Revelations

The dawn's sunlight made the dew sparkles like tiny diamonds droplets. A large vibrant butterfly landed on Zara's nose waking the drowsy child from her dreams.

"Hello, sweet little angel of the celestial sky. How are you? Yes it's a beautiful morning is it not little sky chaser?" she said sweetly as the butterfly flew off in to the morning sky.

Turning she looked at Aang who looked so much like a baby cherub to her as he slept on the soft green grass next to her with the winged lemur curled up in his arms snoring lightly.

Not wanting to wake the others she put fresh kindling in to the heart of the fire and began to make eggs and bacon. The smell soon passed under the nostril of Sokka who had been eating his blanket when the smells of sizzling meat pass in his sensitive nose.

"Oh glorious meat! We meet again at last! How I longed for you. My taste buds will soon be in heaven again eating you meat. Let me at it!" he shouted loudly as sprang from his sleeping bag and ran over Katara 's stomach waking her and Aang in the process as he ran to the aroma of cooked meat.

" Hey Sokka! When you run over someone you should at the very least make an apology to him or her! Brothers! Umm!" yelled Katara at her brother and then blew a loose strand of hair out of her right eye.

"Its morning already? Man I feel like I just went to sleep." Yawning "Oh well breakfast looks good. At least the eggs do. Come on, Appa, Momo lets eat!" said Aang happily as he clapped his hands together.

"I hope you like your eggs scrambled cause that's the best I could do. Sokka stop drooling! For goodness sakes you're not a dog! Though you act like one!" said Zara annoyed at the Water Tribe Warrior. She could without doubt make out why Zuko saw him to be a pathetic excuse for a warrior but he was good when you needed a laugh.

"So, Zara how did you sleep last night? Did you even sleep at all?" asked Katara in a mother like tone.

"Yes I slept. Quiet nicely actually. Being around Aang and you guys makes all the pain go away. It's nice to have peaceful dreams and not horrific nightmares for a change. This place is like being a rejuvenation pool. Nature is good for the soul. If only the Fire Lord could see that. Instead of destroying the planet, we should save if for future generations. Earth, water, fire and air they all exist in this world we must share. We should all love the Earth with all the fire in our hearts. Love thy Earth is our one true desire. I wish Zuko and Uncle were here. Then this be perfect!" she said with a loving sigh as she gazed out to the horizon with a yearning gaze of love in her attractive ocher eyes.

"You know something, Zara? Your brother is the most obsessive insane demonic fire bender I've ever met. He is a cold heart-uncaring son of the devil. I don't see why you care so much for such a loser. He never has done anything nice and he just evil. And I really don't see how you are any different. The apple does not fall far from the tree. After seeing all the damage and evil sins he done I don't see you much different maybe we should just leave you. You are probably evil just like him!" spat Sokka angrily spiting pieces of bacon everywhere with each word

The serving dishes Zara had been cleaning fell to the ground in a loud bang and smash to smithereens! She whipped around with such fire in her eyes you would think they had glowed crimson.

"Uh, Sokka? I don't think you should have said that!" whisper Aang apprehensively biting his fingernails.

"TAKE THAT BACK! TAKE IT BACK NOW!" She screamed at him in a demonic snake like voice. Her eyes still boiling with fury and rage.

"No! I mean it!" he retorted sarcastically

"Sokka take it back now!" hissed Katara sensing danger. But being Sokka he refused.

Zara unleashed her phoenix on him lifting him high in the sky and plummeting him on the hard mucky soil. She then ran up to him and held him with one hand and with the other ignited a fireball and held it close to his face making him panic.

"NEVER EVER JUDGE SOMEONE YOU KNOW ABSOLUTLE NOTHING ABOUT! YOU HAVE NEVER BEEN THROUGH HELL AND BACK TWICE IN YOUR LIFE. NEVER JUDGE SOMEONE ELSE TILL YOU HAVE ACTULLY WALKED A DAY IN THEIR SHOES AND KNOW THEIR LIFE STORY! YOU MUST ALWAYS LOOK PAST THE SURFACE AND SEE THE PERSON INSIDE. KNOW WHAT'S IN THEIR HEART BEFORE YOU SAY THEY ARE EVIL! THINK ABOUT THAT FOR MOMENT YOU PATHITC EXCUSE FOR A WARRIOR!" Zara screamed at him in the same demonic voice as she let the fireball go missing Sokka left ear by inches. She released him and he fell to the ground looking paler than a ghost. Then she ran across the clearing and to the stream and looked hard at her reflection with her back turn to them.

Katara ran up to her brother and looked him over and asked him in a concerned voice "Are you alright? You should know better than to shoot your mouth off like that! Sokka answer me! Are you all right?" she said as she snapped her fingers in front of his eyes.

"I…I … think I wet myself." He said at last feeling a slight sogginess between his legs.

"Zara? What was all that about? I never have seen you so angry. It scares me. I sense that Sokka hit a nerve. What brought out this well um…." Aang trailed off trying to come up with a name that didn't offended her.

But Zara held up a hand at turn to face the young Avatar and hung her head not wanting to look into his intense gray eyes.

"I'm a monster. That's what you are thinking. Don't try to lie to me because you're not good at it. No one can lie to me. Yes, Sokka hit a nerve one that's very sensitive. This nerve belongs to a part of me, which holds the greatest pains of my heart. Things that have not nor will ever heal completely. They remain open like a rotting wound that is nipped by waves of salt every five seconds. If the only way I can help is to leave I will. Bye." She said sadly as she turned and began to walk away from him.

"Zara! Wait! Don't leave! If you want us to trust us, then you must trust us enough with the truth. I will never leave you. We want to be your friends. But you have to tell us what's going on. Please Zara. I can't image life without you in it. Please stay," begged Aang with tears in his eyes.

"Please Zara. We want to get to know you. To understand you. But for a friendship to be forged it needs all the tools required to make the weapon come to life." Katara said soothingly as walked up to the girl and lead her back to the clearing.

"Look I'm sorry I yelled at you. The words you just said made me think I should know the whole truth before I judge you. So lets hear it," said Sokka nicely though he still stood some distance from her.

"You'll better get comfortable because this is a long tale. I have always felt that the person it belongs to should tell the whole truth and only tell the tale to others when they are meant to hear it. My tale goes back to before Zuko and I were even conceived."

"My mother Zalika, May God bless her soul, was born into an authoritative, and prosperous family. She was raised to appreciate all life. Live in the moment. To appreciated the good and bad times of life. She grew up to be an angel. A purely divine soul with a heart of gold that glowed brighter than the sun. She was a complete void of evil. She was just as beautiful on the outside as the inside."

"My Father of course comes from long line evil tyrants. But there is always the need to continue the linage. Have an heir to take your place after you. You may not know this but it is very common practice in the Fire Nation to have an arranged marriage. In fact there is three families that do nothing but play matchmaker. The whole matchmaking process only last about 72 hours for a normal marriage, but that's not important. The point is the Fire Lord takes about a week to do because he is so important and the line must have strong and healthy heirs. Once a match is made you are bound forever. You can't get out of it unless you die." She paused getting up and turning her back to the three who sat on logs in awed. Zara just couldn't look at them so she walked three feet away with her shoulder slouched and arms crossed over her chest. She hung her head in shame with tears dripping on the dry soil. That done she returned to the campsite.

"So let me get this straight. You mean to say all the people in your nation have someone else decide who they are to spend the rest of their lives with?" inquired Sokka who had finished cleaning himself up.

Zara only act in response was to nod shamefully. She didn't agree at all with this barbaric practice. It was a stupid tradition and wrong.

"That's terrible! You should only marry for love. That is the only real reason to bind your self to someone. So your mom didn't have a choice in the matter. She just had to marry him because someone else figured it be a good match?" utter a stunned Katara in surprise.

"That sounds like an awful way to live life. The journey one takes to find true love should be the only other reason to consider being with someone forever. Is there anyone who hasn't been in an arranged marriage in the Fire Nation, Zara?" asked Aang kindheartedly as he could manage

"I think just my Uncle Iroh. But his marriage end in tragedy and then made to look like it never happened to begin with, curtsey of the Fire Lord, his own brother." she said hesitantly. "The point of an arranged marriage is to produce the best offspring and to keep the other company in bed. Love is supposed to occur after marriage."

"The wedding ceremony itself was exquisite. For the first four years of marriage things were absolutely blissful. She did everything to please her husband. She was good, understanding and very patient. She was also very obedient. But it is very hard to be married to someone who represents everything you hate. But through all the trials and painful obstacles she encountered she always had a dazzling smile and hope in her heart." she sighed in dismay as she looked at her feet.

The others were hanging onto her every word, in astonishment. She continued to tell her tale not missing a beat. She said in a sad but strong voice the next chapter to her story.

"In their fifth year of marriage she became with child, Zuko. It was then my Father become conscious that my mother had the gifts of clairvoyant and empathy. She knew she was going to have a son. She kept hinting that he would have some great destiny. That he would change the world. Zuko was born after 18 hours of labor. He was stubborn from birth. But he was such a beautiful baby. Mother called him her Scarlet Dragon, why I have no idea. But I often sense it had great importance. She gave him a special zircon pendent in the shape of the Scarlet Dragon as his first birthday gift."

"She started very early endow Zuko with her beliefs, morals, and values. She taught him to be strong and self effected. She taught him to value life and never take anything for granted. Zuko was a very carefree and charming. He was very faithful to father. It was his duty to be."

"Four more years rapidly flew by. Mother became heavy with me inside her womb. She said I was very restless and always causing a ruckus. I was not as stubborn as my brother but I was born after putting Mother through 14 hours of tiring labor. Mother and Zuko were present when I was born but Father was not. Like Zuko I received a nickname Little Phoenix that like Zuko nickname I suspected has some greater meaning. I cried an awful lot for the first two weeks of my life. Mother was worn out and needed to rest. One day she had fallen asleep after finishing breast-feeding me. But I was still crying like a banshee. Zuko came in and tried to rouse Mother but she was out like a candle. Slowly he approached my bassinet. He then started to talk to me in the most soothing voice. I calm down a little, but was still pitching a fit. Then I felt myself being picked up but I didn't feel scared I felt safe and calm. He carried me to a rocker and began to sing in a low voice that picked up strength as he went on the singing the song my mom wrote for me called "The Phoenix Lullaby". I stop crying and fell asleep smiling. He continued to sing till Mom woke up and smiled at him. It was in that moment we become bonded and couldn't live with each other. As we grew older we become closer. Helping and watching out for one another. We were oblivious to the war, the suffering, and the pain when we were together and Mother was watching over us. I guess that why it hurt so badly when it happened." she stopped to wipe some tears out her eyes.

"Wow, the way you tell it, sounds like Zuko was actually a respectable human being at one time. What changed him so badly?" asked Sokka feeling very disgraceful by his previous actions.

"Your Mother sounds like she was truly one of a kind. So full of life, love, and beauty. You told us before she died when you were four, exactly how did she breath her last breath?" said Katara in a heartbreaking tone of voice as she thought about her own mother who had perished. She involuntary touched her neck only to be reminded that her mother special gift was gone.

She looked at the blue skies as if trying to see heaven amongst the endless blue. She looked lost and confused. Aang put his hand on her knee and smiled encourage. She took his hand and brought it to her face and rubbed it, then continued.

"I remember the day she first fell sick to the last detail. It was the second week of spring and the sun was just beginning to grace the sky with its glory. We were on the outside balcony eating breakfast that my mother handmaiden Saffron had prepared for us. I was still getting used to my new appendage replacement. We were drinking ginseng tea and eating muffins and my mom dessert cakes."

"Mother had made it a special occasion by letting us use her family prized blue china. It had the most beautiful scenes engraved on the pieces. The loveliest shade of blue. It was truly one of kind."

"She had just finished serving us and turned to face the sun. She often watch the sun rise and set saying that the new sun gave her hope and set made her feel closer to heaven 's light. She always had a rather poetic way looking at things. Like she said the stars were the eyes of angels. The moon was God smile, the sunrays was the shelter arms of loving angels and the wind whisper secrets of those gone. The rain was a tear of joy. And the rainbow was bridge to the land of hope."

"As I was saying, she had just finish serving the tea and she was looking at the sunrise. She was smiling. She was trying to be happy, but Zuko and me both knew she had spent the previous night fighting with Father for hours. We had also notice she had not wanted us to hug her. She kept rubbing her stomach right side like it was tender. She was sipping her tea when all of sudden it shatter! She clasped to the ground holding her stomach with one hand and clutches her necklace, this necklace in fact in the other and crying out to us in pain. We stood there paralyzed with fear and confusion. After what seemed like an entirety when it was only 20 minuets Uncle and Saffron came and escort Mother back to her bedchambers. Uncle tried to reassure us that everything would be all right but we both could tell when we were being lied too. For the next five months she become weaker and weaker and in more pain. We couldn't tell what was worse the pain she was in, or the pain we felt being helpless to change the fact that our Mother was dying!"

" She called us into her chambers, to talk to us one last time." Her eyes closed as she remembered her final moments with her mother.

"Come in my children. My Scarlet Dragon and Little Phoenix. I know you are both scared and confused but do not worry. I will always watch over you. A mother's love never dies even if she is gone. I want you two to remember what I have taught you. Promise me you will always look out for one another, that you will trust your hearts and let love guide your path no matter how bad things get. Can you promise this to me, Scarlet Dragon and Little Phoenix?" as she held out her hand and rubbed the right side of each their faces.

"Yes, Mother, we will honor this promise to you." Said Little Zuko and Zara who was holding tightly to her Avatar doll

"Mother, I'm sorry I wish I could find it but I cannot find my pendent. It vanished last night. I'm sorry." Zuko said in a chocked up voice.

"Do not cry, Zuko. I promise to return it to you when we meet again. Help your sister with her gifts. She needs your strength to see her through." Zalika whisper gently to her son

He nodded.

"One last thing my children. The Avatar will soon return to this world. Your destinies are intertwining with his. Choose the right path in life my children. I love you Zuko, my Scarlet Dragon, I love you Zara my Little Phoenix." She smiled sweetly as she kissed their foreheads and let a tear rolled down their faces. She then began to cough terribly and Saffron leads them out as the Fire Lord spent the last moments of his wife life in her room.

"We then took the funeral barge to her favorite spot and buried her in a gold and glass coffin. But we were not allowed to cry at the funeral. Not one tear. For the next six years things steadily got worse."

" I was having a hard time with my gifts and Zuko become harsh and bitter. But we remain true to one another honoring our promise to our mother. Even as the years went by and it become difficulty to keep in mind her we stay true to her. Then come the second most evil day in our lives. I had been sleeping in that day, recovering from the flu. But I was having a terrible time sleeping because of this dream I was having. The feeling of fear, over confidant, shock and pain. I saw the War Room. I heard a voice speak out against a plan to let new recruits be bait for an Earth Kingdom Battalion. I felt intense fury. The person who spoke out turn was challenge to an angina. But was shocked beyond belief when the challenger was someone to familiar. The person I inhabited begged for mercy. But received none. Then the challenger purposely burned the face of his opponent. I felt the heat of the flame burn on my skin. As I cried out in pain I awoke and realized it was not my fate I just foreseen it was Zuko's!"

"I raced to stop this horrible vision from coming to past but I couldn't stopped. The Fire Lord, our father scar Zuko face and then banished him, putting him on what seemed at the time an absurd and impossible task. To capture the Avatar and bring him back to Fire Nation. Only then could he return with honor. I've never told anyone about this vision. There are so many nights I want to kill myself for not being able to stop this from happening."

"So know you know the truth. About Zuko and me. So before you judge some next time know all the facts first!" she yelled breathlessly

"That is so terribly, your father burned and banished his own son for doing the right thing?" asked Katara who was shocked that she had a mortified look on her delicate face.

"Yes"

"Now I really feel lower than pond scum. If I had known I wouldn't say all those terrible things. I'm really sorry Zara." Said Sokka in a miserly voice

"So that why he wants me so badly and why you are so loyalty to him." Sighed Aang as he stroked Momo's ears

"I only wish to save my brother's soul from being condemned to the pits of Hell. Aang you awakened some of good in him that night he rescued you from Zhao's prison. I could tell because he told me about it. You are meant to save the whole world. Help restore true honor and integrity and dignitary to the Fire Nation. Now if we leave now we can reach our destination by sundown. So lets go." commanded Zara

"Go? Where? We are still about a week away from the North Pole! Where are we going?" asked Sokka confused

"There is an Earth Kingdom town not far from here where I must pay my respect to someone who died because of my vision. His name was Cedric and he was the older brother to my handmaiden Callista, you know her as Crimson. Admiral Zhao slaughtered her brother for not burning a whole village of women and children. He wouldn't have been there and killed if I hadn't reveled the location of this town to my father. I wish to wash away the dirt and blood that I have on my hands because of my curse."

Soon they arrived at a small island village of Nyle, the small village with mixed emotions greeted them.

"Who are you, outsiders that dare come here? Hasn't there been enough damage to our homes. We don't need outsider 's help to further lead us into ruins!" said a young woman with long dark curls holding a little girl and boy near to her heart.

"My name is Aang and I'm the Avatar. My friends and me have come to help you before we continued onto the North Pole. I assure you we mean the people of the village no harm," said Aang with his hand extended out for friendship.

"I'm the leader of this village Lela and these are my children Makara and Ben Zion. I can trust you, Avatar and the Water Tribes companies but I don't trust that you have a fire bender with you. She is a monster and I think the sooner you get rid of her the better. Her kind spread nothing but pain and misery to all that they touch. So you may stay but she has to go." she said pointing out to the muddy fields. "She can sleep there."

"You can't talk to her like that! I won't allow it. Zara is…" Aang start to shout at them before Zara stopped.

"Aang its alright. I deserve some of it. But please people of Nyle listen to me. You can't judge the Fire Nation as a whole anymore than you can say your people are all good. We are all individually, unique and special. It's our choices in life that determine whether we are good or bad. I will admit that my people have done terrible things. But the reason I'm here is to make up for the misdeeds I have done. I wish to pay my respect to a boy who died here not too long ago. He saved your village from being burn to ashes. He had long fox colored hair and violet eyes. Name was Cedric. Ring any bells?" Zara questioned

"Yes there was a young man by that description who refused to burn our village. He was stripped and taken to the bay where he was burned alive. But he died saving our village from an evil. What is it to you little girl?" asked Lela

"I wish to pay my respect and fix the damage my people have caused you. Then we will be on our way."

The next three days Zara worked from dawn till dusk. Giving sweat, blood, and tears of backbreaking work to make up for what she did. She never complained she just worked. Finally on the day of departure she was gazing out the tranquilly sea and her eyes began to glaze over.

Aang worried about her and came to get her. He shook her till she came out of trance and looked at him in the eye with a look of pure terror in face. "We must evacuate the island by dusk tonight or all will perish." She whisper in low theatrical voice

"Why do we have to evacuate the island, Zara tell me, please." He asked as he held her hand.

"A terrible hurricane is coming and only you can stop it. We have four hours left come we must get these people to safety! Hurry Aang!" she screamed as the pair raced down the hill not seeing the black dot closing in on the island water.

"We'll take the villagers us to the rendezvous point 5 miles to the northwest you meet us there after you gotten rid of the storm. We'll be ok Aang, Sokka and I will make sure we get everyone to safety and Zara will be waiting for you to return come on Zara lets go!" cried Katara as the wind began to howl and rain began to pour.

"Be safe my friends see you soon. Zara are you sure you'll be ok?" asked Aang as he ready his glider to fly off into the storm.

"I'll be fin…." She grabbed her head in pain. "ZARA!" cried Aang in alarm as he caught her in his arms.

"Zuko." she whispered faintly.

"What about him? Zara stay with me! Tell me what did you see?" cried Aang in frustration

"Zuko he on this island right now looking for me. You must save him. He surely be killed if he stays on this island please save him!" begged Zara

"I promise I won't leave him behind now get on Appa. See you later!" he cried as the bison went one way and he flew over the island looking fractal for Zuko. He found him up to waist in thick mud. He was struggling to get free. He was running out of time. Flying low he hovered above him and extended his right arm.

"Zuko! Come on! Give me your hand! I can save you and this village but you have got to work with me. Give me your hand please!" he begged

"Get away Avatar I can free myself! I will not dishonor myself by being rescue by you! Take that!" chucking a fire ball at him

"Zuko! You and I may never see eye to eye. You may think my life unimportant only good to get you home. But I value your life as well as your sister's and she wants me to save you so grab my hand! I will take you to her no tricks just give me your hand!" he cried as the wind began to blow even harder. Zuko looked at this hopeless situation and chose the Avatar over death. Aang lifted him up. They flew over the sea were Aang blew a cold wind that cooled the water so fast the hurricane stopped in its track.

Aang flew him and Zuko to the safety point. But when Aang asked where Zara was Katara told him some shocking news.

"She went to take a bath in the river and twenty minuets later we heard a scream and found these lying on the ground." holding out the doll and necklace.

"There was signs of a struggle but I found this pinned in a tree. It had this attached to it." Sokka in said voice as he held out an arrow with a piece of parchment attached to.

"Give that here you water peasant!" shriek Zuko as he snatch it out Sokka hands before you could bat an eye.

Zuko unrolled the parchment to reveal nothing.

"Its blank." Said Sokka stating the obvious

"You make it so hard to believe you have a brain water boy! Its invisible ink obviously! You just need to add a little heat! See?" he said as strange markings appeared.

"What its say?" asked Aang as he saw indescribable expression on Zuko face.

"Its says that my sister is being held prisoner at the Citadel of the Dragon. If I want to see her alive again I must come and give Admiral Zhao the Avatar. Zhao! He will burn in Hell before I surrender myself to him!" cried Zuko angrily burning the note up into ashes.

"We will help you save her, from this Zhao person" declared Katara

"We will? Oww I mean yeah we will help you!" said Sokka in pain

"I don't need help." Zuko stubbornly

"Like or not, Zuko we care about your sister as much as you do. Please Zuko let me help! I can do it!" cried Aang

Sighing in defeat he agreed. "I will hope to the heavens that this is something I don't regret. Come on the Citadel is 10 miles southwest. Let's go," he stomped away angrily. No one messes with his sister and got away with it.