Black Triforce: --

b.ofors: lol thanx. 9 HOURS! That is a lot of talking

Darwarrior 12: can do!

Ishtar: The arc is a little slow to pick up… but it will start!

Nala: thanks, and I already did

A six year old Zuko sits on the marble step of the back gardens, he appears about to cry, but is holding it in.

"You know, it does better if you let it." A little girl said walking up to him, curtsying quickly before she sat down next to him.

"Who are you?" Zuko asks sniffling ever so slightly

"My name is Fiammetta," The little girl said smiling widely; she was thin, and dressed in a pretty pink kimono. Her tawny hair was pulled into pigtails on either side of her head.

"I'm Zuko." The boy told her.

"I know that silly! You're the prince! Everybody knows your name!" The girl exclaimed giggling happily. Zuko looked down at the mention of his position.

"What's wrong?" she asked, stopping her giggling.

"Nothing."

"Come on, something has to be wrong!"

"I said NOTHING WAS WRONG!"

"Well Zuko, I may be a silly girl but something is definitely wrong." The girl told him, leaning back on her elbows. Zuko turned to stare at her.

"I didn't say you were a silly girl." He said, confused slightly.

"But you were thinking it weren't you? Don't deny it; everyone thinks that I'm a silly girl for wanting to be a master firebender." Fiammetta told him laughing to herself.

"You know firebending? But Sensei said that only men could be firebenders!" Zuko exclaimed, deeply surprised. Fiammetta's sparkling blue eyes darkened.

"Then I'll just have to show him, won't I?"

"So, where should we go for training?" Aang asked his new teacher excitedly, hoping from one foot to another upon Appa's back.

"Calm down, I need to find out a few things. Do you know how to meditate?" Fiam asked leaning against Katara's sleeping bag.

"No, not really." Aang said staring blankly at her. Fiam sat up straight at that.

"Well that's where we need to start then. Sit like I am." She commanded and Aang instantly followed her lead.

"Now breathe in for a count of seven." Aang did so "Hold it for a count of seven, now release it at the same speed." Aang followed her direction.

"Now, clear your mind of all thought, but keep the breathing pattern." She ordered counting allowed.

"One… Two…Three…Four…Five…Six…Seven. One… Two… Three… You're not concentrating. Start over, and Momo, Please stay away from Aang right now. One…Two…Three…Four…Five…Six…Seven…" She said watching as Aang attempted to meditate. His eyes twitched under his eyelids giving away his thoughts, but he really was trying, that much was obvious, he finally settled down and Fiam could meditate in earnest.

"Zuko! I did it! I got my master rank!" Fiammetta cried happily, rushing to her friend who picked her up in a hug, she was his height, but she weighed far less, making it possible for him to swing her around like a father would a three year old.

"That's great!" He said, smiling broadly. She smiled back at him as he set her back down.

"I told you I would do it!" She said laughing happily.


"Only doubted you once." Zuko said jokingly. Fiammetta hit him over the head lightly in false anger.

"I have some bad news though…" She said suddenly sobering.

"What? What happened?"

"I've been betrothed."

"How can you stand to sit still that long?" A voice broke through her half-thoughts and she blinked several times to clear away the fog of her meditation.

Aang was still sitting in his meditative pose, but his eyes were open and he was looking incredibly annoyed.

"Sokka! I almost had it!"

"Sorry, I was just curious." He said holding his hands up in some half-defense. Fiam moved her legs out from under her and immediately gasped in pain as a million needles pricked at her skin.

"What?" Sokka asked turning to her.

"My leg fell asleep." Fiam told him grinning sheepishly as she tried to rub her blood back through the pained leg.

"Well, there's some islands, maybe we should rest there for tonight, Appa's probably tired by now." Katara, who had been directing Appa all day said pointing to the small archipelago below them, said looking behind her at the other three passengers.

"Ok." Aang agreed, as soon as he did so, Appa started his descent.

"So, how long were you in that village?" Sokka asked Fiam, wanting to get more information on their new 'friend'

"About 3 years. Why do you ask?" She said innocently turning to face the boy who was approximately the same age.

"Just curious… how old are you anyway? 20 something?" He asked her again, which earned himself a laugh that could have been music if they didn't know better.

"I'm sixteen." She said, laughing more and more, until she could finally calm herself down.

"Sixteen?" Sokka asked surprised, she was so tall for her age, and she seemed so much older, heck, yet she was just as old as he was.

"That's what I said Mr. Intelligence." She said sarcastically sitting up straight, while still managing to stretch her legs out enough to get the blood back through them. Her comment set Katara and Aang laughing. Looking down at the island that they were drawing closer to, Sokka spotted a cave on the side of a cliff that would be incredibly hard to reach with out flying, he pointed it out to the others and they descended.

Now the cave turned out to be a very good find. The entrance was large enough for Appa to squeeze in and the way to the gave was treacherous enough to keep all but the most determined attackers away, and even then the fire nation would not be able to get to it wearing their armor. So in other words, it was relatively safe.

"We could stay and train here," Fiam said "I spotted a couple of places that would be good to train at when we were flying over." Aang smiled widely.

"That sounds good." For, they had not stayed in one place since they were in Omashu, training with the king and they wanted to be in one place yet again, so staying in one place to train was currently a very inviting idea.

"We'll need to set up the camp and a spot to meditate where we can be protected from any weather that might decide to disturb us." Fiam told them as Sokka went to gather wood for a fire and Katara went to find water. Fiam walked off to find a good spot in the cave where they could meditate and Aang practiced his earthbending by moving larger rocks to form a fire pit. Fiam came back first, saying she had found a good spot near the back of the cave that they could meditate at.

"Why is meditation so important?" Aang asked her as she sat down near the empty fire pit.

"Fire is a wild thing, there a many a practiced bender that have lost control over their fire. Meditation helps to keep its wild spirit under control." Fiam replied staring into space

"Does your mind go blank when you meditate?" Aang asked curious.

"When I start meditating yes it does go blank. But you'll discover that once you get into the deeper trances, memories and half-thoughts will come to the surface. Meditation is also used to sort out your thoughts, and organize them." Fiam answered still staring away.

"So once I get good enough at meditation I'll see things during the trance?" Aang asked, still curious.

"Most likely, since you're the Avatar, once you reach the deeper trances, you'll be able to speak to your past selves." Fiam said shutting her eyes slightly to rest them.

"So that's what Avatar Roku meant!" Aang said as the realization struck him hard. Fiam looked at him strangely

"Indeed…" She said uncertainly.

"I got the wood!" Sokka said happily as he set down a large bundle of logs and kindling. Fiam got up and arranged the wood in an A shape with the kindling scattered among the larger logs she held her palm above it a thin stream of fire leapt out, lighting the pile of wood. Sokka simply stared at the small show of controlled fire as Katara came back with her canteen full, as well as her brother's and Aang's.

"Well I got the water, there's a stream at the bottom of the cliff if we need to wash anything." She told them as she sat down.

"I'll cook tonight." Fiam offered as she gathering supplies off of Appa's back.

"Well, at least it's not Sokka's food." Aang snickered behind his hand.

"And what's wrong with my food?" Sokka yelled.

"It stinks, that's what!"

"Both of you, opposite corners now." Katara ordered, sounding very annoyed, as she sent some water into the pot that Fiam had set over the fire. Both boys immediately sat in the opposite sides of the cave. Fiam laughed happily as she placed some rice into the water with several spices that made the whole cave smell delicious. Sokka groaned and sat waiting until the food would actually be ready.

Aang simply blew the smell away from himself and towards Sokka as he watched Fiam drop pieces of dried chicken into the nearly ready rice mixing it together deftly, sprinkling spices in as she did so. Sokka couldn't help himself, he started to drool.

Dinner had been delicious and soon after all four of the companions had gone to sleep. Sokka, Katara, and Aang slept in their bedrolls, Fiam in her cloak, sleeping in a sitting position leaning against the cave wall.

"What are you doing?" A thirteen year old Zuko asked as he sat next to his friend.

"I'm looking at the moon." Fiammetta replied, her eyes never leaving the glowing orb that dangled freely in the sky, surrounded by millions of flickering candles in an inky back drop.

"What are you looking for?" He asked her softly as he joined in her dogged staring.

"An idea, an inspiration…" She trailed off, her crystal blue eyes staring hopelessly out over the lake they sat next to, the reflection rippled as a swan landed gracefully in the very center of it.

"Those who look to the moon for answers to their own problems are fools." Zuko said angrily, he was still mad over the betrothal of his best friend. The girl, woman really, turned to face him suddenly, twin trails of tears streaming freely down her face.

"I am a fool Zuko. I am a fool." she whispered as sobs began to rack her thin frame.

Fiam opened her eyes with a jerk as she pulled herself up, leaving the blanket she had draped around her lower body pooled on the floor. She slid out of the cave like a wraith and followed a thin edge around, grabbing indents in the rock face as a foot and hand holds. It was only when she reached the top of the cliff did she realize that she was barefoot, for the coolness of the wet grass underneath them had awakened her senses.

"An hour with bare feet won't kill me." She muttered as she tore off her cloak and spread it beneath her like a blanket. She sat down slowly, tucking her knees under her chin, which was resting on her crossed arms. She stared at the half-full moon, her eyes flickering with memories. Stray tears rolled down her face, and laughter rang a few times, but the same look of hopelessness was always hidden underneath it all.

Aang woke early the next day, the sun was barely above the horizon, but a cheerful fire was already crackling in the fire pit, a pot of rice slowly cooking, but no one was there, until he saw Fiam walking in with a bundle of wood held tightly against her chest, and a smile graced her face when she saw Aang was awake.

"Good. You'll need to eat something then we're going to meditate. There's a spot in the back of the cave that should be good." She told him as she ladled out a bowl of rice and handed it to him. He ate quickly before the two headed to their meditative spot. It was a large circular cavern that had a few stalactites and stalagmites but it was pretty much empty. The two sat down in what was called the lotus position and closed their eyes.

"One…Two…Three…Four…Five…Six…Seven…"