Zuleika watched out her window as the rain was letting up slowly and stiffly,she had always watched as the rain fell and wondered where it came from and where it was going.Techically,she did know.But there was just the sort of mysteory that formed from watching it constantly that conceived over time in her mind.And as she continued to observe almost each and every drop,she started to realize something...if she ever wanted to learn more and even master her extradoinary gift,then she would have to find that boy and ask him.

The next morning...

As it was beginning to grow dawn,Zuleika was just stirring from a rapid mixture of dreams and pictures flashing through her mind so quickly that she could seem to grab and hold on long enough to examine them.And as the rushing and swirling visions faded into the bright yellow sun glaring in the window from her room,she knew instictively to get up and make her bed to get ready.

Ready.That was,to go out to the place where she had last seen the fire-bending boy and try to at least see if she could find that portal again.So after pulling the sheets and spread on her bed,she grabbed the napsack of essential things she'd need that she'd packed the following night and quietly made her way out of her room and was just about to go down the stairs when she heard some rustling behind her.Grimacing,she whirled around and then froze.

"Zuie,"A blue and white striped,pajama-cladded Coty asked her sleepily,raising up his little balded up fist into the air as he stretched,then he paused too when he caught sight of her knapsack,"Where are you going to go?"

"Oh,Coty!"She frowned with slight but breif relief,frantically pushing him back to his own room and trying not to say anything to make him scared.

"Wait,"he wailed loudly as she began to close the door,he burst out of it and threw his arms around her waist,"I don't want you to goooo!"

"Co..."she grunted with irratation,trying to pry her clinging littler brother off of her so she could leave,"...ty.I don't have time...Oh!Knock it OFF!"

That's when she realized she had gone too far,because Coty had already backed off of her and his eyes looked terrorfied and round.She had to hold back an almost choking sob,as she rushed up to him and wrapped her arms tightly around his small head,holding him close and whispering in a faint,almost prompt voice,

"I'm sorry,Coty.But I have to go now,to where..."her voice warbled as she tried to get out more,but she just faltered miserbley,"Don't tell Mom,I'll be back soon."

With one last squeeze,she ruffled his shaggy brown hair for one last time and started down the stairs before the rest of her family awakened.Her mind was racing,as she closed the front door to her home and darted down the first block.She could feel the rough,erect pushing over the pavement under her softly-padded tennis shoes as she scrambled down the hill and hit the second block with one jump.

"Okay,"She said to herself first and they more purposefully shouted,"OK,I know you're here!I know you've come to try and take me back to this so-called Bending world..."

But it was so quiet and cool out at the time,that a single pin could be dropped and cause an ear-rattling sound.Zuleika sat down on a small rock and sighed resignedly that maybe she'd just have to accept the fact that she might never see him again.

"Looking for someone?"a voice asked from up above her,sounding not all that surprised too find her there.

"What!"Zuleika bolted to her feet and reeled around just in time to see the boy sitting causually on one knee in the same portal that had formed the last time he was there with his arm on the other knee and staring with amusement at her.

"Will...I assume that someone might be,oh say,me?"

Zuleika gritted her teeth at his mocking her like that,although he didn't seem all entirely like her brother,hardly even knowing this boy.She still knew she had to find out more.

"Who are you?"Was her first question.

"Well,if you're so gun-ho on finding out where I live..."The Fire-Bender hopped back into the portal's hole and stuck out an arm ushering her to follow,"Then follow me back,Zuleika."

She was literally at a lost for words,as she just sort of blurrily made her way after him.It wasn't about two seconds later,when she found herself transported to what seemed like something from the past.Huge,monsterious mountain's incircled a quiant-looking and humble little villiage in a sort of valley setting.The houses were made of straw,leafs,bark and strudy clay and some things looked the same,except how the people were dressed.Zuleika now noticed that they were dressed in what her Grandmother had described them as,if not more.

"Hi,"a little girl came running up to her and offered her what looked like a mango,"They're fresh.Mother just made them!"

"That's alright..."Zuleika gave the little girl a forced smile and a weak chuckle,as backed into the village holding out her hands.But she didn't noticed it when a young man starting to wheel out a small grassy and straw wagon with cabbages in them,"I like mangos,alot.But right now I need to find ou-ahh!"

She stumbled over the cart as expected and flailing her arms around wildly,as she crashed on top of the cabbages and the wheels came flying off.When she heard a long,drawn-out gasp,she knew she was in for it.But instead of screaming,everyone just stared at Zuleika as a hooded figure pulled her up quickly and practically dragged her out of the village whether she liked it or not,with all eyes following them.

"Hey...!"She yelped her protest,struggling to pull away from the stranger's iron grasp.But finally they reached a small cave at the far end of the valley and the person jerked her inside.

That's when Zuleika got a chance to really look at her abductor,the hooded individual stood motionlessly in the doorway however.Just watching as Zuleika grew more anxious and fretful,but she stood her ground.Tightening her fists together firmly,she finally found the courage to march up to the person and glare at them through the hood's opening.

"Alright,enough games."Without meaning too shegrabbed the hood and began to pull,"Who are you and what do you want from meeee..."she froze when she saw the sight before her of the hoodless person,"You're...You're...oh my gosh,ME!"

"Close.I'm you're cousin,we look a lot alike."

It was a girl who looked a lot like her,she saw that real quickly.But upon looking closer,she saw that there were some diffences.Like,the girl's eyes were a yellowish-silver instead of blue-green and she was somewhat shorter with her hair braided back to where it was very thick and wide on top,but triangulated to a small tip at the bottom.Her navy blue hood and cloak covered her completely except for a very bright white old-fasioned long dress she wore.She looked beautiful.

"My...cousin!"Zuleika gaped in awe and the girl nodded.

"I'm Zoelie and everything were about to tell you is for real."

"Right."The boy from appeared by the girl,Zoelie's,side.

"What do you mean...what is for real?"A thought rushed to her head at that moment and she blurted out,"You know who I am don't you...you know why I'm fascinated by Benders,why I suddenly am where,where I come from and why my Grandmother knew as much as she..."

They both nodded as she trailed off,only she had so many more things to ask.Here she was at a place she wanted to be all her life and she was more focused on finding out how they knew her,then having fun and learning more about Bending.But the time had come and she was very determined.

OK,the acutal plot and ectera will be in chapter five.You know,take things one at a time.Anywho,thank you for staying with me and reviewing so far.Well,see ya's later folkies!

LP