A Japanese Sun

The girl was sitting cross-legged in the middle of a stone bench in a garden blooming with fire lilies and other exotic flowers. She inhaled the sweet but spicy smell of the plants and continued to meditate. She heard footsteps close by and she cracked open an eye, seeing who it was. Fire Lord Zuko- crap. She quickly got up and grabbed her Badgermole fur backpack, throwing it over her shoulder before running up the steps leading into the quiet place. She ran inside the palace and bumped into a servant. "Sorry!" she called over her shoulder, and continued running. The girl headed straight to her room. She was just happy to be away from the Fire Lord. An encounter with him was never one she thought she could handle. The girl observed her room. No one-including her-had been up here in days. Her bed was unmade, the sheets thrown across the room; her bookcase was full of old books and scrolls that were falling to pieces; the ebony desk had scratches, ink stains, ink pots, and quills all over it from her messiness and clumsiness; and her bathroom-well, her bathroom was a whole other story. She dumped her bag on her bed and walked over to the window sill. She flung the rickety, dirty windows that looked centuries old (which they probably were) open and leaned out to smell the fresh air before climbing onto the sill, then onto the rooftop. She came up here everyday to see the beautiful world that was waiting for her to come join it. Tomorrow, she decided. I promise to come tomorrow.

* * *

The girl had fallen asleep up on the rooftop the previous night. She swung back into her room the next morning. She changed into a new outfit – black skintight pants, a black midriff sleeveless shirt, a ripped camouflage vest, and black, knee-high, buckled climbing boots- and grabbed her backpack from yesterday, stuffing a sketchbook and charcoal into it. She walked to the kitchen where her mother was, and pecked her on the check. She told her mother that she was going outside today. Her mother opened her mouth to argue but the girl replied with "If I'm not back by eleven forty tonight, you can send out a search party." She laughed and walked out before her mother could even say goodbye. She walked around outside for awhile, finally finding a place in the courtyard where she had a good view of both the city and other sketch-worthy places in the palace. She'd just begun to draw the city's rooftops when a flying bison circled the courtyard. She froze. Since _when_ did _those things_ exist anymore? Finally it landed near the water fountain in the middle of the yard. Its passengers got off. Who were-? Wait, was that…the _Avatar_? She gasped. Of course...duh. They were visiting _His Royal Highness_. She put her things away and slung the pack over her shoulder, heading back into the castle. But as she walked in Fire Lord Zuko walked past and he brushed her shoulder, without even glancing at her. She turned quickly, baffled. _What_ just happened? "Aang! Katara! Sokka! Toph! Suki! It's good to finally see you again!" The girl stood at the top of the stairs watching them have a group hug. She pulled out her sketchbook and…drew them. When they broke apart she shoved the book back in its place, standing there while doing so.  
"Hey," Sokka said, looking up the stairs. "I didn't know you had hot servants." She realized he was talking about…_her_. She blushed and covered her face with while walking away. Suki elbowed him in the ribs. "I-I didn't even know she was here. I know _everyone_ here." Zuko exclaimed. He looked embarrassed.  
"Well, I know what that means."Sokka said.  
"You do?"Zuko asked, relieved someone was sensible enough to figure it out.  
"_You_, my good hotman, have hot _STALKERS_! I'm going after her." Or…maybe _not._

* * *

"Why the_ hell_ did I have to sketch them?" The girl asked herself. She heard footsteps running her way and she ran the path to her bedroom. The person-or people- were still following her. _Crap._ She locked the door behind her. There was immediately a pounding. "Hey! Let me in!" came a voice. She got up and went to go over to the window-her escape route- but she kicked her pale shin on a pile of books on the floor. "Shit!" she yelled. The door immediately flew open with a bang, and a young tan man with blue eyes, a watertribe warrior haircut, and blue water tribe clothes, at the age of nineteen stood in the doorway. He noticed her on the floor and blushed deep red. "Um…hi?" He said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Uh, sorry…You know, about the door."  
"Do you _mind_?!" the girl screeched. "Just get _out_ of my _room_!"  
"Wait, so you're not a stalker?" He raised his eyebrows.  
"Of course not you dead brain! I live here!"  
"Ohh…I'll be going now" He could feel her still glaring at her even after he left the disastrous room.

* * *

"Well Zuko," Sokka said when he arrived back with the others, still beet red. "You definitely don't have a stalker in your castle…"  
"What happened?" The Fire Lord asked.  
"Um, I kind of…bashed her door down?" The others fell to the floor in hysterics.  
"And-and what did she do?" Katara asked when she recovered.  
"She…she kind of screamed at me…"  
Well that brought on a whole new round of giggles and laughter.  
"It's not funny!" He cried.  
"Yes it is!" They all shouted at the same time from the floor. Sokka sighed and sat on the floor near them while they continued to laugh away.

* * *

"Stupid man…idiot…ruin my door…make me fall over…I hate him…" the girl was muttering to herself while finally cleaning her room. She didn't want to trip again if someone came chasing her. At the same time she was trying to nurse the purple and yellow bruise that had already bloomed over the middle of her shin. "I'll kill him in his sleep…slit his throat…suffocate him…bash his door down with his head…" The possibilities were endless so she just kept muttering to herself to make herself feel better. She didn't notice the figure standing at her door until he coughed briefly. She jumped, dropping the armfuls of scrolls and books she was holding. "Crap!" she yelled. She spun around to confront that annoying man when she saw Fire Lord Zuko instead. Her eyes grew huge. Why did he have to confront her in her room?  
"Um, hello." The man started "I'm sorry for my friend. He's a bit of an idiot. I can get your door fixed if you'd like" He offered, pointing at the arched door that was swinging off its hinges and had its slightly splintered middle. "It's fine." The girl declared. I can fix it myself. She walked over and kicked it back into place. "See?" The man laughed softly. "You are a very self-needing person aren't you?"  
"What's that supposed to mean?"  
"You rely on yourself and only yourself."  
"Ding, ding, ding. He got it right! Someone give him a medal." She answered sarcastically. She glared at him. "Just go away. I didn't call you here, or even ask for help, so just go away." He sighed.  
"What's your name?"  
"Why should I tell you my name?"  
"I'll tell you mine."  
She scoffed. "Yes, because I'm living in a very highly appointed persons house and I don't know his name, but the rest of the world does." she walked to the window. "Idiot…" she mumbled.  
"Just tell me and I'll leave. You're the only person that I didn't know lived here, so I just want to know. Are you a servant's daughter or something?"  
"Yes. I'm the chef's daughter."  
"So, are you going to tell me your name?" He questioned.  
"My name," she answered, turning around and glaring right into his amber eyes "is Tiayo'"


End file.
