Zuko looked inside and saw lots of men in green everywhere, drinking, laughing, some in corners sulking and some were fighting. He knew they were earthbenders. Probably the ones who were criminals or else why would they have a bar in the middle of a forrest in water tribe kingdom territory? There was a stage with a piano but no one was playing. He continued to study the room and looked at the men. Only then did he notice everyone staring at them. The old man from before came back and stepped between the two, putting his surprisingly muscly arms on both Katara and Zuko's shoulders

"Have fun!" He said snorting, letting them go.

Someone from the back yelled out

"Hey! I think I know you!"

The crowd looked towards the man that yelled out, who was pointing his finger at Zuko. Hiding his character, he replied calmly,

"Umm, you must be mistaken. I'm traveling; I'm not from around here."

"Yeah, but your face looks familiar" he said drunkenly. Then another man rose from his seat pointing at Zuko with his dagger,

"Yeah, I think I've seen you too."

Then everyone started murmuring, some agreeing and rising from their seats. The old man backed away from them and suddenly everyone began circling Zuko.

Zuko already knew that if they were to find out he was the prince in disguise, the air and earth kingdom's thief; he wouldn't see the light of day. They came closer, inspecting him and then suddenly, their eyes bulged opened. Their shock turned into sneers and snickers. Zuko was already sweating for he knew he couldn't win this fight. He then felt two large arms wrap around his arms and torso, keeping him in place.

"You're going nowhere…"

Now he was angry. It was stupid to come down here and expect nothing to happen. He couldn't see his capturer, but could sense that the man was huge. But then, everyone's snickering about putting him in his rightful place stopped abruptly. A young small girl stepped into the circle and stepped in front of him.

"You're not getting away with this"

The girl laughed. She didn't seem intimidated by him at all, rather, she looked amused.

"So you're the banished prince every nation wants as prisoner. You don't look as tough as they say."

"Why you-"

"Calm down sparky, I'm blind. I actually can't see how tough you look. But based on how whiny you are, you really don't sound tough at all" She smirked but he got even angrier.

"Look. The boys here need money and the treasures right 'ere. If I don't take this chance at getting money it means I'm stupid. And one thing's for sure. I don't act stupid…Well, not when I want to anyway"

She signaled a young boy with a moustache to get the guards

Zuko looked at the piece of rock in horror anticipation that she began to slowly bring up to his face. Not the nose…"

The piece of earth smashed onto to the floor beside them and everyone turned to look at the intruder. Zuko's jaw dropped

"PUT HIM DOWN!"

They stared at her in silence, no one moving.

"Look, I don't know where I am but I need Him to take me to see the floating lights cause I've been dreaming about this my entire life!...Find your HUMANITY. Haven't you ever had a dream?"

Zuko stared at her, grateful for saving his life but also because he was just so shocked. The girl in front of him stepped towards her. He was about to tell the girl to run, to defend herself because she was going to be toast! But the girl simply stopped in front of her and said

"I had a dream, once."

She suddenly sent a piece of rock towards a man sitting with a cart full of cabbages, who also had a harmonica in his lap. He began to play. And she began to sing.

What?

The people in the bar began to sing along, and Katara looked as shocked as he was. Was this rehearsed or something? How had the girl gone from threatning him to singing cheerfully? When had this happened? Was that piano always there? Why is there a man sitting on the piano singing too?

Everyone was singing about their dreams and seemed so much happier, free, like they've waited so long to let that out for very long. In a weird way, he felt kind of bad for them. They seem like people who wouldn't think about these things, yet Katara managed to get it out of them. He was surprised to no longer feel the crushing grip on his arms anymore, but then the man who had been holding him put him on a rack.

"You stay right here"

Zuko gave him an annoyed look. He couldn't go anywhere, why are you making it even more painfully obvious?

I hate this place

"Jet would like to quit and be a florist

Haru does interior design

Boulder's into mime

Attila's cupcakes are sublime

Bruiser knits

Killer sews

Fang does little puppet shows"

And then the girl stops, brings her hand toward the old man in the center of the room

"And Bumi here collects ceramic unicorns!"

Zuko watched everyone do their thing, even the man who had been holding him, the boulder, do some mime trick. The old man from before had two tiny unicorns in his hands and was signaling something to Katara. She looked towards him and she was blushing. She looked cute when she was blushing. Then everyone's eyes were on him

"What?"

"What's your dream?" the young girl asked from way over there, by the piano. The boulder brought him down. He finally got the gist but refused.

"Oh no, no, no. I don't sing."

Then everyone's weapons were pointing at his face, and really, there's nothing he could have done in the moment. With sudden urgency he improvised

"I have dreams, like you – no, really!

Just much less touchy-feely

They mainly happen somewhere

Warm and sunny"

It was true, he did want to back to the fire nation

"On an island that I own

Tanned and rested and alone!

Surrounded by enormous piles of money"

He did want his throne back, and had always wished to be a little less pale.

Some men cheered and the beat continued. Then when he thought the situation couldn't get any weirder, Katara jumped onto the table smiling so radiantly and sang

"I've got a dream!

The crowd sang back

"She's got a dream!"

"I just want to see the floating

Lanterns gleam!"

"Yeah!"

"And with every passing hour

I'm so glad I left my tower –

Like all you lovely folks

I've got a dream!"

The passion in her voice was not missed by Zuko. He could truly see this meant something to her, that she really did want this. He didn't know why, but in that moment, he made it his resolution to help her fulfill it.

"…a dream!"

"…got a dream!"

"…I've got a dream!"

"Yes way down deep"

"Inside, I've got a dream!"

They cheered one last time and laughed. Katara jumped off the table and seemed to be looking for someone. She caught sight of him and gave him a grin. He was taken aback, but smiled back. But then, Haru ran down the stairs and yelled out

"I found the guards!"

Zuko didn't waste any time to hide. He grabbed her tiny wrist and pulled her underneath the bar. He could hear several steps and decide to look at who came.

One water kingdom guard, three fire nation guards? Behind them, the biggest surprise. His sister, Azula, his ex-girlfriend, Mai and Ty lee the other friend. Why were they here? What where they doing? Why now? The questions pooled in his head so he ducked. He saw that the girl who had sung was making a tunnel under the ground. The girl pointed inside

"This'll lead you out. Be quick so they don't discover you."

Katara hugged her and she hugged back.

"Thank you so much…I never got your name"

"Toph." She said smiling sweetly. Zuko couldn't wait any longer. They needed to go, now. He pulled Katara's wrist. She looked reluctant but started forward with him.

Toph whispered "Go, live your dream"

"I will." Zuko replied too fast.

"I was talking to her sparky. Your dream sucks"

Katara laughed quietly and thanked her again. Zuko was very worried. They entered the dark tunnel, unprepared for what was going to come.