Leiko approached the cave on the top of the mountain side. There were tattered drapes hanging from the opening, and she lifted them away to walk in. It was warm inside from a fire with a large cauldron sitting atop of it. There were bottles with liquids in them scattered everywhere. She carefully stepped around them and walked in until she saw an old woman in a black cloak, hunched over and fiddling with a bottle. She had a stick and was stirring the potion which had an atrocious scent spouting from it. Leiko grimaced and spoke. "Excuse me." The old woman turned and looked at her, first surprised but then her lips turned into a crooked smile.

"Hello child, what brings you to my lair?" and then her face dropped again, "You're with the fire nation aren't you? You've come to turn me in!"

"No! Believe me, I'm running from them too. You see, my family is sick, and I have nowhere or no one to turn to. I remembered you from my childhood and I was hoping…you would help me." Leiko explained. The old woman smiled again.

"Ah…" she made a discovery, "You are Leiko Sikari, aren't you? Great warrior, and wanted traitor of the fire nation. Daughter of the great Admiral Zhao."

"That would be correct."

"I remember you."

"You…you do? How?"

"I've seen you, watched you grow and become what you are now. But how is not important right now. Now, what was it you needed?"

"So you'll help me?"

"It would be a great honor to assist the most wanted girl of the fire nation. We are both rogues, and we must help each other."

"My uncle is aching with old age, and my friend's sister is weak from being overworked. Both are in bad shape. I need something to heal them."

"Coming right up." The old woman said and she turned to her cauldron and began to pour unknown substances in. Leiko watched attentively. "My name is Gen." the woman told Leiko out of the blue. "I don't suppose you'd remember me by name."

"No, I only know that my father has tried to imprison you times before."

"You're father…oh he is a dangerous man. Why, with his evil plot and all."

"You know of his plan?" Leiko was now interested.

"Yes, he came to me for help you see." Gen explained, "He plans on becoming fire lord, and to do that he would have to get rid of Fire Lord Ozai first. He came to me with a proposition a little less than a month ago. He asked me to assist him."

"And if you refused?"

"He said he would snatch away my life before I could do anything to change his mind. I had a knife to my throat at the moment, so I agreed."

"What did you do?"

"He wanted a poison for the fire lord, to weaken him slowly so he would fall terribly ill and pass quietly. And then he wanted another potion, one to make him stronger in case…you returned."

"Why?"

"He said he knew you were the only one capable of stopping him, and he wanted to be prepared. So I made him the potion." Gen turned and handed Leiko the two small bottles of potion. She looked Leiko in the eye. "I am sorry. You must forgive me for what I have done. I have made him undefeatable. If you attack…he will surely kill you. The potion I made will increase his powers and strength by more than ten fold. He is more than a threat, he is death itself. All he has to do is drink the potion." Leiko looked away in awe. It seemed like all of her plans were destroyed.

"How will I defeat him?"

"You must use your heart, Leiko Sikari. Fight with all the love you have. I wish I could make you the potion, but most of my components were confiscated after I aided him. He's looked at this from all possible angles. I fear that there really is no hope left."

"Well I haven't given up yet." Leiko said with meaning. "I will defeat him. He will not be fire lord. Not if I can help it." Gen smiled.

"Your hope has been restored, you must have found your husband."

"My husband?"

"Prince Zuko."

"How did you know I married him?"

"Child, I know everything. I knew since you were very small that the two of you would elope." Leiko was quiet. "I also know that you haven't told him about your pregnancy yet."

"What?"

"I can sense it. You have that certain scent. You are going to have his baby." And Gen touched her stomach. "Ah yes, it is going to be a strong one. Just like its mother."

"Thank you. And I assure you, I will tell Zuko at the right moment." Leiko told her and she smiled and sighed. Leiko bowed to thank her and went to walk away.

"You're just like your mother." Gen said. Leiko stopped dead in her tracks and turned around.

"Excuse me?"

"She would be so proud of you. I'm sure she is in fact."

"You knew my mother?" Leiko asked.

"No…I know your mother. You see, she was afraid that Zhao would mistreat you. So she made you powerful right from the beginning. She made a charm and drank it to make you strong, which is one reason why you are the strongest firebender in the nation. She knew he would do you wrong and that you would need protection. Not being able to protect you herself, she gave you a chance." And Gen paused. "She was a good witch."

"My mother was not a witch!" Leiko fussed.

"Yes she was. That's why Zhao did with her the way he did. That's why she's not here."

"How would you know? My mother is dead!"

"Wrong again. She is in fact alive." Leiko was stunned by Gen's words. "She was the one who predicted that you would marry the banished prince. She was the one who made you so powerful. Then she ran away to escape Zhao. It's a real story about how you came to be in this world. But I will leave that for her to tell you."

"My mother is…alive?"

"Go now Leiko, your family needs you. Oh, and these belong to Zuko." Gen said. And she tossed Leiko Zuko's blue mask, disguise and swords. Leiko was still in shock, but just nodded and ran out with the items.

It wasn't true. She couldn't believe it. There was no way her mother was alive. All these years her father and everyone else had told her that she was dead. Leiko was still in such shock, just hearing the words that her mother was alive. It had to be a story. But she couldn't focus on that right now. What she needed to focus on was the fact that her family needed her and it would be a long journey back.