Fortunately, I don't own Avatar, only Tenzin. Avatar belongs to Bryan, Mike, and Nickelodeon. Trust me, if I had these guys in my hands, they'd be doomed xD

Chapter Two - Differences

Tenzin set the rag aside and pulled off her obi. Zuko quickly looked away.
"I could at least get a warning!" he growled, his face glowing as red as his scar. Tenzin laughed.

"I wear something underneath, thank you, or I wouldn't be stripping in front of you. Look, you moron!" she said, still smiling. Zuko doubtfully turned around. Indeed, she was wearing a thin, silk, black, long-sleeved shirt. Zuko blushed even harder at his ignorance and mumbled something of an apology. Tenzin just folded her obi and unwrapped the black ribbons around her ankles that were there for support.

Zuko went back to meditating on his bedroll. He heard Tenzin move a little bit longer and then she stopped. Assuming she had gone to sleep, Zuko kept meditating.

All of the sudden, Zuko felt something very soft touch his cheek. As he opened his eyes, he saw Tenzin pull away and scoot beneath her covers, facing the opposite direction.

"Good night," he heard her whisper. Zuko, realizing what she had just done, couldn't reply. After a few moments, Tenzin's soft breathing filled the tent. Zuko, still in shock, touched his cheek the exact place where Tenzin had kissed it.

Zuko went back to meditating, but it took him another hour just to get to sleep…

--

Zuko woke up to find Tenzin's bedroll empty and neatly tucked away.

"Damn peasant…" he grumbled. He looked outside and realized it was still early in the morning. He could still hear his uncle's snores, so he didn't make breakfast, but simply paced around the camp, thinking. He thought were Tenzin could possible be. Knowing a river was only a ten-minute's walk away, Zuko left his uncle a note about his whereabouts and set off.

As he neared the river, Zuko heard soft laughter coming from the riverbed. He turned the corner to see Tenzin sitting at the edge of the river, her feet dipped lazily in the water, and playing with a couple of small turtle ducks. The wind picked up for a brief moment and Tenzin's white hair blew playfully around her face, and then landed gracefully back onto her shoulders. After Zuko shook himself out of his shock of seeing Tenzin's hair fully down, he become conscious that he had been standing there for a good three minutes.

--

Tenzin he knew was standing there, but she choose to ignore him. Anyways, she was having too much fun with the turtle ducklings.

Tenzin jumped when she felt Zuko sit cross-legged next to her.

"Hello. Want to pet him?" She held up a turtle duckling for Zuko. He mumbled something about bad past experience. Tenzin laughed and held the duckling farther out to him.

"They won't hurt you!"

"Fine," Zuko grumbled. He reached out his hand and sort of poked the turtle duckling in a feeble attempt to pet it. The duckling snapped at his finger, but wasn't able to bite it.

"Who taught you how to pet a turtle duckling?" Tenzin said, laughing.

"My mother, but that was a long time ago," Zuko replied, pulling his hand back quickly and lacing his fingers together.

"Well here," she said, reaching out for his hand. Zuko was weary about her offer, but none of the less extended his hand cautiously. She placed her hand softly on top of his and guided his hand lightly over the turtle duckling's head. In a response, the turtle duckling nudged his head gently against Zuko's hand, smiling. Tenzin pulled back her hand and let Zuko pet the duckling on his own.

"See, you can be gentle, you just have to try a little bit harder," Tenzin said softly, leaning back against a willow tree.

"What do you plan to do after your name is cleared? You know, when you're not a refugee any more?"

"I will have my honor and my father's pride back, so, naturally, I will be the fire prince again," Zuko replied, glancing away from the duckling to look at her face. Her eyes were closed and her face was relaxed, but her skin looked a bit paler than usual.

"You don't get it, do you?" she asked. Her smile was gone now.

"Get what?" he demanded. Her eyes snapped open.

"That side of your nation, t-those… monsters! You really want to join them?? Your father has destroyed hundreds of lives, including you and your uncle's! They've hurt families upon families just to get their way and you really want to join them? You really want to hurt innocent people? Innocent children?" She wiped away a stray tear. "I-I'm sorry… I didn't mean to yell at you… I'll talk to you later. Sometime after breakfast perhaps." She stood up and walked slowly at first into the woods, and then broke into a sprint. After the trees had hid her completely, Zuko set the turtle duckling back into the water and walked to camp.

Zuko found his uncle sitting by a now alit fire, sipping his jasmine tea.

"I saw both of you had left, but where is Lady Tenzin?" Iroh asked curiously.

"I'm not sure…" Zuko mumbled, sitting across the fire from his uncle.

"Now you didn't go and upset her, did you?" Iroh asked, a worried look crossing his face. Zuko untruthfully shrugged, avoiding his uncle's gaze. Iroh frowned. "Here, bring this and go look for her," he handed Zuko two wrapped bundles. Zuko peered inside one of the bundles to find a small breakfast. Understanding his uncle's reasons, Zuko got up and walked into the woods.

--

Zuko had walked in the direction Tenzin had run for another twenty minutes until he came to a vast wheat field. Zuko looked on to see Tenzin standing ten yards away. She raised arms in short, fierce movements, sending boulders into the air. She then kicked the boulders as far as she possibly could.

Zuko started walking towards her, thinking how to apologize for something that was obviously the truth. Just as he started walking, Tenzin stopped her earthbending.

"What do you want?" she asked fiercely, not turning towards him. He was surprised that she knew it was he without looking. He remembered then that earthbenders used vibrations to sense opponents, not always sight.

"I wanted…I wanted to apologize," Zuko said slowly.

"You're lying," Tenzin said, using vibrations again to tell he was bluffing. Zuko sighed, wondering why he cared what a stupid earth-bending peasant felt about him. He then remembered his uncle's wrapped breakfasts and advice.

"I brought breakfast," Zuko said, sitting down with the meals. Tenzin sat down next to him. He handed her a breakfast. She slowly unwrapped it and took a bite of the salted meat. She didn't look up at all as she ate, but she looked slightly ashamed.

"I'm sorry about earlier," she said quietly.

"Don't be, I know the fire nation have been bastards at times." What the hell just possessed him to say that? He was part of the fire nation! But for some reason, he felt that it was his responsibility to tell her that.

"…" Tenzin was silent as she ate on. The two sat in silence for the rest of the hour, and then they walked back to camp together.

--

Iroh spotted the two teens walk into the camp and smiled. His advice worked, once again.

"Ah, there's Lady Tenzin," Iroh said smiling. Tenzin returned him with a small smile.

"Ba Sing Se isn't too far away. I think I'll be fine on my own," she said, grabbing her packed things and bedroll.

"My nephew and I insist you come with us!" Iroh said, placing a hand softly on Tenzin's shoulder, "A young women your age shouldn't be roaming alone, right Prince Zuko?" he asked Zuko. Zuko simply crossed his arms and looked away, looking as though he'd rather go without her.

But Zuko silently agreed with his uncle and did kind of wanted her to go with them. I'd be nice to have someone his age traveling with them, and he didn't want to leave Tenzin feeling bad about their earlier conversation.

Damn it! Why was he caring what that stupid earth peasant thought?? She basically insulted his family and him! But still, he wanted to travel with her…

"Is that all right with you, nephew?" Iroh asked, turning to face Zuko. Zuko gave a small nod and mumbled "Sure". Iroh was surprised Zuko gave in so easily. Iroh assumed he'd shout about another mouth to feed and then Iroh would've had Tenzin come along anyway. But Iroh brushed away thought away and thanked Agni for the easy argument.

"Alright, but then we have to stop right outside the gates by some black bugberry bushes," Tenzin said, frowning slightly.

"What? Why?" asked Zuko, his voice rising. Good old nephew, Iroh thought humbly as continued to walk on.

"To dye my hair, what else?" she challenged, putting a hand to her hip and glaring at him.

"Oh. Well, can't you just put it in a hat or something?" he asked. Besides the fact he really didn't want to waste anymore time, he didn't want to see Tenzin's hair turn a dark shade of anything. Zuko was sick of seeing dark hair and pale skin in the fire nation. Tenzin sighed, rolled her eyes, and smiled.

"Sure, but if it falls off, I blame you"