A/N: sorry, it took so long to update. I had mid-terms. oh and I wanted to say thanks to my reviewers! all two of 'em! Oh, and I edited chapter 1.

Disclaimer: Yes! I acquired it recently in a hostile take over! yeah, right. I don't own Avatar the Last Airbender.

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After a few minutes Zaira got up and walked outside.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, enjoying the breeze. She smiled a little and when she opened her eyes she found a tree in the courtyard. her smile grew and she went over to it. Soon she was on a low branch of the tree, swinging her leg. She leaned back against the tree, closed her eyes and sighed, content.

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Her peace was soon interrupted. "My men say you fought against your own people." she jumped at the voice. The Warden was standing under the tree a few feet from being directly under her. She finally got a good look at him. He had graying-brown hair, and he was a little taller than Rea.

"I-I did." she stammered.

"What I can't figure out is, why." His brown eyes searching hers. He was looking for her motive.

She looked away from him, she was still a little nervous. "I disagree with the Fire Lord, and I think the war is stupid. So many innocent people die every day…"

He looked at her for a moment, "You're of mixed blood?"

she nodded. "My father is pure Fire Nation, but I'm not."

"What about your mother?" he asked his voice gentle.

"I don't remember her, and my father refused to talk about her." there was a moment of silence, "He always insisted I was as pure as he was, but I knew better. My hair is to light and my skin to dark to be fully Fire Nation." she paused, "but my eyes I got from my father. he always thought I'd be a Firebender, much to his disappointment I'm not. He said I didn't have enough fire in me, but I always figured it was a good thing." she smiled.

The Warden looked down, " about earlier…"

"It's alright."

"you know if the Fire Nation hears about this you'll be considered a traitor." he looked back up at her.

She smiled, "Good. Traitors and outcasts don't get drafted into the military." the Warden shook his head.

"It's been a pleasure talking with you, but I must return to my duties." he bowed, "Good bye." then he went inside.

Meanwhile…

"Zaira? Zaira?" Rea called as he searched the hallway. "where did she go?" he asked himself. Then the door leading outside opened and the Warden walked in.

As he walked by Rea he said, "If you're looking for the girl, she's outside in a tree."

"Did you do something to her?" he asked suspiciously.

"Oh no, we had an interesting conversation." he paused, "she's quite charming." he commented almost absent mindedly.

Rea gave the back of the Wardens head a confused look, then he went outside. He found her in the tree, just like the warden had said. He walked over, "what are you doing?"

"Sitting" she said simply.

"In a tree?" he asked.

"Mm hm"

"you are strange." He sat at the base of the tree. "do most Fire Nation girls sit in trees late in the after noon?"

She giggled, "No, I'm pretty sure I'm the only one." then she burst out laughing.

"What's so funny?"

She calmed down, "I was just imagining some of the girls I knew trying to climb a tree." she giggled again. "That would be hilarious!"

He looked up at her confused, "Why?"

"Them and their fancy dress, with their 'proper' manners. Picturing them up in a tree, with dirt stains on their knees…" she giggled again.

He chuckled, her laughter was contagious, "Yeah I guess that would be pretty funny." There was a comfortable silence, "What about you?"

"Hmm?"

"Did you ever get dressed up in one of those fancy dresses, and use 'proper' manners?"

She smiled, "I always hated that. Dresses are so uncomfortable and difficult to do anything in, I don't see how they do it!" she paused, "no, I avoided that as much as possible. I'd much rather climb trees, play with the boys and get dirty, than I had sit quietly for hours in an uncomfortable dress, severe tea and have a civilized conversation."

"You know some how I can believe that." he smiled.

"Actually the tea part wasn't that bad. I got a lot of complements on my tea, and I think it's the only thing I did that my dad was proud of." she sighed and looked at the sky. The sun was setting and bright colors filled the sky. "You know there's one thing that's the same where ever you are."

"And what's that?" Rea asked looking at the sky as well.

"The sunset. It's as beautiful here as it is in the Fire Nation."

"Is it true that Firebenders are weaker at night?" Rea asked as he leaned back and closed his eyes.

"Yes, their bending isn't as strong and they lose a little of their energy."

"What about non-benders?"

"I don't know. I've never felt any different after the sun sets, but I don't know if that's because I'm not a bender or because I'm mixed." They sat there quietly, watching the sun set.

It wasn't until the stars began to appear that Rea broke the comfortable silence. "we need to head inside." he commented.

"if I'm no longer a prisoner, then where will I sleep?" she asked, though she wasn't really concerned about it.

"I don't know. You can't stay in the soldiers quarters, and besides the cells there isn't really any where to sleep."

"I could sleep out here." she suggested hopefully.

"You'd sleep outside?"

"Yes, it's peaceful out here under the stars. With the Moon watching over me as she does all her children while her warrior rests." she sighed.

"I've never heard it put that way before."

"You've never heard the tale of the Sun and Moon?" she asked.

"No, I don't believe I have."

"Then I'll have to tell it to you."

"Alright." Rea yawned, "but right now, I need to go to sleep. Goodnight Zaira."

"Goodnight Rea." she called as he left.

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"Where were you last night?" asked a young man about Rea's age, when Rea came into the cafeteria. "I thought you went looking for that fire nation girl, what's-her-name?"

"Her name is Zaira, and I was looking for her." Rea replied tiredly.

"And…?"

"And I found her, outside in the tree."

Rea looked at the young man. They were about the same height, but that's were the similarities stopped.

This boy was bulkier, his skin was tanner, his eyes were brown, and his hair was longer and lighter.

"So what did you do after you found her?"

"We talked. Will you stop bothering me Kane?" Rea said annoyed.

"I'm your best friend, what else am I here for?" Kane was smiling.

"One of these days, someone is going to get so annoyed even that smile won't save you."

Kane chuckled, "So you two just talked?" Rea nodded, "Well I guess it's a step up from ignoring them completely."

"Kane!"

"Alright" he said holding his hands up defensively, "I'm just saying."

Rea rolled his eyes, "You should have learned by now that I'm not a morning person."

"Well anyway. Zaira, came in a little while ago grabbed some fruit and then went back outside. Jay asked her if she wanted something else, and she told him 'no thanks, the fruit should be enough.' you know she's very pretty, and I think you'd look good together."

"WHAT?!?!?" Rea spit out the water he had been drinking. He took a deep breath, "what makes you think I'm interested in her?! Or what did she say to hint that she was interested in me?"

"Nothing. Well, if you're not interested, I am!" Kane said with a smile.

"She's not your type…" he started, "Never mind that, any girl is your type." Kane's smile grew. "You're not her type."

"And you know her well enough to know if she even has a type?"

"Well, no."

"Then who's to say I'm not?"

Rea shook his head, "She's going to turn you down."

Kane smirked, "No girl has ever turned me down."

"This one will."

"Wanna bet?"

"Ok, if she turns you down you have to go a week without going on a date."

"And if she doesn't you have to pay for our date."

"Deal." they shook hands. Then Kane disappeared out the door.

About five minutes later he came back in, looking disappointed and had unbelief written on his face.

"She turned you down?" Rea said with a smirk.

"Yes" he said in defeat. "she even turned down the Smile!"

"I-" Rea started.

"I know, you told me so." he said for Rea.

Rea smiled, "Exactly." then he left.

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An alarm rang, and a group of soldiers hurried out to the forest. Zaira followed them, curious.

"What's going on?" she whispered to Rea.

"They spotted a Firebender."

In the few days Zaira had been there it wasn't unusual to find her following the soldiers when they were called out. No one was sure how or why, but she didn't get in the way so they though nothing of it. Rea especially didn't mind if she followed him, because he had the job of watching her.

The group surrounded the clearing where the Firebender was. Zaira peeked through the bushes, and saw a young man in Earth Kingdom cloths kneeling in the center of the clearing. The area around him was scorched, and suddenly he threw his hands in the air and yelled in frustration. A ring of fire formed around him, spread out, and disappeared.

The Earthbenders pounced. Two of them had him between them. His head was hung and his body sagged between the Earth soldiers.

"We've got the Firebender." One of the soldiers called to the others.

"That's not just any Fire Bender," Zaira said as she walked out of the trees. "That's the Fire Lords son, Prince Zuko."

A/N: Yay, chapter two's up! Awww, poor Zuko got captured. if you want to know what happens to him, Review!