disclaimer: Mike and Bryan own the ATLA universe; Mariko belongs to me (: enjoy!

Au de Shirshu

"Are you sure you don't wanna come?"

"Nah, I'll stick around with Appa."

She watched them leave, smiling lightly when a spare glance was thrown in her direction from the airbender, the smile lessening as they left the abbey, turning to plop down near the bison.

The man the two siblings left with seemed like he'd be on the mend soon, give or take a few days, which was a relief.
His proposition for them to stay and meet their father, after so long… She stared up at the sky, resting her head in the bison's thick arm.

Would she go? Or would she stay with Aang? She sighed, brushing some strands of hair from her cheek absently, closing her eyes.

It was a while later when the bison she'd napped on arose, making her yelp and then scramble to her feet, looking around quickly to see the group returned with Sokka in the lead; her eyes registered he was pissed about something and she looked to his sister next, seeing a heartbroken expression on her younger face. Something was up.

"Is everything okay…?" She asked warily, watching the boy hop onto the saddle to retrieve his bags, tossing the sleeping bag that belonged to his sister down so she caught it. "Sokka?"

"No, everything's not okay." He answered briskly, shrugging his bags onto his back.

"Mariko, are you going to stay with Aang… Or do you want to come with us?" His sister asked once she had her bags, looking at the older girl.

She hesitated briefly, glancing at the boy to see he was sullen, exhaling. "Someone has to make sure Aang gets to the North Pole safely, right? Besides, if finding your father is so dire, then go on. We'll be fine, Katara." She turned to the girl, smiling warmly.

She nodded, giving a half smile that didn't reach her blue eyes, turning to follow her brother and Bato out of the abbey.

Mariko watched them leave with a small frown, sighing and looking at the airbender. "Aang, are you ready?" She asked quietly, meeting his gray eyes as he sat perched on the bison's head.

Aang nodded, letting her climb onto the saddle, looking to the Sister Superior, "I guess we should leave, right?" He guessed.

"That would be best." The nun nodded, watching the two teens leave the abbey riding the large bison.

"I'm an idiot, Momo." Aang muttered when they came to the gate, looking off to where the trio of Water Tribe members had gone, their forms growing smaller and smaller by the second.

Mariko shuffled to plop down next to him on the bison's head, patting his shoulder. "It's okay, Aang. Besides, at least you're not going alone. You've got Appa and Momo, and me." She tried to comfort him.

He met her concerned amber eyes and smiled a little, nodding. "Thanks for wanting to come, Mari."

She shrugged, getting accustomed to her spot, relaxing against the bison. "You're welcome; it's what friends are for, right?" She smiled back.

He smiled again, even though the smile didn't reach his eyes, steering Appa in the opposite direction.

::::::::dOb::::::::

He pulled on the reins to adjust them so they wouldn't be loose, "you never mentioned why you were on your own for three years."

She looked at him from his spot on the bison's head, smiling a little and relaxing on the saddle. "To tell the truth, I've been looking for someone. I thought I saw him, back when I met you guys… but I'm not sure if it was him or not. He… he was banished, almost three years now, and I've been tailing him since."

The younger boy continued adjusting the reins. "He must be someone important, then."

She nodded, chuckling wryly. "His father thinks he's a disgrace, and his sister too, but he's someone important to me. He was my best friend since we were five, and even though his family doesn't want him home because of stupid things he's done, I do. I always thought when we were kids that we'd stick together for as long as possible, no matter what." She watched a few birds pass by, huffing a little. "Of course he's a turtle-duck with two left feet when it comes to girls. But I don't know, I guess I just want him to be okay, I want him to be the sweet boy he once was, before everything happened… but life apparently loves to mess with people that're close to me." She smiled thoughtfully, looking over at him. "I'm sorry I rambled; I musta sounded like a hopeless romantic or something like that…" She chuckled weakly.

"No, you just sound like you really miss him. It's understandable, Mari." He smiled assuringly, meeting her amber eyes when she sat up and supported her weight on her elbows to meet his gaze.

She nodded, smiling faintly. "Thanks for listening, Aang..."

"Avatar Aang, you must leave!" Both teenagers blinked when the Sister Superior from the abbey came forward from the break in the trees.

Aang made a face, "Okay, okay, I get it! Everyone wants me gone…"

"A group of people came to the abbey looking for you!"

Mariko raised a brow, "Who?"

"A strange woman with a horrible monster, and a young man with a scar…"

"Zuko." Aang bit out; Mariko's eyes sharpened alertly.

"The beast was using the scent of a necklace to follow you." She added.

"A necklace…? Katara!" Both teenagers realized in surprise.

"Oi!" A whip of fire sailed at the strange beast, making it snarl in annoyance.

She met the beast's rider, brown meeting amber. "Keep your disgusting paws off my friend." She flew forward, hopping out of the way of the beast's flicking tongue, summoning the whip again and cracking it sharply, being met with another snarl.

The woman riding the beast snapped the whip sharper than the fire-whip had, making the animal sprint for the firebender.

"Mariko?" He glanced over his shoulder to see her outrunning the beast at top speed, cracking the whip once or twice between dodging getting paralyzed by the tongue, hopping onto the low-sitting rooftop.

The mole-beast started to reach her before the girl hopped up and cracked the whip hard, making the tip burn the beast's muzzle; with a roar of pain, its reared position fell back, knocking off its rider.

She huffed, extinguishing the whip and hurrying to the felled bison, rubbing his nose gently. "Appa? Are you alright, boy?" She continued rubbing, watching one of his brown eyes look to her before he uttered a quiet groan.

A vial of perfume was held out, making her meet the blue stare of the younger girl; she nodded and took it, letting Appa inhale it.

With another groan the flying bison rose up onto his feet, shaking his pelt.

"Thanks, Katara." She smiled at the girl.

She shrugged, "Don't mention it. You two might want to stand back though; Sokka's got an idea on how to beat that monster." She informed.

She nodded, hopping onto his head and steering him to a safe spot, watching from her place on the beast's head to see the younger girl waterbending the spilled perfume from the giant pots to have it drench the beast, Aang, and Zuko (the former had been cornered by the latter). Soon the beast went wild, lashing out at anything near it, before it scrambled over one of the walls and fled the abbey.

All's well that ends well, she mused, petting Appa's head before hopping down to go inspect the scene.

The paralyzed prince glanced to the side to see her approaching him, his uncle, and the bounty hunter's forms. "Mariko… What're you doing here? Why're you helping the Avatar?" He still managed to sound pissy, even paralyzed from the neck down.

Mariko smiled a little, folding her arms. "That's an explanation for another day. For now, I've gotta go. I just came to say hello; see you later, Zuko. Nice seeing you again as well, General Iroh." She added, waving slightly to his uncle before she turned away to rejoin her friends, leaving the confused prince in her wake.

"What was that all about?" Sokka demanded curiously once she was onboard the bison's saddle.

"It's nothing; right, Aang?" Mariko shrugged, winking at the boy.

Aang hesitated as the pieces clicked together before nodding, smiling with her. "Right!"

Zuko was the boy she'd spoken of, the boy she'd chased for the past few years… But did they underestimate him after all?

A/N: i'm trying to make it so Mari's past is revealed little by little until i get to book three. just to answer any curious readers' questions. (: