This had been bothering me for a while. It's a slight ficlet featuring my Avatar OC, Zira. She's finally making an appearance in my written work. Yay! And although it is a one-shot, it may be the beginning to an Avatar story. Once I finish many of my unfinished work that is. But for now, I got fed up with Zira dancing around in my head and of course my muse decided to bug me while I was doing work. So this is the finished product.

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. That privilege goes to Nickelodeon. Nor do I own the title 'Danced on into the Night'. I stole that from the wonderfully amazing song by Santana and Chad Kroeger. Please check it out. Actually, I advise you to listen to it as you read this fic as this was the song on repeat as I wrote it. Just to get the full effect.

Alright. That's enough babbling from me. Read and enjoy!

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Danced on into the Night

Zira sighed as she threw her belongings on the forest ground. She had been traveling for days without a full break. Just small naps in between moving across the entire kingdom. The Earth Kingdom to be precise. On her way to Ba Sing Se as a refugee.

Another sigh escaped her as she gathered wood and built the beginnings of a fire. A gentle hum came from her lips as she stacked the wood so it would last long enough to keep her warm for the night, which had fallen early. Not that she would sleep, really. She never truly did. Too jumpy. Even after traveling for two years by herself and perfecting her survival skills. And thieving skills if you wanted to be nosy.

She stood from the kneel she had been in and took a deep breath, looking around her surroundings. Hm. Good. No spies. With another breath and calming motion she maneuvered her body, easily creating enough energy. And with a slight punch in the direction of the fire pit, the fire burst into life. Wait. Punch?

Oh yes.

Zira was a Firebender.

Banned from her home in the Fire Nation.

Long story really.

Zira smiled at herself as the fire began to warm her. She could already feel her aching muscles relaxing from the building heat. Had to love fire. It was one of the riskier elements. Dangerous. Had a mind of its own. Just like Zira.

This time it was a content sigh that escaped as Zira watched the fire. It was gorgeous really. But enough of the watching. There were still things to be unpacked.

Zira groaned as she unloaded her pack, her metal staff leaned up against the nearest tree, barely out of arm's reach. She unrolled her sleeping bag next to the fire before setting up a rack for the teapot she had with her, metal as well. It had to be durable. She knelt back down next to the fire as she began to boil water for her tea. An old addiction she had gotten from a very wise man.

As the water began to boil, Zira's dark eyes drifted back to the fire. Even she admitted that she could be a bit of a pyromaniac sometimes. It was hard not to be when you were a Firebender. The smell of the burning wood drifted around the tiny clearing, filling Zira's nose. It was an amazing smell. Pure. "Wonderful." She thought to herself. She knew she smelt of firewood and had for a while. There hadn't been a stream for miles. But Zira didn't mind. She was by herself for one thing. And for another, she enjoyed the smell of burning wood.

Her eyes flicked over the fire, carefully tracking each and every lick of flame as it rose and sank. Every pop of the heat made a note in her ears. Each and every flare mimicked a dancer's movements. Dancing was forbidden in the Fire Nation. At least, it had been when she was in the Academy. The children never knew why, but they were never allowed to dance. But something called out to Zira whenever she heard music. And she had desperately wanted to try it.

Hell, she had been so desperate that she had danced around the palace as a little girl, always making sure she was alone.

Palace?

Oh yes. Zira's father was the advisor to Lord Ozai. Or had been. Zira wasn't quite sure anymore. Nor did she particularly care. News from the Fire Nation dwindled the further you got away from it.

Her slim fingers tapped against her thinly clothed knees. Tapping to what? Who knew? The music in her head maybe. And with the grace of a Waterbender, Zira rose and gently began to spin. Again. To the music only she was hearing.

She pulled her dark hair out from its usual tight bun that was always at the nape of her neck and let it unravel down her shoulders. It fanned out slightly as she continued to spin faster and faster around the camp fire.

The dark clothes that she wore, stolen from an unknowing Earth Kingdom woman's laundry, moved gracefully with her movements as she began to wind her arms around herself. She didn't truly know what she was doing, but just let her body move for her. Her dark eyes closed, taking in the movements as if it were the most relaxing experience of her life.

Shadows flickered against the trees behind her as her slim body smoothly twisted and turned, continually moving her small feet through the grass. Her mind raced of the past few days, but she quickly quieted it to concentrate only on the current moment. The present. The exact moment in time that she was experiencing now. There was nothing but her. No Fire Nation guards. No stupid Freedom Fighters. No wanted posters. No Zuko. Just her and the fire.

The flames mirrored her movement, but it wasn't enough. The restless feeling that was always with Zira, always bugging her, stayed put. She continued to swirl around the clearing, letting her mind wander. Something was missing. A small smile found her lips as she realized what.

Her thin, slightly tanned fingers, reached out, and with movements that looked more Waterbender than Firebender, Zira drew some of the flames to her. The smile grew as she kept her eyes closed. The warmth wrapped around her, but didn't burn her. She was skilled enough to keep the fire away from her as she twirled through the grasses. It stayed at arm's length at all times as Zira followed the smooth rhythm her body made for her. Her muscles relaxed further as she sank into a trance, just letting her instincts and her body lead her.

She danced to the melody in her head. It varied from quick beats where she spun quickly to a slow harmony that allowed her to glide around the fire. Nobody watching. Nobody caring. Nobody chasing. It was an amazing feeling as Zira let her guard down. The smile on her face grew to a grin that hadn't been seen in weeks.

The hands that guided the fire wrapped around her head and back down her body, letting the flames follow smoothly. No thoughts. No apprehension. No fright. Just her and the element she felt most connected to.

Faster and faster she spun as the imaginary song grew quicker. Letting her frustration, her exhaustion out. The heat made sweat roll down her neck, underneath her collar and all the way down to the small of her back. Her breathing quickened as she pushed herself further and further, losing where she was. The forest dissolved around her. She was back at home, spinning in circles in the palace courtyard. She was in the horrid jail cell her own family had sentenced her to. She was on the boat to the Earth Kingdom. The forest with the Fire Nation guards that treated her as a piece of meat. The town where she found herself not to be wanted for bounty anymore, but as a banished royal.

Faces glided through her mind. Her crying mother. Her ashamed father. The evil face of Lord Ozai. The desperate one of Zuko as he watched her being hauled off. She spun quicker and quicker, trying to forget all of them, for at least one night.

And just as suddenly as she had started, Zira began to slow, letting her movements gently glide to a stop. The smile dwindled to a small smirk as she guided the flames back to their home in the fire pit. She felt comfortable. Relaxed. For once.

Her eyes drifted to the tea pot. Something to calm her even further. Her hand reached for the heated tea when suddenly—

"FIREBENDER!" A teenage voice rang out through the clearing and Zira froze.

"Oh no." She whispered to herself.

Fin

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So? Comments? Questions? Please review!

Cheers!

-Pendragon