AN: O.k., here's the deal: After this chapter the next one is not coming until this weekend BECAUSE I am working on editing the other thirteen chapters. I want to be a good writer and I feel that if I just leave the mistakes as they are then I'm not going to achieve that goal. And if you've been paying attention to those thirteen chapters, you can see that I've made quite a few mistakes. Also, considering that I am so busy with school, homework, chores, ect., as usual weekend would be the time for updates anyway.

As for the cookie winners - there were, I believe, three peole who guessed parts of it. Altogether, however, you guys got most of Hanu's role in the story. Am I honestly getting so predictable that people can guess what's going to happen, right off the bat?

Enough of my idiotic babbling - on with the story!

Chapter Fourteen : Preparing for Battle

"Hua,"

The girl groaned and rolled over, away from her sister.

"The sun isn't even up yet, Shuin!"

"We don't have time to wait for the sun!"

Hua simply covered her ears and ignored her. But Shuin wasn't going to give up that easily.

"Alright then," She said slowly, "you can just sleep all day, see if I care."

Hua could hear the rustling of leaves even through her gloved hands. She slowly sat up and grabbed her feet, rocking back and forth.

Shuin and Hua had rarely ever been away from each other. It made one another nervous and feeling vulnerable without the other. Hua, however, was the type who never liked admitting her faults and fears. Shuin was the opposite of her sister - always care-free and hopeful, whereas Hua was always determined, serious, and only believed in evidence and facts.

This is why Hua pretended to be bored rather than worried: because she was stubborn and hard-headed.

She lay down and tried to go back to sleep, but no sooner than she did, there was more rustling in the bushes. Hua pretended to be sleeping, just so her sister wouldn't nag at her as much.

"Hey, there's a girl over here!"

Hua's eyes snapped open realizing that this was certainly not her sister.

In one swift movement, she was on her feet and in her bending stance.

The voice belonged to a man, a teenager to be precise, wearing blue. But this was not just any teen...

Great. Just great...

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"Let me look at it!"

"No,"

"The bandages have to be changed!"

"No,"

Katara shot an icy glare at the firebender. She was trying to be nice, why couldn't he just accept that instead of being such a stubborn - a stubborn child!

"Alright then, you can just lie there all day, see if I care."

"Fine."

"Fine!"

Katara stormed to the other side of camp - as far away from Zuko as she could get without stumbling into the forest or splashing in the ocean. She picked up a bowl, a rock, and some odd-looking leaves and began smashing them into gunk - with a little more force than neccesary.

Iroh sat and, as always, calmly drank his tea. He actually found these arguments between the two benders to be quite interesting. How they shouted at each other, how they argued over the tiniest things, how their faces grew closer every time the argument got out of hand.

A sudden thought occured to Iroh, or more fittingly, a plan.

Hehe, I'm going to have fun with this...

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"Princess Zula?"

Ruhuo opened the door ever-so slightly. Sure enough, there was the princess at her desk, pouring over maps, charts, notes, and scrolls.

"Yes, what is it?" She asked as she sat back, not even turning to look at him.

"I thought you might have wanted to know that we are docking in Lunro as we speak."

He stepped through the door, waiting for her reply.

"And I suppose the crew is already lined up, waiting to get off the ship and buy useless items for their day off?"

"Not exactly how I would phrase it, but yes, Princess Zula."

If any other person had ever said that to her a few weeks ago, he would be overboard in a matter of seconds, with Zula screaming 'That'll teach you some respect!'.

But this was Ruhuo, and this was now.

"Very well then."

Ruhuo bowed before exiting the room and closing the door behind him.

She works much too hard. He thought. She needs to have a bit of fun every once in a while... A broad grin made itself visable on the young man's face. And I know exactly where she's going to have it...

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"Hey, there's a girl over here!"

Katara looked off into the trees where she had heard her brother's voice. Sokka had gone looking for food and firewood only a few minutes before.

Katara stumbled to her feet (one had fallen asleep). Just before entering the trees, she turned to see that Aang had been following her.

"No, Aang, you stay here and watch Zuko." She whispered.

Katara shot the scarred teenager a glare before rushing into the direction her brother's voice had come from.

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The world seemed to slow to a stopping point for the two of them. Hua with an expression of determination and concentration; Sokka with a look of confusion and friendliness.

Well, until he took her full appearence in.

A red tunic with black trimming, and long black hair tied up in a ponytail. But this isn't what turned him on, oh no. It was the symbol carved into the hair piece she wore.

It was the Fire Nation emblem.

Then time sped up again as Katara crashed through the trees. She took one look at the firebender and dashed over to her.

"Hi."

Hua flinched at the girl's cheerful tone. It reminded her so much of Shuin.

Her eyes widened as she turned around, hearing her sister's light footsteps.

"Shuin, shui jie!"

The footsteps stopped abruptly, and Katara looked strangely at the stranger.

"Alright then," Katara said slowly.

"Katara, get away from her!" Sokka shouted at his sister.

"Why?"

"Are you blind! That girl is a firebender!" His arms flailed above his head.

"And what, might I ask, is the problem with that?"

Sokka and Katara both looked at the girl. After the last outburst she had had, they were ready to think she couldn't speak the same language. Thin whisps of smoke curled from her clenched fists.

"Are all firebenders to be thought lowly of, simply because of one man's greed? Are all Fire Nation people for the war, simply because their lord is? Are all firebenders evil, simply because their ancestors started this Agni-foresaken war!" She looked them both in the eyes. "No!"

They all stood in silence for a few moments, waiting for one another to make a move. Sparks joined the smoke emerging from Hua's fists.

"Control, huo jie, control!"

Although the voice was nothing more than a deadly hiss, Katara and Sokka heard it as well.

"Huo jie?" Sokka questioned.

"The ancient language..." Katara whispered to herself before locking onto Hua's gaze. "You're speaking in the ancient language!"

Hua nodded.

"Who was talking to you?" Sokka demanded.

Silence was his reply.

"Answer me!"

Still nothing. Sokka walked forward, readily gripping his boomerang in case she attacked. Just as he reached a few paces ahead of Hua, he was met by an icy blast of water, then, ice itself.

Katara's eyes shot to the direction of the blast, and was met by a saphire glare, even more intense than the one she had given Zuko only a few minutes before.

"Shuin, no."

"But Hua, -"

"No,"

"What about -"

"No,"

The girl, the one in front of Katara, sighed in defeat before nodding that she understood, although what she understood was beyond Katara's understanding. They both padded silently into the forest, leaving Katara and Sokka alone.

"What is going on?"

They walked back to the campsite where everyone was waiting to hear about what had happened.

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"Princess Zula?"

How many disturbances am I going to have today?

"Yes?"

The door openned fully to reveal the same green-eyed boy from the day before, Hanu.

"The festivities are almost ready, and the man, Ruhuo, wanted to know if you were coming to the celebration."

Zula sighed. "You can tell Ruhuo that I have no such time for useless festivities."

Hanu bowed and left Zula to her thoughts.

The way the men prepare for this festival - you would think they were preparing for a battle!

She simply shook all thoughts from her mind and continued with her maps and such.

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AN: I am not entirely happy with this chapter - but oh well!

Cookies will not be presented until the information actually appears in the story, and you know why? Because I'm an evil floobermonkey.

Ok, if I'm putting too much Chinese in the story just tell me and I'll tone it down.

Elenea Galad - :D Thanks for reading. I love your stories by the way.

IceStar4621 - Thanks:D

frenchfrypycho - Have you tried just going to the documents page and clicking on edit? Sorry if I'm being stupid and don't fully understand.

C.A.M.E.O.1 and Only - Yeah, I get that alot. Lol.

almostinsane , Storybender , GlassEmotions - ...

zukosbabygrl - Not really. I'm about as brave as the Fire Nation soldiers being attacked by angry spirits, or Momo surrounded by firebending hogmonkeys, which is to say - not at all...

AlaskaAngel - Yeah, having sore arms like that isn't the most comfortable thing in the world...

colorcrystals - Lol.

I would also like to announce that as of yesterday I have over 100 reviews! Thanks guys, I know you know you're great, but I just want you to know that I know you're awesome!

Forever and Always,

- JAAF