A/N: I am so excited! We're almost at the end of Book 2. Just five or six more chapters? Maybe less. But argh! This was a pain to get right! Lemme know what you think folks! Also this is my longest chapter yet I think. More then eight thousand words!

Maybe this was a bad idea?

But bad ideas, always led to good ideas didn't they?

Something about the negative attracting the positive.

Or something of the sort.

It was too early to actually think straight.

Placing the small note she had quickly written to ensure Iroh and Zuko that she had simply gone to the Outer Ring for a little bending practice, Orora was quick to exit the apartment and make her way down the stairs and out of the building.

Glancing behind her, and seeing no candle suddenly burning, the young waterbender heaved a sigh of relief, before leaning back against the wall she had taken refuge behind.

Straightening the strap of her satchel, her lips pulled in a secret smile before she began to walk down the road.

"Little early for you to be going for a morning stroll, isn't it?"

A shriek the surely even the Spirits would've heard echoed in the early morning air.

Her heart threatened to burst out of her chest, as she whirled around to stare wide eyed at the smug looking banished prince leaning against a support beam of a building.

"Monkey-feathers Zuko! Are you trying to scare me to death?" Pressing a hand on her chest, as if physically willing herself to calm down, her gaze shifted from sudden fight to fury and annoyance. "And it is none of your business where I go. A girl is allowed her secrets." She stated in a rather haughty tone, prompting Zuko to raise an eyebrow at her. A smirk pulled at his lips, that infuriating smirk when he knew he had a comeback she had no answer to.

"What girl?"

Her nostrils flared, and an offended look overcame her features. "Humph." That was the best response she could come up with. Adding to that response, was a pivot on the heel and attempting to walk away in a huff.

Of course that didn't happen when Zuko reached out to grasp her by the elbow.

The sudden contact had her stopping dead in her tracks. Her head shifted to look over her shoulder where she could feel his warm hand against the bare skin of her elbow. Zuko seemed to be following the exact thought, since his eyes dropped to his hand as well.

Twin blushes stole across their cheeks, as Zuko slowly, almost as if he were reluctant to do so, let go of her elbow. She brushed her hair behind her ear, a habit she had picked up out of nervousness since her hair had grown long enough, he had noticed. "You know you're not supposed to wander around the city on your own." He reminded her, crossing his arms over his chest as he did.

Orora closed her eyes, letting out a sigh as she stared longingly at the Outer Wall that was just visible beyond the line of houses. "I know, but I didn't want to bother you, or Master. I just wanted to find an open space, and just waterbend." She admitted. "I heard about this lake, but its off-limits to the public, but if I could even find a small pond..." She trailed off, shoulders drooping in defeat.

"But you're right. I shouldn't have tried to go off on my own." Gripping the strap she let out a disappointed sigh. "We should head back. Your Uncle will worry if he sees us both gone."

She'd barely taken a step or two back towards the apartment building when she heard Zuko sigh.

"Wait." He called out, prompting Orora to come to a halt. She turned around to look at him, her gaze questioning. "I'll go with you." The firebender sighed out. Surprise flitted across her features, before a bright smile pulled at her lips.

"Really?" He barely had time to nod before she tackled him into a brief yet fierce hug. "Oh thank you Zuko! I promise I'll buy you a whole bag of moon peaches on our way back!" She vowed, smiling at him. Zuko blinked, still a little taken aback by the sudden embrace. At least he recovered physically, his head jerking forward in a nod.

His voice, however, was having a little trouble finding itself, while his mind was focused on the fact that Orora had hugged him. Granted it wasn't the first time, but he was starting to find that no matter how brief a touch he shared with Orora, it always meant so much to him.

Especially since that night just a day ago.

When he had kissed her, and she had kissed him back.

A hand gripping his brought him back from reliving that sweet memory. Rather then focus on the Orora in his mind, he instead turned his attention to Orora as she stood next to him, smiling at him in gratitude as she took his hand, and began to lead him towards the Outer Wall.

For once, he followed someone else. He allowed someone else to lead him.

Someone he trusted other than his Uncle.

The previous day had been interesting to say the least.

After the kiss, both teenagers had felt a little shy around one another. It wasn't everyday that someone went ahead and kissed their soulmate.

It was a life-changing moment.

Just one step away from formally acknowledging and accepting that the other person was your soulmate.

They were two very different things.

Both of them had laid under the stars together for another good hour. Though this time, neither of them met the other's gaze. Nor did they touch.

Or rather.

Not completely.

Their hands had been right next to one another, and Orora had found her small finger wrapping itself around his finger. Her hold had been gentle, but when he looped his own finger around her own, she had felt herself smile.

Alright so maybe her and Zuko were not going to be open about whatever had happened, but at least it had happened. That was a start.

A kiss.

Her first proper kiss.

As she recalled the moment, Orora could feel a smile forming on her lips. She quickly suppressed it by biting down on her lower lip.

But then he stood up and left without a word. Orora had been a little confused at first, but thought that maybe he was just as shy as she felt.

The next day had been as mundane as any other.

With an added perk.

Iroh had been at the front of the tea shop while she and Zuko had been washing dishes in the back. Standing beside one another, he washed, while she quickly dried using her waterbending. The both of them worked in silence, the clink of the cups and plates they were washing the only sound.

But that wasn't to say they weren't speaking.

Or rather, they weren't speaking verbally.

Every now and then, their gazes would meet, and something would pass between the both of them.

Every now and then their skin would graze when passing the cup or plate, and both would actually feel their senses come alive with that brief touch.

Every now and then a smile would pass between them, one that was equal parts shy, uncertain and almost, dare she say, hopeful.

Finally, finally, Orora had cleared her throat. "You know, back at the North Pole, there's a little game we play. Well I've heard of people playing it, I've never played it myself."

A little surprised at hearing her say something after such a long length of silence, he turned to look at her. She kept her eyes on the spoon he had just handed to her.

"That when two...soulmates find each other," Spirits, his cheeks felt like they were on fire. "A little competition starts, to see how they would be able to catch one another off guard." She explained, remembering how one of her maids had actually spoken to her about it.

Fiddling with the spoon she gripped in her fingers, the young waterbender girl lifted her head to look at him. "It allows them to get to know each other better and build some strange sense of trust."

Zuko blinked, finally realizing that her ice blue eyes were close.

Much too close.

"I know we're not at the North Pole, but..." She trailed off, her gaze open, earnest and pleading. And really, in what world could he ever say no to her.

His nod of confirmation was enough to have her smiling.

Though the mischievousness that danced in her eyes had him very nearly stepping back and going back on his word.

"Well since you caught me off guard on the roof top." Orora commented, gathering whatever strength and bravery she needed to continue.

"I suppose its my turn."

So saying, she raised herself up on her toes, given that she was a few inches shorter then him, and pressed a series of kisses, two on his cheeks, on either side, and one on his lips.

The moment she was done, Orora turned around and all but ran out to the front of the shop, leaving Zuko to stand their dumbfounded and unable to ascertain what had just happened.

Though once he did recover there was no denying that the smile that formed on his lips, and the happiness that he felt, was something he had not experienced in a long long time.

Starting the contest seemed to have broken the ice. Both teenagers went back to acting like their normal selves with one another. With a few added aspects.

For one, throughout the entire day, they would both do random little acts for one another. It wasn't to say that they didn't do anything for each other before, but now that it was a contest to see who would do more, they both decided to step up their game.

He'd caught her trying to pick up a huge stack of plates and cups. And though he'd been on break, Zuko had been quick to reach out and take most of the cutlery. She'd blinked at him, a little surprised knowing he was rather particular about his break.

Glancing over his shoulder and seeing no one there, Zuko had taken that moment to quickly peck her on the forehead, before walking away with the stack of plates.

Orora had been a little uncertain about whether Zuko would accept to play her game or not, but with that little gesture, she had her answer.

She stepped back a little from walking beside Iroh on the way back home and grasped his hand. A little daring considering Iroh could turn back and catch them at any moment, but that didn't stop him from squeezing her hand back.

Orora had been busy preparing dinner when Zuko had stepped up next to her. She had glanced at him, curious when he nodded towards the vegetables that still needed chopping. Her eyes widened in surprise.

He hated chopping vegetables.

Zuko simply rolled his eyes at her astonishment and began to peel and cut, leaving Orora smiling happily while Iroh stared at his nephew a little dumbfounded.

He wasn't as comfortable as Orora was when it came to phsyical acts of affection. Orora craved them, having gotten next to none growing up. It would seem her tactic of catching Zuko off guard was using little gestures of affection. While his battle plan for surprising her was helping her wherever she needed it.

Iroh had gone to bed a little early that night, so that left the two teenagers to do whatever they wanted. And what Zuko wanted, was to reach out and take Orora's hand before leading her up to the rooftop once more.

Which he did.

They spent hours up there, lying next to one another once more, just talking.

And for once it was Orora who told him about her life before she had met him. How her father and brothers had suppressed her, how her entire life had felt like she was walking on thin ice because of her father's temper. How he had lashed out at her most of the time and hit her multiple times. How she had tried her best to be the perfect daughter, but something inside her had always told her that this was wrong, that she wasn't meant to be treated that way. How she would sneak away to the Spirit Oasis because the place helped calm her and just play with the water. How, once, she'd even dared to step into the pond of the koi fish.

How her grandmother had given her waterbending scrolls as her final act of rebellion against the men in their lives. How she had honored that act by practicing her bending to train to become a fighter. How she had, finally, decided that she would not take the abuse any longer after nearly dying during the Siege. How her father had actually tried to hit her after she returned home, but she'd caught his descending hand using her waterbending. How she had knocked her brother aside with a wall of water, and frozen them to the floor. How she had looked her father in the eye, her very being radiating an anger that it actually had the temperature dropping in the room.

For the first time she had spoken her mind, and said what she had wanted to say for so so long. Her father had been too stunned to do anything. Her mother had stood in the corner, pride in her eyes where there had hardly been any emotion at all. Her brothers had stopped their struggle and had followed their father's example. Even though her father had already banished her, which had been the trigger causing her to act as she did, Orora had stated that she'd already made up her mind about leaving.

And then she had left.

Throughout the story, Zuko had never once looked away from Orora, even when she could not longer meet his gaze and instead focused on the night sky above. He had known she had gone through some trouble with her family, but he had no idea she still carried the scars of it, and that it still effected her. Then again, he carried his scars as well, physical and mental, so why should she be any different. He wasn't in any way comparing their pasts. They'd both had different experiences, both been treated harshly by their fathers and had been abandoned by their siblings to fend for themselves.

But then she revealed one final detail.

A detail that had Zuko's heart stopping in his chest, and a horrible feeling creeping all along his body, like pinpricks, and settling just under his skin where he could feel it the most.

The detail of how the verbal, emotional, mental and physical torture had gotten so bad at one point that she had actually considered just...

She'd trailed off then, closing her eyes and feeling all that hurt, anguish and loneliness rise to the forefront of her mind. She'd put up a strong front all her life. Had never wavered when it came to her own sense of belief. But there were times when she had doubted and wandered if it would all be worth it in the end. She could feel the harsh sting of the tears behind her closed eyelids, felt them escape and slowly trail down her cheeks, warm against her skin.

"Sometimes I feel like, there's this chasm inside me. Even now, after getting away from it all, I'm standing at the very edge of it." She revealed, pressing a hand to her chest, where she could physically feel her heart ache. "There is no end to that chasm, and I'm about to loose my footing and fall." She gathered herself closer to her body, as if trying to attain some warmth that would dissipate the coldness that came from within. "But then, I feel someone take me by the hand, and pull me back a little and I look up."

Finally, she turned her head to look at him. A watery smile pulled at her lips, and despite the tears he could see the hope and utter trust in her eyes. His heart squeezed in his chest. Did he even deserve that from someone?

"And I see you standing there. You and your Uncle. I know we've known each other for just a few months, but I don't think I've ever trusted anyone before like I trust you Zuko. You and Master helped me see that you can trust someone."

She was baring herself to him, heart and soul, just like he had done all those nights ago when he had revealed the truth about his scar. "And yeah, we did fight and I didn't like you, I still sometimes want nothing more then to throw you off a building." A small laugh, prompting Zuko to smile at the sound. "But I trust you."

No one had ever trusted him before. Not his father, his sister, not even his crew. His Uncle did, but having another person, his soulmate, tell him that she trusted him was an another thing entirely.

He reached out, gently grasping her by the shoulders and pulling her in. Her head settled on his chest, right near his heart, his arms wound around her, one on her waist, the other around her shoulders, his hand buried in her hair as he held her close. He placed his head on top of her own and just sat there. For her part, Orora wrapped her arms loosely around his waist, feeling tired and drained after all that she had just revealed. Her eyes closed as she felt him drop a kiss to her head and she sighed.

Despite having not said a lot the entire night, with that one hug, Zuko said more then he ever could have.

The tears continued to fall until she finally fell asleep in his arms.

It was strange having someone else open up to him like Orora had. Growing up in the Palace, Zuko hadn't had many friends. Any at all. He would usually be around his mother, and she would play with him when he was younger, though as he got older he insisted that playing was for children and had instead moved on to practicing with weapons. His cousin had been the one to teach him about Dao Swords, but then he died. His mother disappeared, and it was only when Iroh returned that Zuko finally had a friendly face around the Palace. Azula had been lucky when it came to friends. She had Mei and Ty Lee.

Zuko had no one.

But now he had Orora.

Sitting on the bank of the significantly spacious pond, Zuko remembered the last time he had seen Orora practice like that. It was just after Azula had shot lightening at Iroh. Everything that had happened seemed like such a long time ago. The both of them had barely been able to look at one another then.

But in a span of a few short weeks they'd become friends. And they'd kissed.

He was brought out of his reverie when a bubble of water splashed just near his feet.

"Hey! Watch it!" He called out annoyed.

Orora stood in front of him, knee deep in water, her pants pulled up and her long shirt tucked in to keep from getting too wet. Not that it would matter, she could always waterbend herself dry.

She grinned. "Oh lighten up, and I mean figuratively." Zuko rolled his eyes as she laughed at her own joke. "You're trying too hard." He stated, prompting her to scowl at him.

"Well if you're just gonna make fun of my jokes, then I won't take my turn in our game." He raised an eyebrow at her. "I thought you were going to buy me moon peaches?" He asked to which she shrugged. "I can buy those for you any time, but I figured why not teach you a waterbending move which I'm sure you can use for other scenarios."

He blinked at her. She grinned and winked playfully.

Stepping out of the water, she quickly reached his side. "Come on, its an easy one, I promise."

So saying, she inhaled deeply, centering herself where she stood. Raising her arms in front of her, palms facing her body, she slowly brought them up to shoulder level before allowing her arms and hands to fly out, palms out.

The entire movement was fluid and graceful, quite the opposite of the firebending forms he had studied all his life.

"And when I do it with water." So saying she demonstrated the move again but this time using her waterbending abilities, sending a powerful wall of water splashing on the opposite end of the pond.

Zuko was impressed. She had improved a lot since he had met her. Her bending had gotten powerful through sheer practice and determination alone. Deciding to humor her, and yes she did catch him off-guard when she offered to teach him a waterbending move, Zuko dropped into stance next to her.

Orora smiled when he did, eager to share what she had learned.

As they both went through the motion, with Orora correcting him every now and then, the topic stayed on bending. Though now in an entirely different context.

"So I was thinking." He turned his head to look at her, though still going through the motions of the bending move. "You're able to bend using your feet as well. I mean I've seen you create arcs with just a swipe of your foot." She was careful to not say the word firebending in case someone else was listening in. "And Earthbenders can do the same, and I'm sure the Airbenders could as well."

Zuko nodded. "Yeah? I've seen the Avatar do that. What're you getting at?"

She shrugged. "Well I was just wandering, why isn't there any move where a waterbender could bend using their legs?"

Zuko frowned, contemplating on what she had just said. "Maybe no one has ever tried before?" He stated in a matter of fact voice, which had Orora humming, as she dropped her previous stance and waved her arms in an arc around her body, pulling a stream of water from the pond and creating a ring of water around her waist

"I guess." She said her voice low, dividing the ring into two and freezing one of them in a beautiful circular curvy ring. The water from the other ring, continued to weave through the now frozen structure, creating quite a pretty effect. It almost looked like she was wearing a stylized belt or something.

Having stopped going through the motions, Zuko turned his attention to her. "Why don't you try it?"

Her eyes snapped up to meet him, though her fingers kept moving in an elegant circular motion, keeping the water moving. "Me?" She asked, surprised.

Zuko shrugged. "Yeah whats wrong with you trying?" Orora pursed her lips, unfreezing the water and allowing the two rings to merge into one and sending it back into the pond.

"Well I'm not a Master, I don't know a lot of waterbending forms." She kicked her foot out sheepishly, catching a small pebble and watching as it rolled into the pond. "I doubt I'll be able to create a whole new form of bending."

Zuko frowned, not liking the way she was speaking about herself, and her abilities. Reaching out, he placed, what he hoped was a comforting hand, on her shoulder. "Look from what I have seen, you're a really good bender. You always practice when you can, and it doesn't even matter if you're doing it in the water, or just practicing going through the motions. You work hard, and your skills have improved since we had that spar in the forest."

She blinked up at him briefly, before a hopeful yet shy smile pulled at her lips. "You really think so?" She asked, and Zuko couldn't help but smile back at her. His hand moved from her shoulder, to cup the side of her face, thumb gently stroking her skin.

"Of course." He answered honestly.

She tilted her head, closing her eyes briefly, as if she were savoring his touch. "You know Zuko," She finally said after a brief stretch of silence. "For someone who acts grumpy all the time, you're a pretty sweet guy."

Instantly his expression changed to an annoyed look, prompting Orora to laugh under her breath. "You mention this to anyone, and I'll tell Uncle you broke his favorite teacup." He threatened.

Her eyes widened in disbelief. "I replaced it!" She protested. Zuko smirked, shaking his head.

"It doesn't matter. That teacup had sentimental value, he doesn't know its been replaced, unless I tell him."

Orora scowled at him, flicking away the hand that still rested on her cheek. "Oh you would stoop that low wouldn't you?" She ground out, pouting.

If possible, his smirk only widened. "Anything to be Uncle's favorite."

He was met with a light punch in the gut on part of an annoyed soulmate.

Ever since last night, Zuko had been thinking some things over. So far, Orora new most of what had happened to him, but he had neglected to inform her of the months he had spent chasing he Avatar and all that had come with it.

From being constantly belittled by Zhao, to nearly dying in an explosion, almost getting captured by Azula, not to mention that time when the Avatar had saved his life.

He had to tell her. She had been truthful with him. She deserved to know the truth. The whole truth.

The walk back home was a long one, and since he was sure there was no one around to listen, he decided it was his turn to catch her off-guard like she had him the night before.

By telling her about everything since he had begun chasing the Avatar. She had to know all that he had done, every dirty tactic and trick he had played to try and capture the Avatar. From the time he had used the watertribe girl's necklace as bait, to dressing up as the Blue Spirit, to kidnapping the Avatar while he was in the Spirit World.

It was one failed attempt after another, leaving a bitter taste in his mouth as he spoke. Surely Orora would want nothing to do with him. He was a failure. He couldn't even capture a twelve year old kid. Granted the kid was the Avatar, but he was still a kid.

Just as he had listened to her the night before, she listened to him. Once he had said all that he could, she inhaled deeply, her mind swirling with all that she could say to him. It was hard to choose where she should start.

So she started with holding his hand, pulling him into a partially hidden alley. She sighed. It almost felt like he had a rock inside him, weighing him down, as he waited for her to speak.

"I can't say that what you did was right, and I won't agree with it either." His heart dropped. "What you did was wrong Zuko, but..." She trailed off, licking her lips before sighing. "But I know more then a little about wanting to gain a father's approval." He blinked at her. That was more then he had hoped to hear. He had fully expected her to turn her back to him.

"You do what you can to please him. To try and get him to look at you with something other then contempt." She nodded in understanding, reaching up to run her fingers through the hair resting on his forehead before resting on his cheek. "You loose yourself in the process. You loose your own morals and that is the worst part." Never once leaving his gaze she continued.

"But you never did that. Where any other person would've taken a life or hurt someone out of desperation, never have I heard from your lips that you actually hurt someone." Zuko shook his head. "But that was all luck."

She shook her head. "You just told me that when Zhao was being taken away by the Spirits, you tried to save him, but he refused your help." He opened his mouth, but Orora quickly quietened him pressing her fingers to his lips. "You went after your Uncle after he was kidnapped by those Earthbenders. You never intentionally hurt anyone who came your way."

Finger gently caressing his mouth she continued. "And most of all, you saved my life. I'm proof that you haven't lost your morals Zuko. That you are a good person despite all that you have done. You didn't know who I was, you had no idea I was your soulmate, but you saved me." With every word she stepped closer until she was all but pressed up against him, her face just inches away. And while her gaze was open and earnest, he was looking at her through heavy lidded eyes. "I'm alive because of you." Her words were barely above a whisper as he dropped his forehead against her own. She sighed, adoring how warm he felt against her, her eyes slowly drifting shut, wanting to savor the moment. "I'm here because of you."

The last two words were muffled as she fused their mouths together in a kiss that had her grasping for the front of his shirt, while his arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer.

So far their kisses had been quick and chaste, both of them feeling too shy and uncertain about their feelings for one another.

But this one?

This one kiss they shared in the alley?

It was anything but chaste.

Zuko pressed his mouth insistently against hers, forcing Orora to lean back. There was a near desperation in that kiss, almost as if her words had awoken some sudden realization in him. And they had.

She had reminded him how close he had been to loosing her. Loosing her before he had even gotten to know who she was. And how important she would become to him.

His arms tightened around her waist as he gently pushed her so her back would rest against the wall of the building. Neither of them broke the kiss, content on memorizing the shape of each other's lips. Her hands slid up his chest to bury her fingers in his hair. The gentle scrape of her nails against his scalp opened an entirely new plethora of feelings in him.

Instinct drove him forward, taking her lower lip between his teeth and allowing them to sink into her soft skin. His hands, not wanting to stay idle, began to roam the small of her back, tracing the side of her waist as he did. Orora could barely contain the sound of surprise at the sudden onslaught of new sensations his touch awoke in her. Her eyelashes fluttered against the curve of her cheeks as she too returned the favor by nipping at his lip. His sound of approval reverberated against her mouth, prompting her to smile as he melded their lips together once more.

It was then that she seemed to realize the heaviness clouding her mind was not because of having Zuko pressed up against her, and his mouth on her, but because she couldn't breath.

Her hands dropped to his chest, pushing him back and unfusing her lips from his. The moment she did, the young waterbender inhaled sharply, trying to catch her breath. Zuko was no better. He was breathing heavily as well. Their forehead were still pressed together, cheeks flushed, and their eyes were open, ice blue staring into warm amber.

Once they were able to calm their breathing, as well as their racing hearts, Zuko pulled away from her. Though he didn't look away from her. She was smiling softly, and he couldn't help but mirror that smile as he led her out of the alley and into the street, heading for home.

But despite what they had just spoken about, once they stood outside the apartment building Zuko couldn't help but glance at it and scowl.

He hated it. Hated that he had to work as a tea server his whole life. Zuko glanced at Orora as she walked beside him. Despite having not thought about it in awhile, his mind drifted back to home. To the Fire Palace and all the comforts that came with it. In his mind, his father welcomed him home with open arms.

The bitterness that was now a part of his soul festered away as he continued to think of a life back home with Orora by his side.

A life he could never have.

Putting away the last of her waterbending scrolls in the small wicker basket, Orora smiled and stood. "Well I'm done packing up, would you like me to make you a cup of tea Master?" She asked, already moving towards the stove and kettle, knowing he would answer in the positive.

"Anytime is good for tea my young Pupil, remember that life lesson." Iroh responded cheerfully, prompting the young girl to laugh as she bended some water into the kettle.

This was so exciting. Not even a month ago, they had barely had any money to buy clothes and food. And now? Her Master was getting the chance to open up his own tea shop. To say he was ecstatic would be an understatement. They would be moving to the Upper Ring, getting new apartments, new clothes. That last part was something she looked forward to more then anything else. Maybe she could even get her own room?

Orora was truly happy for Iroh. He deserved his own tea shop, with how excellent his tea making skills were. She was glad he had chosen to teach her his secrets as well. In her eyes, any teaching Iroh had to impart on her, she would gladly accept. It was truly an honor.

And speaking of honor, ever since their outing, Zuko had been in a bit of a modd. She had figured he needed to come to terms with what they had spoken about, and decided to give him some space instead. She knew he appreciated her advice, but sometimes a person needed to sort through some thoughts by themselves.

"Have you thought of a name yet for the tea shop?" She asked, curious to know what he would come up with. Just then the door slid open and Zuko stepped in.

Iroh, wanting to include Zuko into the conversation spoke up. "I was thinking about names for my new tea shop. How about the Jasmine Dragon? It's dramatic, poetic, has a nice ring to it." Orora hummed in agreement, watching curiously as Zuko unfolded a piece of paper and showed it to his Uncle.

"The Avatar is here in Ba Sing Se and he's lost his bison." Orora blinked in surprise. "He lost Appa?" She asked, worry lacing her tone as she quickly walked forward to look at the paper, which was actually a flyer, as Iroh examined it.

The old man sighed. "We have a chance for a new life here." He said, letting Orora take the piece of paper and examining it further. "If you start stirring up trouble, we could lose all the good things that are happening for us."

Zuko who had been looking out the window with a determined expression, turned around. "Good things that are happening for you!" His words prompted Orora to look up at him, hurt evident in her eyes. A fact that he refused to acknowledge and ignored completely, even as he glanced in her direction. Though a sliver of guilt settled in his stomach, he continued. "Have you ever thought that I want more from life than a nice apartment and a job serving tea?"

Iroh sighed. "There is nothing wrong with a life of peace and prosperity." His tone was soft and understanding as he continued. "I suggest you think about what it is that you want from your life and why."

"I want my destiny." Zuko stated without even thinking about his answer. Iroh nodded. "What that means is up to you."

Knowing he would get nothing out of his Uncle other then words of wisdom and riddles, young Prince stalked away to their shared rooms and disappeared behind the door. His Uncle didn't understand. And while on some levels Orora did, she had accepted her fate and the fact that she could never go home. Him though? He still had a chance to earn his father's approval and go back.

Orora stared after him, more then a little hurt at being ignored by Zuko like that.

"The Tea Weevil!" Iroh suddenly exclaimed, before shaking his head. "No, that's stupid." Biting her lower lip, the young waterbender moved back to the stove where the water was now boiling.

"He did not mean to hurt you Orora." Iroh's words had her blushing at being so obvious about the situation. She glanced at him to see the old man smiling kindly at her. "My nephew tends to push people away when facing a problem or a challenge, thinking he can take care of it himself."

Continuing to pack, Iroh added. "Give him some time, he will realize that what he already has is enough." Giving her a smile of reassurance, Iroh hoped he had helped ease her worries about Zuko a little.

Pretending to be asleep that night was no easy feat. She was restless, her mind ringing with what Zuko had said, and with the knowledge that Aang, Katara and Sokka were close by. And they had lost Appa. During the short journey from the North Pole to the mainland, she'd grown fond of the hairy beast. He was adorable, and Orora adored adorable things.

It was a weakness.

She heard Zuko as he got up from his sleeping mat. She sat up the moment the door slid close. A determined expression on her features, she quickly pulled on her shoes and grabbed her water pouch. She'd barely taken a few steps down the road when she bumped into her Master.

"A little late to be taking an evening stroll my young pupil." Iroh stated in a jovial tone, though his eyes were serious. Orora glanced over his shoulder. "He's just up ahead Master, we should be able to follow him."

Iroh shook his head. "No, my dear. You will stay in the apartment. Where Zuko is about to go, it is a dangerous place, and I cannot be worrying about your safety as well as Zuko's." Her heart plummeted in her stomach and her shoulders drooped.

"But Master, I can take care of myself." She insisted, to which Iroh placed a hand on her shoulder. "I know you can. But Ba Sing Se has powerful men and women working on the wrong side." With a firm squeeze of her shoulder, her Master stated one final time.

"Stay." With that he moved to follow after Zuko.

Orora pursed her lips where she stood, feeling a little bubble of disappointment forming in her chest. Did Iroh not have faith in her abilities? Or did he think she would distract Zuko?

Her heart and mind were at war, as she turned on her feet and began to walk back towards their apartment.

But a slight tug on her finger had her looking down at the string that connected her with Zuko.

She frowned.

Iroh had heard rumors of the secret of Lake Laogai. The White Lotus had warned him of the many dangers that lurked in the catacombs of the city. This had been one of the reasons he never allowed Orora to wander around the city by herself. He had heard tales of people disappearing, never to be heard from again.

Though he was reluctant to admit, Zuko had more experience when it came to being on guard and watching his back. Orora did not. She had proven to herself to be a skilled fighter, but she lacked the experience when it came to people.

Iroh followed after Zuko. Luckily the entrance to the under water base of operations had been left open. So it was easy to jump down and begin the task of looking for Zuko. The tunnels were dark and seemed almost haunted in the dim green light. The tiniest sound seemed so loud in one's ear. He'd only wandered through a few tunnels, when Iroh became aware of a presence behind him.

As a skilled firebender, he could actually feel the warmth of a body and how close it was. And these several presences were getting closer. He hid himself in a shadowed alcove, watching as several Dai Li agents rushed by. They had barely passed when he felt another heat form closing in.

Much to his surprise, it was a rather familiar one. As soon as they were within range, his hand darted out to catch them by the elbow, and pulled them into his hiding spot.

If he allowed himself to, Orora was sure her Master would be breathing steam at that moment, with how furious he looked.

"I told you to stay behind Orora." He said, his voice carried the weight of his disappointment. Orora lowered her head. "I know." Shame colored her tone. "I know you did Master, but I couldn't just sit back and do nothing."

Grumbling under his breath, Iroh ran a tired hand over his face. Finally he looked at her with a serious expression. "Orora. As your Master, I hereby forbid you from ever disobeying my orders again." He knew it wasn't right, knew that he was asking her to take an oath that she would find very hard to break, but he had to.

To protect her.

"Swear to me, that the next time I give you an order, no matter what the outcome may be, you will obey me."

Orora bit her lower lip, nodding. "I swear, Master." She hated the look he was giving her, and never wanted to see it again. He was her teacher, he knew best. She trusted him to keep her safe and never lead her down the wrong path.

Nodding in a satisfactory manner, Iroh peaked out from their hiding place. "Now follow me, and keep close."

While Iroh stayed on the lookout for any potential threats, Orora slowly began to lead the way following her thread. By some miracle, they didn't run into any trouble as they ventured deeper and deeper underneath the Lake. It didn't take long, for them to reach a door. Her finger gave a gentle tug and she knew Zuko was on the other side.

Iroh didn't waste time in reaching out and opening the door. He was already angry at Orora for disobeying him, and it was only growing at the thought of his nephew doing something stupid and throwing away his life.

The moment they entered, Orora closed the door behind her. The first thing she noticed was the person in the blue mask. Zuko, holding his Dao swords at the ready. And behind him?

Appa.

In chains.

"Appa!" She called out, rushing forward, darting past Zuko and approaching the Bison. The big creature let out a warning growl, though she wasn't deterred. "Its me. Orora." She held her hand out for him to sniff, to remember her scent. "Remember me?" She cooed, as the Bison leaned forward to press his nose against her palm. She gently ran her hand along his nose smiling. "Its alright boy. I'll get you out."

"And then what!?"

The sudden shout had her turning on her heel, eyes widening. She had never heard Iroh yell. Never seen him so angry as he did right then. Not even a few moments ago when he had caught her.

"You never think these things through!" He pointed a finger at Zuko, who now stood with his back to his Uncle, maskless, his eyes focused on the ground as emotions ravaged through his very sense of being. "This is exactly what happened when you captured the Avatar at the North Pole! You had him, and then you had nowhere to go!"

"I would have figured something out!" Zuko argued, though there was uncertainty in his voice.

"No! If his friends hadn't found you, you would have frozen to death!" Iroh stated, prompting a chill to run down her spine. Zuko had spoken to her about it, but how much had he downplayed on the amount of times he had nearly died?

"I know my own destiny, Uncle!" Again, he tried to argue, but Iroh was having none of it.

"Is it your own destiny, or is it a destiny someone else has tried to force on you?" He demanded. Behind her Appa fidgeted, not liking the loud voices. She made a reassuring sound, gently running her fingers through his soft fur.

"Stop it, Uncle! I have to do this!" Forced determination, that was all there was in Zuko's voice as his heart raged with his mind.

Capture the Avatar, restore his honor, restore his father's love, go back home, restore his title as Prince. That was all that mattered.

"I'm begging you, Prince Zuko!" Iroh demanded, and pleaded at the same time. "It's time for you to look inward and begin asking yourself the big questions. Who are you, and what do you want?"

That seemed to be the last straw.

Zuko let out a pained cry, throwing down his weapon and the mask, dropping to his knees as he did. Orora stood where she was for a few moments, before glancing at Iroh. He gave her a small nod.

Giving Appa a reassuring pat on the nose, she slowly approached the conflicted Prince. Her soft steps echoed in the otherwise silent chamber. She dropped to her knees in front of him, reaching out to place a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm not gonna say I understand, because our situations are vastly different." She started, knowing he was listening to her. "But I do know a little something about living a life, following a destiny that someone else decided for me." Reaching out, she cupped his face to make him look up, to meet her gaze.

Lost amber eyes, found a determined blue gaze.

"But I broke free, and I have never regretted that. I found a Master. I found you. I found friends. But most of all? I found myself."

Leaning forward she pressed a gentle, lingering kiss against the scar on his cheek.

"Find yourself, Zuko. Find your reason to fight." She whispered softly.

So saying, she stood. With one last gentle smile at him, she turned back to Appa, uncorking her water bag and pulling out twin streams of water.

"Alright Appa. We're gonna have to work together if we're gonna get you out of here." So saying, she threw her arm out, wrapping one of the chains that held Appa's leg, in a stream of water and freezing it in place.

"Now pull." The Bison gave a loud grunt as he pulled at the now brittle chain. It tokk a few tries, but he was able to free himself easily, prompting Orora to grin widely. Gathering up the water from the now brokem pieces of ice, she moved to the next chain when she suddenly felt a presence beside her.

It was Zuko.

He walked past her, swords in either hand, nearing Appa with every step. The Bison growled again, prompting Orora to reach out. "Its alright Appa. He's here to help."

She hoped.

Zuko stopped in front of the chains that held Appa prisoner. His swords began to steam as he allowed his firebending abilities to heat the metal. Raising them in the air, he brought down both swords in one powerful stroke with a mighty cry. The heated blade cut through the metal chain like butter.

Orora grinned.

Between the both of them, they were able to free Appa in a matter of minutes. The Bison let out a happy grunt, stretching his legs, before nudging Orora with his nose, nuzzling against her. The young girl giggled, throwing her arms around Appa's cheek and returning his embrace. "Go find Aang. I'm sure he's worried about you." She said, stepping back a little so she could meet Appa's intelligent gaze.

Glancing behind her, she saw Zuko standing next to Iroh. She reached out, quickly grabbing his hand and yanking him forward. "He wants to say thank you." She said, placing Zuko's hand on Appa's fur.

Zuko stood there, frozen, his eyes meeting Appa's brown gaze. Human and animal stood still, before Appa closed his eyes, and somehow, Zuko knew the creature was thanking him.

With a mighty thump of his tail, the Bison took off. Through sheer strength he was able to break through the thin metal railing above him and take to the skies.

"You did good." Zuko felt a soft hand slipping in his, prompting him to turn around and find a smiling Orora standing by his side. His Uncle stood not even a few paces away. Both of them looked proud.

The first time Zuko ever felt he did something right was when he saved Orora's life.

But this?

Helping an innocent animal go free, that came a close second.

The walk back from Lake Laogai was a long one. This gave Zuko some time to think about what had just happened. Did this mean he was no longer hunting the Avatar? That he was going to make a life for himself in Ba Sing Se? As more and more questions rose in his mind, he began to feel them crowd around in his head, causing it to become physically heavy.

He could barely navigate his way through the streets of Ba Sing Se as his head began to throb all over.

By the time they reached their apartment, Orora could barely feel her feet. Though she barely noticed the ache as she focused on Zuko. In the time it had taken them to get back home, his face had gotten paler and paler. She'd caught his eye and silently asked if he was alright. He'd nodded, though even his movements were starting to get sluggish.

"You did the right thing." Iroh said, opening the door to their apartment, the pride in his voice evident as both teenagers walked in. "Letting the Avatar's bison go free."

Orora, who had entered first, turned to look at Zuko. He looked worse then before. "Zuko?" She reached out, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. He lifted a hand, pressing his palm against the side of his head as he met her gaze. "Orora?" His words slurred. "I don't feel right." His vision of her grew hazy and blurry before it darkened completely.

She was barely able to catch him when he passed out. "Zuko!" She didn't know who was louder, her or Iroh, who rushed forward to help Orora lay him down on the floor. She grabbed him by the shoulders, gently shaking him.

"Zuko! Zuko wake up!"

No response.

"Zuko!"

A/N: Lemme know what you think folks! - Hestia28