The next morning I woke up with a start. I remembered that I had forgotten something, but I couldn't figure out what it was (ironic, I know). Something I had been supposed to do…

Katara! I was supposed to meet her yesterday! Oh no, they probably thought something bad had happened, like I had been captured or killed or –

Wait. Iroh had said that if I didn't show up the first day Toph would be there the next one. He must have foreseen that my first day would be hectic. They probably weren't worried.

I lay back down, feeling much better.

"What was that about, did you have a nightmare?" Li's voice was croaky, from just having woken up.

"Um… yeah." I couldn't tell her the truth.

"Well luckily it's time to get up anyway." Hitomi crawled down the ladder on her bed and made her way to the water closet.

Li gave me a smile, "Don't worry, just first day jitters. You probably won't have any more nightmares."

I nodded, "Thanks."

If only.

******************

Later that morning Hitomi and I were stuck scrubbing mirrors in one of the millions of palace 'Powder Rooms'

The silence was rather stifling.

"So… where in the Fire Nation are you from?" I knew this would inevitably lead to Hitomi asking me the same question, but I couldn't think of anything else.

"Near Ember Island. A coastal town." She didn't even look up from the mirror she was scrubbing.

"Ah. When did you first find out you could Fire Bend?"

"Shh, not so loud!"

"Sorry."

"It's ok. I accidentally set my father's fishing boat on fire when I was eight."

"Nice."

"Yep."

We continued cleaning in silence for a while.

Finally, I could stand it no longer.

"So, you're not a fan of the war?"

"Is anyone?"

"Um…"

She finally stopped scrubbing, and turned to look at me, "No, I despise it. The war stole my family, my future family, and my home. The war has stolen friends I might have made, opportunities I might have had, and a whole way of life. If there were any possible way for me to end the war, I would. But the resistance movements… they're weak, and stupid. Being associated with them is like asking for an execution."

I nodded. This was good news, about her feelings. Many people were in the same situation as her, and would feel the same. I realized my views on the Fire Nation people were changing.

"What about…" here goes nothing, "the Avatar? I heard he was alive, and planning something."

Her eyes narrowed and she sighed with annoyance, "I wish that was true, I really do, but it's not. Be logical. The Avatar chain has been broken, and along with it our only true hope for peace."

"But people have seen him!"

"Probably some freedom fighter, trying to give the people hope. It's an admirable task, most indubitably, but pointless. If it isn't the real Avatar, then he isn't going to save the world."

"But how are you so sure?"

"It just isn't realistic."

"So, just because something isn't realistic, that means it's not true? What about bending? Bending isn't realistic! What about the spirits? I mean, it isn't very realistic to think that there are such things as dragons, but there is proof that there were! Not everything is explainable"

She shrugged and turned back to the mirror.

"So…" I had to approach this carefully, "If there WAS an Avatar –"

"If," she interjected.

"Yes IF. If the Avatar was real would you help him on his quest to defeat the Fire Lord, or try to stop him?"

This made her stop her scrubbing once again.

"Hmm. It depends. I wouldn't stop him, but I might not help him."

No! I was counting on her and Li!

"What about Li?" Perhaps I could get at least one recruit

"She'd probably help him. She likes whatever is good, like the 'good side'." Hitomi shrugged, "I'd probably help him too, but I don't think I would give my life for him, or anything crazy like that."

Well, this was good news.

"What about you?" Her question caught me off guard.

"Yeah, I'd help him." It was almost amusing. Almost.

She stood up, "Well, I'm done with my half. I'm going on. Meet me in the courtyard at lunch, and we'll do our lesson."

Man, I had hoped she had forgotten.

"Um, ok. I'll see you there."

She gave me a smile, and headed towards the Headmistress's office.

Gosh, I just couldn't wait to explode.

*******************

I surveyed the courtyard dubiously. It was large and open, surrounded by windows and doors. Bottom line – it wasn't discreet, which was what we needed.

"Are we really going to have our lesson here?" I turned to her and raised my eyebrows.

She gave a tiny shake of her head and motioned for me to follow her.

We slipped lightly down an alley, through a doorway and another large courtyard, into the gardens, continuing to walk until we reached a large maze.

"In there?" I was confused

"Yep. It's pretty private."

"But… there is so much… flammable stuff!"

She snorted, "Don't worry about that right now."

She led me through the maze into a dead end, far from the entrance. She located a stump and motioned for me to sit down.

"Do I get to watch a demonstration?"

She rolled her eyes, "No. You're going to breathe."

"What?" Wasn't I already doing that?

"Breathe! In, out, in, out. You know, you have to do it to live… that kind of breathe?"

"Very funny. I know how to breathe."

"Then do it. Close your eyes, focus on your breathing, and imagine flames rising up and down with your breath. But keep your fists clenched. Lightly, but clenched."

I followed her instructions. To my surprise I could actually feel a tiny flame inside of me flicker. I had never felt this before. Usually, when I did my little flame trick, I just thought of fire and the little one appeared in my hand. This… this was something entirely different. It was reminiscent of my waterbending. Whenever I bent water I felt coolness seep through my body, and waves seemed to lap inside of me. This was similar, this flame, and a heat I was beginning to feel.

Suddenly, the flame burst forth with almost an eruption. The nice image I had seen in my closed eyelids of a small fire turned completely red, and I felt as if I was burning. I forced my eyes open and gasped for air.

Hitomi was staring at me, eyes wide as cabbages.

"You're… you're…"

"I need… water"

She reached into her sack and pulled out a skin, filled completely full. She started to hold it up to my lips but I shook my head. Desperately, I bent the water out of the skin and covered my hands with it. They cooled down immediately. I continued this, moving up my arms and to my face. Once I was completely cool I let the water go, sending it splashing back toward the earth. Feeling much better and actually rather refreshed, I turned to the calamity I knew was coming.

Hitomi was staring at me and her mouth was actually open. I had never actually seen anyone's jaw drop before, but hers had. When she saw I was looking at her, she closed her mouth and assumed her usual calm look.

"I'm not even going to discuss that… waterbending, or whatever that was, at the moment. Right now I want to address the issue of you bursting into flames. What were you thinking?"

"Um… I was just breathing."

"No, I mean what were you literally thinking about before you um... caught on fire."

"Oh." I had been… oh, no. "I was… I was comparing the tiny flame I felt to the waves I feel when I waterbend."

A gleam appeared in her eyes, and I couldn't tell if it was good or bad.

"I suppose we are forced to discuss your… waterbending. Are you a master?"

I nodded.

"And do you happen to be able to bend any other elements?"

"Um, nope."

I saw a bit of the gleam subside.

"So, you aren't the Avatar?"

"That would be no. But I do know him. As a matter of fact, I am rather good friends with him!"

She shook her head.

"Of course. Li and I would be the ones who would get ourselves wrapped up in an adventure. Just wonderful."

"Well… you aren't forced to do anything."

"Right."

"Now, um, what am I supposed to do about this whole fire/water thing?"

She sighed, "Tell me the whole story, from the beginning."

"We'll be here a while."

"We've got time. They won't kick us for missing a few hours"

And so, I began.

I ran as fast as I could. I didn't want them to think I couldn't come again, and leave. I had just barely managed to get away, thanks in part to Hitomi, and I was a bit late. I dodged merchants and shoppers, getting more than a few yells of annoyance. When I finally saw the hiring building I put on an extra burst of speed, and exploded around the corner. Toph gave a gloating grin to Sokka, and I guessed that she had predicted my arrival.

"Um… hi." I smiled uneasily. I hadn't expected him to be here, and I didn't know what to say to him. Last time I had seen him, we'd kissed. I didn't really know protocol for 'post-kiss encounters.'

"Oh, hi." He looked down at the ground and scuffed his feet, "I'm um… glad you're not dead."

"Yeah, me too." Now what?

Toph rolled her eyes, "He came because he was scared out of his mind that you were hurt. Nothing we could say would convince him that you were ok. Iroh told him that first days were often really, really busy, but he just wouldn't listen. He insisted on coming."

Sokka looked up from the ground, "I was just worried, I mean, anything could have happened, and I don't want anything to happen, I just want you to –"

I cut him off by running and hugging him tightly. He returned the hug, and whispered in my ear, "Also, I missed you."

I never wanted to let go, but eventually Toph cleared her throat.

"Not that this isn't a touching scene and all, but we don't have all day. What's the scoop?"

Letting go of Sokka, but not moving out from under his arm, I filled them in, up until the part where I started my firebending lesson.

"So, you told this girl you could firebend?" Sokka furrowed his brow

"Wait, firebend? What? You can't firebend!" Toph's tone was practically incredulous.

"Um…" Sokka looked from me to Toph, and back to me.

"Yeah, I can."

"Very funny. You're a waterbender! You can't do both!"

I sighed, and created the tiny flame. I didn't try to visualize the fire inside of me, or anything like that, just lit the emotionless flame in my palm.

"See?"

"Um, no."

"Oh, right." I felt kinda bad. "Well, can't you feel it or something?"

"Whatever you're doing, it's not touching the earth."

Thoroughly exasperated, I held the flame up to her face, careful not to let it touch her.

"Can you feel the heat from that? I'm making it."

Her foggy eyes grew wide and round and her mouth formed into an O.

"You… how is that possible?"

"My mother was a firebender."

"But… how did you become a waterbender too?"

"I have no idea."

"Oh... wow."

"Yep, pretty much."

"Can you answer my question now?" Sokka pulled me back into his arm.

"Yeah. I told her. And we did a lesson. And I burst into flames." I said the words deadpan, hoping he wouldn't freak out.

It was no use. He put his arms on my shoulders and stood right in front of me.

"You what!"

"Um… caught on fire. But, I didn't get burnt. I was just… flaming… and I cooled myself off with water."

He pulled me into a hug tighter than the first one.

"Don't ever do that again, understand? Never, ever, ever, ever!"

"I won't," I said, but because my face was pressed into his chest it came out more like, "iwtt"

"Ok…" He let me go.

I explained the rest of it, how I'd had to tell Hitomi everything. They sighed, but they said nothing. The conversation turned to more happy topics, memories and good times. I soaked in just being there, leaning against Sokka, laughing with Toph. I didn't want it to end.

But, of course, it had to. The bell rang five times, signaling five O'candle, and I had to go back to the Palace.

"G'bye!" I gave Toph a hug. "See you soon."

"Goodbye Kya." Sokka hugged me close. Grinning, I kissed him. This kiss was much better, as it was expected. It was sweet and reminiscent. When we broke apart he smiled.

"I didn't want you to forget me." I shrugged, "Now, you won't"

"I'll never forget you," He whispered. I blushed and Toph rolled her eyes. (A feat I was pretty impressed by!)

"Let's go, lover-boy!" I waved at them until they were out of sight, then sped back to the palace.

When I walked into the room at ten O'candle, I was prepared for what I saw. Li was standing there with a slightly hurt look on her face.

"Wow. You lied to us all this time?"

"I didn't know if I could trust you!"

"What? Why not?"

"Um… you're Fire Nation…"

"And what does that have to do with anything?"

"What's to say that if I told you, you wouldn't go tell Ozai? It's only been two days, Li! I can't figure out your every motive in that short time!"

She sighed, "I guess you're right. But… oh, you're right. I'm sorry."

"It's ok. I'm sorry that I have to be so careful. But at least… now… it's all out in the open."

Hitomi walked out of the water closet.

"What's open?"

We laughed.

"We were talking about her history," explained Li.

"Oh," Hitomi nodded. "Did you tell her, Li?"

"Not yet." She turned to me, "we want to help you and the avatar. And we got some news today. A lady is coming in; apparently she is a big deal. We didn't get much info, but… it could be your mother."

"Wouldn't my mom be a prisoner?"

"I dunno, they seem to treat royalty as royalty. She may be on house arrest, but she is on it in her plush room. We'll see."

I nodded, so happy at even this small possibility.

"Thanks guys."

They smiled and nodded.

That night I went to bed completely happy for the first time in a long time.

(A/N) - i-amawriterDOTblogspotDOTcom/2010/03/shila-chp9-kuviasuktokDOThtml (replace DOT with .)