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Chapter 26: Enemy or Ally

Aang had been gone for hours. I was worried, but I tried to focus on helping my family assist the escapees around us. By the time the sun started to set over the mountains near Omashu, we had formed camps all around the area with firepits and food. Men and women had gone out earlier in the day to scout for whatever they could find and begin to gather provisions. The Earth Kingdom citizens of Omashu were doing what they could to survive.

As everyone ate their finds of meat, fruit, or vegetables, I sat by the fire with my family at the site we were residing. We were all anxious about Aang, unsure whether he was okay or not. My cousins could barely sit still as they kept looking in the direction of the city. Just as we started to consider going back and finding him, we heard loud steps in the distance.

At first, I was terrified by the dark shadow coming towards us. However, my cousins didn't seem afraid at all. They stood and rushed over, so I quickly followed them not wanting to be left alone with the Earth Kingdom citizens who were giving me cautious looks. I was starting to feel really unwelcomed by Captain Yung's people…

As we got to the edge of camp, a large form was approaching us at quick speed. From the moonlight, I saw Aang was riding on what appeared to be a giant white beast with long drooping ears, and two horns on its head. The creature also had sharp lower fangs jutting out of its mouth. I recalled it was called a goat-gorilla from a book that Zuko had read to me during my studies on the ship. I was amazed to see Aang on such a strange creature.

Katara was thrilled by the animals presence though. "I don't believe it! It's Flopsie!"

I was puzzled by her exclamation. "Flopsie?"

Sokka answered. "King Bumi's pet. He's friendly."

We met Aang at the edge of camp, and the young airbender stopped the creature a few feet away from us. He slid off and hung his head. I knew from his dismay and absent friend that the mission was unsuccessful.

He spoke with great despair. "We looked everywhere. No Bumi…"

Katara was saddened to hear this. "Oh, Aang… I'm so sorry." She stepped over and hugged him. Sokka joined the hug as well, while I frowned and shut my eyes. We had failed.

A throat suddenly cleared. We looked over at the source. Captain Yung walked towards us with urgency. "We've got a problem. We just did a head count."

Katara was anxious from his stressed tone. "Oh no. Did someone get left behind?"

He shook his head and pointed over at something. "No, we have an extra."

We glanced over to see a baby being dragged across the ground by Momo who was screeching and trying to escape. I was horrified as I stared at the child that was in Fire Nation clothing. He must've followed us on our way out of the city.

Katara spoke with bewilderment, "Where did he come from?" She walked over and picked up the child who couldn't have been older than a year or two. He fussed as he was taken away from Momo. Momo raced off to hide.

"He must've followed us out of the city," I suggested. "He probably got interested by the crowd… or he followed Momo..."

Katara nodded and asked as she held the baby in her arms, "What do we do with him? His parents are probably worried sick!"

Sokka pinched the bridge of his nose in disbelief. "Great. Just when we think we're done, we have a whole new problem."

Aang let out a deep sigh. "There's nothing we can do about it right now… Let's rest tonight and we'll figure it out in the morning. We're all exhausted. I'm going to take Flopsie over to Appa and find them some food." He looked at Katara. "Think you can take care of him tonight?"

Katara nodded. "Yes. Not my first babysitting job. Did it all the time at the South Pole."

Aang gave her a tired smile and walked off. Flopsie followed him. We returned to our campsite then, and Katara sat the child on the ground in front of her. She gave him a Moon Peach slice to chew on. He had some teeth, but he appeared to just like the juice. When he was done, he started to crawl around us, giggling. Then at one point, he saw Sokka's wooden club which was sitting on the ground and grabbed it. He began to put the stone end in his mouth.

Sokka jerked it away quickly. "No! Bad Fire Nation baby!"

The baby started crying from my cousin's cruel scolding. Katara smacked Sokka on the arm and shook her head with disbelief.

Sokka groaned and handed it back. "Oh...alright." The baby stopped crying and started playing with the club again, giggling.

Katara smiled widely and leaned forward to hug him. "Ooo, you're so CUTE. Mmmmm…"

Captain Yung, who had been sitting silently at our campsite in observation, grunted. "Sure... he's cute now, but when he's older, he'll join the Fire Nation army. You won't think he's so cute then. He'll be a killer."

Katara held him up. "Does that look like the face of a killer to you?" The child drooled slightly to prove her point.

The man rolled his eyes. "They look innocent now, but in the end they all become monsters. Anyone born with Fire Nation in their blood is rotten to the core."

My heart pounded. I felt a bit attacked. I knew I wouldn't be able to change his feelings on the matter, but I did want to defend myself. I was the daughter of a Fire Nation man, but there was good in me. I spoke softly, "Not everyone… you're wrong, Captain Yung."

The man looked over at me with bewilderment. "Wrong?" Then he rolled his eyes and scoffed. "Oh. Of course. Someone like you would say that."

"Someone like me?"

"A kid with Fire Nation in her blood. You're one of them."

I felt my heart pound a little harder from his comment. Sokka seemed frustrated beside me too because his fists tightened. Katara was bewildered by the man's statement.

Sokka went to speak in my defense, but I was quick to interject. I spoke to Captain Yung with frustration. "You don't know anything about me, Captain Yung… All I'm saying is not everyone in the Fire Nation is bad. Some have good hearts. This baby may never become a soldier. I've heard of Fire Nation men who chose jobs that had nothing to do with the war. A friend of mine… he told me about others he knew who decided to go on different paths. There are good Fire Nation people out there… you just haven't met them…"

"That's ridiculous," Captain Yung snapped. "They are all trained to kill, or taught to raise soldiers. They are born and made killers from the beginning. There isn't a different path for them."

My fists tightened. "Then what about me? I chose a different path... I could've decided to help the Fire Lord's son capture the Avatar. I could've joined the Fire Nation soldiers and fought against the Water Tribe warriors at the North Pole. But I didn't… because I felt in my heart all of it was wrong. People aren't defined by their parents. Their destiny is their own choice."

Captain Yung rolled his eyes again. "So you say. I still don't understand your part in all of this, but I have my suspicions about you."

His statement astounded me. "You suspect me? Of what?"

"You're Fire Nation," Captain Yung said. "You can't blame me for not trusting you. The moment I learned you were one of those beasts I knew there was a potential you could be secretly working for the Fire Lord. You're probably using your Water Tribe heritage to gain the Avatar's trust."

"Hey! Watch it," Sokka snapped, losing his patience and speaking in my defense. "Don't accuse her of such foolish things!"

Captain Yung crossed his arms and shrugged. "What do you really know about your cousin? From what I've gathered, you only met her a little while ago. You can't trust someone that has been amongst the Fire Nation her whole life."

I felt my eyes burn. My heart pounded harder. "I didn't choose to live in the Fire Nation! Don't act like you know me!"

He stared at the campfire to avoid my gaze; the flames had grown a little from my frustration. He didn't notice. "All I know is you seem pretty defensive about people in the Fire Nation. That doesn't give me much confidence in your loyalties."

"So because I believe not everyone in the Fire Nation is bad… that makes me your enemy?" A tear fell. "You don't know anything about me, Captain Yung… You don't know what I've been through. What my mother went through… I don't like what the Fire Nation is doing to others, but you can't say everyone in the Fire Nation is evil. You're so wrong about everything… I'm certain there are some terrible people in the Earth Kingdom too. You can't define someone's heart based on where they come from."

He grunted. "Your people attacked my city. They killed some of our people. They took everything from me. Forgive me for not wanting to believe anything you say."

Katara finally lost her cool. The baby was in her lap now to probably keep her from lashing at the man. "Captain Yung! Amara's one of the kindest girl's anyone could know! She's been hurt by people in the Fire Nation greatly! You can't treat her like this! She's still part Water Tribe. She isn't your enemy!"

Captain Yung held his hands up. "I'm just being cautious. You said she grew up in the Fire Nation. She isn't one of us."

"Neither are we," Sokka snapped. "We're Water Tribe. We grew up at the South Pole!"

"That's different," he argued. "You and your people are allies. She may be part of your tribe, but as long as she holds Fire Nation blood inside her then she will never be trusted by me or my people."

I couldn't take it anymore. The looks I was getting from the Earth Kingdom men and women around me who were listening and agreeing with their leader made me suddenly uncomfortable. I knew walking away wasn't the answer, but I was tired of being called the enemy. I had never done anything to Captain Yung or his people...

Standing, I left the campfire. I felt my heart pound as pain filled inside me.

While I didn't like what the Fire Nation was doing to the world, I had met people in the Fire Nation who were kind and had good hearts. One man in particular had saved me from my life of imprisonment, and he had taken me in as a daughter.

Iroh…

I crossed my arms for comfort as I continued to walk. For a moment, I wished I was back with Iroh and Zuko. Despite being part Water Tribe, they had accepted me for both of my nations. So had their crew…

While I was happy to be with my family, I was starting to realize others in the Earth Kingdom would never trust me as long as they knew some part of me was connected to the enemy. My Fire Nation features showed so much more than my Water Tribe features, and this would always put me on people's radar. I thought for a moment about cutting and dying my hair to try and hide a small part of my Fire Nation features, but then I realized that wasn't fair to me. I didn't want to hide anymore. I had been concealed from the world for sixteen years. I no longer wanted to be afraid of who I was…

I walked for a long time, just lost in my thoughts. At some point I found myself at the base of a cliff, and I sat down leaning back against a boulder behind me.

I knew why Captain Yung's words affected me so much… because Zhao had warned me about this… and I hated that he was right.

I couldn't help but remember a moment of my past. A few days before Zhao was going to take me to the Earth Kingdom, he came into my attic prison with narrowed eyes. Tu Lan was ordered out of the room to stand on the other side of the door. Zhao wanted to speak to me in private.

Zhao stepped across my small attic room with an expression I couldn't read. I sat on my cot, hugging my legs tight in hopes that I would be spared of pain. Some days Zhao wouldn't hurt me… those days were rare though.

"Hello, my dear sister. We will be departing for the Earth Kingdom soon. I'm certain you believe this will be an opportunity for you to escape me."

I looked away from him at a random spot on the wall. He was right though. I would try… I had to find my Water Tribe family… I would fulfill my mother's desires.

"Let me enlighten you on something," he continued. He crouched in front of me. I met his gaze for a moment, and then looked back at my spot on the wall. "You can try to escape… but just understand that there will be nowhere for you to go. You hold the features of a Fire Nation girl, and as long as this is true, no one from the other nations will accept you." He grabbed a strand of my black hair. I flinched. "The moment someone discovers what you are, you will be an enemy to the Water Nation and the Earth Nation. And you will never be accepted in the Fire Nation either… you truly don't belong anywhere, my little freak." He smirked, dropping my hair. I felt my eyes burn. "The only place you belong is in a cage… so be a good girl and stay where you're meant to be."

I shook my head. "Mom… she said my Water Tribe family would accept me. You're wrong…"

Zhao grabbed my chin roughly to force me to meet his burning gaze. "Your mother? You know… She always regretted giving birth to you. If you were never born, she probably would've escaped from here. Your birth burdened her to raise a freak, and in the end she died knowing she'd never be free of you."

I grit my teeth. "Stop! You're wrong! She loved me! Stop lying to me!" More tears fell. "You're a liar!"

"Maybe," he sneered. "But one day you'll come to see I'm right about one thing… you don't belong anywhere. You never have and you never will."

I shook my head roughly. I tried to push the memories away. I knew Zhao was wrong. I did belong. I belonged with my cousins and Aang… they loved me for who I was.

Others would see me for who I truly was too… I couldn't give up… I had to prove to everyone I wasn't a mistake. I had to show the world I had a purpose…and I would start by helping Aang stop this war once and for all.

Third Person POV

Sokka was outraged as his cousin left the area. Amara was hurt, and the man before him didn't care. "How could you say that?! Amara's been helping us since we got here! She helped get you all out of the city! She's not your enemy!"

Katara walked off with the baby who had started to cry, but she could hear Sokka arguing with Captain Yung over the child's wails. She looked around to try and find where Amara had rushed off to through the dark campsite. She couldn't see her.

Captain Yung sniffed. "How do you know? If you want my opinion, she has tricked you into believing she is good. Everyone from the Fire Nation is only working for one man."

"I don't want your opinion because you're wrong! You know nothing about her!" Sokka stood, furious by the man's last statement. "I'm tired of sitting here and listening to you judge her! You have no clue how much the Fire Nation has hurt her! She was a prisoner to those people her whole life and nothing more! Don't talk like you know her!"

He stomped away from the man over to Katara. He felt both anger towards Yung, and concern for his cousin. "Where did she go?"

Katara frowned, worried for Amara as well. "I don't know. I don't see her..."

Sokka sighed. "I'm going to go find her… I'm sure she's upset. Plus, I might punch this guy in the face if I stay any longer."

Aang walked over suddenly with concern. He had heard the sound of a disagreement between Sokka and Captain Yung from where he had been with Appa and Flopsie. Momo was on his shoulder again. "Hey. What's wrong?"

Sokka scowled. "Captain Jerk just upset Amara. I have no clue where she went."

Aang was surprised. "Captain Yung? What happened?"

Katara answered with dismay. "He basically called her the enemy. Since he learned she is part Fire Nation, he refuses to see her as anything else."

Aang shut his eyes and shook his head. "I had a feeling Amara would face some challenges in the Earth Kingdom due to her Fire Nation features. People just can't get over their hate for five seconds…" He looked over at his flying companion. "Momo… think you can sniff Amara out?"

Momo chirped. He jumped off Aang's shoulder and started to run across camp.

"Stay here with the baby," Sokka said to Katara and Aang. "I'll go."

Katara nodded. "Make sure she's okay."

Sokka followed Momo through camp, then about a quarter of a mile outside the area. Eventually he found that they were going around the bottom of a large cliff. As he rounded the bend, he saw the flying lemur run across the rocky earth to a figure not too far away. He could tell immediately who it was.

He walked over to the girl who was sitting against a boulder at the base of the stone cliff that rose above her. Her face was pressed to her knees. In the moonlight, she looked like a lost child.

While Sokka was concerned for her, he let out a sigh of relief. He was glad she hadn't gone far, because he didn't want her captured or hurt. He had been worried that the Fire Nation Governor from Omashu would send scouts out to search for the freed citizens, so the last thing he wanted was Amara imprisoned again.

He approached silently and then slowly sat beside her. She had stopped sniffling when she realized he was near, not wanting her cousin to hear her cry. Sokka wasn't a fool though. He knew she had been crying.

"Hey," he finally said. "Don't let that idiot upset you, Amara. He's just being spiteful. You know no matter what, you're not an enemy to us."

She let out a deep breath. She lifted her head, but she kept her gaze from Sokka. Her face was stained with tears. She felt embarrassed by her reaction. Momo whined beside her, and she stroked his head gently.

After taking a moment to find her voice, she spoke softly. "I know, Sokka… I'm sorry for reacting that way… I just… I already feel like I don't belong some days. Being part Fire Nation and part Water Tribe just puts me on a strange line… and while I want to forget about the Fire Nation part of me some days, I can't… being Fire Nation isn't something I can just erase… as much as I hate my father and all those related to him that hurt me, I am Fire Nation… I can't just hide that part of me." She dropped her head on her knees again.

Sokka frowned. He hated seeing her beat herself up. "No. You can't. It's a part of you. You shouldn't have to be ashamed of who you are…" He took in a heavy breath. "I can't imagine how hard it is, dealing with people like Yung… the issue is, you do look Fire Nation at a glance… it's not going to be easy until you earn people's trust. But we'll help you the best we can, and we'll defend you when we need to."

She shut her eyes. "I know the easiest thing to do would be to lie about my heritage when people ask… maybe cut and color my hair to try and blend in... but I don't want to change who I am. I don't want to hide anymore. I've been kept a secret from the world my whole life. I don't want to be scared to be myself. But then people like Captain Yung and General Fang… they remind me that others are never going to fully accept both parts of me. It's always going to be one or the other."

He placed a hand on her back to offer some comfort. "We're going to change that, Amara… Once people see how much you care about the world and want to help make a difference, they will come to trust you. Be patient. You'll show everyone who you really are one day. And no matter what, you will never stop being my cousin."

She sighed. But she gave him a small smile. "Thanks, Sokka… I know how you feel about the Fire Nation too, so it means a lot that you're willing to accept both parts of me."

He nodded. "I admit when I first heard you were Fire Nation and Water Tribe, I was a bit thrown off. However, when I learned more about you, and finally got to meet you, I could see there was nothing evil about you. You are so good, Amara… Don't let anyone make you think differently. Just be yourself."

She leaned over so Sokka could hug her. She wrapped her arms around his waist, enjoying his hold for a moment. Of course, his hug was no replacement for Zuko…

She was torn at the last thought. She loved being with her family, but another part of her felt incomplete. Zuko and Iroh had become her family in the time that she had been free from Zhao. She really missed them, and she wished she could know that they were okay.

Sokka noticed Amara's thoughts had trailed away. He decided to stay quiet and just keep hugging her a little longer. He just wanted to do what he could to help Amara find her happiness.

Amara POV

After Sokka found me and comforted me, I felt a little better. I knew I couldn't let myself get upset every time someone judged me for being Fire Nation. I promised Sokka I'd try to keep my chin up and just focus on helping my family and Aang.

Sokka was not calm from his own frustration though. "Still. Captain Yung shouldn't treat you like that. No one should. You don't deserve it."

I frowned. "You can't change people, Sokka… they have to change themselves. As much as I want Captain Yung to trust me, I can't make him. However, I'm going to do my best to prove to everyone that I'm nothing like my Fire Nation family. I'll just have to prove to them all that I'm on their side."

He took my hand and gave it a brotherly squeeze. "We'll show the world just who you are, Amara."

When we finally got back to the others, they were standing by the campsite again. Captain Yung was no longer in the area, and I looked around for his presence. I was relieved to see he was chatting with one of his men at another campfire; I really didn't want him to talk to me again. I was afraid next time he did I would blow up camp.

Upon our arrival, Katara was relieved to see me. She stepped over immediately, asking if I was okay. The baby was asleep in her arms. I reassured her that I just got a little upset and needed to blow off some steam before I lost control and boiled everything. She smiled, glad to see I was in a better mood.

"He's a jerk, Amara. He shouldn't have said that," Katara muttered. "Just ignore people like him. They're all idiots."

I grimaced. "They're just upset. I understand why they hate the Fire Nation so much. I just wish they would give me a chance… like you all did…"

Aang, who was holding a scroll in his hand, spoke with determination. "Well maybe we can change their mind about you by getting King Bumi back. We received a letter from the Governor. It turns out the baby is his son, and they want to make a trade at sunrise: The kid for King Bumi."

I was bewildered. I also was uncertain. "You believe him?"

Aang let out a heavy sigh. "It's really the only option we have right now. This is our chance. If they have Bumi, at least I'll know where he is and can spring him."

Sokka crossed his arms. "Okay… we should all get some sleep then. Looks like we have an early day tomorrow."

We only slept for about five hours. The sun was starting to rise, and it was time to head to the statue of Fire Lord Ozai which was still being built at the highest point of the city. Sokka had made a makeshift carrier for the baby out of cloth so he could have his arms in case he needed to fight. As we arrived at the edge of a cliff that overlooked the city, I felt a little anxious. There were so many things that could go wrong.

Sokka voiced my concerns. "You realize we're probably walking right into a trap?"

Aang tried to stay positive. "I don't think so. I'm sure the Governor wants his son back as much as we want Bumi. It's a new day. I have a good feeling about this."

I crossed my arms to calm my nerves. "I suppose… it's that knife girl I'm concerned about. What if she shows up again?"

Katara nudged me with her elbow. "I think two waterbenders can handle her no problem."

Her reassurance did help. "Yeah… I guess so."

We boarded Appa then and this time flew straight over the wall into the city. We were relieved that none of the soldiers below fired up at us. They were probably stunned by the giant creature that passed above. Or they were still freaked out from the "plague" that had taken over their city. Eventually we arrived at the incomplete giant metal statue where tons of wooden scaffolding was. Appa landed briefly so we could get onto the wooden platform. He then took off to go hide until he was needed.

We stood and waited. Sokka kept the baby in front of him in the sling. We decided on our way in that if something went wrong he would run away with the child rather than help us fight. We wanted the baby safe, despite Captain Yung's comment an hour before about just throwing the child off the cliff. I couldn't wait to free King Bumi and be done with Captain Yung.

We seemed to wait for a good ten minutes. Finally, three figures climbed some stairs in front of us and arrived on the scaffold we stood on. I was amazed to see three female teenagers instead of the Governor and his men.

There was the girl from the night before, and in the daylight I could see that she was indeed my age, if not a year younger. She looked almost… bored. A shorter girl stood on one side of her; she had a long braid and wore a pink top and some pants. She seemed excited about what was occurring. On the other side of the tall girl was another girl in fine red clothing, with pointed shoes. Placed in the bun on her head was a headpiece of the Fire Nation emblem. Her gold eyes were as dark as Zhao's as she stared at us with a scheming look. Shivers went down my spine.

The sound of a motor and chains clinking suddenly echoed in the air. We looked up at the source to see a dark metal long box being lowered from above. Inside the box was a very old man with a gray beard and gray hair. You could only see his head through a small opening. The rest of him was trapped by metal. He cackled and snorted as he was lowered toward us. I knew immediately this was King Bumi.

King Bumi shouted with delight, "Hi everybody!"

Aang sighed in relief beside me. His friend was okay, and I was certain he was so glad to know this fact.

The tall knife girl finally spoke. "You brought my brother?"

I was amazed by this reveal. I would've never guessed the child with us was related to the girl before us.

Aang spoke. He was still covering his head with cloth to conceal his identity. "He's here. We're ready to trade."

The devious girl with the headpiece suddenly intervened. She looked at the baby's sister with a smirk. "I'm sorry, but a thought just occurred to me. Do you mind?"

Knife girl nodded. "Of course not, Princess Azula."

My eyes widened. Azula? Princess Azula? I gasped. Zuko's sister was meters away from me. As I took in her features more, I really could not see the resemblance. Zuko's facial features were so much softer and nicer. Azula looked rigid and her expression held no kindness. She was only fourteen, but her demeanor made her appear older in a way. From what Zuko had told me, she was not a nice person.

My cousins looked at me with surprise when they heard my intake. The other group didn't seem to notice. I glanced at my family, and shook my head to let them know it wasn't something that needed to be discussed. We had to focus on the plan. We turned our attention back to Azula and her friends.

Azula continued her thought, not noting my recognition of her. "We're trading a two year old for a king: A powerful, earthbending king..?."

The old man in the metal cage nodded in agreement. "Mmm hmmm!"

Azula frowned. "It just doesn't seem like a fair trade, does it?"

The girl looked at her tiny brother with contempt. She didn't seem to care at all about him. In a way, she was giving him that same look that Zhao had given me almost every day of my life. My heart broke for the child. His sister only saw him as a nuisance. I was not at all surprised when she said to the Fire Nation princess, "You're right." She looked back at Aang and the rest of us. "The deal's off."

She raised her hand and Bumi was lifted away. The man seemed completely fine with it, saying, "Whhhoa! See you all later!" He laughed and snorted as he was raised higher above.

Aang gasped. "Bumi!" He started to run forward to go after his friend.

Azula moved forward and shot a blast of blue fire towards Aang. My eyes widened. Iroh had mentioned Azula could bend blue flames, which was a very powerful firebending technique; seeing the ability in person was unbelievable.

Aang managed to jump over the fire and whip out his staff. He opened his glider quickly to fly after the cage. However, as he took off, the cloth on his head fell away, and his arrows were exposed. He tried not to let the reveal of who he was stop him from his mission, and he used airbending to fly faster towards the lifting cage.

Azula saw his arrows and airbending. At first she was shocked, but that quickly turned to thrill. "The Avatar!" She moved into action. She ran into the scaffolding beside us, taking a pulley lift to shoot her up to the area of the construction above.

Soon it was just myself, my cousins, and the two other girls on our scaffold. Princess Azula's friends quickly went into action, preparing to attack. The baby's sister started to charge at us, and knives slid out of her sleeve into her hand. Katara and I quickly brought our water out of our pouches ready to fight, while Sokka blew the whistle Aang had slipped him earlier so he could call Appa.

Katara threw a water whip towards the knife girl, while I threw my own water at the shorter girl who was starting to come forward as well. The girl with the braid dodged my attack, and then turned to her left to run off the scaffolding. She jumped from our level and disappeared below. I was stunned by her action, and wondered what she was doing. I returned my water to my pouch, preparing for my next attack.

Katara had just blocked the broody girl's knives that were thrown towards her. She shouted over to Sokka, "We've got to get the baby out of here!"

Sokka nodded, "Way ahead of ya!" He turned and took off across the scaffold away from the boy's insane sister. As he raced off, I shot my water at the knife girl again as she started to move forward once more. Katara did the same, and our water moved on both sides of her. She gasped and jumped quickly in the air to avoid our streams.

As she landed, I brought my water back to return to my pouch again. However, before I returned it completely, I heard Sokka yelp behind me. I turned around to see Sokka was on his back, holding the baby protectively from where he had fallen on the scaffolding. The braided girl had jumped out of a trapdoor on the scaffolding, and was running towards him. I quickly shot my water at the girl's back, hitting her from behind before she could reach Sokka. She cried out as she was knocked down on the wooden boards beneath her. Sokka took his chance, getting back to his feet and rushing to a ladder nearby. He slid down and disappeared.

"Amara. Go with Sokka," Katara insisted. "I'll handle them."

I looked over at her with surprise. She had just blocked another round of the girl's knives. I shook my head. "No… I'm with you, Katara."

She sighed, but gave a small nod. We turned our attention back to the knife girl. I glanced up briefly and saw Aang and Azula were nowhere to be seen now. I assumed that meant they were very high up or somewhere else in the city.

"You know… you waterbenders are really irritating me," the girl suddenly snapped.

"Good!" Katara yelled and whipped another stream at her. The girl leaned back to avoid the attack. I tried my own whip and she moved to the side to avoid mine as well. She then launched another sharp blade at us from some type of device on her ankle. Katara brought her water in front of us quickly to block the attack by creating another ice wall.

Our opponent growled and rushed forward again. I thought quickly as Katara took her ice wall down and threw my water on the wood in front of our opponent. I froze the water just as she went to step on it. She gasped as she slid on the fresh sheet of ice and tried to balance. While she was distracted, Katara shot a portion of my ice up and froze the girl's arm to restrain her.

While the girl tried to break herself free from the chunk of ice holding her in place, I took some of my water back from the ice beneath her. As I brought it back in front of me, I heard steps behind us. I turned quickly, and was surprised to see the braid girl was back. She started throwing some jabs with her fists at a few points on Katara's arms and back. Katara gasped in pain, while I quickly shot my water at the girl again and knocked her back a second time. She flew onto her side on the wood, groaning from the pain.

Katara tried to recover from the sudden hits she took, but we were both horrified when she tried to bend and she could barely lift any water. "What? I can't bend!"

The short girl managed to get back to her feet and ran back over to her friend who had just broken free of the ice. I stepped in front of Katara to protect her as they both prepared to attack again. I shot my remaining water towards them both, but the thin girl shot a knife at the same time. The blade sliced my skin slightly, and the burn caused me to drop my water. The water fell through the boards and dropped below.

Katara was horrified when she saw me clutch my arm. "Amara!"

The knife girl smirked, "How are you gonna fight without your water?"

My arm stung, but I knew what I had to do. Revealing I was a dualbender was a risk, but I was out of options. And honestly… I was tired of hiding who I was. I wanted the world to know what I was capable of.

"I don't need water," I responded with determination. "I think I'll manage."

I shot a blast of fire at the knife-throwing girl with my good hand. She dodged my flames with a gasp. Her eyes stared at me widely. Her shorter friend had moved aside and was shocked as well.

The knife girl shouted with bewilderment, "You… you can bend two elements?!"

I kept composed. I wanted to protect Katara. I wasn't scared of the girl before me. I had met more terrifying monsters. "It comes in handy when people are trying to hurt my family."

She was still gazing at me with bewilderment. "How? How is this possible? You're a water and firebender?"

I tightened my fists. My blood pounded in my ears though as I heard the disbelief in her tone. Had I just made a huge mistake? Using both of my elements was liberating, but had I just put a target on my back?

The knife girl narrowed her eyes. "Answer me!"

I argued, "That's not for you to know."

She growled. "Fine. Looks like you're not going to answer me… I'm certain you'll answer Azula though when she questions you." She glanced over at the short girl. "Ty Lee! Get her!"

"On it, Mai!" The girl named Ty Lee rushed forward.

My heart skipped though. Wait… Mai…? I had heard that name before. Where had I heard that name before?

It hit me then. Mai… that was the name of a girl Zuko had told me about. He had told me once that a girl named Mai had a crush on him when they were kids. I couldn't believe it… The girl before me... was she the Mai from Zuko's childhood?

"Amara! Move!" Sokka suddenly shouted, breaking me from my thoughts. I was shocked to hear his voice, and turned to see him headed over on Appa. I stumbled to the side as Katara pulled me out of the way. Sokka turned Appa just as they reached the scaffold, and when Appa landed his large tail sent a powerful burst of wind towards the two girls. They were hit hard and forced off the scaffolding behind them, falling somewhere below with shouts.

Sokka looked down at us. "Get on! We need to find Aang!"

Katara was still holding my hand, and she pulled me quickly up Appa's tail and onto the saddle. We dropped on our knees, both of us catching our breaths from our fight. Sokka flew us from the scaffolding and across the city.

Katara moved over to the side of the saddle and asked over the wind, "Where's the baby?"

Sokka answered. "Back at camp. He's safe for now. Focus on finding Aang so we can get out of here."

As Katara and Sokka searched the area, I fell back against the saddle and inspected the cut on my arm. There was blood dripping down my skin, and the wound was definitely deep. Surprisingly, the pain wasn't that bad. Of course, I had been through worse pain, so I knew that was probably why.

"There's Aang!" Katara shouted from across the saddle, pointing at something. Deciding I wouldn't bleed to death, I moved over to where Katara was. I was surprised to see Aang was moving quickly down a narrow stone chute, riding on top of the metal cage that his friend was in. Azula was shooting her blue fire as she slid down the chute behind him in a stone box, and he was blocking as much as he could with his airbending.

Sokka gripped the reins and shouted, "We can catch him!" He shot Appa down towards the chute, trying to keep up with them as much as we could.

Azula continued to pursue Aang as we followed. Just when I feared she was about to hit Aang with a blast of fire, a pillar of earth suddenly rose up on the chute to block the attack. Azula was forced off her box to avoid the collision. She landed on the other side of the pillar, but had to come to a stop.

We were relieved as we flew away from her to keep following Aang. They had both escaped the crazy Princess.

Eventually the chute came to an end at the bottom of the city. Sokka brought Appa down, and we saw Aang was speaking to Bumi who was in his steel cage raised up on a rock at the end of the chute.

"I don't understand," Aang snapped. "Why didn't you free yourself? Why did you surrender when Omashu was invaded? What's the matter with you, Bumi?!"

King Bumi spoke. "Listen to me, Aang. There are options in fighting, called jin. It's a choice of how you direct your energy."

Aang was fuming. "I know! There's positive jin when you're attacking, and negative jin when you're retreating."

King Bumi smiled. "And neutral jin when you do nothing!"

Aang calmed, puzzled. "There are three jins?"

King Bumi pursed his lips. "Well, technically there are eighty five. But, let's just focus on the third... Neutral jin is the key to earthbending. It involves listening and waiting for the right moment to strike."

Aang had calmed. "That's why you surrendered, isn't it?"

King Bumi nodded. "Yes, and it's why I can't leave now."

Aang hung his head. "I guess I need to find someone else to teach me earthbending."

"Your teacher will be someone who has mastered neutral jin. You need to find someone who waits and listens before striking."

Momo suddenly flew past us and landed on Aang's shoulder. We continued to hover behind them on Appa.

Aang was relieved when he saw his flying lemur friend. Momo had disappeared before we headed into the city. "Hey, Momo!"

King Bumi smiled, "Momo's mastered a few jins himself!"

Momo hadn't noticed Bumi, and he shrieked hugging Aang's head in shock. I smiled slightly. A random head in a box was pretty shocking to see.

King Bumi spoke again. "Goodbye, Aang. I'll see you when the time is right." The steel box fell back then and started to trail back up the chute with the assistance of rocks pushing it along. I was amazed at the powerful earthbending.

Aang sighed. He and Momo hopped back up on Appa. "Everyone okay?"

Katara nodded. "Yeah. The baby's safe too. Are you okay?"

Aang smiled. "Yeah… surprisingly, I am. Bumi knows what he's doing. I'm going to trust this is the right path, and I'll find an earthbending teacher very soon."

Sokka started to fly us away from the city then. As he did, he asked, "Who were those crazy chicks?"

I frowned. "I think I know…" They looked over at me with surprise. I explained. "The girl after Aang… she's Zuko's sister."

Katara was amazed. "Wow… no wonder you looked so shocked when they said her name earlier."

Sokka groaned. "Great! Another Fire Nation royal after us. We just can't catch a break!"

Aang shook his head. "We'll handle it like we always do." He smiled at all of us. "Don't worry everyone. This is all going to work out. I can feel it."

Later that evening, we were sitting at our campsite again where the citizens of Omashu were still scattered nearby. Aang left on Appa to sneak the baby back to his parents. While he was gone, Katara examined my arm which was still bleeding slightly. She took the moment to teach me how to heal. As she guided me with her hand, I used my waterbending to hover the liquid over my cut. Then I concentrated on repairing the damaged tissue. My water started to glow, and the wound closed up slowly. I was thrilled when I saw the repaired flesh. I could heal like my cousin.

Once our lesson ended, we prepared to rest for the evening. As Momo curled up beside me, I saw Aang arrive back at camp, landing Appa beside us. Flopsie was resting near Captain Yung's campfire, getting used to his new friends until King Bumi one day freed himself.

Katara, who was sitting on her sleeping bag, smiled when she saw Aang approach. "You returned him okay?"

Aang nodded. "His parents were thrilled."

I smiled slightly. "Good… at least one good thing came out of today…"

A silence fell over us for a moment. Then Katara spoke again. "Amara… I wanted to tell you: You were one heck of a fighter today. Mom and Aunt Kala would've been so proud of you."

I went to say thanks, but I recalled the battle that had occurred and grimaced instead.

Katara noticed my reaction. "What's wrong?"

I let out a heavy breath. "I appreciate your compliment, Katara… but thinking about the battle... I think I made a mistake. I shouldn't have used my firebending. I wasn't really considering the consequences. I just wanted to protect you… but, I think I've put a huge target on my back."

Katara sighed. "Unfortunately, now that they know about your dualbending I do fear they'll be after you. But don't worry about that right now. We can handle those chicks when the time comes. We've done it with so many others before when it comes to Aang." She moved from her sleeping bag to sit beside me on my own. She took my hand in hers to give it a squeeze. "Don't feel like you need to hide, Amara… I can see how happy being able to bend both of your elements makes you. Just be yourself… we'll deal with the obstacles when they come."

I was surprised by her kindness. I smiled and nodded, squeezing her hand back. "Thanks, Katara… I will."

Third Person POV

The sun was starting to set as a palanquin was carried towards the gate of Omashu by four Fire Nation guards. Two other guards walked behind the transport, and another two walked in front, all wielding spears. Mai and Ty Lee walked on the right side of the palanquin, ready to leave Omashu for good. Azula sat on the chair in the palanquin, her arms crossed as she thought about all that had occurred in the last day.

Mai asked Azula through the thin transparent curtain, "So, we're tracking down your brother and Uncle, huh?"

Ty Lee glanced over at her tall friend. "It'll be interesting seeing Zuko again, won't it, Mai?"

Mai turned her head and smiled slightly. Even though Zuko never shared much affection towards her, she always had a crush on him. She still hoped his banishment would be lifted and they could finally court one another like she had once desired.

Azula spoke, not noting Mai's reaction. "It's not just Zuko and Iroh anymore. We have a third target now."

Ty Lee skipped a little as she thought about the group they had just fought. "The Avatar, you mean?"

Azula nodded. "Yes. His capture is very important. Now that we know he is nearby, we must get on his trail immediately."

Mai snapped out of her thoughts and let out a sigh. "Actually… you may want to make that four targets?"

Azula looked at her with surprise. "What do you mean?"

Mai crossed her arms. "That one girl the Avatar was with… the one with the black hair. She can bend two elements."

Azula was shocked. "What? What do you mean?"

"She used waterbending and firebending. Took me completely off guard."

Azula's eyes narrowed. "So… The rumors were true. I had heard word from my father's spies that my uncle and brother were traveling with a girl who held the ability to bend two elements. When I caught up to them in the Earth Kingdom and saw no proof of this, I dismissed the claims. But clearly they were true after all… if that's the case, this girl holds some importance to Zuko and Uncle. If we capture her, she could be used as leverage."

Ty Lee spoke up. "You think they care about her? She seemed to be protective of the Avatar and his friends. Wouldn't that make her Zuko and your Uncle's enemy?"

Azula glanced at Mai. She answered Ty Lee with a smirk. "From what I hear, Zuzu developed quite an affection towards this girl while she was with him. From that oaf Admiral Zhao's report to my father, we believed the girl was just a waterbender. However, it appears she is much more than he claimed."

Mai was irritated when she heard Azula's statement about the girl and Zuko. "What affection?"

Azula shrugged. "Appears there were some very strong feelings between Zuko and this girl. We'll have to inquire about it more once we acquire one of our targets."

Mai growled. "I can't believe this. Three years away from home and he's already forgotten about me."

Ty Lee pursed her lips. "Well… technically you two were never together… so…"

Mai glared at Ty Lee venomously. Ty Lee shrunk and fell quiet quickly.

"No worries, Mai," Azula began. "Zuko and that girl will never be together. Once my father learns about her and the abilities she possesses, I'm certain the only place she'll be going is a very nice cell."

Mai smirked. "I admit… a freak like her belongs in one."

Ty Lee shrugged. "I think it's pretty cool that she can bend two elements though."

Azula sighed. "It may be cool, Ty Lee, but as long as she is traveling with the Avatar it will only be a problem for the Fire Nation. Someone with the ability to bend two elements could become too powerful if she masters them both. It's best we deal with this problem before it gets out of hand."

Mai nodded in agreement. "Definitely."

While they continued on through the city, Ty Lee crossed her arms and fell quiet. She didn't really agree with her friends, but she was too scared to go against them. Instead, she thought about the strange girl again. She wanted to know more about her tale. She hoped one day she would.