Ok, so doing this little A/N is a bit difficult: I have 2 out of 3 dogs somewhere on my body and it is not making typing fun. BUT! I am on a streak, I posted two chapters tonight! This one and chapter 3 for my other story, Zutara A to Z (Which I might rename, but I haven't figured that out yet.) But any who, to Enchanted: I loved writing this chapter! And I might say that to every chapter, but I loved this one, even tho it is a bit sad. But you get to meet Zuko! This is all before the real adventure starts happening too!

Thank you to: Ilovecatsz and lawliness for the reviews! I was super duper excited to get them! I hope you two like this chapter as well!

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN AVATAR THE LAST AIRBENDER

Enchanted

Chapter two

"Leaving behind a grieving husband and young children, we must comfort them in this time of sadness." High Monk Geytso drawled on. This was nearing the end of his many hour speech. Some of the speech had been about Mother, but the for the most part it was more of adding "Lady Kya" into the areas that could describe just about anyone in the Kingdom. Part of the speech had been about dying, and the rest had been about giving grievance to the the country and its rulers, King Iroh, Prince Lu Ten and Prince Zuko, and the rest of the royal family.

Father reached for my hand; it was clammy and really warm. It was disturbing. I wished Sokka could stand with us instead of standing at arms by the casket. His face was stern, but you could see his eyes, blue just like mine, just like Mothers, were shining bright with held back tears.

I pulled my hand out of Fathers grasp and moved a step away. He closed the distance and took my hand again. I wish he wold just go away, I wanted my brother and Kanna.

Mothers casket was made out of s highly polished cherry wood, with white and soft blue lace coming out above the edges; the sides were carved with fairies and waves and it seemed to beautiful for any other person then my Mother. I could only wish that the fairies would come out of the wood, to cast a spell, to bring her back to life. Or a spell to send my Father away. Or I could find my fairy godmother could do it; if I could ever find her.

When the High Monk finished his speech, it was my job, since Sokka could not leave his post, to close the casket lid. At last the drawling of the monotonous man stopped, and Father pushed me forward. I took slow steps, wishing that I was holding my brothers hand, wishing that this wasn't happening, wishing for so many things.

Looking into Mother casket, I didn't see the beautiful woman that birthed me, I didn't see the laughter in her eyes, the smile on her lips, the rosy tinge to her cheeks; all I could see at the moment was the stern set of her mouth, the white parlor of skin underneath the rogue that someone attempted to paint her cheeks with. It was horrible. But the worst part was that the whole hall was completely silent as I looked at my mother for one last time. The worst part was the sound the lid made when I lowered it, to its final place.

The tears I had kept at bay finally erupted. I stood there, over my Mothers coffin, balling my eyes out in front of the whole court, in front of the Royal family. I didn't see, more felt, Sokka take a step towards me, but it was Father who beat him to my side. He pressed me against his chest and tried to rub circles around my back. It must have seem that he was trying to comfort me, but it wasn't working. He was really trying to muffle the sound of my sobbing, which couldn't be muffled. I had just lost my Mother, no one would be able to muffle the sound of a broken heart.

Father let me go abruptly; placing a kiss on my forehead, he whispered sharply, "Get out of here. Come find me when you can behave yourself."

That was one command that I was more then willing to obey.

I turned away from him, blinded from the all the tears, and I ran.

I was tripped by my heavy black gown, but before anyone could make a move to help me up, I was on my feet and my skirts balled in my fists. My knees were smarting but I didn't care. I needed to get out of here.

I raced through the graveyard to the biggest tree I could see. It was a weeping willow tree. I plunged myself into the leaves, and threw myself onto the ground.

I remember people talking about how the weeping willow trees are also called, the crying trees, or the losing mother. But my Mother wasn't lost. She was gone, no matter where I went – to the Cardinal Temples, to the Auroras in the Poles, another town, another country, another Kingdom – my Mother is gone. I would never find her again.

We would never talk again, laugh at the servants reactions to the pranks we played on them. We would never swim in Lake Kyoshi again. Or slide down the banisters, or a million other things. She was gone. And I was alone.

I cried myself out, telling myself that I wasn't alone.. I had Kanna, the grandmother I never had, Sokka, the best brother I could have asked for, even though he isn't around as much as I would like. I even had Father, who I never really ever got to know because he was always traveling.

Sitting up, I glanced down to my gown. It went from a silky black to a clay and dirt tan. As Kanna would say, I was a spectacle for sure.

How much time went by? I knew I had to go back soon. The curse was nagging at me, Father had told me to go find him when I was done crying.

Outside the privacy of my tree, I saw Prince Zuko standing looking down at a tombstone. Even through he was only a few years older then I, around Sokka's age if I remember correctly, he just seemed so regal and older. He was tall, standing outside of the protection of the tree, and he was standing feet apart and hands behind his back. He looked more like his Mother, the Lady Ursa, then his Father, the deceased Prince Ozai. The prince was sure a looker, with sharp cheekbones, piercing amber eyes, but yet the soft wave of his hair made him just seem like a little kid still. Everyone one in the kingdom must have had a crush on this man at some point of time.

"A cousin of mine," he said, motioning towards the tombstone he was standing over, "Never really liked him. But I liked your mother." He started back towards Mother's grave.

Was I supposed to follow him? Did he expect me too? Was I supposed to keep a respectful distance between himself and I?

I got up off the ground and started to follow him. With at least a carriage distance between us, I walked with him. Slowing down, he actually allowed me to catch up to him, and he even walked a little closer to me.

"I am Zuko," he said, almost awkwardly.. It was kind of cute.

"I know, your highness." I replied, looking down to the ground.

"You can just call me Zuko. You don't need to use such formalities." Prince –No, Zuko – said. "Friends don't need to call me 'Highness'."

I am a friend? He considers me a friend?

"Thank you." I said.

"Thank you, Zuko," he countered, then he smiled a bit. "Your mother used to make me laugh. Once at a banquet, Monk Geytso was making a speech, and while he talked, your mother was fussing around with her napkin. Before your Father, Sir Hakoda took it and smashed it, I was able to see that she had arranged it to look like Monk Geytso. It would have looked exactly like him if he was the shade of a bright orange napkin. I had to leave the banquet, without dinner, so I could go out and laugh."

We were halfway back to the grave site. I could make out one figure standing next to a carriage.

"Where did everyone go?" I asked.

"They all left before I came to search for you." He paused, "Did you want them to wait?"

He seemed a little worried.

"No, it is fine. I would have wanted everyone to go."

There was a silence between us, only briefly.

"I know all about you." Zuko said, to bring up another conversation. He seemed a little less awkward now that we were a little more conversed with each other.

"You do? How?" My steps faltered only a little. I was surprised about the bold statement.

"Yes I do. My cook and your cook meet at the market and they talk about you," he looked sideways to me. "Do you know much about me?"

"No, I don't I am sorry." Kanna never mentioned him. Maybe I should ask her to tell me some stories about the royal Prince sometime. I almost wish to know him more.

"No need to be sorry."

"So, what do you know about me?" I asked, curious about what Kanna had shared.

"Well, I know that you can imitate people, just like Lady Kya could. I know that once you imitated your manservant in front of him and he didn't know if you were the servant or him. I know that that you make up your own fairy-tales, and that you drop things, and trip over things. I know that you once broke a good set of chinaware."

I my lips curved upwards slightly, not truly a smile, " I slipped on ice!"

"Ice chips that you had spilled before you slipped on them!" He laughed. It was not ridiculing at all. It was a happy laugh at a good joke.

"An accident!" I protested, smiling a little bit more. I was trembling still, after all that crying.

We had arrived at the carriage and my Father.

"Thank you for ushering my daughter back, your highness," My Father bowed.

Zuko returned the bow.

"Come, Katara," My Father said to me.

Katara, no had called me that before, even though it is my real name. Mother and Kanna never called me that even when I was in trouble. It was so weird to hear.

"Tara," I retorted, "I am Tara."

"OK, then, come, Tara,"

He bowed once again to the Prince and stepped in to the carriage.

I had to go. Father gave me a command. Zuko handed me in to the carriage. I didn't know whether to give him my hand or let him push me up. It ended up that he had a hold on my elbow as I grasped the side of the door. When he closed the door I caught my skirt and then we all heard a loud ripping sound. Father winced. I saw Zuko through the window and he was laughing again. I turned the skirt to look at it. There was a gash about 6 to 8 inched above the hem. Song would have a field day trying to make it smooth again.

As the carriage started to move, I managed to sit as far away from Father as I could. Once again I was wishing for Sokka to be here with me instead of him. Staring out the window I tried to ignore Father. It didn't quite work out.

"A fine affair. All of the kingdom came, everyone that counts anyways," he said, as though the funeral for my Mother, for his wife, was something such like a ball or jousting tournament.

"It wasn't fine. It was awful." I said, not looking towards him. How could Mother's funeral be fine?

"The young prince was kind to you."

"He liked Mother."

"Your Mother was a beautiful woman." He sounded regretful. "I am so sorry that she is dead."

The carriage hit a bump, and the ceased the rest of the conversations for the rest of the ride home.