Chapter Two

Sun shone through the flaps of the tent as Katara sleepily opened her eyes. Yawning, she quickly dressed and hurried outside. Aang was still asleep, and Sokka was looking at the two mysterious girls who were apparently still sleeping. She was about to go wake Aang when one of the girls stirred. Sokka jumped up, startled. The blue-haired girl blinked her eyes open slowly to see Sokka and Katara staring down at her. Her eyes widened, and she tried to leap to her feet. However, she was too exhausted, and her leap to freedom resulted in her falling back to the ground with a thump. She settled with crawling on her hands and knees over to the other girl and sitting next to her occasionally glaring up at Sokka and Katara.

Sokka looked at Katara and willed her to speak. Before she could say anything though, Aang walked out of his tent at the same time Toph walked out of hers.

"So she's awake," Toph stated rather than asked. Aang was startled at the sight of the blue-haired girl sitting next to the redhead. "Has she talked yet?"

"No," Katara said, shaking her head. The blue-haired girl rolled her eyes before she caught sight of the Avatar. Her eyes widened, and her jaw almost dropped before she could get herself back under control.

"So, we're still not sure if they're from the Fire Nation then?" Aang asked… or rather started to ask before the blue-haired girl spat at the ground.

"Fire Nation?! Is that what you think we are?" the girl cried out angrily. "I'd rather be broiled alive than be with the Fire Nation!"

A stunned silence filled the camp. "Well, at least we know that she's not Azula," Sokka said, making a half-hearted attempt at a joke. The girl glared at him before resuming her silent position next to the other girl.

"Is…" Katara started to say. "Is she going to be alright?" she asked pointing to the redhead.

"Yeah, she's just sleeping it off," the girl answered haughtily.

"Are you sure she's not hurt or anything? I mean, no offense, but you don't look like the type that would know anything about healing…" Sokka said hesitantly.

"Of course I'm sure! Only you would be ignorant of the powers of sisterhood, you bumbling buffoon!" the girl barked back.

"Hey!" Sokka exclaimed.

"So you two are sisters?" Aang intervened before Sokka could say anything else. The girl looked over to him and nodded.

"Yes." With that short reply, she looked away and didn't talk until lunch. When they tried to carry her over to where they were eating, she protested loudly saying that she could walk and that they needn't carry her like she was a helpless infant. In the end, she let herself be carried over, her legs dangling useless in the air. Katara gently set her down and hurried over to sit next to Toph with Sokka.

They ate lunch in silence, broken only by Appa's loud eating habits. Suddenly, the redhead moaned softly. The blue-haired girl dropped her lunch and crawled over to the redhead as best as she could on hands and knees. Sitting by her head, she stroked the other girl's hair, murmuring, "Ardere… Are you okay? Come on, answer me, Ardere…"

Toph hurried over to them followed by Aang and Katara. Sokka hesitated then followed behind. The redhead opened her eyes, which turned out to be brown with a twinge of red in them.

"Wha-?" she mumbled as she started to sit up only to be pushed back down by the blue-haired girl. "Seraphina? Is that you? Where… Where are we?"

"Yes, it's me," Seraphina answered, her blue hair swinging over her shoulders. She pushed it back behind her ears impatiently. "Ardere, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I think so. But where are we?" Ardere asked in a half-whisper. She sat up slowly and reached up to push her hair out of her eyes, revealing the skin on her arms as she did so. The group gasped. The redhead was badly burned on both arms; the red markings twisted around her arms like a snake.

"Who are you? What happened?" blurted out Aang.

"What is it?" Toph asked, sensing Katara's heartbeat speed up when she saw the girl's burns. They ignored her.

"The Fire Nation happened, that's what," spat Seraphina. "Now if you'll excuse us, we'd like a bit of privacy."

"Sure," Toph said, putting up an Earth tent around them and walking back to her lunch. Katara, Aang, and Sokka shrugged and walked back after Toph.

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Thank you thank you thank you thank you!!!!!!!!! Here's a BIG hand to Twilight Rose2!!!!!!! SOOOOOO AWESOME!!!! Thanks for all the help! I'm not sure if this is fixed yet, but it's a start. I changed the names and stuff. Soooooo, yeah. Thanks!

Sunny