Author's Note: Only one day up, and already someone following this? Well then, here's Chapter 2, I guess. Thanks to everyone who follows and please review!

At an abandoned house in the Earth Kingdom, 100 years after Sozin's Comet

When Mori returned her eyes lit up as she saw her Sifu standing outside the house. Apparently, he was teaching Zuko something. He held a stick in his hands, drawing something on the ground. Once she got closer, she could hear him talk about the four nations. Quietly she added, and of course, there are people outside the norm, people like me.

She thought briefly of her home. Mori missed her family terribly and seeing her siblings again, even for such a brief moment, had worried her a great deal. If they were travelling with the Avatar, where was her father? Also, travelling with the airbender meant possibly fighting with Zuko, it meant that the only person she called a friend at least had tried to capture them, possibly even killing them, if he wasn't still up to this, that was. Misery washed over her, but she quickly hid it. Her companions mustn't see it.

Just as she heard Iroh say, "The people of the water tribe are capable of adapting to many things. They have a deep sense of community and love that holds them together through anything.", Mori appeared behind Zuko, earning a small smile from her Sifu.

Zuko looked at him questioningly, "Why are you telling me these things?"

Mori couldn't withstand the opportunity and laid her hands on his shoulders, bowed down to him and half whispered in his ear, "He tells you, so you learn it.", Zuko had not heard her coming and jumped. Iroh and Mori tried to stifle their laughter at the embarrassed prince. Mori stretched out a hand to help him up again.

While Zuko brushed off the dirt, trying to regain what was left of his dignity, his uncle continued the lesson, "It is important to draw wisdom from many different places. If you take it from only one place, it becomes rigid and stale. Understanding others, the other elements, and the other nations will help you become whole."

Zuko shot Mori an uneasy look. She had taken a seat next to him and listened carefully to what Iroh said, even though, Zuko had a feeling that she had heard it before. Then she quickly bowed down to her backpack and handed him a small bowl filled with various berries. She smiled at him as she filled one for herself and one for Iroh. Impossible, he thought, how could he understand other nations if even the person sitting next to him was an enigma to him. Over all those years he never learned where she came from, who her parents were, if she had family at all. She was just Iroh's student, always calm, always friendly, always smiling and caring. He sighed. Zuko forbid his thoughts to travel further. Yes, she was always nice to him, but it was just friendship, wasn't it? Compared to her, he always felt so humbled, she would never… He shook the thoughts out of his head, "All this four elements talk is sounding like Avatar stuff."

"It is the combination of the four elements in one person that makes the Avatar so powerful. But it can make you powerful too. You see, the technique I'm about to teach you is one I learned by studying the waterbenders.", Mori grinned as her Sifu said that. She remembered how fearful she had been when her Sifu had found her, until he told her that he had water tribe friends. To prove it, he handed her a scroll made in the Northern Water Tribe, depicting bending techniques. He explained to her that he was friends with a great master, Pakku. Her Sifu then told her that he was currently studying those scrolls, because he had a theory of the same technique used in firebending. This fascinated the little firebender and she finally opened up to him. She didn't know why, but it gave her hope that not everything was lost, that there were friendly people in all nations, and most importantly that this meant that there was a chance, however small it seemed, that she once could return to her family.

Iroh then began to teach Zuko how to redirect lightning. Mori decided to let them do that alone and excused herself, going out to fish. Someone had to care about their survival. She sat down on a rock near a small lake and began fishing. Her thoughts quickly trailed off. The worries about her family got back on her, and she also worried about Zuko. Sure, he could be a true jerk sometimes, but then again, he had his moments. They were close, sometimes she wondered if they had been closer three years ago. Maybe they just grew up a lot in the meantime, getting more complicated along the way each for themselves. Three years ago, it seemed easy. She had developed feelings for him that went beyond friendship. She was aware of that, even if she didn't tell her Sifu. Mori had prepared herself to tell him. Easy, just talk. But then the day of his Agni Kai came, and everything changed.

She had thought that maybe, over the course of three years those feelings would be gone. Just some silly thing you had as a child on the verge of becoming a teenager. But since she joined them again, everything came back to her, the friendship but also those other feelings. She sighed. She couldn't tell him, could she? Her gaze hardened. It was still war, she had to put her feelings aside until it was over. Besides, he would never… Then again, she thought, could my heart stop missing a beat when he looks into my eyes? Mori reclined on the stone, maybe she was just a hormone-driven teenager after all.

The tanned girl quickly straightened herself as she heard somebody approaching. She turned towards the sounds and saw Zuko coming towards her. "Hey Mori, I, sort of, have an unusual request. There might be something where I need your help at."

She raised her eyebrows, "What is it, Zuko? I was about to catch dinner."

He looked confused, "I never knew you could fish."

Mori shrugged her shoulders, "Of course, I can. My dad taught me when I was still small, just old enough to hold onto a line.", it was the first time he heard her talk about her family.

Quickly he sat down next to her, "You never talked about your family in all that time we know each other. Your family, how are they?"

She was surprised to see him actually care. Her face went sad when she said, "I don't know. The last time I saw them was over a decade past. I was informed that my mother died a few years ago, but that was about it."

His eyes widened. He did not expect her to have a complicated family. Zuko had always assumed that since she didn't tell anything about her family, that there was just that, nothing. Or maybe just her parents, proud for their daughter to be trained by the Dragon of the West. Never would he have thought that the smile she always wore hid such a deep sadness as he had just seen. His voice was almost a whisper as he said, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked."

Still sad she smiled at him, "It's okay, really. I wonder that you didn't ask earlier. But enough of me, you said, you needed help? What can I do for you?"

He took a deep breath, "Uncle just taught me how to redirect lightning, so I wondered, if you could shoot some at me, so I could train it."

Her expression changed in an instant to pure fear, she shook her head, "No way, Zuko. Forget it. This is too dangerous. If I hit you and you fail to redirect it… No, Zuko, I can't do that."

Angrily he looked at the ground, "Uncle said the same. Gah, you're all just cowards.", he said before he stormed off. She heard him take the ostrich-horse and sighed. What could he be up to? Mori pulled a fish from the lake and packed her things. At the house she found her Sifu and gave him the fish, before storming out herself, following the animal's tracks.

It was way after sunset when she saw the sky getting darker. Of course, since nobody wanted to shoot lightning at him, he would search for another stupid way to put his life in danger. Mori started to search for Zuko around some rocky plateaus. When she finally found him, the storm was already raging. Rain drenched her clothes and hair and yet, she only found him because she heard him scream. Since it was a scream of frustration, she was relieved, it was not one of pain after all. She climbed up to him and put a hand on his shoulder, her expression was clearly angered and slightly annoyed. Mori yelled over the storm, "What on earth do you think you're doing, you moron? Why do you always have these foolish ideas? What is it that makes you risk your life that easily? Do you have a death wish? Why can't you think about the people who love you for once?", Zuko was surprised to see her, even more at her anger and at the words she yelled at him.

"I can do whatever I want!", he shouted back at her. Then he heard something clap and suddenly his cheek felt a bit sore. Mori had just slapped him. Surprised he rubbed his cheek. "Hey, what the…", he had never seen her that angry, hardly angry at all.

She cut him off, breathing heavily, "Ugh, Zuko, sometimes you really are an ignorant jerk! I wonder why I even care enough to come out here to look for you!", he stared at her, taken aback. She turned around and started storming off, but then turned again sharply, grabbing his arm and pulling him with her towards the ostrich-horse.

Of course, he protested and tried to wriggle out of her grip, "Mori! Could you stop! Please, just for a moment!"

All of sudden she did stop, turning around to face him, "What?!", he saw her upper body widen with every breath, she must've been really agitated, "Don't try to tell me that you need to do this. Your uncle has lost enough, don't you think? Don't you get what you mean to that old man?"

Zuko was speechless for a moment. He looked into her eyes, searching for understanding, but found only anger in her blue eyes. Ashamed he looked to the ground. He got it, not necessary what he meant to his uncle, he had known that for a while, but he got what his uncle meant to her, how important he must've been to her. The banished prince understood that, maybe because she hadn't seen her own family in a long time, his uncle became her family. With the rain still drenching them he suddenly knelt down before her, not caring that his clothing would get dirty from the mud. He touched the ground with his forehead as he said, "I'm sorry, Mori. I'm a fool. I didn't just endanger myself, but you too, I didn't mean to do that."

He raised his head from the ground, still kneeling and looking at the place where his head had been a moment ago. Mud was smeared over his forehead. Suddenly he saw two dark brown boots. Mori knelt down in front of him, her anger had vanished from her face, she looked rather apologetically. With one hand she raised his chin, so he would look her in the eyes, with the other she wiped away the mud from his face. Then she hugged him tightly. He heard her sob as she cried into his shoulder. "I'm the one who should be sorry, Zuko. I totally overreacted. I don't know what's happening to me at the moment, since we met again, emotions I was always able to control keep crashing down on me.", she pulled away from the hug and looked in his eyes, "And I'm terribly sorry that I slapped you."

He cupped her face, wiping the tears away, smiling at her, "Ah, it was nothing, it doesn't even hurt anymore.", to his surprise she started to laugh while tears were still streaming down her face.

They sat like this in the rain and mud for a while, before Mori stood up and wiped her tears away. "We should really get going now. We're both drenched and dirty and there's a worried old man waiting for us."

A few days later, at the edge of the great desert

Her Sifu was throwing a tantrum, that much was clear. As they rode on the ostrich-horse he repeatedly groaned, grabbing his arm and wounded shoulder until they finally stopped to set up camp. It was beginning to drive Zuko mad, but Mori only smiled at the theatrical old man. Suddenly the animal started to become alarmed. Mori instantly scanned their surroundings, Zuko had noticed it too and entered a defensive stance.

Annoyed, Iroh asked, "What now?", as the Rough Rhinos appeared on both sides of their way. Iroh laid a reassuring hand on his nephew's shoulder as he said, "Colonel Mongke! What a pleasant surprise!", Mori smiled at her Sifu. That was one of his most used tactics these days, first be friendly, then if they don't respond, kick them. She was sure he would offer them tea soon.

Mongke repeated, "If you're really surprised we're here, the Dragon of the West has lost a few steps."

Zuko turned to his uncle, clearly surprised, "You know these guys?"

His uncle smiled at him, "Sure. Colonel Mongke and the Rough Rhinos are legendary. Each one is a different kind of weapon specialist.", in her thoughts, Mori added, this could be an interesting fight, then her Sifu continued, "They are also a very capable singing group."

"We're not here to give a concert.", the leader of the group intervened, "We're here to apprehend fugitives!"

Iroh was not impressed. He rubbed his arm and asked, "Would you like some tea first? I'd love some. How about you, Kahchi? I make you a jasmine man. Am I right?", Mori had to force herself not to giggle, indeed, he offered tea.

Annoyed by this whole talk, Colonel Mongke turned to his group, "Enough stalling! Round 'em up!"

Mori immediately launched towards a guy swinging a chain and ball. She dodged the chain, and it ended up wrapping the rider to his rhino. The girl jumped over the rhino, using the rider as a stepstone in between and then kicked the animal in its rear end, with a tiny bit of firebending, so it dashed off into the distance, dragging his rider along.

Meanwhile another soldier shot a lit arrow towards Zuko. He knocked it away and answered with a fire blast, burning the bow of the archer in halves. The leader of the group had taken aim at Iroh, shooting fire at him. As he was therefore distracted, Zuko ran over and jumped on the rhino behind the man, kicking him off his mount.

Seeing the Rough Rhinos almost defeated, Mori jumped on the ostrich-horse, helping first Iroh, then Zuko up. The last one was following them, throwing a grenade at them. The animal panicked, but Mori got it under control, and they sped away.

"It's nice to see old friends.", Iroh said, looking behind them.

Zuko answered angrily, "Too bad you don't have any old friends that don't want to attack you."

"Hmm, old friends that don't want to attack me…", Iroh said in a thinking voice. Mori smiled at that; she had a feeling what was to come.

Misty Palms Oasis, a few days later

As they walked towards an old tavern Mori felt like she was actually melting in the heat of the desert. She wished for nothing but a fan right now, and maybe something to drink. They passed a board with different "wanted"-posters, there was the Avatar, the former admiral Jeong Jeong and also the Blue Spirit, she shot a gaze over to Zuko. Blue Spirit? Like in "Love amongst Dragons", you say? Dual Dao Swords, aha… She did know that this "Spirit" had been him, how could she not. After all, she had been following them around for a long time. Also, Iroh knew it too. The old man was smarter than his nephew gave him credit for. And she knew that Zuko didn't know that they knew.

Two guys stood before the board, clearly not desert dwellers. Their clothing told it. Maybe bounty hunters, it would not surprise her, concerning how interested they were in the poster. First the one than the other turned towards them. Her eyes widened; she knew that look. Behind them a poster with Iroh's and Zuko's face appeared. Mori forced her face to turn around and tried to cover both men as much as possible. She put a hand on Iroh's shoulder, trying to get him to move faster.

Her worries weren't exactly calmed down when both men followed them into the crowded bar. Oblivious to the danger they were in, Iroh found himself a Pai Sho game and Zuko sat down beside him, being his grumpy self. Mori went off to get some drinks, which was more complicated than it seemed, concerning the crowded place. The gazes from one of the bounty hunters also unnerved her. It was not the same Iroh and Zuko had earned, but it showed another kind of interest. Disgusted she concentrated on the task at hand.

Once she finally held a small tablet with three glasses of water she began walking over to her companions when suddenly the man Iroh had played Pai Sho with, stood up and started yelling, "I knew it! You two are wanted criminals with a giant bounty on your heads!", immediately chaos broke out in the tavern. All of sudden, somebody rammed against Mori's tablet, causing all the water to wash over her head and upper body. She gasped for air but could make out Iroh and Zuko being led out of the tavern and quickly followed.

They entered a flower shop and Mori followed a few moments behind. The only thing she saw was a seemingly annoyed Zuko resting against a table. Surprised he looked at her, "What happened to you?"

She remembered that she was still dripping wet and quickly let down her hair, which had taken most of the water, and squeezed a good part of the liquid into a flowerpot, "I went to get us some drinks and in the chaos you caused someone ran into me and well, …", she gestured towards her wet hair and clothing. "Anyway, where's your uncle?"

Zuko just sat there and stared at her for a moment, he had never seen her hair down. It was black, even more so now that it was wet, and curly. The situation suddenly felt very intimate to him as he felt his cheeks burn. Her voice snapped him back into reality. "Zuko, what are you staring at? Where is your uncle?"

He choked, "Ah, uncle, he is in the back room. Some sort of secret meeting, members only. I-I'm sorry I stared, it's just, I think I've never seen your hair down.", she blushed and tucked a strain behind her ear. Suddenly she felt very shy. To save the situation somewhat, Zuko quickly added, "Don't worry, it's beautiful. I just wasn't used to it."

Before it could get more awkward the back-room door opened and Iroh came out. Zuko turned towards his uncle, "What's going on? Is the club meeting over?"

Iroh looked contently, "Everything is taken care of. We're heading to Ba Sing Se.", he bowed towards the flower shop owner and the other man did so as well.

Zuko was surprised by this, "Ba Sing Se? Why would we go to the Earth Kingdom capital?"

The shop owner answered, "The city is filled with refugees. No one will notice two or three more.", he smiled at Mori, who smiled back.

"We can hide in plain sight there. And it's the safest place in the world from the Fire Nation. Even I couldn't break through to the city.", Iroh said, happily shrugging his shoulders. A bell rang as someone entered the shop.

The young man held up two green pieces of paper, "I have the passports for our guests."

Surprised Zuko turned to his uncle, "No passport for Mori?"

She laid a hand on his arm, "Don't worry, I don't need one. You see, I travelled for quite a while and own one since before I met your uncle.", Zuko raised an eyebrow at that.

The young man continued, "We should think of a way to get you out of here unseen. There are two guys on the street looking for you.", Mori had an idea who he meant.

The flower shop owner gestured towards two big flowerpots and immediately Zuko and Iroh hid in them. Mori helped the shop owner to lift them onto his cart and they were ready to take off as the guys in question came up to her. "Hey Lady, did you see those guys? We saw you earlier in the tavern with them. Where are they?", the tanned man came uncomfortably close to her.

Mori smiled at him, "Oh, I just met them and had a little talk with two interesting strangers, nothing more. I don't know where they went after the chaos in the bar."

She tried to get onto the cart but was held back by Xin Fu. "So, so, you don't know anything, huh? Then maybe you could help us in another way.", by then he towered above her, pressing her against the flowerpot Zuko was hiding in. He could feel her panic just a few inches from him, but he couldn't do anything without blowing their covers.

Outside Mori closed her eyes, "Alright, come with me.", Zuko almost jumped out of the pot as he heard her say that. What was going on in her mind? Did she really just agree to… Maybe she had changed more than he thought in the past three years. Mori led both men in a small alleyway. No one was seen nor heard. When she was sure that no one would see or hear them she turned towards them and immediately started to attack. Careful not to use firebending, she used the closeness of the houses around her to her advantage over the bulky guy, as she used them to get over him, then she grabbed his arm and pulled him with her, causing him to fall over. Still holding his hand, she pulled it backwards until she heard something crack and him groan in pain. Then she kicked his head, sending him into unconsciousness. With one man still standing she launched at him with all her energy, kicking him with every step. He tried to earthbend at her, but she interrupted his doing, waving his arms away and then kicking him in the chest, causing him to tumble back outwards the alleyway. He finally came to lay behind the shop owner's cart.

From the inside of his flowerpot Zuko had not heard that much from the fighting, but suddenly heard someone groan and fall to the floor not far away from him. He smiled. Mori could really take care of herself.