Chapter 8 and 9 were originally one chapter… but I decided they needed to be two. So, here's Chapter 8. Chapter 9 will be posted in a few hours after I proofread. Thanks for reading. I'm having fun writing this. These two chapters are pretty emotional, but Chapter 10 and beyond will definitely start to show Amara's growth both mentally and physically.

Chapter 8: Hot Water

Amara POV

It had been only a few hours since the Avatar had saved me. Zuko had carried me back to the ship, and once we got to the ramp, he carefully set me down. Iroh rushed down the ramp with relief when he saw us, grabbing my arms to check me over. I was certain I looked a mess. My ribbon had fallen out of my hair (I honestly wasn't sure when), I had mud and grass stains on my clothes, and I could see scratches on my skin.

Iroh knew a little about what had occurred, but wanted my side of the story. I explained to him about Tu Lan trying to protect me from the firebender my brother sent. I told him that the man knocked Tu Lan out, and I jumped between them shooting fire to get the man's attention off of my friend. I relayed my poor attempt to escape only to be tackled. I let him know I was pretty certain that was when I twisted my ankle. I then informed him the man tried to knock me unconscious in the pond, but the Avatar saved me.

When I mentioned the Avatar, Zuko remembered his mission and ordered his Uncle to take care of me so he could head back into the woods with some guards. As he ran up the ramp to round up some men, Iroh did not look pleased by his nephew's rash action. However, he kept his main focus on me and had the guards standing nearby help support me up the ramp.

As we headed to my room, I eagerly asked Iroh about Tu Lan. Iroh informed me that he had just been carried back on the ship and taken to his room. Physician Ju was mending him and then would come look me over. I told myself that Tu Lan was in good hands, and I knew they would let me see him once things calmed down...

But I was still worried.

Once we got down to the hall where our rooms were, they helped me to the washroom first where I was able to clean the dirt off of me. Iroh had also retrieved me fresh clothes. Once I was cleaned up, I limped back to my room where Jing had tea waiting for me on my low table.

As I sat on my cot, Iroh carried the tray over to me and sat cross-legged. He made me drink some tea to try and calm my nerves which were still shot. When the last of my angst seemed gone, I finally looked at my ankle for the first time. Without shoes on, I could definitely see it was bruised and swollen. I honestly hadn't felt the pain from it until after Aang left me and Zuko arrived.

"So," Iroh spoke, pouring me more tea. "You met the Avatar?"

I smiled slightly and gave him a nod. "Aang… he was really nice." As I thought about him, I remembered our last conversation. "Iroh… did you know the Avatar was traveling with kids from the Southern Water Tribe?"

Iroh sipped his tea in thought. "I knew he was traveling with friends. I suspected he met them at the South Pole, but I was not certain."

I stared down at my cup. "I… I wonder if they know my aunt and grandma…"

"Hmm…" Iroh sipped his tea again. "They might. If we ever have the chance to speak with them then we will definitely ask."

Only a few minutes after our conversation, a knock sounded on my door and Physician Ju came in. I quickly asked him how Tu Lan was. He answered that Tu Lan was bandaged up and asleep. I wanted more info, but Ju dismissed my question and quickly went to look me over. As he knelt beside me, and started to check my pulse on my wrist, I argued I was fine. He didn't seem convinced, telling me that I was definitely beaten up and in shock. He could tell my heart was uneven and he wanted me to stay in my room the rest of the day. He moved to my ankle and the pain started.

As he felt the area where the bruising was, I whimpered involuntarily from the pain. It was much more damaged than I had thought. I felt so pathetic. I couldn't even escape my brother's bounty hunter without hurting myself...

"I don't feel a break," Ju spoke to Iroh. "However, there is definite swelling from some damaged tissue. It will take a few days to heal. I want her to stay in bed as much as possible." He grabbed gauze from his medical bag and started to wrap my injury.

I had only one concern. "When can I see Tu Lan?"

Ju did not meet my desperate gaze as he finished wrapping my ankle. He answered, "He is resting today. And you need to rest as well. Tomorrow we will consider letting you visit him. Right now, you need to lay down. You've had a difficult morning." He let go of my ankle and then grabbed something else out of his bag. "Jing is getting some food prepared. I want you to take this after you eat." He handed a bottle to me with a liquid inside. "It will help your pain and calm you. You've been through a rough morning."

I nodded, slowly taking the bottle in my hand. When I did, I saw I was still shaking and hadn't realized it. My hand trembled which made the liquid do the same.

"Sir," Ju spoke again, looking over at Iroh. "I need to speak with you in the hallway briefly."

Iroh nodded. "Yes. Of course." He met my gaze with a kind smile. "Stay here, Amara. I'll be right back."

The two men left the room, shutting the door behind. Once I was alone, I set the bottle on the tea tray beside my cot. I tried to breathe in and out to calm my pounding heart. I was more shaken from the attack than I realized. Everything had happened so fast.

As silence filled the room, I was left to my thoughts. I looked at the Water Tribe tapestry on my wall. My mind went back to my conversation with the Avatar.

"You're traveling with others?"

Aang nodded. "Katara and Sokka. They're around your age. I met them actually right when Zuko tried to first capture me. They helped me escape from an iceberg at the South Pole."

"You're traveling with kids from the Southern Water Tribe?"

He nodded. "Yeah." He stared at my blue eyes and tan skin again. Then his eyes widened. "Wait… Is that where you come from?"

I grimaced. My heart ached.

...is that where you come from?

My breathing hitched, and a shiver raced down my spine.

No… Technically, I didn't come from the South Pole… my mother did… I was from the Fire Nation...

So… would my Water Tribe family see me as an outsider if I ever did find them? Aang had clearly noticed my Fire Nation features as soon as he saw me. Would my aunt and grandma only see that part of me as well?

What if my mission to finally be reunited with my mom's family was a bad idea? If I did find them then I would be a stranger to them... Possibly an enemy...

I pulled my knees to my chest and hugged my legs for comfort. I felt cold suddenly. Chills raced through me. I stared at my tan skin and black strands of hair with dismay.

Would they accept me for being half Water Tribe, or would they only see the Fire Nation part of me?

Would they not want me?

I hugged my legs tighter. My eyes burned with tears. Maybe Zhao was right…

My vision blurred and my breathing hitched. A recent memory took me over.

"Where were you planning on going this time?" Zhao turned to face me and stepped over to me. "Trying to run east to get to Ba Sing Se? Or south to your mother's people? You are such a foolish child. Do you honestly think anyone would want a half-breed like you? You don't belong anywhere. You are a mistake that is lucky to still breathe."

I gasped. I clutched my hair as unwanted thoughts and memories suddenly shot through my mind. They hit me in waves. My heart quickened.

"It's Tu Lan, right? He told me you would probably be with the girl. He told me to kill you if I needed to." The bounty hunter grit his teeth and tightened his fists. "If you don't give me the girl, I will. I have no time for games."

Fire… Tu Lan falling on the ground hard and unconscious...

Tu Lan… this was my fault… we were attacked because of me. Zhao sent a bounty hunter to retrieve me because he was scared of the world learning about a freak like me. I was endangering people's lives. If I went to my Water Tribe family, Zhao would hurt them too!

My heart pounded so loud. My breathing grew strained.

"You really think you can run from me?" Zhao stepped over to me as his guards restrained me. It was my first attempt at escape since being brought to the harbor. My brother's guards had opened my cell to bring me to him, and I managed to slip past them and run. I only made it to the edge of camp before I was dragged back. "You foolish girl!" He grabbed my chin hard and forced me to meet his dark gaze. "You can try and run, but I will find you every time. You don't belong anywhere but in your cage! Learn that, Amara!"

"Amara!"

A hand grabbed my arm as I trembled.

"Look at me you freak! You will never escape me! I will always bring you back, my dear sister! Because this is where you belong!"

"No!" I shouted and shook my head hard. Something exploded nearby and shattered. Someone gasped and jumped away. My heart continued to pound hard in my chest. The nightmares continued. Zhao's laughter echoed through me.

Third Person POV

Zuko had just gotten back to the ship. He was greatly disappointed. He and three other men headed in the direction Amara had indicated the Avatar had gone. They arrived at the campsite just as a giant flying sky-bison took off into the air.

Zuko quickly shot a flame at the beast, but the Avatar threw a blast of air at the fire, sending it back at the prince who dodged quickly. The creature and its passengers disappeared over the trees. With fury, Zuko returned to the ship and quickly ordered for them to set a course north in the direction the Avatar had headed. Once he relayed his orders and the ramp shut, he headed through the ship to the hall where his room was. When he arrived, he saw his uncle and Physician Ju standing in the torch lit hallway near Amara's room.

The two men were speaking softly. Zuko could not tell what they were saying. He wondered if something was wrong with Amara. He grew concerned and quickly approached.

"Uncle… how is she?"

The men looked over to see the young prince headed their way. Iroh sighed heavily. "She's been mended and is resting, Prince Zuko… how was your search?"

Zuko crossed his arms, sensing his uncle was not pleased by his rash actions. However, his frustration came out towards his loss. "I almost had him! He got away!"

Iroh shook his head. "You should've been thanking the Avatar for saving Amara! Not trying to capture him right after!"

Zuko scowled. "Him saving her changes nothing!"

Iroh let out a heavy breath. "I'm finishing a conversation right now. Go give her company. I'll be in momentarily."

Zuko huffed. "Fine." He headed to the room, opening the door and shutting it behind with frustration. He shut his eyes to calm down before he approached the girl. He didn't want to scare her. When he opened his eyes though, he was shocked by what he saw.

Amara was shaking terribly on her cot, her face pressed into her knees and her hands clutching her hair hard. She was crying and her breathing was uneven. Clearly, he didn't have to scare her… something already had...

"Amara? What's wrong?"

Zuko stepped over to her cot beside the tray of tea. He knelt beside her and tried to speak to her again. He had only seen her in a similar state once before: right after she woke up for the first time on the ship. Tu Lan had come to calm her then. Zuko knew that was not an option today.

"My fault," she gasped. "Tu Lan… I'm sorry…"

Zuko grabbed her arm to bring her back. "Amara. Calm down."

She didn't seem to hear him. She was in a panic. Zuko could tell she was struggling to breathe. He grew more concerned. He tried to shake her out of it.

"Amara!"

She shook her head and cried out, "NO!"

The teapot beside Zuko suddenly shattered. Pieces of porcelain and tea flew across the tray. Zuko gasped and jumped away from the sudden explosion. Amara let out a sob. As she tightened her grip on her hair, the spilled tea started to move along the tray and form a perfect circle. Then the liquid started to boil and steam. Zuko had never seen anything like it before.

"Uncle!" Zuko shouted for help. His eyes shot between the boiling tea and the shaking girl. He did not understand what he was seeing. Was this firebending? How was she controlling the liquid?

The door opened and Iroh stepped in quickly with Physician Ju following. As they came in, the liquid on the tray stopped boiling and started to become ice. Amara's sobs were stopping as her breathing grew more strained.

Zuko pointed at the tray with disbelief. "How… how is this happening?"

Iroh was bewildered himself by the circular shaped puddle on the tray which was freezing over completely. Then he shook his shock and rushed over to the girl who was definitely in a state of panic.

He knelt in front of her on her cot and took her hands which were still gripping her hair. "What happened?"

Zuko held his hands up. "I don't know! She was like this when I came in! I couldn't calm her, and then the teapot exploded!"

"Amara," Iroh spoke gently. "Come back child. You're panicking. Calm yourself. Everything is okay."

As if Iroh's kind voice was a guide, Amara regained focus on the present. As her past fell from her mind, her tightly shut eyes opened slowly. Her pupils were dilated, but as she felt Iroh's grip on her hands, she focused more on his touch. Finally, her blue eyes met Iroh's gold with confusion. Her hands released her hair. Her breathing calmed. Her body stopped shaking. Tears stained her face.

"I… Iroh…?"

He sighed with relief. "Yes… it's okay, Amara. You're safe."

She looked at Iroh, and then over at the shocked expressions of Zuko and Physician Ju. She looked back at her guardian with exhaustion. She whimpered. "I… I don't want him to hurt anyone else…"

"He won't," Iroh spoke gently, knowing who she was referring to. "He's not here. You're safe, child. Tu Lan is okay. And Zhao would not dare attack me or Zuko. The danger has passed."

She breathed for a moment to calm her panic more. Her shaking ceased. She found her voice again, and spoke to try and reassure herself. "Zhao… I'm away from him… the Avatar... saved me…"

Iroh nodded. "Yes. You are safe from him. Calm down..."

She did. Her breathing evened out. Her eyes still watered, but the panic was fading.

Ju stepped over and grabbed the bottle he had originally brought. "Sir. I wanted her to take this after she ate, but I think she needs it now. It will calm her and help her sleep." He took the cork off and handed the bottle to Iroh. Once Iroh had the medicine, he moved it to the girl who was still crying but also much more sensible than before.

"Drink this. It will help you feel better," Iroh reassured.

Amara looked at the bottle. She slowly reached for it. Iroh was relieved when she finally took it and downed the contents. Once she consumed the medicine, Iroh took the empty bottle and managed to get her to lay down on her cot. As he placed her blanket over her, he saw she was finally coherent again.

"Iroh… I'm sorry," she whispered. Her eyes stayed away from him, embarrassed by her emotional breakdown. Her voice weighed with guilt as she realized she had lost herself. "I… couldn't stop thinking about Zhao. I… I don't want to be taken back to him..."

His heart broke as he took in the child's fear. He placed a gentle hand on her forehead. He could feel the panic attack had made her feverish. "I know, Amara… but Zhao is not getting you. What happened today was a mistake on my part. I should've sent more guards with you. This is not your fault. Just rest. You're just stressed from the attack."

She felt her body grow heavy the calmer she became. "Tu Lan… he's really okay?"

Iroh gave a sad smile. He pushed a strand of hair off her cheek and behind her ear. "He is alive. He's sleeping and healing. You need to do the same. I'll go check on him once you're asleep."

She nodded. Her eyes shut a moment later. The frozen tea on the tray started to thaw and returned to its liquid form. The medicine took a few moments to hit her system, but soon her whole body calmed. As she started to drift, Iroh touched her forehead again and felt her fever going down. He let out a breath of relief.

There was a silence for a good five minutes. Physician Ju finally came out of his shock from the liquid on the tray and stepped back to his patient. He knelt to grab her wrist and felt her pulse again. "She's calm now. She'll be asleep for a few hours. Hopefully we'll be able to get her to eat something later." He released her wrist and stood again. "She just had a rough morning."

Zuko spoke finally, still wanting an explanation. "Are we going to discuss what happened? We all know she had something to do with it."

Physician Ju glanced over at the spilled tea with question himself. "I am curious as well."

Iroh let out a heavy breath as he adjusted the blanket over the girl's unconscious form. "I suppose there's no avoiding it… all I ask is that what I tell you does not leave this room. I do not want members of the crew to spread this amongst others." He pulled away from the blanket and stood to face Zuko and Ju. "What you saw just now was Amara. She is a waterbender."

Zuko's eyes widened. His mouth opened in shock.

Physician Ju was surprised too, and he was the first to respond. "A waterbender… How is that possible, General Iroh? She's a firebender..."

Iroh nodded. "Yes. She is a firebender... But she is also a waterbender. Amara was born with the ability to bend both elements."

Zuko's fists tightened. He spoke to his uncle with frustration. "You knew this?"

Iroh nodded. "The day she showed us she was a firebender, I had her reveal to me later she was a waterbender as well. I found it best to keep this a secret from you and the crew. I did not want this knowledge to put her in danger. She only knows the basics. She is not a threat."

"Not a threat?! She made a teapot explode!"

Iroh narrowed his eyes at his nephew. "Lower your voice and calm yourself, Prince Zuko. She is asleep." Iroh moved to the tray then and examined the broken pot. "When you were young and got upset you would accidentally set things on fire or make torches burst. Emotions are connected to one's bending. Amara was scared… she subconsciously took control of the tea."

Zuko was calming down from his shock. He spoke softer. "But… the tea was boiling; Like it was being heated at the same time. That was her too?"

Iroh was surprised by this reveal. "Boiling?"

Zuko nodded. "It started to steam and bubble. Only when you came in did it turn to ice."

"Interesting," Iroh spoke, his eyes staring at the girl with intrigue. "It seems Amara can combine her bending together and make hot water. This is a unique gift."

The other two in the room stared at Iroh with disbelief. Finally, Physician Ju spoke again. "Sir… I will not speak of this to others. But if what you say is true, then this child is definitely powerful. If this happens when she is under stress, it is important we be extra cautious with her. She could damage the ship or hurt others."

Zuko agreed. "It's best she doesn't walk freely around the ship anymore then. I don't want her blowing up anything, or knocking the ship over with waves."

"Enough," Iroh snapped. He stood and looked at his nephew. "Amara is not a threat, Prince Zuko. And I do not want you to mention what you saw today to her. She is already scared enough about being a dual bender. I do not want her to hear she is believed to be dangerous. You know she would never hurt someone intentionally."

Zuko cringed. He knew his Uncle was right.

Physician Ju had calmed from his own shock at this discovery, and was now concerned about his patient again. "Yes… based on her mental state, it is best we avoid this topic for now. I also think it's best we keep her away from Tu Lan as well… seeing him will not help her state."

Zuko looked at the man with confusion. "Why? I thought he just had some burns?"

The ship physician and the retired general met one another's eyes. Iroh nodded and looked back at his nephew. "Let's discuss this down the hall. Ju… please inform Jing that he can bring our meals to Zuko's room instead. It's best we no longer disturb her and let her sleep."

Ju nodded. He picked up his medical bag and the tray with the broken teapot. "I'll dispose of this quickly and go relay the message sir."

Once Ju left, Iroh and Zuko remained in the room briefly. Zuko stared at the girl with disbelief. He had never met someone who could bend two elements before. The Avatar was the only exception. However, he recalled a conversation he had with Amara when she was first brought on the ship…

She had asked him what the Avatar was and he had explained it to her. Her question after did not mean much to him at the time, but he finally understood why she had asked...

"Can others bend more than one element?"

"No... Only the Avatar."

She frowned.

"Why do you ask?"

She flinched. Then she answered softly, "No reason."

He finally understood that strange conversation...

She was a dual bender. She knew it… his uncle had known it as well… Zuko felt frustrated that no one had told him. However, he realized that if they had told him then he may have overreacted like he had done just now. He felt immediate guilt for calling her a threat. He knew Amara would never hurt anyone unless she was defending herself. She had been hurt so much in the past that she would never harm someone without reason to.

"Prince Zuko… Let's leave her to rest," Iroh insisted.

Zuko sighed and followed Iroh out of the room. He was exhausted. After dealing with the Avatar, Amara's attacker, and finding out the girl next door was a dual bender, Zuko felt he could use a long nap himself.