"May I just say that there's something really weird about seeing your face on a wanted poster," Amaya sighed. "Are my eyes really that far apart?"

"You're eyes are fine," Katara soothed. "But we may want to scratch that Fire Days Festival plan."

"But Katara, how likely is it we'll just happen upon a Firebender how's willing to teach the Avatar how to Firebend?" Amaya reasoned. "This may be one of the only chances I'll have to observe a Firebender up close and learn some things."

"You could always stare at Zuko," Sokka suggested.

"Yes, because I wouldn't be fighting for my freedom at that point." Amaya's eyes flicked to the wanted poster for the Blue Spirit just below hers and she smiled a bit. Next to his poster was one for some old Fire Nation officer who deserted. Jang Jang or something.

"True," Katara admitted. "Okay, you're right Amaya."

"What?" Sokka demanded. "You want to walk ingot a Fire Nation town while they're all fired up with… with fire?"

"We could wear disguises," Katara suggested, getting into the plan now. "And if there's any trouble we'll leave!"

"Yeah, because that always works," Sokka grumbled, following Amaya and Katara as they took off towards the town.

Amaya smiled. She'd never been to a Fire Nation festival before, and she was reveling in the childish joy at dressing up. Before they had entered the town, they had paused to allow her time to work together a pair of orange gloves to cover the arrows on her hands. She had hidden her face with a cloak until they got to a vendor selling masks. Amaya had found one she liked and given her order to Katara, hastily placing it over her face and stripping off her cloak.

Her face was now covered by an orange mask that covered her entire face and shimmered softly in the firelight dancing everywhere. Little tongues of fire protruded and wrapped around her head a bit. She felt very Fire Nation-y.

"We should split up," Amaya suggested.

"Are you crazy?" Sokka demanded. "That's the worst thing me could to in this crowd!"

"Actually, it's not a horrible idea," Katara said thoughtfully. "Amaya could watch some Firebenders while you restock our food supply. I could go around and see if I hear anything from the locals."

"But what if one of us gets in trouble?" Sokka persisted. "How would we know?"

"Katara and I can make a sign with Waterbending, something visible from everywhere," Amaya said, nodding. "Knock out all the lights in a section of the town, or make a giant icicle. Something nice and visible."

"What about me?" Sokka asked. "I don't know if you've noticed, but the water doesn't really like me."

"Oh, I'm sure you can stir up a fuss somehow," Katara grinned teasingly.

"Fine," Sokka sighed, giving in. "Splitting up it is."

"We'll meet back at Appa at midnight, or when the festival ends," Amaya said. "Whichever comes first."

That said, they all went heir separate ways, Sokka following his nose, Katara following her ears, and Amaya following the crowd, hoping that they would all be going to some Firebending display. That seemed like it was probably one of the more exciting things to do.

And it would have been, had she followed anyone but a group of giggly girls her age. She had thought she would blend in better if she hung near people she looked like she would fit with. However, they lead her to a large dance floor and started giggling in the corner.

Amaya rolled her eyes, turning to go, when a hand landed on her shoulder.

"Can I have this dance?" asked a nervous voice from behind a mask shaped like a fire ferret. Amaya froze. What should she do? Would it make more of a stir to stay or go? She had a job to do, and it wasn't dancing. But… could one dance really hurt? The boy seemed absolutely terrified to ask her.

Amaya's pity for the boy's effort won out and she nodded slowly, allowing herself to be steered onto the dance floor.

Zuko wondered how much trouble he would be in if he murdered his uncle. Dragging him to a Fire Days festival? Who cared if the Avatar was going this direction, there was no possible way she was dumb enough to march right into a Fire Nation town. Then again, she was just gutsy enough that she might try it.

Still, dancing?

He was forced to sit here and play escort while his uncle paraded about various older ladies, sweeping them across the dance floor. It made him vaguely ill, and the looks he was getting from a group of particularly giggly girls weren't helping matters.

Zuko sighed angrily, striding across the dance floor and ignoring the dirty looks he got from various couples. Who cared if their stupid starry-eyed looks got interrupted, this was ridiculous. He was grabbing his uncle and they were going off to search for the Avatar, forget the holiday.

Almost as if his thoughts had conjured her up, a girl was twirled away from her partner at the end of the song and slammed into his chest.

"Sorry," she muttered, looking up at him, and she froze. So did he. Gold met silver and they recognized each other instantly. "Oh, Tui and La take me now," the Avatar sighed.

Amaya had been twirled, dipped, and shimmied across the dance floor time and time again, and she was thoroughly sick of it. Every time a song ended and she made a break to get away from the dance floor she would be swept up by another dance partner and the cycle would begin all over again.

She thought she had finally managed to get away when, close to the edge of the dance floor, her partner twirled her out and lost his grip right at the end of the song. No surprise, his hands were so sweaty… But her plans had been thwarted when she had twirled right into a hard chest.

"Sorry," she mumbled, glancing up to see who she had bumped into and praying they wouldn't want to dance. Gold eyes, scarred cheek, no mask in sight.

Zuko.

"Oh, Tui and La take me now," she sighed. "I knew you'd pop up sooner or later, but I didn't think it'd be here!"

"You," Zuko growled, wrapping a hot hand around her wrists and pulling them to his chest.

"You don't want to make a stir, do you?" Amaya tried. "Come on, let me go willingly just this once. You don't want to injure citizens do you? I won't come quietly."

"Not a chance," he said, a small, smug smile on his face. "I've got you now and I'm not letting you go."

"You know, in a different situation that could be really romantic," Amaya mused absently, before blurting, "A dance then. Dance with me and I'll come quietly." Not at all true. But it would buy her time to think of an escape plan.

Zuko thought about it for a moment. If a dance was all it would take to ensure the Avatar's compliance, then who was he to question his good luck? Then again, that seemed a silly last request. But she was a girl. A girl who had kissed him, kissed his scar, and not recoiled in disgust.

"One dance, Avatar," he agreed slowly, suspiciously. The Avatar smiled up at him and grinned, adjusting his grip so that he was holding her hand instead of her wrist.

"I'm going to need that other hand," she said drily. He released it slowly and she placed it lightly on his shoulder, straightening. His free hand wavered, unwilling to let her get too free. She rolled her eyes, the only part of her face he could see, and seized his wrist, pulling it onto her waist.

"Now come on prince, show me how it's done," she teased, a challenge glinting in her eye. Zuko took it willingly, perfectly content to let this be part of the payback for all the confusion she'd pushed on him. He tightened his grip on her and twirled her quickly, slipping through the smallest of gaps between couples with all the grace and refinement expected of a prince. The Avatar was left staggering to keep up, her footwork horrible. He dipped her and then snapped her back up and she gasped in surprise.

"You little…" Amaya muttered. "Fine, let's see how you take to an Air Nomad dance." She rearranged her feet before leaning back sharply, her back arching fluidly. Her movements were liquid now that she knew the steps and she dragged Zuko along in a series of complex circles. This time he was the one struggling to keep up, and Amaya was laughing.

"How does this help you, Avatar?" Zuko asked suddenly. Amaya shrugged.

"It doesn't, but I'm having fun. You? You look a little green around the gills."

"Why do Airbenders spin so much?" Zuko growled under his breath, but she heard.

"That's like asking why Waterbenders sway so much or why Earthbenders stomp so much," she explained. "It's just how the world works. But you didn't answer my question."

"It's tolerable," he said stiffly.

"Oh, really? It sounds like saying that hurt," she teased. "The evil Avatar is tolerable, stop the presses."

"Don't push me, Avatar."

"Amaya," she said bluntly. "My name is Amaya. Use it. And maybe I'll start calling you Zuko instead of angry princey boy like in my head."

In her head. Zuko remembered his dream, the very first he had had, where she was in the Air Temple. She had kissed his scar then too, and now in real life.

"Why?" he blurted.

"Gonna need more than that," she chirped. "There's a lot of questions in the world that start with why."

"Why did you kiss me?"

"Did you not enjoy it?"

"Answer the question!"

"Because…." He saw her hesitate before she sighed. "I wanted to. And this time, there wasn't a mask in the way," she added with a grin, before her expression turned contemplative. "And besides, I know you I walked with you once upon a dream." She finished the lyrics just as the song ended. Her eyes lit with a teasing fire. "Bye bye, Zuko," she said, before twirling away. He reached out to snatch her before she disappeared into the crowd, but all he managed to get was one of the protruding edges of her mask. It came off in his hands and her tattoos were revealed to the world. The response was instantaneous.

"Guards, guards!"

"The Avatar, it's the Avatar!"

"Mommy, the colorful lady has an arrow on her face!"

In the wild press, Zuko was shoved back against a building, still holding the mask. He watched the Avatar jump over a building, and then she was gone. He stared down at the mask in his hands and remembered the little bit of a song. Dreams… Was it possible she was having them too? Strange, outlandish dreams of them together that were completely beyond the realm of possibility.

No, that's silly, he assured himself, but part of him still wondered. He didn't realize until he and Iroh got back to the ship that he was still holding her mask. Iroh hadn't asked, but suddenly the knowing look in his eye made a lot more sense.

"What happened?" Sokka demanded as they all met beside Appa.

"Zuko showed up," Amaya said. "Sorry Katara, didn't give him that kiss like you wanted."

"I'll get over it," she said drily, before her expression shifted to one of worry. "If Zuko's here, that means his soldiers must be too."

"I don't think so," Amaya said, shaking her head. "I only saw him and his uncle."

"Where did you see him?" Sokka asked.

" Er, dance floor," she said awkwardly.

"Dance floor?" Sokka gaped. "You said you were going to try and find someone to watch! And you go out dancing?"

"I didn't mean to!" Amaya snapped. "I just sort of stumbled into it, and some guy asked me to dance! I figured one dance couldn't hurt, but when I tried to leave I kept getting grabbed. Then Zuko showed up and I asked him to dance, and-

"Whoa whoa whoa," Sokka said, holding up his hands. "Wait right there. You asked Zuko to dance?"

"Little bit," Amaya admitted sheepishly. "He had a hold of me before I realized it was him and I was trying to buy some time to plan my get away."

"I was going to help with that, but you got out on your own," said a voice. The three teens whirled to face a man who had just stepped from the shadows. He wore a ragged travelling cloak and his brown hair was mussed. He had a tough, leathery face, but it was softened by a small smile and a cheerful light in his eyes.

"How did you find us?" Sokka demanded, pulling out his boomerang as Katara and Amaya sank into bending stances.

"Hold on, I'm not here to hurt you," her said, holding up his hands in a gesture of peace. "My name is Chey. I wanted to talk to the Avatar."

"Talk," Amaya ordered. "We'll just stay like this if you don't mind."

Chey shrugged. "Okay, I guess. You see, I've been following you since I saw you land."

Amaya sent a wave of air over his head with a spinning kick. "Not a great way to start your explanation. Now, tell me why I shouldn't aim the next one a bit lower."

"I serve a man!" Chey began grandly, his eyes sparkling with admiration. "No, he's more than a man, he's a living legend! Jeong Jeong the deserter! He's a Firebending genius, truly enlightened! Some people think he's crazy but he's not. He was the first man to get away from the Fire Nation army and live. I was the second, but I was just a corporal. He was a General!"

"He was an Admiral," Amaya corrected, standing up straight.

"Amaya?" Katara questioned, looking at her in confusion. "How do you know about him?"

"I saw his wanted poster next to mine," she said. "I didn't really pay much attention at the time, but it was about an admiral who deserted named Jeong Jeong. Alright Chey, I'm willing to go out on a limb and trust you. What do you want?"

"Wait, Amaya, are you crazy?" Sokka demanded. "He's Fire Nation!"

"So was Shiyu," Katara pointed out. "And he was okay."

Sokka opened his mouth to protest, but sighed in acquiescence. "Fine."

"So this Jeong Jeong has no loyalty to the Fire Nation, and he's a great Firebender," Amaya mused. "Say, Chey, I don't suppose he'd be willing to train me would he?"

"Well that's why I came!" Chey said, nodding eagerly. "I'm sure he would if you asked!"

"Wait, Amaya, what do we really know about this Jeong Jeong guy?" Sokka demanded.

"That he's a master Firebender who hates the Fire Nation," Amaya sighed. "And that's all I need."

Just men, men dropped from all around the trees, pointing spears at them.

"Don't move," growled one man.

"And apparently he has thugs," Amaya added when they were being marched down a forest path by the men. Chey was in front, jabbering about how great Jeong Jeong was, and some 'old buddy' that didn't seem to like him all that much.

"He'll see only you," the 'old buddy' said, poking Chey in the back with his weapon and gesturing towards a hut on the riverbank.

"Oh, no, really, we can just talk in the morning," Chey said nervously, turning to leave.

"Is that where Jeong Jeong is?" Amaya asked eagerly. "I need to talk to him!" She took a step forwards only to be blocked by a spear.

"Later, if at all," the man said as Chey walked down towards the hut. "We'll shelter you for the night, but that's all."

"At least we got a room out of the deal," Katara said later as Amaya sat leaning glumly against the wall of her hut.

"I have to talk to him, Katara," Amaya said. "I don't have a choice. What better chance am I going to have to learn Firebending?"

"You don't know that he'll say no yet," Katara said encouragingly.

"You heard how those guys were talking. I'm not holding my breath for an invite to tea."

"Jeong Jeong refuses to see you."

"What'd I tell you?" Amaya said, falling backwards onto the pallet while Katara shot an annoyed look at Chey. "Why won't he?"

"He says you aren't ready."

Amaya sat up, eyes flashing angrily. "Excuse me?"

"You haven't mastered Waterbending or Earthbending yet."

"And how would he know that?" Amaya demanded.

"He saw you walk into camp. He knows."

"Screw that," Amaya snapped, rising to her feet angrily. "I'm not going to let some old geezer who thinks he knows me without even talking to me be the one to tell me what I am and am not ready for!"

"Amaya, maybe you shouldn't," Sokka began, sitting up.

"I'm going to see him," Amaya said, stomping out of the hut. She ignored the worried glances Katara and Sokka gave each other and strode down the path to the waterfront hut, stepping confidently onto the tiny island and walking inside without knocking.

It wasn't what she had expected. She had thought it might be some like some sort of war museum, extolling Jeong Jeong's days in the army, with armor and weapons displayed around. Or maybe a modest bunk like a soldier would be used to. She had wondered if maybe there was a Fire Nation banner being used as a dart board, or something like that. She expected a well-groomed man wearing non-Fire Nation colors and possibly leaning over a map like he was planning a strategy for attack.

What she definitely wasn't expecting was a man with wild, unkempt white hair sticking out like he'd just been hit by lightning, garbed in drab shades of red and black, sitting in the middle of a circle of candles and meditating.

"Get. Out."

"No," Amaya said softly, struck by the solemnity of the scene, even though it was a bit unexpected. She crossed the room and sat down outside the circle of candles. "Master Jeong Jeong, I have to learn Firebending. I know you think I'm not ready, but I am, I have to be, it's my destiny to-"

"Destiny?" Jeong Jeong snapped, head jerking. "What does a little girl know of destiny? If a fish lives in this river its whole life does it know the river's destiny? No! Just that it flows on and on. He cannot see the end, he cannot imagine the ocean."

Amaya got know why people thought he was insane. He seemed to be. Maybe just a little.

"I like to think I'm a little more intelligent than a fish," she said drily. "I'm the Avatar, it's my duty to master all the bending disciplines."

"To master the bending disciplines, you must master discipline first, something you obviously lack! You came in here with your energy flying everywhere, angry and uncontrolled. Fire will not obey someone like that! But you aren't interested in any of this, so I'm not interested in you! Get out!"

"Please sir," Amaya stressed, although his last comment hurt a bit. "I need to learn this, and it may be my only chance!"

"Are you deaf?" Jeong Jeong demanded, whirling to face her for the first time. She was surprised to see a swarthy face with a crooked nose, most probably broken, and two thin scars on his right eye. He had a thin, stern mouth that was currently yelling, "How can I teach you if you won't listen? You must first master Waterbending and Earthbending! Water is cool and soothing, earth is steady and stable. Fire is alive! It breathes! Without a bender, a rock will not throw itself! But fire will spread if one does not have the will to control it! That is its destiny! You are too weak!"

The flames of the candles roared into the sky, swirling and gathering into a fiery figure. Amaya was just able to make out Roku's long red robe and his topknot, as well as Jeong Jeong staring at it with emotions flickering across his face faster than she could name them, before the image was gone and the candles went back to normal.

"Yes, I will teach her," Jeong Jeong murmured tiredly, his head bowed.

Thank you Roku.

"Widen your stance! Wider! Now bend your knees! More! Concentrate!"

Roku, if you were alive, I'd kill you for getting me into this.

"What am I supposed to concentrate on?" Amaya demanded.

"The sun is the ultimate source of fire, yet it remains in balance with nature. Feel its heat on you!" With that, Jeong Jeong turned and walked away, leaving Amaya standing on a rock blinking like an idiot.

"Hey, hold on!" Amaya demanded.

"Stop talking!" Jeong Jeong snapped. "Talking is not concentrating! Look at your friend, is she talking? Even that oaf knows to concentrate!"

Amaya looked at Katara and Sokka, who was protesting at his new nickname, before muttering, "Teacher's pets," and Jeong Jeong stomped off again. Katara and Sokka were giggling madly behind her. She turned and gave them a hard look.

"You would burst into tears after a day of Airbender training, I promise you," she mumbled, before turning back around and holding her stance, trying to do as Jeong Jeong asked and feel the sun.

Amazingly enough, it was fairly easy. She could feel it on her back, the heat soaking on her clothes. Now that she concentrated on it, the soft warmth against her skin seemed far more intimate, and it made her shiver as more sunlight played across her eyelids. Soon though, she got used to the sensation and soon felt her muscles uncoil soothed by the gentle light of the sun. Amaya felt calm, at peace, which was a sharp contrast to the danger Jeong Jeong had stressed came with dealing with fire. It was almost better than some of the monks meditation rituals.

Soon enough though, Jeong Jeong came back and pulled her out of her trance. He had seemed a bit surprised at first to see her still standing there. It was almost as if he expected her to ditch and go play in the water with Katara or fish with Sokka. But his usual stony expression was immediately back in place and he barked, "Enough. Come with me."

She followed after him, keeping up a constant stream of chatter as he lead her up the side of a mountain, hoping she could find out wither more about what Jeong Jeong had planned for her or more about the man himself.

"So, Jeong Jeong, did you ever wish you could bend something besides fire? Before I knew I was the Avatar, I always thought it would be pretty cool to be an Earthbender. I guess that's sort of funny right, since air and earth are complete opposites? The other kids told me I was weird for thinking that. Did you ever get teased?"

"Quiet," jeong Jeong snapped as they reached the top of the mountain. He turned and looked out over the valley. "Assume your stance."

Amaya sighed, but sank into the stance he'd taught her.

"Wider!"

She blinked. "It's like he knows…."

"Wider!"

"Widening," Amaya yelped, widening her stance.

"Power in Firebending comes from the breath."

"I'd always heard that, but I-"

"In through the nose and out through the mouth!" Jeong Jeong ordered. "No talking!"

He wandered away again and Amaya sighed. So Jeong Jeong wasn't a very hands-on teacher, she could live with that. She'd always learned better when left to her own devices anyway.

Still though, squatting and breathing? That was what he had for her? It was almost like being back at the Air Temple. Sure, she had meditated, she did it often to calm down after a long, bad day or to prepare herself mentally before a test. But this was different, there was no point to it. It was just squatting and breathing!

Still she did as he asked, she sat there and squatted and breathed until she was going crazy from not doing anything else. She had no idea what Jeong Jeong was wanting from her, and he refused to speak to her for any reason other than to bark orders or tell her what a horrible person she was. If she was going to do this, she was going to have to know why.

Mouth twitching irritably, Amaya strode back into camp as the sun began to lower in the sky, a full five hours after she had started. Five hours of breathing, and for what, she didn't know. But she was about to find out, so help her!

"Why are you here?" Jeong Jeong shouted angrily when she walked into his hut. "I didn't tell you to stop!"

"I've been breathing for five straight hours!"

"You want to stop breathing?" He sent the barb towards her mockingly.

"I want you to stop asking like a freaking mystic and tell me what I'm supposed to be getting from all this! I've been squatting and breathing and feeling the sun since I was born. Okay, maybe not the squatting," she admitted. "But I want to know why you've got me doing all these things that seem pointless."

Jeong Jeong sighed wearily. "I had a student once who had no interest in discipline. He was only concerned with the power of fire, how he could use it to destroy his opponents and wipe out the obstacles in his path. Fire is a horrible burden. Its nature is to consume, and it destroys everything around it without proper control. Learn restraint, or risk destroying yourself and everything you love."

"See?" Amaya said softly. "That's all I needed to know. You want me to learn discipline. Thank you, master. I'll be more patient." With that, she got up and walked out of the hut, missing Jeong Jeong's surprised look.

When Jeong Jeong emerged from his hut at sunset, he found Amaya on the same rock she had been that morning, her stance wide and her breathing even.

"We will work with fire now."

Her eyes snapped open and she grinned widely. "Really? Awesome!"

Jeong Jeong raised an eyebrow. "I mean, whatever you think I'm ready for."

The old man snatched a falling leaf from the air between two fingers, smoke trailing from his hand as he brought it to her. "Keep the fire from reaching the edges of the leaf for as long as you can."

Amaya had to stifle a groan as she took the leaf. She had accepting he wanted her to be disciplined, and she got the importance, but that didn't mean she was any more thrilled with his teaching methods.

"Master, there's trouble!" said one of Jeong Jeong's men, racing up to them.

"Trouble?" Amaya asked, raising her head, anticipating news the Zuko had shown up.

"Concentrate on your leaf," Jeng Jeong ordered as he ran away after the man.

"Stupid leaf," she grumbled.

"I'm sure he has his reasons," Katara soothed.

"All he does is leave me alone to squat and breathe. I can do so much more, I know it!"

Amaya's eyes widened and she glanced nervously in the direction Jeong Jeong had run off in. It couldn't hurt, just a small test to see what she was capable of… She widened her stance and breathed like Jeong Jeong had taught her, focusing on the heat of the sun and the heat coming from the fiery hole in the leaf. She concentrated on both and let them build inside her before pulling it out into the physical world. She opened her eyes and saw that the leaf was gone, but there was a small fireball in her hands.

"I did it!" she said joyously, proud of herself.

"That's great Amaya," Katara congratulated. "But don't get too carried away."

"It's okay, I just want to try something real fast and then I'll keep going with my leaf," Amaya assured her. She took a step back, aiming to usual teasing pose with a hand on her cocked hips, but her foot slipped off the rock and she fell backwards into the water, the fire flying wildly from her hand in response to her instinctive panic.

Amaya broke the surface coughing and heard a strange sobbing sound, confused, she looked around and saw Katara crouched on the ground, sobbing over her hands. They were red, the skin cracked and a bit bloody in places. Amaya felt sick, immediately grasping what had happened. She floundered out of the water, apologizing in a constant stream.

"Oh Katara, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to, I just wanted to… Oh god, your hands, I… I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!"

Sokka slammed into her from the side, taking her to the ground. Amaya curled up on the ground, staring at Katara with worry and a plea for forgiveness in her eyes.

"You burned my sister!" Sokka yelled in her face. "I told you you shouldn't mess around, and look what happened!"

"I'm sorry!" Amaya yelled. "Katara, please, I-"

But Katara was already gone, fleeing from the riverside into the trees clutching her hands to her stomach protectively.

"You burned my sister!" Sokka yelled again, getting off of her and standing. He looked up suddenly, pointing damningly. "You, this is all your fault!"

Amaya rolled onto her stomach and looked up, horrified to see Jeong Jeong standing there. Oh god, if he looked at her the way Sokka was looking at her, she was pretty sure she'd die. Despite her displeasure at his teaching methods, she admired the man, respecting his knowledge and his ideals of discipline. It was a moment of childish rebellion that had done this, something Amaya should have known better than to pull, nothing more.

"I know," Jeong Jeong said, hanging his head. "You must pack your things at once and go."

"Sokka, I'm sorry, I-"

Sokka didn't even look at her as he walked away. Jeong Jeong came to her side and Amaya looked up at him, eyes swimming with tears.

"Jeong Jeong, please," she whimpered. She didn't know what she wanted, for the old man to tell her Katara would be okay, for him to give her some grand, life-altering speech, for him to simply tell her they wouldn't hate her.

But he did none of that. He just turned away and walked into the forest after Katara.

Amaya sought the nearest shelter she could find, Jeong Jeong's hut. The candles were still lit, but instead of the air of solemnity she'd observed the first time she came in, the candles only mocked her.

She sat there, her thoughts spinning. She could blame no one for herself. This was a price for her stupid, stupid pride. She'd thought Jeong Jeong was holding her back, that she was good enough to do more. In reality, she was a petulant child who threw a hissy fit because she didn't get what she wanted, and her best friend, her sister, was caught in the crossfire. Sokka was right to shun her, she deserved every bit of it.

She glared hatefully at the candle flames. It was fire that had done this, destructive, wicked fire. She would never touch it, never bend it again, she swore that to herself. It was as Jeong Jeong had said, it consumed everything in its path until nothing was left, and it didn't care what it left in its wake. Fire disgusted her. The heat that had seemed so soothing earlier in the day was now oppressive and fierce.

She heard footsteps and knew they were Katara's from the soft, feminine sound and the slight squeak of the leather of her boots.

"Never again," she vowed aloud. "I'll never bend it again."

"You'll have to eventually," Katara replied softly.

"No!" Amaya roared, before dropping to a whisper. "Never."

"It's alright Amaya, I'm healed."

Amaya whirled in her seat to stare at Katara's hands. It was hard to see in the dim light, but she could see that the burns were completely gone, not a trace of red, puckered skin.

"How?" Amaya asked, wide-eyed.

"I'll explain later, we've got to go," Katara insisted. "Zhao and his men are here."

"Where?"

Down by the river, they've captured Jeong Jeong, and we've-"

"I've got to help him!" Amaya said, jumping over the candles and dashing from the room. She raced through the trees and down to the riverside, kicking up a trail of dust in her wake. She arrived to see Jeong Jeong facing Zhao, a few soldiers standing behind their ranking officer.

"Jeong Jeong!" she called worriedly.

"Men, take the deserter," Zhao ordered, turning to give Amaya a sinister smile.

"Men, back off the deserter," Amaya snarled in response. She came in low and hard, dropping to the ground and dragging her leg in an arc, sending a wave of air at the soldiers, intending to take them in the ankles and knock them over. These soldiers were smarter than the one's she'd faced before though, half of them jumped over the wave. Jeong Jeong raised his hands and was enveloped in a ball of fire that quickly expanded and then dissipated, leaving only empty space behind.

"It's a trick!" Zhao yelled. "He's run off into the woods! Find him! Now," he turned to Amaya as the soldiers ran off into the woods. "Let's see what my old master taught you."

Amaya blinked in surprise. "You were Jeong Jeong's student?"

"Until I got bored," Zhao shrugged, and attacked. Amaya jumped into the air and pirouetted away, sliding all the way around the next attack. "I see he taught you how to dodge and hide like a coward." He attacked again and Amaya balanced on one finger on the ground, body parallel and legs spread in a full split.

"I see he didn't teach you how to aim," she taunted back, and then flipped over his next attack. Suddenly it clicked in her mind.

"I had a student once who had no interest in discipline. He was only concerned with the power of fire, how he could use it to destroy his opponents and wipe out the obstacles in his path."

She grinned, now confident the ball was in her court since she knew Zhao's fatal flaw. No self-control.

"Are you done yet? I have to meditate in a few minutes, and I think that'd be more exciting."

"I'll give you exciting," Zhao snarled, firing a continuous sequence of blasts as Amaya cart-wheeled out of the way, dragging his aim behind her towards his ships.

"Are you sure they said admiral and not abominable?" she called, jumping onto the bridge of one boat. "I know how hard big words can be for some people."

Zhao lunged, hopping onto the deck and firing at her. In his anger, his aim was wild, the flames going everywhere and latching onto the timbers of the deck and walls. One down, three to go, Amaya thought cheerfully as she leapt to the next boat.

"Sloppy form, I'd give it a zero out of ten."

Zhao was beyond reason with that last remark, coming after her with a flurry of punches and blasts. Amaya leapt from boat to boat, diving through windows and leading Zhao all over the boats to ensure he have them completely aflame. She ducked behind the captain's quarters of the last ship, smiling to herself. She took a step out and suddenly Zhao jumped frmot he roof and landed in front of her.

"Nowhere to run," he snarled, throwing a punch that Amaya gracefully flipped over, landing on the stern.

"I don't have to run," she said smugly. "I've already won."

Zhao blinked, obviously not expecting that. "You haven't thrown a single punch, you smart-alecky brat!"

"Smart aleck I am, stupid I'm not," she smiled. "I didn't have to throw a punch. You did that for me." She gestured to the ships going up in flames around them, one already sunk up to its middle in the river. "That was the butt-kicking special, do you want cabbage with that? I know a guy in Omashu."

Amaya dove under the fire blast and into the water, holding her breath and swimming underwater to where Sokka and Katara waited with Appa and Momo.

"Amaya, come on!" Sokka called. She jumped and landed on Appa's head.

"Wait, what about Jeong Jeong?" she asked, pausing before she flicked the reins.

"He disappeared, they all did," Sokka explained. Amaya nodded. He was a deserter, used to being on the run. Jeong Jeong no doubt had a million escape routes planned out in case of discovery. He'd be fine.

"Yip yip!" she called, and Appa rose into the sky.

It was easy to forget what she had done swept up in the ehat of battle, but up in the sky with no one but Sokka and Katara for company, the memory came back hard and fast. Amaya was afraid to talk, to move, to even breathe loudly for fear of upsetting either sibling.

"Amaya, you're burned," Katara said softly, pulling her into the saddle. Amaya looked down at her arm and blinked in surprise. She hadn't even noticed… "Here."

Katara pulled the stopper off of her water skein and pulled the water out, covering hand in the liquid before laying it over the wound. The water glowed, circling Amaya's arm as Katara pulled her hand back before dripping away, leaving smooth, unblemished skin.

"Wow," she blinked. "When'd you learn to do that?"

"I guess I always knew," Katara shrugged.

"Oh, thanks for all that medical assistance over the years," Sokka said, rolling his eyes. "Like the time I had two fishhooks in my thumb, or when the minksnake bit me, or when…."

Amaya and Katara just stared at each other, holding a private conversation.

Forgive me?

Sure. What are friends for?

Thanks Katara.