A/N: Thanks for the first review, AlinaAlone! I really appreciate it! . Anyways, 74 hits for a new story is pretty good! Thank you to my readers! XD So...As your reward, I shall update another chapter. The first author notes are pretty boring huh? So… I'll spice 'em up with a few of my hypothetical conversations with the Avatar characters! I know, it's lame….-.-

Sokka: Hey! Why am I NOT in this story! I totally deserve to be in it! O.O fumes

Choco sweetie: I'm sorry, but you're just a secondary character!

Sokka: Secondary. T-T But look! I'm a warrior! puts on makeup

Choco sweetie: Nice makeup! Can I borrow some of that eye liner?

Sokka: IT'S NOT EYELINER! IT'S WARRIOR MAKEUP!

Choco sweetie: Oh. So it IS makeup, huh?

Sokka: SHUT UP!

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Chapter 2: Comfort in a Stranger

"You may not know them, but they could be the strongest source of sympathy you have."

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The sun just skimmed the horizon now. It cast a warm, orange-red glow across the water and the beach. In the settling ocean, a distorted, yellow reflection played in the waves, accompanied by millions of silver sparkles that danced like a… fire. Even in the Fire Nation, there was wind, and currently, a calming breeze swept through the sand, creating the perfect, romantic atmosphere. Katara found herself often looking up to the sky, pondering how such a violent nation could be home to such a beautiful sunset. She sighed contentedly at the area heart-warming sky near the sun, which was streaked with various shades of cardinal red and tangerine orange. On the outer places of the seemingly painted sky, clouds of white floated in tints of cotton candy pink and light, pale lavenders.

"It's beautiful, Toph… The sunset is absolutely breathtaking," Katara gasped.

"I wish, Katara. I wish I can…. See it." Toph breathed, her heart aching for the ability to see.

"Oh, Toph! I'm so sorry I even mentioned it! I was just so carried-"

"Katara, you don't need to say that. It's ok. Some people are just born like this and nothing you can do can help them." Toph was straight out with her answer. Her pale green eyes glazed with a steel look. Even her lips were tight in a straight line.

"But I… I'm just trying to be nice!" Katara snapped, annoyed at her futile efforts to cheer her friend up.

"No, it's not like that. You really don't get it do you? Not everyone appreciates a pity party. You know why? It makes them feel weak, like everyone around them thinks that just because you have a certain defect, you can't do anything at all! You can't do anything right! But you know what? That's NOT true! I may be blind, but I'm tough. I don't give up, and that's something I should be proud of, not put down for because of my incapability of seeing!"

Katara fell silent. She didn't know what to say or do, but just watch her stern friend get up and walk back to the beach house. Her instincts told her to follow Toph, but she couldn't, especially after that harsh talking-to she generously received.

Getting up, Katara was suddenly stopped by a muscular Fire Nation boy with chestnut brown hair, tied in a wispy knot on top of his head. All the girls behind him practically drooled over his abs and large biceps. Katara merely rolled her eyes. These kind of guys were the exact kind that she wanted to avoid.

"Hey there. The name's Chan. I was wondering if, maybe, you'd like to come to my party tonight."

"A party?" Katara raised a brow, delighted to be invited. "I'd be glad to go!"

"See ya there then."

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"Come on Toph! Please! I'm sorry!" Katara begged her friend to go.

"No thank you. I happen to like staying here and not going to some stuck-up kid's lam-o party." Toph sniffled haughtily and picked some dirt from under a fingernail.

"Fine! Suit yourself, then. I'll be out having fun while you're in this old lady dump, sitting around and doing nothing!" Katara stormed out, trying to straighten her hair along the way.

"Sure." Toph shrugged casually, indifferent about her surroundings.

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Katara picked up a few dumplings with her chopsticks and deposited them in her wooden bowl. Heading back her red-cushioned chair, she sat down, smoothing a few wrinkles from her red-violet skirt.

The food here is pretty good….

Getting up for some more food, Katara stopped dead in her tracks when a loud shatter echoed across the room. She jumped in shock and whirled around to see a boy rubbing the back of his head sorely. A large rust-hued vase had been broken by force it seemed when the boy hit his back into the piece of art.

"Zuko! What is wrong with you?!"

Katara's eyes widened as she realized who was talking. Mai was all up in Zuko's face, her brows knitted in a frustrated and disappointed look. It seemed that Zuko's temper and jealousy had flared up.

"What's wrong with me?!" Zuko pointed to himself.

"You're temper's out of control! You blow up over every little thing! You're so impatient, and hot-headed, and angry!"

"Well at least I feel something, as opposed to you! You have no passion for anything! You're just a big blob!"

Katara snickered on the inside at the 'blob' comment. She had to acknowledge the humor in such a saddening topic.

"It's over Zuko. We're done." Mai turned around, a look of regret and hurt on her face.

Katara could feel her pain. She recalled her encounter with Jet, a rebel who had charmed her with his charisma and pretty-boy ways back when she was younger, when she didn't know what she knew today. So badly did Katara want to comfort Mai, but she willed herself not to. Mai was an enemy and none of that would change.

At this, Katara sighed, watching Zuko slam the door behind him as he left. She didn't know why, but she felt the sudden urge to follow him and find out his story. Even after he hunted down Aang like some crazed dog and failed countless times, she felt her heart ache at this scene. Sure, it was typical teenager stuff, but others wouldn't understand unless they've been through it themselves, as in, felt it for real.

"Guys, thanks for the invite, but I've gotta go." Katara walked up to Chan, who was going bananas over the broken vase. Well, good for Katara he didn't care since he was so wrapped up about the stupid, oversized, supposed flower container.

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Katara shielded herself from the wind by rubbing her tan hands up and down her arms rapidly to create mild friction. Her sandal-clad feet dug into the cool, night sand as the full moon 'followed' her every move. She tried to be as quiet as possible while strolling behind the banish prince, who even from the back, looked moody and brooding.

Summoning up some newfound courage, Katara called out to him, her voice clear and unwavering, despite her fearful anxiety. "Hey! Zuko, was it?"

Zuko hesitated, but chose to ignore her and walked on.

"I'm not going to stop following you until you pay attention to me," Katara pointed out.

"What do you want? I don't even know who the hell you are," Zuko snapped impatiently, his eyes flickering like a lit flame.

"I know you don't know who I am, but that's beside the point. I'm just here to say that I heard what happened between you and your girlfriend. I know your pain." Katara paused here, wondering what to say next. That's when she remembered the piece of information Toph had told her. "I'm not here to throw you a pity party though. I'm here to tell you that life gets harder than this and you should face it like a man. Underneath that tough mask is something more. I can feel it. Put it to good use and think twice before you say anything, especially in front of, what did you call her again, a blob?"

"Shut up…" Zuko forced the words out, but Katara detected a slight note of hurt.

"And no, I'm not saying this to hurt you either." She smirked triumphantly and turned to walk away and leave Zuko to his own thoughts. No further did she want to socialize with the enemy.

"Wait." For some odd reason, the prince felt like he knew her for a long time. In his steel heart, he could feel some sort of connection, a vibe, between him and the tanned stranger. In fact, Zuko could've sworn he'd faced this kind of lecture before, somewhere, but he just couldn't put his finger on the subject…

"Yeah?" Katara asked indifferently.

"….Th-Thank you…" Zuko struggled to say the words.

"No problem." And with that, Katara strode across the beach in wide, prominent steps to head back to the 'old lady house,' as she had so expertly put it before when she was talking to Toph.

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A/N: Hey, hey, hey! How's about this chapter? A little longer I suppose, but it was fun to write! Anyways, just wanna say that the Zuko/Mai argument was from the actual episode, 'The Beach.' I thought it'd be a good idea to link the story and the actual show together in some sort of way. Plus, it was Katara's nature to care right? She forgave him in the caves, so she could forgive him now, at Chan's party... Anyways, R&R! BTW, was this chapter ok? Did the characters fit into their personalities from the show? O.O