Ashayna stood in a tree, high above Ba Sing Se. The pastels colors from the city blurred with the sky and she realized the tree was floating above the city. "Where the hell am I?" she asked herself. Her voice did not sound out. Weird.

Her eyes focused on the horizon where movement caught her attention. A blue dragon flew towards her, his eyes locked on hers. Ashayna inhaled sharply – the dragon looked vaguely familiar. She stood frozen, unsure what to do.

"Ashayna, daughter of Mai Li Song and Jiy Yung Song, I have called you here on special occasion," said a voice atop the dragon. Shay looked up quizzically, not sure who was addressing her.

A man with piercing eyes and long white hair walked off his dragon as it neared the tree Ashayna was standing on. The small girl instantly stooped into a deep bow.

"Avatar Roku" she muttered in deep respect. No wonder she recognized the dragon. Roku was a primary figure taught throughout her education. She had no doubt now that she was in the spirit world. How she got there, she wasn't sure. Why she was there, she wasn't sure as well.

"You are here for a special request," continued the Avatar spirit. "Please rise." Ashayna did so. "The young Avatar is in dire need of a fire bending teacher. I have watched you grow up in the palace; I have strong spiritual ties there. I believe you are the proper teacher for the young Avatar Aang. He needs you right now."

Shay felt a lump rise in her throat. The avatar. The reason for Zuko's banishment. Now she needed to help him. What of Zuko though?

"You are vital in the role, Ashayna. The war will never end if Aang does not succeed. Do you accept your task?"

Not like I have much of a choice she thought before nodding humbly. It was hard to say no to an Avatar spirit and his dragon.

"But where can I find him?" she tried to say. Again, her voice did not resonate in the spirit world. Somehow, the avatar heard or understood. He smiled.

"Thank you Ashayna. You will know how to find the Avatar when you wake. I will give you a push in the right direction. Here are some landmarks to help you on your way"

"Wake? What do you mean? I thought I was in the spirit world?" she tried to ask, but the scene was dissolving, the colors fading to black, the tree slowly falling. Instead, they were replaced by shots of scenery, ways to find the Avatar. She instantly memorized them. Her head reeled.

"Avatar Roku! I need you," she shouted into the scenes flashing by.

"Avatar Roku!!! Wait!" Ashayna found herself screaming as she awoke.

The young girl tumbled out of bed, dressing quickly. She was supposed to meet Zuko at dusk and had taken a small nap in the early afternoon so she wouldn't be tired when she was with him. Now she was frantically trying to find a way to reach the Avatar. How things change quickly.

She pulled her hair up into small pigtails as she searched for a piece of parchment. Eventually she found some and scribbled upon it.

Dearest Zuko,

I need to go. I have been called by the Avatar spirit to help join the cause. Oh Zuko, I know this is unfair. But this is for the betterment of the world. In the next couple of sheets are ways to find me. Only you can understand then because they are clues from our past. Please remember them and find me if you want to. I hope you are not too furious, as I am sure you will be. I love you much, my blood brother.

Love

Ashayna.

Five minutes later, Ashayna was tying up the letter and grabbing stuff for her trip. There came a soft rap at the door.

You will know how to find the Avatar when you wake

She hoped this would be the clue that Avatar Roku said she would have when she woke up. She grabbed her bag and looked back at her room. She grabbed her letter for Zuko and ran to head out the door.

"Watch all the doors and windows. Do NOT let her escape," Azula whispered to the members of the Dai Li as she stood outside Ashayna's small apartment. Azula did not like this friend figure in Zuko's life. A friend may give her brother bad ideas and have him desert her. Azula would never admit it, but in her subconscious she knew she could not win without her brother. He was stronger than he knew.

"The girl you are looking for is small. Short with dark hair. She will probably be in there singing or cooking or something," informed Azula's spy.

Azula smirked. This would be too easy. A simple earth nation girl. "Ready the boys. We're going in."

Azula did not know she would soon find herself face to face with her long lost enemy.

"One more thing…" Ashayna said to herself as she grabbed her butterfly pendant off the counter. She slung her bag over one shoulder as she fiddled to get the chain over her neck. Shoes on, the young girl reached her hand for the handle, ready to find the Avatar.

Azula swung back into fighting stance, facing the closed front door. She gave the signal for the Dai Li to move. The knob to the front door turned. Azula hesitated.

The door was pulled back as Ashayna took a tentative step out the door. She soon found herself face to face with a hoard of Dai Li members, plus one girl. Ashayna's eyes widened in recognition. Azula's scowled for the same reason.

"A zula!" Ashayna exclaimed, jumping back into her fighting stance.

"Ashayna? You are the girl Zuko has been hanging out with… You are the one who slept with Zuko? Wait until I tell father," Azula attempted to intimidate. She could not hide the fact that she was surprised by Ashayna's sudden appearance back in her life.

Ashayna blushed ferociously. "That is none of your business. What do you want?" It was pointless to ask, Ashayna already knew what Azula was here for; to get herself out of the way.

A flicker of movement to the side caused Shay to dodge a flying Earth mitt. She rolled to one side, shooting a small fireball in Azula's direction. Azula easily dodged it.

"You're going to attempt a fire match with me? We both know that you are worth nothing as a fire bender," Azula mocked, sending a fire whip in Ashayna's path, making her point.

The young protagonist could not deny this. She watched as the Dai Li cornered her and Azula against the side of her house. There was no way out…

…Except up.

Ashayna turned and clambered up the side of the wall. She normally climbed on the roof in the good spring mornings when she wanted to reflect, so she was able to now do this effectively. But she could not stop the fleet of Earth mitts flying at her. One grabbed onto her ankle, making her halt just as she was about to bring herself onto of the roof.

Ashayna yanked, feeling the bones in her foot pop. Azula snickered. "Smart move. What are you going to do now?" The fire princess reached up, ready to fire bend Ashayna to pain and possibly death.

With a cry, Ashayna desperately gave one more tug. She found a crack and wiggled her foot out of the gap, hauling herself atop the roof as Azula's fire exploded against the wall.

Azula snarled as Ashayna disappeared from sight. "Surround the building. Let me handle her. We have a score to settle." The young princess climbed gracefully up the wall to find Ashayna rubbing her now swollen ankle. She was injured…perfect.

Shit. How is this my clue to start finding the Avatar? Ashayna stood to face Azula, despite her probably sprained ankle. "What do you want from me Azula?" the girl asked.

Azula shook her head. "You were always the talker. Sometimes you just need to shut your mouth and fight." Azula shot a fireball to Ashayna's head. Ashayna dropped onto the ground and rolled to get out of the way.

"But since you are asking, I will tell you," Azula pointed her fists at Ashayna, smoke emitting from them. If Ashayna tried to move, Azula would attack. There was no way she could roll out of the way from an attack so close to her. She was stuck.

"I always just wanted you to go away. We didn't need you at the palace. You have always given Zuko silly hope and pointless fun. You manipulated him to do everything you wanted, and nothing our family needed. When you left the palace after father banished Zuko, I thought I'd seen the last of you. But I was wrong!" Azula released a fireball, knowing it would meet Ashayna and instantly disable her.

Azula miscalculated. Ashayna had been moving over centimeters by centimeters as Azula talked. She knew the only way out of this was off one roof and into another. She knew how to jump from her roof to the neighboring one. She just needed to get out from under Azula's grasp. As Azula released her fireball, Ashayna was just far enough to the left to be able to roll over and dodge it.

Azula cried in loathing as Ashayna stumbled up and started to run over to the other side of the roof.

"You were always the runner!" Azula scowled, letting out a series of fire attacks in Ashayna's direction.

There was no other solution. Ashayna ran through the pain in her ankle. She wanted to fall into a heap and cry, but she needed to survive first. The edge of the roof was nearing. Two more feet and she would be clear! One more foot…

A fire whip clipped her shoulder. Ashayna found herself falling, just at the time where she should have been jumping to the neighboring roof. Ashayna closed her eyes as she fell off the roof and cried out, knowing what was to come now.

She curled up as her body hit the ground. She slumped against a small barrel as her vision blurred. A figure loomed over her. The colors were blurring and spinning together. The young girl closed her eyes and accepted defeat as consciousness left her.

The last thing she felt was the figure, picking her up.

The figure in question picked up the small body. He cursed the Gods for her injuries, but started to move fast. He didn't want that crazy fire princess to look over the edge of the roof and find him.

He had to get away.

(Who is this mysterious man? Read on and you shall soon know:D)