A/N: Hello, people!

This is a challenge I found on Bishounen'sFoxyMiko's profile. This is challenge #23, Kagome and Zuko.

I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender or Inuyasha.

I have no beta.

ENJOY!

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An explosion echoed through the air, rocking the very ground beneath them. The man covered the woman in his arms with a cloak and set off to face the enemy. She clutched tightly to his armor and begged him not to go, but he had to. Yes, his own people had brought destruction upon the helpless villagers of the small island, but he couldn't stand the carnage.

"I helped cause this mess. I'll help fix it."

The woman cried out as he left the cave. She pleaded with him, telling him that the Fire Nation didn't forgive traitors and that he would be incinerated on the spot for his treachery. He continued on, ready to save the people if the island from his general's clutches.

The killing ensued and the screams grew louder. One would think it was a war going on near the shore. But a war was where both sides had a chance of winning. The people were outnumbered, with no benders and no training to save them from their attackers. It was a hopeless cause. They were done for.

Almost abruptly, the screams ceased. The fire was gone and smoke rose over the town. The woman looked outside to see the Fire Nation ship laying on its side. What had happened?

Down in front of the ship, was the man who had rescued her. He stood, breathing heavily. The ground around him was littered with fallen soldiers, charred and burning. He glanced up at the cave - where he knew she was - and gave a brief smile, before fainting.

The men of the village ran forward and proceeded to tie him up. The woman watched in horror as they beat him and kicked him. Hadn't they just seen him save them? Did they not care? Tears fell down her face as she watched them carry him away, the Great Elder of the village was claiming that he would be put on trial.

That means that he'll be held in the prison house until they can deal with him.

She waited in the shadows for the men to do their job of locking the prisoner up and guarding him. The guards were doubled, because one man single-handedly took out an entire ship of Fire Nation soldiers and they couldn't risk his escape. What they didn't seem to notice was that the man had already given up and didn't seem to want to fight anymore.

The guards kept talking, not paying attention to the mist slowly rising from the floor. It rose higher and higher, covering them completely. One man tried to move, but couldn't. "What is this?!" his voice shook.

The woman in the shadows sneaked past them, using her mist to her advantage. With a flick of her wrist, the bars of the cage were sliced off with the water from her pouch. The man inside gave her an odd look. She pressed a finger to her lips, telling him not to speak and waved a hand for him to follow. He raised his arms, showing the chains that kept him shackled to the wall. She made quick work of them as well, before leading him away.

They left the prison house in stealth and only stopped when she said it was okay.

"Why did you help me?" the man asked, giving her an odd look.

She smiled. "Why did you help all those villagers? Why did you, a Fire Nation soldier, save them?"

He frowned. "I was exiled for speaking out against their treatment. My general told the Firelord and was ordered to dispose of me on some island. It was because of me that they came here. It's my fault that this happened."

The woman gave him another smile. "Well, Sir Exile, might I know thy name? My name is Ai."

He smirked. "Love, huh? My name is Mamoru."

It was her turn to smirk. "Oh, because 'protect' is better than 'love'."

The two eyed each other and smiled. "I think I'm going to like you," they chorused.

8 YEARS LATER

"Kagome! Come here and help pick the fruits!" Ai shouted at her over-excited eight year old.

Little Kagome ran toward her mother, blue eyes twinkling. "Mommy, I made you a flower!" The little girl smiled when her mother accepted it.

"Where did you get this?" Ai asked, looking at the flower in shock. It was pure ice, not an actual plant.

Kagome giggled. "The water was fun. I can make it do amazing things! Look!" She moved her hand over the flower, pleased to see it turn into water that moved when she made it. "Isn't it pretty, mommy?"

Ai smiled. She was a bender! Finally! How would Mamoru take it? "We'll tell Daddy later, sweetie, and he'll be so happy to see you do that."

Kagome smiled and reformed the flower. "Okay!" She grabbed the basket from her mother and ran to the house with it. "I can't wait!"

"Kagome, would you like to show your father what you did today?" Ai smiled at her daughter.

Kagome nodded and giggled. She took a stance and right before she could do anything else, she burped. She frowned as it burned her throat. "Ow!" There was another burp and she wanted to cry. The next one never made it out, because the little girl didn't want to burn any more. Yet it felt like a fire had started somewhere inside and she couldn't hold it in any longer. She let it out.

Ai and Mamoru watched in awe as a stream of flames erupted from her mouth. Mamoru laughed, "So we have a little firebender on our hands!"

Ai shook her head. "That isn't what she was going to show you. She's a waterbender. She did it in front of me today."

Mamoru frowned. Such a thing shouldn't be possible. He turned to his daughter. "Kagome, how long have you been able to do this?"

"Well I started last year, but I didn't want to show you until I could do something cool," Kagome said, sheepishly twiddling her thumbs.

"Can you do anything else?" her father asked in complete seriousness. This could potentially be bad.

"Well, last year I was climbing that rock that you told me not to, and I fell," Kagome said, looking off into space.

Ai was immediately at her side. "You know how dangerous that is!"

Kagome nodded, not phased by her mother's antics. "Yes, it is. I broke both legs. As I was laying there crying, a weird light came down from the sky and told me that I was special. That I was going to do wondrous things one day. That I was going to help bring the world to peace alongside the Avatar. It also said that I have powers that were be-somethinged to me by the Spirits, and that they will allow me to do miracles. Then I was ordered to heal myself, and I was left alone." Kagome smiled, hoping that they'd leave it at that.

They didn't.

"The Spirits gave you powers?" her mother asked in shock. At Kagome's nod, she swooned, only to be caught by her husband.

"Did the Spirits tell you what the powers are?" Mamoru asked as he situated his wife on the mat that was used for rest.

Kagome nodded, "Something about purity. I didn't listen to anything else and when she noticed, she left me alone."

Her parents stared at each other. "Our daughter is special," they chorused.

Kagome rolled her eyes as they continued in hushed tones. It's okay. I'm not really here. She walked outside and made her way to the stables. Her little friend, Kirara, was there and meowed when she got nearer.

"Hi, Kirara, you really like spending time with Ming Lee ,don't you?" At the kittens loud purr, she laughed. The Giant Eel Hound, named Ming Lee, merely gave them a brief glance.

"Don't give me that Ming Ming. Besides me and Yuki, Kirara is the only other person you like," Kagome smirked.

The Eel Hound ignored her.

"Hey, all you have to do to get me off your back is to have many baby Giant Eel Hounds with Yuki. Then I'll stop teasing you." The little girl stuck her tongue out at the large beast.

Once again, she was ignored. "Well, remember when you finally have babies, I get one. That one is going to help me in the future."

10 YEARS LATER

"Come on Tsuki!" the young, Giant Eel Hound seemed to snort at her master's antics.

"Fine, I'll just go swimming by myself."

That did it, and the animal ran faster than she ever had to get to the stream of water.

Kagome laughed. "Okay, now you're excited," she giggled. "Good."

The clean water beckoned them. "Let's go!"

A/N: The first chapter has been revised.

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Ja ne! :D

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