Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar or any of its characters…oh well.

P.S. I'm really glad to be back. My computer is up and running. I also vowed to make up all the lost time and give you guys some Zutara action in this one. Not too intense, but enough to satisfy. Mostly just getting used to each other and thinking about it. WOOT!

Also, in these chapters some people will be speaking a different language, however I made this language up. It may sound or look Japanese, but it is not. I promise. I'm not that crazy.

Special Thanks:

-Dolphin Water

-crazed inuyashafan girl

-fragile246

-DemonDaughter

-lilbunnybo

-wolfhorse

-SarahE7191

Friend or Foe?

As they opened the large, hand-carved doors all went silent. Inside was a large room intended for prayer and worship of the Sun God and Fire Goddess. There was a stately altar in the back featuring huge carved statues of the famous spirits of the Fire Nation. Dragons entwined and twisted around the room's ceiling and two people were at the altar praying. The torches inside made everything glow with a surreal and supernatural essence. Surprisingly enough, the torches did little to light the room. Instead, they just cast more shadows.

Aang, Katara, and Sokka walked in cautiously so as not to disturb the two people. If there's one thing Aang learned about the Fire Nation, it's that you never disturb anyone while they're praying. Just as they started to come closer, the two people turned around to face them. One had firey red hair and amber brown eyes. She seemed very welcoming and motherly in a way. The other had much harsher features. Her raven-black hair and scarlet eyes were piercing and somewhat cruel.

"What the hell are you three doing in here? It's off limits right now. Everyone in the village was told to stay away. Beat it!" Aang was taken back by the black-haired girl's brash words. But snapped back himself.

"If it's off limits, then why are you two here in the first place?" Aang grinned knowing he had her in a tough spot.

"We were assigned to watch over the temple in case any earthbending soldiers came looking for this guy." She pointed over to an earthbending soldier who appeared to be badly wounded.

"What are you going to do with him!" Sokka yelled at the raven-haired girl.

"It's also our duty to take care of him you know! You think we're going to torture him or something! What do you take us for! We're helping him!"

Everyone was silent. Tension filled the air with a thick and musty scent. It was driving Aang mad, but just as he was about to speak, she continued.

"Where are you three from anyway. I've lived in this village my whole life and I've never seen your faces before. Who are you?"

Aang, Katara, and Sokka eyed each other nervously. "Our names are Ashenji, Zynda, and Zopher. We're from a northern village close to the border of the Earth Kingdom. We were on our way to visit a relative and decided to pray for a safe journey before departing this village. Okay?" Katara replied with a hint of danger in her voice. Her eyes caught with the dark-haired girl's and they started glaring daggers at one another.

Sokka sensed the death in their stares and prayed to whatever spirits were watching that his sister wouldn't waterbend. If she did, it would be their death sentence.

"Karasu! What in Agni's name do you think you're doing!" The three teenagers whirled around to see Zuko standing in the doorway, hands placed firmly on his hips and eyes blazing. The two Fire Nation girls got up and approached him.

"We were justing asking them who they were and what their business was. That's all."

"I don't care if that's what you're doing!" Zuko shouted. "They are MY honored guests. Uncle Iroh and I are escorting them to their relative's house tomorrow morning. They had no idea that the temple was off limits. Honestly Karasu. Even if they're strangers you should still treat them well. You can't just keep yelling at everyone around here!" Zuko sighed and rubbed his head.

Katara was speechless. Prince Zuko was defending them. This whole day seemed like a strange dream to her. Prince Zuko had been nothing less than charming the whole day and the Fire Nation people were helping an earthbending soldier. She wondered if she was going to wake up soon and everything would turn back to normal. Fire Nation people would become the brunt of every joke and Prince Zuko would hate them again. Although now that she was seeing this, she realized that she didn't want to wake up. This dream was really...refreshing. It was nice to see Prince Zuko acting like the handsome Prince charming he was supposed to be.

Zuko's shouting awoke her from her daydream. "Karasu! I demand that you apologize to these people now!" Karasu bit her bottom lip.

"Why should I listen to you! It's not like you're a prince anymore!" As soon as the words escaped her mouth her eyes widened and she covered her mouth. She knew she crossed forbidden territory with that remark. "Z...Zuko, I'm sorry. It just slipped out. I didn't mean to-"

"Stop it. You're just making it worse." Zuko's head was bowed down. His eyes couldn't be seen from the shadow that was cast on his face. "Get out."

"But...Zuko."

"I SAID GET OUT!" Fire erupted from his mouth and steam came out of his nostrils. His eyes blazed with a dangerous heat. Karasu stood up and bowed to Aang, Katara, and Sokka muttering a simple "sorry" and "good bye." Then she quickly gathered up her things and walked out of the temple.

Zuko's eyes soon calmed and his composure returned. He slowly walked towards the red-haired girl who gave him a strange look. "I did it again, didn't I?" He said.

"You sure as hell did." She said angrily. "Why do you always yell at her like that. She values your opinion more than anyone else's I know. And you just blow up in her face."

"She shouldn't have said that to me then."

"You may be right, but you could have handled that better don't you think? You better patch things up with her immediately or she won't forgive you. She's stubborn you know."

"I know!" Zuko said in almost a whisper. "She and I are just too much alike I guess. That's why we fight all the time."

"Yes Zuko, you two are a lot alike, but that's not why you fight. It's because you hate yourself that you fight."

Aang, Katara, and Sokka froze. They had never thought of it that way. They had always assumed that people who fought were too much like each other to get along, but maybe there's more to it than that. Maybe this red-haired girl was right. Maybe Zuko just didn't like himself. Katara didn't want to think of Zuko as a person with feelings. If she did that, then she would have to have sympathy for him. He was her enemy. She would have to remember that soon or she would become really confused, really fast.

Zuko just nodded his head and said he was going to find Karasu to apologize. With that he abruptly left the temple. The red-haired girl let out a sigh.

"Sorry about that. Those two are just hot-headed sometimes. Everything will be alright though. They always work things out between themselves. My name is Hinoiri. It's a pleasure to meet you." She gracefully bowed before them as was common in the Fire Nation. "Is there anything I can do for you three?"

"No, I think we're okay."

"Very well then. I'll just leave you three to pray now. Good night." She bowed once more and left the temple. The three teens looked at each other and smiled.

"JACK-POT!" They shouted.

"Who would have thought that Fire Nationers were so stupid that they'd just leave their prisoner unattended!" Sokka shouted.

"Yeah seriously!" Katara laughed.

"Um guys." Sokka and Katara turned to face Aang. "What if it's a trap. This is way to easy." Sokka and Katara eyed each other and thought about it.

"I mean, Fire Nation people aren't stupid right?"

"You're certainly right."

All three teenagers gasped as they saw General Iroh enter the room. "But maybe if you three stopped to think about it, you might realize that there isn't a trap. There isn't a single Fire Nation soldier in this entire village. Did you three consider that the villagers might have just found a wounded soldier and nursed him back to health in the most quiet and solitary place they could think of?"

"Wait, you know who we are don't you..."

"Of course I do. I'm not as stupid as Zuko." They chuckled at his joke. "I've seen you three too many times to not be able to recognize you. I knew it was you right away."

"Well, then how can we trust you! You've been chasing us down. Why should we listen to your advice?" Sokka yelled.

"You know, I hadn't thought of that." He started to laugh hysterically at his own mistake. "I guess I should have taken that into consideration too. But know this Avatar. Zuko and I are not your enemy. My brother and niece are the real enemies. We have been trying to chase you down to keep you away from them. We have a common enemy." With that, he left.

Aang, and Sokka picked up the soldier and carried him out as Katara followed behind. They made their way through the village and out into the dense forest.

Zuko's eyes watched them carefully as they left with the soldier. "It's about time they took him out of here."

"What do you want us to do Zuko?" Karazu asked softly.

"Follow them. Make sure that Azula doesn't spot them. Hinoiri, go with her." Hinoiri and Karasu bowed and left.

"What should I do brother?" Jayzen asked.

"Stay with me. We have some important business to attend to." Zuko then bent down and kissed Nani on the forehead.

"Good bye, Nani."

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

Oh boy important business? READ AND REVIEW! YOU KNOW THE DRILL!