Title: Mouse and Cat
Pairings: None yet. Zutara and Zuko/Toph, if you squint.
Genre: General, Zuko-angst, but that's redundant really.
Warnings: Part of an ongoing series. AU after Zuko Alone.

Disclaimer: If I owned it, this story would be canon… And yet, I'm here posting on Why do you think that is?

VERY IMPORTANT Author's Notes: I've been writing this story for a REALLY long time. Therefore, it departs from continuity from the point of ZUKO ALONE. This started with a set of 6 half drabbles, for a total of 600 words entitled Out of Joint. I liked the story a lot, but it started in the middle, and was very confusing, so I went back and started at the beginning: here. However, I haven't been writing them in chronological order, and therefore have been unable to post until now, when I got a bunch of consecutive ones ready.

So here's the deal, this is an anthology of events, all set on the same time line, starting immediately after the events of ZUKO ALONE. For the most part, each chapter will depict one event in the story from SIX points of view, each 50 words long. No names are used.

And Now, Our Feature Presentation:

There is something familiar about the smelly Earth Kingdom peasant in the corner. She catches an eyeful of burnt flesh and gold and for an instant their eyes lock. He recognizes her, twitching as if though to fight and she thinks to run; he merely gets up and walks away.

- - -

He no longer minds the smell or the sensation of his greasy hair. The blisters on his hands have become calluses. He has forgotten the feel of silk. Firebending has become a forgotten dream. He has accepted life without honor, but he will not let her see him like this.

- - -

When his sister tells them that night that she saw the Prince of the Fire Nation in the village, he gets up and starts packing. When she tells them that the Prince merely walked away he drops everything in confusion. When she describes the Prince, he cannot control his laughter.

- - -

When she is asked what she is thinking about, she answers something silly. It would not do to tell her friend that she is thinking about the scarred prince. She has never met the Fire Prince, but she is a twelve year old girl and finds the dark prince fascinating.

- - -

He doesn't quite understand what he is doing outside of the dirty building, no: shack, no: shed. Surely this isn't where his vehement pursuer is? Suddenly, he realizes: it's a trap. Nonetheless he opens the door, and finds an emaciated boy curled on the ground, one hand on a sword.

- - -

No one knows where he came from or where he is going, but he is kind to children, polite to women, and tells the best stories. He is about to start the Tale of the Banished Prince when a spirit blows in his ear and he feels the winds change.

Author's Notes: Confused? I wouldn't be surprised. However, I'll post a summary of each chapter in the next chapter's A/N to make sure we're all on the same page. In the meantime, the first person to review and correctly identify which character's POV's are being used in the correct order gets a prize.

I'm thinking along the lines of a 1000 word one-shot on the subject matter of your choice (it can even be in another fandom, provided I'm familiar with it). Some restrictions may apply.

So hurry up and review, PRETTY PLEASE.