Aang, Katara, Sokka and Toph walked back to the huts the Sun Warrior Chief had given them to stay in. This was their 5th day in the Sun Nation, and no one was in a hurry to leave.

"Say Katara, how long do you think it will be before they let me meet the Masters?"

"I don't know Aang. The Sun Warriors are very protective of them it seems. It's kind of strange really, so much ceremony built around two old men living at the top of the mountain."

"Sound like the life for me! No rules or obligations, just a bunch of people in funny outfits making a big deal over how great you are all the while you get to live on top of an awesome mountain! How great is that?"

"I think even you would miss seeing people Toph."

"It's not like I can see them any way Meathead!"

Aang smiled at his friends' antics but his mind was hundreds of miles away, back to a time where a little bald monk and young fire bending girl would sit on a mountain top and talk for hours at a time. He had never breathed a word of his sister to his friends. It was the one secret he held on to tighter than any other. Who would believe him anyway? Even he wondered sometimes if she had existed, he could see her smile and laughing blue eyes clearly but all his other dreams had seemed so real too. The only proof he had was a small Fire Opal pendent in the shape of a blazing sun. She had given it to him as a gift, but really it was a promise, that they would always have each other.

"What's this? A necklace?"

"Yeah, it belonged to our mother. My dad gave it to her when he asked her to marry him. She gave it to me before she left to go live with the monks in the temple. It's the only thing of hers I have."

"Why are you giving it to me? You should keep it!"

"Well I figured we could share it, she's both of our mothers. And besides, this way you'll never be able to forget your big sister!"

"Thanks Soliel, one day I'll give it back to you, that way we'll have to see each other!"

"Ok Aang, its a deal."

Aang's train of thought was interrupted by a small scuffle between Sokka and Toph. The small earth bender had just lifted a boulder over the unsuspecting warriors head. Hoping to avoid a full on fight, Aang called out to his friends.

"Guys! Why don't we go down to the lake for a bit? It'll be fun! It's been awhile since we've had a vacation."

Katara smiled at his obvious attempt to resolve the conflict. He may simply look like a goofy kid, but he had a good heart and was smart about getting out of tough situations.

"Aang's right, we all need a break. Sokka why don't you and Aang go grab us a basket of food in town and tell the Chief where we'll be."

"What are you and Toph going to do?"

"Yeah Sugar Queen, its not like you to not make me do chores."

"Toph and I are going to see what we can dig up in regards to bathing suits."

"Bathing suits? Who said anything about bathing?"

"Relax Toph, it's just what you call the clothes you wear when you go swimming."

"What wrong with your bindings Sis? That's what you always have worn before."

"Well that was when we were being chased half way around the world and could hardly stop for two minutes together! Now we have a chance to do it properly."

"Come on Sokka, lets just go and get the food."

Of all the things Soliel had expected her friend to say, finding her brother was not one of them. There was nothing she could say, but rather she sank to the floor her face showing the shock she felt. Feelings and memories rushed through her brain. She could see herself and Aang sitting on a cliff over looking the place where the monks worked.

"Why can't you stay longer?"

"We have to go back to the Mountain, its not good to stay away for long."

"But why? The Mountain's not going any where is it?"

"Haha no you knuckle head, but whose going to serve the Masters while we're gone? That's our duty as Sun Warriors you know, to protect and serve the Masters."

"Will I ever get to meet them?"

"You'd have to be pretty important, and last time I checked you weren't, at least not yet..."

"What do you mean?"

"Well you're my brother aren't you? Thats means you have to do something great in the future! I'll make sure of that."

"What if we get separated?"

"Don't be silly, that won't happen. You'll live here with the monks and I'll stay on the Mountain and we'll see each other at all the festivals. It's getting rid of ya that'll be the hard part."

"Good, cause I don't ever want to be alone Soliel not ever."

"You won't be, cause your big sister will be here to look out for you, and that's a promise!"

I made myself out to be such a brave and fearless warrior that day, but I knew the truth about Aang. I knew that one day he'd leave me to go be the Avatar and the thought of him leaving me was terrifying. I didn't know that years later my people, those who bended fire, would be the ones who destroyed everything he loved so much. An entire race gone, except for one small boy sealed in an iceberg for a hundred years.

"There are few things in life I truly fear, Mara, but one of them is being alone. That was one thing Aang and I had in common. I promised him that would never happen, but it did. We're both alone."

"You are not alone! Your people stand beside you, they would die for you if you would let them. But you have to be standing too before we are able to do that. If you fall we shall catch you, but first you must stand or we can do nothing."

Soliel looked at her friend, numb from the many thoughts flying through her mind. What could she do? She was in the heart of Fire Nation, serving the man who hunted her brother as though his life depended on it. As she moved to stand, the familiar pain ripped through her leaving her gasping for air.

"Soliel? Soliel what's wrong?"

"My...bending..."

"What about it? Soliel please, tell me what's going on."

"...gone..."

"What's gone? Your bending, what do you mean?"

Solile raised her arm and pointed to the gold cuff clasped about her wrist. Mara stared in disbelief,

"They took away your bending?"

Soliel could only nod as she hugged herself tightly willing the pain to go away, praying that it would somehow lessen. There was a moment of silence. Soliel was huddled in pain while Mara tried to grasp the extent of what she had just been told. For Soliel to loose her bending was huge. Her bending was what set her apart from all other people. As the daughter of the Sun god her fire bending abilities were far beyond even that of the Avatar. Without it she was just a normal girl, a mortal. With a grim face Mara knelt beside her friend. How many years had she played and then worked beside this woman? How many of them had she spent envying her beauty, her courage, her skill? Yet in that moment, Mara could not think of single part of Soliel's life that she would wish for herself. And so she simply placed her arms around her friend and held her as the pain wracked her body.

"This does not change anything Soliel. We still need you back, we desperately need you back in Sun Nation. There are plenty of non-benders in the Sun Nation including myself. We'll manage, you have plenty of other skills besides your bending so you'll still be able to contribute. The people will follow you no matter what, there is not doubt in their minds as to who you are."

"Mara, its not that simple."

"Of course it is, you're going home Soliel. Back to the Sun Mountain where you belong."

"These cuffs on my wrists and ankles block my chi paths keeping me from bending. The only one who can remove them is the Fire Lord since he is the one who put them on me. I can't leave until he takes them off."

"Why did you let him? Couldn't you have stopped him?"

"No I was unconscious when he did it. I don't even know if I could have stopped him had I been conscious."

And so Mara sat on the duvet in Prince Zuko's bedroom as Soliel told Mara the tale of her capture and all that had happened since. She did not leave out a single detail, but told her friend all, even the recent events in the Spirit Realm.

"Oh Soliel if only we would have found you sooner none of this would have happened!"

"It would have made no difference, I still could not have left without my bending."

"But surely you will now! I know how important fire bending is to you. I more than anyone understand the time and effort you put into mastering it! But is it worth your life? Even if you never bend again you are still our future leader, we need you Soliel, don't turn your back on us."

"I'm sorry Mara. I'm afraid that unless my bending is restored I don't have much more time left in this life."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that with my chi paths blocked I have no way to release all the pent up energy my fire bending usually employed. My body has become a furnace, burning hotter and hotter every hour I am without it. Even after days of training and fighting, I still cannot release the fire inside of me and its burning me alive. On the Summer Solstice we require the benders to release their fire at every hour. Do you know why? Not because its an age old tradition, but because they will be consumed by their own fire if they don't! Don't you see? If my bending is not returned by the Summer Solstice I shall be consumed by it. I can hardly bear the suns strength at the height of each day, it is not likely I shall survive it's peak at the end of summer. Home would be the most dangerous place for me right now."

"Then what do we do? Is the Fire Lord really the only one who can remove the cuffs?"

"I'm afraid so. On top of that the Prince is supposed to return to the Palace sometime this month, at least that's what the servants say. I've no idea what kind of man he is although he seems to have won favor with Fate and my father..."

"That's a good sign, maybe if you explain that you'll die if the cuffs aren't removed he'll have his father take them off?"

"He would have to be an idiot. The entire Fire Palace believes me to be a water bender."

"Then I'll talk to him, I'll tell him everything and maybe we can get Agni to make an appearance, you know scare him into agreement!"

"Agni is bound from the mortal world, if he even stepped one foot into it the gods would be furious and who knows what they would do. The only thing I can do is wait and see what happens. I have three more months before the Summer Solstice, we'll have to wait until then."

"I'm not leaving you here Soliel–I can't."

"You have to Mara, I can't worry about you too. Besides, our people need you to lead them. You cannot tell them you've found me. Send search parties through the Water Tribes and the Earth Kingdom. They absolutely can not know I am here or I fear what the Fire Lord will do to them and the Masters."

"Surely there is something the Masters can do!"

"I've already spoken to them and I'm afraid I'm on my own. I'll be fine Mara, but you must leave now–before anyone finds out you're here."

"I can't believe I'm letting you talk me into this..."

"It wouldn't be the first time I've talked you into stupid situations"

Soliel smiled at her friend sadly, just when she thought she was alone and beyond reach Mara came and reminded her of why she was here in the first place. Aang.

"I made a deal with the gods long ago that I would protect my brother at all costs. Tell Aang nothing; he doesn't know I'm alive and if he did he would come here and try and break me out. He would fall right into the hands of the Fire Lord, and we can't let that happen. His life is far more valuable than mine."

"Soliel how can you say that?"

"Didn't you know? My baby brother's going to save the world, I've know that since day one. Take care of him for me until I get back."

Mara smiled sadly. There wasn't another person in the world who loved their brother more than Soliel. Her every thought was for his safety, the kid had no idea how lucky he really was.

"Of course I will."

"Goodbye Mara, I'll figure something out don't you worry!"

"Goodbye Soliel, you better not do anything stupid!"

"No guarantees, but I'll do my best"

Mara took one last glance at her friend and slipped into the courtyard. Soliel looked over the balcony's edge and managed to force a smile. She could not be sure if she would ever see her friend again. No matter how sad she felt, she couldn't spend her time moping around feeling sorry for herself. Prince Zuko's return was her first priority, she had to find out as much as she could about the Fire Lords son.

"There has to be some good in him, right?"