Zuko smiled and shook his head. Aang and Sokka sat back down, waiting expectantly. Ty Lee, after being both rejected and ignored, sauntered off to mingle with some occupants sitting at a table arm wrestling.

"Well I'm pretty good, but if you really want to see some master fire bending, you should ask my sister Azula. She's sort of a Prodigy. My dad always said she was born Lucky..." he rubbed the back of his neck. It felt kind of silly to be praising his sister, when he really should be trying to make and impress some friends. His face turned serious and he took a stance, legs bent out and arms held in front of him, "But, I've been training under some of the best fire benders in the world since I was a kid." He turned around and punched his fists forward and two jets of flame exploded out toward the road. He then kicked up high, sending a fire-ball up into the sky. Swinging the same leg down, he created a wall of flame and pushed it away before spinning around and sending another jet of flame out from his other foot. A few of other teenagers that had sat furthest away in the rest area had moved closer and joined the group, clapping and cheering. Except for Toph, who had abandoned chewing her nails for picking at her toes. "Meh, I bet I could still beat you in a fight, with both eyes closed."

Zuko faced them and chuckled, he seemed to be the only one to catch the blind joke as the others were either nodding or shaking their heads. He turned around and faced the road again, going into another bending stance. "I've never challenged an Earth Bender before, but I've won more than enough Agni Kai fights..."

"Who's in a fight?" with the exception of Toph, the group turned their heads to see who had spoken. A tan skinned girl had walked up beside the fountain. She wore blue clothes almost identical to the one's Sokka was wearing, save for that they were made for a girl. Her long brown hair was swept up and back in a long braid that went down to her hips and two loops of hair connected from her bangs to a bun pulled above the braid. She crossed her arms, looking down at Sokka with an eyebrow raised, "You're not starting any fights, are you Sokka?" The young water tribesman shook his had and gestured toward Zuko.

"No, Katara, I'm not. We were just asking Zuko here to show us some bending moves. He's a fire bender from the Fire Nation. Hey Zuko, this is my sister, Katara. Katara, that's Zuko." Zuko turned around and stood straight, bowing his head down and bringing his hands up in a formal flame greeting. When he opened his eyes and looked back up, the sight of her struck him down.

The girl was absolutely beautiful. She had big, sapphire blue eyes and graceful features. But the intensity of her gaze was enough to understand she could hold her own. He could tell by the light that shining through that she was as much of a fighter as he was. But in all her severity, he couldn't help but look at her. His eyes barely left hers but he had plenty of time to notice her fair nose and plump lips. She was just so exotic. He quickly concentrated back on her eyes, they were as equally brilliant as Azula's fire...Azula. The thought of his strict sister snapped him back to his senses. He composed himself quickly.

"..er...oh, er...right. Right, sorry. Sokka asked me to display some bending manuevers. Then Toph remarked how she could beat me in a match. I said I had never challenged an Earth Bender before, but I've won a few Agni Kai's."

Katara's gaze softened with understanding. She arched another delicate eyebrow, this time in confusion, "An...Agney what?"

"Agni Kai. It's a traditional fighting duel between two fire benders that dates back for hundreds of years. The challenge is made and fought for one's honour when all other solutions to whatever the dispute is fail and is over when one bender burns the other. It isn't made or taken lightly." Having finished the sentence, Zuko looked away slightly ashamed. He didn't expect the others to understand the circumstances on why he had to accept such challenges.

Katara looked him over, but couldn't discern whether he was hiding any burns. He certainly didn't have any showing on his arms or face. His completely Flawless face. His porcelain skin didn't have a blemish anywhere on it. She looked him over from his short jet black hair, slightly longer bangs sweeping over his honey-golden eyes, to his straight nose...his narrow chin..his strong jaw line, to his lean but sturdy looking body. It was as if he was carved and chiseled from white marble stone, like the fountain she stood near. She could tell he was bred from some high-ranking bloodline. It was almost sickening how perfect he looked. With a slight blush, she realized she had been staring him up and down, like some hot-stricken girl. She cleared her throat, remembering just what she had walked back to the group for.

"Oh...ah, any ways. I checked out the Markets, there are fliers everywhere from the Academy. They mentioned that we'll all be registering and meeting our headmasters in two days. I also saw quite a few restaurants if anyone is hungry."

A few of the crowd voiced their agreements and they started moving off in the direction Katara had walked in from. Only the water tribe siblings, as well as Aang and Toph lingered behind. Sokka braced his hands on his knees and stood up.

"Well that was definitely some news worth hearing. I'm starving. Did you happen to see any meat specific restaurants, I'm not in the mood for any soups or noodles," he looked at Aang, who was ducking shyly away.

"Sorry Sokka, the monks teach us that all life is sacred, even the tiniest -..." Sokka cut him off impatiently,

"eh-yea yeah, spider flies and nonsense, I gotcha. But had I known you were going to be so strict on our diets, I -one: would never have accepted you joining our traveling carriage, and -two: wouldn't have put you IN CHARGE of arranging our food. Bleh...so Zuko, you heading to the market?"

The fire bender crossed his arms and looked away, shaking his head, "No. I was thinking about looking around the city, maybe checking out the Academy."

Sokka walked over and lightly punched Zuko's arm. "Well good! We were going to do that anyway, might as well stay as a group. C'mon gang...gAang! Hah! That's a good one!"

They walked along the street towards the Marketplace. Zuko listened as Sokka animatedly explained their voyage to National Republic, from receiving a letter asking the the tribe's people if they would volunteer a few chosen individuals to partake in the "big'est step in cultural harmony history" to meeting up with Aang, who turned out to be the newly discovered, or rather recovered Avatar, to traveling through Gaoling, where Toph joined them.

"Yeah, it wasn't a fluke on my behalf. Ice dodging was relatively easy my first time, and I succeeded with ease. But this time, a crazy looking giant ball of ice surfaced out of no where and we ended up crashing the ship right into it. Took all our water benders and some genius ingenuity just to get us to safety. Then the next thing we know," Sokka brought his hands together and then opened them suddenly, wiggling his fingers for emphasis, " this blue light bursts out of the ice and this kid and a giant furry mass of snot come flying, and I mean LITERALLY, come flying out. It was the craziest thing I had ever seen, and I've seen Katara wake up in the morning!"

Katara blushed, looking quickly from Sokka to Zuko, then back to Sokka again. She glared at her brother and punched him in the arm. Zuko smirked, mumbling to himself, "Must have been something, then." It came out a little louder and more awkward sounding than what he would have wished. But if Sokka had heard the comment, he didn't show any sign of it, and neither did Katara, to Zuko's relief.

Walking to a marketplace amidst friends was a very different and unusual experience for Zuko. All his life he had to follow a strict and direct set of rules. He had to learn discipline and obedience and to watch his posture, how he walked, how he spoke, he even had to be careful how he looked at someone. Then, once his father had been crowned the New Fire Lord, everything turned upside down. Military rule was his daily routine and martial training was non-stop. And though he was no longer reprimanded for a haughty attitude or scornful eye, he had to live up to higher expectations and had to sacrifice more of himself. Just being good at anything, was not good enough. He had to be Perfect. He had to be just like Azula. His life until now had demanded both him physically and emotionally.

The sudden acceptance and easy air about them was a welcoming relief. Not to mention the attractive company he now gained. He saw Katara out of the corner of his eye, talking with Toph at her brother's right. He was at Sokka's left and Aang on the other side of him. He saw her smile as she looked forward again. Something about her attracted him so much, but he couldn't quite put his thumb on it. It wasn't a REAL attraction in the sense. He just met this girl, not an hour ago. But he couldn't help but want to get another good look at her. Maybe that's what it was. He had never been around any water tribe girls, or people for that matter. In fact, the Fire Nation was all he knew. That must be it. She was just different from the girls back home. He would see plenty of other girls at the Academy in a few days.

Zuko looked at the first stall in the market. There were so many different things in just this one little stand. Everything was all so foreign. The integration really was going to be a step forward. He walked around, visiting the other vendors, taking notice at all the different jewelery, clothing, and decorations on display. Everything had a little bit of it's own culture in them.

On a wall behind one of the stalls, several large, decorative fans were put on display. He saw a green cotten fan with a thick coiling, scaley dragon coming out of a mountain painted on the front of it. It had a snarling tiger-like face with earth and sand spraying from it's maw. Where the spray fell, plants and trees where growing from it. Next to that fan was a red silken one with a serpent like dragon dancing through the clouds, tusk like teeth and flames shooting out of it's mouth. It had antlers growing out of it's head and elbows and a row of spikes going down it's back. Rays of light from the sun shown behind it. A white linen fan was hanging below with a golden maned dragon coming out of the heavens. It held a glowing orb in it's claws and had blue wisps spiraling from it's snout. Multicoloured leaves were dancing in front of the wisps. Another fan, made of a much thicker material than the others, was painted in different shades of blue meant to represent the ocean, was displayed next. The dragon depicted on it was covered in dark azure fur instead of scales, and was spewing a large wave of water from it's mouth. In the wave of water were many different types of sea creatures. Zuko looked closer at the dragon. Two sapphire gems were set as it's eyes and small shards of blue beads were representing it's claws and horns. He realized each fan was made with the unique goods from their respective Nations.

"They're all so beautiful, aren't they?"

Zuko started at the voice that suddenly manifested itself beside him. Katara leaned forward to inspect the intricate fans. "They follow the pattern of the Elements: Earth, Fire, Air, Water. The vendor told me each of these fans was made in it's own nation, and yet look how their designs interlock. The Earth dragon's plants are growing under the Sun dragon's light. The Sun Dragon is spreading light by riding the currents of wind from the Air Dragon. The Air Dragon is getting into the heavens with the power of a giant pearl from the ocean given by the Water Dragon, and the Water dragon was given a place to put the ocean by the Earth Dragon. Every Element needs each Element to live in Harmony. It's Beautiful." her eyes were shining even in the shadow of the stall.

Zuko looked back to the fans, noticing the little details of the other fans interlocking with each other. It was a simple trick of the merchant vendor. He had these fans created to be sold as a set, and when the right, gullible customer came around, he'd tell them the story of their crafting and explain the 'coincedences' of the pictures interlocking. Of how they just needed to be together. And of course, the hapless customer would believe him and buy all four. He shook his head and smirked at , at least it was a nice story. He turned and walked out of the stall. Sokka and Aang were further down the street at what appeared to be a food court. They saw him and began waving him over. He began making his way to the restaurant, leaving Katara in at the stall.

She looked up at Zuko and saw him half grin and shake his head. He seemed amused by what she told him, or maybe it was disbelief? He turned to walk out of the stall and Katara watched him go. It did seem like an incredulous story. But it would've been nice to share a thought about it. She walked out of the stall, her mind roaming over itself. Who was this Fire Bender from the Fire Nation?

He was quiet, self contained, held his honour, well trained...wait, what? How do I know these things? I just met him, and I've haven't even hung out with him yet. He's probably just shy or something? No, that couldn't be it, he had shown off for her brother and his friends...could he...does he not like me or something?

She thought back at the fountain. He had expressed his bending abilities to them, but not her. When she told them of the market, he didn't want to go with them at first, then he didn't say anything on the walk here. He went by himself to the stalls that he didn't even want to see in the first place, and then when she had walked up to him and started talking to him, he left. She placed her hands on her hips and pouted angrily, "So what, am I not good enough for him or something?" she turned and crossed her arms, sticking her chin up. Agney K'eye honour, hmph! She slammed her hands up in a backwards flame greeting and stiffed a bow, mocking how Zuko had done to her. Hmph...?!

She only just realized she had been too taken aback with the fire bender than she never returned a greeting. Could that be it?! Did he think she was rude for not having accepted or returned his greeting? She grabbed her braid and started running her hands over it. Her eyebrows nitted together, what should she do? Go back and try to apologize? But he left her alone in that stall! Maybe that's what he shook his head for? Was he waiting for a formal apology or a response? Then why did he grin and shake his head?! She threw her hands down. Fine! If he was going to be stupid enough to ruin a friendship before it even started all because of some stupid greeting, then she didn't care! She would meet many other guys at the Academy! Guys just as good looking and perfect as him, but with better attitudes who were CLEARLY interested in her! She ran a hand back and under her braid, flicking it up with attitude. Keeping her chin high, she stalked off towards the food court.

The Stall Vendor kept his eyebrows raised high on his forehead, concern appearent on his face as he watched the girl argue with herself. His left eyebrow slowly lowered in worried confusion as she threw her hands down and flicked her braid back, pulling a tight chin before walking off. He puffed out his lips and shook his head and whispered to the spirits.