Chapter 3: Misadventure at Midnight

Glowing Butterflies filled the summers' night as it illuminated the surrounding forest. Twilight always made her feel more alive, the way her hair danced with the trees enveloping her whole body with the cold night air. She loved it. If only night was day and day was night.

She couldn't sleep, so she snucked out of her room trying not to wake Katara up. Darker and deeper she walked, crickets and other insects were music to her ears. Following the light straight ahead she found herself on a fortress of metal. The fire nation. Not wanting to get into any trouble she backed up slowly only to collide on something hard. Spoke too soon.

With quick reflexes the fire nation soldier grabs hold of her arms, "Guards! There's an intruder in the vicinity!"

Kyra tries to get herself free but the more she tried the tighter he'd hold on, "What? Stupid! I wasn't even near the gates!"

"Silence!" he shouts as other soldiers arrived and takes her inside.

Meanwhile inside the fortress a certain prince was held captive by Admiral Zhao. He had his hands cuffed tightly with chains as he interrogates him about the whereabouts of the Avatar.

"I told you, I don't know where he is." Zuko replies for the umpteenth time

Zhao shakes his head, "No matter. I know he's going to the North Pole and by then the fleet would have arrived."

Fleet? What is he talking about? Surely he wasn't thinking of taking over the North Pole, or is he? If it's General Zhao or Admiral he knew that he'd get what he wanted at any cost. So that's his plan, Zuko smirks as his mission was complete.

Zhao rises his eyebrow in question, "Don't worry, you'll be staying here in a maximum security cell during the siege."

"We'll see about that." Right on cue an explosion emanates throughout the whole floor. Zuko jumps up and does a split in the air knocking down the soldiers beside him.

Another soldier comes in and Zuko takes advantage of this and runs towards the door as he dodges Zhao's attacks.

"What the heck is going on?" He shouts at the guard who was now sitting beside the door

"A girl was taken captive and they were taking her to the cell when she suddenly triggered an explosion by tricking the guards to fire at her and it went straight into the explosives room." The soldier replies and stands up

Zhao angered that Zuko was able to escape and a mere little girl was causing havoc he orders all of his soldiers for a lockdown and heads to the door once again knocking the soldier down.

Kyra was running around the metal corridors trying to find a way out but it seems she was in a labyrinth. She sees fire being exchanged at the end of the hallway and avoids it, wait, why were they firing at each other?

"There she is!" someone shouts behind her and she runs full speed towards the end of the hall way.

She sees the same boy with the scar back at South Pole taking out five other soldiers with his hands behind his back.

"There they are!" more soldiers came, both of them were surrounded, they were what seems to be the recreational area of the prison.

Zuko doesn't notice the girl and uses the fire being shot at him to melt the chains. Swift, whirling kicks and a few punches at the same time emitting powerful fire causes a few soldiers to be knocked out.

Kyra never liked violence, she never liked any forms of it. But, when push comes to shove. She grabs a hold of the boy after he was done taking out most of the enemies.

"What are you doing?" he shouts at her

"Just shut up and run."

They continue to run across the area almost nearing the balcony, but Zhao was the one thing that separates them from escaping.

Realizes who the girl was he laughs, "Oh, two birds with one stone, a banished prince and a run-away princess."

Kyra raises her eyebrow, "You're me mistaking for someone and I thought your guards were the stupid ones. Guess they got it from their general."

Zhao's anger heightens and hurls fireballs towards the two but Zuko was quick to disperse them and returns it back to him.

"I never knew Zuko would ask help from a little girl." He shakes his head while he pats a few smoke on his body, "I always knew you were weak."

This angers Zuko even more but, Zhao was sly. He had his men positioned above them and shoots him down with fireballs.

Kyra sees the burn marks already on his face and a few parts of his body, he was struggling to stand up.

Zuko wouldn't let it end here. He already knew his plans it would be useless if he'll let that two-faced, power-hungry sorry excuse for an Admiral just take the Avatar from him. His chances for regaining his honor would be futile. His father would disgrace him and disown him.

Remembering what his uncle thought him he breathes in slowly, clearing his mind and focuses everything on his hands. Feeling the flow of the fire coursing through his veins, he sets up for the man in front of him, with swift movements and quick agility he creates a powerful fire and directly shoots it at the Admiral where he is thrown across the area smashing hard onto the wall. Zuko had on a satisfied smirk.

"At least I know I can take you down by myself." Zuko remarks although his victory was short-lived because his whole body is under too much pain.

Kyra who just stood there awed at how skilled the boy named Zuko was she ran towards his direction and slings his hands on her shoulder and she slips hers on his lower back.

"You don't have to help me, just go." He commands her

"Oh just shut up and walk."

Zuko and Kyra were on the third floor of the fortress and their only means of escape is if they jumped, the trees could break their fall so Kyra didn't think twice of pushing the wounded Prince down and she soon followed.

They didn't reach ground without a scratch and Kyra dragged him into a nearby river after stealthily dodging the soldiers.

She laid him near the banks of the river, he was covered with burn marks, his face, arms and a few on his upper body.

Zuko tries to stand up but was pushed down by the girl, "I... Don't need your help." He says in a weak voice.

She flicks on his forehead, "Yessss... You do." She opens up his armor to find more burn marks.

Dipping her hands on the water which turns purple at contact, she retreats her hand and places them on the burn marks on his face. She caresses them and the light moves from her hands to his wounds. She does the same procedure on his arms and upper body, but the light continues to stay on his body. After holding the light in place she opens up her palms and let's her spiritual energy bond with the light and seeps onto his skin and heals them quickly.

Returning her hands on the water her right hand scoops them up but this time it turns into a silver color, her left hand continues to do a circular motion on her right. After that she forms an ice cup using her left hand and pours the silver water in.

"Zuko," Was it his name? That's what Zhao called him,"Wake up. Drink this. You took too much impact from their attack, your internal organs are still burning." She sits beside him and brings the cup on his mouth to which he obliged and drinks all of them.

Kyra found refuge near a huge tree with long and thick roots which was also close enough to the water, she made a fire and used some of the leaves for Zuko's bed.

She sighs, she never thought that taking a walk would lead her almost being sent to prison and be caught up in a feud between Zhao and Zuko. She shook her head, that man never changed, since the day he was starting out as a soldier he did anything just to get what he wants.

Kyra sat near the fire she had created and looked up at the starry night sky. Sighing, she could almost smell the sunrise, in about five hours. She hears a groan coming from the boy she recently treated.

Zuko didn't know what to feel, his body was feeling heat and cold at the same time, he didn't want to scream but groaning was inevitable. Suddenly a girl was beside him it was the girl from the Southern Tribe, she had a cold cup on his lips and he drank it. The fire turned into cold, the burning sensation was gone.

He wipes his mouth and she gently pushes his body to lean on the roots, "Does it still feel hot inside your body?" she asks

Zuko shakes his head, "No."

Smiling she nods in content but hands him over another cup, "Just to be sure."

He takes it and drinks it down and his body felt as if it turned into ice, it was a good feeling, a change from the continuous heat he always felt. They both sat in silence both scrutinizing one another surely Zuko was intrigued why she'd go to the extent of helping him even staying to heal his wounds.

Zuko looks away from her silver-gray eyes that seemed to read his soul, "Thanks." He seemed hesitant, "For everything."

She was in front of him in an instant placing a palm on his forehead, "I think you're still burning up."

Zuko pries her hands off, "I'm dead serious."

She shrugs, "No problem, Prince Zuko." She adds sarcasm on the latter.

He raises his eyebrow, "I don't know what to call you."

Realization strikes her and her lips forms an 'o' shape, "Oh yeah, I'm Kyra." She hears the sound of a familiar ship, "Your ride's here. Be sure to drink lots of cold water whenever your organs are burning up although I think you just need more rest." She stands up, "See you around."

A fire nation ship stops and here comes his uncle running towards him and the girl named Kyra was gone in the distance. He has a feeling that's not the last he's gonna see her and that's what bothers him.