A/N: So because I was so uninspired lately for my next chapter for "You'll Never Have to be Alone" I wrote this (which I was inspired for just this morning) I imagined it to be set on the cliff in that scene in "The Southern Raiders" where Katara was getting all mad at Zuko. Hope you like it, this is really just a snippit. Sorry in advanced for any errors, though I did reread it before posting. :)

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar/characters, and now I don't even own the only channel that the show comes on *sobs*

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"Zuko, you don't know what I went through. My life was uprooted and ruined, my childhood was taken from me, so don't try to make me show any sympathy to a spoiled, pampered Prince." She spit the words at him and indeed each on stung him like the venom of a rat-viper.

But as much as it hurt to have her say those things to him the anger was far more overpowering and so as she walked away like she was the only one who's had a hard life he yelled after her, "Stop!" And because he didn't expect her to actually listen to him he created an inescapable ring of fire around her. Now she had to turn to face him, though the expression wasn't helping the Prince's temper. She looked haughty and disgruntled in the smuggest way Zuko had ever seen.

He marched up to her and creating a gap in the ring with the flick of his wrist came up right to face her. "What are you doing? Let me go." She spoke with an even tone, but the growing anger was right under the surface, he could tell.

"No. You are going to stay here and listen." She crossed her arms and looked away like a little child. However this was unlike any other time Zuko had felt angry towards Katara. He grabbed her face and forced her to look at him; he didn't let go as he began to talk. "You think that you're the only one who had a rough life? That you're the only one who has suffered in this group?" As her eyebrows came together, he could tell that she was about to say 'no', so he went on before she could, "Well you sure act like it." The color in her cheeks burned with indignation and slight embarrassment that she couldn't quite hide.

"You think that I had it easy, being a Prince all my life? Well you're wrong." Zuko said to her, "You don't even know how wrong you are." He muttered shaking his head.

Finally Katara pulled her face free of Zuko's grip as he let his guard down and retorted, "Look, I know you lost your mother and everything, but guess what so have tons of other people, I get that it wasn't just me who lost someone because of this war." The words came out harsh and blunt. Zuko laughed dryly.

The fire around them had been extinguished for a while now and Katara turned away from the Prince to walk away, but once again he stopped her, grabbing her wrist this time, his grip was steady, and he pulled her back. "I'm not done." He said, and for the first time since the North Pole incident Katara heard the regal tone in his voice that actually stopped her in her tracks allowing him to get a hold of her other wrist as well.

"It wasn't just my mother. My whole life was a battle, I always had to fight to keep myself from drowning. My sister and father were always trying to pull me under, and when my mom left, it was harder to stay up." Zuko's voice had become slightly distant without him realizing it and it was causing Katara to listen like she wanted to know and not because she couldn't get away. "I never had any real support after she left, except my uncle when he could; I was alone. At least you had your brother and a family that loved you." He didn't mean to but those last words came out invidious and actually made the waterbender cringe.

"You've no idea the demons that I faced, even after I was banished. I was lied to, beat down, and thrown away, but I fought Katara, just like you have, so don't think we are that different. I've made some bad decisions before, but for everything you are, you're just a little girl."

His grip loosened on her wrists signaling he was done with his speel. The fierceness in his voice was captivating and Katara's feet didn't move after she got her wrists back. Her immobility in turn kept Zuko where he was as well. They looked at each other, Zuko questioning and trying to interpret her next move, Katara simply taking in his expression and every previously overlooked detail on his face. Her hand began to reach up to the scar on his face and by reflex his shot up in attempt to stop hers, but once his mind realized who she was his hand fell back down to his side and her hand continued its ascend.

Zuko's eyes closed as her fingers traced the marred skin and her thumb stroked along the line that separated the scar from the smooth unharmed skin. However Zuko finally brought his hand to hers and gently stopped her, pushing her caressing fingers away. He let go and walked away without a word or a glance back at her, but before he was out of sight Katara called out, "You're right," as traitorous tears streamed down and streaked her cheeks. She could see him pause and hoped he would turn around, but not even a moment later he continued to make his way back to camp. Katara fell to her knees crying, her hands fisting around the long grass as she watched his small figure becoming even more indistinct as his words repeated in her head and she began to feel as if she were just a little girl.

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Do tell me what you thought. :) I took a few lines from a song that actually helped inspire this little snippit. A giant cookie to whoever knows the song :D

Thanks for reading!! (and to those waiting on the next chapter to my other story, I'm sorry, I will try to get that up soon, but I promise it's taking long because I want it to be good rather than rushed.)