Me: Did you all like the little surprise? Sorry about all the sucky action.

Gidget: Must you talk to them before every chapter?

Me: Yes.

Disclaimer: You figure it out.

A Secret Too Long Withheld

"You're a firebender! I knew it. You can't be trusted." Sokka told Sarah.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Aang shouted. He was heartbroken. He loved Sarah like any brother should and he hated her for keeping the fact that she was a firebender from him.

"I was afraid that you would send me away and think that I'm dangerous."

"Just like what Sapphire thought." Sokka and Aang turned to Katara, puzzled by her comment.

"Yes. I guess it is just like what she thought. I just didn't want anyone to think I was dangerous. I hate being a firebender but I can't change who I am."

"When did you learn airbending?" Aang asked, his head hanging in sadness.

"What do you mean?" Sarah was startled by the question.

"Well you can only be born with one bending ability."

"I was born an airbender and a firebender, although I didn't learn that I was a firebender until I was six, right after Lizzie died." Tears formed in the girl's eyes.

"What happened?" Katara questioned quietly.

Flashback

Sarah couldn't stop crying. She tried to stop because she was at her sister's funeral and she needed to be strong. They had just buried little Lizzie. Finally she couldn't take it anymore. Sarah ran from the funeral that was being held outdoors under Sarah's and Lizzie's favorite tree. She ran deep into the forest and into a small clearing that her mother used to bring her to. Sarah curled into a ball and thought of the past.

"Never tell anyone but those you love the most about this place, Sarah. It's a secret and we don't want anyone to find it." Queen Serena had told her daughter when she first brought the child to the clearing.

"I won't Mommy. I promise." Sarah had said with a smile on her face.

"Sarah, are you alright?" The voice brought her back to reality.

"What do you want James?"

"I want to know if you're okay."

"What do you think. My mother is dead, my sister is being buried, I have to send Aang away so he'll be safe, and my father, my father…" Sarah began to sob even harder.

"What did you're father do?"

"Can you show me?" Sarah caught James off guard.

"What do you mean?" He asked cautiously.

"Can you teach me?" Sarah stood up and opened her hand. A small flame appeared in it.

"You can firebend!" James exclaimed, not believing what he was seeing.

"I think I figured that out. Can you teach me?"

"Didn't your father teach you?" James regretted the statement the moment he said it.

"No, he didn't. He tried to kill me after he killed Lizzie. That's when I discovered it." Sarah said quickly before she began to cry more. James was shocked at this response. Sarah had resumed her sitting position so all James could do was wrap his arm around her.

"Does he know?"

"No. I don't want him to. He'll try even harder to kill me if he learns I'm a firebender."

"I'll teach everything I can."

"You mean it?"

James wiped the tears from Sarah's eyes and spoke, "Yes. When do you want to start?"

"Now."

End Flashback

"So the ability just appeared?" Katara asked, trying to confirm the details of Sarah's unbelievable story.

"Yes. That's why James stayed in the Air Nation until we started dating. He was training me. It's probably because of that training that I defeated Zhao. I recognized all of his moves so I was able to predict what he was going to do."

"That's not possible. I know you're the Lady Avatar and all but there's no way you can be born with two bending abilities." Sokka argued.

"Do you have any other explanations, Sokka?" Sarah snapped.

Sokka was silent.

"That's what I thought." Sarah said.

"It must be nice to be a firebender." Aang thought out loud.

"No, it's not Aang." Sarah told him.

"Well, being the Lady Avatar would be easier if you can already firebend and it must be pretty cool."

"Aang what don't you understand? Being a firebender is a curse, not a blessing." Sarah couldn't comprehend her brother's reasoning.

"Well it makes you more like our dad."

"Aang, don't you get it? I don't want anything to do with him! He killed our family and tried to kill me twice! I don't want anything that makes me like him! All being a firebender does is remind me of the monster that I once called father." Sarah shouted and for the first time Sokka really trusted her.

"I'm sorry Sarah. I didn't know you felt that way." Aang apologized.

"We have to land. It's nighttime already." Sokka cut in.

Once they were on the ground Katara said, "Sarah, when did your father try to kill you the second time?"

"When I was ten."

Flashback

"I hate when the Air Rebels attack us. Why can't they just leave us alone?" Sarah asked as she and her friends took care of the wounded soldiers.

"I don't know Sarah. I wish they could see that the rebels would see that they're hurting their own people. It's not these soldiers' faults that those rebels aren't benders." Sapphire sighed.

"We've done all we can do. Let's go to the garden." Ruby told them. The other three girls nodded.

"Hey girls. How are the soldiers?" James asked as the girls entered the garden.

"Not well James. The Air Rebels wounded all of them." Sarah said, giving James a kiss.

"I'm so tired. Healing wounds really takes a lot of energy. Sarah, what's wrong?" Sapphire stopped her rambling when she saw Sarah's face.

"He's back," was her simple reply.

"Who's back? What's going on Sarah? What's wrong?" James urgently questioned his young girlfriend.

"My father, he's here. The wind just told me." Sarah's friends began to panic.

"Where is he Sarah?" James whispered.

"I have to go stop him. He's looking for Aang. It won't take long for him to learn that he's not here. He'll kill Aang if he finds him." Sarah spoke with a fear in her voice that her friends had never heard before.

"I'll come with you." James told her.

"We will too." The other three girls echoed.

"No, I have to do this on my own. I risk him killing any of you. Besides, he's my father and this is my battle." James knew there was no way to dissuade Sarah when he mind was made up so he gave in and the others followed.

"Stay safe Sarah and remember, we love you." Ruby reminded her, tears gleaming in the Fire Princess's eyes.

Sarah gave James a kiss, opened her glider, and left. It didn't take her long to spot her father, walking across a field with no one around. She sent a breeze to make some noise. Her father turned to see what was behind him as Sarah soundlessly landed in front of him.

"Hello father."

Keith jumped at her voice. "Hello little dove. I didn't expect to see you here."

"Why are you here, Father?"

"I've come to kill you and your brother." Keith sneered.

"I'm afraid you won't succeed."

"Is that a challenge little dove?"

"What else would it be?" Sarah took her bending stance.

"Then let it begin." He also took his bending stance.

He started the fight by sending a series of fireballs that Sarah blew away easily.

"I see you've been taught well little dove."

"Is that all you've got Father? I expected more."

Keith surrounded his daughter with flames and smiled triumphantly. The grin faded when he saw Sarah put out the fire with a wave of her arm.

She certainly is strong. Keith thought, pleased. She was truly his child.

"You fight well Sarah but you have not thrown a single attack. This fight could go on forever if you don't."

"Look behind you father." Keith did.

His golden eyes grew large when he saw the small tornado behind him. While he had been talking Sarah had been creating it. All of a sudden it picked him up and spun him around. Soon it disappeared and Keith dropped to the ground.

"How was that for an attack?" Sarah asked smugly.

Keith jumped to his feet and drew his sword. "You bend well. Let's see if you can fight with a blade." He lunged at her.

Sarah jumped out of the way but the blade cut her arm, barely. Sarah drew her own sword and they began the battle of the blades.

Keith often on the defense, letting his daughter attack, waiting for the perfect moment. Finally it came. Her back was turned and he threw the sword. Sarah pivoted on her heel and caught the sword before it plunged into her heart.

Keith was speechless. How could his daughter do that? Now he was without any weapons save bending. He created a large firewall. Sarah, with great effort, killed it and walked towards her father. She gave him his sword.

"What are you doing? You could have killed me and instead you give me my weapon. How foolish are you girl?"

"Not foolish. I'm a fair fighter." She struck and hit his knee.

He fell on his back and cried out in pain. Sarah positioned the sword right above his neck.

"Go ahead and kill me Sarah. You've won. You are just like me."

"No, I won't kill you." She put her blade away. "I'm nothing like you because I won't sink to you're level and I won't kill my own family." She opened her glider and flew back to the Eastern Air Temple where her friend s waited.

She was very weak when she landed in the garden where she had left her four friends. James ran up to her.

"Sarah, thank Agni you're safe." He pulled her into a deep embrace and lightly kissed her lips. She collapsed in his arms. "Sarah! Sarah!" James and the girls called desperately but it was no use. Sarah had given in to unconsciousness.

End Flashback

"What happened after that?" Katara asked the Air Queen/

"I woke up and told them what happened."

"Let's not talk about this anymore. We need to go to sleep." Aang said, saving his sister from further questioning.

Me: I think the action is better in this chapter than in the last one, but this action still wasn't' very good. I'll try to make up for it in length in the next few chapters.

Gidget: Get on with the cookies moron.

Me: Oh, I've still got cookies to give to the person who guesses what James is looking for and they're getting cold. Come on people. Guess. Don't forget to review.