[A/N: Thanks for all the love on this chapter! And new comer, you're in for a treat!]

                                      ~*~

"You guys are going to be done soon right? We've got a lot of ground to cover if we want to make it to Omashu today." Sokka asked, as he floated on the river with Momo on his stomach.

We were there training before going to Omashu.

"What like you're ready to go right now naked guy." Katara grinned, as Aang made a dive.

"I could be ready in two minutes. Seriously, when ever." Sokka had his hair down, raked on his forehead, covering his blue eyes, it was something you didn't see everyday.

"You were showing me the octopus form." I asked.

"Right, let me see your stance. Great. Okay let's see what you got."

I did the stance with my hands close to my center. Katara started throwing ice at me, I grabbed each one with the water tentacles, then grabbed her leg. She nodded as she saw I had won.

"You make a fine octopus, pupil Gyawa." Katara bowed with a white smile.

"Well the nuns always said I had too many hands to get in trouble with." I smirked, with my hands now on my waist.

"Hey you hear that?" I asked as we heard.

"Don't fall in love with the traveling girl she'll leave you broken hearted." The hippies, sang as they walked up.

"Hey river people." They were wearing clothes from all nations.

"We're not river people." Katara corrected the hippie.

"You're not? Then what kind of people are ya?" The one playing the guitar asked.

"Just people."

"Aren't we all brother." He replied, to Aang in his hippiedom.

"Who are you?" Sokka asked, stomping up. Did he know it was rude to interrupt a hippie being free.

"I'm Chong, and this is my wife, Lily. We're nomads, happy to go where ever the wind takes us. Hey oh!" Chong sang.

"You guys are nomads, that's great! We're nomads!" Aang and I hugged as he pointed at me.

"Hey me too."

"I know you just said that." Aang replied with a confused tone.

"Oh. Nice underwear." Chong said, to half naked Sokka. He immediately grabbed Momo and used him as cover to walk off. I think he had a secret crush on Sokka.

                                    ~*~

"Hey Sokka, you should hear some of these stories. These guys have been everywhere." Aang said, as Sokka walked up after putting on clothes. We were all just chilling on Appa's legs with the hippies.

"Well, not everywhere, little arrow head. But where we haven't been we've heard about through stories and songs." Chong waved his hand like their was wind, and had the most hipster voice.

"They said they'll take us to see a giant night crawler."

"On the way there's a water fall that creates a never ending rainbow." Moku added, to Aang's fascination of rare beasts.

"Look I hate to be the wet blanket here but since Katara is busy, I guess it's up to me. We need to get to Oamshu, no side tracks, no worms, and definitely no rainbows." Sokka replied everyone of us being a sixties flower mind.

"Wow, sounds like someone has a case of destination fiver! Your worried too much of where your going." Chong slightly chuckled.

"You got to focus less on the where and more on the going." Lily said, braiding Katara's hair.

"O-ma-shu." Sokka spilt at us, making sure it went through all the groove.

"Sokkas' right, we need to find king Bumi so Gyawa can learn earthbending somewhere safe." Katara said, as I got up.

"Oh sounds like you're headed to Omashu." Chong replied, Sokka couldn't believe what he heard and slapped his own forehead.

"There's an old story about a secret pass, right through the mountains." Chong explained, in a story telling voice.

"Is this real or a legend?" Katara asked.

"Ah it's a real legend. And it's as old as earthbending itself." As Chong finished he started playing his guitar.

"Two lovers, forbidden from one the other. The war divides their people. And on a mountain disused them apart. In a dark path to be together."

"Yeah, I forget the next couple lines but huh then it goes."

"Secret Tunnel! Secret Tunnel! Through the mountain! Secret, Secret, Secret, Secret Tunnel! Yeah." Chong finished with a stroke at the guitar.

"I think we'll just stick with flying. We've dealt with the Fire Nation before. We'll be fine." Sokka said, in my direction as we started to walk to Appa's head.

"Yeah thanks for the help but Appa hates going underground. And we need to do what ever makes Appa feel most comfortable." Aang added as we started to leave.

When we did we regretted everything, fire balls raged all around us. They seemed to be no end to them.

"We have to out run this!" I rose orders at Aang.

"But there's no end to them!" He yelled back.

"I don't care, run this!" I hissed, as I took the reins.

"Oh. Never mind, I'll block them." I sighed, as I ran to the other side of Appa's saddle and air blasted one away.

"We have to go back!" Katara shouted.

"No!" I snapped, I didn't want to go in that cave. What if I had to kiss Katara?! Just no!

                             ~Zuko POV~

As I fished for our food, or Uncle would eat plants and most likely die from poison.

Sitting in the hot Earth Kingdom sun, I pondered, this was horrible, I was the prince of the Fire Nation, I should have whatever I want.

As I stood above the water looking for anything. I sighed and look up in the sky, I hated every minute of it. I missed the comfort of home, I missed home in every way possible.

The sky was so baby blue, and somehow reminded me of her, the Avatar. The last time I saw her was at the bridge that night. She just let me go, even so I could never do the same with her. The Avatar was too naive to let me go, and it would be her end.

My tired eyes suddenly follow a figure flying from a fire ball. I cleared my eyes, maybe I'm hallucinating or that's the Avatar's bison!

I immediately dropped everything and ran back to Uncle.

When I found him he was making tea like it was a beautiful creation. "Uncle don't drink that! I found the Avatar!"

                           ~Gyawa POV~

"Gyawa we have to turn back! Please!" Sokka pleaded to me.

"Ya'll give up to easy!" I shouted back, but when I wasn't looking a fire ball hit way to close to us.

"Fine!" I hissed at the thought of dying, but yet kissing Katara would be just as bad. I wasn't lesbian, okay?

"Secret love cave. Let's go." I dragged to the hippies as we found them chilling under a tree.

We got to the cave and when we were thinking about not going in the Fire Nation showed up.

"And Die!"

"That's it! There's no way we're going through some cursed hole!"

We were all looking at Chong, so when I heard foot steps tapping near me I tried immediately to turn and see who it was, however it was too late and I felt hands grab me by my neck and put a fire knife to it.

I only knew one person who would do that.

"Back off!" I heard Zuko hiss at everyone. They all looked horrified, mainly the hippies.

"Hey look, someones making a big camp fire."  Moku pointed behind me and Zuko.

"I'm not falling for that, peasant!" The Prince snarled, making me silently chuckled.

"That's not a camp fire, it's the Fire Nation, they're tracking us. Zuko let her go!" Sokka shouted.

I could feel conflict in Zuko, his muscles shifting and stoping every second, he knew not to let me get in Fire Nation's hands but he didn't want to go in a cave with us.

"You know what you have to do, Zuko, now you just gotta do it!" I whisper over to him, with a hiss he let go off me.

We ran in, immediately turning dark, and a warm hand clinging on the back of my neck.

Just then the cave entrance was collapsed by the Fire Nation tanks. We looked back and saw there was no way out.

Zuko groaned and clenched his fist, while Appa clawed at the rubble.

"It's okay Appa, we'll be fine. I Hope." Katara finished looking over to Zuko, who clearly felt out of place.

I then saw Iroh was also here, I didn't see him before.

"We will be fine. All we need is a plan. Chong, how long do those torches last?" Sokka asked, trying to ignore Zuko.

"Uh about two hours each." He replied.

"And we have five torches so that's... ten hours." Lily tried to figure it out, turning them all on.

"It doesn't work like that if they all lit at the same time!" Sokka grabbed them and stepped on all of them to put them out.

"Oooh right." She sighed, scratching her head.

I looked over to Zuko again, he was wearing Earth Kingdom clothes and that odd hat, his pale skin was dirty and rough looking, I then received a glare from him through the side of his golden eyes.

I immediately turned my intention back to Sokka. "I'm going to make a map to keep track of where we've been. Then we should be able to solve it like a maze and get through."

"How did you find me?" I asked Zuko, as we walked alongside each other. Iroh was talking to the hippies who completely enjoyed his company.

"Does it matter!" He snapped with his arms folded.

"Just wondering." I muttered trying not to stare at his perfect profile, and failing badly.

This time he rose an eyebrow in my direction.

"Sokka this is the tenth dead end you led us too." Katara sighed, again.

"This doesn't make any sense we've already came through here." Sokka defended.

"Maybe you're reading it wrong." Zuko snarled.

"We don't need a map, we just need love. The little guy knows it." Chong said, referring to Aang.

"Yeah but I wouldn't mind a map also." He replied, meanwhile Zuko scoffed.

"They're something strange here. There's only one explanation, the tunnels are changing." Sokka looked back up from the map at us with dread.

"The tunnels! They're changing! It must be the curse. I knew we shouldn't have come down here." Ching gasped, holding as his head like it was gonna go off.

"Right, if only we'd listen to a Delusional guitar freak." Zuko hissed, Iroh immediately put a hand on his shoulder to stop.

"Everyone be quite. Listen." As Katara said, this we could hear squeals and screeches coming our way.

We looked to see wolf-bats flying towards us. "It's a giant flying thing with teeth!" Chong shrieked, as he cowered in a corner.

"No it's a wolf-bat!" Moku shouted, as one landed.

Appa started to try and attack the wolf-bats. In the process he started to hit the sides of the tunnels. 

"Appa, Stop!" I shouted at him, but he wouldn't listen.

He went straight into a column that was holding up the three tunnels. It cracked and immediately started to collapse.

Aang and Katara got everyone clear of one side, but I found Zuko standing in the middle of a collapsing rock.

'Perfect!' I thought to myself, as I used air to hasten my movements and tackle him out of the way.

Just in time I knocked him out of the way and into a tunnel.

I landed next to him with an arm around him, feeling his firm muscle through the dirty green cloth.
With hesitation I let go and rose to my feet along side the Prince.

He let out a huge sigh, slowly grabbing his hat, meanwhile I was fangirling, so excited, I would get the chance to kiss Zuko!

"We should try to find a way out of here." He said, as we looked back to the dark long tunnel.

"Yeah." I sighed with a hidden grin.

"This isn't over yet, Avatar." He snapped as he saw I was just warming up.

"Oh wow it's still Avatar? I'm hurt, call me Gyawa all ready." I smiled, putting a hand on my waist.

"Whatever." He groaned, before starting to walk.

                                     ~*~

"The exit!" Zuko shouted, with relief as he saw a door. Only I knew what it was so I didn't rush.

"Gyawa, help me open it." He looked over to me, I just shook my head and pointed at Appa.

Zuko's eyes widen when he realized and immediately rolled over as Appa hit the door with his head. It burst opened, to reveal the tomb.

"This isn't the exit, *sigh* Are we ever going to find it?" Zuko looked over to the side as I hopped down.

"This is a tomb." I said, as I stood in front of them.

"Fascinating." Zuko mocked. "How are we ever going to get out of here?" he sighed, as he sat on the stone.

"Zuko come read this." I waved over to him.

He walked over with heavy feet and read it in silence. Luckily I already knew what it was about. "Well that was pointless!" He snapped, as he folded his arms again.

"No it's not, it's a clue. Look, over here it tells the story of why they made this. The curse say we'll be trapped in here forever if we don't trust in love. And then it says love is brightest in the dark. And has a picture of them kissing." I started to shake and feel my face turn warm as I suggested what I always wanted.

"What are you getting at?" He asked, with a suspicious tone, I immediately folded my hands and bit my lip, I was getting ridiculously nervous.

"What if it wants us to kiss?" I asked looking away.

"What?!" Zuko shouted, as he threw his arms in front of him.

I let out a small embarrassed chuckle.

"I could never see that." He said, almost to himself. My hope for anything started to melt at this.

"What? why is that?!"

"Because you're... you." Zuko stumbled to say pointing his hands at me.

"And what's that suppose to mean?!" I asked, like a girl fishing for a comment on how pretty she was.

"You're a nun and the Avatar! And you're all, I don't know." He finished as he scratched his head, he clearly didn't know what to say.

"What?! What's wrong with me?!" I asked, looking down at myself, making sure my clothes weren't on wrong.

"No I mean it looks like you work out all the time but don't eat." Zuko said, looking back at me with unsure eyes, my heart sunk.

Did this mean he didn't like me? "I do eat." I mumbled, thinking of how Zuko might not like me.

"I didn't mean it like..."

I looked back to see Zuko was conflicted with himself, maybe there was still hope.

"huh look, I'm saying I would rather kiss you than die." As he finished I couldn't help step back and turn away, I felt like I was going to cry. "That's a compliment." He tried to defend, I huffed as I folded my arms and tried to push all the thoughts out of my head.

                            ~Zuko POV~

As we walked I looked over to see Gyawa was still pouting about earlier. I don't know why, but I wanted to patch things up, I wanted to see that same grin I couldn't phase with all my fire blasts, I wanted to see her as her normal self again. The girl who actually cares about me, even if I hunt her down all around the world.

But that's just it, she's the Avatar! What was I thinking?! I wasn't supposed to care about her, she was the one thing standing between me and my honor!

But to be honest; my heart rose when she asked if we should kiss. Somewhere I wanted to say yes.

No matter how tough I acted she saw through it to who I really am. If I will even find that out,  if what she saw was actually me, but it felt like she understood. Like I wasn't her enemy, somehow a close friend.

I tried to push those thoughts out of my head when I found myself staring at her face, her grey eyes glistening in the light. They were so bright, almost like glitter, a shine that could light the darkness.

Gyawa looked over to me with a stunned face, she turned away and I thought the coast was clear to keep looking.

Only I was wrong, she looked back again with the same expression. "What's up?" She asked, with her grasping strong voice.

"Nothing." I quickly answered, turning back to look at the dark tunnel.

"There's no one else to talk to around here, and Appa can't answer back." She added with a sigh.

"There's always something." I groaned.

"We'll find a way out of here, Zuko." The Avatar reassured me, her soft touch reached my weary shoulder, giving me a sense of hope, if that's possible. It sent a spark through my body, maybe because she was closer to my chest then anything.

What she asked still was running around in my mind, what if we did kiss. Just this once, just to get a taste of what I found myself wanting.

I looked down at the light she held which was almost out, her hand looked strong. I don't know why I said she was strong like it was a bad thing.

Her touch was so caring and soft, yet her hand itself looked rough and strong, this girl was truly a marvelous mystery I couldn't understand.

I looked back to her face, her chin was sharp, her cheeks looked soft, like rose petals, you would never want to hurt them. Her eyes clear and beautiful, her lips soft and light natural pink.

I soon found myself close to her fair face, and her eyes looking in mine. I started to breath like I was running for miles, and my hands felt energy as they touched her.

Almost a electricity running through the finger tips, shaking with an urge.

Not able to contain myself looking at an angelic face, my lips touched hers, running my trembling fingers through her soft silk black hair.

Gyawa dropped the light and held my head in one hand, and my collar with the other. Those lips were as soft as they appeared, her taste just as I foolishly imagined, and her energy just as bright as those eyes.

I felt so much passion to keep going on for an eternity, when I realized who just embraced my guilty lust.

As soon as I could control my body I pulled away, she seemed to be in a daze.

While I never felt more guilty, I just kissed the Avatar!

What was I thinking??

I held my head in shame, and looked back up to see her reach over and gently touch my face. Gyawa held it with so much care, I could stay in her arms forever. I felt safe and... something I couldn't place. It was something I hadn't felt in a long time, not with anyone but my mother.

I found my hands on her waist and her putting her pink lips to mine. I didn't pull away, but I knew I shouldn't be doing this.

Gyawa tugged and lingered, but to my displeasure she pulled away, leaving her pink lips red along with her gentle cheeks, her breath was heavy and louder than it should be.

I should have been so ashamed of myself, I made her look like a dirty work of art, however I felt content, I looked to the side, I knew this was too fast with the wrong girl.

As I fumbled through my flushed thoughts I realized her yet black hair was then a neon blue from light reflection.

"Hey!" Gyawa gasped, as we looked up to see green crystals light what I assumed was leading the way.

"Nice." She commented, I looked over to see her eyes staring at them with beauty, but shook my head, I had to get out of here with the Avatar.

Not Gyawa, I was never going to call her that again. I need to capture her, to restore my honor.

What kind of prince would I be if I ran away with the Avatar instead of capturing her?

"Let's go." I ordered, gripping her hand, but not in the couple way, on the other hand I tried to be tough and hostile the rest of the way.

Although she didn't seem to care.

                                    ~*~

"What about the others?" Gyawa asked,
as we walked back outside. The bison groaned as he laid on his back, he clearly hated being underground.

Just as I was about to grab Gya- the Avatar, a loud bang came from the tunnel

"Gyawa!" The Waterbender yelled, waving her hands from a badger mole.

"How did you guys get out?" The Water Tribe boy asked, as he, the monk, the girl, and Uncle ran up.

"UMmmm." The Avatar muttered, I could see a pink lace her normally pale cheeks, frantically fixing her full hair, making it feather to her back.

I wanted to smile, she liked it, why else would she act like that?

Unfortunately I remembered what I went there to do.

I looked over to Uncle who was giving me a dirty smile. "Nothing! we didn't do anything!" I defended in his direction.

He has a filthy mind sometimes, I swear.

"Really? We let huge ferocious beasts lead our way." Sokka replied, waving to the 'huge ferocious beast.'

"Come on, Nephew." Uncle said, for me to walk with him.

And I intended to, I firmly grabbed the Avatar's arm and started to walk with Uncle.

"Hey, let her go!" The bald monk shouted at me ,taking his stance to fight.

"Wait, Zuko, please." The Avatar pleaded. My mistake was looking at those eyes.

They were so memorable, you would stare at them for hours and yet never see the end of a galaxy of glimmering silver.

I slightly let go of her bare arm, but it was enough for Gyawa to push me away and step back to her friends who were ready to attack.

Damn that Avatar! She constantly played mind games with me, as if I was a toy!

I hissed before running forward, only Uncle stopped me.

"No! Nephew, there's too many of them." He warned.

"We can take them." I replied, as my fists clenched.

I started to walk towards the band of peasants who held they're stances but my uncle stopped me once again. "Zuko, not now. You will get your chance." He added, I looked back at Gyawa.

She looked concerned for me, not because I was about to attack her, but I suppose she saw I was struggling.

I stood there in guilty defeat as they started to walk away.

"See you around, Zuko." Gyawa grinned, with a wave before going down a hill.

I wanted to smile back at her, but instead I groaned and clenched my jaw. Her damn games, reminded me of someone I knew. Or maybe I was just too untrusting of people?

"You did the right thing nephew." Uncle tried to reassure me, but I didn't know if that was true.

                                     ~*~

[A/N: Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did writing it. Should Gyawa have gone with Zuko? ;)]