Disclaimer: If I owned the Avatar….would I be writing Fanfiction?

Zuke sat on her sleeping place with her knees against her chest and her arms wrapped around them, her hair was down because running hat fast things pulled at her hair and the tie fell out.

She was sobbing and trying to keep quiet, she had never felt so worthless in her life. Now that she was away from home she was just another face, just another body wandering from place to place hypnotized into the fantasy that most consider life.

The world seemed hopeless; no one cared for each other anymore everyone was just an object, something there for your own gain

Zuke's mother had always told her that the thing that was wrong with the planet is that nobody helped each other, she was right, no one cared or bothered.

Zuke gripped the necklace that was supposed to be around her neck, she gasped at finding her neck was bare. The necklace her best friend had given her to remember her by was now gone, lost for good in the forest.

She screamed at herself and insulted herself, she was now worthless to herself, if she cared so little as to loose something as sacred as that what was next?

Zuke sat crying for a while longer thinking about what a bad friend she was, and the horrible things the Prince had said to her. She felt he was right, even though he wasn't and didn't even mean it.

Katarou walked into the tent and looked down at Zuke crying, he had never seen such a beautiful emotion, never on such a beautiful face. He stared down at her admiring her small and helpless form.

Zuke didn't know he was there until he knelt beside her and picked her up into his lap and cradled her as she cried into his shoulder. She was too upset and angry at herself to realize who was holding her and showing such care, she just needed to be held.

Katarou rocked her back and forth and ran his fingers through her hair untangling the knots to calm her down and make her feel better. She continued sobbing into his shoulder until there was a large wet spot on his kimono.

Katarou fell asleep and awoke when the familiar sound of the sobbing had stopped, Zuke had fallen asleep on him and she looked like she was clutching his shirt for dear life.

He felt like he was holding a broken person even though he had no idea what had happened, she felt weak and so much more peaceful while she was sleeping.

He rested his chin on the top of her head and stared at the wall of the tent, he felt bad for her, he knew that her sleep must be the only place she could be truly peaceful. Her stern and unfaltering personality shows that she must have lost something dear to her.

Zuke started twitching in her sleep; Katarou knew she must be dreaming so he let her be.

Zuke ran through the forest bounding away as fast as she could, hot tears were stinging at her eyes and then finally released tears rolled down her cheek in rivers. She was out of breath and still running, her legs and arms were scratched and bleeding, she had a deep gash on the side of her head and her hair was staining with blood.

She bounded over bushes and tripped over roots, stumbling and rolling a few times in between, her heart was pounding and she could barely breathe. She had a sharp stabbing sensation in her side from the running; Zuke was exhausted and didn't know how much longer she could run.

Zuke felt betrayed and hurt, someone she thought she loved had turned on her and let this beast pursue her.

She breathed hard and shot fire behind herself trying to slow the trail of her pursuer; she narrowed her eyes and continued running while trying to breathe at the same time. Zuke was on the verge of collapse and was begging for any salvation she could manage.

Zuke darted around a tree and leaned against it panting hard, she was covered in mud and her hair was down and very messy, her clothes were ripped and barely clinging to her dissolving body.

Zuke brought her bleeding hand up to wipe tears from her face, the dirt and blood stung her eyes and the tears were wiped away. The surrounded forest was burning and ash was falling on top of her, the dark sky was a deep red from the glow of the inferno.

Zuke laid her head back against the tree and looked up to the sky and saw a single star, like it was calling to her. That star gave her a bit of hope, if one star could shine that brightly through all the smoke of that fire, then she could shine through the smoke of the world.

"I've never seen you so alluring." A deep older mans voice broke through the cracks of the fire.

"I've chased you, I've craved you, YOU WILL BE MINE!" The voice rumbled and made her stop breathing.

Suddenly two strong arms took her from behind the tree and she was whisked around as the figure appeared in front of her,

The figure put a dagger to Zuke's neck and pinned her harder against the tree, she stared hard into the fierce green eyes that now held her and scanned her every curve.

She felt violated and overpowered; the red glow of the flames made the figure even more sinister looking. It was like looking evil in the eye, staring into the soul personified evil, nothing anyone ever wanted to experience.

The figure drew his fist back and thrusted it forward onto her face; as if the punch had made her real body react her eyes shot open and she stared into Katarou's cerulean eyes.

Her eyes stayed emotionless as a sweat drop rolled down the side of her face, she stared hard at Katarou and smiled so slightly that he barely noticed, he put her down and stood up to walk out of the tent.

"Katarou….this doesn't change anything… just because I had a momentary lapse, don't mistake that for weakness….I don't think any differently of you." Zuke told him on his way out; he merely nodded and smiled lightly as he stepped out.

Author's Note's Section-

YAY LONG CHAPTER! okay, yeah i wanted to add a little bit of katarou/zukeness, but don't get attached to them ok, KAROKU WILL NOT NOT NOT stay as cruel as in the last chapter. And the person she keeps having the dreams about, isn't who you thin, i promise you.

Zuke WILL fall for Karoku, and he'll straighten out...but she'll still have trouble deciding between Karoku and Katarou...i have plans, and i am open to reader influence