Disclaimer:

I became so excited for this chapter that I even wrote the disclaimer ahead of time. Thing SHOULD actually start getting interesting. I'm not going to spoil it for you because then I'd have to call a hit on myself on hitman hotline. Anyway, I'd like to thank ColorCrystal for being my first reviewer. I really appreciate it! I actually have an audience now! (applause) And I'll do my best to fix those spelling errors. I kind of realized yesterday that I spelled names wrong and I think I corrected them all now. Sorry if those minor details bothered you, we all make mistakes! Don't kill me!

Akemi: Daijobu, Yume-chan. They won't kill you. Oh, and in what chapter do I actually get the guy?

Yume: ... get the guy... ?

Zuko: (staying out of this)

Sokka: (entertained by this)

Akemi: (nervously) I do get the guy... right?

Yume: Well, yes... and no...

Akemi: ... (grabs a pencil to make leetle changes in the script) OMG! YOU BETTER NOT PULL ANY OF THAT PARADISE KISS ENDING CRAP!

Yume: (running away with manuscript held tightly to chest) It's my story! I'll do what I want!

I think needless to say, that's how I stay fit. I constantly outrun the rage of my imagination. Anyway, hope you enjoy the chapter!

Katara: You didn't do the disclaimer.

Yume: What? Yes I did.

Katara: Uh... no, you didn't.

Yume: (rereads the disclaimer) Oh yeah. Eh heh heh heh... oh well.

Katara: (grabs pencil and chases Author Girl) Bring that script over here!

Yume: Nooooo! (runs away)

Aang: Yume doesn't own Avatar or the characters that take part in it. (ducks to avoid a thrown pen) You know Katara, Sokka, Zuko, Jun, Me, Appa, Momo, Meng... all those guys. (Dodges an eraser) But she does own Akemi since she is of the Author Girl's own imagination. (gets hit on the head with a pencil sharpener)

Yume: Now you can enjoy the next chapter- waaah! (runs away from Akemi and Katara)

Katara: (runs after her with a blow torch) I may not be a fire bender, but I have this baby! Mwa ha ha!

Sokka: Whoa! Katara, take up weightlifting!

Zuko: Erm... u.u;

On with the show!

CHILD OF SKY

Chapter 3

When they had arrived, Akemi had been escorted back to the spare room and was instructed to stay there until she was told it was safe. Yet, as she sat there on the fresh cot she heard thunderous footsteps make their way down the hall and pass her room without shlowing for a moment. In curiousity, she quickly crept to her door and opened it, peering down the hallway just as the shadow of a figure disappeared beyond the corner it had turned.

Listening to the receding footsteps down the hallway, she chose to follow them in curiousity, Iroh's order for her to remain in her room nagging in the back of her mind.

"I'll be back." She assured herself in a hushed whisper, hurrying down the hallway with cat-like silence, her hand resting on the metal walls from time to time to act as a guide in the flichering light of the torches illuminating the dark hallways.

She followed the footsteps carefully until they stopped after a fierce metal clang which she assumed to be the sound of a door slamming. She followed that sound to an unadorned iron clad door. In curiousity, she slowly and cautiously turned the handle on the door to pry it open enough to scrutinize the room inside.

The room was dim except for the faint glow of orange light eminating from a small row of candles upon a thin table resting close to the cold floor, the flames of which grew and wilted in an endless cycle as if by some mystical force. Sitting before the table was the shadowy figure Akemi had seen walking so briskly down the hallway, his legs crossed and his hands resting in his lap as he bowed his head in concentration.

His face was arcane in the dimly lit room as she was unable to see his face due to how her angle was more behind him than next to him. The flickering orange glow danced upon the dark crimson vest he wore and the firmly built arms beneath it.

She would have looked away with embarrassment, but the swaying flames of the candles held her gaze with such hypnotic force that she had not noticed a presence cautiously approaching her from behind until a hand rested on her shoulder.

The touch startled Akemi into a faint gasp as she whirled about on the balls of her feet to find Iroh standing there with a rather irritated expression.

"I'm sorry, Iroh! I didn't mean to disobey you, I was just curious when I heard footsteps and I followed them here! And-" Akemi frantically whispered pleadingly only to have her mouth smothered by Iroh's large hand.

"I'm not blaming you, Akemi. But you could seem more grateful if you had respected my wishes." Iroh whispered calmly, his eyes still holding the scorn his voice had lost.

A sudden pang of guilt resounded in her mind as she realized he spoke truthfully. Her impudent behavior had undoubtedly made her seem ungrateful, disrespectful and rude. As she looked into his disappointed eyes she found she could no longer return his gaze, for fear her shame would consume her if she did.

Iroh lowered his hand from her mouth as she stood staring shamefully at her feet, "I'm sorry," She confessed softly, "I was just curious to know what he was doing in there."

"My nephew is a firebender, would you like to see?" Iroh asked, his voice betraying the pride he felt.

Akemi lifted her head, her own face portraying her confusion, "Firebender? Is that like a type of magic?"

Iroh smiled mischievously, stroking his beard thoughtfully.

Akemi sat on the bow's edge waiting as Iroh had instructed, and this time she had full intention of doing as she was told. This proved fruitful, for her wait was not long before the sound of two voices came to her ears, though muffled.

"That doesn't explain your reason for wanting me to practice firebending with you." Prince Zuko pointed out, attempting to control his temper as his uncle pushed open the door for the both of them to pass through.

Akemi lifted herself to her feet from the railing, "That was me," she explained, timidly raising her hand, "Your uncle told me about it and I asked for him to show me. I guess he felt it would be best if you helped me to understand it."

It wasn't a complete lie, though she did feel responsible for his being dragged into it.

Zuko hesitated before turning to leave, only to be stopped by his uncle, "Zuko, perhaps practicing your form will ease your mind. Dwelling on failure will only bring yourself harm."

Zuko sighed in response to this statement and turned again to walk to the center of the deck where he took his stance, his Uncle Iroh soon to follow suit.

Akemi watched and soon found herself mesmerized by the graceful, fluent and powerful movements that seemed more like a magical dance with fire than something used for fighting, as Iroh had explained. Fire erupted from their hands and feet with every thrust of a limb until finally they finished with the setting of the sun. With the last of their stances, Akemi felt something familiar reach out from the back of her mind. Her arms lifted as if on their own, pointing at an angle as an overwhelming heat consumed her palms.

She wanted to speak, but no words came! Panic constricted her chest allowing only a scream as two streams of fire seemed to erupt from both her hands, spiraling around her body until they dissolved in the air above her. The world around her spun as if she herself were twirling about until the blurred images faded into darkness.

When again she awoke, it was in a pitch black room in which she could not make out the faintest detail of her own hand before her face. Had the ones who had been so kind to her decided to throw her in some sort of prison at her surreal display?

"Hello?" She called out into the black distance, her voice echoing off of nothing until silence again consumed her ears.

A childlike voice giggled in the darkness, as if at her.

"Hello?" She called once more, desperate for a reply.

Again the only answer was her own voice fading into the darkness. The cheery and soothing disembodied melody of a flute began to play in her ears as if in attempt to calm the uneasiness she felt. The melody was eerily familiar to her, though she was unsure why.

The uneasiness returned when she realized the sound of the flute was coming closer. Her breath quickened as her heart quivered within her chest. Out of the darkness stepped a young girl with long violet hair tied atop her head in pigtails. Her eyes were closed as her fingers pranced over the holes in the flute's surface, her lips hovering over the end delicately as she played. Her dress was a light purple kimono, the images of tree branches embroidered on the baggy sleeves with blue-green leaves.

What was odd about this girl was how she was untainted by the darkness as Akemi was, but seemed more to be under an invisible spotlight.

The small girl played as Akemi watched in astranged fascination, letting the last note echo into darkness before looking up with a kind and all-knowing smile, her dark violet eyes glittering with a sort of innocence just as a fierce mechanical growl erupted from the depths of the black abyss.

A small star-like light appeared on either side of the small flute girl, rapidly blossoming into a fierce and brilliant pair of lights. As if by instinct, Akemi stood just as the growl became a deafening roar. Suddenly, she gasped in realization: the roar came from the pair of lights, quickly approaching the girl from behind.

"Watch out!" Akemi screamed in panic, but the girl's smile broadened before she vanished behind the pair of lights that now hurtled toward Akemi. Through instinct, Akemi raised her arms to her face for protection as she screamed. The roaring suddenly ceased, becoming an ear-splitting screech.

Gasping, Akemi bolted upright upon the cot in the spare room assigned to her, her face drenched in sweat. Gazing in amazement about the bland and unadorned room around her, she heaved a sigh of relief. Everything before had been a dream. A silly and inconsequential fantasy of her mind's design. Still, even with this in mind her heart would not stop racing.

A knock upon her door startled her heart into an even quicker rhythm.

"I'm going to die prematurely of a heart attack at this rate." She murmured to herself before leaving her bed to answer the door only to find an irritable Prince Zuko standing there, quick to push past her and enter the room.

Akemi only sighed as she excused his behavior, rubbing the temples on her forehead.

"Oh, right! What kind of trouble am I in? Are you here to take me to a prison cell or something?" She asked, gazing up at him with nervous expectation.

"No," the prince replied shortly, "You haven't done anything wrong. What you did was firebending."

"Are... you serious?" Akemi asked, gaping in disbelief, "But I didn't even do it on purpose! My body sort of... moved on it's own."

Zuko, who had been gazing about the room with lack of interest, now turned to look at her, "My uncle asked me to tell you that he plans to teach you firebending."

"He's going to teach me? What about you?" Akemi asked, not bothering to hide her curiousity.

"I don't have time to teach little girls." He replied hotly, "And I've decided from now on you will assist the cook in the kitchen to occupy your time."

Zuko left as quickly as he had come, leaving Akemi to watch his sure-footed stride as she stared in amazement. Though she did not like the idea of working in a kitchen, she would have no choice but to obey lest she wish to prove herself disrespectful and be left at the next port first chance granted. Life on board Prince Zuko's ship would prove most interesting from now on.

A.N: This chapter is my attempt to make them all longer. How did I do? I hope it's long enough for you. I would like to thank all of you who have reviewed while I was working on this chapter, and thank you for the warm votes of encouragement. I will try to follow your advice. And to Setsu, my first flamer: Congrats! Oh, it burns! Ow! Oh wait, that's Zuko. Heh, I can understand where you come from, but I meant no harm through my rants. I'm a bit aggressive in my warnings, that's all. And for future reference, please don't curse if you can help it. I would like to keep the swearing to a minimum. Ow, my virgin eyes! They burn! Oh wait... cut it out, Zuko. You're causing me physical harm, knock it off. And I strongly despise anything related to Blog and MySpace. I find those to be like billboards saying "Stalkers Welcome." So really, my only place to vent is to readers who understand where I am coming from, and if you don't like it, just don't read the disclaimer. I'll try to keep ranting to a minimum in the future, though. Okay? I hope you're all happy. See you in chapter 4! Keep supporting Avatar: The Last Airbender and Child of Sky. And don't forget this Friday they are showing the new episode, "The Chase." I think they said Zuko-sama is in it, so we can't miss it! I'm recording it, so neener neener neener! Okay, I'll get started on the next chapter already... sheesh. OW! Zuko, stop it!

Okay, you can go review now. Stop reading this and review! Yes, I'm talking to you! STOP READING AND REVIEW ALREADY!

Oh... and if you have any questions, feel free to ask them and I'll do my best to answer.