I lifted my arms, and water rose from the stream. I slowly moved my arms downward and diagonally, and the water settled into a bucket. Once the bucket was full, I grabbed the handle with both hands and hoisted it. I kept the water from sloshing out of the bucket as it bounced against my legs. I carried the bucket to our campsite.

It was early in the morning, and the sky had begun to change from night to day. Everyone was still fast asleep. I lugged the bucket over to our makeshift fire and set it down. I rolled my shoulders and crouched in front of the small pile of firewood. I grabbed two stones and struck them. Sparks fell from the rocks and onto the wood, and it began to smoke. I set the stones aside and gently blew on the smoke. The small flame grew, and after a few minutes, the wood was ablaze.

I walked over to Appa and fished through the bags tied to his saddle. Appa groaned quietly as his eyes started to open. I pet his cheek and held a finger to my lips. He purred, and his eyes drooped close. I pulled a cooking pot from a bag, careful not to clang it against other objects, and brought it to the fire. I stabbed two long sticks from the pile of firewood over the fire, and I hung the cooking pot on them. I waterbended water from the bucket and filled the cooking pot.

I looked at the firewood pile and saw that it was growing small. I stood and headed into the forest. I walked along the right side of the path and peeked over the shrubbery. Twigs and sticks that I found, I picked up. Soon, I had a pile cradled in my arms. I turned on my heel and headed back to the campsite.

As I walked, I heard a quack within the trees. I stopped and listened. The quacks were harsh and loud compared to the quiet forest, and they came from off the path. I stepped over the bushes and followed the quacking. I came to a small pond with a family of turtle ducks. The babies chased each other around the pond. The mom quacked, and the babies hurried to her side.

I set the pile of sticks on the ground. I searched the area around me and found a bush of berries. I broke a bunch off a branch, and plucked them off the stems. I knelt next to my bundle of sticks and dipped my finger in the water. Ripples spread across the surface and caught attention of one of the baby turtle ducks. It swam over to my hand. I turned my hand over and offered a berry to the duck. It snatched the berry and gobbled it up. The other babies, seeing their sibling enjoying a berry, hurried over to have some. I cupped the rest of the berries in my hands and held them out to the berries. I smiled as the baby turtle ducks ate the berries, their bills occasionally nipping my palms and fingers.

I looked up at the mother duck, who stared at me. My smile softened.

"All right, Ashe," Ursa said as we stood in the gardens. She stood several feet away from me, with Zuko on the sidelines, "are you ready for your final walking test?"

I straightened my posture and nodded. "I am!"

Ursa smiled and held out her arms. I gulped and looked at the ground. Up until this point, I had to rely on either Ursa or Zuko to help me walk. I gathered enough strength to stand on my own, but walking was another thing. I felt like a toddler first learning to walk. My leg wobbled as I stretched it out and planted it against the ground in front of me. I pushed off my back leg. After a few steps, I looked up at Ursa and grinned.

My feet snagged on each other, and I tripped and fell. I winced as my hands scraped against the cobblestone.

"Are you okay?" Zuko called. He moved to help me.

I held my hand up and climbed onto my hands and knees. I planted a foot on the ground and pushed off my knees. As I stood, I stumbled backwards. I waved my arms and used the weak air current to regain my balance.

"Keep going, you're almost there," Ursa said.

My tumble had sent me back a few feet. I put on a determined face and continued to walk. My stride was inconsistent and heavy. Halfway there, I shifted into a jog, and then a run. At the last step, my foot snagged against a crack in the ground. Ursa reached out and caught me as I fell. She helped me stand.

"Ashe, you did it!" Zuko jogged over to us.

I looked at Zuko and Ursa and smiled. "I did! I did it! I can walk again!"

Ursa embraced me. "I knew you could." She pulled away and smiled. "Why don't we take a walk around the gardens? Your legs can use the extra practice."

I nodded quickly and waddled ahead. My foot caught on the ground, and I stumbled again. This time, I caught myself and stood straight. I turned back to Zuko and Ursa and flashed a smile and a thumbs-up. Zuko jogged to catch up, and we walked side-by-side with Ursa behind. I kept my eyes on the ground, and I held my arms out to the side for balance.

"You look like you're walking on a tightrope," Zuko said. I giggled and spun around on one foot.

We circled around the palace and saw Azula with Mai and Ty Lee. They stood underneath a large tree. Mai sat at the trunk. Azula performed a cartwheel, but as she landed, she lost her footing and fell on her butt. Ty Lee performed a series of cartwheels and landed in a tall pose. Azula scowled, stood up, and shoved Ty Lee to the ground.

"H-Hey!" Ty Lee cried. As we walked by, Mai perked up and watched us.

"Why don't you two go and play with them?" Ursa said.

"No way!" Zuko said. "I'd rather do anything else."

"I think it's important that you play with people your age."

"I play with Ashe."

"It would be good to spend time with your sister."

"Isn't it good enough that I live with her?"

"Zuko..." Ursa shifted to her mom voice.

"Hey, Zuko," Azula said as she jogged over to us, "we need one more person for equal teams. Come join us."

Zuko looked at Ursa and sighed. "Fine," he mumbled.

Ursa rested a hand on my shoulder. "I'll go on ahead. Stay here and watch, if you'd like."

I nodded, and Ursa left. I joined the others and stood underneath the tree.

"Okay, Team 1 is me and Mai, and Team 2 is Zuko and Ty Lee," Azula said. She crouched, picked up an apple that had fallen from the tree, and placed it on Mai's head. "One teammate stands with the apple on their head, and the other has to try and knock it off."

The corners of Azula's lips twitched, and she thrust two fingers at Mai. A small stream of fire burst from her fingertips, and it landed on the apple, lighting the stem on fire.

"Look out!" Zuko sprinted towards Mai. He tripped and crashed into Mai, and the two fell into the fountain behind them. I covered my mouth with my hands. Azula and Ty Lee burst into laughter.

I hurried past them and stood over the fountain. "A-Are you okay?"

Zuko trudged out of the fountain. "Let's go," he mumbled. His shoes sloshed against the grass and stone, and he left a trail of footprints behind him. I looked back at Azula, who glared at me, and hurried after Zuko.

Ursa entered the gardens again, a scroll in her hand. "Why are you soaking wet?"

"Don't ask!" Zuko growled as he passed.

"What's that?" I asked.

"It's a letter from Iroh. I came to get you so we could read it together," Ursa said.

"Is he still at Ba Sing Se?" Ursa nodded. "When do you think he'll come home?"

"At this point, I'm not sure. He's very determined to break through that wall and conquer the city."

"Why would he want to do that?"

"You'll have to ask him when you see him again. Come along, now." Ursa looked at Azula. "It's time for Mai and Ty Lee to go home, Azula. We have a letter from Uncle Iroh."

Azula rolled her eyes and turned back to her friends. Ursa led me inside. Zuko joined us again in a new change of clothes and a towel around his shoulders. The three of us gathered around Ursa as she read Iroh's letter.

"Dear family," Ursa read, "with each day that goes by, I can feel the foundations of Ba Sing Se crumbling. If the city is as magnificent as its wall, Ba Sing Se must be something to behold. I hope you all may see it someday... if we don't burn it to the ground first. Until then, enjoy these gifts..."

A trio of servants stood on the sidelines, waiting for them moment to come in. Each held a cushioned tray with an item for each of us.

"For Zuko, a pearl dagger from the general who surrendered when we broke through the outer wall. Note the engraving and the superior craftsmanship. For Azula, a new friend. She wears the latest fashion for Earth Kingdom girls."

Zuko gazed at the dagger with shimmering eyes while Azula held her doll out like a baby with a dirty diaper.

"And finally, for Ashe." I hurried over to the last tray and took the item. The servants bowed and left the room. "I found this handkerchief in one of the villages we conquered on our way to Ba Sing Se. I hope it is something you find comforting."

The handkerchief was a mixture of white, light blue, and dark blue. The symbol of the Water Tribe was stitched with black thread in the center. I smiled and held the handkerchief against my heart.

"I love it!" I cried. I held it out. "Look, Zuko."

"Neat! Check out this dagger." Zuko pulled off the black sheath, and I gazed at the pearl blade.

"What does the engraving say?"

"Never give up without a fight."

"Oooh." I walked over to Azula and looked at her doll. "Your doll's really cute."

Azula scoffed, and I shrunk back. "You know, I've been wondering," Azula said. "If Uncle Iroh doesn't make it back from war, that means Dad will become the next Fire Lord, right?"

Ursa scowled. "Azula, don't speak like that. It would be awful if Uncle Iroh didn't return."

"Yeah, but I think that Dad would become a much better Fire Lord than our joke of an uncle." Azula dropped her doll, which she had burnt to a crisp, and left the room.

Once the turtle ducks finished the berries, I dipped my hands in the water to clean off the juices, wiped them on my pants, and stood. The mother duck quacked, and her babies swam back to her side. I gathered the sticks and headed back to the forest path.

I stretched my arms to the side as I balanced on the fountain ledge. I placed one foot directly in front of the other, leaning side to side as gravity tried to throw me off.

"You're going to get dizzy from walking in circles," Ursa said. "I don't want you to fall in."

"I won't," I said. "I've been getting better at walking. This is easy!"

Zuko and Azula ran past, and I almost lost my balance. I caught it and smiled at Ursa. A servant approached Ursa, handed her a scroll, bowed, and left. Ursa opened the scroll and read it. Her face fell as she read it, and she lowered the scroll into her lap. Her eyes watered, and a tear rolled down her cheek. I stopped and stepped off the fountain ledge. Ursa stood.

"Your cousin, Lu Ten, has died," Ursa said to Zuko and Azula.

My eyes widened. I was never able to meet Lu Ten, since he had already left for the war when I started living at the palace. I bowed my head and held my hands together.

I wrapped an arm around a pillar and circled around it. Zuko swung his dagger around, pretending to be in battle.

"Guess what?" Azula said as she entered the room. "Uncle Iroh's coming home."

"Really? Does that mean they won?" Zuko said.

"No. It means he's a quitter. Some general he is. One mishap and he comes home with his tail between his legs."

"It's not just some mishap. His only kid is gone! He must be devastated."

Ursa entered the room. "Your father requested an audience with Fire Lord Azulon," she said. "Hurry, now."

Zuko and Azula hurried past Ursa. She turned to me and smiled.

"Wait here until we're done, all right?" she said. I nodded, and Ursa left.

I leaned against the pillar. It always made me nervous whenever anything involving Ozai happened. I haven't even seen his face yet, but he always put me on edge.

After a few minutes, I peeked my head into the hallway and, seeing no one was there, I scurried down the hallway and towards the Fire Lord's throne room. I snuck through the curtains and took an immediate left.

"Why are you wasting my time with this nonsense? If you want to tell me something, just do it! Everyone but Ozai, leave!" Azulon said.

Footsteps approached, and I watched Ursa leave the room. Azula and Zuko, however, didn't follow.

"Now, what is it that you want?" Azulon said.

I pulled open the curtains enough to peek through. Ozai knelt before Azulon. Fire lined the throne area in front of and behind Azulon.

"Father," Ozai said as he bowed to the floor, "you must have realized that Iroh's bloodline ended with the death of Lu Ten."

"Spit it out," Azulon said.

"Give me Iroh's birthright, and let me become the next Fire Lord. I will rule the Fire Nation how you desire me to."

Azulon stood. "You want me to betray Iroh? To throw him away after the demise of his son?!"

The fire grew bigger with his anger. My eyes widened.

"Forgive me, Father, for I have offended you," Ozai said.

"You do not get to speak on behalf of his suffering when you have not experienced it... yet! Your punishment must fit your crime. You must know the pain of losing your first-born son... by sacrificing your own!"

"...As you wish, Father."

My eyes widened, and I stumbled away from the curtain. My back hit the wall, and I clutched my chest. I slid down to the ground and struggled to breathe. Footsteps passed through the exit, but I didn't look to see who it was.

I leaped to my feet and sprinted out of the throne room. I hurried through the hallways, plowing through servants. I didn't have time to react as a foot appeared in my view. My stride came to a screeching halt. I grunted as I slammed against the ground. I rolled over and sat up. Azula stood over me, her arms folded.

"Why'd you do that?" I said.

"You heard what my grandpa said, didn't you?" Azula said. My eyes widened. "I feel bad for Zuko. I tried to warn him, but he didn't believe me."

"Of course, he didn't. What have you ever done that would make you trustworthy?"

"I don't know who I feel sorrier for- my brother or you. I mean, if my father does sacrifice Zuko, what's going to happen to you? If he's capable of killing his own son, he should have no problem killing a rat that's snuck into the palace."

"Ursa... Ursa would never let anything like that happen!"

"Yeah, to her children. Last time I checked, you're not her child. You never were." Azula crouched down and picked up my handkerchief, which had fallen from my pocket.

"H-Hey! Give that back!" I scrambled to my feet and lunged at Azula. She side-stepped and held my handkerchief away. "I'm just as much a daughter to Ursa as you are!"

Azula's eyes hardened. She clutched my handkerchief tightly in her fingers, and it burst into flames.

"No!" I cried. Azula sprinkled the ashes of my handkerchief onto the ground. I fell to my knees and hung over it. Tears pricked my eyes.

"That was your warning," Azula said, her back turned to me. "Get on my bad side again, and I'll tell my father who you really are."

Azula's footsteps faded down the hall.

I held the bundle of sticks tighter against my body. It was a few days after that incident that Fire Princess Ursa disappeared. To this day, I still don't know why she left, if she's even alive, and if she is, where she is now.

"No matter how things may seem to change, never forget who you truly are."

Her final words to me were one of the many things I've thought about, especially recently. I wished I could see her again. I want to tell her of all the adventures I've been on with my friends. I want to tell her that Zuko is okay. I want to tell her that I'm okay.

I shifted the sticks, and I winced as a sharp pain ignited in my index finger. I lifted my hand and looked at my finger. A splinter was wedge in my finger. A tiny droplet of blood oozed out the bottom. I pinched the splinter between my nails, took a deep breath, and ripped it out. I hissed and put my finger in my mouth.

I wrung my hands together as I eyed every person that entered the Fire Lord's war room. I snapped to attention every time I heard footsteps approaching.

I heard running coming my way, and I looked up. Zuko hurried down the hallway.

"Zuko," I said, "are you going to try and go in there?"

"I'd like to," Zuko said. He eyed the soldiers standing near the curtains leading inside the war room, "that is, if they let me."

"Why don't you do something else instead? We can go into the town..."

"I'm sorry, Ashe, but I really want to join them. If I'm going to become Fire Lord some day, I need to know of the duties I'll have to carry out. The sooner I start, the better."

I held my hands tightly and stared at them. My fingers relaxed, and I looked at Zuko again and smiled.

"Okay. Just... be careful, please," I said.

Zuko smiled. "Thanks. I'll see you later."

Zuko ran past me. I turned around and watched him disappear into the war room. I bowed my head and walked down the hallway. I pushed open the door to my bedroom and flopped onto my bed. I rolled over and stared at the canopy hanging over me. I closed my eyes and rested my arm over my face.

When I came to a bit later, all I heard was commotion. My eyes snapped open, and I sat up. I hurried out of my room, and a group of servants scurried past me.

"What's happening?" I said.

The servants stopped and faced me. "Apparently, Prince Zuko and the Fire Lord are about to face each other in an Agni Kai."

My eyes widened. "What...?"

"I heard the Prince spoke out during the war meeting. I can't believe he would do something so crazy-"

I turned on my heel and sprinted down the hall. I skidded around the corner and came to a stop. Azula leaned against a pillar with her arms folded. She looked at me and smirked. I scowled and ran past her.

"You know," she said, and I stopped again, "I never needed to tell Father..." Azula stood straight and walked past me. She looked over her shoulder and smiled. "He already knows."

My eyes widened. Azula faced forward and walked away. I stared at her back with trembling eyes. I remained still until she turned the corner. I blinked several times and started to run again.

I watched a trickle of people enter the battle arena, Azula one of the last of them. I pushed myself to run faster. The doors started to close.

"Wait!" I cried. I saw Zuko kneeling within the arena. "Zuko!"

Zuko looked up right as the door closed. I slammed into the door.

"No, no, no!" I clenched my fists and pounded them into the door. "Let me in! Let me in!"

Something stabbed into my hands, and I cried out. Splinters embedded my skin. I grit my teeth and continued to beat the door. Pain consumed my hands as more splinters dug into my skin, covering my fingers and knuckles.

A scream- loud, piercing, and painful- erupted on the other side of the door. My hands trembled violently as I stared at the door with wide eyes. I frantically looked down around. I pushed off the door and ran.

Between the splinters wedges in my knuckles and fingers, tiny drops of blood squeezed their way out to the surface.

I returned to the campsite. I pulled my finger out of my mouth and hovered it in front of my face. I tilted my head as I looked at the saliva coating my finger. It started to glow blue, and I watched my finger heal. I smiled and wiped my finger on my pants.

I set the bundle of sticks next to the fire and hovered over the water. It had started boiling while I was away. I went back to Appa and climbed into his saddle. I rummaged through our food and pulled out ingredients. I hopped down and walked over to Sokka's sleeping bag. I waited for him to roll over before slowly sliding his machete from its sheath. I crouched at the pot, chopped the ingredients into small pieces, and tossed them in. I poured broth in, and the water changed from clear to cream. I waved my arms above the pot and stirred the soup. I relaxed, stood up, and wiped my forehead.

The sky lightened. I faced the sunrise. A light breeze swept through the trees, and I tucked some hair behind my ear. I smiled to myself.

My friends groaned quietly as they started to wake up. They sat up in their sleeping bags and rubbed their tired eyes.

"Good morning!" I said with a smile. "Breakfast is ready."