[A/N: This chapter just came so quickly and easily; I really can't wait until Sunday to post it. Cheers.]

Chapter VI: The Bridge

A fire was crackling steadily in the middle of the circle the group had made around it. Raya sat with her legs folded comfortably next to Aang and watched, along with the rest of them, Zuko pouring several cups of tea. She sighed lightly in contentment. Things had been very peaceful amongst the group since Aang, Zuko, and the Demitar's return from the Sun Warrior civilization. The daily routine had become mostly training; fire when she was with Aang, and then her own drills to rebuild muscle tone and strength.

"No one makes tea like Uncle, but hopefully it's still pretty good," Zuko apologized as he began to move around the group, offering each individual a steaming cup. They all accepted gratefully and as he knelt by the boy she had come to know as Haru – an earth bender – he said, "Would you guys like to hear Uncle's favorite tea joke?"

A chorus of 'sure' rang through the air as everyone looked toward him expectantly. He smiled and then looked a bit befuddled.

"Well, I don't remember how it starts, but the end goes, 'leaf me alone, I'm bushed!'", Zuko said, looking around at the lackluster reactions. "It's better when Uncle tells it . . ."

"Maybe, that's because he remembers the whole thing," Katara remarked, though there didn't seem to be any malice in her words. She accepted her cup with a nod of thanks as he passed by her and Aang took two cups, handing the second to Raya.

"Thanks," She said, smiling as she inhaled the pleasant aroma of the tea. Taking a sip, she let the liquid sit in her mouth for a moment to taste, then let it wash down. If she were being honest with herself, it was actually quite nice.

"I'd like to meet your Uncle someday," Raya said. Zuko paused and looked at her with subtle joy.

"I think he would be honored to know you," he replied, kneeling down finally to give Sokka the second to last cup. She noticed that Sokka had looked more distracted than usual, and his witty comments were not nearly as frequent as they usually were. She was too far away to hear the words exchanged between them, but couldn't help but wonder what was eating at Sokka badly enough that he would request a private audience with Zuko.

The two left the circle non-chalantly and no one else in the group seemed overly concerned about it. Raya turned her attention to everyone left in the circle, trying keep herself from wondering about the business the two had together.

"It's really nice to relax like this," Toph commented to no one in particular as she leaned back on one hand and continued to enjoy her tea with the other.

"Yeah, it feels like we never stop moving," Katara commented.

"How do you think I feel? I practice three elements a day!" Aang said with mock self-pity and everyone laughed lightly at the air nomad.

"You get to spend the day with some of the greatest benders I've ever known; sounds like a tragedy," Haru joked.

"I don't know about 'greatest'," Raya said modestly.

"Speak for yourself," Toph said to no one's surprise. As everyone continued to joke and banter, the Fire Prince and water tribe boy made their way back into the circle. Zuko sat down beside Raya holding his cup of tea. He reheated it a bit with fire bending before taking a sip. Raya hadn't noticed she'd been watching him expectantly, and when he looked over to her she smiled awkwardly. He returned the smile, but she could see the turmoil of preoccupation behind his eyes.

She wanted to ask, but knew that it wasn't her place to pry into his business with others. Sokka looked a bit less reserved, but he too held something in his gaze that told Raya there was something both of them were keeping to themselves. Knowing that it would do her no good to dwell on something she couldn't control, she focused on finishing her tea.

"It's really good," She mentioned to break Zuko's silence.

"You won't be saying that after you've had Uncle's tea," he said, shaking his head with a grin.

"I look forward to it," she smiled, drinking the last of the liquid remaining in her cup.

X

"There, see how much more fun it is to play together?" A tall elegant woman said, handing a wooden dinosaur toy to a young girl with silk white hair. She inspected it curious amber eyes and smiled gleefully.

"Girls can't play dinosaurs!" an irritated young boy with the same startlingly white hair said.

"Yes, they can!" the girl protested. "Girls can do anything boys can!"

"No, they can't Raya!" he argued heatedly, trying to reclaim the toy.

"Kulo! I've had just about enough!" the woman chastised. Her soft oval face hardened into a stern mask. Kulo scowled at Raya and stopped trying to liberate his toy –one of many- from her grasp. "Your sister is only trying to play with you," she said, her face softening now. She often found it difficult to say mad at either of her children for long.

"Ahma? I'm sorry to intrude, but there's a man at the door asking for you; he claims to be sent from the palace." The house keeper waited in the doorway patiently for her mistress's response.

"Oh," she said, her face becoming pale suddenly as she looked over to the house keeper. "See him in, please. I'll be along shortly," she instructed.

"Of course," the house keeper obliged as she retreated from the door way to her task.

"Behave, please," Ahma said finally to her children after a few moments of silence. She patted each of their heads affectionately before she took her leave. The moment Ahma's slender figure disappeared around the doorway, Kulo seized his opportunity to yank the dinosaur roughly from Raya's hands. The tears of childhood injustice slid down her round cheeks and she rubbed her eye angrily.

"Why are you so mean, Kulo?" she demanded, wondering whether she should bother to try wrestling the toy away.

"Girls don't play with dinosaurs. They play with dollies," Kulo stated simply as he sat on the ground, forcing his other dinosaurs into imaginary duals. He pushed them together roughly while making small growling noises with his throat.

"Mom said you have to share," she reminded him.

"Mom is dumb," Kulo said, turning his back to her.

"She is not!" Raya said angrily. "I'm telling her you said that!" She dashed for the door and heard her brother's wooden dinosaurs clatter across the ground as he gave chase. The hall way she ran along was decorated with a few family pictures, one of which contained her father. She hadn't seen him since Kulo was born. He was a naval officer for Lord Sozin's fleet of war ships, and spent a great deal of time at sea as such.

The large sitting room was occupied by Raya's mother and a pudgy grey haired man. He was sitting very straight on the edge of a chair that faced Ahma. The air in the room was tense and as Raya burst in, it seemed like she brought with her a bit of life.

"My daughter," Ahma said in apology as she stood to escort the young Raya from the room. The man watched Raya with dark eyes and she looked at her mother for comfort. Ahma led her daughter into the hallway and knelt for a moment, pushing back some of her silken hair from her face. "Go play, darling." She smiled and stood then, returning to the tense atmosphere of the room.

She wanted to rush back in, but heeded her mother's command. Something about the way the man watched her made Raya feel sick and she forgot entirely about what had made her seek her mother out in the first place.

"Tattle," her brother's voice came from behind, and she assumed he probably had a nasty look on his face.

"It's 'tattle tell'," she corrected. "And I didn't." She continued to stare at the door through which her mother had disappeared and wondered what the man had to discuss with her. Even though her mother had smiled, there was a look behind it that made her feel uneasy.

"What's wrong with you?" Kulo asked.

"What do you think they're talking about?"

"Dunno," he said, peering at the door as well. "Let's find out." He walked up to the edge of the door way, just out of sight of those within, and listened intently.

"Kulo! You can't! Mom would be mad," Raya said, though she was no less tempted to do the same.

"She won't know if you don't tell her," Kulo said, glaring. "Come on. 'Fraidy-cat." She huffed at his taunt, but moved closer to the door all the same. The conversation within began to meet her ears softly:

"I'm not sure what you're asking."

"The girl will be an idol of the people. She must begin training and grooming, to fulfill her duties to her country."

"That's insane! She's barely halfway to fourteen. We're supposed to have until then."

"The Fire Lord has made his wishes very clear, Ahma."

"You're asking me to give you my only daughter, a child, away as though it is my sole duty."

"It is your duty; to your Fire Lord."

"I can't," there seemed to be a waver in her voice.

"You must."

Raya backed away from the door quickly and looked at her brother with shock and confusion written all over her face. Her brother looked just as confused as she was, but before they could exchange any words at all Raya was running as far from the room as she could. The only thing her young mind could conjure was for her to hide.

The fire oak in the back yard had begun to change color as summer faded into autumn. The air outside was still comfortable, but cold nights had been driving the leaves to their change. Varying hues of red and orange were littered across the ground as some of the leaves had already detached from the branches high above. A canary-jay sung somewhere high in the tree top, commanding the world below as his audience.

Raya perched against the side of the tree that faced the garden, away from the house, and tucked her knees under her chin. She stared at the ground, willing her mind to quiet.

"There you are," her mother's voice drifted over her. She wanted to be angry, but she couldn't turn away from the comforting voice. She looked up, and Ahma's prepared smile completely melted, leaving behind only sadness. "Come here, my love," she said, sitting gently next to Raya and holding her close.

"I don't want to go away," Raya said finally.

"I know. I don't want you to go, either," Ahma said. "But we will visit you every day, your brother and I."

"Kulo won't visit . . ." she said, making a face.

"He will," she insisted. "And it will be like you never left. That's how much we'll see you." Ahma smiled gently down at Raya, and after a lot of patience, she smiled in return. Ahma pulled her daughter closer and Raya snuggled into her mother's side as she began to sing one of Raya's favorite lullaby's softly.

Leaves from the vine,

Falling so slow . . .

Like fragile tiny shells,

Drifting in the foam . . .

X

Raya woke with a crick in her neck and her face dampened by a cold sweat. She rubbed her face with her hands, and instead of groggy felt wide awake. She sat up and rested her elbows on her raised knees, looking out over the sleeping forms of the others. As she wondered why her mind continued to regurgitate painful memories of her past, she realized that two of the sleeping sacks were gone, and so were the people that belonged in them.

She stood quietly and walked to the edge of the large room they had been using as a dining hall slash sleeping quarters and observed that the sun had just barely begun it's ascent into the sky. There weren't even colors painting the horizon yet. Looking toward Rai Jin, Appa, and Momo, she spotted Zuko and Sokka arguing via whisper over the contents of a piece of parchment they held between themselves.

"That's not believable," Zuko hissed under his breath.

"Are you kidding? That's so believable; I'm the meat guy!" Sokka whisper shouted. Just as he finished making his point to Zuko, the paper was slipped easily from their hands and Raya twisted it around so that she could read it clearly.

"Need meat, gone fishing, be back in a few days, Sokka and Zuko." Raya lowered the paper and looked at them both deadpan. "Nope, that's pretty much Sokka," she said.

"Raya!" they both said in unison as she lowered the parchment and looked at them expectantly.

"Uh, yeah, just fishing. Really," Sokka said, reaching for the paper.

"She's not buyin' it," Zuko said.

"Not even a little bit?" Sokka said with a dumb smile and raised brows.

"None," she said. "Where are you really going?" She looked from Sokka to Zuko and her eyes lingered on the latter. She always found herself pause when their eyes met. His scar always caused her to think of damaging parts of her own past, but luckily for her they were much more easily hidden. His mistake was constantly laid bare for the world to recognize.

"The boiling rock," Zuko finally said, looking away from her. She tried to play it off as she had not just held unnecessarily prolonged eye contact with the Fire Prince, and her brow creased in fury.

"What!?" she whisper shouted, moving her eyes from one to the other, waiting for a proper explanation.

"Gee Zuko, why don't you just invite her along," Sokka scowled.

"Sorry," he said with a shrug, though he didn't sound remotely repentant.

"Okay, yes, we're going to the boiling rock. It's where they may be taking my dad. I need to do whatever I can to save him."

"You're going to the highest security prison in the Fire Nation on an 'if'?" Raya asked, her anger morphing into concern.

"I have to do this, Raya," Sokka said, snatching the note from her hand and tucking it into Momo's gangly lemur arms. The creature didn't stir at all and simply continued to breathe evenly. "If you care about my sister's sanity, you'll let them find this note, and pretend you have no idea we are going anywhere but fishing."

"Zuko," Raya said, turning now to the Fire Prince, hoping he at least would see reason. "You can't. You'll be one of the most wanted people in the nation; you're going to just waltz right into prison? Save them all the trouble of hunting you down?" she spoke quickly. She realized how emotional she was becoming over this, but couldn't find the ambition to calm herself.

"He doesn't stand a chance without me," Zuko said, but she could see the flicker of understanding in his eyes. Raya knew he understood the massive risk he was taking, and there was nothing she would be able to say or do in order to stop him. She sighed and looked at the ground for a moment, accepting that fact. She gave Sokka a brooding look before she turned her eyes to Zuko. He was looking off to his right slightly with a fixed expression. Her heart gave a painful thud as she considered the possibility of never seeing him again if things went poorly.

"Three days," she said, looking sternly at Sokka before she wrapped her arms - growing stronger by the day - around Zuko. Sokka looked almost as surprised as Zuko. She expected the Fire Prince to stand there awkwardly without hugging her back, but to her great surprise she felt his arms embrace her briefly in return. She pulled away and smiled weakly, stepping back to give them leave.

"See ya," Zuko said coarsely, walking past Sokka. Sokka just stared as he walked past and smiled languidly, pointing after Zuko.

"Well, uh, yeah, better catch up with him," Sokka said awkwardly as he walked after the Fire Prince.

Sokka caught up with Zuko easily and once they were out of ear-shot Sokka gave the Fire Prince a wolfish grin.

"Zuko and the Demitar, huh?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Zuko replied impassively.

"What? Did you miss the part where she just hugged you back there? No love for Sokka, though," he joked.

"She only likes me because I saved her life," Zuko said, trying to ignore the water tribe boy's jibes. "My father and sister locked her in a prison cell to die. I'm probably nothing but a constant reminder of how much her own nation has betrayed her." If Zuko were being honest with himself, though, he knew that the feelings he had begun to develop for her as he visited her in prison more and more frequently only grew now that they traveled together. Every day that they taught Aang fire bending together, he felt himself soften towards her more. She continuously encouraged him, gently pushing him to achieve more; something only his uncle had ever done for him. And she always seemed to be on his side, especially when Katara was being particularly hateful.

At the thought of Iroh, Zuko felt his chest tighten with grief. Uncle was his second stop after he had escorted Raya safely to Rai Jin, but he was already long gone. The wild eyed look the guard gave him as he described his uncle's escape had made the Fire Prince pause with disbelief. Uncle was gone, and Zuko had no idea where to find him again.

"Or maybe you're a constant reminder that there's hope for the future of her own nation," Sokka shrugged.

X

Raya returned to her sleeping roll, the worry in her chest becoming heavy. She lay face down, with her face in her hands, trying to block it out. She'd have to keep a straight head if she were going to keep Sokka and Zuko's secret for the next three days. Or less. She found herself repeating the 'or less' part a lot. Then, as the sun peaked over the ridge of the crevasse, shedding pink and gold light on the out crop, Raya realized she knew how to quiet her mind.

As she pushed herself off her sleeping mat, she heard a stirring from across the room. Aang was pushing himself up off his stomach, a position in which he seemed to enjoy sleeping often, and looked around the room. He appeared as though he'd been having an uncomfortable dream and looked across the room to Raya, giving her a wave.

"Good morning Sifu," he said as he got the rest of the way up, using a small burst of air to propel himself.

"Not the Sifu thing again," she said, waving the words away.

"Okay, okay," he said, smiling playfully. He knew that she wasn't interested in being looked upon as his master. That was especially so because he was the Avatar, and she would always be his counterpart; never greater than himself.

Raya took note of the bags under his eyes and the look he held on his face that morning as they crossed the sky bridge to one of their usual meditation spots.

"Rough night?" she observed, gesturing to his eyes.

"Oh, not really. It was just . . . I had the strangest dream, but it wasn't really a dream. It was like a memory, and all these feelings. But I hardly remember it."

"I see," she said. She found it odd but supposed there had been times she had experienced this herself. The dream goes unremembered but the feelings that went with it remain fresh in the mind long after. They sat and settled in for their session, and as Raya began to clear her mind, she felt the melancholy of her dream returning to her. She tried to squeeze it down, and out of existence but it remained there and soon she found herself dwelling on it. This made the melancholy grow, and she felt it fill up her chest. This wasn't what she had in mind when she wanted meditation, but at least she was no longer thinking about Zuko and Sokka endangering their lives at the boiling rock.

"What's that song?" Aang asked out of nowhere. His eyes still closed.

"What song?" Raya asked, confused, but she too remained in the meditative position.

"The one you're singing."

"I'm not singing," she murmured, and tried to find her center again.

"Oh, sorry, I thought I heard . . ." Aang said, his words trailing off. As Raya found herself lost in the melancholy again, Aang stopped meditating and looked at her hard. "There it is again. Why are you singing?"

"I'm not," Raya said patiently as she opened her eyes and looked at him with her brow furrowed in confusion.

"I hear it though . . . It's Leaves from the vine, falling so slow-" Raya gasped as she listened to him repeat the lines from her mother's lullaby.

"It's been stuck in my head all morning," Raya said slowly.

"Are you saying I heard your mind?" Aang asked.

"I think so," Raya said, feeling both excited and self-conscious.

"You dreamed about it," Aang said suddenly.

"I did . . ." Raya confirmed, watching him carefully.

"I think . . . I think I dreamed your dream," Aang said. "I don't know if that even makes sense."

"Have you seen or heard anything else?"

"I don't think so," he said. "Maybe this is a sign that our bond is finally strengthening enough to communicate!"

"Maybe . . . But I haven't heard you yet."

"Good point. Here, let me try something," he said returning to a meditative state. She followed his lead and in a few moments she began to see flickers of a monk and his young pupil tossing cakes over the side of a low wall. There was a lot of joy mingled with sadness in the image; she could feel what Aang felt.

"Whoa." Raya's eyes snapped open. "How'd you do that so easily?"

"You established a path to my mind, I just tried to follow it back to you. Did you see it?"

"Monk . . . Giatso?" she said, pulling his name from Aang's memory.

"Yeah, he was my guardian. He taught me so much . . . and he loved to have fun," Aang said thoughtfully as he became lost in his memory.

"You were sad, too, though," Raya pointed out.

"Oh, yeah. They told me I was the avatar, but the thing is; I never wanted to be." He hugged his knees and looked across the space that separated them.

"I know that feeling . . . If I weren't the Demitar, I could have grown up with my mom and brother."

"You didn't?"

"No. Fire Lord Sozin took me away from them when I was seven. I had to begin my grooming and training to fulfill my role as the Demitar. Knowing what I know now, I think it was his attempt to get me to help him with his war. Didn't matter in the end anyways, I guess: I was frozen in time for a hundred years." She chuckled a little at Sozin's wasted efforts.

"That's my fault," Aang said at the mention of being frozen.

"Don't look at it that way," Raya said.

"I'm sorry you were taken from your family," he offered.

"It's okay. It was really hard at first, but . . . I don't know. It's shaped me into the person I am. I'm strong, and independent. And I have a purpose," she said, nudging his leg playfully. Aang laughed and relaxed as he looked toward camp.

"Katara is probably waiting for us by now. I wonder if she got their note," Aang pondered as he stood. Raya shrugged and felt the nagging feeling of Zuko and Sokka come back to her. As they made their way back to camp Aang paused and she did the same.

"What is it?" she asked.

"I was just wondering. . . Your dream last night; that was the last time you were with your mother and brother wasn't it?"

"It was," Raya confirmed solemnly as she continued on down the bridge to camp.

X

The next two days passed in monotony. Wake up, meditate, practice their elements, and continue to build the spiritual bridge between themselves; not to mention her strength training routines. Raya pushed herself to exhaustion and by the end of each day, she slept so soundly that she didn't have the capacity to dream. She was also glad for the deep sleep because it kept her from worrying about Zuko and Sokka.

However, the third day crept to its end quickly. Raya sat at the edge of the outcrop with Rai Jin and waited, her hand resting easily on his side. He nudged her as he felt the stressful waves pouring off of her and she gave him reassuring pats. The sun was gone from the sky, and there was nothing to be seen but dark sky dappled with starlight. It was then that Raya observed a dark object that would briefly obscure the light, and it was moving closer.

She stood up quickly and stared hard out into the night. Wanting to shed more light out into the pitch black of the crevasse she held her hand out and let a medium flame bloom in her palm. It was then that she was able to make out that the object was a fire nation air ship. Her heart began to beat rapidly as it came close enough to dock on one of the far edges of the outcrop.

"Aang! Katara! Everyone, come here!" Raya shouted, hoping they would hear her from inside the temple. They did, and all came running at her command, prepared for anything.

"What? What is it?" Katara said hurriedly. Raya simply pointed and as she did a few figures stepped off the carrier.

"Hey, you're back!" Aang said happily.

"Get any good meat," Toph said, and she was serious.

"I got the best meat of all," Sokka said. "The meat of friendship and family." As he spoke, Hakoda of the Southern Water Tribe came into view, and then Suki, followed by two people the group had never met before.

"Dad!" Katara exclaimed as she ran to embrace him.

"You didn't go fishing," Aang observed, but smiled.

"No, we didn't," Zuko confirmed as he watched the happy encounter. His eyes drifted to Raya then, and she looked consumed with relief. He moved to stand by her, out of the way of the others.

"You shouldn't have lied to us," Katara scolded, but she found it difficult to be truly upset as she hugged her father.

"I had to," Sokka said, and he threw a quick thank you wink at Raya. She gave a subtle nod and glanced at Zuko who was now standing by her side.

"I'm really glad you made it back," she said, turning her eyes ahead and continuing to observe the group.

"Me too," Zuko said. He felt like he should say or do something else, but faltered and deferred to, "So . . . Aangs lessons are going okay?"

"Oh, um, yeah. He's doing great, really. The kid is a natural at practically everything . . . Asked me how to bend green fire the other day though," she chuckled a little. "Told him I wasn't sure I could actually teach him to bend in other colors." She shook her head a little and then turned to look at the Fire Prince. They made brief eye contact and she realized he had been looking her way for a while. He turned his head forward quickly and cleared his throat.

"The green fire, it's, uh – I like it," he fumbled. Raya smiled gently and turned her face toward the ground bashfully.

"Me, too."