Chapter 1
Zuko wakes from his dream breathing hard... as if he were the one doing the bending in his dream. Actually it was a memory. A memory from 10 years ago. He was six and he was watching an exhibition of a young girl about his age bending water and fire at an extremely high level. He doubted even Azula could bend fire at that level. He remembered wondering how she'd learned the water bending, and how she was bending both water and fire at the same time. Who was she? After her performance, his mother clapped enthusiastically and Azula kinda golf clapped. Zuko, on the other hand, just stared. He was enthralled with the girl's performance. She had used her water bending to suspend a large sphere of water over herself and shot different types, shapes, and intensities of fire at it to create huge explosions of steam and sparks. It was truly amazing. That was when Zuko woke up, just as it was over. But after the performance, his mother took him and Azula to meet the girl. Her name was Aya, she was six, and was self taught. After bein born in the fire nation, she tried to hide her water bending, until she found out it was an art that the people of the fire nation enjoyed watching. She had to teach herself because there were no other water benders in the fire nation. It wasn't that hard actually, after she had figured out a few tricks, she started performing for nobles. Most enjoyed it, Lord Ozai however, did not. He saw the girl to be a threat even at age 6. When he became Fire Lord, she disappeared. Nobody knew what happened to her. But one day, Zuko was wandering around the Fire palace complex and ended up down in the smallest most secure dungeon in the fire nation. It was here he discovered the girl was locked up by the Fire Lord. Zuko was confused and outraged at the condition of her cell. She was 10! She should have some decent toys and clothes, and water... he realized there was no water at all in her cell. Zuko yelled to the guards to ger her some water at least to drink. then he went to the opening of her cell.
"Hi, I'm Zuko."
"I'm Aya," she replied kind of depressedly. "Why have I been locked up? What have I done?"
Zuko just looks at her in horror. She was in the most secure prison in the Fire Nation, and she didn't know why. Did his father still think she was a threat?
"Zuko, do you know why I've been locked up?" she asks again quietly.
After shaking his head, Zuko looks down, "I can ask for you."
At this Aya actually smiles, "That would be great, Zuko, thank you."
Zuko smiles back, "Maybe you'd like some toys too? I think I can get some for you."
The guard returns with her water and she gulps it down thirstily. Zuko orders the guard to bring more water and some food too.
Aya looks at Zuko funny, "Why are you doing this? Aren't you the Fire Lord's son?" Zuko nods then explains about seeing her perform 4 years ago. Aya sighs then explains, "I don't know why I'm here, but I know it was the Fire Lord that ordered my incarceration. I just want to know what I did... Or maybe it was the way I was born... a dual bender..."
Zuko looks at her saddly, then sighs, "It's getting late, I have to go, but I'll be back tomorrow." Aya just smiles saddly in return as he turns to leave, "Bye Aya!"
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A/N: Hey, this is my First Avatar fic, so Please let me know how you like it. Review please, but please no flames.
