A/N: I am sorry this was so late. I've found that apparently I can't find the motivation to write until I'm busy, which means the holidays were utterly unproductive. That, and this chapter needed one mother of an overhaul, and I could never bring myself to do it. Until now, when I'm supposed to be doing homework.

Also, part of the reason that I didn't want to write for this story was fear. I'm afraid that some of you are focusing a little too much on the romance aspect on this story. Due to an unexpected turn this story took when I was writing it, romance is not nearly as much a part of it as I'd originally planned. I am sorry if that disappoints anyone, but I need to say that so I can focus more on this story (and keep my Muse from wandering. As she did over break. I can't seem to make her understand that starting a new multi-chapter in the middle of writing this mother of a story is not a good idea).

Thank you so much for your support. I've hit the 200 review mark and couldn't be happier!

Disclaimer: I don't own A:TLA, just Mira and some original plot ideas.

Chapter Twenty-One

River Spirit

Mira forgot sometimes, the impact the war had on the Fire Nation. But staring out at the current of sludge trying to pass as a river, she remembered all too well.

The night before they'd flown to the third island along the southwest chain and spent the night in another seaside cave (which apparently, these islands were known for). The next morning they started the journey east to the next island, staying close to a river that bisected the land mass. It had started out looking like any other river, but as they continued on, the clear, rushing water slowly grew murky and slow-moving. At this point, the river was nearly indistinguishable from the land surrounding it.

"What's wrong with the water?" Aang asked, shaking the sticky liquid off his clothes. For some reason Mira was unable to fathom, he'd decided to try swimming in the river. Not surprisingly, he'd emerged coated in a slick layer of pollution, which he was conveniently able to flick off with a current of air. The smell still wafted up from the water below, and Mira reminded herself to breathe shallowly.

"I'd bet a kidney it's not soil runoff," Mira said darkly, eyes scanning the horizon.

"Well, then, where did it come from?" Katara asked, her complexion a little green.

"War factory," she said shortly. "They dump their waste into the water without regard for the people who may rely on it."

Sokka raised an eyebrow. "And you know this how…?"

"We came across one of these rivers when I was with the gypsies. One of the children took a drink before his mother could stop him."

Sokka eyed the river warily. "That's disgusting."

"He died."

No one said anything, or would meet her eyes. Finally, Mira shrugged with false nonchalance. "Eh, I didn't know him." Katara shot her a strange look, but didn't say anything, so Mira continued. "I just know the consequences of these damn factories. Hopefully, there isn't anyone who depends on this river too much."

So of course, there had to be a fishing village balanced precariously in the river just around the bend.

"You've got to be kidding me," Mira muttered under her breath.

"What?" Toph asked. "What is it?"

"There's a village out in the middle of the river," Katara said, and Mira kicked herself for forgetting once again that Toph was indeed blind. The way she moved, it was hard to tell. "Hopefully they'll have some food we can buy." Fishing had, not surprisingly, yielded no results. Mira doubted the little village would have anything to share, but decided to hold her tongue. A part of her did want to see how the village was faring.

"Hello there!" A balding man with a shock of white hair dressed in a vest two sizes too small called out from his post by the river. "My name's Dock. Mind if I ask who you are?" He spoke with the innocent cheerfulness of a simple mind.

"Earth Kingdom colonials," Mira answered smoothly. That was the story they'd been going with. The Earth Kingdom colonies were no small mystery to pure-blooded Fire Nationals, so they tended not to ask too many questions about it. Plus, the colonies helped explain away some of their strange behavior, along with the Water Tribe tans.

Dock accepted her reply without comment. "If'n you want, I'll give you a ride into town; hop on!" He gestured to a sturdy wooden raraft bobbing in the river by the bank. A thick rope ran through a metal loop hammered into the main post. This would keep the raft in line, making it easier for Dock to ferry them across. All he had to do was grasp the rope tightly and pull, and they slowly crossed the muddy river to the stilted village standing in its middle.

A strong feeling of déjà vu swept over Mira as she set foot on the first wooden flat. Several of these wooden squares made up the village, connected by wooden bridges crisscrossing from flat to flat. Thick wooden poles kept the village afloat, as did the narrow docks jutting out from every side like tentacles. Boats were tied at every one, piled high with woven nets and wooden reels. The confusion cleared, and immediately Mira could see what was wrong.

This was clearly a fishing village, but the waste runoff meant no fishing, and therefore, no work. That would explain the overflow of people crowding the streets and flats, but as opposed to the chaotic alleys of Ba Sing Se, Jang Hui (the name of the village, as Dock had informed them) was quiet and slow. Children ran and played, yes, and mothers chatted from their front stoops, but there was a hushed, languid quality to the town. Men sat out in the streets as well, idly playing games of nits-and-nobs and drinking from hip flasks and brown bottles. There was no sign of work, and that was the source of the rampant poverty here. The difference from Ba Sing Se was jarring.

"Look at this place…it's so sad. We have to do something to help." Katara's voice ached with compassion.

"No," Sokka said firmly, all-too-familiar with his sister's bleeding heart. "We can't waste our time here. We have a bigger mission that we need to stay focused on. These people are on their own."

Katara rounded on him, eyes flashing. "These people are starving, but you turn your back on them?! How can you be so cold and heartless?"

"He's being realistic," Mira said softly. Katara turned on her next, mouth open to spit some furious phrase, but Mira leveled a serious look at her.

Katara stopped short at the pain in Mira's eyes. I want to help too, Mira silently said. But I have seen this before. There is nothing we can do.

"See?" Sokka said, gesturing to Mira. "She gets it!" He didn't sound thrilled about it, though. "We can't help every town we wander into. We'll be helping them all by taking down the Fire Lord!"

Toph slapped a hand over his mouth. "Hey loudmouth, maybe you should be a little quieter when you talk about taking down the Fire Lord."

Sokka nodded, and Toph released him. He bent closer to his sister, looking uncharacteristically serious. "Come on, Katara, be reasonable about this. You know our mission has to come first."

Katara didn't look too happy, but she nodded. "Yeah. I guess."

"Let's just get what we need and go," Aang said diplomatically, leading the group toward a food stall down the street.

Katara made to follow, but Mira caught her sleeve and held her back. "I know how you're feeling," she said.

"No you don't," Katara said stubbornly.

Mira sighed and rolled her eyes heavenward. "You know, I am really tired of people saying that to me," she said softly to no one in particular. She looked back to Katara. "And why do you say that?"

"You wandered the Earth Kingdom actually helping villages like this," she said, throwing her arm out. "You did some good!"

"And I left some behind," Mira said flatly.

"You what?"

"Whenever I came to a village, I'd watch for a day to see if I could do anything. If I could make any permanent change, I'd help out. But some towns I could do nothing for. You've got to make those choices sometimes. And right now, we've got a plan that outweighs the need of this village."

Katara chewed on her bottom lip. "Who are we to say that?"

"Katara…"

"I know, I know. It just kills me to see poverty like this and…walk away."

"You think it doesn't kill me?"

"I don't think it occurred to me that it does. You just walk around, all strong and aloof—"

"A product of my palace upbringing. I care more than I let on." Mira didn't feel that comfortable with sharing this. It wasn't something Mirala would have done. Perhaps that, then, was why she said it.

"You don't show it, so sometimes I forget. We all forget, I think."

"What you see is not always what you get."

Katara sighed. "I know."

"So…are we good?" Mira caught the younger girl's eye.

"I think so." But her eyes were guarded, and Mira realized that this was an expression she often saw in the mirror. She made a mental note to keep a close eye on Katara.

They rejoined the others by the food stall. Mira leaned over to Zuko. "What'd I miss?"

"Apparently Dock's got a split personality," he muttered, eyeing the vendor warily. "That, and I wouldn't eat the fish."

Slimy, two-headed fish lay in the wicker basket Dock was holding out to Sokka. Mira had to swallow down the bile that rose in her throat. If Sokka was planning on actually buying any of Dock's wares, then Mira certainly wasn't planning on eating any of it. She wasn't overly concerned about the consequences of one skipped meal; she'd filled out enough in the past months that it wouldn't be a problem.

A hushed conversation drew her attention, and she looked over to see Katara handing a small fish to a little boy. He ran off eagerly and Katara watched him go, a wistfully determined spark in her eye.

Mira groaned internally. Dammit, Katara. Now I'm going to get roped into this.

And yet…she couldn't find it in her to care all that much.

Mira stayed awake long after the coals from their campfire had dwindled to an orange glow. She knew what was coming that night, so instead of resting, she kept her ears open and watched the stars above. Finally, about an hour after the last of group fell asleep, a cloaked shape rose and tiptoed from the clearing they'd chosen as campsite. Five minutes later, Mira followed.

Katara was so intent on sneaking quietly around the cliff that she didn't even notice Mira's presence until the older girl stopped by her side. "And where you think you're going?" Mira whispered, clamping a hand down on her shoulder.

Katara was only barely able to contain her shriek of surprise. She glared at Mira. "Don't do that!" she hissed, breath still coming in uneven spurts.

"Sorry, couldn't resist. But I asked a stupid question anyway, What I meant to ask was, where do you think you're going without me?"

Katara gave her a dumbfounded look. "What?"

Mira shrugged. "I thought it was kind of a simple question, but I could be wrong."

The younger girl recovered quickly. "No, I didn't mean—what I meant to say was, I can handle this myself. You don't need to come along."

"I want to."

"I'm serious, Mira, I can do this myself."

"You mean you'd rather do this yourself."

"Yes. I mean, no. I—ugh, stop putting words in my mouth!"

"I'm not putting words in your mouth, I'm reading them off your face. You don't want me to come."

Katara's shoulder slumped. "That's not it exactly…"

"You still don't trust me, do you?" Mira said, taking a step back. "Not after what happened in the cave. I wondered about that, you know. Sokka's still pissed, Toph and Aang are okay, but you…you're hard to get a read on. But I think I've got it now." She paused, ducking to look Katara in the eye. "I'm right, aren't I?"

Katara sighed and wouldn't meet her gaze. "You lied to us, Mir. For a really long time. I guess I'm just never sure any more about what's the truth and what's not. I'm not like Sokka; I know you're on our side. The problem is that you're no longer the person I thought you were. You're always off with Zuko now, and you don't act the same way you used to. It's hard to try and fit those two people together."

"You think it's disorienting for you, try being me," Mira muttered, looking down at the still water. "I'm trying to fit three people together."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, I've only ever been two people in my life, and each was governed by a set of rules. For Zamira, it was anything that was fun and annoyed dear old dad. For Mira, it was anything that let me go unnoticed. Now?" she shrugged. "I have to be this third person, and I've no idea who she is. And now I've got no more rules, nothing to tell me what to do."

"Life isn't all about following a set of rules, you know," Katara said.

"But without that, what do I do?"

"What feels right, I guess."

"That's the thing, though…that's part of what I did as Zamira. And I raised hell. I made a lot of lives a lot harder and only thought of myself. I don't—I can't—be that person again."

"So follow a different set of rules then. Do what feels right, but also…just do right. Challenge yourself to be a better person, and to help out those around you. At least, that's what's worked out for me so far."

Mira chewed on her bottom lip, her gaze elsewhere as she wondered at what point in the conversation their roles had switched. "You make it sound so simple."

"It's not easy," Katara said, a teasing smile on her face. "But, then, it's not supposed to be. That's why it's a challenge."

"I'll keep that in mind," Mira said. "Now, I've just been brutally honest. Surely that means I can ride along?"

Katara fought to keep a smile off her face. "I suppose."

"Does that also mean that you've forgiven me for lying?"

Katara's smile faltered and she looked down to the ground. "I…think so. I do trust you, if that's what you mean. I'm not sure about Zuko, though." Her eyes hardened. "I know he helped us out, and turned on Azula, but you also didn't see some of the things he did when he was chasing us. That's hard to forgive."

"I'm not asking you to forgive him, nor do I think you should." Katara's brow's shot up in surprise. "I'm only asking that you give him the chance to redeem himself. I know the type of man he could become, and someday, maybe you'll get to see that too. But in the meantime, you let me take care of him."

"Fair enough." But there was enough suspicion left in Katara's voice to make Mira think that maybe she hadn't gotten all the way through. But for now, she'd take what she could get. "Now what's your plan?"

Katara held up a heavy cloth sack that Mira had somehow missed noticing. "I took a detour to the factory's storerooms his afternoon."

Comprehension dawned on Mira. "Oh, that makes sense. I thought it took you a lot longer to bathe than usual."

"Well, it wasn't like I could use anything from Jang Hui."

"Absolutely not." Mira shuddered. "That wouldn't be doing anyone much of a favor. Imagine waking up to a two-headed fish on your doormat."

Katara laughed. "Remind me to try that on Sokka."

"Oh, you're on."

For all its crowded idleness during the day, the fishing village of Jang Hui was deserted that night. It was an easy task to creep from flat to flat, setting out bags of food for the next day. There was a close call involving a creaky floorboard and a restless toddler, but a playful wink and a finger placed on lips sent him right back off to sleep.

"But…what if he tells?" Katara breathed, practically on Mira's toes as they stepped onto the harbor farthest from town.

Mira shrugged. "Might be a good thing if he does. That way people will know the food's safe. 'Sides, it's not like we're gonna be here much longer. Tomorrow comes and we'll be gone."

Katara nodded, still looking uncertain. Mira chalked it up to the waterbender's inexperience with slinking around and let the matter drop as she looked out across the muddy water to the bank they'd crossed from. "I will repeat: If you drop me in the river, and I drown, I am so haunting your ass."

"And like I said before, I'm not going to drop you." Katara threw her hands up and summoned a wave of river water to carry them across. Mira squeezed her eyes shut as she moved. Walking on water was not natural. This was not natural.

"You can open your eyes now," Katara said, more than a little amusement in her voice.

"They weren't closed," Mira mumbled, but followed after her anyway.

About halfway back to their campsite, Katara spoke over her shoulder. "I forgot to ask earlier. Should we call you something else, since your name isn't really Mira?"

"I mean, technically it is. You get Mira from Zamira."

"I know Zuko calls you Zam—"

"No. Only he gets to call me that. Mira is fine for you guys. It'd just get confusing if you tried to call me something else. Thanks for asking, though."

Katara hummed in response, then stopped short as they rounded the cliff. Four lumps remained slumbering where they were, while Appa snored loudly nearby.

"Mira…" Katara said hesitantly.

"Oh no. No no. I know that voice. You use that voice on Sokka when you want something you know he won't give you. I know what you're gonna say, and the answer is no."

"One more night. Just one," Katara pleaded. "We can't make that much of a difference in just one night."

"Which is exactly why I suggested we move on!" Mira hissed. "We can't stay here forever and you know it!"

"I'm not asking for forever, just one night! You want it too, Mir, you know you do." Katara widened her bright blue eyes and pouted just a bit. "Think of all the people we could help, the lives we might save."

Mira clenched her fists, but knew it was no good. Katara had her. "Dammit, how do you people do that?!"

Katara grinned. "We know what makes you tick."

A strange little shiver passed up Mira's spine as she followed Katara's lead over to Appa. "What are you thinking?" she asked.

"If Appa's ill, we can't leave, right?"

"Oh, hell no. You are not infecting Appa!"

"I wasn't suggesting that," Katara said, shooting her a glare. "Just make it look like he is. With these." She held out a palmful of purple berries.

"Please tell me you know plants enough to know those won't kill him."

"They won't," Katara said, rolling her eyes. "They'll dye his tongue purple. And if I ask nicely, I bet Appa will even play along."

"Play along…" Mira trailed off, her voice weak with disbelief. "Yeah, I'm sure he'll get right on that."

"Don't be so skeptical," Katara chided. She leaned over and whispered at Appa until his eyelids fluttered open. She fed him the berries one handful at a time, and he lapped them up happily. She murmured a few more words in his ear, and Mira could have sworn he nodded.

She shook her head in resignation. Some things she'd never understand.

It had to be said, Appa played his part masterfully. A few more handfuls of berries that morning, a groan or two from Appa, and Aang was rushing over in concern.

"What's wrong with Appa?" he asked, unconsciously rubbing a hand across the creature's forehead.

"I think he's sick," Katara said, just enough concern in her voice to really sell it.

"What?" He's sick?" Sokka cried. "That's awful!"

"Wow, Sokka, I didn't realize you cared so much." There was a bit of bite in Toph's voice, and Mira remembered that there'd been a bit of a spat regarding Sokka's insistence on a strict schedule.

"Of course I care," Sokka said. "I might as well just throw our schedule away now!" He threw his hands up in exasperation, but quickly decided on a different track once he caught sight of the numerous evil eyes pointed his way. "And I'm concerned because my big, furry friend doesn't feel well."

"Maybe it's because he was swimming in the polluted water," Toph suggested.

Katara and Mira exchanged worried looks. They hadn't considered that possibility.

Aang took a closer look, ignoring Appa's moans. "He doesn't look sick." He tugged at Appa's lips, then stumbled back in surprise as the tip of a purple tongue lolled out of his mouth. "Wha—his tongue is purple; that can't be good! Katara, can you heal him?"

"It looks like he needs some medicine. Maybe we can find the right herbs in Jang Hui." A sideways glance to Mira said, And then I'll really check him out.

It was easier to get to Jang Hui in the morning than it had been in the dead of night, but then, that wasn't really surprising. What was surprising (at least to the others) was the liveliness that seemed to have sprouted overnight.

Now, Jang Hui was still poverty-ridden and barely getting on by. But there was something different about the air now, something less…stale. Children now ran around with rosy cheeks, worn mothers cracked a smile or two, men called out to each other and maybe a few of them abandoned their bottles. There still wasn't anything to do, but perhaps the town was doing it a little more happily.

Mira and Katara shared secret smiles as the others looked around in confusion and wonder. Dock popped up from behind his market stall (or maybe it was Xu, going from the hat) and beamed at them.

"Hey, Xu," Sokka called (ah, so it was Xu then). "What's going on with everyone today?"

"Something amazing happened last night!" Xu said excitedly. "Food was delivered to our village by mysterious and wonderful beings—the Painted Lady and the river spirit!"

"The Painted Who?" Katara asked, sounding genuinely puzzled. Mira tilted her head in confusion and shot Katara a look. They hadn't anticipated their escapade last night to go unnoticed, of course, but to hear that two spirits were being thanked for it was more than a little unexpected.

"The Painted Lady," Xu repeated, plunking down a figurine dressed in loose robes and a wide-brimmed, straw hat. "She's part of our town's lore. They say she's a spirit who helped build the town, back when it was founded. Her sister is the spirit of the river, and together they're said to watch over our little town. But I always thought they were legends. Until now. "

"A river spirit's involved?" Aang seemed to perk up. "Mira, does that sound like something they might do?"

She shrugged. "Eh, I don't really know. Kakodaemons and major spirits are more my thing, not geographical ones like these. But who knows, it's probably not unheard of."

Everyone else looked a little awed, but Sokka seemed unimpressed. "See, we don't need to help these people, they already have someone to help them. All we need is medicine for our sick friend." This was addressed to Xu, who shook his head.

"Medicine? Sorry, all the medicine we have goes to the factory. That's why there's so many sick people in our village." He pointed to a flat to the right of his market stall, where several cots were set up, carrying row after row of patients.

Mira's jaw clenched and her eyes hardened as she took in the makeshift medical bay. Polluting the river was one thing, but taking the village's medicine? That was truly despicable.

Zuko caught her eye and raised an eyebrow, but Mira looked away. The last thing she needed was a Sokka-esque lecture from him. Besides, she'd given it to herself often enough.

"Looks like we need to stay another night so Appa can rest." There was a spark in Katara's eye too, but Sokka remained oblivious.

"I guess you're right. You got any more food to sell?" Sokka began to root around in the slimy bin Xu slid forth, and Mira sidled over to Katara's side.

"You think Appa will be okay without medicine?" she asked quietly.

Katara nodded. "I don't even need herbs for him. As long as I clean it up, river water should be enough to give him a once-over, make sure the pollution didn't cause any infection."

"So what are you thinking, we get 'em medicine next? From the village you got food from?"

Katara shook her head. "I can use water and whatever I've got in my first-aid kit. I've been collecting plants as we've traveled, but haven't really needed to use them. Anything I use tonight, I can replenish as we go."

"Saves a trip…and suspicion," Mira murmured. "We'll meet by the cliff around the same time

Katara paused. "Yeah, but…I have an idea. I'll still need to pick up supplies, so cover for me?"

Mira nodded. "We'll spar together in the next valley over if anyone asks. Mind telling me your idea?"

"It'll be best if I show you. I think you'll like it, though." Mira nodded and the two girl drifted apart before anyone could overhear their conversation.

Zuko watched as she approached, faint disapproval on his face. "Sounds like the spirits have blessed this town," he said.

"Looks like it," Mira replied. "And a good thing, too. This village needed it."

Sokka, having selected from the nauseating wares, turned to lead the others back to the campsite. Mira made to follow, but Zuko caught her arm. "I hope you know what you're doing," he muttered into her ear.

"Me too," she whispered, not necessarily to him.

When Mira rounded the cliff that night, she was met with the startling sight of Katara dressed in an oversized red robe, kneeling before a sheet of ice she'd formed from a puddle of river water. A small wooden box sat upon her lap as Katara fussed with the contents. A battered straw hat lay on the ground next to her, buried underneath a pile of fine mosquito netting. The combination looked familiar, and suddenly, Mira knew what Katara had in mind.

"Clever," she said, kneeling by Katara's side. "You're using the story of the spirits as our cover, aren't you?"

Katara looked up and smiled. "I figured we'd be safer in disguise. And the Painted Lady legend—"

"—is astoundingly convenient," Mira finished. "I'm guessing that box there has facepaint?"

Katara held it up to show that it was. Mira grinned. "You've outdone yourself." She frowned. "But what do I wear?"

Katara pointed to a cloth sack next to the hat. "The river spirit, Taiga, hasn't ever been seen, so I took a few liberties with the clothes. See what you think."

Mira rummaged around and pulled out a silky blue robe similar to Katara's and a long piece of lighter blue cloth. "What's this?"

"I thought we could pin it in your hair, maybe wrap it around part of your face. I've got the hat, I figured you might want something to cover your face too."

Mira shrugged. "Let's do the face paint and then go from there." She reached over and pulled the box from Katara's lap, fingers deftly pulling out tubes and jars for inspection. After smearing a few colors on her palm for reference, a large tube of deep red and a jar of ocean blue were set aside. Mira kept the box open in case accent colors were needed.

Katara had managed to procure a small figure of the Painted Lady for reference, so Mira set it on a rock about eye level to study. Absently rubbing red paint into her fingertips, her eyes scanned every line and swirl that she was about to recreate. When she was finally satisfied that she knew what she was doing, she brushed Katara's hair out of her face and slowly traced her first line.

Two swooping lines framed the cheekbones, curling down to point back to the ear. Two more lines just barely skimmed above the jawline, thought these didn't curl back. One thick line rose from the chin to meet painted red lips, and three sharp lines clawed their way over both shoulders. Once Mira was satisfied that the red was in place, she wiped her paint-stained hands on rag torn from the cloth sack. Then she picked up a small tube of yellow paint and began to delicately trace the image of an inverted crescent moon. She used the rag occasionally to correct mistakes, though she made few. Once she'd settled back into the rhythm she'd learned in the gypsy caravan, painting the shapes was easy.

Painting a face was different than applying makeup in many ways, though Mira was skilled in both. Face paint had a more dramatic flair to it, while makeup was all about subtlety. Strangely, Mira had always preferred face paint, despite her preference towards subtlety in everyday life. There was something about the vibrant colors and gliding symbols that brought an otherworldly quality to a person. It was not unlike the alias that Mira had been using for the past three years, and maybe that was why she liked the face paint. When she was wearing it, she wasn't Zamira, or Mirala—she was some third party, with no expectation or set limits to who she was. Face paint was, in a word, freeing.

She sat back on her haunches once she'd finished, eyes sweeping Katara's face to find any mistakes. Once she was satisfied there were none, she gestured to the mirror with the rag. "Go ahead, take a look."

Katara's eyes widened and a hand unconsciously rose to her face.

"Smudge that makeup and I'm tying your hands," Mira warned.

"I won't, I won't," Katara reassured. "It's just…this is very good."

Mira shrugged, unable to help her proud smile. "I try. Now you do me."

"Really? Are you sure?"

Mira nodded. "I'm better at painting others than I am with myself. You'll do fine; you've got steady hands."

Katara reached for the jar of blue paint and smeared some on her own fingertips as Mira pulled her hair back and closed her eyes. The waterbender's cool fingertips began to sweep along Mira's cheeks, and though she tried to build a mental picture of what lines were being drawn where, she soon lost track and resigned herself to seeing the finished product. The paint tingled on her skin as it dried.

"Alright, you're done," Katara announced as she pulled back. "What do you think?"

Mira peered into the makeshift mirror. Several thin, curved lines played along her cheeks, and a thick one connected chin to lips. Four tangled lines curled together on each shoulder. The final touch was a yellow crescent moved curved downwards—the opposite to Katara's paint. In fact, the whole design seemed to complement the Painted Lady style. "Wow," Mira said, blinking. "You've outdone yourself."

"You think so?" Katara said, caught between nervousness and pride. "I wanted it to be similar to mine, but also different, in a way."

"Well, you succeeded." She smiled. "Now all that's left is pinning my hair up, and we'll be all set."

Five minutes later, a thin filmy scarf cascaded down Mira's hair, rippling as she moved. Combined with the paint and the robe, she looked like water incarnate. Not a bad choice for a water spirit. Katara had already pinned the mosquito netting to the hat that afternoon, so after setting it firmly on her head and hoisting up her bag of herbs, the two were ready for work.

Crossing the river was easier that night, though that didn't stop Mira from flinching as Katara swept them across. It didn't take long to retrace their steps to the infirmary, and one there, Katara wasted no time. She knelt by the first bed and held out a water-encased hand over the woman's chest, eyes closed in concentration. Mira fidgeted, uncomfortable with sitting still and watching.

"Stomach illness," Katara finally announced, opening her eyes. "Probably from whatever fish they can catch from the river. I've got some ginger root in my bag that'll help her; can you get it for me?"

Mira lifted the cloth flap of her medicine pouch and rummaged around inside. "Kat, you've got, like, four different types of roots in here."

"The ginger will be brown and bubbled-looking."

"They're all brown. They're roots."

Katara sighed and pulled the right plant out. "See? It looks bubbly."

Mira looked at the ginger skeptically. "If you say so."

Katara ground up some of the ginger and dissolved it in water to make tea. After coaxing the woman to drink it, she moved on to the next one, a man with a ruddy complexion who was sweating in excess.

She didn't even need a once-over for him. "Fever. Get me some yarrow, please."

"Which looks like…?"

"Thin stem, skinny leaves, small white buds."

Mira stared blankly at the pile of flowers, leaves, and stems in the bag. "You really didn't learn from last time, did you?"

Katara rolled her eyes. "Oh, for goodness sake." She rifled around and pulled out a flowery plant.

"I probably should have told you, I'm useless with plant identification. Ate a dodgy mushroom once and puked my guts out for the next two days. Still can't remember what the little bugger looked like." She scowled into the night air, as though the mushroom floated just beyond the reach of darkness, taunting her.

"Then I'll handle it," Katara said, looking a little disturbed.

Mira handed the bag over and watched as Katara began to work with the yarrow. "Do I even need to be here?" she asked uncomfortably. "I feel more than a little useless just standing here."

Katara furrowed her brow, then straightened as an idea came to her. "You're a firebender!"

Mira gave her a funny look. "Yes. I am."

"Sorry, I keep forgetting that. I wonder…" She bit her lip and looked down at the feverish man. "Do you think you can bring his fever down? Just…do something with the heat?"

Mira considered this. "I dunno. I've never tried. Our healers can do it, but unsurprisingly, I was only ever interested in the part of firebending where you kicked ass. I could try, though. See what I can do."

"Would you? I've got more than enough yarrow, but I'd feel better knowing his fever was completely gone instead of waiting for it to break. If you can do it, I'll just have you do that with all the fever patients in the infirmary."

Mira nodded and Katara moved onto the next patient, leaving her with the fever-ridden man. She kneeled down by his side, grateful that he was asleep. Having an audience for what she was about to attempt wouldn't have made it any easier.

Mira held her hand out about an inch from the man's forehead and closed her eyes. She inhaled through her nose, then exhaled through the mouth, just as she did when she meditated. The fire inside her belly grew and shrunk in time with her breaths. Once she was in that trance-like state of meditation, she reached out with her fire-sense to the man below her.

Heat rolled off his body in staggering waves. Mira squeezed her eyes shut even harder, wincing at the thought of what the man had to be feeling. Body heat was harder to manipulate than outright flame, but in theory, heat was heat. Dissipating a campfire and breaking a fever were the same thing, more or less.

But, the thing was, a fever was a lot less direct. Maybe it was because she couldn't see the source, but Mira was having a hard time pulling out any heat at all. Every time she tried to reach out and grasp it, the heat dissipated into thin air, leaving only faint frustration in its wake. With every failed attempt, Mira's jaw clenched just a little tighter. After a few minutes of pointless lunging and grabbing, Mira pulled back and forced her body to relax. One thought rose unbidden in her mind.

The body's the source. Just try pulling it from that. Don't try to find one specific point.

Mira expanded her fire-sense to include the whole man, and not just his forehead. Suddenly, the picture grew clearer in her head. The patient was just a burned-out campfire, at the point where only the coals below were glowing. She didn't need to put it all the way out; just lower the temperature to its normal burning state. Any lower than that and she might kill him.

Her gut twisted at the morbid thought, and she allowed herself three breaths to calm down. Worrying about killing him might actually do that itself. When she was a little more confident, she scanned a hand from head to toe, sucking out the heat just at the surface.

With every pass she made, more and more of the fever drained from the man's body. And every time, she checked and double-checked his body temperature until he hovered in a comfortable range.

Mira sat back and cracked an eye open. She was pleased to see the ruddy complexion gone, along with some of the tension he'd been holding onto in sleep. "Kat," Mira called softly across the room. "Come double-check me."

Once Katara finished healing a kid, she came over and gave the man a once-over with her water glove. She smiled. "He'll be fine. Great job!"

"Thanks." Her smile was tired. "Tell me you don't have many more of those for me. That was harder than I thought, and my bending's not so good at night."

Katara shook her head. "Not many. Just a woman over there, and a little boy." She pointed. "Let me know if you need help."

Mira nodded and Katara left her side. The woman went much the same as the man, though perhaps a little easier since there was not so much of her to cool down. There was a little moment of panic when the woman stirred, eyelids fluttering, but a soft, whispered word on Mira's part sent her back to sleep.

When Mira finally reached the child, she wondered if it was really the best idea for her to continue. She was a little dizzy and sapped of energy…but when she took in the fragile little body lying on a cot much too big for him, she knew she could not leave without helping him.

It was a good thing, then, that he was a small child. Any larger and Mira might have passed out before getting the job done. As it was, she did more than a little bit of swaying as she stood up.

"Whoa! Are you all right?" Katara was by her side in an instant, having finished long before the firebender.

"Yeah. I'm fine. Well…I may have overdone it a little," she admitted.

"You should have said something," Katara chastised.

"Wanted to help," Mira mumbled, eyelids feeling very heavy. "But now I just need sleep."

"Sleep, I can give you," Katara said, ushering her back to the dock they'd come in on. "Let me know if you still don't feel well tomorrow."

Mira nodded blearily and didn't much remember what happened from the time they left to the time her head hit the pillow.

Seconds later, it seemed, she was opening her eyes and blinking sleepily at the morning sun. Limbs creaked as she moved, muscles aching in protest as she sat up.

"Everything okay?" Katara asked.

"Think 'm fine," Mira mumbled. "Tired. And achy."

"Maybe you're getting sick, too," Aang said worriedly.

She waved away his concern. "I'll be fine. Must've just slept funny." A sideways look from Zuko told her exactly what he thought of that excuse, and a reciprocal dirty look from Mira told him exactly where he could shove that thought.

"Maybe you should stay here, with Appa," Sokka suggested.

"No," she said. "I'll be okay. Probably just need to walk around, stretch out the kinks." That wasn't entirely true, but she wasn't going to miss a chance to see the town after what they'd done last night.

Katara helped her up, slipping her a little paper packet as she did. "It's ginseng," she murmured. "Keep it under your tongue. Should give you a little more energy and help restore your chi."

Mira nodded. "That and the sun, and I'll be good to go."

Katara gave a small smile. "You need anything else, let me know."

"I will."

Zuko stayed by her side as they visited Jang Hui once more, shooting her not-so-subtle glances every few minutes. Mira, who'd been busy sucking on the ginseng packet (it tasted awful, but did the job), tried to ignore him for as long as possible. Finally, after spitting out the little paper packet and gagging once or twice (it really did taste awful), she turned to glare at him. "Give me all the dirty looks you like, but I did what I did. And I'm proud of it, so get off your high ostrich-horse."

He looked a little taken aback and decided not to press the issue. Understandable, since he'd previously experienced firsthand how cranky Mira got when she wasn't feeling well.

Jang Hui looked even better that morning. The infirmary was nearly empty, and Mira saw the people they'd worked on the night before walking around with smiles on their faces. Warm satisfaction rushed through Mira's veins, and she wondered if this was how Katara felt every time she healed someone.

Dock was manning the market stall as they approached. He ducked under quickly, then resurfaced as Xu, causing Mira to roll her eyes. The man was seriously addled.

"We need more food," Toph said abruptly. "Our friend is still sick, and we can't leave until he's better."

Xu thrust out a basket of nauseating clams. "Oh, well, that's too bad. Maybe if you guys are lucky, Taiga and the Painted Lady will visit you in the night and heal your friend!"

"And maybe they'll cook us a midnight snack, and we'll all have a sing-along," Sokka drawled.

Xu seemed oblivious to the sarcasm. "Yeah, maybe! You know, last night they visited us again. Healed most of our sick folks." He gestured to the people gathered around the now-empty infirmary.

"Is that why this place seems so lively?" Aang asked.

"Yep. All because of Taiga and the Painted Lady."

"Can you believe how much one town can be affected by just two spirits?" Katara asked. Mira shot her a warning look. It was great to come in and help, but spending too much time talking about it was risky.

"Well, I hope they return every night," Sokka said dismissively. "Otherwise, this place would go right back to the way it was."

"Why would you say that?" Katara asked, sounding a little indignant. "Look how much better off these people are!"

"He's right," Mira said. "The river's still polluted. Food and medicine are only temporary fixes." She'd known that much going in. Help was still help, though, and Mira wouldn't have changed her actions in the slightest…even if it did only delay the inevitable.

"Yeah. If those spirits really wanted to help out, they'd use their magical spirit powers to blow up the factory," Sokka said, wiggling his fingers. He made a howling noise, clearly mocking the spirits.

Aang joined in, but Katara only looked thoughtful. A sinking feeling formed in Mira's stomach, and she walked over to join the waterbender. "Please tell me you're not thinking what I think you're thinking."

"It's the only way to make a permanent change here," Katara said.

Mira shook her head adamantly. "No. Absolutely not. It's stupid and reckless and dangerous, and did I mention stupid?"

"You want to help these people just as much as I do."

"Yeah, but I'd also like to be around at the end of the day to see it!"

"We will," she insisted. "We're both benders, and you've had experience with destroying stuff like that before."

"I still don't like it."

Katara switched tracks. "Think of it this way. If we destroy the factory, we'll be helping this village, and we'll also be cutting into the Fire Nation's metal supply. They won't be able to provide as much, so that means less stuff like tanks and balloons and drills. It'll be killing two birds with one stone."

Mira shifted from foot to foot and pursed her lips. "I hate it when you use logic on me."

"So does that mean you're in?"

Mira sighed explosively. "Dammit. Yes, I'm in. But if I die in there…"

"Yeah, yeah, I know, you're coming back to haunt me."

"Glad we're on the same page."

Despite Mira's agreement to accompany Katara in blowing up the factory, her stomach still tied itself in knots at the thought of it. Attacking a full-sized Fire Nation building was a difficult thing for them to do, even with bending skills as impressive as theirs. But she'd agreed, so there wasn't much left to do besides pray that everything worked out well.

Applying the makeup was uneventful, but it was leaving to cross the river that things started going south. Their first obstacle was a cloaked figure who stood just beyond the stretch of cliff, blocking the little path that ran upwards and on to the village. Mira knew without a second glance who it was.

"Zuko," she said softly. "What do you want?"

"You're going after the factory, aren't you?" he asked, lowering his hood.

"Yes," she said plainly. "I'm guessing you're not up because you want to come."

He shook his head. "Right now I'm wondering whether or not to let you pass."

Katara let out an indignant sound and started forward, but a sharp hand motion from Mira stilled her. This was a conversation for two, and no one else.

"Why wouldn't you?" she asked. "You've seen what the factory has done to that village. And the river."

Zuko shifted from side to side. "Yes, but…destroying the factory is treason."

"Zuko, if it's me you're worried about, don't bother. I've committed enough treason to send a small village to jail. So what is it, really?"

"If I let you do this…"

"No one will be the wiser. We're not asking you to help, just for you to stand aside and let us pass."

"You're not going to kill the men inside, are you?"

Mira took a step back, affronted. "What kind of a person do you think I am?" But even as she said the words, her stomach seized and her breath stuttered. Memories of a blood-slicked knife popped into her mind, and she squashed them violently.

"I know you'd never mean to," he said. "But bad things sometime happen."

"I'll make sure they aren't hurt," Mira promised. Her eyes met his and didn't look away.

What Zuko saw there must have been enough. With barely a sound, he stepped aside and let them pass.

Mira squeezed his arm as she walked by. It may not have seemed like much, but that one step was monumental. His mind may have been swinging closer to their side every day.

But that wasn't to be their only obstacle that night. Momo chose that moment to wake, and started to chitter excitedly as he saw Katara and Mira walk around the cliff. Zuko melted into the shadows as Aang awoke, rubbing his eyes and glancing around blearily.

"We've got to go, now," Mira said urgently. "Before Aang spots us."

Katara nodded and passed her, heading up a narrow path that led to the top. Mira was just about to follow when: "Spirits! Wait up!" A young, reedy voice cut quietly through the night air.

Mira didn't obey. She sprinted upwards and nearly collided with Katara at the top. "Go go go!" she hissed, shoving at the younger girl. "Aang's right behind us!"

There was a whoosh of air as they started running, then the voice came again. "Excuse me, I don't mean to bother you, but my friend's sick and we're on kind of a tight schedule." He said all this in a rush, mostly because Mira and Katara were still running for the river. "Wait, but I'm the great bridge between your world and mine! I know Hei Bai; we're close personal friends."

Katara swept her arms out and carried them across to the village. Mira was so focused on getting away that she didn't even close her eyes or panic (well, maybe there was a little bit of panic). Aang followed, hopping from ice patch to ice patch he formed underfoot, causing Mira to bite her lip and curse the little airbender.

They hit the village docks, allowing Mira to put on an extra burst of speed. Running on water wasn't quite the same as running on solid ground. The wood underneath didn't help much, though, seeing as how Aang merely soared from rooftop to rooftop, calling out to them all the while. Thankfully, all his gesticulating drew his attention from the path ahead, and he ran into a pole.

The two girls took the opportunity to surge ahead, crossing the other half of the river and landing safely on the other side. A searing stitch in Mira's side had her faltering, but she didn't want to slow, for fear of allowing Aang to catch up. Katara's breath came in identical wheezing pants, and she slowed to a stop behind a large boulder, peering over the side to check behind them as she bent to catch her breath.

Aang popped up from the top of the boulder, hanging upside down and grinning widely. Katara gasped in surprise and immediately ducked under her wide straw hat. Mira quickly wrapped her head scarf around the lower half of her face, but remained calm. Hiding was second nature to her.

"My name's Aang," he said cheerfully. "I'm the Avatar." He lifted his headband to point at the blue arrow tattoo, seemingly oblivious to Katara's discomfort. His feet swiveled back to the ground until he was right side up, grinning widely at the both of them.

Mira jumped in before Katara could get flustered and give them away. Acting, too, was second nature to her. "The Avatar," she said in a high-pitched, breathy sigh. "It is such a pleasure, my young friend, but I am afraid that my sister and I are quite busy. We simply must go." She took Katara's hand to pull her away, but Aang cut them off.

"Yeah, me too. I hate that." He peered closely at the two, causing them to shrink back. "You know, you're really pretty spirits." Katara blushed, and Aang continued. "I don't meet too many spirits, but the ones I do meet…" He wrinkled his nose. "Not very attractive."

"You flatter us," Mira said. "But we really must—"

Aang squinted suddenly, craning his neck to peer under Katara's hat. "You seem familiar, too."

"We are river spirits," Mira said, wracking her brain for a plausible explanation. "Water is our lifeblood, and connects us all. You have bonded with the Ocean spirit, yes? Then you have felt a spirit's energy before. We are merely a small part of that."

Still Aang persisted. "No, you really seem familiar."

Mira straightened up and tried to inject some authority into her voice. "Avatar, you have delayed us enough." She began to pull Katara away.

Aang moved before Mira could react. He flicked his wrist, and a gust of air blew Katara's hat and Mira's scarf off. They stood before him, faces bared in all their painted glory.

A beat of silence, then: "Okay, if we'd really been spirits, you'd most likely be dead right now." This coming from Mira, who wasn't quite sure why she was lecturing Aang right after being discovered.

"Katara? Mira?!" Aang cried, eyes bugging out.

"Hi, Aang." Katara said guiltily, face downcast.

"You guys are the Taiga and the Painted Lady? But…how?"

"We weren't at first, but the villagers thought we were. So it was just easier to go along with it."

"So you two have been sneaking out at night?" Aang asked. Then, as another thought occurred to him: "Wait, is Appa even sick?"

"Sick of the purple berries, probably, but he's fine," Katara answered, reassuring him.

"I can't believe you lied to everyone so you could help these people," he said flatly.

"Hey, it's me, what else is new?" Mira muttered, rolling her eyes.

Aang's expression changed so fast Mira nearly got whiplash. "No, I think it's great! You're like secret heroes!"

Katara grinned and her shoulders loosened as she relaxed. "Well, if you wanna help, there's one more thing we have to do."

"What is it?"

Mira pointed to the factory looming on the cliff above.

"You wanna destroy the factory?" Aang asked, looking skeptical.

"Yeah, Sokka was joking, but he was also right. Getting rid of that factory is the only way to help these people permanently."

"So…are you in?" Mira asked.

Aang didn't even hesitate. "Absolutely!"

Destroying the factory was laughably easy, in the end. Mira watched grimly as metal pipes melted under her red-hot hands, drying into grotesque designs as she moved from room to room. Katara made quick work of the chains holding up the giant barrels of metal slag, while Aang tilted another to send the molten liquid crashing onto the factory floor below. A quick slap to the floor sent a column of earth shooting skyward and breaking apart a crossroads of metal pipes that led outside the factory.

And finally, the crowning glory: Katara spun and twirled her hands through the air, and with a rumble of protest, waves of river water surged through the factory windows to work its revenge on the black spot that had haunted its shores for so many years. Mira took a step back and let it take center stage as it ruined the spilled commodity this factory thrived on.

An unexpected surge of savage pleasure raced through Mira as she watched. It'd been a long time since she'd done something like this; perhaps she should not have let that slip.

A blaring klaxon rent the air, replacing the pleasure with relief. The factory wouldn't have full staff at night, of course, but it was still crucial that they get the few night guards that would be on hand out of the way before they finished. Wreaking minor havoc was a good way to do that. They waited a few minutes to ensure that everyone else was out before taking the final steps.

"After I do this, Aang, you've got to get us out of here as quick as you can!" Mira shouted over the shrill alarm. "Got that?"

Aang nodded as he bounced on the balls of his feet, one hand clasped around Katara's arm, the other outstretched towards her.

She turned back to the main furnace, exhaling steadily as she flipped the sticks of explosive she'd found in a storage closet around in her hand. She didn't know how long it'd take for them to go off once she'd thrown them in, but she didn't want to take any chances. Thus, Aang was on stand-by to get them all out. Thankfully, the furnace was in the lowest level of the factory, where they'd come in. It'd be a short journey at least.

Before she could ask any "what-ifs" or question herself, she made her move. In one quick jerk of her hand, she threw the explosives into the furnace and bellowed, "Now!"

In the time it took her to blink, Aang had snatched her and taken off. Mira could only register blurred streaks of color before she was forced to close her eyes. She didn't get motion-sickness, really, but then again, she'd never really traveled at this speed before.

The only sound she could hear was the howling of the wind in her ears. So it would be a delayed reaction, then. A few moments later, the wind ceased and Mira felt Aang start to slow. Once they'd stopped, she opened her eyes just in time to see one side of the factory, then the other, explode into a starburst of orange and red flames.

The sun took that opportunity to rise above the horizon, adding its dazzling rays to the fireworks show above. Aang whooped with glee, and even Mira couldn't help but add her quick smile to the celebration.

Both girls quickly stowed away their robes and scrubbed their faces as they made the return journey to camp. As the sun was up, it wouldn't do to be mistaken for spirits in broad daylight. Mira was a little nervous about returning so late, but the only one who'd be up was Zuko, and he already knew about their midnight escapades. Still, Katara hushed Aang as they approached the campsite. "We don't want to wake Sokka," she said, but that was a bit pointless, as he was already wide-awake, dressed, and staring at Katara with a very unhappy expression on his face.

"Sokka, hi!" Katara chirped with an unconvincing innocence. "We were just out for a morning walk!"

"Oh, really? A morning walk?" he asked dryly. He threw a handful of straw from Katara's sleeping bag on the ground. "I know you two are the spirits," he said," glaring at the girls. "I know you've been sneaking out at night, and I know you've been lying about Appa and feeding him purple-izing tongue berries!"

Toph held up a juice-stained sack and stuck out her own purple tongue as evidence.

"Katara, what you did put our whole mission in jeopardy."

"Hey, Mira was a part of this, too—"

"Thanks."

"—so why aren't you yelling at her?!"

"Because he knows I wouldn't listen, anyway. You're his sister, not me."

Sokka ignored the both of them. "We're leaving, right now." His gaze fell on Aang, and another thought occurred to him. "How long have you known about this?"

Aang backed away, holding his hands up in defense. "Hey, I just found out this morning!"

Katara opened her mouth, but Mira elbowed her before she could say anything. Tensions were high enough without Sokka finding out that Zuko had known since the second day.

Wordlessly, they began to break down their camp. Katara fumed silently, while Sokka shot her an angry glare every now and again. The rest of them tried to stay out of the way.

They were almost finished when a blood-chilling sound had them all stopping to look towards the river. A dozen firebender-laden water craft were bearing down on Jang Hui.

"What's going on?" Toph asked, head tilted curiously at the sound.

"Fire Nation soldiers are heading to the village," Aang answered, his young face looking uncharacteristically serious.

Mira swore suddenly, causing five heads to turn her way. "I'm so stupid," she muttered, smacking herself in the forehead. She looked to Katara. "We should have let them see us."

"What? What do you mean? What did you do?" Sokka rounded on Katara.

"We…kind of destroyed their factory," Katara admitted.

"And since they don't have any proof otherwise, they're going to blame the village. Agni, I'm so stupid! I should have known; that's what happened after you found me, after all. Dammit!" Her voice dropped. "Why do I never think these things through?"

"Why'd you have to go after the factory in the first place?" Sokka asked, throwing his hands up.

"Well, what were we supposed to do?" Katara asked.

"Leave! Do nothing!"

Katara's eyes flashed. "No. I will never, ever turn my back on people who need me. I'm going down to the village, and I'm going to do whatever I can."

And that was the difference between them, Mira thought. Katara couldn't turn her back, couldn't make the tough decision to cut-and-run. Mira had.

She wasn't sure what that said about her.

Right now, though, she'd help her. It was the least she could do, considering she'd tagged along for the factory trip. It wasn't long before the rest joined her, with the exception of Zuko.

"I won't fight them," he said as she approached, before she could say anything. "And nothing you say will change that."

Mira cocked her head. "Really? Not even if I remind you that those men out there have bled that village dry for no more reason than to simply be cruel? A factory doesn't need to look like that," she said. "They didn't need to take their medicine, or poison their river. But they did anyway, and I can't let that slide, regardless of their nationality. And as future Fire Lord, you shouldn't either."

He sighed loudly and fixed her with an annoyed stare. "I shouldn't have said that you wouldn't be able to convince me."

"Never give me a challenge. I enjoy them too much." She sobered a little. "What does this mean?"

Zuko was quiet for a long time. "Keep me out of sight," he said finally. "I'll do something small. It's all I can do."

"I say again, I'll take it."

She was about to rejoin the others to let them know when a quiet voice stopped her. "I don't know what to think," Zuko said, head down.

Anger boiled inside Mira, but she kept it quiet as she replied. "And that is Ozai's greatest offence against you. He broke your will and filled you up with his beliefs. It's time to rediscover your own, I think."

True to her word, Mira made sure Zuko's part in their plan was small and hidden away. Both of the firebenders were placed on sections of earth Aang and Toph had raised from the riverbed. When Aang's wind started, they'd use the river to create enough steam to obscure the village and set the scene for Katara's performance.

Though Zuko's perch was farther down the river, Mira was placed right next to a dock by the front of the town. Katara had snuck her down there earlier as backup in case their plan went awry. That, and she was responsible for the steam that would obscure the village.

A rough, commanding voice boomed through the air. "Light it again!" There came the crackle of flames, then the airy whoosh of a wind putting it out.

That was Mira's cue. She inhaled and exhaled twice, then plunged her hands into the river water below her. Steam exploded upwards with a hiss and drifted through the planks of wood that lined the dock above her.

Murmurs of confusion broke out among the townspeople, mixed with the anxiety of the soldiers. Mira lifted out hand and swept out a thin wave of fire across the water, sending up another wave of steam, this time spread out across the docks.

"It's the spirits," one boy said, his voice rising above the chatter. "They're coming."

Mira had to crack a smile at that. He was doing more to terrorize the soldiers than even they could. There was nothing more terrifying than a child who spoke like that.

Just as planned, Toph's thudding, Appa's growling, and Sokka's flute started up, creating an otherworldly cacophony to further add to the soldier's unease. And just as they started to wonder if the spirits really were behind this, Aang created an opening in Zuko's fog, and Katara stepped through.

A hushed silence fell over the village as Katara appeared. She stilled for a moment, allowing them to take her in, before bursting into action and rushing at the soldiers in the village.

Their commanding officer began screaming at them to take action, though none look very happy to do so. As they stepped forward, Mira sent a sheet of white-hot steam blasting up from the river. Two startled yelps echoed from above, as did their hasty retreat.

"Nice one," Aang whispered, and Mira looked up to see that he'd taken his place underneath Katara. Together they watched as Katara waterbended two empty watercraft into the cliff that ran the length of the river. But before she could do any further damage, the remaining soldiers beat a hasty retreat, leaving their commander behind. Their actions told Mira that perhaps none of them had been happy under his command, leading her to hope that they ended up under someone a little fairer next time.

His subordinates' desertion didn't seem to bother the general at all. Instead he faced Katara, and both Aang and Mira tensed up in preparation. An arc of fire exploded from the commander's hands, and with one well-timed push of Aang's hand, a blast of air sent Katara rocketing skyward to safety. As a follow up, he tore the deck in two, sending the general floundering into the river.

Katara approached him from above. "Leave this village and never come back," she said, her voice pitched lower in disguise.

The general wasted no time in swimming hastily away before clambering onto an abandoned watercraft. Without so much as a glance backwards, they sped off, leaving the village to itself.

A loud cheer arose from the village as their audience gathered in a loose semicircle around Katara. While everyone else was occupied, Mira and Aang took the opportunity to clamber onto the dock, and Sokka helped Toph out of a small boat on the other side of the village. They seamlessly joined the crowd as several voices overlapped over each other. One remark in particular brought up Mira's hackles. "Hey, you're not the Painted Lady, you're that colonial girl!" Dock had gotten a look under the hat, and the one person who'd been able to expose them, had.

The boy from earlier squinted, then his eyes widened in recognition. "Yeah, you're the lady that gave me the fish."

"You've been tricking us! You're a waterbender!" Dock's finger was outstretched in accusation, but before anyone could do anything, Mira was already moving.

She slid effortlessly in front of Katara in a defensive posture as two flame daggers erupted into her hands. The heat rolled off her and pushed the crowd a good two steps back. Her face was neutral enough, but there was enough menace in it to keep anyone from making an unwise move. "I wouldn't do that, if I were you," she said quietly.

"A firebender?" Dock asked, as the apparent village spokesperson. "But…why're you friends with a waterbender?"

"Why'd a waterbender save your village?" Mira countered. "Because we prefer to see past such silly things as nationalities. But if you'd rather attack her than thank her, you'll have to go through me first."

Katara placed a hand on her shoulder. "Mira, it's okay." She stepped forward, and although Mira relaxed, she kept a good grip on her fire daggers. "I'm sorry we lied to you," she said, addressing the crowd. "I shouldn't have acted like someone I wasn't, and I shouldn't have tricked you." She shot a sideways glance at Mira. "We shouldn't have tricked you. But we had to do something, because this river is real, and your problems are real. I've done what I can, but yo can't rely on me, or the spirits, to help you out. You have to help yourselves."

"You're right, but…what should we do?" Dock asked.

Mira saw Toph pop up out of the crowd, one hand over her mouth to disguise her voice. "Maybe we can clean the river!"

Dock parroted the though, prompting universal agreement from the villagers around him. "You know, you're not so bad for a waterbender," he said to Katara. Well, it wasn't the vest sentiment, but it would have to be enough for now.

"You wouldn't mind keeping that a secret, would you?" Sokka asked.

Dock agreed. "No problem. My brother, Xu, on the other hand…"

Mira left as Sokka and Aang began to argue with the odd little man. Some things, she knew, were better left to themselves.

They spent three days more in Jang Hui, working on cleaning up the river and teaching the villagers how to do it themselves. With the absence of more pollution from the factory, and with the help Katara, Aang, and Toph had provided, the water was looking much clearer by the time they ceased on the third day. It wasn't totally clean by any stretch of the imagination, but it was well on its way there.

And as Katara and Mira washed their sweaty faces in the river the night before they were to leave, a cold gust of wind rippled their clothes and stilled their movements. The two girls looked simultaneously, and Mira squeaked aloud in shock at the pure white figure that floated above them (who had not been there mere seconds before). A smaller, dimmer figure stood close behind, and every few seconds, seemed to pulse with a healing light.

Once Mira's eyes had adjusted to the light, she realized that the true Painted Lady stood before them, the only color being the red and yellow markings Mira had painted onto Katara those nights previously. The smaller figure behind her was darker in color, though tinged with an unhealthy beige. The second one then, had to be the Painted Lady's sister, the spirit of the river.

"Thank you," the Painted Lady whispered to Katara. She turned to Mira, and inclined her head. "And to you, kasai no ko."

Mira bowed her head deeply, bringing her hands up in a Fire Nation salute. Katara bowed her head as well, and when they both looked up, the spirits were gone.

"What did that mean, what she said to you?" Katara asked after a long moment.

"Fire child. She recognized my position as Agni's champion." And for once, Mira didn't feel any resentment toward the spirit. If this was what being Agni's chosen one meant, then perhaps…perhaps it wouldn't be so bad.

Meanwhile, hundreds of miles away, a very different meeting was taking place in the Industrial Quarter on the outskirts of Caldera City. Dilapidated factories belched smog from long smokestacks, flavoring the air with the taste of rotten eggs and char. Trash and limpid pools of water littered the few streets that ran through the sector, and rust seemed to be the main commodity of these buildings. As rundown as the Quarter was, though, the products made here (mostly raw metal works) proved invaluable.

But anonymity was the real value of the Quarter on this night. A cloaked figure walked along a cracked pavement sidewalk underneath the scaffold path connecting the two factories on either side. Their steps were brisk and purposeful, like it wasn't anything unusual to be in a place so derelict after dark.

The figure stopped in the middle of the path, turning as a shriek of metal announced the presence of someone else. A burly man wearing a boot of metal stopped in front of the cloaked figure, face impassive as he stared down. A sideways eye with a red pupil and three bars extending horizontally seemed to stare at the figure as well, though perhaps it was not as intimidating as the man would have liked.

Despite the towering height of the man (who was at least twice the height of the hooded figure), the voice that drifted from under the hood was unruffled. "You're sure you weren't followed?" Two small hands reached up to pull the hood back, revealing the sharp, proud features of Azula. "I wouldn't be surprised if you were, what with that metal contraption on your leg."

If she'd been trying to get a rise out of him, it wasn't working. The man simply stared at her, facial expression unchanged.

She sniffed haughtily. "Very well. I've heard about you," she said. "And about what you can do." Her eyes narrowed. "I've also heard that you can be very…discreet. Well, I know that part's true, because if you aren't, I'll make sure my secret is the very last thing you ever hear."

Still the man in front of her did not flinch, but Azula seemed to take this in stride. "Zuko's alive and out there somewhere, working with that filthy band of rebels," she said, gesturing with a hand while she spat the words out. "As long as he's alive, he's a threat to my inheritance. Even if my father disowns him, as the firstborn son, Zuko can still claim the throne before me. I'd go after him myself, but I am needed here, and my absence would look suspicious."

This last was spoken more to herself than to the man, and she shook her head to refocus on him. "Your task is simple: I want you to find my brother. And I want you to end him."

A/N: So, the first-person Zuko story seemed quite popular, so I went ahead and published the first chapter. It's titled, Hanging On the Question Marks, so go check it out and let me know what you think. That story will not be as updated as frequently as this, seeing as it's a supplemental piece (but I'll do my best).

Please leave a review on your way out!

Excerpt from next chapter:

"I'm sorry, but I did say a snowball's chance in hell, right? Those were the actual words that came out of my mouth?"

Zuko nodded, still watching Sokka with a wary distaste.

Mira shook her head, rubbing her temples. "Piandao's going to eat him alive."