This chapter was longer than I anticipated, but I guess I was having too much fun… I'm hoping I'm not going too much with the TV Show to bore you all. I'm really trying to add Amara in and change a few things up. Also, there will be more Amara and Zuko soon, promise! Anyway… Enjoy!

Chapter 27: Yuna

(Amara POV)

The morning we left the citizens of Omashu, I was secretly relieved. Even after another night had passed of me being amongst them, I was still earning some wary glances from the men and women of the group. When my family informed me we were headed out to start our search for Aang's earthbending teacher, I was quick to clamber on Appa's saddle.

We spent a few days flying and stopping at different villages. Aang and my cousins would ask around for earthbending teachers, while I followed, just taking in everything and trying to keep my head down. I didn't want to draw too much attention and make enemies like I had with Captain Yung and his people.

When the search was a failure, we'd camp at night outside of the village or town and Katara would teach me some more waterbending and healing moves. I was definitely improving a lot in my waterbending, and this made me so grateful to have Katara as my teacher.

Of course, I missed my firebending teachers more and more as the days passed...

On evenings Katara was occupied with other things, I'd practice firebending. I usually did this away from camp in a hidden area: I didn't want Earth Kingdom citizens to see me, and I also knew the element still made my family a little uncomfortable. Aang would be my company during these training sessions, trying to distract himself from the disappointment he felt over not finding an earthbending teacher. He enjoyed watching me as I practiced forms Iroh and Zuko had taught me.

Every technique I tried to improve made me think of the two men I cared for greatly. While I knew I needed to focus on helping my family, I couldn't help but worry for Iroh and Zuko. I hadn't seen them in weeks, and with every passing hour I could feel a piece of my heart was still missing.

Iroh was a father to me…

Zuko was the young man I had come to love more than a friend…

I missed them and wanted to see them again. However, I knew I couldn't tell my family that. I didn't want to upset my cousins by making them think that I didn't want to be with them. I knew they would never understand my feelings towards the Fire Lord's son and brother, and I would never ask them to.

But no matter what, I loved and cared for Zuko and Iroh greatly… that would never change.

When Aang watched me firebend, he would sometimes try to practice my movements too. He was preparing himself for firebending after he finally got the chance to learn earthbending. He was also excited to see me practice combining my elements. His eyes would follow my movements with intrigue as I practiced hovering my water and making it boil in air. Aang wanted so much to be able to combine fire and water as well.

"Maybe once I master earthbending you can be my firebending teacher," he said to me one night as I was rolling out my sleeping bag. "And then I can see if I can do that cool trick too."

His suggestion was kind, but I was honest. "I can't be your teacher, Aang… I have so much I don't know… I'll only be able to show you the basics when the time does come. You'd never master the element."

Aang sighed. "Thing is, you will probably be the only firebending teacher I can find. The one man I met a while ago named Jeong-Jeong went missing when your broth—" I flinched. "I mean Zhao— when he came and attacked us during our journey north through the Earth Kingdom."

I sat on the sleeping bag and stared at the dying campfire. "When the time comes, I'll at least show you what I know." I met his gaze again. "But I can't be your guide, Aang… I'm sure we'll find someone who can help you master the element."

Aang nodded. "Okay… well at least the basics then. But you should give yourself more credit, Amara… you are becoming a pretty skilled firebender."

I blushed slightly and smiled. "Thanks, Aang."

A few more days passed. The more villages we stopped at, the more Aang was getting discouraged. As we prepared to board Appa again to fly at one point, I tried to give him encouragement when I saw his dismay.

"We'll find someone, Aang. It's no fun having to wait and search, but eventually you'll find the right teacher. Don't give up."

He sighed. "I know… it's just, most of the earthbenders we have met don't match Bumi's description. None of them listen and wait. They just shoot. I don't know if I'll ever find someone like Bumi."

I wasn't sure what else to say to encourage Aang, so I just crossed my arms and hung my head in dismay. I always felt so sorry for Aang. The fate of the world was on his shoulders. Everyone was relying on him to stop the Fire Nation from taking over everything. Plus, he had lost his whole culture to the Fire Nation: He was the last of his kind. He had suffered so much already… he didn't deserve any of this… being the Avatar was a terrible burden on him…

Another night had passed, and we were flying again. Sitting against the saddle, I stared out at the passing clouds watching absently as birds flew past us. There wasn't much else to really do. Aang was still in a quiet state on Appa's head as he steered, contemplating our next move. We had just hit an area of the Earth Kingdom that appeared to be nothing but a massive green expanse. Aang explained to me that the area we were passing over was known as The Foggy Swamp and covered a large amount of the Southwestern region of the Earth Kingdom. I was fascinated by the scenery that surrounded us at first, and then got a little bored after seeing the same thing for several minutes.

As we flew over, Appa suddenly groaned and started to lower. I was surprised by our abrupt descent. Sokka noticed as well. "Hey, you takin' us down for a reason?"

Aang did not respond to my cousin. I grew worried. "Aang? You okay?" Momo chirped on his shoulder, trying to also get his attention. He still didn't respond.

Sokka was frustrated by his lack of response and snapped, "Aang! Why are we going down?"

Aang spoke softly, "What?" He wiped his hand on his forehead. As if coming out of a trance, Aang shook his head and grabbed the reins. "I didn't even notice."

We were still descending. Sokka gestured down at the world below, still staring at Aang with bewilderment. "Are you noticing now?"

Katara managed to move to the front of the saddle and ask Aang, "Is something wrong?"

Aang continued to stare down at the swamp below. "I know this is gonna sound weird, but... I think the swamp is... calling to me."

Sokka sat back, seeing his friend was back to reality. He shrugged. "Is it telling ya where we can get something to eat?"

I smiled slightly. Sokka was always looking for food.

Aang shook his head. "No… I… I think it wants us to land there."

I was surprised. "Land? Down there?" I leaned over the saddle again and stared at the unknown world below. "Are… are we sure that's a good idea?"

Sokka added, "Amara has a point… No offense to the swamp, but I don't see any land there to land on."

Aang shrugged. "I don't know... Bumi said to learn earthbending I would have to wait and listen, and now I'm actually hearing the earth. Do you want me to ignore it?"

Sokka was amazed and fearful. Katara looked over the saddle at the world below us with angst too.

Sokka shouted an answer to Aang's question, raising his hands. "Yes!"

Katara also answered. "I don't know… There's something ominous about that place."

Momo's ears dropped as he too stared at the world below. He whimpered. Appa groaned, agreeing with my cousins.

Sokka gestured at the scared flying lemur. "See! Even Appa and Momo don't like it here."

I asked with honest curiosity, "Aang… Do you know anything about the swamp? Like what's inside it?"

Aang sighed. "Not really… I've never been to The Foggy Swamp before. Just heard stories… they say some people go in and never come out."

I shivered. "Well… Maybe it's best we keep flying then. So we're not one of those people, you know…"

Aang sighed. "Okay, since everyone feels so strongly about this... bye swamp." He pulled on the reins, shouting, "Yip Yip!"

Appa groaned and took back off up into the sky. Appa was relieved that we were flying away from the spooky world below. While it was pretty to look at from above, I was terrified of what may rest below the green canopies. All I could see from above were trees and water, but I knew for certain there were creatures and possibly people living within.

The sound of rushing wind broke through my thoughts just as I went to relax against the saddle again. I glanced back behind us and was horrified. A huge spinning funnel had formed suddenly and quickly. The vortex was headed our way, and it appeared to be formed by fast blowing wind and lifted dust from the earth.

I gasped. "Uh… I think we're in trouble!"

The group looked back to see what I was talking about. Sokka shouted at Aang, "Tornado! You better throw in an extra "yip"! We gotta move!" Aang grabbed the reins harder and maneuvered Appa through the air to try and out fly the spinning form behind us. The wind picked up, and I grabbed the side of the saddle in horror.

I asked over the wind, "What's happening?! Where did this thing come from?!"

Katara cried out from where she was holding her part of the saddle, "I think the swamp sent it!"

Sokka gripped the saddle to not fly off too. "What! That's crazy! The swamp wouldn't send a tornado! This is just science I'm sure!"

The tornado hit us suddenly, and Sokka lost his grip starting to fly off. Katara, who was beside him, managed to catch his arm quickly. My own fingers started to slip as I was pulled back from the saddle. Aang quickly left Appa's head and came on the saddle with us. He used his airbending to create a giant air bubble around us. The wind stopped momentarily, and we all fell back on the saddle with gasps. Sokka fell beside Katara, then reached for the side of the saddle again. Aang grunted as the tornado sucked us inside, and the force sent us spinning around.

Before I had time to grip any harder, my hand slipped and I was flung off. I screamed as the wind rushed past me and I fell to the earth below. My body flew past some trees barely missing them, and then I crashed into a body of water. The impact was painful, and I was consumed by the cool liquid. I found the water was deep, and I struggled to move my arms and legs to try to swim to the surface. While Katara had tried to teach me to swim, I really wasn't the best.

A hand grabbed my arm underwater though, and I was pulled to the surface a moment later before I could drown. As I gasped and coughed for air, Katara got an arm around me and managed to swim us to the shallow area of the river. Once I found the ground below my feet, I managed to get my balance back. Katara kept an arm around me though as she helped me walk out of the water. Sokka stood on shore, soaked as well but relieved to see I was okay.

He rushed over and helped me the remaining feet onto land. I collapsed on my knees, coughing out water.

"Amara! Are you okay?!" Aang landed in front of me, kneeling beside me.

I found my voice, and felt embarrassed by my moment of distress. "Yes… thanks for saving me… I'm still not the best swimmer…"

"In your defense, you haven't swam in water that deep before," Katara reassured. "And you haven't fallen from the sky before."

Aang gasped. "Wait! Where's Appa and Momo?" He left us, shouting their names as he did. While he was gone, Katara and Sokka helped me back up to my feet. Katara moved the water off of all three of us and returned it to the slow moving river beside us.

When Katara turned back towards us, she gasped. "Sokka! You've got an elbow leech!"

Sokka shrieked and started to fling his arms around. I saw a slimy black worm-like creature attached to his elbow and I felt queasy from the sight.

Sokka shouted as he flung his arms more, "Where! Where!"

Katara crossed her arms in disbelief. "Where do you think?"

Sokka finally glanced at his elbow, growled, and jerked the creature off, throwing it back in the river. "Why do things keep attaching to me!"

Katara rolled her eyes. She looked back at me again, glad to see I was still standing. "Are you feeling a little better?"

I sighed. "Yeah… I wasn't expecting to fall from that height and into deep water so suddenly… but nothing is broken… are you all okay?"

Sokka answered, "Other than being sucked by a leech?!" He crossed his arms and huffed. "I guess I'll live."

I smiled slightly at his answer. "I'm glad no one was hurt… what was that?"

Katara stared above us. "I don't know. It came out of nowhere."

Aang suddenly dropped back down from the trees he'd been jumping on, and his frown said it all.

Katara was anxious by his lack of Appa and Momo. "You couldn't find them?"

He shook his head in dismay. "No... and the tornado... it just disappeared."

I shivered. "Do… you think it was something… spiritual?"

Sokka shook his head. "No! Just bad luck! I say we get moving and search for Appa and Momo so we can get out of here. We're going to lose daylight soon." He grabbed my hand and started to pull me along through the swampy world. Aang and Katara followed. We reached an area full of vines, and Sokka released my hand, jerking out his machete from the holder on his back.

He spoke with frustration, "We better speed things up." He hacked through the vines roughly with his weapon, and as he did I felt wary.

"Are… you sure we should be attacking stuff like that? This swamp doesn't seem to like intruders…" I crossed my arms as I spoke. "Maybe we should follow the river instead?"

"There's nothing to worry about," Sokka argued. "It's just vines!"

Aang disagreed as he watched Sokka hit a few more. "They may be vines… but maybe… we should be a little nicer to the swamp… the vines are still technically living things…"

Sokka grabbed another vine. "Aang, these are just plants! Do you want me to say 'please' and 'thank you' as I swing my machete back and forth?" He sliced the vine he held onto.

Katara argued. "Maybe you should listen to Aang. Something about this place feels... alive."

Sokka stopped slicing and looked back at all of us. "I'm sure there are lots of things that are alive here, and if we don't wanna wind up getting eaten by them, we need to find Appa as fast as we can."

He turned back and started hacking away again. As he moved forward, Katara let out a heavy sigh and followed. Aang hung his head with dismay, still concerned about his furry friends.

I tried to reassure him. "Appa and Momo seem really smart and brave, Aang… I'm sure they're okay. We'll find them."

Aang nodded. "I just have a strange feeling about this place. It feels almost… spiritual… I think there's more to this swamp than just trees and animals."

I nodded. I looked around us with uncertainty. I could sense it too… there was something unnatural in the air.

We walked on for what felt like hours. Every now and then one of us would call out to Appa or Momo, hoping maybe our voices alone would help them find us if they were searching too. The further we walked through the growth of the swamp, the darker the world became as the sun started to lower. My body was tense as I felt uncertainty rise within me. I didn't know what creatures lived in this area, and possible predators had me on edge. I felt like we were being watched in every direction as we maneuvered over fallen logs, and through different types of foliage. At certain points we had to go over water too, and creatures would swim around us that Aang told us were called cat-gators. Thankfully, Katara used her bending to make us an icebridge so we didn't have to wade through the water with the sharp-toothed scaled predators.

The sun was very low after another few hours. The swamp seemed to be an endless maze of vines and constant bodies of water. I did my best to keep right near my cousins at all times.

We climbed onto another very large root, and after we got our balance Katara shouted again, "Appa! Momo!"

Sokka stepped to the middle of the root, gripping his machete still. "There's no way they can hear us and no way we can see them. We'll have to make camp for the night."

The sound of buzzing filled our ears, and a herd of swamp flies suddenly surrounded Sokka. He gasped and flung his machete around. There was a hiss then in the water beside us, and a bubble rose, then popped, sending a horrible odor that made the flies dart away. I covered my nose from the awful pungent scent.

Katara looked at the water with terror. "What was that!"

Sokka tried to reassure us. "Nothing. Just swamp gas. Look, there's nothing supernatural going on here! Everyone calm down!"

Aang grimaced. "Well there's definitely something stinky…"

A sudden scream pierced our ears. We all gasped and crowded together on alert. We looked over at a tree branch just as the scream rang again. We were shocked to see it was a white bird. The bird took off just as we noticed it.

Sokka went back to his original suggestion. "I think we should build a fire…" He turned and walked over to a smaller dead root sticking straight up near him and started to hack at the wood.

Aang argued. "Sokka, the longer we're here the more I think you shouldn't be doing that."

Sokka scoffed. "No, I asked the swamp. It said this was fine." He grabbed a root that was sticking up beside the root he'd been hacking at and shook it. "Right, swamp?" Then he used a higher pitched voice to pretend to be the root. "'No problem, Sokka!'"

I frowned as he continued to hack away. I was with Aang. If the Avatar felt that cutting up the swamp was a bad idea, I didn't understand why my cousin wouldn't listen. However, I did notice that the dark was growing, and I decided if nothing had happened yet with Sokka's hacking, then we could at least get a fire going.

As Sokka gathered some more vines and wood for the fire, Katara and Aang searched the area for a good spot for us to rest. I helped Sokka carry what he had gathered, and we followed Katara when she returned to lead us to our campsite for the night. We found ourselves gathering on a flat area of a very large root from a very large dead tree. Sokka piled the wood and debris, and I started the fire quickly. Warmth surrounded us a moment later.

As we sat by the fire, Aang disappeared and returned a moment later with some fish he managed to catch and some fruit for himself. My cousins and I held the fish over the fire with some sticks, and then ate our cooked dinner. We were quiet through it all, each one of us feeling greatly unsettled by the unknown world around us.

"Sorry everyone," Aang suddenly said with regret after he swallowed a bite of what I hoped was a moonpeach. "If we had just flown away while we had the chance we would've never got stuck down here."

I pulled my knees to my chest as I stared at the fire before me. "I don't think it would've made a difference… I think the swamp wanted us to come down here…"

Sokka argued. "This was just bad luck. Nothing more. Really everyone… all that's around us is trees, water, and animals. There's nothing supernatural or spiritual going on. Let's all just get some sleep. We'll continue our search in the morning, and then I am confident by tomorrow we will find Appa and Momo and get out of here."

Katara sighed. "I guess… but… Does anyone else get the feeling that we're being watched?"

Sokka groaned. "Please! We're all alone out here." He swatted another fly with his machete. The fly flew away from our campfire, but lit up at the treeline with a bright glow. When it did, eyes shined at us from animals in the trees. I gasped and hugged my legs tighter. Sokka and Katara went tense, while Aang looked unsettled.

Aang muttered, "...except for them."

Sokka shivered. "Right... except for them."

I stared back at the fire. "We… just have to get through the night. Then when the sun comes out, it won't feel as scary… right?"

Katara moved beside me and hugged me to reassure me. "We'll be fine, Amara." She spoke to the rest of the group then. "Let's all try to get some sleep… I… I don't think anything is getting us tonight."

We laid down on the softest spot of moss we could find. We kept our fire going as we fell asleep, hoping the light would keep the creatures away from us. Somehow, my exhaustion did help me drift to sleep. As I rested and let my sleep carry me away, I had a dreamless doze which was a relief.

However, just as I got deeper into my sleep, I felt something suddenly wrap around my ankle. I quickly awoke with a gasp, but before I had time to react to whatever had grabbed me, I was being dragged across the swamp floor quickly. I heard the screams of Aang and my family as they were dragged away by something as well. In the dark, I couldn't see what it was, but I knew whatever it was did not come in peace.

Roots, dirt, and water pounded against me as, what I could finally tell was a vine, pulled me through the swamp world. I screamed and tried to twist out of the vine's hold as it pulled me further away from my family, deeper into the dark swamp. Finally, I shot my hand forward and a blast of flames hit the green thin strand. The vine released me as my fire burned it off, and my body came to a halt in some moist grass. My heart was pounding loudly as panic still rushed through me. I laid on the ground for a moment, breathing heavily as my blood pounded in my ears.

That's it! Sokka is wrong! This swamp is alive!

Trying to move to my knees once I caught my breath, I lit a flame quickly and looked around me on high alert. I wasn't sure if the vine would come back, and I really didn't want to take any chances. When I found nothing was coming at me again, I felt my pounding heart calm. Taking in a few deep breaths, I tried to figure out my surroundings. The sun was still down, so I could tell the night was not done. Not wanting to be alone in one spot for too long, I started to walk, hoping that I was headed back in the direction I had come.

I walked all night, not wanting to stop. I feared if I stopped, the vine would grab me again. Also, if I stopped, I knew I would let my fear overcome me and I would not have the strength to move forward.

The swamp was so dark, and so terrifying. I hated being alone. I hated not knowing what was in the dark. I kept my flame lit off and on, trying to keep me from being consumed by the emptiness that surrounded me. A few sounds from the woods, like the crunching of leaves and hissing of animals, made me speed up my walk or even go into runs. I kept calling out for my cousins and Aang, but they were nowhere to be found. I was so worried about them. I was concerned something terrible had happened to them. I also really did not like being alone. I did not like the unknown.

Plus, there was my fear of the vines. If one had grabbed me, then I knew there was a chance any of the vines around me could grab me too.

I hated that I was so afraid, but I had never been alone in the middle of the wilderness before… Is this how I would've felt if I actually did escape Zhao when we first got to the Earth Kingdom?

At that moment, I was relieved that Iroh had showed up at Zhao's harbor when he did. If I had managed to escape and journeyed through the Earth Kingdom alone, I probably wouldn't have survived…

At some point, I noticed that the sun was finally starting to rise. Slowly, but enough for me to start being able to see the swamp again. As my sight returned, I calmed my angst a little. The darkness made the world around me only more terrifying, and I was relieved that things were starting to lighten up. With the break of dawn, the unknown was starting to show itself.

After another hour of walking, I found some thick trees and bushes in my path. I pushed through, and finally broke out of the brush. When I did, I stepped into an opening where some water was settled. There was a small mossy island in the center a few yards away. Roots stuck up all around it. The sun had finally risen enough that it was above me, and it shone over the opening for a moment, blinding me briefly as it reflected on the murky water. I flinched, being forced to look away. When the brightness faded I looked again at the scene before me. However, looking again at the center of the water, I was stunned to see a man standing on the small green island.

My heart skipped. My breathing hitched.

The man was around Iroh's age, a little taller than six feet, and he wore a dark red and gold robe. His hair was long and gray, and he had the strands up in a topknot. He used a red band to hold his hair up. His gold eyes were darkened by greed as they stared deep into my own. His figure glowed in the sunlight as he stood only meters from me.

I was frozen. My heart, which had stopped briefly at the sight of him, started pounding madly. I was staring at a ghost from my past. I stepped back slightly, my body trembling. Sweat formed on my forehead.

What...? No… How was this possible?

I shut my eyes, thinking I was just seeing things. When I opened them again, I saw the man was still standing there. His eyes narrowed and he shook his head in disappointment. His voice was just as I remembered. "You have caused a lot of trouble… my daughter..."

I felt every part of me go cold. My voice was hard to find, but it finally came out of me. "No… you're… you're dead." I stepped back again. "This… this can't be possible."

My father, Admiral Gru, kept his eyes on me as he spoke with a stern tone. His cold voice echoed through the air and pierced my ears. "Amara… you know better than to leave the estate. Come here, child. Before someone sees you." He kept his eyes on me, his face firm as he dared me to disobey me.

My voice shook when I spoke again. "No… how… I'm seeing things… I'm dreaming…" He stepped forward. I stumbled back. "No… This… This can't be! Stay away! You're not real!" I moved back again, but this time I lost my footing and fell. I landed on my back, cringing from the pain that shot through me.

He spoke again. "I'm disappointed in you… You killed your brother... You destroyed everything I worked to achieve. You must be punished."

I managed to get back to my feet. I stared back at the figure again. "No… You aren't real! You can't be! You're dead!"

He started to move again towards me across the swamp. He appeared to be walking on water as he stepped off of his island.

I stepped back more, tears falling as I felt the panic rise. "No! Leave me alone! I… I'm just seeing things! This isn't real!" I turned to run. I was losing it. This couldn't be happening. My father couldn't be here. He was dead! This was a trick of the swamp.

As I turned, I saw another figure. I froze, surprised by the second visitor. This one gestured for me to follow her. She wore a light blue dress, and had long dark brown hair. Her deep blue eyes shined. I knew her too. She looked just as I remembered.

"Mom…"

"Amara! Get back here!" Admiral Gru snapped behind me. His voice echoed louder. I covered my ears. My eyes shot to the glowing figure of my mom. She mouthed something to me. Come… this way…

The image of my mom gestured for me to follow again with her hand. Then she turned, and started to run. I panicked and rushed after her. She ran ahead as if she knew every part of the swamp. I had seriously gone mad… but if I was seeing dead people, I preferred chasing my mom's ghost over being grabbed by my father's.

Breaking through the trees, I followed the figure for as long as I could. I ran with her in sight for a good five minutes, climbing over logs, running around vines, and jumping over sitting water. As I pushed through some bushes that she easily slipped past, I stepped out into an open area where a wide expanse of the river was. The water lapped on the shore peacefully. My mother's apparition was gone. The sun shone again, sending rays through the trees. I glanced back at the treeline behind me,moving away slowly, fearful my father's ghost would appear. After a long moment of silence and stillness, I found nothing had followed.

As quiet and calm surrounded me, I let out a heavy breath and dropped to my knees. My body trembled as I tried to calm my racing heart. Tears fell down my cheeks. I was going crazy. I was seeing my dead parents. Even worse… I was seeing the monster that had imprisoned my mother and kept me locked up. Admiral Gru was the origin of my suffering. Seeing him again, I felt the fear of my childhood creep over me.

Also, I was unsettled by my mother's image as well. I knew that I had clearly been following something that wasn't my mom. This also filled me with uncertainty. A spirit maybe? My imagination? Whatever it was, if it was trying to help me, it didn't bring me to my family. There was no person in sight. Why had the apparition led me here?

This swamp was making me insane. I had to find my family. I didn't want to see the ghost of my father anymore. What if I saw Zhao next? I shivered and shook my head. No more… I was free from my Fire Nation family… why was I being haunted? What was this swamp doing to me?

I suddenly felt so alone and scared. I felt my eyes burn as more tears fell. For a moment, I wished the figure of my mother would return to just comfort me... I needed something to comfort me before the panic took over again…

"Mew-hoo…"

A small call filled my ears. I lifted my gaze upon the sound and was surprised. A young cat-owl sat by the river bank a little ways. It had white fur on its ears, head, and body, but its wings were black and so were its talons. It appeared scared; it looked around like it was searching for something. It was definitely no older than a few months.

"Mew-hoo!" It called again, hopping along the river shore looking in distress.

I knew from its own fear what was wrong… Its mom… it must've lost its mom.

Standing, I slowly started to move towards it. The cat-owl paid no mind to me as it searched the water. I was just a few feet away when the animal suddenly grew alert. Then it let out a yowl. I knew the cause was not me.

Something shot out of the river and tried to snap at the young cat-owl. The cat-owl jumped back quickly, flapping its wings to avoid the sharp and powerful bite of the cat-gator. The dark green scaled creature with whiskers snapped its jaw shut, hissed, and went to charge at the cat-owl on land. The young cat-owl looked petrified as the beast moved towards it, and I knew it was as frozen as I had been when I saw the ghost of my father.

I jumped into action.

"No! Stop!" I rushed forward and shot a blast of fire right in front of the scaled predator. The cat-gator let out a shriek and jerked back from the fire. It dived back into the river for safety and swam away quickly. Once it was gone, I moved over to the young creature and then slowly got to my knees beside it.

The cat-owl was still shaking and terror-struck. However, as it sensed the danger had passed, it relaxed and stared at me with wide blue eyes. Then it gave a small "mew-hoo" and hopped towards me. I held my hand out towards what I could see was a female, and she let me stroke the spot between her ears. "Hey sweetie… it's okay…" The shaking creature calmed from my touch. I asked softly, "Where's your mommy?"

The cat-owl looked up at me with big blue eyes. She gave me a sad "mew-hoo" and dropped her ears. My heart ached. I knew without her needing to tell me with words. Mommy was gone… the cat-gator had made this young one an orphan.

"I know the feeling," I whispered. "It looks like we scared him off for now though..." I stroked her fur again. The cat-owl seemed to lighten up, and flapped her wings. "I'm going to go find my family… I'd get away from the water, okay? He might come back." I stood, looking down at her. She looked up at me with her wide blue eyes. "Be careful."

I turned to leave, although every part of me wanted to stay with the little one. I didn't want to abandon her, but I knew I had to keep moving to search for my family.

"Mew-hoo," the cat-owl whined.

I stopped and looked back at her with surprise. She suddenly took flight, flapping her wings and gliding for a second. Then she flew slightly behind me and landed so she could perch on my shoulder. She purred and rubbed her cheek on my own. I realized what was happening without needing to be told.

"Wait… You… Want to come with me?"

She pressed her nose to my cheek to answer. I felt my heart warm from her acceptance. I wasn't sure if the image of my mom brought me to the riverbank for this reason, but I was glad it did. I had a new companion. I wasn't alone anymore. And this little one clearly needed me as much as I needed her.

"Okay… well then… If you want to come with me then you need a name at least," I spoke softly. I thought for a moment, and then smiled. "I'm going to call you Yuna."

Yuna purred, rubbing her head against me again.

I smiled wider. "Glad you like it. My name's Amara… Looks like you're my new friend. I'll do my best to take care of you."

"Mew-hoo!" Yuna chimed in delight. She rubbed against my cheek again, and I pet her softly.

Just as I was finally starting to feel calm, there was a sudden rustling in the leaves nearby. I gasped and went tense. Yuna hissed as she sensed my fear. However, a familiar voice sounded, quickly calming me.

"Amara! Thank goodness! There you are!" Sokka suddenly emerged from the foliage a few yards away. As he took a step to approach, he stopped. He was bewildered when he saw the creature on my shoulder. He stared for a long moment. Then he covered his face in disbelief. "Don't tell me…"

I was relieved to see him and moved forward. Yuna had relaxed when she sensed the threat had passed. "Sokka! You're okay!"

Sokka muttered as he dropped his hand and looked at Yuna again, "Amara. Please tell me you didn't just acquire a pet?"

My smile fell. I stopped in front of him and pet Yuna on the head. She purred again. "We were both alone… and she was about to be eaten by a cat-gator. I think it already got her mom… she's so young. I can't leave her… she latched on to me. Can I keep her? Please, Sokka! She needs me!"

Sokka sighed. He crossed his arms and shook his head. "I don't think I can say no to you when you say it like that. But you have to make sure she doesn't fight with Momo."

I nodded and gave a small smile. "Okay… Thanks, Sokka."

"Mew-Hoo!" Yuna chimed with delight, sensing I was happy which made her happy.

I added, with much more enthusiasm, "I named her Yuna! Isn't she cute!"

Sokka let out a heavy breath. "I knew one day you were going to end up with an animal side-kick." He turned and started to walk off. "Come on you two. Let's find the others. They have to be somewhere in this crazy swamp."

"Mew-Hoo!" Yuna chimed on my shoulder.

I nodded in agreement. "Yeah. He is a great cousin. You're going to love the others."

As I caught up to Sokka, I heard him mutter under his breath, "Animal whisperer… first the Komodo-rhinos… badger-moles… now a cat-owl… I don't remember hearing about Aunt Kala liking animals so much…"

"You know I can hear you," I stated.

"Yeah," he continued, ignoring me. "I feel like she's some kind of wood spirit. Starting to believe she's only my cousin in disguise."

I smiled slightly. I pet Yuna again who purred. "You know," I spoke to Sokka. "The very first cat-owl I saw was during the first few weeks of my freedom. It came right to me and let me pet it. Even though it didn't know me, it accepted me." Yuna rubbed her head against my cheek again. "I think that a cat-owl is my spirit animal."

"Spirit animal?" Sokka looked back at me with confusion.

I smiled slightly. "Like Aang… with Appa and Momo… and that woman June and her shirshu…"

Sokka pouted. "Well I want one then."

I grabbed his hand and gave it a squeeze. "Maybe you'll find one during our journey through the Earth Kingdom."

He smirked. "Yeah. Maybe."

We fell quiet for a moment, both of us getting lost in our thoughts. As the silence came between us, I thought again about the image of my father and mother. Had it been a trick of the swamp? Or was this a place that brought dead people back? I shivered. Yuna whined sensing my disturbance.

Sokka felt me tremble too from his grip on my hand. "Hey… you okay?"

I held his hand tighter for comfort. I was so glad I wasn't alone anymore. "Yeah… I… just saw something… scary earlier… I'm okay now."

Sokka stopped us from walking, pulling me back slightly. He looked at me with concern. "What?"

I flinched. Shivers raced through me again. "I… I'm sure I was just tired and seeing things… I'd been wandering around for hours."

He wasn't convinced. "What did you see, Amara?"

I met his eyes which burned into my own with a questioning gaze. I hesitated. My cousin would think I'd lost my mind.

"You can tell me… I won't think you're crazy," he promised.

A tear fell. "It… it was probably just from exhaustion… but I… I saw my father."

He was stunned by my reveal.

"I went out into this open area and he was standing in the center of the swamp. He started to come towards me, saying that he was going to force me back to the estate… I was so scared. And then I turned and saw what looked like my mom. She helped me get away, and led me to the river where I found Yuna and then you." I looked away, feeling embarrassed by my emotions. "I… just believed for a moment he was real. That I was seeing my father's ghost. Then I told myself that was insane. I'm losing it…"

Sokka made me turn to face him completely. His hand brushed a strand of hair back from my cheek. "No… you're just tired. You know whatever you saw or heard wasn't real. You don't need to be afraid. Your father's dead, Amara… this swamp just is messing with our minds and making us see things. I don't know how, but it is."

I nodded slowly. I wiped my cheeks. "I know… I just… didn't realize how scared that man made me feel until I saw him again. He's the reason my mom suffered for so long. He's the reason I was kept from the world… I… I know he's dead, but I'm still terrified of him."

Yuna whined. She then hopped off my shoulder for a second as Sokka hugged me. He pressed a hand to the back of my head, whispering, "He's not touching you again… none of those monsters are… you're free, and that's not going to change."

I nodded, shutting my eyes as I soaked in the comfort from my cousin. I repeated his words to reassure myself. "I'm free… I'm not going back…"

"No. Never," he promised.

I calmed down after a moment of being in his arms. I pulled away then, smiling at him with gratitude. Yuna returned to my shoulder. "Thanks, Sokka… I'm really glad you found me."

He took my hand again. "Me too. Let's find the others now."

We walked for a few more minutes, following the river this time. Yuna was much more relaxed than when I first met her, and I was so glad to see we were both calming one another down. Just as we went to step again, we heard two familiar shouts nearby and the sound of people falling.

Immediately, we followed the sound, climbing over a large root. Looking down, we were relieved to see Katara being helped up by Aang on a lower part of the root.

"Katara! Aang!" I shouted with elation and carefully made my way down to them. Yuna flew off of my shoulder as I threw my arms around both of them. They hugged me back, and once we pulled apart I saw Sokka had joined us. Yuna returned to my shoulder again.

Sokka snapped, "What do you guys think you're doing! I've been looking all over for you!"

Katara argued, "Well, I've been wandering around looking for you!"

Aang rubbed his forehead. "I was chasing some girl."

We looked at him in surprise. Katara asked, "What girl?"

Aang shrugged. "I don't know. I heard laughing and I saw some girl in a fancy dress."

Sokka spoke with sarcasm. "Well, there must be a tea party here and we just didn't get our invitations!"

There was a small pause. Then Katara said softly, "I thought I saw Mom."

I looked at her with shock. "Your mom…?" I thought back to seeing my own mother. Maybe…

Sokka argued. "Look, we were all just scared and hungry and our minds were playing tricks on us. That's why we all saw things out here."

Katara stared at him with surprise. "You saw something too?"

Sokka frowned and turned away from us. He was stiff as he said softly, "I thought I saw Yue. But, that doesn't prove anything." He looked back at Katara. "Look, I think about her all the time, and you saw Mom, someone you miss a lot."

Aang spoke up. "What about me? I didn't know the girl I saw. And all our visions led us right here."

Aang scanned around the area. His eyes landed on me, and his face twisted to a puzzled expression. "Uh… Amara. You know you have a cat-owl on your shoulder?"

I smiled slightly. "Yeah. Her name's Yuna."

"Mew-hoo!" Yuna chimed.

Sokka sighed. "Yep. Everyone, meet the newest member of our group. To no one's surprise, Amara found an animal in need and they formed a connection."

Katara smiled. "Aw. She's so cute and sweet! Just like you, Amara!" She stepped over to pet Yuna, who purred from my cousin's touch. "Welcome to the group, Yuna."

Aang stepped over too and pet her next. "I think her, Appa, and Momo will get along great!"

Sokka interjected. "Great! Now that we've met, let's actually find Appa and Momo! Where are we?!"

Katara thought for a moment. "Maybe… The middle of the swamp?"

Aang observed the area, and then pointed at a very large tree in the distance that all the roots seemed to go towards. "Yeh, the center… It's the heart of the swamp. It's been calling us here." He smiled. "I knew it."

Sokka argued. "It's just a tree. It can't call anyone! For the last time, there's nothing after us and there's nothing magical happening here."

Just as he finished his statement, a splash sounded behind us. Yuna hissed, while the rest of us turned around and screamed. A giant creature made out of vines emerged from the swamp water below and stood before us. There was a wooden mask at the vine-monster's head where painted eyes were.

The vine-monster suddenly shot one of its long arms at us and we gasped, darting to the sides to avoid the creature's grasp.

Once I got my balance back, I looked at the trembling cat-owl beside me. "Yuna! Get to safety," I ordered, pointing at a tree above. She did as I suggested and flew up to sit on a branch and watch from a safe distance. Once she was out of the way, I turned back to the monster ready to fight. For some reason, the swamp creature was not as terrifying as my father's ghost, and I felt determination. I was horrified though when it suddenly grabbed Sokka with its vine-arm and started to fling him around. Sokka shouted and tried to hit the vines with his machete as he was held in the air.

"Sokka! Stop! Let him go!" I shot some fire at the creature, and my flames hit the green bending arm of vines. However, the vines were too wet for my fire to burn through. The creature shot its other arm my way, and I stopped my attack, rushing across the root I was standing on to avoid its swipe. As the vines raced after me, I saw Aang fly over me and hit the vines down with his airbending.

Once the creature was distracted and attacking Aang, I jumped down in the water below and shot a rush of water up at the arm that still held Sokka. I froze the water as it wrapped around the numerous vines, and Katara appeared beside me, slicing the vines that weren't frozen with some sharp lashes. The arm broke, and Sokka crashed into the swamp water with a splash.

As I raced between Sokka and the creature, Aang shot a blast of air at the vine-monster again. The creature was forced back as it tried to grab me, and I reached Sokka to help him back to his feet. Sokka was still clutching his machete, and grabbed my arm to pull me away from the monster that was rebuilding its damaged arm.

Aang and Katara continued to fight the creature, but they both only kept getting flung back by the vines. I knew they would get tired soon, and I weighed options in my head. An idea hit me: Maybe this creature didn't like hot scalding water…

"Everyone! Out of the water! I have an idea!"

Katara and Aang were still fighting the vines, but they listened to me and quickly moved out of the water onto a root. They knew what I was planning, and they didn't mind an easy way out. Sokka quickly got on one near us, and he helped me up. Once I was out of the water and so were the others, I turned to the giant creature who was about to strike its arm down again towards Sokka and I.

Katara shot another stream of water at the arm to stop it so I had a chance to attack. The arm was shoved back, and I took the opportunity without hesitation. Focusing on the water around the creature, I held my hands out as I manipulated the liquid and warmed it with my energy. The water started to steam, and then boil as it grew hotter. The vine-monster stopped its attacks as it felt the water heat from beneath it. Pieces of the creature started to break off as the rising temperature had it concerned. I increased the heat more, while Katara and Aang joined us on our root to keep guard if the creature attacked again.

"Stop! Please!" A male voice suddenly shouted from the creature after another moment of boiling the water beneath him. The vines broke apart on the creature's chest area to show a man inside the vine monster, his face red from what was turning into a very hot bath beneath him.

Sokka shouted with bewilderment, "There's someone in there! He's bending the vines!"

I kept my boiling water going, stating to the panic-stricken man, "If I stop, you promise to stop attacking us?!"

The vine covered man nodded, looking down at the bubbling water beneath him with panic. "Yes. Whatever you're doing, stop! Please!"

I did. The steaming and boiling calmed. The warmth from my heated water faded as the liquid continued to cool. The man dropped his vines back into the water once things weren't scalding anymore and landed with a splash. He was relieved to find he didn't burn when the water hit him.

No longer covered in vines, I could see the man in full. The man was middle-aged and wearing nothing but a green leaf loincloth on his heavy body. He had gray shaggy hair that stretched on both sides of him messily. His eyes were still wide as he felt the cooling liquid.

He met my gaze again. "How did you do that?"

"I don't think you get to ask the questions, buddy!" Sokka interjected and pulled me back slightly. Yuna sensed the danger was over and returned to my shoulder. "Why are you attacking us?!"

Aang added with his own frustration, "Yeah! Why did you call me here if you just wanted to kill us?"

The man was stunned from where he still stood in the swampy water. "Wait! I didn't call you here."

The tension was gone. The fight was over. Aang was confused by the man's lack of knowledge towards our reason for being in the swamp. "We were flying over and I heard something calling to me, telling me to land."

Sokka sighed, and explained to the man who looked even more perplexed, "He's the Avatar. Stuff like that happens to us… a lot."

The man's eyes widened. "The Avatar! Come with me." The man got out of the water and started to walk along the roots.

Katara argued, "Why would we follow you? You attacked us?!"

The man turned and smiled sheepishly. "Yeah… Sorry 'bout that. Just get a little territorial. Won't attack you kids anymore." He turned and started to walk off again.

Aang stepped forward, and looked back at the rest of us. "It's okay… I think we can trust him."

Not wanting to go against Aang, the rest of us followed him as we moved along the roots to keep up. Sokka still held his machete firmly, ready for anything. Eventually, we arrived at the enormous tree Aang had pointed out earlier. The plant stretched hundreds of feet above us. The trunk was massive, and roots came out of it going in all directions. The tree was clearly the center of everything like Aang had said.

Katara asked as we followed the man towards the tree, "So, who are you then, if you're not our enemy?"

He answered with calm. "I protect the swamp from folks that want to hurt it." He gestured to Sokka. "Like this fellow with his big knife."

Sokka smirked. "See? Completely reasonable. Not a monster." He sheathed his weapon in the holder on his back. "Just a regular guy defending his home. Nothing mystical about it."

The man argued. "Oh, the swamp is a mystical place, alright. It's sacred." He stopped at the base of the giant trunk and sat cross-legged. "I reached enlightenment right here under the banyan grove tree. I hear it callin' me, just like you did."

We all sat in front of him. Yuna moved off my shoulder and rested in my lap. I stroked her fur gently as I listened to the conversation.

Sokka crossed his arms beside me and responded to the man's recent statement, "Sure ya did. It seems real chatty."

The man continued, ignoring my cousin. "See, this whole swamp is actually just one tree spread out over miles… Branches spread and sink and take root and then spread some more - one big living organism, just like the entire world."

Aang spoke, leaning forward as he sat on his knees. "I get how the tree is one big thing, but, the whole world?"

The man nodded. "Sure. You think you're any different from me? Or your friends? Or this tree? If you listen hard enough you can hear every living thing breathing together. You can feel everything growing. We're all livin' together, even if most folks don't act like it. We all have the same roots, and we are all branches of the same tree."

Katara seemed uncertain. "But... what did our visions mean?"

He answered. "In the swamp we see visions of people we've lost, people we loved… folks we think are gone. But the swamp tells us they're not. We're still connected to'em. Time is an illusion, and so is death."

I tightened my fists as I thought about my father again. Yuna looked up at me with her wide eyes, sensing my pain. I pet her to let her know I was okay, and to calm down my nerves.

Aang spoke to distract me. "But what about my vision? It was someone I had never met."

The man smiled. "You're the Avatar. You tell me."

Aang went contemplative for a moment. "Time is an illusion... so, it's... someone I will meet?"

The man nodded. "Yes. They will be important to you. Just as loved ones of the past are. These visions are to teach you lessons about your life, and your future."

I felt bitter. "Well, the swamp needs to realize that not all connections are good ones..." I stared at the tree as my heart pounded painfully in my chest. "Some people should just stay dead… They're better off forgotten..."

Everyone looked at me with surprise. Sokka frowned though when he knew what I was talking about. "It wasn't real, Amara… You know that..."

"It was," I shivered. "It was a reminder that no matter what, I'll always be connected to that monster."

"What are you talking about?" Katara immediately grew concerned. "You saw something too?"

I hung my head, petting Yuna some more. "My father… He was the same as I remembered him when I was a child..."

The group fell quiet from my reveal. The man could sense from the mood that this was not a good thing.

"But…" I spoke again, letting out a heavy breath. "I also saw my mom… and she guided me away from him… So I guess I can't hate the swamp completely. And… It gave me Yuna..."

Yuna purred as I pet her again.

The man spoke once more, this time with reassurance. "I do not know your story, but from what I have heard, I believe you were given a lesson today." I looked at him with confusion. "You learned that the past cannot hold you back. Just as you saw a man from your childhood, you left him behind. You went another path. You chose to be free. The end of your road brought you to something new." He looked at Yuna when he said this.

I was amazed by his words. They made sense, and they were comforting. I gave a small smile. "Yeah… I guess so…"

Sokka stood then. "Sorry to interrupt the lesson, but we still need to find Appa and Momo."

Aang stood too. "I think I know how to find them." He turned and stepped to a wide part of the tree root. He crouched again and placed his hand on the root, shutting his eyes as he concentrated. "Everything is connected."

We watched as his arrow flashed light for a moment. We waited for him to finish what he was doing. He gasped once he got his answer, and the glow stopped. "Come on! We've got to hurry! They're in trouble!"

He started to run. We all quickly ran to follow him. Yuna flew beside me as we both did our best to keep up with the group. We only ran through the swamp for a mile before we reached another path of the river. There, we were all horrified to see Appa was captured in a large net and being dragged down the river by men in small canoes.

Aang growled from the root beside me. "They're not eating my bison!"

Aang rushed forward and jumped into a tree above the river. He jerked his arms up and threw his hands out, causing a powerful wave to shoot at one of the boats behind the other two, knocking it over.

"Appa!" Aang cried, as the two other boats still had the net held down. He shot a blast of air at one of the men on the boats. The man fell back into the water, and he dropped a bag as this occurred. Momo escaped from inside and took off from his captors into the air. We rushed to get closer to the river, finding another root to stand on. Aang joined us on our root as well, and Momo landed on his shoulder. The vine-man was still running to catch up to us, and I heard his heavy breathing from behind.

A man shouted from the boat as we got ready to fight, "We're under attack!"

A wall of water was suddenly shot up towards us by the thin man in the boat. I was stunned when I saw him waterbending. Finally, I understood how the other man could bend the vines. He was using the water inside them. They could waterbend!

Katara quickly moved the approaching water away from us. However, she exclaimed with excitement at the discovery before us, "Hey, you guys are waterbenders!"

The two loin-cloth men with green hats stopped attacking. The thin man exclaimed, "You too? That means we're kin!"

I looked him over with disbelief. I was certain it was a very distant relation.

Our vine friend finally joined us on the root we still stood on. The thin man shouted in recognition, "Hey, Hue! How you been?"

Hue shrugged. "You know, scared some folks, swung some vines, the usual."

Sokka looked at the man with disbelief. "Hue?"

He nodded. "That's my name. Below is Due and Tho. They're good pals of mine."

Aang crossed his arms. "Okay. Well will your pals kindly release my friend Appa?!" Momo chattered on Aang's shoulder in agreement. Yuna mew-hooed. Momo went alert upon my new friend, but relaxed when he saw she was harmless.

About an hour later, Appa was free and we were resting at the campsite of the Foggy Swamp Tribe which was by the river. They fed us in apology for trying to eat Appa and Momo. Then they explained to us that they lived in the swamps and used waterbending to maneuver around the roots. As they spoke, Yuna nestled again in my lap. I'd just given her a nice juicy fruit fly, so she was content. I was also keeping my eye on the cat-gator across from us who was Due's pet named Slim. Slim kept looking her way, and I shot him a glare. He got the picture and finally stopped.

The thin man, Due, asked Sokka, "How you like that possum chicken?"

Sokka lifted his stick and stared at the mix of pieces he had. "Tastes just like arctic hen." He then asked, "So why were you guys so interested in eating Appa?" He pointed at the cat-gator. "You've got plenty of those big things wandering around."

Due was horrified. "You want me to eat old Slim? He's like a member of the family!" He grabbed a fish and tossed it at the cat-gator, who caught it and swallowed it in one bite.

Sokka looked nervous. "Nice, Slim…" He tossed a roasted insect towards him. The food hit Slim on the nose, and he growled. Sokka yelped.

A chuckle came from Due. "Oh, he don't eat no bugs! That's people food."

The other heavier man sitting beside Hue, named Tho, asked with disbelief, "Where'd you say you're from?"

Katara answered with a smile. "The South Pole."

Tho was surprised. "Didn't know there was waterbenders anywhere but here. They got a nice swamp there, do they?"

She shook her head. "No. It's all ice and snow."

Tho was not amused. "Hmm. No wonder you left."

Sokka spoke with triumph. "Well, I hope you realize now that nothing strange was going on here. Just a bunch of greasy people living in a swamp."

Katara wasn't convinced. "What about the visions?"

He grabbed the giant roasted bug beside him and waved it around. "I told you, we were hungry. I'm eating a giant bug!" He took a bite of it and I cringed. I had been sticking to my possum-chicken to avoid the bug portion of the meal.

Aang's brows furrowed. "But what about when the tree showed me where Appa and Momo were?"

Sokka waved him off. "That's Avatar stuff, that doesn't count." He glanced back at our vine man Hue. "The only thing I can't figure out is how you made that tornado that sucked us down."

Hue blinked. "I can't do anything like that. I just bend the water in the plants."

Quiet fell over us for a moment as we all felt uneasy from this reveal. Sokka tried not to let it bother him for long though. "Well, no accounting for weather. Still, there's absolutely nothing mysterious about the swamp."

Hue spoke again. "There is one mystery. I have seen many things during my path to enlightenment. Never have I seen a child with the ability to boil water with just the wave of a hand." He looked at me, which made my cheeks burn from the sudden attention on me. "You have a unique connection to the world. I can see you are a special child."

I stared back down at Yuna, thinking again about what I had seen earlier that day. There was still a connection to my Fire Nation family. No matter what, I would never be able to change the past or what happened to my mother and I. But Hue had been right about one thing… I could choose my path. I would continue to be free. I would not be caged again. I knew there was a chance Princess Azula was after me now for my dualbending, but I would not let her take me. No one was imprisoning me again as long as I had the strength to fight.

I finally responded to Hue. "I'm the daughter of a Fire Nation man and a Water Tribe woman. I can bend both fire and water. You saw my combined bending today." The people in leaf clothing around us were amazed by my words. I smiled slightly. "I suppose you were right before, Hue, when you said the swamp was teaching me a lesson. I realize now, it doesn't matter where I come from, or what I am. It's up to me to be what I want to be. To people like my father and Zhao, I'm always going to be a freak that should've never been born. To people like Captain Yung, or General Fong, I'm always going to be the enemy. I can't change others… but I can change myself." I pet Yuna again as I smiled over at my family. Katara and Sokka smiled back, while Aang nodded. "I'll keep training and grow stronger so I can do what I can to protect the people I love. Because that's what I am… a girl of two nations who wants to help her family stop this war."

I looked back down at Yuna who was peaceful. As I did, I thought about Zuko again…. I hoped one day we'd meet again. Because I wanted him to know just how much stronger I was. And I wanted to see his strength as well…