IMPORTANT NOTICE: I CHANGED CHAPTER 40 - LAKE LAOGAI!!! THE CHANGES ARE IMPORTANT SO IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THE EDITED VERSION YOU NEED TO GO BACK AND READ IT!!!!!!!!

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        Zuko tosses and turns in his sleep. Sweat pours off him in waves. "Here." Uncle passes me a bucket of cool water, and I dribble it across Zuko's face.

         "I don't understand, Uncle. He was fine last night!"

         "I do not know. But this will keep him cool."

         I bite my lip and press a cool, damp cloth to Zuko's forehead, and I pray to the spirits that he gets better soon.

**__**

         Aang leaned against the railing overlooking one of the many inner courtyards of the Earth King's palace. Sokka stood in it, rubbing Appa's chin. But Aang wasn't looking at his friend or Appa, even though he was happy to have the large, furry creature back.

         Aang was looking at Toph, leaning against the railing beside him. Her glass-green gaze was fixed somewhere along the wall behind them, but her focus was on Aang.

         "So what do you think about this guru guy, Twinkletoes?"

         Aang sighed. "I don't know. He says he can help me master the Avatar State, so I guess I have to go check it out."

         "You don't think he can help you?"

         "I don't know. Maybe he can. I just don't want to leave Sokka."

         "He'll be fine. He'll be with his dad again."

         "Yeah. That's the problem! His dad... doesn't know about Katara."

         "Yeah... her. She was Sokka's sister, right? Before Prince Whatever killed her?"

         Aang clenched his hands on the rail. He breathed in, then out. He needed to control the Avatar State!

         "Yeah. Zuko. He threw her off a cliff." Aang's hands went to the necklace he wore. It had been Katara's, before... before.

         "Sokka's never been the same."

         "I've only known this Sokka. He seems okay to me. A little over-emotional..."

         Aang smiled. "He used to be this super-funny guy. He'd tell jokes all the time. He still does sometimes, but not like before. And now he has to face his dad... he has to tell him that Katara's gone. I don't want him to have to go through that alone. It's my fault Katara's dead." Or is she?

         Sokka swore he'd seen Katara in the Di Lee's headquarters, but Aang wasn't sure. There was a lot of pressure that night, and seeing Jet again had put both Sokka and Aang on high alert. Aang wasn't sure that Sokka hadn't been hallucinating. Sokka wasn't sure, either.

         But if he hadn't been... if Katara was alive... no!

         Thinking about this would drive Aang insane. Katara was dead. That was all there was to it. Sokka was just being... well, Sokka. That was all.

         "How is it your fault, Twinkletoes? I thought you said Zek or whatever killed her?"

         "Yeah, but I'm the one who convinced her to go the North Pole. She was my teacher. It was my fault. I'm the Avatar- I'm supposed to protect people. But I didn't protect her. That's why I have to go see this guru. So I can master the Avatar State. So that will never happen again."

         Toph was quiet for a few minutes. Then she punched Aang in the arm. "Ow! What was that for?"

         She just smiled. "Take Sokka to see his dad, then go see the guru. Sokka'll be fine."

         "What about the Earth King? He needs some help planning the attack on the Fire Nation."

         "I'll ask my mom to stay at the palace. It'll be fine, Twinkletoes. Go see your guru."

         "Are you sure, Toph?"

         "Go!" She punched him again, and he stumbled a few feet. Sokka's voice drifted up from below.

         "Aang! We're ready to go!"

         Aang looked down to see the Earth King standing next to Sokka. He nodded once to Toph, and leapt over the railing.

         Toph felt him go, and wondered if maybe it wasn't just Sokka who had changed with Katara's death. She'd never known Sokka's sister, but Aang seemed pretty attached to her memory.

         Toph wondered if she'd been worth it. If whoever that girl had been was worth Aang spending the rest of his life trying to make up for her death.

         And Toph wondered if Aang would do the same for her.

         She listened until she could no longer hear Appa's growls or the swishing of his tail. Then she took a deep breath, and headed into the Lower Ring.

         It was time to see her mom.

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I am so evil... :) Lolz COMMENT and vote, guys, you know the drill! Today's time is 2:00. :) That means you have 3 hours, so I need 3 commentz!! chop chop! Lol.

-Tess