Six

I tensed, automatically falling into my waterbending stance. 'Leave me alone.' I said, trying not to let my voice betray my fear. They just laughed and came closer. 'What's wrong sweetie? You don't have to be afraid of us.' The dark one said again. I was preparing to draw water, but all three of them had lit a fireball in their hands. I had never encountered firebenders before and had no clue how to fight them.

They kept coming closer and closer, circling around me. The dark one spoke again. 'It's alright sweetie, just don't be difficult.' He laughed and lifted his arm. He thrust his fiery hand at me. I raised my arms to protect my face when, suddenly, a bolt of lightening shot past me.

All of us looked up. There, on the roof, was the Fireprince, a dangerous look on his face. 'Stay away from her.' He said, his voice sounded like acid now, low and threatening. He jumped off the roof, throwing fireballs at the men. The dark one dodged them, but the other two fled. The prince and the dark man now stood face to face. He waited, silently.

Then the man also struck lightening. The prince reacted quickly, while I gasped, thinking he'd be hit. But he redirected the lightening to the man. The man jumped out of the way, missing it by an inch. He turned and ran, charged by a few extra fireballs from the prince while he fled the scene.

It was quiet for a moment as the prince stared after him, still tense. Then, he turned to me, a cautious look on his face. 'You okay?' he asked. I stared at him dumbfounded, unable to move or even make a sound. 'Did they hurt you?' he asked again, now standing very close to me. At his, I collapsed, harsh, heaving sobs coming from my chest. His strong arms caught me for the second time that day, and he held me, pressed closed to his body. 'Shhhhhh…' he murmured, 'It's okay.' And he stroked my hair as I cried out my shock.

'So why did you run from me?' he asked. It was almost midnight now, and we were waiting for the fireworks to begin.

After I'd cried, he'd taken me here, to the palace. All the way he'd been chatting and making jokes and, slowly, I'd calmed down. We'd had a lot of fun, but now his voice was serious. It sounded almost hurt, but I couldn't be sure, because his face was turned away from me.

I sighed. 'I was just shocked to find out you were the Prince.' I said. He turned his face to me and smiled lightly. 'Yeah, I guess that must have been some surprise.' He said. I smiled back at him. 'So why did you pursue?' He frowned lightly. 'It's a weird story actually… it has to do with the necklace.' I looked at him, bursting with curiosity. 'Will you tell me?' He nodded. 'This morning, I woke up from a very strange dream. In the dream I was Firelord, and it was Summer Solcistes, only now, somehow the festival had another meaning to it, as if there was something more to celebrate. Though, in my dream, I wasn't quite sure whether now it would be to celebrate or to mourn. I had searched everywhere for something, but hadn't found it. And if I didn't find it that night, it would be too late. So in my dream, I'd spent all day looking. At night, just before the fireworks, I returned here. I'd given up all hope, but suddenly, it was there. It was a dark figure, still vague in my dream, though now I've found out who it must have been. The figure was wearing this necklace.'

'When I woke up this morning, I felt like I had to find the necklace, so I could find out who the figure was. I set out to find it, sure it would help me solve the mystery of my dream. And it did…' He looked at me now, his intense gaze fixed on my own eyes. 'It lead me to you. You were the figure in my dream.' 'What? But how… why?' I asked, trying to grasp what he'd just said. 'I don't know.' He shook his head. 'But I do know that this necklace, this dream, has lead me to you. So somehow, I think, we're meant to be… friends, I guess.' I looked up at him. 'I'd like to be friends.' I said softly. He smiled, then felt for something in his pocket.

'I have something for you,' he said, 'close your eyes.' Obediently I closed my eyes, curious for the surprise. Suddenly, I felt his arms next to my ears and then I felt something being tied to my neck… a necklace. 'Open your eyes.' I opened them and gasped. 'The old lady was right, it would come back to you.' In the mirror he held in front of me I saw my reflection. My reflection was wearing the necklace.

'Oh… I… I don't know what to say.' I stuttered. He just shrugged. 'It's nothing.' Then, I practically flew at him, pulling him into a hug. 'Thank you.' I whispered. He said nothing back, but I could feel him smile in my hair. At that moment, the fireworks started. We pulled out of our hug to look at them. It was amazing, the fireworks were beautiful.

As we stood there silently, watching the fireworks – me leaning my head against his shoulder, him with his arm wrapped around my waist – I felt completely happy. This had been the best birthday ever. Happy sixteenth, I silently congratulated myself. And at that moment, I didn't think of fleeing, I didn't fear being discovered. I didn't even think about my family at all.

I only felt safe, and happy, standing there next to the Fireprince.

Finally, some sparks! Don't you just looove romantic stories?
This is another short chapter, but from now on, I'll update them per 2 chapters, so even though the chapter in itself is short, you won't have nothing to read;)
Hope you liked it, R&R!

ly, -xx- Cee