At 18, he had the world to gain. He had the best training the Fire Nation offered. He had mastered every tactical strategy, bending, hand-to-hand combat, and political course thrown at him. His smooth talking and witty charm gave him an ease with women even his handsome younger brother would never claim.

Iroh, crown prince of the Fire Nation, felt his power grow within him as the fiery sun rose in the east. He was confident as he overlooked the city he would one day rule as Fire Lord. The people were scurrying about in the early morning light, preparing for the day.

Zania looked in the mirror. She began to apply her face paint, feeling the stiffness in her bad elbow. Today might be harder than I thought.
She was a Firedancer, and a good one. One of the best. But pride kept her dancing in the streets and not the Houses. Sure, she could make a good living in there, but out here, she kept her dignity.
With a last stroke of crimson beneath her dark amber eyes, she finished her make-up, an almost mindless task after nine years of work. Buckling the clasps of her dress about her wrists, she stepped out of her apartment into the dingy alley.

Time for work.

Iroh knocked as he opened the door.

"Ozai...oh, Ozai!" he called. "Guess who's going to the festival tonight?"

Ozai grunted and turned a page in a strategical text.

"Oh, I thought surely you'd show more interest, but I guess you're not interested in Ursa and her family...I'll just leave now."

The book snapped shut.

"Oh good! You'll come."

"Is...is she really gonna be th-ere?" Ozai's voice cracked mercilessly.

Poor kid. Thirteen's a tough age, Iroh sympathized. "Of course, everybody's gonna go. Besides, her father was just here requesting a guard for the night."

Ozai coughed and vainly tried to lower his voice. "Perhaps I'll go then."

"And you know, if she isn't there, there's always a Firedancer or two to make things interesting."

"Iroh! They're beneath us! They're just dirty, poor beggars with no decency!"

"Ah, but they're fun to watch, aren't they?" Iroh smirked as he watched Ozai squirm against his will. "I'll take that as a yes."

"I'll come tonight. When are you leaving?"

"I'll leave for the bazaar two hours past midday. But in the meantime, I believe I'm ready for some breakfast. Do you want something? Some tea, perhaps?" Iroh smiled, any excuse for tea is a fine excuse.

"I hate tea. And I'm reading," Ozai replied shortly.

"I'll see you this afternoon, then." With that Iroh left the room.

Zania turned from the alley into the main marketplace. Vendors were already setting up their best products. The Festival of the Sun started today at noon. The festivities would start quietly in reverence of the power of Fire, but would soon grow wilder and wilder, culminating at tomorrow's sunrise, when the entire city would stand silently in the plaza before the palace. At the word of the Fire Lord, the festival would end and people would go back to their daily business.

She fought back a grimace. It would be a busy night, and she'd have to stay awake all night. She'd have plenty audience members, and if she performed well, she'd be able to pay rent for a while. My elbow just had to pick today to hurt, didn't it?

She walked quickly, trying to avoid attention. She had a brown robe on over her dancing outfit, but her painted face was still visible, so she kept her face down. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a younger dancer setting up territory next to a scarf stand. Doesn't she know what she's doing? She strolled over to the girl, swearing under her breath, trying to stay inconspicuous.

"Taira! You can't set up here!" she whispered hoarsely. "There's a House across the street. Are you blind or just plain stupid?"

"I...I...didn't see it..." the girl stammered quietly.

"Do you think they'll buy that? Do you think the guards they'll send out here haven't heard that before?" Zania took a deep breath, trying to calm down. "Let's just get out of here." She smiled a bit. "Why don't you work with me for the morning? It's going to be a long night, and we'll need to conserve our energy." Zania's hand unconsciously strayed to her elbow. "I, for one, am not feeling up..." Her voice trailed off as Taira's eyes widened in fear.

Strong hands clasped Zania's shoulders and a rumbling voice spoke quietly in her ear.

"Tell me, Zania. Is your elbow bothering you again?"