Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or its characters, Michael Dante DiMartino Bryan Konietzko do!

"Almost finished..." Stirring and stirring, she felt like she had stirred for hours! It didn't make her tired, she didn't feel any fatigue, but she was wondering went it would become the paste like they had ordered.

"How is the medicine coming along?" A girl asked, causing Noa to look away from the mixing bowl and up at the brunette.

"Oh, it's getting there. I think I might've forgotten something." She had pouted, looking back at the green-colored liquid.

"Did you add bellflowers?" The girl asked, Noa's eyes widening before she had slapped her palm against her forehead. "Don't worry, I tend to forget them too. You should add them last."

The kyuubi had whined softly, shaking her head. "I'm so sorry, Song. I can never seem to get it right."

"What do you mean? You're the fastest and most diligent worker here!" Her words were always uplifting, especially when Noa felt like she didn't deserve them. "Don't be so hard on yourself."

Noa had nodded, smiling. She had then stood and walked towards the shelves and looked in the small containers, looking for the previously grind bellflowers. When her eyes had spotted them, she had picked up the small glass and walked back towards the mixing bowl and added it into the paste before stirring.

Song, a girl with dark brown hair that was pulled into a braid and wore white and brown hanbok, had watched over Noa's shoulders. Her big, brown eyes ahd looked at Noa, who focused her gaze on the task.

When the liquid began turning into paste, a bright smile had formed on Noa's face, which had made Song smile as well. "See, you did it!" She had then patted the girl's back, "You've been quite the help the past two days. Without you, we would be stressed."

"It's no big deal." Noa had said as she had then given the paste towards one of the elder healers, who thanked her and began using it for a patient.

"How about we go out to eat for lunch, my treat." Noa had clapped her hands together, "I know you've been dying to try the beef bowl at Junko's!"

"It smells sooooo good! Of course!" The kyuubi had smiled happily, "But you should let me pay."

Song had shaken her head, "No. Didn't you say that you were saving your money so that you could go to Ba Sing Se? You should keep it. I'm not going anywhere."

Knowing it was futile with arguing with Song, she had nodded. "You have a couple more patients to look at, right? I'll clean the medical utensils."

The healer had nodded, watching Noa run off. "Mother, is Noa going to eat with us tonight?"

"I was hoping so." The woman had said, "She's quite refreshing to be around. I never seen a girl eat as much as she does."

Song had giggled, "Especially when it comes to beef. You said you were making duck tonight, right?"

"Yes, she seemed happy about it too." Song had looked away from her mother and to the patients that needed to be looked at, "Why did you ask?"

"I was just making sure." Her daughter replied before walking off to do her task."

With a basket full of medical tools in her hands, Noa had left the hospital and was now out in the Farming Village. The village was surrounded by a large and vast field of crops and plains, trees as well as bushes dotted around with the occasional lake or pond. The roadways were winding dirt and always had a caravan or a group of travelers walking on them. The place was busy; lively to be better suited. The idea of staying here did stick in Noa's head but she had wanted to venture to Ba Sing Se.

Once she had made her way down the path, she had saw the well and immediately ran over. Placing the basket on the ground, she had used the rope to lower the empty bucket already waiting to be used. "Someone left their bucket. Ah, good for me." She shrugged it off.

/

"How do you think Noa is?" Iroh had asked his nephew as they were traveling through the forest. "Do you think she is well?"

His nephew had kept his eyes on the dirt path, not bothering to look up. "Does it matter? She's not with us."

"But we're looking for her, aren't we?" His uncle stopped walking, looking at his nephew in confusion. "She only left because she thought we were going to the Fire Nation. And your body isn't completely healed, you need that bead. How can we travel and worsen your condition? We're wanted men."

Zuko had set his jaw, his feet stopping in their tracks. "If she had just came with us then there would be nothing to worry about." Zuko had said, "Azula tricked up and she could've escaped with us and then we'd all be back to how we were."

"But you said that was the agreement you two had." Iroh sighed, "Why didn't you try to convince her to stay?"

"She was in such a hurry to leave!" Zuko snapped, "It was like she wanted to say goodbye."

"That is not true, Prince Zuko. If Noa really wanted to leave, she would've given us the Avatar a long time ago." His uncle said, "She wants you to be happy more than anything. I understand that she would believe that you would live a normal life without her at your side." Iroh had walked ahead of his nephew.

Zuko had stared at the ground in thought. Trying to shun his thoughts and the conversation, his pace had quickened in order to make a hasty getaway through long strides.

Iroh had looked at his nephew, sighing. "I hope Noa is doing well..." He muttered to himself as he had continued to walk down the path.

/

Upon returning back to the hospital, there were three new patience. Noa had sized them up, looking at them in surprise. The one who had stood out the most was the boy. His hair was a chocolate brown, it was unkempt; very shaggy. His eyes were nearly the same shade as his hair, a dark brown, and his eyebrows were thin and highly arched. In his mouth was a stalk of prairie grass. "Noa, there you are." Song had said to her, Noa's eyes leaving Jet to look at the healer.

The girl had taken the basket of tools out of her hand, "Could you clean and dress that boy's arm? He's got a bit of an gash but he was already stitched. He just needs medicine and gauze."

Understanding what was ordered for her to do, she had walked over towards the supply shelf and grabbed the antiseptic and a roll of gauze. Her eyes looked at out of the three that Song had asked for, but the boy she had took notice of first had raised his hand to signify it was him.

Noa had walked over to him and uncapped the antiseptic, rubbing her forefinger of the green paste and lightly pressed her finger on the boy's stitching. "Is every girl in this hospital attractive?"

His words had caught her off guard, she had looked at him and then looked back at his wound. "Nobody is as pretty as Song." She finally said as she had made sure she had placed paste all over his wound before taking the gauze and securely wrapping it around his arm.

"You mean the girl that took the basket?" The boy questioned in which Noa nodded in reply. "You're modest, huh?"

Unsure of what he was trying to imply, Noa rose a brow. "You're all done." She had tied it neatly. "You're all dressed and ready to go." Noa had bowed as he had stood from his seat.

"Not even going to talk to me, are you?" Noa had looked at him, blatantly lost as to what he was talking about.

"I did talk to you. I'm talking to you right now." She clarified.

Jet snorted and then looked to the short companion to his left. "Smellerbee, we're not too far from the ferry, are we?"

Noa's eyes had lit up, looking at the unkempt-haired boy."You're going to Ba Sing Se?"

He nodded, chewing on the prairie grass in his mouth. "Yeah."

"I'm going there too!" Noa had said with a smile, "Just until I make a little more money."

"Why don't you come with us?" His words had surprised her, she had looked at him skeptically. "Safer travel and we can help pitch in if ya runnin' low. We have a bunch of gold pieces from sellin' our old stuff."

Looking down at her hands, she contemplated if she should accept it. "Well..."

"I'll give ya the night to think about it." He had then turned away, the duo with him following him. Noa had watched him leave and then sighed, wiping her hands on her hanbok to get rid of the paste off her fingers.

"What was that about?" Song asked, "You two seemed to be have a serious conversation."

"He's going to Ba Sing Se." Noa explained, "And they said they would help me if I ran low on money. I wasn't sure so he said he'll give me the night to think about it."

"How can you trust him?" asked Song, "He could be shady. Sure, he has a nice face but we don't know anything about him."

"I don't know but I do." Her voice was low, "He kind of reminds me of someone very dear to me."

"You mean the boy you said you left behind?" Song questioned. Noa had shaken her head, "This old guy, Grandpa Jimmu. He kinda looks like him if he was young."

"Grandpa...Jimmu?" Song repeated, confused.

The fox had chuckled, "Nevermind."

Song had blinked a few times and then shrugged, deciding to leave it at that. She had followed after Noa, a smile on her face. "Lunch shift is starting, let's go get the beef bowls."

Nodding, Noa had followed Song out of the hospital and into the village, both of them walking alongside each other. "So, you're really leaving behind that guy you talked about?"

The kyuubi looked to her left at Song, "Yeah."

"For good?" She pried, "I mean it seems to me that you're still not over him."

"Over him?" Noa repeated, confused as to what she meant by that.

The girl chuckled, "You know... When you break up with someone, you try to get over them. Forget them. Move on."

"Move on..." Well, she understood that much. "It's... hard, but I think I can manage."

The brunette had looked at her friend, her smile faltering. "Y'know, I'm a little jealous."

"Jealous? Why should you be jealous?" Noa questioned, "You have a nice home and mother. You live really well here."

Tilting her head back, Song had gazed at the blue sky above them. "But I've never really been in a relationship. That's what I'm jealous of. I never cared for a boy like you care for the guy you left behind."

Noa's face had softened, her eyes looking down at the ground and then at the path ahead. "There's no need to rush, you have a long time."

Song had looked at Noa, seeing the gentle yet sad expression on her face. "I guess I might be in a rush but most girls our age have boyfriends or have in mind of someone they like. Some are even planning to marry!"

She definitely knew how that felt. Seeing everyone get married around you but you... you're still alone. "The day will come when you have someone of your own, Song. You just might have to wait a little while."

Song merely smiled, deciding to believe in Noa's words. "So, about that guy of yours..." Noa glanced over at the girl beside her, "what did he look like? Was he really handsome?"

Just picturing Zuko had made her smile but it also saddened her. Her eyes had closed briefly, her hands still behind her. "His hair is dark brown, his eyes are so bright... A really bright shade of amber. When he's mad, they kind of darken but when he's happy..." The image of his smiling face from Azula's news had flashed across his mind, "they become an even bright amber, like a flame. His skin is smooth even though he has a scar but his scar... His scar makes him even more alluring."

The healer had listened diligently, smiling at how Noa seemed alive as she described him. "He's very lean, from his hardwork and dexterity, he's in good shape. He's not too muscular but you can definitely see them."

"Wow, he sounds perfect..." Song mumbled.

"And his scent, I enjoy the way he smells. He smells like a campfire, kind of. Like the smell of sandalwood and it's spicy, it leaves a little tingle in your nose but it's so inviting and warm. Even though he doesn't display a personality that matches his scent, his scent makes you feel safe... It makes you feel welcomed."

Noa had stopped walking, Song stopping beside her as vanilla gold eyes were staring up at the blue, cloudless sky. "Noa, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." She nodded, a small smile on her face. "I just know that even if we never cross paths again, he'll always be alive in my memories."

"Why did you leave him in the first place?" asked Song, "He seems, pretty much, perfect." She shrugged, showing her absolute confusion.

The fox had looked at Song, still keeping her smile. "Because where he was going was somewhere I couldn't follow." She had walked forward, getting a few steps ahead of Song.

"Somewhere you couldn't follow?" Song queried, mumbling it to herself as she tried to figure out what that meant. "You mean, like, you wanted to go to Ba Sing Se and he wanted to go somewhere else? Or is there familial issues?"

"Mm..." hummed Noa, "it's more like familial issues. He and I just didn't belong together. It's... It's by chance that we met each other in the first place, really."

"Ah, he's rich and since you're lower class, his family wouldn't accept you?" Song said, thinking she had put two and two together.

Due to her not being able to tell Song the real truth, she felt like what Song summoned was a good enough answer and probably a more realistic take on what transpired between Zuko and herself. "You got me." Noa had sighed, "That's it."

"You two should've ran away together then!" The healer wasn't going to let it go. "Then that would've made a difference and you both would've been happy."

"He's been wanting to be with his family for a long time. He was kicked out and estranged," Noa replied, "so when he found out, he was so happy and I didn't want to force myself into that. There was no room for me."

The brunette's eyes had widened and then a look of understanding had washed over her features. "I see. So, you left him and just planned to go back to Ba Sing Se, huh?"

"I've been to Ba Sing Se before, I lived there." Noa had said, "I wonder how much it has changed."

"Oh?" Song said, surprised. "Do you have family there?"

Shaking her head, Noa sighed. "No, but it's just a place I know and am familiar with. I want to start again there."

"I see." With a nod, they had reached the restaurant. "Well, this is it. Let's eat!"

/

He was running out of breath, running and searching for a doctor. He wasn't sure where to go or which path to take, he just knew he needed help. 'Dammit Uncle. Did you really need to make tea that badly?' He cursed to himself, wondering why his uncle couldn't be patient until they had found herbs that they knew were safe.

All around he searched until he saw a plume of smoke in the air. He figured that something was up ahead, and it was a guarantee that there was people where the smoke was coming from. "Uncle, pick up the pace!" He yelled, looking behind him to see his swollen face family member running slowly.

Slowing down, he had walked towards his uncle and place the man's arms around his shoulder and try to speed him up. "Sorry Prince Zuko. I really thought it wasn't a white jade plant."

"There's no time," He had said until he saw crop fields. He realize there had to be a farm nearby. "Look, there's a bunch of lakes and plant fields. We must be near a village." He pointed out to Iroh.

"Really? I can't really see. My face is a bit too swollen." Iroh mumbled, his nephew sighing. When they had reached into the village, he immediately asked for directions to a hospital and kind people had led him over.

A woman had immediately ran over to attend to Iroh, alerting the healers of a patient with a rather grotesque rash.

They had tripped Iroh of his tunic and let him to wards a sitting table. A girl had approached him, Song, and was given a bowl of green-like clay in which she had began to put on his face and body, covering the areas where the rash had spread.

Zuko had sighed, sitting behind the girl. His backside on the floor, his wide-brimmed hat covering most of his face as his eyes stared down at the floor. 'She should be safe. She's a kyuubi.' He thought to himself, getting lost in his thoughts as he couldn't help but be curious of what the nine-tails was doing.

'Prince Zuko! Prince Zuuuuuuuuuuuuuko~' Her voice had echoed in his mind, the corner of his lips had tilted upward in a microscopic smile as he could imagine her, face full of hippo cow with a smile that seemed to lightening up all on it's own. It did feel odd that she wasn't around, she had been with them for almost two months and it would take some getting use to. Her presence, her voice, and the sound of her groaning and moaning over the fresh plates of hippo cow or picken was, much as he didn't want to admit... was much missed.

"You two must not be from around here." Song had said, "We know better than to touch the white jade, much less make it into tea and drink it."

A blush of embarrassment had crept up Iroh's swollen face, his hand rubbing the back of his head as he let out a sheepish laugh. "Whoops!"

"So where are you traveling from?" asked Song, curious about the two travelers.

Zuko quickly stood, his speaking fast. "Yes, we're travelers."

"Do you have names?" The young healer questioned.

The Prince had looked around, hesitant. "Names? Of course we have names. I'm... Lee. And this is my uncle, uh..." He looked at his uncle quickly, "Mushi."

Iroh was obviously unhappy about the name, shooting his nephew a glare from behind the young girl's back. "Yes, but my nephew was name after his father, so we just call him Junior." He said rather facetiously as he looked over the girl's shoulder, seeing his reaction.

His nephew had balled his fists at the name of "Junior"... "Mushi and Junior, huh? My name is Song. You two look like you could use a good meal." Before Iroh could scratch his rash, she had swatted his hand away. "Why don't you stay for dinner?"

"Sorry, but we need to be moving on." Zuko had rejected the offering.

"That's too bad. My mom always makes too much roast duck." Song sighed, "Especially since my friend had just left. She had gone to Ba Sing Se. I thought she would stay another night."

Iroh had looked to Zuko, seeing him curious of who this "friend" was. "What was her name?"

"Hmm?" Song hummed, "Oh, her name was Noa. She was working here for the past two days since she came here and she has been a really big-"

"Noa was here?!" Her eyes had widened upon the boy knowing her friend, she had then gasped.

"Are you her ex-boyfriend?"

"Ex-boyfriend?" Both Iroh and Zuko repeated, questionably.

The girl nodded, "Yeah. She said she had left a guy because you two were bound to separate. Are you searching for her?"

Iroh had looked back at his nephew, wondering what his answer was going to be. "No." He had said, his knuckles nearly turning white from how tightly clenched they were.

"How is she?" Iroh had questioned, "Was she healthy?"

"Healthy? Yes," Song nodded, "she sure can eat! My mother never had to worry about wasting food when she was around." The girl had giggled, her hand over her mouth as she thought about the first day they had met Noa.

The older man had smiled, glad that Noa was safe and undiscovered. At least nobody had knew she was a nine-tails and she was handling being on her own very well. "I'm sure we'll be crossing paths with her soon."

"There's no doubt you'll run into her." Song had said, walking to Zuko. "She really cares about you." She tried to reassure him, making Zuko look at her quizzically and somewhat flustered. "I can tell that by the way she spoke so highly of you."

"Oh, she spoke of my nephew often?" Iroh had queried, a mischievous smile on his face.

Song nodded in reply. "I can tell how sad she was being away from him. She said that he was going back to his family and she knew how happy he was. But that seemed to have changed, right?"

"Yeah," Zuko said sourly, "it did."

Iroh had also reflected on the memory of Azula's deceptive plan. "What time did she leave?"

"She left around the afternoon with this group." She answered.

"A group?" The Prince repeated, "What group?"

"Mm, a boy and his friends. They were going to Ba Sing Se and offered to help pay for expenses if she was low on money."

Zuko had set his jaw, "How could she trust them? She doesn't even know them!" His voice started to rise but he had then controlled it. "How could you let her go off with strangers?"

"They seemed to be safe from what we know." Song had tried to reason, "Noa said she was fine, so she was willing to go. Even though I tried to convince her to stay for a while..."

"We should eat dinner and go, and maybe we'll catch up to them." Iroh tried to reason, "We can't go on an empty stomach or else we'll be too tired and my condition is not ready for travel as of yet."

What he said made sense but he couldn't help the bad vibes he had gotten to hear that she was traveling with strangers. He then convinced himself that he was worrying too much, she was extremely capable of handling herself. Still, he couldn't really put his finger on why he had felt so uneasy. At least they knew where she was going, that would have to settle him down.

/

"So, Noa," The girl had looked over to Jet, "you a fighter?"

His question confused her but she had answered. "A fighter? You mean like can I bend or something?"

"Yeah, y'know, can you knock a few heads?" She had nodded, "Really? Heh," His grin appeared, which left her unsettled. "I could tell."

"It's... obvious?" She had said.

"Earlier, I saw you practicing with that sword we found earlier." He kept his focus to the path in front of them, "There's a sword style I know but I didn't master it. I just know that you don't squeeze or have a loose grip on the handle."

"It's like holding-"

"A tea cloth." He finished. She had smiled and nodded, "See, I know. My father's friend used to practice that sword style."

Her eyes had picked up on the faint somberness in his voice. "I learned it a long time ago." She had said, "A good friend of mine taught it to me. He said women should know how to protect themselves."

Slowly, she had raised her hands and inspected them, wondering if she could see any calluses. There weren't any when there should be but she assumed that it was because of her being a spirit, they would heal quickly and not form. "He's right. Everyone needs to be able to protect themselves, especially against the Fire Nation."

He didn't hide his obvious hate for them, and she could commend him for being honest about it. Still, she didn't want to agree but if she didn't it would make her suspicious, wouldn't it? "Yeah, especially against them."

"All the Fire Nation does is take and destroy; they don't care about the families they ruin or the children they leave parentless and homeless." He continued on, her eyes lowering.

"Yeah," Smellerbee had added, now joining the conversation. "They just like to ruin people lives and make their own better. All they care about is themselves."

She wasn't sure if it was because she felt bias because of Iroh and Prince Zuko that she didn't feel like to keep agreeing with them, and so she kept her mouth such. "Do you have any family, Noa?" Jet asked her, looking at her from the corner of her eyes.

"Family? No, I don't have anything like that." She answered, "There was a woman who looked out for me but she wasn't like family." Noa had sighed, "It never bothered me though."

The trio was silent, Jet had then walked in front of her, stopping her from walking any further. She had paused, looking at him quizzically. "Then why don't you join us?"

"Join you?" Noa repeated, confused.

"Join the Freedom Fighters." Jet clarified, "We'll be like a family to you."

Her eyes had slightly widened at his words, unsure what to say. She was grateful for his offer but she wasn't sure about joining them. Did she really feel like getting attached to someone else? "I'm not sure about that." She spoke, her hand raised to her chest as she had kept her eyes looking down at the ground beneath them. "I'll need to think about it."

"Good." Jet had said before turning to look at Longshot and Smellerbee. "We'll be setting up camp here. It's too dark and risky for us to travel further." He instructed. "Smellerbee, Longshot," Both teens had looked at him, "you two start a campfire and pitch the tents while Noa and I go search for some food."

"Alright." Smellerbee had said, Longshot nodding.

Noa had walked alongside Jet quietly. "I guess we're going fishing huh?" She had started a conversation, "There's a river real close."

"That seems like the plan." Jet had stretched his arms behind his head, chewing on the prarire blade. "So, Noa, is there a reason why you're going to Ba Sing Se?"

Nodding her head, she had swung her arms lightly. "I use to live there a long time ago. I would travel from Ba Sing Se and to other small villages, kind of finding a place where I belonged."

Jet had glanced at her as she had tilted her head back, looking up at the star-filled sky. "You had a problem fitting in?"

"Mm." She answered, "But it never bothered me because I had fallen in love with someone in Ba Sing Se."

"Oh?" Jet had said, "Is he the reason why you're going there?"

Her expression had blackened, her eyes having this haze of nostalgia. "He's part of the reason."

"Plannin' to reunite with him?" He continued to question, "Why did you leave him anyway?"

She had shaken her head, "He's dead." She had sighed, "And it's not that I left him willingly."

"Oh..." Jet murmured as they had reached the river, "Sorry I asked."

"It's okay." Noa had smiled, "It was a long time ago. So, there's no need to worry."

He decided to end the conversation there and pulled out his twin hook swords. He carefully tread the water, squinting his eyes. "I'll catch 'em and you tie 'em. It'll be more efficient that way." He said, placing both swords in one hand to throw her some rope.

o

"How long is it going to be until we reach the ferry?" Smellerbee asked as it was daytime. All four of them had been walking since the morning, stopping for no breaks.

Noa had looked over her shoulder at the short, unkempt hair girl. "We'll be there soon. I can smell the ocean."

Jet rose a brow, "You can smell the ocean from here?"

"Yeah," Noa nodded, "my sense of smell is pretty strong. Besides, I was out in the ocean for a couple of months so I know the smell of the ocean more than anything."

"Traveling by sea?" He queried and she had nodded in reply. "Well, that makes me feel easy. Hopefully we'll get a good meal while we're on there."

"Hopefully..." Smellerbee mumbled, "I'm sick of eating fish."

Noa had sighed, "What I would give some hippo cow!"

"Or some picken!" Smellerbee added, she had then looked to Longshot as his eyes seemed to speak to her. "Yeah, some noodles would be great right now too."

All three of them had rubbed their stomachs in sync, Jet snickering. "Don't worry. When we reach Ba Sing Se, we'll be eating really good."

"Just a few more miles to go." Noa had closed her eyes briefly. 'You're probably in the Fire Nation already, aren't you?' She had though sadly. 'He's probably so happy...'

"Yo, Noa!" Smellerbee had called out the older female, the kyuubi looking over her shoulder again as Smellerbee had quickly went to her side, pushing them away from the boys slightly so they can talk more privately. "What is it?"

"How do you feel about Jet?" The shorter girl murmured, Noa blinking twice in confusion.

"Mm, he's pretty nice, I guess?" She had answered, nodding slightly. "He seems to be a pretty good leader too."

"Do you, you know, like him?" Noa was still confused, "Like, you find him attractive?"

Now she had gotten the gist of what the girl was saying. The fox's cheeks had turn a slight shade of red, "He's pretty handsome. He has that rugged kind of style but-"

"You should totally go for it." Smellerbee urged on, "I think you two would be a good fit."

"Noa, Smellerbee." Both girls had looked away from each other and then up at him, "Looks like we made it."

"Finally!" Smellerbee sighed in content as they had walked down the hill and went towards the docks. They had reached the ferry landing, they had all given her their documents.

Noa was lucky that she had traveled with Jet and the others, or else she wouldn't have been able to buy a document for her to travel. "Which one should we go on? The ferry on the left, the one on the right, or the center one?"

Noa had looked at the center ferry and shrugged, "We should get on that one. It looks like it's gonna take off first."

"You're right." Jet had nodded as they had walked alongside the boardwalk and hurried went up the gangplank before it closed. When they had reached the lower level deck, they all sighed in relief.

"First things first." Noa had looked around, "Food."

All of them had looked around to see if people were eating, they had seen servers giving out bowls, which piqued their interest. Noa was the first to run over, the rest of the freedom fighters following.

The fox had sniffed the air, her face contorting to one of confusion and disgust. When she was given her bowl, she had looked down to what appeared to be a bowl of gruel. "What is this...?"

The food server had looked at her as her eyes stared into the contents of the wooden bowl. "It's congee."

"It looks disgusting." Noa had said, sniffing in it. "And there's no meat. It's rice... and milk! How can you feed us this?"

"Take it or leave it, brat!" The man shouted, annoyed. Noa had looked at him, frowning and walking away.

"I'm not a brat..." Noa had mumbled, "I'm older than him!" She continued to say under her breath as she had walked over the rail, holding the bowl.

She wasn't sure if she was hungry enough to settle for what was in the bowl but she didn't want to throw it in the ocean. Looking around, she had looked to see a family who was made to split a bowl. Walking over to them, she had gave them her bowl. "Oh no, we can't accept this."

"It's fine. I'm not hungry and you would appreciate it more than I would." Noa had smiled at the elderly woman, who nodded and accepted the food, taking it from Noa's hands.

"You're that stubborn, huh?" Jet had said as she had walked over to him, Smellerbee, and Longshot. "You should've ate or your stomach will start hurting."

She shrugged, "I can miss a meal. Besides, that stuff would've made me sick."

Foxes didn't eat rice. They were carnivores. She wouldn't have been happy or healthy eating that. "Well, if you say so." Smellerbee shrugged, deciding not to worry too much about it.

As the ferry sailed on the water, the first to depart out of the three, she had found a spot to sit at and crossed her legs. "I want a bath... I want hippo cow..." She had groaned, "I don't like living like this... Living without meat and being clean."

A hand had patted her back, her eyes had looked from the ferry floor and up at the person who did a kind gesture to see it was Longshot. He had given her a hard stare, which she didn't quite understand. His silence was strange to her but she felt as if he was trying to reassure her. "Thanks..." She muttered as he had nodded.

"There's no way they can just give us this food. Those tickets weren't cheap, I'm pretty sure they could afford better food." Jet had said, telling them his suspicions.

Noa had stood, "You wanna snoop around?"

"Heh, food gets you motivated, huh?" He said as she had nodded hurriedly.

"Alright." He nodded, "Bee, Shot, we're gonna find out if what's happenin' around here."

Smellerbee and Longshot had nodded, "Do you want us to do anything?"

"You two can ask around if anything suspicious has been happening, alright?" He said as they had nodded once more.

Noa and Jet had walked off, trying not to look suspicious. They had walked towards the stairs that led toward the second-level of the deck, but Jet had made sure she had stayed behind him due to the guards that were patrolling the area.

"I smell some food, especially on the second floor deck. Ohhh, I can smell picken." She had sighed.

"We aren't allowed up there. It's where the captain's quarters are." Jet had said, "It's too suspicious during the day but now we know that he's got good food."

She had stomped her feet, "But I wanna eat picken~" She whined, borderline ready to cry.

He had tried to hold in his laugh, not sure when he ever seen a girl as desperate for food as she was. "We can't risk it."

Even though she knew what he was saying was a good plan, she just didn't want to wait anymore. Of course whining wasn't going to solve anything.

Her hand had rested on her head, she had rubbed her temples slowly and softly. In the midst of it, she had sniffed the air catching on another scent. Jet had looked at in her direction as she had spun in a circle, sniffing and then looked northeast. "...It can't be."

"What?" He questioned, "It can't be what?"

"Oh, nothing." She had shaken her head, "My nose is probably... being weird." She had rubbed her nose trying to make sure it wasn't smelling something that wasn't actually around.

Both her and Jet had walked back to where they left Smellerbee and Longshot, to see the two waiting for them. "We got an idea of what might be going on." He said to them.

"Yeah, people are around here saying that the Captain is getting five-course meals and he's just giving the rest of us his leftovers."

"Leftovers? It's more like scraps." That seemed to tick Jet off, a frown adorning his face.

The scent was stronger now, and it was definitely close. The fox's eyes had widened as she had slowly looked to her right, the silhouette of the Fire Nation prince that she hadn't seen in almost a week was standing there.

Her eyes felt like they were going to bulge out of her sockets and she could feel the tears ready to brim at the corner of her eyes. Jet had followed her gaze to the boy, who had spat out the content's of the porridge. "I'm sick of eating rotten food, sleeping in the dirt... I'm tired of living like this."

Jet had walked over to him as he was leaning on the rail, discouraged and unhappy. "Aren't we all?" Noa was taken back by the fact that Jet was speaking to him. Looking around, she had hurriedly left due to the fear of being caught by Zuko. "My name's Jet, and these are my freedom fighters, Smellerbee, Longshot, and-"

He had looked over his shoulder to just see Longshot and Smellerbee, obviously confused as to why Noa wasn't there. Smellerbee and Longshot had then too noticed the girl was missing. "Uh, missing someone?" Iroh had asked.

"Yeah, where is she?" Jet had asked them both, as they had shrugged.

"She was just here a minute ago." Smellerbee had said, her big and round eyes now searching for the fairy for her.

Iroh had looked around, Zuko now peering over his shoulder as the group of three was wondering where their other member had gone. "What does she look like?" Iroh queried.

Jet had sighed, "Don't worry about it. She'll come around." He dismissed it, anyway. "Here's the deal. I know for sure that the Captain's eating like a king, while us refugees have to feed of his scraps. Doesn't seem fair, does it?"

"What sort of "king" is he eating like?" Iroh had asked, curious.

"The fat, happy kind." The man's mouth had gaped open, drool exiting his mouth and onto his beard. "You want to help us "liberate" some food?" Jet offered.

Zuko stared down into at the bowl of congee, considering for a moment before hurling it out over the rail. "I'm in." He had said as he had turned to face them.

"Alright, so here's what we're gonna do." Jet had said as they had began to formulate a plan.

"What about your missing friend, is she going to help?" Iroh questioned.

Jet had shaken his head, "It'll be much of a hassle if it is all five of us. It's best to keep it small." He had said as the former general nodded, agreeing.

As they all huddled, Iroh had noticed someone peeking behind a wooden rail. He had narrowed his eyes, looking intensely in the direction. It appeared the person had noticed he caught them and hid right behind the rail.

. . .

When it had turned night, she had watched the boys and Smellerbee initiated their plan. With a sigh, she had decided to keep her distance. 'What am I running for? If Prince Zuko is here then that means something had changed right? He's still hunting for the Avatar... But why do I want to avoid him?' Noa had thought to herself, not sure why she felt like running away was doing her any good.

"Those boys said they were going to give us all some good food." She had heard one woman say, Noa had looked in the direction of the old woman. "I was really tired of eating that gruel, it was disgusting."

One woman had looked up, noticing her. "Ah, young lady." She had waved over to her and signaled for her to come over, "She's the one who helped us get an extra portion of food."

Noa had sat down on a small green blanket. "Hello." She greeted them.

"Thanks again for the food earlier. I wasn't sure how my grandchildren were supposed to share one bowl." She said, signaling to the one toddler and the other child.

"It was no big deal." She had said with a smile. "I'm sorry you had to eat that, really."

"It was better than nothing." The woman said, "Where's that handsome young fellow that was with you earlier?"

She had rose a brow, "Jet? Oh, he's going to help get us some good food." She nodded, "Something wayyyyyyy better than that crap from earlier?"

"Really?" Both women had said at the same time.

"Yeah, he calls it "liberating"." She had chuckled, "Everyone's going to eat good tonight, even the little ones."

"You must be proud to have such a kind boyfriend." The woman said, giving a toothy grin.

Noa had looked at the woman in shock and then held up her hands, "Oh, he's not my boyfriend."

"Husband?"

"No! Nononono! He and I are just friends." She had continued to shake her hands, her hands waving to dismiss the idea they had that she and Jet were in any type of romantic relationship.

"There you are." She had looked up to see Jet, who was passing around food from a green, raggedy sack. "We were worried about you."

She had smiled, "I was just checking to see if these kids were alright. I gave them my portion and I wanted to make sure they weren't still hungry." She lied.

Jet had adapted a grin, "Well, c'mon. I picked some extra picken for you since I knew you were the hungriest."

The fox had gasped, her eyes lighting up. "Really?!" She had stood, her hands clasped together. "Picken, picken, piiiiiiiicken!" She had danced, clapping her hands.

The two women had giggled, "And she says there's nothing between them." One woman had muttered.

Noa's face had flushed red, Jet chucking at the women's gossip. "C'mon, let's eat."

Nodding, she had followed him and noticed the direction he was heading. Zuko and Iroh were sitting next to one another, enjoying the food that they had "liberated".

Noa debated on running again but since Jet was at her side, it would prove to be difficult and besides, where could she run off too? Was she going to hide during the whole trip.

Both firebenders had looked upon the approaching two, their eyes wide in surprise upon seeing the girl they hadn't seen in over a week. "Noa!" Zuko was the first to stand, completely shocked.

Jet had looked at her, wondering how the three had known one another. He also wondered if they were the reason why she had been distancing herself. "Lee and, I, Mushi, have been worried sick about you."

Her doleful look at then went to confusion, "Mushi and Lee?" She repeated, unsure of why they had changed their names? It was then she figured that since they were Fire Nation, they were hiding their identities.

Her eyes had hesistantly looked to Zuko, who kept his eyes fixated on her.

"You really are... alright."

His words had taken her by surprise, her eyes slightly widening at his visible concern. "I thought you two were-"

"Things weren't exactly what they seemed and we were tricked." Iroh had said, "That's the Fire Nation for you." He tried to play it off.

Jet had nodded understandingly, "Oh..." Noa muttered, "so you you guys are going to Ba Sing Se too, huh?"

"Yeah." Zuko answered, nodding.

Jet had then grabbed Noa's arm, pulling her down to sit. She had sat beside him, Zuko upon noticing the boy's hand on the girl's arm had stared at the contact for a while before sitting back down as well. "Here." Jet had scooted the large plate of a full picken, making the girl grin. "Thanks Jet!" She had thanked him before digging her nails through the cooked skin and trying a piece. "Ohhh... I missed this so much."

Iroh had chuckled. "Noa loves to eat, especially hippo cow and picken."

"Tell me about it." Jet sighed, "That's all she whined about." They had all looked at her as she swaying her shoulders as she had chewed, seemingly in heaven. "She even imagined the fish we ate as hippo cow."

"So, you're a Freedom Fighter now?" Zuko had asked Noa, the girl opening one eye.

Jet had kept his gaze on Noa, wondering her answer to the question was as well. "Jet asked but... I don't have a definitive answer yet. Though it kinda feels like I'm already one."

Jet had smiled at her answer while Zuko sported an upside down one. "Where's Smellerbee?"

Iroh's face then flushed red, "Oh... She's talking to the quiet boy." He pointed to his left, all of them looking at the girl who was being comforted by Longshot.

"So, what are you going to do once we land?" Iroh had asked the two.

Jet had spoke rather eagerly, "From what I heard, people eat like this every night in Ba Sing Se. I can't wait to set my eyes on that giant wall. "

"It is a magnificent sight." Iroh agreed.

Jet had appeared surprised. "So you've been there before?"

"Once, when I was a different man." He averted his gaze regretfully, making Noa wonder if Iroh was in Ba Sing Se before when he was a general.

Jet had glanced around painfully as well, "I've done some things in my past that I'm not proud of. But that's why I'm going to Ba Sing Se, for a new beginning. A second chance."

"That's very noble of you. I believe people can change their lives if they want to. I believe in second chances." said Iroh, looking at his nephew as to tell him that was he said was signaled towards him. Both Jet and Noa had studied the two.

"Why are you going, Noa?" Iroh queried, wondering why Noa was heading there in the first place.

The fox had looked down at the drumstick of picken in her hand, "Well.. I was there a long time ago and I share some memories there. There's also a person I want to see."

Both Zuko and Iroh had appeared surprised. "A person you want to see?" Iroh pried.

"Yeah... He was very important to me. I loved him." Her voice was quiet, somber. "I'd like to visit him again even though, it's not like I'll be seeing him physically but as his grave."

Zuko had watched as she continued to eat, deciding not to talk any further. "So, how do you three know each other?" Jet finally asked, not letting his curiosity spin even further.

"Noa saved me in a small Earth Kingdom village." The Prince explained, "She had healed me since I was on the brink of death and then we traveled together and then, we just got separated."

The freedom fighter had looked to Noa, who remained quiet and continued to eat. "Seems like a stroke of fate brought you together again, huh?"

Iroh had looked at the three teenagers, seeing both boys gazing at the kyuubi, who kept her eyes on her food.

o

When the ferry had reached the shore, they had went to the ferry landing and was inside the ticket gate. Noa continued to stay beside Jet, seeing as Zuko did not particularly ask for her return even though she wasn't expecting it. Occasionally, she would glance at him either catching him staring or his eyes looking away in every direction but at her.

"I think Lee would make a good Freedom Fighter. He's just trying to find his way in the world, just like us." Jet had said, Noa looking at him. She knew this would go sour because for one, Zuko was the Fire Nation prince.

Smellerbee had then spoke up, "You don't know anything about him Jet."

The leader had taken the stalk out of his mouth, but kept it close to his lips as he spoke. "I know he didn't get that scar from a waterbender."

"Besides, I thought we were going straight now?" She questioned, Noa continuing to walk the line while keeping her eyes fixated on Zuko.

"We are," Jet shrugged, "and the new Freedom Fighters could use a guy like Lee. What do you think Longshot?" Noa wasn't expecting to hear an answer since the boy never talked. "I can respect that.

Once they cleared through the ticket gate, they had went to the train station. It was crowded, fill with groups. Noa had stood, not sitting down in the waiting area and caught Jet still trying to convince "Lee" to join the Freedom Fighters.

She watched the two boys walk off and speak, leaving her feeling uneasy. "I don't know why Jet's so adamant about it." Smellerbee had spoke up, Noa's attention now on her. "Would you feel comfortable about it?"

"I really don't know." Noa answered truthfully, "I know that Lee wouldn't join no matter how persuasive Jet is."

"I figured as much." The short girl mumbled. A ornate stone train had then arrived, amazing Noa upon sight. Her lips had parted slightly, her eyes widen as she had observed the transportation system.

"Last call for Ba Sing Se!" A man's voice had filled the waiting area.

"Wow..." She had sighed, "Things really have changed."

Smellerbee had smiled, "Yeah. C'mon, let's-"

Jet had walked over, his strides quick and his feet hitting the floor hard as he had walked past them and entered the train. "Jet?" Smellerbee had called out his name as they entered the train. They had entered the same boarding car as Zuko and Iroh, taking seats together.

"They're firebenders!" Jet muttered angrily, "I saw him heat his tea using firebending."

Noa had stiffened, Jet looking at her suspiciously. "Jet, relax! So the old guy had some hot tea. Big deal."

He heated it himself! Those guys are firebenders." He was furious and it made Noa feel uncomfortable. What was she going to do? "You knew it, didn't you?"

She had shaken her head, "I've never seen them bend anything before." She had said, her eyes looking down at her lap.

It didn't do too much to convince Jet as they had eyed Zuko and Iroh. Noa had glanced over at the Fire Nation royalty, Iroh speaking to the woman who held a baby in her arms while Zuko's arms were crossed, his expression showing his anger.

The train ride was uneasy, the atmosphere heavy and filled with tension. This was not how she was expecting her trip here and she almost wished she had left by herself. Her eyes had stayed looking out the window, occasionally listening to Jet speak his frustrations and Zuko muttering to his uncle of how careless he was. It made her wonder if this was really going to travel with them all the way to Ba Sing Se.

When the train had finally stopped, they all hopped off board and made their way out of the station and towards the outside world. The large wall of Ba Sing Se was immediately in sight, Noa drinking up the scenery since when she was here, four hundred years ago, it was nothing but a small city. It was nothing like it was today.

Turning to Jet, Smellerbee, and Longshot, she had bowed to them. "I think this is where we split us." She had said, "I don't think being a Freedom Fighter is for me. It's not my place."

Smellerbee had frowned, Longshot lowering his eyes as well. Jet, however, had an unreadable expression. "That doesn't mean we have to stop being friends."

"I was almost afraid you wouldn't want to be friends anymore." Noa honestly said, smiling. "We'll always be friends. I've enjoyed the days I've spent with you all."

It seemed his suspicions of her had lessened since he had no real evidence to prove she was a firebender. "Thank you." She had said before turning and walking to the entrance gate of the city, wondering just how she was going to go about things.

She would have to find some source of income and a place to stay. She couldn't afford to buy a place of her own. Well, finding a job would have to be first then. She had searched around the lower ring of Ba Sing Se, looking for a job that she could qualify and then she had gone to the middle ring.

A bathhouse was hiring, much to her surprise. Walking in, she was greeted by the front desk."Hello, welcome to Ba Sing Se's Heavenly Bath house." Looking down at her clothes, she realized she didn't look exactly presentable but what other choice did she have?

"Uhm, well, I see you are hiring and I was hoping that I could apply for a job here." The woman at the front desk was surprise, blinking several times. "Oh, we're hiring hostesses." The woman had left the desk and looked her over. "Hm... You've got a pretty face but you're dirty. You don't have any experience working, do ya?"

Noa had shaken her head, "No."

The woman had sighed, "Well... We really do need some more hostesses." She had hummed, looking Noa over again. "Zhiyi!" The woman had called for someone, Noa had looked around for the person she had called. Soon a girl, the same age as her, had came running down the stairs and toward them. Zhiyi was about sixteen, she had brown hair that was in a neat and tight bun and wore a green cheongsam that seemed to accentuate her petite body. The trim was made of gold and the shade of green was a jade color. "Clean this girl up and give her the run around in being a hostess. We need to hire someone before boss loses his temper so she'll have to do."

The teenage girl had nodded, still catching her breath. "Come on." She had signaled for Noa to follow, which the girl had nodded and followed after her. "You're pretty lucky to get hired right away. Usually, you have to go through this ridiculous test."

The fox had blinked twice, "A ridiculous test? What do they make you do?"

"They make you answer strange questions with impossible answers. They try to see how smart you are and how you can attract customers into become regulars, it's really crazy. But since they are in need of more hostesses, I guess they are settling for you until you mess up."

"I can't afford to lose this job." Noa had shaken her head, "It's really the only option I have left."

"Oh, are you a refugee?" The girl asked, Noa had shaken her head. "Then...?"

"I lived in Ba Sing Se before, a long time ago. But I left, and then I came back but it's been so long and since I didn't have any family..." She trailed, unsure of how to continue on.

Zhiyi had nodded understandingly. "Same with me. I'm renting this apartment, but it's getting a little out of control. It was all just to show my family that I'm capable of living on my own, but I'm not sure how long I can keep living there."

"I know we just met and I'm asking for a lot, but could I move in with you?" Zhiyi had looked at Noa in shock, "I could help pay for rent, we'll half it."

"Seriously?" The girl had said as Noa nodded. "You have a deal! You got a place to stay and my parents can't get me to come back to their house!" She had reached her hand out but then decided not to, "Let's shake on it after you've had a bath. You smell terrible."

The fox had gaped but then closed her mouth. "I know..."

. . .

After taking a bath, she was given her uniform. Noa was reluctantly to wear it but she eventually forced herself too. She had taking the chopstick that Zuko had given her out of her hanbok's sleeve pocket and placed in her hair due to it was customary for new hostesses to wear a bun. They were merely apprentices to the older hostesses, who had wore grander clothes and dealt with V.I.P and higher paying customers. "I really wanted to be an entertainer, but you have to work your way up." Zhiyi had said as she had taken the paint brush and placed red lipstick on Noa's lips. "Well, you're all fixed up."

She had grabbed Noa's wrist and led her towards a mirror. The fox was surprised at her reflection, able to see how the dressed had hugged her body tightly. It was embarrassing to see how high the slit was and it felt even more embarrassing to imagine Zuko seeing her in such an outfit. Just the thought made her face flush red and her head hang in shame. "So, what does a hostess do?" She had asked, knowing Zhiyi had to give her the ins and outs of the job.

"Sometimes you work in front, like Meilin that you had met. Other times, you have to take customers in and lead them towards their bath or hotel room. Sometimes, if a customer really likes you, he'll want you to sit with him and pour him drinks. Just engage in small talk, that's really it."

Nodding her head, she had followed Zhiyi out of the worker's area and down the stairs into the large first floor hall. She had showed Noa the lounging area, where people who just wanted to drink and relax or watch entertainment. Also on the floor was the kitchen area and bar.

Zhiyi had then taken her to the second floor where the springs were, directing her which side was female, male, and then joined. She even told her the private baths, which were only for people with a golden ticket.

The third floor, was the floor for the the fourth floor was the hotel rooms, and she had to signify the ranks of them as well. Luxury suites, normal suites, and then a penthouse. Noa had soaked it all in, memorizing which was what and where. "I know your legs must hurt from going up and down the stairs." Zhiyi had said, out of breath. Noa was perfectly fine, blinking twice and patting Zhiyi's back. "Or... not. I dunno how much stamina you have, but wow... Do I need that."

"Hostesses!" Noa and Zhiyi had perked up hearing Meilin's voice.

"Let's go, it's probably Takara." Noa's arm was pulled, Zhiyi dragging her to the front doors. Noa had noticed all the hostesses lining up, and she had did the same and stood next to Zhiyi.

A young man had entered the bath house, no older than seventeen. He had straight hair that had a fringe that covered his thick, neat eyebrows and ended at the back of his neck. His eyes were big yet slant and a shade of jade. He was pale but had some color, and his frame was slender.

Most of the hostesses had eyed him in awe due to them being young as well, save for a few of the older women who still had looked at him with the same eyes as the younger girls. Noa had rose a brow, unable to mask her curiosity.

As he walked down, passing each of the hostesses, he had stopped when he had noticed Noa. His eyes had scanned her from head to toe, she was still slightly bowed like everyone else but her eyes didn't leave him either.

All of then had watched as he had continued to stare before finally walking forward but stopping once again, "The girl with the sakura chopstick. She'll be my hostess."

Zhiyi had nudged Noa's side, everyone in shock at his words. Noa had looked at Zhiyi in panic, upset that she was chosen. "You have to go, follow him." Zhiyi had pushed Noa's forward, the girl pouting before following behind Takara as they had walked up the stairs to the fourth floor and to his penthouse.

A woman was already there to slide the door open for them, much to Noa's surprise as she had followed him inside and stood with her hands at her sides. "How may I serve you?"

Takara had looked over his shoulders before finally turning around, facing her. "You don't remember me?"

"Remember you?" The kyuubi had furrowed her brows in confusion, "I don't know you."

He had dug in his pockets, searching for something and pulled out what looked to be a broken staff. For some reason, she had feared it. The whole essence of it had made her take a few steps back. Takara had nodded, "So you just have her face and not her memories."

She wasn't entirely sure what he had meant by that, but she already knew that she didn't like this one bit.

"I'm not going to hurt you." He warned, "I was just testing something." She continued to eye him, unsure what he meant still. "I won't be needing anything. You can leave."

Bowing hesitantly, she had walked towards the door and watched it slide open before leaving. She had walked down the steps and towards the first floor, Zhiyi was at the bottom of the steps waiting for her. When Noa reached the last step, Zhiyi had grabbed the girl's arm, "What happened?"

"I don't know..." Noa sighed, "Something about him feels weird."

"Feels weird?" Zhiyi repeated, "He's the richest and handsomest guy in the city!"

The fox had shaken her head, "I know someone better than him. He's ten times richer and better looking." She had said, her cheeks puffed up as she had poked them, letting air seep out of her mouth.

"Really?!" Zhiyi said, surprised. "Who is he?"

She couldn't say really and so she had shaken her head, "Someone who is very faraway." Zhiyi was entirely confused and watched Noa walk ahead.

. . .

Work was easy for the most part.

Most of the people who wanted her time were quite kind, some were just a bit cheeky. Her shift was short since it was her first day and this was just a trial run but due to the strange boy picking her out of the rest and leaving a generous tip, they decided to let her keep the job.

Noa still couldn't figure Takara out and she wasn't sure if she ever would, but she was grateful of the money he had left her. Zhiyi, since she still hd to work, had given her directions towards her home along with a key. "Be safe!" Zhiyi warned, which Noa had nodded knowingly.

Leaving the bath house, she had sighed heavily. "...What a day."

"You seem to have adjusted." The voice had startled her as she had looked to her right to see Zuko, who was leaning on the bath house wall.

"Pri- I mean, Lee." She had quickly corrected herself. "What are you doing here? How did you know I work here?" He didn't answer her questions and just simply walked away, leaving her confused. "Lee!" She had called out his name, biting down on her bottom lip.

Why did he always turn his back on her? Lowering her gaze, she felt the urge to cry strongly. She had forced herself not to, finding it silly to cry over something she had already expected.

It was still afternoon and the sun was still shining about but sunset was growing near. Blinking back her tears, she had tried to make sure that whatever she did, she wouldn't let them fall. But they kept spilling over and over until eventually, she had carelessly began to sob.

The Prince had stopped walking, feeling soft drops of rain landing on his skin. It was a clear day, so how was there rain? He had looked over his shoulders, seeing Noa still standing where she had spotted him, her shoulder trembling.

Was she...?

She was definitely crying. He immediately walked back, wondering how he could cease her crying as the rain continued to pour. His lips remained in a rigid straight line, unable to curve upwards or even downwards. Her cheeks were tear stained mixed with the rain, her eyes overflowing with salty droplets, and the nose red and running ever so slightly, distress rather evident across her features.

Why was she crying anyway? He didn't even do anything. Was checking on her such a bad thing? Carefully, he raised his left hand and let a thumb run a line beneath one of her eyes, a sigh leaving his person.

Noa was surprised by the gentle gesture even though her tears continued to cascade, she had snaked her arms around him, pressing her face against his chest as she had continued to cry. His arms hovered over her, feeling awkward like he had many times before until he had finally placed his arms around her.

He had noticed that as soon as her crying died down, so did the rain. He had looked up at the sky, still wondering where the rain had came from. "It stopped raining..."

"When it rains on a clear day, it means I'm crying." She had muffled against him but he had heard her loud in clear. "It's called Fox Rain." She had pulled herself away from him, wiping her tears yet continued to sniffle.

Zuko had then sighed, "Why were you crying?"

Noa had looked at him briefly before averting her gaze. "I don't know." She had muttered, lying. There was no real point in telling him. "I have to go." She had quickly waved and turned to leave, now turning her back towards him.

"Noa!" He had yelled her name, she had stopped walking and waited to hear what he had to say. "Don't cry anymore."

"Huh?" Noa had said, now getting infuriated. "You're the one that's-"

"If you cry, how are people supposed to enjoy their day?" He asked, leaving her confused. "People made plans and because you're crying, you've probably ruined them. So don't cry, no matter what. But if you end up crying anyway, I'll come find you to stop you."

Author's Note: Longest chapter yet and it doesn't even feel like it. But two chapter in one week! Booyah.