~So I know what everyone is thinking. Why don't you actually update the stories you have on your account already before adding another one? Well I update a story as I gather muse for it. Lately, after rewatching every single Avatar The Last Airbender episode I've gathered a great interest in writing fanfiction for it. I'm going to update, The Past Really Does Matter, sometime this week as well. My other two are going on hiatus.~

~Unlike my other stories I'm going to try writing this one in third person. If it doesn't work I'll switch back but I think I'll be fine. This story will also start with Zuko being nine and Gaia being nine as well just to make sure no one is confused with how I write the beginning out.

~I do not own Avatar The Last Airbender. However I do own Gaia and her family.~

In a small village just on the outskirts of the more upscale Fire Nation capital, a young girl was sitting outside, admiring the setting sun. She loved the sun. It was so bright and vibrant and it also offered life. If only it could help her father survive the sickness he was bearing.

The young child's family, like so many in the community, were not exactly rich. Sometimes children there would play a game of who could steal the most fire flakes from the venders who hopelessly waited for any type of form of customer. None of them would admit it, but the only real reason they did so was so that there would be more food for their families as well. Or maybe just possibly they did so to pass the time. Either way, it only masked the real trouble.

As she listened to the still quiet it was easily disturbed by the hacking of her father. She instinctively flinched and turned her small and boney face into her house only just a bit so that she could see if anything had changed. Nothing.

The young girl's name was Gaia. She wasn't exactly one to express herself. In fact she preferred to have her silent moments, sharing talks with the sun which in her mind would reply gratefully. The sun was the basis for her whole element and she loved it. Not many others might realize it, but it offered great advice if you would listen closely.

Gaia's eyes were half-way closed and she struggled not to yawn. She had to be strong and stay awake. She had promised her mother she would keep watch for anything that came their way. It could be a simply villager or perhaps something of a grander scale. Either way, she was to tell her mother. She wasn't exactly sure why though. What was so bad about that?

As she waited and rocked her small frame on the seat she noticed the one close friend she held in the community. The girl's name was Kamache and to be honest she was Gaia's polar opposite. Kamache liked to talk. When Gaia noted this she always bolded it or said it in a different tone. It was honestly true no matter what others thought. She could only guess that the reason they were friends was because Gaia actually listened and answered without seeming upset that the babbling hadn't stopped.

"Would you like to go jump rope with me Gaia? I know it's getting late but one of the newcomers is out and I want to see what they are like." Kamache was practically bouncing up and down with a facial expression of not only curiosity but also nervousness written all over her face. It even caused her dark black pig-tails to fly off of her shoulders.

"I wish I could Kamache. My dad isn't feeling so well though and my mom wants me to guard the house to see if anyone else comes by." It was pretty obvious that Gaia was eager to drop what she was doing and join her friend in a quick game of jump rope. As a child her age, however, she felt that it was necessary to prove that she deserved to be treated like a big kid. Her two older brothers had been. Why not her?

"Aw...okay Gaia. If you change your mind you know where to find me," Kamache chirped as she quickly turned heal and ran off to find the newest children to join the village.

Gaia sighed, finally letting her yawn free as she rubbed her eyes with her right hand. "Gaia! I need you to come in here for a moment!" The sound of her mother's call echoed through the air and the child hurriedly squirmed off of the chair and dashed through the door to her mother's side.

"Yes mommy?" Her voice was quiet and soft as she hesitantly looked up at her mom. She was like a great big building in a sense. Gaia didn't take this lightly. She really meant it. Her mom was tall compared to her own stature and she knew it.

"Can I trust you with an errand? Huo is too busy practicing his fire-bending and I have Murki looking over the scroll his teacher sent home." As her mother spoke she folded a damp cloth and placed it on the side.

Gaia nodded in a fast-paced manner. Her light amber eyes seemed eager to take on the task her mother would assign her. "Yes mother. What would you like me to find?"

"I need you to try and find a blanket. It doesn't need to be special at all. Maybe if you could try to see if anyone has one they are no longer using. Your father, is experiencing some odd chills and I want to see if I can get him to warm up." Gaia examined her mother's face discretely. She seemed full of stress and worry. Was her father okay?

"I'll see what I can find mother," Gaia added as she turned and opened the door to her family's house and started her small journey in search of a blanket...

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Zuko looked up a his mother, her smile making him feel slightly better as he placed his silverware down on the table. His father and Azula had gone out and hadn't been able to join them for their evening meal. No doubt it was to try and find another way to try and improve Azula's already heightened firebending skills.

"Is everything alright Zuko? You seem upset," his mother asked as she gazed over at her son from across the table.

Zuko couldn't help but look around the room in panic. He didn't want to admit his jealousy to his mother. No matter how much she made him feel better it would just make him feel as if he wasn't trying hard enough. It was better to just hold it in for now.

So instead of admitting what he actually felt he blatantly lied to his mother. "This food tastes so weird in my mouth. What's going on back in the kitchen?" The young Fire Nation prince turned his gaze towards the door as if he was trying to justify what he had said.

However, Ursa only seemed to heighten her gaze on her son, a frown forming along the lines of her mouth. "Now Zuko. You know the food we eat is very good. You've eaten things like this before. Are you suddenly becoming ungrateful for the things you have now?"

Zuko didn't open his mouth. He only stayed in his place and gave his mother a confused look. If she had known this probably wouldn't have been so difficult. She didn't though. Oh great.

To his surprise his mother didn't respond. Instead she got up from her seat and walked out into the halls. Zuko ran after her, starting to wonder if what he had said had been the wrong thing to actually use. "What did I do?" he asked, demanding for an answer right there as he watched his mother gather what looked like two light blanket-like things made of a fine red fabric and outlined in what looked like gold. While he waited for an answer he noticed that she placed something in the hand that faced away from him.

"I want to show you why it's important to be grateful for what you have." Without speaking another word, Ursa placed the light blanket around his shoulders as if it were to act as a coat. Frustration gleamed in Zuko's eyes as his mother took his hand and started walking. This hadn't been what he had meant to accomplish. Not at all.

vvvvvvvvvvvv

Zuko tried to pick up the odd smell in the air as he looked around. His mother had taken the hood and placed it over his head while he tried to figure this all out. No doubt this visit hadn't been planned and she was just trying to keep them hidden.

It was already very dark out. Without the sun out he couldn't help but shiver just for a small amount of time. This place was really starting to get to him. At least there was no one out. He could only suspect that most of them were asleep.

His mother still held on tightly to his hand as they started to be enveloped by small houses. This place wasn't exactly amazing either. You would think that a town so close to the Fire Nation Capital would have a great business aura to it. This village however, seemed rundown.

A loud coughing noise echoed from one of the houses and he instinctively looked up at his mother. It sounded as if someone was coughing but it also had a ragged edge to it.

Then a thought dawned on him. This was so different then from what he was used too. In a way it was almost like he was sneaking out. A devious smirk spread across his face. Azula surely wasn't ever going to be able to do something like this when she was nine. This though comforted him alone as his mother tapped on his shoulder, breaking his silent trance.

"Do you see that old women right there? I want you to hand her this small blanket right here." Zuko's face scrunched up ever-so-slightly. He didn't want to do such a thing. It didn't seem plausible to walk up to a random stranger and hand them a blanket. What was worse was that he could tell his mother was holding two more. What was he now? It certainly didn't seem like he was prince of the Fire Nation at the moment.

Zuko took the blanket into his hands and examined it more closely. It was of course made of a nice red fabric and also held the Fire Nation insignia. What would his mother want to give away a perfectly good blanket? It made no sense at all and he was really starting to get convinced that she was just doing this to mess with him. Even though he knew she wouldn't. His mother would never do something like that.

As he golden eyes scanned the area he caught sight of the old women again. She seemed to be peering into the windows of a shop. The shop itself didn't seem like it was open. However, even Zuko noticed a small flickering flame from within the house.

He wasn't sure if his mother was getting impatient with him or if she was still waiting in a kind matter as he hadn't cared to look up so instead he started his trudge towards the receiver of the new blanket.

It was like she was deaf or something. She didn't even turn to look at him. Instead she continued on looking into the shop. Zuko cleared his throat and tapped her shoulder, still gritting his teeth together as if he would rather not be there at all.

The old woman flinched and finally turned to meet his gaze. When her eyes rested upon him though he noticed that this was no old woman. It was a young girl. He honestly kind of felt stupid himself. It wasn't like he could stand there and blame himself though. She had looked like she was much older from the side...maybe.

Yet as he examined her more closely she looked anything but. She was a few inches shorter then him and her skin was a light pale tone. Her thick, dark black hair was concealed by her own hood. Upon looking more closely though he noticed that the upper part of the hair was gathered into a ponytail while the more common dense part was left to rest at her shoulders. Her eyes were about the only thing that stood out to him. They were more of a honey color and of course seemed to appear normal to him for a common Fire Nation citizen.

"So my mother noticed you were cold and...well...um...she wanted me to give you this," Zuko muttered dryly, almost forcing it into her arms.

The little girl's eyebrows were knitted together in confusion as she looked at the blanket closely. "Thank you?"

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

Gaia couldn't help herself and finally let her eyes wander down to the blanket that the random stranger had given her. It seemed like it was nice and would supply enough warmth to possibly keep her father from needing another one.

"Thank you," she added again, once more before running off back to her house with a bit more of a bounce to her step. Her father would be sleeping warm tonight thanks to the hooded stranger.

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

Zuko seemed almost as confused as the young girl had only moments ago. The blanket had been meant for her. His mother even had said so. Yet, she had run off with it tucked in between her arms.

"Mother?," he asked quietly as he walked back towards Ursa. She lifted her gaze from the spot he had just been and smiled.

"You did well Zuko. I'm sure she is grateful for what you have given her." A slight look of pride crept into his mother's eyes and Zuko couldn't help but straighten his stance and smile too. It felt so great to have her praise him.

"But she didn't even use it? What if she just sells it?" Zuko's golden eyes focused on his mother as he tore his wandering eye-sight from the spot he too had just been standing at.

"Oh my Zuko," Ursa added as she knelt down so that she was at Zuko's direct height. "I don't think she will sell it. I could see that she was only your age. That probably didn't even come to her mind when she had accepted it from you."

Zuko tried to appear as if he understood what his mother was saying yet in his own mind he had already made up his mind that he couldn't exactly trust the girl he had given it to. His thoughts were swept aside as he let out a small yawn. "Can we go home now?"

Ursa laughed silently as she took his hand and nodded. Apparently this trip was over before the other two blankets were given away. She had expected that though.

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

Gaia trampled over her brother Murki, whom was pretending to shoot a ball of fire at Huo. "Watch it!" the older boy exclaimed, obviously ticked off that his sister hadn't kept better watch over where her feet were going.

"Oh sorry!" Gaia glared at him as she bent only a small amount of fire towards the fringe of his hair. It was useful that only Huo shared the ability to bend fire. This made things so much easier when Murki decided he wanted to pick fun at her.

Her second oldest brother simply stared at her coldly. "What's that in your hand?" His deep brown eyes were entranced by the warm-colored thing she held in her hands.

"It's a blanket for father. You would have known I was going out to get it but you were too busy playing with Huo." She turned her back before he could respond and stalked off towards her mother with a beaming smile on her face.

"I was able to find one. You won't believe who gave it to me though!" The young girl's face was filled with a gleaming smile as she handed the fabric into her mother's waiting hands.

Her father, as if he had heard her, weakly turned his head so that his eyes were on his only daughter. It appeared as if he couldn't answer though and a pang of sadness pierced her heart. Her father was training her in the art of basic firebending skills. If he died she would probably have no one to teach her. Not only that, but she wouldn't have a father.

"Oh really Gaia? Who gave it to you?" her mother asked as she looked down at her while unfolding the cloth until it was big enough to decently cover her husband's body. Even through all this seeing Gaia smile made her brighten up a bit. Things couldn't be so bad if her daughter smiled.

"This strange boy came up to me and offered it to me. He seemed a bit shady but since none of the shops were open I just took it. It has a design on the front. See?" she asked excitedly as she jumped up in the air to try and point at the cloth.

Gaia's mother sighed tiredly. "It is a very nice fabric. If you can ever find the boy again I want you to say thank you from all of us. Don't stop saying it until he gets sick of hearing it."

Gaia nodded while clamoring up the small chair placed by her father's bedside. She could tell that he seemed tired. This wasn't the father she knew. The thought of what could happen made her eyes tear up blatantly.

"Gaia?" he asked quietly as he reached for her hand. There was a certain spark to his eyes that hadn't been there for awhile and she was starting to wander if maybe he was getting better.

"Yes father?" Her voice was a bit scratchy as she listened and waited for an answer. Hopefully it would be a good one.

"You know I am not badly sick. I've just contracted something from another worker at the shop. I'll be fine." He tightened his grasp on her hand as if to reassure her if his words hadn't been enough. "When I get better I'll start your training again."

Gaia'a weak father sighed quietly yet again as he rested his head on his pillow and whispered a quick goodnight to her. She wanted so badly to believe hm. In her head, however, she wasn't so easily convinced.

~So comes an end to the first chapter. I hope everyone enjoyed it. I may put another chapter out in a day or two.~