Disclaimer: Avatar: The Last Airbender belongs to Nickelodeon. Many of the characters and concepts here belong to Hotspur, and are borrowed with permission.

A/N: Okay, so, this is the first chapter of my first big story. It's very nerve-wracking to be writing this, but also exciting, woo-hoo!

This story is based off of the AU built up by Hotspur in her epic fanfiction, "Downfall." If you are confused, go read it; it's awesome!

Thanks so much to Hotspur for letting me play around with her characters, and for all her wonderful advice!

Chapter 1: Child's Play

As a baby, Zhi was a joy.

Zhi was a good girl, a sweet girl, full of laughter, joy and curiosity. She was a pleasure to be around, and was rarely naughty. She learned to speak early and ate most of the food placed before her. But most of all, she was always good at bath time.

While her sister Yi would cry and fuss and squirm at the touch of bathwater, Zhi giggled and splashed, kicking her little feet through the suds.

"Bathtime, my loves," crooned Ying, and Zhi's grin was as wide as Yi's frown wasn't. The two babies were placed side by side in the washbasin, and Ying grabbed the bar of potash soap and began to scrub, whistling an Earth Kingdom ditty as she did so. Yi wriggled to get out of the way, but Zhi shrieked with glee.

"Mama mama blebble ya ah," she babbled, and, without any further warning, thrust her arms out.

The water in the tub, seemingly of its own accord, suddenly leapt out of the basin and threw itself at Ying. She only had a moment to throw her arms up before the water struck her. Zhi began laughing hysterically, and the thin wail of Yi's crying split the air.

Ying, soaking wet, could only stare.

At four years old, it became clear that Zhi was different.

"Zhi!" Ying cried, looking in shock at her daughter, who was covered in mud and up to her tiny knees in freezing creek water. Her heart leapt into her throat. "What are you doing?"

Zhi, who looked quite unperturbed by her state, replied calmly; "I'm just playing."

Ying swooped down and picked the tiny girl up from the banks, cradling her filthy form to her chest. "Zhi, you must never do that again! You could drown!"

"I won't drown." Zhi looked over her shoulder, not seeming to listen. "Mama, put me down. I want to play with Aang."

"No! You can't play with Aang!" Ying, frankly, was starting to become tired of her daughter's imaginary friend, especially if she was going to use it as an excuse to do dangerous things.

"But I want to play with the water with Aang."

Well, if she was going to be stubborn, then Ying would need to be firm. "Aang doesn't exist. And if I see you playing in the stream again, you won't get any sugar candy for a week!"

Zhi looked stricken. "No, Mama!"

Ying put her daughter down. "Then no playing alone by the stream. Okay, Zhi? Never again."

Zhi looked at her feet. "Yes Mama," she finally mumbled.

"Good." Ying breathed a sigh of relief, and led Zhi back to their home, not noticing the way her daughter glanced over her shoulder at the stream, or the look in her blue eyes when she waved goodbye to a friend left unseen.

"Your Royal Eminence."

The Fire Emperor, His Most High, The Chosen of Agni, Lord of Flame, the most powerful man in the world, was a nervous wreck. He looked up at the healer anxiously, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes and trembling slightly.

"Well?"

The healer smiled. "A healthy baby girl."

The breath came out of Fire Emperor Zuko in a great whoosh. "Hyun?"

"She is well, but very tired."

"I wish to see her. And our child."

"Of course." The healer nodded and bowed deferentially, indicating the room where the Fire Emperor's wife had just given birth.

"My Husband," Hyun whispered, her voice ragged and quiet after her long labor. "Look at her. Look at what we did."

You did more than I, thought Zuko, as he motioned for the midwife to bring over the small bundle of crying red blankets she carried. At the sight of what they held, the Emperor let out a long, low sigh, and put his hand on his wife's shoulder. "Oh, Hyun. She is beautiful."

"You are not displeased? That it is a girl?"

"How could I be displeased? Look at her. She is a gift from Agni."

Hyun smiled, and despite his wife's perspiration and his child's cries, Zuko was certain that he had never seen a more beautiful sight, mother next to daughter. "I'm glad you agree, Husband," she said.

They stayed there that way for several long moments, transfixed by the tiny fists, the button nose, the soft fuzz of black hair. Then the Emperor spoke. "Ary. We need to bring in Ary, and Uncle."

The servants quickly led in the yawning young boy and the old man, who immediately rushed over to the bedside. "Ahh, What a delightful child," murmured Iroh, giving her his finger to squeeze. "And what a strong grip! I'm sure you will grow up to be a great warrior, won't you?" He turned to Zuko, his eyes gleaming with grandfatherly glow. "What will you name him?"

"Her," said Zuko, "and I haven't decided yet. Perhaps Mei. That is a good name."

"Yuri," offered Hyun. "Because she is as beautiful as a panda lily."

"Yuri…" murmured Zuko. "It's perfect. Ary. Come here. Look, this is Yuri, your new sister." As the boy walked over, a look of bliss came over the Emperor's face. "I'm a father. I'm a father."

"You already are a father, Father," said Ary, peering at the funny looking baby in the blankets. But the adults weren't listening. All had fallen under the baby's spell.

Something was wrong. The small blind girl tilted her head to the side and furrowed her brow, listening carefully. Outside the walls of the garden, almost at the edge of her earth-sight, were feet. Hundreds of marching feet, coming closer. Her muscles tensed underneath her fine robes. What was that?

Someone had run up to the gates to the estate and was knocking desperately. Something important was happening, which of course meant…

"Miss Bei Fong," murmured one of the ever-present servants. "Please, there is someone here to see your father."

"Of course," said Toph, and allowed herself to be led back into the manor, passing her father rushing out on way. Whatever was happening, it wouldn't interest the Bei Fong's poor disabled daughter, and besides, it might be dangerous. She would be better off inside.

Inside, the servant passed Toph to her mother, who embraced her daughter, stroking her thick dark hair. "It's alright," she lied. "Whatever it is, I'm sure your father will take care of it." She led her daughter to her room and closed the door. "Stay in here while I go to see what all the fuss is about, okay, darling? Everything's going to be fine."

But no sooner had her mother's feet left the doorway than Toph had torn a hole in her fine marble floor and started tunneling downward and towards the garden gate. Whatever was going on was important, and she would not be left out of it!

Toph stopped directly under the feet of her parents and the stranger and pressed her ear to the dirt ceiling above her, listening for the faint vibrations of voices. Her father was speaking.

"….give them no reason to become violent. If Ba Sing Se has fallen, then we will not stand in the way. I shall be happy to acknowledge the Fire Nation as our overlords, so long as the merchant lanes are kept clear."

"Yes, Lord Bei Fong. Shall I then tell the General that the soldiers are welcome to stay in Gaoling?"

"Tell them anything, so long as we are kept safe. If the war is over, it does not matter who is in power. It will still be the same for us."

"But Lao," spoke up Toph's mother. "Can we be sure that they will not seek to take us by force? They are Fire Nation, after all."

"I will offer the General hospitality within my own home to gain his trust, if need be. We can weather this storm, if we play wisely. It may even prove to be a boon, if it means extended supply lanes into the Fire Nation." Lao Bei Fong's weight shifted towards the messenger. "Now go! Speak to them before they decide that we are a threat!"

The messenger ran off, and Toph's parents began walking back to the manor. Toph stayed still for a moment, so surprised by what she had heard that she almost forgot that she was supposed to be in her room. She rushed back to the house, skating over the earth so quickly that she nearly overshot the hole in the floor. She crawled through and replaced the floor tiles just in time for her parents to return.

"Toph!" her mother cried. "Why, you're filthy!"

"Oh?" said Toph quietly. "Am I? I didn't notice."

Lao had been right about one thing. Life didn't change after the occupation, at least for a short while. But later that week was Toph's earthbending lesson with Master Yu, and though she resignedly dressed in her earthbending uniform, he didn't show up.

"Father," she asked. "Where is Master Yu? Has the lesson time been changed?"

Lao leaned over and put his arm around his daughter "No, Toph. You won't be having lessons with Master Yu anymore."

Toph frowned. She did not enjoy her dreadfully easy lessons, but they were at least a break from the horrible tedium of life at the Bei Fong manor. "Why?"

"Master Yu is a bad man, and he has been arrested."

"What? Why?"

"It doesn't matter," lied Lao. "But it's probably all for the best, anyway. We'll get you a new teacher, once things settle down."

He left Toph to her thoughts. Why had Yu been arrested? Did it have anything to do with the Fire Nation coming? It had to, there was no other explanation. But if Yu was gone, then what about…

Toph's blood ran cold. No. They couldn't be gone. They wouldn't take all the earthbenders, would they? No, that made no sense. She'd have to check. She'd check that very night.

But when she tunneled into the underground arena, no one was there, and there were marks of a struggle. Overturned rocks and disturbed earth, loose stones strewn anywhere. Even the arena itself was off-kilter, the signature move of the Hippo. They were gone. No one was left. The Blind Bandit was alone.

When Zhi was seven, the school was founded for the edification of all young members of the blossoming Fire Empire. Attendance was mandatory, so even though Zhi and Yi were helping now in their father's carpentry shop, they went. There, they learned reading and writing, math and science, and those few who showed any earthbending talent were separated out from the others. Then, of course, there was History.

"This year," said their teacher, "marks the seventh anniversary of the end of the Hundred-Years War, when the great Fire Emperor toppled the walls of Ba Sing Se and brought the Earth King's tyranny to a halt. Today, we live and prosper under the good graces of Lord Devdan and the Fire Emperor Zuko. Our current peace is to the credit of their wise leadership, for all warmongers have been defeated.

"We will be putting on a play in honor of their accomplishments and the coming of the great comet that allowed us to achieve this victory. Who wants to play the part of Fire Emperor Zuko?"

Every hand flew into the air.

Summer in the Fire nation was hot. Very hot. Not hot like the Si Wong desert, where any exposed skin fried red and the rain was said to dry up before it hit the ground. The heat of the Fire Nation was like a cloak, seeping into every pore and pasting one's clothes to one's skin with sweat. But summer in the Fire Nation was at least free of the winter's monsoons.

The boy by the stormy window wore a golden crown and scarlet robes, and could almost be mistaken for any one of many nobles that frequented the Palace of Azar. But no other boy had Ary's sea-blue eyes, or skin the color of clay.

Ary sighed as he watched the rain fall. He hated the rain. He couldn't ride rhinos through the grounds when it rained, or do anything really, not without ruining his fine clothing. And he couldn't watch the guards practice their firebending. Watching them was one of his favorite activities, though not one he would easily admit to. Firebending was Royal, it was proper, and more than anything else, he wanted it. He wanted to know that power, and he wanted to see the look on Father's face when he saw that his son, his son, could firebend, even though his daughters still could not. But he knew, as he watched the soldiers' lights dance, so close to death but not quite, that it was one thing he would never have, not with all the riches of the world at his disposal.

Ary glanced to either side. He was alone in the corridor for once, having given his guards the slip. Perhaps he could…

Ary closed his eyes and visualized the soldiers, sinking down into a firebending stance. He stepped forward and kicked, ha! Extend the arm and ha! ha! He imagined the flames whirling around him, obeying his every command. Ha! A tingling feeling flowed through Ary's limbs, pulling at him, and he pulled back, fantasizing that the flames were roaring up, out of control! He pushed and pulled at them, bringing them back, and felt… something.

Ary opened his eyes, and saw the raindrops rushing around him, in through the window and flowing around his limbs, following his motions. No, no, not water! Ary immediately dropped his arms in horror, and the rain fell in a downpour on his head, soaking him instantly. He looked around, mortified. No one had seen him, had they? No one had seen…

No, no one. Ary looked unhappily at his ruined robes, and slowly turned to trudge back to his room to get cleaned up. He hated the rain.

When Zhi was nine, she shared it.

"Yi, look, I want to show you something."

It was after school, and Yi was tired. "What? Show me tomorrow."

"No, now. Come on!" Zhi grabbed Yi's arms and began pulling her away, leaving her little choice but to follow.

"This had better be good."

"It is. It's a secret."

At the word secret, Yi immediately perked up. "What is it?"

"Come on and I'll show you."

Zhi dragged Yi into the copse of trees behind the house and through the woods. "Where are we going?" asked Yi fearfully. "Zhi! Where are we going?"

They finally came to the stream, which was full to brimming with snowmelt and running quickly. "Here." Whispered Zhi. "Here. Don't tell anyone, okay? It's a secret."

"I knew about the stream," said Yi. "We aren't supposed to be here. We'll get in trouble."

"Look." Zhi waded into the water, not even bothering to hike up her dress.

"Zhi! Stop it! You'll fall in!"

The dark skinned girl bent over and cupped her hands in the water, bringing up a handful of clear liquid. "I won't. I can swim."

"You can't swim!"

"Yes I can." Zhi tossed her head proudly. "I taught myself."

"You liar!"

"No! Now be quiet or I won't show you the secret!"

At that, Yi shut her mouth, but continued to glare self- righteously.

"Watch this."

Zhi looked at the water in her hands, and slowly, with an air of great concentration, drew her cupped palms apart. The water, instead of falling to the ground, stayed suspended in mid air, a shimmering rope between two hands. Yi watched, her mouth dropping open, as Zhi began to twirl her finger, the water following like a caught strand of spider silk. Zhi moved her hands again, pouring the water from one side to the other in mid air.

It was at that moment that Lan, who had noticed the girls' absence, walked up behind them. Clapping her hands to get their attention, she walked over, her face stricken, and grabbed Zhi's hands, causing the water to fall limply between them. Lan shook her head, eyes wide, and pointed at the water and Zhi, the water and Zhi, all the while frowning deeply.

"What?" cried Zhi. "No! No, I wasn't going alone! Yi was with me! I was just playing…"

Lan only shook her head harder, wagging her finger, and, grabbing Yi's shoulder, began to drag both girls back to the house. It was time for a very, very important talk.

The party that celebrated Prince Ary's coming of age was one to be remembered. The Fire Emperor had pulled out all the stops, with fireworks, fine teas and sake, dancers and drums and the best sungi hornist in the Fire Empire. The gifts lavished on the prince included a mongoose dragon, three swords, including one made by the great Piandao himself, ten new sets of robes in the newest styles both from the Fire Archipelago and the Earth Protectorate (for it was widely known how fashion-conscious the Prince was), and a set of golden chopsticks so exquisite that it was clear they were never meant to be used.

Ary himself was shining with happiness above the crowd, his face powdered pale, his thick hair drawn up into an elegant topknot after hours of coaxing and oiling.

"He really looks like something up there, doesn't he?" murmured minister Qing, who was perhaps a bit more inebriated than he should have been. "Almost looks like one of us."

"Hmm… almost, almost," murmured the noble next to him, who fortunately was a sympathetic ear. "But best not let His Majesty hear you say such a thing."

Up on the dais, the Emperor was about to speak. "Prince Ary," he began. "It was eleven years ago today that you came to me, a young boy, for tutelage in the great Fire Nation. Today, we are an Empire, and you have now grown into a fine young man. Growing up comes with great privileges, but also great responsibility. Now that you have come of age, it is time for you to take up the mantle for which you came here."

Zuko had thought long and hard about what he would say at Ary's sixteenth birthday. He knew that his foster son craved more authority, and he had figured out exactly what to do.

"Today, Prince Ary, I name you the Lord of the Water Tribe. From now on, all matters dealing with the tribe shall go to you first, and you shall have authority over all that happens within it. May Agni's blessing be on you." Zuko gestured to the side, and a servant brought out a small wooden jewelry box. Ary opened it, and saw inside a golden hairpiece, made especially for him in the shape of the crescent moon.

Zuko leaned forward expectantly. Ary, it seemed, was speechless with gratitude at being given such an honor. Eventually, the young man looked up, his face oddly blank. "Thank you, my Lord Father. I will make you proud."

Zuko smiled. "I know you will, my son. I know you will."

"You're not my parents?"

Yi gaped. "You're not my sister?"

"No, no!" Ying looked at her daughters unhappily. This wasn't going well at all. "Of course we're your parents. Just not by blood."

"But…" Zhi looked at Lan for confirmation. She nodded, and Zhi turned back to the one she had thought was her mother, utterly lost. "But how…?"

"Zhi," said Ying. "The day Than found you was the same day that I gave birth to Yi. We fell in love with you at first sight and took you in as our own, and made you Yi's sister. We love you like any mother or father loves their daughter. You are our little miracle."

Zhi's mind reeled. "But, then, who are my real parents?"

"We are your real parents, Zhi. And we don't know. They could have been anybody. It was still at the very end of the war then, and there were lots of children without parents. But we didn't want you to be an outsider, so we told everyone that you were twins."

"But we look so different," Yi suddenly interrupted. "That explains it. You're not really my sister, and that's why we're so different."

"Yi, of course Zhi is your sister." Ying put her hand on Zhi's shoulder. "She's always been your sister and she always will be. It doesn't matter how she came into our family, only that she' s here now."

"But she's different." Yi pointed an accusatory finger at Zhi. "She's weird! She made water float up in the air!"

Ying's expression darkened. "So it seems." Ying turned Zhi around and looked carefully into her wide blue eyes. "Zhi, listen to me carefully, because what I am going to tell you is very important." Zhi nodded solemnly.

"You must never waterbend again."

"What?" Zhi gasped. "No! Mom–"

"No! Listen to me, Zhi! During the war, the Water Tribes were fighting against the Fire Nation, and they were all taken away." Ying pulled Zhi into a tight hug. "I just don't want anything to happen to you."

"But, mom, I love to play with the water! It's so fun, and­–"

"No, Zhi. That is final. I won't have any arguments." Zhi looked at the ground. "Promise me, Zhi. Swear to Geb and Tu Di Gong."

"I promise," muttered Zhi.

" 'I promise' what?"

"I promise to Geb and Tu Di Gong that I will never play with the water again."

"Okay." Ying hugged Zhi tightly. "Thank you." She looked at her daughter's face carefully. "Now, wipe those eyes. There's nothing to cry about. Come on, now, let's forget about all of this and help me bake some nice fresh bread, how about that?"

Zhi spent the rest of the day helping her mother in the kitchen and went to bed early, dreaming of flying and fire and an unnamable pain.

When Zhi was fifteen, her world turned upside down…

And never righted again.