Plop. Plop. Plop.

Rain had begun to fall on the boy's torn clothes, seeping to touch his skin. He shivered and continued his walk, finally finding refuge under a nicely extended tree. Rain had found it's ways through the leaves, but atleast it wasn't alot, just a few drips. His back faced the tree and placed a little alter infront of him, along with a picture of a young lady, maybe about mid-30's, who's black hair tumbled neatly downward with a half bun placed nicely towards the top of her head, gold eyes to match his, skin ever so light, and a fond smile perched on her. He too smiled at the picture that lay infront of him.

"Zuko?" said a familliar voice. He clenched his fist angrily as his peace had just been ruined.

"What do you want peasant." spat the angry boy back. Yet she calmly walked closer to him, all the while bending the water from her clothes.

"Nothing much. And stop calling me peasant. You're in the same situation as I am." she replied, now plopping down next to him. She held her knees in by her chest, hugging them.

"How did you find me?"

"Footprints."

"Figures. Now use those footprints to go back from where you came from and leave me alone."

"Cant. Rain washed them away. Oh well. Who's that?" she asked, pointing to the picture. He glanced at her and groaned.

"None of your bussiness. Now go away!"

"Who's that?" she asked again, completely ignoring his demand.

"I said that's none of your business! Now Go. Away!" he replied sternly.

"No. Not until you tell me who that is. And besides, can't you see it's raining hard out there!?"

"So? Aren't you a waterbender? Bend the rain away from you or something. Duh!?"

"But like I said, I'm not leaving until you tell me who that is."

"I don't have to tell you anything wench, if I--"

"Listen Zuko, you're traveling with us now. Whether or no you like it, you are in our level. As in, we don't have to take orders if we don't have too. We play equal and fair." she responded sternly. He groaned once again and glared. "Now, would just please tell me who that is!?"

"Fine." he gruffed. "That is, my mother."

"Oh. She's beautiful."

"Yeah, now leave."

"What happened to her?"

"What?"

"Geez, are you deaf of something? What happened to her?" she repeated.

"Why do you keep asking questions!? I've already told you one thing, so leave me in my peace." Yet she refused to budge. Instead, she sat there and stroke the blue locket that hanged right on her neck. "Hello? Why aren't you leaving yet?"

"I've lost my mother too." she finally spoke out, though sadly. "And I miss her." He looked at her, somewhat surprised at her statement. Then, looking at the blue locket she held, he remembered that day he found it and used it to persuade her to tell him where the Avatar was. She said it was her mother's necklace, but he really didn't care whose it was, or who her mother had been, or even what happened to her. Though now, this caught his attention.

"What happened to your mother?" he asked blankly.

"Oh, look who's asking questions now." She said sarcastically, chuckling a bit. "Well, my mother died."

"How?"

"A Fire Nation raid. I was only 8, yet I still remember it all too well. It's something no kid should ever see, their mother lying dead and hopeless on the cold ground." Tears slowly welled up in her eyes. "I just wish I could've helped."

"I wish I could've helped too."

"But you're nation was the one who started the war, how could you have--"

"I'm not talking about your situation, I'm talking about mine." he interjected.

"Sheeze! Sorry."

"My mother has also gone. Dead or alive, I have no knowledge of it."

"But you have a shrine, so she must be dead."

"I'm just assuming that since I haven't seen her since I was 10. I just remember this day as the day I've never seen her. This is a remembrance-anniversary for me."

"So then, what happened to her?" He sighed.

"Didn't I just say I don't know. She mysteriously vanished, and no one has ever told me where she is or what had happened to her."

"Do you wish she came back?"

"What kind of question is that!? Of course I do!"

"Well... atleast you don't have to go on knowing the fact that she is dead, and never coming back."

"As far as I'm assuming, she probably is. Why do you think I have a shrine up anyway?"

"Well then, why'd you're mother leave. Surely you must know that."

"That I do know of. My mother tried to protect me."

"From what?"

"Not a 'what', a 'who'. She tried to protect me from my father. He wanted to..."

"He wanted what?"

"To kill me." She gasped. She didn't know of anyone, any father, to be that cruel as to want to kill their own son. Especially the Fire Lord. "He's always viewed me as a failure, not good enough to take the throne. I was weak in his eyes, and throughout everything, I've learned to accept that. He doesn't love me, he never did."

"Zu--"

"To prove that he didn't, he even banished me, gave me--"

"That scar, I know. Iroh told us. You spoke out of turn in one of his council meetings, just to protect those troops the generals wanted to sacrifice, and for disrupting your father, he challenged you to an Agni Kai. Then he gave you that scar because you backed down and banished you until you found Aang."

"Exactly. And remind me to kill uncle for telling you without my permission," he said sarcastically. She managed to laugh a bit. Then, awkward silence got the both of them.

"She is very beautiful though." she spoke up once again, ponting to the picture. "You've gotten your looks from her, I guess."

"Should I be flattered?" he asked, causing her to blush.

"Um, I-I didn't mean to say it that way..."

"Oh, so now I'm ugly?"

"No, no! That's not what I meant! You're handsome, really!" She quickly covered her mouth as he looked surprised. Did I just actually say that!? sutpid, stupid, stupid she thought. He smirked.

"Thanks for admitting your feelings."

"What? Who said I actually meant that!?"

"Oh, so now I'm back to looking ugly again."

"No, you're not! You- oh forget it!" They both paused as they tried to come up with another thing to talk about.

"So, what was your mother like?"

"Just like me. Well, that's what everyone else would say."

"You mean a tempermental, hypocritical, whinning little brat?"

"HEY!"

"What? You said she was just like you."

"You didn't have to be me--"

"And I'm guessing she was beautiful too."

"Huh? What makes you say that? You have no idea what she looks like."

"She's just like you isn't she? And you probably got your looks from her, didn't you?"

"Oh... ahaha... um, yeah, i guess, so... thanks?" she blushed.

"Just returning the compliment since you called me both handsome and ugly."

"No, what I meant was--"

"Don't hurt yourself trying to explain what you meant."

"Fine!" she yelled back.

"Good." he replied sternly.

"Okay!" she yelled angrily again.

"Shut up." he said. She growled a bit before turning away.

"Stupid-anger management-intolerable-son-of-a-"

"I can hear you muttering you wench. And how dare you even try and call my mother that!"

"Not your mother, I mean your father."

"Oh, in that case, that seems reasonable. But like I said, I don't like being labeled his son. So would you just keep quiet and say those things in your head? Because I really want peace right now for my mom, and you've really seemed to disrupt it."

"Why you little--"

"Why'd don't you run along back to camp where you can find baldy-boy and do so--"

"Would you stop with the nicknames!? Sheeze, you're just as worse as Toph, or maybe worser. For once, could you call us by our real names? Even when you were still a 'Prince' chasing us, you never said our names. First of all, he's not 'baldy-boy' or 'the Avatar', his name is Aang. Aaaaanngg! Second, my name is not 'wench' or 'water-tribe girl', or 'peasant', it's Katara. Ka-ta-ra! Thirdly, Toph isn't 'Miss Prissy Pants', it's Toph. Topphh! And fourth, Sokka is not an 'idiot', 'stupid barbarian', 'boy-who-eats-all-things', and anything else you use to offend him. He's my brother, and his name is Sokka. So-kka! So get it straight!"

"Do I seriously look like I care? First, the avatar's name does not concern me. Second, neither does your name. Third, 'Miss Prissy Pants' uses nicknames too, and atleast I don't call you sugar-queen..."

"Like being called a 'peasant' is any better."

"Shut it, I'm talking. Anyway, fourth, those names perfectly describe that idiot brother of yours, and I therefore have no care towards him either."

"You're unbelievable, you know that!?"

"Yeah, I am. So once again I'm gonna tell you to, go-away."

"Why are you so angry all the time?"

"Why do you always keep on talking?"

"Well I'm just trying to be nice."

"You sure you're not trying to annoy the fire out of me instead?

"Nope, I'll leave Sokka to do that for me instead." she grinned. "Besides, I have better things to tend on than waste my day on you."

"So I'm worthless then?"

"No! That's not what I meant! I-- Why do you have to be so cynical!?"

"Why do you have to be so irratating!?"

"Well, why do you have to be so emo all the time, huh!? All you do is groan and sulk everywhere you go! Geez--"

"Just shut up already."

"-even when we try helping you, you don't wa-"

"shut up."

"so pessimistic about everything, the world doesn't revolve around you, you know!? there's s--mmpmpm?"

"..."

"..."

For a while Katara stood shocked. What the heck was he doing? Kissing her like that. That is so not like him ! But here he was, placing his lips on her. And after a moment, she relaxed and did the same. Though sadly, Zuko parted his lips away from her afterwards. He smirked.

"There, that should've made you shut up."

The she smirked.

"Actually, no. Why do you have to be so sur--mmpmpm" Back to kissing. Once more, Zuko's lips parted.

"Now will you shut up?"

"Hm... But seriously, I'm here and all you're doing it--"

"Are you trying to get me to kiss you again!?"

"Yes, yes I am." she grinned.

"Well, keep it up, and kissing you is not the only thing I'm going to be doing."