Hey everyone,

Sorry for the really overdue chapter. I've been dealing with a lot of adult stuff… and college got super busy these last few weeks, so I have been drowning in schoolwork. Finally I have spring break so I can breathe for a few days. I'm going to do my best to keep writing when I can.

Chapter 50: Kuzon and Liva

"Amara…"

I sat on the cot and hugged my legs closer.

Tu Lan let out a heavy breath and stepped into the room. He held a tray of food in his hands. He walked over and crouched to place the tray next to me. "I'm back… Lin told me that she can't get you to eat… You need to. You don't want to get sick."

I dropped my head against my knees. My ribs were hurting. My back was so sore. I just wanted to sink away and be forgotten. "Uncle Xi… he was angry… I didn't do anything… Why… why does he hurt me? I've been good. I thought with him and Zhao both being away I'd be okay, but… he came back early… there's always someone here to hurt me."

Tu Lan sat beside me. He brushed a hand on my cheek to wipe my tears. "I'm sorry, Amara… I shouldn't have gone to visit my aunt and cousin… I thought your uncle was going to be away longer… Where did he hurt you?"

I grit my teeth. "It doesn't matter." More tears fell. "He'll just keep hurting me. Uncle Xi… Zhao… I just want… I want to leave this place."

Tu Lan was quiet for a moment as I cried more into my knees. "You will… you'll get out one day… I… I'll find a way to help you one day… I promise…"

"It's been ten years since mom died… I thought… I hoped I'd have escaped by now. But… I can't get past the walls of this estate. No matter how hard I try, I'm always caught. And I promised mom… I promised her I wouldn't waterbend or firebend. But that's going to be my only way out of here…"

"Amara… you know you can't. If they find out—"

"Maybe they should," I whispered. "I should just show them… then… maybe they'll just kill me. It would be better than being here the rest of my life."

Tu Lan let out a heavy breath. "You don't mean that… you know if you die… you'll never meet your Water Tribe family."

I pulled from my knees and glanced over at Tu Lan. "How do you know they're really out there? You said it yourself. You haven't heard anything about the Southern Water Tribe. And… I heard Zhao mention that the Southern Raiders went there a few years ago to kill a waterbender. How do we know they didn't just kill the whole tribe?"

Tu Lan shook his head. "There are still remnants of the Southern Water Tribe. I've read it in reports. There have been some Southern Water Tribe warriors spotted in the Earth Kingdom. No one knows the location of their settlement at the South Pole because they are hiding, but I know they are somewhere. Your family is out there, Amara. You can't lose hope." He brushed a hand on my cheek again. "Eat. You'll need your strength when the time comes for you to finally escape."

I let out a heavy breath. I stared at the tray beside me. Then I reached out for the bowl of rice.

"Hey… you okay?" Zuko brushed a strand of hair behind my ear.

I jumped a bit as he brought me out of my memory. I glanced over to see him staring at me with concern. I had been quiet for the last few hours as the others discussed the Fire Nation with Zuko. I had a lot on my mind, and I hadn't been able to focus on their conversation.

After we had found Aang at Crescent Island the day before, we flew further into the Fire Nation. We rested on a small uninhabited island for a few hours, and then we took off again. As we got closer to the outer main island of the Fire Nation, I felt my discomfort grow. The further into the Fire Nation we went, the more I thought about my past. I suppose being in the Earth Kingdom, I had been able to break away from thoughts about the place where much of my pain had occurred. However, being back in the Fire Nation, I could feel every part of me was heavy with despair. I thought about my mother. I remembered the place I had been imprisoned for most of my life. I thought about a nation I had lived in for sixteen years but did not know.

As I thought about my past, I started to see things in different ways. As much as I loved Tu Lan, I was a little frustrated as I thought back to our past conversations. He could've helped me escape. He could've found tons of ways to save me. He could've helped me escape the estate in the night and find passage into the Earth Kingdom. He could've left me unchained one night and forgot to lock my door. Tu Lan had kept me a prisoner too, despite the fact that he had protected me.

When I realized this, I thought about the other staff at the estate too. They had all known about me, and yet none of them had taken pity on me. They were all too fearful of losing their jobs and angering my Fire Nation family to save me. Cowards… They had all been cowards…

I lost sixteen years of my life because no one was brave enough to save me. I never got the chance to be a kid… to grow up and learn like others… I was nothing but a prisoner for most of my life, and it was because no one could find it in their heart to help me.

"Amara…" Katara spoke this time from where she sat across from me. She was bending a cloud around us so that we would not be spotted as we approached land. "What's wrong?"

Yuna, who was resting in my lap, lifted her head to look at me with her own worry. She could sense I was upset.

I took in a heavy breath. "Nothing… I just have a lot on my mind. Don't worry."

Toph scoffed. "Well when you say it like that we have reason to worry, Kitten. What's up?"

I flinched. Looking at Yuna, I stroked her furry head as I answered softly, "The Fire Nation just brings back some pretty cruddy memories. It was easier to forget about my past when we were an ocean away. Being close to where I was born, and where I lost my mom… it just makes me remember things I wish I could forget."

Sokka, who sat next to Katara, spoke with reassurance. "Well you don't have to worry about your past, Amara. We're here with you, and we'll take care of you. No one is hurting you again as long as we've got your back. Plus, Zhao's dead. You don't have to think about him anymore."

I shut my eyes as an image of Zhao flashed through me again. "Yeah… He is…"

Zhao was dead. However, my uncle still lived. There was still one monster from my past that needed to pay… for everything…

"I guess… I was mainly thinking about how even though I was in the Fire Nation for sixteen years, I don't know anything about it. That really frustrates me. I was born here, but it is a strange land…"

Aang tried to cheer me up from where he was steering Appa. "Then we'll learn about it together!"

I glanced over at him and gave a small smile. "Yeah… I guess so…" I looked over at Zuko who was still very concerned about me. "I'm okay. Really. Just got lost in my thoughts. I know this time is different."

He brushed his thumb on my cheek to offer me some comfort. "It is. I'm not letting anything happen to you."

I nodded. "I know… You're always looking out for me… thanks."

Toph sighed. "Are we there yet? It's getting too lovey-dovey for me."

Aang spoke. "I think I see a cave below!"

Sokka was horrified when Aang's voice echoed around us. "Sh! Keep quiet!"

Aang used his airbending to break Katara's cloud away from us. We could see then the cave he spoke of which was on the side of some cliffs. Appa landed and Sokka immediately got off. As he did he crossed his arms and looked up at the rest of us.

"Great job with the cloud camo, but next time, let's disguise ourselves as the kind of cloud that knows how to keep its mouth shut."

Zuko had slid off at this point. "Um… I believe your mouth was moving as much as the rest of us."

The rest of us had gotten off Appa too, and Yuna sat on my shoulder looking at the foreign land around us with curiosity.

Toph spoke up, replying to Sokka's comment. "So sorry, Sokka. We definitely wouldn't want a bird to hear us chatting up there and turn us in." Yuna gave a 'Mew-Hoo' and Toph smirked. "See. Yuna's already considering it."

Katara giggled at her comment, and also at Sokka who was being surrounded by a group of toucan-puffins. They were gathering above him on a large rock, staring down at him with curiosity. Aang and Zuko smiled as they tried not to laugh at the ridiculous scene. I had to hold back my own laugh too.

Sokka pointed up at the four toucan-puffins. "Hey, we're in enemy are enemy birds."

One of the toucan-puffins jumped down from the rock onto Sokka's head and screeched. We all couldn't hold in our laughter anymore, and we shook our heads at him turning to head into the cave. Sokka managed to escape the birds and rushed in front of us. He held his arms out just as we were about to reach the cave to stop us from walking further. He then proceeded to scope out the cave for possible threats.

Zuko groaned. "Sokka! Chill! There is no one out here but fishermen and other locals. I don't think anyone will spot us in this area."

Sokka turned towards us, crossing his arms with a shrug. "You can never be too careful!" He then turned and stepped inside the cave. "Well, this is it." He started, as the rest of us followed him in. "This is how we'll be living until the invasion begins." He dropped his head. "Hiding in cave after cave after cave after cave."

Katara argued. "Sokka, we don't need to become cave people. What we need is some new clothes."

Aang nodded in agreement. "Yeah, blending in is better than hiding out. If we get Fire Nation disguises, we would be just as safe as we would be hiding in a cave."

Toph plopped down on the ground, and crossed her arms with a huff. "Plus, they have real food out there. Does anyone want to sit in the dirt and eat cave hoppers?"

She smacked her hand on the cave wall beside her, and a herd of cave-hoppers jumped out. Yuna and Momo chattered with delight as they hopped down and started to chase a few. We all cringed when they managed to catch their meals.

Sokka sighed, saying to Momo and Yuna, "Looks like we got outvoted, sports. Let's get some new clothes."

I looked around the group with confusion. "Um… where? I don't think caves come with wardrobes."

Zuko answered. "If I have my bearings correct, then there is a small town nearby. Hopefully someone has hung up clothes to dry. We can snatch whatever we find."

Toph agreed. "Sounds good to me! Let's go!"

We left the animals at the cave to continue eating cave-hoppers and give Appa company. Then we walked up a path on the side of the cliffs and made it to the land above. Keeping to the trees, we headed further inland to find the first home we could. As we walked through the wooded area, I noted that the trees were a lot greener in the Fire Nation than the Earth Kingdom. I also noted that the temperature was warmer too. Looking around at the flora of the Fire Nation, I saw plants I did not know. I was certain there were animals that would be unfamiliar to me as well.

One thing I noticed as I walked through the Fire Nation though, was that I was not afraid. Instead, I felt at ease. I knew that was a strange feeling when we were intruders in enemy territory, but so much had changed since the last time I had walked on Fire Nation soil.

Last time I was in the Fire Nation, I was a prisoner to my Fire Nation family. I was weak. Damaged. Scared.

This time, I was free. I was stronger. Braver. Determined.

The broken girl that I had once been in the Fire Nation for sixteen years was gone. This thought finally helped me relax the tension within me that I had felt since we left Crescent Island. I would be okay. I had my cousins, Zuko, Aang, and Toph. My family was with me. As long as we were together, nothing would happen. I believed that to be true.

Zuko suddenly took my hand in his and gave it a squeeze. "You doing okay?"

He must've gotten worried again because of my silence. This time I gave him a genuine smile. "Yeah. I really am. I thought I would feel so much fear being back in this place. But… I'm not afraid anymore. I'm stronger and no longer alone. I feel like this place is so much more beautiful than the last time I saw brief glimpses of it."

He squeezed my hand. "That's what I want… for you to see the beauty of it. This is part of you. I don't want you to be scared of it."

I squeezed his hand back. "It does help you're here with me this time."

We eventually found ourselves on the backside of a town. There was a cliff with a waterfall. A house was placed near the area. There was also clothing draped on clotheslines across the area. I looked around the property for any sign of people, and saw none. We crouched behind a rock, staring at the clothing to decide what we wanted to take. There were shoes lined up on the ground as well.

"Okay… Everyone ready?" Zuko asked.

Toph sighed. "Someone grab me something. I'll trust your judgment."

"I got you, Toph," Katara promised.

Aang sounded uncertain beside me. "I don't know about this. These clothes belong to somebody."

Katara ignored him. "I call the silk robe!" She jumped out from behind the boulder we were hiding and ran towards the clothesline. She grabbed an outfit for herself and one for Toph. The rest of us followed and grabbed our own outfits. Then we ran back the way we came before we were caught. We ran a good half a mile, and then finally caught our breath once we were away from the town. I stared at my outfit with curiosity and saw I had grabbed one similar to Aang's. I was okay with that, because it was better I didn't show a ton of skin and reveal my scars on my back.

When we got back to the cave, the girls went on one side of some boulders while the guys went on the other to change. I put on my black and red outfit. The outer vest was black, with red trim, and some gold on the collar. The dress under the vest was more of a burgundy with short sleeves, and the shoes were red. There were also some red arm sleeves with the outfit as well, and a red belt to tie around the waist with some gold embroidered in the middle.

Katara's outfit was really pretty. Her top had a wide strap that covered her left shoulder, and the fabric cut off right below her chest. There was no trim on her top, but she did have a small area tied where the fabric came together at the bottom. Her skirt was actually brown pants that stopped at her calf with the skirt slit on both sides. Her skirt also had black trim on the three darker fabrics that hung from the top of the skirt down to her knees. She had stranded shoes.

Toph's outfit covered her whole body leaving only below her knees, above her collar bones, and below her shoulders uncovered. Her outfit was red as well, and came with a long red shawl that had yellow in the center. She tied the shawl's loose ends to her waist with a red belt. She also put on soft red shoes which I had a feeling would be gone soon.

"Aw! You look so cute, Amara! You know what we should do?! Let's tie up your hair!" Katara grabbed my hand to pull me back out into the open so we could go back to the cave where our belongings were. Toph followed behind, commenting that she was already blind in the shoes. When we got back around the boulder, we saw the guys were dressed and waiting for us.

Aang's outfit was pretty similar to my own. He wore a tan shirt with some tan pants, underneath a black overshirt with red trim. His red shoes covered his feet and ankles. He'd tied the belt around his forehead to cover the remainder of his arrow tattoo that was already mostly covered by his dark hair.

Sokka wore a short sleeved long burgundy shirt with a brighter red collar at the top that extended out to the shoulders and had red trim. He wore black pants that cut off right below his knees, and red strap sandals. He'd managed to get his hair up in a topknot as well.

Zuko had kept his hair down, and he wore a dark burgundy shirt and the same colored pants. Over his shirt he wore a sleeveless cover darker than the fabric beneath, and gold trim decorated the outer-layers edge. He had a gold belt tied around his waist to keep the outer layer on. His shoes were pointed up at the toes and covered up to his knee.

Aang looked over as he approached. His jaw dropped when he saw how beautiful Katara looked. The red contrasted with her skin well.

"How do we look?" Katara asked.

Zuko glanced over at her, and then at me. He smiled when he saw my appearance. "Definitely Fire Nation enough. Although, Amara and Aang look like they're going to school."

I looked at my outfit, and then at Aang's. "School?"

He nodded. "Those look like uniforms that most of the Fire Nation schools make students wear. You both look like you're ready to hit the books."

"Really?! Maybe we should attend the school in town then! Learn some things about–"

Sokka cut Aang off. "What?! Are you crazy! No one is going to a Fire Nation school! We're supposed to stay stealth! Draw as little attention as we can to ourselves."

Yuna suddenly flew over and landed on my shoulder. I smiled, and said, "That's kind of hard to do with a cat-owl, flying-lemur, and flying sky-bison."

Katara sighed. "That is true. We need to be really careful about Appa being spotted from this point on. We don't want anyone to see him."

Aang turned to Katara and commented on her appearance. His face was a shade red as he did so. "You look really great, Katara…" He then glanced at her necklace and my own. "But… You two should probably take off your necklaces. They show you're Water Tribe."

Katara let out a heavy breath. "Yeah… I guess they are pretty obviously Water Tribe, aren't they?" Katara took hers off.

I ran my finger over the charm of my mother's necklace in hesitation. Zuko noticed my uncertainty. He stepped over to me and placed a hand on my shoulder. "It's just for a little bit. You can wear it again once we defeat the Fire Nation."

I nodded. I removed the necklace, although I was greatly saddened to do so. After I put my necklace in my bag for safe keeping, Katara helped me tie my hair up with a blue ribbon. She didn't think the ribbon's color was as obvious, so she said my disguise was still intact. As Katara tied my hair up, Toph plopped on the ground with a grunt.

"I know I should probably wear shoes, but then I won't be able to see as well. Sorry shoes!" She brought her knee up to her chest, then yanked on the upper part of her shoe. The action sent the sole of her shoe flying straight at Zuko's forehead. As it dropped to the ground, Zuko rubbed the red mark on his forehead as he looked at her with irritation. She smirked, pretending she didn't know what just happened. "Finally, a stylish shoe for the blind earthbender."

Zuko muttered, "You keep saying you're blind, but I'm not very convinced with that aim."

Toph shrugged. "You're the blind one for not being able to dodge, Sparky."

A little while later we started to head back towards town to buy a few more things for our disguises and to find something to eat. Sokka stated having Yuna on my shoulder would attract too much attention and that she would have to stay with Appa. I pouted, arguing that Aang got to take Momo. Aang defended himself and said Momo was able to hide in his shirt. I tried that tactic myself with Yuna, but she did not appreciate the close space and wiggled out. She flew over to Appa, indicating she was okay staying. I decided she would be more comfortable at the cave, so instead I raced down to the water and managed to catch her a fish. She was satisfied when I brought the meal back to her.

As we headed towards the town, Zuko held my hand in his to offer me some comfort. He knew I didn't like leaving Yuna behind, and he reassured me she would be okay with Appa. Then he said, "You look really pretty, by the way. If you were in school, I can't imagine how many guys would try to court you."

I blushed at his compliment. "Thanks… Did you ever go to school?"

Zuko shook his head. "No. My dad had private tutors teach me everything I needed to know. My sister was lucky. She got to go to the Fire Nation Royal Academy for girls. That's where she met Mai and Ty Lee."

I frowned. "You didn't have many friends growing up?"

He shook his head. "No… I really only interacted with Azula and her friends. After my mom… well… I guess I was kind of okay being on my own."

I squeezed his hand. "But… You like being with us now, right?"

We had fallen a little back from the group at this point. Zuko smiled over at me. "This is the happiest I have been since my mom was with me. And… you're one person I always want by my side."

My cheeks burned more. "I like you being by my side."

We finally got into town and started to tour the market place. We followed the group over to a stall with some hairpieces and other jewelry. Katara picked up a red choker necklace on the table, while I found a pretty red ribbon. Toph felt around and asked about a headband she touched. I explained that it was pretty. The headband was gold with tassels on both ends. She approved and selected her purchase. Sokka purchased a golden band to put his hair up in a topknot. Aang was busy shoving Momo's ears back into his shirt.

Zuko covered his face in disbelief when he saw Aang's action. He muttered, "I told you to leave him with Yuna and Appa."

Aang argued. "Momo's great at hiding. Don't worry!" He then turned and said, "Let's go find some food." He started to walk off, and we followed him.

Katara moved ahead and grabbed Aang by the shoulder to slow him down. "Let's try to stick together. We don't need to be separated."

Aang shrugged her off. "No worries, Katara. I used to visit my friend Kuzon here a hundred years ago. So, everyone just follow my lead and stay cool. Or, as they say in the Fire Nation, "stay flamin'."

We all looked over at Zuko for confirmation that this was true. Zuko shook his head, saying, "No one has said that in fifty years."

Aang ignored him, walking off. He said to a man who passed, "Greetings, my good hotman!"

The man looked stunned as he continued to walk. "Uh… hi… I guess…"

Zuko groaned and covered his face in disbelief. I smiled a little at his frustration.

We finally arrived at a shop that sold meat. Aang grimaced when he realized where we were going to eat. "Oh, we're going to a meat place?"

Sokka defended his meat. "Come on, Aang! Everyone here eats meat. Even the meat!" He pointed over to a cow-hippo in a pen who was eating some raw meat. Aang and I both cringed.

Aang waved Sokka off. "You guys go ahead. I'll just get some lettuce out of the garbage."

Katara argued. "I'm sure they have some fruit, Aang. Come on. I don't like you hanging out here alone."

I shrugged. "I'll hang out with him. I know he isn't comfortable around meat. Just bring me something when you're all done. I'm not starving."

Zuko seemed unsure about this. "You and Aang… out here alone… I don't know…"

Aang put an arm around my shoulders. "Relax, Zuko! I'll keep an eye on her."

Zuko rolled his eyes. "That doesn't help me relax."

I promised, "We'll stay right here. Don't worry."

Sokka grew impatient and grabbed Zuko's sleeve. "They'll be fine! Come on! I'm starving!"

Toph smirked. "Yeah. It's not like Kitten and Twinkletoes can get into too much mischief together, right?"

Zuko went to argue, but he was pulled into the shop with Sokka. Katara waved at us as she followed Toph inside.

We stood outside waiting for them to come back. I was amazed by all of the Fire Nation men and women around me. I wondered if people dressed similarly at the city my own Fire Nation family had lived near. Then this made me a little sad. I had never seen Fire Fountain City with my own eyes. I had only heard bits and pieces about it from the servants, Tu Lan, Zhao, and Xi.

Aang started to wave at everyone who passed by us. "Hotman. Hotman. Hotman. Hotman. Hotman. Hotman." He even said it to the women. I asked him why he didn't call them "Hotwoman." He shook his head quickly, saying that was not a good idea. When I asked him why, he told me, "I don't know exactly why… Kuzon told me he'd been smacked by a woman when he said it to her once."

I gave a small nod. "I'll ask Zuko."

Aang nodded. "Okay. He'd know!"

As we finished our conversation, we were shocked when three Fire Nation soldiers suddenly approached us. There were two male soldiers and a female soldier. The heavier set male soldier in the middle of the group snapped, "It's over. We caught you!"

I was frozen with terror. Aang was nervous, but tried to keep composed, asking, "Who, us?

The same soldier stopped before us crossing his arms. "It couldn't be more obvious that you don't belong here!" I felt my heart quicken. "Next time you two play hooky, you might wanna take off your school uniforms!"

His words shocked me. My heart calmed. Aang laughed nervously. The female soldier grabbed my arm, while the second male soldier grabbed Aang's. We were dragged across town towards a path that led to the cliffs of the island we were on. As we walked by the water and up a steep slope, the two soldiers had released us and were walking behind us instead. I whispered to Aang as we headed to wherever they were making us go, "This is bad… What if they figure out who we are?"

Aang whispered back, "Just act natural. Your name is Liva. Mine is Kuzon. We're from the Fire Nation colonies if they ask. We just have to survive until school is over."

I looked at him with horror. I whispered again, "I don't know anything about school. I can still barely write all my characters."

"Hey! You two stop whispering up there!" The female soldier snapped. "Keep moving. You've already missed the morning session!"

Eventually we went around a bend and I was astonished. A huge building stood before us, bordered by a cliffside on one side and an off-white colored wall with red slanted roofing on the other. The building, which was the same color as the wall, had numerous levels and sections, and there were windows around it. We were forced past the gate and across the school yard. Then we were shoved up some stairs, through a dim sunlit hallway, and into an open door.

The room was full of Fire Nation kids of different ages. I was amazed. I had never seen so many Fire Nation kids before.

"Sorry for the interruption, Ms. Kwan," the male guard said. "Found these two wandering through town."

The slender woman with a stone cold expression looked over at us with surprise. "I don't know these two… Are these new minds ready for molding?"

I felt my back suddenly perspire as my heartbeat quickened. We were going to be caught any moment. Zuko was going to be so worried when he and the group realized we weren't where they left us. What if they arrested us and took us to a Fire Nation prison when they learned we weren't actually students? Then what?

Aang tried to stay calm. "That's right." He knocked on his head. "Let the molding begin."

The two soldiers who forced us in, turned and started to leave. However, the soldiers stopped when Ms. Kwan narrowed her eyes at us and said, "Wait a minute."

Ms. Kwan suddenly walked over to us from the head of the room and started to circle us. I tried to keep calm, but on the inside I was a mess. "You're not from the Fire Nation." I stopped breathing. We were done for. "Clearly you're from the colonies."

Her words made every bit of me release. I felt I could breathe again. I heard the two soldiers walk away and let out a breath of relief.

Aang quickly spoke. "Yeah, the colonies, of course. The Fire Nation colonies in the Earth Kingdom!"

Ms. Kwan stepped in front of us again. "Your etiquette is terrible. In the homeland, we bow to our elders." She walked back over to her desk, which was at the front-center of the room, and stood in front of it. She bowed to me and Aang. "Like so."

Aang nodded. "Sorry, ma'am." He bowed.

I was familiar with how to bow from gestures I had seen Iroh and other soldiers do in the past. I bowed too. The lady stepped over to Aang, and I saw from the corner of my eyes she tapped his hands which were in the wrong position. "Seems your sister knows better than you!"

I looked over at Aang, and saw he corrected his position. I smiled slightly at the word sister. I liked the idea of Aang being my brother. He was a million times better than Zhao.

"Better," Ms. Kwan spoke upon Aang's correction.

We stood straight again.

However, Ms. Kwan wasn't done. She pointed at Aang's headband with disapproval. "And we don't wear head coverings indoors!"

Aang quickly thought of an excuse not to reveal his tattoos. "Um ... I have a scar. It's really embarrassing."

Ms. Kwan sighed. "Very well. What is your name? Or should we just call you "Mannerless Colony Slob"?"

Aang chuckled a little. "Just "slob" is fine… Or, uh, Kuzon." He turned and faced the class with a smile.

Ms. Kwan looked over at me, expecting a name as well. "Liva," I responded, trying not to sound nervous.

She nodded. "Very well… Please have a seat, Kuzon and Liva. We were just going over a poem written by a famous scholar named Dai De."

Aang went to a small wooden desk on one side of the room while I went to another by the window. As I walked by students, I felt their eyes follow me as I took my seat. I glanced over at Aang and saw he was looking around the room at the kids with curiosity. Ms. Kwan started to recite the poem, and as she did I actually paid attention. The words were pretty, almost similar to something Iroh had recited to me once long ago when I was saved by him.

As I thought this, I felt saddened by the thought of Iroh. He had been my teacher during my time with him. I hoped he was doing okay… I prayed he was alive… Zuko believed he was being kept in a prison near the Fire Nation palace. I really hoped that was true… If he was a prisoner, then at least he was still breathing and there was a chance we could save him.

The rest of our class went by pretty quickly. However, even though time seemed to fly by, I was enjoying myself a lot. I was learning so much about the Fire Nation, and about different scholars I had never heard of before. Aang seemed to be having a good time too, although I could see Momo moving around inside his shirt every now and then, probably impatient.

A bell was rung a little later, and the students all stood to bow to their teacher. Aang and I did the same, not wanting to get in trouble for showing disrespect. We filed out of the class then, and as we went I was smiling. I felt like a kid for once. I was surrounded by other Fire Nation kids, and I couldn't help but feel like I fit in a little. Being part Fire Nation, I was able to pick out similar features I had with the kids around me.

We made it out into the school yard, and Momo peeked his head out of Aang's shirt.

Aang spoke to him. "We made it through the day, Momo. And it was pretty fun!"

A female voice spoke behind us. "Don't let the headmaster catch you with that monkey."

We stopped in our step, and I shoved Momo down into Aang's shirt again. We then turned and Aang asked the girl a little older than him, "What monkey?"

The girl, who wore the same uniform I did, with black hair in a ponytail, said, "Don't worry, I'm not a tattletale. My name's On Ji. I like your headband, by the way."

I was glad to hear the kindness in her tone. She seemed to be someone that we didn't have to worry about too much.

She looked over at me then. "It's Liva, right?"

I nodded and gave a small smile. "Yes."

She looked between Aang and I with curiosity. "You two are brother and sister, right? That's a little surprising. You don't look alike."

I thought quickly. "Kuzon and his family took me in after my parents passed away. We're not related by blood, but he's definitely a brother to me."

Aang smiled over at me. I smiled back.

"On Ji," a male voice spoke. A guy who was probably around Katara's age stepped over and put an arm around On Ji's shoulders. I suddenly felt uncomfortable as I took in his demeanor, facial features, and his topknot. His whole stance and attitude reminded me of the crueler Fire Nation men of my past. He spoke again, "On Ji, you don't have to baby-sit the new kids."

Aang's eyes widened. "Wow!" He bowed to him, and then stood straight. "You must be one of those popular kids I've been hearing about!"

I looked at Aang with confusion. Popular kids? What was he talking about?

Hide stepped forward. "That's right. Name's Hide. Now listen, friend. I know you're from the colonies, so I'll say this slowly." He leaned in towards Aang. "On Ji is my girlfriend." He poked Aang in the chest. "Don't forget it."

I felt suddenly irritated. I didn't like him accusing Aang of trying to take On Ji from him. I felt defensive for the kid I saw as my little brother. Stepping over, I shoved Hide's hand away from Aang, and moved in front of him. I felt heated as I snapped at Hide, "Hey! Back off! Kuzon wasn't trying to steal your girlfriend!"

Hide stepped back, and then smirked over at Aang. "What's this? You need your big sis to fight your battles for you?"

Aang grabbed my arm as my fists steamed.

Hide noticed, and he narrowed his eyes. "You want to take a swing at me? Go ahead. Just know I'm an important kid here. My dad gives money to this school, so you start a fight with me and you're the one that's going to pay!"

On Ji turned and smacked him on the back of the head. He was stunned and put his hand on the spot she'd hit. "What was that for?"

"You're being rude, Hide! Knock it off! I hate it when you get like this!" On Ji turned and huffed away. "I liked you better when your family was poor."

Hide was stunned and chased after her. "On Ji! Wait!"

Aang waved after them. "It was nice meeting you!"

I let out a heavy breath. "I think I'm ready to leave now."

Aang smiled over at me. "Oh come on, Amara. You know you had fun today."

I looked at Aang ready to argue. However, I gave a small smile. "Yeah… I guess I did. But I'm sure the others are worried sick. We should head back. Plus, we missed lunch and I'm starving."

Just as we turned to leave, another boy approached us. This one was Aang's age, with brown eyes and lighter hair than Hide's. He smiled at Aang and said, "I don't believe it! He didn't beat you up. Not even a little."

Aang shrugged. "I guess we're just lucky."

The boy nodded. "We were on our way to play hide and explode. You wanna come?"

Aang grinned. "I'd love to!"

Aang went to run off to follow the boy who was starting to lead him away. I grabbed Aang's arm to stop him. "Kuzon… We really need to go."

He looked at me with big pleading eyes. "Come on, Liva! Just one game! Please!"

The boy had stopped when I grabbed Aang and tried to reassure me. "My cousin should be here soon to walk me home, so we won't play long. He just arrived in town yesterday so I have to help my mom prepare dinner for him. My name is Shoji by the way."

Aang grinned. "Nice to meet you!"

I let out a heavy breath and let go of Aang's arm. "Fine… Just one game. But then we need to go. I'll be waiting by the gate to walk back."

"You can play too!" Shoji insisted.

I waved him off. "I'm okay… You go on and have fun. I kind of want some quiet."

Aang nodded and ran off with the boy. I watched him go, worried more about how the group would feel with us being gone longer. I knew they were already freaking out that we had been gone as long as we had. I was certain Yuna was stressed that I wasn't with them either.

Knowing I couldn't change Aang's mind, I decided to head out of the schoolyard so I could have a view of the ocean. Walking back past the gate of the school, I went around the wall and stood at a spot where I could see the ocean in the distance. I let out a heavy breath and shut my eyes. The warm breeze and smell of the ocean calmed me. As much as I had feared coming back to the Fire Nation, I felt like the world around me was different this time. It was actually beautiful and calming.

I was able to actually see and enjoy the Fire Nation for the first time in my life. Which was good: I wanted to be okay being in the Fire Nation. This was Zuko's homeland too. I knew once we defeated the Fire Lord, Zuko would be taking the throne. If I was going to be by his side, then I would need to accept being in the Fire Nation.

The thought made me realize that as much as I wanted to meet my grandma, I did desire to be with Zuko more… I had thought long and hard about what I was going to do after we defeated the Fire Lord. I knew, as much as my cousins would hate the idea, that I would want to stay with Zuko. I loved him… and he would need me when the war was over.

After a long ten minutes of just the sound of the waves in the distance, and the dim laughter of kids in the schoolyard, a gasp sounded behind me which caused me to jump. I turned with surprise, and my eyes widened at the man standing a few feet away.

My heart and breathing seemed to stop for a moment. I could not believe who I was seeing. I felt like I was dreaming.

The man before me was in his early-forties, with hair he kept shaved short, and soft brown eyes. His hands had scars on them from being burned. He was standing on two feet though, straight and tall. His eyes held a mixture of confusion and elation.

"Amara…?"

I felt my eyes fill with tears. I couldn't believe who I was seeing. I never imagined I'd see him again. My throat caught, but I managed to whisper, "Tu Lan…"