Author's Note

Hello, yes, I am alive! I've been super busy because I'm apparently an "adult" now (psh) and have so little time to write. But I'm trying to write and update all of my stories as much as possible!!

It was quite the journey, trying to find Forgetful Valley. It was a long trek, though I suppose I shouldn't complain — I didn't have to walk a great majority of it. By Zuko and Katara's commands, I remained seated in Appa's saddle as the others led him through the thick of the surrounding woods. I sat on the bison's back and pouted. I felt useless at this point. Why had I come along? I could hardly fight, both due to my pregnancy and because of the determination of Katara and Zuko to keep me out of any confrontation. Surely, Bao had returned from his duties in Yu Dao by now and searching for me in the palace. H I was of no real importance to the group right now, so why hadn't I stayed in the palace with Iroh and the others?

Because Ursa, I reminded myself. I needed answers — closure — just as much as anyone else that'd know her. I couldn't go any longer without knowing where she had gone, what had really happened to her. "I need you here," was what she told me the night she vanished. "You must stay with Zuko. You're his only friend, and you're the only one I can trust to keep his head on straight." I had only one question that I wanted to ask her:

Why on Earth did she trust me with her son's safety and sanity?

I barely had my own head on straight. It was constantly spinning trying to keep up with Zuko, his frantic desire to find Aang, and his episodes of rage. How and why was I supposed to be held responsible for him, when I could hardly handle my own issues?

Having no answer, my mind immediately switched to the alternative topic of discussion: Surely, Bao had returned from his duties in Yu Dao by now and searching for me in the palace. He​ and I had not been on the best of terms for the past few months, and time apart seemed to do us well. I often found myself wondering, what had changed? I remember that every encounter we'd had before our marriage was one of happiness. Our time on the ship, our reunion in the palace — it was at that very moment that we hadn't developed much of a relationship before his proposal. It was also that very moment that I realized that he'd no idea where I was, or, more importantly, how close our baby was to coming into this world without his presence.

"Saki?" Sokka and Mika were seated in front of me, though I didn't notice any movement around me. As I looked around, I also noticed that our surroundings had changed. "Are you feeling okay? You look....ill."

"I'm fine," I said, and, this time, it was true — Mostly. "I'm just tired of being forced to be stationary for most of this trip. This is just as important to me as it is to Zuko and Azula."

"Well, you are carrying life now," Mika pointed out. "That's precious."

"I know that," I pouted. "That doesn't mean that I have to sit idle." My eyes trailed off to the rocky walls growing closer and closer along the sides of our trail. Vines creeped along the cliffs overhead like serpents, thickening as we drew closer.

"This is as far as Appa can go," Aang spoke loudly. He look at me as if to insinuate that I should stay with Appa, that it was probably best. Perhaps he was right. After all, he was the Avatar. He only wanted what was best for all forms of life.

Even so, I dismounted.

I waddled to Katara's side, essentially standing between her and Zuko, whose hands found themselves supporting me as if through instinct, one gently pressed to my back and the other holding my hand. From the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of what looked like a nervous expression. It changed so quickly that I had begun to believe that I'd imagined it. His gaze was straight ahead. "Zuko?" My voice came out quietly, not even remotely sure of what was to be said next.

He looked to me with soft eyes and gave a brief nod. "Let's go," he said more so to everyone else than to me. "We won't find anything by standing around. With a short murmur of agreement, everyone waved goodbye to Appa and began the trek into the thick of the valley. There was a mist over the area. Not a physical, water vapor mist. It was a more of a feeling, a sense of haziness and loss.

The trees created a thick roof; only slivers of light seeped through and kissed the ground. Critters scurried across the valley floor and earned a few startled yelps from Sokka and Mika.

"Are you alright?" Katara's voice whispered beside me. "You don't look so well, Saki."

I didn't say anything. I did feel ill — nauseous, constricted, dizzy — but I wasn't going to tell them any of this. I was going to see this through. I was going to get answers.

"So this must be it," Aang said, although, it sounded more like a thought, "Forgetful Valley." He looked around in astonishment at the various trees and wildlife around us.

"How do you know?" Sokka asked. "Are you detecting something with your special Avatar powers?"

"No, Sokka," I replied, then pointed towards our left. A plank of wood had been nailed to the body of a tree, writing scrawled on it in thick, black ink. "It says so on that sign." This earned a giggle from Mika.

"Where do we go from here?" Katara asked. Looking around, it seemed none of us could find the answer. There was no exit, no pathways, and, surely, no more signs to direct us.

"We could split up," Mika suggested. "We could go off in groups to find....whatever it is that we're looking for."

"No way," Zuko said with a shake of his head. "Even if that was an option, that aren't even any paths for us to follow. We could end up lost for days."

"Oh, come now, ZuZu," Azula snickered. "For a true firebender, there's always a path!" And, with that and a pump of her fist, a fiery blue flare soared forward and engulfed the leaves and vines before us.

Katara cried out, "What are you doing?!"

Without hesitation, Aang bent the dirt from the ground and smothered the flames as I bent water from the humid air around us to extinguish the fires above us. I whirled around, glowering at the deranged girl. "What is your problem, Azula?!" I spat.

She only waved me off as if I'd asked the most absurd question in history. (It was possible that I had.) "I suppose one of you imbeciles has a better idea on how to proceed?" She asked as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Any idea is better than burning down the whole forest!" Katara argued.

"What did I tell you the last time you did something like this?" Sokka tapped on his chin. "Oh, yeah — Nature hates you!"

"Azula," I frowned, "you can't just burn everything down to cinder!"

"Of course I can," she shrugged. "I just did."

"Oh, for crying out loud Azul—Ah!" My words were replaced with piercing howls as an intense pain tore through my abdomen. I doubled over, holding my stomach desperately and crying out in a plea for the sensation to end.

Then, the realization hit.

Speaking the words for me, Katara and Mika exclaimed in a panic, "The baby is coming!"