Chapter 3

"There must be rational explanation to all this," Zuko told himself aloud. "Toads don't talk or own linen. I could have dreamed it all." He checked his pocket. The linen was still there. "So it wasn't a dream. Perhaps it was a hallucination from the water! But that still doesn't explain the linen." He took out the square of linen. Were his eyes deceiving him or was it the size of his palm now? He shook his head. "It must have been folded up." But in the back of his mind, Zuko knew it was magic. That toad had known what she was doing.

It took Zuko the rest of the day to get back to the palace. By then he had had to take the linen from the toad from his pocket and place it in his saddlebag.

"Prince Zuko, you're back!" the stable boy greeted Zuko as he took the komodo rhino's bridle. "Your brothers have not returned yet."

"Thank you," Zuko said politely as he left. After the obligatory greeting with his father, Zuko went out into the gardens. He sat down on a bench near an artificial pond. He watched the fish swim around in lazy circles. He let his mind wander. It immediately went to that mystery girl he and his brothers had argued over just a few days ago. He closed his eyes. Light brown skin, dark brown hair. Waterbender probably, so her eyes were blue. What shade though? The deep blue of the ocean? Or perhaps they were the blue-gray color of stone's shadow. Or maybe they were the color of the summer sky. Who was she? Where had she gone? Why couldn't he forget her?

"Prince Zuko, your brothers have returned. Your father requests your presence at the trials," a servant relayed to Zuko.

Zuko entered the court and wanted to hide in embarrassment. His brothers each had at least twenty lengths of linen. The king took off his signet ring and began to try to pull the linen through the ring. None of Jet's or Aang's linen could slide through. Fine though their linen be, not even ten yards of their cloth could fit through the ring. Zuko's length of linen from the toad Katara slid through with great ease. The court marveled over it for the piece of cloth was so fine that one could not see the threads.

"Congratulations, Zuko, my son," the king stood and clapped Zuko on the back. "You passed the first test with flying colors. Throw the other bolts of linen in the river. Now, my sons, get some rest before you set off on your next journey. I want you to find a dog that can fit inside a walnut easily."

Zuko groaned inwardly. He had no idea there was such a dog.

Katara sat daydreaming on the bank of her stream. "I wonder where that prince is. Where have I seen him?" Katara dwelled on this thinking. She had seen him recently, she knew that much. Then it struck her. "The boys fighting in the street! He was one of them! Man, how odd. You'd think a prince would have better things to do with his time than have a brawl with his brothers."

She beckoned to the water and began playing with it using her bending. She drew some more water up and began to shape a person. She intended for it to be herself but she got distracted partway through with thoughts of the prince. When she looked at her water person, she saw the prince standing before her. "I wonder where he got that scar," she whispered. "Maybe he was burned in a battle. Heroically, he jumped in to save a comrade from a flame and--!" Katara shook her head. "Stupid! You're being a romantic. It was most likely some stupid little accident…but still. I wonder…"

Zuko slept well that night and set out in the morning. He didn't even bother with the other routes. He went straight to the overgrown path. He had dreamed of the toad last night. He had dreamed that she was playing with a dog so tiny it was smaller than she was. Somehow, he knew she would have the dog he was looking for. He didn't doubt she could find the dog. After all, even her dismal little piece of linen had proved itself next to the other pieces.

Zuko reached the creek after two days, having taken his time. He sat down on the bank and was about to sigh when the toad showed up.

"What's wrong, my prince?" the toad asked.

Zuko told her of the challenge this time.

"A dog that will fit inside a walnut, eh?" Katara murmured. "All I've got to say is your father might be a little crazy." She waddled off to the swamp. Plunging into the water, Katara concentrated. A dog that will fit in a hazelnut. Seeing her hazelnut float to the top, Katara swam up and returned to Zuko with the nut.

"Tell your father to carefully crack this nut and then just let things unfold as they may," Katara told Zuko.

"Thank you," Zuko said, taking the nut. He looked in the toad's eyes. They were the blue of the summer sky. He had a strange feeling he knew her from somewhere. "Have I met you before these quests?" he asked, feeling stupid and cheap.

"Perhaps," Katara replied mysteriously before disappearing.

Zuko stared after her. He finally stirred and set up his camp. After eating, he went to bed.

It must have been only a few hours since he fell asleep when Zuko awoke. What had woken him? Then he heard it. A sweet voice singing a familiar song.

A/N: Who in the world is singing? Who could it be? Ah, the suspense is killing me! And I know what's going to happen next! (Not like you readers. Should I be looking out for people in ski masks with rocket launchers?)

Disclaimer: I don't own many things in life besides my art, my writing, and my body. Among the many things I do not own are Avatar and Puddocky.

Read and review please!