"Oh, no," Wan shook his head, completely comfortable with taking full responsibility. "I mean, I didn't want to break it off, but I made the choice to try. I just made it on a bad assumption about what Zuko would do if I didn't. He had thrown himself in front of Katara during a fight right before they both came here and took a lightning wound for her. And I know they both care very deeply for each other. I assumed that if I went into a fight against Malicant with Zuko, that if my life in was danger, he would try to intercede. And I didn't want him to take a blow that might destroy his soul on my behalf."

He snorted, "But he realized why I was pushing him away and reassured me that he wouldn't get in the way, no matter what. That he knew the kind of risks the Avatar had to take."