Author's Note :: Yay! So I finally got Chapter Two up and running. Yay me! x3 This chapter has a bit more...drama in it, I suppose. x3 Anyway, enjoy and please read and review! 3

Disclaimer :: I do not own Avatar the Last Airbender nor any of it's characters. Those belong to Mike and Bryan. The only things that Mike and Bryan don't own are my stories and the characters I create. Though I'm going to absolutely laugh my ass off if they bring someone like Kaida into the show...though I do doubt that.


Fire in the Skies

-- Disappear --

"Dad's going to kill you." The younger girl's voice mocked the prince as he and Kaida walked along the corridors from the kitchen. They had just finished begging rolls off of the cooks and were headed off towards the turtle-duck pond.

"What are you talking about, Azula?"

"Oh nothing. Just Dad's going to kill you. Literally."

"Zuko, ignore her. Keep walking." With Kaida's voice, Azula glared at the older girl as she followed them. That nine year old know it all was becoming too much of a hassle right now. She was teaching Zuko to ignore his sister, which meant that she had to dig deeper to hit his nerves. He head turned eight last week, and now the pair were only a year off in an age difference. Yes, it had already been a little over a month since the girl came to live in the palace, and he and Kaida had grown to be fast friends.

"Right."

"Zuko, I'm not kidding. Dad is really, really going to kill you." With that statement, all seriousness in her voice, it made Zuko stop dead and spin 'round on his heels. There was an expression of wonderment and fear upon his pale face. With the boy's sudden stop, Kaida stopped and turned on her heels as well, her silver-green eyes concerned as she looked from the boy to the girl. Azula had a smug smirk up on her face as she looked at her nails, not really caring that her father had threatened her brother's life.

"What are you talking about, Azula?"

"Just the fact that Dad disrespected Grandpa. And now, Grandpa is going to make Dad kill you, his only son and heir."

"…What do you mean?"

"You remember Dad's meeting with Grandpa last month, don't you?"

"…Yes…?"

"I told you Dad wanted the throne, and now Dad is going to kill you to know what it feels like to lose a son."

"No…he…he wouldn't!"

"Oh, but he would, ZuZu!" With that, the twisted little girl grinned at her older brother and spun on her heels, sauntering off towards the end of the hall opposite both Kaida and Zuko. Kaida hung her head and Zuko looked absolutely mortified.

"I told you to ignore her, Zuko…"

"But…she was…she was serious, wasn't she?"

"Ignore her. Do not worry of the future when it still has yet to be decided."

"…Right…" But he didn't want to believe her, he wanted to believe his sister. No matter how terrible that truth may have been, it was exactly that - the truth. The seriousness in her voice could not be mistaken. There was no hint of sarcasm in that twisted girl's voice. Not like normal.

----

Kaida sat beside the turtle-duck pond, her long raven hair flowing behind her in a soft breeze. The moon had risen high in the sky, and the nine year old could not sleep. She leaned back onto the palm of her hands, though she still held onto a posture that made her back arch forward slightly. Her pale skin glinted in the moonlight above as she closed her eyes, in a sort of meditative sleep. Her eyes were something of a mystical, odd color for a Fire Nation citizen. They were a mix somewhere between being silver and an emerald green. Her hair was something of interest as well. It was definitely a cut that was not seen normally in the fire nation - especially for a girl of only nine. Her straight hair fell down in a waterfall of raven black where it ended in a straight line along the top of her rump. Her bangs fell down to just past her brows, framing her face as they curved around her jaw. She wore a loose silk crimson tunic and a pair of silk black

A sigh escaped her lips as she could hear someone else creeping up on her from behind. Kaida immediately spun round, rising out of her sitting position as she did so. She faced the person before her in a fighting stance, as she had been trained to do by her mother. The moonlight glinted off the face before her and she immediately relaxed.

"Ursa? What are you doing out here this late at night?" The nine year old asked, approaching the cloaked woman with a few steps.

"I could ask you the same thing, Kaida. But I must leave. I have already said my goodbyes to Zuko and I need you to promise me something."

"…Where are you going?"

"You cannot know. I'm sorry. But I need to hurry. Again, can you promise me something?" The girl slowly nodded, eyes holding confusion, question, and the beginnings of tears. Ursa knelt and took Kaida by the shoulders, looking into the young girl's eyes with compassion.

"Take care of Zuko. Do not leave him or betray him. Understand?" Kaida nodded slowly, blinking away tears as she was wrapped up in the fire princess' arms in a silent hug.

"Thank you, Kaida. Now, I have to go. I'm sorry for what I have done, but it was terribly necessary." With that, the woman stood once more, folded the hood over her head and walked away from the garden quietly, to whatever her fate may have been at that point.

Kaida's eyes still held tears in them as she made her way to Zuko's room. Surely he was awake and worried and scared and crying…just as she was. She arrived at the prince's quarters in a matter of minutes, but when she slipped past the large doors to where he lay in his massive bed. However, there were no lights flickering, nor a silhouette of the prince sitting up in his bed. There were no sounds of sobbing or heavy breathing…only the sounds of his deep breathing. What was he doing? His mother had just left them all and he was sleeping. Maybe Ursa never woke him. But no, she said…oh, whatever. Kaida was too upset to deal with it at that moment.

So, the nine year old merely made her way over to the edge of the bed. Her rump sat down on the satin covers as she hung her head, hair obscuring her face. She silently let the tears flow down her cheeks as she awaited the sleeping prince's awakening.

----

Zuko dreamt that his mother had come in late at night, dressed in the crimson robes of the fire nation. She apologized to him for all that she had done and told him that Kaida would be there for him no matter what. Then a kiss came from her lips onto his forehead and she said good bye. Ursa then left her son's room, with a flip of her hood and only one last look back. Then the dream ended and Zuko went back into a dreamless sleep.

Then he awoke and saw Kaida sitting on the edge of his bed. Bags were under her beautiful eyes and she had tear stains down her cheeks. He sat up, concern in his eyes. He crawled over to her, his chest bare and his lower half covered by a pair of red silk pajamas. A pale hand reached over to touch her shoulder, but she turned away.

"Kaida? What's wrong?" The only response was her shaking her head.

"Why don't you go get Mom? I'm -" He blinked slowly as he watched Kaida crumple, falling onto the floor in a heap of crying mess…

"…Kaida…? Where's Mom?"