"- 7… 8… 9… 10! Ready or not, here I come!" The child yelled excitedly as she ran around the ornate red palace searching for her hidden companions, "I found you Sokka!" she sang with delight at the sight of her older brother's wolf tail.
"Aw man! That's not fair Katara, you counted too fast for us to hide, right 'Zula?" Sokka turned his head in the direction of the tiny fire princess giving away her position and she groaned.
"Sokka! You aren't s'pposed to let Tara know where I am! It's Hide-n-seek!" Azula jumped up from behind a rock and stomped up to him yelling. Azula got on her tiptoes to glare right into his eyes. Sokka grinned and backed away guiltily.
Katara looked around her ignoring the odd scene before her. She craned her neck trying to see over rocks and find Zuko. He was still hidden, and if she didn't find him soon, he would become impossible to find, as she knew from experience. She walked away from the garden looking behind red columns and trees and rocks. She looked inside rooms, and once she was giving up, she resorted to asking servants if they had seen him. She gave up after fifteen minutes of searching and just played tag with Azula and Sokka for the rest of the day.
Zuko remained hidden all day, lurking in the shadows around the three playing children wondering why the little blue-eyed girl hadn't cared enough to finish looking for him.