I owe you guys tons of apologies. I've been so late in coming to you with this it's ridiculous. I had part of it written but whenever I sat down to finish it it just never really came to me. I was on spring break but even so, it wasn't a great time for writing. I sprained my ankle tripping, and just when I was getting better, I tripped and hurt it again. I also got a stomach bug and we were convince we were going to have to put down our dog. She's still with us, but she's 17, and not doing so well now. All in all, it just hasn't been a great week or so, and I've been in a pretty useless mood. I didn't even do my spring break assignment, which is gonna bite me in the butt when I go back to school tomorrow. *winces* Crap, life sucks right now...

The night in Ba Sing Se was cold, and Kyuri reveled in it as they stepped outside. Zuko, however, shivered slightly and she felt his body heat rise in response to the cold. Kyuri sent Sangilak quick overview of her plans for the night. He agreed and gave his blessing.

"But if he tries anything, I'll roast him."

Kyuri huffed.

"What's wrong?" Zuko asked.

"Sangilak is threatening to roast you if you try anything. No matter how many times I assure him I'm capable of fending for myself he insists on playing the protective father role."

"What's it like being connected to a dragon like that?" Zuko wondered as they started walking without any real purpose.

"At first, it was painful, like having a presence digging into my mind. But I adjusted and made room for Sangilak, and then it was amazing. I had the wisdom of many lifetimes at my disposal, as well as the memories and emotions of times I never got to personally see. Dragons hoard knowledge like kings hoard allies, and that's another bonus. But mostly there's the fact of knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that you're never alone. I can force Sangilak out of my mind, but only death can break the Sankole."

Zuko listened intently. Kyuri spoke clinically as if breaking down some function, but there was emotion behind it. Fondness and tenderness, as well as a soft quality he'd never heard out of her. Nor would he probably hear after this. Something about tonight was special; he could tell it in the charged atmosphere between them. But after this, things would go back to normal.

"What did you mean about Appa? And the Dai Li?" Zuko asked.

"Appa was kidnapped by Sandbenders in the desert," Kyuri explained. "We have evidence he was brought here. Aang's desperate to find him. We all are," she admitted.

"And about the Dai Li?"

Kyuri paused. "That's a long story. Suffice it to say, we managed to make their leader highly annoyed. Apparently, talk of the war isn't allowed. The middle and upper ring are shockingly uninformed," she huffed.

"How so?"

"Are you aware that a drill tried to carve through the outer wall, and almost succeeded?"

"I saw the end that came through the wall," Zuko said, recalling seeing the monstrosity while out running errands for his uncle.

"Hm. No one knows about that in the other two rings, and the Dai Li is dead set on keeping it that way."

"Are you serious?" Zuko demanded. How could an entire population miss something like that?

"Deadly serious. Although I doubt you know who was in charge of that drill."

"Judging by your voice, I'm going to guess Azula."

"And company."

"Ty Lee and Mai were with her?" Zuko blinked. "I haven't seen them in years…."

"You know them before?" Kyuri asked interestedly. She wondered about Mai and Ty Lee far more than she wondered about Azula. The powerful and power-hungry were a dime a dozen. People like Mai and Ty Lee, masters of their craft, were rarer.

"They were Azula's friends as children," Zuko recalled. "Azula used to get mad that Ty Lee was better at flips than her. And Mai-" He broke off and Kyuri looked up at him, surprised to see his cheeks slightly flushed.

"What about her?" she pressed casually.

"We, er… We dated. For a while."

"Ah," Kyuri said, frowning as her stomach gave a peculiar lurch. Probably because she hadn't eaten all day. As if to reinforce that idea, her stomach gave a loud rumble. Zuko looked down at her, amused.

"Hungry?"

"Starving," she admitted.

Zuko shifted uncomfortably. "We could… go somewhere. And eat. Together." He wasn't sure why he tacked on the last bit. It was obvious. This was already uncomfortable enough. Dinner with the enemy, a foreign concept.

"Would you mind?" Kyuri asked. "I think there's a place at the end of this road."

"There is," Zuko recalled.

"Then lead on," she said. Together they walked into the restaurant. They were seated, gave their orders, and were supplied with food. Zuko watched in surprise as Kyuri immediately descended on the food. She ate quickly but cleanly, not spilling a drop of her soup.

Kyuri soon became aware of Zuko watching her eat, his own food untouched. She looked up at him, somewhat embarrassed. "What?" she asked.

"I've never seen you eat before," Zuko said, giving a small, awkward shrug. Kyuri snorted.

"I am human," she said as she stabbed a dumpling with her chopsticks. She popped it into her mouth as Zuko started on his fish. Kyuri blinked. She knew he grew up as a prince, and would therefore have impeccable table manners; nothing less would be accepted, but it was such a huge change to see a guy eating with such refinement, a welcome change from Aang's bolting and Sokka's face-stuffing.

"What?" Zuko asked after he swallowed his bite of fish.

"I've never seen you eat before," Kyuri teased, stealing a bite of fish from his plate and trying it. She closed her eyes and smiled in delight. "I've missed fish since we've been travelling. And stewed sea prunes," she added. Zuko made a face. "You've had them?" she asked in surprise.

"No, but that doesn't sound in any way good."

"Oh, what would you know?" Kyuri huffed, eating another dumpling.

Zuko spoke suddenly, "For a while, I wasn't so sure you were human. I've never seen anyone fight like you do."

"How so?" Kyuri asked. "The style? Dual katana? Or are you referring to my bending or hand-to-hand styles?"

"All of it," Zuko said, shaking his head. "I'd never seen anyone as good as you. I'm envious that you're so good," he admitted.

"I had a decade of little but practice, so don't feel too bad," Kyuri said with a huff, shaking her head as well. "You were envious and I was admiring, all the while we tried to beat each other black and blue."

"Admiring?" Zuko asked, catching the word.

"Yes, admiring," Kyuri repeated. "I admire you?"

"Huh?" Zuko gaped. "Why? I'd have thought you'd hate me!"

"You'd think that, wouldn't you?" Kyuri mused, propping her head on one hand as the other absently twirled her spoon through her soup. "But no, I've nothing against you personally, if only you'd stop trying to capture my friends. In fact, I found myself admiring your skill in following us and your determination to follow us so far. I'll admit I was shocked to see you in the North Pole. Traditionally not a place Firebenders fare well."

They fell silent as they finished their meal, each consumed in thought. Zuko was mulling over the idea of Kyuri actually admiring him with Kyuri thought on the idea of Zuko envying her.

Kyuri insisted on splitting the check with him, going so far as to place her knife calmly on the table and announcing, "I take care of myself, thank you though." They left and continued their walk. They talked about meaningless things, little tidbits of news from about Ba Sing Se, until they reached a courtyard with a fountain in it. Unlit lanterns stood around it and floated in the dark water.

"The Firelight Fountain," Kyuri realized. "I heard some people talking out it. They said it was beautiful when lit. A shame it's not now," she lamented. Zuko looked at her sideways. She had her head cocked and was looking at it intently, her nose wrinkled cutely, as if trying to work out what it looked like when lit.

What would it hurt? he decided as he took a stance. He spun and twisted, tiny fire blasts flying from the tips of his fingers and lighting the lanterns. The whole fountain sparkled and danced, the reflections of the light shifting with the water in the fountain.

"It is beautiful," Kyuri said, smiling as she walked toward the fountain. Zuko openly stared as she sat on the edge, casually poking one of the lanterns and sending it floating off across the water. She turned to look at him and his mind suddenly flashed back to the painting he'd seen in the town with the fortuneteller. Without her pain, Kyuri's face had that same softness as she looked at him. Once again she was backed by fire and water. It struck him them that she was quite beautiful.

He watched as she dipped her hands into the water and splashed it onto her face. It soaked her collar. She pulled it away with bending, peeling off the now-liquid remains of her makeup and the coal dust that had dyed the white streak to match the rest of her black hair. She sat before him as he'd never seen her: barefaced and smiling slightly.

There really was something special about tonight, he decided. He'd likely never see her with her guard down this far again. Part of him whispered to grab her, knock her out, use her as bait for the Avatar. He pushed that part aside. Another part whispered to sit next to her and take her hand. He pushed that bit away too.

"Full moon," Kyuri observed, glancing at the silver orb hanging in the sky. "My bending's at its peak. Good, I'll need the extra strength tonight."

"Why?" Zuko asked, suddenly suspicious. What if she was luring him out here to defeat him, capture him?

"Forging requires a lot of strength," she explained. Her hand flicked out, five streams of water following her twisting fingers.

"Forging?" Zuko blinked. That was definitely not what he'd expected. "You're a smith?"

Kyuri laughed. "Not hardly. Metal is completely beyond me. Scales, however, are not."

"Scales?" Zuko asked, confused.

"Mm," she nodded. "In the past it was common for Dragora to use the scales their dragons shed to make gifts for family and close friends. Items like this were extremely treasured, as much for the monetary value and the skill that went into making them as the sentiment behind them."

"But I thought dragon scales were indestructible?" Zuko mused.

"Almost," Kyuri corrected. "Fire can get under them and wound the skin beneath. It takes dragon's fire to heat them to such a degree that they can be molded and shaped."

"And who are these gifts for?" Zuko wondered. "The Avatar and company?"

"I intend to make them something, yes, but not tonight," she said. "I have another person in mind."

"Who?"

"A young couple," Kyuri admitted. "I've decided to make them wedding rings."

Zuko blinked. Weddings rings of dragons scales? Such exquisite gifts for just a couple of strangers she barely knew? That didn't fit with what she'd told him about the value of dragon scale gifts.

"For strangers?" he questioned.

"Strangers that taught me a lesson," Kyuri corrected. "For the longest time I swore that when and if I ever decided I wanted a child, I would follow the dragon's example."

"Which is?"

"Mate and take off to raise the child on your own," she said bluntly. "But lately I've come to realize that I'd prefer to have a loving family than a one-night stand and a fatherless child."

"You are without the doubt the weirdest person I've ever met."

"People say that to me quite frequently," Kyuri said, frowning. "I've yet to figure out why." She glanced at the sky again. "The moon is at its peak. I should go. I have hours of work ahead of me." She rose and smoothed her skirts. "Goodnight Zuko."

"Goodnight, Kyuri."

Without another word, she turned and walked away. Zuko stood there and watched her go until she vanished around a corner and into the night. Then he returned to the apartment he shared with his uncle.

"You were out late," Iroh said slyly as he entered. "I saw you and Kyuri leave together. What were you two up to?"

"We walked and talked," Zuko said bluntly as he went into his room. "And we had dinner and went to the Firelight Fountain," he added as an afterthought.

"That sounds faintly like a date," Iroh laughed.

"It was not a date!"

Kyuri faced a similar discussion when she got back to the house.

"Where were you?" Katara demanded when she walked in. "We were worried sick!"

"I went for a walk after I left work," Kyuri said absently. "Where are my dragon scales?"

"Over there, but that's not important!" Katara huffed, pointing to the pouch by the wall. "You were just walking?"

"Yes."

"Why stay out so late?"

"I got hungry so I stopped for dinner," Kyuri said as she scooped up the bag and headed for the back door.

"Where are you going?"

"Outside," Kyuri shrugged. "I wouldn't advise going out there. "It's about to get hot."

"What was that?" Sokka demanded as Kyuri vanished out the backdoor.

"I don't know. She was almost… breezy," Aang said, struggling for a word.

Kyuri approached Sangilak. She sat down on a bench and spread the scales out in a pile beside her. She poked and prodded at them, examining their color in the moonlight. It was like sifting through a pile of gems. Kyuri pawed through them, squinting and comparing scales.

Finally, she selected four scales, and only four. The others were scooped back into the bag and set aside for a different night. Kyuri walked over to Sangilak and held the scales out in her palms. He looked them over carefully.

"The color matches perfectly. All exactly the same shade."

"I know. It was hard to find so many the exact same color. You're a rainbow, Sangilak."

Sangilak huffed. "Let's do this."

"Okay," Kyuri agreed. She placed the scales carefully back on the bench and turned. She opened up the top layer of her robe and slid it off her shoulders. It hung around her waist loosely, held up only by her sash. Kyuri stood there under the moon, clad in her skirts and breast bindings. She glanced up at the full moon and took a deep breath of night air, feeling the energy fill her.

Kyuri raised her hands. Around her, the grass blackened and cracked as the water was pulled from it in streams. It coiled into a small orb in between Kyuri's palms. She closed her eyes and concentrated on the design. A ring of emptiness appeared in the middle. She paused for a moment, breathing deeply, and then began tracing along the edges the design she had chosen. It was difficult, as she couldn't see inside the tiny orb of water, so she had to go by feel, and keep the parts she'd already finished in place.

With a flick of her fingers, Kyuri turned the orb to ice. Carefully, she sat it down on the bench and knelt before it, taking a deep breath. She placed the tip of her fingernail against the edge. A small hole bored through to the ring in the center. Kyuri held her breath, praying the ice wouldn't crack.

When it didn't, she picked up two of the scales and held them in her fist. Kyuri walked over to Sangilak. She stood to the side of his mouth and held out her fist in front of him. Sangilak took a deep breath, eyes intently focused on her hand. His lips parted ever so slightly. A thin stream of fire, white with its intensity, shot out of the tiny gap. Kyuri flinched instinctively as the fire bathed her hand, but she felt no pain. A dragon's fire couldn't hurt its Dragora. Instead, she only felt a small tickling sensation and a pleasant warmth.

She could feel the scales clenched in her hand as they melted, liquefying into a dark blue puddle. Kyuri clenched her fingers together tightly so nothing would leak out, and nodded to Sangilak. He stopped the fire and Kyuri took two long, quick steps to the bench, throwing herself down beside the mold. She positioned her hand over the hole. Her other hand gripped the mold tightly.

Kyuri focused intently on the mold, letting the energy of the moon leak into her. She'd need it for this. She opened her fingers slightly, letting the molten scales pour through into the mold. Kyuri whimpered with effort as she forced the ice to remain solid and not melt under the intense heat of the scales.

When the last of the scales was poured into the mold Kyuri put her other hand on the mold two, closing her eyes and focusing. Letting the shape shift for even a second could ruin the whole thing. She had to keep it solid, or the whole thing would be ruined.

For long minutes she sat there, head bowed, eyes closed, clenching a small orb of ice in her hand. The moonlight fell like a hole on her head. She was aware of the cold ground under her knees. It grew painful, and then went numb, taking the pain away, but still all of her attention was on the mold.

When she finally felt the ring to be as cold as the ice surrounding it, Kyuri released it. She groaned as she lifted her head and unfolded from her kneeling position. Reaching out with one finger, she tapped the mold sharply. It shattered under her touch, and there was a small sound of something metallic on stone as a ring fell from inside the mold, clinking against the bench. Kyuri held it up in the moonlight, exhausted, and knowing full well she still had another to make.

It was gorgeous. The ring was dark blue, like the scales on Sangilak's belly and under his jaw. The color shifted as the light hit it. The ring was thin and feminine. The design was simple. Three loosely braided strands. Tiny patterns of lilies ran around each of the threads, catching the light and seeming to glow under the moon.

Kyuri put the ring down on the bench and repeated the whole process for the second ring. This one took longer, and the son was going up by the time she finished, making it harder without the full moon's power. Kyuri tapped the ice and released the second ring from its mold. It dropped and she picked it up, checking it for flaws.

This one was more masculine. The strands were thicker and straighter with no embellishment. It was simple, but elegant, and good for someone who worked with their hands. No unnecessary ornamentation.

"You're already up!"

Kyuri turned to see Katara standing in the doorway. She smiled wearily.

"Actually, I never went to bed," she corrected, scooping up the rings and the pouch of dragon scales. She staggered inside, past Katara, and dropped the scales back with the rest of her things. The rings she tucked into an inside pocket.

"What were you doing?" Katara asked as Kyuri wandered into her room and flopped face-down onto her pallet. Her only response was a deep breath. Kyuri was already asleep, dead to the world. Katara shook her head, wondering what on earth had kept her up so late, and what it could have to do with dragon scales.

Kyuri woke up in time for her shift, which was highly convenient. She quickly changed her clothes, paying special attention and making sure she transferred the rings from her sweaty, rumpled clothes to her new, clean ones. It wouldn't do to forget them. She quickly brushed out her hair and applied the makeup that characterized Kida. Zuko and Iroh may know who she was, but to Pao and the tea shop customers, she was still just Kida, who'd lost her family in a Fire Nation raid.

Kyuri went quickly to the shop and walked inside. To her relief, Zuko and Iroh weren't there yet. Something about knowing that Zuko knew who she was made the prospect of interacting with him seem at once more exciting and more terrifying.

She stepped into the kitchen and froze, and inch from Zuko, who was exiting with a pot of tea.

"Hey," he said, shifting awkwardly.

"Hey," she replied, looking just as uncomfortable. She hastily stepped to the side and Zuko walked past her. Kyuri let out a relieved huff of air and pulled on her apron, getting down to work.

It wasn't the same though. Before, if she'd caught Zuko's eye across the room it was easy to play off with Kida's friendly smile or a nod of acknowledgement. Now they seemed to catch gazes and hold until one of the gained the courage to break it. Kyuri found herself constantly blushing whenever he looked at her. She was fidgeting endlessly, twirling her hair and biting her lip.

What was this?

"Kida!"

Kyuri smiled at Sayuri genuinely, thanking her for the distraction. Chang sat across from her, holding her hand and looking at Kyuri edgily.

"I'm not going to hurt you," Kyuri deadpanned as she approached their table.

"Sayuri said you had something you wanted to give us," Chang said sheepishly.

"I do," Kyuri nodded. "She mentioned that there were some financial concerns-"

Chang's face hardened. "We won't take handouts."

"-so I did this. And it cost me nothing but a sleepless night," Kyuri finished.

"Yes, you do look tired," Sayuri said. "I think you need tea more than we do right now."

"I'll be fine," Kyuri said, waving her concerns away. She reached into her pocket and drew out the rings in her fist. She placed them on the table with a clink, her hand covering them for a moment, just to raise the suspense, and then pulling away.

"Wedding rings," Kyuri said as the couple gaped at them.

"They're beautiful," Sayuri breathed, picking hers up and looking at it in the light. She frowned at the color, which shifted, iridescent, in the light of the shop.

"What are they made of?" Chang wondered. "Some kind of blued steel?"

"Hardly," Kyuri scoffed. "I can't forge steel."

"You made these?" Sayuri blinked. "In one night? But… they're so intricate. It looks like sapphire."

"Actually, they're made of dragon scale."

Chang and Sayuri looked up at her, eyes wide and jaws slack.

"We can't accept these," Sayuri said weakly.

"Hold on," Chang said, narrowing his eyes in suspicion. "How would you get access to dragon scales? And how can you melt something that's impervious to heat?"

"A dragon's scales are not impervious to its own fire after they've been shed," Kyuri explained. "And as to how I got them, my dragon shed recently and I make a habit of gathering his scales."

"Your- your dragon," Sayuri choked. Kyuri smiled pleasantly.

"Dragora Kyuri, at your service," she said with a small bow. Her face hardened suddenly. "Of course, I'll have to ask you to keep that to yourselves."

"Of course your highness, uh, your Dragora-ness, uh… ma'am?" Chang scrambled.

"Kyuri works fine."

"We really can't accept these," Sayuri said. "They're too much."

"Please, then think of them as payment," Kyuri said, holding up her hand. Sayuri looked at her, confused.

"Payment for what? We've done nothing for you."

"Not true," Kyuri said. "You taught me something about a concept I've struggled with for quite a while."

"What's that?"

"Love."

Sayuri beamed up at her. "I knew it! You had this look on your face when we talked… I knew there was someone you cared about!"

"Hm," Kyuri said, her eyes flicking up to glance at Zuko again. That familiar warm, tingling feeling rushed through her again and she shook her head. "Perhaps."

"Thank you, Ki- uh, Kyuri," Sayuri corrected.

"You're welcome," Kyuri said. She took a breath, distancing herself from the emotion of the situation as she pulled out her notepad for orders. "Now can I get you some tea?"

Chang laughed. "Jasmine and orange spice?"

"Coming right up."

Kyuri walked off into the kitchen.

"Hey."

"Hey," Kyuri said shyly as Zuko greeted her.

"So, about last night-"

Kyuri went absolutely still. She turned to face him, heart pounding what about it? It had been truly enjoyable, amazing actually, to sit across from him and talk without one of them being injured in the process. She found she liked his company, she liked it a lot.

"What about it?" she finally asked.

"That was… nice."

Kyuri blinked at him. "Excuse me?"

Zuko looked at her, hastily backtracking. "I mean, I just thought it was nice to talk and not fight, I mean, if you didn't, I-"

"I've never understood why people are so concerned about concerning others to the point of turning themselves into blabbering fools," Kyuri said casually. "I quite frankly don't care what you say to me Zuko, so long as it's not deliberately insulting. I'm very hard to offend, and I appreciate frankness." She paused for a moment, smiling a bit. "And I agree. I enjoyed myself as well."

"Good," Zuko said quickly. He brought a hand to the back of his neck and rubbed sheepishly. "Because what I was going to say is… Well I wanted to know if…. Could we maybe?"

"Frankness," Kyuri reminded him.

"Would you like to do it again sometime?" Zuko asked in a rush. He'd thought about it a lot last night. He hadn't been lying when he said he'd envied Kyuri's skill from day one, but last night he'd realized something else. He'd grown up a royal, entwined by his birth in a mess of political intrigue. Her own bluntness was a breath of fresh air. She was pretty too, something he'd only acknowledged last night.

And he liked her company. He'd admit it, if only to himself. When she wasn't attempting to knock him out, she was quite calm and placid, but in a different way that Mai had always been. With Mai, it was so hard to tell if she was being honest or not, if she really meant what she was saying or if she was just doing as was expected, like she always did. With Kyuri, he knew that every word coming out of her mouth was honest, whether it hurt or not. It was clear that there was something under the emotionless mask that was starting to crack. He found himself curious to see what it was.

Kyuri opened her mouth to respond, but found she had no words. "Ah-" She snapped her mouth shut abruptly and chewed over her answer.

"I'm sorry," Zuko said immediately, taking her silence as rejection. "It's just if we both had fun… I'm going crazy with no one to talk to but my uncle, and I… You're good company. Btu if you're not interested."

"I am," Kyuri admitted. "It's just…

"Just what?" Zuko asked immediately. He'd pictured this going many different ways, most of them involving weapons and fists, but her agreeing was not something he'd honestly expected, and she sounded on the edge of just that.

"Well," Kyuri said, leaning back against the counter. "I only wonder… can we? We both have obligations, you to the Fire Nation and I to the Avatar." She hesitated on the next bit. "A… friendship between us. Would that be wise?"

Zuko blinked at her. In all honesty he hadn't considered that in all his thinking last night. He truthfully hadn't even considered what ramifications this could have in relation to his family or his country.

"I… don't really think it's anyone's business what we do in our free time," Zuko said slowly. Kyuri seemed to think on that for a moment before smiling slightly.

"You're right," she said. She took a deep breath. "So, what should we do?"

Zuko froze. "Uh, I didn't actually… think that far ahead."

Kyuri pondered thoughtfully. "Meet me here at sunset," she said. "I have an idea."

"What?" Zuko asked with interest. Kyuri smiled, and this time it was taunting, promising, a completely new smile to him.

"You'll see," she said secretively. For an instant, she looked like a child planning a prank. "Just wear something you don't mind getting wet."

"Huh?"

"See you later," Kyuri said as she poured the orange spice and jasmine teas and took them out to Chang and Sayuri.

"That took a while," Sayuri noted. "Did something happen in there?"

Kyuri straightened and blinked. "Yes, I… I believe I just got a date."

So, we're in the 'my body knows something my brain doesn't' phase. Zuko and Kyuri are both getting ideas, and a date next chapter. There was kind of a mini-date in this chapter, but if you're read Avatar Amaya you know that's not nearly enough date action for me.