A/N: What is that? Oh! Is it a small ember? Will it blaze into a fire? :3

She had no reason to stay. There was no one holding her back. And yet she couldn't bring herself to leave.

It was probably because she felt safe with Mushi and, she was reluctant to admit, Li. For all her bravado and tough front, Orora couldn't deny that she had felt slightly unsafe while traveling alone. Mushi was a kind man. He was always nice to her, and when she showed interest in the meditating techniques he practiced from time to time, he invited her to join him. They were created for firebenders, he had told her, but no harm ever came in learning something new.

And did she ever.

It had taken her awhile to come out of her shell, a few days at the most, but once she did, Orora learned something new from Mushi every single day. He was just so wise and patient, so unlike the adults and males she had had in her life. It was safe to say that just a day or so after her encounter with Li when he snuck off, she had begun to grow fond of the old man.

She had so many questions to ask about the world, and it seemed Mushi had been everywhere. Everyday, once dinner was over, she would take out the map she had and point to a random spot and Mushi would proceed to tell her all about it. Orora hung on to his every word, eyes glazed and mind wandering, dreaming of the day she would get to see all those places herself.

He even began to help her with her fighting form and stances. Turns out learning on her own had drawbacks, and her posture was wrong for more then a few stances. Mushi was kind and patient with her, teaching her the proper way, and giving her little tidbits of information that would help her. Even with her waterbending.

It surprised her when he informed her that he had learned to create a few firebending moves by studying the waterbenders. All of which he proceeded to teach her. She did put her own spin on it, wanting to use ice wherever she could. It was just an affinity she had. It came so easy to her. And the weapons were sharp and deadly, with the intent to do damage, which was exactly what she intended to cause.

Within a few weeks, as the trio traveled, she and Mushi grew closer, with him becoming something of a mentor to her, and Orora had taken to calling him Master every now and then. The first time she had done so, he had merely laughed and brushed her off, yet it stuck with her, and from that point on, she called him as such.

Li, however, was a whole other problem.

He would still sneak away, and after the initial night, Orora hadn't followed after him. He would return with food and whatever necessity they would need, like blankets and such. Whatever he brought back Orora refused to take. She had all her supplies, and could get food on her own. But spending an entire day traveling did tire her out, and sometimes she didn't have it in her to go out and forage for food. She tried to gather enough during the day during their trek along paths unknown to fill her bag with fruits and nuts of various sorts.

Her pride didn't allow her to eat the food Li brought, no matter how much Mushi tried to convince her otherwise. As a result she began to have a rather pinched look about her cheeks, and despite the fruit and fish she ate, there was still a sense of hunger within her. Every now and then she would have enough money for bread and such, but Mushi and Li couldn't risk going too close to the villages nearby, and not wanting to loose them by accident, Orora tended to stay close.

One early morning, she was sitting in front of Mushi, practicing one of his meditation exercises. The atmosphere was calm and she could feel her head begin to clear of every thought as she slipped into a tranquil state. That is until she felt that annoying tug on her finger, informing her that her soulmate was back from robbing people.

Her head whipped to the entrance of their small cave. The sudden act caused Mushi to glance up at her. Her eyes narrowed well before Li came into view, holding a basket full of what looked like sweet rolls and some type of fruit. The retired General frowned, how could Orora know his nephew was approaching before he even came into view? He certainly hadn't heart anything.

The boy walked up and dumped it, rather rudely she might add, in front of his Uncle. "Where did you get these?" Mushi asked, looking at his nephew rather suspiciously. Li had already turned and was walking away.

"What does it matter where they came from?" He said. He hadn't even spared her a glance, and Orora bristled at the obvious dismissal he carried for her very existence.

She heard Mushi hum in contemplation under his breath before biting into the sweet roll. He made to offer her one, but she shook her head with a polite no.

"Did no one teach Li any manners?" She suddenly asked, his behavior around his Uncle getting on her nerves. How someone could treat their elders so disrespectfully was beyond her. She had never liked her Father, yet she had shown him respect to the best of her ability.

The old man sighed, his eyes casting downwards. "My nephew has had a very difficult life Orora. And what he is going through at the moment, I do not blame him for feeling as he is." He looked after where Li had gone.

Orora shrugged. "Still, it doesn't give him an excuse to be rude to you, Master." Her words prompted Mushi to give her a gentle smile. "You are too kind for your own good Orora." He stated warmly. The young waterbender felt her cheeks flush as she shyly returned the smile.

"Hardly." She muttered, before turning back to her meditation.

Orora didn't realize just how long she sat there quietly. When she finally opened her eyes, Mushi was gone. She wasn't worried. He tended to slip away every now and then. Left to her own devices, she pulled out one of her waterbending scrolls. She may not be around water, with the nearest stream being five minutes away, but she had enough in her canteen. Though first she had to memorize the actions without the water.

Standing up, she slowly began to go through the motions of one rather tricky bending form. She fumbled the first few times, but soon she began to get the hang of it. The young waterbender repeated the motions over and over, loosing herself in the fluidity of the action, her arms flowing along the length of her body, her feet sure and her body gracefully as it moved.

She had her eyes closed as she ran through the exercises, hardly noticing when her finger gave a tug. Only when she heard a light cough did she pause and open her eyes. Sweat lined her brow and upper lip, as she tried to catch her breath. Seeing Li standing there with all of his purchase she couldn't help but let her eyes go wide as she blurted out.

"Where did you get all this stuff?" She exclaimed softly. Li, who had been staring at her as if she were someone, or something, he had never encountered before, simply shouldered past her. Setting down all the things he carried, he moved to light the fire with a simple flick of his wrist.

Orora frowned in disapproval. "Who did you steal from this time?" She asked, crossing her arms over her chest as she glared at Li who was now lounging in front of the fire. Still no reply. "What are you going to ignore me now? You didn't seem to mind talking to me a week or so ago."

Still nothing. She moved to inspect the tea set he had brought. A little too gaudy by her standards. "You know maybe instead of stealing, you should try to make an honest living." This time he turned his gaze towards her, eyes gleaming with anger. "Yeah? And how will I do that? In case you haven't noticed, I don't have the resources to do anything besides stealing."

"Thats just an excuse. Everyone has a talent they can use. I use my healing ability to get some money." Li rolled his eyes at her. "Well I'm not some untrained waterbender like you who can bat her eyes and get whatever she wants." Anger rolled through her entire being as she fumed. "Should I give you a reminder how this untrained waterbender took you down without batting an eye?" Her fingers played with the cork of her water canteen, just itching to pull out the water and freeze him to the nearest wall and leave him there.

Though he'd probably melt himself out instantly, it would bring her some satisfaction.

"Only because you caught me by surprise. I doubt you will last in a real battle." He stated, his tone condescending. "If it had been a real battle, you would be dead."

A cold feeling settled in the pit of her stomach. Would she die? If she were to face someone in a real battle? Still Li had no reason to go and say what he said, though she did detect a glimmer of regret after he said those words. Though that was probably her own misleading mind.

What Orora did next was probably not one her best move.

"Then lets have one right here. No bending. Just hand-to-hand."

He glanced at her from the corner of his eyes as she moved to stand in the small clearing outside the cave. "I don't have time for that." He stated, prompting Orora to goad him even further.

"Why? Afraid you'll loose to a girl?" She gave a smirk, knowing boys hated having girls say that. It seemed to be the right thing to say. Besides Orora had learned it didn't take long for Li to get mad. Almost anything could light his fuse. When he still didn't move, she shrugged.

"Alright then, I guess its safe to assume you're just all talk and no-AH!" It was only the most basic of her instincts that had her rolling out of the line of fire.

Literally.

"Spirits! I said no bending!" You called to Li who was now standing and assuming a firebending stance. He glared at her. "In a real fight, you should always expect the unexpected."

With that he threw another fireball at her. Unclasping her cloak from around her neck, Orora threw it aside as she jumped up, the tips of her shoes just barely grazing against the burning flames.

"Fine! If its a real fight you want." She pulled water from her canteen, creating multiple icicles between her fingers as she dropped into her own stance. "Then thats what you'll get."

The two of them crouched waiting for the other to strike first. Their eyes met, ice blue clashing against flaming gold.

And then they unleashed every bit of emotion they had been holding back since they met one another.

The battle was raw, every bending move had an intensity behind it. Pure emotion and power. Emotions that would be perceived as negative, but what fueled the two teens like steam powered an engine. It took all of Orora's concentration to not slip as she dodged his attacks, while throwing back her own. Her response was a little slow at first, but as the battle went on, and the adrenaline raced through her body, she began to make split second decisions, getting quicker on her feet, faster with her bending. More then once she made a mistake in the manuever, but it didn't matter to her. So long as she caused some damage.

Back and forth, back and forth. Ice and flames, water and fire. They seemed to be dancing to the drums of war as they circled one another, looking for the chance to find a weakness.

It was midway through when Orora realized that she needed more water. Which was why she aimed an ice spear at him, and ran off. Li was hot on her heels as she burst through the trees and jumped into the stream. Instantly she could feel the power of her element encompass her. While Li stood at the bank, she used the advantage of being in her element to meet his blows to the best of her ability.

But it had been a long time now, and she had begun to grow tired, though he showed no signs of fatigue. She was beginning to loose concentration. She nearly lost her balance while blocking one of his attacks, at which she decided to conclude the battle while she still had the strength.

"This ends now!" Orora screamed as she threw all her remaining strength forward, encasing Li in a wall of pure ice. She was panting heavily, sweat making her clothes cling to her body as she prepared to create multiple ice spears to point at him.

What she didn't calculate was that Li had been waiting to execute his last move. One that included him letting out a loud roar, followed by plumes of fire from his hands, feet and mouth.

The heat was too intense, causing her to stumble back, covering her face with her arms as she did. She nearly fell back, but a hand reached out to grip the front of her shirt. Orora lowered her arms in time to see Li raise a fist and aim it at her head. But it only hovered in the air. Her eyes drifted from the fist to Li's face.

There was barely any distance between the two of them. Their breaths mingled as they each tried to catch their breath. Neither of them knew just how long they just stood there.

Yet never once did their gaze falter, look away from the other and hardly blinked.

Finally, he let go, allowing Orora to step back, putting some distance between them. "Don't ever challenge me again." He said, already turning back towards their camp.

Orora stood where she was, anger and humiliation raging under her skin, yet there was also something else. Something that was similar to anger and yet different. Whatever it was, what she did know was that she had lost.

A frustrated sound left her lips as she threw her arm out, causing a small wave of water to crash on the other side of the bank.

Their battle had scared away any aquatic life further up the stream. Orora had to wait for a little while before they finally started to come back. And once she had enough fish for herself, Mushi and...Li, she began to the walk back to the cave. Pushing away the leaves that hid the cave from view she approached the clearing in time to catch the last few words Mushi was speaking to Li.

"In the darkest time. Hope is something you give yourself. That is the meaning of inner strength."

She paused, wandering what had made Mushi offer such words to the young firebender. Whatever it was, the conversation seemed to be over, as Li promptly stood up and walked out of the cave.

He passed her, his eyes flickering in her direction for a brief second before he disappeared into the woods. She stared after him. "Is everything alright?" She asked, as she set down the fish she had already cleaned and began to push the sticks through them to set them over the fire.

Mushi sighed deeply. "As I have told you Orora, Li has been going through some very difficult times." He looked out to where the boy had disappeared. "And I am afraid he has started to loose hope."

She placed the last of the fish atop the fire and watched as it began to cook, monitoring it's progress. "Maybe if he finds something to live for, he can start having some hope again?" She suggested, playing with one of the leftover stick by flicking it against the floor of the cave.

Mushi nodded. "I had always hoped he would find his soulmate, and that they would help him realize his true worth." A deep sigh fell from his lips. "Though with how cruel fate has been to him, I doubt it would offer him some respite in the form of a soulmate."

The old man glanced at the young girl out of the corner of his eyes, noticing how she had stiffened at the mention of the word soulmate. How her gaze had dropped to the smallest finger of her left hand, and her hands had clenched at her sides, as it she were hiding something only she could see.

He had begun to have his suspicions, but he still needed some more proof before drawing his conclusion.

Orora made sure to set some of the fish aside for Li. It wasn't much, certainly nothing compared to the roast and sweet buns he had brought, but he wasn't eating that either. She doubted he would eat something so meager and simple as fish.

But she could at least try.

She hated to admit it, but what Mushi had said did effect her. Maybe she should try and help Li? Not as his soulmate, she was still sticking to her initial decision of having nothing to do with the bond, but rather as someone whose life he had saved.

Life. Her had saved her. She owed him.

The sun would be setting soon, she mused as she picked up the leaf that she had wrapped the fish in to keep warm, maybe she should try and bring him some food. If she could find him.

Without a word she walked out of the cave, leaving Mushi to smile softly at her retreating figure.

Orora didn't have to walk every far. Surprisingly Li was sitting at the edge of the lake where they had battled it out a few hours ago. It almost felt like a dream what had occurred.

He glanced back at her, obviously alerted by her arrival, but turned his attention back to the still surface of the lake.

"I brought you some dinner." She said, her voice soft as she came to stand beside him, holding the wrapped fish out towards him. He didn't respond, sitting with his arms crossed above his raised knee. "Your Uncle is getting worried about you, maybe you should come back to the cave?" She suggested, as she leaned down to set the food beside him.

Silence greeted her words, prompting her to purse her lips before she made to walk away from the way she came.

That is until he stopped her with a question.

"How do you do it?" Despite his best efforts to not say anything, Zuko couldn't help as the question tumbled from his lips. He felt her pause where she stood beside him.

"Do what?" Ororas asked, her voice soft as she tried hard not to feel satisfied that he was now speaking to her.

"You spoke to my Uncle, told him about the life you had up in the North. You had every comfort in the world and yet you left all that." He frowned, still not meeting her gaze. "I just don't understand how a person who had everything would just leave like that."

There was a moment where neither of them said anything or moved. But then Orora slid down to sit next to him. The small leaf package was the only wall between them as they sat. With her legs crossed under her, Orora folded her hands in her lap, fingers interlocking before she began to speak.

"In my Tribe, girls are never taught to fight. From the moment they are born, they are told that their only place is to get married to a man of their elder's choosing. And if they have the gift of waterbending they're sent straight to the Healing Huts once they become of age. And I did all of that. I wanted to be respectful to my family and their wishes for me and I did whatever they asked me to."

Slowly she lifted one hand, allowing a small ball of water to rise from the lake and hover over her palm. Zuko watched, slightly fascinated, as she began to create different shapes with it. "But no matter what I did, it always felt wrong. I didn't feel like myself and I just felt out of place." A miniature ice flower formed in her hand as she shifted to created ice sculptures instead.

"My grandmother gave me some waterbending scrolls just before she died. It was her only act of rebellion. She told me that she wanted me to learn how to fight, that for so long women of our tribe had been helpless. And she didn't want that for me." A small ice figure of an old woman rested against her palm, which Zuko assumed was her grandmother.

"Once I began to practice it all just clicked into place. I realized I had found my true calling. Sure, I loved the healing part of my abilities but learning to fight, creating ice, I finally felt that last puzzle piece fit."

A smile pulled at her lips. "Of course, once my father found out that I had engaged in a fight against one of the Fire Nation soldiers, despite the fact that I had saved lives, he disowned me."

She said that with such casualness that it prompted Zuko to stare at her, his eyes slightly wide. "He what?" Orora shrugged. "My father never really had love for any woman, he thought they had no other purpose other then giving birth." She admitted, multiple ice spikes protruding from the ball of ice she now held.

"Is that why you left?" He asked, feeling a certain dread at just how similar their past was. How their relationship was with their fathers. Orora hummed. "Well yes, and no. I could've stayed there, found a job and made something of myself." Her hand shot up, allowing the water ball to rise to the sky. Both their gazes followed it's ascent, watching as rays from the setting sun made it look as if it were a ball of fire.

Her arm held skyward to hold the water ball in place Orora spoke. "I wanted to see more of the world. Beyond the walls of the Northern Water Tribe. I have only been traveling for a few weeks and I have had more excitement then in the all the years I lived up North."

A flick of her wrist and the ball exploded in tiny droplets of water that rained down on them. Zuko barely felt them, his gaze fixed on the girl beside him. "And though I knew I would be leaving everything I knew behind, in a way by disowning me, my father allowed me to live life on my own terms."

She gave a wry smile. "One of these days, I'll go back and thank him." Her tone was sarcastic, though Zuko could detect a hint of sadness in her eyes as she turned her head to look at him.

"Your Uncle helped me see that what I shall fight for is my newfound freedom. And I am sure that given a little time, you shall find your own reason to fight as well."

The two teenagers stared at one another, with Zuko being the first one to look away. Seemingly satisfied, the young girl rose to her feet, walking away a few paces.

"Li?" Zuko turned his head to look at her.

She was standing there, half hidden in the shadows of the leaves from the trees above her. But he couldn't deny the sight of a smile on her lips. The first time she had smiled at him.

"Thank you for saving me. I owe you." With a small incline of her head, she turned away to return to the small cave.

Zuko sat there, stunned. He certainly hadn't been expected her to thank him. The two of you barely mentioned that night, other then the topic being barely touched upon the first night she had seen him sneak away.

His golden gaze dropped to the fish she had brought him. He picked it up, unwrapped the vine that kept the leaves in place and began to eat.

Unbeknownst to the both of them, the thread connecting them flickered with color before resuming it's white hue.

A/N: Please leave a review to tell me what you think! Thank you so much for reading!