A/N: I just want to thank everyone who's taken time to leave reviews. You really make me just want to post it all at once, but I tend to get more ideas the longer I sit on a chapter, and I'm continually making corrections.
For the most part the entire rough draft has been written (for a long time) except for parts of the end which are really a long way off. This will follow the episodes of the series, and we're only a few chapters away from that light "from an incredibly powerful source."
A week later Chiara carried dinner to Zuko's room, and as usual, he took it from her at the door and carried it to the table. They sat and ate together as was their custom.
"Uncle said you were steering the ship today," he said.
"Yes. The helmsman's been very patient with me."
"Uncle said you're a fast learner. He said you'll be running the ship soon."
"Lieutenant Jee can keep his job. I just enjoy learning different tasks."
"You'll be the first Fire Lady to have been an officer if you enlist in the Navy," he said with a smirk.
"You shouldn't joke like that."
"You know I'm not joking," he said seriously. "You could even be an admiral."
She looked at him, and he cracked a smile, and then they both laughed.
"My becoming an admiral is more probable than my becoming Fire Lady," she said. "I'm sure the Fire Sages will arrange a...a productive match for you with a prominent lady of Fire Nation descent."
Zuko looked down. "What prominent lady would want to marry a scarred prince?" he said sadly.
She reached across the table and tenderly lifted his chin to look in his eyes, and his heart melted at her touch. "This scar is a mark of your honor and love for your people. Any woman of the Fire Nation should be honored to have you as a husband."
He was stunned by her words and the sincerity of her tone and he felt so in love with her.
"You're the only prominent lady I want to be productive with," he said softly.
She blushed as she covered her mouth and started laughing which made him turn red and laugh as he realized what he had said. They decided to drop that conversation and finish their meal.
Months into Zuko's search for the Avatar, the ship was now north of the Earth Kingdom traveling east, and early one morning, there was a knock at his door. He felt agitated since he had just finished dressing and it was not time for his breakfast to be served, so he was grumbling when he opened it.
"Happy Birthday, my Prince," said Chiara holding a large plate of food.
His stern face softened when he saw her, and a gentle smile formed on his face.
"Thank you," he said as he stepped aside allowing her to enter.
When she placed the plate on the table he realized she had been holding something underneath. "I made you some hotcakes with sweet cream and ash banana bread, and there's some fruit."
He walked up to her and his heart stirred as he looked at the breakfast she had prepared for him, and his stomach started growling as he breathed in the aroma. He knew she had risen early to make it, and he was grateful. She held out a cloth wrapped gift in her hand, and he smiled as he took it. Unwrapping it, he found it contained a large Fire Nation tapestry with two dragons with eyes the color of fire, not unlike his own eye color, creating a flame between them.
"Where did you get this?" he asked, the awe sounding in his voice as he held it up.
"I made it."
He looked at her. "You made it? This is great. Thank you."
He laid it over his bed, and then he reached underneath and pulled out a wrapped gift. Standing up and holding it out to her, his heart skipped a few beats when he saw her eyes light up.
"Happy birthday, Lady Chiara," he said bowing to her.
"Aww..." She opened it to find a coat. "Oh, Prince Zuko, this is beautiful." He was touched to see tears fill her eyes.
"The temperatures are dropping, and it'll keep you warmer than your old one. Uncle suggested I get it a little large so you can grow into it," he added softly. "And then he complained that you were growing up too f..."
She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him.
"Thank you. I love it."
"Thank you for the tapestry," he said holding onto her. "It's beautiful." Almost as beautiful as you, he thought as her affectionate embrace stirred his heart.
She released him too soon for his liking.
"I hope you enjoy your breakfast," she said.
"My growling stomach says I will."
She laughed, and then she tenderly caressed his arm before walking towards the door.
"Wait, where are you going?" he asked.
She turned and looked at him. "Back to the galley."
"You shouldn't work on your birthday."
"What are you doing today?" she asked.
He smiled sheepishly. "Well...you know...the usual," he said softly.
She laughed. "And so am I."
"Okay, how 'bout we just take the day off together," he suggested.
"Sparring, cards, a game of Pai Sho?" she smiled.
"Yes," he nodded.
"Sounds good."
"You should eat breakfast here," he said desiring her company.
"Let me go grab something from the galley."
She went to the galley and returned with a small plate of food.
"Is that all you're eating?" he asked when she knelt down across from him.
"This is what I usually eat."
"Chiara, that's not very much."
"It's fine. I don't really like eating early. I'll eat a bigger lunch."
"Here," he said holding up a bite. "Have some of this."
She took the bite.
"It's really good," he said. "Where'd you get the ash bananas?"
"At the port the other day."
"Is there more bread?"
"There is, but I'm saving some for the General."
There was a knock at the door before Iroh opened it and looked inside. When he saw them at the table he stepped into the room.
"Happy fourteenth, Prince Zuko, and happy thirteenth, Lady Chiara."
Iroh smiled as he looked at them, still remembering the time a few days before Zuko's sixth birthday, not long after he brought Chiara to the Fire Nation, when Zuko asked when her birthday was. Explaining to his young nephew that they did not know, Zuko insisted they celebrate their birthdays together; and from that time on they did so. And now both had grown so much since that time, and it made him long for the days when they were so young.
He walked over to them and hugged Chiara, kissing her gently on the cheek before handing her a package. Then he handed one to Zuko.
"Thanks, General," said Chiara.
"Yes, thanks, Uncle."
"This is so beautiful," said Chiara as she opened her package to find a layered kurta of deep burgundy with matching palazzos. "Thank you so much."
"You're quite welcome," said Iroh.
"Thank you, Uncle," said Zuko as he was also given clothes which included a burgundy tunic and pants.
"You're both growing so fast," he said. "And Prince Zuko, you're already taller than me."
"I have to lean my head farther back to look in his eyes," said Chiara making Zuko laugh.
Iroh saw the tapestry on the bed. "You did a wonderful job, Chiara," he said as he stepped closer to look at it. "It rivals the tapestries in the palace."
"Thank you."
Iroh looked down and saw her new coat. "I see he gave you your gift."
"It's beautiful," she said.
"I told him you would make it more beautiful."
She smiled. "And for that compliment, there's ash banana bread for you in the galley."
Iroh's eyes lit up. "Then I will see you two later."
After breakfast, Zuko and Chiara spent the day leisurely playing games and sparring. After a game of Pai Sho, which Chiara won as she played more often than Zuko, she stood up to leave.
"Where are you going?" he asked.
"I need to go to the galley."
"Wait, you're not allowed to do any work today," he said.
"I promise I won't do anything more than what I need to do."
"What's that supposed to mean? What do you need to do?"
"I have another surprise for you." She walked to the door. "I'll be back for dinner. The General wants to eat with us too."
She left, and later when she returned she was carrying their meal, so he took the tray from her and placed it on the table. While she had been gone, he had hung up her tapestry next to his bed replacing another Fire Nation hanging.
"You didn't have to take your other tapestry down," she said when she saw hers.
"I like yours better."
When Iroh arrived, they sat down to eat, and Zuko was surprised to find that she had made him mochi for his birthday which he shared with her.
A few days later, Chiara was standing on the upper deck looking out at the sea. Zuko had just stepped onto the bridge and saw her standing outside in the coat he had given her. He walked out on deck and stood next to her.
"Uncle's right; you make it more beautiful," he said softly.
"Aww. That's so sweet. Thank you."
He stood with her for a while and they continued looking out at the sea together.
As they made their way towards the Northern Air Temple, they passed close to the Northern Water Tribe waters. Whenever Chiara worked on deck, she stayed on the side facing north and sometimes strained to see if she could detect some sign of the Water Tribe.
One day as they were sailing, she was staring north hoping to catch a glimpse of the ice fortress. Iroh walked out on deck and stood next to her looking out at the horizon as well.
"Do you miss it?" he asked her softly.
"Would it be bad if I said 'no'?" she asked.
"Of course not. But you wouldn't have to exercise so much self-control," he said in reference to her waterbending.
"I don't mind. I'm home here."
"You may not feel that way after we visit the other temples."
"If I hadn't visited the last temple, the dead would still lie unmourned and unburied."
"You are a truly compassionate child, Chiara."
When they arrived at the mountains where the Northern Air Temple was located, Chiara continued burying any remains they found on their trek towards the temple; however, there were far fewer bodies than at the Western Air Temple. They discovered the reason as they approached the structure.
"Are they airbenders?" asked Chiara.
Everyone looked up and Zuko's heart began racing with excitement as he saw people flying around.
"The Avatar," he said softly to himself as he rushed ahead anxiously.
The others struggled to keep up with him as he raced up to the temple sure that he had finally found the Avatar. It was an unfortunate disappointment to him, however, when they reached the temple and found out that none of them were airbenders and that the Avatar was not there.
Chiara enjoyed their time there as she got to see what remained of the air temple and learn of the flying bison. Iroh, Zuko, and Chiara spent some time with the mechanist who showed them his inventions, and then Chiara left them to explore more of the temple. It was during that time that Iroh and Zuko learned of the weapons the mechanist was designing and building for War Minister Qin, as the mechanist thought they were sent there by Qin to check on his progress. Zuko and Iroh did not bother to correct him.
After her exploration, Chiara walked outside and was watching the kids soaring through the sky when a young boy in a wheelchair who could not have been much more than nine appeared next to her.
"I'm Teo," he said.
She looked down at him recognizing him to be the mechanist's son. "I'm Chiara. I've seen you out there flying. You're incredible."
"Thanks."
"So your dad built your wings for you?"
"Yes. He designed it after the fans he found here."
"The airbenders' gliders," she said. "That's really ingenious. What's it like to be up there?"
"It feels amazing," he said. "Would you like to try it?"
"Really?" she asked excitedly. "I-I wouldn't know how."
"Come on, it's easy."
She followed him to a glider.
"The wind will carry you and lift you up," he said. "All you have to do is hold on to..."
"Chiara!" yelled Zuko. "What are you doing?"
"Teo was going to show me how to fly."
"You're not getting in that," he said as he walked over to them.
"But it looks like fun. It would almost be like being an airbender."
He grabbed her wrist and pulled her along with him. "I'm not letting you jump off the temple."
"I'll stay close to her," said Teo as he followed them. "I won't let her get hurt."
"No," said Zuko. "We didn't find what we're looking for. It's time to leave."
"Thank you, Teo," said Chiara as Zuko continued pulling her away. "It was nice to meet you."
They caught up with Iroh and the soldiers and they made their way back to the ship together.
After leaving the Northern Air Temple they began their long journey towards the Eastern Air Temple. That evening after they ate dinner, Chiara began cleaning Zuko's room as she often did about once a week though he tried not to leave so much lying around.
"Is this a new scroll?" she asked when she was making his bed.
"Yeah."
"Where'd you get it?"
"From the air temple," he answered.
She started looking over it. "Have you read it yet?"
"No, I haven't." He took it from her.
She took it back from him. "Don't you have some meditating to do?"
"Yes, but I don't want you to read it before me," he said as he reached for it.
She stepped away from him not letting him have it as she held it behind her back. "What does it matter if I read it first?"
"I found the scroll, so I should read it first," he said.
"You mean you stole the scroll," she smiled.
He laughed. "Yeah, so..."
"So you lose your right to read it first."
He stepped towards her. "I'm going to get that scroll back," he said threateningly.
She backed away from him as she rolled it up. "Of course. After I read it."
He aggressively, but playfully, went after her and they began wrestling. After a long, playful fight, he had her on her back and took the scroll from her.
"I can't believe you tried to steal my scroll," he said.
"I'm sorry, where did you get it from?"
He laughed as he stood up and helped her up.
"Fine, we'll read it together," he said as he unfurled it and set it on the table.
He lit a candle and they sat together and read it.
The months went by as they sailed around the Earth Kingdom towards the Eastern Air Temple. One evening Chiara was standing out on the upper deck looking at the sky.
"What are you looking at?" asked Zuko walking up next to her.
"I'm just watching Zo the Dragon attack Nim the Terrible."
He looked up at the constellations. "They're starting to rise higher above the southern horizon again where they belong."
"It does seem odd seeing them so far south."
Suddenly, a shooting star flew across the sky.
"Looks like Nim just got hit with a flaming arrow," said Zuko.
Her soft laugh at his joke made him smile.
"In the Earth Kingdom, they call Zo Bin the Magnificent, a great earthbender who's hurling a rock at Han the Conqueror," she told him.
"I don't see it."
"Apparently, the fire of the dragon is a rock," she said as she tried to point it out.
"That doesn't make sense," argued Zuko. "Those stars aren't even...they don't look anything like a rock."
"I agree."
"Maybe if he's vomiting lava it might work."
She laughed. "So does that make him a firebender or an earthbender?"
"An Avatar maybe?" he said. "You said Avatar Kyoshi could lavabend."
Iroh was inside on the bridge playing Pai Sho with one of the crew, and hearing Zuko and Chiara laughing outside drew his attention. He looked up and watched them for a few minutes as they were talking and pointing to the sky, and it made him smile seeing them enjoy themselves.
