Urgh, finals are torture... Just felt like sharing with you all.

Don't own Avatar, Nick and the creators do. Rated for language, fluff, and violence.

Zuko was awake in a flash, crouched like a tiger. Katara flung herself into the little nook, clinging to Sokka for protection. The fireball came closer, and as it did it illuminated the face of its carrier. The face looked tired beyond reason, but his eyes still twinkled merrily. "Uncle!" Zuko stood up and swiftly embraced the newcomer. Feeling the other's eyes on him, he swiftly ended the hug and glared at his uncle.

"Tell me what is going on, uncle."

"Who, who are you?" Sokka stuttered, keeping Katara and Aang in his bear-like hug. "You had fire coming out of your hands!"

Still watching his uncle with a wary eye, Zuko said, "This is my uncle, Iroh. He is the one who gave me that necklace."

Aang perked up. "Do you know what's going on?"

"Oh no you don't!" Sokka yanked Aang back as Aang tried to introduce himself. "He had fire coming out of his hands. That's unnatural. I don't trust him."

"Sokka, what if what Zuko said was really true?" Katara implored, also trying to free herself from the clutches of her brother to goggle at this fire-wielding apparition. "Zuko did say there were firebenders."

"Katara! There is no such thing as magic! Use your sense!"

"It's not magic." Iroh stated calmly. "It's bending, infinitely different from magic. Us benders cannot make things appear, we can only change that which is already there."

"Magic." Sokka growled.

"Wait a minute!" Zuko's rage was starting up again. "US benders? You are a bender? Uncle! I demand an explanation."

Iroh's face grew drawn, and his shoulders slumped. Katara finally shrugged off Sokka's hold and went to stand next to the elder man, who seemed as if he had taken the entire world upon his back. Looking into his eyes, she saw pain, sorrow, and just a little desperation in them. "I really think we need to know what's going on." She told him gently. "We don't know anything, I'm still not sure if this isn't just an insane dream. But, reality or no, we need answers."

Iroh's eyes filled with tears. Zuko looked at his uncle in astonishment. Never in his life had he seen this man he idolized cry. Not a single moment in his life had this man wavered. Now, this girl who had just met him, could reduce him to tears? Zuko was shamed. Her kindness did what his impulsive anger could never hope to do. Zuko growled in frustration and walked into the forest.

"Nephew! That is not safe!" Iroh tried to go after him.

Then, unexpectedly, "Let me." Sokka disentangled himself from Aang and stood up. "I think Zuko really needs someone his age to help him right now."

"Sokka! It's not safe!" Katara and Aang said at the same time. "JINX! Youowemeasoda!"

"Do not!"

"Do to!"

"Well, you've owed me like, 5 sodas since last year."

"Well, you owe me at least half a dozen. That means you have to give me 2."

"You moron! 6-51!" By the time their bickering had stopped, Sokka had already disappeared and Iroh was giving the odd couple a bemused stare. Aang and Katara blushed.

"You still owe me." Aang whispered out of the side of his mouth when he thought Iroh wasn't looking.

"Hey, Zuko!" Sokka called, relieved to have finally found his schoolmate. "What's wrong? You just suddenly flipped out."

"As if I'd tell you." Zuko shot Sokka a smoldering stare. "I barely even know you."

"C'mon." Sokka chided. "If not me, then who will you confide in? Katara, Aang? Your friends from school sure as hell ain't here."

"I have no friends."

"Sure you do." Sokka gave a little laugh, until he saw the fire smoldering behind Zuko's eyes. "You're serious?" He asked, stunned. "No way, you're the most popular guy at school. You've always got those guys hanging around you..."

"You call those friends?" Zuko sneered. "All they want is to snare one of those empty-headed morons who are always following me."

"Wow." Was all Sokka could say. After a moment's hesitation, "I could be your friend."

"I don't have time for friends."

"Dude! You're in high school! Just relax for a bit, get to know a few people. Not all the girls are so stupid, that Jun is intelligent, pretty to boot. I see her eyeing you at school..."

Zuko glared at Sokka contemptuously. "You wouldn't understand."

"You could explain. I know about your dad, at least that is if the rumors are true."

"Oh, you do, do you?" Zuko's eyes narrowed. "Do you know about my sister? About my mother? No, someone like you who has had a loving family would never understand."

Sokka looked startled. It was true, the orphanage was as much a family to him as his sister was. But, he did not know that Zuko had a sister. Judging from his reaction, it looked like Zuko was not as close with his sister as Sokka was with Katara. "Why can't you just tell me? I can guarantee it that you will feel better."

Zuko just leaned up against a tree, his arms crossed moodily. Sokka just gave up. It was obvious this egotistical jerk could never relate to him. He turned to go.

"My sister, Zula. She goes to a special school for gifted girls."

"So?" Sokka turned back, interested.

Zuko sighed. "My sister. She's always been a sort of prodigy. She was always perfect at everything she tried. I could never beat her at anything, even if she is a year younger than me. My father made it clear that he loved my sister more than me. That's the real reason he wanted to send me to boot camp. He just wanted me to go away. I still wonder if I made the right decision, telling him I wouldn't go..." Zuko stared off into space, and started when he felt someone's hand on his arm.

"That must be hard." Sokka said, trying to understand all of what Zuko was going through. "Both of my parents, they're dead, you know. I'm sure your father loves you. Maybe he just doesn't know how to show it."

"Yeah, right." Zuko scowled ferociously. "He won't love me until I can prove to him that I can be better than my sister."

"What about your mother?" Sokka remembered Zuko mentioning her.

"She's dead." Zuko said shortly.

"What happened?"

Zuko's look could have withered Sokka where he stood. "Let's go back. The sun is starting to come up." Inwardly, Sokka cursed himself. He'd gone too far, been too personal with someone who was obviously unused to a relationship of any kind. This friendship would have to be taken much slower, the mysteries around this teen was too complex for Sokka to even begin to fathom. Dejectedly, Sokka fell into step behind Zuko as they walked back to camp.

A/N-

Well, that chapter didn't explain much, but oh well. Explanations will come later, once I actually have a few seconds of spare time to work out all the knots.