Thank you all for reading and reviewing! I hope that the little encounter between Zuko and Zara in the river was good enough and I promise that there will be more where that came from! Not necessarily so much in this chapter, but a little bit of mixed emotions from both sides and an even more shocking secret is revealed later-more so than Zara being a Double Bender. Keep on reading, my loyal fans!

Shock

Zana shoved her hands to her hips as the river lapped at her shoes. Not even Zuko could conceal his shock at her revelation. "But…how is this possible?" stuttered Iroh. "Well," she walked over to the men, "supposedly, somewhere way back in my family lineage, a Water Bender married into my family. I guess it skipped several dozens of generations and…," she sighed, "I got stuck with it…" Zuko's eyebrows cocked. It was a little much to comprehend. "Guess that explains why it's so easy for you to catch fish," Zuko realized.

"Why don't we all just rest here for a little while," Iroh said as he plopped onto the shifting gravel. Zuko kept standing, however, and just stared at Zana. She turned away; "I guess I'll catch us some lunch…" she trailed off. Without another word, she dropped her cloak, pulled off her shoes and rolled up the legs of her under-suit. As she waded into the current, Zuko went to the forest's edge to gather wood. Within seconds there was a roaring fire alive and crackling in front of Iroh. Zuko righted himself and watched Zana stand in the water. It swelled around her toned legs as she concentrated intently on something below the surface. Her eyes suddenly lit up and with a graceful sweep of her hands, a large fish was carried up from the river inside of its own little liquid bubble.

"Graceful and elegant, huh?" Iroh spoke up to Zuko. He returned his uncle's look, but intensified it with a brutal scowl. He grunted and turned his attention away from Iroh and Zana and to the licking flames in front of him. It had always amazed Zuko how such a thing of power could originate from him. Granted, he was not exactly unique in his bending abilities-there were more Fire Benders than any other types of Benders in the world, but it impressed him every time. Zuko's amber eyes changed to a hue of orange and flickered with the light.

Zana appeared at his side soon enough with four large fish stuck onto two sets of sticks. She kneeled down with a tired sigh and shoved the ends of the poles into the ground so the fish were able to cook. "You think I'm a freak, huh?" Zana said into her arms atop her knees. "No, no, quite the contrary," replied Iroh, "I am just curious how you were able to teach yourself Water Bending? How did you even find out you were a Water Bender?" Zana sighed again, "Um…you see when I was born; my father questioned my very paternity due to my odd blue eyes. He felt his 'bastard child' had been fathered by one of our Water Tribe servants," Zana's eyes rolled in sarcasm over her father's past words, but it was easy to tell just how those words still stung deeply. "My mother finally convinced him that she was true to him, though I think the only reason she did stay true was in fear for her life…"

"You see…my father is a brutal man, and when my mother died while I was still young, his anger turned to rage since he couldn't have a son. I became that son in a way," she looked over to Iroh, "it's the reason I am so trained, it probably wouldn't have happened if I'd had a brother…guess I am kind of lucky, huh?" Zana gave a painful smile. She turned her focus back to the fire and their food. Bending forward, she twisted the sticks so the fish would not burn. Sitting back, she began again, "When I got older, I got very angry when my father was about to go away to the war. Though he was cruel and abusive, he was all I had. Nearby, we had a fountain in our courtyard and as I threw my arms in the air to protest, the fountain burst and spewed water everywhere. Not to mention, Father was pretty pissed and forbid me to tell anyone of that incident and to never Water Bend again." Zana's eyes were thoughtful with her tale and Iroh looked over her hunched frame to Zuko, motioning for him to say something.

"Uh, I guess you kept it up…" Zuko said quietly. Zana turned to him and smiled, "Good guess…" Her eyes didn't break contact with his, "I did a little research and discovered a Water Bender way back in my lineage. This inspired me to practice and practice, over and over from some scrolls that we had in our library. It was hard keeping it a secret, but I was able to. I know the basics pretty well; I don't think I'll have to learn more as Fire Bending came so easily for me." Iroh caught the corner of Zana's eye and gave her a greatly apologetic look; "I don't need your sympathy…" she stood after reading his expression and went back to the water's edge to gather her discarded items.

Iroh leaned into his nephew whose gaze was set on the receding girl, "She's deeply hurt. Both of you put on a hard-as-steel façade, but have very difficult pasts." "Our histories are nothing alike," Zuko frowned, but never stopped looking at Zana's back. "As a matter of fact, you are right," Iroh said. That got Zuko's attention and he turned to his uncle. "Your father wanted you and cared for you, up until the point that you defied him, but Zana's father-whoever he was-never wanted her. The amount of hurt is very different, I'm sure…" Iroh faced the fire and prodded a fish to see if it was done. Zuko growled deeply and stood up from his cross-legged position. Iroh had been right-at one point at least; Zuko's father had wanted him, whereas hers had always considered Zana a "bastard child". Damn! he thought, Why the hell am I so emotional all of a sudden. I used to be a master at masking my emotions and now, ever since Zana came into the picture, I seem to wear my feelings on my sleeves.

Zuko stormed over to where Zana was collecting her things beside the river and took a deep, slow breath to calm himself. "It hurts, doesn't it?" he said softly. All she did was freeze and look up at him. She seemed like she was waiting for more, "I mean, we're really two of a kind," Zuko remembered what Iroh had said, "both of us have been hurt by ones we loved, outcast, banished, but we try to make the best of it…" He trailed off after his eyes gave a smile so slight that Zana might have missed it if she blinked. It was her turn to grin; that was the Zuko she had always pictured ruling the Fire Nation.

She cleared her throat and stood back up, "You know, you are right… Here, I want to show you something." She began pulling him to the water's edge, her skin tingled slightly were their flesh contacted.

"What are you doing?" Zuko questioned, utterly confused. "I am going to teach you Fire Bending, Prince." "What?" he snickered, "You teach me?" "Well, I already kicked your butt once, why not show you something that may give you the advantage next time?" Zana spoke very matter-of-factly. "Hey, Uncle!" Zuko called over his shoulder, "this girl thinks she can teach me a thing or two about Fire Bending!"

Iroh looked up from the sizzling fish, "I'd listen to her if I were you, nephew. Remember last time…" he cringed at the memory. "Heh, whatever," Zuko rolled his burning eyes, "I had the best Masters train me back at the Palace since I was a child. I highly doubt you can teach me anything, Zana…" During his little speech, Iroh had made his way over to Zana and Zuko. "All right," Zana spoke with a large cockiness in her tone, "but do you know this one?"

Zana stood, feet a little more than shoulder-width apart, her left arm extended far out in front of her, facing the twinkling river. All Zuko did was watch in apprehension, his arms crossing his broad chest. Her left hand swung back and arched above her dark head and finally landing with a tiny clap atop the left one. Zana's chest shifted a bit with the concentrated breath she took to produce the minute flame in the gap now between her palms. She smiled, revealing all of her teeth to Iroh and Zuko.

"You call that a Fire Bending move? I've seen-" he was cut off by Zana bringing the little fire to her mouth, pursing her lips as if she was going to kiss it, and her tiny chest heaving with a great gust of air. That focused air caused a gigantic burst of fire large enough to engulf nearly half of Zuko's old ship towered in front of Zana's tiny frame. Zuko was struck speechless. "Is there no end to what you can do!" Iroh cried delighted and clapping his hands. Zana rubbed her hands together and approached the shocked men. "I call that the 'Kiss'…" she trailed off and eyed Zuko before heading back to the fire Zuko had made. When they could no longer see her face, Zana bit her lip to keep herself from squealing. Why did I just do that! Now he'll probably think that I am attracted to him! What then? My mission is to return him to the throne… she mentally screamed at herself. Though she had to admit that it was fun to egg Zuko on like that. Zana smiled to herself, but she denied that deep down she had wanted to give him that look in the first place, and that she was proud of acting on her impulses.

Back at the water's edge, Iroh was still ranting to Zuko about Zana's power and ability. "I have never seen anything like it! You have got to let her teach you that move!" his uncle exclaimed over and over again. All Zuko could think about was how it was possible for something so grand to originate from such a slender and fragile being. He had to remind himself, however, that she had been the one to beat him royally earlier that day. She had made such an obviously difficult move look so easy. The way her body moved so fluid-like. He hadn't seen many female Fire Benders, but even Zulema didn't move like that, so Zuko figured it was because of her Water Bending abilities.

Then, there was that look… Zuko didn't think that he had imagined it, but Zana had given him a definite "look". He was unsure as to what it meant though. She could have been just exhibiting more defiance and pride, or-"Then, how about that interesting glint she had in her eyes…" Iroh smiled mischievously and interrupted Zuko's train of thought. He faced his uncle. "I have no idea what you're talking about…" he couldn't help but look back at Zana who was now finishing off cooking the fish. "You know, nephew, the 'if I were just a few years younger' look…you know?" Iroh raised his eyebrows in a suggestive jest and nudged Zuko's arm with his shoulder. This caused Zuko's temper to flare. What really made him angry was he didn't know exactly why.

"Shut up, Uncle!" he threatened under his breath and stormed off towards Zana's direction. Iroh couldn't help but snicker as Zuko walked away. His nephew probably didn't know it yet, but he had fallen for the one of the few people who still believed in the fallen Prince. Maybe there was still a way for him to right himself again, with help from a sturdy crutch, of course.