in the first place?

When he felt that the guards had left the front door, Zuko grumbled and placed the sword beside him. He was really, really exhausted and it felt like he would have more difficulty of going to sleep after what happened.

XxX

The next day was no different from all the other days he had spent within the palace walls. Zuko was busy putting his long hair up with the aid of his servants, while amusing himself at the thought of how long his hair had grown. Before it only was a bun, until it grew long enough that it reminded himself of his own father. They now had the same hairstyle, though Aang said it suited him better compared to the Phoenix King. The only thing he did not like however was the fact that his image makes him reminisce the former Fire Lord, who died two years ago in his prison cell.

After his preparations were done, he made his way out of his room only to be greeted by a servant who looked like he had run a complete marathon. Zuko raised his eyebrows questionably while watching him try to catch his breath and bow respectfully at the same time.

"My Lord." He said and let out one last huff. "Your special guest from the Water Tribe has arrived."

Zuko's eyes widened. "Sokka?"

"Yes, he is currently with the Avatar and General Iroh." He replied and Zuko gave him a nod of acknowledgment before trotting down the luxurious hallways with his eyebrows meeting. He was nervous as to how stricken Sokka is with the news, though he tried immensely to make the letter as gentle sounding as possible. He didn't want for the usually brash Sokka to just barge in. He needed him to listen first.

Of course, when he arrived by the grounds, Sokka was there. He looked thinner than usual and there were bags underneath his eyes. By the looks of it, it seems the trio was deep into their conversation, and a serious one at that. The water tribe leader waited for him to reach them before he let out a huff of breath.

"What the hell is happening Zuko?" Sokka demanded angrily, which did not surprise Zuko one single bit. "I heard that she only responds to you. Care to explain that?"

Zuko raised both of his hands in defense and spared the other two a glance; but both looked down and shook their heads in return.

"I do not know either Sokka, believe me. I want to know too." Zuko started as he lowered his hands. They were in the rightmost part of the frontal grounds. By the way Zuko had examined Sokka; it looks like he had been unable to sleep since he had received the letter, which was also understandable.

"Sokka, I think it will be more prudent for you to rest first." Iroh interjected gently and placed one hand on the man's shoulder, but he did not budge and shook his head.

"No." He then looked at Zuko straight in the eyes, something that only a few people can accomplish. "I want to see Katara now."

"We also had the same feeling Sokka, when we had arrived and when we first knew." This time, Aang was the one who spoke and stood beside him. "But I regretted it. I should have waited when I was more ready. Come on Sokka, you know yourself better than anyone. What Uncle Iroh said was the truth."

"But how can I? I'm more ready than I can ever think of! My little sister is there and is writhing in agony, unable to water bend and famishing herself! Do you think I can bear not seeing her!"

Zuko took in a deep breath. Sure, he expected for Sokka to be angry or at rage, but he didn't expect for his rage to last that long. "Sokka." He called firmly then stared back at him with the same amount of resolve and authority. "Do you want to see her that much?"

"Do you HAVE to ask that? Have I not made myself clear enough? I want to see Katara!"

The royal procession were quite wary of the yelling and screaming, since if he was a normal peasant then he would've been dragged off and tortured for being disrespectful. Besides, it was rare to see someone yelling at Zuko or at the Avatar like that. But they knew who he was, so they did not take any action.

Zuko looked at Iroh and Aang with a wary look, but the two responded with a worried nod. The Fire Lord was tired and even though it was still early, he felt incredibly exhausted. In front of him was a seething and extremely worried Sokka, who looked at him as though he was pleading for his approval. With a heavy sigh, Zuko turned on his heels and began walking off, followed by Iroh then Aang who spared Sokka a glance.

"Come on Sokka." Aang said in a low tone and he nodded in reply.

XxX

The small journey back to the water bender's quarters was quite nostalgic for the three of them. Even so, Sokka eyed Zuko's guards warily and cautiously, as if waiting for them to pounce at him any minute now. He knew that his screaming earlier on was something worthy enough for him to be captured, but thankfully they knew that Zuko was his friend. He was also astounded as to how luxurious the palace really was, since the last time that he was here was when Zuko was crowned as Fire Lord Years ago.

He gaped at the double doors that led to Katara's bedroom, but immediately closed his mouth when the two guards stationed themselves by the hallway. There were already two guards standing side by side by the doors and for that he was thankful to Zuko.

The Fire Lord however did not say anything as the two doors opened to let him in, but when Sokka took one step forward Aang raised his arm to stop him. He eyed the Avatar questionably but Aang's eyes were fixated on Zuko's back.

"What—"

"So as not to make Katara suspicious, Zuko has to enter first." Iroh said in place of him then gave a small smile. "It's somewhat a protocol now. He did the same thing with us before. Though I hope your sister will have a different reaction this time."

Sokka's eyebrows both rose in confusion but he did not say anything. He waited while he continued to stare at the open doors and did not notice Aang's arm which slowly inched back. For a few minutes, there was nothing but silence that ensued within the bedroom and Sokka was already itching to get inside.

It was as if his prayers were heard, since Zuko walked towards the door a second later, giving him a nod. With a large gulp, Sokka began to walk to him with Aang smiling encouragingly at him. Iroh was smiling too, but it was not his usual large goofy smile. It was a serious one and both of them were thinking of the outcome, no doubt.

XxX

"Katara." Zuko called out once again as he led Sokka further into the room. Sokka craned his neck to see and for the first time, caught sight of his dear younger sister, sitting on bed.

Surprisingly, his reaction wasn't as drastic as with Aang and Iroh, since he had imagined worse things in his mind while travelling in the royal air balloon. With this, Zuko was quite impressed though he was still wary. He was eyeing Katara and watching Sokka using his peripheral vision, his stance straight and ready for any hostile attacks. Also this time, he did not sit by Katara's side.

"Katara." Sokka breathed, almost sounded with relief. Luckily enough, the bags underneath her eyes were not that visible anymore, but she was still thin as ever and the bruises were still present. It ignited an angry flame within Sokka, but judging from Aang and Iroh's explanations, he knew better than to go berserk right then and there.

"Katara." Zuko interjected with one step forward. A smile graced his features, hoping to make her feel more at ease. "Remember Sokka? He's your brother…" If she still doesn't remember him, then everything will be much worse. Of all people, Katara should at least remember her brother.

Katara stared back at him with nonchalant eyes while sitting on bed with her hands folded neatly on her blanketed lap. From the way she looked at him and to her strong cerulean eyes, she looked really regal in one way or another. Slowly, Zuko felt relief as the two men waited. However, Sokka began to walk towards her, only to be stopped by Zuko.

"What the—Move over Zuko! Can't I just give her a hug or something?"

"Wait for it…She really is unpredictable and can get very hostile."

The two turned to look at Katara, whose eyebrows were now meeting. Seeing this, they froze on the spot and did not dare move, until such time that Katara began to tear up. Not knowing what caused this, Zuko turned around and began walking towards her, relief all over his face. She finally remembers hi—

"Get out!" She screamed at the top of her lungs as she threw one of her pillows towards them with amazing strength. Zuko was able to dodge it, but it hit the flabbergasted Sokka in the face. The pillow slid down his face and then plopped onto the floor with a thud as Katara placed her fists onto the bed.

"Get out!" Was all she said, again and again before Zuko turned to Sokka, who was still in a daze. The Fire Lord had to place both of his hands on his shoulders and shake him up but Aang and Iroh arrived at the scene. They slowly pulled him out and Zuko closed the doors behind them. Panting, he leaned onto the doors and spared the panting Katara a glance, who then burst into tears and dug her face into her hands.

"Katara." Zuko said as he paced across the room then sat on the bed. He then gave her a hug, something that he does instantaneously when she cries or feels fear. He had introduced three people all in all, none of them had made Katara to remember. He suddenly felt some hints of despair within himself and complete confusion. The questions began to grow in his mind and he wanted answers. Now.

But now that she doesn't remember even her own brother, what actions should he take next?

XxXxx

E.I.