Full Summary - She's a ruthless assassin sent out to kill the banished Prince Zuko. He's a confidant of the Prince and General Iroh, aiding them on their quest to find the Avatar. Two different young adults, both on equally different sides of the war. Their destinies will intertwine together, with an outcome of a fate that's good and bad. Who's side of the war will they take part in? Will they help the Avatar, or will they destroy him? Most of all, can the two face the difficulties that come across their path? OCxOC. KataraxAang. MaixZuko. SokkaxSuki.

Useless. Unwanted. Unneeded. Unappreciated.

Guilt. Sorrow. Anger. Apathy.

"Life isn't as cruel as you take it to be."

Lies. All lies.

Chapter 1 - Figure of the Shadows

"Come get your hot cross buns here! Nice and warm, fresh out of the oven! Only one copper piece! Throw in another, and have a good cup of steaming hot tea!" The middle aged man had been yelling for about an hour now, shouting to the whole world about his bakery and tea shop. Business was poor as usual, and this seemed to be the only way of attracting customers, annoying as it was. Luckily for this Earth Kingdom native, his attempts didn't prove to be futile, and his bakery was bustling with travelers and merchants from all sorts of places. Customers both good and bad.

Fortunately for her, it was also a great place to stop and rest from her weary traveling. Sitting in the corner of the bakery, she was perched on a wooden stool, alone at a small round table. To any passing audience, she seemed like a regular young lady that was going on with her day. Black hair that was tied up into a loose ponytail, a purple and white robe, along with the hilt of a Short Sword Katana peeking out of her waist belt, she seemed like a normal traveler. Her face wasn't pretty either. Average, but not pretty. However, one could say that she would definitely look better with a little make up. But, make up was definitely not one of her favorite things to wear. In fact, she preferred if she didn't look like a girl at all. She didn't want to stand out to the crowd, or it would ruin her stealth, something that was clearly needed in her job. Though, there was one thing that clearly stood out in her appearance. Her eyes. The unnatural stunning hue of bright crimson often unnerved people, surprising them with the ferocity of a stare from eyes colored like blood. Perhaps it was a birth defect, or maybe she was meant to be born that way. It didn't matter to her, as conspicuous as it was, it made her seem a little more intimidating than she looked.

The onyx-haired girl sipped on her tea, before sighing and untying the hair piece that kept her hair up. Letting her hair down across her shoulders and down to her mid-back, she laid her head back against the wall behind her and waited even more. She was told to meet at this place, in a tea shop within a small village. Despite that, the girl had been there for nearly two hours since it had opened at sunrise. She was starting to get quite furious at the fact that they weren't there yet. They were the ones who had summoned her to this quaint little shop, and yet they failed to meet at the agreed time? What kind of patrons were they? Well, it was quite obvious anyways. If they were requesting her services, they were bad ones at that. But meeting at this nice little bakery to do dirty business? So unlike me, she thought.

Finally, her efforts were rewarded when her sharp eyes immediately spotted two muscular men standing at the doorway of the shop. The two were wearing obvious Earth Kingdom soldier uniforms, with gold rings hooped in their ears and fierce looking faces. One wielded a spear, while the other wielded a crossbow on his back. The spearman was clearly experienced, seeming as if he had been in the army for quite some time. However, the younger man with the crossbow was evidently more naive and not so bright. They seemed to be looking for something, looking for her probably. Were they blind? Had they not said to meet at the corner of the shop, where she was at the moment? When they're eyes finally met her red ones, they looked confused. Nonetheless, they started sauntering her way, most likely perplexed. Their steps were heavy and hard, making the ground slightly vibrate as they walked closer and closer. The soldiers reached her table at last, and merely gave each other one last glance before plopping onto two other stools at the table.

The soldier with the spear just continued to stare at her in bemusement. In return, she gave both of them the most hateful and disdainful glare that one could ever muster. The other one, the one with the spear decided to speak first, gathering her attention by clearing his throat.

"Has Zara sent you here in order to collect down payment?" He asked her, lowering his voice so that no one around could hear him. It was a dangerous exchange that they were making, and if someone found out, all three of them could have their heads cut off. The crimson-eyes girl just stared at him in boredom, clearly uninterested in the conversation. Unnerved by her glances, he laid a gold piece on the wood of the table, previously concealed within the right sleeve of his robe. "If so, here it is. Tell him that the job needs to be done by sundown today." Instead of the girl taking the piece of currency, and walking away, she merely stared at it. Silence hung within the air between the three, and even the two soldiers felt uncomfortable. This young lady seemed hardly threatening, and all she did was stare. However, the situation was awkward and unpleasant to the soldiers.

Within the seconds that passed, the other soldier fired questions at her in a very malicious manner.

"So...where is Zara? Why has he not shown up? I thought we were supposed to meet him. Is he afraid to show his face? He's reliable, just like we've heard in the stories, right?"

Unlike an answer that was expected, silence only hung in the air once again. The girl still didn't even bother to take the gold piece, and was occupied with re-tying her hair back up again. She didn't even make one sound, and began to collect her stuff as she started to get ready to leave.

"So I take that as a yes? Why haven't you taken the gold piece? Why are you leaving? Are you even the right person we were looking for?" It was clear that the Earth Kingdom soldier with the crossbow was getting irritated, and his voice was getting hoarse. Yet, the teen still paid him no attention as she laid out 2 copper pieces onto the table for tips and payment for the tea. She rose up slowly, her silky black hair swaying with her movements. Standing up fully, she wasn't tall, but average. Just like everything else about her besides her eyes. Even now, her stare was disconcerting to the soldier, making his palms sweat from the intensity. Softly, just for the three of them to hear, she spoke.

"Name?"

"W-what?" Clearly, the soldier heard her. Despite that, he was still puzzled on the meaning of her question. His eyes widened as he stared incredulously at her.

"Well, I need to know the name of the person I need to kill, don't I?" With that statement, the tone of her voice hardened. Her eyes narrowed as she studied the soldier more carefully. Eyes that were meant to kill.

"W-wait-"

"Hei. The name is Lieutenant Hei of the Fire Nation. Currently stationed in a village 3 hours north of here by foot." Before the soldier with the crossbow could answer, the spearman cut in for him. He was studying the girl more carefully now, disbelief clear in his eyes. Although, doubt was clear all over the other soldier's face. He could only stand a gape at the girl as she took one final sip of her tea.

"Shut your mouth before you swallow a damn fly." She muttered, snatching the gold piece at last. Stuffing it in her waist belt, she gave a curt nod towards both of the soldiers before she pushed past them and walked out the tea shop. The clanking of metal could be heard form her movements, and it was evident that she seemed to have another weapon with her.

The two soldiers were still sitting at the table, staring in awe at the place where she used to sit.

"Is Zara really a teenage girl? How...what...I don't even..."

"The war really forces today's youth to do horrible things, eh? Making an assassin at her age. Hmph.

Zara was currently laying across the smooth tiles of a rooftop, preparing to strike. This was dangerous territory, seeing as this village was already taken by the Fire Nation. If they saw her, it would be all over for her. She wouldn't be able to do her job, and most importantly, she wouldn't be able to finish her quest. Her crimson eyes surveyed the area, looking for her prey. A few seconds later, she caught the sight of the person that she was sent to kill. There, on the balcony a few hundred feet away from her, was Lieutenant Hei enjoying his dinner. He was eating a fine feast indeed, whilst the rest of the village were starving to death.

What a cruel man. Then again, what kind of Fire Nation man is not cruel? Filthy dogs.

It was at that thought, that she made her move. Quickly pouncing from roof to roof, she silently worked closer and closer to the lieutenant, carefully avoiding being sighted by the Fire Nation soldiers that guarded his home. With one last jump, she landed on the very balcony that Hei was on, right behind him. He was noisily eating his roast duck, paying no mind to his surroundings. She took the opportune moment to quickly draw out her Katana, and quickly slit his throat before he could make any sound. Blood poured out onto the table in front of him, just barely missing her uniform. Then quickly and swiftly, she left the balcony, making her way back to the campsite that she made in the forest behind the village. The black-haired girl didn't even bother to see if anyone had noticed her. It was best to just leave.

By the time that Zara had reached her camp, she was surprised to see that a stranger was sitting at the campfire that she had made before. However, as her tent and belongings came closer into view, she realized just who that stranger was.

Shit.

The crimson-eyed girl quickly ducked behind a rock, her breathing becoming labored as she thought of the different ways she could get out of the situation. Slyly, she peeked through a crack in the rock, trying to observe his actions. Why the hell was he here? She ran through the different options of action through her head, trying to decide. Leave everything behind and run? No. Kill him? No. Definitely not. Ask him what he's doing here? That might be the best thing to do.

Unfortunately, her thoughts were cut off when he looked directly at her, or the rock so to say, and spoke.

"I know you're there, Zara."

"Ah. You caught me." She gave a curt sigh before emerging from behind the rock, and began to walk closer to the stranger. As she traveled towards him, she finally saw the face that she hadn't seen for quite some time. Two years, to be exact. In fact, it seemed like he hadn't changed at all during that time. His black hair was longer now, and it covered his intense violet eyes, while his light blue robe was swaying in the wind. His face seemed sharper, more old and more wise. The boy was around Zara's age, if not a year older. However, it was still the same old person. He was lying against a slab of rock, arms behind his head as he enjoyed the heat of the fire.

"Yo, Zara." He smiled gently at her, patting the area dirt beside him, signaling for her to sit down and join him. Zara could only stare in bewilderment at him, and smirked before flopping onto the ground.

"Haven't seen you in quite some time. What brings you here, Kita?" She frowned before poking him on the forehead and continuing. "Don't tell me that you're here to collect me."

The teen only sighed and took a stick, poking it around in the fire. He was silent, before looking at his old companion and poking her back in the forehead. She gave a growl of disgruntlement, making him giggle slightly. Kita cocked his head to the right slightly, and smiled.

"'Course not. I would never do that, Zara. I just came to visit." He finally responded, raising his head to look at the stars. She followed his gaze, letting her eyes meet the shimmering sight of the sky.

"Visit, eh? Does the Black Syndicate know you're here?" It was a cold night, and the slight breeze made the air more chilly. Zara visibly shuddered, and she wrapped her arms around her knees. The onyx-haired teen noticed this, and he took his coat, placing it on her shoulders. Why he was so kind to her, she never knew. In her own eyes, she didn't deserve any sort of kindness, especially from someone so kind-hearted like Kita. She nodded at him with a smile, sending a look of gratitude towards him with her crimson eyes.

"Sort of. Not really. Don't worry, I would never lead them to you." His voice was reassuring and firm, something that she had missed when she left. It was nice to see him again, to be talking to him, and to be next to him.

"Then tell me why you're here."

With that request, Kita only looked down at the ground, trying to avoid telling her. Instead, he changed the subject. "Have you heard rumors lately? Seems like the Avatar is back in business."

"Che. Like I care about him. He can go disappear for another 100 years, for all I care." She obviously held disdain for the Avatar. He was the reason why the war was going on, the reason why she existed, the reason for everything! "It's not like he'll do something to change anything. I won't rely on him. He's nothing to me."

It was quite noticeable that her voice was quivering, something that rarely happened for Zara. Clearly, she was very angry.

"Ne, that's not the way a young lady should talk." The boy teased, sticking his tongue out at her and ruffling her hair. This successfully brought her out of her sour mood, making her laugh. It was something that she hadn't done in a while, and it made her feel...happy. They continued to talk and laugh about old times at the Black Syndicate, discussing old friends and old places, or even laughing about stupid things, like how ugly ostrich-horses were. Zara finally felt alive again, a great feeling that differed from her serious mood as an assassin. However, the happy talk finally bubbled down, and they were both serious again.

"I need you to do something for me, Zara." He seemed hesitant, unwilling to ask her for a favor.

"What? Just tell me. If it's not from the Syndicate, then I'm alright with it."

Well...I want you to assassinate someone for me." Instantly, her eyes turned hard as she stared at him.

"I promise, it's the last favor I'll ask of you." His eyes pleaded with her, and he seemed almost desperate.

"Alright. Name?" Zara sighed, willing to help her friend. Kita had always looked out for her, especially when she first came to the Syndicate. He was always like an older brother to her, assisting her with things that she needed help on. When she got bullied, or was punished, he was always there to hold his hand out for her. She had always thought that she was undeserving of his kindness, but he always insisted that it wasn't true. Nonetheless, it was finally time to repay all her debts to him by helping him out.

"The banished Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation. The Black Syndicate needs him killed. He might prove to be dangerous in the long run. It will be easier since he's banished."

Instantly, her mood seemed to brighten. "Ah, that request can be fufilled. I'm looking for him too. Seems like he's trying to track down the Avatar, correct?"

"Yeah. I'll trust you to finish the job for me." He cheerfully replied, wrapping his arm around her and bringing her close for an embrace. She merely giggled and tried to push away, seeming light-hearted again.

"Ah, before I leave, can I ask you something?" Kita asked, curiosity starting to get the best of him. The crimson-eyed girl just nodded at him, giving him permission to ask.

"What...what are your ambitions? You left the Syndicate for a reason. What was it?"

The girl paused, unable to form her words. Instantly, her face contorted into the expression of malice. "To defeat Firelord Ozai. Except, I know I can't do it. So maybe I'll go after his precious little daughter." She spat, disgust evident in her voice.

"I see." Quietly, he stood up, beginning to gather his things. She stood up with him, only staring at his back as he was preparing to leave. A slight breeze blew the forest, and her hair whipped against her face, blocking her view slightly. The rustling of tree branches and leaves could be heard, and she was filled with great sorrow.

"It was great seeing you again...Zara." He looked at her longingly, sadness within his eyes. Kita started to walk forward, leaving behind a silent Zara. Suddenly, she was filled with the impulse to rush forward and embrace him. And that's exactly what she did. She ran towards him, her footsteps sounding heavy and giant. She crashed into him, hugging him, wrapping her arms around his waist tightly, feeling the silkiness of the robe rub against her cheek. He really had changed, for he was a great deal taller than her now.

"Bye...Kita..." She whispered, letting a lone tear trace a wet trail down her cheek. With that, he disappeared into the darkness, leaving her alone in the night with memories of their times together. It was most likely that she would never see him again.

A/N - Yooo~ Wassup guys? First fanfiction here on ! I hope you guys like it! I really do appreciate it if you leave some sort of review, even if it's one that says, "You are a shit author." I'd still love it! readers be warned though, there WILL be some form of swearing and violence in later chapters. If you don't like, don't read. As for what Zara looks like, I have compiled a photobucket album with pictures of her outfits and looks, etc! http:/ / s289 (.) photobucket (.) com /albums /ll227 /gothxshadow /Zara / Remove the spaces! Alright, please review! Feedback is great. I'll update once a week, and I hope you'll story alert this and favorite this. (: